Page 4 - Us Defence

US F-16 fighter jet crashes in South Korean sea, pilot ejects safety

A US Air Force pilot safely ejected from an F-16 fighter jet that crashed into waters off South Korea's southwestern coast on Wednesday, in the second crash of the aircraft in less than two months. The unidentified pilot was conscious and was transported to a medical facility for assessment, the US 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement. It said it closely worked with US and South Korean mission partners to recover the pilot, who experienced an unspecified in-flight emergency and ejected before the plane crashed into sea near the port city of Gunsan. The cause of the crash was being investigated. "We are very thankful to the Republic of Korea rescue forces and all of our teammates who made the swift recovery of our pilot possible," said Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, the commander's wing, referring to South Korea's formal name. "Now we will shift our focus to search and recovery of the aircraft." The 8th Fighter Wing, which is composed of two F-16 squadrons, previously experienced an F-16 ..

Iran-backed militants launch attack on US airbase in Iraq, several injured

Earlier on Saturday, the US conducted airstrikes against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and was prepared to launch, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said

Blinken to visit Africa as crises continue to vex US foreign policy

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to visit four African countries as the Biden administration tries to keep its eyes on all corners of the world while being consumed by crises in Ukraine, the Mideast and the Red Sea. The State Department announced on Thursday that Blinken will go to Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola starting Sunday for talks focused on regional security, conflict prevention, democracy promotion and trade. Nigeria is West Africa's regional heavyweight and plays a major role in security issues, especially those involving Islamic extremist violence in the Sahel, the vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert. The trip will be his third overseas mission in the new year. He returned from a Gaza-focused, weeklong 10-nation trip to the Middle East last Thursday and a three-day trip to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday. Blinken's Africa trip comes as the United States is increasingly nervous about its relationships on the continent

Strikes against Houthis to continue as ship attacks see no respite: Biden

US forces on Thursday conducted a fifth strike against Iranian-backed Houthi rebel military sites in Yemen as President Joe Biden acknowledged that the American and British bombardment had yet to stop the militants' attacks on vessels in the Red Sea that have disrupted global shipping. The latest strikes destroyed two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the southern Red Sea and prepared to launch, US Central Command said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. They were conducted by Navy fighter aircraft, the Pentagon said. Biden said the US would continue the strikes, even though so far they have not stopped the Houthis from continuing to harass commercial and military vessels. When you say working, are they stopping the Houthis, no. Are they going to continue, yes," Biden said in an exchange with reporters before departing the White House for a domestic policy speech in North Carolina. Biden's comments followed another significant round of strikes Wednes

Two US Navy SEALs missing after Thursday night mission off Somalia's coast

Two US Navy SEALs are missing after conducting a nighttime boarding mission off the coast of Somalia, according to a US official. The mission was not related to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing US and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have conducted in Yemen over the past two days, the official said on Saturday. The operation the missing SEALs were conducting was also unrelated with the St. Nikolas, which is the oil tanker seized by Iran, according to a US official. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not yet been made public. Besides the defense of ships from launched drones and missiles shot from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the US military has also come to the aid of commercial ships that have been the targets of piracy. In a statement on Saturday, US Central Command said that search and rescue operatio

US, Britain carry out strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen

Britain's ministry of defense said in a statement that "early indications are that the Houthis' ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow"

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Saudi Arabia calls for restraint after US-British airstrikes on Yemen

The group has been attacking commercial ships it says are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports

China sanctions 5 US defence cos in response to arms sales to Taiwan

China announced sanctions Sunday on five American defence-related companies in response to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and U.S sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals. The sanctions will freeze any property the companies have in China and prohibit organisations and individuals in China from doing business with them, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted online. The companies are BAE Systems Land and Armament, Alliant Techsystems Operation, AeroVironment, ViaSat and Data Link Solutions. The Foreign Ministry said the U.S. moves harmed China's sovereignty and security interests, undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and violated the rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals. The Chinese government remains unwavering in our resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and citizens, the ministry statement said. China regards Taiwan, a ...

US intelligence suggests Iran 'deeply involved' in Red Sea attacks on ships

On Tuesday, a senior US military official said the Iranians are operating in the Red Sea when asked whether Iran is helping the Houthis select targets

US will support allies as they resist China's 'bullying': Pentagon chief

Senior US officials have visited China recently, including Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in an effort to improve relations between the two nations and prevent a conflict

KKR to take machinery maker Circor private in $1.6 bn deal, stock up 49%

KKR said it will pay $49 per share, sending Circor's stock up 49% at $47.20 in premarket trading. The offer represents a premium of nearly 55% to Circor's last close on Friday

Apple sales executive Doug Beck leaves for role at US Defence Department

Beck is one of fewer than 20 executives to report directly to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook

$842 bn budget proposal for defence driven by competition with China: Lloyd

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III said that the $842 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year 2024 for the Defense Department is a strategy-driven budge

US defence budget speeds toward $1 trillion, keeping China in mind

The Pentagon intends to load up on advanced missiles, space defence and modern jets in its largest defence request in decades in order to meet the threat it perceives from China. The spending path would put military's annual budget over the USD 1 trillion threshold in just a matter of years, its chief financial officer said Monday. The administration is asking Congress for USD 842 billion for the Pentagon in the 2024 budget year. It's the largest request since the peak of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the mid-2000s, when the weight of hundreds of thousands of troops deployed in those overseas conflicts ballooned overseas war spending. Now, the budget could surge again. That's in part to meet the higher cost of weapons and parts, but also to answer the vulnerabilities that the Ukraine war has exposed in the U.S. defense industrial base, and the strategic threat the U.S. sees from China's rapidly growing nuclear arsenal, its hypersonic capabilities and its gains in space. Even if i

US charges 7 Russian nationals with military tech plot on govt orders

The US has charged five Russian nationals, including a suspected Federal Security Service (FSB) officer for allegedly conspiring to obtain military-grade and dual-use technologies from US companies

A shift towards indigenisation: 'Make in India' fortifies defence spending

An analysis of defence capex over the past 12 years shows a noticeable shift towards indigenisation

US Army grounds entire fleet of Chinook helicopters over engine fire risk

The US Army has grounded its entire fleet of Chinook helicopters, a battlefield workhorse since the 1960s, over the risk of engine fires, a media report said Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal, which broke the story, said such an extreme step was taken out of abundance of caution. India has about 15 CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Over the past few years, they have emerged as one of the major military tools for airlift operations in places like Ladakh and Siachen glaciers to assist Indian forces deployed in these regions. India received the first batch of Chinook helicopters in February 2019. Boeing completed the delivery of 15 Chinook helicopters to the Indian Air Force in 2020. Officials told the Wall Street Journal the US Army was aware of a small number of engine fires in the helicopters, and the incidents didn't result in any injuries or deaths. "One of the officials said the fires occurred in recent days, the Journal said. "The U.S. Army Materiel Command grounded the fleet of hundr

US defence secretary urges united front in Asia to stop repeat of Ukraine

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vowed to help Asian nations push back against Chinese "bullying," describing the efforts as necessary to prevent a repeat of the Ukraine crisis in the Pacific

Joe Biden lauds US commanders for 'exceptional' work arming Ukraine

Biden has already approved more than USD 2.6 billion in military assistance for Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24