Latest news with #Pigott
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
US Demands ‘End' to Military Cooperation Between North Korea and Russia
Russia's propping up of North Korea "must end," the U.S. State Department said, after Moscow and Pyongyang pledged to "dynamically expand and develop" relations between the two countries. "Any support provided by the Russian Federation to the DPRK in return must end," State Department principal deputy spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, told reporters on Thursday. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is North Korea's official name. "We continue to be concerned about North Korea's direct involvement in the war [and] North Korea's military deployment to Russia," Pigott said. Pyongyang sent North Korean troops to Russia in fall 2024, and entered combat in early December against Ukrainian troops battling to hold on to territory Kyiv claimed in Russia's Kursk region from August 2024. Intelligence reports and analysis from the frontlines suggested the North Korean troops were ill-prepared - little better than "cannon fodder" - yet also described the fighters hailing from a heavily militarized society as disciplined, in good shape, and adept with weapons. International watchers believe North Korea is, or will be, receiving economic aid and a hand-up with its weapons development programs, including submarines and ballistic missiles, from Russia in exchange for munitions, missiles and troops. Russia and North Korea signed a defense pact last year. Sergei Shoigu, Russia's former defense minister now serving as the secretary of Russia's security council, visited Pyongyang and the secretive nation's strongman leader, Kim Jong Un, on Wednesday, North Korea's state media reported. The two officials agreed "to continue to dynamically expand and develop the DPRK-Russia relations into powerful and comprehensive relations of strategic partnership that fully conform to the national interests of the two countries," according to a readout published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim reassured Shoigu that North Korea would "unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues including the Ukrainian issue," state media reported. This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly. Related Articles Russia's Medvedev Mocks Fight Between Donald Trump and Elon MuskUS Reveals New Polar Icebreaker Amid Arctic Rivalry With Russia and ChinaPutin's Gas Pipe Dream Quietly Fizzles OutIran to Counter US Nuclear Offer as Trump Sends New Warning 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How are drones changing war? Companies are now pitching new shotguns, rifle kits, and ammo as last-resort drone killers.
Counter-drone systems are a top priority for the US military. Some companies are now pitching rifle ammo and shotguns as tools for taking out uncrewed systems. These are seen as last-ditch efforts in drone defense. With drones of all types emerging as a premier threat on the modern battlefield, counter-drone solutions are hot, from electronic warfare down to the soldier in the trench holding a gun. Shotguns and rifle ammo are being pitched as last lines of defense in a drone fight, as Business Insider saw recently at a trade show. At SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, Florida, Benelli Technologies and Kinard Technologies had some of their counter-UAS systems on display. These included Kinard's BAOWOLF, a large-caliber, single-use munition designed for shooting down first-person-view and one-way attack drones. BAOWOLF attaches to a rifle, or it can be used on its own or as part of another Kinard system, the Autonomous Multi-Purpose Turret. All of BAOWOLF's plastic parts are 3D-printed, which Kinard CEO Dane Pigott told BI helps keep costs low and allows for mass production. The Tungsten shot, according to the product's fact sheet, has the same amount of shot as an entire 8-round shotgun magazine, can be armed and fired in under one second, and has an intended range of 10 to 60 meters. Pigott, a captain in the Army reserve who deployed to Syria and Afghanistan, said that conflicts like the war in Ukraine show the dominance of drones, even amid electronic warfare countermeasures designed to limit their effect. He said having a rifle attachment with a counter-drone capability built in as an added layer of defense is becoming more appealing. "When we started this business, people were like, 'Put something on my rifle? Are you insane?'" Pigott said. Now, he explained, they're recognizing the potential value in a fight with drones. Broadly, Kinard's focus has been on counter-UAS technologies. The company's AMPT system is another example of that effort. AMPT is described as a self-contained system that can be attached to and moved around on vehicles, buildings, and drones as a kinetic option for counter-UAS. It uses artificial intelligence-vision targeting that requires a human-in-the-loop for firing authorization. This weapon is composed of four BAOWOLF munitions. At SOF Week, Benelli Armi, a subsidiary of Beretta Defense Technologies, also had some of its counter-drone systems on display. Benelli's M4 AI Drone Guardian shotgun is designed to be a last-resort option to shoot down drones. The weapon, the company explained, was recently used during a demonstration with international special operations forces in Nevada. The Drone Guardian features an Advanced Impact system for a larger cone in the barrel. It is intended to increase range and precision against aerial targets. The weapon's optimal range is out to 50 meters, but the gun can reach 100 meters. What makes the Drone Guardian useful for counter-UAS, Gabriele de Plano, vice president of product marketing and communication for law enforcement and defense at Beretta, said, is its specialized ammunition, made by Beretta's Norma Precision. The Swedish-based company has developed tungsten shots, Anti-Drone Long Effective Range, for hitting drone targets. De Plano told BI that with counter-UAS being seen as a "layered defense system," with electronic warfare like signal jamming, lasers, and kinetic (physical strike) systems, "if that drone is able to pierce all those layers of defense, ultimately it will get down to the dismounted soldier that has the last ditch of defense." There's no perfect solution, he added. "But it gives them a chance to hit" in that shorter distance. The war in Ukraine has seen both sides using shotguns to shoot down drones. Russia has been giving soldiers specific shotguns, like the VEPR-12 semi-automatic and the MR-155, for targeting drones. These weapons that might have once served another combat purpose are just one element of the counter-drone developments happening at an unbelievable pace in this war. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
How are drones changing war? Companies are now pitching new shotguns, rifle kits, and ammo as last-resort drone killers.
Counter-drone systems are a top priority for the US military. Some companies are now pitching rifle ammo and shotguns as tools for taking out uncrewed systems. These are seen as last-ditch efforts in drone defense. With drones of all types emerging as a premier threat on the modern battlefield, counter-drone solutions are hot, from electronic warfare down to the soldier in the trench holding a gun. Shotguns and rifle ammo are being pitched as last lines of defense in a drone fight, as Business Insider saw recently at a trade show. At SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, Florida, Benelli Technologies and Kinard Technologies had some of their counter-UAS systems on display. These included Kinard's BAOWOLF, a large-caliber, single-use munition designed for shooting down first-person-view and one-way attack drones. BAOWOLF attaches to a rifle, or it can be used on its own or as part of another Kinard system, the Autonomous Multi-Purpose Turret. All of BAOWOLF's plastic parts are 3D-printed, which Kinard CEO Dane Pigott told BI helps keep costs low and allows for mass production. The Tungsten shot, according to the product's fact sheet, has the same amount of shot as an entire 8-round shotgun magazine, can be armed and fired in under one second, and has an intended range of 10 to 60 meters. Thinking about a new way of war Pigott, a captain in the Army reserve who deployed to Syria and Afghanistan, said that conflicts like the war in Ukraine show the dominance of drones, even amid electronic warfare countermeasures designed to limit their effect. He said having a rifle attachment with a counter-drone capability built in as an added layer of defense is becoming more appealing. "When we started this business, people were like, 'Put something on my rifle? Are you insane?'" Pigott said. Now, he explained, they're recognizing the potential value in a fight with drones. Broadly, Kinard's focus has been on counter-UAS technologies. The company's AMPT system is another example of that effort. AMPT is described as a self-contained system that can be attached to and moved around on vehicles, buildings, and drones as a kinetic option for counter-UAS. It uses artificial intelligence-vision targeting that requires a human-in-the-loop for firing authorization. This weapon is composed of four BAOWOLF munitions. At SOF Week, Benelli Armi, a subsidiary of Beretta Defense Technologies, also had some of its counter-drone systems on display. Benelli's M4 AI Drone Guardian shotgun is designed to be a last-resort option to shoot down drones. The weapon, the company explained, was recently used during a demonstration with international special operations forces in Nevada. The Drone Guardian features an Advanced Impact system for a larger cone in the barrel. It is intended to increase range and precision against aerial targets. The weapon's optimal range is out to 50 meters, but the gun can reach 100 meters. What makes the Drone Guardian useful for counter-UAS, Gabriele de Plano, vice president of product marketing and communication for law enforcement and defense at Beretta, said, is its specialized ammunition, made by Beretta's Norma Precision. The Swedish-based company has developed tungsten shots, Anti-Drone Long Effective Range, for hitting drone targets. De Plano told BI that with counter-UAS being seen as a "layered defense system," with electronic warfare like signal jamming, lasers, and kinetic (physical strike) systems, "if that drone is able to pierce all those layers of defense, ultimately it will get down to the dismounted soldier that has the last ditch of defense." There's no perfect solution, he added. "But it gives them a chance to hit" in that shorter distance. The war in Ukraine has seen both sides using shotguns to shoot down drones. Russia has been giving soldiers specific shotguns, like the VEPR-12 semi-automatic and the MR-155, for targeting drones. These weapons that might have once served another combat purpose are just one element of the counter-drone developments happening at an unbelievable pace in this war.
IOL News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
US State Department faces backlash over Afrikaner refugee admissions
Why the US State Department's Afrikaner refugee policy is under scrutiny. The US State Department is under fire for welcoming white South Africans as refugees. The heat is coming from inside the country as citizens question the Donald Trump administration's intents. The press questioned State Department Principal Deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott on the basis for accepting white Afrikaners as refugees. "The president has been very clear about the concerns he has about South Africa. He has expressed those publicly and often. When it comes to the arrivals we saw, the president identified a priority that we fulfilled," Pigott said. He went on to claim that the Afrikaner refugees met the same standard as others. When asked about the speed in which the US government rushed to obtain refugee status for the Afrikaners, Pigott reiterated that it was Trump's concerns with South Africa that expedited the process. "He has been clear for years about the abuses we are seeing in South Africa. He directed the State Department to implement that priority." However, Pigott evaded answering whether or not a genocide is currently taking place in the country.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Department confirms 'constructive' nuclear talks with Iran; Trump says deal 'sort of' agreed to
The State Department said nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran have been constructive, and President Donald Trump has been clear about wanting to see diplomacy. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott was asked during a press briefing Thursday about comments made by Trump, and he said the U.S. and Iran were close to an Iran nuclear deal. Trump, speaking in Doha, Qatar, said he thinks the U.S. and Iran "are getting close" to making a deal without any violence. In Trump fashion, he said there are two steps — "a very nice step and a violent step" — which he added consists of violence people have never seen before. The president also said Thursday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), that the U.S. and Iran have "sort of" agreed to terms on a nuclear deal. Trump Says Iran Must Ditch 'Concept Of A Nuclear Weapon' Ahead Of More Talks "Iran has sort of agreed to the terms. They're not going to make — I call it, in a friendly way — nuclear dust," Trump told reporters, suggesting a growing alignment with the terms he has been seeking. "We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran." Read On The Fox News App While Pigott would not comment on private diplomatic conversations or negotiations, he reiterated Trump's stance on the matter. "The president has been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," Pigott told reporters. "The talks have been described as constructive by the participants in them, and so, again, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. And the president has been clear. He wants diplomacy. He wants to see a diplomatic solution here." Pigott made his remarks as Trump tours the Middle East, making stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Trump Calls For 'Nuclear Peace Agreement' With Iran Rather Than Blowing Country 'To Smithereens' Trump, while speaking at the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh Wednesday, reiterated his desire to make a deal with Iran and called for building upon the progress of the Abraham Accords by adding more countries to the historic agreement. Trump made the comments while addressing leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council as part of his four-day visit to the region. Trump Says He'll Be 'Leading The Pack' To War With Iran If Deal Prospects Whither Away "I want to make a deal with Iran. I want to do something if possible. But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. They cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said. Though Trump said he wants to make a deal with Iran and see Tehran prosper, he also recently accused the Iranian regime of not only hurting its own nation, but the region at large. "Iran's leaders have focused on stealing their people's wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad. Most tragic of all, they have dragged down an entire region with them," Trump said. The president pointed to the "countless lives lost" in Iran's effort to prop up the former Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, which collapsed in December, and accused its support of Hezbollah for the downfall of Beirut, which he said was "once called the Paris of the Middle East." It is unclear how Trump's negative comments toward Tehran could affect ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. Still, The Associated Press reported Thursday that a top political, military and nuclear advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News Wednesday that Tehran stands ready to get rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium that can be weaponized, agree to enrich uranium only to the lower levels needed for civilian use and allow international inspectors to supervise the process. In return, Ali Shamkhani, the advisor, said Iran wants an immediate lifting of all economic sanctions. Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz and Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this article source: State Department confirms 'constructive' nuclear talks with Iran; Trump says deal 'sort of' agreed to
