BILLERICA — The Billerica Police recently promoted six members to supervisory positions, including the first female lieutenant in the department’s history.
Lt. Commander John Harring will now serve as operations commander, while Lt. Commander Frank Mirasolo will oversee Administration. Lt. Tara Connors — the department’s first female lieutenant — will serve in patrol, as will Lt. Mark Gualtieri, Sgt. Dwayne Eidens, and Sgt. Timothy McKenna.
All six promotions were made to fill vacancies left by the retirements of Lt. Commander Greg Katz and Lt. Commander Ronald Balboni.
“Lt. Commander Katz and Lt. Commander Balboni will be deeply missed within this department, where they both had a major impact throughout their careers,” Chief Roy Frost said. “I am pleased to see this new group of supervisors being promoted. They have big shoes to fill, but I am confident they will do so with professionalism, compassion, and skill.”
• Harring joined the Billerica Police in 2001, after serving the Broward County, Florida Sheriff’s Department. His father is a retired Billerica Police detective lieutenant. Harring worked as a K-9 handler for Billerica starting in 2009, at which time he was assigned to the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council K-9 Unit. Harring eventually became commander of the NEMLEC K-9 Unit, serving in that position until 2021. He was promoted to sergeant in 2014 and lieutenant in 2020. Prior to his promotion, Harring was in charge of training. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Western New England College, located in Springfield.
• Mirasolo began working with the department in January 1995, after serving the Keene, N.H. Police Department. He was promoted to sergeant in 2004 and lieutenant in 2021. He has been a detective for 26 years. Prior to this position, Mirasolo was in charge of the early night patrol shift. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Anna Maria College, located in Paxton.
• Conners joined the department in 2003 after serving as a teacher in the Billerica schools. She was promoted to sergeant in 2016. In addition to being the first female to reach the rank of lieutenant in department history, Connors has served as a domestic violence officer, a court prosecutor and a grant administrator. She also served as a supervisor of the school resource officer program. Her father is a retired Billerica Police deputy chief. Connors holds a law degree from the New England School of Law, located in Boston, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association.
• Gualtieri started with the Billerica Police in 1995, after transferring from the Billerica Fire Department. Gualtieri was promoted to sergeant in 2002. In 2004, he was placed on the NEMLEC Tactical Police Force and later in 2010 trained and certified as a NEMLEC SWAT officer, where he served until 2023. In that capacity, Gualtieri responded to high-risk situations throughout the region. Prior to his promotion, Gualtieri was serving as a patrol sergeant on the early night shift. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran, and holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Western New England College.
• Eidens joined the department in 2005. He worked in patrol until 2018, when he was assigned to the Traffic Division. In addition to investigating motor vehicle crashes and conducting targeted road safety programs, Eidens was certified as a motorcycle officer and assigned to the NEMLEC Motor Unit. Eidens is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran, and recipient of the Bronze Star for his service overseas. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from UMass Lowell.
• McKenna began working for the department in 2003, after transferring from the Bedford Police Department, where he worked as a dispatcher. McKenna has served as a Criminal Justice Information Services administrator since 2009. There he managed all state and federal compliance requirements on behalf of Billerica. In 2017, McKenna was assigned as a detective, working in the criminal bureau. He became a provisional sergeant in 2023, during a period where the department needed to find quality supervisors as civil service worked to develop new testing standards. McKenna served in this provisional capacity for one year. After a short stint back in the criminal bureau, McKenna will return to a permanent supervisory role. His father was a captain of the Arlington Police Department.
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World War II Air Force veteran Major Richard Olson never discussed his military service with his son, Dick Olson.
“I didn’t have all that much time to be asking these questions while he was at home,” Dick, a Westminster resident, told the Denver Post in an interview. “He was a distant father, and I imagine a lot of that came from what happened to him during the war and in service.”
After Richard died, Dick turned to military archives, old photos and interviews with the surviving members of his father’s B-24 Liberator airplane crew to learn about the veteran’s journey. Through his research, Dick discovered that his father, despite being seriously injured in a plane crash before enduring months as a prisoner of war, had never received a Purple Heart.
World War II Air Force veteran Major Richard Olson never discussed his military service with his son, Dick Olson.
“I didn’t have all that much time to be asking these questions while he was at home,” Dick, a Westminster resident, told the Denver Post in an interview. “He was a distant father, and I imagine a lot of that came from what happened to him during the war and in service.”
After Richard died, Dick turned to military archives, old photos and interviews with the surviving members of his father’s B-24 Liberator airplane crew to learn about the veteran’s journey. Through his research, Dick discovered that his father, despite being seriously injured in a plane crash before enduring months as a prisoner of war, had never received a Purple Heart.
For seven years, Dick worked to correct the oversight. In April, the Air Force agreed to posthumously award Richard a Purple Heart.
The veteran was 22 years old when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in February 1941, according to his son. The service was renamed the U.S. Army Air Forces in June of that year and became the U.S. Air Force in 1947.
“He grew up through the Depression and everything else,” Dick told The Post. “I think he joined because he was looking for three square meals a day.”
Courtesy of Dick Olson
Richard Olson (bottom center) poses with a B-24 crew after completing a six hour training flight. (Photo credit: Courtesy of Dick Olson)
Olson later became the co-pilot of a B-24 bomber plane in the 484th Bombardment Group combat unit. A week after D-Day, while stationed in southern Italy, his crew was shot down over the Adriatic Sea by eight German fighter planes while flying to Munich.
“They lost an engine, and they couldn’t keep up with the rest of the bombers, so they had to turn around to go back,” Dick said. “Two of the gunners were killed on the plane. And then the plane was set on fire and I think they had two more engines shot out.
“But there was a big fire in the bomb bay so they had to get out of the plane. So they did, and everybody bailed out, the ones that were still alive.”
Shell fragments struck Olson’s leg and he sustained a back injury that left him with chronic pain.
Most of the men landed on the Italian coastline northeast of Venice, according to conversations Dick had with B-24 crew member John Hassan. He was transferred to two other POW camps and after 10 months of incarceration, Olson was liberated on April 29, 1945, from Moosburg, Germany.
“He just said it was a very dull existence and of course they were hungry all the time,” Dick told The Post. “There was not a whole lot to do there. They played sports and the American Red Cross supplied them with books and boardgames and sporting equipment and different things to keep their morale up.”
Courtesy of Dick Olson
Richard Olson’s identification card from his time as a POW in Stalag Luft III. (Photo credit: Courtesy of Dick Olson)
Olson stayed in the Air Force for 16 years after his liberation from the POW camp and became a major, father and husband before leaving the military in 1961, according to his obituary.
“My parents split when I was about 13,” Dick said. “He moved away from the household and they got divorced.”
After the divorce in 1969, Dick saw Richard three more times before the veteran passed away in 1996 from multiple myeloma.
“I was always interested in his Air Force career. And since he never talked about these other guys, I wanted to find them and talk to them myself,” Dick said.
He connected with John Hassan, the navigator in Richard’s B-24 crew, in 1997. “Going through some of his papers, I found a phone number for John and called him up and started looking for all the other crew members also,” Dick said, “I eventually did make contact with the ones that were living or family members for the ones who had passed away.
“John was my dad’s best friend on the crew and we became really good friends,” Dick added. “He pretty much had a photographic memory, so that’s how I know an awful lot about that crew.”
While researching the crew, Dick helped the plane’s bombardier, Walter Chapman, get a Distinguished Flying Cross he should have been awarded decades prior.
Like Chapman, Olson was also missing an award: a Purple Heart for sustaining an injury while in the line of duty.
“There was mention of everything else, like the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medals,” Dick said. “All the ribbons and medals that he was entitled to, except for the Purple Heart.”
A collection of medals, honors and other items made by Dick Olson for his late father WWII veteran Major Richard Olson at his home in Westminster, Colorado, on Jun 19, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Olson’s capture as a POW right after the B-24 crash meant his wounds went undocumented. In 2017, Dick decided to file a claim with the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records and prove that his father had been injured. “I thought to myself, this is unfinished business, I’ve got to see if I can get this thing,” Dick said.
After an extensive filing process, the Board for Correction rejected Dick’s request in 2020.
Brian Schenk, founder of Midwest Military and Veterans Law, agreed to work with Dick pro bono and together, they took the Board for Correction to federal court, determined to prove that Olson had been injured during active duty.
“Dick Olson’s father was a war hero and he had such extreme humility that he himself never sought a Purple Heart,” Schenk told the Denver Post.
“I thought to myself, the old man went through the wringer, and he deserves to have this,” Dick said. “I told the Air Force in the letter that I wrote with my first application that I’m doing it for his legacy and for posterity. People should know that he was injured fighting for his country.”
On April 23, Dick won his case and the Board for Correction agreed to posthumously grant Olson a Purple Heart Award.
“He would have been real happy to wear this purple heart,” Dick said. “I think he would have been pretty proud of the fight we put up to make this happen.”
Military aircraft land at McClellan Airport to avoid severe weather
Updated: 7:52 PM PDT Apr 15, 2024
YEAH, IT’S PRETTY CHILLY RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU HEATHER. AND WE HAVE NEW INFORMATION ON AS TO WHY HUGE MILITARY PLANES WERE SEEN FLYING LOW OVER THE SACRAMENTO AREA TODAY. YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN THEM LIVECOPTER3 HIGH FLEW OVER MCCLELLAN AIRPORT TODAY. WE FOUND MORE THAN TWO DOZEN MILITARY PLANES. THESE APPEAR TO BE C-17 CARGO PLANES AND KC TEN REFUELING PLANES. WE CALLED MULTIPLE MILITARY BASES AND AGENCIES ABOUT WHY THE PLANES ARE HERE IN OUR AREA. NO ONE SEEMED TO KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT THE 97TH AIR MOBILITY WING OUT OF OKLAHOMA ANNOUNCED IT EVACUATED ITS PLANES DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER. TODAY, THE PLANES AT MCCLELLAN HAVE MARKINGS IDENTIFYING THEM AS BEING FROM THE 97TH MOBILITY WING. STORMS BROUGHT STRONG WIND, HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL TO PARTS OF
Military aircraft land at McClellan Airport to avoid severe weather
Updated: 7:52 PM PDT Apr 15, 2024
A number of military aircraft landed at McClellan Airport on Monday.The 97th Air Mobility Wing from Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma evacuated a number of aircraft due to a severe weather threat.The area faces a potential risk of tornadic activity.LiveCopter 3 spotted the aircraft at McClellan Airport and the tails matched the 97th wing.KCRA 3 has reached out to the Altus Air Force base for more information. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
A number of military aircraft landed at McClellan Airport on Monday.
The 97th Air Mobility Wing from Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma evacuated a number of aircraft due to a severe weather threat.
Air Force employee charged with sharing classified info on Russia’s war with Ukraine on dating site
Updated: 2:14 AM PST Mar 5, 2024
A civilian U.S. Air Force employee has been charged in federal court in Nebraska with transmitting classified information about Russia’s war with Ukraine on a foreign online dating platform, the Justice Department said Monday.Related video above: Russian forces ramp up assault in UkraineDavid Franklin Slater, 63, who authorities say retired as an Army lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, was arrested Saturday on charges of illegally disclosing national defense information and conspiring to do so.Prosecutors say Slater attended briefings between February and April 2022 about Russia’s war with Ukraine and, despite having signed paperwork pledging not to disclose classified information, shared details about military targets and Russian capabilities on an online messaging platform with an unindicted co-conspirator who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine.According to an indictment, that alleged co-conspirator, who is not identified by prosecutors, repeatedly asked Slater for information and described him as “my secret informant love.”It wasn’t immediately clear if Slater had a lawyer. He is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday.
WASHINGTON —
A civilian U.S. Air Force employee has been charged in federal court in Nebraska with transmitting classified information about Russia’s war with Ukraine on a foreign online dating platform, the Justice Department said Monday.
Related video above: Russian forces ramp up assault in Ukraine
David Franklin Slater, 63, who authorities say retired as an Army lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, was arrested Saturday on charges of illegally disclosing national defense information and conspiring to do so.
Prosecutors say Slater attended briefings between February and April 2022 about Russia’s war with Ukraine and, despite having signed paperwork pledging not to disclose classified information, shared details about military targets and Russian capabilities on an online messaging platform with an unindicted co-conspirator who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine.
According to an indictment, that alleged co-conspirator, who is not identified by prosecutors, repeatedly asked Slater for information and described him as “my secret informant love.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if Slater had a lawyer. He is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday.
An active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force has died after he set himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., while declaring that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — An active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force has died after he set himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., while declaring that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide.”
The 25-year-old airman, Aaron Bushnell, of San Antonio, Texas, died from his injuries, the Metropolitan Police Department said Monday.
Bushnell had walked up to the embassy shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday and began livestreaming on the video streaming platform Twitch, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Law enforcement officials believe the man started a livestream, set his phone down and then doused himself in accelerant and ignited the flames. At one point, he said he “will no longer be complicit in genocide,” the person said. The video was later removed from the platform, but law enforcement officials have obtained and reviewed a copy.
The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
In a statement Monday, the Air Force said, “The individual involved in yesterday’s incident succumbed to his injuries and passed away last night.” The Air Force said it would provide additional information a day after military officials complete notifying his next of kin.
The incident happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking the cabinet approval for a military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah while a temporary cease-fire deal is being negotiated. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, however, has drawn criticisms, including genocide claims against the Palestinians.
Israel has adamantly denied the genocide allegations and says it is carrying out operations in accordance with international law in the Israel-Hamas war.
In December, a person self-immolated outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta and used gasoline as an accelerant, according to Atlanta’s fire authorities. A Palestinian flag was found at the scene, and the act was believed to be one of “extreme political protest.”
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Associated Press writer Tara Copp contributed to this report.
Global naval power is an essential aspect of a nation’s military strength, shaping the strategic geopolitical landscape.
The United States Navy maintains its position at the pinnacle of naval superiority due to its considerable fleet and advanced technological assets.
Other prominent navies include the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and the Russian Navy, which continue to expand and modernize their fleets, thereby escalating their global influence.
European powers, like the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy and the French Navy, along with the navies of India, Japan, and South Korea, hold considerable positions in the rankings due to their strategic capabilities and regional command.
Key Takeaways
United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, France, India, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Taiwan, with mentions of Turkey, Egypt, and Bangladesh.
Naval power rankings consider fleet size, advanced technology, operational capabilities, and global reach. I.
Naval budgets underpin fleet expansions and modernizations.
The strategic positioning of navies and their global bases enable rapid deployment and influence over key maritime regions.
Unmanned technologies and AI are revolutionizing naval warfare, enhancing precision and intelligence gathering.
Navies are engaging in international partnerships and adopting new technologies.
Overview
Naval strength is no longer gauged solely by the number of vessels but by a composite of factors that include offensive and defensive capabilities, fleet diversity, operational range, and logistical support. Strategic positioning and alliance networks also play essential roles. Assessing power requires looking at personnel training, maintenance quality, and the experience garnered through active deployments and exercises.
Technological Advancements
The adoption of unmanned technologies and AI in navies has drastically changed maritime warfare. Navies incorporate these advancements to improve reconnaissance, stealth, and weapons systems. It results in enhanced precision in targeting and richer intelligence gathering, allowing for more informed decisions during complex operations.
Budget and Expenditure
Naval budgets are critical for sustaining and expanding maritime prowess. The United States Navy continues to hold a significant budget fostering advancements in technology and fleet expansions. Likewise, emerging superpowers are substantially increasing their naval budgets, which allows for modernization and the acquisition of powerful submarine fleets and a greater number of surface vessels. These expenditures reflect the prioritization of maritime strength in global defense strategies.
1. United States Navy
The United States Navy consistently holds the top position for naval capabilities, buoyed by its vast array of advanced vessels and extensive operational reach.
Fleet Composition
The United States Navy’s fleet boasts some of the most cutting-edge and diverse vessels in the world. They maintain 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, which is a significant number compared to other nations. These carriers serve as the cornerstone of their power projection capabilities. Alongside these behemoths are a multitude of other ships:
Submarines: Includes 68 nuclear-powered submarines, both ballistic and attack classes.
Destroyers: Comprises over 90 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Cruisers: Operates 22 Ticonderoga-class cruisers with advanced Aegis combat systems.
Amphibious Assault Ships: Contains 9 American and Wasp-class vessels.
Support Vessels: Extensive auxiliary fleet including replenishment ships, tenders, and hospital ships.
Global Reach and Bases
The United States Navy sustains an unmatched global presence, facilitated by a network of naval bases and forward-deployed units. Key locations include:
Middle East: Bahrain serves as the hub for the 5th Fleet.
This extensive network enables rapid deployment of naval forces, underpinning their ability to respond to global crises and maintain open sea lines of communication.
Personnel and Size: The US Navy is the largest naval force globally, with 349,593 active personnel, 101,583 in ready reserve, and 279,471 civilian employees.
Fleet Composition: Features 480 ships, including 290 deployable combat vessels, and maintains a substantial logistics and support fleet with 50,000 non-combat vehicles.
Air Power: Commands over 2,623 manned aircraft, supporting a wide range of naval operations and strategic missions.
2. Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy
In 2024, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintains its standing as one of the world’s foremost naval forces, with significant advancements in both shipbuilding and regional influence.
Active Personnel: The PLAN has 300,000 active members, showcasing its large-scale manpower.
Aircraft and Ships: With over 600 aircraft and 537 ships, including 19 replenishment vessels and 79 submarines, the PLAN demonstrates extensive aerial and maritime capabilities.
Key Vessels: The fleet includes 3 aircraft carriers, 51 destroyers, 49 frigates, and 70 corvettes, highlighting its power projection and diverse operational capacities.
Shipbuilding Momentum
The PLAN’s continued focus on expanding and modernizing its naval capabilities is evident in its shipbuilding programs. It consistently launches advanced vessels across various classes, from destroyers to amphibious assault ships. Notably, the rapid commissioning of advanced surface combatants, including Type 055 destroyers, signifies a robust enhancement in maritime warfare technology and shipbuilding capacity.
Surface Combatants: — Type 055 guided-missile destroyers
Submarines: — Both nuclear and conventional types
Amphibious Assault Ships: — Capable of launching and supporting maritime operations
Area of Influence
The PLAN is not confined to its national boundaries but exhibits its power across regional seas and through an increasing presence in global waters. The strategic deployment of assets around vital maritime chokepoints, such as the South China Sea, underscores the navy’s intent to assert its influence far beyond the contiguous zones. Its expanding logistic and support network through the development of overseas military bases furthers its operational reach.
South China Sea: — Asserting claims and expanding presence
Global Reach: — Developing overseas bases for extended operations
3. Russian Navy
The Navy boasts a dedicated force of approximately 150,000 to 160,000 active personnel, underscoring its vast human resource commitment to maintaining and operating its extensive fleet.
Diverse Fleet Composition
Strategic Assets: It fields a significant number of submarines, including those capable of launching ballistic missiles, which form the backbone of Russia’s naval nuclear deterrence.
Surface Fleet: The Navy operates a wide array of surface vessels, from an aircraft carrier and cruisers to destroyers and corvettes, totaling over 355 ships.
Naval Aviation: With more than 355 aircraft, the Navy has a formidable aerial component, enhancing its reconnaissance, patrol, and combat capabilities.
Specialized and Auxiliary Vessels: The fleet is complemented by 56 patrol boats, 4 patrol ships, 18 special-purpose vessels, 60 landing craft, and 11 tank landing ships, among others according to navalnews.
Global Presence and Influence
The Russian Navy’s strategic deployments in key geopolitical areas highlight Russia’s commitment to safeguarding its maritime interests and exerting influence on international waters.
Modernization and Challenges
The Northern Fleet is undergoing extensive modernization, reflecting Russia’s emphasis on bolstering its Arctic presence according to CSIS. The fleet’s enhancement includes the incorporation of advanced icebreakers, new submarines, and cutting-edge surface vessels designed for the challenging Arctic environment.
Strategic Role
As a critical component of Russia’s defense strategy, the Navy not only secures the nation’s borders but also shapes regional dynamics and contributes to global security through its operational presence in international waters.
4. United Kingdom Royal Navy
The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy continues to assert its significance with advanced capabilities and global reach, with the Carrier Strike Groups being a pinnacle of its naval power, complemented by extensive overseas deployments.
Personnel and Capabilities: The Royal Navy, with 32,000 active personnel, operates a diverse and modern fleet, including two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines, enhancing its global reach and strategic deterrence according to Royal Navy.
Fleet Composition: Comprises 72 ships and 160 aircraft, featuring a broad mix of vessels for varied operational needs, including 2 aircraft carriers, 10 submarines, 6 destroyers, and 12 frigates, highlighting its naval strength and versatility.
Global Role: Engages in international security efforts, joint operations, and plays a key role in supporting UK’s maritime interests and alliances, continuing its legacy as a pivotal maritime force.
Carrier Strike Groups
The Royal Navy fields its power through their prestigious Carrier Strike Groups, which center around the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. These state-of-the-art vessels are escorted by a fleet of Type 45 destroyers and Type 23 or 26 frigates, offering air defense and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. They are further supported by integral logistical support and submarine protection that enhances their operational endurance and sustainability.
Aircraft Carriers: HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Prince of Wales
Destroyers: Type 45 (e.g., HMS Defender)
Frigates: Type 23 (e.g., HMS Kent), Type 26 (e.g., HMS Glasgow)
The Royal Navy maintains a strong global presence through its overseas deployments, which enable it to project force, secure trade routes, and uphold international maritime law. Key areas of deployment include the Persian Gulf, where the UK has a naval facility in Bahrain, and the Asia-Pacific region, reflective of its commitment to freedom of navigation in vital waterways such as the South China Sea.
Persian Gulf: UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain
Asia-Pacific: Continuous naval presence and exercises
Standing NATO Maritime Groups: Active participant
5. Indian Navy
In recent years, the Indian Navy has embarked on an ambitious journey to modernize and expand its naval capabilities, focusing on enhancing its blue-water operational capacity.
The Indian Navy’s expansion plans are geared towards achieving a 200-ship fleet by the end of the decade according to Economic Times. Central to these plans is the induction of the Vikrant-class aircraft carriers that will significantly boost the Navy’s power projection. They are also investing heavily in new destroyers, frigates, and submarines, including the Scorpene-class vessels, to strengthen their underwater warfare capability.
Strategic Partnerships
India has been actively engaging in strategic partnerships with major powers to augment its naval strength. A prime example is the agreement with Russia for the lease of nuclear-powered submarines, which offers a strategic edge in the Indian Ocean region. Collaborations with the United States, such as the Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), are pivotal for the Indian Navy’s access to advanced communication systems and technologies.
Strategic Force: With 67,252 active and 75,000 reserve personnel, the Indian Navy is a key player in India’s defense and regional stability, emphasizing maritime security in the Indian Ocean as per CFR.
Fleet Diversity: Operates 150 ships, 300 aircraft, including 2 aircraft carriers, 16 attack submarines, and 13 frigates, highlighting its modern and versatile naval capabilities.
6. French Navy
The French Navy maintains a strategic nuclear deterrent force commonly known as the “Force de frappe.” At the core of this force are the Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarines. These submarines are equipped with M51 SLBMs (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles) capable of delivering nuclear warheads over considerable distances, guaranteeing a second-strike capability in the nation’s nuclear deterrence policy.
Overseas Presence
The French Navy’s overseas presence is characterized by a network of bases across the globe, including facilities in the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and Pacific territories according to a study. Their fleet includes a range of surface vessels such as the Mistral-class amphibious assault ships and Aquitaine-class frigates, which are instrumental in projecting French naval power and upholding maritime security on an international scale. They routinely conduct operations focused on maritime surveillance, protection of French interests, and participation in multinational naval exercises.
Global Presence: With 37,000 active personnel, including 7,000 civilians, the French Navy upholds France’s maritime legacy through a modern fleet and global operations.
Key Assets: Operates over 180 ships and 178 aircraft, including nuclear submarines, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, and amphibious assault ships.
Strategic Operations: Focuses on power projection, anti-piracy, maritime surveillance, and international missions, supported by technological innovation and international cooperation.
7. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is recognized for its advanced technological capabilities and strategic focus on island defense. It engages extensively in international collaboration to enhance maritime security.
Island Defense Focus
The JMSDF operates with a clear strategic mandate: to protect Japan’s widespread archipelago. Japan’s geographic configuration necessitates a robust maritime force capable of quick deployment and sustained presence in the region’s surrounding waters. In pursuing its defense objectives, the JMSDF has developed an impressive fleet of ships and submarines, including its sophisticated Sōryū-class submarines, known for their stealth and advanced sonar capabilities.
International Collaboration
Japan’s naval strategy is not limited to national defense; the JMSDF also plays a significant role in international security. Engagements in joint exercises with allies, such as the United States, exemplify Japan’s commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The collaboration extends beyond exercises, including sharing of technology, intelligence, and strategic military assets to reinforce collective maritime capabilities.
Technological Prowess: The JMSDF, with 51,000 personnel, showcases advanced maritime capabilities with a modern fleet that includes destroyers, submarines, and helicopter carriers according to USNI news.
Strategic Focus: Prioritizes regional security, maritime surveillance, and disaster response, with helicopter carriers enhancing amphibious operations and defense capabilities.
International Engagement: Committed to fostering regional stability through international collaborations and joint exercises, despite constitutional limitations, ensuring Japan’s maritime interests and security in the Indo-Pacific.
The ROKN has a robust fleet that includes destroyers, frigates, corvettes, submarines, and amphibious assault ships. It maintains a focus on advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities and mine countermeasure (MCM) operations to safeguard its territorial waters and sea lines of communication, especially in the face of regional threats.
Maritime Strength: The ROKN, with 70,000 personnel, showcases an advanced fleet of destroyers, submarines, and amphibious vessels, aimed at securing sea lanes and deterring aggression.
International Collaboration
The ROKN is involved in various international operations and training exercises to enhance interoperability with allies. It participates in RIMPAC, the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, and frequently conducts joint exercises, especially with the United States Navy, highlighting a commitment to regional stability and collective security.
Collaborative Initiatives:
Joint Exercises: Regular participation in Foal Eagle and Key Resolve with strategic ally, the United States as per The Diplomat.
Humanitarian Missions: Active involvement in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts across the globe.
9. Italian Navy
The Italian Navy ranks among the most capable maritime forces in Europe, with modern technological advancements and a respectable fleet size. The force maintains a significant presence in the Mediterranean Sea and is integral to Italy’s national defense and international obligations.
Manpower and Fleet
The Italian Navy is staffed by a professional and well-trained workforce, adept at operating a diverse array of vessels. Its fleet consists of aircraft carriers such as the ITS Cavour, modern FREMM-class frigates, and Type 212 submarines, reflecting Italy’s commitment to maintaining a balanced and technologically up-to-date naval force.
Aircraft Carriers: 2
Destroyers: 4
Frigates: 10
Submarines: 8
Patrol Ships and Boats: 10
Amphibious Assault Ships: 3
Strategic Maritime Force: 30,923 active personnel
International Collaboration
Italy’s naval force is actively engaged in various international collaborations, enhancing its operational capabilities and strategic reach. The navy participates in NATO maritime groups and contributes to multinational security operations. Italy has also partnered with France in the Horizon project, creating advanced air-defense destroyers that are a testament to European naval cooperation.
NATO Maritime Groups: Active participation
Horizon Project: 4 Destroyers (with France)
EU Navfor Operation: Active involvement in anti-piracy missions
10. Taiwanese Navy
The Taiwanese Navy stands as a significant maritime force within the East Asian region, focusing on modernization and strategic deterrence to offset regional tensions and maintain sovereignty.
Key Maritime Force: With 40,000 personnel, the Taiwanese Navy operates submarines, surface ships, and aviation assets, focusing on maritime security and regional stability.
Fleet Composition: Boasts a diverse fleet of 128 ships and 28 aircraft, including frigates, destroyers, and corvettes, underscoring its capability to protect national sovereignty.
Taiwan’s naval capabilities are undergoing a comprehensive modernization process aimed at bolstering their defensive posture in the East Asian region. It operates a fleet that includes Kee Lung-class destroyers, Cheng Kung-class frigates, and a variety of missile boats and submarines, all crucial for the island’s asymmetric maritime strategies. Their focus on anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities reflects the strategic need to deny or challenge adversaries’ naval operations in their territorial waters and the surrounding area.
3 More Worth Mentioning
11. Turkish Navy
Number of Units: 90
TvR (Total value Rating): 80.5
Serving as the maritime arm of the Turkish Armed Forces, the Turkish Navy has made significant strides in developing a robust domestic defense industry, underpinning ambitious naval projects. It possesses the capability to exert sea control in its adjacent waters.
A landmark development is the commissioning of the TCG Anadolu, a landing helicopter dock that has significantly enhanced the Turkish Navy’s global projection capabilities.
Capable of transporting over 700 naval infantry personnel, tanks, vehicles, and helicopters, the TCG Anadolu, inaugurated as the navy’s latest flagship on April 10, 2023, heralds a new chapter in Turkey’s naval operations.
12. Egyptian Navy
Number of Units: 107
TvR (Total value Rating): 72.4
Adopting a Western strategy for naval combat, the Egyptian Navy is tasked with safeguarding Egypt’s coastlines along the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
Submarines make up 7.5% of its total naval strength, highlighting its balanced force composition.
13. Bangladesh Navy
Number of Units: 50
TvR (Total value Rating): 58.6
The Bangladesh Navy plays a crucial role in protecting the nation’s maritime borders, spanning over 118,813 square kilometers.
Its primary missions involve defending key military installations, harbors, and economic zones, while also securing Bangladesh’s economic and military interests both domestically and internationally.
As the frontline force for disaster management within the country, the Bangladesh Navy additionally engages in humanitarian efforts globally, underscoring its dual role in national defense and international aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do current naval forces compare in terms of tonnage worldwide?
In terms of tonnage, the United States Navy remains at the forefront globally, with significant tonnage across its numerous naval units. The People’s Liberation Army Navy, representing China, also exhibits substantial tonnage due to its large fleet.
What advancements have been made in the most powerful navy ships ?
The most powerful navy ships, notably within the United States Navy, have seen advancements including the integration of new technologies such as unmanned systems, improved missile defenses, and the application of stealth features on vessels to enhance combat capabilities.
What is the ranking of European countries in terms of naval power for 2024?
European countries’ naval power sees the United Kingdom and France maintaining their lead, with modernized fleets featuring carriers and submarines. For detailed contemporary rankings, countries are listed on various defense and maritime-focused domains.
How does the size of the U.S. Navy compare to other leading navies?
The size of the U.S. Navy outmatches other leading navies, boasting a fleet that includes multiple aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines. China follows closely in terms of ship numbers, while Russia’s navy remains significant albeit smaller.
What historical naval power comparisons remain relevant in assessing 2024’s naval strengths?
Historical comparisons, while contextually different, still have relevance in 2024. Traditional metrics like ship count, tonnage, and firepower draw parallels to past hegemonies, showcasing the continued importance of robust maritime forces.
Conclusion
The significance of naval power remains evident in 2024, with various countries investing in advanced technologies and expanding their fleets. The United States Navy continues to lead with its unmatched global reach and technological superiority.
Collectively, these powerful navies illustrate shifts in the global maritime order, where traditional and emerging sea powers shape the dynamics of naval strength and presence. As they continue to adapt and evolve, these navies not only secure their nations’ maritime boundaries but also play pivotal roles in international security and global trade routes.
Disclaimer
All information presented in this text is based on our perspectives and experiences. The content is provided for informational purposes only and is a reflection of the personal views of the authors. We do not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of the information provided and shall not be held responsible for any inaccuracy, omissions, or inaccuracies.
Produced by ElevenLabs and NOA, News Over Audio, using AI narration.
Americans likely face a choice this fall between two men they don’t want for president. Or they can stay home and get one of the two guys they don’t want for president anyway. The reasons for voter disdain are clear enough: Poll respondents say Joe Biden is too old, an impression reinforced by last week’s special-counsel report, and they have always been troubled by Donald Trump’s judgment and character (though a majority think he’s too old too.)
Voters have genuine questions about both men. But we’ve seen each occupy the presidency. One thing the two administrations have made clear is that whereas Biden follows an approach to governance that seems to offset some of his weaknesses, Trump’s preferred managerial style seems to amplify his.
Many people treat elections as a chance to vote a single individual into office; as a result, they tend to focus disproportionately on the personality, character, and temperament of the people running. But voters are also choosing a platform—a set of policies as well as a set of people, chosen by the president, who will shape and implement them. The president is the conductor of an orchestra, not a solo artist. As the past eight years have made very clear, the difference in governance between a Trump administration and a Biden administration is not subtle—for example, on foreign policy, border security, and economics—and voters have plenty of evidence on which to base their decision.
But for the sake of argument, let’s consider the potential effects of Biden’s failures of memory and Trump’s … well, it’s a little tough to say what exactly is going on with Trump’s mental state. The former president has always had a penchant for saying strange things and acting impulsively, and it’s hard to know whether recent lapses are indications of new troubles or the same deficits that have long been present. His always-dark rhetoric has become more apocalyptic and vengeance-focused, and he frequently seems forgetful or confused about basic facts.
To what extent would either of their struggles be material in a future presidential term? One key distinction is that Biden and Trump have fundamentally different conceptions of the presidency as an office. Biden’s approach to governance has been more or less in keeping with the traditions of recent decades. Biden’s Cabinet and West Wing are (for better or worse) stocked with longtime political and policy hands who have extensive experience in government. Cabinet secretaries largely run their departments through normal channels. Policy proposals are usually formulated by subject-area experts. The president’s job is to sit atop this apparatus and set broad direction.
Biden doesn’t always defer to experts, and he has clashed with and overruled advisers on some topics, including, notably, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Such occasional clashes are fairly typical—as long as they’re occasional. As my colleague Graeme Wood wrote this week, “The presidency is an endless series of judgment calls, not a four-year math test. In fact, large parts of the executive branch exist, in effect, to do the math problems on the president’s behalf, then present to him all those tough judgment calls with the calculations already factored in.”
This doesn’t mean that Biden’s readily apparent aging doesn’t bring risks. The presidency requires a great deal of energy, and crises can happen at all hours and on top of one another, testing the stamina of any person. The oldest president before Biden, Ronald Reagan, struggled with acuity in his second term, an administration that produced a huge, appalling scandal of which he claimed to be unaware.
In contrast to the model of the president as the ultimate decision maker, Trump has approached the presidency less like a Fortune 500 CEO and more like the sole proprietor of a small business. (Though he boasts about his experience running a business empire, the Trump Organization also ran this way—it is a company with a large bottom line but with concentrated and insular management by corporate standards.) As president, Trump had a tendency to micromanage details—the launching system for a new aircraft carrier, the paint scheme on Air Force One—while evincing little interest in major policy questions, such as a long-promised replacement for Obamacare.
At times, Trump has described his role in practically messianic terms: “I alone can fix it,” he infamously said at the 2016 Republican National Convention. He has claimed to be the world’s foremost expert on a wide variety of subjects, and he often disregarded the views of policy experts in his administration, complaining that they tried to talk him out of ideas (when they didn’t just obstruct him). He and his allies have embarked on a major campaign to ensure that staffers in a second Trump administration would be picked for their ideological and personal loyalty to him. Axios has reported that the speechwriter Stephen Miller could be the next attorney general, even though Miller is not an attorney.
Perhaps as a result of these different approaches to the job, people who have served under the men have divergent views on them. Whereas Biden can seem bumbling and mild in public, aides’ accounts of his private demeanor depict an engaged, incisive, and sometimes hot-tempered president. That’s also the view that emerges from my colleague Franklin Foer’s book The Last Politician. “He has a kind of mantra: ‘You can never give me too much detail,’” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said. “The most difficult part about a meeting with President Biden is preparing for it, because he is sharp, intensely probing, and detail-oriented and focused,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last weekend. (As Jon Stewart noted on Monday night, the public might be more convinced were these moments videotaped, like the gaffes.)
Former Trump aides are not so complimentary. Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly called Trump “a person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law,” adding, “God help us.” Former Attorney General Bill Barr said that he “shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office.” Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper described him as “unfit for office.” Of 44 former Cabinet members queried by NBC, only four said they supported Trump’s return to office. Even allowing for the puffery of politics, the contrast is dramatic.
None of this is to say that Biden’s memory lapses aren’t worth concern or that he is as vigorous as he was as a younger man. But someone voting for Biden is selecting, above all, a set of policy ideas and promises that he has laid out, with the expectation that the apparatus of the executive branch will implement them.
Voting for Trump is opting for a charismatic individual who brings to office a set of attitudes rather than a platform. Considering the presidency as a matter of individual mental acuity grants the field to Trump’s own preferred conception of unified personal power, so it’s striking that the comparison makes the dangers posed by Trump’s mentality so stark.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon believes it has identified the mechanical failure that led to a fatal crash of an Osprey aircraft in Japan and the grounding of the fleet for two months, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press. It is now weighing how the aircraft can be returned to service.
The Pentagon’s Joint Safety Council is now working with the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps on their plans to get Osprey crews ready to fly again, said Navy Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, chairman of the council and commander of Naval Safety Command.
The Air Force investigation is continuing into the Nov. 29 Air Force special operations command CV-22 crash, which killed eight service members. The crash led to a rare grounding on Dec. 6 of about 400 Osprey aircraft across the three services. Japan also grounded its fleet of 14 Ospreys following the crash.
The official who said the mechanical failure had been identified declined to say what the failure was. It has opened the door to discussions on return to flight because mitigations can be put in place. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
While each service will determine when it returns its own fleets to the skies, the council is talking with “commanders across the services on what are their plans to come back to flight, what are their risk decisions,” Engdahl said. “In aviation, they’ve done this before, but probably not on this broad scale with a platform like we have in the V-22” Osprey.
That could include getting service-wide input on how many simulator hours are needed to get a crew back to proficiency, with what type of flying, and what maintenance is needed on each Osprey before they go up in the air again, Engdahl said.
Flight safety is dependent on pilots maintaining currency on an aircraft — meaning that they are flying regularly enough to be proficient in all types of flying, such as night missions, close formation flying or refueling. After 60 days of being grounded, that will be one of the key issues the services must prepare for as the Ospreys return to flight.
They also must make sure the aircraft are ready. Both the Air Force and Marine Corps have been running the Osprey’s engines; the Marines have been conducting ground movements to keep the aircraft working.
Marine Corps leadership is also working on a message to send throughout the service that could give each unit up to 30 days to recertify their crews and ensure they are ready to return to flight, said a second defense official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not been announced publicly.
Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Alyssa Myers said the service is cooperating closely with the Air Force and Navy “to make an informed decision for the MV-22’s return to flight. The safety and well-being of our personnel and the reliability of the V-22 continues to be a priority in our discussions as we determine our return to flight.”
The Osprey is a fast-moving airframe that can take off like a helicopter and then tilt its engines and rotor blades to a horizontal position to fly like an airplane.
While the current Osprey standdown is one of the largest military aircraft groundings in terms of affecting three services’ flight operations, it’s not the longest. When the Osprey was still in development, two Osprey crashes in 2000 killed 23 Marines and led the Marine Corps to ground the program for nearly 18 months.
The Joint Safety Council was established by Congress to get a stronger services-wide look at safety issues following a string of deadly aviation crashes in 2018.
How many times have you heard successful people talking about the obstacles they overcame, the discouraging chapters they endured, the “rock bottom” from which they rose up? Maybe you see your own life in similar terms. It’s a particular narrative that ends with success, and anyone who has lived it would tend to think other people’s lives can, with work, conform to this arc. We need to get away from that assumption. Some people’s lives aren’t on an upward trajectory and may never be, and those people also deserve respect and dignity.
Early this month I met with three of my unhoused neighbors in Venice, one who has been on and off the street for 20 years, one who has autism, and one whose life was upended by a toxic relationship. They agreed to share their stories with The Times on condition that their last names not be used.
Governments and nonprofits pour untold sums into caring for the unhoused through myriad programs, but in speaking with unhoused people, I often hear that their needs are not very complex. Even a modest monthly check would be transformative to the lives of many. What if a big piece of the solution to homelessness were simply a universal basic income? — Robert Karron
Brandon
My name is Brandon, and I’m 37 years old. I grew up in Lancaster, in the Antelope Valley. I was 9½ weeks premature — only a bit over 3 pounds. I’ve made up for it since then. But my first year of life I had lots of seizures.
“I didn’t understand why I had this unfulfilled feeling,” Brandon said of an early job he had. “My father had a face of fulfillment after a day’s work. Why didn’t I? I wanted to achieve that but didn’t know how.”
(Courtesy of Robert Karron)
I graduated from high school early, when I was 15. I did independent study, because school was becoming increasingly strange. There was violence and gang activity. Kids would get kicked out of L.A. County, then transfer to ours, in Kern County. I remember one kid shot and killed another in the eighth grade. They knew each other from L.A., and they had a beef from then. It happened in front of my math teacher’s house. For years, you could see the bullet holes in the wall. That kid was tried as an adult and got two life sentences. It’s like the school was a training camp for jail.
It was also a racial political zone. I celebrate Hanukkah, and there was a group of kids that chose to call me names. I put myself out there, telling people I celebrated — I didn’t have to do that. But I didn’t realize it was going to be something that would be detrimental to my social well-being.
So I took classes at home. It was good because I could go at my own pace, but it was bad because I got too familiar with my parents; we could have used more distance. I didn’t get along with my mom, and we clashed.
After high school, I thought I’d go to the Marines — my grandfather was a decorated war hero — and they accepted me into the deferred entry program, but they found marijuana in my drug test, so that didn’t work out. I was exposed to drugs early; it was rampant at my high school. You were pressured to take them because the kids who were selling were depending on it for their livelihood; in their families, they were the earners. It seemed glamorous then, but I don’t see any glamour in it now.
I just use these blankets. It’s not enough, but people steal so frequently, it’s hard to keep stuff.
— Brandon
I started working for an insurance company, and I stayed for seven years. I was also taking college classes at Antelope Valley College, music classes, my passion. I didn’t think of music practice as “practice,” because when you’re getting so much pleasure out of something, “practice” isn’t in your mind-set. But when the money started coming in, I let all that slide.
I had lots of jobs within the company, but mainly I was a patient service associate. By the time I was 17, I had my own apartment; my parents helped me furnish it, super sweet of them, but I wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. Even though I was making money, it was a miserable existence. It was a dark period for me. I kept feeling empty at the end of each day. I didn’t understand why I had this unfulfilled feeling. My father had a face of fulfillment after a day’s work. Why didn’t I? I wanted to achieve that but didn’t know how.
At 18, I fell in love with a woman who was 22 years older than me. I was with her for seven years. She was an amazing artist. Eventually I quit my job and worked as a butler for her friends. When I left her, I sought therapy, because I’d lost my grip on society. I tried to get into music then, but there weren’t many opportunities.
I’ve been on and off the streets for 20 years. I just use these blankets. It’s not enough, but people steal so frequently, it’s hard to keep stuff. I’d like to get my own space, but I’m not sure how. I’m putting one foot in front of the other. It’s hard because I have a stomach bug and all these wounds on my leg and hand that never heal. They’re in a constant state of infection.
Garrick
My name is Garrick, and I’m 56 years old. I’ve been in L.A. for nine months. Before that I was in New York City for 11 years (128 months). I’m scheduled to move again 39 days from now, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and I need to find a place where I can spend the day before — from 8 in the morning till 8 at night — getting cleaned up. I don’t know where that will happen. Do you have any ideas? Is there a gymnasium in L.A. that has army cots and a big bathroom with showers and sinks and commodes where you can go and leave anytime you want as long as you sign your name? I’m asking because I’ve never heard of such a thing.
“What I’d like for after my bus trip is a CD player,” Garrick said of his plan to move to Boston. “Then I need a CD with every song Led Zeppelin ever sang.”
(Courtesy of Robert Karron)
I’m moving to Boston, but I need someone’s smart device to check Greyhound for the bus that makes stops in Phoenix, El Paso, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and three stops in South Carolina: Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg. Then I need to see what time the bus arrives in Boston. If I know the time, I can plan out my first day.
I’m moving because Boston has everything I need. In L.A. I’m laying on the sidewalk with chiggers. It’s better than New York by a long margin, but in Boston I’ll have better prospects because I know the neighborhoods and resources and trains and shopping centers. I lived there for four months, before moving to New York. In between, I was in Providence, for two days and two nights.
There are a lot of variables when you come from a broken home, and you have high-functioning autism, and your stepfather was drafted in the Vietnam War and was an authoritarian figure who moved you and your mother to Ohio.
My mother and I identify with each other and idolize each other. We could always work things out, if it was just the two of us. But that went down the toilet when my mother let people deter things between us, when they talked a line to her. When she was manipulated, things went in different directions.
Jobs? If you have high-functioning autism, you can’t hold a job.
— Garrick
I like heavy music, specifically the songs from the summer and fall of 1972 and the winter, spring, summer and fall of 1973. The utmost prime example of that is music by Led Zeppelin — by a long margin, my favorite singing group. What I’d like for after my bus trip is a CD player without earphones (those always make the player fall apart) that operates on batteries. I can pay for the batteries. Then I need a CD with every song Led Zeppelin ever sang.
Jobs? If you have high-functioning autism, you can’t hold a job.
I have three main sleeping spots. One of them is here. Last night it dipped down to 46 and 47 degrees. To keep warm I use linens I stash behind those bushes.
Cynthia
My name is Cynthia, and I’m 59 years old. I was born in Ohio but raised in Wisconsin. I completed junior high, but at 15 I quit school because I got pregnant. The father was a family friend in his 20s who my mother had asked to watch us when she took classes to become a certified nursing assistant. He ended things when he found out I was pregnant.
“I took the bus to Union Station in Pasadena, where they help you find a place,” Cynthia said. “But soon I was on the streets.”
(Courtesy of Robert Karron)
By 17 I was having problems with depression, and the state took my daughter away. It’d be illegal now: They threatened to cut off my mother’s welfare checks if I didn’t sign the papers. I got pregnant again at 21 and have a son who loves me to death; he’s in Kentucky now with his dad, my ex-fiance. We were going to get married, but he wanted me to live in his mother’s house for a year; I said no and moved back in with my mom. He came to get the engagement rings. That made me mad, so I threw them into the front yard. He searched for two hours but eventually found them.
I went back to school and got my GED. I was taking college business courses, but the man I was married to then couldn’t hold a job, so I quit and started working at a company that sent out cheese and candy packages.
Later I was engaged to someone who moved me to Minneapolis, where I worked at a Greek restaurant. When I found him in bed with another man, I had to find another place to stay. The owner of the restaurant, who liked me, was going to put me up, but his wife got jealous. So I had to move back home again.
I met my boyfriend Greg. We got to talking, and by nighttime he was cuddled up next to me.
— Cynthia
When I was living at home, I began a 10-year relationship with someone I saw a few times a year. He said he was in the armed services and was always traveling. After 10 years I was 53, and he asked me to move in with him in Los Angeles. I’m two hours on the bus when I call him. He says he’s in trouble and needs $500. I say I don’t have it. He says, get it any way you can. When I couldn’t get it, he stopped taking my calls. I took the bus to Union Station in Pasadena, where they help you find a place — but soon I was on the streets.
I was protected by this great guy called Tennessee (he was from Tennessee), and two weeks later, I met my boyfriend, Greg. We got to talking, and by nighttime he was cuddled up next to me. Tennessee gave him a blanket, but at midnight I told him to leave — it was going too fast. But it all worked out. We’ve been together 5½ years, and we’re going to get married after we move in together.
Robert Karron teaches English at Santa Monica College.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., January 16, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– USfalcon Inc., a partner of the Gemini Technical Services JV LLC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a provider of U.S. DoD Technical Professional Services, was awarded a maximum $350,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Innovation, Integration, and Information Support to Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM).
This contract provides support services for military training, exercises, test and evaluation, wargames, information technology, plans, and operations for Department of Defense frontline warfighters. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2030.
USfalcon Inc., has supported the 3IS program for 12 years and remains committed to excellence and providing these mission-critical services to STARCOM and its joint clients.
Our AI-powered tool, trained on 12+ million government RFPs and developed with AWS, streamlines the creation of technology procurement documents for government agencies, enabling swift articulation of requirements and detailed contract deliverables.
SAN FRANCISCO, January 8, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– City Innovate announces it has been selected by AFWERX for an SBIR Phase 1, focused on automating the development of complex RFP packages to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded, and on December 14th, 2023, City Innovate started its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
“Our selection by AFWERX is a testament to our commitment to revolutionizing government procurement with Generative AI, aiming to significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department of the Air Force’s operations,” said Jay Nath, co-founder and co-chief executive officer at City Innovate.
“City Innovate has worked hard over the last year to continue to bring innovative solutions to market that dramatically streamline document creation and reduce timelines from years to months, freeing up agency staff to focus on more high-value work,” said Kamran Saddique, co-founder and co-chief executive officer at City Innovate.
About City Innovate
City Innovate is the leader in Document Process Automation, providing a transformative enterprise solution for government agencies with complex document-centered processes. Whether in Admin, Policy, HR, Budgeting, Contracts, Grants, or Procurements, City Innovate accelerates time to result while ensuring compliance, insight, and oversight. For more information, visit www.cityinnovate.com
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched 122 missiles and 36 drones against Ukrainian targets, officials said Friday, killing at least 13 civilians in what an air force official said was the biggest aerial barrage of the 22-month war.
The Ukrainian air force intercepted 87 of the missiles and 27 of the Shahed-type drones overnight, Ukraine’s military chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said.
Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his official Telegram channel: “The most massive aerial attack” since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
According to the Ukrainian air force, the previous biggest assault was in November 2022 when Russia launched 96 missiles against Ukraine. This year, the biggest was 81 missiles on March 9, air force records show.
Fighting along the front line is largely bogged down by winter weather after Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive failed to make a significant breakthrough along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) line of contact.
Ukrainian officials have urged the country’s Western allies to provide it with more air defenses to protect itself against aerial attacks like Friday’s one. Their appeals have come as signs of war fatigue strain efforts to keep support in place.
Scores of people were injured and an unknown number were buried under rubble during the roughly 18-hour onslaught, Ukrainian officials said. Among the buildings reported to be damaged across Ukraine were a maternity hospital, apartment blocks and schools.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Kremlin’s forces used a wide variety of weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
“Today, Russia used nearly every type of weapon in its arsenal,” Zelenskyy said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said Russia “apparently launched everything they have,” except for submarine-launched Kalibr missiles, in the attack.
The aerial attack that began Thursday and continued through the night hit six cities, including the capital, Kyiv, and other areas from east to west and north to south Ukraine, according to authorities.
After years of secrecy, the B-21 Raider emerged from its Palmdale hangar Friday morning and took its first flight, soaring through the sky and giving plane enthusiasts, contractor employees and the public its first glimpse of the futuristic-looking bomber in air.
The B-21 bomber, which is being built by Northrop Grumman Corp., took off from the secretive Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale before heading north toward Edwards Air Force Base, said Matt Hartman, a photographer who was out in Palmdale in hopes of taking photos of the plane after he’d heard rumors that a flight might be imminent.
About 80 people crowded near the Palmdale Regional Airport to try to see the first flight with their own eyes. Once the bomber flew by, “you could hear a pin drop,” Hartman said.
The U.S. Air Force confirmed that the B-21 is in flight testing, and called it a “critical step” in the bomber’s test program. Flight testing includes not just flying operations but also ground and taxiing tests. Edwards Air Force Base is in charge of testing and evaluation for the B-21.
The flight test program “moves us another step closer to reaching operational capability,” Northrop Grumman said in a statement Friday. In December, Northrop Grumman unveiled the B-21 bomber for the first time, although that reveal only showcased the front of the aircraft. Technical details of the plane have so far been highly classified.
The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 B-21 stealth bombers by the mid-2030s for about $80 billion. Already, six B-21 bombers are in production, the Air Force said. The new planes will eventually replace the aging B-1 and B-2 bomber fleets.
Although the B-21’s flying-wing shape looks similar to that of the B-2, it has improved stealth technology and will be more supportable and maintainable than its predecessor, which has notoriously high maintenance costs.
The bomber is designed to fly both crewed and uncrewed missions, reflecting technological updates that were not available when the B-2 was built in the 1980s.
The Air Force plans to get its first few B-21 bombers, which are designed to fly long-range missions while evading radar detection, by the mid-2020s. The bomber is part of the U.S. military’s effort to update its nuclear triad, which includes warheads, submarines and missiles, as global rivals such as China also improve their weapons technology.
The program has boosted aerospace employment in the Antelope Valley, long known for its aerospace manufacturing jobs. In December, more than 7,000 people were employed at Northrop Grumman’s Antelope Valley facilities, which is double the number there in 2015 when the company won the bomber contract.
The B-21 Raider stealth bomber is unveiled at Northrop Grumman, Dec. 2, 2022, in Palmdale, Calif. The B-21 Raider has taken its first flight, moving the futuristic warplane closer to becoming the nation’s next nuclear weapons stealth bomber.
“Sen. Tuberville has no experience in the military. It’s his first time in public service and I don’t think he appreciates how much of an impact this is having and how negative an impact it is for the military,” Kendall told CNN’s Jim Acosta on Saturday.
Kendall’s remarks arrive as the Alabama senator and ex-college football coach continues to put promotions on hold to protest the Pentagon’s policy on providing service members with paid leave and covering travel costs to get an abortion in another state.
Kendall, along with Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, recently penned a Washington Post op-ed where they referred to acting officials in roles “without the range of legal authorities necessary to make the decisions that will sustain the United States’ military edge.”
Tuberville told CNN that he’s “not budging” and added that if he thought he was “really harming” the military he wouldn’t be holding the promotions.
Kendall, who called the blockade “totally unprecedented,” said Tuberville doesn’t understand what’s happening before pointing to the need for the military to fill recently-vacated positions.
“We have people all over the country who can not move to their new organization, it’s having a big impact on their families, it’s very disruptive, very debilitating,” he said.
“It basically is like throwing a big monkey wrench into the works of the Department of Defense.”
Secretary of the Air Force: Senator Tuberville has no experience in the military. This is his first time I think in public service, and I don’t think he appreciates how much of an impact this is having and how negative an impact it is for the military. pic.twitter.com/blgV7CFGdM
Kendall wasn’t the only harsh critic of Tuberville on Saturday as retired U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark also told Acosta that the senator’s hold is a “national security problem.”
“Not only is it blocking promotions and assignments and policy changes and preparation for potential war against China and military assistance to Ukraine in its ongoing war but it’s brought politics into this,” Clark explained.
He continued: “Now what can be done? What normally would be done is every federal program that’s going to Alabama would be choked off and you’d make a private issue of this, you’d go to the leadership in the Senate, you’d tell Mitch McConnell if you don’t crack down on this we’re going to take away your programs in Kentucky. This is hardball.”
Clark: What normally would be done is every federal program that’s going to Alabama would be choked off. You’d tell Mitch McConnell, if you don’t crack down on this we’re going to take away your programs in Kentucky. This is hardball. pic.twitter.com/gVb8tDli1B
Southwest Airlines Co. canceled more than two-thirds of its flights Monday and plans to slash its schedules Tuesday and Wednesday, in a meltdown that stranded thousands of customers and that worsened while other airlines began to recover from the holiday winter storm.
“We had a tough day today. In all likelihood we’ll have another tough day tomorrow as we work our way out of this,” Chief Executive Bob Jordan said in an interview Monday evening. “This is the largest scale event that I’ve ever seen.”
Southwest LUV, +1.78%
plans to operate just over one-third of its typical schedule in the coming days to give itself leeway for crews to get into the right positions, he said, adding that the reduced schedule could be extended.
Southwest’s more than 2,800 scrapped flights Monday, the highest of any major U.S. airline, came as the Dallas-based airline proved unable to stabilize its operations amid the past week’s storm. Between Thursday and Monday, the airline canceled about 8,000 flights, according to FlightAware.
On Monday, the Department of Transportation called Southwest’s rate of cancellations “disproportionate and unacceptable” and said it would examine whether the cancellations were controllable and whether the airline is complying with its customer service plan.
Ryan Green, Southwest’s chief commercial officer, said in an interview the airline is taking steps such as covering customers’ reasonable travel costs—including hotels, rental cars and tickets on other airlines, and will be communicating the process for customers to have expenses reimbursed. He also said customers whose flights are being canceled as the airline recovers are entitled to refunds if they opt not to travel.
The troubles at Southwest intensified Monday despite generally improving weather conditions and warming temperatures throughout much of the eastern half of the country, which had been pummeled by snow, wind and subfreezing temperatures in recent days.
PALMDALE , Calif. (AP) — America’s newest nuclear stealth bomber made its debut Friday after years of secret development and as part of the Pentagon’s answer to rising concerns over a future conflict with China.
As evening fell over the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, the public got its first glimpse of the Raider in a tightly controlled ceremony. It started with a flyover of the three bombers still in service: the B-52 Stratofortress, the B-1 Lancer and the B-2 Spirit. Then the hangar doors slowly opened and the B-21 was towed partially out of the building.
“This isn’t just another airplane,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. “It’s the embodiment of America’s determination to defend the republic that we all love.”
The B-21 is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to modernize all three legs of its nuclear triad, which includes silo-launched nuclear ballistic missiles and submarine-launched warheads, as it shifts from the counterterrorism campaigns of recent decades to meet China’s rapid military modernization.
China is on track to have 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035, and its gains in hypersonics, cyber warfare and space capabilities present “the most consequential and systemic challenge to U.S. national security and the free and open international system,” the Pentagon said this week in its annual China report.
”We needed a new bomber for the 21st Century that would allow us to take on much more complicated threats, like the threats that we fear we would one day face from China, Russia, ” said Deborah Lee James, the Air Force secretary when the Raider contract was announced in 2015.
While the Raider may resemble the B-2, once you get inside, the similarities stop, said Kathy Warden, chief executive of Northrop Grumman Corp., which is building the bomber.
“The way it operates internally is extremely advanced compared to the B-2, because the technology has evolved so much in terms of the computing capability that we can now embed in the software of the B-21,” Warden said.
Other changes include advanced materials used in coatings to make the bomber harder to detect, Austin said.
“Fifty years of advances in low-observable technology have gone into this aircraft,” Austin said. “Even the most sophisticated air defense systems will struggle to detect a B-21 in the sky.”
Other advances likely include new ways to control electronic emissions, so the bomber could spoof adversary radars and disguise itself as another object, and use of new propulsion technologies, several defense analysts said.
“It is incredibly low observability,” Warden said. “You’ll hear it, but you really won’t see it.”
Six Raiders are in production. The Air Force plans to build 100 that can deploy either nuclear weapons or conventional bombs and can be used with or without a human crew. Both the Air Force and Northrop also point to the Raider’s relatively quick development: The bomber went from contract award to debut in seven years. Other new fighter and ship programs have taken decades.
The cost of the bombers is unknown. The Air Force previously put the price at an average cost of $550 million each in 2010 dollars — roughly $753 million today — but it’s unclear how much is actually being spent. The total will depend on how many bombers the Pentagon buys.
“We will soon fly this aircraft, test it, and then move it into production. And we will build the bomber force in numbers suited to the strategic environment ahead,” Austin said.
The undisclosed cost troubles government watchdogs.
“It might be a big challenge for us to do our normal analysis of a major program like this,” said Dan Grazier, a senior defense policy fellow at the Project on Government Oversight. “It’s easy to say that the B-21 is still on schedule before it actually flies. Because it’s only when one of these programs goes into the actual testing phase when real problems are discovered.” That, he said, is when schedules start to slip and costs rise.
The B-2 was also envisioned to be a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, but the Air Force built only 21, due to cost overruns and a changed security environment after the Soviet Union fell. Fewer than that are ready to fly on any given day due to the significant maintenance needs of the aging bomber.
The B-21 Raider, which takes its name from the 1942 Doolittle Raid over Tokyo, will be slightly smaller than the B-2 to increase its range, Warden said. It won’t make its first flight until 2023. However, Warden said Northrop Grumman has used advanced computing to test the bomber’s performance using a digital twin, a virtual replica of the one unveiled Friday.
Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota will house the bomber’s first training program and squadron, though the bombers are also expected to be stationed at bases in Texas and Missouri.
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican of South Dakota, led the state’s bid to host the bomber program. In a statement, he called it “the most advanced weapon system ever developed by our country to defend ourselves and our allies.”
Northrop Grumman has also incorporated maintenance lessons learned from the B-2, Warden said.
In October 2001, B-2 pilots set a record when they flew 44 hours straight to drop the first bombs in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks. The B-2 often does long round-trip missions because there are few hangars globally that can accommodate its wingspan, which limits where it can land for maintenance. The hangars also must be air-conditioned because the Spirit’s windows don’t open and hot climates can cook cockpit electronics.
The new Raider will also get new hangars to accommodate its size and complexity, Warden said.
However, with the Raider’s extended range, ’it won’t need to be based in-theater,” Austin said. “It won’t need logistical support to hold any target at risk.”
A final noticeable difference was in the debut itself. While both went public in Palmdale, the B-2 was rolled outdoors in 1988 amid much public fanfare. Given advances in surveillance satellites and cameras, the Raider was just partially exposed, keeping its sensitive propulsion systems and sensors under the hangar and protected from overhead eyes.
“The magic of the platform,” Warden said, “is what you don’t see.”
PALMDALE , Calif. — America’s newest nuclear stealth bomber made its debut Friday after years of secret development and as part of the Pentagon’s answer to rising concerns over a future conflict with China.
The B-21 Raider is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years. Almost every aspect of the program is classified.
As evening fell over the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, the public got its first glimpse of the Raider in a tightly controlled ceremony. It started with a flyover of the three bombers still in service: the B-52 Stratofortress, the B-1 Lancer and the B-2 Spirit. Then the hangar doors slowly opened and the B-21 was towed partially out of the building.
“This isn’t just another airplane,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. “It’s the embodiment of America’s determination to defend the republic that we all love.”
The B-21 is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to modernize all three legs of its nuclear triad, which includes silo-launched nuclear ballistic missiles and submarine-launched warheads, as it shifts from the counterterrorism campaigns of recent decades to meet China’s rapid military modernization.
China is on track to have 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035, and its gains in hypersonics, cyber warfare and space capabilities present “the most consequential and systemic challenge to U.S. national security and the free and open international system,” the Pentagon said this week in its annual China report.
”We needed a new bomber for the 21st Century that would allow us to take on much more complicated threats, like the threats that we fear we would one day face from China, Russia, ” said Deborah Lee James, the Air Force secretary when the Raider contract was announced in 2015.
While the Raider may resemble the B-2, once you get inside, the similarities stop, said Kathy Warden, chief executive of Northrop Grumman Corp., which is building the bomber.
“The way it operates internally is extremely advanced compared to the B-2, because the technology has evolved so much in terms of the computing capability that we can now embed in the software of the B-21,” Warden said.
Other changes include advanced materials used in coatings to make the bomber harder to detect, Austin said.
“Fifty years of advances in low-observable technology have gone into this aircraft,” Austin said. “Even the most sophisticated air defense systems will struggle to detect a B-21 in the sky.”
Other advances likely include new ways to control electronic emissions, so the bomber could spoof adversary radars and disguise itself as another object, and use of new propulsion technologies, several defense analysts said.
“It is incredibly low observability,” Warden said. “You’ll hear it, but you really won’t see it.”
Six Raiders are in production. The Air Force plans to build 100 that can deploy either nuclear weapons or conventional bombs and can be used with or without a human crew. Both the Air Force and Northrop also point to the Raider’s relatively quick development: The bomber went from contract award to debut in seven years. Other new fighter and ship programs have taken decades.
The cost of the bombers is unknown. The Air Force previously put the price at an average cost of $550 million each in 2010 dollars — roughly $753 million today — but it’s unclear how much is actually being spent. The total will depend on how many bombers the Pentagon buys.
“We will soon fly this aircraft, test it, and then move it into production. And we will build the bomber force in numbers suited to the strategic environment ahead,” Austin said.
The undisclosed cost troubles government watchdogs.
“It might be a big challenge for us to do our normal analysis of a major program like this,” said Dan Grazier, a senior defense policy fellow at the Project on Government Oversight. “It’s easy to say that the B-21 is still on schedule before it actually flies. Because it’s only when one of these programs goes into the actual testing phase when real problems are discovered.” That, he said, is when schedules start to slip and costs rise.
The B-2 was also envisioned to be a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, but the Air Force built only 21, due to cost overruns and a changed security environment after the Soviet Union fell. Fewer than that are ready to fly on any given day due to the significant maintenance needs of the aging bomber.
The B-21 Raider, which takes its name from the 1942 Doolittle Raid over Tokyo, will be slightly smaller than the B-2 to increase its range, Warden said. It won’t make its first flight until 2023. However, Warden said Northrop Grumman has used advanced computing to test the bomber’s performance using a digital twin, a virtual replica of the one unveiled Friday.
Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota will house the bomber’s first training program and squadron, though the bombers are also expected to be stationed at bases in Texas and Missouri.
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican of South Dakota, led the state’s bid to host the bomber program. In a statement, he called it “the most advanced weapon system ever developed by our country to defend ourselves and our allies.”
Northrop Grumman has also incorporated maintenance lessons learned from the B-2, Warden said.
In October 2001, B-2 pilots set a record when they flew 44 hours straight to drop the first bombs in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks. The B-2 often does long round-trip missions because there are few hangars globally that can accommodate its wingspan, which limits where it can land for maintenance. The hangars also must be air-conditioned because the Spirit’s windows don’t open and hot climates can cook cockpit electronics.
The new Raider will also get new hangars to accommodate its size and complexity, Warden said.
However, with the Raider’s extended range, ’it won’t need to be based in-theater,” Austin said. “It won’t need logistical support to hold any target at risk.”
A final noticeable difference was in the debut itself. While both went public in Palmdale, the B-2 was rolled outdoors in 1988 amid much public fanfare. Given advances in surveillance satellites and cameras, the Raider was just partially exposed, keeping its sensitive propulsion systems and sensors under the hangar and protected from overhead eyes.
“The magic of the platform,” Warden said, “is what you don’t see.”
———
Follow the AP’s coverage of the Air Force at https://apnews.com/hub/air-force.
———
This story has been corrected to show the B-2 rollout was in 1988, not 1989.
In this handout photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, a view of a Tu-95 strategic bomber of the Russian air force taxiing before takeoff for a joint air patrol with Chinese bombers at an airbase in an unspecified location in Russia. Russian and Chinese strategic bombers on Wednesday flew a joint patrol over the western Pacific in a show of increasingly close defense ties between the two countries. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
AFWERX STRATFI award highlights sustainable common software environment made possible by Structsure, BrainGu’s DevSecOps Platform.
Press Release –
Nov 29, 2022 09:00 EST
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., November 29, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– BrainGu, a software development company focused on empowering innovation and rapid software prototyping for customers in highly regulated industries, announced today that it has been awarded a $15 million contract by the US Air Force’s Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. The $15 million contract was awarded through AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation hub, as part of USAF efforts to accelerate the development of mission-critical technology with the assistance of highly innovative companies like BrainGu.
“The STRATFI contract awarded to BrainGu signals the Air Force’s commitment to invest in the future of BrainGu and our Structsure products. Together we will further the mission of empowering operators to get directly involved in the development of software tools that benefit them and support their mission,” said Tim Gast, VP BrainGu Labs. “The demand for integrated software solutions that enable or enhance Air Force operational and business systems has never been greater. At BrainGu, we are committed to supporting our warfighters with our DevSecOps platform, Structsure. With Structsure, we are creating a sustainable common environment that enables operator-driven mission application development from concept to combat.”
AF Ventures opportunities have given BrainGu an on-ramp to bring software and unique capabilities to the DoD and engage with stakeholders across the DoD to optimize the DevSecOps Platform to support the DoD operational environment. STRATFI funding will accelerate BrainGu’s custom platform development efforts in support of the US Air Force’s strategic mission, as well as other key mission partners across the US Department of Defense – including the US Navy and Army. With Structsure, BrainGu continues to bring modern, DevSecOps approaches to support high-quality software delivery to military and intelligence missions.
Who Is BrainGu?
BrainGu is a small business delivering DevSecOps platforms that enable our customers to provide rapid, adaptable, and secure application delivery through cloud-native automation. Our Structsure platform enables our customers to focus on their core business competencies by starting them out on day one with all the tools they need to get the job done. No more guesswork about what infrastructure, toolkits, or best practices to select – our platform works across a range of environments, both in the public and private sectors, with proven tools and automation that work. We support secure software throughout the lifecycle so our customers know their applications and data are protected. Our application acceleration suite gives our customers easy-to-use components they can leverage to build faster, telemetry to get insight into app and user behavior, and the ability to get their code into production in minutes.
