Author: Michael

Welcome to the world where the Iron Curtain blocks out nearly all the light. Yep, it’s the Cold War, a high-stakes, nail-biting standoff that lasted nearly half a century. Remember those tense games of chess with your grandpa? That’s kind of what the world felt like after World War II. The players? Two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, each itching to shout “checkmate!” This wasn’t your regular game, though. No pieces were taken off the board; no kings were cornered.
This was more than just a match between two players.

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In May 2023, ​​Anatoly Maslov, a 76-year-old professor of aerodynamics at Russia’s Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Novosibirsk, was put on trial for selling hypersonic missile secrets to China. He was apprehended with two colleagues in June 2022, and charged with treason.
He had the opportunity to pass Russian missile technology to Chinese colleagues at a 2010 conference, but what’s unclear is his suspected motive. The Khristianovich Institute is widely considered a loyalist institution.

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A mock-up of the Eurofighter EK, featuring a generic escort jammer pod, was showcased at the ILA Berlin Air Show in 2022. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The Luftwaffe has selected the Saab Arexis electronic warfare (EW) suite for its Eurofighter Elektronischer Kampf (EK) requirement, German national media reported on 13 June.
Der Spiegel said the selection will see Saab and national partner Helsing provide the suite for the Luftwaffe’s Eurofighter EK electronic attack (EA) escort jammer aircraft by 2030.

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Belgian Air Chief Major General Thierry Dupont signed the bulkhead of the first of Belgium’s F-35As while visiting Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth factory on 5 June. (Belgian Air Component)
Lockheed Martin has begun building the first F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) for Belgium at its Fort Worth facility in Texas.
The Belgian Air Component (BAC) announced the milestone on 7 June, posting an image of Belgian Air Chief Major General Thierry Dupont signing the bulkhead of aircraft AY-01 two days prior.

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The Kuwait Air Force fields 33 ‘classic’ Hornet combat aircraft (pictured), which it now seeks to operate alongside newer Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon platforms. (DVIDS)
Kuwait is set to continue operating its ‘classic’ Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet combat aircraft alongside its recently received F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and Eurofighter Typhoons, with a USD1.8 billion support agreement with the US government approved on 13 June.

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The U.S. Army birthday is celebrated each year on 14 June, in commemoration of the formation of the branch all the way back in 1775.
The post Everything you need to know about the US Army birthday first appeared on Sandboxx.
The post Everything you need to know about the US Army birthday appeared first on Sandboxx.

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Work to test elements of the Tempest demonstrator is now under way, including sled testing of the aircraft’s ejector seat system. (BAE Systems)
Testing of components and systems intended for the Tempest Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Flying Technology Demonstrator (FTD) is accelerating at BAE Systems’ Warton site and at the facilities of partners companies around the UK.
Work on the demonstrator was announced in July 2022 by UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, with a declaration of intent for it to fly “within five years”.

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US Pentagon officials unveiled changes to improve the arms sales process. (Getty Images)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) plans to establish a Defense Security Cooperation Service to improve training for personnel who facilitate Foreign Military Sales (FMS), the Pentagon announced on 13 June.
Requests to buy US weapon systems sometimes get bogged down because they do not clearly state what a country wants, or they ask for something the US cannot provide, said Sasha Baker, deputy undersecretary of defence for policy.

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The new agreement between New Zealand and Fiji provides a framework for growing bilateral defence ties. In April New Zealand’s first P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft was deployed to the South Pacific country in operational trials. (New Zealand Defence Force)
New Zealand and Fiji have signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to strengthen defence ties. The agreement is seen as a response to rising tension in the South Pacific.

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