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China's Fujian Carrier: Impressive Power Hindered by Deck Flaws
4 days ago•Source: SlashGear
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Sky-High Valor: Slover Earns Medal of Honor for Venezuela Infiltration Mission
Eric A. Slover, a U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Five with the 160th SOAR, earned the Medal of Honor for piloting the MH-47 as lead aircraft in a January 3, 2026 mission in Venezuela to support the capture of Nicolás Maduro. Despite taking 15 armor-piercing rounds (four striking his leg), he maintained control of the aircraft, helped infiltrate the ground forces, and maneuvered to allow his door gunner to neutralize threats, saving American lives and ensuring the mission’s success; his actions were acknowledged during the State of the Union address and celebrated as extraordinary bravery.
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Starlink-Enabled BAI Push Expands Russian Reach Into Ukraine's Rear
Russia has intensified battlefield air interdiction (BAI) across Ukraine, expanding drone and glide-bomb strikes into the operational rear using Starlink-enabled networks and mesh communications to disrupt roads, rail, and bridges. SpaceX's February 2026 Starlink block degraded but did not halt these attacks, prompting Russia to seek alternatives (Barrage-1, Rassvet) and mothership drones. Ukraine and its partners must bolster kinetic air defense, electronic warfare, and mid-range strike capabilities to protect logistics and deter a spring-summer offensive, focusing on the Fortress Belt and major corridors like the E-50.
Slovakia Receives Advanced CV90 Infantry Vehicles with 1,000-HP Power and Anti-Tank Missiles
Slovakia is receiving BAE Systems’ CV9035 MkIV infantry fighting vehicles, featuring a 1,000-horsepower engine, 35mm Bushmaster III cannon, advanced fire control and protection systems, and anti-tank missiles; the program emphasizes upgradability and strong domestic industry participation (about 40% of contract value from roughly 30 Slovak suppliers).
Aging AWACS Fleet Highlights Readiness Gap Ahead of Iran Crisis
Amid tensions with Iran, the U.S. Air Force has deployed six of 16 E-3 Sentry AWACS to Europe and likely the Middle East, signaling heavy reliance on an aging, limited fleet and ongoing readiness gaps. The move comes as lawmakers debated replacing the E-3s with E-7 Wedgetails, a program stalled for years, raising concerns about coverage—especially in the Indo-Pacific—and prompting consideration of space-based sensing as a long-term substitute.
Syrian Army Seizes Al-Shaddadi Base as US Withdraws Under Ceasefire
The Syrian Arab Army has taken over the al-Shaddadi military base in Hasakah province after U.S. troops withdrew, a development coordinated with the United States under a ceasefire with the Kurdish-led SDF. The move follows Washington’s broader pullback in Syria, including the earlier seizure of al-Tanf, and signals a shift toward closer coordination with the Damascus government, even as the U.S. continues ISIS-targeted air strikes via CENTCOM and aims to stabilize regional agreements with other communities.
Ford Heads to Middle East, Nearing Historic Deployment Length
The USS Gerald R. Ford and its Carrier Strike Group have shifted from the Caribbean to the Middle East to bolster U.S. naval presence; if Ford remains deployed past mid-April, it could surpass the 294-day post-Vietnam record set by USS Abraham Lincoln in 2020 and approach 300 days, reflecting ongoing demand for extended carrier deployments amid maintenance delays and regional needs.
Fort Leonard Wood soldier sentenced to life for sergeant's death after banana-bullet clue
Spc. Wooster Rancy was convicted of premeditated murder and obstructing justice in the 2024 death of Sgt. Sarah Roque, with evidence including a bullet lodged in a banana and his related internet searches; he received life in prison without parole, a dishonorable discharge, rank reduction, and total forfeiture of pay, to be served at Fort Leavenworth.
48 F-35A Fighters Headed to Japan to Form a Pacific Ring Around China
The United States plans to base 48 new F-35A stealth fighters at Misawa Air Base in Japan, extending 5th‑generation air power toward the Taiwan Strait and potentially mainland China without relying on tanker aircraft, creating a semi‑circular allied perimeter from Japan to Australia to deter or counter China.
PLA destroyer deploys electronic warfare near Taiwan, signaling multi-domain deterrence
China’s CCTV footage shows the Yanan, a Type 055 destroyer, using electronic countermeasures and high-power radar to disrupt foreign aircraft near Taiwan, with support from the aircraft carrier Shandong and concurrent actions by the Nanchang, illustrating Beijing’s integrated air‑sea‑electronics warfare approach as regional tensions rise amid US arms sales to Taiwan and Japan‑China friction.
Stealth Drone Linked to Maduro Mission, RQ-170 Confirmed
Lockheed Martin publicly confirmed that its RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone participated in the January 3, 2023 operation targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, flying alongside F-35 and F-22 jets and Sikorsky Black Hawks during Operation Absolute Resolve; the drone’s capabilities remain classified. This marks one of the rare public acknowledgments of the RQ-170’s real-world deployment, with Creech AFB units historically involved and prior links to surveillance roles in Iran and the bin Laden raid.
Seeing Inside the Ramjet: NRL’s Optical Diagnostics Promise Major Range Leap
US Naval Research Laboratory researchers used optical diagnostic techniques to observe a solid-fuel ramjet’s combustor, measuring flame temperatures, fuel vaporization, and gas-phase species, and combining these data with high-fidelity simulations (DES/LES) to validate models, potentially increasing operational range by 200-300% and accelerating development through better virtual prototyping for future high-speed defense systems.