Russian officials announced that the MiG-35 light fighter is participating in the war in Ukraine to test, perfect features, and attract orders.

“The MiG-35 fighter is participating in all operations in the special campaign. Many test flights will need to be conducted before the Russian Ministry of Defense makes a final decision,” Sergei Korotkov, general engineer of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), said today.
The statement was made when Mr. Korotkov was asked whether the Russian Air Force had ordered many MiG-35 aircraft.

Four US bases in Iraq and Syria were attacked by pro-Iranian militias with rockets and UAVs for several hours but caused no casualties.

Reuters quoted an anonymous US official as saying that two bases of this country’s forces and the international coalition in northeastern Syria on November 23 were attacked with rockets and suicide drones (UAVs).
On the same day, the US Al-Assad air base west of the capital, Baghdad and another base in northern Iraq were also attacked by UAVs.

Airbus demonstrated its Auto’Mate A4R autonomous aerial refuelling of drones using an A310 MRTT and DT-25 target drone UAVs during two trials in March. The test campaign has now been completed. (Airbus)
Airbus Defence and Space has completed trials of its autonomous air-to-air refuelling (AAR) of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the company announced on 22 November.
Trials that were launched in March involved a modified A310 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and DT-25 target drone UAVs.

Ukrainian officials say that Russia is launching an unprecedented and intense attack on Avdeevka, an important stronghold controlled by Kyiv in Donetsk province.

“Russian forces are launching the most intense attacks on the city. Every day, the enemy conducts an average of 16-18 air strikes, some days up to 30. We do not have time to fully count,” Vitaliy Barabash, leader of the Avdeevka city military agency appointed by Ukraine, said on November 23.
Mr.

U.S. Army Col. Sam Whitehurst, commander of 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, talks to Army soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, during the Thanksgiving Day visit to Observation Post English, Afghanistan, Nov. 28, 2013. (Spc. Charles M. Willingham/U.S. Army).
The U.S. military has deployed all over the world for decades, and missing Thanksgiving at home with family is common.

Image by Alexxandre Cardoso

Here on the right side of the American political spectrum, we’re used to railing against “the government.” I’ve done plenty of it in speeches and in writing over the years. Most of the time, I will refer to “the bureaucracy” when I am making a point about how awful the government is. Bureaucracy is, after all, what clogs the arteries of the federal government. 
What frustrates those of us who have to function in the real world about the federal bureaucracy is the utter lack of accountability.

The first flight of the Protector RG1 in UK airspace saw the unmanned aircraft fly within the confines of the airspace over RAF Waddington, and under full human control. (Crown Copyright)
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has flown for the first time in national airspace the recently received General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9B Protector RG1 medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The milestone was announced by the service on 17 November, with the first flight understood to have taken place some days earlier.

CDM Founder L Todd Wood gives an update on the Israeli/Hamas ceasefire in Gaza, and the hostage release, direct from Tel Aviv.
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U.S. Wants YOU Back! 

Public Domain

The U.S. Air Force has mailed letters to those booted from the U.S. Air Force over the now-rescinded COVID-19 mandated vaccinations for an opportunity to rejoin the service, mirroring similar letters sent to former U.S. Army service members.
The letter informs former U.S. Air Force airmen they can now request to have their service records amended to show that they received “honorable discharges” and seek reentry into the service if they so choose.
It should be noted that the U.S. Air Force is not achieving their recruiting goals.

Navy culinary specialists (CSs) are tirelessly preparing traditional holiday favorites for sailors deployed around the world. 
Sailor morale is a key component to mission success, but it takes on an increased significance during the holiday season. The food CSs prepare during this time of year creates a sense of familiarity among sailors and has a positive effect on their morale.      
“Culinary specialists in our fleets never take a day off and the holidays are no exception,” said Navy Food Service Director Cmdr. Brian Bieber.

IAI’s loitering munitions have attracted international interest, resulting in agreements worth $145 million.
The post IAI secures $145m in global deals for munitions despite ongoing crisis appeared first on Army Technology.

Image by Lilach Daniel

On 7 Oct 2023, the world woke up to the horrors of a truly barbaric surprise attack upon innocent Israeli’s including children and the elderly.   The horror of those massacres has been magnified by the demonstrations in support of the heinous Hamas butchers at many elite college campuses across our nation by students and professors not only displaying their ignorance of history, but also serving as models of the brainwashed “useful idiots” (as Lenin called them) reflecting the indoctrination taking place in our nation’s universities.

USNI News
USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, U.S.

John A. Tirpak, A&SF Mag.

Patrick Drennan, RealClearDefense

Winslow T.

Warrior M.

A Ukrainian soldier watches the sky for drones in his combat position in a trench s the Russia-Ukraine war continues in Niu York, Ukraine on November 6, 2023. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images).
U.S. Army veteran Ryan O’Leary, has spent so much time assaulting Russian trenches in Ukraine that he’s made it his handle on Twitter, now X: @IhateTrenches.
“Your CQB [close-quarters battle] is violent, but nothing compares to trench warfare,” O’Leary told Task & Purpose. “Most of the enemy we’re fighting at like five meters or less distance.

The use of tourniquets by an Army combat medic and a Space Force guardian in to save civilians earned them the United Service Organization’s servicemember of the year award.
The fast-acting use of tourniquets by an Army combat medic and a Space Force guardian in off-duty emergencies earned them United Service Organization’s servicemember of the year awards.
Space Force Spc. Danielle Green and Army Sgt. Michael Wolkeba were named USO’s Guardian and Soldier of the year along with five other troops from each mililtary branch, the Coast Guard and the reserves.

The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System – pictured above firing an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile at Woomera Test Range in South Australia in mid-November – provides air defence against a variety of aerial threats, including UAV, missile, helicopter, and aircraft attacks within 40–50 km.

The US-Philippines navy and air force patrols intend to counterweight Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
The post Signal: US, Philippines conduct joint drills near Taiwan appeared first on Army Technology.

A BOV-OT M-21 APC demonstrating its water obstacle crossing capabilities at Nikinci. (Serbian MoD)
The Serbian Armed Forces’ (SAF’s) new indigenously developed, locally produced or modernised weapons, and military equipment were presented to Defence Minister Miloš Vučević at the SAF’s Weapons and Military Equipment Test Centre ‘Nikinci’ on 14 November, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website later the same day.

An image released by the Office of the President of Uzbekistan on 16 November showed the Baykar Bayraktar TB2 UCAV in national service. (Office of the President of Uzbekistan)
Uzbekistan has been shown to be an operator of the Turkish-built Baykar Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), with the country’s office of the president releasing an image of multiple air vehicles on 16 November.

The FAP now has seven Koala helicopters in its inventory. (Portuguese Air Force)
The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa; FAP) has boosted its rotary-wing inventory with two new Leonardo AW119 MkII Koala utility helicopters.
The new aircraft wereofficially received on 22 November at the Maneuver Airfield No1, in Ovar, the FAP said.
The helicopters were delivered from Leonardo Helicopters in Italy, the FAP told Janes.
The two helicopters were acquired as an option placed as part of a contract worth EUR20.49 million (USD22.

Editor’s Note: This is our annual Thanksgiving article, originally published in 2013. Happy Thanksgiving from War on the Rocks!  Today is all about tradition: turkey and stuffing; family, friends, and football.  From early childhood, we all learn the origin story of Thanksgiving that is so mythically central to its celebration.  Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony marked a successful harvest with a feast to which they invited Native Americans who had lent much-needed assistance after the previous hard winter.

Australia’s Birdon Group Pty Ltd has been selected as the preferred designer for the Landing Craft Medium capability. The above picture shows the design of Birdon’s proposed Landing Craft Medium. (Birdon Group)
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with shipbuilding company Austal Limited to establish a Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement (SSA) to manufacture ships in Henderson, Western Australia, the DoD said in a press release on 23 November.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has outlined plans to invest in new facilities to support Japan’s involvement in the Global Combat Air Programme alongside the UK and Italy. (BAE Systems)
Japan’s biggest defence contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has said it expects to more than double defence revenues in the next few years in line with Tokyo’s plan to enhance the capability of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF).

The Pentagon’s war scenarios indicate that many F-22 Raptors can tilt a confrontation with Chinese forces in the US’s favor. However, the supply of these warplanes is limited. So the question arises: By which factor China can defeat the F-22 Raptor?

Evolution and Expansion of the Chinese Air Force
China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has seen remarkable development over the past two decades. According to a Pentagon report, this transformation has positioned the PLAAF as a serious rival to the  United States Air Force (USAF).

Rheinmetall Electronics UK Trailblazer vehicle vision systems, designed to aid the driver with terrain negotiation, obstacle avoidance, and route selection, are being procured to fill a critical safety requirement with the UK’s Warrior IFVs. (Rheinmetall Electronics UK)
The British Army’s Warrior infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) will be equipped with rear view cameras as part of a contract with Rheinmetall Electronics UK.

An aerial view of Garden Island Precinct. (Thales Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has signed a AUD2 billion (USD1.3 billion) contract with Thales to maintain and sustain Royal Australian Navy (RAN) vessels in Sydney.
Under the agreement – announced on 22 November – Thales Australia was appointed as ‘regional maintenance provider’ for the new Regional Maintenance Centre East (RMC East) at the DoD’s Garden Island Precinct.

A Thales spokesperson told
Janes
that work on the contract will commence on 1 July 2024.

North Korea ended the military agreement signed with South Korea in 2018, announcing that it would send new weapons and stronger forces to the border.

“From now on, the North Korean military will not be bound by the September 19, 2018 military agreement. We will suspend all measures that have been applied to reduce tensions and the risk of military conflict.” at the same time, deploying more powerful military units and many new weapons to the area along the line,” the North Korean Ministry of National Defense said today.
Korean officials have not commented on this information.

Israeli fighters launched two missiles to attack the Hezbollah militia group on the outskirts of Syria’s capital, Damascus, killing two people.

“Israel launched an attack with two missiles launched from the direction of the Golan Heights, targeting a number of positions in the vicinity of the capital, Damascus. Air defense forces shot down one of these missiles,” Syria’s SANA news agency said. reported on November 23, but did not announce related casualties or damage.

Israel said the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement with Hamas would take place on November 24, one day later than previously announced.

“Negotiations to release hostages are continuing. The release of hostages will be carried out according to the previous agreement between the two sides and will not take place before November 24,” the Israeli Security Council stated on November 23. /11. Israeli officials said the start of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas was also delayed until tomorrow.
The Hamas group has not commented on this information.

During tonight’s press conference, Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he has instructed the  Mossad to act against Hamas leaders wherever they are located.
This statement came after mentioning a report suggesting that Ismail Haniyeh and  Khaled Mashaal hope to continue ruling Gaza after the war.
In response to a question about whether the truce applies to targeting Hamas leaders,  Netanyahu  clarified that “there is no such obligation.”
Defense Minister  Yoav Gallant added that all Hamas leaders are “the living dead” and that their destiny is to die.

Diehl Defence
Germany and France are leading a new ground-based air defense coalition designed to bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russian missile and drone threats.
The 20-nation coalition was announced Wednesday as part of the 17th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), an organization of some 50 nations gathering to provide Kyiv with what it needs to keep fighting Russia.
“I appreciate the leadership of Germany and France in organizing this important initiative,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday before the virtual meeting.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Hastings
Welcome to Bunker Talk. We’d like to wish all our American readers a happy Thanksgiving!
This is an open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s literally an off-topic thread.
We offer you piping hot Turkey Bird for this week’s top shot:
Maj.

The families of two 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment pilots killed in a 2011 crash may soon get their day in court. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Hastings.
A lawsuit brought by families of two 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment pilots who died in a 2011 helicopter crash has been revived in Federal court.
On Tuesday, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals said that a suit brought by the estates of Army Chief Warrant Officer Steven B. Redd and Captain John D. Hortman should proceed.

Via Twitter
A Ukrainian Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus (MAGURA) V5 uncrewed surface vessel (USV) has been captured intact by Russia in western Crimea, Russian milbloggers are reporting on Telegram. Images of the drone boat sitting totally intact onshore seem to support this claim.
It was attempting to attack Russian ships in western Crimea “when it fell into Russian hands,” the Russian Military Informant Telegram channel reported.

In a promotional video, Lockheed Martin revealed more details of the 6th generation fighter, showing that the aircraft has a tailless design.

On November 21, US arms corporation Lockheed Martin posted a promotional video to celebrate the 80th anniversary of establishing the Skunk Works office, the company’s aircraft development department.
The video reviews Lockheed Martin’s military aircraft design and development journey over the past 80 years, including a rare illustration of the tailless design of the 6th-generation fighter line. This is a combat model.

USN
Earlier this year, the U.S. Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 (VX-30), the “Bloodhounds,” took delivery of a unique NC-20G range support aircraft. Now pictures have emerged that offer a look inside this modified Gulfstream IV business jet, which is primarily configured to visually document missile tests using a specialized camera system called Cast Glance.
A head-on look at the NC-20G. USN
Pictures of the NC-20G’s interior were included in a contracting announcement that the U.S.

Over 100 Soldiers got a head start on Thanksgiving with stuffing, turkey and cranberries last week at the Iron Mike Conference Center. Hosted by the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program in partnership with Fort Liberty’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation program, organizers said that the BOSS Thanksgiving helps create morale for single service members.
“There are so many Soldiers who don’t have families to go home to, don’t have plans for Thanksgiving, don’t have that family support or that support system with their unit,” said Fort Liberty BOSS president, Sgt.

Iranian State Media
Iran has officially presented a new version of its notorious Shahed ‘kamikaze drone,’ now powered by a jet engine rather than the previous piston-propeller arrangement. The Shahed-238 was also shown with new guidance systems, with radar and electro-optical/infrared guidance now apparently being offered in addition to earlier Shahed versions, which primarily employed a combination of inertial and GPS navigation to hit fixed targets.

The Space Force announced Tuesday that it will allocate money in 2024 towards three ideas for new capabilities that were proposed by employees of the service’s acquisition arm — including an interface that enables data-sharing between the Space Force and international allies.
The proposals were submitted to Space Systems Command’s (SSC) second annual “Fight Tonight” competition, which calls for the organization’s military and civilian personnel to come up with innovative solutions to some of its most pressing challenges and capability gaps.

Richard M. Browning capture via TikTok
The idea of a jetpack armed with a pistol that the operator aims remotely just by moving their head and looking at the target sounds like something ripped out of a Hollywood blockbuster or a first-person shooter video game. However, Richard Browning, founder of United Kingdom-based jetpack startup Gravity Industries, has now demonstrated this as a real capability to go along with his company’s signature Daedalus Flight Pack.
Browning released the video of the pistol-armed Daedalus in action, and with him at the controls, on TikTok yesterday.

CDM Found L Todd Wood discusses meetings with high level Israeli officials on situation in The Jewish State and the Gaza War.
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The Pentagon recently initiated a process to formally update the policies governing how its components protect and secure biometric data and devices, after a recent oversight review revealed records-keeping and information security gaps that could be placing sensitive national security information at risk of exposure to malicious actors.

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. *** As the Israeli Defense Forces continue to carry out a ground campaign in the Gaza Strip, questions are arising as to what the Palestinian enclave could look like after the end of the war.

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. *** Takuya Matsuda and Jaehan Park have co-authored two pieces for War on the Rocks that consider the tensions in the Japanese-South Korean relationship and their implications for the U.S.

The cumulative value of deals with the Carl-Gustaf M4 as exclusive, or included with other Saab weapons, is in excess of SEK 6.3bn in 2023.
The post Carl-Gustaf sales over $500m in 2023 as Saab announces latest deal appeared first on Army Technology.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urges enhanced air defence for Ukraine at Contact Group meeting to focus on capability coalition.
The post US Defense Secretary urges Ukraine Contact Group to supply air defence appeared first on Army Technology.