DefenseNews

French jet on NATO mission shoots down drone in Latvian airspace

BERZGALE, Latvia — A French military Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered NATO member Latvia’s airspace from Russia on Monday, the latest in a series of such security incidents along Europe’s eastern border regions. The Latvian army, without saying who launched the drone, said it entered from Russia “as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.” Latvian Prime Minister…
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DefenseNews

Huge fascist-era underground cisterns draw Western special forces to Italy for tunnel training

ROME — Battles in tunnels in Gaza and fierce underground fighting in Ukraine have convinced special forces units around the world to brush on the latest techniques in subterranean combat, but they are facing a problem — where do you train for that? One answer lies in Italy, where a growing number of nations are lining up to use an unlikely location built deep underground in the 1930s by the…
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DefenseNews

US tells Europe, Canada to boost NATO air and naval forces

BRUSSELS — The U.S. expects European NATO allies and Canada to swiftly increase the number of manned and unmanned aircraft and ships they contribute to the alliance’s defense plans as Washington steps back in these areas, a top U.S. general said on Wednesday. The statement by U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top commander and the head of U.S. forces in Europe, followed a…
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DefenseNews

Gulf tensions escalate as Iran hits Kuwait, US strikes near Hormuz

Gulf hostilities flared again on Wednesday as Iranian attacks on Kuwait damaged its airport and injured dozens while the U.S. military carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, with diplomacy to halt the war showing little sign of progress. The attacks are the latest to test a shaky ceasefire, sending oil prices up more than 2%, as the strait remains largely closed more than three months…
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