August 12 is Russian Aerospace Forces Day. In light of the critical role played by Russian air power in the military operations in Ukraine, Sputnik decided to reach out to retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski for her take on the conflict, and what the Pentagon got dead wrong in its assessment of Russian capabilities.
Saturday marks the 111th anniversary of the August 12, 1912 order establishing the Imperial Russian Air Service as a separate branch of the armed forces. In the century-plus since, Russia’s air forces have faced multiple reorganizations, and been known by multiple names, from the Soviet Air Forces (1918-1991) to the Russian Air Force (1992) and finally the Russian Aerospace Forces (2015 on). But throughout, its mission remained the same – to defend the nation’s airspace and provide ground support for the Army.
From the very beginning of the escalation of the Donbass crisis into a full-blown Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine in February 2022, the Aerospace Forces have played a key role in Russian offensive and defensive operations......more below
The US military is facing a "historic challenge" as it attempts to counter Iran’s vast arsenal of “low-cost” drones and ballistic missiles, says a new report.
Nearly two weeks into the US aggression against the Islamic Republic, Tehran has managed to significantly strain American military inventories, Bloomberg reported, citing military experts and Pentagon officials.
The American publication wrote that US forces have been forced to dig deep into inventories of expensive, hard-to-replace interceptors to counter the Iranian barrage.
It stated that the US and its Persian Gulf allies have fired over 1,000 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors—nearly double the annual production capacity of these weapons.
“The United States led the long-range precision strike revolution, and this is the first war where we’re seeing the adversary have that kind of capability,” Bloomberg quoted Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center.
“It’s putting stress on the system that we haven’t seen before,” Grieco ...
The financial fallout from the US-Israeli war of aggression on Iran is sending ripples through the global economy, with experts warning of significant price hikes.
Reports published early on Monday brought a stark wake-up call for British markets. The FTSE 100 plummeted by nearly 200 points, a drop of roughly 2%. This downturn was mirrored across Europe, with Germany's DAX index suffering a 2.3% loss.
Esteemed economist Philippe Aghion said the conflict is projected to dampen worldwide economic expansion.
Aghion told RTL radio that a protracted conflict could usher in a period reminiscent of the 1973 oil crisis.
The Nobel laureate outlined a scenario where the fighting drags on for weeks, driving oil prices beyond $150 per barrel and triggering rampant inflation. Such a situation, he noted, would necessitate a unified economic response from Western nations, including the United States and Europe.
“An extended and broadening conflict will undoubtedly hinder global expansion,” Aghion ...
