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☆ 4 US military helicopter crashes in recent months have killed 14 service members and injured nearly a couple dozen more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A US military MH-47 Chinook crashed in Syria earlier this week, injuring 22 soldiers. It's the latest helicopter in a string of crashes during non-combat missions to result in casualties. Three other crashes involving US military aircraft this year have killed 14 troops. The Chinook accident followed several previous helicopter crashes earlier this year, which eventually forced the US Army to temporarily ground its aircraft except those participating in critical missions. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Idaho National GuardIn one mid-February incident, two Tennessee Army National Guard pilots were killed when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training flight in Alabama.

Persons: —, Sabrina Singh, Singh, James McConville, McConville Organizations: Service, Central Command, Pentagon, Defense, US Army, UH, Hawk, Guard, Tennessee Army National Guard, Tennessee's Department, Apache, CNN Locations: Syria, CENTCOM's, East, Central, South Asia, Alabama, Kentucky, Alaska

☆ US sends stealth F-22 Raptors to deter 'unsafe' Russian pilots stirring up trouble in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US military has deployed F-22 stealth fighters to positions in the Middle East. US Central Command indicated the move is to deter aggressive actions by Russian aircraft. Officials have noted several instances in recent months where Russian jets made "unsafe" maneuvers. In recent months, US officials have called attention to several instances in which Russian aircraft appear to have executed aggressive maneuvers around American assets and interests across the Middle East. While the jets send a message, an AFCENT spokesperson told Insider that the "primary purpose" of the fighter jets is to contribute to the ongoing defeat-ISIS mission.

Persons: —, CENTCOM, Alexus Grynkewich, Chris Drzazgowsk, Michael Kurilla Organizations: Command, Russian, Service, Raptors, Central, Air Forces Central, ISIS, . Air Force, REUTERS, Russian Forces, Soviets, Islamic, Air Force, US Locations: East, Europe, North Africa, Central, South Asia, Syria, China

☆ The US is sending Ukraine more explosives to blast obstacles like these in Russian defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

They're layered with treacherous obstacles like mines, ditches, and anti-tank dragons teeth. Close up of Russian trenches, fortifications, and tank obstacles in the Kherson region on November 15, 2022. Dragons teeth obstacles can be seen in the three rows of gray dots before the trenches and fortified positions. Nazi Germany's defenses, like the Siegfried Line built to defend its west, also featured dragon's teeth, machine-gun pillboxes, razor wire and mines. As Insider's Jake Epstein has reported, Russian positions may be vulnerable to attack from assaults that cross open terrain and steer clear of roads.

Persons: —, Jack Watling, Nick Reynolds, Brady Africk, Siegfried, Jake Epstein Organizations: Service, Technologies, UK's Royal United Services Institute, American Enterprise Institute, US Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kherson, Dnipro, Nazi

☆ The US is sending depleted-uranium ammo to Ukraine capable of piercing Russian tank armour, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is set to approve depleted-uranium tank shells for Ukraine, the WSJ said. The shells are capable of blowing up Russian tank armor. For several months the Biden administration has been debating whether to provide the shells to Ukraine following concerns over their environmental and health impacts, the outlet reported. When used in tank shells, the material is effective because its bulk can penetrate through enemy armor. The weapons could hand Ukraine an advantage in tank battles as it launches its campaign to drive Russian forces back from territory they occupy in south and eastern Ukraine.

Persons: —, Biden, Jake Epstein, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Service, Wall Street Journal, White, EPA, United Nations Environment, Challenger, WSJ Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Netherlands

☆ A US Navy battleship all but sunk at Pearl Harbor was brought back to life to battle the Germans on D-Day. The military later blasted it with a nuclear bomb.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The USS Nevada saw the world and multiple combat operations during its three decades of service. It was severely damaged at Pearl Harbor but later restored to hit German positions during D-Day. After returning to duty, the Nevada spent the next 11 years operating around the Pacific, and as tensions increased with Japan, the Nevada spent much of 1941 carrying out training exercises in the region. The USS Nevada burns following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese military. Damaged and radioactive, the Nevada survived the tests and returned to Pearl Harbor to be decommissioned later in August.

Persons: —, Pearl Harbor's Organizations: Service, US, USS, Getty, Army, Marshall Locations: Nevada, Massachusetts, Caribbean, USS Oklahoma, Ireland, USS Utah, Atlantic, Pacific, Americas, Japan, Island, USS, Attu, Alaska, Normandy's, Iwo Jima, Okinawa

☆ Ukraine hosted a drone-building competition to see what new tech could make a difference in the war against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Kelly Mclaughlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine hosted a drone-building competition to find new tech to use against Russia, CNN reported. The competition took place outside Kyiv and featured unmanned-drone makers from across the globe. "Every few weeks, we conduct various studies, see what is happening in this direction, look for new drone developers, study the results," Fedorov told CNN. Drones have been a major part of the war on both sides since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Fedorov told CNN that first-person-view drones have been a "game-changer" for Ukraine and that the country is also developing some longer-range drones.

Persons: —, Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, Fedorov, Jake Epstein Organizations: Russia, CNN, Service, Ministry of Digital Transformation, Digital Transformation, Army Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia

☆ A US Navy ship dumped diesel fuel into its own water supply. Years later, sailors were still getting sick.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The USS Boxer dumped fuel into the ocean, which contaminated its own water supply. A Marine veteran from that deployment told Insider they drank and showered in the contaminated water for as long as a few weeks. Boxer's crew soon noticed the smell of fuel in the drinking water, and Marines and sailors told Military.com that Boxer leadership had claimed that the water was safe to drink. The Boxer is not the only US Navy ship to be stricken with contaminated water over the last few years. One sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln told Insider in an interview last year that the ship's water tasted "horrible" and they couldn't "escape it."

Persons: —, Military.com, Boxer, Wally Schirra, Machinist's, Michael Gonzales, Daniel Martin, Martin, it'll, Abraham Lincoln, USS Abraham Lincoln Organizations: US Navy, Service, Naval Surface Force, Navy Locations: Japan

☆ Video shows cockpit of US reconnaissance plane rattling as Chinese fighter jet cuts in front of it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Chinese fighter jet recently intercepted an American spy plane, the US military said Tuesday. The jet flew right in front of the US aircraft's nose, forcing it to fly through rough turbulence. A video captured from the RC-135's cockpit shows the Chinese fighter jet streak across the sky just ahead of the aircraft before it hits the turbulence. For example, a Chinese J-11 fighter jet in December flew within 20 feet of an American RC-135, forcing it to take evasive actions to avoid crashing. Before that, both Australia and Canada had accused Chinese pilots of cutting in front of surveillance planes and making risky intercepts of aircraft.

Persons: —, Washington Organizations: Western Pacific, Service, Pacific Command, Pentagon, Pacific Joint Force, China Locations: American, Western, South, United States, Beijing, Australia, Canada

☆ Ukraine's defense ministry says its Storm Shadow long-range missiles have hit 100% of their targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's defense ministry tweeted that its Storm Shadow missiles have hit "100%" of their targets. However, Russia also claims it's intercepted two of the Storm Shadow missiles, per Reuters. "Storm Shadow long-range missiles have hit 100% of the targets identified by the General Staff," the ministry tweeted on Sunday, attributing the information to Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. The Storm Shadow missiles have a range of over 155 miles, per MBDA, a European missiles developer and manufacturer. Ukraine's defense ministry did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Ukraine's 'Iron General' is facing off against his 4th Russian war commander. Here's why the others lost their jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Russian general, however, does not appear to be living up to those expectations. Alexander DvornikovWhen Russia first launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022, it relied on district commanders rather than overall commander of the war effort. Sergey SurovikinIn early October, Putin appointed Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon," to be the overall theater commander. "Putin likely viewed Surovikin as the last untarnished high-ranking commander in Ukraine he could appoint to overall theater command," the think tank said. As 2023 rolled around, and Russian forces continued to suffer heavy losses in eastern Ukraine, Putin seemingly gave in to Gerasimov's campaigning.

☆ How the F-16 pilot nominated to be the US military's top officer earned the callsign 'Swamp Thing'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

His escape from a burning jet earned him the callsign "Swamp Thing." Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, Jr., the current Air Force chief of staff and former F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, is a distinguished four-star general. He has also logged more than 3,000 flying hours — including 130 in combat, yet his callsign is, perhaps unexpectedly, "Swamp Thing." Well I tell you what — he was back in the cockpit the next week with a new callsign: Swamp Thing." "While General Brown is a proud, butt-kicking American airman, first and always, he's always been an operational leader of the Joint Force," Biden said during Thursday's announcement.

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin says Putin's plan to 'demilitarize' Ukraine has been a bust as Ukraine now has one of the 'strongest' armies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"The Ukrainians are one of the strongest armies today," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an interview. It turns out that on the contrary, we have militarized Ukraine," Prigozhin said in a video interview now circulating around social media. The nod to demilitarization refers to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key ambitions in the unprovoked assault on Ukraine in February 2022. Praising his adversary while calling attention to Russia's failures, Prigozhin said that "the Ukrainians are one of the strongest armies today." Kyiv's troops have used these systems to inflict devastating casualties on both Wagner and Russia's regular military.

☆ 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.

☆ Russia is claiming victory in Bakhmut, but the price it paid for it 'doesn't bode well' for Putin's bigger plans, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Russian forces are claiming victory in Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Russian leadership praised Wagner for its achievements in the devastated city of Bakhmut and promised the presentation of state awards. Casualty estimates likely skew significantly higher for Russian forces. AdvertisementAdvertisementBy April 11, Russian forces occupied over 76 percent of the city, according to a terrain assessment from the ISW think tank. An aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, March 26, 2023.

Persons: it's, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Gen, Oleksandr Syrskiy, Bakhmut, Wagner, ISW, Russia's, Vladimir Putin's, bode, Jeffrey Edmonds, Jens Stoltenberg, Marina Miron, Zelenskyy, Putin, Miron, Edmonds Organizations: Military, Service, Wagner Group, Institute for, CIA, AP Moscow, Russian, NATO, CNN, Moscow, AP, King's College London's Centre, Military Ethics, Bakhmut Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine's Donetsk, Ukrainian, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Berlin, Soviet, Stalingrad, Russia, Kyiv, Donbas, Donetsk, Kramatorsk, Moreso

☆ Russia adapted to the game-changing HIMARS, but Ukraine's new Storm Shadow missiles could put the fear back into its commanders, warfare experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Experts say Russian commanders are now facing logistical headaches and a renewed sense of fear. Warfare experts say Storm Shadow missiles could spark new logistical headaches for Russia, giving Kyiv a massive capability to put the fear back into Moscow's commanders who thought they were safe and out of reach. With an operational range of 155 miles, Storm Shadow will more than triple the distance for Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities. "So the more that these Russian commanders are exposed to Ukrainian fires, I expect their survivability to decrease," Barros said. "Employed well, in conjunction with psychological operations and other capabilities, Storm Shadow offers myriad opportunities to cognitively attack the enemy," he said.

☆ The stealth F-22 Raptor's days are numbered, and the Air Force is officially looking for designs for the fighter jet's next-gen replacement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Air Force is officially seeking designs for the next-gen fighter to replace the F-22 Raptor. "We will lose that edge if we don't move forward now," Frank Kendall, Air Force secretary, said. "No one does this better than the US Air Force, but we will lose that edge if we don't move forward now." There are two of these sixth-generation projects currently underway, one for the Air Force and the other for the Navy. The Air Force has pushed for the retirement of some earlier F-22s, but it has received pushback from Congress.

☆ How will we know when Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive has started? Experts say look for the Western armor.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But military experts say Kyiv's use of Western armor will signal the start of a larger offensive. "The Ukrainian counteroffensive, I think, is going to start with a bang, literally and figuratively," Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps Reserve colonel, told Insider. Ukraine's expected counterpunch will come on the heels of what turned out to be a lackluster offensive carried out by Russian forces during the winter. The armored vehicles in particular are expected to help Ukraine hit hard and exploit gains quickly with shock, firepower, and mobility. You want to keep the Russian armed forces guessing as to, is this actually the commitment of their main forces?"

☆ No one knew a US aircraft carrier water tank had jet fuel in it until the unaware crew hooked it up to the drinking water system, Navy report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Navy acknowledged that it found jet fuel in the drinking water aboard the carrier USS Nimitz. A new investigation says that no one realized a water tank was polluted with jet fuel for more than a year. A failed manway cover gasket then allowed the leak into the offline potable water tank. US Navy"When developing the sequencing document used to empty potable water tanks, the ship was unaware that any of the tanks contained JP-5," the investigation says. Polluted water on Navy ships is not isolated to these two vessels.

☆ A US-made Patriot system was likely damaged in an 'intense' missile attack in Ukraine involving Russia's Kinzhal, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But a US official says the attack likely resulted in damage to a Patriot air-defense system, CNN reported. The barrage of missiles and drones launched by the Russians overnight included three ground-launched missiles, six Kinzhal missiles, and nine Kalibr missiles. The Patriot system firing in Greece in November 2017 as part of a NATO exercise. "Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure because Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine," he said. Just days later, in early May, Ukraine said it used its Patriots to shoot down a Russian Kinzhal missile.

☆ Inside the scramble to evacuate a US embassy surrounded by the chaos of street fighting, gunfire, and explosions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

US forces evacuated the American embassy in Sudan days after violence erupted in its capital. As the situation deteriorated, the Pentagon dispatched Special Operations Forces to evacuate US diplomatic staff in a dramatic helicopter operation. Foreign governments began efforts to pull out their diplomatic staff and, in some cases, also moved to evacuate their civilians. People walk by a house hit in recent fighting in Khartoum, Sudan, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. US Marine Corps courtesy photoWith the embassy staff gone, questions remained over whether Washington would move to evacuate US citizens, as some other Western nations had been doing.

☆ Leaked details of Wagner boss Prigozhin's dealings suggest he was ready to throw Russia's war 'under the bus' just to win a battle, Russia expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Wagner Group has frequently feuded with Russia's military leadership over its war in Ukraine. A new report suggests the group leader took it farther than previously known, offering to give Ukraine Russian troop locations. The report indicates that Yevgeny Prigozhin was ready to derail Russia's war for his own aims, an expert told Insider. And according to a new report, amid these tensions, Prigozhin attempted derail Russia's battlefield operations in a major way. Ukrainian soldiers walk in the position close to Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.

☆ A Navy jet just landed on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz for the 350,000th time, but the famous flattop's days are numbered
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A fighter jet landed on the USS Nimitz for the 350,000th time — a historic milestone. The aircraft carrier became the first in active service to hit that mark after 48 years in the Navy. Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has recorded 326,600 arrested landings, the next highest total. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr.

☆ A Ukrainian counterattack has the Wagner boss sounding alarms on a counteroffensive in 'full swing,' claiming Zelenskyy played everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wagner boss Prigozhin said on Thursday that Ukraine's "counteroffensive is in full swing." On his social media channels, Prigozhin accused Zelenskyy of lying when he said in a media interview that Ukraine needed more time before it could carry out a counteroffensive. Ukrainian forces signaled that they carried out "effective counterattacks" that forced some Russian soldiers to retreat. Zelenskyy, in a recent interview with public service broadcasters part of Eurovision News, said Ukraine still needs more time before a counteroffensive. Ukraine's combat brigades were "ready," Zelenskyy said, but his military still needs "some things" like armored vehicles that had been "arriving in batches."

☆ A Ukrainian donation drive built an 'Army of Drones' and picked up an unusual system called a 'Shahed Hunter' for Kyiv's forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It has used the funds to purchase thousands of UAVs, and systems to hunt Russian drones. The Shahed Hunter system is a network of radars and signal jammers that can detect Russian drones from around 25 miles away, Fedorov said. It's unclear where, exactly, the Shahed Hunter systems have been used or how many times they have been deployed. But Fedorov noted that Ukraine needs more of the systems to defend against continuous waves of Russian drone attacks. On Sunday night alone, Ukraine's air defense systems shot down 35 drones — 30 of which targeted Kyiv, according to the country's defense ministry.

☆ Russian security agents have been using a secret network of corrupted computers to spy on NATO for decades, but the US just busted it open, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US authorities have busted open a secret computer network run by Russian security agents. FBI agents have neutralized what the Justice Department called "sophisticated malware." "Globally, the FSB has used Snake to collect sensitive intelligence from high-priority targets, such as government networks, research facilities, and journalists." Director of Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov attends a meeting of the service's collegium in Moscow, Russia, February 28, 2023. Top Justice Department officials praised the FBI's ability to neutralize the FSB's network.

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