On February 4, 2023, an Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. After falling from an altitude of over 60,000 feet, debris from the balloon fell into about 50 feet of water six miles off the coast. Since then, recovery and salvage efforts have begun and the Navy released the first close-up images of the balloon.
Sailors from EODGRU 2 recovery a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina (U.S.
In 1973, the first eight female sailors started the Navy’s flight school at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. One year later, six of the eight women earned their Naval Aviator insignias, Wings of Gold. “The First Six,” as they came to be known, blazed the trail for the female sailors that followed them into the sky. To celebrate 50 years of women flying in the U.S. Navy, the Super Bowl LVII flyover will be conducted by an all-female team.
(U.S. Navy)
The Navy notes that this is the first time in history that the Super Bowl flyover team consists entirely of women.
An MV-22B from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit takes off in the Philippine Sea on 2 June 2021. (US Navy)
The US Air Force (USAF) and US Marine Corps (USMC) grounded an undisclosed number of Bell-Boeing MV-22 and CV-22 Ospreys on 3 February, citing hard clutch engagements because of worn input quill assemblies, a gearbox part that transmits power between the Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engines and the aircraft’s proprotors.
German manufacturer Rheinmetall has partnered with American uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) maker AeroVironment for the Nato tactical drone project.
The US company, along with Rheinmetall Technical Publications, submitted an application expressing intent to compete for the project.
According to information provided by Rheinmetall, the Nato project involves the procurement of a small UAS and the team is ‘ideally suited for developing and putting forward a compelling solution’.
A “GI” meets his future wife while on assignment…it’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times over. In fact, it’s how many service members meet their future spouse. But did you know that’s how one of the most famous soldiers to-date also met his future bride? Elvis, the king of rock and roll himself, met the Priscilla Presley while stationed overseas. It’s a classic tale of boy-meets-girl, boy-marries-girl, boy-becomes-a-rockstar.
On December 20, 1957, the professional singer was drafted by the U.S. Army.
An upgraded Marine Corps unit is headed for a permanent change of station in Japan. Unlike other Marines in the region, this one has the ability to fire deadly anti-ship missiles. The new unit, to be called the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, was sent to the area as part of the U.S. military’s strategy in deterring Chinese aggression and will also have advanced intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities.
An estimated 1,800 to 2,000 United States Marines make up the Marine Littoral Regiment, which is designed for combat operations in coastal waters.
There aren’t a lot of sureties in the world these days, especially in world geopolitics. If there’s anything that is certain, it’s that Iran’s hardline Islamic regime won’t get a nuclear weapon or the missile to deliver a nuclear weapon while Israel stands by and watches. Israel will do anything to prevent it.
The Jewish state has every reason to believe that Iran isn’t bluffing when it calls for the death of Israel. Historically, anti-semitic governments have never been blustering when they threaten the existence of the Jewish people.
The final flight of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and U.S. Air Force Hypersonic Airbreathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) is completed. Lockheed-Martin’s version of the missile features Lockheed’s Aerojet Rocketdyne scramjet, making it the most successful hypersonic air-breathing flight test in U.S. history.
Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapons Concept means that the technology used in its production isn’t intended to be loaded onto fighter aircraft or bombers, but instead will be used as a stepping stone to develop the technology further.
The U.S.
In 2009, the rescue of Captain Phillips from Somali pirates made the synchronized shot a public sensation. The amount of training, discipline and coordination needed to pull off simultaneous shots to neutralize multiple threats at once is impressive to say the least. It has been featured in movies, TV shows and video games and has become synonymous with U.S. Special Forces. However, in reality, they learned it from the French.
The Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale, GIGN, is the elite tactical unit of the French National Police.
The West would not be able to stop the growing defense cooperation between India and Russia, according to the head of the BrahMos anti-ballistic missile system.
When asked about the ongoing sanctions, Atul Dinkar Rane replied, “The trust which we have created between the two partners… that trust is good enough for us to work, and we are working forward – despite all these restrictions.”
TASS News Service, NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 8.
