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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>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>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

Delhi continued to battle with air pollution for the 10th consecutive day post-Diwali as a dense layer of smog blanketed parts of the national capital on Sunday. Several parts of the national capital recorded very poor air quality levels on Sunday morning as per the data issued by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR-India). Today morning, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 351, Bawana 383, CRRI Mathura Road 323, Dwarka Sector 8 at 341, IGI Airport at 326, ITO 328, Lodhi Road 319, Mundka at 358, Najafgarh at 341, New Moti Bagh at 394, Okhla phase-2 at 339, RK Puram at 368, and Wazirpur at 366, as per SAFAR-India data. As of 5 pm on November 10, Delhi's AQI stood at 334, with Anand Vihar at 353, Dilshad Garden at 262, and Jahangirpuri at 377. For tomorrow, AQI in adjoining cities of Noida and Gurugram is forecasted to be at 208.92 and 77.51, respectively. Multiple visuals from Delhi's Kartavya Path showed the area surrounding India Gate engulfed by a layer of smog. The AQI in the area was recorded at 357 as of 7 am. High-rise buildings were also covered in smog in the Kalindi Kunj and surrounding locality, as the AQI was recorded as 323 in the area. An AQI is considered "poor" between '200 and 300', "very poor" at '301 and 400', "severe" at '401-450," and 450 and above is "severe plus." As the air pollution levels in the national capital reach "very poor," doctors say that even people with no history of respiratory diseases are suffering from breathing issues. Dr. Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant for Respiratory Critical Care at Apollo Hospital, told ANI that apart from the regular patients, those who haven't had any respiratory issues in the past are showing up with symptoms such as runny noses, sneezing, coughing, and having increasing difficulties breathing. As it is, respiratory illnesses in the national capital are estimated to have shot up by around 15-20%. The Apollo doctor further suggested that the government close the schools for children as they remain vulnerable. Whenever the pollution levels have gone beyond a certain limit, the government has opted to close the schools, Dr. Modi said. "For the last few years, we have been seeing that the government has taken action. Whenever this pollution level has gone beyond a certain limit, they have opted to close the schools. This is important because children are from a vulnerable group. As adults, we are masked and can protect ourselves better, but children usually are not that effectively taking these measures. Secondly, their lungs are still in developing stages, so they are bound to have more harm due to this pollution," the doctor told ANI. Siddharth Singhal, Head of Health Insurance, Policybazaar.com, notes that while most standard health plans in India cover pollution-related ailments, it is always advised to also go for an OPD plan along with a health insurance plan to cover consultations, medications, and diagnostic tests that may be required frequently due to pollution. "Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR and some other parts of India have shot up post Diwali. Effects of this are very evident in the form of sore throats and breathing problems, among others. This can also result in respiratory ailments and chronic conditions like asthma, bronchitis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), pneumonia, and severe cases of respiratory or bronchial obstruction. Health insurance becomes critical to cover such expenses. Most policies typically cover emergency hospitalization for respiratory issues like asthma or COPD exacerbations requiring ICU or critical care," he adds.

Layer of smog covers Delhi as air quality remains 'very poor'. Here's why you need an insurance cover for this

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

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

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's hyped air show kicked off with performances from its aerobatics team on Tuesday.</li><li>But the grand display was dampened by smog filling the skies over Zhuhai, Guangdong.</li></ul>China's biggest air exhibition opened on Tuesday to smoggy skies obscuring an intricate aerobatics performance meant to display the country's aircraft to the world.The Bayi aerobatics team, a People's Liberation Army Air Force team that flies J-10 fighters, took off just after 10 a.m. local time in Zhuhai, Guangdong, where the China Airshow 2024 is being held.But as crowds gathered on the tarmac to watch, low visibility made it difficult to make out the fighters and their colored smoke trails.At times, the J-10s' shapes could barely be seen as they tore through the murky skies. According to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/cn/zhuhai/58196/air-quality-index/58196#:~:text=48%20AQI,generally%20acceptable%20for%20most%20individuals.">Accuweather</a>, air quality in Zhuhai that morning was "poor" — which indicates a high level of pollution — as the city experienced higher levels of nitrogen dioxide.Poor weather continued to conceal aircraft flypasts an hour after the event opened, muddying displays from China's 150-foot-long YY-20 jet refueler and its Red Falcon team, which flies the Hongdu JL-8 fighter.In contrast, footage of rehearsals shows that the skies were far clearer in the days before the airshow proper, which runs from November 12 to 17.Attendees may get another chance to watch the aerobatics display under better conditions, with the flying teams scheduled to perform on each day of the conference.The national air show, the only one in the country supported by the central government, is meant to be a grand showcase of its latest aircraft, including the J-35A.The medium-sized stealth aircraft is a land-based version of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tested-next-gen-j-35-fighter-jet-aircraft-carrier-2024-9">J-35</a>, a fifth-generation fighter launched from aircraft carriers, and is largely seen as a rival to Lockheed Martin's F-35.In its first official public appearance, the J-35A flew briefly at the opening in Zhuhai, climbing into the hazy sky.Commercial craft like China's domestically produced <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comac-c919-chinese-commercial-jet-built-rival-boeing-and-airbus-2022-2">COMAC C919</a> airliner are also featured in the show.COMAC revealed at the event that it's rebranding its regional jet, the ARJ21, to the C909 in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/old-friend-new-look-chinas-comac-renames-regional-jet-c909-marketing-push-2024-11-12/">a marketing move</a> to increase name recognition among Western competitors like the Boeing 737.The smoggy opening also comes as China has sought to shed the reputation of its cities as being <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eerie-photos-of-air-pollution-in-china-2015-11">wracked by air pollution</a>. Over the last decade, China has pushed hard to curb coal burning in favor of green energy.Its "war on pollution" has reduced smog levels by 41% from 2013 to 2022, but the country still has far to go, said researchers from the University of Chicago in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/China-FactSheet_2024.pdf">report published in August.</a>"Despite tremendous progress over the past few years, 99.9% of China's 1.4 billion people still continue to live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guideline," the report said.The University of Chicago researchers estimated that in Guangdong, where the air show is being held, residents would gain 1.4 years in life expectancy if pollution levels there were aligned with WHO standards.

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