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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Israel's weapon of choice in its attack on Iran was the air-launched ballistic missile.</li><li>These allowed Israel to strike Iran rapidly and with minimum risk to its own aircraft.</li></ul>Over 100 Israeli fighter jets <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-military-idf-targets-iran-retaliatory-strikes-missile-barrage-2024-10">attacked</a> 20 targets inside Iran, ranging from its top air defense systems to key missile manufacturing facilities, early on October 26. Their weapon of choice: Air-launched ballistic missiles.These allowed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-fighter-jets-israel-air-war-gaza-2024-1">Israeli jets</a> to strike largely from beyond the reach of Iran's defenses and with fast flight paths, likely from neighboring Iraq, that complicated efforts to shoot them down."Based on open-source information and satellite imagery, it appears that Israel's use of air-launched ballistic missiles played a critical role in targeting and disabling Iran's air defense systems during the recent operation," Freddy Khoueiry, a global security analyst for the Middle East and North Africa at the risk intelligence company RANE, told Business Insider.Signs of Israel's strategy appeared shortly after the attack. Images on social media showed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/iraq-complains-to-un-over-israels-use-of-its-airspace-to-strike-iran/">remnants of boosters</a> used by the Israelis that landed on Iraqi soil. Iranian officials initially claimed Tehran countered such missiles, saying they had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/operation-days-repentance-impact-israels-strikes-iran">"very light warheads"</a> compared to Iranian <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-attack-israel-ballistic-missiles-overhyped-2024-10">ground-launched ballistic missiles</a>, over 180 of which Iran fired at Israel in an enormous barrage on October 1.Analysts assessing the aftermath of the attack <a target="_blank" href="https://www.twz.com/news-features/israels-reprisal-strike-carefully-calculated-unclear-if-jets-ever-flew-over-iran">questioned</a> whether any of the Israeli jets, which included stealthy, fifth-generation F-35s, even entered Iranian airspace. Some targets were in the nearby Iranian border provinces of Khuzestan and Ilam, while the rest were in Tehran province, about 400 miles away.Before the attack, leaked US intelligence documents mentioned a hitherto unknown Israeli ALBM dubbed Golden Horizon and a long-range drone referred to as RA-01. Other known Israeli ALBMs, such as ROCKS, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hit-iran-with-half-ton-rampage-supersonic-missile-report-2024-4">Rampage</a>, and Air LORA have ranges of approximately 175 miles, enough to reach targets across Iran's border but insufficient for striking Tehran without entering Iranian airspace. Israel's Blue Sparrow, on the other hand, has an estimated 1,250-mile range."Golden Horizon likely has the range for Israeli aircraft to hit Tehran without having to enter Iranian airspace, removing a lot of risk from the equation," Sebastien Roblin, a widely published military-aviation journalist, told BI."However, Israeli officials said some IDF aircraft entered Iranian airspace," Roblin said. "Penetrating flight may have helped with target acquisition and bomb damage assessment of certain point targets, or delivery of attacks requiring greater precision."It's likely that only <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-f-35-stealth-fighter-failed-mission-capable-goals-watchdog-2024-10">F-35 stealth fighters</a>, and possibly RA-01s, entered Iranian airspace while fourth-generation F-15s and F-16 jets kept their distance.The Rampage missile is 4.7 meters long, roughly 15 feet, meaning it cannot fit in the F-35's internal weapons bay. The Golden Horizon is likely a similar size, if not larger. Carrying such a weapon externally would reduce the F-35's crucial stealth capabilities. If any F-35s entered Iranian airspace, they likely used smaller weapons carried internally."By targeting Iran's best surface-to-air missiles — allegedly knocking out all of Iran's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-may-upgrade-its-air-defenses-after-israeli-missile-strike-2024-4">remaining S-300s</a> — the attacks have also paved the way for future strikes to operate closer at reduced risk," Roblin said.Federico Borsari, a defense expert at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, noted it's hard to provide a "conclusive breakdown of the ordnance" Israel used but believes the spent boosters evidence suggests ALBMs played a significant role."At the same time, Israeli sources declared that F-35s entered Iranian airspace, potentially to conduct accurate live battle damage assessment without necessarily delivering strikes," Borsari told BI. "Given that Israel destroyed or damaged key radar and air defense sites in Iran, its F-35s could operate in a less threatening environment."For over 30 years, some Israeli officials have advocated the creation of a missile corps, invariably arguing that Israel cannot wholly rely on the air force against enemy ballistic missiles. Then-Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2024/01/09/former-israeli-defense-minister-who-predicted-hamas-massacre-warned-against-overreliance-on-air-force/">aptly summed up this view in 2018</a>, arguing Israel needed an "alternative to the air force" and couldn't "afford to put all our eggs into one basket, no matter how sophisticated that basket may be."The Israeli Air Force's use of various ALBMs suggests some middle ground was ultimately reached."Now it turns out that the IDF adopted the idea of a long-range missile system with conventional warheads — but instead of establishing a separate missile corps, it mounted these missiles on the attack aircraft that will serve as flying launchpads," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2024-10-23/ty-article/.premium/as-israel-readies-to-strike-iran-the-pentagon-spills-its-allys-secrets-in-real-time/00000192-b587-d40d-abb3-ff9772fd0000">noted a recent article</a> in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz."The air force vanquished all its critics and rivals and clearly maintained its primacy in the IDF."While Israel does have an arsenal of land-based Jericho intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), these are reserved for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-hezbollah-israel-hidden-nuclear-weapons-arsenal-2024-7">nuclear</a> strikes. Using ALBMs for conventional strikes also has some advantages.Israel designed its Sparrow missiles <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/sparrow.htm">to simulate</a> Iraqi Scud and Iranian Shahab ground-launched missiles for testing its Arrow interceptor missiles, which successfully intercepted most of the incoming Iranian ballistic missiles fired at Israel on October 1.RANE's Khoueiry noted that while Israeli ALBM and Iranian short-range ballistic missiles may have similar ranges, the air-launch capabilities of the former "provide greater flexibility, faster deployment," and more advanced precision.Roblin pointed out that a missile launched from a fighter starts out with a "huge altitude and speed boost" compared with its ground-launched counterpart. The latter missile requires "a tremendous amount of the energy stored in its fuel lifting off the ground" while being slowed "by denser air particles" found at low altitudes."So, a missile of the same weight, motor, and fuel capacity can go further when air-launched," Roblin said. "ALBMs also can be released closer to target to reduce time-to-target and the reaction time available to defenses, and benefit from extended effective range courtesy of the carrying aircraft."

Strike on Iran shows Israeli Air Force's embrace of ballistic missiles 

<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

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US Air Force demo pilots perform airshow stunts derived from real-world combat training.</li><li>Airshows offer a glimpse into fighter jet capabilities and their role in combat scenarios.</li></ul>From a spectator's view, airshows are all about spectacle — roaring high-speed passes, compact formation flying, and daring aerial aerobatics.But for Air Force demonstration pilots, these techniques aren't just crowd-pleasers. They are precise maneuvers derived from real-world combat training — practical fighting skills that could mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield.While a demo pilot's primary mission is to captivate airshow audiences, they also offer the spectators a glimpse into what their military aircraft are capable of in actual combat scenarios.Air Force Maj. Tyler "Slasher" Clark, a demo pilot on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-thunderbird-pilots-f-16-airshow-performance-formations-2024-10">the Air Force's Thunderbird Demonstration squadron,</a> transitioned to <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-show-the-power-of-the-f-16-fighter-jet-2024-1">the F-16 Fighting Falcon</a> from his work as an F-15C evaluator and instructor pilot while on active duty.As a demo pilot, the aim is still "the constant pursuit of perfection, max-performing a military aircraft, flying on the edge of the envelope, learning not only where it can go but where also you can go," Clark told Business Insider in an interview ahead of the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California. "In that other environment, it applies to the tactical arena to protect our nation's interests."<div type="image" title="F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft with the US Air Force Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron fly in close formation." height="665" width="1000" msid="114796711" hostid="261" sizebytes="29536"></div>The Thunderbirds showcase fighter aviation at the controls of the Lockheed Martin F-16, a fourth-generation fighter capable of air-to-surface strikes for air support and air-defense suppression and air-to-air combat with enemy aircraft.As the world's most popular fighter jet, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/f-16-crash-shows-even-lower-risk-missions-dangerous-ukraine-2024-9">the F-16</a> is used around the world, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-f-16-pilots-had-to-dramatically-change-way-fly-2024-10">Ukraine being the jet's newest user</a>. Although the jet has been flying for 50 years, it has been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-danish-f-16s-summer-russia-2024-2">consistently upgraded</a>, allowing it to continue to serve in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-air-force-wants-4-fighter-jets-for-future-wars-2021-11">important roles</a>, including homeland defense missions and combat in the global war on terrorism.During Thunderbird demo flights, eight pilots — six formation pilots and two solo pilots — put <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-show-the-power-of-the-f-16-fighter-jet-2024-1">the multirole fighter's capabilities on display</a> through a series of tight formations and shocking maneuvers.Air Force Maj. Jeffrey "Simmer" Downie, a solo pilot on the Thunderbirds, logged more than 1,600 flight hours, including nearly 400 combat hours serving in Afghanistan during Operations Freedom Sentinel and Resolute Support.Downie said that the display team exhibits <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ww-ii-air-force-expert-rates-dogfights-in-movies-2023-5">dogfighting skills</a> — close-range air-to-air combat skills — "to people that wouldn't normally get to see the military and experience that.""We get to demonstrate a little piece of what we do with these jets," Downie said. "So supersonic speeds, as we approach those during our sneak passes that scare everybody, they get a sense of what it's like to chase down the enemy, but there's also slow speed-handling for when you're fighting another aircraft.""We get to demonstrate that to people to see the different regimes of flight and really just what these aircraft are capable of," he said.<div type="image" title="A cloud of vapor trails behind an F-16 Fighting Falcon as the pilot performs the High Alpha Pass maneuver." height="666" width="1000" msid="114796715" hostid="261" sizebytes="12886"></div>One such maneuver, the High Alpha Pass, involves fighter jets approaching spectators at a steep angle, hitting speeds of about 130 mph — which Downie said is "extremely" slow for a jet — before pulling up, taking a sharp 90-degree roll, and speeding up to 280 mph to clear the crowd below.The stunt demonstrates the fighter's ability to maintain control at high angles of attack and low speeds, which offers a tactical advantage in combat when a pilot has to quickly change direction or speed to avoid enemy fire.Air Force Maj. Samuel "RaZZ" Larson, the commander of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/usaf-f22-raptor-fighter-jet-combat-airshows-2024-10">the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team</a>, told Business Insider all of the maneuvers he performs during airshows are "just basic derivations from what we do really in dogfighting" and highlight the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fighter-jets-military-us-china-f22-j20-stealth-2024-5">specific capabilities of the Raptor</a>."It's the only fighter in the US arsenal that has thrust vectoring, and it's the most maneuverable fighter in the world," Larson said of the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor, a Lockheed Martin-manufactured stealth air superiority fighter. "We try to showcase what the F-22 can do that other fighters cannot do, and some of the moves that we use in basic fighter maneuvers or dogfighting, we showcase in the demo."The F-22 has conducted strikes in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/f22s-redeploy-to-middle-east-amid-russian-pilots-aggressive-flying-2023-7">Middle East conflicts</a>, and it has long served as a supersonic interceptor, regularly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-f-22-raptors-response-unsafe-russian-pilots-middle-east-2023-6">countering Russian aircraft</a> near Alaska as part of operations with North American Aerospace Defense Command. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/f-22-first-air-to-air-kills-neither-against-jets-2023-2">Its first air-to-air kill</a>, however, was against a Chinese spy balloon over the continental US.<div type="image" title="The F-22 Raptor." height="2004" width="2550" msid="114796709" hostid="261" sizebytes="173308"></div>Air Force Capt. Nicholas "Laz" Le Tourneau, a safety observer on the F-22 demo team, explained that while there are some differences between <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/f-22-pilot-describes-going-up-against-f-35-aggressors-2021-8">combat and performance flying</a>, "nothing that we are doing here is outside of the purview of an F-22 pilot who is straight out of the combat Air Forces.""A lot of these maneuvers are actually being performed on a day-to-day basis up in the airspace when we're executing our missions," Le Tourneau told Business Insider, adding that "it's really a blessing that Raz gets to take that down to the show and allow the crowd to experience that firsthand."Though the tenure of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-a10-demo-team-commander-warthog-retirement-2024-10">fighter pilots on demo teams</a> only lasts a handful of years, Clark, the first Air National Guard pilot to join the Thunderbirds, said the pilots, maintainers, and operations crew foster a family-like dynamic.<div type="image" title="Air Force Thunderbirds" height="2832" width="4256" msid="114796805" hostid="261" sizebytes="167298"></div>"There were a lot of parallels and similarities that I also saw in the Air National Guard," Clark said. "You get to know each other really well, and sometimes, with those dynamics, you can really build some tight camaraderie and build that trust and go on to do and achieve really amazing things.""That's what attracted me to the Guard, and that's also really what attracted me to the Thunderbirds," he said.And the similarities between combat and demonstration flying come even before pilots <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-pilots-prepare-for-high-g-force-flights-2024-4">get into the cockpit</a>."A lot of the stuff that you've seen in combat is kind of the same for the airshow in terms of your preparation for that moment and repeating and knowing your steps, your processes, and how everything's going to work," Downie said, "so when things do go crazy in front of a crowd of 700,000 people, you know how to stay calm, cool, and collected as you do on a mission."

The stunning maneuvers flown by US Air Force demo pilots showcase dogfighting skills 

<keyword id="19945808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wayanad" source="keywords">Wayanad</keyword>: <keyword id="20501159" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rescue-operations" source="keywords">Rescue operations</keyword> by the <keyword id="19992067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Air Force" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian Air Force">Indian Air Force</keyword>, Army and state authorities are underway in the landslide-affected <keyword id="19945808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wayanad" source="keywords">Wayanad</keyword> region of <keyword id="19896018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kerala" source="keywords">Kerala</keyword> on Wednesday. The rescue and relief operations in landslide-hit areas of <keyword id="19896018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kerala" source="keywords">Kerala</keyword>'s Wayanad entered their ninth consecutive day today. "Collaborative <keyword id="20501159" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rescue-operations" source="keywords">rescue operations</keyword> conducted by the IAF, IA and state authorities are ongoing in the landslide-affected Wayanad region. A specialised team of soldiers, along with the Army, was airlifted by an IAF from Kalpetta to Chaliyar River," <keyword id="22697501" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PRO-Defence-Kochi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="PRO Defence Kochi" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="PRO Defence Kochi">PRO Defence Kochi</keyword> posted on X. Wayanad's Chooralmala and Mundakkai were hit by massive landslides on July 30, claiming over 300 lives and creating widespread property damage. Earlier today, a special team consisting of six trained Army personnel, four SOGs (Special Operation Groups) of Kerala Police, two Forest Officers and a dog squad left for the Sunrise Valley of Soojippara waterfalls in Wayanad to carry out a search operation. "In continuation of yesterday's. operation, today we are also sending a team. We are including a cadaver dog and its handler. It is a 13-member team. We want to go some more downstream. Yesterday, 4 kilometres were covered. Today, we are trying to cover some more areas. We will maximum try to cover downstream," Taposh Basumatary, Superintendent of Police, SOG, told ANI. On Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the government will ensure world-class rehabilitation in the landslide-hit areas of the Wayanad district, which will serve as an example. Addressing a press conference, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, "We will ensure world-class rehabilitation. Our goal is to implement a resettlement model that can serve as an example for the nation and the world." The Kerala CM further highlighted that government employees and teachers have come forward to contribute at least 5 per cent of their salary to the CM disaster relief fund. Highlighting the total funds in the CMDRF, Vijayan stated, "From July 30 until Monday, we have received Rs 53.98 crores in the disaster relief fund."

Kerala: Rescue operations in landslide-affected Wayanad enter ninth day

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China is building up and modernizing its military as the US strives to maintain its edge.</li><li>The focus on advanced technologies has put the two countries into a different kind of arms race.</li></ul>China is "in a race for technological superiority" with the US, the Air Force secretary said this week, noting that as China becomes increasingly confident in its armed forces and its ability to use them to advance its national interests, "we'll be in a period of much greater risk."In some areas, such as missiles, China appears to have an edge over American forces, he said, and its pursuit of advanced satellites and automated battle management systems have grabbed the attention of American officials as the US considers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/america-not-ready-china-war-military-economy-2023-5">what a potential conflict between the two powers could look like</a>. This race goes much deeper, though.On Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said China has been effectively modernizing the People's Liberation Army, fielding systems with the intent of challenging US forces, especially its high-value combat assets like carriers and satellites.Kendall <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://vimeo.com/event/4681487/aae7018489?utm_campaign=2024%20Microelectronics%20Commons&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_hVVt4JaJrhQkWlVRye5kJaIPAdVqBEZfwQ2uHjr0IVycuutTNsV5x5foMMHDwRhDKcPic1qw5pETOa_xtxan-DGFXdxyv3uucu8GfciSheefg0Lc&amp;_hsmi=331115123&amp;utm_content=331115123&amp;utm_source=hs_automation">said</a> at the Microelectronics Commons Annual Meeting and National Semiconductor Technology Center Symposium this week that China had long been taking notes on how the US military operates, "and they were not just designing their equipment and the things they were buying around being able to defeat the US," he said, "their entire military was being designed around that."<div type="image" title="A video released by China shows off the missiles it could fire at Taiwan in a mass attack." height="1136" width="2141" msid="114792219" hostid="261" sizebytes="73808"></div>The Department of Defense has tracked monumental growth in the Chinese military for years, documenting investments in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-shipbuilding-power-players-making-warships-at-a-rapid-pace-2024-9">warships</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-china-missile-problem-getting-worse-2024-5">bolstered missile capabilities and stockpiles</a>, and advanced space and cyber assets. The US military refers to Beijing as its "pacing challenge," putting emphasis on the Indo-Pacific.But despite US efforts to keep up-to-date with China's modernization, Kendall said, in some ways, "we've let them steal a march on us, quite frankly, in the systems they've fielded, that includes cruise and ballistic missiles, hypersonics," and "hundreds of satellites designed to target our joint force," as well as advanced battle management systems to integrate and control combat assets with a high degree of automation.China has built up its Rocket Force, developing capabilities that put US military assets at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-pacific-bases-aircraft-vulnerable-to-chinese-missiles-lawmakers-2024-5">military bases and airfields across the Indo-Pacific within striking range</a>. Its force includes more traditional systems, as well as newer weapons, like the DF-17 hypersonic missile.Kendall also noted some of the Chinese air force's air-to-air missiles have the ranges to go after tankers and command-and-control aircraft, for example, which "traditionally have operated out or range of the threats and been able to operate pretty much with impunity," he said. "That's being erased; we don't have that capability anymore."<div type="image" title="A US aircraft carrier sails in the Pacific Ocean with a cloudy sunset in the background." height="1474" width="2211" msid="114792221" hostid="261" sizebytes="76930"></div>The battlespace is changing, and across the board, the developments being made in advanced warfighting technologies have created what Kendall has called "a race for technological superiority" rather than a "classic arms race." It's no longer just about how many warships a country has.A key part of the new arms race is artificial intelligence, which "China is moving forward aggressively in," Kendall said, adding that the applications of AI are already being seen in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drones-in-ukraine-war-soon-wont-need-human-pilots-commander-2024-9">the war in Ukraine</a> and in the Middle East, "changing the character of warfare."The Air Force secretary said that he doesn't think people who say that AI is "going to determine who's the winner in the next battlefield" are "all that far off."Like China and other militaries, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-allies-ai-target-enemies-like-would-war-first-time-2024-8">US has also made AI a top priority in its military developments</a> across the joint force, pursuing autonomous capabilities and ways to implement AI into decision-making, pattern recognition, and various assets and weapons.For the US Air Force, for example, that line of effort has been evident in its testing of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-militarys-ai-fighter-jet-pilot-making-dramatic-advances-officer-2024-6">AI agents flying fighter jets</a> and in the collaborative combat aircraft and "loyal wingman" programs. Earlier this year, Kendall flew in an AI-controlled F-16, which squared off in a dogfight against a manned F-16.<div type="image" title="A screenshot from video footage of the real-world test of a dogfight between an AI-controlled fighter and a manned fighter." height="1564" width="2880" msid="114792223" hostid="261" sizebytes="94014"></div>Officials said at the time that the testing marked "an important milestone" for the program and spoke to growing "confidence in the state of combat autonomy." Previous testing of AI agents has also proven effective, with officials noting that AI programs can quickly be adjusted based on new data, scenarios, and performance.In another example, the Marines, working with the Air Force and Navy, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-marines-unmanned-aircraft-targeting-data-for-f-35-jets-2024-10">recently tested a "loyal wingman" experimental autonomous unmanned aerial combat vehicle</a> alongside F-35 stealth fighters, showing how the military is pushing the manned-unmanned teaming concept "a step further" for the joint force, an official said.As the US and other powers pursue this emerging new technology at breakneck speeds, there have been questions about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-using-ai-gaza-targets-terrifying-glimpse-at-future-war-2024-4">what the role of AI will be in the military and future warfare</a>. War analysts and strategists have said the US military and others need a plan for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/future-of-warfare-is-catastrophic-and-robotic-former-general-says-2023-5">AI and autonomy</a> sooner rather than later.

The US is in a technological arms race with China, Air Force secretary says, and AI could decide who wins

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/madison-marsh-air-force-miss-america-duties-photos-2024-5">Madison Marsh</a> is bridging the divide between the US military and pageantry.</li><li>As Miss America and a US Air Force officer, she aims to dispel long-held misconceptions about both.</li></ul>The US military and beauty pageantry are often seen as polar opposites — one known for toughness, discipline, and combat readiness, and the other for elegance, grace, and competition for a crown.Madison Marsh, a US Air Force second lieutenant and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-officer-madison-marsh-crowned-miss-america-photos-2024-1">Miss America 2024</a>, is on a mission to show that the two worlds are not so different.Marsh spent the last year in both crown and sash and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-officer-madison-marsh-crowned-miss-america-photos-2024-1">USAF uniform</a>, serving as an active-duty officer and pageant titleholder. In an interview with Business Insider, the 23-year-old said she'd used her platform to show there's no conflict between being a military officer and a beauty contestant."A lot of people don't understand what military services are, or maybe they have some of the outdated views on how the Air Force used to operate," Marsh said. "Now I'm getting to change the idea of showing people that the Air Force is rebranding itself. We are in a new phase where the Air Force is inviting others to take charge of their passions outside of the uniform."Marsh said she is also urging people to look beyond the glitz and glam of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vintage-photos-of-miss-america-beauty-pageants">Miss America</a> to see the deeper purpose behind the century-old competition."We often have to explain to people how pageants aren't stereotypically what people believe them to be," she said. "The pageant, as in Miss America, that I compete in is about community service, leadership, and public speaking — all of these core skills and values that hold to be true in the Air Force as well."<div type="image" title="Madison Marsh salutes with Joe Biden on a large videoscreen in the background" height="665" width="999" msid="113966827" hostid="261" sizebytes="22442"></div>Breaking these long-held stereotypes was not one she "actively" wanted when she became the first active-duty officer to be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-colorado-madison-marsh-crowned-miss-america-air-force-harvard-2024-1">crowned Miss America</a>, she said."I didn't step into this role trying or actively wanting to break those stereotypes. I was simply just doing something that I loved," she said. "In the process of being authentically me and ensuring that I still did all the things that I loved, I was able to break some of those stereotypes and show people that if you have passion in different areas, even if they're conflicting with one another, you can still get it done."Nonetheless, the task came easily to her, she said, as she drew on her own fears and uncertainties prior to attending the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/every-uniform-us-air-force-academy-cadet-issued-2023-8">US Air Force Academy</a> to quell those in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-new-air-force-cadets-go-through-on-day-one-2021-7">potential future cadets</a>.After her win in January, Marsh embarked on a national tour, returning to her hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, throwing the first pitch at a Nationals game, and giving her fellow Miss America delegates a tour of the Air Force Academy.Her Miss America title took her overseas as well, speaking with Royal Air Force cadets in the United Kingdom at the world's largest military air show and commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.And in her 10-month reign as Miss America, Marsh said she is already seeing an impact."This young freshman came up to me with her and her mom, and she told me that she was really considering not going to the [US Air Force] Academy anymore until she had seen that I became Miss America because that showed her that she could still be feminine in and out of uniform, that she could still be herself, that she could still take charge of her outside passions while still serving," Marsh said.<div type="image" title="Madison Marsh smiles for a photo in front of an aircraft displaying &quot;US Air Force.&quot;" height="643" width="1000" msid="113966823" hostid="261" sizebytes="19194"></div>Marsh doesn't have to take up the mantle of representing military women in the world of pageantry alone. In August, 2nd Lt. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-alma-cooper-army-west-point-pageants-2024-8">Alma Cooper</a>, a US Army military intelligence officer, was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-miss-usa-michigan-us-army-officer-2024-8">crowned</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa">Miss USA</a> after a tumultuous year in one of the country's biggest pageants.While the new titleholders haven't connected about their respective wins, Marsh said Cooper is "another great representative who can talk about what it means to be a woman in the Army, and hopefully, that can bring some better recruiting in that area as well."With both <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-miss-america-pageant-differences">Miss America and Miss USA</a> being active-duty officers, Marsh said it's "giving a broader representation of the direction that the military is moving in" — where service members have the freedom to pursue outside passions and interests even if they're high-profile.Beyond pageantry and military, Marsh champions awareness and advocacy for pancreatic cancer, the disease that took her mother Whitney's life when Madison was just 17. She turned her grief into action, founding a nonprofit named after her mother, Whitney Marsh Foundation, assisting in pancreatic cancer research, and pursuing a master's degree in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, which she deferred until January as she balances pageant duties and active duty.As Marsh approaches her last few months as Miss America, several paths lie before her as she looks to the future — whether it be attending flight school to become an Air Force pilot (she already has a civilian pilot's license), continuing her master's degree to shape future public health policies, or participating in more research and advocacy for pancreatic cancer.<div type="image" title="Madison Marsh sits on the ramp of a C-130J in flight" height="665" width="999" msid="113966828" hostid="261" sizebytes="30540"></div>If there's one thing that people will take away from her reign, Marsh said she hopes she's shown that putting on a uniform — be it crown and sash or flight suit — adds to your identity, not takes away from it."Now we can start to talk about these misconceptions that the general public has, showing that you don't have to give up these vital, passionate parts of yourself to put on that uniform," Marsh said."My passion for serving the pancreatic cancer community still exists when I put on that uniform every morning," she added, "and that's what the military now wants us to move toward: recognizing we don't have to give up these outside passions to still serve."

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