Latest news with #Barksdale
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
For B-21, Quantity Is Its Most Critical Quality Top Bomber Officer Says
For all the new capabilities the B-21 Raider will bring as an individual aircraft, the U.S. Air Force's top bomber officer says he is most excited about the sheer numbers of those aircraft that are set to enter service in the coming years. The Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities underscored how vital existing B-2 stealth bombers are to U.S. national security, but also the inherent limitations imposed by how few of them were ever built. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost touched on the B-21 and related topics during an online talk that the Air & Space Forces Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies hosted today. Armagost is the commander of the Eighth Air Force, to which the Air Force's current B-2, B-1, and B-52 bombers are all assigned, as well as the officer in charge of the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center (J-GSOC) at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. At present, the Air Force plans to acquire at least 100 B-21s, but senior U.S. military officials have been increasingly advocating for a fleet of 145 of the bombers. A single pre-production Raider is now in flight testing, with a second expected to join it soon. At least four other B-21s are in various stages of production, and a number of non-flying airframes are being used to support ongoing test work. The Raider is expected to eventually replace the Air Force's current fleet of 19 B-2 bombers, as well as its more than 40 remaining B-1s. 'So, the B 21, … it's in flight test now, it's a phenomenal capability,' Maj. Gen. Armagost said today. In 'the job prior to this … I was interacting with acquisition, RCO [the Air Force Rapid Capbilities Office], and Northrop Grumman in how we work together to drive the concepts, drive the requirements, drive the fielding and the manufacture, actually, of this airplane, so that it can become something different when we have it in numbers.' 'That's what I'm most excited about,' he continued. 'Sixth-generation stealth brings with it, it brings its own set of pretty amazing capabilities, but what I'm most excited about is the ability to build a campaign force.' In addition to its advanced broadband low-observable (stealthy) characteristics, the B-21 is expected to have an extremely long unrefueled range enabled by a highly efficient airframe optimized for high-altitude flight and advanced engines. This will notably impact the demand for aerial refueling tanker support during operations. As TWZ often points out, the B-21 will really be more than just a bomber with its extensive suite of networking, battle management, electronic warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The Raider could act as an aerial controller for uncrewed platforms in the future, too. The B-21 is smaller than the existing B-2, and will carry less ordnance per sortie as a result. The Raider is also not exquisite in all ways, with the design understood to be a balance between proven technology, as well as evolutionary and revolutionary developments, to create a capable platform that is affordable and sustainable. Keeping to schedule and cost targets has been a central focus of the program from the beginning. 'If we get our numerical force build-out correct, which is always going to be a thing we have to be concerned about, we can build a campaign tempo. We can build diversity of munitions and options for attack. We can build out a range of capabilities that not only hold one theater at risk in conflict, but can be a ready force available if there's … [other] things that are taking place around the globe,' he explained. 'I think it really does involve a diverse set of capabilities that are able to access contested or denied space together in different ways. And actually, the different ways piece is very important, and it requires adversaries to rethink their investments or be punished for the investments they have made, and how they try and deny airspace or deny our access to an airspace.' As part of this discussion, Armagost briefly highlighted the forthcoming F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter as another important component of that future 'campaign force.' The B-21 is itself just one part of a larger Long-Range Strike (LRS) family of systems, details about which remain heavily classified, as you can learn more about here. The best known other element of the LRS ecosystem is the still-in-development nuclear-armed and stealthy Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) cruise missile. Armagost also used Operation Midnight Hammer as a real-world metric for the scale and scope of future missions he is envisioning. 'We got a lot of attention, I would say, for seven [B-2] aircraft, 14 aviators, flying a global power mission for hours and hours, right? But what goes past that is that there were 125 aircraft involved in that [Operation Midnight Hammer]. There was a global push to really make that happen in a way that showed we can access in ways that are surprising and interesting,' he said. 'All of that tracks into that moment where that [deeply buried hardened targets like Iran's nuclear facilities] can be now held at risk with assurance, with real predictability. And so it does go beyond that kind of, that flash moment of 14 aviators and seven airplanes, in that case, back to the system that is built that makes that possible. It really does involve a system of systems, and we can't assume that that is going to be a given.' To reiterate, the Air Force has 19 B-2s, so seven of them represent just over a third of the entire fleet. That number also doesn't include the B-2s that flew out in the Pacific as part of an elaborate deception effort to support the operation against Iran, or spares set aside in case any of the bombers had to abort after launch. In general, the B-2 fleet is also notoriously maintenance-intensive, and not all of them are ever available for operational taskings at any one time. TWZ's Tyler Rogoway previously highlighted how almost the entire available B-2 force was committed to Operation Midnight Hammer. Nearly the entire available B-2 fleet was used in this gambit, if you factor in the decoys in the Pacific (were actually there?). A portion of the tiny fleet is down for maintenance or in depot at any given time, although they had time to ready what they could. One test jet etc. — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 22, 2025 During the talk today, Armagost further highlighted the small size of the B-2 fleet and acknowledged questions about the Air Force's current ability to execute missions like Midnight Hammer at any appreciable tempo, as well as the potential risks this raises, especially when it comes to nuclear deterrence. In addition to the unique conventional strike capability the B-2 offers, especially when paired with 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker busters, which were first employed operationally in the strikes on Iran, the bombers are a key component of America's nuclear arsenal. 'It's somewhat miraculous to me, actually, that we even have 19 B-2s at this point, because, you think about when that airplane was fielded, and in the [post-Cold War] 'peace dividend' that could have gone to zero very easily,' he said. 'The original plan was for 132 B-2s to ultimately replace the B-52. Clearly, that didn't happen, and the fact that we have 19 was again, somewhat of a minor miracle.' It should be noted here that the Air Force originally expected to buy 165 aircraft as part of the Advanced Technology Bomber (ATB) program, which led to the B-2, before that number shrank first to 132, and then down to just 21. The current fleet of 19 reflects the total loss of two of the bombers in separate mishaps in 2008 and 2022. 'My position as [head of] the numbered Air Force for bombers, right, is, I can never assume that any single strike is going to be enough,' Armagost continued. 'Many might imagine we would get to inhale a little bit on June 23 [after Operation Midnight Hammer], and that was not the case, right? We had to be ready for what was the next question to be asked, or what was the next problem to be confronted.' 'In this specific case, it resulted in a ceasefire about 30 hours after the strike,' he noted. 'You can't count on that, though.' In particular, sustaining B-2 combat operations in the Pacific during any future high-end fight with China would be very challenging. A much larger fleet of B-21s will allow for great overall flexibility, including for supporting a more persistent forward presence, if needed, as well as less predictability. Expected greater reliability and lower maintenance and sustainment demands will also help contribute to a higher operational tempo for the Raider. Speaking more broadly, and in the context of potentially being called upon to execute nuclear strikes, 'you have to be able to operate on the worst day that the world has ever seen, not even just our nation has ever seen, but the worst day the world has ever seen,' the Eighth Air Force Command explained. 'We have to be able to operate, because if we can't, then that calls into question our very ability to deter.' Armagost took this opportunity to also underscore his view of the importance of 'organic kill chains,' which is to say his command's ability to execute missions in a highly independent manner if required, especially due to any loss of connections with various critical networks. 'On the worst day ever, where there's been attacks in space or [an] electromagnetic pulse, where communications or GPS, for example, are denied, it is not optional for a nuclear-capable bomber to get to a target and hold it at risk. So you have to have, inherent to the systems on the airplane, the ability to know where you are, know kind of your status, and your ability to command and control and communicate,' he said. 'Any resilience you gain from the long-range kill chain or long-range nuclear command and control communications is a bonus, and it actually increases your ability to deter.' As it stands now, the Air Force's goal is for the B-21 to begin entering operational service before the end of the decade. Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota is set to be the first operational Raider base, with the new bombers replacing B-1s stationed there now. At least a portion of the pre-production B-21 test fleet could form part of this initial operational force. The operational B-2 fleet also includes a number of aircraft originally built as test jets. In the meantime, the Air Force's top office in charge of the service's bomber fleets is already eager to begin reaping the benefits that the Raider fleet will bring, including just by virtue of its overall size. Contact the author: joe@
Axios
6 days ago
- General
- Axios
Iowa State Fair trash cleanup is a $520,000 lift
From flattened Barksdale cookies to corndog sticks, trash cleanup is a complex, $520K operation at the Iowa State Fair. Why it matters: No one wants to step on a cheese curd — and a team of contracted workers and student volunteers helps avoid that. How it works: Starting at 7am daily, around 125 contracted workers fan the fairgrounds in utility carts to check and empty nearly 1,300 trash barrels, Frank Robey, chief mission officer at the fair, tells Axios. That trash heads to one of six compactors at the fairgrounds and ultimately goes to the Metro East landfill. The fair also recycles cardboard and aluminum cans and uses special compactors for them. When the fairgrounds close at midnight, around 75 people on the overnight crew use leaf blowers to push trash from the grass into the streets. Street sweepers pick it all up, and dumpsters head to the landfill in the early mornings, Robey says. Zoom in: This year, students from Southeast Polk will clean the grandstand after evening concerts, starting from the top of the stands and walking back and forth — throwing cups into trash and liquid into buckets. They'll get a $15,000 donation for 11 nights of work that will go to the wrestling team. By the numbers: Last year, 729 tons of garbage were hauled to the landfill — more than the 590 tons in 2021 when attendance was down. 166 tons of recyclables were collected last year — a jump from just 20 tons in 2021. And 1,055 tons of livestock bedding were composted, down from 1,750 tons in 2021. What they're saying: Serving food on a stick isn't just an easy way for people to walk and eat — it also reduces the packaging that fair officials have to consider, Robey says. Reality check: Some days, it's still too much — crews couldn't clean up fast enough during the fair's record-breaking attendance day last year, when 128,732 people came on a Saturday. The next day, visitors encountered an unusual sight: some overflowing trash cans. Yes, but: The one thing you likely won't see is stickers. Fair officials discourage stickers because people have a tendency to put them everywhere — sidewalks, benches and bathrooms.
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Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Pickup splits in two when accused street racer slams into it, AZ officials say
A street race between two 17-year-olds turned deadly when one of the cars struck a pickup, splitting it in two and killing the 32-year-old driver, Arizona officials said. Now four years later, the pair are 21 and heading to prison after pleading guilty to charges in connection with the May 2021 wreck in Avondale, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said in a June 9 news release. Jakari Barksdale and Emanuel Cervantez were each sentenced to seven years behind bars, prosecutors said. McClatchy News reached out to their attorneys June 9 and was awaiting responses. The street race was arranged in advance via text and was recorded, prosecutors said. Barksdale and Cervantez reached speeds of 100-plus mph, according to prosecutors. They 'were racing side by side when' Barksdale's BMW hit 'a Ford F-150 that was turning through the intersection,' prosecutors said. 'The impact split the truck in two,' instantly killing the 32-year-old man behind the wheel, according to prosecutors. His name wasn't provided. Cervantez narrowly missed the wreck and fled, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, while Barksdale pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault, prosecutors said. In the news release, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell called street racing 'a crime with deadly consequences.' 'This wasn't a tragic accident — it was the direct result of reckless choices and a complete disregard for human life,' she said. Avondale is about a 20-mile drive west from Phoenix.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Regal Resources Inc. Announces Revocation of Cease Trade Orders
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2025) - Regal Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Regal") is pleased to announce that it has been successful in its applications to the British Columbia Securities Commission ("BCSC") and the Ontario Securities Commission (the "Securities Regulators") to revoke the cease trade orders issued on December 11 and 30, 2015 respectively by the Securities Regulators (the "Cease Trade Orders"). The Company previously announced its intention to make application to revoke the Cease Trade Orders on December 23, 2024. The Cease Trade Orders were issued as a result of the Company's failure to file its audited annual financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis and other materials for the year ended July 31, 2015. The Company has filed its audited annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis and related certifications for the years ended July 31, 2024 and July 31, 2023 and its interim financial statements, management's discussion and analysis and related certifications for the quarter ended January 31, 2025, and has otherwise met its continuous disclosure obligations pursuant to securities laws (collectively, the "Disclosure Documents"). Accordingly, the revocation of the Cease Trade Orders has been granted by the Securities Regulators. The Disclosure Documents are available for review online under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ ( Corporate Activity The Company significantly reduced its business activities following the Cease Trade Orders. On January 25, 2016, the Company's shares were suspended from trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") as a result of the Company being in default of the CSE's requirements, and on April 25, 2016, the Company was delisted from the CSE. In August 2017, the Company entered into definitive agreements (the "Sunnyside Agreement") with Barksdale Resources Inc. (TSX-V: BRO) ("Barksdale") for Barksdale to acquire up to a 67.5% undivided interest in the Sunnyside Project in two stages, with Barksdale entitled to acquire an initial 51% interest in the Sunnyside Project upon making certain cash payments, issuing a number of Barksdale shares and incurring certain qualified expenditures during the first two years of the option, following receipt of all required governmental permits. Following acquisition of the initial 51% interest in the Sunnyside Project, Barksdale will have the option to increase its interest to 67.5% of the Sunnyside Project upon payment of additional cash and share consideration and the incurring of additional qualified property expenditures. Following signing of the Sunnyside Agreement, in 2018 Barksdale made cash payments to the Company in the aggregate amount of $750,000 and issued to the Company 1,250,000 common shares of Barksdale. In August 2020, the Company held its annual general meeting, at which a change of management and board occurred. Greg Thomas, the chief executive officer and president and a director of the Company did not stand for re-election at the meeting. Matthew Sauder, Martin Carsky, Derek Daly, Tony Louie, and Drew Brass were elected as directors, and following the meeting Matthew Sauder was appointed as chair of the board, president and chief executive officer and Derek Daly was appointed as chief financial officer. In May 2021, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with Barksdale providing for Barksdale to indirectly acquire 100% of the Sunnyside Project. The transaction required approval from 2/3 of the Regal shareholders to move forward. At a special general meeting called to consider the sale in July 2021, the required 2/3 shareholder approval was not obtained and the transaction was subsequently terminated. On October 1, 2021, Matthew Sauder, Martin Carsky, and Derek Daly resigned from the Company's board and as officers of the Company. On October 4, 2021, Barksdale, as assignee of various debt owed by the Company, delivered a notice of intention to enforce security pursuant to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) and on October 14, 2021, the Company entered creditor protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada). In January 2022, Greg Thomas, the former chief executive officer and president of the Company from 2010 to 2020, was reappointed as chief executive officer, president and a director of the Company. In January 2022, the Company applied to the BCSC and obtained a partial revocation of the CTO in British Columbia to permit it to complete a private placement financing (the "Debenture Financing") under which it raised $2,885,000 through the issuance of secured convertible debentures (the "Debentures") to four investors in British Columbia and Yukon. The Debentures bear interest at 12% per annum and are convertible into units at a conversion price of $0.10 per unit. Each unit will be comprised of one common share and one-half share purchase warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable to acquire one common share for $0.20 for a period of two years from the date of issuance. Using the proceeds from the Debentures and other funds, the Company repaid a total of $3,048,504 to various secured and unsecured creditors and was able to exit creditor protection. In Q1 of 2023, pursuant to a second partial revocation of the CTO in British Columbia granted by the BCSC the Company raised a total of $350,000 from the sale of $0.10 units of its securities to investors in British Columbia and Colorado USA. Each unit was comprised of one common share and one half share purchase warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable to acquire one common share for $0.20 for a period of two years from the date of issuance. All the warrants expired unexercised in Q1 2025. In September 2023 Barksdale received its last regulatory approval to commence exploration at the Sunnyside Property and in September 2024, pursuant to the Sunnyside Agreement, Barksdale fulfilled year 1 of its earn-in to the Sunnyside Project by completing C$3,000,000 in qualified exploration expenses, making a net payment of C$717,071, and issuing 3,850,000 Barksdale shares to the Company. In February 2025 the Company's trustee in bankruptcy filed its final report to the bankruptcy court and the final order discharging the trustee was received on April 30, 2025. Following the revocations of the CTOs, the Company will prepare for the expected vesting of Barksdale's 51% interest in the Sunnyside Project in September 2025. Assuming it completes its 51% earn in, Barksdale will have 120 days to elect to increase its interest to 67.5% in consideration for making an additional cash payment of $550,000, issuing an additional 4,900,000 Barksdale shares, and incurring an additional $6,000,000 in qualified expenditures, including 25,000 feet of drilling within the following two years. Once the joint venture commences with Barksdale at either 51% or 67.5%, Regal will hold two seats of a four person management committee that will oversee work programs to advance the Sunnyside Project. Regal will evaluate several financing options in order to participate fully in upcoming exploration programs to maintain its 49% or 32.5% interest, as the case may be. About Regal Resources Inc. Regal Resources is a junior mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, British Columbia whose sole mineral project is its interest in the Sunnyside Project near Nogales, Arizona. Regal Resources is a reporting issuer in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Greg ThomasChief Executive Officer For further information contact: Regal Resources (604) 512-6041Email: info@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Boston Celtics jersey history No. 17 - Don Barksdale (1953-55)
Boston Celtics jersey history No. 17 - Don Barksdale (1953-55) The Boston Celtics have had players suiting up in a total of 68 different jersey numbers (and have three others not part of any numerical series) since their founding at the dawn of the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- the league that would become today's NBA), worn by well over 500 players in the course of Celtics history. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Celtics Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. With 25 of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Celtics to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover. And for today's article, we will continue with the ninth of 11 people to wear the No. 17 jersey, Boston Hall of Fame forward alum Don Barksdale. After ending his college career at UCLA, Barksdale would go unselected in the 1947 BAA draft. The Oakland, California native would instead sign with the (defunct) Baltimore Bullets in 1951 after a few seasons in other domestic leagues, and play the first two seasons of his pro career with the team before he was dealt to Boston in 1953. His stay with the team would span another two seasons, the last of his NBA career. During his time suiting up for the Celtics, Barksdale wore only jersey No. 17 and put up 9.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
