Latest news with #TOW
Memri
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Former Iranian Nuclear Chief Fereydoon Abbasi: If I Receive Orders To Build A Nuclear Bomb – I Will Do It; We Can Build A Small Nuclear Bomb That Can Destroy A Whole Military Base, And Is Not Classifi
Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, discussed Iran potentially building and detonating a nuclear weapon in a May 26, 2025 interview on (Iran). He said that he has not yet received orders to build a nuclear bomb - but if he does, he will carry them out. Abbasi added that any attacks on production sites would have little impact on the timeline for developing a bomb. Abbasi stated that now is the time for people to leave Israel, warning that if the "Resistance Front" is threatened, no part of the Zionist regime should be considered immune. He said that all residents are complicit in the Israeli government's actions by remaining there and supporting it, and therefore the "Resistance Front," the Islamic world, and freedom-seeking people worldwide should demand their elimination. Abbasi said that technological advances now make it possible to build smaller nuclear bombs that may not be classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and could destroy just a military base, unlike the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He also warned the U.S., England, and Israel that an attack might not come via missile or aircraft but from within. He said: "The West is vulnerable to beasts of its own creation," referencing groups like ISIS, which he claimed were created by the West. Fereydoon Abbasi: "In one of my interviews, I said that we had reached the capability to build a [nuclear] weapon 15-20 years ago, but we had not built it for several reasons. [...] "[Building] this weapon requires two parts – the material and the technology. Let's say that you have the required material, such as uranium or plutonium. What technology will be employed? Detonation technology is needed. This means that if you can domestically produce detonators for RPGs, and if you can produce TOW and other anti-tank missiles... If they have a cone shape, why can't we make them into cylinders or spheres? This can be done. [...] "We can create a symmetrical explosion. I am willing to demonstrate it for the skeptics using a cylindrical containment. [...] "So far, we have not received orders to build [a nuclear bomb]. If they tell me to build it, I will do it. [...] "It is a mistake to set a time frame, whether six months, a month, a year, or a day. Once the decision is made, you will need to make some small changes. If you work with uranium, you will need 90% enriched uranium. This level of enrichment can be achieved by laser, by electromagnetism, or by centrifuges." Interviewer: "If we decide to build [nuclear weapons], and during the time it takes us to build them, they attack and destroy our infrastructure, what should we do?" Abbasi: "Which infrastructure? Our nuclear infrastructure? Nothing would happen." Interviewer: "How come?" Abbasi: "Our capabilities are spread all over the country. [...] "If they target the production sites, it will be inconsequential to our timetable." Interviewer: "Our timetable to build [a bomb]?" Abbasi: "Because our [nuclear materials] are not stored above ground for them to hit. [...] "We need to stand firmly behind our armed forces and tell them to go and strike whoever threatens us, wherever they may be. The Zionist regime has committed countless killings. All the Zionists who remained there are hardcore Zionists. Now is the time for those who wish to emigrate to have their chance to leave. Moving forward, if the Resistance Front faces any damage or threats by the Zionist regime – including nuclear threats – no location inside the Zionist regime should be regarded immune, whether it is populated or not. They are all complicit in the killings, because they stayed there to support the regime. The Resistance Front, the Islamic world, and the freedom-seeking people worldwide should demand that all of them be eliminated. [...] "If they threaten us – like the nuclear threats they made during the Bush era – we cannot sit idly by. Advancements in technology allow for the production of less powerful nuclear weapons that may not fall under the definition of WMDs. We should not think of these [devices] like the ones from Hiroshima or Nagasaki. It is now possible to destroy just a military base. [...] "Countries like the U.S., England, and the Zionist regime should be aware that attacks will not always be carried out by means of missiles or aircraft. I say this because they focus so much on our missiles... What if they are attacked from within?" Interviewer: "How come?" Abbasi: "If the attacks come from the inside. Did they not create ISIS and Al-Nusra? Did they not own up to creating ISIS? Where are these groups that were gathered from different countries? Aren't they responsible for carrying out terrorist acts in different countries? The West is vulnerable to beasts of its own creation. They must expect that any action or threat against sovereign countries will result in repercussions against them."
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
The Others Way Returns To Karangahape Road This November
The Others Way - Latest News [Page 1] Save the date, alert your nearest and dearest, book the babysitter, and get ready for the mighty return of The Others Way on Saturday November 29, 2025. We promise this will be our biggest and most powerful offering to date. More >> The Others Way Festival Update Friday, 4 September 2020, 4:08 pm | The Others Way The Others Way is saddened to advise that the festival is unable to go ahead next Friday 11 September because of Government restrictions on audience numbers due to Covid-19. The intention is to re-stage the festival in the near future, however, ... More >> TOW Ticket Holders: Pick up your Wristbands now! Thursday, 29 August 2019, 9:45 am | The Others Way Due to our festival's size and the number of attendees, the lines for wristbands can get long ! More >> The Others Way announces additional acts to lineup! Wednesday, 28 August 2019, 1:30 pm | The Others Way August 28 , 2019 : In light of The Others Way 's recent lineup change, Flying Out is proud to announce new additions to the festival announced earlier, Miss June will be playing Whammy! Bar for a rip roaring set. Joining the late additions, ... More >> The Others Way Girls Rock! Stage lineup announced Friday, 16 August 2019, 8:30 am | The Others Way August 16 , 2019 : With just 15 days to go until Tāmaki Makaurau's beloved independent music festival kicks off, The Others Way is proud to share the schedule for the Girls Rock! Stage ! More >> The Night Before The Others Way returns Thursday, 8 August 2019, 8:43 am | The Others Way August 8 , 2019 : Others Way month is here! To kick off a jam-packed musical weekend, The Others Way is proud to see the return of The Night Before The Others Way . More >> The Others Way Music Festival 2018 Friday, 19 October 2018, 10:28 am | The Others Way The Others Way is an annual multi-venue music showcase festival that takes place across Karangahape Rd, Auckland . Every year the lineup consists of between 40-50 mostly local New Zealand artists performing across one action-packed evening. From ... More >> The Others Way: Tiny Ruins, Grays Gilmour, Dual & More Friday, 18 August 2017, 9:55 am | The Others Way Excitement is brewing in Auckland, as come September 1 , The Others Way is back for 2017. For the third year running, Auckland's K'Rd is set to transform into a pumping haven of the freshest local indie, electronica, pop and so much more… More >> The Others Way Returns to Auckland's K Road in September Wednesday, 26 July 2017, 2:28 pm | The Others Way For two years running, The Others Way has seen Auckland's Karangahape Road transform into a paradise of local music, boasting the hottest, freshest, out-of-the-box indie, electronica, pop and more. What's better - it's back for another year this spring. ... More >> Special Ticket Deal: The Others Way Festival 2016 Thursday, 21 July 2016, 10:11 am | The Others Way Karangahape Road is a constant bustle of culture on the quietest of nights, and come 2 September it will come to life on a whole new level with The Others Way Festival - a unique, locally-run day of Auckland's best alternative music, performing across ... More >>
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mysterious Weapon Fired From Bradley Fighting Vehicle During Exercise
The U.S. Army has released a picture of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle using its BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missile launcher to fire something else referred to simply as the '670,' which appears to be previously unseen. 'A U.S. Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle launches a 670 during Project Convergence-Capstone 5 (PC-C5) on Fort Irwin, Calif., in March 2025,' the image's caption reads. 'PC-C5 is the premier Joint, Combined experiment hosted by Army Futures Command to demonstrate how technology enhances cross-domain military operations.' The Army kicked off the Project Convergence initiative in 2020 and has been using events like PC-C5 to test, integrate, and network together new and improved systems and capabilities in increasingly more operationally representative conditions. The first half has been taking place this month at the sprawling National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin in California. The second half will kick off next month at multiple operating locations across the Indo-Pacific. No further information about the '670' looks to be readily available and TWZ has reached out to the Army for more details. From what can be seen in the image the '670' is propelled, at least immediately after launch, by a small rocket motor at the rear of its broadly cylindrical body. It also has three pop-out grid fins at the tail end. Whether or not it has other control surfaces that are not seen in their deployed positions is unknown, but there are open sections visible toward the front end of the body. The 670 also has a rounded white-colored nose, but whether that might be a radome or seeker of some kind, or just an aerodynamic fairing or something else, is not known. There are also at least three distinct sections visible along one side of the body, which might be modular and potentially dispensable payloads, such as cluster munitions or countermeasures of some type. The overall configuration of the 670 is distinctly different from any version of the BGM-71 known to exist, including modern types that are no longer wire-guided. However, since it can be fired from a Bradley's TOW missile launcher, it does need to have at least a similar form factor. Current generation TOW missiles are just under four feet long and six inches in diameter. Certain variants have probes that extend around a foot from the front of the nose after launch to help defeat explosive reactive armor and otherwise ensure optimal detonation. You can read more about the full TOW missile family here. The U.S. military does have the tube-launched GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition (SGM) in its inventory, which has three grid fins at the tail end and is of the appropriate general size. However, the SGM, which also has a pop-out main wing, is unpowered and its fins have a distinctly different design from those on the 670. Without knowing more, it's hard to say with certainty whether the 670 might be a munition, an uncrewed system, countermeasure, or something else. A major component of all Project Convergence events since the Army first launched the initiative in 2020 has been tests of what are now referred to as 'launched effects.' This broad term encompasses a still-growing range of drones and loitering munitions that can be launched from fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and platforms on the ground. A launched effect design capable of performing surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, kinetic attack, and/or other functions, and that can be fired from existing TOW launchers, could be a boon to a variety of Army units beyond heavy armored formations equipped with Bradleys. The video below offers a very general overview of the Army's vision for its future family of launched effects. The Army has also been at least exploring options in recent years for a new anti-tank guided missile to succeed the venerable BGM-71 series that would also be able to make use of existing launchers. An air defense version of the Bradley, known as the M6 Linebacker, with a four-round launcher for Stinger heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles instead of the TOWs, was previously in Army inventory, as well. The service could now be looking at ways to reboot that general concept, especially in light of the growing threat posed by drones. BAE Systems, the current prime contractor for the Bradley, has previously proposed a modernized short-range air defense (SHORAD) variant with either a four-round Stinger launcher or one that could be loaded with up to two radar-guided AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles. More recently, the company has pitched a SHORAD variant of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), which is derived from the Bradley. Whatever the mysterious 670 might be, it highlights the potential for the Bradley's TOW launcher to evolve into a more multi-mission system in the future. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sweden to transfer air defense systems to Ukraine estimated at $113 million in new aid package
Sweden has announced a transfer of air defense systems worth 1.2 billion Swedish krona (approximately $113 million) to Ukraine, Svenska Dagbladet reported on Feb. 23. This announcement was made by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch, and Minister of Education Johan Pehrson. Under this package, Stockholm will transfer Robot 70 and Tridon Mk2 systems to Ukraine. Previously, on Jan. 30, Sweden announced its largest tranche of military assistance since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The aid package committed to providing over $1.2 billion to Ukraine, and included 16 CB90 combat boats with weapons stations, a million rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition, 146 trucks, 1,500 TOW anti-tank missiles, as well as 200 AT4 anti-tank launchers. Read also: Thousands rally across Europe, Canada ahead of 3rd anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Ukrainian drone operators say fiber-optic and AI drones are rare but could radically change the fight because of how hard it is to defeat them
Fiber-optic and AI drones have come to prominence as countermeasures to jamming and electronic warfare. Ukraine's special drone unit Typhoon said it hasn't seen systematic application of these technologies. But once they become widespread, they'll change drone warfare because they're hard to beat. Constant intense electronic warfare in Russia's war against Ukraine has led to the rise of drones that are resistant to signal jamming. It's still early days, but these things could be game changers, drone operators say. These fiber-optic and artificial intelligence-driven drones are not yet being widely used, a special Ukrainian drone unit told Business Insider, but once they become as prolific as some other technologies, they'll completely change how drone warfare is fought. The war in Ukraine has been defined by the use of uncrewed vehicles, the majority of which rely on radio frequencies to maintain a connection with their operators. In response, both sides have employed electronic warfare capabilities able to jam drones and seize control from the operators or cut video feeds, leaving pilots flying blind. Operators needed a way around electronic warfare. Ukraine first documented the Russians using fiber-optic drones last spring. They became more prominent in the fall. These systems are guided by a hardwire cable similar to a US-made anti-tank TOW missile. The cable maintains a connection between the operator and drone, ensuring the system can't be jammed. At the time, it was unclear if fiber-optic drones would be widely adopted as the next evolution in drone warfare, but it was clear they had promise. Drone experts and top war watchers assessed that they'd have useful applications in some environments and situations but probably weren't a catch-all solution. The cables could get caught or cut, for example, and the systems would have shorter ranges. The development indicated that both Ukraine and Russia would continue coming up with new solutions. As of now, Ukraine's special drone unit Typhoon doesn't see a systematic application of fiber-optic drones or systems controlled by AI, another adaptation to electronic warfare that is highly sought after but still experimental. "However," Typhoon told Business Insider, "if widely adopted, these technologies would fundamentally change drone warfare." Typhoon is a newer National Guard of Ukraine drone unit. Unveiled last fall, Typhoon consists of engineers and operators specialized in uncrewed systems. Right now, Typhoon operates a diverse range of uncrewed aerial systems, mostly supplied by the National Guard and domestic innovation outfits. The unit's short-range reconnaissance drones, such as the first-person view DJI Mavic, are used for gathering intelligence, assessing targets, and guiding strikes. Its short-range strike drones are deployed for precision hits on enemy personnel, positions, and equipment, as well as against aerial targets. Typhoon also operates bomber drones like HeavyShot and Vampire, which are mostly used at night because they're larger in size and easier to spot. Fixed-wing reconnaissance drones and strike drones are also often used for longer-range missions. But the unit is also actively integrating emerging technologies, such as fiber-optic drones and "machine vision tracking with homing capabilities," which would help improve targeting. Each drone serves a specific purpose in missions, and part of Typhoon's mission is the training of operators for those specific skill sets. With fiber-optic and AI-driven drones, the challenges for front-line forces will be even greater. Both of these systems are harder to take down than the regular radio frequency drones because they are invulnerable to electronic warfare. A drone flown by an autonomous terminal guidance system, once locked onto its target, would still maintain its flight path even if it's jammed, effectively making it a fire-and-forget weapon. Fiber-optic drones are a less-expensive, lower-tech solution, keeping a hard connection so that operators can ignore any electronic warfare and continue to fly the drone towards its target. Typhoon said the options for destroying fiber-optic drones are relatively limited right now. Because they don't "rely on radio signals that can be detected by conventional electronic warfare systems," the unit said, "the only way to counter them is through timely visual detection and physical destruction." Simply put, that means they have to see it and shoot it. The Ukrainians have deployed shotguns as a counter-drone tool. But they aren't always easy to detect, which means warfighters may have limited time to react for a kinetic kill. These systems aren't seeing constant or consistent use just yet, but the Ukrainian forces have praised them for their accuracy and ease of use. Ukrainian and Western drone companies are now racing to churn them out. Read the original article on Business Insider
