In 1942, a Navy ship sunk in New York and the government recruited the mafia to protect the port from the Axis. But was that what really happened?
The post Operation Underworld – Did the mafia help the Navy during WWII or was there something sinister at play? appeared first on Sandboxx.
Author: Michael
The U.S. is at increased risk of a firepower gap with China as U.S. production of explosives and propellants declines and China’s increases.
This month, Forbes reported that China had surpassed the United States in developing new types of explosives, particularly its version of CL-20, an explosive developed in the 1980s that is 40% more powerful than RDX or the HMX and has widely used in American munitions since World War II.
In 2011, China reportedly conducted tests of an explosive similar to CL-20, and since then, the country has been producing the explosive in large quantities.
The US Navy’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget includes funding for Ford-class aircraft carrier John F Kennedy. (Michael Fabey)
The US Navy (USN) fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request includes USD3.9 billion for Ford-class aircraft carrier construction and Nimitz-class Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) life extension work, according to USN and Pentagon budget documents released 13 March.
The FY 2024 request represents a decrease of about USD462.8 million compared to last year’s funding, documents show.
The proposed FY 2024 spending plan includes USD2.
The Russian Ministry of Defense published a video through its account on the VK social network on Saturday, March 11, which shows the destruction of the first Stormer HVM (high-velocity missile) anti-aircraft defense system supplied by the UK, using Lancet-3 loitering ammunition.
According to reports, this is the first time Russia has publicly claimed responsibility for losing a Ukrainian Stormer HVM Starstreak air defense vehicle. Britain has given Kyiv its Stormer HVM. In 2022, Ukraine received at least six of these anti-aircraft systems.
HII
As part of its trilateral defense initiative aimed at Beijing called AUKUS, the U.S., U.K., and Australia on Monday officially unveiled long-rumored plans to create an Australian nuclear-powered submarine force.
The three-phase deal, designed to counter growing Chinese military dominance in the region, calls for U.S. and U.K. nuclear-powered submarines to visit Australia on a rotational basis as early as 2027, according to senior U.S. administration officials who spoke to reporters, including from The War Zone, on Sunday.
Improving the GMD system has been a top priority for MDA. However, the effort suffered a major setback after a new kill vehicle programme was terminated. That programme was replaced by the NGI. (MDA)
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is requesting about USD3.076 billion to improve its strategic missile defence system, known as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD), including funding to develop a new Next Generation Interceptor (NGI).
Last year, MDA received USD2.618 billion for strategic missile defence.
THAAD is intended to engage targets both inside and outside the earth’s atmosphere. (US Missile Defense Agency)
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has requested USD484.7 million for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) programme in fiscal year (FY 2024).
This funding would integrate the THAAD capability into the US Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) and continue development of an 8th THAAD battery, according to the agency’s budget documents, published on 13 March.
The Army’s fiscal 2024 budget proposal includes substantial funding aimed at helping the service up its digital game.
The spending blueprint for accelerating digital transformation was based on reviews of the force’s capability portfolios, Undersecretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo said during a briefing with reporters at the Pentagon on Monday when the budget was rolled out.
Finally, this week, specifics of the type of submarine fleet Australia plans to acquire as a result of the AUKUS deal became public. Initial indications indicate that many Australians, Britons, and Americans will be pleased with the proposed overhaul of Australia’s submarine force and, by extension, the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) force position.
Australia may acquire foreign-built nuclear submarines in the 2030s and eventually build its own global force of lethal attack ships.
The Department of Defense’s fiscal 2024 budget includes U.S. Cyber Command’s first-ever full budget request as it assumes full budget authorities and resources for the cyber mission force.
While no topline budget or number has been released or announced by the command or DOD, budget documents released by the Pentagon detail Cybercom’s operations and maintenance budget request of $332.6 million for its headquarters, a procurement budget request of $129 million and a research, development, test and evaluation budget request of $1.1 billion.
The DOD as a whole is committing $13.