U.S. Air Force
Tokyo has requested the U.S. military suspend operations of its V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in Japan, following a crash that took place off the Japanese coast yesterday. While the accident was the first fatal incident involving a U.S. military aircraft in Japan in five years, it threatens to reopen concerns in that country about the safety record of the V-22 in general. You can read our initial report on the accident here.

Orin Pickering (left) poses with then U.S. Airman Basic Jacob Beebe, (center) along with his wife Linda Pickering and youngest son Dylan Pickering at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, in July 2015. Following Beebe’s graduation ceremony, he challenged his father, Orin, to enlist in the Air Force himself. (Courtesy photo).
When Orin Pickering attended the graduation of his eldest son Jacob Beebe from Air Force basic military training in 2015, he had no idea that his own life was about to reach a turning point.

Welcome to Rewind & Reconnoiter. Each week, we’ll ask one of our authors to look back at an article they’ve written for War on the Rocks in light of a current news event. Did their argument hold up? Read more below to find out. *** In 2019, Thomas Juneau wrote “How Iran Helped Houthis Expand Their Reach” for War on the Rocks, looking at how Iran has helped Houthi rebels in Yemen grow into a major regional security threat that presents “a growing risk to rivals like Saudi Arabia and, eventually, Israel.

Ariana Garcia, Chron
Blashke, a previous Guinness World Records title holder for world’s oldest tandem parachute jump, also broke his own record on Monday with the skydive.

Rebecca Kheel, Military.

J.A.

USA Today
WASHINGTON – The email arrived in the middle of a workday: Are you thirsty?

Sandboxx News
One of the more enduring truisms hammered into Navy SEAL trainees during Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training is, “It pays to be a winner.

Estonia’s military has set the stage for itself by unveiling a decade-long strategy that exceeds NATO guidelines.
The post Surpassing NATO guidelines: Estonia’s defence sees unprecedented surge appeared first on Army Technology.

As the Army modernizes its network, it is looking to emphasize cybersecurity operations as the next step in maturity, moving beyond compliance.
Officials have described becoming more proactive against cyber threats as opposed to a reactive posture, which involves enhancing the training and abilities of the signal corps, improving policies, and developing new concepts and capabilities such as the central delivery of services.
“We’ve been doing cybersecurity operations, but it’s been exceedingly compliance based. Meaning, fill out the checklist … you’re cyber secure.

Christopher Siwanowicz during an overseas deployment (left), and on the Appalachian Trail (right). Photos courtesy of Robert Siwanowicz.
There aren’t many people who can pick up a pack, throw on their old combat boots, and hike the Appalachian Trail with little to no preparation. Christopher “Chris” Siwanowicz was that guy. The only break he took was to attend his brother’s Officer Candidate School graduation, before returning to the trail. 
Siwanowicz was laid to rest on Nov. 14 at the Saint James Cemetery in Naugatuck, Connecticut.

The Sting Ray torpedo is to be integrated aboard the RAF’s fleet of Poseidon MRA1 aircraft. (Crown Copyright)
The United Kingdom is to arm its fleet of Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime multimission aircraft (MMA) with the domestically developed Sting Ray torpedo.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the decision on 30 November, saying the British-built Sting Ray will be used alongside the US-built Mk 54 torpedo that was delivered as part of the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) package.

In a groundbreaking revelation, program manager Capt. Brian Metcalf unveils a remarkable shift in the financial landscape of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) aircraft carrier. Contrary to expectations, Americans may spend significantly less on this cutting-edge carrier than its predecessor, the renowned Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.
The Cost Game-Changer
1. Reduced Maintenance Costs
One of the primary factors contributing to this financial revolution is the drastic reduction in maintenance expenses. Capt. Metcalf asserts that the USS Gerald R.

Displayed as a mock-up at the ILA Berlin Air Show in 2022, the Eurofighter EK has now been approved by the Bundestag. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The German Bundestag has approved development of the Eurofighter Elektronischer Kampf (EK) electronic warfare (EW) aircraft for the Luftwaffe.
The Luftwaffe and Airbus (Germany’s lead contractor in the Eurofighter consortium) announced the budgetary committee approval on 29 November, saying 15 aircraft will be upgraded for electronic attack (EA) and suppression/destruction of enemy air defence (SEAD/DEAD) roles.

Anti-armour missiles and other projectiles are designed to inflict damage on an armoured vehicle in a number of ways.
The post Global vehicle armour market set to increase as threats multiply appeared first on Army Technology.

Four were killed in West Bank and three in Jerusalem despite the Israeli military and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire.
The post Signal: Israel-Palestine temporary truce in tatters appeared first on Army Technology.

NIOA Group has obtained a lease at Picatinny Arsenal, which is responsible for developing weapons and munitions to the US.
The post NIOA expands Arsenal presence, fortifying trans-Pacific alliances appeared first on Army Technology.

Iran has finalized preparations for the purchase of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and helicopters, the Iranian Deputy Defense Minister told the Tasnim news agency yesterday, at a time when Tehran and Moscow are strengthening their military relations.
The Iranian Air Force has only a few dozen attack aircraft, including Russian jets and older American models acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The visit by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks is the latest indication that the Lakenheath base will host US missiles. The US government plans to inject £39.5 million into the Suffolk base.
Both the US Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense have refused to comment on whether the Suffolk base will host the first US nuclear weapons in the UK for more than a decade.
More than 100 nuclear warheads were removed from the base in 2008. Hicks’ visit is the latest indication that the site is of great strategic importance to the US Air Force.

In the ever-evolving landscape of military aviation, the question of whether to resume production of the F-22 Raptor has stirred considerable debate. As nations like China and Russia advance their fifth-generation fighters, the need for the U.S. to counter these technological threats becomes apparent. However, delving into the intricacies reveals a complex scenario that extends beyond the surface argument.
The History of F-22 Expenditure
The F-22 project comes with a hefty price tag. A staggering $74 billion has been poured into its development since its inception.

The Aster 30 missile (pictured above) is a two-stage kinetic kill effector fitted with an active seeker with an interception range of approximately 100 km against threats operating at altitudes up to 20,000 m. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
The Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF’s) Aster 30 SAMP/T (Sol-Air Moyenne-Portée/Terrestre or surface-to-air medium range/land based) self-propelled surface-to-air missile (SAM) system has achieved full operational capability (FOC), the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a press release on 29 November.

This Friday, the government of New Delhi announced the acquisition of a new aircraft carrier worth 400 billion rupees (4.8 billion dollars) to counter the Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean region.
The Defense Acquisition Council – the country’s top defense decision-making body, chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh – is expected to clear the acquisition of its second indigenous aircraft carrier, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. They asked not to be quoted because the conversations were private.

A few hours before the agreement with  Hamas expires, Minister  Benny Gantz declared that  Israel is in a complex moment, with a window of time within the framework of the agreement to return the kidnapped. “We will work to make the most of it,”  Gantz told the press.
However,  Gantz made it clear that  Israel is prepared to resume the conflict at any time. “We are prepared and ready to return to the fight at any time, including this moment,” he declared.

Last month, Ukrainian researchers and Politico correspondents revealed that they had identified nearly 200 Cubans who had joined the Russian military in recent weeks, with enlistees ranging in age between 19 and 69. In interviews, Cuban recruits reported a range of Russian tactics to secure new personnel. Many in particular cited monetary incentives and the prospect of Russian citizenship — an attractive draw for young men in a country beset by food insecurity and joblessness.  Other Cuban enlistees tell darker stories.

Since its unprecedented departure from the European Union, the United Kingdom has progressively moved to broaden its foreign policy outlook to take account of other critical regions in the world. In 2021, the government produced an integrated review of the country’s future security, defense, and development goals and in 2023 unveiled a “refresh” of that document.

TechCrunch Disrupt hosted Ryan and a top-notch panel for a conversation on the increasing importance of commercial stakeholders in the exercise of military power in and from space. It features John Plumb, the first assistant secretary of defense for space policy; Mandy Vaughn, the CEO and founder of GXO, Inc.; and Gen. James H. Dickinson, the commander of U.S. Space Command. Listen to their discussion, which was recorded in September. Thanks to TechCrunch for allowing us to use this recording. Image: U.S.

The focus is on China for its tests with the XS101, a kamikaze drone similar to the  US Switchblade 300.
The  XS101: An Echo of the   American Switchblade 300
The similarity between the Chinese XS101 and the American Switchblade 300  is undeniable. Both share a similar design and launch system.
AOMEI technology has played a crucial role in developing the XS101, whose precision and capabilities make it stand out in the drone field.

The new multi-purpose vessel, which will be named
D João II
, is planned to enter service in the second half of 2026.
(Damen)
Damen Shipyards Group has been awarded a contract for the design, construction, and outfitting of a new multi-purpose vessel for the Portuguese Navy.
Announcing the contract award on 24 November, Damen said the 107 m-long vessel had been designed to meet the Portuguese Navy’s requirement for a platform that combined oceanic research with unmanned systems deployment capabilities.

Ukraine’s foreign minister said the EU had just delivered 300,000 out of a total of one million promised artillery shells, calling for increased aid efforts.

“The European Union (EU) has provided about 300,000 artillery shells to Ukraine. We need to establish a common area for the Euro-Atlantic defense industry; this will ensure security for Ukraine and NATO member countries,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on November 29.

The US Air Force said the Bell Boeing CV-22B involved in the mishap was an aircraft from the 353rd Special Operations Wing. The unit operates its CV-22Bs from Yokota Air Base near Tokyo. (US Air Force)
A Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey of the US Air Force (USAF) has crashed in Japanese waters.
In a statement later on 29 November US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) said the CV-22B Osprey from the 353rd Special Operations Wing was involved in the “mishap”.

US Air Force F-35A Lightning II. F-35 deliveries with TR-3 upgrades are scheduled to begin as soon as April 2024. (US Air Force/Staff Sgt Zade Vadnais)
Lockheed Martin has flown the first production F-35s equipped with Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) hardware and software upgrades, the manufacturer confirmed on 28 November. F-35 deliveries to customers have been paused until TR-3 is judged to be sufficiently mature.

Inspired by his own journey with mental health and in an effort to raise awareness around military veteran suicide prevention, Panthers TE Hayden Hurst has chosen to honor Face The Fight, a coalition founded by USAA with aspirations to cut the military veteran suicide rates by half, and The Hayden Hurst Family Foundation, for this year’s NFL My Cause My Cleats campaign.

Henry Kissinger made a lot of waves in his 100 years.
Heralded as a policy genius, the Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany served as a trusted adviser to countless leaders throughout his life, most notably serving as Secretary of State and National Security Adviser under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Kissinger was beloved, almost revered, by many.
President Vladimir Putin met with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The Kremlin via Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
And then there are those who were “less fond,” to put it mildly.

A key overmatch factor in combat is range: be able to attack your enemy from further than they can attack you. This concept has been applied to projectile weapons from arrows all the way to intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the case of precision rifles, long-range shots allow for surgical strikes against individual targets who may otherwise think that they are not in danger. Until recently, the commonly accepted longest sniper kill was made at a staggering 2.2 miles. However, Ukrainian forces claim to have beaten that.

USAF
With claims of that the U.S. government has been clandestinely retrieving crashed UFOs for decades making their rounds these days, some images posted by the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF) today will definitely raise some eyebrows — at first glance.
The images show a weathered flying saucer being unloaded from the cavernous cargo hold of a C-5 Galaxy at Wright Patterson AFB, the home of the NMUSAF, and also a place that is steeped in UFO lore.
As a side note, the great thing about a C-5 is you can take the whole semi with you, not just its trailer.

Rubak Wild Division screencap
What may be the last, desperate minutes of a Russian soldier’s life are captured in the latest video released by the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Rubak Wild Division. It’s a First Person View (FPV) drone unit of the 82nd Separate Airborne Assault Brigade that have made it their daily business to hunt tanks and other vehicles, and yes, sometimes change down individual soldiers. The video serves as a stark reminder of the rapidly changing reality of drone warfare, which is becoming far more ‘personal’ than it once was.

In the intricate world of the Middle East, Iran’s relationship with Israel has been a source of tension for a long time. Let’s break down why Iran doesn’t see eye to eye with Israel, and how history and beliefs play a big role in this complicated story.
Why the Bad Blood?
Iran’s leaders, especially the top guy Ali Khamenei, have never been friendly with Israel. They think Israel is on Muslim land and has too much say in what the United States does in the Middle East.

Elsie Dominguez, and graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and a civilian mariner on the Navy’s sealift fleet, alleges that her ship’s captain raped her, according to a complaint filed in New Jersey federal court. Photo courtesy Elsie Dominguez and US Navy.
A civilian mariner on a Navy sealift ship alleges that the ship’s captain raped her after being drugged by a spiked drink while ashore, according to a federal complaint filed Wednesday.
Elsie E. Dominguez, a graduate of the U.S.

Staff Sgt. Meiziaha Cooper (left in uniform and right) her husband Desmond Cooper and both of their children were found dead in their home in mid-November. The Army has not yet said how they died. Photos from Facebook.
A soldier known as the “mama” among dozens of Army cooks at Fort Stewart was found dead in her home this month, along with her husband and two young children. But two weeks after their bodies were discovered, the Army has offered few details on how they died.
Staff Sgt. Meiziaha Cooper and her husband, Desmond Cooper, were pronounced dead Nov.

The Defense Innovation Unit is soliciting industry for the next set of capabilities that can be integrated into its space-based architecture that leverages both commercial and government assets to provide communication anywhere in the world.
According to a post added to DIU’s website Wednesday, the organization is looking for commercial solutions addressing four capability areas: persistent sensing, data transport, high-performance edge computing and data fusion.

Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Russian military continues its push on the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, which has long been the focus of its attention, becoming one of the bloodiest battles of the war so far. But as well as stiff Ukrainian resistance, the storms that have recently battered southern and eastern Ukraine, as well as much of the southern regions of Russia, over the past couple of days, have apparently had an effect on their progress too.

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
The governments of Norway and Germany have teamed up to develop a new supersonic naval “super missile” to arm warships belonging to both countries. A supersonic naval strike missile, which could potentially be used against targets ashore and at sea, would represent a major capability boost for both the Norwegian and German navies.
Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, which is now leading the project, announced the bilateral missile development effort last week.

When music combines with a noble cause, the result is nothing short of extraordinary. The Music for Veterans Project (MVP) unites military service and music, benefiting both veterans and aspiring musicians. Led by Emily Armour, a piano teacher married to a veteran, the initiative honors service members in a unique way.
The genesis of Music for Veterans Project
Emily Armour began this project driven by both personal and cultural motivations. Her husband, Devin Wilkins, is a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) veteran. He served in Croatia during 1991/92.

Both chambers of Congress are considering legislation that would mandate new reports and mechanisms to enable lawmakers to more deeply monitor how the Pentagon is progressing on its multibillion dollar initiative to connect all of its sensors and systems across the entire battlespace under a single network.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., recently introduced the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) Implementation Act, which was referred to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.

Soviet pilot Victor Belenko defected with his MiG-25 Foxbat to Japan in September 1976, riding out of the Iron Curtain and into our hearts. His stolen jet became a treasure trove for Western intelligence. The U.S. quickly claimed him, even passing a law in 1980 to make him a citizen. But now, 43 years later, the pilot has passed from an unspecified illness in Rosebud, Illinois.
Viktor Belenko defects
The Soviet Air Defence Forces debuted the Mig-25 Foxbat in 1970 after six years of secret flights. The plane was, and is, insanely fast.

U.S. Army photo by Georgios Moumoulidis
The U.S. Army is interested in exploring hybrid-electric options for its 8×8 Stryker wheeled armored vehicles. The service has become increasingly concerned with developing hybrid-electric propulsion systems in recent years, which offer numerous benefits including reduced fuel usage as well as being far quieter than standard diesel engines, for its armored and unarmored vehicles as well as tanks.

A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep into a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it. *** Last week, far-right politician Javier Milei was elected president in Argentina on a platform that promised to slash public spending, abolish the central bank, and dollarize the economy, among much else. A self-described “anarcho-capitalist” who has garnered comparisons to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and former U.S.

GUR screencap
The men of the Stugna unit were cold and tired as they approached the Crimean shoreline a little to the north of Tarkhankut Bay. The mission was a struggle even before they had to evade shore patrols, breach defensive lines and attack a building full of troops.
For 10 hours, they battled five-foot waves and chilly October water traversing the Black Sea on personal watercraft. Loaded down by grenade launchers, machine guns, man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and other equipment needed to assault Russian positions, the watercraft frequently tipped over.

The Army has awarded Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman agreements to work on a project designed to deploy sensors and jammers from the air, according to a Wednesday announcement.
The other transaction agreements are for phase 1 of what the Army calls its Launched Effects program, which envisions small drones or payloads released by larger aircraft, either manned or unmanned. These smaller systems could include a variety of payloads and have the ability to loiter over a target, being either recoverable or expendable.

A still from media coverage of the commissioning of
Bani Yas
, the first of the UAE’s two Gowind corvettes, on 29 November 2023.
(WAM news agency)
The first of the two Gowind corvettes the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered from France’s Naval Group was commissioned into service on 29 November, the UAE Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced.