Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Kenneth Daniel Williams was falling from the sky.His B-17, “Aristrocrap,” had just been shot over Bremen, Germany. A bombardier in the 351st Bomb Group, Williams was one of the few lucky ones of his crew — both the pilot and copilot of the Aristrocrap died in the Nov. 26, 1943, melee.“The escape hatch was on the floor of the tunnel,” Williams would later write. “I crawled back to see if I could help the pilot open the escape hatch. As I crawled toward him the pilot put his foot on the hatch and forced it open. This took tremendous pressure…

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) —   U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron supported a multinational airborne operation Jan. 17, at Ojojihara Training Area, Miyagi Prefecture, marking the first Japan Ground Self-Defense Force-hosted multinational airborne exercise conducted on Japanese soil. The operation built on the momentum of New Year Jump Indo-Pacific 2026, which included participation from 14 nations, and served as the tactical phase of a broader training series designed to enhance airborne operational capability and interoperability among allied forces. While NYJIP26 at the JGSDF’s Narashino Training Area in Chiba Prefecture earlier this month was conducted as a ceremonial…

TO: POTUSFROM: Jason Marczak, Ambassador (ret.) James Story, General (ret.) Laura J. Richardson, Geoff RamseySUBJECT: Steps to secure a prosperous, US-aligned Venezuela What do world leaders need to know? Our “Memo to…” series has the answer with briefings on the world’s most pressing issues from our experts, drawing on their experience advising the highest levels of government. Bottom line up front: In the wake of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s January 3 capture, the United States government can advance long-term goals by making the tough asks up front; time will decrease pressure on Delcy Rodríguez to make critical reforms. Clear benchmarks should…

Robert Whittaker has announced he is returning to the Octagon in June, with a strong possibility of debuting at light heavyweight after a series of difficult weight cuts at middleweight.​ Speaking with Ariel Helwani on February 2, 2026, Whittaker confirmed his return timeline and explained his reasoning for potentially switching divisions. “I’m coming back in June,” Whittaker stated. “I don’t want to split my attention between the craft, the fighting, my next fight, and broadcasting and traveling. I want to lock in.”​ Robert Whittaker Announces June Comeback, 90% Committed to Light Heavyweight Switch The former middleweight champion has been away…

Evo 2026 is planning to run more games on the mainstage with 12 titles over the usual 8 from recent years, and they’ll be pulling in communities from all across the genre. With early bird registration coming to a close, the organizers have now revealed the current entrant leaderboard for Evo 2026. It’ll probably come as little surprise that Street Fighter 6 is on top of the early leaderboard considering…

Whiskey TwoFour’s Slick Back Panel 14 for Spiritus Systems LV-120 Plate Carrier WTF’s slick Back Panel 14 for Spiritus Systems LV-120 plate carrier features a 1.5″ x 6″ loop field with ample real estate for IFF, morale patches, and similar while Six (6) nylon webbing loops offer lashing points for optional shock cord. To discourage accidental separation from the carrier, the back panel’s zipper pull tabs tuck securely and silently into milspec elastic loops at the base. Laser cut VELCRO Brand ONE-WRAP minimizes weight and offers a secure connection to the LV-120’s loop field. Zip-On Back Panel 14 for Spiritus…

The U.S. Army is looking to have autonomous airborne drones and ground robots clean up chemical and biological weapons. The Autonomous Decontamination System, or ADS, would scrub vehicles, critical infrastructure and key terrain. Equally important, it would allow troops in the field to protect themselves and thus ease the strain on Army chemical warfare units that might not be available when needed. “The goal of the ADS is to allow squad-sized elements to provide a platoon-sized decontamination capability for critical mission equipment,” according to an Army Request for Information, which is due Feb. 20. “Contamination mitigation operations are extremely resource-intensive…

SDG enabling RO/RO TRASC capability for C-130 variants. Credit: Gogo/GlobeNewswire. The US Air Force (USAF) Air Mobility Command (AMC) has granted T-1 certification to Gogo’s SD Government (SDG) division for its Roll-on/Roll-off (RO/RO) Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) Tactical Removable Airborne Satellite Communications (TRASC) system for C-130 aircraft. This approval allows C-130 operators to access multiple satellite communications (satcom) options, starting with a Gogo Plane Simple Ku-band terminal and expanding to include the Ka-band terminal and additional network compatibilities in the future. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading…

The contract will bolster the UK’s undersea surveillance and deterrence posture amid rising threats. Credit: © Ultra Maritime. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a £40m ($54m) contract to Ultra Maritime for the supply of sonobuoys to equip the Royal Navy’s Merlin Maritime Patrol Helicopter. Ultra Maritime stated that the contract will enhance the UK’s undersea surveillance and deterrence capabilities as British waters face “increasing threat” from foreign actors. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more The contract covers the design, development,…

Lockheed Martin has delivered the first Sentinel A4 radar from Low-Rate Initial Production 2 to the U.S. Army and completed the first phase of Initial Operational Test and Evaluation, the company said. As noted by Lockheed Martin, the delivery represents the first of 19 Sentinel A4 systems planned under the LRIP 2 phase. The company […]