Latest news with #U.S.PacificFleet
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
What 'Russia's Pearl Harbor' Says About Trump's Golden Dome
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Almost like it was a premonition, military analyst Max Boot warned in a Saturday Washington Post op-ed that the future of warfare wouldn't be fought with massive space-based missile shields, but with swarms of cheap, expendable drones. Less than 24 hours later, Ukraine delivered the proof. In the early hours of Sunday morning, Ukraine's intelligence service launched Operation Spiderweb—a coordinated drone strike on five Russian air bases, including two located deep in Siberia, thousands of miles from the Ukrainian border. The drones, smuggled inside wooden cabins on tractor-trailers and deployed remotely, reportedly disabled or destroyed up to a third of Russia's long-range bomber fleet. Some military commentators compared it to another infamous Sunday surprise—Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Russian officials rejected the analogy, insisting the damage was far less severe than Ukraine claimed. Also unlike the Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Ukraine was already in a defensive war with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw the operation perdsonally and said it cost only tens of thousands of dollars, but may have caused at least $7 billion in damage. Reports said and videos confirmed the drones flew toward their targets, hitting Russia's nuclear-capable bombers and at least one A-50 spy plane. It also served as a prime example—a stark demonstration of how asymmetrical warfare can upend traditional power dynamics. A Billion-Dollar Throwback Ukraine's display of drone warfare came just days after President Donald Trump championed his "Golden Dome"—a $175 billion proposed space-based missile defense system his administration says will shield the U.S. from hypersonic and intercontinental threats by 2029. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the project could cost as much as $830 billion over 20 years to complete, assuming it is even physically possible. Standing alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House, Trump declared, "An architecture has officially been selected... It will be the most advanced missile defense system ever devised." U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump announced his plans for the "Golden Dome," a national ballistic and cruise missile... U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump announced his plans for the "Golden Dome," a national ballistic and cruise missile defense system. More Photo byThe plan envisions a web of satellites equipped with sensors and interceptors, including space-based lasers. Modeled partly on Ronald Reagan's failed Strategic Defense Initiative — known then as "Star Wars" — the Golden Dome echoes Cold War-era visions of layered missile defense from orbit. But critics argue it's no more realistic today than it was four decades ago. Chatham House, a London-based independent policy institute, warned that the Golden Dome "risks exacerbating global instability and accelerating strategic competition." Julia Cournoyer, a research associate with Chatham's International Security Programme, wrote that "a system that aspires to make the U.S. invulnerable to missile attack would almost certainly be seen by its adversaries as an attempt to undermine the logic of nuclear deterrence." The Case Against the Golden Dome With drone swarms now capable of crippling billion-dollar military infrastructure for a fraction of the cost, military analysts who spoke to Newsweek say the United States must reevaluate whether its missile defense priorities are geared for the future—or stuck defending a past that no longer exists. Defense experts also say the Golden Dome fails the most basic test: relevance. "Forget Trump's hugely expensive, impractical Golden Dome shield. Drones are the future of warfare," Boot wrote in a separate Washington Post opinion piece. He pointed to Ukraine's goal of producing 4.5 million drones this year at an average cost of $580 each—a scale that dwarfs the Pentagon's current output. For the same $25 billion earmarked for the Golden Dome's first phase, the U.S. could theoretically build more than 43 million drones. Video on Telegram and from SBU handout show the damage to planes and airfields at undisclosed locations across Russia after Ukraine launched a surprise drone attack at four bases that destroyed 41 planes. Video on Telegram and from SBU handout show the damage to planes and airfields at undisclosed locations across Russia after Ukraine launched a surprise drone attack at four bases that destroyed 41 planes. Ukrainian security service/AP // Governor of Irkutsk Region Igor Kobzev on Telegram "If the Ukrainians could sneak drones so close to major air bases in a police state such as Russia, what is to prevent the Chinese from doing the same with U.S. air bases?" Boot asked. Zachary Kallenborn, a UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] warfare specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Newsweek the Ukrainian attack is "definitely plausible" in other theaters. "They used small drones, probably capable of only carrying a few pounds of explosive," he said. "A similar Chinese drone attack is worth worrying about." National security analysts Benjamin Giltner and Justin Logan of the Cato Institute warned that the program is "costly and unlikely to pull off." Writing in The Spectator, the pair argued and that "modeling U.S. missile defense on Israel's Iron Dome is a mistake." They argue the plan's scale is unworkable and technologically mismatched to the advanced threats it's meant to counter—such as ICBMs flying at five times the speed of sound, armed with multiple warheads and decoys. Trump has also explicitly said the Golden Dome will be modeled on Israel's Iron Dome, though Israel is roughly the size of New Jersey and its missile shield mostly protects against slow moving, unguided rockets and other projectiles. A Divided Defense Some in the president's orbit see the Golden Dome as a necessary evolution in national defense. House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik called the program a vital step forward. "President Trump's announcement of the Golden Dome represents decisive action and fearless vision to ensure America's defense future," she said in a May 20 press release. "The Golden Dome, incorporating new technologies across land, sea, and space, is critical for countering evolving threats from rogue nations and adversaries." Yet even supporters face questions about practicality and risk. Cournoyer warned that adversaries could respond by escalating their own arsenals, pushing the U.S. and its rivals into a destabilizing arms race. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing in ceremony for interim U.S. Attorney General for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in The Oval Office of the White House in Washington.... President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing in ceremony for interim U.S. Attorney General for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in The Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Chinese President Xi Jinping gestures as he walks in Red square after the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool) More Evan Vucci/Pavel Bednyakov/AP "This arms race could also incentivize the deployment of space-based weapons at a time when space remains dangerously under-regulated," she wrote. "Beijing and Moscow could respond with a range of countermeasures, including expanding their offensive arsenals or developing new delivery systems." The announcement has already made headlines overseas, with rivals like China and Russia reacting sharply. "The United States, in pursuing a 'U.S.-first' policy, is obsessed with seeking absolute security for itself," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning during a May press briefing. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, urged Washington to abandon the deployment of weapons in space and said the Golden Dome would undermine strategic stability. As global threats evolve in line with rapid advancements in technology, the debate continues over whether high-cost missile shields like the Golden Dome can keep pace with the low-cost, high-impact tactics reshaping modern warfare. On Sunday, Ukraine showed the world what the future of warfare might very well look like. And it's not a future that can be easily countered with traditional defense practices.
Newsweek
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows Russian Air Bases Hit in 'Pearl Harbor' Drone Raid
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Coordinated, long-range strikes on multiple Russian airbases thousands of miles from Ukraine took out more than a third of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers, according to Kyiv, dealing a stinging blow to Moscow ahead of renewed peace talks. Ukraine on Sunday launched 117 individually-operated drones at four airbases across Russia, officials said, in an attack branded "Russia's Pearl Harbor" by observers, referencing Japan's infamous 1941 assault on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Oahu, Hawaii. The operation, codenamed "Spiderweb," inflicted roughly $7 billion in damage as Kyiv struck more than 40 Russian aircraft simultaneously, including nuclear-capable bombers, Ukraine's SBU domestic security agency said. Why It Matters Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting for fresh rounds of ceasefire negotiations in Istanbul on Monday, although there is muted optimism for what the pained talks could produce. Meetings in Turkey last month secured the largest prisoner swap of the war, but failed to yield much progress on a ceasefire deal. Brokering an agreement to bring Europe's largest land conflict since World War II to a close has been a core foreign policy pledge for President Donald Trump, although his administration has said it is willing to walk away if a deal cannot be swiftly reached. Russia has in recent weeks launched its largest-scale aerial attacks of the more than three years of war on Ukraine. What To Know The head of Ukraine's SBU security service, Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk, said on Monday that Kyiv hit 41 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers Russia has used extensively to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine. Ukraine also struck an A-50 spy plane, Malyuk said. The A-50 surveillance aircraft is an expensive and scarce asset for Russia, previously targeted by Ukraine. Footage widely circulating online appears to show several aircraft in flames or damaged. Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's national security and defense council, said on Monday "at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed." Ukraine said it had targeted four airfields "simultaneously," while Russia's Defense Ministry said Ukraine had used first person-view (FPV) drones to target military airfields in five regions — Amur, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Murmansk and Ryazan. Moscow acknowledged "several" aircraft had caught fire in the strikes in Murmansk, in northwestern Russia, and Irkutsk, in Siberia. The SBU did not name Ukrainka, an airbase in the Amur region reportedly hit by drones, as a target. An SBU spokesperson declined to comment when approached for clarification. Satellite imagery captured by Airbus on September 20, 2023, and provided by Google Earth shows Russia's Ukrainka air base, one of five Russian bomber bases targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack on June 1, 2025. Satellite imagery captured by Airbus on September 20, 2023, and provided by Google Earth shows Russia's Ukrainka air base, one of five Russian bomber bases targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack on June 1, 2025. Airbus/Google Earth Igor Kobzev, the governor of Russia's Irkutsk region, said an unspecified number of drones had struck a military facility near the village of Sredny, close to the Belaya airfield. Kobzev, as well as Russian and Ukrainian media reports, said drones had been launched from trucks parked close to the airfields. The trucks, stationed near the targets, likely helped Ukraine to avoid Russian air defenses and electronic warfare systems, the U.S.-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), said on Sunday. The SBU said it had transported the drones over the border, hiding the uncrewed vehicles in "mobile wooden houses" mounted on trucks with remotely-operated removable roofs. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said the long-range strikes were a year-and-a-half in the making. Russia said "some of the participants" in the attacks had been detained by Russian authorities. Zelensky said those who had helped execute the operation were "withdrawn from Russian territory before the operation" and were "now safe." Satellite imagery captured by Airbus on August 7, 2023, and provided by Google Earth shows Russia's Ivanovo Severny air base, one of five Russian bomber bases targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack on June 1,... Satellite imagery captured by Airbus on August 7, 2023, and provided by Google Earth shows Russia's Ivanovo Severny air base, one of five Russian bomber bases targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack on June 1, 2025. More Airbus/Google Earth A main planning site for the "Spiderweb" operation on Russian soil was "located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions," Zelensky added. Russia's FSB is Moscow's main security agency, the successor to the feared Soviet-era KGB. "Managing to execute this operation from the Murmansk Peninsula to Far East as one perfectly timed attack in the face of the FSB is a stunning proof of their skill," said Frederik Mertens, a strategic analyst at Dutch research organization TNO. While Ukraine has successfully targeted Russia's long-range aviation fleet in the past, there has been "nothing on this scale," Mertens told Newsweek. The strikes were the first time Ukraine had carried out a drone attack on the Irkutsk region, around 2,800 miles from the Ukrainian border. Kyiv has previously targeted the Ryazan airbase of Dyagilevo and the Olenya airfield in Murmansk. The Ukrainian strikes could have a "real impact" on Moscow's ability to launch long-range precision strikes at Ukraine, depending on how many of its Tu-95 aircraft Russia has left, Mertens said. Russia likely has fewer than 90 Tu-22, Tu-95 and Tu-160 aircraft at its disposal, The Economist reported on Sunday. Satellite imagery captured by Airbus on June 1, 2023, and provided by Google Earth shows Russia's Dyagilevo air base, one of five Russian bomber bases targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack on June 1, 2025. Satellite imagery captured by Airbus on June 1, 2023, and provided by Google Earth shows Russia's Dyagilevo air base, one of five Russian bomber bases targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack on June 1, 2025. Airbus/Google Earth What People Are Saying Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said in a statement on Sunday: "Planning, organisation, every detail was perfectly executed. It can be said with confidence that this was an absolutely unique operation." What Happens Next The second round of peace negotiations are underway in Turkey, but it remains to be seen whether renewed, U.S.-brokered efforts will usher in progress towards a deal.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NZ defence minister pledges more deployments, co-operation
By Greg Torode SINGAPORE (Reuters) -New Zealand is seeking to expand Asia-Pacific military deployments in its quest to show it was now "pulling our weight" with increased spending on its armed forces, the South Pacific nation's defence minister said in Singapore on Friday. Defence minister Judith Collins raised the prospect of welcoming increased warship visits to the country, deepening joint training and other cooperative efforts with its traditional defence partners including ally Australia, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Britain and the Philippines. "So we're open for business, we're back in the world and we're pulling our weight," Collins told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting in Singapore. The New Zealand government announced in April that it would boost defence spending by NZ$9 billion ($5 billion) over the next four years, with the aim of nearly doubling spending to 2% as a share of gross domestic product in the next eight years amid growing international tensions. The new spending is a significant boost to the defence budget of just under NZ$5 billion in 2024/25, and follows its first national security review in 2023. The review called for more military spending and stronger ties with Indo-Pacific nations to tackle issues of climate change and strategic competition between the West, and China and Russia. The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, visited Wellington earlier this month and further visits from partners could be expected, Collins said. The ship was just the third U.S. warship to visit in 40 years. When asked about Chinese concerns at New Zealand's more assertive military posture, she said Beijing realised Wellington had "actually got a spine", but "I don't think China stays awake at night worrying about us." "I don't think we're any threat to China, or anyone else really," Collins said, describing relations with China, an important trading partner, as "very mature". Regional military attaches and analysts say that after years of relative neglect, New Zealand still had to improve its ability to sustainably project power given its small, ageing navy and air force but supporting its traditional relationships were key. Nuclear-free since the 1980s, New Zealand maintains an independent foreign policy but remains part of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network with the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada. Deployments of its four new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are being closely watched, given how they can help other countries plug gaps in the hunt for Chinese submarines, analysts say. Collins said New Zealand and Australian pilots now had the ability to fly each other's P-8 and transport planes - a sign of growing "interoperability" in action. Collins said the P-8s had already flown up towards Canada and she expected further patrols in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. "I think you'll see quite a lot of that," she said. "We go everywhere. Everywhere where we're wanted we go, if we can."
Miami Herald
22-04-2025
- Miami Herald
China Releases Video of Encounter With US Aircraft Carrier Fighter Jet
Footage recently released by Chinese state media appears to show a close encounter between Chinese and American carrier-based fighter jets over an undisclosed location in waters. "We don't have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but we routinely operate in the vicinity of foreign aircraft and ships in international waters and airspace in the Indo-Pacific," the U.S. Pacific Fleet told Newsweek. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. The U.S. military often operates in the western Pacific Ocean, including in the contested East and South China Seas, where its aircraft have been intercepted by the Chinese military. The Pentagon has previously accused the Chinese air force of conducting unsafe intercepts. The U.S.'s aircraft carriers have been deployed to the waters west of the international date line on a rotating basis, maintaining the U.S.'s naval presence. They are protected by fighter jets embarked aboard, which are tasked with intercepting foreign aircraft approaching the ships. On April 11, the state-run China Central Television aired a documentary about the country's aircraft carrier fleet. The Chinese navy has two aircraft carriers in active service, while a third is expected to be operational in the first half of 2025, according to the Pentagon. The documentary, which goes into detail about the flight operations of the J-15 carrier-based fighter jets, briefly shows the undated close encounter in question. A J-15 fighter jet can be seen flying close to a second fighter aircraft positioned to its front left. Chinese military observers identified the second fighter jet as a U.S. Navy F/A-18 based on its shape. A spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet did not confirm nor deny whether it was the F/A-18 fighter aircraft, which is the backbone of the U.S.'s carrier-based aviation force. The jet, also known as the Super Hornet, comes with the single-seat E variant and the two-seat F variant. It is designed for a wide range of missions, including escort and interdiction. It was not immediately clear why American and Chinese carrier-based fighter aircraft had an encounter. A Chinese military observer said the J-15 jet was dispatched to "intercept and drive away" the F/A-18 jet during a Chinese aircraft carrier's "ocean-going training." CNS Shandong, the second Chinese aircraft carrier, held three "far-seas training events" in the Philippine Sea in 2023, the Pentagon's report on China's military power said. The Philippine Sea is also a major operating area for U.S. aircraft carriers during their western Pacific Ocean deployments. The Philippine Sea is located between the first and second island chains, which are part of a U.S. containment strategy seeking to restrict China's military access to the Pacific Ocean. In September, China's first operational aircraft carrier, CNS Liaoning, was spotted 559 miles northwest of Guam, the U.S.'s westernmost territory and a key military hub. A spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet said: "The U.S. Navy is committed to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific, alongside our allies and partners, where all nations large and small have the freedom to sail and fly consistent with international law." The Pentagon's report on Chinese military power said: "Since late 2023, the [People's Liberation Army] has reduced the number of coercive and risky air intercepts of U.S. platforms compared to the previous two years, when the PLA engaged in notably increased aggressive activity, particularly in the East and South China Seas." The American and Chinese militaries are likely to have further encounters at sea and in the air while operating in the western Pacific Ocean. Related Articles If Nations Won't Fight Global Warming, Cities Can and Will | OpinionUS Bolsters Israel With Airlift Amid Regional ThreatsNorth Korea Says Trump Expanding Global WarsHouthis Send Defiant Warning to Trump: "Quagmire" 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
22-04-2025
- Newsweek
China Releases Video of Encounter With US Aircraft Carrier Fighter Jet
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Footage recently released by Chinese state media appears to show a close encounter between Chinese and American carrier-based fighter jets over an undisclosed location in waters. "We don't have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but we routinely operate in the vicinity of foreign aircraft and ships in international waters and airspace in the Indo-Pacific," the U.S. Pacific Fleet told Newsweek. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Why It Matters The U.S. military often operates in the western Pacific Ocean, including in the contested East and South China Seas, where its aircraft have been intercepted by the Chinese military. The Pentagon has previously accused the Chinese air force of conducting unsafe intercepts. The U.S.'s aircraft carriers have been deployed to the waters west of the international date line on a rotating basis, maintaining the U.S.'s naval presence. They are protected by fighter jets embarked aboard, which are tasked with intercepting foreign aircraft approaching the ships. What To Know On April 11, the state-run China Central Television aired a documentary about the country's aircraft carrier fleet. The Chinese navy has two aircraft carriers in active service, while a third is expected to be operational in the first half of 2025, according to the Pentagon. The documentary, which goes into detail about the flight operations of the J-15 carrier-based fighter jets, briefly shows the undated close encounter in question. A J-15 fighter jet can be seen flying close to a second fighter aircraft positioned to its front left. In this photo taken from footage released by the China Central Television on April 11, a suspected United States Navy F/A-18 fighter jet, left, flies close to a Chinese navy J-15 fighter jet over an... In this photo taken from footage released by the China Central Television on April 11, a suspected United States Navy F/A-18 fighter jet, left, flies close to a Chinese navy J-15 fighter jet over an undisclosed location in waters. More China Central Television Chinese military observers identified the second fighter jet as a U.S. Navy F/A-18 based on its shape. A spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet did not confirm nor deny whether it was the F/A-18 fighter aircraft, which is the backbone of the U.S.'s carrier-based aviation force. The jet, also known as the Super Hornet, comes with the single-seat E variant and the two-seat F variant. It is designed for a wide range of missions, including escort and interdiction. It was not immediately clear why American and Chinese carrier-based fighter aircraft had an encounter. A Chinese military observer said the J-15 jet was dispatched to "intercept and drive away" the F/A-18 jet during a Chinese aircraft carrier's "ocean-going training." CNS Shandong, the second Chinese aircraft carrier, held three "far-seas training events" in the Philippine Sea in 2023, the Pentagon's report on China's military power said. The Philippine Sea is also a major operating area for U.S. aircraft carriers during their western Pacific Ocean deployments. United States Navy sailors securing an F/A-18E fighter jet to the flight deck during flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz while underway in the Pacific Ocean on February 5. United States Navy sailors securing an F/A-18E fighter jet to the flight deck during flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz while underway in the Pacific Ocean on February 5. Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Japeth Carter/U.S. Navy The Philippine Sea is located between the first and second island chains, which are part of a U.S. containment strategy seeking to restrict China's military access to the Pacific Ocean. In September, China's first operational aircraft carrier, CNS Liaoning, was spotted 559 miles northwest of Guam, the U.S.'s westernmost territory and a key military hub. What People Are Saying A spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet said: "The U.S. Navy is committed to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific, alongside our allies and partners, where all nations large and small have the freedom to sail and fly consistent with international law." The Pentagon's report on Chinese military power said: "Since late 2023, the [People's Liberation Army] has reduced the number of coercive and risky air intercepts of U.S. platforms compared to the previous two years, when the PLA engaged in notably increased aggressive activity, particularly in the East and South China Seas." What Happens Next The American and Chinese militaries are likely to have further encounters at sea and in the air while operating in the western Pacific Ocean.
