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☆ An F-16 fighter jet missed on its first try to shoot down a mysterious object over Lake Huron, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An F-16 fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to take down a flying object over Lake Huron on Sunday. "On the fourth one, over Lake Huron, the first shot missed, the second shot hit," Milley said in response to a reporter's question, confirming earlier reports. "And in this case, the missile landed harmlessly in the water of Lake Huron. Sunday's operation marked the fourth instance in about a week in which a US Air Force fighter jet shot down a flying object over North American airspace. The general leading North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command offered an explanation on Sunday for why there has been a seemingly sudden increase in flying objects appearing over North American airspace.

☆ Dutch F-35s intercept three Russian military aircraft over Poland - Netherlands' defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted a formation of three Russian military aircraft over Poland and escorted them out, the Netherlands' defence ministry said in a statement late on Monday. "After identification, it turned out to be three aircraft: a Russian IL-20M Coot-A that was escorted by two Su-27 Flankers. The Il-20M Coot-A is NATO's reporting name for the Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft while the Su-27 Flankers are NATO's reporting name for the Sukhoi Su-28 fighter aircraft. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment. The Netherlands' defence ministry said that eight Dutch F-35s are stationed in Poland for February and March.

☆ Dutch F-35s intercept three Russian military aircraft near Poland - Netherlands' defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted a formation of three Russian military aircraft near Poland and escorted them out, the Netherlands' defence ministry said in a statement late on Monday. "After identification, it turned out to be three aircraft: a Russian IL-20M Coot-A that was escorted by two Su-27 Flankers. The Il-20M Coot-A is NATO's reporting name for the Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft while the Su-27 Flankers are NATO's reporting name for the Sukhoi Su-28 fighter aircraft. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment. The Netherlands' defence ministry said that eight Dutch F-35s are stationed in Poland for February and March.

☆ 3 suspicious objects have been downed across North America this week. Officials have no idea where 2 of the UAP came from and the pilots who shot them down can't agree on what they even look like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

US fighter aircraft shot down an object threatening airspace over Alaska yesterday. On Saturday, another unknown object, described as "cylindrical," was shot down over Canada. Here is what we know about the object shot down on Friday. The object shot down on Saturday was spotted in the Northern Canadian territory of Yukon. It is unclear if the object shot down off the Alaskan coast was of similar size or shape.

☆ Ukraine, U.S. defence heads talk "priorities" for allies' meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov discussed "priorities", including air defence and artillery, for upcoming meetings of Kyiv's allies in Brussels, both sides said late on Saturday. The Ukraine Defense Contact Group will meet on Tuesday at the NATO headquarters, following upon a Jan. 20 conference at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany that was key for the decisions to send tanks. Austin and Reznikov discussed the importance of delivering promised capabilities as quickly as possible, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, said in a statement. After the call, Reznikov tweeted that "the United States is unwavering in its support of Ukraine," adding that the two also discussed the situation on the front line. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine holds defense as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A tank moves on a road as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on February 08, 2023. Ukraine's forces hold defense along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday. "Fierce fighting continues in the area of Vuhledar and Maryinka," Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram message after a call with U.S. General Mark Milley. He added that Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut, tying to "stabilize" the frontline around the town. Wagner's head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it could take two years for Moscow to control the whole of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

[1/4] An Indian Air Force (IAF) light combat aircraft "Tejas" flies during the "Aero India 2021" air show at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, February 3, 2021. Indian carriers may buy 1,500 to 1,700 aircraft in coming years, CAPA said, including Air India and IndiGo. MILITARY, COMMERCIAL COMPETITION"The days of foreign companies selling directly to India are over," a defence industry source told Reuters. At the same time, airlines like Air India are seeking to go head-on with rivals like Emirates Airline (EMIRA.UL) for a bigger share of international passenger flow. India's pressing military air need is to shore up its fighter squadrons, which have fallen to 31 from the approved 42 as political and bureaucratic hurdles and lack of funds delay purchases.

☆ Flying Object Shot Down Over Canada on Orders of Biden and Trudeau
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Gordon Lubold | Paul Vieira | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, shown in Ottawa earlier in the week, says the country’s forces would recover and analyze the wreckage of the downed object. A U.S. military jet shot down another unidentified airborne object, this time over Canada, on Saturday on orders of President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau . “Out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of their militaries, President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau authorized it to be taken down,” according to a statement from the U.S. National Security Council. “President Biden authorized U.S. fighter aircraft…to conduct the operation and a U.S. F-22 shot down the object in Canadian territory in close coordination with Canadian authorities.”

☆ Ukraine holds defence as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LVIV, Ukraine, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine's forces hold defence along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said Russia carries out some 50 attacks daily in Donetsk, a region in Ukraine's southeast that Moscow has been trying to occupy fully. "Fierce fighting continues in the area of Vuhledar and Maryinka," Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram message after a call with U.S. General Mark Milley. He added that Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut, tying to "stabilise" the frontline around the town. Wagner's head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it could take two years for Moscow to control the whole of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

☆ US fighter aircraft shot down an 'object' threatening flights over Alaska just days after downing a Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The US military recently shot down an unidentified object in US airspace over Alaska, a senior official said Friday. "I can confirm that the Department of Defense was tracking a high-altitude object over Alaska airspace in the last 24 hours. On that order, a fighter jet assigned to US Northern Command shot down the object off the northeastern part of Alaska, near the Canadian border. "We do not know who owns it, whether it's state owned or corporate owned or privately owned. This incident comes nearly a week after a US Air Force F-22 fighter jet fired a single AIM 9X air-to-air missile to take down a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina.

WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - A U.S. fighter jet on Friday shot down over Alaska a high-altitude object that was the size of a small car, on the order of President Joe Biden, the White House said on Friday. White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters many details were unknown about the object but the United States expected to recover the object after it landed in U.S. territorial waters. The United States on Feb. 4 shot down off the coast of South Carolina a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon that transited the United States. He said that, unlike the Chinese balloon, this object did not appear to be maneuverable and was at the mercy of the wind. The official said the territorial waters where the object went down are frozen.

☆ After nearly 2 decades in service, the F-22 has its first air-to-air kills — neither against the jets it was designed to fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The F-22, the top US air superiority fighter jet, finally has it's first air-to-air kills. In a week, this jet downed a Chinese spy balloon and an unidentified "object" in two separate engagements. Neither kill was a jet that the F-22 was designed to fight. A US Air Force F-22 prepares for aerial refueling over the Nevada Test and Training Range on March 2, 2011. Despite having operational experience in Syria in the 2010s targeting Islamic State assets, the advanced fighter has never recorded a confirmed air-to-air kill, but now it has two.

☆ U.S., UK and Australia carry out China-focused air drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sandra Stojanovic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A F-35B aircraft from the U.S. Air Force refuels during the annual Red Flag military exercise between the United States, Britain and Australia, in Nevada, U.S., February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos BarriaNELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and Australia carried out joint air drills on Wednesday over the Nevada desert and beyond as part of an effort to simulate high-end combat operations against Chinese fighter aircraft and air defenses. U.S. Air Force Colonel Jared J. Hutchinson, commander of the 414th Combat Training Squadron that runs Red Flag, said the annual drills were not tied to any recent events. Air Commodore John Lyle, commander of the RAF's Air Mobility Force, told Reuters the mission during the Red Flag drills would simulate bringing the air forces into "an area where there has been an invasion by a hostile country." Australia contributed EA-18G Growler aircraft, according to data provided by Red Flag organizers.

☆ North Korea's Kim lauds army ahead of expected military parade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol Ju and their daughter Kim Ju Ae attend a banquet to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Korean People's Army the following day, in Pyongyang, North Korea February 7, 2023 in this photo released February 8, 2023 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Feb 8 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for strengthening the country's military, state media reported on Wednesday, as he paid tribute to soldiers and met with troops amid expectations for a major military parade showcasing the latest weapons. According to international analysts, commercial satellite imagery has for months shown North Korean troops practicing for a major military parade that is expected this week. Despite United Nations Security Council resolutions and sanctions, North Korea has forged ahead with banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development. South Korea and the United States have stepped up their own military drills to counter the North, drawing condemnation from Pyongyang.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit London today as Ukraine prepares for large-scale Russian offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this handout image issued by Ukrainian Presidency, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on November 19, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to arrive in the U.K. for a surprise visit — and his first to the country since the Russian invasion began last year. Zelenskyy is due to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and visit Ukrainian troops who are on training missions in the country, and will address the British Parliament. Ukraine has asked its NATO allies for fighter jets, particularly F-16s, in order to bolster its defense capabilities against Russia. So far, NATO members have not agreed to jets but there are murmurings that Ukraine could be offered some kind of fighter aircraft.

☆ China weighs in on the war in Ukraine, pushing Europe to stop trying to get Kyiv a 'complete victory' over Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China warned the West against pushing for Ukraine's "complete victory" over Russia. "We are quite concerned about people talking about winning a complete victory on the battlefield," Fu went on to say. China has not condemned the war, but it also hasn't offered clear or full-throated support for Russia. The West has warned China against providing material support to Russia as the fighting in Ukraine rages on. His comments on the war in Ukraine came as Kyiv continues to push for more advanced weapons from Western countries.

☆ Iran reveals an underground air force base, IRNA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A Fighter aircraft is seen at the first underground air force base, called "Eagle 44" at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on February 7, 2023. Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERSDUBAI, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Iran on Tuesday revealed an underground air force base, called "Eagle 44" and the first of its kind large enough to house fighter jets, the official IRNA news agency said. The "Eagle 44" base is capable of storing and operating fighter jets and drones, IRNA said. IRNA said it was one of the country's most important air force bases, built deep underground, housing fighters equipped with long-range cruise missiles. In May, Iran's army gave details about another underground base, which houses drones, as the country seeks to protect military assets from potential air strikes by regional arch foe Israel.

☆ James Abate's stock fund has nearly doubled its benchmark over 3 tumultuous years. Here's how he says investors should get ready for potential black swan events that could shape 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Marley Jay | Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kiplinger rates the fund as the best US large-company stock fund from 2020 to 2022. That's not the most encouraging backdrop for stocks, especially since Abate said investors will be less comfortable taking big risks. He added that while the beginning of 2023 has been the opposite of 2022, that's not going to last. For the first black swan, Abate pointed towards the escalation of the Russian-Ukraine crisis, including the recent increase in air defense activity, ground troops, and the shipment of armored vehicles, tanks, and fighter aircraft. As for the second black swan, Abate also highlighted the Japanese government's "unprecedented" and "unsustainable" buying of the yen to boost the currency against others like the dollar.

☆ Decades after winning the world's first jet-powered dogfights, US fighter pilots are still flexing their muscles over Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

That November, US Air Force and Navy pilots notched the first victories between jet-powered aircraft. The first, involving an Air Force Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star piloted by Lt. Russel Brown, occurred on November 8, 1950. Air superiorityUS Air Force F-80C fighters return from a mission in August 1952. The Air Force's 'first'A US Air Force F-80C armed with napalm bombs takes off from a Korean airfield in February 1951. The exercise, called Vigilant Storm, involved roughly 100 US aircraft and some 140 South Korean aircraft flying more than 1,600 sorties.

☆ A second 'Chinese surveillance balloon' has been spotted over Latin America, according to Pentagon officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pentagon officials on Thursday identified the balloon as a "Chinese surveillance" device. On Friday, a second surveillance balloon was identified flying above Latin America. "We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon," AP reported Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said. Ryder declined to give additional details, such as where the second balloon was spotted. US Pentagon officials have declared the balloons surveillance devices.

☆ Shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon could be a lot harder than it sounds, former Navy pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Shooting down the suspected Chinese spy balloon is harder than it seems, a former Navy pilot told Insider. The military said there were also concerns that shooting the balloon down could result in safety risks from falling debris. Still, some have urged that the Chinese balloon be shot down, despite the risks. Yu said that the US has the "capability" to shoot down the balloon, but doesn't have "the will." The Pentagon, however, has insisted it is a surveillance balloon, but there are no immediate plans to shoot it down.

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, Feb 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a visit to China that had been expected to start on Friday after a Chinese spy balloon was tracked flying across the United States, a U.S. official said. China earlier expressed regret that what it called a "civilian" airship had strayed into U.S. territory after being blown off course, an incident that sparked a political furor in the United States. Republican Senator Tom Cotton had called for Blinken to cancel his trip, while Republican former President Donald Trump, a declared presidential candidate for 2024, posted "SHOOT DOWN THE BALLOON!" It said it would continue to communicate with the United States to "properly handle" the unexpected situation. Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said the spy balloon was alarming but not surprising.

☆ Factbox: High-altitude spy balloons: old concept, new applications
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Using high-altitude balloons for spying and other military missions is a practice that dates to the middle of the last century. No military targets were damaged, but several civilians were killed when one of the balloons crashed in an Oregon forest. * Just after World War 2, the U.S. military started exploring the use of high-altitude spy balloons, which led to a large-scale series of missions called Project Genetrix. * Such balloons typically operate at 80,000-120,000 feet (24,000-37,000m), well above where commercial air traffic flies - airliners almost never fly higher than 40,000 feet. * The U.S. military has tracked other spy balloons in recent years, including before President Joe Biden's administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

☆ When a weather balloon went rogue almost 25 years ago, fighter jets fired 1,000 rounds at it and couldn't bring it down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

About 25 years ago, a rogue weather balloon wouldn't come down after over 1,000 rounds were fired at it. Balloons, like the suspected Chinese "spy balloon" over the US, don't always pop or explode when shot. Two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter aircraft spotted the balloon over Newfoundland and fired more than 1,000 rounds at it. The balloon, BBC reported, also survived encounters with British and American aircraft. According to BBC reports from the time of the incident, the 300-ft helium balloon prompted air traffic controllers to divert and delay transatlantic flights.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters. It was not clear how the discovery of the spy balloon might affect those plans. Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said the spy balloon was alarming but not surprising. A separate U.S. official said the spy balloon had been tracked near the Aleutian Islands and Canada before entering the United States. Spy balloons have flown over the United States several times in recent years, but this balloon appeared to be lingering longer than in previous instances, an official said.

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