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The United States has shot down another unidentified airborne object in its airspace, a day after it brought down a similar "cylindrical" object over Canada. An F-16 fighter jet, at the direction of President Joe Biden, fired an AIM9x to successfully shoot down the airborne object flying at approximately 20,000 feet altitude in US airspace over Lake Huron in the State of Michigan, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig Gen Pat Ryder said on Sunday. The object was shaped like an octagon with strings hanging off it and no discernible payload, CNN reported, quoting an official and another source briefed on the matter. Although the United States has no indication that the object has surveillance capabilities, that has not been ruled out as yet. After the shooting down of a Chinese surveillance balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina last Saturday, this is the third such shooting down of an unidentified airborne object in a week. The previous two were shot down by US fighte
The US military says a Chinese navy fighter jet flew dangerously close to an Air Force reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea earlier this month, forcing the American pilot to maneuver to avoid a collision. US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement Thursday that the incident occurred December 21 when the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy J-11 flew in front of and within 6 metres (20 feet) of the nose of an RC-135, a type of large reconnaissance plane operated by the US Air Force. The US plane was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, the statement said. Its pilot was forced to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision," it said. China frequently challenges military aircraft from the US and its allies, especially over the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Such behaviour led to a 2001 in-air collision in which a Chinese plane was lost and pilot killed. The US Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated t
Seeking to deepen US-India military ties, the defence chiefs of the two countries have shared their assessments of the regional and global security environment and discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation and interoperability. The call between US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark A Miley and his Indian counterpart Chief of the Indian Defence Force Gen Anil Chauhan took place amidst increased tension between India and China on the border. The two military leaders shared assessments of the regional and global security environment and discussed ways to deepen bilateral military ties and interoperability, Joint Staff Deputy Spokesperson Joseph R. Holstead said on Wednesday in a readout of the call. The US and India share a strong military-to-military relationship under the US-India Major Defence Partnership," Holstead said, adding that India plays a "key role" in maintaining a free Indo-Pacific. "India is a key regional leader and an important partner in maintaining a free and open
Russia's war in Ukraine and anti-regime protests in Iran limited both Moscow and Tehran's ability to try to influence or interfere in the recent U.S. midterm elections, a senior American military official said. U.S. agencies were on high alert before November's vote for potential cyberattacks or foreign influence operations, particularly after adversaries were judged by intelligence agencies to have meddled in the last two presidential elections. But there was little sign of disruption in the midterms. I was surprised by the lack of activity we saw from the Russians, the Iranians, or the Chinese, said Army Maj. Gen. William Hartman, who leads the U.S. Cyber National Mission Force, which partners with the National Security Agency in detecting and stopping election intrusions, on Monday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been mired in a prolonged war with tens of thousands of casualties since he ordered an invasion of Ukraine in February. And Iran's leaders are waging a bloody ...
A bill to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military and provide nearly $858 billion for national defense passed the House on Thursday as lawmakers scratch off one of the final items on their yearly to-do list. The bill provides for about $45 billion more for defense programs than President Joe Biden requested, the second consecutive year Congress significantly exceeded his request, as lawmakers seek to boost the nation's military competitiveness with China and Russia. The House passed the bill by a vote of 350-80. It now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass easily, then to the president to be signed into law. To win bipartisan support for the bill, Democrats agreed to Republican demands to scrap the requirement for service members to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill directs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to rescind his August 2021 memorandum imposing the mandate. Only days earlier he voiced support for keeping the mandate in effect. Rep.
As the United States and Japan further strengthen their military alliance, they've turned to farmers markets to foster friendlier ties between American military bases and their Japanese neighbours. On Sunday, about 20 Okinawan farmers and vendors came to Camp Hansen, a Marine Corps base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, bringing locally grown spinach, pineapples, big lemons and other fresh vegetables and fruits that the US embassy said attracted hundreds of customers. US Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, who proposed the event, said the market brought healthy, local produce to consumers at Camp Hansen, while providing Japanese farmers and businesses with new customers. He bought Okinawan spinach, according to the US Embassy. A win-win for all," Emanuel tweeted. Fostering good relations with their host communities is important for the US military based in Japan especially in Okinawa where a heavy US military presence has carried a fraught history. Emanuel said in a statement he
The US Air Force said Saturday it was the subject of a propaganda attack by a previously unheard-of Iraqi militant group that falsely claimed it had launched a drone attack targeting American troops at an air base in Kuwait. The statement by the Air Force's 386th Air Expeditionary Wing came hours after the group calling itself Al-Waretheen, or The Inheritors," put out an online statement claiming that on Aug. 12, it targeted Kuwait's Ali Al Salem Air Base. The statement included a video showing a drone being launched from a stand, but offered no evidence of an attack or any damage done at the base. The statement claimed the alleged attack aimed to avenge the US drone strike that killed a prominent Iranian Revolution Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in January 2020. The air base is located a few dozen kilometers (miles) from the Iraqi border. The misinformation falsely stated an Iranian militia group used (drones) to carry out an attack on base, the Air Force statement to The