Latest news with #UnitedStatesMilitary
South China Morning Post
14-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US conducts military drills in Panama Canal amid Trump's China influence concerns
The United States military teamed with Panamanian police to conduct a series of new exercises aimed at protecting the Panama Canal, amid tensions over alleged Chinese influence along the prized trade route. Advertisement To kick off the drills, three US Army helicopters arrived in Panama on Sunday – two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a CH-47 Chinook – landing at the Panama-Pacific Airport, formerly the US Howard base. Michael Palacios, subcommissioner of Panama's National Aeronaval Service (SENAN), said the exercises would prepare Panama's forces, as well as countries in the region, against any threats to the security and defence of the canal. US soldiers conducted similar exercises in Panama a month ago, under a bilateral agreement that allows Washington to use Panamanian air and naval bases for training without establishing its own bases. The agreement sparked protests in the Central American country, and came amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to reclaim the canal. 03:35 Donald Trump goes light on China on Day 1, except where the Panama Canal is concerned Donald Trump goes light on China on Day 1, except where the Panama Canal is concerned He has repeatedly claimed that China has too much influence over the canal, which handles about 40 per cent of US container traffic and five per cent of world trade.
NDTV
23-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Welcome Home Boys": Video Shows US Bombers Returning After Striking Iran
New Delhi: The White House on Monday shared a video of the B-2 bombers returning to the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri after bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities - Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. US President Donald Trump 's office called the US military the "greatest force for freedom the world has known". "B-2 bombers safely touch down at Whiteman AFB in Missouri after Iran strike. God bless the United States Military - the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known," it said. The one-minute footage shows a B-2 bomber plane, the US' most advanced strategic weapons platform, flying over the American airbase before touching down. God bless the United States Military — the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known. 🇺🇸🦅 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 22, 2025 The Pentagon's official rapid response team also re-shared the video, saying, "Welcome home, boys". The B-2 is capable of entering sophisticated air defenses and delivering precision strikes against hardened targets such as Iran's buried network of nuclear research facilities. According to the US Air Force, the B-2 has massive firepower, and its "stealth" features threaten heavily defended targets. Priced at about $2.1 billion each, B-2 bombers are the most expensive military aircraft ever built. It has a payload capacity of more than 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg), allowing the aircraft to carry various conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber's internal weapons bays are specifically designed to maintain stealth characteristics while accommodating large ordnance loads. The aircraft can carry up to 16 B83 nuclear bombs. The B-2 bombers that struck Iran likely used the GBU-57 bunker busters, a 30,000-pound (about 13,600 kg) bomb that can penetrate up to 200 feet underground before exploding. The GBU-57 is the most powerful bunker buster in the US arsenal. Reports suggest that the US used six bunker buster bombs on Iran's Fordow nuclear site - which only the US had the power to destroy. Apart from these, the US also used 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles, F-22 Raptors and F-35A Lightning fighters during their strikes. The US joined Israel's war against Iran with its ' Operation Midnight Hammer ' on Sunday. The US claims to have "obliterated" Tehran's nuclear programme, marking Washington's first-ever direct involvement in the conflict. This has spread fears of a full-blown war in the Middle East. In his first message after the attack, Trump warned Iran, the "bully of the Middle East", to make peace. "If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said. Now, all eyes are on how Tehran responds to the situation. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has already warned of retaliation "without delay" and threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz. "It is now our turn to act without delay. As a first step, we must launch a missile strike on the US naval fleet in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French ships," Hossein Shariatmadari, Khamenei's representative, told an Iranian media.
News18
23-06-2025
- General
- News18
B-2 Bombers Involved In US Strikes On Iran's Nuclear Sites Return Safely To Missouri
Last Updated: At least six US B-2 stealth bombers dropped a dozen "bunker buster bombs" at Iran's nuclear sites in Fordow, Isafhan and Natanz, along with 30 Tomahawk missiles. The B-2 stealth bombers that attacked and dropped massive 'bunker-buster" bombs on Iran's nuclear sites have returned safely to their base in Missouri. The bombers returned to Whiteman Air Force base, about 73 miles (117 km) southeast of Kansas City, which is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, the only US military unit that operates the B-2 Spirit bombers. 'God bless the United States Military — the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known," said the White House on X. — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 22, 2025 The first group of four of the stealth aircraft did a loop around the base before approaching a runway from the north, while a final group of three arrived within 10 minutes, according to The Associated Press.
Mint
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
US attacks Iran: B-2 Bomber jets return to Air base after 36 hour ‘Operation Midnight Hammer'
The B-2 stealth bombers that dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities have returned to the Whiteman Air Force base in Missouri, the White House informed and posted a video on social media platform X of the jets. According to an AP report, seven of the B-2 Spirit bombers came in for landing at Whiteman Air Force Base situated about 117 km southeast of Kansas City, is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, the only U.S. military unit that operates the B-2 Spirit bombers. The first group of four of the stealth aircraft did a loop around the base before approaching a runway from the north, while a final group of three arrived within 10 minutes, the report added. The White House on its official X account wrote: 'God bless the United States Military — the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known. (sic)' The past had a video titled 'B-2 Bombers Safely Touch Down in Missouri After 36-Hour Iran Strike'. The day before, the B-2s had been part of a wide-ranging plan involving deception and decoys to deliver what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear program that Israel views as an existential threat and has been pummeling for more than a week. According to U.S. officials, one group of the stealth aircraft headed west from the base in the U.S. heartland on Saturday, intended as a decoy to throw off the Iranians. Another flight of seven quietly flew off eastward, ultimately engaging in the Iran mission. Aided by an armada of refueling tankers and fighter jets — some of which launched their own weapons — U.S. pilots dropped 14 30,000-pound bombs early Sunday local time on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran. American sailors bolstered the surprise mission by firing dozens of cruise missiles from a submarine toward at least one other site. U.S. officials said Iran neither detected the inbound fusillade, nor mustered a shot at the stealthy American jets. Dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the mission carried out a 'precision strike' that 'devastated the Iranian nuclear program,' U.S. officials said, even as they acknowledged an assessment was ongoing. For its part, Iran denied that any significant damage had been done, and the Islamic Republic pledged to retaliate.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hear that big BOOM? It could be the Tooele Army Depot detonating aging munitions
RUSH VALLEY, Tooele County — U.S. Army Col. Luke Clover promised a van full of reporters Wednesday that they will never forget the shock waves propagated by the open detonations that they had gathered to observe. The explosions, as the colonel promised, were loud. They were teeth-rattling. As good soldiers say: 'That's affirmative, sir.' But Wednesday's media day at the Tooele Army Depot — aka TEAD — was about more than sending local journalists back to their newsrooms with a fun and 'detonating' dispatch. Clover and his associates are anxious to share the purposes behind the army depot's open detonations that folks across multiple Utah counties often hear — and feel. 'We want to share with the community what's going on out here … and to let everyone know what's going on out here in support of the national defense and the United States Military,' said Clover, who commands the 83-year-old depot. Tooele Army Depot personnel, the colonel added, are performing essential missions. First, as part of the U.S. Army's Joint Munitions Command, the ammunitions base conducts safe and environmentally responsible destruction of surplus or obsolete ammunition. 'We have a lot of World War II-era munitions that come through here for demilitarization that are no longer useful. Or there are munitions here that have been deemed hazardous or unsafe to use for our service members,' said Clover. Tooele Army Depot also maintains munitions — performing surveillance tests to ensure that the military weapons are safe for use. 'And when they're found to be unsafe, unstable or not operating in the way that they're supposed to, then they're deemed ready for demilitarization,' added Clover. Disposing of obsolete munitions also frees up storage space for modern munitions. Established in 1942 while World War II was raging, the Tooele Army Depot is tasked with receiving, storing, maintaining, shipping, modifying and, of course, demilitarizing conventional munitions. The depot also specializes in ammunition equipment prototype design, development and fabrication. The weather and dry conditions found in Utah's West Desert region seems factory-made for the work being performed at the base. Some depots in other, more humid areas of the country must deal with moisture seeping into their earth-covered magazines and storage areas. 'But the environment here is perfect for that mission … to help maintain the longevity of the stockpiles,' said Clover. The region's natural environmental features can also help mitigate disasters, said Erin Trinchitella, Tooele Army Depot's industrial operations director. 'Part of our environment here, as you could see today, is soil,' she said. 'So if there is an accidental explosion, the soil here … helps absorb that.' Wednesday's media day occurred at a historic moment for the American military: Saturday, June 14, is the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. 'We are extremely proud of the job that we do in support of not only the Department of Defense's munitions enterprise mission, but also the overall mission of the United States Army and the other uniformed services: The U.S. Air Force, Navy, Space Force, Marines and Coast Guard,' said Clover. 'We work with all of them, and we handle and maintain the munitions for all of those services.' Depot officials say they are eager to be good neighbors in the Tooele County community and beyond. To help keep local officials and residents abreast of daily detonation activities, Tooele Army Depot dispatches frequent emails alerting local jurisdictions of the day's operations. Subsequent posts are added to the base's social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and X. There's even a 'noise complaint' hotline: 435-833-3300. 'We give people as much notice as possible that we are going to be detonating that day — and, along with that notification, we also include information for people to provide us with a noise report,' said public affairs officer Wade Matthews. 'We're not afraid to take that information … we can use that information for making adjustments, if necessary.' Lonnie Brown, Tooele Army Depot's environmental management division chief, said the depot works 'hand-in-hand' with Utah's Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army to ensure environmental protections. 'We have several audits to verify that we meet within our permit standards — and we're being reviewed several times a year to make sure that those standards are met,' said Brown. The depot also performs ecological studies to help protect local wildlife — while sponsoring several projects to benefit species such as the Burrowing owls. Tooele Army Depot also works with the EPA to test and monitor groundwater wells. 'We find that there's no significant impact on these wells,' said Brown. On Wednesday, reporters were given a rare glimpse of the lunar-like landscapes that double as explosion pits — and the precise task of preparing obsolete munitions for destruction. Crews prepare the 'donor' munitions before burying it in the explosion pit under at least seven feet of soil. The range area is then cleared and firing lines are tied and finalized. Detonation specialists, safely housed in a 'shooter shack' located several hundred meters away from the blast site, manage all of the firing lines utilizing a lock box that's connected to a firing panel, which triggers the detonation. Specialists executed several detonations Wednesday, with the 'assistance' of several reporters.
