By Tony Capaccio and Patrick Sykes (Bloomberg) — US B-2 stealth bombers struck weapons-storage sites linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen, the latest effort to blunt attacks by the Iran-backed group…
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Air Force Conducts Latest QUICKSINK Exercise
The U.S. Air Force has conducted its latest QUICKSINK exercise, successfully demonstrating a low-cost, air-delivered method for neutralizing surface vessels. Quicksink is designed to rapidly counter maritime threats across large…
https://gcaptain.com/u-s-air-force-conducts-latest-quicksink-exercise/
Investigation into 2023 U.S. Air Force CV-22B Osprey Crash off Japan
The following is the June 6, 2024, U.S. Air Force Aircraft Accident Investigation Board report on the Nov. 29, 2023 crash of an Air Force CV-22B off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan.
From the report
Executive Summary
On 29 November 2023, at approximately 1440 local time (L), mishap aircraft (MA), a CV-22B aircraft, tail number (TIN) 10-0054, impacted the water approximately one-half mile off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan, while participating in a joint inter-operability exercise. The...
https://news.usni.org/2024/08/02/investigation-into-2023-u-s-air-force-cv-22b-osprey-crash-off-japan
NORAD Jets Intercept Joint Russian, Chinese Bomber Flight Near Alaska
Russia and China conducted a joint bomber flight that entered Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday, marking the first time the two countries have flown near the United States.
The North American...
U.S., Partners Experiment with New Weapon Systems During RIMPAC 2024 SINKEX
The U.S. military is experimenting with potential future weapon systems at the ongoing Rim of the Pacific 2024 exercise in Hawaii, using a weapon known as QUICKSINK during the biennial drill’s sinking exercise.
U.S. forces used QUICKSINK – born out of collaboration...
Marines Experiment with Next-Generation Logistics During ‘Valiant Shield’
How to meet the logistics needs of Marines and sailors in an Indo-Pacific conflict is a major question in how the U.S....
GAO Report on Pentagon Transition to PFAS-Free Firefighting Foam
The following is the July 8, 2024, Government Accountability Office report, FIREFIGHTING FOAM: DOD Is Working to Address Challenges to Transitioning to PFAS-Free Alternatives.
From the report
What GAO Found
The Department of Defense (DOD) has taken steps to eliminate use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF)—a product used to fight flammable liquid fires—at its installations. AFFF contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which may have adverse effects on human health, including effects...
https://news.usni.org/2024/07/10/gao-report-on-pentagon-transition-to-pfas-free-firefighting-foam
Report to Congress on Use of Force in Cyberspace
The following is the June 25, 2024, Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Use of Force in Cyberspace.
From the report
Introduction
There are presently no internationally accepted criteria for determining whether a nation state cyberattack is a use of force equivalent to an armed attack, which could trigger a military response. Likewise, no international, legally binding instruments have yet been drafted explicitly to regulate inter-state relations in cyberspace. Self-defense and...
https://news.usni.org/2024/06/26/report-to-congress-on-use-of-force-in-cyberspace
HASC’s Adam Smith Says Pentagon Must Assess Platform Capability for Modernization Efforts
The Pentagon must make modernization choices between legacy systems and new technology like lasers by evaluating each platform’s capability,the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee said this week.
“The aircraft carrier battle groups have been enormously helpful” in deterring Iran and its proxies over the...
North Korea Launches Ballistic Missiles in Nuclear Command and Control Test
North Korea on Monday conducted a firing drill of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), with state media Korean Central News Agency reporting that it was a firing of “super-large multiple rocket units” simulating a nuclear counterattack and marking the first use of its Haekbangashoe nuclear weapon combined management system.
The purpose of the North Korean drill, which was overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong...