Latest news with #JamesKilby
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Navy attack: Did you know history's largest airstrike from a carrier happened this year?
The U.S. Navy has been party to some of history's largest maritime military operations — including, in modern times, World War II's Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Battle of Midway. But the largest airstrike from an aircraft carrier in naval history belongs to 2025. On Feb. 1, the USS Harry S. Truman and its strike group launched the 'largest airstrike in the history of the world' from an aircraft carrier during recent operations near Somalia, Stars and Stripes reported. About 125,000 pounds of munitions were fired into the African country, U.S. Navy Adm. James Kilby, the acting chief of naval operations, said earlier this month while speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations' Robert B. McKeon Endowed Series on Military Strategy and Leadership. Navy Times reported that the USS Harry S. Truman — a Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier — launched 27 F/A-18 Super Hornets as part of a coordinated airstrike against Islamic State operatives in Somalia in collaboration with the federal government of Somalia. The joint airstrikes targeted senior IS leadership in Somalia in a series of cave complexes approximately 50 miles southeast of Bosaso. The command reported that 'approximately 14 ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed and no civilians were harmed.' Among those killed was Ahmed Maeleninine, a key IS recruiter, financier, and external operations leader responsible for the deployment of jihadists into the United States and across Europe. 'Degrading ISIS and other terrorist organizations' ability to plot and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our partners, and civilians remains central to U.S. Africa Command's mission,' the report added. Over the years, U.S. Navy airstrikes against IS militants in Somalia have been relatively rare compared with those against the al-Shabab group, the largest terrorist organization in the country. However, there are indications that IS in Somalia is expanding, according to Stars and Stripes. Analysts estimate the IS ranks in Somalia at 1,000 members. During a visit earlier this year to U.S. Africa Command headquarters, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the massive Somalia airstrikes were an example of commanders' now having more decision-making authority on such matters, Stars and Stripes reported. 'That's a reflection … of pushing authority down (and) untying the hands of warfighters,' Hegseth said. '(Such decisions) should be made at the four-star level or at the Secretary of Defense level more quickly based on the ability to degrade the enemy.' Past large-scale U.S. airstrikes, like those conducted during Operation Desert Storm, involved multiple aircraft carriers and air wings, which would fly joint missions. But the Feb. 1 strike was unique in that it was conducted by a single air wing, according to Navy Times. The USS Truman arrived in the Red Sea on Dec. 14, 2024, to provide combat support against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who've conducted missile and drone strikes against shipping and military vessels in the region since November 2023. While there, Carrier Air Wing 1, composed of eight embarked squadrons aboard the Truman, reportedly took part in operations striking over 1,100 targets. The strikes killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and multiple senior Houthi officials, Navy Times reported. Beyond its sizable combat activities, the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group's eight-month deployment, which is arriving home this week at various homeports, encountered several challenges. In February, the Truman collided with a merchant ship in the Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft carrier suffered structural damage, and its commanding officer was relieved of duty, Virginia's WVEC-TV reported. The strike group also saw the loss of three F/A-18 Super Hornets during this deployment. The first happened in December, when one of the fighter jets was shot down in a friendly fire incident. Both Naval aviators were able to eject from the jet and were recovered safely. One of them sustained minor injuries, according to U.S. Central Command. On April 28, another F/A-18 fell into the Red Sea as it was being towed by a tow craft. Then, just over a week later, an F/A-18 was coming in for landing on the aircraft carrier when the Navy said a 'failed arrestment' occurred, leading to the fighter jet falling off the deck of the carrier and into the water, according to the WVEC-TV report. Both pilots in the jet ejected safely and suffered minor injuries. No one on the flight deck was hurt. The aircraft cost around $60 million each.
American Military News
6 days ago
- Business
- American Military News
Over $6 billion spent on US military recruitment, retention in 3 years: Report
A new report claims that the U.S. military spent over $6 billion to recruit and retain military members over the last three years as the Defense Department worked to overcome multiple enlistment shortfalls. According to military service funding totals obtained by The Associated Press, the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force significantly increase reenlistment incentives from 2022 to 2024. In addition to reenlistment incentives, The Associated Press reported that the number of recruitment bonuses also increased over the past three years. According to The Associated Press, while the U.S. military has typically invested in recruitment and retention bonuses, the amount of spending used to recruit and retain military members skyrocketed amid the Pentagon's efforts to stop enlistment numbers from plummeting during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Associated Press reported that the Navy was the only military service that did not meet its recruitment targets last year amid the Pentagon's additional programs, recruitment and reenlistment incentives, and changes to enlistment requirements. READ MORE: US Army losing huge number of recruits during first two years of enlistment: Report According to The Associated Press, the Navy outspent each of the other military branches on recruitment bonuses from 2022 to 2024. The outlet noted that the Navy gave approximately 70,000 service members retention bonuses each of the past three years. In March, Adm. James Kilby, vice chief of naval operations, told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee, 'Navy is dedicated to retaining our most capable sailors; retention is a critical component of achieving our end-strength goals.' In addition to spending hundreds of millions of dollars per year to recruit new troops, the Army has implemented new policies and programs to encourage young Americans to enlist in the Army, according to The Associated Press. The Associated Press reported that one of the ways the Army has been able to overcome significant recruitment challenges is by launching the Future Soldier Prep Course at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. The Future Soldier Prep Course provides recruits with up to 90 days of fitness or academic instruction to help struggling recruits meet the military's standards and qualify for basic training. According to The Associated Press, the program has helped the Army with thousands of enlistments.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
US military spent $6 billion on troop recruitment and retention in 3 years
The United States military has spent over $6 billion in the last three years to recruit and keep service members, according to data shared by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The money went into bonuses and programmes aimed at reversing a drop in enlistment, especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, when lockdowns limited recruiters' access to schools and public events. The Navy spent more than any other service, even though it is smaller than the Army. The military has long used financial incentives, but the spending increased sharply from 2022 to 2024. According to the services, these measures helped improve recruitment, with all services except the Navy meeting their targets last year. All are expected to meet them this year. Speaking to a Senate Armed Services subcommittee in March, Admiral James Kilby, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, said the Navy was focused on keeping experienced personnel. 'Retention is a critical component of achieving our end-strength goals,' he said, as reported by the Associated Press (AP). He also noted that while reenlistment rates were stable among enlisted sailors, there were gaps in certain officer roles such as aviation, submarine warfare, and medical professions. The Army had the most challenges with recruitment over the last decade but has recently made a strong recovery. A major part of its strategy was the Future Soldier Prep Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Launched in August 2022, it offers lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness training before basic training. The programme has helped bring thousands into service. The Army spent more than any other branch on recruitment in 2022 and 2024, but the Navy spent the most in 2023, a year when it faced a large shortfall in new enlistees. The Navy also gave out the most retention bonuses roughly 70,000 a year over the past three years more than double the Army, which has a much larger force. The Marine Corps and the Space Force have generally met their targets, although the Marines had to draw heavily from delayed entry candidates in 2022. The Marines spent the least overall but saw a big increase in retention bonuses in 2024. According to Marine spokesperson Maj. Jacoby Getty, that rise from $126 million in 2023 to $201 million in 2024—was due to a policy change allowing early reenlistment. 'More than 7,000 Marines received bonuses,' he said. In 2023, Marine Commandant Gen. Eric Smith commented on bonuses during a naval conference, saying, 'Your bonus is you get to call yourself a Marine. There's no dollar amount that goes with that,' according to AP. The Air Force increased bonuses in 2023 to fill roles in aircraft maintenance, munitions, and security. Spending went down in 2024. The Space Force does not currently offer enlistment bonuses. Across the services, bonuses are targeted to fill hard-to-staff roles in cyber, intelligence, special operations, and certain combat jobs.
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
US launched largest-ever strike from aircraft carrier commander
Some 125,000 pounds (62.5 tons) of munitions were dropped by naval warplanes in Somalia, Admiral James Kilby has said The US Navy conducted the largest-ever airstrike from an aircraft carrier during an operation in Somalia earlier this year, Admiral James Kilby, acting chief of naval operations, has said. The USS Harry S. Truman and its strike group "launched the largest airstrike in the history of the world - 125,000 pounds (62.5 tons) - from a single aircraft carrier," the US Navy's top admiral claimed at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations think tank in Washington on Monday. A defense official told Business Insider on Wednesday that the bombing run took place on February 1 and involved 16 F/A-18 Super Hornets. According to US Africa Command, a total of 25 airstrikes against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Al-Qaeda affiliate group Al-Shabaab have been carried out by American forces in Somalia since January. The Truman carrier strike group, which had been deployed to the Middle East in the autumn, left the Red Sea earlier this month to participate in NATO drills in the Mediterranean before heading back to its home port of Norfolk, Virginia. Over the last half a year, it has played a key role in US efforts to prevent Houthi fighters from targeting shipping off Yemen's coast. The Truman conducted 670 strikes against the Houthis and intercepted around 160 enemy drones and missiles during the period, Kilby said. The Houthis "are not China, but they are a threat, and they are hunting our ships. Understanding that and not being dismissive about that and being prepared is what we are focused on now," the admiral stressed. The Truman's stay in the Red Sea was marred by several incidents. In December, one of the warships in its strike group shot down an American F/A-18 in what the US military later described as an "apparent case of friendly fire." READ MORE: How Moscows legendary S-400 missiles helped India outgun Pakistan In late April, an F/A-18 and a tow tractor fell overboard from the carrier's hangar bay as the ship was maneuvering to avoid an attack by the Houthis. Earlier this month, the Truman's arresting cables failed during the landing of another F/A-18, sending the jet, which costs an estimated $60 million, overboard. (
Russia Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
US launched ‘largest-ever strike from aircraft carrier'
The US Navy conducted the largest-ever airstrike from an aircraft carrier during an operation in Somalia earlier this year, Admiral James Kilby, acting chief of naval operations, has said. The USS Harry S. Truman and its strike group 'launched the largest airstrike in the history of the world – 125,000 pounds (62.5 tons) – from a single aircraft carrier,' the US Navy's top admiral claimed at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations think tank in Washington on Monday. A defense official told Business Insider on Wednesday that the bombing run took place on February 1 and involved 16 F/A-18 Super Hornets. According to US Africa Command, a total of 25 airstrikes against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Al-Qaeda affiliate group Al-Shabaab have been carried out by American forces in Somalia since January. The Truman carrier strike group, which had been deployed to the Middle East in the autumn, left the Red Sea earlier this month to participate in NATO drills in the Mediterranean before heading back to its home port of Norfolk, Virginia. Over the last half a year, it has played a key role in US efforts to prevent Houthi fighters from targeting shipping off Yemen's coast. The Truman conducted 670 strikes against the Houthis and intercepted around 160 enemy drones and missiles during the period, Kilby said. The Houthis 'are not China, but they are a threat, and they are hunting our ships. Understanding that and not being dismissive about that and being prepared is what we are focused on now,' the admiral stressed. The Truman's stay in the Red Sea was marred by several incidents. In December, one of the warships in its strike group shot down an American F/A-18 in what the US military later described as an 'apparent case of friendly fire.' In late April, an F/A-18 and a tow tractor fell overboard from the carrier's hangar bay as the ship was maneuvering to avoid an attack by the Houthis. Earlier this month, the Truman's arresting cables failed during the landing of another F/A-18, sending the jet, which costs an estimated $60 million, overboard.
