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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spain's eastern province of Valencia was hit hard by intense flooding last week.</li><li>The government has pledged $11 billion to help it recover, but local authorities want $34 billion.</li></ul>Spain said it will give about $11 billion to help restore Valencia after flash floods hammered the province last week — but local authorities there want three times that amount.Historic, deadly flash floods — brought about by torrential rainfall — hit the area last week, killing at least 211, regional emergency services <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1853698255730942163">said</a> on Wednesday.Spain's State Meteorological <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-flooding-51-dead-in-valencia-region-economic-hub-2024-10">Agency</a> said last week that it was the province's most severe storm since 1987.During a press conference on Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/sanchezcastejon/status/1853796678265938374">approved</a> $11.55 billion in loans and grants to help storm and flood victims.However, a day earlier, the province's president, Carlos Mazón, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/carlos_mazon_/status/1853555363678728545">said</a> local authorities had asked for an initial package equivalent to about $34 billion."The measures will serve to rebuild, relaunch, and mitigate the effects" of the storm, Mazón told reporters.<div type="image" title="Satellite images of the Valencia province before and after flash floods on October 25, 2022 (left), and October 30, 2024 (right)." height="480" width="640" msid="114986283" hostid="261" sizebytes="62758"></div>On Saturday, Valencia's Chamber of Commerce <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.camaravalencia.com/noticias/informe-sobre-danos-provocados-por-la-dana-en-los-municipios-mas-afectados-y-consecuencias-sobre-la-actividad-economica/">estimated</a> that up to 4,500 businesses had suffered notable damage, with potentially 1,800 severely impacted.The floods affected many economic sectors, including agriculture, industry, and services, it said.Automaking remains Valencia's most <a target="_blank" href="https://www.investinspain.org/en/regions/comunidad-valenciana/industrias-destacadas?#nameRegion">important industry</a>.Cristina del Rey, the communications director for Ford Spain, told BI last week that her company's Valencia plant had not suffered direct damage from the floods but was shut on Wednesday and Thursday.According to a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://fundacionaon.es/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/BAROMETRO-DE-CATASTROFES-2021.pdf">report</a> from the Aon Spain Foundation, a private foundation that works to prevent and assist with natural disasters, the annual cost of natural disasters in Spain between 2016 and 2021, including floods, was between $940 million and $2.5 billion.Local authorities on Sunday <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1853692672327721128/photo/1">said</a> that the heavy rains — part of a phenomenon known as "cold drops" — had caused "unprecedented" damage to infrastructure and human life.The provisional death toll put it among the most serious natural disasters in Western Europe in recent years. Widespread flooding in July 2021 killed more than 200 people in Belgium, Germany, and surrounding countries.At a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynJODVpRdXxR">press conference</a> on Tuesday, Sánchez declared Valencia a disaster area, paving the way for extra funding for local authorities.He said about 15,000 soldiers and police officers had been dispatched to the province, as well as 287 forest brigaders, around a hundred customs officers, 44 forensic physicians, and 600 specialized vehicles for pumping, cleaning, and supplying the affected areas.Sánchez added that 98% of affected households now had power, and about 25 miles of roads and 46 miles of railway tracks had been repaired."We must continue working with more resources, more coordination, and greater effort until normality returns to all the municipalities and to all the homes affected by this tragedy," he said.

Counting the cost of Spain's hellish floods, the government pledged $11B, local officials want $34B

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US military carried out a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Wednesday.</li><li>The Pentagon disclosed that B-2 stealth bombers were involved in the operation.</li></ul>The US military carried out a series of airstrikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Wednesday, using B-2 stealth bombers to hit targets underground.The Pentagon suggested the B-2 Spirit's involvement in the operation sent a message to American adversaries, such as Iran, that no target is out of reach or too far hidden from the US. The bombers were specifically built to take out hard-to-reach targets.Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that the US <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-stealth-bombers-join-red-sea-fight-bomb-houthis-2024-10">carried out "precision strikes"</a> against five hardened underground weapons storage sites that the Houthis used to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-battles-best-iranian-tech-red-sea-admiral-2024-10">fuel their attacks</a> against shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.The US military said that the Houthi rebels stored missiles, weapons parts, and other munitions at the facilities, adding that US Navy and US Air Force assets, including the B-2s, were involved in the operation.Austin said in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3937640/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-us-airstrikes-in-houthi/">statement</a> on the operation that "this was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified."<div type="image" title="A B-2 bomber against a solid gray sky." height="4912" width="7360" msid="114327768" hostid="261" sizebytes="153116"></div>The defense secretary said that using the B-2s in the strike operation demonstrates America's "global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere."The operation marks the first known deployment of the B-2 in the US military's monthslong <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-stuck-red-sea-battle-cant-fight-houthis-forever-2024-6">counter-Houthi campaign</a>, during which the Pentagon has relied heavily on its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-aircraft-carrier-eisenhower-planes-in-air-constantly-houthis-2024-2">warships and fighter jets</a> stationed in the region to carry out missions against the rebels.The Air Force has just 19 operational B-2s, flying wing aircraft manufactured by Northrop Grumman. Two of the aircraft, which cost around $2 billion each, were lost in crashes. The US bases the heavy strategic bombers at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.Before the emergence of the new B-21 Raider, the B-2 was, for decades, the only stealth bomber. A powerful asset and an element of the US nuclear triad, these aircraft can deliver conventional and nuclear <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-bomber-sank-warship-pacific-new-anti-ship-bombs-2024-7">strikes on targets</a> as far as 6,000 nautical miles away without having to refuel.Given the B-2's impressive range and stealth technology, the Air Force <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104482/b-2-spirit/#:~:text=The%20B%2D2%20provides%20the,%2C%20and%20heavily%20defended%2C%20targets">touts its</a> "unique ability to penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most valued, and heavily defended, targets."The bomber was designed with the Cold War and Soviet air defenses in mind. The Cold War ended before the aircraft was delivered, though.The B-2 has flown missions in conflicts around the world over its nearly three decades of service; its last reported bombing run before the strike against the Houthis on Wednesday <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-gaza-lebanon-10-17-24-intl-hnk#cm2crnln300003b6nkz37kfot">took place</a> in early 2017 and targeted Islamic State operations.<div type="image" title="A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing takes off at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., April 15, 2024." height="4335" width="6502" msid="114327774" hostid="261" sizebytes="306580"></div>Mark Gunzinger, a retired Air Force colonel who flew the older B-52 Stratofortress bomber, said the stealth B-2 Spirit can essentially engage "any target on the face of the earth, and it can do so without the need to land in a specific region."For instance, the bomber can easily fly from its base in the continental US and hit targets in the Middle East or conduct bomber patrols in the Indo-Pacific.That capability is "important if you're conducting a limited strike to deny and deter and you did not want to involve your allies in that strike by landing at one of their air bases," Gunzinger, the director of future concepts and capability assessments at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Business Insider.He added that the B-2's low observability also allows it to carry out penetrating strikes without warning to achieve the element of surprise. With its huge payload, too, this aircraft sends a powerful message to America's adversaries.<div type="image" title="US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and four Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A Lightning IIs fly together in a horizontal line above clouds." height="3336" width="5662" msid="114327772" hostid="261" sizebytes="240984"></div>The US military has not disclosed what munitions it released during the Houthi operation, but the B-2 is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2014/af/2014mop.pdf?ver=2019-08-22-110545-203">the only aircraft </a>in the Air Force that is programmed to drop the GBU-57 MOP "bunker buster."The GBU-57 MOP, or Massive Ordnance Penetrator, is a GPS-guided, 30,000-pound bomb made by Boeing that can reach high-value targets buried up to 200 feet underground before exploding. It is the Air Force's largest non-nuclear bomb.The large warhead case is designed for a large explosive payload while also remaining intact during impact, giving it the ability to penetrate hardened, protected targets.The Air Force <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104614/massive-ordnance-penetrator/">describes the MOP</a> as a heavy munition that can accomplish "difficult" and "complicated" missions of reaching enemy weapons stored in well-protected sites.The B-2 can also carry other powerful munitions, including 500-pound and 2,000-pound bombs. It's a weapon that sends a message like few others can.

The B-2 stealth bomber used to hit the Houthis was built to strike the toughest targets

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US has approved a $2 billion arms sale to Taiwan that includes missile and radar systems.</li><li>The potential sale would include three NASAMS air-defense systems.</li></ul>The US on Friday approved a potential <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-send-taiwan-largest-ever-security-package-officials-china-threat-2024-9">arms sale package</a> for Taiwan worth nearly $2 billion.The first part of the package would include three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and 123 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM-ER) missiles, among other things, costing $1.16 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a press release.An additional $828 million sale would include radar systems, the agency said.The deal awaits approval by Congress.The DSCA said the package would improve Taiwan's "capability to meet current and future threats" by improving its air defenses and helping it provide regional security and increase "interoperability" with the US."The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region," it added.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-are-giving-ukraine-air-defenses-for-russian-missiles-drones-2022-11">NASAMS is a medium-range air-defense system</a> that can be used to defend against aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles.It was developed jointly by the US firm Raytheon and Norway's Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace.The system, which has as range of around 25 miles, has been battle-tested in the Russia-Ukraine war.US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in November 2022 that the NASAMS system had up to that point had a 100% success rate in intercepting Russian missiles."Their performance, so far, has been very impressive," he said.It comes amid China's continued military presence around Taiwan.China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province, has regularly conducted military exercises around the island.A spokseperson for the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7Cztrgac9tEcCmUoBAVk4Q">called</a> drills that took place earlier this month in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan "a stern warning to the separatist acts of 'Taiwan Independence' forces."One analyst told Business Insider in June that increasing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-showed-how-easily-no-notice-it-can-surround-taiwan-2024-6">military exercises around the island had the "makings of a blockade."</a>The Chinese military has been able to "essentially start mounting an increased tempo of these large-scale drills that have a lot of the makings of a blockade," Tom Shugart, a former US Navy officer and current adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security think tank, said.Further exercises in May had showed that China's fleet was "very well suited" for a blockade or quarantine of the island, he added.Wellington Koo, Taiwan's defense minister, said on Wednesday that a real Chinese blockade of Taiwan would be an act of war, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-says-chinese-aircraft-carrier-group-sailed-through-taiwan-strait-2024-10-22/">Reuters</a>.Business Insider has contacted the Department of Defense for comment.

US approves $2B arms sale to Taiwan including air-to-air missiles and NASAMS weapon systems

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Wisp, an online pharmacy, said sales of birth control surged after Donald Trump's election win.</li><li>Wisp's CEO told BI that women were "taking action" amid future uncertainty.</li></ul>Wisp, an online pharmacy focused on sexual and reproductive health, says sales of birth control and emergency contraception have surged in the United States in the last week.The company says that's because <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abortion-pill-women-stockpile-mifepristone-trump-presidency-experts-2024-4">women are stockpiling reproductive healthcare</a> products now that Donald Trump is headed back to the White House.Wisp, which serves over 1.2 million patients nationwide, reported a 1,000% increase in emergency contraception purchases from November 5 to November 6. Wisp CEO Monica Cepak told Business Insider that women are "taking action as they navigate the uncertainty of these next few years.""This data indicates to us that women are really scared and are using this moment in time to take back agency over their reproductive rights by stockpiling things like emergency contraception and investing in preventive reproductive health," Cepak said.In his first term, Trump put three conservative justices on the Supreme Court, which then <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-abortion-decision-final-ruling-scotus-roe-v-wade-2022-6">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>. The decision undid nationwide abortion protections and allowed 13 states to pass laws that effectively banned abortion.Earlier this year, Trump took credit for ending the decadeslong precedent of legalized abortion nationwide. "I did it, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-abortion-roe-v-wade-supreme-court-gop-primary-2024-1">I'm proud to have done it</a>," he said. "Nobody else was going to get that done but me, and we did it, and we did something that was a miracle."In the 24 hours after Election Day, Wisp said it saw a 1,650% increase in new patients purchasing emergency contraception. There was a 600% increase in medication abortion sales and a 50% increase in birth control sales.Overall, Wisp's reproductive health sales (of emergency contraception, birth control, and medication abortion products) doubled compared to the week prior to the election, the company told Business Insider."We expect that momentum to sustain over the next few weeks and months," Cepak said.The purchases came from women in both anti-abortion states as well as states with widespread access to reproductive healthcare. Emergency contraception purchases surged in Texas, Indiana, and Oklahoma, where there are strict restrictions, but sales also increased in states like California and New York."Despite being states where reproductive rights are fully protected, we're seeing women take precautionary measures as the future remains uncertain," Wisp said in a statement.Amy Hagstrom Miller, the founder of Whole Woman's Health, which operates abortion clinics in multiple states, said her organization is also seeing a surge in demand for contraceptive and abortion medication."We are seeing an increased demand for emergency contraception, long-acting contraception, advanced provision of medication abortion, and we are seeing online telemed provision of these things, which I think has really reached a lot of people in states where abortion is banned," Hagstrom Miller said.The Democrats saw the abortion issue as a strength after performing well in the<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/midterms-2022-pro-choice-votes-helped-democrats-defy-election-blues-2022-11"> 2022 midterms</a>. As a result, the Trump campaign <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abortion-pill-women-stockpile-mifepristone-trump-presidency-experts-2024-4">worked to distance itself</a> from the issue during the presidential election. In March, he floated a national ban at about 16 weeks of gestation. A month later, he said he wouldn't sign a national abortion ban.At a press panel on Thursday for Abortion Access Now, a national coalition advocating for abortion rights, representatives from different reproductive rights organizations reflected on the election results and the path forward."Trump ran from his record and lied about his position on abortion. Even Trump knows how unpopular abortion bans are," Kimberly Inez McGuire, the executive director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive &amp; Gender Equity, said at the panel. "We know that people in this country bristle at the thought of politicians interfering with abortion decisions."On <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-results-trump-harris-presidential-election-2024-11">Election Day</a>, voters turned out in favor of abortion rights in 7 out of 10 states that had it on the ballot."Abortion was on the ballot, abortion won, but the election and the results, particularly for the White House, make it really clear that the path for reproductive freedom will continue to be a long one," Mini Timmaraju, the president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, said at the panel. "It won't be won or lost in a single election."

Online sales of Plan B and birth control are surging after Trump's election, retailer says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US military said Wednesday that it carried out precision airstrikes in Yemen.</li><li>The strikes targeted Houthi weapons storage facilities, according to the Pentagon.</li></ul>The US military hit Houthi targets in Yemen with multiple "precision strikes," the Pentagon announced late Wednesday evening.US forces struck five hardened underground weapons storage sites that the Iran-backed Houthis use to fuel their attacks against merchant shipping vessels in the region, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3937640/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-us-airstrikes-in-houthi/">statement</a>.The operation involved US Navy and US Air Force assets, including B-2 Spirit <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-bomber-sank-warship-pacific-new-anti-ship-bombs-2024-7">long-range stealth bombers</a>. The operation marks the first known deployment of this strike capability in the US counter-Houthi campaign.The US military has relied heavily on the warships and fighter aircraft it has stationed in the region to carry out <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-battles-best-iranian-tech-red-sea-admiral-2024-10">operations against the Houthis</a>. The B-2, however, can travel long distances and carry heavier payloads than the American jets.The Department of Defense indicated the B-2s <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-1-bomber-message-iranian-proxies-us-air-force-colonel-2024-2">sent a message</a> to the Houthis and other US foes, such as Iran, which has armed and supported the rebels. Austin said that "this was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified."He said that the B-2 employment demonstrates America's "global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere."Over the past year, the Houthis have regularly used missiles and drones to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-getting-smarter-red-sea-attacks-ships-paying-the-price-2024-6">target important merchant shipping lanes</a> in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, hitting a number of vessels. American and European forces operating in the region have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-aircraft-carrier-eisenhower-planes-in-air-constantly-houthis-2024-2">routinely shot down these threats</a>.US Central Command said Wednesday that its forces targeted hardened underground facilities where the Houthis stored missiles, weapons components, and other munitions that they used to carry out their attacks on military and civilian vessels in the region."Our battle damage assessments are underway and do not indicate civilian casualties. We will provide updates as information is confirmed," the command said in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/1846745284262449561">statement</a>.The strikes on Wednesday — early Thursday local time — mark the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-us-navy-aircraft-carrier-tactics-shift-houthi-missiles-drones-2024-2">latest US bombardment</a> of Houthi targets in Yemen. American forces targeted the rebels <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/1842269883226075153">earlier this month</a>.The bombing of the Houthis also comes as the Middle East remains on edge over expected Israeli retaliation against Iran following Tehran's October 1 ballistic missile attack. Following the attack, the US deployed an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/combat-testing-record-thaad-us-missile-defense-system-israel-iran-2024-10">advanced air-defense battery</a> to Israel.

US says B-2 stealth bombers struck hidden Houthi weapons, sending a message to foes that nothing is out of reach

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A US B-2 Spirit bomber flew with Japanese F-35 stealth fighters for the first time.</li><li>The aircraft rendezvoused as part of ongoing Bomber Task Force operations in the Indo-Pacific.</li></ul>New photos captured a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-than-half-air-forces-b2-stealth-bombers-mass-fly-2024-4">US B-2 Spirit bomber</a> flying with Japanese F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft for the first time.The aircraft flew together in the Indo-Pacific as part of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-stealth-bombers-flying-air-force-grounded-fleet-months-2023-5">ongoing Bomber Task Force mission</a>, which integrates bombers into operations with US allies and partners and demonstrates the ability to operate bombers anywhere in the world.US Pacific Air Forces shared photos on Wednesday that showed the B-2 and F-35As flying in formation.<div type="image" title="Four Japanese F-35 Lightning II fighter jets and a US B-2 Spirit bomber fly over a cloudy sky. The photo is taken from inside the hanger of another aircraft." height="2731" width="4096" msid="113300898" hostid="261" sizebytes="250752"></div>The operation was the first time that a B-2 stealth bomber has flown with Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35s, according to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3902576/strength-through-integration-b-2-spirit-joins-forces-with-jasdf-f-35s-for-the-f/">press release</a> from PACAF.The US Air Force B-2 launched from Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley in Australia. Once the B-2 rendezvoused with the Japanese fighters, the "pilots conducted integration and aerial refueling operations," PACAF said.B-2s, normally stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, have been conducting Bomber Task Force missions for the past three weeks. But Wednesday's event was significant, PACAF said.Lt. Col. Justin Meyer, the 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander, said that "the opportunity to integrate our B-2 Spirit pilots with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force 5th generation aircraft is a significant milestone for our bilateral integration operations."<div type="image" title="Two Japanese F-35 Lightning II fighter jets fly alongside a US B-2 Spirit bomber over a cloudy sky. A refueling aircraft's flying boom is in the foreground." height="3786" width="6407" msid="113300907" hostid="261" sizebytes="356480"></div>"The advanced capabilities of these aircraft, combined with the strategic prowess of the B-2, enhance our collective readiness and interoperability. This collaboration not only strengthens our defense posture but also underscores our commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region," he added.Bomber Task Force operations are a priority for the US Air Force, as it seeks to demonstrate its capability and integrate its bomber aircraft, such as the stealth B-2 Spirit, supersonic B-1 Lancer, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-52-bomber-faces-more-delays-rising-costs-new-upgrades-2024-6">B-52 Stratofortresses</a>, into missions with US allies and partners.The goal of the operations in the Indo-Pacific, according to Pacific Air Forces, is to "demonstrate the credibility of US forces to address a complex and uncertain security environment. These operations showcase the United States' commitment to train alongside allies and partners in order to build interoperability and bolster a collective ability to support <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-air-force-testing-how-quickly-mass-airpower-in-pacific-2024-8">a free and open Indo-Pacific</a>."<div type="image" title="Multiple B-2 Spirits on a flight line on a stormy day." height="2010" width="3020" msid="113300897" hostid="261" sizebytes="125546"></div>The B-2 Spirit, a strategic bomber, boasts <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-spirit-stealth-bomber-what-is-feared-2018-2">massive firepower and stealth capabilities</a> that differentiate it from most other US bombers, aside from the new B-21 Raider. Its payload capacity and ability to execute long-range penetrating strike missions make it a significant deterrent to US adversaries.The aircraft first saw combat during the Kosovo War in 1999, striking Serbian targets with conventional munitions, and has since flown sorties over Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflict areas. The bombers routinely fly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.<div type="image" title="A US Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber is refueled on tarmac at nighttime." height="2725" width="4096" msid="113300901" hostid="261" sizebytes="699946"></div>A day after posting photos of the B-2 and F-35s together, US Indo-Pacific Command <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/INDOPACOM/status/1834215383785410726">shared pictures</a> of a B-2 conducting a hot-pit refueling in Guam. The practice involves refueling an aircraft while the engines are still running so that it can immediately take off again.INDOPACOM said that the mission demonstrated "capabilities of deployed assets to sustain flight operations that deter malign actors in the free and open Pacific."

Photos show a US Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber flying with Japanese F-35s for the first time

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Air Force released a video showing the B-21 Raider stealth bomber taking off and landing.</li><li>The force's newest bomber took its first flight last fall and is in production.</li></ul>The US Air Force released the first footage of its new stealth bomber taking off and landing during flight testing.The testing marks a monumental moment for the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-air-force-photos-b-21-raider-newest-stealth-bomber-2024-5">B-21 Raider</a>, which is shaping up to replace the branch's older bombers and become "the backbone" of its "flexible global strike capability," the Air Force said.The video was released Wednesday alongside the B-21 Update panel at the 2024 Air, Space and Cyber Conference by the Air and Space Forces Association.In the footage, the sleek B-21 takes off from the tarmac in California and soars up. The video then cuts to the bomber landing.At the panel, officials from the Air Force and Northrop Grumman, the company developing the aircraft, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3910299/">provided updates on the B-21 program</a>."We're really starting to strike up quite a cadence [and] generate two flight test flights in a given week," Thomas Jones, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems sector president, said. "When we started this journey, we made a vow that we were going to design this system to be a daily flyer. It's been a phenomenal year of progress, and we hope to continue that through the next year."<div type="image" title="A B-21 Raider conducts flight testing, which includes ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations, at Edwards Air Force Base, California." height="1432" width="2160" msid="113502439" hostid="261" sizebytes="78198"></div>Development on the B-21 dates back to 2015, and the aircraft was first unveiled to the public in December 2022. Then, in November 2023, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-approved-production-stealth-bomber-b-21-first-flight-2024-1">Raider took its first flight</a>. Production on the aircraft was confirmed to be underway in January of this year. It's the US military's first strategic bomber in nearly three decades.Per the Pentagon, the B-21 boasts advanced stealth capabilities and can be equipped to deliver stand-off and direct-attack munitions, including both conventional and nuclear payloads. Its range, the US Department of Defense has said, is "unmatched."Part of the appeal of the B-21 is its ability to integrate with other US Air Force operations, as well as missions conducted by US partners and allies.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-b2-bomber-flies-with-japanese-f35s-first-time-photos-2024-9">Bomber Task Force operations</a>, such as those involving the stealth B-2 Spirits, supersonic B-1 Lancers, and B-52 Stratofortresses, are a priority for the US Air Force, allowing the force to demonstrate how it incorporates bomber aircraft into missions with US allies and partners.

See the first video showing the US Air Force's B-21 Raider in flight

The Indian <keyword id="22572181" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mens-hockey" source="keywords">men's hockey</keyword> team bounced back in the men's competition with a 3-2 win over <keyword id="19895799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Australia" source="keywords">Australia</keyword> in their Pool B match at the ongoing <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris Olympics</keyword> on Friday. This is their <keyword id="20859692" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="first-victory" source="keywords">first victory</keyword> against Australia since the Olympics 1972 in Munich. India bounced back from a 1-2 loss to the defending champions Belgium in their previous game. "Breaking the 52-Year Wait! Celebrating our first win against Australia in the Olympics since 1972! This victory is for every Indian. Let's keep the momentum, let's keep the adrenaline! Onto the Quarter Finals FT: India 3 - 2 Australia Abhishek 12' Harmanpreet 13' (PC) 32' (PS) Thomas Craig 25' (PC) Blake Grovers 55' (PS) #Hockey #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #HockeyLayegaGold #WinItForSreejesh #Paris2024 #IndvsAus," tweeted <keyword id="20063115" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hockey-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hockey India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hockey India">Hockey India</keyword>. Two names shined bright on India's scoresheet in the first quarter, with Abhishek (12') and skipper <keyword id="20349470" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harmanpreet-Singh" source="keywords">Harmanpreet Singh</keyword> (13') scoring within a space of two minutes at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium. Thomas Craig (25') however, converted a penalty corner to bring Aussies back into the hunt. Harmanpreet scored his second goal in the third quarter start in the 32nd minute. A late penalty conversion from Blake Govers in the 55th minute ensured a thrilling end to the contest, in which India collected three points. India, the <keyword id="22645374" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tokyo-2020-bronze-medalists" source="keywords">Tokyo 2020 bronze medalists</keyword> dominated the ball possession with 54%, but Australia made 37 circle penetrations while attacking, way more than India, who made just 17. With this win, India has now displaced Australia to take the second spot in the pool with three wins, two draws and a loss. Australia is at third spot with three wins and two losses. The reigning Olympic champions Belgium have won all their matches and sit at number one while Argentina, having won two, lost and drawn one, complete the top four. The quarterfinals of the men's hockey competition are set to start from August 4.

Paris Olympics: India beat Australia for first time in Olympics since 1972, finish 2nd in Pool B

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Moscow says it scrambled fighter jets to intercept two US bombers approaching the Russian border.</li><li>Russia's Defense Ministry said two B-52H bombers "withdrew" as the jets approached.</li></ul>Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept two US Air Force B-52H bombers approaching its border, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://t.me/mod_russia_en/15173">Russian Ministry of Defense said in a post on Telegram</a>."Russian airspace control systems located a group aerial target over the Barents Sea waters approaching the State border of the Russian Federation," the post said.MiG-29 and MiG-31 jets were called into action to intercept the bombers and "prevent a violation of the State border."As the jets approached, the department said that the bombers "adjusted the flight course," making a "U-turn away from the State border.""The Russian aircraft returned safely to the home airfields. There was no violation of the State border," it added.It's not the first time Moscow has said it's stopped a Western aircraft from crossing the Russian border over the Barents Sea, which is off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia.In August last year, a MiG-29 fighter jet intercepted a Norwegian P-8A Poseidon aircraft as it approached the Russian border, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tass.com/defense/1660191">Russia's Defense Ministry said, per Tass news agency</a>.The Russian Defense Ministry said the plane withdrew as the Russian MiG approached.In March, a Russian MiG-31 scrambled to intercept two US B-1B strategic bombers in the same region, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tass.com/defense/1765057">Tass</a>.Once again the Ministry of Defense said the bombers pulled away.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_221598.htm">NATO has said</a> its air forces in Europe scrambled more than 300 times in 2023 to intercept Russian planes threatening to enter the alliance's airspace."Along NATO's eastern flank, Russian military aircraft have a history of not transmitting a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, not filing a flight plan, and not communicating with air traffic controllers," the alliance said, while noting that most encounters between its jets and their Russian counterparts were "safe and professional."It added that "breaches of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft remained rare and generally of short duration."Business Insider has contacted the US Air Force for comment.<div type="image" title="B 52H Stratofortress" height="1000" width="1500" msid="111908746" hostid="261" sizebytes="34360"></div><h2 id="5980b635-7f43-4b38-aff1-3ac3ac2837f6">The B-52H Stratofortress</h2>The Stratofortress is a multi-purpose, long-range heavy bomber that can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.Capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, the B-52 is designed to conduct "strategic attack, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations," according to the US Air Force.The branch <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.minot.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/264269/b-52h-stratofortress/">says</a> that the B-52 was responsible for dropping 40% of all the weapons used by coalition forces during the Gulf War's Operation Desert Storm, which saw the US and its allies <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/article/1728715/desert-storm-a-look-back/">drop 88,500 tons of bombs</a>.The Air Force <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.afnwc.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Article/2060293/b-52h-stratofortress/">describes</a> the plane as "the backbone" of the US's strategic bomber force.

Russia says it scrambled fighter jets to intercept 2 US B-52H Stratofortress bombers approaching the Russian border     

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A US Air Force B-2 stealth bomber dropped new anti-ship munitions to help sink a decommissioned warship.</li><li>The exercise involving the munitions, known as QUICKSINK, took place last week in the Pacific.</li></ul>A US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber used a new anti-ship munition to sink a decommissioned warship during a series of recent live-fire drills with partner forces in the Pacific Ocean, the US Navy said this week.The US military earlier this month held <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/476788/us-and-partner-nations-conduct-multiple-sinkexs-part-rimpac-2024">two sinking exercises</a>, known as SINKEXs, off the coast of Hawaii to practice targeting vessels at sea and train on different weapons systems.The B-2 aircraft released an experimental weapon called QUICKSINK during the second of the two drills, which took place on Friday and involved the decommissioned amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa.The bomber "proved a low-cost, air-delivered method for defeating surface vessels through a QUICKSINK demonstration, as part of the second SINKEX," the Navy's Third Fleet said in a statement Monday.The QUICKSINK experiment, which is funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, "aims to provide options to neutralize surface maritime threats while demonstrating the inherent flexibility of the joint force," the fleet said.<div type="image" title="A US F-15E Strike Eagle with modified 2,000-pound munitions as part of the second test in the QUICKSINK Joint Capability Technology Demonstration on April 28, 2022." height="3200" width="4800" msid="111997222" hostid="261" sizebytes="1432140"></div>"This capability is an answer to an urgent need to quickly neutralize maritime threats over massive expanses of ocean around the world at minimal costs," it added.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://afresearchlab.com/technology/quicksink/">QUICKSINK experimental weapon</a>, which was first tested several years ago, essentially pairs existing Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits with new seeker technology that allows the munition to home in on a stationary or moving target at sea with precision.Such a weapon would give the US and partner forces more strike options in the maritime domain, especially in a fight in the Pacific where combat might take place across large stretches of open ocean. Over the years, the various elements of the US armed forces have been pursuing more and more anti-ship capabilities."Torpedoes, such as the heavyweight MK-48, are still the primary method used to sink enemy ships," the Air Force Research Laboratory has said of this type of combat, but "new methods explored through QUICKSINK may be able to achieve the same kind of anti-ship lethality with air-launched weapons, including modified 2,000-pound class precision-guided bombs."That opens the doors to bomber aircraft and other platforms that might prove less vulnerable than submarines and possibly more effective."A Navy submarine has the ability to launch and destroy a ship with a single torpedo at any time, but by launching that weapon, it gives away its location and becomes a target," the Air Force said.The service added that QUICKSINK "aims to develop a low-cost method of achieving torpedo-like seaworthy kills from the air at a much higher pace and over a much larger area than covered by a lumbering submarine."In addition to B-2s dropping QUICKSINK bombs, a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet used a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM, to help sink the Tarawa. This relatively new weapon is a "precise, stealthy, and survivable cruise missile" that is capable of offensive anti-surface warfare, Third Fleet said.The first SINKEX event, which involved the sinking of the decommissioned amphibious transport dock USS Dubuque, took place on July 11. Both the Tarawa and the Dubuque were sunk in 15,000-foot-deep water dozens of miles off the coast of Hawaii.The SINKEXs included American, South Korean, Dutch, Australian, and Malaysian forces and were held during the Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2024, the world's largest international maritime exercise.<div type="image" title="Royal Netherlands Navy De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate HNLMS Tromp fires a Harpoon missile during a long-planned live-fire sinking exercise as part of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024." height="2153" width="3230" msid="111997220" hostid="261" sizebytes="296910"></div>"Sinking exercises give us a chance to sharpen our skills, learn from one another, and get real-world experience," said US Navy Vice Adm. John Wade, the RIMPAC 2024 Combined Task Force Commander."Using advanced weapons and seeing the professionalism of our teams during these drills shows our commitment to keeping the Indo-Pacific region safe and open," he added.

A US Air Force B-2 stealth bomber helped sink an old warship in the Pacific with new anti-ship QUICKSINK bombs

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Toronto's Downsview Airport is being transformed into a residential area for 55,000 residents.</li><li>The $22 billion project will feature seven neighborhoods with housing, businesses, and parks.</li></ul>An old airport in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/toronto-things-to-never-do-there-canada-according-to-local">Toronto</a> is being transformed into a new development for almost 55,000 residents.The former Downsview Airport will be refurbished into seven walkable neighborhoods with housing, businesses, and public parks.It will become "a city, within a city," according to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.northcrestdev.ca/">developer's website</a>.A spokesperson for the developer told Business Insider that the project is expected to cost around $30 billion Canadian dollars, or around $22 billion.Downsview Airport was first used as an air base for the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II and was most recently a testing facility for the aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/the-22-billion-plan-to-turn-a-defunct-airport-into-a-small-city-a73ca6ab?mod=real-estate_lead_pos1">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported.<div type="image" title="Downsview airport development" height="1687" width="3000" msid="112573048" hostid="261" sizebytes="1121786"></div>Bombardier sold the site to PSP Investments in 2018 for around $635 million, the Journal reported. The company created Northcrest Developments to manage and oversee the project.But unlike some previous airport developments, where original infrastructures were scrapped, Northcrest is leaning into the site's unique elements.For example, the former runway will be a focal point of the area, connecting all seven neighborhoods with a pedestrian street that will be just over a mile in length.<div type="image" title="Downsview airport runway street" height="1125" width="2000" msid="112573052" hostid="261" sizebytes="121240"></div>It will be seen as "the spine of community life," according to a project document obtained by Business Insider."It's hard to make a planned community seem authentic when everything is brand new," Derek Goring, chief executive of Northcrest Developments, told the Journal."So we really decided to lean into the aerospace legacy," he added.Goring said Northcrest had once considered scrapping the entire site and starting afresh but decided it "was not a good idea," adding that the maintenance and reuse of historic buildings had shown success in other development projects around the world.<div type="image" title="Downsview airport" height="1152" width="2048" msid="112573055" hostid="261" sizebytes="300704"></div>He added that the airport's original hangers, built between the 1950s and 1990s, would be the ideal space for film production, light manufacturing, and clean tech companies."So there's an opportunity to attract companies that actually want to be here but can't because they can't find these types of locations," he said.The project, which is expected to take 30 years to complete, will boast 28 million square feet of residential space and 74 parks and green spaces.It will be able to house nearly 55,000 people and create 22,000 jobs.The first of the seven neighborhoods, the Hanger District, is in the initial development phase and is expected to create 2,850 new homes and 7,000 jobs.It's not the only project of this kind. Developers in Greece are transforming a former Athens airport into an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ellinikon-greece-athens-abandoned-airport-smart-city-photos-2024-6">$8 billion smart city </a>that will have the country's first skyscraper, a high-end mall, and a sports park.Speaking to BI, the developers said they wanted to create a "zip-code paradise" that would combine coastal scenery with technologically advanced, sustainable infrastructure.They estimate that the project's first phase will be completed by 2026.

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