DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

“Everyone recognizes that Ukraine needs a modernized air force and everyone knows that. It’s going to take a considerable length of time, effort, money, to build that air force,” Milley said. Russia’s has hundreds of fourth and fifth generation fighters and bombers, dwarfing the smaller, older Ukrainian fleet or military aircraft. The flow of aerial defense systems has been effective at forcing Russia’s air force to largely remain out of Ukrainian air space and prevent Russia from establishing aerial supremacy over Ukraine. With an aerial defense system established across critical parts of Ukraine, the effort has now shifted to bolstering Ukraine’s air force with modern Western fighter jets.

Persons: Mark Milley, ”, “, Milley, ” Milley, Russia’s Organizations: Kyiv, “, Russian, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russian, France, Germany, Russia

☆ China Crosses a Flying Milestone but Remains in the Boeing-Airbus Grip
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Niraj Chokshi | Tiffany May | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Millions of flights take off and land in China every year, almost all of them using planes made by Boeing and Airbus, the world’s two leading aircraft manufacturers. For years, China has been working to change that and, this week, it celebrated a milestone in that quest: the first commercial flight of a large passenger jet made in China. It is currently the only C919 plane being used for commercial flights. Comac, or the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, was established in 2008. Based in Shanghai, it is closely linked to Avic, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, which makes the country’s turboprops, fighter jets and bombers.

Persons: Comac Organizations: Boeing, Airbus, China Eastern Airlines, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Aviation Locations: China, Shanghai, Beijing, U.S, France, Germany

☆ ‘We Have No Days Off’: The Nonstop Work of Ukrainian Air Defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Marc Santora | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the month of May alone, Russia bombarded Kyiv 17 times. It has fired hypersonic missiles from MIG-31 fighter jets and attacked with land-based ballistic missiles powerful enough to level an entire apartment block. Russian bombers and ships have fired dozens of long-range cruise missiles, and more than 200 attack drones have featured in blitzes meant to confuse and overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. Even when Ukraine manages to blast missiles from the sky, falling debris can bring death and destruction. Early Thursday, Russia sent a volley of 10 ballistic missiles at Kyiv; Ukrainian officials said they were all shot down but that falling fragments killed three people, including a child, and injured more than a dozen others.

Organizations: Kyiv Locations: Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ This former Vietnam War POW spent 10 months in a 'tiger cage'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Instead he scrambled out of a porthole and found himself face-to-face with the North Vietnamese. A day that Wallingford recalled as clearly as if it were yesterday, as he recounted it to CNN at a recent reunion for surviving Vietnam War POWs in California. As a longtime veteran of combat in Vietnam, Smith also had battlefield wisdom to impart to his brothers in arms. But what can’t be disputed is that soon after those bombings took place, early in 1973, North Vietnam did finally agree to a peace deal. “He had the stones to go to Hanoi and bomb them for (12) days, which ended the war,” Wallingford said.

☆ A secret Cold War-era deal lets British jets shadow Russian bombers when they fly near a vital Atlantic chokepoint
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Since the 1950s, Ireland has allowed British jets to intercept Russian aircraft near Irish airspace. Irish Air Corps PC-9s fly by an Irish navy patrol vessel in August 2006. SaabThe Irish military has a few short-range RBS-70 surface-to-air missiles that can reach 16,000 feet, backed by Giraffe search radars. Mulqueen said that official Irish and British statements suggest British pilots could intercept intruders but not actually shoot at them. Should Sinn Fein take power in the future, it would be responsible for Ireland's security, including its air defense.

☆ B-2 stealth bombers are back flying after the US Air Force grounded the fleet for 5 months in the wake of a fiery landing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An Air Force official told Insider that the pause was "precautionary," and was lifted on May 18 by Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. The B-2 Spirit approaches the boom of a McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey KC-10A Extender during a Capstone orientation flight. Scott H. SpitzerThis incident marked the second time in 15 months that there was an emergency involving the B-2 at Whiteman Air Force Base. "We successfully accomplished all necessary actions to safely return to full flight operations with the B-2 fleet. Whiteman Air Force Base is the country's only operational base for the B-2, which was first unveiled in 1988.

☆ Ukraine May Be Finally Getting the F-16s It Asked For. Why Did It Want Them?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Carlotta Gall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began over a year ago, officials in Kyiv have been asking their Western allies to supply the country’s air force with advanced warplanes such as the F-16. But the United States, which manufactures the fighter jet, was long reluctant to provide it, or to allow other countries that have F-16s to re-export them to Ukraine. How strong is the Ukrainian air force? Ukraine inherited a sizable but aging fleet of Soviet-designed fighter jets and helicopters, which is a legacy of its history as a part of the former Soviet Union. The Ukrainian air force fleet includes fighter jets such as the MiG-29, bombers, and transport and training aircraft, Col. Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the force, said in an interview on Saturday.

☆ North Korea criticises US, South Korea military drills as 'nuclear blackmail'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, May 19 (Reuters) - North Korea accused the U.S. and South Korea of ramping up "nuclear blackmail" with joint military drills, pledging to take corresponding action against what it called "warmongers' madness," state media KCNA said on Friday. North Korea has reacted angrily to the exercises, calling them a rehearsal for invasion. This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a military satellite station, saying successfully launching a spy satellite is an "urgent requirement of the prevailing security environment". Kim has said he prioritised a spy satellite programme as part of efforts to advance surveillance technology to improve the country's ability to strike targets in a crisis. The reclusive country in December conducted what it called an important "final phase" test for a spy satellite and said it would complete preparations for the launch by April.

☆ The US has a new friend in the Mediterranean that could help it isolate Russia, but not everybody in NATO is happy about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Cyprus long had close ties with Russia, but it has turned to the West in recent years. John YountzHowever, Nicosia has been moving away from Russia and pursuing a closer relationship with the US. "We keep a strong military-to-military relationship with Cyprus," Cavoli said. Unhappy neighborsA UN peacekeeper looks at a map of the buffer zone between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Nicosia in April 2021. ROY ISSA/AFP via Getty ImagesBurgeoning US-Cyprus ties would appear to benefit NATO, but not all of the alliance's members are happy about it.

☆ U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian planes near Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 14 (Reuters) - U.S. fighter jets intercepted six Russian aircraft operating in international airspace near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said on Sunday. The Russian planes included TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and SU-35 fighter jets, NORAD said in a written statement. NORAD described the interception as "routine" and said they happen roughly six or seven times per year in the so-called Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone. "This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," NORAD aid in the statement. The U.S. aircraft involved in the incident included F-16 and F-22 fighter jets, KC-135 stratotankers and E-3 AWACS, according to the statement.

☆ Surprise drone attacks hint at how Ukraine is going after Russia's missile 'chokepoints'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While its military struggles on the ground in Ukraine, Russia has leaned heavily on aerial attacks. It has also hit bases on the Crimean Peninsula that support the Black Sea Fleet and its missile-equipped warships. The Black Sea Fleet has been reinforced by ships from Russia's Caspian Flotilla, which arrived through a canal connecting the seas. Though the Black Sea Fleet has been able to blockade Ukrainian ports, Ukraine has scored significant victories against it. In December, Ukrainian drones blasted two air bases east of Moscow — hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border.

☆ Photos show how Putin massively scaled back his Victory Day celebrations compared to the ostentatious military displays of previous years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Photos from this year compared to previous years show how much the Victory Day parade has changed:A Soviet T-34 tank during the Victory Day Red Square Parade on May 9, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. Russian tanks in Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 9, 2021. Armored vehicles drive past the Kremlin after a military parade on Victory Day, with an empty sky, on May 9, 2023. Russian soldiers march toward Red Square to attend a Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. A Russian service member walks across a street before a military parade on Victory Day in Moscow, Russia, on May 9 2023.

☆ Ukrainians with cellphones and machine guns are forcing Russia to change how it launches its drone attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine's flexible and adaptive air defenses have forced Russia to change its drone tactics. STR/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThis marks yet another turn in the drone war between Russia and Ukraine. In the days after Russia invaded in February 2022, Ukrainian drones armed with anti-tank missiles or even homemade bombs wreaked havoc on Russian armored columns. "Drip-feeding lots and lots of Shaheds for several months" also depleted Ukraine's stockpile of air-defense missiles and shells, Bronk said. STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images"The Orlan is one of the biggest problems because it can fly above the range of" portable air-defense missiles and anti-aircraft guns, Bronk said.

☆ Russia keeps up missile attacks on Ukraine ahead of expected Kyiv offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, May 7 (Reuters) - Russia kept up its missile attacks on Ukraine on Sunday ahead of a widely anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, targeting an industrial site in the southern Mykolaiv region, authorities said. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told local television on Sunday morning that a total of six of those missiles had been fired at Ukraine overnight but that none had hit their targets. Russian forces have stepped up their long-range missile strikes on civilian and infrastructure targets in recent days. The overnight strikes coincided with Ukrainian and Russian media reports of multiple explosions across Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukraine, without confirming any role in those attacks, says destroying enemy infrastructure is preparation for a planned ground assault.

London CNN —The coronation of King Charles III on Saturday was a historic day, jam-packed with events – some planned, others not. The crowning eventCharles was hidden from view for the most dramatic part of the service at London’s Westminster Abbey on Saturday. King Charles III sits as he receives The St Edward's Crown during the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London, Saturday, May 6, 2023. Lady in bluePenny Mordaunt leads King Charles III during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey. Queen Camilla and King Charles III arrive for their coronation at Westminster Abbey.

☆ 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."

☆ A downed US jet, a bombed embassy, and 25 years of rumors about how China built its first stealth fighter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China continues to expand its fleet of J-20 stealth jets and to operate them farther from home. On March 24, 1999, NATO began airstrikes against Serbian military targets in response to Serbian atrocities in Kosovo. On May 7, 1999, US B-2 stealth bombers hit the Chinese embassy in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, killing three Chinese citizens. ReutersUnder the circumstances, there would seem to be little connection between the destruction of an American warplane and the bombing of the Chinese embassy. The US detected signals from the debris and bombed the embassy but failed to destroy the F-117 wreckage there, the articles claimed.

☆ US general cautions against writing Russia's army off in Ukraine: 'It is bigger today than it was at the beginning of the conflict'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's ground forces are bigger than they were when they first invaded Ukraine, a top US general said. "Much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively by this conflict," said Gen. Christopher Cavoli. He continued: "The Air Force has lost very little, they've lost 80 planes — they have another 1,000 fighters and fighter-bombers. Earlier in the hearing, Cavoli noted that "much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively by this conflict." Russia has also continued to combine this military power with cyber attacks and manipulation of the global energy supply, Cavoli said.

☆ Why is the US sending a nuclear submarine to South Korea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —When the presidents of the United States and South Korea this week announced a landmark deal to deter North Korean aggression, one element of the pact stood out. Here’s what you need to know about the submarine and why it’s heading to South Korea. The Nuclear Threat Initiative at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies estimates that each Trident missile can carry four nuclear warheads, meaning each US ballistic missile submarine could be carrying about 80 nuclear warheads. One arriving in South Korea on a port visit – which must be arranged 24 to 48 hours in advance – would be far more visible, giving North Korea an advantage, Schuster said. Kim’s threats have prompted some in South Korea to call for Seoul to become a nuclear-armed power itself.

SEOUL, April 27 (Reuters) - For the first time since the 1980s a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) will visit South Korea to help demonstrate Washington's resolve to protect the country from a North Korean attack. The visit was announced in a joint declaration during a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington on Wednesday. "That could be a huge pressure on North Korea, because usually they don’t share where those submarines are," said Moon Keun-sik, a retired South Korean submarine captain and squadron leader. The United States has pledged to deploy more so-called "strategic assets" such as aircraft carriers, submarines, and long-range bombers to South Korea to deter North Korea, which has developed increasingly powerful missiles that can hit targets from South Korea to the mainland United States. The submarine visit is also seen as a way to reassure South Korea and quell talk in Seoul of developing homegrown nuclear weapons.

☆ Russian ground forces 'bigger today' than at start of the war in Ukraine, general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“The Navy has lost one ship.”Classified military documents allegedly leaked by a junior enlisted National Guard airman for months gave a snapshot of where Russia’s ground forces were committed in the war. One document, dated February and March, said that 527 of 544 of available Russian battalions have been committed to the war against Ukraine; 474 of them are already in the country, the intelligence said. One document also estimated that between 35,000 and 43,000 Russian forces have been killed in action during the conflict. “For about the last 20, 21 days, the Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bakhmut. Asked about Russia’s submarine patrols in the Atlantic, Cavoli said that “much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively” by its invasion of Ukraine.

☆ U.S. to send nuclear submarines in new pledge to protect South Korea from North's threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Alexander Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The United States will deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea for the first time in decades — part of a new agreement that will signal Washington's commitment to defend Seoul against rising nuclear threats from North Korea, U.S. officials said. The plan to dock the ballistic missile submarines in South Korea, which hasn't happened since the 1980's, headlines an effort to make U.S. deterrence against Kim Jong Un's regime "more visible," according to senior administration officials. President Joe Biden and his counterpart, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, will unveil the new agreement in Washington on Wednesday, the officials said. In return, an official added, South Korea would reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, known as the NPT, which bars countries from seeking nuclear weapons. Yoon's visit follows the largest U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises in years, aimed largely at countering the North Korean nuclear threat.

☆ China, Singapore plan military drills as Beijing forges defence ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 24 (Reuters) - China and Singapore will hold a joint military exercise as soon as this week, their first combined drills since 2021, as Beijing deepens its defence and security ties with Southeast Asia, a region with strong existing U.S. alliances. Two years ago, China and Singapore held a combined military drill in international waters at the southern tip of the South China Sea, following the upgrade of a bilateral defence pact in 2019 to include bigger-scale exercises among their army, navy and air force. Such passages annoy China, which lays claims to nearly all of the South China Sea despite an international ruling to the contrary. Around the same time, China sent fighter-bombers to Thailand in joint air force drills code named Falcon Strike 2022. China's increased military engagement in Southeast Asia is widely expected to challenge the influence that the United States has shaped with countries including Singapore and Indonesia in coming years.

☆ North Korea's next nuke test a matter of 'when,' not 'if,' US Army general says, warning its on the way to a key nuclear capability
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A top US Army general warned that North Korea is on its way to developing a key nuclear capability. Gen. Paul LaCamera also said this week that Pyongyang's next nuclear test is only a matter of time. LaCamera also said North Korea is slated to carry out a seventh nuclear test at some point in the future. North Korea conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, and each underground test produced explosive yields progressively larger than the one before it. Ju Ae has become a regular figure at North Korea's military-oriented events in recent months after spending years cloaked in mystery.

Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov wrote on his Telegram channel that several apartment buildings were damaged in the blast. Russian state media boasted about the country’s Su-34 warplanes last December, when it said a “new batch of … frontline bombers” had been delivered to Russian forces to use against Ukraine. Russia state media did not say what kind of munition fell on Belgorod late Thursday. The Belgorod region has been the scene of several explosions and bombings since Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. Local media reported two drones dropped small bombs at the local thermal power plants, citing an anonymous source.

Search resuls for: "Bombers"

25 mentions found