Posted on 02/24/2024 5:59:01 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
F-35 Had To Maneuver To Evade Houthi Surface-To-Air Missile: U.S. Official
The incident took place during Operation Rough Rider, the enhanced bombing campaign against the Houthis launched by Trump on March 15.
https://www.twz.com/air/f-35-had-to-maneuver-to-evade-houthi-surface-to-air-missile-u-s-official
—
How The Houthis’ Rickety Air Defenses Threaten Even The F-35
Highly mobile Houthi SAM systems and ones that use passive infrared sensors present a vexing problem for even advanced U.S. combat aircraft.
https://www.twz.com/air/how-the-houthis-rickety-air-defenses-can-threaten-the-stealthy-f-35
—
Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Navy Creating New Drone Regiments In Wake Of Enemy Successes
The Russian Navy is applying lessons learned from Ukraine’s multi-pronged drone campaigns to reinvent parts of its own force.
https://www.twz.com/sea/ukraine-situation-report-russian-navy-creating-new-drone-regiments-in-wake-of-enemy-successes
—
Our Best Look At Ukraine’s Reactivated S-200 Long-Range Surface-To-Air Missiles In Action
Ukraine’s shadowy SA-5 Gammon surface-to-air missile systems have been connected with some high-profile Russian aircraft shootdowns.
https://www.twz.com/air/our-best-look-at-ukraines-reactivated-s-200-air-defense-system-in-action
—
F-47 Now Has An Officially Stated Combat Radius Of 1,000+ Nautical Miles
We have gotten our first official basic specifications for the Air Force’s Next Generation F-47 fighter and its accompanying drones.
https://www.twz.com/air/f-47-now-has-an-officially-stated-combat-radius-of-1000-nautical-miles
—
Trump in Qatar announced that the F-47 will have swarms - plural. He also announced the F-55 which will have 2 engines, and that the US will make a Super F-22. No other details.
The Dealmaker in Chief may be on the verge of another big one - decommissioning Iran’s nuclear program. If a deal is made, the oil can flow, and Iran can join the party, feasting on Russia’s former market share.
If a deal to open the oil spigot from Iran is reached soon, together with the production increases that Trump likely has lined up with the Gulf Arabs, the Global oil market is well set up to bear the shock of cutting off Russian exports cold turkey. In fact, it would not be cold turkey, as production from the Gulf states has been ramping up for two months already, and inventories have been building.
Ready to drop the hammer on Putin, like a boss.
OilPric.com reports:
“Oil prices dipped by 4% early on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States were close to a nuclear deal with Iran, while a top Iranian officials hinted at Tehran abandoning uranium enrichment if the U.S. lifts the economic sanctions...
...The slide in oil prices intensified early on Thursday, after President Trump said “We’re in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace.”...
...Ali Shamkhani, a top political, military, and nuclear adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News that Iran is ready to sign a nuclear deal with the United States under certain conditions, including the U.S. lifting the sanctions on Tehran.
These comments came hours after the U.S. Treasury slapped additional sanctions on Iran, designating nearly two dozen firms operating in multiple jurisdictions in virtually every aspect of Iran’s illicit international oil trade.”
And separately, OilPrice.com reports:
“Significantly lower oil prices in April sent Russia’s oil export revenues down to the lowest level in nearly two years...
Russia’s revenues from oil exports slumped to $13.2 billion in April, the lowest level since June 2023, according to data in the Oil Market Report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) published on Thursday.
Russian crude prices averaged $55.64 per barrel in April with all major export grades below the $60 a barrel price cap set by the West for Russian oil trade, the IEA’s estimates showed.
Last week, the Russian finance ministry said that the Kremlin’s budget revenues from oil and gas dropped by 12% in April from a year earlier, due to the oil price rout last month...
...For the first four months of the year, oil and gas revenues fell by 10.3% to $46 billion (3.73 trillion rubles), according to the ministry’s data.
Earlier this month, Russia said it expects 24% lower revenues from oil and gas this year compared to earlier estimates...
...As a result of lower oil prices, Russia’s finance ministry has also tripled the estimate of its budget deficit to 1.7% of GDP for 2025, up from a deficit of just 0.5% of GDP previously expected.”
Reporting From Ukraine:
https://www.youtube.com/@RFU/videos
The complete transcript.
—
[ Russian “Victory Parade” Assault Turns Into a Brutal Defeat! ]
Today [ May 14, 8 pm ], there is interesting news from the Toretsk direction. Here, the Russian command was forced to achieve a victory to inspire its troops, so they decided to gamble on another suicidal mission. In a bizarre idea, Russians rode across the fields with Soviet flags, while Ukrainians used them simply as target practice.
In and around the war-torn Toretsk, the Russian military continues to face stiff resistance and heavy losses. Months of attritional warfare have left much of the city in ruins, turning it into a grey zone, an area where neither side can maintain stable control.
Amid these conditions, Russian forces have increasingly shifted their focus to bypassing Toretsk by advancing through surrounding settlements, such as Shcherbynivka and its adjoining agglomerations. The Russian objective is to flank the town and force a collapse from the sides, after failing to take it head-on over the past year.
This change in approach follows repeated tactical failures, most notably in Shcherbynivka itself. In earlier offensives, Russian infantry attempted to seize the area, but units from Ukraine’s Azov Corps decisively cleared them out. For the Russians, gaining control here is not optional. Without it, they cannot hope to isolate Ukrainian forces inside Toretsk, or protect themselves from raids and fire missions, that continue to harass them from the outskirts.
On Toretsk’s northern flank, earlier Russian motorcycle assaults failed miserably, as you might remember from a previous report. Ukrainians responded by recalibrating minefields and integrating more layered defenses, effectively neutralizing the threat.
Learning little from these failures, Russian commanders turned their attention to the south, hoping this area, not yet targeted with motorcycles, might offer an opportunity for more success. But this time, they wanted something more than a breakthrough, and started a spectacular assault.
What followed was an attempt at psychological warfare, designed to boost the morale of Russian troops before the launch of their summer offensive. Russian soldiers mounted motorcycles, each flying big Russian and Soviet flags as they charged forward.
The move was pure symbolism, an apparent effort to film a triumphant advance through a contested sector to boost morale, and deliver some “good news” to the Russian information space. But in practice, these flags served only one real purpose: making the assault troops bigger and more visible targets.
Geolocated footage shows the assault force initially advancing along a single road before splitting into 2 columns. This maneuver aimed to reduce vulnerability to a single ambush, hoping that at least 1 group would make it through to their objective. But Ukrainian drone operators were already watching. Alert and experienced, they quickly detected the attackers, and the Ukrainians executed a multi-layered defense with brutal efficiency.
Ukrainian artillery opened fire first, followed by FPV drone strikes that chased the motorcycles across the terrain. Other drones hovered above, dropping grenades on the soldiers with pinpoint accuracy. Riders were knocked off their bikes one by one, their flags falling beside them into the dust.
Despite the initial barrage, a handful of motorcyclists did manage to escape the first engagement, crawling into the ruins of nearby buildings with the hope of finding cover. Ukrainian forces responded with cluster munitions, saturating the hiding spots with shrapnel.
Simultaneously, more drones were deployed, systematically eliminating the surviving Russians. By the end, the only remnants of the attack were burning motorcycles and shredded Russian flags around them.
This failed assault, rather than delivering a morale-boosting spectacle for the Russian soldiers preparing for their renewed offensive effort, became a visual demonstration of Ukrainian dominance on the battlefield.
Instead of planting flags on Ukrainian positions, the attackers left behind nothing but charred wreckage, and more proof of Russia’s inability to make meaningful progress and move away from suicidal tactics.
Overall, the operation underscores the desperation within the Russian command. With no territorial success to show, they gambled on an information victory, trying to craft a narrative of momentum with flags and theatrics. But what they received was a disaster captured in real-time: a symbolic assault turned symbolic defeat.
With Russian commanders failing to achieve their victory, Russian soldiers and survivors of the previous failed assaults now stand to launch a massive summer offensive with their hopes even further in the gutter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgn6QiRX3DQ
🍈
"The longer it takes, the less territory the Kiev regime has left" — Lavrov
pic.twitter.com/mc69MZ0tgu— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) May 15, 2025
The longer it takes, the less economy or wealth Russia has left.
The character Mike Campbell in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises” was asked about his money troubles and responded with a vivid description, that applies to Russia today:
“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked.
“Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.”
When does President Trump meet Putin? That now seems likely to be do or die time for Putin, regarding the “bone-crushing” sanctions.
Kyiv Independent reports:
“U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 15 that peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will not move forward until he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported.
“Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” the U.S. president told journalists aboard Air Force One before landing in Dubai as part of his Middle Eastern tour.”
When does President Trump meet Putin? That now seems likely to be do or die time for Putin, regarding the “bone-crushing” sanctions.
Kyiv Independent reports:
“U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 15 that peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will not move forward until he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported.
“Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” the U.S. president told journalists aboard Air Force One before landing in Dubai as part of his Middle Eastern tour.”
Kyiv Independent:
“The settlement of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine may see progress over the next 10–14 days, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview with Turkish state news agency Anadolu aired on May 14...
...”I think there is this window of opportunity this week, but also in the next 10 days, two weeks, to really bring the whole issue of Ukraine to a better place,” Rutte said.
“Under the leadership of President Zelensky, but also very much steered by the American government, and Turkey plays a big role here.””
Kyiv Independent:
“Norway will complete its planned deliveries of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2025, Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik told NRK in an interview published on May 15.
Norway confirmed in July 2024 that it would donate several of the U.S.-made aircraft as part of Western efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.
Some jets have already been transferred, Sandvik said, but declined to specify the exact number delivered so far, citing operational security concerns and ongoing consultations with Ukrainian officials.
“The donation of Norwegian F-16s is proceeding according to plan,” Sandvik said.”
That’s good because Russians said all F-16s would be destroyed as soon as they arrived 😎😂
Deficit supported by piggy bank, as that disappears and war expenses along with revenue drops continue to rise, that 1.5( I am sure they are reporting correct figures) will triple again
There have been 12 posts to this thread over the last 24 hours. What the hell is happening?
Our Best Look Yet At Ukraine’s AIM-9 Sidewinder-Toting Magura-7 Drone Boat
A newly released video offers new views of the Magura-7 and offers more details about its capabilities.
https://www.twz.com/sea/our-best-look-yet-at-ukraines-aim-9-sidewinder-toting-magura-7-drone-boat
—
Trump Wants A Twin-Engine “F-55” Version Of The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
Trump lamented ugly stealth aircraft and also discussed another “super upgrade” for the F-35 and one for the F-22, while elaborating on his F-55 concept.
https://www.twz.com/air/trump-wants-a-twin-engine-f-55-version-of-the-f-35-joint-strike-fighter
On the F-35, Trump said, “We’re doing an upgrade, a simple upgrade, but we’re also doing an F-55. I’m going to call it an F-55, and that’s going to be a substantial upgrade, but it’s going to be also with two engines because the F-35 has a single engine. I don’t like single engines.”
He also said that there would be a Super F-22 - but no other details
Trump’s address also made reference to another “super upgrade” for the F-22 stealth fighter.
“I think the most beautiful fighter jet in the world is the F-22, but we’re going to do an F-22 Super, and it’ll be a very modern version of the F-22 fighter jet,” Trump said.
This would seem to describe ongoing Air Force efforts to update at least a portion of the existing F-22 fleet until that aircraft is finally retired, potentially in the 2040s.
A number of new capabilities are now in the pipeline for the F-22, including a new Infrared Defensive System (IRDS), as well as other additional sensors and stealthy range-extending drop tanks.
Rumors North Korean general killed near Donetsk.
Rumors North Korean general killed near Donetsk.
You’d think all of his medals would have protected him.
Lol!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
