Latest news with #F-15
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
New Satellite Image Shows U.S. Air Force Buildup at Key Indian Ocean Base
A new satellite image showed a buildup of U.S. Air Force assets at Diego Garcia, a strategic American base in the Indian Ocean. The development comes as tensions are high across the Middle East and Indo-Pacific after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) for comment. Diego Garcia serves as a critical forward base for U.S. military operations stretching from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. Its remote location and extensive airfield make it a key launching point for long-range strike missions and rapid-response deployments. The deployments at the base suggest a readiness for further military action in the region. The new satellite image revealed a U.S. aircraft presence at Diego Garcia that includes four B-52 strategic bombers, six F-15 fighter jets, and six KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, according to open-intelligence analyst MT Anderson on X, formerly known as Twitter. Diego Garcia's remote location-about 2,200 miles from Iran and 3,000 from southern China-provides a secure launch point for U.S. aircraft to conduct long-range missions and remain on station. Significant movement of military equipment at the air base had been taking place since March with experts believing it could be a staging point for any attack on Iran. In May, the U.S. Air Force announced that B-2 Spirit bombers had returned to Missouri after a deployment to Diego Garcia. On June 13, the U.S. launched a surprise overnight strike on three key Iranian nuclear facilities using B-2 stealth bombers that took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The overnight mission relied on deception, aerial refueling, and near-total radio silence to maintain secrecy and tactical surprise. Decoy flights toward the Pacific diverted attention from the actual eastward strike. Codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, seven B-2 bombers dropped over a dozen 30,000-pound bunker busters on deeply buried nuclear sites., making it the most ambitious U.S. stealth airstrike in decades. The bombers had also been used in striking Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen. Air Marshall Greg Bagwell, former Royal Air Force deputy operations chief told BBC Verify in June: "You would be able to maintain a sustained operation from [Diego Garcia] far more efficiently. You could literally have them round the clock operating." Diego Garcia's assets remain well-positioned to respond swiftly should tensions in the Middle East or Indo-Pacific escalate, as a ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains fragile and U.S.-Iran diplomatic negotiations are stalled in post-conflict tensions. Related Articles Defense Department Worker Charged with Stealing Top-Secret DocumentsB-2 Strikes on Iran Expose Limits of Elon Musk's 'Drone Swarms'Photos Show US Air Force Training for Pacific WarIs Donald Trump Considering Tactical Nukes Against Iran? What We Know 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
6 days ago
- Business
Japan Targets 2% Defense Spending
Japan Data Politics Jun 27, 2025 Japan's defense budget was long set at 1% of the country's GDP, but following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, it has been lifted to 2%. In 1976, Prime Minister Miki Takeo decided to cap Japan's defense spending at 1% of GNP to act as a limit on militarization. While the administration of Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro abolished this official limit in 1987, it remained a powerful unspoken concept (as a percentage of GDP from fiscal 1993). This is clear from the graph below. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prompted a rethink of the 1% limit. After NATO member countries successively committed to spending 2% of their GDP on defense, then Prime Minister Kishida Fumio pledged in national security documents approved in December 2022 to increase Japan's defense budget to 2% by fiscal 2027. From a base of ¥5.4 trillion in fiscal 2022, defense spending (including expenses related to US forces realignment) rose to ¥6.8 trillion in fiscal 2023 and ¥7.9 trillion in fiscal 2024. The budget for fiscal 2025 is ¥8.7 trillion, up 9.4% year on year. With the inclusion of the budget for the Japan Coast Guard and other related expenses, this rises to ¥9.9 trillion, which is 1.8% of the fiscal 2022 GDP and 1.6% of the projected GDP for fiscal 2025. Data Sources (Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: F-15 fighter jets at the Self-Defense Forces review ceremony on November 9, 2024. © Jiji.) SDF defense
Fox News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid clashes with CNN panel as she defends Iran
Print Close By Hanna Panreck Published June 25, 2025 Ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid clashed with a CNN panel on Tuesday as she defended Iran after President Donald Trump launched a strike against its nuclear facilities over the weekend. "Iran-backed militias that attacked the United States forces 170 times in Syria, in Jordan and in Iraq. You know who said that? Joe Biden said that. That's why he authorized F-15 strikes against Iran," Brad Todd, a CNN contributor, told Reid. The ex-MSNBC host said during the exchange on CNN's "Newsnight" that she didn't look to former President Joe Biden as a moral authority because he "has allowed Israel in an unrestrained manner to slaughter Palestinians in Gaza." "The bottom line here is the way that we know that Iran did not have nuclear weapons is that if they had nuclear weapons, Israel would not attack them. The reason they're trying to get nukes, and probably Saudi Arabia is trying to get them, is because an expansionist power in their region keeps threatening them and actually bombs them," Reid argued. JOY REID FLOATS SPECULATION THAT HER RACE, 'ANXIETY' SURROUNDING TRUMP PLAYED ROLE IN MSNBC FIRING "I don't think it's okay that Israel has nukes either. And so the bottom line is, Israel does not even subject its nuclear weapons to the IAEA. And so my question is, should anyone in the region have nukes?" she added. "Joy, this is not just about nukes. It's also about Iran being a state sponsor of terrorism and chaos and violence and death around the world. So, I mean, there's that too," CNN host Abby Phillip said. Arthur Aidala also pushed back on Reid and said she was backing a country that slaughters gay people and kills others for their religious beliefs. "LGBTQ people can't even serve in the military under the president you prefer," Reid responded, as Aidala added, "We're not killing them!" "They're allowed to live, but they're not allowed to serve in the United States military. They're being persecuted. They can't have their stories told in school. The United States is not exactly a beacon of rights for gay people," Reid argued as Aidala called her out for comparing gay rights in the U.S. to Iran. LAWMAKERS, MEDIA DINGED FOR BLAMING TRUMP OR RIPPING ISRAEL ON IRAN: 'YOU THINK KAMALA COULD'VE STOPPED THEM?' "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg last week suggested during an episode of the ABC News talk show that the U.S. in 2025 was the same as Iran, specifically for Black people. Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin pushed back on Goldberg, noting that living in America today was "very different" than living in Iran. "Not if you're Black," Goldberg insisted as co-host Sunny Hostin added, "not for everybody." CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Reid's MSNBC show was canceled earlier this year and the far-left personality speculated on Tuesday that her coverage of Gaza and repeated criticism of Trump is what led to her firing. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Print Close URL
Mint
23-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar: Key facts about the US Military hub targeted by Iran
Al Udeid Air Base, located about 20 miles southwest of Doha, Qatar, is one of the most vital US military installations in the Middle East. Recently thrust into headlines after being targeted by Iranian missile strikes, the base has long served as the centerpiece of American military operations in the region. Here are the key features of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, one of the most important US military installations in the Middle East: Situated about 20 miles southwest of Doha on a vast desert plateau. Covers roughly 12 square miles (~50 km²) with two parallel 3,750 m (12,300 ft) runways. Built in 1996 by Qatar at a cost of over $1 billion, with an additional ~$8 billion invested since then. Sprawling infrastructure developed over two decades with ~$8 billion invested by Qatar. The largest US military base in the Middle East, housing up to 10,000 US personnel (around 8,000 as of 2022). Hosts the US Air Force's 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the 609th Combined Air Operations Center, and CENTCOM's forward command. Also home to RAF's No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group and Qatar's own air wing. Base for the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing – the largest such unit in the US Air Force. Has hosted up to 10,000 US troops at peak wartime operations (Iraq, Afghanistan). As of recent years, about 8,000 US personnel are stationed at the base. Purpose & assets Central node for air operations across the CENTCOM area — coordinating missions in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and beyond. Capable of hosting B-52 bombers, F-15 fighters, KC‑135 tankers, RC‑135 reconnaissance planes, and more. Equipped with advanced defenses: Patriot batteries, hardened shelters, fuel storage, command centers, and rapid runway repair teams. Central hub for coordinating US airpower across the Middle East. Supports intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and logistics. Launch point for air strikes, drone missions, and humanitarian operations. Key for coalition coordination, especially during counter-terrorism operations. Equipped with two parallel runways, each over 12,000 feet long. Capable of hosting large aircraft including B-52 bombers, C-17 Globemasters, and aerial tankers. Advanced command-and-control systems, aircraft hangars, dormitories, and storage facilities. Jointly operated by the US and Qatari militaries. Qatar continues to invest in infrastructure and modernization at the base. Seen as a pillar of US-Qatar defense cooperation.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Israel strikes 6 Iranian airports, claims destruction of 15 military aircraft
The Israeli military on Monday said it has attacked six airports in Iran , destroying 15 aircraft and damaging runways, as per a BBC report. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the airports targeted were in western, eastern and central Iran. The IDF added that the drone strikes destroyed F-15 and F-5 fighter jets, a refuelling plane, and an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter. Iran has not yet confirmed the attack.
