Browsing: All news

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, brief media members at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Jan. 28, 2022. (DoD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Taryn Sammet).

Two years after the Defense Department formed a working group to investigate cases of extremism within the ranks of the U.S. armed forces, the Pentagon has barely moved to implement its recommendations. That comes even as there have been repeated cases of violence or attempted violence by active-duty military members.

In Ukraine, loitering or lost ammunition has become a major issue. These weapons are doing heavy damage to both Russian and Ukrainian military hardware. Warfare is evolving due to stray munitions, and it will continue to do so until air defenses catch up.
As Germany’s air superiority eroded during World War II, the country’s armed forces received more and better self-propelled anti-aircraft defense systems like the Flakpanzer IV “Möbelwagen,” Flakpanzer IV “Wirbelwind,” and Flakpanzer IV “Ostwind.

The two second-hand Lake-class IPVs purchased from the New Zealand government for the Irish Naval Service have arrived in the country. (Irish DoD)
Two second-hand Lake-class inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) purchased from New Zealand to equip the Irish Naval Service (INS) have arrived in Ireland.

The two ships, the former HMNZS
Rotoiti
and HMNZS
Pukaki,
arrived in Ringaskiddy, Cork, onboard the Dutch-registered heavy lift ship
Happy Dynamic
on 14 May, completing a month-long transit from Auckland, New Zealand.

After months of repeatedly insisting that it urgently needs F-16 fighters to bolster its air defense, there are strong signs that Ukraine may finally acquire such a fighter. The United States has agreed to support a European-led initiative to train Ukrainian pilots in handling this fighter.
Ukraine could, therefore, soon acquire F-16s currently in service with the European air forces. However, Europe is not the region with the most F-16s outside the United States.
President Joe Biden informed world leaders at the G7 summit in Japan of his decision to endorse the European training plan.

Via Twitter

A Spanish Air Force pilot was taken to the hospital with injuries after ejecting from his EF-18 Hornet before a crash at Zaragoza Air Base.
Video shows the EF-18 in a steep climb before pitching over, then after a brief moment of level flight, careening nose down into the ground. You can also hear a sharp throttle adjustment during the pitch-over maneuver. The pilot ejects just before the jet impacts the ground, resulting in a huge fireball. Citing Spain’s Civil Guard, the Associated Press reported the pilot suffered leg injuries from the low-altitude ejection.

Ukrainian military assists operator in launching drone from hand on November 11, 2022 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. (Photo by Elena Tita/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images).

Drone warfare has been a major part of the fighting in Ukraine. With the war in the country well into its second year, the sheer scale of the uncrewed aerial vehicles being used is coming into focus. Ukraine is using enough aerial drones that it is losing 10,000 UAVs per month and has not yet run out.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) arrived at the Japanese port of Sasebo on Friday at the start of the G-7 conference in Hiroshima, according to a Navy statement.
Along with the aircraft carrier also arrived their escort ships made up of the cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) and the destroyers USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93), USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60).
The other CSG ships have been operating in the Philippine Sea.

Details remain limited and the situation is fluid and could change at any moment, but the bloody battle for the city of Bakhmut could soon be over. Signs point to Ukrainian forces having withdrawn to a final bastion in the city’s southwest quarter. Once again, as we have seen many times, the situation could rapidly shift, but this appears to be the situation at this time.
Reports indicate Russian forces have taken most of western Bakhmut, save for sporadic fighting among the apartment blocks and neighborhoods in its west end.

The pilot was able to eject in time and suffered various types of trauma.
An F-18 fighter from the Air Force, belonging to Wing 15 of the Zaragoza air base, has crashed inside the military compound.
The event took place this noon, specifically at 12:10, when the pilot was carrying out exhibition maneuvers. It was then that the device, for reasons that are still unknown, crashed into the ground. The pilot was able to eject in time and did not fall with the plane, but according to the first reports, he would have suffered various types of trauma to his legs.

According to a press release published by Fincantieri’s US subsidiary, Marinette Marine (FMM), on May 19, the firm has been awarded a $526 million contract by the Department of Defense to build the fourth frigate of the Constellation class for the United States Navy.
This contract is part of a larger deal signed in 2020, which includes the main frigate and nine other optional ships, for a cumulative total value of $5.5 billion. The contract includes support for post-delivery availability and crew training.