Latest news with #modernwarfare
Sky News
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Ukrainian drone attack puts Russians and the world on notice
On the eve of the peace talks in Istanbul, Ukraine launched an audacious drone attack deep within Russia: Operation Spider's Web. 👉 Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim on your podcast app 👈 Hundreds of Ukrainian-made drones were smuggled over the border, put into crates, and launched simultaneously to blow up billions of dollars' worth of Russian military equipment. Ukraine penetrated as far into Russia as the North Pole is from London, or Los Angeles from New York. No small feat, and you can bet that the whole world is watching and taking notes from how the Ukrainians are responding to Russian aggression. 0:46 This was not a scene from a Hollywood spy movie, but a glimpse into the future of modern warfare. Once again, the battlefields of Ukraine and the technology used there are changing the face of how wars are fought and potentially won. Wars won't be fought just with legacy hardware and 20th-century capabilities, but with swarms of cheap drones alongside. Both myself and my podcast co-host, NBC's chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, have spent time on the Ukrainian frontlines and have seen these drones in action. They swarm overhead like 'killer bees', as he described it on this week's episode. It's unnerving and scary. Volodymyr But the way Ukraine used these drones has not been done before by an army, and attacks like these will be making Ukraine's adversaries and allies nervous. As tensions mount in the Indo-Pacific, both Beijing and Washington will be taking notes from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 4:05 If China launches an attack on Taiwan, which US defence secretary Pete Hegseth warned could be 'imminent', drones will be central to any conflict between the two superpowers. President Donald Trump 's announcement of a $175bn 'Golden Dome' American defence system is classic Trump bravado mixed with an insight into the very real anxieties this administration feels with regards to China, for it is a formidable enemy. It is not improbable that Beijing, or its ally in Pyongyang, could carry out a similar attack on US army bases or the mainland, if tensions were to ratchet up. So, the big question now is how will Vladimir Putin respond? A security breach of this size will no doubt invite a huge response. But Ukraine, which has been told by the Trump administration - that it is losing this war, wrap this up and fast - has once again shown it has the willpower to continue to be agile and creative.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
ADF chief warns Australia must be ready to launch combat operations from home
Australia's Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston, says the nation must be prepared for the possibility of having to launch combat operations from its own soil — a significant shift in military thinking not seen since World War II. Speaking at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Defence Conference in Canberra on Wednesday, Admiral Johnston said Australia needed to "reconsider" how it thought about war, resilience and national preparedness. "Perhaps finally we are having to reconsider Australia as a homeland from which we will conduct combat operations," he said. "That is a very different way — almost since the Second World War of how we think of national resilience and preparedness. "We might need to operate and conduct operations from this country — everything from our northern infrastructure, our supply chains …" Admiral Johnston also pointed to the rapid evolution of modern warfare, highlighting that military technology could become obsolete in as little as 12 weeks, as seen in the Ukraine conflict. "The cycle is somewhere about 12 weeks before tech investments become irrelevant because of counter strategies," he said. "We need to be very clear about where we make investments in our technical capability." His remarks come amid growing international pressure for allies to lift their defence budgets, with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urging Australia over the weekend to boost spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Asked about the national conversation around funding, Admiral Johnston laughed but acknowledged the strain on resources and defended the current approach shaped by Labor's recent strategic review of defence. "The Australian community wants education, a health system to look after the elderly, so making sure we do the best we can to present the issues of national security issues in our country, and we do that unambiguously and without avoiding some of those key areas of risk. "Frank advice is key but knowing that's not the only issue the government contends with and working with our partners — where are our common interests — where our interests intersect so we can push outcomes that meet multiple objectives." Pressed specifically on Mr Hegseth's request and the Coalition's calls for higher spending, he said it was an important debate and acknowledged the associated challenges. "Defence is fully expending its budget at the moment," he said. "That's a good thing as we've uplifted our acquisition delivery, [our] workforce is improving … It does put pressure on the budget we need to make choices on." He said it was "helpful" that the government had moved to a biannual strategic review cycle, noting that it allowed Defence to continually update its case about where resources were most needed. "It's unlike in the past … where the frequency or structure of reviews was an open-ended proposition," Admiral Johnston said. "We keep coming back, reviewing the strategy and looking at the opportunities or where the investments are required." Admiral Johnston said he would continue to give frank advice to the government to inform its spending decisions and flagged that Defence was working on a fresh strategy to be released next year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to attend the G7 summit in Canada in a couple of weeks, where defence spending will likely feature in a potential sideline discussion between Mr Albanese and US President Donald Trump. That meeting is not yet locked in.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
UK to unveil major defence review to confront ‘new era of threat' amid rising Russian aggression
LONDON, June 2 — Britain is set to publish on Monday a major review of its defence strategy and armed forces as the government warned of 'growing' Russian aggression and the changing nature of modern warfare. Prime Minister Keir Starmer cautioned on Sunday that the UK was being 'directly threatened' by hostile states as his government announced a raft of new defence measures. 'We will restore Britain's war-fighting readiness as the central purpose of our armed forces,' Starmer wrote in a statement published by The Sun. The UK has been racing to rearm in the face of the threat from Russia and fears that US President Donald Trump will no longer help protect Europe. On Monday, the Labour government will publish its Strategic Defence Review, a document that will assess threats facing the UK and make recommendations. The review warns that Britain is entering 'a new era of threat' as drones and artificial intelligence transform modern warfare, The Guardian newspaper reported over the weekend. Starmer said it would serve as 'a blueprint for strength and security for decades to come'. His government pledged in February to lift defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 in the 'largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War'. And despite budget constraints, it aims for spending to rise to 3 per cent in the next parliamentary term, due in 2029. The Labour government has said it will cut UK overseas aid to help fund the spending. 'Daily' attacks The last such defence review was commissioned in 2021 by the previous Conservative government, and was revised in 2023 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Based on the recommendations of the review, which is led by former Nato secretary general George Robertson, Starmer announced measures to boost stockpiles and weapons production capacity, which could be scaled up if needed. This includes £1.5 billion (RM8.6 billion) for building 'at least six munitions and energetics factories', procuring 7,000 domestically built long-range weapons, and spending £6 billion on munitions over the current parliamentary term. The government also said it would build 12 new attack submarines as part of its AUKUS military alliance with Australia and the United States, and invest £15 billion in its nuclear warhead programme. The defence ministry last week pledged £1 billion for the creation of a 'cyber command' to help on the battlefield. 'We're in a world that is changing now... and it is a world of growing threats,' Defence Secretary John Healey told the BBC in an interview Sunday. 'It's growing Russian aggression. It's those daily cyberattacks, it's new nuclear risks, and it's increasing tension in other parts of the world as well,' he said. 'Sophisticated challenge' While launching the review, Robertson said it would tackle with threats from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, calling them a 'deadly quartet'. But in his op-ed in The Sun, Starmer did not mention China, while warning that 'The Kremlin is working hand in hand with its cronies in Iran and North Korea.' The softer rhetoric on China is in line with the Labour government's efforts to thaw relations with Beijing, which reached new lows under former prime minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative government. The review describes Russia as an 'immediate and pressing' threat, but calls China a 'sophisticated and persistent challenge', according to The Guardian. At a time when Washington is demanding that its Nato allies bolster their own defences, Britain is considering strengthening its deterrent by buying nuclear-missile capable aircrafts from the United States, The Sunday Times reported. Without confirming or denying, Healey said Sunday that 'strong deterrence is absolutely essential in order to keep Britain and the British people safe'. — AFP
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Jet jamming: Fighter plane future rests on mastering electronic warfare
The ferocity of the shots fired in the recent India - Pakistan conflict have quietened but the skirmish is already having an impact on global air forces. Jamming devices are now considered essential, experts have told The National. A major investigation among Western powers is under way to understand how potentially three French-built Rafales were lost to Pakistan's Chinese made J-10Cs, alongside the worrying development of long-range aerial warfare. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine is proving, it's not the alluring curved lines of missiles that are essential to survival, but the energy emitted from unseen weapons. 'Operating in high-threat environments, electronic warfare (EW) is a must have, it's not an optional extra any more if you're going to survive in contested airspace,' said Gareth Jennings, air power editor of Janes, the defence intelligence company. As the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts are also demonstrating, modern warfare is evolving at rapid speeds among many weapons systems, with survival dependent on innovation and skill. It should be a wake-up call to nations that need to upgrade their aircraft defences with EW, a British military source said. Aerial prowess The Kashmir clash has demonstrated not only the high level of professionalism shown by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) but also the emerging quality of Chinese-manufactured jets and missiles. The ability of the Pakistanis to operate a complex defence using airborne and ground radar co-ordinating its fighters has already unnerved Western onlookers. 'The West now knows it faces an extremely capable, integrated air and missile defence and it is also clear that China in the air domain is probably sliding ahead of Russia,' said Frank Ledwidge, a former military intelligence officer. The ability of the PAF's J-10C fighters and 'beyond visual range' PL-15E missiles that took down potentially five Indian air force fighters at a distance of more than 100km, has been noted. Once fired, the PL-15E is blasted by a rocket booster to hypersonic speed of Mach 5 (6,200kph) then guided on to its target by the J-10C fighter's radar. In the closing stages, it switches to its Aesa (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar with a second burst of speed being injected 10km from a target, making it difficult to evade. It is unclear if the older generation Indian Rafales were fitted with Aesa that could have allowed them to jam both the Pakistan fighter and the missile in its closing stages with a beam of focused electronic noise. There is also a suggestion that India was totally unprepared for the level of sophistication facing them, with all their aircraft shot down over home territory where they possibly thought they were safe. Worried West The incident is prompting reassessments for major defence companies, not only for Dassault, which makes the Rafale, but also the European manufacturers of Typhoon and US aircraft companies. 'There's a lot of work from an intelligence perspective, trying to understand the capability in terms of the missiles, their range and speed and therefore why the air defences didn't work or didn't prevent it,' a leading defence company insider told The National. Vital to understanding the losses will be how the Rafale's electronic warfare systems worked and the skill of the pilots using them. Like the Typhoon, the Rafale is called a '4.5 generation' fighter, highly capable with good defensive measures and a proven operational capability, but until this month operating against countries without serious air power. Essential to the Rafale's survival against missiles such as the PL-15 are its Spectra (Self-Protection Equipment Countering Threats to Rafale Aircraft) jamming system to protect it against missiles. It is not known to what extent India has Spectra, or if it was used during the engagement, 'but in terms of the Pakistani capabilities, "it certainly shows that they're not inferior to the Indian Air Force in any way,' Mr Jennings said. While India has an earlier version of the aircraft, analysts have stated that the newest F4 variant has greater range, better weapons and significantly more cyber capabilities, and with the Spectra even more jamming power making it 'more defendable' against missiles such as the PL-15. Air advantage The Typhoon will also soon be equipped with the Leonardo-designed Mark Two Radar, which can fire 'pulses of energy against surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles' that would give it greater capability, said military analyst Francis Tusa, editor of Defence Eye. However, he argued that the Rafale F5 model, coming into service in 2028, has also got 'really serious connectivity' that would arguably be greater than the US made F-35. Which introduces the argument that the 4.5 generation fighters might, with the right EW suites, fare as well as the stealth technology of aircraft such as the F-35, which largely rely on radar cloaking to prevent attacks. Once locked-on by a missile it is largely down to pilot skill to avoid destruction, as apparently demonstrated by a US F-35 pilot targeted by a Houthi missile in the recent conflict. None invincible Both Typhoon and Rafale have been on combat operations across the Middle East and North Africa, from Libya to Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Mali, without any losses. But Rafale has been the only one involved in air-to-air combat. The key now for all countries with expensive 4.5 generation aircraft, costing around $120 million each, will be to equip them for what modern warfare is throwing at them at pace. 'None of these aircraft are invincible, and there's absolutely no reason why a Rafale competently handled using good tactics and a decent pilot shouldn't take down a J-10 or any other aircraft,' said Mr Jennings. Ultimately it is going to be down to small fractions of technological edge or pilot skill that ensures survivability in future aerial combat.
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Hegseth reveals plans to counter China, stay ahead in arms race as Pentagon pivots to Indo-Pacific
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is working to stay ahead in modern warfare amid drone and artificial intelligence advancements on the battlefield. Hegseth, a former "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host, sat down with "The Will Cain Show" Monday at the Pentagon, where he laid out the Trump administration's posture toward China amid an arms race with the communist country and adversaries like Russia and Iran. "We concede nothing to the communist Chinese. We're creating dilemmas for them at every level," he said. The Pentagon boss added that the White House is invested in the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine but is shifting its attention to countering China in the Indo-Pacific, a move reflected in Hegseth's first overseas trip to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Japan. China has made significant advancements in drone production, with reports that the country is preparing to launch a new drone-carrying mothership capable of releasing up to 100 smaller drones at a time. Chinese technology company DJI touts itself as the world's leading manufacturer of consumer and commercial drones and has a hefty presence in U.S. and Asian markets. Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the non-partisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the Shenzhen-based company dominates the global drone market, controlling more than 70% of the worldwide market share. "That's alarming, because DJI drones are essentially data collectors for Beijing — giving China potential access to sensitive infrastructure imagery, flight patterns, and more. It's not just a market-share problem — it's a national security threat," he said. Hegseth told Fox News host Will Cain that the Pentagon understands the motives and capabilities of the Chinese government and wants to build up a U.S. military that's capable of deterring any future conflict between the two nations. "We don't want that conflict. You showed how big they are," he said, referring to a graphic that compares and contrasts the United States' active personnel, warships and nuclear weapons to China's. "President Trump has a great relationship with Xi Jinping — we think that's a good thing. And we stared them down on trade — we think that's a good thing. Rebalancing that dynamic is important. We're the ones in the background trying to say we would always prefer to resolve this peacefully. But we're gonna do that by being as strong as possible to meet their threat at every turn." The United States Marine Corps established an attack drone team earlier this year to respond to the rapid development of armed first-person view (FPV) drone technology and tactics, offering a glimpse into the evolving landscape of modern warfare and how future battles could be fought. The Marine Corps Attack Drone Team will be based at the Weapons Training Battalion, Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. The FPV drones used will offer squad-level lethality at a range of up to 20 kilometers, nearly 12.5 miles, for under $5,000, compared to more expensive weapons systems with less capability, according to a press release from the service.
