Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<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 

<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."

Miss America Madison Marsh says people just keep getting pageantry and the Air Force wrong

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Air Force majorly overpaid for C-17 spare parts, including bathroom soap dispensers, per a Pentagon watchdog.</li><li>The dispensers were 80 times more expensive than the commercially available alternative.</li></ul>The US Air Force overpaid for spare parts for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-inside-340-million-boeing-c17-globemaster-iii-military-jet-2022-1">C-17 military transport aircraft</a> manufactured by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-19-billion-share-offering-boost-financials-liquidity-2024-10">Boeing</a>, according to a new watchdog report. In one example, an audit found, the service paid more than 80 times the regular commercial value for bathroom soap dispensers.The audit, which detailed cost issues with a variety of C-17 spare parts, blamed the overpayment on a lack of oversight by the Air Force.On Monday, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released information related to an audit on whether the Air Force purchased C-17 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ongoing-f35-fighter-jet-problems-affect-whole-us-military-fleet-2023-1">spare parts</a> "at fair and reasonable prices." The audit was initiated in response to a DoD Hotline allegation.The audit found that the Air Force "overpaid nearly $1 million for a dozen different types of spare parts" on contracts, the office said, including bathroom soap dispensers "where the Air Force paid more than 80 times the commercially available cost of a 7,943-% markup."<div type="image" title="A US Air Force Airman guides a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) truck as it drives out of a C-17 Globemaster III plane and onto tarmac." height="1940" width="3448" msid="114745677" hostid="261" sizebytes="525780"></div>Across the board, the office said the service failed to consistently <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-defense-military-budget-compared-federal-education-spending-2023-4">pay reasonable prices</a> for about 26% of spare parts reviewed, valued at $4.3 million.But the OIG was unable to effectively review over half of the total spare parts — estimated at more than $22 million in value — "because the Air Force did not maintain historical cost data, and the Defense Contract Management Agency Item Group was unable to obtain supplier quotes or identify commercially similar parts," the office said.The OIG attributed the overpayment problem to the Air Force's failure to sufficiently validate accurate data for contract negotiation, identify price increases while executing contracts, and review invoices to determine <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-air-force-spent-1280-on-coffee-cup-2018-10">fair and reasonable before paying</a>."We are reviewing the report, which appears to be based on an inapt comparison of the prices paid for parts that meet military specifications and designs versus basic commercial items that would not be qualified or approved for use on the C-17," Boeing spokeswoman Deborah VanNierop told Bloomberg, which first reported the overpayments identified by the OIG. "We will continue to work with the OIG and the US Air Force to provide a detailed written response to the report in the coming days," she said.<div type="image" title="A THAAD launcher next to an aircraft." height="5504" width="8256" msid="114745678" hostid="261" sizebytes="783294"></div>Per Inspector General Robert P. Storch, the Air Force's issues could have an impact on C-17 readiness."The Air Force needs to establish and implement more effective internal controls to help prevent overpaying for spare parts for the remainder of this contract, which continues through 2031," he said, adding that "significant overpayments for spare parts may reduce the number of spare parts that Boeing can purchase on the contract, potentially reducing C-17 readiness worldwide."The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-sudden-show-force-to-russia-china-in-alaska-2024-9">C-17 Globemaster III</a> is a large versatile aircraft designed to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-inside-340-million-boeing-c17-globemaster-iii-military-jet-2022-1">transport troops and equipment across a variety of distances</a>. It's the Air Force's primary strategic lift aircraft. It has also become a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-c-17-globemaster-airforce-cargo-aircraft-evacuation-2021-9">central aircraft in evacuation and humanitarian efforts</a>, among other missions.

US Air Force wildly overpaid Boeing by almost 8,000% for C-17 aircraft bathroom soap dispensers, Pentagon watchdog finds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Air Force hopes its recruits will eventually carry real rifles in boot camp, its top enlisted airman said.</li><li>It recently restarted issuing practice M4 carbines to recruits for their eight-week program.</li></ul>The US Air Force hopes to eventually require its recruits to carry real weapons during basic training, according to its highest-ranking noncommissioned officer.The comment, from Chief Master Sergeant Dave Flosi, came just after the force announced in August that its recruits would receive practice M4 rifles."We really would want to get the real ones, because the threat's real, the environment is dangerous," Flosi said on Tuesday at the Air, Space &amp; Cyber Conference, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/09/20/rifles-at-air-force-boot-camp-top-leader-calls-it-desired-end-state/">per Defense News.</a>The Air Force hasn't said when it aims to start issuing actual rifles, but Flosi told the outlet that a live-weapon requirement is a "desired end state" and that the service "is working on taking the next steps down the road."Col. Willie L. Cooper told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-basic-military-training-rifles/">Air and Space Forces Magazine</a> that the Air Force would first have to assess how it can safely roll out such a program."It'll have to go through that entire process to make sure we understand what we're doing and why we're doing it," he said.Army and Marine recruits are typically issued real rifles during boot camp but are only given ammo during live-firing exercises.Air Force recruits now receive an inert M4 — a gun that's never designed to fire bullets — on their first week of training. The practice was reinstated this summer after previously being discontinued in 2012.Their rifles are fitted with a red flash suppressor, and recruits are expected to carry and care for the item throughout their eight-week basic training. When in their dorms, recruits store the practice weapons in wall lockers.The point is to help new airmen familiarize themselves with the M4 even in the earliest stages of training, according to the Air Force, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3869522/practice-weapons-boost-readiness-for-basic-trainees/">which said it restarted the program</a> to prepare for "Great Power Competition" — a term increasingly being used by the US military for potential conflict with Russia or China.Fears of war with Moscow, Beijing, or both at the same time are sparking a widespread push for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-defense-military-budget-compared-federal-education-spending-2023-4">increasing military spending </a>and reviewing troop standards.Washington and the Pentagon have, in recent years, been increasingly receiving urgent warnings from think tanks, top generals, and politicians who say the US risks falling behind or is already lagging in dozens of areas, from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-run-out-ammo-weeks-china-national-defense-strategy-commission-2024-7">ammo production</a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-secretary-floored-by-ally-south-koreas-shipbuilding-2024-4">shipbuilding capacity</a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nuclear-weapons-era-comeback-china-us-russia-experts-2024-8">nuclear weapons development.</a>The US spent about $916 billion on its military in 2023, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/2404_fs_milex_2023.pdf">per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute</a>, with the American defense budget expected to reach $1 trillion yearly in the near future.

The Air Force wants its recruits to one day carry real rifles at boot camp instead of practice M4 carbines, top NCO says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Air Force will conduct a new, massive exercise in the Western Pacific next summer.</li><li>It'll pull forces from the continental US, Alaska, Guam, and Hawaii.</li></ul>The US Air Force is planning a large-scale exercise focused on quickly building up airpower in the Western Pacific, a top general shared recently. The plan reflects the service's concerns over readiness for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-china-missile-problem-getting-worse-2024-5">potential conflict against an adversary like China</a>.Gen. David Allvin, the chief of staff of the Air Force, discussed some details about the service's new REFORPAC training, scheduled summer 2025, at a talk hosted by the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.hudson.org/events/focusing-force-conversation-general-david-allvin-chief-staff-air-force-timothy-walton-bryan-clark">Hudson Institute think tank</a> on Friday.REFORPAC refers to the Cold War-era "Return of Forces to Germany" exercises, which saw the US and its NATO allies repeatedly test how quickly and effectively their militaries could mass combat capability inside Germany should conflict arise.During the recent presentation on the coming drills, Allvin said that US forces would deploy from Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and locations across the continental US for around a 14-day exercise somewhere in the Western Pacific.<div type="image" title="Various US and Australian aircraft are lined up on a runway with browning grass and a blue sky surrounding them." height="3779" width="5680" msid="112663196" hostid="261" sizebytes="722388"></div>The general explained that the REFORPAC exercise is one way the Air Force plans to return to the type of large-scale exercises that US conducted during the Cold War. He added that this was a necessity as the US shifts its focus to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-flags-tell-us-when-chinas-ready-to-invade-taiwan-2024-4">great power competition with China</a>.It's unclear which aircraft would be involved and how many, but Allvin's remarks indicate it would be a substantial exercise. He said it would be incorporated into the bilateral Talisman Sabre event since US airpower would be supported by allies and partners.Allvin argued at the Hudson event last Friday that "we need to get back to those large-scale exercises, and to their credit, many of the wing level and numbered Air Force level and even some of the MAJCOM (major command) level, they have started to organically expand their exercises."Allvin also noted that the priority for US Air Force aircraft was to be prepared, at a moment's notice, to fight in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-air-force-harassed-us-ally-aircraft-south-china-sea-2024-8">heavily contested environment</a> where nothing is safe against a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-pacific-bases-aircraft-vulnerable-to-chinese-missiles-lawmakers-2024-5">highly capable enemy, such as China</a>.<div type="image" title="A US bomber flies off into a sunrise with some clouds surrounding it." height="4024" width="6048" msid="112663194" hostid="261" sizebytes="569494"></div>REFORPAC is focused on a key challenge when looking at the vast expanses of the Pacific, one that must be overcome before the fighting can even begin. US airpower in the region is scattered across far-flung bases, and it would have to be quickly brought into region were a fight to break out.The big exercise coming next summer is an opportunity to address that issue, giving the Air Force the opportunity to work out key deployment issues in, as Allvin said, "a realistic scenario."The US and some regional allies have previously carried out other tests of their forces' capabilities in the Pacific region. Exercise Mobility Guardian 2023, a massive two-week drill that involved 70 aircraft and 3,000 personnel, included operations across the Pacific region, including in Australia and Japan.Allvin explained Friday that the 2023 iteration had provided the Air Force with many lessons for its future training, helping it to "understand those complexities" related to getting forces deployed to the Pacific.

The US Air Force is going to mass airpower in the Western Pacific from all over the place to test its ability to get forces into a fight

<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>Ukrainian forces struck at least two key bridges in Russia's Kursk region over the past few days.</li><li>The strikes could disrupt Russian supply lines as the Kremlin scrambles to respond to the invasion.</li></ul>Newly captured satellite imagery reveals the aftermath of Ukrainian airstrikes on two key bridges in Russia's Kursk region.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-ukraine-destroys-key-bridge-in-russias-kursk-region-2024-8">back-to-back strikes</a> come as Ukraine looks to reinforce its efforts inside Russia that began with a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-captured-hundreds-square-miles-russian-territory-general-2024-8">stunning invasion</a> last week. The incursion is now on its 14th day. By targeting the two bridges, Kyiv is likely trying to disrupt the supply lines of the Russian forces deployed to stop its advances.The first documented strike, which was carried out on Friday, targeted a bridge in the Glushkovsky district of the Kursk region. An <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://t.me/ComAFUA/385">aerial video</a> shared by Ukraine's air force shows a projectile strike the bridge, causing a section of it to collapse into the Seim River."Aviation of the Air Force takes an active part in combat operations in the Kursk direction," Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk, the Ukrainian air force commander, wrote in a Telegram post."Ukrainian pilots use high-precision strikes against enemy strongholds, accumulations of equipment, as well as enemy logistics centers and supply routes," he added, indicating that Ukrainian airpower is involved in the combined-arms operations inside Russia.<div type="image" title="A broken Russian bridge over ar iver between two green land areas captured in a satellite image of the Kursk region." height="697" width="1008" msid="112633655" hostid="261" sizebytes="34240"></div><div type="image" title="A satellite image shows a bridge collapsed over the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district on August 17 following a Ukrainian strike in the Kursk region." height="277" width="401" msid="112633659" hostid="261" sizebytes="4626"></div>Days later, on Sunday, Ukraine targeted a second bridge just a few miles away in the village of Zvannoye. An <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://t.me/ComAFUA/388">aerial video</a> shared by Kyiv's air force shows an explosion before zooming in on the bridge to reveal some damage to the structure."Minus one more bridge!" Oleschuk wrote on Telegram after the second strike."Aviation of the Air Force continues to deprive the enemy of logistical capabilities with precise strikes from the air, which significantly affects the course of hostilities," he said. "Thanks again to the pilots for their professionalism and results!" It's unclear which weapons are being used to conduct these strikes.<div type="image" title="A satellite image of a strategic Russian bridge that was struck. There are black marks on the bridge." height="667" width="880" msid="112633657" hostid="261" sizebytes="106060"></div><div type="image" title="A satellite image of a strategic Russian bridge that was struck. There are black marks on the bridge." height="152" width="201" msid="112633660" hostid="261" sizebytes="5778"></div>The Ukrainian airstrikes come as Russia has redeployed some units from operations in and around Ukraine to the Kursk region. Targeting the bridges there may be an attempt by Kyiv to cut the supply lines of Russian forces that have been sent to respond to the invasion.After the first bridge was destroyed on Friday, conflict analysts at the Institute for the Study of War <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-16-2024">cited Russian milbloggers</a> in claiming that the strike will complicate Russian ground lines of communication in the area. The situation appeared a little less clear after Sunday's attack."Russian milbloggers and opposition media disagreed about the impact of the damage on Russian logistics, with some sources claiming that the strike only partially damaged the bridge, while others claimed that the strike rendered the bridge unpassable and that there is only one other usable bridge left in the area near Karyzh (west of Zvannoye)," the analysts wrote in their daily <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-18-2024">assessment</a>.Some reports <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-kursk-bridges-russia-logistics-river-seym-1940943">indicate</a> that a third bridge has also been struck, but Ukraine has only acknowledged the first two.<div type="image" title="Smoke billows from a bridge over the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district following a Ukrainian strike. The bridge is broken into two parts." height="1722" width="3064" msid="112633656" hostid="261" sizebytes="59526"></div>Ukrainian forces continue to advance in Kursk nearly two weeks into <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-staged-largest-attack-russian-airbases-amid-push-into-kursk-2024-8">their invasion</a> of the region, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/vazhlivo-shob-partneri-pribrali-baryeri-yaki-zavazhayut-nam-92653">according to an update</a> on Saturday from Kyiv's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-paratroopers-new-video-shows-first-hours-russia-kursk-attack-2024-8">bold attack surprised Moscow</a> and Ukraine's international partners, including the US, which was not made aware of plans for the operation ahead of time.The Kremlin is still scrambling to respond to the assault, which represents the biggest attack on Russian soil by a foreign enemy since World War II. Ukrainian forces have, by their own estimates, captured <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-it-has-destroyed-another-bridge-russias-kursk-region-2024-08-18/">more than 1,150 square kilometers</a> (more than 440 square miles) of territory and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maps-show-russian-territory-ukraine-said-captured-kursk-advances-2024-8">seized more than 80 settlements</a>.On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a goal of the operation is to create a "buffer zone" within Russian territory."Everything that inflicts losses on the Russian army, Russian state, their military-industrial complex, and their economy helps prevent the war from expanding and brings us closer to a just end to this aggression — a just peace for Ukraine," he said in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/u-vijni-nemaye-vidpustok-potribna-vchasna-logistika-ogoloshe-92661">nightly address</a> to the nation.

Satellite images capture the broken aftermath of the Ukrainian air force strikes on key Russian bridges to back the Kursk invasion

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ukraine published a new video showing one of its Soviet-era aircraft striking bridges in Russia.</li><li>It identified the munitions it used as the GBU-62 JDAM-ER glide bomb.</li></ul>Ukraine's air force shared a video on Friday showing one of its Soviet-era fighter jets using American-made glide bombs to strike key bridges in Russia's embattled Kursk region.The footage underscores Ukraine's ability to use airpower to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-turns-tables-russia-drops-glide-bombs-on-its-territory-2024-8">support its ground forces</a> as they continue their shock invasion of Kursk. Kyiv has struggled to pull off combined-arms operations like these in other sectors of the front line.In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Ukraine's air force published footage of a MiG-29 aircraft using GBU-62 JDAM-ER bombs to strike bridges in Kursk.The US-made Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range is a bomb equipped with a guidance kit that turns unguided munitions into air-launched precision weapons that can then be released at range.The US has not disclosed how many of these munitions it has delivered to Ukraine.The Russian military has extensively used similar munitions, also known as guided glide bombs, to carry out <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-images-show-ukraine-hit-russian-aircraft-drops-glide-bombs-2024-8">devastating strikes</a> targeting Ukrainian troop positions and civil infrastructure. Among the bombs in Moscow's arsenal is one that weighs more than 6,000 pounds.The video shared by the air force on Friday shows Ukrainian military personnel loading the US-made bombs onto a MiG-29, a twin-engine multi-role fighter that has been in service for decades. That footage is then followed by video footage of airstrikes on bridges in Kursk. Targeting the bridges appears to be an attempt by Ukraine to disrupt Russian <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/images-show-aftermath-ukrainian-strikes-key-russian-bridges-kursk-invasion-2024-8">logistics and supply lines </a>as Moscow directs more resources to the Kursk region.Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraine-captures-594-russian-soldiers-and-gains-control-over-1294-square-kilometers-in-kursk-1953">said earlier this week</a> that Kyiv had taken control of some 1,294 square kilometers (roughly 500 square miles) of Russian territory and 100 settlements inside that area since the cross-border incursion began a little over three weeks ago.Syrskyi said Russia, in response, has redirected around 30,000 troops to Kursk, with more on the way. US officials have confirmed that Moscow has indeed moved some forces there, although they have not provided specific figures.Despite the recent success of Ukrainian airpower in Kursk, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said he had decided to replace the commander of Kyiv's air force, Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk.The leadership shuffle comes several days after a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-suffered-f-16-loss-jet-crashed-killed-pilot-2024-8">Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet crashed</a> while repelling a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-attack-ukraine-shows-black-sea-fleet-dangerous-despite-losses-2024-8">massive Russian aerial bombardment</a>, killing a top pilot.The cause of the incident is under investigation. Just <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-dismisses-air-force-commander-after-f-16-jet-crash-2024-8">hours before he was dismissed</a>, Oleschuk sought to assure critics that the air force would figure out what caused the data incident.Ukraine only has a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missiles-on-ukraines-f-16s-hint-at-missions-against-russia-2024-8">small number of F-16s</a> that it received from NATO countries just a few weeks ago, and the loss of one — and its pilot — is a significant manpower, equipment, and morale blow to Kyiv.

Ukrainian air force video shows a Soviet-era fighter jet striking Russian bridges in Kursk with American-made glide bombs

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ukraine has dismissed the commander of the air force, Mykola Oleschuk, after an F-16 loss.</li><li>It's still unclear what caused the crash, which killed the fighter jet's pilot.</li></ul>Ukrainian leadership has dismissed the commander of its air force, Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk. The decision follows the loss of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-suffered-f-16-loss-jet-crashed-killed-pilot-2024-8">one of its F-16 fighter jets</a> and a top pilot earlier this week.The crash, which is being investigated, occurred during a massive Russian strike on Ukraine, during which the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-air-force-reprogrammed-ukraine-new-f-16s-russian-threats-2024-8">F-16s were employed in an air-defense role</a> to help eliminate Russian missiles.The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the dismissal of Oleschuk on Friday. The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/6002024-52005">decree</a> did not provide details on why Oleschuk was suddenly removed from his position or who his replacement would be.<div type="image" title="Mykola Oleschuk standing in front of a microphone against a blue and yellow background." height="683" width="1024" msid="112934079" hostid="261" sizebytes="44646"></div>Later on Friday, Zelenskyy shared a video online addressing the dismissal."I have decided to replace the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," he said, adding that he is "immensely grateful to all our military pilots, all engineers, all warriors of mobile firing groups, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-air-defenses-stretched-gives-ukraine-more-opportunities-experts-2024-8">air defense units</a>. All those who really fight for Ukraine — for the result."And the same goes for the command level — we must strengthen ourselves," Zelenskyy said. "And take care of people. Take care of personnel — take care of all our warriors."Oleschuk's removal from his position as commander comes just one day after Ukraine acknowledged that it lost one of its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-air-force-f-16-fighter-jets-western-soviet-warfare-2024-7">Western-provided F-16s</a> during <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraines-f16-jets-shot-down-missiles-during-massive-russian-strike-2024-8">Russia's missile and drone strike on Monday</a>. The Ukrainian military said it lost communication with the aircraft while it was engaging the Russian threats. It was later discovered the aircraft had crashed.The Ukrainian Air Force said that the F-16's pilot, Oleksiy Mes, shot down <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-missile-attack-shows-us-must-drop-weapon-restrictions-ukraine-2024-8">three Russian cruise missiles and one attack drone</a> before he was killed.<div type="image" title="A service member in fatigues holds a picture of a deceased F-16 pilot." height="768" width="1024" msid="112934084" hostid="261" sizebytes="36176"></div>"Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles," the Ukrainian Air Force wrote in a Telegram statement. "Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life."The cause of the crash is still unknown. Nevertheless, it's a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-ukraine-could-get-air-superiority-use-f-16s-experts-2024-7">significant loss for Ukraine</a>, which received the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missiles-on-ukraines-f-16s-hint-at-missions-against-russia-2024-8">first batch of F-16s</a> just a few weeks ago from its NATO allies.An official speaking on the condition of anonymity <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/08/29/7472566/">told</a> Ukrainska Pravda that the investigation into the accident was looking at a possible technical malfunction, pilot error, and also friendly fire as causes.Prior to his dismissal, Oleschuk put a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://t.me/ComAFUA/406">post</a> on Telegram blasting critics and assuring everyone that "we will find out the causes of the aviation disaster."

Ukraine just dismissed the commander of its air force after losing an F-16 and a pilot in a battle against Russian missiles

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Finland and Sweden bring a fighter force roughly the size of the UK's to the NATO alliance.</li><li>Finland flies F/A-18 Hornets and has order a large number of F-35 stealth fighters.</li></ul>Russia's decision to invade Ukraine has had an unintended consequence: a boost to NATO airpower.Fearful of being Russia's next target, Finland joined NATO in 2023, followed by Sweden this March. This means the alliance will be augmented by their advanced aircraft and strategically located airbases."Finland and Sweden increase NATO's high-end airpower capacity," wrote RAND. Corp researchers Paul Cormarie and John Hoehn in a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://mwi.westpoint.edu/sweden-finland-and-natos-first-class-airpower-upgrade/">essay</a> for the Modern War Institute at West Point.In terms of numbers of aircraft, the new Nordic members would bring a considerable addition to NATO airpower in a conflict with Russia. Sweden currently has about a hundred Gripen jet fighters, while Finland has 62 American-made F/A-18 Hornets. That makes the combined Finnish/Swedish fighter contingent roughly equal to the combat jets of the UK's Royal Air Force and about is only one-third less than the roughly 200 fighter jets apiece flown by France and Germany.The new allies bring numerous other advantages to European defense. When former Warsaw Pact states such as Poland joined NATO in the late 1990s, they were equipped with older Soviet jets, such as the MiG-29, that were of limited utility and interoperability to Western air forces. However, Sweden's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.saab.com/products/gripen-c-series">JAS-39 Gripen</a> is a capable fourth-generation fighter — roughly on a par with models like the F-16 — that fits comfortably with NATO technical standards and doctrine. The rugged Gripen is designed to take off and land from highways if airfields are knocked out and "has modern electric warfare capabilities and high readiness that can perform expeditionary operations — limiting Russia's ability to target aircraft on the ground," the essay said.Finland's F/A-18 Hornets — which used to be the US Navy's standard fighter — are already compatible with NATO air forces. But Finland will soon field an extraordinarily potent air force for a nation of less than 6 million people. It has ordered 64 American-made F-35 stealth fighters, the second-largest F-35 acquisition in Europe, after Britain's. This puts several squadrons of stealth fighters on Russia's northern border, with the potential to penetrate and suppress Russian air defenses, and hit vital targets.<div type="image" title="A Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Fighter Jet performs a fly-by near Rovaniemi, Finland, May 23, 2024." height="1334" width="2000" msid="110573923" hostid="261" sizebytes="54314"></div>Sweden and Finland also help NATO simply by the existing. They border Russia and are close to the Baltic States, the small countries likely under the greatest Russian threat. Sweden is also on the Baltic Sea, while Norway borders the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas."Geography matters," Cormarie and Hoehn wrote. "Both Finland's and Sweden's proximity allows NATO air forces to stage closer to the Baltics. This reduces logistical constraints and better enables the alliance to sustain air operations, while also increasing aircraft persistence."Sweden also possesses a defense-industrial base that can build sophisticated jets. With American and European defense firms struggling to meet surging demand, Sweden's additional manufacturing capacity is a significant boost to NATO's ability to replace losses. "Few other NATO nations have active production lines capable of producing modern fighter aircraft," the essay said."Of course, this industrial infrastructure is potentially vulnerable to Russian attack in the event of a conflict. But from a Russian perspective, that poses an enhanced dilemma, as commanders must select from a wider range of targets in any initial salvo."Cormarie and Hoehn contrast NATO's situation today with a 2016 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1200/RR1253/RAND_RR1253.pdf">RAND wargame</a> — before Sweden and Finland joined the alliance — that concluded Russia could conquer the Baltic States in less than three days. There are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-us-wargame-was-wrong-about-ukraines-chances-against-russia-2024-2">questions</a> about whether the game overestimated the Russian military in light of its poor performance in Ukraine. But the simulation did illustrate the difficulty that NATO would face in assembling enough troops and aircraft to defeat an invasion of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are NATO members.Sweden and Finland's NATO status complicates a Russian effort to conquer the Balitcs. "Finland's accession imposes a dilemma on Russian military planners, forcing them to consider balancing offensive plans in, say, Estonia while considering defensive operations to protect their own borders," Cormarie and Hoehn wrote. Similarly, Sweden's Gotland island — located almost midway in the Baltic, about 60 miles from the Swedish mainland and 80 miles from the Baltic States — provides NATO with an advanced outpost.Interestingly, Cormarie and Hoehn see the benefits of Swedish and Finnish airpower as helping to alleviate the strain on U.S. resources now split between the European and Pacific theaters. "The United States would not have to flow its own airpower capabilities — many of which are based back in the United States — into theater as quickly and enables it to deter aggression elsewhere in the world.""Less ambiguity in the Baltic region allows US air forces to commit some capability to deter adversaries from aggression in other theaters—like an opportunistic invasion of Taiwan," the essay said.The new northern European members also allow NATO to project more power into the Arctic, a region that has become increasingly coveted as melting polar icecaps uncover mineral riches and new shipping routes. "This might be an opportunity for NATO to be looking more into the Arctic," Cormarie told Business Insider. "Both Sweden and Finland have forces capable of sustaining the very harsh conditions and maintainers adapted to the weather. Their air forces are vital for this Nordic push, and will become very useful to further deter and defend the increasingly contested arctic space with Russia."Ultimately, Swedish and Finnish airpower give NATO a lot more flexibility to handle a variety of looming scenarios, from a Russian invasion of the Baltic states, to Western intervention in the Ukraine war, to NATO's biggest member — the United States — confronting China over Taiwan."In what matters the most in a coalition fighting a contingency, Finland plus Sweden bring together a lot of fighting capability," Cormarie said.Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.twitter.com/@mipeck1">Twitter</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mipeck/">LinkedIn</a>.

You Searched For "Air Force Day" and got 10 results

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

Lauren Frias

Miss America Madison Marsh says people just keep getting pageantry and the Air Force wrong

Lauren Frias

US Air Force wildly overpaid Boeing by almost 8,000% for C-17 aircraft bathroom soap dispensers, Pentagon watchdog finds

Chris Panella

The Air Force wants its recruits to one day carry real rifles at boot camp instead of practice M4 carbines, top NCO says

Matthew Loh

The US Air Force is going to mass airpower in the Western Pacific from all over the place to test its ability to get forces into a fight

Chris Panella

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

Chris Panella

Satellite images capture the broken aftermath of the Ukrainian air force strikes on key Russian bridges to back the Kursk invasion

Jake Epstein

Ukrainian air force video shows a Soviet-era fighter jet striking Russian bridges in Kursk with American-made glide bombs

Jake Epstein

Ukraine just dismissed the commander of its air force after losing an F-16 and a pilot in a battle against Russian missiles

Chris Panella

Why the Swedish and Finnish Air Forces are a powerful add to NATO

Michael Peck

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides