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Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mysterious Shipping Container Rocket Launcher Spotted At Trump's Visit To Fort Bragg
A containerized launcher designed to fire the same suite of artillery rockets and ballistic missiles as the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) has appeared at the U.S. Army's Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The ability to launch ballistic missiles, in particular, from what is outwardly indistinguishable from any other shipping container, presents a flexible strike capability that is harder for opponents to spot. Ukraine's recent Operation Spiderweb covert drone attacks highlighted to a dizzying degree the value of even lower-end concealed fires capabilities. The launcher inside the container is visible off to the side in a video, seen below, from President Donald Trump's visit to Fort Bragg today, which was posted online by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. Trump was given demonstrations of various Army capabilities at the base's Holland Drop Zone, including the launch of artillery rockets. A separate launcher, the type of which is not immediately clear, was used to fire those rounds. President Trump arrives at the Holland Drop Zone—Fort Bragg… — Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) June 10, 2025 President Trump also observed paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division jump from a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane and a mock special operations assault involving Green Berets and the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment SOAR). A transporter erector launcher for the Soviet-designed Scud ballistic missile, or a full-scale mockup of one, is also notably present in the footage of the special operations demonstration. Bragg is the Army's main special operations hub, as well as home to the 82nd Airborne Division, among other units. The 82nd Airborne Division — Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) June 10, 2025 FORT BRAGG—@USArmy — Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) June 10, 2025 TWZ has not been able to quickly find additional information about the containerized launcher, but it is not entirely new. In August 2024, Military Times posted a video of it, seen below, across its social media accounts, but with no additional context. We have reached out to the Army for more details. What is clear is that the containerized launcher, the entire roof of which is designed to open to one side, can accommodate two of the same ammunition 'pods' used as the tracked M270 MRLS and wheeled M142 HIMARS launch vehicles. Pods are available that come loaded with six 227mm guided artillery rockets, a single Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile, or two Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). ATACMS and PrSM, the latter of which is beginning to enter Army service now to replace the former, are both short-range ballistic missiles. Current-generation 227mm artillery rockets in Army inventory can hit targets some 50 miles (around 80 kilometers) away, and a variant with a maximum range of just over 93 miles (150 kilometers) entered production last year. The longest range variant of the ATACMS short-range ballistic missile in Army service today can reach targets out to 186 miles (300 kilometers). The initial version of PrSM, also known as Increment 1, has a range of 310 miles (500 kilometers), but there are also plans to extend that out to 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) or more. It's worth noting that a PrSM with a range beyond 620 miles/1,000 kilometers would be categorized as at least a medium-range ballistic missile. The Army is also developing an anti-ship variant of PrSM with a new seeker and is eyeing further versions with 'enhanced lethality payloads' that could include miniature smart bombs and kamikaze drones. The Army is also currently exploring new pods loaded with smaller rockets that could expand the magazine depth of M270 and M142 launcher vehicles, but at the cost of a reduction in range. The service has been experimenting with new launcher vehicles that can fire this same family of munitions, including uncrewed types and a design offering significantly expanded ammunition capacity. Being able to launch this array of rockets and missiles already gives M270 and M142 immense flexibility. A containerized launcher would open up additional possibilities, including the ability to turn any truck that can carry a standard shipping container into a platform capable of firing long-range guided rockets and missiles. This, in turn, could help the Army more readily expand its available launch capacity as required. The containerized launchers could also be deployed in a fixed mode, offering forward operating bases the ability to hold targets at risk dozens, if not hundreds of miles away. This can include providing an on-call form of organic air/fire support for troops operating far from the forward base. The launcher inside the container cannot traverse laterally, but an array of them could be positioned in such a way to provide maximum coverage in all directions. Being a container-based design, whether deployed in a truck-mounted or fixed configuration, they would be readily relocatable from one location to another. The containerized launchers could also be loaded on rail cars and or employed from ships with sufficient open deck space. In any of these modes, the launcher would benefit from its unassuming outward appearance. This would present challenges for opponents when it comes to detection and targeting, since any container could potentially be loaded with rockets or ballistic missiles. As already mentioned, Ukraine just demonstrated the value of concealed launch capabilities in its unprecedented covert drone attacks on multiple Russian air bases. Other countries, including Russia, China, and Iran, have also been developing containerized launch systems for artillery rockets and/or missiles. In terms of naval use, specifically, it's also worth mentioning here that the U.S. Navy is already in the process of fielding a different containerized missile launcher, designed to fire Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and SM-6 multi-purpose missiles, in shipboard and tractor-trailer configurations. The Navy launcher is based on the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) found on various American and foreign warships, and is directly related to the Army's ground-based Typhon system that can also currently fire Tomahawks and SM-6s. How close the containerized launcher seen at Fort Bragg may or may not be to becoming an operational capability is unclear, but its potential value is not hard to see. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inside Ukraine's audacious drone attack on Russian air bases
Ukraine's drone attack against Russian airfields was audacious and daring. But most of all, it was meticulously planned and flawlessly executed. Kyiv struck where it could make a difference, damaging or destroying military aircraft that Moscow has been using to terrorize Ukrainian civilians with near daily aerial attacks. The Ukrainian Security Service said 41 Russian aircraft were hit, including strategic bombers and surveillance planes, although it is unclear how many were taken completely out of action. Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the attack was 'a stunning success for Ukraine's special services.' 'If even half the total claim of 41 aircraft damaged/destroyed is confirmed, it will have a significant impact on the capacity of the Russian Long Range Aviation force to keep up its regular large-scale cruise missile salvos against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, whilst also maintaining their nuclear deterrence and signaling patrols against NATO and Japan,' he wrote in a note. This is what we know about how the attack unfolded. The attacks targeted four airfields deep inside Russia, with the farthest one, the Belaya base in Irkutsk region, some 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from Ukraine's border with Russia. The other targets included the Olenya base near Murmansk in the Arctic Circle, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Ukraine; the Diaghilev airbase in Ryazan Oblast, some 520 kilometers (320 miles) from Ukraine; and the Ivanovo air base, which is a base for Russian military transport aircraft, some 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the border. A visual shared by the SBU, Ukraine's security agency, also showed another base in the eastern Amur region as a target. It is not clear whether an attack on this base failed or was aborted. It's these huge distances from the border with Ukraine that likely made Russia complacent about protecting the sites. Its most prized aircraft at the Belaya base were regularly parked in plain sight in the airfield, clearly visible in publicly available satellite images – including on Google Maps. Moscow likely believed the distance itself was enough to keep the aircraft safe from Ukrainian attacks. Russia maintains air superiority over Ukraine and while Kyiv's allies have supplied Ukraine with some long-range missile systems, including US-made ATACMS and British-French Storm Shadows, neither has the range to strike this deep inside Russia. Ukraine has been using drones against targets inside Russia, including in Moscow, but the low speed at which they travel makes them relatively easy for Russian air defenses to strike them. This is where the audacity of the attack really played out: rather than trying to fly the drones all the way from the border, Ukraine managed to smuggle them right next to the sites it wanted to target and launched them from there. Russia's radar and air defenses at these bases were not prepared for such a low-altitude and sudden attack. The only effective way to stop an attack like this is with heavy machine guns. Russia has been using these against Ukrainian sea drones in the Black Sea. But these were either not available or not deployed quickly enough at the air bases targeted by Ukraine on Sunday – most likely because Russia simply didn't foresee this type of attack. CNN was able to verify and geolocated photos and videos from the scenes, confirming their locations near the bases. Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement that the attacks – which it called 'terror attacks' were launched from the vicinity of the airfields. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said 117 drones were used in the operation. According to the SBU, the drones were smuggled into Russia by its operatives. At some point, likely while already in Russia, the drones were then hidden inside mobile wooden sheds. Photos obtained by CNN show the drones tucked just under the sheds' metal roofs, slotted in insulation cavities. These wooden cabins were then placed on trucks and driven to locations near the bases. Ukraine did not disclose how exactly it managed to get the vehicles into the vicinity of high-profile military targets without detection, but reports in Russian media suggested it was relatively simple. Baza and Astra, two Russian Telegram channels, both reported that the trucks were bought by a Ukrainian man who lived in Russia who then simply paid a quartet of drivers to get them where he needed them. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian authorities commented on these reports, but the Russian state news agency RIA reported that authorities in the Irkutsk region were searching for a man who was suspected of being involved in the attack. His name matched the name reported by Baza and Astra. The Ukrainian Security Service said the operatives involved in the operation were safely back in Ukraine by the time the attacks started. Zelensky said they worked across multiple Russian regions spanning three time zones. A senior source with Ukraine's drone development program told CNN the pilots who flew the drones were probably nowhere near the locations from which they were launched. 'They would have likely setup an internet hub allowing the pilots to (control them) remotely, each rapidly deploying each FPV (first person view drones), hitting each target one by one.' The source said the communication hub could be 'a simple Russian cell phone' which is harder to track than other systems, such as Starlink that is used widely in Ukraine. A source briefed on the matter confirmed the attack was carried out via Russian telecommunications networks. Once the trucks were in place and the drones ready to go, the cabin roofs opened and the drones flew towards their targets. A video of the attack in Russia's southeastern Irkutsk region that was shared on social media and verified and geolocated by CNN shows two drones flying out of a truck. They are seen heading towards the Belaya air base in the distance, where thick dark smoke is already billowing from a previous strike. Another video from the same location shows the truck used to transport the drones on fire after what appears to be an explosion designed to self-destruct the truck. Zelensky said on Sunday that the attack was in the making for one year, six months and nine days, and praised the security services for a 'brilliant' operation. Russian officials have downplayed the attack, saying strikes were repelled in the Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions but that 'several pieces of aircraft' caught fire after attacks in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions. It added that the fires had since been extinguished. It said there were no casualties. But while Russian authorities tried to downplay the attack, several high-profile Russian military bloggers have been vocal in their criticism. Rybar, a high-profile Russian military blog, said the attack caused a 'tragic loss for the entire Russian air fleet' and was a result of 'criminal negligence.' The SBU said the strikes caused an estimated $7 billion in damages and hit 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers at its main air bases – a claim CNN cannot independently verify. Ukraine said it destroyed several TU-95 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers and one of Russia's few remaining A-50 surveillance planes. A source briefed on the matter said 27 Tu-95, four Tu-160, two Tu-22M3 and 'probably' an A-50 were hit. The Tu-22M3 is Russia's long-range missile strike platform that can perform stand-off attacks, launching missiles from Russian airspace well behind the front lines to stay out of range of Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire. Russia had 55 Tu-22M3 jets and 57 Tu-95s in its fleet at the beginning of the year, according to the 'Military Balance 2025' report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. The Tu-95 joined the Soviet Union air force in the 1950s, and Russia has modified them to launch cruise missiles like the Tu-22. Bronk, the RUSI expert, said that replacing some of these aircraft would be very difficult for Russia because they have not been produced for decades. CNN's Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zelensky says he spoke to Merz about Taurus long-range missiles
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the possible delivery of German Taurus cruise missiles to his country with Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to Berlin. "The Taurus issue was discussed in a one-to-one meeting between the Chancellor and me," he told the German broadcaster RTL. Work is being done in this direction, but both agreed not to discuss the matter publicly in the future, Zelensky said, vowing he would adhere to this promise. Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years. It particularly lacks long-range weapons to destroy strategically important military installations in the Russian hinterland and Russian war logistics. So far, Ukraine has received ATACMS missiles from the United States and the Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles from the UK and France. In Germany, there has been an ongoing discussion about delivering Taurus cruise missiles with a range of about 500 kilometres, as requested by Kiev. Former chancellor Olaf Scholz consistently rejected this, out of concern that it would make Germany a party to the war. Merz did not want to rule out the delivery of Taurus missiles in the future. However, it was agreed in Berlin that Germany would assist Ukraine in building its own long-range missiles.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Russia to deploy Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus by end of 2025, official says
Moscow is planning to deploy multiple Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus by the end of 2025, State Secretary of Belarus' Security Council Alexander Volfovich said on May 28. The "Oreshnik" is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that Russia touts as an experimental weapon capable of bypassing advanced air defense systems. In December 2024, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko requested Moscow deploy 10 Russian Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus, pro-Kremlin journalist Alexander Yunashev reported on his Telegram channel. "The locations for its deployment have already been determined," Volfovich said, without specifying how many missile systems would be deployed. The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by Belarusian officials. On Nov. 21, 2024, Russia launched an Oreshnik missile against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The Oreshnik missile is designed to carry nuclear weapons, however, the missile was not armed with a nuclear warhead during the attack. Russia launched the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine following Kyiv's first successful use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles on a military target in Russia. Moscow later acknowledged additional ATACMS strikes on targets in Kursk and Bryansk oblasts. While Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia has begun mass production of the Oreshnik, a U.S. official told The Kyiv Independent that Moscow likely possesses "only a handful" of these experimental missiles. Belarus has been a key ally to Moscow and has previously been reported as hosting Russian tactical nuclear arms on its territory, after the two countries signed an agreement in May 2023. Lukashenko said in December 2023 that the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus was completed in early October. Despite the claims, Ukrainian foreign intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko said in an interview with Ukrinform published on May 26 that Belarus possesses nuclear weapon delivery systems but no warheads. Read also: Belarus has nuclear weapon delivery systems but no Russian warheads, Ukrainian intel chief says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Euronews
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
The long-range weapons Ukraine could begin using against Russia
Ukraine is no longer prohibited from using long-range weapons on targets within Russia in the ongoing effort to repulse its invasion, one of its key European allies signalled on Monday. In the past, Ukraine received long-range missiles from the US, UK, Germany, and France, but was only allowed to use them against any Russian forces that were in occupied Ukrainian territory. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told journalists that the lifting of restrictions - which, he later clarified, was a decision made months ago - will make "the decisive difference in Ukraine's warfare". "A country that can only oppose an attacker on its own territory is not defending itself adequately," he said. Following Merz's comments, Euronews Next takes a look at which weapons Ukraine can now use unrestricted, and how they might impact the course of the war now in its fourth year. The Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) is a long-range surface-to-surface missile artillery weapon system that strikes targets "well beyond the range of exising Army canons," according to US manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The missiles on the system are "all-weather adaptable, stealthy firepower" against targets up to 300 km away. The missiles are fired either from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) or MLRS M270 platforms, both produced by Lockheed Martin. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed in November 2024 that it had shot down some of the first foreign-made long-range missiles fired directly into their territory, including six US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS). But it was not the first time Ukraine had fired them. Reports from as far back as October 2023 suggest Ukraine fired ATACMS missiles that reportedly destroyed nine helicopters at Russian bases in the eastern part of the country. The Storm Shadow, or SCALP to the French, is a long-range missile jointly manufactured between France and the UK that weighs 1,300 kg and has a range "in excess" of 250 km. European multinational manufacturer MBDA said the missile works well for pre-planned attacks against stationary targets, like hardened bunkers or key infrastructure. The missile is described by MBDA as offering a high-precision strike day or night because it combines GPS, onboard guidance systems, and terrain mapping to find its target. Once the Storm Shadow missile approaches a target, an infrared device matches an image of the target with stored pictures on its onboard hard drive to make sure the target matches its mission, MBDA said. The missile's warhead has a first charge that allows it to penetrate a bunker or clear soil, then after it lets out a fuze to control how the ordnance detonates. It's already in service with the UK, French, and Italian militaries, MBDA said. In Germany, much of the conversation has centred on supplying Ukraine with Taurus missiles. The Taurus KEPD 350, manufactured jointly by Swedish company Saab and MBDA Deutschland, is an "incomparable modular standoff missile" that can land precision strikes on stationary targets like bunkers and high-value targets like large radar stations. The Taurus flies at low terrain to penetrate thick air defenses and shoot down targets with a 481 kg warhead system called the MEPHISTO. The air-to-surface missile system has a range of over 500 km and weighs 1400 kg. Before Germany's last federal election held in February, Merz, as leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, had called for the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Merz has now signalled that Ukraine and Germany would produce the "This will be a cooperation on an industrial level, which can take place both in Ukraine and here in Germany," Merz said. While restrictions on long-range weapons have been lifted, Merz declined to confirm if Germany would be delivering Taurus missiles to Kyiv or not. In the early morning of April 29, people in Kourou, French Guiana, were woken up by the roar of the Vega-C rocket as it carried Biomass, the latest satellite from the European Space Agency (ESA), successfully into space. The Biomass mission not only represents a leap forward in the scientific understanding of tropical forests, but its launch also marked a major step toward securing Europe's independent access to space. Euronews Tech Talks was on site in Kourou for the launch, and with this second special episode on Biomass, we bring you behind the scenes of the launch preparations. The operations on the day of the launch of a satellite, also referred to as D-Day, are just the tip of the iceberg in a long process to get it into space. In the case of Biomass, the project started more than a decade ago and involved several professionals who dedicated their competencies to building the satellite, developing the rocket, and coordinating every step up to and after April 29. Launch preparations began as early as March 7, when Biomass arrived in French Guiana after a two-week voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Upon arrival in Kourou, the satellite was transported to the spaceport, removed from its shipping container, and thoroughly inspected for any potential damage. Next, Biomass was fuelled and attached to the adapter that would connect it to the Vega-C rocket, enabling its journey into orbit. On April 14, Biomass was placed inside the fairing, the top part of the rocket, then transferred to the launch pad at the Tangara site. There, the fairing containing the satellite was placed on the Vega C launcher, followed by more checks and a practice run known as the dress rehearsal. With all checks completed, it was time for the first weather forecast, a crucial step in the process. "We need good weather conditions to authorise the launch," explained Jean Frédéric Alasa, launch range operations director at CNES, the French Space Agency. "The rain is not a major constraint, it's more about the wind. If the launcher were to explode, we want to make sure the debris falls far from the populated areas," he continued. Luckily, on April 29, the wind was very mild, and the satellite launch was authorised. Vega C lifted off at 6:15:52 AM local time in Kourou. This time was precisely calculated and had to be respected to bring the satellite into the correct orbit. "For all the SSO missions, there is no launch window, but just one time at which the satellite can be lifted off," Fabrizio Fabiani, head of the Vega programme at Arianespace, explained. "Each day could be a good day, but at the same instant". SSO stands for sun-synchronous orbit, a special type of orbit where the satellite maintains the same position relative to the Sun. Essentially, Biomass passes over the same location on Earth at the same time every day. This orbit is ideal for monitoring changes over time, which is why it is commonly used for several Earth observation satellites. Biomass's launch was successful and greeted with great excitement by those who worked on it for years. When the satellite and rocket fully separated, the team erupted into cheers, celebrating the mission's success. "I've indeed been working for 12 years on that mission and now, at the end of it, I would say the predominant sentiment is that I'm super grateful and humbled that I was allowed to do that job," Michael Fehringer, ESA's Biomass project manager, told Euronews. "I feel relieved... that's all we could ask for, that's the best result we could have," Justin Byrne, Airbus head of science and Mars programmes, shared with us. But while most celebrated, one team remained focused on the mission. Which team was it, and why? Listen to Euronews Tech Talks to find out the answer.
