Latest news with #SierraNevadaCorporation
The Guardian
07-08-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
UK's surveillance flights over Gaza raise questions on help for Israeli military
Britain continues to run near daily surveillance flights over Gaza with the help of a US contractor at a time of growing questions about how the intelligence obtained is used and shared with the Israeli military. Specialist flight trackers estimate that RAF Shadow aircraft have run more than 600 flights over the Palestinian territory from the Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus in an attempt to locate the remaining hostages held by Hamas since December 2023. Spy flights were started under the Conservatives but have continued under Labour with few details shared publicly, at a rate of about two a day at first but dropping to one a day more recently, specialist trackers said. Surveillance was transferred to a US contractor, Sierra Nevada Corporation, in late July to reduce costs and RAF sources indicated that it continues most days in an equivalent aircraft. But within days there was a mistake when the new spy plane was revealed to be circling over Khan Younis on 28 July. Until that time the spy planes' transponders were turned off halfway into their flight from Akrotiri heading towards Gaza over the eastern Mediterranean. But the mistake meant that 'the RAF (now contracted) flights could be confirmed over Gaza, not just adjacent to Gaza,' said the flight tracker and analyst Steffan Watkins. A subsequent tightening of security has made tracking flights more complicated, though on 3, 4, and 6 August the spy plane turned its transponders on and off before leaving Akrotiri, Watkins added. RAF Shadows are used for optical surveillance, day or night, often in support of SAS operations. One defence source said they were being 'trained on individual buildings' in Gaza in an attempt to determine if there was any signs of life from the 20 hostages still thought to be alive. Jeremy Corbyn, the co-leader of an unnamed new left political party, said 'the UK's continued military cooperation with Israel is utterly indefensible' as 'a genocide is livestreamed around the world'. The former Labour leader said: 'We still don't know why these flights are continuing and what intelligence is being provided.' Helen Maguire, the defence spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, said while she supported UK efforts to locate the remaining hostages, 'the government must outline what steps it has taken to ensure Israel can't use UK-sourced intelligence for its military operations in Gaza'. The surveillance flights were first announced by the former defence secretary Grant Shapps in December 2023, in support of Israel, a country with a sophisticated intelligence operation of its own. No detail has been provided as to how the spy planes assisted Israel, which has rescued eight hostages since October 2023. The UK government says it takes careful steps to control what it shares with Israel. Asked specifically about the surveillance flights last month, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, said: 'It would be quite wrong for the British government to assist in the prosecution of this war in Gaza. We are not doing that. I would never do that.' Military insiders said a normal process for sharing UK intelligence with Israel or another foreign country would include checks from a political adviser (a trained civil servant) and a lawyer in an exercise that one said could take 'minutes, hours or days'. The British source added 'why on earth would we want to get involved in a conflict where there are accusations of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law?' while adding that if Richard Hermer, the attorney general, had raised serious concerns it would be unlikely the flights would continue. Passing on information of military utility to Israel would arguably make the UK a party to the ongoing war, though once passed over the use to which intelligence can be put by a third party cannot be completely controlled. The Labour backbencher Kim Johnson said it was 'deeply concerning that surveillance flights over Gaza continue relentlessly, even as serious questions remain about their purpose and oversight – particularly when we've spent months demanding an end to the use of RAF Akrotiri to share intelligence with Israel during its genocidal onslaught on Gaza'. The Ministry of Defence did not comment, but indicated that it was conducting unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the purpose of locating hostages and that it controls what information is passed to Israeli authorities. The Attorney General's Office said it did not comment on legal advice provided to other ministers.
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report: Britain forced to hire an US plane to spy on Gaza
Britain has been forced to hire an American plane to conduct spying missions over Gaza due to a shortage of RAF aircraft, it has been revealed. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) is said to be paying a contractor based in Nevada to look for hostages in the Palestinian territory. But RAF sources told the newspaper that none of its Shadow R1 aircraft are stationed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, around 230 miles north of Gaza. They are said to be assigned to other missions or undergoing maintenance, sparking concerns about the UK's sovereign intelligence-gathering capabilities. Questions have also been asked about the privatization of UK intelligence-gathering in Gaza, at a time when Britain is taking a tougher stance towards Israel. The American aircraft, a Hawker Beechcrat B300 registered as N6147U, has previously been used by the US military in Iraq. It is contractor-owned and contractor-operated, which means British military pilots do not fly it. The MoD did not comment on the reported lease of the aircraft from a subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation - one of the world's largest military contractors. But it said it conducts surveillance flights for the sole purpose of locating hostages, with the UK in control of what information is passed to c. Only information relating to hostage rescue is passed to the relevant authorities, the MoD added, without expanding further in order to protect operational security. Sir Keir Starmer recently announced Britain will recognize a Palestinian state within weeks unless Israel allows more aid into Gaza and agrees to a ceasefire. The Prime Minister hit out at 'appalling scenes' of starvation in Gaza amid Israel's blockade of the territory. Earlier this year, the UK Government sanctioned two far-right Israeli ministers over 'repeated incitements of violence' against Palestinians in the West Bank. Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire, the party's defense spokeswoman, said the MoD's use of a private US firm for surveillance flights 'raises alarm bells'. She added: 'The shortage of RAF aircraft for this purpose is alarming. 'There are serious questions to answer about whether this is a direct result of failures of the UK Government to properly invest in these capabilities. 'More broadly, it's right that the UK is supporting efforts to locate the hostages. 'But the Government must outline what steps it has taken to ensure Israel can't use UK-sourced intelligence for its military operations in Gaza.
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Alarm as Britain is 'forced to hire an American plane to spy on Gaza due to shortage of RAF aircraft'
Britain has been forced to hire an American plane to conduct spying missions over Gaza due to a shortage of RAF aircraft, it has been revealed. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is said to be paying a contractor based in Nevada to look for hostages in the Palestinian territory. This was only revealed when a 'schoolboy error' saw the flight path of the US aircraft made publicly available last month, according to The Times. The MoD has been conducting unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza to try and locate hostages since the attacks on Israel by Hamas on 7 October, 2023. But RAF sources told the newspaper that none of its Shadow R1 aircraft are stationed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, around 230 miles north of Gaza. They are said to be assigned to other missions or undergoing maintenance, sparking concerns about the UK's sovereign intelligence-gathering capabilities. Questions have also been asked about the privatisation of UK intelligence-gathering in Gaza, at a time when Britain is taking a tougher stance towards Israel. The American aircraft, a Hawker Beechcrat B300 registered as N6147U, has previously been used by the US military in Iraq. It is contractor-owned and contractor-operated, which means British military pilots do not fly it. The MoD did not comment on the reported lease of the aircraft from a subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation - one of the world's largest military contractors. But it said it conducts surveillance flights for the sole purpose of locating hostages, with the UK in control of what information is passed to Israel. Only information relating to hostage rescue is passed to the relevant authorities, the MoD added, without expanding further in order to protect operational security. Sir Keir Starmer recently announced Britain will recognise a Palestinian state within weeks unless Israel allows more aid into Gaza and agrees to a ceasefire. The Prime Minister hit out at 'appalling scenes' of starvation in Gaza amid Israel's blockade of the territory. Earlier this year, the UK Government sanctioned two far-right Israeli ministers over 'repeated incitements of violence' against Palestinians in the West Bank. Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire, the party's defence spokeswoman, said the MoD's use of a private US firm for surveillance flights 'raises alarm bells'. She added: 'The shortage of RAF aircraft for this purpose is alarming. 'There are serious questions to answer about whether this is a direct result of failures of the UK Government to properly invest in these capabilities. 'More broadly, it's right that the UK is supporting efforts to locate the hostages. 'But the Government must outline what steps it has taken to ensure Israel can't use UK-sourced intelligence for its military operations in Gaza. 'We need to be taking every measure necessary to ensure the UK is not contributing to the immense human suffering which we're seeing in Gaza.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$100M investment to bring hundreds of jobs to Dayton International Airport
The Dayton International Airport is receiving a large investment that could create hundreds of new jobs. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Sierra Nevada Corporation will invest almost $100 million into Dayton International Airport. TRENDING STORIES: Man found with over 200 grams of heroin, cocaine during traffic stop Deputies searching for man accused of stealing a package from someone's porch in Greene County Mom attacks 12-year-old daughter inside nature preserve, investigators say The corporation is building two more hangars, in addition to its two existing hangars, at the airport for its federal government contracts. This addition means more planes owned by the government will be landing here. City commissioners recently approved $2 million to help Sierra Nevada Corporation grow at the airport. The company does maintenance in its hangars, updating and improving the federal government's fleet of aircraft, including the largest 747s. 'To access those hangars, you need ramp repairs. A lot of concrete has deteriorated over the years since Emery left about 20 years ago,' Dayton Aviation Director Gil Turner said. Turner added that the work the city does for smooth runways and access brings large benefits. Each of the two new hangars that the corporation is building carries about a $47 million price tag in construction spending. 'They're creating jobs for the community. Each hangar represents about 100 jobs per hangar. So, four hangars, almost 400 jobs that will be created,' Turner said. News Center 7 was there when the corporation dedicated its second hangar last October. Now they hope to have this third hangar done by this October and a fourth completed by Spring 2026. It's bringing this side of the airport back to life, and city leaders hope it might even bring more investments from other companies. 'The Sierra Nevada only occupies about 25% of that ramp, so that's 75% more that could be leased for more development, more hangars could be built on that site,' Turner said. The corporation calls its growing campus in Dayton the Aviation Innovation and Technology Center. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Al Jazeera
10-04-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
China's 84 percent retaliatory tariff on US goods takes effect
A steep 84 percent tariff on all United States goods entering China has kicked in, ratcheting up a trade war with Washington while calling for a dialogue 'on the basis of mutual respect and equality'. The new rate – a 50 percent hike on Beijing's previous 34 percent levy on US goods – took effect at 12:01am Eastern Time [04:00 GMT] on Thursday, according to China's State Administration Council. It applies to all US products entering the world's second-largest economy, which, according to the office of the US Trade Representative, totalled $143.5bn last year. This marks China's second retaliatory tariff hike in response to US duties on Chinese imports, which now stand at 125 percent. Alongside the new tariffs, Beijing has also blacklisted 18 US companies, including aerospace manufacturer Sierra Nevada Corporation. Also on Thursday, China's Ministry of Commerce said that China is open to a dialogue with the US but this must be on the basis of mutual respect and equality. Pressure, threats and blackmail are not the right way to deal with China, ministry spokesperson He Yongqian told a press briefing when asked about whether the world's two largest economies have started tariff negotiations. China will 'follow through to the end' if the US insists on its own way, He added. World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warned that the escalating trade feud could slash US-China trade by as much as 80 percent, with grave implications for the global economy. 'Of particular concern is the potential fragmentation of global trade along geopolitical lines,' she said. 'A division of the global economy into two blocs could lead to a long-term reduction in global real GDP by nearly 7 percent.' The US-China tit for tat comes as US President Donald Trump walks back a broader set of global tariffs that had triggered a sharp stock market selloff and stoked fears of a recession. On Wednesday, Trump announced a 90-day pause on previously announced 'reciprocal' tariffs targeting about 60 countries – excluding China – while leaving a 10 percent baseline tariff in place. Markets responded with relief: the US's benchmark S&P 500 and Nasdaq stock indexes surged 9.5 percent and 12.16 percent respectively, snapping a brutal weeklong decline. Stocks across Asia also rallied on Thursday, with gains in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore. The White House said the tariff pause was a reward for countries that refrained from retaliating against US trade moves. Trump, meanwhile, blasted China for showing 'a lack of respect' towards global markets and for 'ripping off' the US. However, later in the day, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone and left the door open for a deal with China. 'Look, nothing's over yet, but we have tremendous amount of spirit from other countries, including China,' Trump said outside the White House. He insisted that Beijing 'wants to make a deal' but 'just don't know quite how to go about it'. 'It's one of those things. They're proud people,' said Trump. Still, analysts warned that Trump's hardline approach towards China could prolong the standoff. 'I think if the current pattern stands, China will continue to retaliate until there starts to be some kind of progress,' said Sophia Busch, the assistant director at the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center. 'We've seen that Beijing is very comfortable and has plenty of practice with these kinds of coercive economic tools.' 'Trump's singling out of China will likely reinforce the view in Beijing that there is a coherent strategic plan to contain and suppress China,' said Bill Bishop, an American journalist and China analyst. Trump has defended his tariff policy as a way to revive US manufacturing by pressuring companies to bring production back to the country. He argues that China, in particular, is undercutting US industries by 'dumping' cheap, excess goods onto global markets. With tensions still high, China on Wednesday warned its citizens to 'fully assess the risks' before travelling to the US.
