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Thailand to Buy 12 Swedish Gripen Fighters in Modernization Push

Thailand to Buy 12 Swedish Gripen Fighters in Modernization Push

Bloomberg3 days ago

The Royal Thai Air Force plans to acquire 12 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets as part of a broader plan to modernize its military.
The air force announced Wednesday it has chosen the Gripen E/F jets from maker Saab AB to replace its aging fleet of US-made F-16s, with the acquisition to occur over three phases in a 10-year period.

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Retired Navy admiral criticizes Hegseth over Harvey Milk ship renaming
Retired Navy admiral criticizes Hegseth over Harvey Milk ship renaming

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Retired Navy admiral criticizes Hegseth over Harvey Milk ship renaming

Retired Adm. James Stavridis said he doesn't agree with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to rename the USNS Harvey, removing the commemoration of gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Milk, a former service member, served as a political official in California and championed rights for the local LGBTQ community before he was assassinated. 'I am scratching my head about renaming the USS — USNS, to be accurate — Harvey Milk, because Harvey Milk was gay. We all know that. But today, gay sailors serve openly and with a great deal of pride in the U.S. military,' the former supreme allied commander of NATO said during a Friday episode of 'The Michael Smerconish Program.' He noted that past military leaders have been both gay and successful at accomplishing their mission while serving. 'I know many who are gay and are very competent war-fighting sailors. So when the secretary of Defense says, 'Hey, I'm renaming this in order to restore the warrior ethos,' I just don't get that at all,' Stavridis said. 'There have been gay soldiers in militaries going back centuries. I'm Greek American. Arguably the greatest general in history, Alexander the Great was gay and, oh, by the way, people serving at the highest level of the U.S. Cabinet today, like secretary of the Treasury, who I think is doing a pretty good job with a tough hand of cards, [Scott] Bessent, is openly gay.' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is the second openly gay man to serve in a Cabinet position. He hasn't commented on the Trump administration's efforts to remove aspects of gender identity from the military branch. Stavridis, however, said the potential ship renaming is uncanny, especially during a month established to celebrate gay rights. 'I don't get it on why we need to rename this ship this moment and also to do it during Pride Month. … I don't agree with it,' he said. Reports emerged Wednesday alleging that Hegseth has ordered the oil fleet to lose its name. However, officials have yet to make a public announcement confirming the move. 'Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD [Department of Defense] installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos,' chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Hill when asked about potential renaming. 'Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.' USNS Harvey Milk was a part of the John Lewis class of oil replenishment ships, which touts the names of other civil rights leaders including Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Harriet Tubman. Officials are also considering removing their names, according to reports from CBS. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Democrats unveil air safety bill after deadly crash
Democrats unveil air safety bill after deadly crash

The Hill

time5 hours ago

  • The Hill

Democrats unveil air safety bill after deadly crash

The Big Story Seven Democratic lawmakers unveiled legislation Thursday outlining updated air safety regulations after a deadly passenger plane collided with an Army helicopter in January. © Photo Credit The proposed bill would require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to do safety reviews after commercial airline accidents while requiring companies to use advanced aircraft-tracking technology known as ADS-B. Democratic Sens. Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Mark Warner (Va.) and Ed Markey (Mass.) introduced the Safe Operation of Shared Airspace Act of 2025 'to strengthen aviation safety at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), airports across the nation, and the Federal Aviation Administration,' according to a press release. Both President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have called for major reform for airlines after several deadly plane crashes at the beginning of the year. Complications continued in early May, as two commercial passenger jets landing at National Airport last week needed to shift course because of an Army helicopter taking a 'scenic route' near the airport. Duffy, in part, said incidents occurred due to a dwindling air traffic control staff, outdated communication technology and a lack of clear guidance on military flights. However, lawmakers say Thursday's legislation will help close the gap in aviation regulations. 'The DCA tragedy claimed 67 lives and exposed critical gaps in aviation safety oversight—over 15,000 near-misses should have been a glaring warning sign,' Cantwell said in the release. 'This legislation closes dangerous loopholes that allowed aircraft to operate without essential safety technology, mandates modern surveillance systems that enhance pilot awareness of nearby aircraft, and ensures the FAA finally acts on the data instead of ignoring it.' 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Over the weekend, an attack … On Tap Monday Events in and around the defense world: What We're Reading News we've flagged from other outlets: Trending Today Two key stories on The Hill right now: Supreme Court hands DOGE big wins in Social Security, records cases The Supreme Court on Friday handed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) two major victories in its expanding legal battle over drastic efforts … Read more 5 winners from the Trump-Musk breakup The vicious blowup between President Trump and Elon Musk has shaken up the power dynamics in Washington, D.C. As Musk burns his bridges to the White … Read more Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: You're all caught up. See you next week!

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