Latest news with #Bober
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Ukraine has been catapulting drones to strike Russia's million-dollar air defenses deep behind battle lines
Ukraine's intelligence directorate (GUR) has released footage of Kyiv's UJ-26 "Bober" drone being launched via catapult to attack Russian air defenses. The video, published on Tuesday, shows the locally manufactured 8-foot-long loitering munition being slung into the air from a fixed ramp. GUR said its special forces launched the drones to attack targets in Russian-occupied Crimea. The new launch method allows the fixed-wing Bober to enter combat without landing gear, which would likely improve its range or maneuverability. Traditionally, the Bobers take off from airstrips like traditional aircraft. Given that the ramp would likely have to be set up in Ukrainian-held territory west of the Dnieper River, the drone would have to travel a minimum of roughly 60 miles to reach Russian targets in Crimea. The drones also seem to be equipped with thermal cameras in several first-person view clips uploaded by the defense intelligence agency. One montage appears to show a drone evading a missile and then flying into a $15 million Pantsir S-1 point air defense system. A second drone is also shown flying into the ground next to a Pantsir S-1 as the vehicle crew scrambles for cover. GUR described the attack as the "successful defeat" of the Pantsir, but did not show footage of the results. The intelligence agency also said it conducted similar successful attacks on three Russian radar systems — The Niobium-SV, the Pechora-3, and the Provotnik GE — as well as a fourth-generation Su-30 fighter. It uploaded several first-person view clips of drones approaching these systems with thermal cameras, though many of them can only be seen flying close to their target. Business Insider could not independently verify the damage caused. Ukrainian media regularly describe the Niobium-SV as a $100 million system. Earlier Russian estimates from before the full-scale invasion indicated that the Kremlin was acquiring the Niobium-SV in 2016 for about $40 million per unit. However, these may have since been fitted with more expensive upgrades. Meanwhile, one Bober, which translates to "beaver" in Ukrainian, reportedly costs around $110,000 to manufacture. The propeller drone is meant for long-range attacks and is known to carry the KZ-6 charge, a 6.6-pound demolition explosive designed to break through concrete or armor. It's yet another example of how the war has increasingly featured cheaper systems being used to attack and, at times, destroy expensive high-end equipment, posing difficult questions for the traditional defense procurement model that heavily prioritized advanced technology. For example, one of Ukraine's biggest community drone funds, run by activist Serhii Sternenko, reported to donors that its crowdfunded drones have damaged at least 11 Buk surface-to-air missile systems in 2025. The fund often publishes footage of such strikes. Depending on whether they have the latest upgrades, these defenses can cost Russia between $10 and $100 million each. By comparison, Sternenko's fund said it receives roughly $6 million in donations a month for its entire budget.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislator looking to ban pet sales from out-of-state breeders
NEWINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) — One state legislator this session is looking to put out-of-state breeders in the legal doghouse, proposing a bill that would ban the sale of these pets. State Rep. Gary Turco (D) met with animal welfare advocates and the owners of Hound & Home, a pet store in Newington, on Friday as part of an effort to fetch support for the legislation. Lawmakers looking to regulate out-of-state pet breeders With the bill, he is urging people on the market for a pet to either rescue or buy from Connecticut breeders. While some animal welfare advocates are behind the bill, a trade group representing breeders and pet retailers is raising concerns, arguing such legislation could hurt local pet shops. Still, Turco maintains that this bill is better for pets — and for consumers. 'If they come from these out of state breeding facilities, they could have a lot of different health issues, they could have been overbred,' Turco said. Mike Bober, who represents breeder and pet retailer trade group Pet Advocacy Network, pushed back against Turco's characterization of larger breeding facilities as 'mills.' In an interview with News 8, Bober argued that these larger breeders tend to be 'the best and most regulated.' 'Anybody who is buying into the myth that these are caricatures of greedy individuals cackling in the background while foisting unhealthy animals off on an unsuspecting public is, just, being sold a bill of goods,' Bober said. Bober also noted that the ban could impact business for 16 pet stores in the state who rely on selling animals from out of state breeders. 'Pet stores will absolutely go out of business if a pet sale ban goes into place,' he said. The state legislature's General Law Committee heard testimony on the bill earlier this month. State Rep. Dave Rutigliano (R), who is the Republican ranking member of the committee, told News 8 that he's compelled by both sides of the debate from animal advocates and industry players. 'The free market conservative in me is in conflict with my love of dogs,' Rutigliano said. As for what local pet shop owners had to say on the bill, Kayla Walker, who owns Hound & Home in Newington, told News 8 that her store does fine without selling animals. Hound & Home offers grooming services which brings in most of their revenue. They also sell pet products including toys, collars and baked treats they make in the store. Walker added that she fosters puppies and also holds rescue adoption events for customers at the store. 'We do not need to sell any animals to be able to stay in business here in Newington,' she said. With bipartisan support on the bill, Turco told News 8 that he is hopeful the bill could pass this session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
13-02-2025
- The Independent
New AI tool to identify knives could ‘transform' policing of knife crime
A new AI system trained to identify knives could help 'transform' how police forces tackle knife crime, researchers have said. Knife Hunter, a system developed by the Institute for People-Centred AI at the University of Surrey, can help police forces identify weapons and then trace their origins more quickly, and has been developed in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police. The research team said it can allow police to more easily log weapons found, recovered or seized, trace retail or illegal import channels and monitor geographical trends – as well as see reports the system generates on knife crime patterns to help support policing and inform policymaking. Knife Hunter transforms the way police process and analyse images and videos, doing it faster and more efficiently. More importantly, it's a major step forward in helping uncover the origins of weapons in our communities Professor Miroslaw Bober More than 50,000 knife crime offences were recorded in England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2024 – a 4% rise on the previous year. Professor Miroslaw Bober, the project lead at the Institute for People-Centred AI at the University of Surrey, said he hoped the system could be rolled out widely to other police forces and local authorities, having been used in a trial as part of the Met's Operation Spectre, which aims to tackle knife crime. 'For the past three years, we've partnered with the Metropolitan Police to develop a system that we believe could revolutionise how forces across the country tackle knife crime in the not-too-distant future,' Professor Bober said. 'Knife Hunter transforms the way police process and analyse images and videos, doing it faster and more efficiently. 'More importantly, it's a major step forward in helping uncover the origins of weapons in our communities. 'Looking ahead, we're excited about the potential for Knife Hunter and similar tools to work hand-in-hand with Police and local communities to create safer streets for everyone.' The system powering Knife Hunter has been trained on a dataset of over 25,000 images of 550 different knife types, and as a result is able to identify even the most subtle distinguishing features of a weapon, regardless of the viewing angle or lighting conditions, the researchers said. Professor Adrian Hilton, director of the Institute for People-Centred AI said the project was a timely example of AI technology being used for societal good. 'This research innovation is timely. At a time when the UK Government is trying to rebalance their approach to AI, from leading with risk management and safety to placing seizing the opportunities for AI to improve lives front and centre, we're showing how people-centred AI can transform lives and communities for the better,' he said. 'Working with public sector and commercial partners across a range of grand challenges – in this case with the police to make the streets safer – we're harnessing the power of AI for good.' Science and Technology Minister Peter Kyle said: 'AI has the potential to support police in stopping these awful attacks and save lives. 'This is just the tip of the iceberg of what AI could do for our nation, on top of transforming healthcare, boosting productivity and putting time back in people's hands – supporting our Plan for Change.'
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
New AI tool to identify knives could ‘transform' policing of knife crime
A new AI system trained to identify knives could help 'transform' how police forces tackle knife crime, researchers have said. Knife Hunter, a system developed by the Institute for People-Centred AI at the University of Surrey, can help police forces identify weapons and then trace their origins more quickly, and has been developed in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police. The research team said it can allow police to more easily log weapons found, recovered or seized, trace retail or illegal import channels and monitor geographical trends – as well as see reports the system generates on knife crime patterns to help support policing and inform policymaking. More than 50,000 knife crime offences were recorded in England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2024 – a 4% rise on the previous year. Professor Miroslaw Bober, the project lead at the Institute for People-Centred AI at the University of Surrey, said he hoped the system could be rolled out widely to other police forces and local authorities, having been used in a trial as part of the Met's Operation Spectre, which aims to tackle knife crime. 'For the past three years, we've partnered with the Metropolitan Police to develop a system that we believe could revolutionise how forces across the country tackle knife crime in the not-too-distant future,' Professor Bober said. 'Knife Hunter transforms the way police process and analyse images and videos, doing it faster and more efficiently. 'More importantly, it's a major step forward in helping uncover the origins of weapons in our communities. 'Looking ahead, we're excited about the potential for Knife Hunter and similar tools to work hand-in-hand with Police and local communities to create safer streets for everyone.' The system powering Knife Hunter has been trained on a dataset of over 25,000 images of 550 different knife types, and as a result is able to identify even the most subtle distinguishing features of a weapon, regardless of the viewing angle or lighting conditions, the researchers said. Professor Adrian Hilton, director of the Institute for People-Centred AI said the project was a timely example of AI technology being used for societal good. 'This research innovation is timely. At a time when the UK Government is trying to rebalance their approach to AI, from leading with risk management and safety to placing seizing the opportunities for AI to improve lives front and centre, we're showing how people-centred AI can transform lives and communities for the better,' he said. 'Working with public sector and commercial partners across a range of grand challenges – in this case with the police to make the streets safer – we're harnessing the power of AI for good.' Science and Technology Minister Peter Kyle said: 'AI has the potential to support police in stopping these awful attacks and save lives. 'This is just the tip of the iceberg of what AI could do for our nation, on top of transforming healthcare, boosting productivity and putting time back in people's hands – supporting our Plan for Change.' Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
New AI tool to identify knives could ‘transform' policing of knife crime
A new AI system trained to identify knives could help 'transform' how police forces tackle knife crime, researchers have said. Knife Hunter, a system developed by the Institute for People-Centred AI at the University of Surrey, can help police forces identify weapons and then trace their origins more quickly, and has been developed in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police. The research team said it can allow police to more easily log weapons found, recovered or seized, trace retail or illegal import channels and monitor geographical trends – as well as see reports the system generates on knife crime patterns to help support policing and inform policymaking. More than 50,000 knife crime offences were recorded in England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2024 – a 4% rise on the previous year. Professor Miroslaw Bober, the project lead at the Institute for People-Centred AI at the University of Surrey, said he hoped the system could be rolled out widely to other police forces and local authorities, having been used in a trial as part of the Met's Operation Spectre, which aims to tackle knife crime. 'For the past three years, we've partnered with the Metropolitan Police to develop a system that we believe could revolutionise how forces across the country tackle knife crime in the not-too-distant future,' Professor Bober said. 'Knife Hunter transforms the way police process and analyse images and videos, doing it faster and more efficiently. 'More importantly, it's a major step forward in helping uncover the origins of weapons in our communities. 'Looking ahead, we're excited about the potential for Knife Hunter and similar tools to work hand-in-hand with Police and local communities to create safer streets for everyone.' The system powering Knife Hunter has been trained on a dataset of over 25,000 images of 550 different knife types, and as a result is able to identify even the most subtle distinguishing features of a weapon, regardless of the viewing angle or lighting conditions, the researchers said. Professor Adrian Hilton, director of the Institute for People-Centred AI said the project was a timely example of AI technology being used for societal good. 'This research innovation is timely. At a time when the UK Government is trying to rebalance their approach to AI, from leading with risk management and safety to placing seizing the opportunities for AI to improve lives front and centre, we're showing how people-centred AI can transform lives and communities for the better,' he said. 'Working with public sector and commercial partners across a range of grand challenges – in this case with the police to make the streets safer – we're harnessing the power of AI for good.' Science and Technology Minister Peter Kyle said: 'AI has the potential to support police in stopping these awful attacks and save lives. 'This is just the tip of the iceberg of what AI could do for our nation, on top of transforming healthcare, boosting productivity and putting time back in people's hands – supporting our Plan for Change.'
