Latest news with #MOPs
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
IAF to use 16 Delhi government schools as temporary observation posts during defence exercise
NEW DELHI: In pursuance of direction issued by Ministry of Defence (MoD), 16 Delhi school buildings have been identified for temporary usage to set up Mobile Observation Posts (MOP's) by IAF. MOPs are observation points along the border, manned by individuals trained to identify and report enemy aircraft. The 16 schools will be temporarily used during the ibid exercise being conducted from April 28 to May 2 on 24x7 basis. As per the official notification issued by the government of Delhi on Monday, 455 (Mobile Observation Flight) MOF from Air Force Station Arjangarh, New Delhi has been tasked to deploy MOP's for above mentioned task. IAF manpower (2-5 personnel per observation post) along with its communication equipment would be setting up MOP's during exercise time. 'This has the precedence from previous MoD activations during yearly National events (Republic and Independence Day Celebrations). In this regard, the concern HOS of the schools mentioned in Appendix-A are directed to check the credentials (ID cards etc.) of the deployed Air warriors/officers in the school premises and the deployed staff by Air (HQ) will be allowed in school premises only after the proper verification,' reads the order. An official on the condition of anonymity said, 'This is done maybe due to escalating tensions along the border and efforts to check defense vulnerabilities in the airspace. Typically, such orders are issued a few weeks before Republic Day or Independence Day. However, no such occasion is currently approaching.' List of schools of Delhi government The 16 schools include, Sarvodya Vidyalaya, Mukharji Nagar, Govt. Girls Sr Sec. School, No.1, B Block, Yamuna Vihar, Govt Co-Ed Sr Sec School, Preet Vihar, Govt Co-Ed Sr Sec School, Chilla Village, Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalaya Middle School Jogabai, Batla house, Sarvodya Co-Ed, No.2, Kalkaji and Govt Sarvodya Vidyalaya, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Dakshinpuri Extn among others
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
B-2s Have Not Dropped Massive Ordnance Penetrators On Yemen During Diego Garcia Missions: Officials
U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bombers have not dropped any GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs on Yemen's Houthis since the Trump administration launched a renewed aerial campaign against them, two U.S. officials have told TWZ. Reports in the past day or so had said that MOPs, America's largest conventional bomb, had been employed against the Houthis sometime earlier this month. Even if the 30,000-pound GBU-57/Bs had been dropped on the Yemeni militants, they are relatively prized and specialized weapons, the use of which would likely be extremely selective and very limited in scope. TWZ raised the question of whether B-2s carrying 30,000-pound bunker busters might strike targets in Yemen, in large part to send signals to Iran, after some of the bombers were sent to strike the Houthis last year. The topic came back up again after six B-2s were deployed to the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean as part of a larger build-up of U.S. military forces in and around the Middle East last month. Recent reporting from The Aviationist and multiple outlets saying that MOPs have been used against the Houthis traces to a Fox News television segment yesterday, which prompted TWZ to seek direct confirmation. A U.S. defense official subsequently told us that no MOPs have been employed on targets in Yemen in the past two months. 'Based on current knowledge of what munitions have been used and reports that have made it up the chain of command, my understanding is that the GBU-57 hasn't been used during this ongoing operation,' a second U.S. official also told TWZ. B-2s forward-deployed in Diego Garcia have flown missions targeting the Houthis using other as yet unspecified munitions. The exact mix of munitions B-2s dropped on Yemen during the strikes last year remains unknown. It is also worth noting here that, at the time of writing, the Pentagon has only held one press briefing on the current Yemen campaign since March 17. TWZ has also recently examined satellite images of multiple tunnel complexes in Yemen suspected to be utilized by the Houthis and has seen no signs of major damage. At the same time, a lack of readily visible damage can be indicative of the use of bunker buster bombs, and commercially available satellite imagery has major limitations in spotting fine details that could result from such a strike. None of this precludes the potential for B-2s to drop GBU-57/Bs on Houthi targets in Yemen in the future. As TWZ has highlighted in our past reporting about the recent deployment of the stealth bombers to Diego Garcia, as well as the B-2 strikes on Yemen last year, the MOP is inextricably linked to the signaling power of sending these aircraft to any region. The B-2 is currently the only aircraft certified to operationally employ GBU-57/Bs, the design of which has been and continues to be upgraded, as you can read more about here. A single B-2 can carry just two of the huge bunker-buster bombers. The pairing of the stealth bombers and the MOP gives the United States a unique option for penetrating into heavily defended areas to launch conventional strikes on deeply buried and fortified targets, including ones in Iran. However, while there have been reports of the steady acquisition of additional GBU-57/Bs, as well as work to expand prime contractor Boeing's overall capacity to build the bombs, the total stockpile is still understood to be relatively small. As such, any use of GBU-57/Bs against targets in Yemen would have to be gauged against the need to ensure sufficient stocks of the bombs would still be available for use in the event of other major contingencies. A limited use of MOPs against particularly deeply buried targets would still offer strategic signalling benefits, especially aimed toward Iran, as well as the opportunity to gather data about how well the weapons work in a real-world context. Questions have been raised in the past about whether certain underground facilities in Iran tied to that country's nuclear program might be beyond the reach of MOP, or at least safe from complete destruction from their employment. Negotiations between the United States and Iran over the latter country's nuclear ambitions are now underway, the progress of which will have impacts on any additional messaging using U.S. military capabilities, including possibly dropping MOPs on targets in Yemen. But should the choice be made to attack Iran, those prized, massive weapons will be needed for far more pressing targets than going after stockpiles of Houthi missiles and drones. Contact the author: joe@
New York Times
03-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
March Madness Most Outstanding Player odds, picks before Final Four: Cooper Flagg is the one to beat
The Most Outstanding Player award appears to be Cooper Flagg's to lose. At nearly-even +105 odds to win it, Flagg is also the presumptive national player of the year and likely No. 1 pick for the 2025 NBA Draft. If Duke wins — and the Blue Devils are -110 on BetMGM to claim the title — it's hard to imagine anyone else getting the honor. Advertisement Of course, it's possible, though unlikely, that a player on a losing team takes home the MOP crown. In men's tournament history, a player on a non-title squad has won Most Outstanding Player just 11 times. Four of those times, the player was on a team that didn't even make the championship game: Hal Lear of third-place Temple in 1956, Art Heyman of third-place Duke in 1963, Bill Bradley of third-place Princeton in 1965 and Jerry Chambers of fourth(!)-place Utah in 1966. Howard Porter is the lone player whose MOP award, with Villanova in 1971, was vacated because of an eligibility issue. Villanova was the runner-up to UCLA that year, so he would be the 12th on the list of non-winning MOPs if his award stood. Houston's Akeem Olajuwon (later changed to Hakeem) was the most recent player to win MOP on the losing squad — way back in 1983. Fun fact: In the history of the women's tournament, only one player has ever received MOP honors without being on the championship team. That player? None other than Dawn Staley. Staley was named Most Outstanding Player in 1991 when she took her Virginia Cavaliers to the championship game, where they lost to Tennessee. This year, it took sportsbooks longer to release odds for the women's MOP than the men's. But on Thursday, BetMGM posted Paige Bueckers as the -150 favorite, well ahead of the second and third favorites, South Carolina's Chloe Kitts (+850) and Texas' Madison Booker (+900). On the men's side, Flagg is, and has been, the betting favorite for Most Outstanding Player. The next on the odds board is Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. (+375) and Auburn's Johni Broome (+700). Two Houston players are next, LJ Cryer (+1000) and Milos Uzan (+1200), and then it's back to Duke with Kon Knueppel (+2000). We rounded up a few staff picks before the men's Final Four tips. But first, here is the full odds board from BetMGM. Dan Santaromita: Cooper Flagg (+105). Before the tournament, I picked Auburn, but Duke has looked the most impressive, and Flagg has shown why NBA teams are tripping over each other to get him. He's the best player on the best team. Keep it simple. Advertisement Jess Bryant: Cooper Flagg (+105). The way I see it, if Duke beats Houston, Flagg wins over Johni Broome and Walter Clayton Jr. The most likely scenario (and the sportsbooks have it this way) is that Duke and Florida meet in the Finals, putting Clayton and Flagg head-to-head for the award. When Flagg's on the court, the prolific freshman and assumed first pick in the NBA draft is the best player there. He's a generational talent, and that's not true of anyone else in the running for the award. His lowest scoring total (14) came against Mount St. Mary's when he only played 22 minutes. Against Arizona in the Sweet 16, he put up 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists, a steal, three blocks and one turnover in 37 minutes. Every team that plays Duke knows they have to contain Flagg, and they can't. Auburn or Florida won't be able to handle him either, and Flagg will be the unanimous winner of the Most Outstanding Player award. Brandon Funston: Walter Clayton Jr. (+375). As Florida's floor general, Clayton is the straw that stirs the Gatorade. He's the leading scorer in the tourney heading into the Final Four, and he's delivered defining clutch moments — like scoring 13 points down the stretch in the Elite Eight against Texas Tech to dig Florida out of a double-digit deficit. I have Florida winning it all, and if that comes to fruition, Clayton is the obvious MOP pick. Hannah Vanbiber: LJ Cryer (+1000). I like to make one bet with my head and one bet with my heart. Cooper Flagg is the smart bet here, and most of us were on Flagg's odds when they opened at 3-to-1. But with my heart: I'm rooting for Houston and would love to see LJ Cryer get the award. In the words of The Athletic's Lindsay Schnell, 'Cryer might be 6-1, but all he does is win and hit big shots. He is the best 3-point shooter in San Antonio, connecting on 41.85 percent of his attempts.' He's absolutely a long shot, but in a one-and-done tournament, anything is possible! Advertisement Mike Hume: Johni Broome (+700). Walter Clayton Jr. (+375). I'm tempted to take Johni Broome here at +700 (as of Wednesday afternoon) for the value. After going full Willis Reed and returning to the Tigers' Elite Eight win after injuries to his left leg and right elbow, there's a narrative factor that would make sports writers swoon. Given that they comprise the voting panel for the award (alongside sportscasters), I have no problem seeing how that could happen. However, Auburn would need to get by Florida first, and the Tigers lost by 9 (at home) to the Gators in their only meeting this season. If Broome is at all limited by being banged-up (at least shoots left-handed), I don't see Auburn prevailing. Still, Broome is my 'sportswriter would kill to write this story' pick. But my head favors Florida's Walter Clayton at +375. He provides the best combination of team talent and a player who has been the clear alpha during this tournament run. Vik Chokshi: Walter Clayton Jr. (+375). I'm absolutely in love with Walter Clayton Jr. right now! He's giving me Steph Curry at Davidson vibes at multiple points during this tournament, and especially after his late-game heroics in the Elite Eight. I also love how he started his college career as a 0-star recruit. What a player! What a story! This kid is so much fun to watch! — Vik Chokshi (@docksquad33) March 30, 2025 I picked Florida to win it all before the tournament began, and I'm sticking with it here, despite Duke playing like a well-oiled machine right now. This is also a way to get a little more bang for your buck, as Florida currently sits at +300 to win the title. If the Gators cut down the nets, Clayton will be nearly guaranteed the MOP hardware, so you'd win a couple more bucks at +375. Hey, every dollar counts when it comes to betting! If you are into long-shot bets, take a look at LJ Cryer at +1000. The Athletic's Joe Rexrode made a nice case for Houston potentially being Duke's kryptonite. If the Cougars upset the Blue Devils, Cryer's MOP odds will shift drastically. (Photo of Cooper Flagg: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
