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☆ China is closing a South China Sea surveillance gap with a new radar made to spot stealth aircraft, satellite images suggest
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Satellite images appear to show a SIAR system on Triton Island in the South China Sea. China previously built a SIAR system on Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands, further south in the South China Sea and west of the Philippines. "This is an iteration on a long-term Chinese strategy to dominate the sensor space in the South China Sea," he said. AdvertisementLast fall, the Pentagon documented growth in China's intelligence-gathering capabilities in the South China Sea, especially at the Spratlys. China's new SIAR system on Triton Island helps grow its reconnaissance and surveillance network in the South China Sea.

Persons: —, Chatham House's John Pollack, Damien Symon, Maxar, Chatham, Gregory Poling, Michael Dahm, Dahm, Aaron Haro Gonzalez Organizations: Service, Business, Chatham House, Triton, Southeast Asia Program, Asia Maritime, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Pentagon, Aerospace, China Studies, Mitchell Institute, US, Communication, US Air Force Locations: China, South China, South, Chatham, Spratly, Philippines, Hainan, Beijing, Aaron Haro Gonzalez China

☆ The B-2 stealth bomber used to hit the Houthis was built to strike the toughest targets
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Pentagon disclosed that B-2 stealth bombers were involved in the operation. AdvertisementThe US military carried out a series of airstrikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Wednesday, using B-2 stealth bombers to hit targets underground. The US bases the heavy strategic bombers at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. AdvertisementBefore the emergence of the new B-21 Raider, the B-2 was, for decades, the only stealth bomber. The Air Force describes the MOP as a heavy munition that can accomplish "difficult" and "complicated" missions of reaching enemy weapons stored in well-protected sites.

Persons: —, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Vincent De Groot, Northrop Grumman, Matthew S, Domingos Mark Gunzinger, Samantha White Organizations: Pentagon, Service, Defense, Navy, US Air Force, US Air National Guard, The Air Force, Northrop, Whiteman Air Force Base, Raider, Air Force, Islamic, U.S . Air Force, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Boeing, Air Locations: Yemen, Iran, Gulf of Aden, United States, Missouri, Soviet, Australia

☆ Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots have had to dramatically change the way they fly after long flying Soviet jets, and it's a lot to overcome
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Ukraine's F-16 pilots have had to get up to speed on a different fighter jet quickly. And more broadly, Ukraine's air force is having to rapidly undergo a wider transition that its international partners took significantly longer to do. Those older jets have hydraulic systems, while F-16 jets are fly-by-wire, which means computers process the input by pilots. A Ukrainian air force F-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. A farewell ceremony for Ukrainian F-16 pilot Oleksiy Mes in Shepetivka on August 29.

Persons: Ukraine's, —, Michael Bohnert, Bohnert, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vitalii, Tom Richter, James Hecker, Mitchell, David Deptula, Christopher Bowie, Oleksiy Mes, Oleksiy, they're, Valentyn, Keir Giles, Michael Clarke, Gordon, Skip, Davis Organizations: Service, RAND Corporation, Associated Press, Getty, Nokia, US Marine, National Guard, Politico, US Air Forces, NATO Allied Air Command, AP, Air Force, Pentagon, Ukrainian Air Force, Libkos, REUTERS, Chatham House's, West, Ukraine, US Army, Defense Investment Division Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Europe, Ukrainian, Shepetivka, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Chatham House's Russia, Eurasia, British

☆ A new experimental US Air Force bomb can sink warships, but the question is if it's the right weapon for a war with China
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewA US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber recently used a new anti-ship weapon to sink a decommissioned warship in the Pacific and a cargo ship off the coast of Florida. A US Air Force B-2 Spirt receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker in the sky over northwest Missouri in August 2018. According to the Air Force Research Laboratory, the goal is to replicate the combat potential of a submarine with an aircraft that can cover a much larger area. QUICKSINK is not the only initiative indicative of the Air Force's desire to increase its maritime strike capabilities. The Air Force remains interested in developing more affordable munitions for maritime strikes.

Persons: —, Vincent De Groot, Bryan Clark, Lindsey Heflin, Mark Gunzinger, QUICKSINK, Clark, Gunzinger Organizations: Service, Air Force, American, Business, US Air Force, KC, US Air National Guard, Air Force Research Laboratory, US Navy, Hudson Institute, US, People's, Army, China News Service, Getty, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Ship, Navy Locations: Pacific, Florida, China, Missouri, Hawaii, Gulf of Mexico, Washington, Beijing, Western Pacific

☆ With a NATO war and Ukraine's knack for shooting down planes in mind, Russia is holding back its airpower and most advanced jets
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Read previewRussia has kept much of its airpower and some of its most advanced aircraft out of the war in Ukraine. But Baum and other air warfare experts have warned Russia's air force should not be underestimated and cautioned that NATO should be ready. AdvertisementRussia's air force is weaker than NATO's airpower, but Russia's war in Ukraine shows it can still cause a lot of damage. Russia's air force has suffered high attrition rates from Ukraine's ground-based air defenses when operating in the country. Related storiesHe said that Russia "has a lot of trouble replacing lost advanced aircraft," only making a few a year.

Persons: —, John Baum, Su, Andrew Curtis, Curtis, Michael Clarke, Christopher Cavoli, it's, Clarke, Evelyn Hockstein, Baum, Peter Layton, Layton, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jens Büttner, Russian Sukhoi Su, Nicola Marfisi, Russia's, There's, Sukhoi Su, Aleksey Nikolskyi, REUTERS George Barros, Jake Epstein, Gustav Gressel, Tim Robinson, Russia's Su, Robinson, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix Organizations: Service, NATO, Mitchell Institute, US Air Force, Business, UK Ministry of Defense, Russian Air Force, Royal Air Force, REUTERS, Ukraine, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Russian, Getty Images Air, Getty Images, it's, Sukhoi, Sputnik, European Council, Foreign Relations, UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, Getty Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, NATO, Russian Sukhoi, Ukrainian, Moscow, Kremlin, AFP

☆ Here's what American air-to-air missiles can do for Ukraine's new F-16s against the Russians
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThe US is sending Ukraine air-to-air missiles to go with the new F-16 fighter jets coming this summer from European partners, per a new report on armaments. AdvertisementPowerful air-to-air missilesThe AIM-120 is an all-weather, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile with active radar for decreased dependence on the aircraft for intercepts. On the other missile Ukraine is receiving, the AIM-9X is a short-range air-to-air missile with an infrared seeker and is the newest variant in the Sidewinder family. The Russians are operating Su-35 and MiG-31 fighter jets that carry long-range air-to-air missiles like the R-37. With F-16s, Ukraine can potentially better use these weapons to degrade Russia's vaunted air-defense capabilities.

Persons: —, Boris Roessler, it's, Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, George Calin, Netherlands —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, James Hecker, Hecker Organizations: Service, AIM, Air Missile, 9X, Street, Business, Danish Air Force, Getty, Ukrainian Air Force, Eglin Air Force Base, US Air Force, Guardian, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Ukrainian Air, REUTERS Kyiv, Soviet, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Germany, Fla, Ukrainian, Soviet, Fetesti, Romania, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands

☆ Ukraine's Air Force must ditch its Soviet-style approach to get the most out of F-16s
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But only if the battered Ukrainian Air Force is capable and willing to drastically change the way it fights in the middle of the war. Finally, Ukrainian Air Force leadership must be incorporated into the Ukrainian General Staff to foster and facilitate integrated, all-domain concepts, planning, and employment." "The bottom line is that it will not be easy," Deptula, a retired US Air Force lieutenant general, told Business Insider. "It will take years for the Ukrainian military culture to shift from the model based on their Soviet military history, to Western military doctrine." For example, ground-based artillery and rockets can destroy Russian air defense systems, which enables Ukraine's air force to operate over the battlefield, and thus provide close air support to the army.

Persons: David Deptula, Christopher Bowie, Nichols, Goldwater, interservice, —, Mitchell, Deptula, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Ukrainian Air Force, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Mitchell Institute, Ukrainian, Staff, US Air Force, Russian Air Force, Goldwater, Navy, Joint Chiefs, Missions, Army, Marines, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, Grenada, Ukrainian, Forbes

☆ Russia's showing NATO its hand in the air war over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Experts told Business Insider the Ukraine war has underscored how some elements of modern air combat are radically changing. And in fights like Desert Storm and the Iraq War, the West established air superiority by taking out its opponent's air defenses. The Russian air force can't meet Western air forces air to air in a major attack without being "shot to pieces," Bronk said. "Nobody really wants an air war with Russia," said John Baum, a Mitchell Institute expert and retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel. "It is not a highly desirable thing, I think, from either side, to want to have this air war."

Persons: It's, Justin Bronk, hasn't, DIMITAR DILKOFF, Bronk, Andrew Curtis, Mark Cancian, Guy Snodgrass, Hoshang, Giorgio Di Mizio, David Allvin, it's, James Hecker, NATO hadn't, " Hecker, that's, Maxim Shemetov, Fabian Hinz, Riivo Valge, Mattias Eken, They're, Paula Bronstein, Anthony Sweeney, US Army Cancian, REUTERS Lockheed Martin, Timothy Wright, disaggregation, Schmuelgen Jarmo Lindberg, Evelyn Hockstein Valge, John Baum Organizations: Kyiv, NATO, Business, Royal United Services Institute, Western, Getty, US Air Force, Storm, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Russian Defense Ministry Press, AP Russia, AP, Hudson Institute nonresident, International Institute for Strategic Studies, REUTERS, RAND Corp, Patriots, US Army, West, Patriot, Ukraine, REUTERS Lockheed, Finnish Defense Forces, Eurofighter Typhoons, Mitchell Institute Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, AFP, Iraq, Europe, West, Afghanistan, Baltic, Western Europe, Estonian, Finnish, Finland, Washington

☆ See the XQ-67A combat drone's first flight as the US Air Force works to build its fleet of manned and AI-piloted aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Hope Seck | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It's been an eventful few months for the XQ-67A and the Air Force's efforts to create a fleet of low-cost, high-tech autonomy-capable aircraft that can network with and support manned fighters in the air. Air Force Research Laboratory/DVIDsThe new angles highlighted in the short video underscore the unique design of this prospective fighter jet teammate. The Air Force plans to fast-track production of the first 100 collaborative combat aircraft, delivering them to the fleet by 2029. AdvertisementThe Air Force hopes CCA won't just augment or modernize air warfare — but transform it entirely. Air Force Research Laboratory/DVIDsCCA, the paper's authors write, could help disrupt China's preferred way of fighting and deny the country an assured victory, if employed correctly to multiply capabilities.

Persons: Atomics Gray, It's, Atomics, Mike Atwood, Kratos, Frank Kendall, China's Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Air, Air Force, ASI, USAF, Air Force Research, and Space Forces Magazine, Cessna, CCA, Atomics, Marine Corps, Collaborative, Attritable Aircraft Technologies, The Air Force, Force, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Locations: Atomics Gray Butte, Palmdale , CA, OBSS, China

☆ How airpower experts think Ukraine could pull off bursts of air superiority to get F-16s into the fight and score breakthroughs
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

An Air Force F-22 Raptor flies alongside two Polish F-16s in formation during the NATO Air Shielding media day at Lask Air Base, Poland. Air Force Staff Sgt. The air force could support these operations using HARM missiles. This sets up Ukraine's air force to gain air superiority over specific areas, allowing their pilots to strike Russian units, logistics, and transportation networks and deny movements of reinforcements. An F-16 aircraft is pictured after the first delivery of Norway's old F-16 fighter aircraft to Romania at Rygge Air Force Base, Norway.

Persons: —, David Deptula, Christopher Bowie, nonresident, Danielle Sukhlall, Volodymyr Zelensky, Alexander De Croo, Ludivine Dedonder, Didier Lebrun, Photonews, Bowie, SAMs, That's, it's Organizations: Service, Business, US Air Force, Mitchell Institute, Center for Strategic, An Air Force, NATO Air, Lask, Base, Air Force Staff, Defence, Ukrainian Air Force, Getty, Russia's, Rygge Air Force Base, OLE BERG, NATO, Fighting Falcons Locations: Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Romania, Norway, AFP

☆ China navy secretly built what could be world's first drone aircraft carrier: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

China has secretly built what could be the world's first drone carrier, an analyst said. Having a drone carrier would allow China to use different types of drones to attack, an analyst told BI. AdvertisementChina's navy has secretly built what could be the world's first dedicated drone carrier ship, according to Naval News, a squat ship that looks like a mini-aircraft carrier. "We are confident that this ship is the world's first dedicated fixed-wing drone carrier," it said. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Michael Dahm Organizations: Service, Naval News, aircraft, Mitchell Institute, Business Locations: China

☆ F-16s headed to Ukraine this summer will face their most dangerous battlefield ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine is slated to receive its much-anticipated fleet of F-16 fighter jets this summer. AdvertisementThe long-awaited delivery of F-16s to Ukraine is on the horizon, and these advanced American-made fighter jets can't come soon enough for its forces. The fighter jets are expected to arrive at some point this summer, reportedly as early as June. Romanian air force F-16 fighter planes fly above the Baza 86 military air base, outside Fetesti, Romania, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. US Air Force F-16's stand ready with bombs loaded to take off during the first daylight attack to liberate Kuwait in 1991.

Persons: —, Falcon, SAMs, Alexandru, Egypt —, John Baum, Russia —, Baum, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV Russia's, Tannehill, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mark Rutte, Peter Dejong Organizations: Service, Russia's, Rygge Air Force Base, OLE BERG, Getty, NATO, Kyiv, Israeli Air Force, AP, US Air Force, Operation, Allied Force, Yugoslavia, Air Force, Defense Technical Information, Reuters, Storm, Russia, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, US Navy, SA, Russian, AIM, INA Locations: Ukraine, Balkans, Kyiv, Romania, Norway, AFP, — Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Lebanon's, Israel, Yom, Romanian, Fetesti, Storm, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Afghanistan, Islamic, Kuwait, Russian, Zhukovsky, Moscow, Bekaa, East, Syria, Russia, Ukrainian, Eindhoven, Rzeszow, Jasionka, Poland, Crimean

☆ China can't use civilian ships to invade Taiwan just yet, but it's getting there, says former US intelligence officer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementChina's fleet of civilian ships earmarked for war is unlikely to successfully invade Taiwan until at least 2030. AdvertisementThese civilian ships are mostly used to ferry military assets, particularly for beach landings, in exercises focused along the Taiwan Strait, Dahm added. AdvertisementChina might also use open-deck civilian ships as sea-based landing pads for helicopters, he added. Alternatively, the civilian ships can be used to rapidly transport military resources along China's coast during war, he added. "The PLA is clearly developing required procedures and increasing proficiency using civilian ships for logistics and landing operations," he wrote.

Persons: Michael Dahm, They're, Dahm, —, William Lai Ching Organizations: Service, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, US, China Maritime Studies Institute, PLA, Trade, People's Liberation Army Locations: Taiwan, Beijing, China, Taiwan Strait

☆ B-1B supersonic bombers sent a 'powerful' message to Iran's proxies all the way from Texas
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIt's a long way to go from Texas to the airspace above Iraq and back to base, but it's a mission the B-1B Lancer can handle. AdvertisementA B-1B Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, taxis down the runway before takeoff at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Feb. 1, 2024. US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Leon RedfernThe bombers took off from Dyess and flew nonstop to the Middle East. B-1B Lancers from Dyess and Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, sit on the flightline at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Feb. 1, 2024. An Airman from the 7th Munitions Conventional Maintenance shop prepares Joint Direct Attack Munitions at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 31, 2024.

Persons: —, 1Bs, I'm, Mark Gunzinger, Leon Redfern, Douglas Sims, There's, Gunzinger, it'll Organizations: Service, US Central Command, Business, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Dyess Air Force Base, US Air Force, Senior, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Armaments, Attack Munitions, Joint, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, 7th Munitions, Munitions, Leon Redfern Targets, Texas Locations: Texas, Iraq, South Dakota, Dyess, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Gen, East, United States

☆ The US Air Force is training to take down Chinese warships, but China's military has built a 'wicked' problem for it to overcome
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

That's not a new task for the US Air Force, but it faces a 'wicked' threat from China's air defenses. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US Air Force is working on improving its ability to sink well-defended warships, a reflection of the US military's concern about the growing size and increasing capability of China's navy. US Naval History and Heritage CommandUS pilots have trained to sink warships since the early 1920s, well before the Air Force's founding in 1947. US Air Force A-10s at Naval Air Station North Island in California for Green Flag-West in November 2022. Wilsbach said in September that training by Pacific Air Forces has emphasized "stacking effects" to bring more weapons to bear.

Persons: That's, —, Nancy Pelosi's, Pelosi, Gen, Kenneth Wilsbach, we've, Wilsbach, Sun, Brendan Mulvaney, Mulvaney, eng.chinamil.com.cn, Yang Yunxiang, that's, Mark Kelly, Kelly, hasn't, Lyle Goldstein, TENGKU BAHAR, Goldstein, they've, John Baum, Baum, Zachary Rufus, Col, Daniel Lehoski, William R, Lewis, Lockheed Martin, Lindsey Heflin Organizations: US Air Force, Service, US Pacific Air Forces, an Air and Space Forces Association, China News Service, Getty, China Aerospace Studies Institute, Department of, Air Force, United, and Space Forces Conference, Air Combat Command, Defense, Heritage Command US, Air, Navy, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Naval Air Station, Green Flag, West, US Army, Air Force Weapons, Weapons, Flag, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada ., Pacific, US Navy, Squadron, Force, Missiles, Ship, Lockheed, Command, Lindsey Heflin Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Army Locations: China, Taiwan, Pacific, United States, Ukraine, Asia, Hong Kong, Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian, Iraq, Afghanistan, California, Nevada

☆ Where's the Su-57? The war in Ukraine is what fifth-generation fighter jets were made for, but Russia's Felon has largely been missing in action
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Russian state media has touted the Su-57 fighter jet as a formidable, fifth-generation aircraft. Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets perform at the MAKS 2019 air show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia, August 27, 2019. Sukhoi Su-57 jet fighter performs during International military-technical forum "Army-2020" at Kubinka airbase in Moscow Region, Russia August 25, 2020. So why is it that the Su-57 isn't doing what a true fifth-generation stealth fighter should theoretically be able to do in Ukraine? AdvertisementAdvertisementSukhoi Su-57 fighter jets perform at the MAKS 2019 air show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia, August 27, 2019.

Persons: it's, —, there's, Mike Dahm, Sukhoi Su, Aleksey Nikolskyi, haven't, They're, Assad, Sergei Shoigu, Maxim Shemetov There's, Su, Russia's, Justin Bronk, Bronk, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Maxim Shemetov, Dahm, There's, that's Organizations: Aviation, intel, Service, NATO, US, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Sputnik, REUTERS, Russian, Ukraine, International, Army, Sukhoi, Royal United Services Institute, Aircraft Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Zhukovsky, Kremlin, Syria, Kubinka, Moscow Region, Russian, Ukrainian, NATO

☆ New missiles could help Ukraine's future F-16 fighters to take on Russian jets, but the planes will likely be more useful for other missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The Pentagon plans to send highly capable air-to-air missiles that the jets can carry. A US Air Force aircraft fuels craftsman marshals a US F-16 at Rovaniemi Air Base in Finland during Astral Knight 23 Part 6 on August 23, 2023. These capabilities, coupled with its physical design, make the F-16 a formidable opponent for Russian fighter jets like the MiG-31 and Su-35, experts and former pilots say. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 85th Test Evaluation Squadron flies a test mission March 19, 2019 near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Snodgrass said these missiles are "fairly comparable" to Russian air-to-air missiles like the R-27 and R-77.

Persons: Albert Morel Additionally, John Baum, Baum, it's, Guy Snodgrass, Russia's Su, Joshua Hoskins, Snodgrass, Biden, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Doug Birkey, Evgeniy, we've, Tannehill, ABIS Kayla Hayes, Moscow's, Perry Aston Organizations: Pentagon, Aviation, Service, AIM, US Air Force, Rovaniemi Air Base, Astral, Russian, Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Air Missiles, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Washington, Air Missile, US Navy, Getty, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, AP, Kyiv, Avionics, 3C Orion, Marine Corps Base, Australian Defense Force, NATO, Army Tactical Missile, Storm, Alabama National, 187th Fighter Wing, Joint Base, Sweden, Gripen Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Finland, Fla, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Crimean, Md, Stockholm

☆ Webb telescope detects organic molecules in distant galaxy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Astronomers have detected the most distant known organic molecules in the universe using the James Webb Space Telescope. It’s the first time Webb has detected complex molecules in the distant universe. The complex molecules were found in a galaxy known as SPT0418-47, located more than 12 billion light-years away. The galaxy observed by the Webb telescope shows an Einstein ring caused by a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, which occurs when two galaxies are almost perfectly aligned from our perspective on Earth. Investigating the early universeAstronomers spotted the signature of the organic molecules during a careful analysis of Webb’s data.

Persons: James Webb, Webb, it’s, Doyle, J, Einstein, ”, Joaquin Vieira, Albert Einstein’s, Justin Spilker, Spilker, George P, Cynthia Woods Mitchell, ” Spilker, Kedar Phadke, we’ve Organizations: CNN —, James Webb Space Telescope, National Science, Hubble, University of Illinois, M University, Texas, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics Locations: Chile, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, Texas

☆ Flying the F-16 in Ukraine is 'high risk,' and Kyiv's air forces can't just fly the fighter jet headlong into Russia's defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

If Kyiv's air forces get the jet as expected, they won't be able to fly them directly at Russian defenses. "And nobody's advocating for that," an air power expert told Insider. Regardless of which jet Ukraine gets, putting fourth-generation air power like the F-16 into a high-intensity conflict is "high risk," Birkey said. A pair of US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. In a recent opinion article for Air and Space Forces Magazine, Larry Stutzriem, a retired Air Force major general and former F-16 pilot, pointed to an Israeli Air Force operation against well-defended Syrian targets in Lebanon in 1982.

☆ Ukraine wants F-16s to shoot down Russian strike fighters dropping bombs it can't beat. Airpower experts say give them the jets.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Its defenses struggle to counter the bombs, so Ukraine wants tools to take out the Russian strike fighters. "Guided bombs are tricky for air defense because they have short flight times and usually very little infrared signature," he said. "The air defense system with the longest distance available to us is the S-300, but it's Soviet-era weapons." That is absolutely unrealistic," he said, challenging the arguments against sending fighter aircraft. There are significant training, supply chain, and operational hurdles to overcome, making essential ground-based air defense a priority in the meantime.

☆ The US Air Force has big plans for the next-generation drones that will fight alongside its fighters and bombers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It's now developing collaborative combat aircraft, which can fight alongside piloted jets or on their own. A need for 'affordable mass'MQ-9s on a runway at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico in April. Worse, the Air Force faces a pilot shortage and its overall number of flight hours has been decreasing. The Air Force also continues to develop top-tier assets like the F-35, the B-21 stealth bomber, and the Next Generation Air Dominance program, or NGAD. "Without it, it's very difficult to envision how we could keep the Air Force at the size it currently is."

☆ Ukraine's fighter jet fleet is slowly growing, but its weapons to bring down Russian jets are dwindling, leaked US document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The jets will bolster Ukraine's fighter fleet, which is still under fire from Russia's larger air force. But air-defense ammunition is a more urgent need, one underscored in recently leaked US documents. Berlin approved Warsaw's request to send jets to Ukraine on Thursday, the same day it was received. Both air forces have shifted tactics and now operate farther from the front line, playing to the advantage of the Russian aircraft, which have an edge at longer ranges. Without the threat posed by those interceptor missiles, Russian aircraft would have greater freedom to attack Ukrainian aircraft and bomb Ukrainian targets, including in support of Russian front-line troops, the leaked document says.

☆ Even with F-16s, Ukraine's pilots still wouldn't be 'out of the woods' against Russia's air force, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Polish and Slovakian MiG-29s would add to Ukraine's fleet and be familiar to Ukrainian pilots but won't bring much more capability than Ukraine's current MiG-29s. 'The hard work'A pilot exits a Polish Air Force F-16 at an airbase in Poznan in November 2006. If the US or another NATO country elected to supply Ukraine with F-16s, Kelly said his first question would be "what sustainment depot are they going to use? "Again, that's just for the short-term of being able to launch or recover aircraft," Baum said. Ukraine's new jets would also be flying against Russian air-defense weapons that have claimed dozens of Ukrainian aircraft and continue to contest the airspace around the front lines.

☆ China is getting rid of its 'grandpa' fighter jets, but they may make a comeback for a one-way mission against Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

China's last J-7 fighter jets may leave active service this year, according to Chinese state media. China's air force may convert some J-7s into drones, which could be used in an attack on Taiwan. (Between its air force and navy, China now has the world's third-largest aviation force, according to the Pentagon.) A J-7 fighter at the People's Liberation Army Aviation Museum in Beijing in December 2013. UCAVs make it possible for China's air force "to use relatively cheap, capable, low-risk airframes as a first-in asset to either strike or soften Taiwan's air defense systems," Rice added.

☆ After years of arguing, Congress is finally letting the US Air Force send some A-10 Warthogs to the boneyard
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Thomas Novelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The defense policy bill for 2023 will allow the US Air Force to retire 21 A-10 Warthogs. The Air Force has wanted to get rid A-10s for years, but Congress has blocked it from doing so. The Air Force has another 260 A-10s in service, but lawmakers may be more open to scrapping them. That Air National Guard wing previously flew earlier models of the F-16 until they were replaced — to much fanfare — with the Warthog back in 2010. Airmen reconfigure weapons on an A-10 during an exercise at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida in November 2019.

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