Free Republic

China has unveiled its version of Iran’s Shahed suicide drone, known as the Sunflower-200, raising speculation that Beijing may soon offer the weapon to nations critical to its geostrategic interests and ambitions. Whether China would sell the Sunflower-200 to Russia and risk possible Western sanctions, however, is an open but important question as the conflict in Ukraine is increasingly characterized by drone warfare. This month, Forbes reported on a new video revealing the Chinese-made kamikaze drone’s test launch. The drone is believed to be a copy of the Iranian Shahed-136 and was seen in pictures from Russia’s ARMY-2023 defense exhibition...

Barack Obama is a key player in the war in Ukraine. He handed over an advanced stealth drone for Iran to copy. In 2011 Iran somehow came into possession of an advanced RQ 170 US drone aircraft. At first Obama denied it. The White House has rejected a claim by Iran that it has captured an unmanned aircraft belonging to the United States.Iranian state media reported the drone was caught by the country's military forces after it violated its airspace.A spokesman for President Barack Obama said there was "no evidence" the claim was true. Not long after, though, Obama was...

A New Jersey business owner used a drone to drop damaging dye into pools at homes and a motel in Atlantic County in recent weeks, authorities said. Patrick Spina IV, 45, of Absecon, was arrested at his business in Galloway on Friday after Absecon police and other law enforcement agencies tracked the drone back to Comfort Solutions Heating and Cooling, officials said. Absecon police began investigating Aug. 13 after homeowners called to say a drone hovering over their pool dropped a dye into it. The dye turned the pool water “an alarming shade of green.” Police then got reports from...

The New York City Police Department announced plans to fly surveillance drones over the city this Labor Day weekend to monitor outdoor parties or barbecues following complaints about large gatherings. The decision was revealed during a security briefing addressing J’ouvert, an annual Caribbean festival marking the end of slavery in which thousands of people take to the streets of Brooklyn. Assistant NYPD Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said at a press conference Thursday that the drones will respond to "non-priority and priority calls."

Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may notice an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police surveillance drone. The New York City police department plans to pilot the unmanned aircrafts in response to complaints about large gatherings, including private events, over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday. “If a caller states there’s a large crowd, a large party in a backyard, we’re going to be utilizing our assets to go up and go check on the party,” Kaz Daughtry, the assistant NYPD Commissioner, said at a press conference. The plan drew immediate backlash...

Update from Ukraine | The Kaboom night for Ruzzia | The biggest Ukrainian Drone Attack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV4NtqIpOaA The summary of the situation of Russian re-invasion to Ukraine covering the recent developments on the battlefield, as of 26th August 2023 – 22:00 (Kyiv time). https://militaryland.net/news/invasion-day-549-summary/ [two summaries per week, released on Wednesday and Sunday] *** Great interactive maps with viewer controlled Map magnification tool to use for each Front! https://militaryland.net/maps/

Scorching heat and a lack of rain have made much of Louisiana a tinderbox, causing wildfires across the state. As firefighters tackle the blaze, state officials are urging people not to go sightseeing for them — and to stop sending drones up to take pictures. "We have aircraft in the air and people’s drones are getting in the way," Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said. Strain emphasized that there is a statewide burn ban in place, and urged residents to be hypervigilant about fire risk. "It is imperative that everyone adhere to the burn ban and take...

Dozens of Iranian drones and speedboats swarming two US Navy ships near the Persian Gulf after Washington sent them in to deal with Iran's renewed threat against one of the world's most important waterways, dramatic new footage has revealed. Iran's navy sent the small vessels to confront the USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall in the fraught Strait of Hormuz, which sits between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, according to a video published on Saturday. The speedboats were manned with armed soldiers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and came within inches of the ships,...

A new drone which flies almost silently without wings or propellers has raised questions about how many supposed UFO sightings might actually be man-made craft. The Silent Ventus drone, made by Florida-based start-up Undefined Technologies, uses ion propulsion, with electrodes ionizing the air to generate thrust, and flies incredibly quietly. It can also hover in the air against winds - a feature of many UFO sightings by military personnel. The hi-tech drones may possibly explain sightings such as the famous 'Tic Tac' drone sighting, where pilots spotted a craft resembling the breath mint performing impossible maneuvers during a training mission...

The Russian Defense Ministry announced Saturday that it had downed 20 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, as well as stopped two missile strikes on the Kerch Bridge which connects Crimea to mainland Russia. No casualties were reported in the strikes.

Update from Ukraine | Ruzzia lost two Ships in the Black sea | Ukrainian Drones are Awesome! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MafNv7S49hA The summary of the situation of Russian re-invasion to Ukraine covering the last 48 hours, as of 1st August 2023 – 22:00 (Kyiv time). https://militaryland.net/news/invasion-day-524-summary/ *** Great interactive maps with viewer controlled Map magnification tool to use for each Front! https://militaryland.net/maps/

U.S. fighter jets are having worrisome aerial encounters in Arizona’s restricted air combat training areas, which fits with a broader trend. Encounters with small unidentified "objects," sometimes in swarm-like groups of as many as eight. Sightings of other objects, including some characterized as drones, flying at altitudes up to 36,000 feet and as fast as Mach 0.75. Another apparent small drone actually hitting the canopy of an F-16 Viper causing damage. These incidents and many more, all occurred in or around various military air combat training ranges in Arizona since January 2020. The events are described in reports from the...

US intelligence officials have warned that Russia is building a drone-manufacturing facility in country with Iran’s help that could have a significant impact on the war in Ukraine once it is completed. Analysts from the Defense Intelligence Agency told a small group of reporters during a briefing on Friday that the drone-manufacturing facility now under construction is expected to provide Russia with a new drone stockpile that is “orders of magnitude larger” than what it has been able to procure from Iran to date. When the facility is completed, likely by early next year, the new drones could have a...

Ukrainian drones struck two non-residential buildings in Moscow in the early hours of Monday morning and were “suppressed” by defenses there, Russian authorities said, describing the incident a “thwarted” attack. The strikes caused no serious damage or casualties, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram Monday. Russia’s Ministry of Defense blamed Ukraine, describing the strike as a “terrorist attack of the Kiev regime” and that the two drones were “suppressed” and crashed in Moscow.

Update from Ukraine | Ruzzia Strikes Back | Ukraine need to Act Now | Lancet drones problem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61f0ZTSYB28 The site began life as a database of Ukrainian regular and volunteer units, but over the years it has grown to cover a whole range of topics. Ukrainian Ground Forces received a well-worth additional strength in the form of a new tank brigade. Demobilized, reactivated, used as replenishment and reactivated again. That’s the story of Ukrainian 5th Tank Brigade through the last years. The unit was formed back in 2016 as a reserve tank brigade, but was subsequently demobilized and reactivated only...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed a new unmanned drone equipped with thermobaric weaponry, which poses a significant threat to targets, leaving their enemies with limited options to defend against it, RadarOnline.com has learned.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Sunday that they used MQ-9 reaper drones to take out ISIS leader Usamah al-Muhajir in Eastern Syria. No civilian casualties have been reported.U.S. airstrike targets ISIS leader in eastern Syria.https://t.co/RtzKlBhXKE pic.twitter.com/A6IFnUGlXB— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 9, 2023“We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region,” said CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla. “ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond.”The CENTCOM press release said that the operation will hurt ISIS’s attempts at further acts of terror:This will disrupt and degrade ISIS’s ability to...

Where is the Ukrainian army’s 117th Mechanized Brigade? The answer to that question has implications for Ukraine’s 18-day-old southern counteroffensive, which has been making slow progress along several axes in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk Oblasts. Kyiv and its foreign allies spent months standing up, training and equipping nine new brigades specifically for the counteroffensive, plus additional brigades that would function as a reserve. But so far we’ve seen just three, maybe four, of the brigades in action alongside older Ukrainian formations. The 117th Mechanized Brigade is one of the missing brigades. Where the brigade is, and what it’s waiting for, could...

Just stumbled onto this and I made a clip. I've never seen so many of these in one place. Does anyone here know if these are in large scale use in military yet? I know liberal democrats would just love to use em to control their "sheep" during martial law or the next lockdown.

Update from Ukraine | The Ukrainian Success on the South | Putler lost control of his Army https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KhJ8LC56lg The summary of the situation of Russian re-invasion to Ukraine covering the last 48 hours, as of 12th June 2023 – 22:00 (Kyiv time) https://militaryland.net/news/invasion-day-474-summary/ *** Great interactive map with viewer controlled Map magnification tool to use for each Front! https://militaryland.net/maps/