Latest news with #F-35
Axios
33 minutes ago
- Business
- Axios
Navy nominee wants futuristic fighter despite White House doubts
The U.S. Navy needs sixth-generation fighter jets to remain relevant and avoid retrofitting and buying additional older aircraft, like the F-35, according to President Trump's pick to be chief of naval operations. Why it matters: Trump's fiscal 2026 budget blueprint iced such a warplane, the F/A-XX, in favor of the Air Force counterpart, the F-47. This looks like a split between the White House and a top nominee, Adm. Daryl Caudle, over a multibillion-dollar endeavor. What they're saying: "Nothing in the joint force projects combat power from the sea as a carrier strike group, which at the heart has a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN)," Caudle told Congress in written testimony last week. "To maintain this striking power, the CVN must have an air wing that is comprised of the most advanced strike fighters." Catch up quick: F/A-XX has been in the works for years, most recently pitting Boeing and Northrop Grumman against each other for the lucrative contract. The secretive aircraft is said to be stealthy and capable of interfacing with robo-wingmen. It's meant to succeed the Super Hornet, recently deployed against Houthi harassment in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Without a proper replacement, Caudle told lawmakers, the Navy will have to lean on existing technologies in an "attempt to compete with the new 6th generation aircraft that the threat is already flying." Friction point: The White House is adamant U.S. industry can't handle F/A-XX and F-47 (also led by Boeing) simultaneously.
News18
4 hours ago
- Business
- News18
Trump's Theatre Of Lies: India's Opposition Falls For Master Manipulator's Claims
The tragedy lies not in Trump's predictable dishonesty—that is simply his established modus operandi—but in India's Opposition choosing to legitimise these fabrications It is part of Donald Trump's personality to make seemingly insane remarks that defy logic and truth. Trump is no stranger to lies and outright falsities—he has spread these on umpteen occasions throughout his public life. The Washington Post documented over 10,000 false or misleading statements during his previous presidency. What is truly surprising, however, is India's opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, taking all of Donald Trump's claims at face value. Trump has claimed 29 times now that he stopped the India-Pakistan flare-up using trade as a leverage. India has categorically denied any such mediation from the US. Yet, the Congress ecosystem has decided to go by the words of a 'gora' president instead of their own prime minister and government. The pattern of Trump's dishonesty is well-documented. From inflating statistics on immigration and crime to exaggerating crowd sizes and misrepresenting trade policies, Trump's relationship with truth has always been transactional. His approach to foreign policy follows the same playbook—make outrageous claims, dominate the news cycle and use the resulting chaos as leverage for his broader objectives. The Defence Sales Gambit As far as Trump is concerned, his rants pertaining to India are driven by a clear desire to coerce New Delhi into buying high-end American weaponry. The timing of his claims coincides perfectly with ongoing discussions about India's fifth-generation fighter jet requirements. While Russia has offered its Su-57 stealth fighter for local production in India, the United States has been pushing its F-35 as an alternative. However, for India, the economic equation matters as much as the strategic one. After all, the F35 are dramatically more expensive than the Su-57 and operate best only under a NATO-grade system of systems. By amplifying drama around India-Pakistan tensions and claiming credit for de-escalation, Trump is signaling that India's decision to buy Russian systems over pricier American platforms will be met with tangible consequences. This coercive approach is reinforced by Senator Lindsey Graham's stark warnings that continued defence or energy deals with Russia could trigger severe economic repercussions for India. Graham has threatened 100 per cent tariffs on oil imports from Russia and proposed legislation enabling up to 500 per cent tariffs on countries helping Russia, directly targeting India's significant energy imports from Moscow. Negotiating Through Exaggeration This theatre of lies is also part of Trump's broader negotiating tactic, especially as trade talks between both countries are ongoing. Trump's negotiation style relies heavily on 'truthful hyperbole"—a strategy he outlined in 'The Art of the Deal'. His approach follows a predictable pattern: start with extreme positions, create disruption and chaos, normalise the absurd through repetition, and then pull negotiations toward his anchor point. Trump's repeated claims about mediating the India-Pakistan conflict serve multiple purposes in this framework. First, they establish him as an indispensable broker, positioning America as the ultimate arbiter of 'South Asian" security. Second, they create artificial leverage in trade negotiations by suggesting that India's security depends on American goodwill. The Trump administration has formally told a US federal court that trade access was used as an incentive to 'avert a full-scale war" between India and Pakistan, demonstrating how these claims are being institutionalised to justify broader trade policies. The strategy is part of Trump's overarching belief that 'leverage is everything". By threatening withdrawal from trade agreements, imposing unilateral import restrictions and creating artificial crises, Trump seeks to reshape global trade dynamics in America's favour. Trump's false claims about India-Pakistan mediation also serve his domestic political needs. After all, he promised to end the wars between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Hamas, as soon as he took office for his second term. Yet, he has spectacularly failed to deliver on these grandiose promises. More than 100 days into his presidency, both conflicts have not only continued but escalated. Israel launched a new war against Iran in June 2025, while Russia has stepped up its assault on Ukraine. The Gaza ceasefire that Trump claimed credit for collapsed within weeks. In this context, his fabricated claims about mediating India-Pakistan tensions serve as a substitute success story. By repeatedly asserting that he prevented a nuclear conflict in the Indian Subcontinent, Trump attempts to maintain his image as a global peacemaker despite his stark failures elsewhere. The claims allow him to project strength and dealmaking prowess to his domestic audience. India's Categorical Rejection India's response to Trump's claims has been unequivocal and consistent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally told Trump in a phone conversation that 'India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never do so in the future". On the floor of the Lok Sabha, PM Modi debunked Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire, saying no world leader asked India to stop. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has repeatedly clarified that no trade discussions occurred during the May conflict and that the ceasefire was achieved through direct military-to-military communication between India and Pakistan. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasised that 'there was no conversation between PM Modi and Trump between April 22 and June 17", directly contradicting Trump's timeline of events. Despite this clear position, the Congress party has chosen to give credence to Trump's fabrications rather than their own government's statements. This suggests a troubling willingness to accept foreign assertions over domestic clarifications, particularly when those assertions come from a leader with a well-documented history of dishonesty. It also represents a fundamental misunderstanding of Trump's modus operandi. His claims are not factual statements to be verified but strategic tools designed to create pressure and extract concessions. By treating Trump's lies as credible enough to warrant investigation, the Opposition is helping legitimise his tactics and providing him with the domestic Indian controversy he needs to maintain pressure on the Modi government. The Congress' stance becomes even more problematic when viewed against Trump's broader pattern of coercion. His administration's threats of economic consequences for countries maintaining ties with Russia are clearly designed to pressure India into aligning more closely with American strategic interests. By amplifying Trump's claims through parliamentary debates and public statements, the Opposition risks playing into a narrative that portrays India as dependent on American mediation for regional stability. top videos View all Trump's theatre of lies regarding India-Pakistan mediation reveals the intersection of his domestic political needs, strategic arms sales objectives, and signature negotiating tactics. His repeated false claims serve multiple purposes: maintaining his peacemaker image despite foreign policy failures, pressuring India toward American defence purchases, and creating artificial leverage in trade negotiations. The tragedy lies not in Trump's predictable dishonesty—that is simply his established modus operandi—but in India's Opposition choosing to legitimise these fabrications through their misplaced outrage. In doing so, they risk undermining India's sovereignty and playing directly into the hands of a master manipulator who views truth as just another negotiating chip. About the Author Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra is a producer and video journalist at Network18. He is enthusiastic about and writes on both national affairs as well as geopolitics. tags : Congresss donald trump Rahul Gandhi Straight Talk United states view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 30, 2025, 12:34 IST News opinion Straight Talk | Trump's Theatre Of Lies: India's Opposition Falls For Master Manipulator's Claims Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
5 hours ago
- Science
- India.com
Much powerful than BrahMos..., better than Rafale, Sukhoi, F-35, this missile has left everyone in shock, developed by China, name is..., can hit...
Much powerful than BrahMos..., better than Rafale, Sukhoi, F-35, this missile has left everyone in shock, developed by China, name is..., can hit... During Operation Sindoor, the wreath and havoc caused by the BrahMos Missile system set a standard among the world and presented India as the superpower it is. The amount of damage it caused can still be seen in parts of Pakistan. But, there is a new missile system, in front of which BrahMos is nothing more than a child! This new missile system holds the power to badly disturb the military balance in the world. What is this new missile system? Scientists in China have made a very dangerous missile, and if what they claim is true, this could be something that can change the face of the world. According to a report by the South China Post, China has tested the Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile – an air to air missile with a range of 1,000 km. What's Special in this? A lot of countries do have this missile system but this one is different. This missile can travel at an astonishing speed on 5 mach, which is around 6112 km per hour. And the biggest ability it has is that it can hit the world's most modern jets like the F-35, F-22 Raptor, B-21 Raider from a distance of around 1,000 km. That means it can easily destroy fifth of 5+ generation fighter jets. In a likewise situation, one can image how effective it would be against fourth of 4.5 generation fighter aircrafts like the Rafale and Sukhoi. Report says Chins is planning to deploy this weapon in potential conflict areas, like the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, as it is considered one of the most advanced weapons in the world How is this missile so important? The BVR technology is not new, but making a missile with this technology, and having such a long range is still a big challenge for the top scientists and military engineers of the world. Currently, Russia and America also have these missile systems, the R-37M and the AIM-174B respectively. The range of these missiles is around 350-400km. India also has its own BVR missile system, the Astra MK-3 BVR System, and is trying to extend the range of it to 350-400 km. If the Chinese claims are true, then it can change the face of the world, and disturb the power balance in the entire region. How dangerous is this missile system? As far as the capability is concerned, it will render the most advanced defence system currently, the 5th generation fighter jets, completely useless, and would eliminate the usefulness of AWACS and AEW&C aircraft. All these systems can be destroyed by this missile system before they attack the enemy. Is there any danger for India? With China developing this new system, the defence strategies and combat air patrol ranges of countries like India, Japan, Taiwan and America can be badly affected. This arises a challenge for India to increase its BVR missile capacity range. The country has already succeeded in making Astra-1 and Astra-2, but we are still working in the hypersonic MK-3. DRDO and ISRO are working together on this. Work in the Astra series started in the year 2000. But, progress is quite slow. Currently, there is only MK-1 BVR missile, whose range is only 80-110 km. Military experts have pointed out quite a few flaws in it as well. Though, in 2022, the Ministry of Defence approved purchase of these missiles for the Air Force, for about Rs 3000 crore. These have been installed in some Sukhoi-30 MKI jets. The AK-2 series is almost on the verge of completion. Attempts of removing shortcomings in this have also been made. What about the BVR technology? This is the most advanced technology present today, and provides with the ability to attack beyond one's range of vision, hence the name. An air force pilot can normally see with their naked eye for around 37km, and can target enemy planes from this distance. The BVR technology is equipped with advanced radars, sensors and a lot of advanced navigation systems. It can destroy long range targets that are not even visible. It can search for the targets on its own, and are equipped with the fire and forget capability. India's Astra missile is based on this system.
Middle East Eye
14 hours ago
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Canada never stopped arming Israel despite pledge to halt new permits, report says
The Canadian government misled the public when it said it was pausing all new weapons export permits to Israel last year, a new report published on Tuesday says. Commercially available data has shown shipments not only continued but were actually fast-tracked - and sometimes via indirect routes such as through the US. The findings, compiled by an all-volunteer team from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and the groups World Beyond War and Arms Embargo Now, point to efforts by Ottawa to placate an electorate that has expressed growing dissatisfaction with how the Liberal Party has responded to Israel's war on Gaza - but without actually reversing its policy of unconditional support for Israel, as it publicly pledged. "Shipments of arms to Israel were allowed to proceed under hundreds of previously approved permits. This communications ploy allowed Canadian companies to continue to profit from Israel's genocide while the Federal government misled Canadians into believing they were no longer arming the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza," the authors wrote in the report. The 58-page document entitled "Exposing Canadian Military Exports to Israel" cites more than 390 shipments from 21 Canadian manufacturers in six cities that included more than 420,000 bullets, 735 cartridge parts (ammunition sets for firearms), F-35 jet parts such as navigation sensors, radar systems, and dual-use items like GPS antennas. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The deadliest weapons and military support systems came from General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Stelia Aerospace North America, and Pratt & Whitney, among others, which delivered support systems such as surveillance and tracking technology, as well as landing gear for aircraft. The authors say they used two complementary methodologies for the first time to track Canadian arms exports: commercial shipping data crosschecked with Israeli Tax Authority import data from October 2023 to May 2025. "[The report] exposes a vastly different reality than government claims: a continuous, massive pipeline of Canadian weapons flowing directly to Israel," the authors said. Canada's Mark Carney derided online for vision of 'Zionist Palestinian state' Read More » "By continuing to send arms transfers to Israel, Canada is violating both domestic law and its commitments under international law," they continued. Middle East Eye reached out to Global Affairs Canada, the foreign ministry, but was not given a response by the time of publication. Israel has killed over 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. And since March, it has imposed a crippling siege on the enclave that has led to a declaration of famine by the world's top food and aid bodies. "Canada must urgently impose a full two-way arms embargo on Israel. This requires canceling all active arms export permits, closing loopholes for US transfers, banning surveillance and dual-use technology, and canceling all contracts and planned purchases of military goods from Israel," the report urged. The F-35 programme A key finding in the report is that parts made in Canada by three main companies routinely make up at least $2.1m of every F-35 fighter jet - the most sophisticated and highly sought-after fifth-generation fighter jet, designed in the US by Lockheed Martin. Beyond its Nato and G7 partners and Australia, no other country in the world has access to these stealth aircraft except Israel. "Canadian components, we've known for a long time, are critical in constructing the F-35," Yara Shoufani, a PYM organiser, told MEE. The three named manufacturers in Canada are Stelia, which makes composite panels and precision structural parts for the jets; CMC, which makes Doppler Velocity Sensors for target precision; and Nexeya, which supplies Modular Product Testers to ensure jets are combat-ready, the report showed. Almost all these parts ended up at Elbit Systems. 'Elbit, as a weapons manufacturer, has really come to be seen across the world as synonymous with genocide' - Yara Shoufani, Palestinian Youth Movement "This is really concerning when you think about the fact that Elbit, as a weapons manufacturer, has really come to be seen across the world as synonymous with genocide," Shoufani said. "For the Canadian government to be allowing for these manufacturers based in Canada to be sending weapon components to Israel's largest weapon manufacturer is something that should really raise alarms." On 13 July 2024, Israel deployed an F-35 fighter jet to drop three 2,000-pound bombs on al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, an area of southern Gaza it had explicitly designated a 'safe zone'. At least 90 Palestinians were killed, and another 300 were wounded in the attack. The report cited the bombing as an example of the damage only this particular fighter jet is capable of doing. While the F-35's "ongoing operability relies on a complex international supply chain," the report said, "the F-35 cannot conduct air strikes without Canadian parts". How do the weapons get to Israel? Canadian weapons exports were traced by the authors to major Israeli firms such as Elta Systems and Snunit Aviation, in addition to the main recipient, Elbit Systems. The Canadian minister of foreign affairs is ultimately responsible for signing off on the export permits to any foreign entity, and they are typically valid for at least two to three years from the date of approval, the report showed. The authors of the report wrote that the flow of military goods between Canada and Israel operates in two ways: direct commercial exports from Canadian companies to Israel, and indirect exports where Canadian arms are shipped to Israel through transfers via the United States. The latter allows Canada to exploit a loophole that exempts it from its permitting requirements, which stipulate that no military support can be provided to countries potentially involved in war crimes. Palestine Action 'shut down' Elbit Systems HQ and subcontractor Read More » Shoufani added that out of the 100 direct shipments that they were able to identify, there were 67 times where military cargo was loaded onto passenger planes. "So here we're talking about major airlines like Lufthansa, Air France, Air Canada, Air Transat, where essentially components are being loaded onto planes that have passengers headed to holiday destinations," Shoufani said. Among the airlines involved in carrying Canadian-made weapons and support parts to Israel since 7 October 2023 is Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi. The report identified at least four such flights by Etihad. Canada also imports Israeli military technology and hardware, the report pointed out, including weapons that have been deployed against Palestinians and are in turn marketed to the government of Canada as 'battle-tested' and 'combat-proven". A survey commissioned by the National Council of Canadian Muslims in March, a year and a half into the war on Gaza that scholars and human rights groups have now termed a genocide, showed that 55 percent of respondents want to see arms transfers to Israel suspended. There was a similar amount of support for backing the International Criminal Court and arresting officials with outstanding warrants if they come to Canada, namely Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Defense Earnings Highlight Peril, Payoff of Contracting
These should be the best of times for defense contractors. Last month, NATO members agreed to boost their defense spending target to 5% of GDP by 2035, potentially unleashing hundreds of billions of public-sector dollars into the coffers of military contractors. And earlier this month, President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill handed the Pentagon a record $1 trillion budget for 2026, a 17% year-over-year increase. But the reality for military suppliers is far more complex. A slew of quarterly reports released last week showed that, even with analysts flashing buy recommendations, all it takes is an overrun on one top-secret program to turn an earnings release into a not-so-secret disappointment. READ ALSO: Trump's 'Biggest Deal Ever' With EU Prompts Yawn From Wall Street and Can Tesla and Samsung Find Salvation in Each Other? The Defense Dilemma Like every other industry, the defense sector has been hindered by inflation in recent years. The distinct disadvantage for contractors is the long-term nature of many of their sales, which were negotiated years ago at lower prices and involve deliveries over extensive periods of time. With no easy fix (you can't shrinkflate an F-35), the Aerospace Industries Association warned last year that defense firms were acting as an inflation 'shock absorber' for the Pentagon, which could ultimately make them less inclined to take on risk. The potential perils of this stress were on full display when America's largest government contractor reported second-quarter performance: Lockheed Martin surprised investors by disclosing $1.6 billion in unexpected charges, most of them ($950 million) related to a classified program with a fixed-price contract signed in 2018. The firm's income fell 80% year over year, from $1.6 billion to $342 million. Lockheed also hacked $1.5 billion off its 2025 operating profit estimate, bringing its forecast down to $6.6 billion, and saw its shares lose 8% through the week. Lockheed was caught in the crosshairs last month when the Pentagon cut an order for F-35s in half, weeks after Boeing won an upset bid over the contractor to replace its F-22 planes. RBC analysts said in a note that Lockheed will need to grow revenue 6.7% in the second half of the year or 'elevated compared to peers' to meet its newly downgraded forecast. About Those Peers: Inflation and price pressures aside, other defense contractors rounded out a solid week. Northrop Grumman raised its annual earnings guidance, citing its Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program, which the Pentagon is pouring more money into alongside B-21 stealth bombers. L3Harris, which manufactures rocket motors for Javelin missile systems, beat Wall Street expectations with $5.4 billion in sales. CEO Christopher Kubasik hailed a 'clear inflection point, with our strongest top-line growth in six quarters.' This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive delivering razor sharp analysis and perspective on all things finance, economics, and markets, subscribe to our free The Daily Upside newsletter. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
