Latest news with #Freeland
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Move over, Black Hawk: Army unveils the MV-75, tiltrotor aircraft to replace iconic assault chopper
The U.S. Army is preparing to retire its iconic Black Hawk helicopters — the workhorses of its air assault fleet for nearly five decades — in favor of a faster, more versatile aircraft built for the challenges of 21st-century warfare. Bell Aircraft's V-280 Valor, a cutting-edge tiltrotor aircraft, has been selected to begin phasing out the Black Hawk by the 2030s. Once fully deployed, it will be designated the MV-75, though a common nickname has yet to emerge. The Valor combines the vertical lift capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing airplane, cruising at 320 mph — nearly double the Black Hawk's top speed of 175 mph. This hybrid design, enabled by tiltrotor technology, allows the MV-75 to hover, land vertically in tight spaces, and then shift into high-speed horizontal flight. It's tailor-made for operations in the Indo-Pacific region, where U.S. forces must be able to travel long distances over the ocean and conduct rapid insertions into constrained environments, such as jungle clearings or island terrain without runways. Fox News Digital recently took a tour of Bell's Advanced Vertical Lift Center in Crystal City, Virginia. Billions Spent, Warfighters Wait: Inside The Pentagon's Broken Buying System And The Plan To Fix It "The Army recognized that the battlefield has changed," Rob Freeland, Bell's director of government relations and public affairs, said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "The enemy now has long-range fires, advanced sensors, and robust networks. You have to move faster and strike before they do." Read On The Fox News App Speed and range are at the heart of this transformation. As Freeland put it: "If you can move at twice the speed and range of your adversary, you can change the outcome before they can react." The MV-75 is designed to carry up to 14 troops and haul payloads of 10,000 pounds, making it ideal for rapid troop deployments, heavy resupply and surprise assault missions. It will also feature autonomous and semi-autonomous capabilities, a leap forward in reducing pilot workload and enabling future unmanned operations. The V-280 Valor beat out a proposed joint Sikorsky-Boeing compound helicopter platform dubbed the SB-1 Defiant-X in 2019 for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The Army has contracted Texas-based aerospace company Bell to build six prototypes, conduct the first test flight by 2026 and begin full-scale production by 2028, with delivery targeted for 2030. However, leadership has expressed interest in accelerating that schedule under the Army Transformation Initiative. "We're not waiting for a distant out-year to make this thing real," said Gen. James Mingus, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, speaking at the Mission Solutions Summit earlier this month. "We are driving to get this aircraft online years ahead of schedule." Hegseth Orders Sweeping Army Overhaul And Consolidation Aimed At Countering China And Golden Dome Capabilities The "MV" designation reflects the aircraft's multi-mission and vertical takeoff capabilities. It's built for a broad range of missions, including air assault, maritime interdiction, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), combat search and rescue, and tactical resupply. The first unit to receive the MV-75 will be the 101st Airborne Division, the Army's elite air assault force. One of the Army's priorities in selecting a replacement was reliability. After years of dealing with aging helicopters requiring frequent maintenance, the Army is demanding aircraft that can stay in the fight with minimal downtime. "Because it's inherently reliable, you don't need a mountain of gear next to you just to keep the aircraft flying," said Freeland. The MV-75 program is part of a broader Pentagon push to modernize U.S. military capabilities in an era defined by strategic competition with China. Since entering service in the late 1970s, the UH-60 Black Hawk has been the backbone of Army aviation. It has flown in nearly every major U.S. military operation over the past 40 years, from evacuating wounded troops in Grenada and Panama, to supporting combat and logistics missions in Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The Black Hawk was infamously involved in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, and became a household name through its depiction in the 1999 book and 2001 movie "Black Hawk Down." Its versatility, durability and ability to perform under fire made it a symbol of American air power — but after decades of use, its replacement will need to adapt to the evolving article source: Move over, Black Hawk: Army unveils the MV-75, tiltrotor aircraft to replace iconic assault chopper
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Move over, Black Hawk: Army unveils the MV-75, tiltrotor aircraft to replace iconic assault chopper
The U.S. Army is preparing to retire its iconic Black Hawk helicopters — the workhorses of its air assault fleet for nearly five decades — in favor of a faster, more versatile aircraft built for the challenges of 21st-century warfare. Bell Aircraft's V-280 Valor, a cutting-edge tiltrotor aircraft, has been selected to begin phasing out the Black Hawk by the 2030s. Once fully deployed, it will be designated the MV-75, though a common nickname has yet to emerge. The Valor combines the vertical lift capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing airplane, cruising at 320 mph — nearly double the Black Hawk's top speed of 175 mph. This hybrid design, enabled by tiltrotor technology, allows the MV-75 to hover, land vertically in tight spaces, and then shift into high-speed horizontal flight. It's tailor-made for operations in the Indo-Pacific region, where U.S. forces must be able to travel long distances over the ocean and conduct rapid insertions into constrained environments, such as jungle clearings or island terrain without runways. Fox News Digital recently took a tour of Bell's Advanced Vertical Lift Center in Crystal City, Virginia. "The Army recognized that the battlefield has changed," Rob Freeland, Bell's director of government relations and public affairs, said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "The enemy now has long-range fires, advanced sensors, and robust networks. You have to move faster and strike before they do." Speed and range are at the heart of this transformation. As Freeland put it: "If you can move at twice the speed and range of your adversary, you can change the outcome before they can react." The MV-75 is designed to carry up to 14 troops and haul payloads of 10,000 pounds, making it ideal for rapid troop deployments, heavy resupply and surprise assault missions. It will also feature autonomous and semi-autonomous capabilities, a leap forward in reducing pilot workload and enabling future unmanned operations. The V-280 Valor beat out a proposed joint Sikorsky-Boeing compound helicopter platform dubbed the SB-1 Defiant-X in 2019 for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The Army has contracted Texas-based aerospace company Bell to build six prototypes, conduct the first test flight by 2026 and begin full-scale production by 2028, with delivery targeted for 2030. However, leadership has expressed interest in accelerating that schedule under the Army Transformation Initiative. "We're not waiting for a distant out-year to make this thing real," said Gen. James Mingus, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, speaking at the Mission Solutions Summit earlier this month. "We are driving to get this aircraft online years ahead of schedule." The "MV" designation reflects the aircraft's multi-mission and vertical takeoff capabilities. It's built for a broad range of missions, including air assault, maritime interdiction, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), combat search and rescue, and tactical resupply. The first unit to receive the MV-75 will be the 101st Airborne Division, the Army's elite air assault force. One of the Army's priorities in selecting a replacement was reliability. After years of dealing with aging helicopters requiring frequent maintenance, the Army is demanding aircraft that can stay in the fight with minimal downtime. "Because it's inherently reliable, you don't need a mountain of gear next to you just to keep the aircraft flying," said Freeland. The MV-75 program is part of a broader Pentagon push to modernize U.S. military capabilities in an era defined by strategic competition with China. Since entering service in the late 1970s, the UH-60 Black Hawk has been the backbone of Army aviation. It has flown in nearly every major U.S. military operation over the past 40 years, from evacuating wounded troops in Grenada and Panama, to supporting combat and logistics missions in Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The Black Hawk was infamously involved in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, and became a household name through its depiction in the 1999 book and 2001 movie "Black Hawk Down." Its versatility, durability and ability to perform under fire made it a symbol of American air power — but after decades of use, its replacement will need to adapt to the evolving battlefield.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Waco Library Launches Mayor's Summer Reading Challenge
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) — The Waco-McLennan County Library has kicked off its annual Mayor's Summer Reading Challenge, with registration now open at all library locations and online. The program, which runs from June 1 through July 31, invites readers of all ages to log their reading daily, earn prizes, and stay engaged with books and stories throughout the summer. Participants can sign up and track their progress using the Beanstack app. 'We basically manage our reading apps, our reading challenges through the app Beanstack. If you check out our website, you'll find a link to it,' said Sarah Freeland, Assistant Director for the Waco-McLennan County Library. 'It's really simple. It's free to download and it makes it very easy, particularly for families to log the reading for everyone in their household.' According to Freeland, the Waco Library archives have writing about reading challenge programs dating back to 1915. However, this year is the Mayor's Summer Reading Challenge. Freeland said participants can log any reading material—whether it's a book, a news article, or anything in between—through the Beanstack app. Prizes include bookmarks and Hawaiian Falls water park passes for children, as well as coffee mugs and free laser tag games at Main Event for teens and adults. For more information or to register, you can click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Montreal Gazette
4 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: Reform Act snub bad for Liberals — and for democracy
Op Eds At a caucus meeting on Sunday afternoon, the Liberal Party of Canada opted not to adopt the Reform Act. Brought in as an amendment to the Parliament of Canada Act in 2014, the Reform Act allows MPs in a parliamentary group that hold official party status (holding 12 or more seats) to vote on a series of measures at the beginning of a parliamentary session regarding internal caucus management. If adopted, the measures last the duration of the session. The most notable of the measures involves the power to initiate a leadership review. The Conservative caucus used this part of the act to remove then-leader Erin O'Toole in 2022. Given the tumult that rocked the Liberals in the closing period of Justin Trudeau's reign, the party's decision not to adopt this provision is notable. Indeed, most agree that Trudeau only stayed in power throughout the byelection losses in Liberal strongholds and declining polls of 2024 because no formal mechanism existed to force his removal, despite growing discontent within the Liberal caucus. It took the extraordinary events of Dec. 16, 2024 to force the longtime Liberal leader to consider his position. On that morning, with the fall economic statement to be tabled, then-finance minister Chrystia Freeland published a bombshell resignation letter criticizing the 'costly political gimmicks' it contained. With no finance minister in situ and therefore no one in a position to deliver the important fiscal update, Ottawa fell into chaos and Trudeau scrambled to shore up his position. It was the beginning of the end for a leader who had lost the confidence not just of Freeland, his closest political confidante, but also his caucus, many of whom feared their re-election was unlikely with Trudeau in charge. Trudeau finally announced his resignation on Jan. 6. Thus began the process that led to Mark Carney becoming prime minister and the saviour of the Liberals' electoral fortunes. It seems now — with a successful election in the rear-view mirror, Parliament resuming and a raft of problems to get to grips with — the newly elected Liberal government has forgotten about one major driver of the party's near-death experience before the unexpected alchemy of Donald Trump, tariffs and Carney resuscitated it. In the aftermath of Trudeau's resignation, Freeland campaigned to replace him partially on a policy of mandatory leadership reviews. 'We can never again be in a position where the leader is the only person who decides who the leader is,' she told the National Post. Why then have Liberal MPs now declined the opportunity to adopt the power to review the position of the leader? The Liberal caucus has apparently grown accustomed to being dominated by a strong leader. More broadly, party discipline in Canada is arguably the most rigid among comparable parliamentary democracies. Despite the Conservatives' adoption and use of the Reform Act in the past, the party remains under tight discipline. One reason for this is fear that the diverse array of regional and ideological concerns that populate Canada's big-tent parties will spill over into a dissonant and incoherent message that may dilute or undermine the party's core brand. Party leaders exert huge influence over MPs, utilizing the carrot and stick of speaking time, committee positions and — on the government side — cabinet portfolios to compel unity. Although this drive toward party unity is understandable, when applied as it is in Canada, the result contributes to a profound democratic deficit. MPs are habitually whipped, and not just to vote in party blocks for or against legislation. Increasingly, overbearing conformity of political communication dominates individual members' capacity to authentically advocate on behalf of their constituents both inside and outside the House of Commons. This serves to undermine the democratic mandate received by each MP by virtue of winning their riding. Politics remains the greasy pole described by the 19th century British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli — hard to get to the top, and all too easy to plummet back down. Party leaders ought not be facilitated in using this fact to excessively control their parliamentary caucuses. The Liberal party recently learned what can happen when a sitting PM views the caucus as subject to his pleasure, rather than his position being tenable only based on his maintenance of their confidence. It is a shame that they have opted to forget this lesson.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Yankees' former top prospect Oswald Peraza not taking advantage of best chance yet
There was a runner on first base and no outs in the fifth inning. New York Yankees third baseman Oswald Peraza stood at the plate and watched Colorado Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland's 87.2 mph cutter hang middle-in and chest high. Peraza tore into it for a line-drive RBI double to left-center field, breaking a 1-1 tie in what became a 10-run frame for the Yankees. Advertisement 'Give him a chance to play every single day, good things are going to happen,' right fielder Aaron Judge said via the YES Network about Peraza after the Yankees' 13-1 beatdown of the Rockies on Saturday. That might be true. Except, so far, the Yankees haven't wanted to play Peraza every single day, nor has he produced much in the chances he's received. Oswald Peraza puts the Yankees in the LEAD! 💥 — YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 24, 2025 It's been a slow slide for Peraza since he lost a battle for Opening Day starting shortstop with Anthony Volpe at the end of spring training in 2023. He's gone from top prospect — even starting a game in the 2022 playoffs — to well-regarded talent to someone the organization clearly doesn't expect big things from. And he hasn't proved them wrong yet. Peraza is hitting .167 with a .241 on-base percentage, two home runs and a .560 OPS in 32 games and 79 plate appearances. He had more than three times the number of strikeouts (20) compared with walks (6). He went 0-for-4 in the Yankees' 5-4 win over the Rockies in Sunday's series finale. The lack of production has come at a time when third base was open for the taking. The club didn't improve the position in the offseason after it shifted Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base and after DJ LeMahieu strained his calf toward the beginning of spring training. The Yankees have tried a mix of Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera, Pablo Reyes and Jorbit Vivas at the position, and they entered Sunday with a combined 61 wRC+ — the second worst in the game. Cabrera fractured his ankle May 12 and likely won't play again this season. Cabrera's injury particularly struck Peraza. They were roommates in Double A and Triple A. 'He's like my brother,' Peraza said. Peraza was once a can't-miss in the Yankees' universe. The Athletic's Keith Law ranked him the No. 3 prospect in the organization going into 2023, behind the top-ranked Volpe and Jasson Domínguez. Law had also ranked Peraza as the No. 76 prospect in the game that year. Advertisement Peraza's defense has never been a question. Many viewed him as a better defender than Volpe going in 2023 — the season Volpe won a Gold Glove. But Peraza's modest offensive success (.776 OPS) at Triple A hasn't translated to the majors. It's not for lack of effort. Peraza is known as a hard worker on the field and off of it. The Venezuelan has also improved his English to where he's comfortable doing some interviews in his second language. 'I'm getting a lot of experience,' he said earlier this month. 'But if I'm not playing every day, I'm watching the game. A lot of my teammates are superstars, and I talk with my teammates every day.' Hitting coach James Rowson said Peraza has been making improvements, particularly with his swing and his approach. Rowson said Peraza has done a better job swinging through the baseball. 'You're in that position where you're able to get behind the baseball and drive through it,' the hitting coach said. 'You can see when the ball strikes the barrel, you can tell it's square and there's room for it to go. I think he's getting to that point where he's doing that more consistently.' Rowson added that Peraza has better learned to game plan at the plate, too. 'For me,' Rowson said, 'it's not always whether or not he gets a hit. It's whether or not he made the pitcher work. Whether the pitcher had to work for the out. Did he have to make a good pitch to get the out? … We've seen him be able to lay off poor pitches and also square up when guys make mistakes, and I continue to see that, and that's just going to get better from where it's at right now.' Yet the results haven't turned up for Peraza, whom the Yankees gave a $175,000 signing bonus in 2016. Despite higher-end bat speed and power potential, he's had trouble making contact. Entering Sunday, his 34.3 percent whiff rate was well above MLB average (25 percent). He also was having trouble with making contact with pitches in the strike zone (75.2 percent) compared with the average hitter (82.1 percent). And that's despite seeing lots of pitches in the zone (54.4 percent) compared with everyone else (48.7 percent). Advertisement Plus, Pereza's approach might need refinement. Baseball Prospectus' SEAGER statistic measures hitters' abilities to make good swing decisions. Peraza's 2.4 SEAGER rating was the Yankees' worst. Peraza said he's been feeling 'more comfortable' with his swing and that he's making 'a lot of adjustments every day.' Chisholm has been on the injured list since May 2 with a strained right oblique. He could start a rehab assignment this week. When he returns, either Chisholm or LeMahieu will likely slide to third base, cutting deeper into Peraza's playing time. 'I want to play every day for the New York Yankees,' Peraza said. 'I can't control that. I practice every day. I want to play every day. For sure, I want to play here for a long time.' That might not happen if Peraza doesn't turn things around.
