Latest news with #MQ-9s
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
On protecting classified information, Pete Hegseth picks a fight he can't win
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth covered a fair amount of ground in his latest interview with his former Fox News colleague, Will Cain, and the beleaguered Pentagon chief acknowledged that he's received a lot of criticism since joining the White House Cabinet. In fact, he even suggested he should 'get a medal' because journalists have reported on his many failures. But of particular interest were his comments about the one criticism that apparently bothers him. 'There's a reason why our nation's most closely held secrets are contained in certain places with only access from certain people,' the former Fox News personality said. 'Nobody takes that more seriously than me. 'If there's one thing I've sort of been offended by — I don't get offended by much; I'm here to do my job for the president, for the country — is this idea that I don't take classification or I don't take clearances seriously. Nobody takes it more seriously than me.' I can appreciate why Hegseth is eager to defend himself, especially on a network his boss watches, but all things considered, this was a subject he probably should've avoided. By now, the basic elements of the 'Signalgate' controversy are probably familiar: Top members of Donald Trump's national security team participated in an unsecured group chat about sensitive operational details of a foreign military strike — and they accidentally included a journalist, The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, in their online conversation. The final paragraph of Goldberg's piece on the fiasco read, 'All along, members of the Signal group were aware of the need for secrecy and operations security. In his text detailing aspects of the forthcoming attack on Houthi targets, Hegseth wrote to the group — which, at the time, included me — 'We are currently clean on OPSEC.'' 'OPSEC' refers to 'operations security.' In other words, the defense secretary was certain that he and his colleagues — while chatting on a free platform that has never been approved for chats about national security or classified intelligence — had locked everything down and created a secure channel of communication. Of course, we now know that Team Trump was most certainly not 'clean on OPSEC,' Hegseth's embarrassing boast notwithstanding. What's more, while there was some discussion of whether their discussion included classified information, there's no denying the chat did include highly sensitive information about times and targets, much of which was put there by Hegseth himself. '1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package),' Hegseth told his colleagues in the chat. '1345: 'Trigger Based' F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME) — also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s).' At one point, the defense secretary literally wrote, 'THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP.' As brutal as those revelations were, they were soon followed by a series of related controversies. The Wall Street Journal reported in late March, for example, that Hegseth brought his wife — who does not have a security clearance — 'to two meetings with foreign military counterparts where sensitive information was discussed.' The Journal also reported that Hegseth used the Signal messaging app for official Pentagon business more extensively than had been previously disclosed, 'engaging in at least a dozen separate chats.' Then, a few weeks ago, the Journal also reported that the Pentagon inspector general was investigating Hegseth's "sharing of military plans to a second Signal chat that included his wife and brother.' It was against this backdrop that Hegseth told a national television audience that 'nobody' takes the protection of classified information 'more seriously' than he does. Among the many unsettling angles to this incident: The defense secretary managed to deliver the line with a straight face. This article was originally published on
Gulf Today
30-04-2025
- General
- Gulf Today
US lost 7 Reaper drones worth $200 million in Yemen area since March
The United States has lost seven multi-million-dollar MQ-9 Reaper drones in the Yemen area since March 15, a US official said Monday, as the Navy announced a costly warplane fell off an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea. Washington launched the latest round of its air campaign against Yemen's Houthis in mid-March, and MQ-9s can be used for both reconnaissance -- a key aspect of US efforts to identify and target weaponry the rebels are using to attack shipping in the region -- as well as strikes. "There have been seven MQ-9s that have gone down since March 15," the US official said on condition of anonymity, without specifying what caused the loss of the drones, which cost around $30 million apiece. The US Navy meanwhile announced the loss of another piece of expensive military equipment: an F/A-18E warplane that fell off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in an accident that injured one sailor. A tractor that was towing the F/A-18E -- a type of aircraft that cost more than $67 million in 2021 -- also slipped off the ship into the sea. "The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard," the Navy said in a statement. The carrier and its other planes remain in action and the incident is under investigation, the Navy added. No details of recovery work were released. Weeks of heavy strikes It is the second F/A-18 operating off the Truman to be lost in less than six months, after another was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser late last year in an incident that both pilots survived. The Truman is one of two US aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East, where US forces have been striking the Houthis on a near-daily basis. The military's Central Command said Sunday that US forces have struck more than 800 targets and killed hundreds of Houthi fighters, including members of the group's leadership, as part of the operation. Houthi-controlled media in Yemen said Monday that US strikes hit a migrant detention center in the movement's stronghold of the capital Saada, killing at least 68 people. Then early Tuesday, rebel channel Al-Masirah reported two strikes on Bani Hashish, northeast of the capital, citing the local governorate. The Iran-backed Houthis began targeting shipping in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel's military after a shock Hamas attack in October of that year. Houthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal -- a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of the world's shipping traffic. The United States first began conducting strikes against the Houthis under the Biden administration, and President Donald Trump has vowed that military action against the rebels will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping. Agence France-Presse
Yemen Online
29-04-2025
- General
- Yemen Online
US lost seven multi-million-dollar drones in Yemen area since Mid-March
The United States has lost seven multi-million-dollar MQ-9 Reaper drones in the Yemen area since March 15, a US official said Monday, as the Navy announced a costly warplane fell off an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea. Washington launched the latest round of its air campaign against Yemen's Houthi militia in mid-March, and MQ-9s can be used for both reconnaissance — a key aspect of US efforts to identify and target weaponry the militia is using to attack shipping in the region — as well as strikes. 'There have been seven MQ-9s that have gone down since March 15,' the US official said on condition of anonymity, without specifying what caused the loss of the drones, which cost around $30 million apiece. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app here. The US Navy meanwhile announced the loss of another piece of expensive military equipment: an F/A-18E warplane that fell off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in an accident that injured one sailor. A tractor that was towing the F/A-18E — a type of aircraft that cost more than $67 million in 2021 — also slipped off the ship into the sea. 'The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,' the Navy said in a statement. The carrier and its other planes remain in action and the incident is under investigation, the Navy added. No details of recovery work were released. It is the second F/A-18 operating off the Truman to be lost in less than six months, after another was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser late last year in an incident that both pilots survived. The Truman is one of two US aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East, where US forces have been striking the Houthi armed group on a near-daily basis. The military's Central Command said Sunday that US forces have struck more than 800 targets and killed hundreds of Houthi fighters, including members of the group's leadership, as part of the operation. Houthi-controlled media in Yemen said Monday that US strikes hit a migrant detention center in the group's stronghold of the capital Saada, killing at least 68 people. Then early Tuesday, rebel channel al-Masirah reported two strikes on Bani Hashish, northeast of the capital, citing the local governorate. The Iran-backed Houthi militia began targeting shipping in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, which has been devastated by Israel's military after a shock Hamas attack in October of that year. Houthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal — a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of the world's shipping traffic. The United States first began conducting strikes against the Houthi militia under the Biden administration, and President Donald Trump has vowed that military action against the group will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
US lost seven multi-million-dollar MQ-9 Reaper drones in Yemen region since March 15
United States has lost seven MQ-9 Reaper drones in the Yemen region since March 15, a defense official said Monday. US Navy also confirmed that a fighter jet had fallen off an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea. US initiated its latest aerial operations against Yemen's Huthis in mid-March, utilising MQ-9s for both surveillance and offensive missions to identify and target the rebels' weaponry used in shipping attacks. "There have been seven MQ-9s that have gone down since March 15," an anonymous US official confirmed, further adding that each was valued at approximately $30 million. The official did not elaborate on the circumstances leading to these losses, according to AFP. Earlier, the US Navy also disclosed another significant equipment loss of an F/A-18E warplane that fell from the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier during an accident that left one sailor injured. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest $200 in Amazon without buying stocks to earn a second salary Marketsall Sign Up Undo The incident also resulted in the loss of a towing tractor, which fell into the sea alongside the aircraft, valued at over $67 million in 2021. "The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard," stated the US Navy. They confirmed ongoing operations of the carrier and remaining aircraft, with an investigation in progress. This marks the second F/A-18 loss from the Truman within six months, following an accidental shooting down by the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser last year, where both pilots survived. The Truman operates alongside another US aircraft carrier in the Middle East, where forces conduct near-daily strikes against the Huthis. The military's Central Command reported striking over 800 targets and eliminating hundreds of Huthi fighters, including leadership members. Huthi-controlled media reported US strikes on a migrant detention centre in Saada, resulting in at least 68 casualties. Subsequently, Al-Masirah channel reported two strikes on Bani Hashish early Tuesday. The Iran-supported Huthis initiated shipping attacks in late 2023, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. These attacks have disrupted Suez Canal traffic, which typically handles 12 percent of global shipping.
Jordan Times
29-04-2025
- General
- Jordan Times
US lost seven multi-million-dollar drones in Yemen area since March
MQ-9 Reaper drones cost around $30 million apiece (AFP photo) WASHINGTON — The United States has lost seven multi-million-dollar MQ-9 Reaper drones in the Yemen area since March 15, a US official said Monday, as the Navy announced a costly warplane fell off an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea. Washington launched the latest round of its air campaign against Yemen's Huthis in mid-March, and MQ-9s can be used for both reconnaissance ,a key aspect of US efforts to identify and target weaponry the rebels are using to attack shipping in the region ,as well as strikes. "There have been seven MQ-9s that have gone down since March 15," the US official said on condition of anonymity, without specifying what caused the loss of the drones, which cost around $30 million apiece. The US Navy meanwhile announced the loss of another piece of expensive military equipment: an F/A-18E warplane that fell off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in an accident that injured one sailor. A tractor that was towing the F/A-18E ,a type of aircraft that cost more than $67 million in 2021 ,also slipped off the ship into the sea. "The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard," the Navy said in a statement. The carrier and its other planes remain in action and the incident is under investigation, the Navy added. No details of recovery work were released. Weeks of heavy strikes It is the second F/A-18 operating off the Truman to be lost in less than six months, after another was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser late last year in incident that both pilots survived. The Truman is one of two US aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East, where US forces have been striking the Huthis on a near-daily basis since March 15. The military's Central Command said Sunday that US forces have struck more than 800 targets and killed hundreds of Huthi fighters, including members of the group's leadership, as part of the operation. The Iran-backed Huthis began targeting shipping in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by a military campaign launched by Israel after a shock Hamas attack in October of that year. Huthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal ,a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of the world's shipping traffic ,forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa. The United States first began conducting strikes against the Huthis under the Biden administration, and President Donald Trump has vowed that military action against the rebels will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.
