Five members of the U.S. Army Special Operations forces have died in a helicopter crash in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, American officials said on Nov 12. The troops were crew members of an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that was on a refueling training mission late Nov. 10 when the aircraft crashed off the coast of Cyprus, three U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. The crash is under investigation, they said. The Pentagon has quietly dispatched to Cyprus commando teams from the Joint Special Operations Command, including the Army’s Delta Force and the Navy’s SEAL Team 6, to stand by in case they are needed to help evacuate American citizens from the region.
The U.S.-led effort to develop a common air-threat picture in the Middle East gets a “B-minus” for its “slow but steady progress,” Air Force Central Command’s second-in-charge said Nov 12. As threats rise to U.S. forces in the region, AFCENT is leading allies and security partners in developing a “shared, common operating picture and shared threat-warning” display, said Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. David Mineau.
In Episode 154, Slick chats with Mitchell Senior Fellow Mike Dahm about key trends and insights shaping the security picture in the Western Pacific and beyond. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall recently described what keeps U.S. military leaders awake: “China, China, China.” He’s right, the People’s Republic of China is growing its military capabilities at scale while its leaders are beginning to assert themselves in ways that often conflict with American interests and values. Each year, the Department of Defense produces an unclassified report for Congress to explain these variables: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China. This episode explores the 2023 edition with our own China expert.
The Royal Air Force has taken delivery of the first of more than a dozen General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Protector RG Mk1 remotely piloted aircraft system combat drones. The long-endurance uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), which is based on GA-ASI’s MQ-9B UAV variant, is expected to enter into service next year, bringing with it “a step change” in service capability, according to the RAF. The UAV can be flown anywhere in the world while operated from RAF Waddington in England.
Evidence gleaned since Oct. 7 shows Hamas militants prepared for a ‘second phase’ of assaults amid hopes of inspiring violence in the West Bank and beyond. The first clues came from the bodies of slain militants: maps, drawings, notes, and the weapons and gear they carried. The evidence, described by more than a dozen current and former intelligence and security officials from four Western and Middle Eastern countries, reveals an intention by Hamas planners to strike a blow of historic proportions, in the expectation that the group’s actions would compel an overwhelming Israeli response.
A portion of NATO-operated F-35A stealth fighters in Europe appears to have moved a step closer to becoming fully nuclear-capable platforms, with an announcement from the Netherlands that it has received “initial certification for the deterrence mission.” The U.S. Air Force had previously announced that the aim was to have the F-35A certified to carry the B61-12 nuclear bomb—as a so-called Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA)—by January 2024.
Defense chiefs from South Korea, Japan, and the United States have agreed to start as planned a real-time data-sharing scheme on North Korean missiles in December, South Korea's defense ministry said on Nov. 12.
When the fiscal year 2023 defense policy bill became law in December 2022, Congress authorized the military to boost its pilot retention bonuses in response to a long-running pilot shortage exacerbated by a private sector hiring spree. But nearly a year later, the Army and Navy still cannot use the larger bonuses because the Office of the Secretary of Defense is yet to update a policy document that controls pilot incentives.
The top U.S. military officer said Nov. 10 he has conveyed to China his hopes to resume the stalled communication between the world’s two biggest militaries. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. C.Q, Brown Jr., told a selected group of journalists Nov. 10 in Tokyo that it is “hugely important” to “ensure there is no miscalculation” between the sides. He said he conveyed his desire to restart the dialogue in a letter to his Chinese counterpart. “I’m hopeful,” Brown added.
Younger American veterans and military personnel who receive a spoken thanks for their service are more apt to think “thanks but no thanks,” according to a new poll. The finding came from a survey of 1,639 veterans and service members released by financial services company USAA as part of a Veterans Day initiative.