Latest news with #ThomasHudner
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
A US Navy sailor walked BI through what it was like shooting down a small drone with a .50 caliber machine gun
A US Navy sailor used a .50 caliber machine gun to shoot down a small drone last month. The engagement came during a major NATO exercise focused on naval air defense. It underscores how drones are increasingly becoming a key element of maritime warfare. Petty Officer Second Class Brian Diaz saw the small drone coming in through his binoculars. The US Navy sailor quickly called in the threat and got the go-ahead to open fire on it with his deck-mounted M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun. A hundred rounds went out in a flash. They found their target, and Diaz, a gunner's mate, scored a direct hit on the drone, sending it crashing into the chilly Atlantic waters below. Sailors on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Thomas Hudner erupted in cheers. The drone that Diaz shot down with his machine gun did not belong to a real enemy, but the exercise was serious all the same, simulating a threat that warships like the Thomas Hudner could face in the future, as drones are finding a greater role in naval warfare. "Being able to go through the motions just gives me peace of mind, that I know I can do it, come the need to do it," Diaz shared with Business Insider during a recent visit to Thomas Hudner that came on the heels of the warship's participation in NATO's Formidable Shield 25 exercise last month. Formidable Shield is Europe's largest live-fire naval exercise and a key opportunity for allies to train for a variety of air defense scenarios. For the Thomas Hunder, the drills included missile and drone engagements. One day, toward the end of the exercise, a handful of NATO warships lined up to face off against different defense scenarios. Diaz was on watch with the .50 caliber, looking out over the water and waiting for instructions to come through on the radio. Diaz said that his first engagement that day was a remote-controlled boat, simulating an uncrewed surface vessel. It was pretty far out, and he could barely see it. Thomas Hunder engaged with all its weapons systems: the large five-inch deck gun, the Mark 38 machine gun system, and the .50 caliber. Eventually, the five-inch gun hit it. It was later that day that he fought the flying drone, a small quadcopter system. Other warships called in the threat to Thomas Hunder. Diaz recalled that he couldn't see it at first, but eventually, the team spotted the threat and marked it as a contact. The drone started to get closer, at one point 200 meters (650 feet) out, getting well within range of the .50 caliber. Diaz asked for permission from a superior to engage the drone before opening fire alongside another sailor operating a second M2 Browning. "We're both shooting," Diaz said. "Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom." At one point, the other sailor paused to reload. That's when Diaz made the kill. "I think I shot the wing off," Diaz said. "What it does is, it's flying, and it's just sitting there, and it just — donk!" he explained. "There's a little sway, and it's straight into the water." Drones of this size, often just a few inches or a foot in length, are incredibly difficult to shoot down because they're so small and can move erratically in the air. Diaz said he was nervous during the engagement, but the successful hit got the crew fired up. Cdr. Cameron Ingram, Thomas Hunder's commanding officer, told BI that some of the crewmembers were watching Diaz from the bridge wing at the time, wondering whether he would be able to take down the drone. "And then he clips it, and it falls," Ingram said. "The whole bridge wing explodes with excitement," he said, noting that the sailor "walks a step taller now." The exercise underscores how the US Navy is increasingly integrating counter-drone training into its planning as it absorbs lessons from the Red Sea conflict, during which the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen regularly launched drones and missiles at military and civilian vessels operating in the area. The Houthis relied heavily on one-way attack drones like the KAS-04, or Sammad. This fixed-wing drone, which is packed with explosives and can fly long distances, is much larger than a cheap, commercially available quadcopter drone but significantly smaller than a US military MQ-9 Reaper, a well-known combat drone. US warships, including Thomas Hunder, shot down Houthi KAS-04s. The ships weren't known to have battled any Houthi quadcopters; these threats, however, are something the Navy is training for, especially considering their proliferation in other fights. During BI's visit to the Thomas Hudner, which sailed from England to France last weekend ahead of the D-Day events this week, the watch team spotted a quadcopter drone as the destroyer was setting off on its journey. They closely monitored the drone, which turned out not to pose any immediate danger to the ship. Still, the crew was ready to take action if needed. Ingram said that small quadcopters are "absolutely a threat," even if there are limitations in their capability, specifically endurance, range, and payload capacity. While these drones generally can't carry enough ordnance to effectively disable a destroyer, they could certainly hurt people and do enough damage to potentially force the warship into repairs. "I think there will probably be a desire to weaponize those things, but there are limitations," Ingram said. Destroyers like his don't operate close to the coast. An enemy would have to send the drones out several miles from the shore or have a launching platform closer to the warship. But even then, the payload wouldn't be as heavy as a Houthi KAS-04. It is possible that the ship could encounter one near port. Warships have been attacked pierside in the past, though by other threats. The Ukraine war has demonstrated the effectiveness of quadcopters, small, inexpensive first-person view (FPV) drones, in combat. They are mostly used in engagements on land, but Kyiv has at times integrated these drones into maritime operations, demonstrating that it's still possible to burden a naval force even if the desired target isn't necessarily an expensive warship. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
5 hours ago
- Business Insider
A US Navy sailor walked BI through what it was like shooting down a small drone with a .50 caliber machine gun
Petty Officer Second Class Brian Diaz saw the small drone coming in through his binoculars. The US Navy sailor quickly called in the threat and got the go-ahead to open fire on it with his deck-mounted M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun. A hundred rounds went out in a flash. They found their target, and Diaz, a gunner's mate, scored a direct hit on the drone, sending it crashing into the chilly Atlantic waters below. Sailors on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Thomas Hudner erupted in cheers. The drone that Diaz shot down with his machine gun did not belong to a real enemy, but the exercise was serious all the same, simulating a threat that warships like the Thomas Hudner could face in the future, as drones are finding a greater role in naval warfare. "Being able to go through the motions just gives me peace of mind, that I know I can do it, come the need to do it," Diaz shared with Business Insider during a recent visit to Thomas Hudner that came on the heels of the warship's participation in NATO's Formidable Shield 25 exercise last month. Formidable Shield is Europe's largest live-fire naval exercise and a key opportunity for allies to train for a variety of air defense scenarios. For the Thomas Hunder, the drills included missile and drone engagements. One day, toward the end of the exercise, a handful of NATO warships lined up to face off against different defense scenarios. Diaz was on watch with the .50 caliber, looking out over the water and waiting for instructions to come through on the radio. Diaz said that his first engagement that day was a remote-controlled boat, simulating an uncrewed surface vessel. It was pretty far out, and he could barely see it. Thomas Hunder engaged with all its weapons systems: the large five-inch deck gun, the Mark 38 machine gun system, and the .50 caliber. Eventually, the five-inch gun hit it. It was later that day that he fought the flying drone, a small quadcopter system. Other warships called in the threat to Thomas Hunder. Diaz recalled that he couldn't see it at first, but eventually, the team spotted the threat and marked it as a contact. The drone started to get closer, at one point 200 meters (650 feet) out, getting well within range of the .50 caliber. Diaz asked for permission from a superior to engage the drone before opening fire alongside another sailor operating a second M2 Browning. "We're both shooting," Diaz said. "Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom." At one point, the other sailor paused to reload. That's when Diaz made the kill. "I think I shot the wing off," Diaz said. "What it does is, it's flying, and it's just sitting there, and it just — donk!" he explained. "There's a little sway, and it's straight into the water." Drones of this size, often just a few inches or a foot in length, are incredibly difficult to shoot down because they're so small and can move erratically in the air. Diaz said he was nervous during the engagement, but the successful hit got the crew fired up. Cdr. Cameron Ingram, Thomas Hunder's commanding officer, told BI that some of the crewmembers were watching Diaz from the bridge wing at the time, wondering whether he would be able to take down the drone. "And then he clips it, and it falls," Ingram said. "The whole bridge wing explodes with excitement," he said, noting that the sailor "walks a step taller now." The exercise underscores how the US Navy is increasingly integrating counter-drone training into its planning as it absorbs lessons from the Red Sea conflict, during which the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen regularly launched drones and missiles at military and civilian vessels operating in the area. The Houthis relied heavily on one-way attack drones like the KAS-04, or Sammad. This fixed-wing drone, which is packed with explosives and can fly long distances, is much larger than a cheap, commercially available quadcopter drone but significantly smaller than a US military MQ-9 Reaper, a well-known combat drone. US warships, including Thomas Hunder, shot down Houthi KAS-04s. The ships weren't known to have battled any Houthi quadcopters; these threats, however, are something the Navy is training for, especially considering their proliferation in other fights. During BI's visit to the Thomas Hudner, which sailed from England to France last weekend ahead of the D-Day events this week, the watch team spotted a quadcopter drone as the destroyer was setting off on its journey. They closely monitored the drone, which turned out not to pose any immediate danger to the ship. Still, the crew was ready to take action if needed. Ingram said that small quadcopters are "absolutely a threat," even if there are limitations in their capability, specifically endurance, range, and payload capacity. While these drones generally can't carry enough ordnance to effectively disable a destroyer, they could certainly hurt people and do enough damage to potentially force the warship into repairs. "I think there will probably be a desire to weaponize those things, but there are limitations," Ingram said. Destroyers like his don't operate close to the coast. An enemy would have to send the drones out several miles from the shore or have a launching platform closer to the warship. But even then, the payload wouldn't be as heavy as a Houthi KAS-04. It is possible that the ship could encounter one near port. Warships have been attacked pierside in the past, though by other threats. The Ukraine war has demonstrated the effectiveness of quadcopters, small, inexpensive first-person view (FPV) drones, in combat. They are mostly used in engagements on land, but Kyiv has at times integrated these drones into maritime operations, demonstrating that it's still possible to burden a naval force even if the desired target isn't necessarily an expensive warship.
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Videos Show US Destroyers Training To Intercept Ballistic Missiles
The United States demonstrated its naval power as a pair of destroyers intercepted ballistic missiles during live-fire drills in Europe, showcasing its combat credibility to potential adversaries. "The two destroyers' successful missile intercepts demonstrated the lethality of U.S. Navy systems and the ability to operate seamlessly with Allied nations to maintain a stable security environment," the Europe-headquartered U.S. Sixth Fleet announced on Thursday. U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers equipped with Aegis weapons systems to provide "integrated air and missile defense," regularly conduct missile tests. As of December 2023, a total of 49 Aegis-equipped ships capable of ballistic missile defense were in service. The missile intercept drills come as President Donald Trump revealed details of the $175 billion Golden Dome initiative, which aims at "forever ending the missile threat to the [U.S.] homeland" by building a multi-layered defense grid that includes space-based interceptors. The drills were part of Exercise At Sea Demonstration/Formidable Shield 25 (ASD/FS 25), which has been taking place in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and North Atlantic Ocean since May 3. It features air and missile defense drills against a range of threats. The three-week exercise aims to strengthen NATO interoperability in "a joint, live-fire, Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) environment," using the alliance's command and control reporting structures, according to Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO. Destroyer USS Thomas Hudner launched a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) at a short-range ballistic missile target on May 15. Five days later, it and its sister ship, USS Bulkeley, intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target and a simulated target using a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptor. Targets in both drills were "successfully engaged." According to U.S. major defense contractor Raytheon, the SM-3 is designed to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, while the SM-6 is described as "three missiles in one," capable of conducting anti-air, anti-surface, and ballistic missile defense missions. Depending on its variant, the SM-3 has an estimated range of 434 to 1,550 miles, while the multifunctional SM-6 has a reported range of up to 290 miles, according to specialist outlets Naval News and Breaking Defense. The actual ranges of these missiles remain classified. As of last October, five U.S. Navy anti-ballistic missile destroyers were homeported in Spain, providing "full coverage and protection" for NATO European countries against the threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles. The U.S. Sixth Fleet said: "ASD/FS 25 includes a series of live-fire events against unmanned air and surface systems, subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic targets, incorporating multiple Allied ships, multi-nation/multi-service ground-based air defenses, and aviation forces working across battlespaces to deliver lethal effects, accomplish exercise objectives, and hone warfighting skills." Captain Michael Dwan, commander of the Task Group 154.64 and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO)'s U.S. Maritime Ballistic Missile Defense Assets Adviser, said: "Exercises like ASD/FS are critical for refining our collective integrated air and missile defense capabilities, ensuring we can respond effectively to any threat from any direction and maintain a credible deterrent posture." The U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported that a sixth destroyer based in Spain is scheduled to arrive at its new home port next year. These forward-deployed warships are intended to defend Europe against ballistic missile attacks from countries such as Iran. Related Articles India Ready to Raise US Oil Imports in Boost for TrumpMinuteman III vs Yars: US ICBM Passes Test Days After Russian Launch FlopsChinese Satellites Capture US Bombers and Jets at Island Air BaseNew US-Iran Nuclear Talks as Tensions Rise 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Guided missile destroyer named after Korean War hero spotted off Gourock
A UNITED States Navy vessel named in honour of American war hero has been spotted in the Firth of Clyde. USS Thomas Hudner's roles have involved anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, as well as strike operations. (Image: Roy Elliott) The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer was launched in April 2017, having been built at Bath Iron Works in Maine. Several members of the Greenock Telegraph Camera Club captured the vessel off Gourock earlier today. OTHER NEWS: She is named after US naval aviator Thomas Hudner, who received the Medal of Honor for his efforts to save the life of Jesse L Brown during the Korean War in 1950. Both men were on patrol near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea when Brown's aircraft was struck by ground fire. Hudner, who was later promoted to captain in 1965, deliberately crashed his own plane on a snowy mountain in a bid to help him, but Brown succumbed to his injuries.
