Author: Michael

U.S. Coalition Forces fire an M120 mortar round targeting a known ISIS location in southeast Syria, September 10, 2018.(Sgt. Matthew Crane/U.S. Army).

The U.S. military would certainly need plenty of howitzers, multiple-launch rocket systems, and anti-ship missiles to fight China or Russia, but infantry units will increasingly need next-generation mobile mortar systems going forward to provide quick and reliable indirect fire during the next big war.
Mortars “are more important today than ever for the men and women in the close fight,” said retired Army. Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe.

As combat between Russia and Ukraine continues to unfold, this modern conflict is informing how the Army might need to shape up to prepare for future fights, Secretary Christine Wormuth said Wednesday. 
Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Army has been collecting observations associated with contemporary deterrence dynamics and the possible complexities of future fighting landscapes, Wormuth explained during an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

U.S. Air Force

Boeing is to kick off work on the U.S. Air Force’s new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, with a contract to develop a version of the E-7 Wedgetail radar plane for the service. The Air Force will use the E-7 to replace at least some of its 31 remaining 707-based E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning And Control System, or AWACS, aircraft, which have been struggling with poor mission-capable rates — the Air Force’s metric that reflects levels of operational readiness.
According to Boeing, under a contract not to exceed $1.

Sit. Stay. Search. Destroy. (Task & Purpose photo illustration by Aaron Provost).

It’s been nearly three years since robot dogs first made their operational debut alongside U.S. service members at an American military base, and the quadrupedal sensor platforms have found a growing number of new applications as an extra pair of “eyes and ears” for troops across the armed forces.
According to images posted to the U.S. military’s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service on Feb.

These superswarms will be able to do significant damage to the enemy without costing friendly forces much at all. 
The post Controlling killer swarms of swarms: Inside DARPA’s AMASS appeared first on Sandboxx.

The change has raised concern about the long-term loss of critical capabilities of Marine infantry units.
The post The Marine Corps is closing down its Scout Sniper platoons appeared first on Sandboxx.

In 2022, Springfield unveiled their semi-automatic version of the Croatian VHS, to which they bought patent rights – they called named it the Hellion. 
This 5.56mm NATO rifle utilizes a bullpup design that’s been used by several militaries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Today, the rifle is available on the American market.
Is it worth your money, though? Time to find out.
Technical details
The VHS-2 rifle, on which the Hellion is based, started production in 2009 and it’s been in service of the Croatian army (among others) ever since.

The end of the road begins. The Fast & Furious saga, now in its third decade and still going strong, prepares to launch its final chapters with Fast X, a film that will scatter Dom’s family from Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London and from Portugal to Antarctica as they flee the vengeance of Dom’s past.

Here’s the official statement: “Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved, and outdriven every foe in their path.

International support for the war in Ukraine remains strong, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey for the European Union (EU) and an Ipsos poll for the United Kingdom. 
Support for financial and military aid, as well as allowing refugees from Ukraine into the EU, continues to be high in Europe, the UK, and the Global South. In contrast, countries like China, Turkey and India are more divided on their views and think Western intervention is meant for preserving Western hegemony.

The US Army has awarded a contract to Raytheon to start modification to produce Excalibur Increment lb precision-guided extended-range projectiles for Jordan, in a $219.8m contract.
In 2013, US Army Excalibur programme manager Lieutenant Colonel Josh Walsh said the Excalibur Increment Ib round was designed to boost reliability and reduce unit costs, simultaneously maintaining enhanced precision for troops.