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☆ Here's why mysterious flying objects are suddenly popping up all over the place, according to the military command that's been shooting them down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Four suspicious flying objects have been shot down over North American skies in recent days. NORAD changed its radar filters to help spot smaller, slower objects after a Chinese spy balloon drifted over the US. The command has changed the way it looks for them and is now finding more of these objects. Since the US Air Force shot down the Chinese balloon in early February, fighter jets have downed three additional airborne objects. US officials said this object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a threat to civilian aircraft.

☆ As new high-altitude objects are shot down over North America, lawmakers say they need more information
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A jet flies by a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. On Feb. 4, the U.S. military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been transiting across the country for several days. The White House announced a second object had been shot down on Friday that was flying over Alaska at about 40,000 feet. Gen. Pat Ryder said Canadian authorities are conducting recovery operations to help both countries learn more about the nature of the object downed in Canada. He said he suspects that since the objects were downed in remote areas, there is not a lot of information to share yet.

The Pentagon said the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected the object over Alaska late Friday evening. U.S. fighter jets from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, monitored the object as it crossed over into Canadian airspace, where Canadian CF-18 and CP-140 aircraft joined the formation. "A U.S. F-22 shot down the object in Canadian territory using an AIM 9X missile following close coordination between U.S. and Canadian authorities," Pentagon spokesman Brig. U.S. President Joe Biden authorized the U.S. military to work with Canada to take down the high-altitude craft after a call between Biden and Trudeau, the Pentagon said. Some U.S. lawmakers criticized Biden for not shooting down the Chinese balloon sooner.

☆ A new high-altitude flying object shot down over Northern Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to media in the House of Commons foyer on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada February 1, 2023. "Earlier today, President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Trudeau on the unidentified, unmanned object in North American air space," according to a statement from the White House. According to U.S. Northern Command, recovery operations continued Saturday on sea ice near Deadhorse, Alaska. In a statement, the Northern Command said there were no new details on what the object was. Additional debris was pulled out Friday, and operations will continue as weather permits, Northern Command said.

"We don't know who owns this object," said White House spokesperson John Kirby, adding that it was unclear where it began its flight. President Joe Biden ordered the shootdown, which was announced from the White House. Some lawmakers criticized the president for not shooting down the Chinese balloon sooner. The object was shot down off the coast of northeastern Alaska over frozen U.S. territorial waters near the Canadian border. UNMANNED VESSEL[1/4] White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby takes questions during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. February 10, 2023.

☆ Watch live: Senate holds first hearing on the suspected Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Senate on Thursday is holding its first hearing on the Chinese spy balloon that floated over the United States last week before it was shot down over the weekend. The hearing comes as the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard complete a recovery operation of the downed spy balloon roughly six miles off the coast of South Carolina. On Saturday, Biden gave the order to take the 200-foot-tall spy balloon out of the sky. The operation resulted in an F-22 fighter jet shearing a hole in the bottom of the balloon with a sidewinder missile. "In our engagements, we are again hearing from our partners that the world expects China and the United States to manage our relationship responsibly.

☆ US officials say getting their hands on China's spy balloon was a 'key' reason for shooting it down near a South Carolina beach
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US officials say balloons have crossed over the US before as part of a wider Chinese surveillance program. The eight-day wait and the sensitivity of those bases have alarmed lawmakers, who called defense officials to Capitol Hill on Thursday to explain their handling of the incident. US sailors recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off of Myrtle Beach on February 5. US sailors recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off of Myrtle Beach on February 5. A Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the South Carolina coast on February 4.

☆ Chinese spy balloon carried 'multiple antennas' for collecting signals intelligence, State Dept. says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Abigail Williams | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Chinese balloon that flew above the U.S. for eight days included "multiple antennas" capable of collecting signals intelligence, a senior State Department official said Thursday, and the balloon maker has proven ties to the Chinese military. While China condemned the U.S. for destroying what it said was a weather balloon, the State Department official described the balloon as carrying equipment designed to collect communications and threatened action against Beijing. Gen. Pat Ryder said that the U.S. has gathered extensive information about the Chinese surveillance balloons over time and will be able to detect them in the future. U.S. officials said previously that there were had been multiple Chinese balloon flights over American territory during the former Trump administration and another during the Biden administration. "What we do know is that in some cases, whereas some of these balloons previously had not been identified, subsequent analysis, subsequent intelligence analysis did enable us to indicate that these were Chinese balloons," Ryder said.

☆ China accuses the US of information 'warfare' as the Biden administration says Beijing's spy balloon program has targeted 40 countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China has targeted more than 40 countries with its surveillance balloon program, the US said. China denied this and accused the US of waging information "warfare" on Beijing. "This is what we assess is part of a larger Chinese surveillance balloon program," Ryder said, adding, "This is a program that's operated for several years." Ryder said the purpose of the Chinese surveillance balloons was to study "strategic sites," including "strategic bases" in the continental US. Chinese officials have admitted the downed balloon belonged to China but said it was a weather balloon that blew off course.

☆ China has a global spy balloon operation collecting intel on other countries' militaries, including 'strategic bases' in the US, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The downed Chinese surveillance balloon is part of a global network, US officials say. This is what we assess is part of a larger Chinese surveillance balloon program," Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Ryder said the purpose of the Chinese surveillance balloons was to study "strategic sites," including "strategic bases" in the continental US. The Chinese balloon program has gathered information on military assets belonging to the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, India, and Taiwan, the Washington Post reported. It was not immediately clear when, exactly, previous balloons in other regions were determined to be Chinese surveillance devices.

☆ China Refused U.S. Call After Downing of Suspected Spy Balloon, Pentagon Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—China’s defense minister rejected a request from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to speak immediately after the U.S. downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon, the Pentagon said, indicating how the episode has further inflamed the powers’ fraught relations. The Defense Department submitted the request for Mr. Austin to speak over a secure line with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe after the Air Force shot down the balloon Saturday, said Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on Tuesday.

☆ Ukraine is getting new US weapons that can hit Russian forces almost 100 miles away, but it's still a no on missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US' latest $2.2 billion aid package to Ukraine includes a new long-range weapon system. The Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) has a 94-mile range that'll prove crucial for Ukraine's efforts in Crimea. The ground launch version, which is included in the Ukraine aid package, will take months to develop, according to Politico. The US aid package notably does not include US-made Army Tactical Missiles Systems (ATACMS), which Ukraine asked for in May 2022. As of November 2022, the US has sent Ukraine $19 billion in aid since the war's outbreak.

☆ China might have sent a spy balloon over the US as a power play to prove it can do what it wants, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Chinese spy balloon was detected over the US, the Department of Defense said. Experts say spy balloons can do things satellites can't, and China may have wanted to get caught. The balloon, the Pentagon said, was "most certainly" sent by China to spy on the US. What is the Chinese spy balloon? A spy balloon is a balloon with any kind of surveillance equipment is attached.

☆ 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.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, pictured at press briefing last year, said the U.S. is tracking the high altitude surveillance balloon over the continental U.S.WASHINGTON—The U.S. tracked what officials described as a Chinese reconnaissance balloon over the continental U.S. this week, in what would be an aggressive act of intelligence gathering over sensitive U.S. national security sites. The balloon sighting came days before Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to make a planned trip to the Chinese capital, according to U.S. officials, throwing into question efforts to repair relations between the two powers at odds over a host of global and regional issues. The balloon was first spotted on Wednesday by civilians in a commercial airliner, U.S. officials said. U.S. Air Force F-22 fighters were dispatched to Montana, where the balloon was observed, before the administration decided not to shoot it down.

☆ Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Courtney Kube | Carol E. Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. The U.S. military has been monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been hovering over the northern U.S. for the past few days, and military and defense leaders have discussed shooting it out of the sky, according to two U.S. officials and a senior defense official. "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 Brig. A senior defense official said the balloon is still over the U.S. but declined to say where it is now. Pentagon leaders presented the options to President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

☆ An elite Russian tank force that's been repeatedly beaten on the battlefield appears ready to try its luck again
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

After training in Belarus, an elite Russian tank force is back in eastern Ukraine to fight again. The 1st Guards Tank Army has repeatedly been beaten in battle and has suffered heavy lossesThis move comes ahead of an expected Russian offensive in the near future. This tank army consists of several powerful divisions, including the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division (GMRD), which had been deployed to Russian ally Belarus for training over the last few months. Smoke rises from a Russian tank destroyed by the Ukrainian forces on the side of a road in Luhansk region on February 26, 2022. Ukrainian and Western officials have warned recently that a possible Russian offensive is looming in the near future.

☆ Germany at last green lights sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine after weeks of mounting pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Germany has agreed to send their much-sought-after tanks to Ukraine. "German main battle tanks, further broadening of defense support & training missions, green light for partners to supply similar weapons. Germany has until now been reluctant to send its Leopard 2 tanks or allow other countries with these tanks in their arsenals to send them. A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, participates in the NATO Iron Wolf military exercises on October 26, 2022 in Pabrade, Lithuania. Military experts previously told Insider that these are the right tanks to send to Ukraine at this moment.

☆ Now that Ukraine is finally getting the tanks it wants, it's already looking for the next big thing — fighter jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine is finally getting the tanks it wants, but there's more on the wishlist. Kyiv says the next thing it wants is fighter jets. Yuriy Sak, an advisor to the Ukrainian defense minister, concurred, telling Reuters that "the next big hurdle will now be the fighter jets." Throughout Russia's 11-month-long war, Ukraine has repeatedly pressed the US and other partners to provide Western fighter jets. This pattern has been seen with rocket artillery, high-profile air defense systems, armored fighting vehicles, and, most recently, tanks.

☆ Biden administration, in a reversal, is preparing to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

After weeks of discussion, the Biden administration is preparing to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine, according to three senior U.S. officials. The current plan includes a couple dozen Abrams tanks, but the officials stressed that the decision is not yet final and could change. The decision to move forward with providing the tanks would be a reversal for the Biden administration, which had been resisting pressure from Germany to send them to Ukraine. It was not immediately clear what may have led the Biden administration to apparently shift its stance on sending the tanks. Earlier Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration is “leaning toward sending” Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Despite German efforts to pressure the U.S. into providing Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the Pentagon’s top leaders are against sending them, three U.S. officials said. At the same time, the officials said President Joe Biden would not pressure Germany to send the Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Asked Friday about sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine, Biden was noncommittal. They also have argued they are not the right vehicles for the fight in Ukraine right now, according to the officials. Artur Widak / AP fileU.S. officials said opposition within the Biden administration to sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine is not due to concerns Russia would see the move as escalatory.

☆ In Nepal Crash, Black Box Is Recovered From Yeti Airlines Plane
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Krishna Pokharel | Stacy Meichtry | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nepalese authorities have recovered flight recorders from a plane crash that killed 69 people, a key step in their probe into what brought down the Yeti Airlines flight. Gen. Krishna Prasad Bhandari, the spokesman for the Nepalese army, said search teams located the black box of flight YT-691 on Monday, a day after it crashed into the gorge of the Seti River as it was approaching the international airport at Pokhara, Nepal’s second-most-populous city after Kathmandu.

☆ Nepal Recovers Black Box From Yeti Airlines Plane Crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Krishna Pokharel | Stacy Meichtry | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rescuers on Monday were searching for three people still unaccounted for in the plane crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Nepalese authorities have recovered flight recorders from a plane crash that killed 69 people, a key step in their probe into what brought down the Yeti Airlines flight. Gen. Krishna Prasad Bhandari, the spokesman for the Nepalese army, said search teams located the black box of flight YT-691 on Monday, a day after it crashed into the gorge of the Seti River as it was approaching Pokhara International Airport.

☆ At Least 68 Killed in Nepal Plane Crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Krishna Pokharel | Shan Li | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A plane crashed into a river gorge in central Nepal on Sunday, killing at least 68 people and sending Nepalese authorities into a scramble to determine what brought the aircraft down. The Yeti Airlines turboprop hit the gorge of the Seti River about a mile from its destination, Pokhara International Airport, according to Brig. Gen. Krishna Prasad Bhandari, the spokesman for the Nepalese army. Photos and TV footage showed black plumes of smoke and fire at the site, with crowds swarming around the wreckage.

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