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☆ A US plan to drop bombs from cargo planes hit another milestone, but the Air Force is still figuring out how it would use it in a war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

US Air Force special operators launched a cruise missile from a cargo plane over Norway this month. The Air Force wants to have more planes that can launch long-range strikes, but there are logistical hurdles. US Air Force personnel load a Rapid Dragon deployment system on an MC-130J before a test in November 2021. Air Force Research Laboratory"The beauty of that capability is it doesn't require any aircraft modifications. We are intentionally trying to be provocative without being escalatory," said Melnicoff, Special Operations Command Europe's lead officer for Operation Atreus.

☆ Russian fighter jets can't control the air over Ukraine, and Russia's attack helicopters are paying for it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The toll has been especially high for Russia's Ka-52, one of its newest attack helicopters. Because it's been the most active, the Ka-52 also appears to be taking the most losses of Russia's helicopters. The AlligatorA Russian Ka-52 helicopter at the Dubai Airshow in November 2021. A wrecked Russian Ka-52 helicopter at Hostomel Airport near Kyiv in July. Russia's helicopters have changed tactics in response to Ukraine's successful use of shoulder-fired missiles and other air-defense systems, but Russian forces still need close air support.

☆ Boeing's new Air Force One jets are so late that the old ones may need to keep flying until 2028, costing taxpayers $340 million: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Boeing's new Air Force One build is so behind schedule that taxpayers face a $340 million hit. The Air Force said the existing 747 jets may have to keep flying until 2028, per the WSJ. In July, the Air Force said that it didn't expect the first plane— which uses the call sign Air Force One when the President is aboard — to be ready until September 2027, per CNN. The Air Force said the delays could keep them flying as late as the 2028 presidential election, per the Journal. The existing planes cost $70 million more to operate each year than their replacements, according to the Journal.

☆ Ukraine shares video of Russian helicopter getting blasted out of the sky, the latest in a string of takedowns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian forces have reported taking out multiple Russian helicopters in recent weeks. A Ukrainian official on Wednesday shared a video he said shows a strike on a Russian helicopter. Ukraine has reported taking out multiple Russian helicopters in recent weeks. "This represents over 25% of the Russian Air Force's in-service fleet of 90 KA-52s and nearly half of Russia's total helicopter losses in Ukraine," the update said. On Monday, Ukrainian forces sabotaged an airbase deep inside Russia, close to the Latvian border, planting explosives inside the military helicopters, CNN reported.

☆ A first-of-its-kind exercise on a Michigan highway shows the aging A-10 Warthog can still make history
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This summer, the US Air Force conducted a first-of-its-kind test on a Michigan highway. Air Force aircraft landed on a civilian roadway for the first time during a similar exercise in August 2021. 'We own airfield ops'US Air Force combat controllers from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Fort Polk in Louisiana in August 2013. Parker GyokeresThe success of the exercise in Michigan hinged on a little-known career field in the US special-operations community: Combat Controllers. "Setting up an airstrip is one of the most important skill sets" that Combat Controllers have, a former Air Force Combat Controller told Insider.

☆ China's booming electric-car industry could transform its military's submarine fleet
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Stephen Chen | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Solutions for problems with the batteries have been found through work in the booming electric car market, their study says. China has the world's largest conventional submarine fleet, with an estimated 60 to 70 vessels. The main purpose of China's conventional submarine fleet is to protect its coastal areas and strategic waters including the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. JMSDF/TwitterThe booming electric car market has also brought changes in the defence industry. Germany and France have also developed prototype lithium batteries for submarine use with plans for military service in the near future.

☆ U.S. plans to deploy B-52 bombers to Australia's north, ABC reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The United States is planning to deploy up to six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to an air base in northern Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) reported on Monday, amid heightened tensions with Beijing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia engages with the United States on defence alliances "from time to time." Australia's Northern Territory is already host to frequent military collaborations with the United States. Last year, the United States, Britain and Australia created a security deal that will provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, riling China. This year, the U.S. deployed four B-52s to its Andersen Air Force base in Guam.

SYDNEY, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The United States is planning to deploy up to six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to an air base in northern Australia, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday, amid heightened tensions with Beijing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia engages with the United States on defence alliances "from time to time." Australia's Northern Territory is already host to frequent military collaborations with the United States. Last year, the United States, Britain and Australia created a security deal that will provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, riling China. This year, the U.S. deployed four B-52s to its Andersen Air Force base in Guam.

☆ Russia says an upgraded version of its struggling Su-57 stealth jet finally made its debut flight
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Peter Suciu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet first debuted a decade ago. Russian officials now say that an upgraded Su-57 made its debut flight this month. Despite those setbacks, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a subsidiary of the state-owned tech conglomerate Rostec, has continued the fighter's development — and this week announced that an upgraded Su-57 made its debut flight earlier this month. "On October 21, the upgraded Su-57 fifth-generation plane performed its debut flight at the Gromov Flight Testing Institute's airfield. The aircraft was flown by the Sukhoi Design Bureau test pilot, Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan.

☆ The British navy's aircraft carriers are back after 'a bit of a hiatus,' but one of them has an uncertain future
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

HMS Queen Elizabeth, deployed for the first time last year, sailing to the Pacific and back. Its flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was commissioned in 2017 and is preparing to deploy with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force. HMS Queen Elizabeth, bottom, alongside HMS Illustrious in July 2014. Aircraft Carrier AllianceThe UK began a "long-lead skills program" in 2010, sending 300 aircraft handlers, aircraft controllers, and aircrew to embed with US Navy and Marine Corps units, said Cmdr. An Italian F-35B lands on HMS Queen Elizabeth, with a US Marine Corps F-35 in the foreground, on November 20, 2021.

☆ New: Courtney Keeps it Classified
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNew: Courtney Keeps it ClassifiedCourtney gets asked questions by the Air Force's highest ranking intelligence officer in 2016.

☆ New: Garrison Courtney Pitches to the Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNew: Garrison Courtney Pitches to the PentagonCourtney gets asked questions by the Air Force's highest ranking intelligence officer in 2016.

☆ F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after a false bomb threat was made aboard a flight from San Francisco to Singapore
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

F-16s were scrambled after a bomb threat was made on board a flight from San Francisco to Singapore. The incident occurred aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ33, which departed for its 16-hour journey from the San Francisco International Airport on Monday at 10.05 p.m. Pacific Time. Flight tracking site FlightRadar24 mapped the loops that Singapore Airlines flight SQ33 took after a false bomb threat was made on board the plane. Singapore's defense ministry confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that there had been a bomb threat aboard the flight. If you were a passenger on flight SQ33 from San Francisco to Singapore, please feel free to reach out to Insider journalist Cheryl Teh at cteh@insider.com.

☆ US spy planes appear to be monitoring a Russian enclave in Europe, possibly looking for signs of nuclear weapons activity
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kaliningrad is a Russian territory on the Baltic sea, separated from mainland Russia by Lithuania. In 2018, Russia conducted a "major renovation" of a nuclear weapons site there, an expert said. In April, the Russian military announced that its Baltic Fleet in the Kaliningrad region conducted a "simulated missile strike exercise" using its "Iskander operational and tactical missile complexes." What they suggest, he told Insider, is that there is "an increased interest in Russian military movements by high-level decision makers in the United States." "The chances of his using nuclear weapons — at least tactical nuclear weapons — is going up by the day," Baer said.

☆ The US military is getting a 2-for-1 replacement for its vaunted Hellfire missile
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

This results in one missile that can do the job of both Hellfire missiles currently in service. This results in one missile that can do the job of both Hellfire missiles currently in American and allied inventories. Living up to the legacy of the HellfireA YAH-64 Apache prototype armed with AGM-114A Hellfire missiles in March 1982. Today's primary family of Hellfire missiles includes the AGM-114R Hellfire II, commonly known as the Hellfire Romeo, and the AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire. An SH-60 helicopter armed with AGM-1148 Hellfire missiles aboard USS John F. Kennedy in March 2002.

☆ China's new J-20 is nothing 'to lose a lot of sleep over,' but the US's stealth advantage isn't safe, US commanders say
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China's air force has rapidly grown in size and capability, adding advanced jets like the J-20. The J-20 isn't "anything to lose a lot of sleep over," the head of US Pacific Air Forces said this week. But US Air Force leaders do say the US needs to work to stay head of the progress China is making. "We can take a look at it today and say we're not going to lose a lot of sleep. I'll lose sleep if we don't continue to modernize our Air Force to ensure that we stay ahead of where they are."

☆ Despite Biden's assurances, Middle East militaries are buying their own weapons to take on Iran at sea and in the air
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been investing heavily in new military hardware in order to Iran. The Royal Saudi Air Force's core strength are its 232 F-15 Eagles, at least 84 of which are F-15SA variants designed specifically for Saudi Arabia. A Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 at King Faisal Air Base in Saudi Arabia in February 2021. US and Bahraini officials in front of unmanned naval vessels at at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Manama in January. US Navy/MCS1 Mark Thomas MahmodIMX 2022 was also the first time Israel and Saudi Arabia, which don't have diplomatic relations, officially took part in an exercise together.

☆ A Nebraska county of only 625 people contained nearly 100 deep underground nuclear missiles, so the US Air Force halted a green-power project that would have revitalized its economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

There are hundreds of underground nuclear missiles across Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana. The US Air Force says wind turbines can't be constructed within a 2-mile radius of these missiles. Due to underground missiles, a wind turbine project in Banner County, Nebraska, was limited in scope. The Flat Water Free Press, an independent news outlet in Nebraska, reported last week that in 2019, the US Air Force began to thwart a wind turbine project in the state's southwest Banner County. But the Air Force contended that the turbines would pose a "significant safety hazard" to pilots — especially during storms or blizzards.

☆ The B-52 was designed in a hotel room over a weekend in 1948, and it may still be flying 100 years later
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

That design emerged from a hastily arranged work session in a Dayton hotel over a weekend in 1948. The B-52 started flying when America was still relying on P-51 MustangsUS Air Force F-51D Mustang fighters during the Korean War. Spanning wars and altitudesA US Air Force B-52F dropping 750-pound bombs over Vietnam in the 1960s. US Air ForceIn July 1948, Boeing received a contract from the still-new US Air Force to design and build a new heavy bomber. By late Friday night, the new B-52 bomber was already coming into focus.

☆ 2 of Russia's most modern multi-role fighters are leading Putin's air war over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Sebastian Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Two of Russia's most modern fighters have led its air war over Ukraine: the Su-30SM and the Su-35S. Two of Russia's most modern multi-role fighters have spearheaded Moscow's air war over Ukraine: the two-seat Sukhoi Su-30SM (code-named Flanker-H by NATO) and its successor, the single-seat Su-35S Flanker-E. Su-35S units active in UkraineSu-35S jet fighter of the Russian Air Force taking off, Kubinka, Russia. Artyom Anikeev/Stocktrek Images via Getty ImagesThe Russian Air Force (VKS) is currently receiving the last of 128 Su-35s ordered, most now committed to the war in Ukraine. Russia evidently lacks enough longer-range/endurance surveillance and combat drones to hunt Ukrainian air defense assets through laborious optical scanning.

☆ Elon Musk's SpaceX lands $2 million Air Force deal for Starlink internet despite FCC's rejection of $886 million subsidy
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-17 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SpaceX has landed a $2 million Air Force contract to provide Starlink in Europe and Africa. SpaceX has the most well-established satellite network compared to other firms, the Air Force said. Under the contract, Starlink, which has more than 2,700 satellites in orbit, will support the Air Force's 86th Airlift Wing based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The Air Force also said it expected Starlink to provide up to 500 megabits per second download speed and low latency connectivity. SpaceX was seeking funding for Starlink to provide internet within rural communities in almost 650,000 locations across 35 states.

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