The 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron was activated on Feb. 10, 2023, at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.
U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather
Japan’s ruling parties agree to proposal to shot down balloons, drones
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has proposed a relaxation of the self-defense force’s weapons use policy in response to the threat of foreign drones and balloons violating Japanese airspace. The country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Party have agreed to the proposal, which would allow for the use of weapons against drones and balloons that obstruct the safe flight of aircraft, even if such action doesn’t qualify as legitimate self-defense. The lawmakers were briefed on the proposal on Feb. 16 and approved the idea on the same day.
Chase Doak, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Tennessee National Guard Black Hawk crashes
A Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northern Alabama, killing two crew members who were part of the Tennessee National Guard. The aircraft went down on Highway 53 near the intersection of Burrell Road in Madison County during a routine training mission. The crash sparked a fire that left the helicopter a “total loss,” according to the Madison County Sheriff’s office. First responders found the helicopter “engulfed in flames” upon arrival, and given the visible extent of the damage, they determined there were no survivors.
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Chinese ballon had intended to fly over Guam and Hawaii before being blown off course
In early February 2023, the United States military shot down a Chinese balloon that had reportedly drifted across Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, Canada, and the central United States. U.S. officials have since stated that they believe the balloon was blown off course by prevailing winds, preventing it from passing over Guam and Hawaii as originally intended.
U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tyler Thompson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Malaysia likely to pick KAI FA-50, HAL concedes defeat in fighter tender
HAL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) CB Ananthakrishnan has acknowledged that Malaysia has not chosen his company’s Tejas fighter for its Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program despite being among the two shortlisted out of eight companies that participated. Malaysia is now expected to select the South Korean supersonic fighter KAI FA-50 for the contract, dealing a blow to HAL’s hopes.
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Venkat Mangudi [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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