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AllAfrica
4 days ago
- Business
- AllAfrica
US banking on cheap missiles to narrow China war gap
The US is betting on a new wave of cheap cruise missiles to win a high-tech war of attrition against China. This month, US defense contractor L3Harris Technologies revealed the 'Red Wolf' and 'Green Wolf' missiles, offering affordable, long-range strike capabilities for the US military amid rising tensions with China in the Pacific, Reuters reported. The systems support the US Department of Defense's (DoD) 'affordable mass' strategy, shaped by recent conflicts in Ukraine and Israel that underscored the need for large stockpiles of deployable munitions. Both multi-role missiles exceed a 200-nautical-mile range and can engage moving naval targets. Red Wolf focuses on precision strikes, whereas Green Wolf is designed for electronic warfare and intelligence collection. Production is underway in Ashburn, Virginia, with initial low-rate manufacturing progressing toward full-scale output. L3Harris anticipates pricing around US$300,000 per unit and aims to produce roughly 1,000 annually. Having completed over 40 successful test flights, the systems mark a strategic pivot as Lockheed Martin and RTX currently dominate the long-range missile market. The Red and Green Wolf systems join a growing list of weapons marketed under the affordable mass concept, including Anduril's Barracuda and Lockheed Martin's Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT), which embody competing visions of low-cost, mass-producible cruise missiles designed to saturate peer adversaries. Anduril's Barracuda—available in three scalable configurations—emphasizes rapid production using commercial components, modular payloads and autonomous teaming enabled by its Lattice software. Designed for flexibility across air, sea and land launches, it has entered a US Air Force/Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) prototype effort. In contrast, Lockheed's CMMT, or 'Comet,' is a modular, non-stealthy missile priced at $150,000 and optimized for global assembly and palletized mass launch from cargo aircraft. Barracuda emphasizes software-defined autonomy and flexible mission roles, while CMMT focuses on industrial-scale modularity and global assembly for cost-effective mass deployment. As the US military turns to low-cost cruise missiles like Barracuda, CMMT and the Red and Green Wolf to achieve affordable mass, a critical question looms: can these cheaper weapons deliver sufficient firepower, scale and survivability to offset industrial shortfalls and support sustained combat in a high-intensity war with China? According to the US DoD's 2024 China Military Power Report (CMPR), China possesses the world's largest navy by battle force, exceeding 370 ships and submarines, including over 140 major surface combatants. Mark Gunzinger argues in a November 2021 article for Air & Space Forces Magazine that the US suffers from a shortage of precision-guided munitions (PGMs), rooted in outdated assumptions favoring short wars, which he argues limits its ability to sustain combat against China. Seth Jones writes in a January 2023 report for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) that the US defense industrial base remains optimized for peacetime and lacks resilient supply chains. Jones warns that this situation leaves the US unprepared for a protracted conflict, such as a Taiwan contingency against China, where early depletion of high-end munitions could prove disastrous. He stresses that in a potential US-China war over Taiwan, the US could expend up to 5,000 high-end, multi-million-dollar long-range missiles—including the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), Harpoon anti-ship missile and Tomahawk cruise missile—within the first three weeks of conflict. While ramping up production of lower-end PGMs could, to some extent, alleviate shortages, Evan Montgomery and others argue in a June 2024 article for War on the Rocks that cheap, mass-produced PGMs often lack the performance—stealth, speed, range and penetrating power—needed to generate lasting strategic effects. Drawing on recent case studies, they point out that Israel's neutralization of Iran's April 2024 drone swarm using $20,000-$50,000 Shahed loitering munitions contrasts sharply with Ukraine's selective use of advanced, multi-million-dollar munitions such as Storm Shadow and the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). They note the latter precision strikes forced costly Russian Black Sea Fleet redeployments and disrupted operations. Montgomery and others conclude that low-cost swarms may struggle to inflict meaningful attrition, particularly if autonomy and swarming technologies remain immature or economically unscalable. Given the capability gap between high-end PGMs like the $3.2 million per unit LRASM and more affordable systems such as the Red Wolf, Stacey Pettyjohn and others argue in a January 2025 article for the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) that the US must urgently implement a high-low PGM mix to deter China. They argue that China's People's Liberation Army's (PLA) rapid expansion and increasingly coercive maneuvers have outpaced the US's Indo-Pacific posture, exposing a strategic mismatch in both capability and scale. They point out that while high-end weapons are critical for penetrating advanced defenses and executing high-value missions, they are constrained by cost, availability and replenishment lag. Conversely, they state low-cost autonomous systems can be produced more rapidly and in greater numbers to bolster mass and sustain combat effectiveness over time, though they lack the capability of high-end systems. However, Pettyjohn and others caution that the US DoD's risk-averse acquisition culture and absence of a clear operational concept integrating both tiers exacerbate these challenges. Explaining the roots of this problem, Shands Pickett and Zach Beecher write in a June 2025 article for War on the Rocks that a widening rift between traditional prime contractors and non-traditional tech entrants is fracturing the US defense-industrial base. Pickett and Beecher note that primes, known for delivering large-scale, complex systems, are criticized for being slow, risk-averse and too focused on legacy programs. In contrast, they state that non-traditionalists bring agility and innovation, rapidly developing capabilities using commercial best practices. Yet Pickett and Beecher note that these firms often struggle with integration into mission systems and scaling for full-rate production. They liken this incompatibility to clashing software languages, resulting in technical debt, mission gaps and an industrial ecosystem fragmented and ill-suited to modern threats. While low-cost missiles can help close the gap in munitions volume, their strategic value hinges on effective integration, operational clarity and industrial readiness. Without structural reforms to US acquisition practices and production infrastructure, affordable mass may fall short of delivering meaningful deterrence in a high-end conflict with China.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Chicago Blackhawks Could Get A Reality Check In Season Opener
The Chicago Blackhawks' rebuilding squad will get quite the test on the opening night of the NHL regular season. To kick off the tripleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Blackhawks are in Sunrise to take on the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Chicago, meanwhile, finished second-last this past season. Advertisement One game won't tell the whole story, but it will set a first impression of how close these rebuilding Blackhawks are to competing against teams of the Panthers' caliber with the pieces each squad has. Suffice it to say, Chicago has a ways to go to end the rebuild as it develops its young talent. The Panthers' top two defense pairings can compete with that of any team, especially after they acquired Seth Jones from the Blackhawks around the 2025 trade deadline. It's another story for the Blackhawks. When their highest-scoring blueliner this past season is youngster Alex Vlasic, whose 30 points were a career high, they can't expect any sufficient offensive production from the back end. As for Connor Murphy, whose 117 hits and 160 blocked shots led Hawks blueliners, he's entering the final year of his contract and could be trade bait. Only the Anaheim Ducks allowed more high-danger chances against than Chicago this past season, according to That's not to say there isn't some talent in the pipeline, as Chicago has youngsters including Kevin Korchinski, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel who can grow into important NHL roles. NHL Prospect Pool Overview '25-26: Chicago Blackhawks Brought In A Stellar Draft Haul NHL Prospect Pool Overview '25-26: Chicago Blackhawks Brought In A Stellar Draft Haul The Chicago Blackhawks are next up in Tony Ferrari's NHL prospect pool overview series. Advertisement Similarly, comparing the Hawks' forwards with the Panthers' forwards tells you how long their road to respectability truly is. Yes, the Blackhawks have cornerstone center Connor Bedard as their most important player and prospects Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert and Nick Lardis in the system. Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Donato had 58 and 62 points this past season, while Frank Nazar, 21, established his spot in the NHL full-time. They'll need Bedard to continue to grow as a difference-maker with help from his supporting cast, but they're still over a season away from the wave of prospects taking this team to the next level. Right now, they don't have enough true needle-movers to be in the same breath as a legitimate Cup contender like the Panthers, which are very deep at every position. Anton Lundell, Connor Bedard and Dmitry Kulikov (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images) In net, the Hawks have a young goalie in Spencer Knight, who came over from Florida in the Jones trade, as well as veteran Laurent Brossoit. No goalie will be able to bail out the defensively lacking Blackhawks players in front of them. There may come a day when Knight can thrive between the pipes for Chicago, but that day isn't likely going to come next season. Advertisement Chicago has about $22.3 million in salary cap space, and they used that room to acquire Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken for an upgrade on offense. But it's unlikely they can weaponize much more of their cap space at this point to get the type of players that will make them beat teams like the Panthers more often than not. The truth is the Hawks are a dog's breakfast of assets at this stage, and many of their current players include veterans past their prime, like captain Nick Foligno, and second-tier NHLers, such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Teravainen and Burakovsky. It's clearly easy to see why the Hawks will be a long shot to play meaningful hockey down the stretch in 2025-26. The Panthers are likely to make it clear in Game 1 next year how far the Blackhawks have to go next season. After another year or two, the Blackhawks will be much better built to take the next step. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
New York Times
03-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why the Blackhawks are staying the course and not rushing Kyle Davidson's rebuild
Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has shown no signs of steering away from the rebuild plan he started three years ago. If anything, with some roster changes — especially trading Seth Jones — he's dug deeper into his attempt to structure his team around the NHL Draft and player development. Three years from now, which might be a realistic timeline for the Blackhawks to be competitive again, Davidson's roster could be almost entirely players who have come through the prospect pipeline, plus Ryan Donato, Tyler Bertuzzi and Spencer Knight. There are no guarantees those three players will be with the team, either. Fans can disagree with Davidson's plan, but this is how it works. Time is an essential part of it. Advertisement Of course, there are also no guarantees that Davidson will be allowed to see the plan through. Some factors are out of his control. First and foremost are the fans. Not everyone has to like the plan — and one look at social media shows not everyone does — but the Blackhawks need fans to buy tickets and jerseys, watch on TV, and just generally financially support them. If the Blackhawks' United Center attendance were closer to the 12,000 fans they drew in the 2006-07 season, while simultaneously getting less TV viewership and revenue, you can bet Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz would be telling Davidson to be more aggressive to win now. But there aren't any indications that the Blackhawks' business is struggling. Wirtz said in March that the team's 'metrics that would sort of indicate brand health are still in a really good place.' Attendance is down from the Stanley Cup years, but it's still near the top of the league. The Blackhawks are in a place where they likely can increase season ticket prices while still also increasing season ticket sales. Their centennial-year celebration will undoubtedly help juice that, too. TV viewership was a disaster last season, but they're hopeful that's behind them with CHSN's Comcast carriage and a viewership increase when their roster got younger last season. Connor Bedard's presence alone is taking care of merchandise sales. So Wirtz doesn't seem to have financial reasons to accelerate Davidson's rebuild. He also doesn't seem to have philosophical reasons. Wirtz has said many times that he supports Davidson's plan and has the patience for it. There's no way Davidson would be going about this offseason as he is — the Blackhawks are essentially done making moves — without Wirtz's blessing. On paper, the Blackhawks are likely somewhere between last season's 61 points and being a 75-point team. In the standings, that probably puts them between 29th and last place among the NHL's 32 teams. There's no reason for Davidson to spin the current roster's projection to Wirtz, either. The Blackhawks are likely heading toward their fourth consecutive top-five draft pick next year, and because of Wirtz's trust, Davidson's job security remains as strong as ever. Advertisement Of course, Davidson has to show progress. It's all relative, though. Midway through last season, there was a growing sense that Davidson might need to take a more aggressive approach this offseason, given the combination of coach Luke Richardson's firing, the Winter Classic embarrassment, young players' growing pains (especially Bedard) and CHSN's dismal ratings. That changed by season's end as Connor Bedard's production took off, Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene and Sam Rinzel signed out of college and jumped into the NHL, and Frank Nazar and Artyom Levshunov arrived from Rockford. The Blackhawks' young players shifted the narrative and increased optimism for the future. Again, Wirtz is the measure of all that. He could see and feel the positive momentum. 'I do think the bigger picture is starting to resonate with fans that I think gives us a lot of hope and optimism, regardless of what's happening in front of us and specifically with the standings,' he said. This season's goal is probably more of the same. While it may be unrealistic for the Blackhawks to rocket up the standings, their progress can be gauged in so many other ways. Davidson's confidence to largely stand pat in the offseason and go forward with a lineup filled with so many young players is one indicator. The individual development of Nazar, Bedard, Levshunov, Rinzel, Moore, Greene and others down the line is another. How those players perform together in new coach Jeff Blashill's system is yet another. Next season won't always be pretty. The Blackhawks are likely to score more than they have in recent years, but they could also give up more goals. But if the good vibes from late last season can stick around, the Blackhawks will be pleased with their direction. More young players will join that mix, too. It wouldn't be shocking if Anton Frondell can earn a spot out of training camp and stick with the Blackhawks this season. Nick Lardis may not break camp in the NHL, but he could be in Chicago by the season's end. Sacha Boisvert could easily sign out of college and end the season in the NHL. By the 2026-27 season, Roman Kantserov will likely be in the NHL after coming over from Russia. And you never know what could happen if Chicago gets another top-five draft pick in 2026. All of this brings us to the elements Davidson can control. Drafting and development are vital. Davidson has accumulated enough draft picks that not everyone has to hit, but he still has to hit on enough of them. The Blackhawks need stars and a core to win at the highest level. Bedard and Alex Vlasic are probably the only sure core pieces right now. Nazar is trending that way. Rinzel looks like he could grow into that this season. Wyatt Kaiser showed encouraging signs late last season. Over the next few seasons, the Blackhawks will have much more information on what they have and what they need. Advertisement Davidson has expressed a willingness to acquire key players who could help the Blackhawks in the short- and long-term, but he hasn't taken action. He was asked again Tuesday about giving Bedard a star-caliber linemate. 'Well, you're always looking for that type of player,' Davidson said. 'You're always looking for good players in the marketplace — they just come up very seldomly. And when you do, you act aggressively. And I feel we've reacted accordingly. Again, doesn't always work out, and so you move on. 'But having said that, if we look internally, I think there's a number of players that are coming that can fill those roles. That doesn't mean you don't proactively look out in the marketplace. It's just (that) they're so few and far between when they are available, so you have to be very aggressive when they do (become available). And doesn't always work out that way. But I think the most sure way of finding those players is developing them yourself. And so that's what we'll do until a new opportunity arises.' The takeaway from that: Davidson is unlikely to pursue that type of player now. To be fair, those players don't seem to want to come to Chicago right now, either. Mitch Marner wasn't interested this offseason. Jake Guentzel wasn't last offseason. On the other hand, Davidson doesn't know what he has in his system yet. He's hopeful he already has those types of players and they just need time to develop. We'll see. Three years from now, if the Blackhawks are where they think they can be and someone like Brady Tkachuk hits the open market, maybe there will be mutual interest. Davidson can also control contracts. The salary cap is going to be a challenge for the Blackhawks in the next couple of years. They acquired Shea Weber's contract at the trade deadline to ensure they meet the $70.6 million cap floor this upcoming season. They acquired André Burakovsky this offseason in part because his $5.5 million cap hit helps them over the next two seasons (the cap floor increases to $104 million in 2026-27). As the Blackhawks trend younger and younger, they will have more entry-level contracts and more obstacles to reaching the cap floor. Davidson has to reach the cap floor. But to succeed in the long term, building the type of roster he desires, he has to make sure the contracts he signs now and in the future all fit together in the big picture. From Vlasic's extension last offseason to extensions for Bedard and Nazar, and later Levshunov and company, cap hits will likely determine the fate of this rebuild. Add up all of those things in and out of Davidson's control, and it's clear that a lot has to go his way for the Blackhawks to eventually win big. Of course, that's the case with most rebuilds. Davidson's strategy requires a lot of losing and growing pains, but it's all with the intent of sustaining success afterward. As of today, the Blackhawks plan to see that through. (Photo of Kyle Davidson: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
National Post
30-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Aaron Ekblad re-signs with Florida Panthers on eve of NHL free agency, AP sources say
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is staying with the Florida Panthers instead of becoming a free agent. Article content Ekblad is re-signing with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions on an eight-year contract worth $48.8 million, according to two people with knowledge of the deal. Article content Article content The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the move had not been announced. Article content Article content Ekblad re-signing on a deal that pays him an average of $6.1 million a season comes after the Panthers also brought back playoff MVP Sam Bennett. He had been making $7.5 million a year on his last deal and appeared to leave money on the table and give the only NHL organization he has ever been a part of a hometown discount. Article content It remains to be seen if they can also keep Brad Marchand before the 37-year-old winger can hit the open market Tuesday. Article content Now 29, Ekblad has been a part of Florida's core since he was the No. 1 pick in the draft in 2014. With Ekblad, Seth Jones and Gustav Forsling all signed long term, the top four on defense will be set for the better part of the next decade once Niko Mikkola, who has a year left on his current contract, is extended. Article content In other moves around the league, the Minnesota Wild got a two-time Stanley Cup champion for nothing on the eve of free agency, and the New York Islanders locked up one of their top young players to a long-term contract. Article content The Wild acquired winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. The Islanders re-signed defenseman Alexander Romanov to an eight-year contract that a person with knowledge of the extension said is worth $50 million. Article content Article content The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because terms were not disclosed. Romanov will count $6.25 million against the salary cap through the 2032-33 season. Article content Article content Tarasenko, 33, has one year left on his contract at a salary cap hit of $4.75 million. He helped Florida win the Cup last year after being a key part of St. Louis' championship run in 2019. Article content The Utah Mammoth also traded young forward Matias Maccelli to Toronto for a conditional 2027 third-round pick. It turns into a second-rounder in 2029 if Maccelli has 51-plus points and the Maple Leafs make the playoffs next season. Article content
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL announces Predators 9 picks for upcoming NHL Draft
NHL Draft week is upon us, and the Nashville Predators will be staying busy, owning nine picks in this year's draft. Monday, the NHL announced where the Predators will be selecting. Their first pick, which was earned in the NHL Draft lottery in May, will be fifth overall. It's the highest the Predators have selected since 2013 when they picked defenseman Seth Jones fourth overall. Advertisement The eight other picks are as follows: 23rd (first round), 26th (first round), 35th (second round), 55th (second round), 67th (third round), 131st (fifth round), 163rd (sixth round) and 182nd (sixth round). This is the most the Predators have picked in a draft since the 2023 Draft, which they hosted, where they had 11 picks. The three picks in the first round are the most in franchise history. Last year, Nashville had eight picks in the draft and selected center Yegor Surin with the 22nd overall pick. Surin was promoted from Yaroslavl Lokomotiv's junior team to their KHL team and won the Gagarin Cup. Jones, who was the Predators' last top-five pick, won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers this season. He spent two and a half seasons with the Predators before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2015-16 season. Advertisement He'd spend six seasons in Columbus before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021. Jones was in Chicago for three and a half seasons before getting traded to the Panthers this year. Boston College center James Hagens is one of the popular names being thrown around as to who the Predators will select with their fifth overall pick. Hagens had 37 points in 37 games with the Golden Eagles and won the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship with Team USA, scoring nine points in seven games. Predators general manager Barry Trotz is expected to address the media ahead of Friday's draft on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The NHL Draft will take place on Friday at 7 p.m. EST from Los Angeles.
