Latest news with #AirForce
International Business Times
36 minutes ago
- Politics
- International Business Times
Israel Strikes Hard, Targets Iranian Nuclear, Missile Sites in Tehran
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed overnight airstrikes in Tehran, targeting over 60 military sites linked to Iran's nuclear and missile programs. Key among them were missile-production factories and Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), a critical nuclear facility. "More than 60 Air Force fighter jets struck dozens of Iranian military targets using about 120 munitions, guided precisely by Intelligence Branch inputs. Several missile-manufacturing facilities in the Tehran area were hit overnight," said the IDF on X. "These facilities, years in the making, represent the Iranian Ministry of Defense's industrial backbone. Targeted sites included missile-component production units and raw material hubs for casting rocket engines," it said further in the post. The IDF emphasized that SPND's Tehran headquarters, central to Iran's nuclear ambitions, was a primary target in the strikes. "The SPND HQ develops advanced weapons and technologies for Iran's military, established in 2011 by Fakhri Zadeh, architect of Iran's nuclear program," the IDF noted. In another major blow to Iran's nuclear capability, a facility critical to developing key nuclear weapons components was also hit. Additionally, IDF reported intercepting four drones launched by Iran overnight, amid a rapidly intensifying military confrontation between the two rivals. It also revealed that Iranian missiles were recently launched toward Israeli territory as the armed escalation entered its eighth consecutive day of hostilities. The IDF issued a nationwide warning urging civilians, "Defense systems are operational. Enter protected shelters upon alert, remain there until further notice. Exit only after official instructions. Follow Home Front Command guidelines." Following these warnings, air raid alerts sounded across multiple regions in Israel in response to incoming Iranian missiles, the military reported. "The public must comply with Home Front Command orders. While the Air Force intercepts and neutralizes threats, the defense isn't airtight. Public cooperation remains essential," the IDF warned on X. The current wave of conflict ignited last Friday when PM Netanyahu launched 'Operation Rising Lion', aimed at eliminating Iran's nuclear threat. Tehran responded aggressively, triggering fears of a wider regional war. (With inputs from agencies)
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Air Force breaks silence on 'Doomsday plane' flight
Published: Updated: President Donald Trump 's emergency command aircraft was caught flying over parts of the US on Tuesday, sparking fears that an attack on US soil was imminent. Flight trackers spotted the Boeing E-4B 'Nightwatch ,' also known as the 'Doomsday plane,' soaring from Louisiana to Maryland . The Doomsday plane serves as a flying command post for key officials during times of crisis, particularly designed to survive a nuclear attack and coordinate military actions. However, the Air Force clarified that the flight was a pre-scheduled mission unrelated to current Middle East events. The military unit also shared a post on X the day after the flight, showing Secretary Dr Troy Meink boarding the E-4B. The post explained that Secretary Meink visited Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) yesterday for a Major Command (MAJCOM) immersion, a deep, firsthand overview of the command's operations. No additional details have been provided, but the Air Force shared the post with Snopes when it enquired about Tuesday's flight. The Doomsday plane took off from Barksdale Air Force Base. However, the craft is traditionally stored at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. FlightAware shows that the craft first left near Window Rock, Arizona, at 10:37am on Tuesday, making the trip to the Louisiana base. It can be deployed to other bases for operational readiness and in support of various missions. Past missions included transporting FEMA crews and acting as a command post during Hurricane Opal in 1995. A plane was also reportedly used as a safe haven for President George W Bush after the 9/11 attacks. However, the craft is not always used as doomsday vessels. The Secretary of Defense will occasionally travel overseas in an E-4B. While Tuesday's flight was pre-scheduled, it came just hours before Khamenei said that Iran would 'stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace.' 'This nation will not surrender to anyone in the face of imposition,' he said in his first televised comments since Israel launched its surprise attack on Friday. Khamenei also alluded to Trump's recent statements, saying that 'intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language'. 'The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,' he added. Khamenei said that Israel had made a 'huge mistake' with its campaign, promising that it will be 'punished.' Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran air war , the White House said on Thursday, raising pressure on Tehran to come to the negotiating table. Citing a message from Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks .' The US has a total of four E-4B aircraft, featuring unique capabilities that cannot be duplicated by any other aircraft used by the Air Force. They have thermal and nuclear shielding, and are capable of withstanding nuclear blasts, electromagnetic effects and cyberattacks. They can also launch retaliatory missiles. The plane carries special equipment and can communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world, and support analysts and strategists in-flight. E-4Bs have 67 satellite dishes and antennas in the ray dome. Doomsday planes have three decks, which include a command room, conference room, briefing room, teamwork area, communications room and a designated rest area featuring 18 bunks. The planes have remained airborne and operational for as long as 35.4 hours in one stint, but they were designed to operate in-flight for a full week without needing to land. The E-4B is also capable of refueling mid-air.
CNN
an hour ago
- Politics
- CNN
The challenges of a U.S. strike on Iran's Fordow nuclear site
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding talks with CNN's Pamela Brown about the chances the U.S. could successfully disable Iran's Fordow nuclear facility if President Trump approves the operation.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Air Force breaks silence on 'Doomsday plane' flight that sparked US bombing fears
President Donald Trump 's emergency command aircraft was caught flying over parts of the US on Tuesday, sparking fears that an attack on US soil was imminent. Flight trackers spotted the Boeing E-4B 'Nightwatch,' also known as the 'Doomsday plane,' soaring from Louisiana to Maryland. The Doomsday plane serves as a flying command post for key officials during times of crisis, particularly designed to survive a nuclear attack and coordinate military actions. The craft took off from Bossier City at 5:56pm ET, traveled along the coast, looped around the border of Virginia and North Carolina, before landing at Joint Base Andrews at 10:01pm. The flight sparked speculation about heightened presidential security amid growing tensions in the Middle East, where reports suggest Trump supports Israel 's military actions against Iran, demanding Tehran's 'unconditional surrender.' However, the Air Force clarified that the flight was a pre-scheduled mission unrelated to current Middle East events. The military unit also shared a post on X the day after the flight, showing Secretary Dr Troy Meink boarding the E-4B. The post explained that Secretary Meink visited Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) yesterday for a Major Command (MAJCOM) immersion, a deep, firsthand overview of the command's operations. No additional details have been provided, but the Air Force shared the post with Snopes when it enquired about Tuesday's flight. The Doomsday plane took off from Barksdale Air Force Base. However, the craft is traditionally stored at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. FlightAware shows that the craft first left near Window Rock, Arizona, at 10:37am on Tuesday, making the trip to the Louisiana base. It can be deployed to other bases for operational readiness and in support of various missions. Past missions included transporting FEMA crews and acting as a command post during Hurricane Opal in 1995. A plane was also reportedly used as a safe haven for President George W Bush after the 9/11 attacks. However, the craft is not always used as doomsday vessels. The Secretary of Defense will occasionally travel overseas in an E-4B. While Tuesday's flight was pre-scheduled, it came just hours before Khamenei said that Iran would 'stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace.' 'This nation will not surrender to anyone in the face of imposition,' he said in his first televised comments since Israel launched its surprise attack on Friday. Khamenei also alluded to Trump's recent statements, saying that 'intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language'. 'The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,' he added. Khamenei said that Israel had made a 'huge mistake' with its campaign, promising that it will be 'punished.' Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran air war, the White House said on Thursday, raising pressure on Tehran to come to the negotiating table. Citing a message from Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' The US has a total of four E-4B aircraft, featuring unique capabilities that cannot be duplicated by any other aircraft used by the Air Force. They have thermal and nuclear shielding, and are capable of withstanding nuclear blasts, electromagnetic effects and cyberattacks. They can also launch retaliatory missiles. The plane carries special equipment and can communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world, and support analysts and strategists in-flight. E-4Bs have 67 satellite dishes and antennas in the ray dome. Doomsday planes have three decks, which include a command room, conference room, briefing room, teamwork area, communications room and a designated rest area featuring 18 bunks. The planes have remained airborne and operational for as long as 35.4 hours in one stint, but they were designed to operate in-flight for a full week without needing to land. The E-4B is also capable of refueling mid-air.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Fighter pilot reveals near miss with 'perfect rectangle' UFO that defied the laws of physics
A veteran US fighter pilot has broken his silence about a near-collision with a UFO that defied the laws of physics and left the Air Force in stunned disbelief. Major Ryan Bodenheimer, a retired F-15 and F-16 combat pilot, revealed in a YouTube video that one of the 'wildest experiences' of his career involved a close encounter with a rectangle-shaped UFO as he flew with his squadron over southern Wyoming. Bodenheimer, who served in the Air Force for 13 years, said the large craft suddenly appeared out of nowhere during a training mission and looked to be on a collision course with his plane. 'Then I realized we weren't going to hit, and all of a sudden it came more into view, and it was a rectangular shape. This was like essentially a perfect rectangle,' Bodenheimer revealed in his video on June 8. The military veteran described the UFO as being 30 to 50 feet in height and appearing to be glowing around the edges of its bright white body as it flew alongside the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's elite aerobatic demonstration squadron. Bodenheimer added that this craft had no visible vapor trail coming from an engine, no radar signal, and was traveling at approximately 400 knots (460 miles per hour). 'It really was defying any type of aeronautical laws that I've learned,' Bodenheimer said. Bodenheimer then revealed that his report to air traffic control left officials in 'dead silence' before the entire matter was apparently dismissed as an 'anomalous object.' The strange rectangle UFO got so close to Bodenheimer's F-16 Falcon at 30,000 feet in the air that he said he could make out every detail of the craft before it eventually flew off and was never seen again. When air traffic controllers in Denver asked Bodenheimer if he could give them any more details about the UFO, he revealed that it had a cream-colored interior that became transparent or had a hole in its center. 'I know it sounds like I'm talking about a delicious pastry, but this was the wildest experience I've ever had,' the fighter pilot joked. The only evidence of Bodenheimer's sighting was a report made by air traffic control saying that an object had been spotted in the area where the Thunderbirds were training that day, but he never heard from anyone about the incident again. The former combat officer explained on his channel, Max Afterburner, that this UFO could not have been a weather balloon, a high-tech drone, or some kind of light trick. 'There was nothing that made me think this was some sort of illusion. It was clear as day. It was right down our wing line, a 30 to 50 foot object,' the pilot continued. Bodenheimer then speculated whether this could have been an extraterrestrial craft, noting that he's never been a fan of 'science fiction' but admitted that his encounter matched many of the incidents involving military pilots that 'defied physics.' 'Going against aerodynamics definitely blows my mind. Anti-gravity, something that cloaks radar, I didn't see anything on the radar,' he added. The object wasn't even tilted to deflect the wind while traveling at that speed. It stayed completely vertical as if the wind did not affect the UFO's ability to fly at over 400 mph. Bodenheimer said that he has never heard about the UFO sighting since he reported it to officials with air traffic control in Denver This wasn't the only time the Air Force veteran had encountered a UFO. He added that 'lightning-fast triangle' while training with the Thunderbirds near Area 51 - the military's top secret base in Nevada. 'There's been lots of crazy stuff that's been reported out there,' Bodenheimer said. On this day, the mysterious jet-like object flew past Bodenheimer's F-16 as his squadron was coming in for a landing. 'This lightning-fast triangle blitzed past me as we were setting ourselves up on a final [approach],' the pilot revealed. 'I just remember this thing going massively fast past me... It had basically done an interceptor maneuver, a dust-off. So maybe this was its way of having fun, saying maybe this should be Top Gun 3,' Bodenheimer detailed. The pilot noted that he hopes coming forward will encourage more of his fellow pilots to reveal what they've seen during their time in the military, noting that there have been roughly 800 UFO reports in just the last four years.
