Department of Defense continues to downplay Taliban and Al Qaeda threat in Afghanistan
The U.S. military continues to underestimate Al Qaeda’s strength in Afghanistan and overestimate the threat posed by the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province. The newly released Department of Defense Inspector General report on Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS, the now-defunct mission in Afghanistan) and Operation Enduring Sentinel (OES, the current mission to address threats emanating from Afghanistan) puts […]
Strong Signal to Turkey and Israel: Syria’s Russian-Built S-300 Air Defence Systems Are Now Fully Active
On May 17 a number of reports emerged that S-300 surface to air missile batteries fielded by the Syrian Arab Army had been confirmed as operational, and may have been used to fire on Israeli Air Force fighter jets to repel an attack on a Syrian research centre. Reports of missiles having been fired indicate […]
DoD working on reducing bureaucracy ahead of full CDAO launch
Mr. John Sherman, Acting Department of Defense Chief Information Officer participates in a virtual panel with Billington Cybersecurity at the Pentagon, April 15, 2021 (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley) WASHINGTON: As the Pentagon’s Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Office gets closer to reaching its full operational capability, the acting office head and deputy in […]
Afghan Taliban brokers ceasefire between Pakistan and TTP
The Afghan Taliban played a key role in extending a ceasefire between the Pakistani state and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP). The Haqqani Network, an integral part of the Taliban whose leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the Taliban’s deputy emir and minister of the interior, reportedly helped facilitate the negotiations. General Fiaz Hameed, […]
Poland to Equip Tank Destroyers With Brimstone Missiles
The Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) has signed an agreement with arms manufacturer MBDA UK to equip its tank-busting vehicles with Brimstone anti-tank guided missiles. The deal is a continuation of the 2019 pact between the companies to design and develop the Ottokar-Brzoza tank destroyer. Under the contract, the British Brimstone missiles will be manufactured at […]
New Hypersonic Missiles for Chinese Aircraft Precise Enough to Hit Moving Cars with Infrared Guidance: Breakthroughs Made Towards Completion
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force University of Engineering in Xian has made progress towards developing a new hypersonic weapon capable of engaging small mobile targets precisely enough to hit a moving car, according to team leader Yang Xiaogong. He stressed that “important progress” had been made towards solving the primary issue of […]
Pentagon pilots have reported 11 ‘near misses’ with UFOs
Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray explains a video of an unidentified aerial phenomena, as he testifies before a House Intelligence Committee subcommittee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on May 17, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) WASHINGTON: Military pilots have reported almost a dozen dangerous close approaches with what the Defense Department now calls “unidentified […]
New Mach 3 Missile Gives India’s Russian Built Su-30MKI Fighters a 2000km Strike Range
The Indian Air Force has tested a new enhanced variant of the BrahMos cruise missile, which was launched from a Su-30MKI heavyweight fighter in the Bay of Bengal and had an extended 450km range. The new missile improves on the 290km range for prior air launched variants, with development occurring as more Su-30 units are […]
‘That still needs further development’: SOCOM leaders want more layered airborne ISR
SOCOM is seeking better ISR options for units in the field. (U.S. Marine/Steven Fox, released) SOFIC 2022: US Special Operations Command is looking to beef up its airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as it moves away from counterterrorism operations and towards potential conflicts against a near-peer adversary. At the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference […]
Challenging Which Officers Are Best Suited to Command Flying Wings
What makes a good wing commander? Is it their vision for the future of the wing, knowledge of the mission, or operational expertise? Their commitment to Airmen, relationships with the community, and ability to remove barriers and steward resources to complete the mission? Do the traits that make a good wing commander change based on […]