(Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The U.S. has committed more than 4.4 million artillery shells, tank rounds, rockets and mortars, plus another 200 million rounds of small arms ammunition to Ukraine to assist its fight against the Russians.
And that doesn’t include an unspecified number of 120mm and 105mm tank rounds and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rounds for the 38 U.S.-donated M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS.
It is increasingly surprising that understanding the nature and organization of the multinational Tempest program has not only not improved over time but has worsened.
The fact that the project has at least three names—”Tempest,” “Future Combat Air System,” and “Global Combat Air Programme”—is enough to throw off even the most seasoned analyst and the hardest of nuts. Many professionals in the industry struggle to make sense of all the jargon.
Images Courtesy of Aviation Photographer @stinkjet on Instagram
At least some of the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack jets continue to enjoy a very active ‘retirement’ and are set to keep flying for around another decade or so. An aviation photographer who goes by @stinkjet on Instagram was kind enough to share pictures with us of two of these aircraft recently seen zooming along at very low altitude over California.
The Swedish Armed Forces undertook their biggest military exercise in more than two decades, dubbed Aurora 23, to strengthen their defensive capabilities.
Sweden Prepares to face threats.
Aurora 23 is a comprehensive exercise involving all branches of the Swedish army and other armed forces, designed to strengthen their joint ability to defend territory and interests.
This training is crucial to develop a stronger defense by improving and evaluating military capabilities in real situations.
Representatives of five dozen countries that support Ukraine militarily have met again today at the U.S. airbase in Ramstein (Germany). The so-called Defense Contact Group meeting host is U.S. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, and the Deputy Defense Minister, Daniel Blažkovec, has represented the Czech Republic.
This time, the Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, also took part in the meeting and briefed the other attendees on the most recent developments in the conflict.
U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis
U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthogs can now employ up to 16 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) on a single sortie, among other stores, with the help of a new software update. Four of the five pylons under the fuselage were recently loaded with specialized bomb racks each holding four SDBs during a test sortie to validate the software for frontline distribution.
China, Russia, Iran and other nations are increasingly exploiting existing and emerging technologies — like surveillance biometrics and generative artificial intelligence — to advance authoritarianism, enable digital repression and undermine democratic governance globally, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warned on Monday.
During an event hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, she spotlighted those three nations’ recent models and methods for deploying and exporting capabilities to facilitate dictatorial practices.
Harry Belafonte was among the greatest of the Greatest Generation. While he was known around the world for his singing, activism and humanitarian work, he also served the United States as a sailor in the Navy during World War II. With his passing today, we wanted to look back on his extraordinary life, including his service to our country.
Known as the “King of Calypso,” Harry Belafonte introduced America to the sounds of the Caribbean, singing songs from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, among other countries.
Russia has sent Ukraine its latest main battle tank, the T-14 Armata, state media reports. Russia expects the tank will perform better than the most recent shipment of NATO armor since it is a radical departure from previous designs of Russian armored vehicles.
The tanks are being used to fire on Ukrainian positions but “have not yet engaged in direct assault operations,” according to a report from the state-run RIA news agency on Tuesday, citing a person with knowledge of the situation.
US special forces have evacuated the US embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, amid ongoing regional fighting.
The situation in Sudan
The conflict in Sudan shows no signs of resolution, posing a growing risk to foreign nationals in the country. In response, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France launched military operations to evacuate diplomats, citizens, and foreigners.
On Saturday night, US special operators, in collaboration with the State Department, evacuated approximately 100 diplomats and their families to neighboring Ethiopia.
