Members phkrause Posted May 8 Author Members Share Posted May 8 ⛵ Navy's new problem: Drone ships A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel sails by a Royal Jordanian Navy patrol craft during a joint exercise with U.S. forces. Photo: U.S. Navy handout via Reuters The U.S. Navy's efforts to build a fleet of unmanned vessels are faltering because the Pentagon remains wedded to big shipbuilding projects, Reuters reports. Why it matters: The recent push masks years of hesitation by the U.S. Navy to build a fleet of unmanned vessels, despite repeated warnings this was the future of maritime warfare. Tactics used by Ukraine (successfully) and Houthi rebels in Yemen (less successfully) have caught the attention of the Pentagon, which is incorporating those lessons into plans to counter China's rising naval power. But the Pentagon budget process still prioritizes big ships and submarines. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 10 Author Members Share Posted May 10 Florida deputies who fatally shot US airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says MIAMI (AP) — Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man’s family said Wednesday. https://apnews.com/article/police-shooting-airman-florida-8bcc82463ada69264389edf2a4f1a83d? Killing of an airman by Florida deputy is among cases of Black people being shot in their homes The fatal shooting of a U.S. Air Force airman at his off-base apartment in the Florida Panhandle by a sheriff’s deputy brings to mind other instances of Black people being killed by law enforcement in their own homes as they’re going about their day. https://apnews.com/article/police-shootings-home-roger-fortson-death-6e8db776663b684d878917e6b7ea4e57? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 17 Author Members Share Posted May 17 Family of California Navy veteran who died after officer knelt on his neck settles lawsuit for $7.5M SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Family members of a Navy veteran who died in 2020 after a police officer pressed a knee to his neck for nearly five minutes while he was in a mental health crisis have settled a federal lawsuit against the Northern California city of Antioch for $7.5 million, their attorneys said Wednesday. https://apnews.com/article/california-police-chokehold-death-lawsuit-settlement-ebf563bb29a6d8667958b1502564bc37? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 19 Author Members Share Posted May 19 Lawyer for family of slain US Air Force airman says video and calls show deputy went to wrong home A lawyer for the family of Roger Fortson said Thursday that police radio traffic and the body camera footage of the Florida sheriff’s deputy who killed the Black U.S. Air Force airman reinforce their assertion that the deputy was directed to the wrong apartment while responding to a domestic disturbance call that day. Read more. Key points: In police radio traffic that lawyer Ben Crump played at a news conference surrounded by Fortson’s family, a dispatcher said all they knew about the disturbance was “fourth-party information.” Crump also highlighted two portions of the bodycam video in which the deputy asked the woman leading him around the complex, “Which door?” The woman responded, “Um … I’m not sure,” and that she heard a disturbance two weeks ago. Sheriff’s officials say the deputy acted in self-defense while responding to a call of a disturbance in progress at the apartment complex. At a May 9 news conference, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden also disputed allegations that the deputy went to the wrong unit, saying he’s aware of comments that “falsely state our deputy entered the wrong apartment.” The case is among many around the country in which Black people have been shot in their homes by law enforcement personnel. Fortson, who legally owned a firearm, opened the door and could be seen holding a handgun pointed toward the floor. The deputy shouted, “Step back!” and then shot Fortson six times. Only afterward did he shout, “Drop the gun! Drop the gun!” RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Florida deputy’s killing of Black airman renews debate on police killings and race Experts say gun alone doesn’t justify deadly force in fatal shooting of Florida airman Texas governor pardons ex-Army sergeant convicted of killing Black Lives Matter protester Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted June 4 Author Members Share Posted June 4 🪖 New stealth bomber A B-21 Raider soars above clouds during flight testing. Photo: Northrop Grumman New photos of the B-21 Raider show the sophisticated stealth bomber under development in flight tests over California, Axios' Colin Demarest writes. Why it matters: The images, shared by the U.S. Air Force and manufacturer Northrop Grumman, provide a peek at a highly secretive aircraft considered critical to future long-haul missions and nuclear weapons use. Zoom in: The B-21's elliptical profile, trapezoidal windows and sleek air intakes contribute to the bomber's ability to stay hidden on radar. It's slated to be combat-ready this decade. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted July 1 Author Members Share Posted July 1 🧠 Military ignored data on SEAL brains Jennifer Collins keeps a memorial at her Virginia Beach home to her husband, Chief Petty Officer David Collins, a Navy SEAL who took his life in 2014 after growing mental function problems. Photo: Kenny Holston/The New York Times The vast majority of Navy SEALs' blast exposure — which is damaging their brains, leading to a tragic wave of suicides — "comes from firing their own weapons, not from enemy action," the N.Y. Times' Dave Philipps writes in an article that's painful and infuriating to read. Why it matters: "The damage pattern suggested that years of training intended to make SEALs exceptional was leaving some barely able to function." A Defense Department lab found an unusual pattern of damage seen only in people exposed repeatedly to blast waves. But until The Times "told the Navy of the lab's findings about the SEALs who died by suicide, the Navy had not been informed," Philipps writes. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Ayuda disponible en español. Read the article (Gift link no paywall). Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted July 11 Author Members Share Posted July 11 Future of war Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios Kicking off our new weekly Future of Defense newsletter today, Axios' Colin Demarest isolates these huge trends: The unmanned obsession. With advances in drones, robotics, wayfinding and more, militaries are increasingly deploying uncrewed technologies. Transparent battlefields. Hiding is becoming impossible. Infrared imaging, deep sensing, satellite photography, open-source intelligence and more all betray troop positions. Industry disruptors. A consolidated defense industry, long dominated by a handful of household names, is being rattled by small, scrappy competitors and Silicon Valley speed. AI boom or bust. AI is reshaping daily lives. Its military applications promise to be far more radical. A new space race. A global surveillance and communications competition is underway, abetted by a booming commercial sector and a hunger for faraway insights. As one expert told me: "Space capabilities are the difference between being a regional power and being a global power." 📆 Join me tomorrow at 8:15 a.m. in D.C. to celebrate the newsletter's launch with an event featuring conversations with former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and more. RSVP here. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted July 12 Author Members Share Posted July 12 Robots could be 1/3 of military Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Robots and other smart machinery will comprise up to one-third of the U.S. military in the next 10–15 years, retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, a former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at an Axios event today. "It'll be a fundamental change, and I would argue that other nations' militaries are going to be similarly designed," Milley said. The number of human troops, he added, "will probably be reduced as you move toward robotic systems." 💡 Our thought bubble: A crew-less tank or pilotless fighter jet paired with ultrafast decision-making software stokes fears of killer robots, Axios Future of Defense author Colin Demarest writes. But safeguards are in place. U.S. policy requires a human to pull the trigger. And robotics have wider applications — schlepping supplies far from the front lines, for example, or hauling injured fighters off the battlefield. Go deeper ... Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted July 12 Author Members Share Posted July 12 US Coast Guard patrol spots Chinese naval ships off Alaska island ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol in the Bering Sea came across several Chinese military ships in international waters but within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, officials said. https://apnews.com/article/coast-guard-bering-sea-chinese-military-ships-32678c2cf51a6ce95b02e48320550fc5? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted July 18 Author Members Share Posted July 18 Navy exonerates 256 Black sailors unjustly punished in 1944 after a deadly California port explosion WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Navy has exonerated 256 Black sailors who were found to be unjustly punished in 1944 following a horrific port explosion that killed hundreds of service members and exposed racist double standards among the then-segregated ranks. https://apnews.com/article/navy-black-sailors-port-explosion-wwii-racism-df009fd75325758b15294e2fdad93729? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted July 24 Author Members Share Posted July 24 3 Army Reserve officers disciplined after reservist killed 18 people in Maine PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Three Army Reserve officers were disciplined for dereliction of duty following a rampage in which a reservist killed 18 people in Maine, according to an Army report that cited communication failures within the chain of command and between military and civilian hospitals, among other shortcomings. https://apnews.com/article/maine-mass-shooting-army-report-lewiston-e50ef7c7bb1ad0e9fa93ab7797950957? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 3 Author Members Share Posted August 3 Japan Osprey crash caused by cracks in a gear and pilot’s decision to keep flying, Air Force says WASHINGTON (AP) — A deadly Osprey aircraft crash last November off Japan was caused by cracks in a metal gear and the pilot’s decision to keep flying rather than heed multiple warnings that he should land, according to an Air Force investigation released Thursday. https://apnews.com/article/osprey-crash-japan-3b7b0951074334bec0f6a54da6309c31? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 7 Author Members Share Posted August 7 A rocket attack at an Iraqi military base injures US personnel, officials tell AP WASHINGTON (AP) — Several U.S. personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack at a military base in Iraq, U.S. defense officials said Monday, in what has been a recent uptick in strikes on American forces by Iranian-backed militias. https://apnews.com/article/iraq-mideast-us-forces-attack-90a1519a42c751fdc2915ba05df9e5a8? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 13 Author Members Share Posted August 13 The US Navy’s warship production is in its worst state in 25 years. What’s behind it? The Navy’s ability to build lower-cost warships that can shoot down Houthi rebel missiles in the Red Sea depends in part on a 25-year-old laborer who previously made parts for garbage trucks. https://apnews.com/article/navy-frigate-shipyard-workforce-retention-318c99f2161c4284e5ddcf0c1fa2b353? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 13 Author Members Share Posted August 13 Marine who died trying to save crew in fiery Osprey crash to receive service’s top noncombat medal WASHINGTON (AP) — Alexia and Bart Collart braced for a hard visit. Marines came to their home in Arlington, Virginia, last week to brief them on what caused the Osprey crash in Australia last year that resulted in the death of their son and two other Marines. https://apnews.com/article/osprey-crash-hero-marine-australia-3e79078c66c67c0bd46302f9639f344b? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 22 Author Members Share Posted August 22 US military The US is boosting forces in the Middle East as the region braces for a potential Iranian attack, according to US Central Command. On Wednesday, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group arrived in the region after it was ordered to accelerate its transit amid widespread concerns that Iran may retaliate against Israel for the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran. Separately, a US federal judge this week ruled that the US military cannot turn away enlistees who are HIV-positive. US District Judge Leonie Brinkema said the Pentagon's ban on HIV-positive people seeking to enlist in the armed forces contributes "to the ongoing stigma surrounding HIV-positive individuals while actively hampering the military's own recruitment goals." Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 27 Author Members Share Posted August 27 Army private who fled to North Korea will plead guilty to desertion WASHINGTON (AP) — An Army private who fled to North Korea just over a year ago will plead guilty to desertion and four other charges and take responsibility for his conduct, his lawyer said Monday. https://apnews.com/article/travis-king-army-north-korea-desertion-506d085782ca3611bf11ec254e799321? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted Thursday at 08:03 PM Author Members Share Posted Thursday at 08:03 PM Commander of Navy warship relieved of duty months after backward rifle scope photo snafu The commander of a Navy destroyer that’s helping protect the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East has been relieved of duty about four months after he was seen in a photo firing a rifle with a scope mounted backward. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/california/commander-navy-mccain-backward-rifle-scope/3612316/? Commander of Navy warship relieved of duty months after backward rifle scope photo flap SAN DIEGO (AP) — The commander of a Navy destroyer that’s helping protect the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East has been relieved of duty about four months after he was seen in a photo firing a rifle with a scope mounted backward. https://apnews.com/article/navy-yaste-uss-john-mccain-san-diego-3ea123fd26caf4f4981da068aea43135? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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