Turkey’s first Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned combat aircraft, developed by Baykar Technologies, is moving towards serial production, with plans to start in 2024.
Baykar, a leading Turkish defense company, achieved a major milestone when the Kızılelma rolled off the production line in November 2022. A series of ground tests were then successfully completed at the flight training and test center of the northwestern province of Tekirdağ, in the district of Çorlu.
The next target is to start serial production of the warplane in 2024.
Author: Michael
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James Merriman)
The U.S. Navy’s Infrared Search And Track System, or IRST, intended for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets, is still to join the fleet, more than four years after it entered production. The podded IRST, seen as a critical tool to retain the Navy’s air-to-air advantage over potential adversaries, was first flown on a Super Hornet in late 2019, but operational testing is not now expected to begin until early next year.
The U.S.
Capt. John William Kurtz, commanding officer of USS Somerset, gives opening remarks during a 9/11 remembrance ceremony. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Heath/U.S. Navy).
The former Navy commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset, who was officially censured for a training accident in which eight Marines and one sailor died, will not command an aircraft carrier after all.
Navy Capt. John William Kurtz was the Somerset’s captain when an amphibious assault vehicle, or AAV, sank while returning to the ship during a July 30, 2020 training exercise.
As Ukraine continues its counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts, the first images of destroyed and damaged U.S.-donated M4A2-ODS Bradley Fighting Vehicles have emerged.
One image shows that Ukrainian forces apparently abandoned four M2 Bradleys as well as one Leopard 2A6 tank and one BMR-2 Mine-Clearing vehicle during an attack in the Zaporizhzia region, according to the open source intelligence group Oryx. The organization has been tabulating destroyed, damaged and captured vehicles from both sides, publishing information only about those it can visually confirm.
Sergeant First Class Christopher A. Celiz was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on December 16, 2021. He served in with 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Background
Sergeant First Class Celiz was born in Summerville, South Carolina on January 12, 1986. After high school, he studied at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Then, in 2006, he joined the U.S. Army and trained as a combat engineer. During his career, he deployed several times between 2008 and 2018, including Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
From left to right: Gomer Pyle, Corporal Klinger, and Oddball.
When it comes to portrayals of martial valor in popular movies and television series, officers tend to get a lot of credit, like Patton’s eponymous general. Then there are heroic non-commissioned officers, like Saving Private Ryan’s Sgt. Horvath and Heartbreak Ridge’s Gunnery Sgt. Highway — all certified badasses, and all thoroughly committed to living the values of the military.
Mogadishu. Just the name itself is enough to send a ripple of unease. Black Hawk Down, otherwise known as the Battle of Mogadishu was one of the most significant battles of recent military history.
On October 3, 1993, a group of U.S. Army Rangers, Delta Force operators, and Somali militiamen launched a nighttime raid on a fortified compound in the capital city of Mogadishu. The raid’s target was a warlord – Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The intel community suspected he was responsible for attacks on UN peacekeepers.
The Tragedy Assistance Program (TAPs) has assisted the survivors of the fallen since 1994. Its main mission is to help those grieving the loss of a service member via programming, advocating, and support.
TAP understands that grief doesn’t happen on a 9 to 5 schedule. That’s why it operates a 24/7 toll-free helpline for those in need of support. Its programs and services include training sessions on trauma and grief, suicide prevention, and education benefits.
An Advocate for Survivors
TAPs is here to support you through your loss regardless of the cause of death.
Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs have been an essential part of military life for decades. This programming provides important benefits for service members and their families. During dwell time or deployments, MWR resources help provide stability and assistance when needed.
Why it’s important
One of the most significant benefits of MWR programs is their positive impact on service members’ morale. Military life can be challenging, with long deployments, frequent relocations, and job stress.
Additional Puma unmanned aerial systems will be headed to Ukraine as the United States continues to funnel weapon systems to aid Ukrainian forces in their fight against Russia.
An unspecified number of Puma drones, manufactured by AeroVironment, were included in the latest security assistance package, valued at $2.1 billion, that was announced by the Pentagon on Friday.
The small UAS, which can be hand-launched, are designed to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.