updated

Perhaps the most extraordinary-looking aircraft to have taken to the air in many years, the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology experimental test aircraft, or QueSST, has made its first flight. Much is resting on the test program that has now been kicked off, with the future of supersonic passenger flight arguably dependent on its successful outcome.

The first flight took place at the U.S. Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. Photographer Matt Hartman has shared pictures with us of the X-59 after its departure from Plant 42, as seen at the top of this story and below.

It has been planned that after the X-59’s first flight, it will be moved to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, which is collocated with Edwards Air Force Base in California, for further test flights.

Ahead of the first flight, NASA had outlined its plans for the milestone sortie. This would be a lower-altitude loop at about 240 miles per hour to check system integration. It will be followed by the first phase of flight testing, focused on verifying the X-59’s airworthiness and safety. During subsequent test flights, the X-59 will go higher and faster, eventually exceeding the speed of sound.

Although there were no public announcements, the first flight had been expected earlier this month but was scrubbed for unknown reasons. TWZ has reached out to NASA for more information in relation to today’s flight.

A product of Lockheed Martin’s famed Skunk Works advanced projects division, the X-59 was rolled out at the Skunk Works facility within Palmdale in January 2024.

“In just a few short years, we’ve gone from an ambitious concept to reality,” NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said at the time. “NASA’s X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time.”

The first flight was preceded by integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing.

Taxi tests began at Palmdale this summer, marking the first time that the X-59 had moved under its own power. NASA test pilot Nils Larson was at the controls for the aircraft’s first low-speed taxi test on July 10, 2025.

The X-59 project was kicked off back in 2016, and NASA had originally hoped that the aircraft would take to the air for the first time in 2020. The targeted first flight then slipped successively to 2023, to 2024, and then to this year.

Among other issues, NASA blamed the schedule slip on “several technical challenges identified over the course of 2023,” which the QueSST team then had to work through.

Once at Armstrong, the X-59 will be put through its paces as the centerpiece of NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Technology mission. This is an exciting project that TWZ has covered in detail over the years.

The main goal of QueSST is to prove that careful design considerations can reduce the noise of a traditional sonic boom to a “quieter sonic thump.” If that can then be ported over to future commercial designs, it could solve the longstanding problem of regulations that prohibit supersonic flight over land.

The only genuinely successful supersonic airliner was the Anglo-French Concorde. Even that aircraft had an abbreviated career, during which it struggled with enormously high operating costs and an ever-shrinking market.

Even before Concorde entered service, however, commercial supersonic flight over the United States had been prohibited, under legislation introduced in 1973. Even the U.S. military faces heavy restrictions on where and when it can operate aircraft above the speed of sound within national airspace. Similar prohibitions on supersonic flight exist in many other countries, too.

NASA’s test program aims to push the X-59 to a speed of Mach 1.4, equivalent to around 925 miles per hour, over land. At that point, it’s hoped that its unique design, shaping, and technologies will result in a much quieter noise signature.

The second phase of the QueSST program will be about ensuring that the core design works as designed and will include multiple sorties over the supersonic test range at Edwards Air Force Base.

The third and final phase will be the Community Response Study, in which the X-59 will be flown over different locations in the United States. Individuals in those different communities will provide feedback on the noise signature via push notifications to cell phones.

At one time, the third phase was planned to take place between 2025 and 2026, but, as previously outlined, the program as a whole has now been delayed.

In the past, we have looked at some of the remarkable features that make the X-59 a test jet like no other.

Most obviously, there is its incredibly long nose, which accounts for around a third of its overall length of 99.7 feet. Meanwhile, its wingspan measures just under 30 feet. The idea behind the thin, tapering nose, which you can read about in detail here, is that the shock waves that are created in and around the supersonic regime will be dissipated. It is these shock waves that would otherwise produce a very audible sonic boom on the ground.

The X-59’s nose also dictates its unusual cockpit arrangement, with the pilot being located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft, with no forward-facing window at all. The pilot instead relies on the eXternal Vision System (XVS), which was specially developed for the aircraft, to see the outside world. This makes use of a series of high-resolution cameras that feed into a 4K monitor in the cockpit, something that we have also discussed in depth in the past.

Another noteworthy feature is the location of the X-59’s powerplant, on top of the rear of the fuselage, which ensures a smooth underside. This is another part of the jet that has been tailored to address supersonic shockwaves, helping prevent them from merging behind the aircraft and causing a sonic boom. The powerplant itself is a single F414-GE-100 turbofan, a variant of the same engine found on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Meanwhile, various items found on the X-59 are more familiar. For example, the canopy and elements of the pilot’s seat are taken from the T-38 Talon, the landing gear is borrowed from an F-16, and the life-support system is adapted from that used in the F-15 Eagle.

If all proceeds as planned with the QueSST program, NASA should be able to demonstrate that the rules that currently prohibit commercial supersonic flight over land, both in the United States and elsewhere, can be adjusted.

However, whether that potential regulatory change is enough to spur the successful development of future commercial high-speed aircraft designs remains a big question.

After all, aside from Concorde, the quest to successfully introduce a supersonic passenger transport is one that has otherwise been littered with failures. Many will now be pinning their hopes on the X-59 helping to reverse that trend.

Update: 4:20 PM Eastern –

Lockheed Martin has now put out a press release about the X-59’s first flight. As planned, the aircraft has now arrived at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.

“The X-59 performed exactly as planned, verifying initial flying qualities and air data performance on the way to a safe landing at its new home,” according to the release. “Skunk Works will continue to lead the aircraft’s initial flight test campaign, working closely with NASA to expand the X-59’s flight envelope over the coming months. Part of this test journey will include the X-59’s first supersonic flights, where the aircraft will achieve the optimal speed and altitude for a quiet boom. This will enable NASA to operate the X-59 to measure its sound signature and conduct community acceptance testing.”

“We are thrilled to achieve the first flight of the X-59,” O.J. Sanchez, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, said in a statement. “This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development.” 

“X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity. The American spirit knows no bounds. It’s part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before,” Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation and acting NASA Administrator, also said in a statement. “This work sustains America’s place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies.”

Contact the author: [email protected]

The U.S. Navy is continuing to build up its forces in the Caribbean amid reported claims that an attack on Venezuela could be imminent. The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg is now in the region, a U.S. Navy official told The War Zone. The Gettysburg adds to a current force of eight other warships deployed as part of enhanced counter-narcotics operations also aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. In addition, as we have previously reported, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has also been ordered to the region, but is not expected to arrive for at least another week.

The Gettysburg is the second cruiser to take part in the operation, joining the USS Lake Erie. The vessels in this class bring a great deal of additional firepower and other capabilities to the flotilla now arrayed in the Caribbean. You can read more about the status of America’s dwindling fleet of cruisers here.

News about the Gettysburg deployed to the Caribbean comes as the Miami Herald on Friday reported that U.S. strikes on targets inside Venezuela “could come at any moment.”

“Sources told the Herald that the targets — which could be struck by air in a matter of days or even hours — also aim to decapitate the cartel’s hierarchy,” the publication reported. The outlet added that it is unclear if that means taking out Maduro. The Venezuelan leader was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency. He and 14 others, including several close allies, were hit with federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy with the Colombian FARC insurgent group to import cocaine. There is now a $50 million bounty for his arrest.

The Herald story follows reporting on Thursday by the Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration “has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs.”

While the Journal says that President Donald Trump hasn’t made a final decision yet on ordering strikes against land targets, anonymous officials told the paper that “a potential air campaign would focus on targets that sit at the nexus of the drug gangs and the Maduro regime.”

The potential targets under consideration “include ports and airports controlled by the military that are allegedly used to traffic drugs, including naval facilities and airstrips, according to one of the officials,” the publication added. 

Trump has since outright denied that he is considering strikes on Venezuela.

The president replied “no” when asked by reporters on Friday aboard Air Force One if it was true he is weighing whether to attack military sites in Venezuela. He said “no” again when asked if he had decided on the matter.

A White House spokesperson further pushed back on any assertion that an attack was imminent.

“Unnamed sources don’t know what they’re talking about,” Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, told The War Zone. “Any announcements regarding Venezuela policy would come directly from the president.” Kelly did not answer our questions about when that decision might take place or what targets, if any, have been identified.

A U.S. official we spoke with on Friday morning was not aware of any imminent plans to attack Venezuela. 

“While it does not appear that such an attack would take place in the coming hours, the U.S. military will be ready to execute at the POTUS’ direction,” said the official. “We are poised to execute any orders given to us.”

While Trump has stated that he is eyeing land strikes on drug targets in Venezuela, so far, attacks have been limited to what the Pentagon asserts are drug smuggling boats. Several strikes have resulted in multiple deaths of suspected drug smugglers.

Earlier today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on yet another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Eastern Pacific.

This vessel, like all the others, was known by our… pic.twitter.com/mBOLA5RYQe

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 29, 2025

These attacks have come under intense criticism for being carried out without evidence or the consent of Congress.

Blowing up boats without proof isn’t justice; it’s what China or Iran would do. There’s no evidence of fentanyl and no due process.

This isn’t about blowing up drug boats, it’s about talks of regime change in Venezuela. We’ve seen how that ends: chaos, not freedom.

America… pic.twitter.com/8VBNWu2xE9

— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) October 30, 2025

Regardless of the timing of a large-scale attack, U.S. Navy vessels appear to be sailing closer to Venezuela. Satellite imagery shows that the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and an unidentified Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer have come closer than 125 miles from La Orchila, one of Venezuela’s outlying islands. The U.S. Navy official we spoke with declined to confirm the specific location of the Iwo Jima or any other vessels.

In another potential sign of future operations, the U.S. just closed airspace off the Puerto Rican coast, designating it “National Defense Airspace.” Pilots not adhering to the notice to airmen (NOTAM) are subject to being intercepted, detained and having criminal charges levied against them.

The NOTAM is adjacent to José Aponte de la Torre Airport, home to a significant deployment of forces, including F-35s. You can read more about the airport’s role in the ongoing operations in our story here.

This appears to be a ‘corridor TFR’ supporting military operations operating out of Puerto Rico into the Caribbean and back.

These are typically used when there is a high amount of traffic expected. https://t.co/7oZadNszc7

— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) October 31, 2025

Meanwhile, as the U.S. continues to build up forces in the region, the Pentagon is assessing what, if any, resources will be deployed to provide humanitarian relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The storm was a Category 5 hurricane when it slammed into Jamaica and Haiti, causing tremendous destruction.

U.S. Southern Command on Friday announced that Joint Task Force-Bravo deployed to Kingston, Jamaica, “on a mission to provide humanitarian and disaster relief assistance following Hurricane Melissa,” the command said in a statement.

“Three CH-47 Chinooks from the 1st Battalion, 228 Aviation Regiment, carried 40 service members and supplies as part of the initial effort to provide immediate, lifesaving and humanitarian support,” the statement continued. “The advance team will set up operations in Kingston to prepare for the arrival of additional personnel and equipment via three UH-60 and two HH-60 Blackhawks. Upon arrival, they will provide ongoing U.S. disaster relief assistance missions requested by the government of Jamaica.”

“Historically, U.S. military capabilities are needed most in the critical early stages of a disaster relief operation, when fewer resources, capabilities and disaster-response experts are available to help victims and impacted communities,” SOUTHCOM added.

The ships and troops of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG)/22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), already in the region as part of the counter-narcotics mission, could also potentially be deployed for relief efforts. In addition to more than 4,000 Marines and sailors, the ships in the ARG/MEU have Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft, CH-53, UH-1 and MH-60 helicopters, MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft and AV-8B Harrier II attack jets that could be beneficial in any crisis response.

While these units have responded to post-storm relief efforts in the region in the past, no tasking has yet been made for Melissa, the official told us.

“It is too early to say if the 22nd MEU will be deployed for any humanitarian relief efforts,” the official posited.

Regardless, assigning assets for relief efforts will not affect the counter-narcotics operation, SOUTHCOM said.

“SOUTHCOM is mission-ready to support both missions as required,” Army Col. Emanuel Ortiz, a SOUTHCOM spokesman, told us.

While it is publicly unknown what Trump’s plans are concerning Venezuela or Maduro, the addition of the Gettysburg is one more asset the president can call on should he decide to attack.

Update: 2:43 PM Eastern –

The Navy provided us with a comment about what the Gettysburg will bring to the table.

“As a Ticonderoga class cruiser, the USS Gettysburg (CG 70) brings a versatile suite of capabilities to support naval operations. These cruisers are designed as multi-mission surface combatants, capable of contributing significantly to Air Warfare (AW), Undersea Warfare (USW), Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS), and Surface Warfare (SUW) efforts.

The Gettysburg can effectively support carrier strike groups, amphibious forces, or operate independently as a flagship of surface action groups. Equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the vessel provides long-range strike warfare options. Furthermore, some Aegis cruisers, including the Gettysburg, have been upgraded with Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capabilities. Advances in Standard Missile technology, coupled with the Aegis combat system, enhance the anti-air warfare capabilities of Ticonderoga class cruisers, providing precision accuracy across a wide range of altitudes. During its deployment to the Caribbean, the USS Gettysburg could leverage these capabilities in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.”

Update 3:55 PM Eastern –

The military on the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, located less than 10 miles from the Venezuelan coast, has boosted its readiness status, a local newspaper reported.

“The Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) has been placed on high alert, with all soldiers and Coast Guard officers ordered to report to their respective bases by this evening,” The Express newspaper reported. “A memo circulated to members yesterday stated that the TTDF has been moved to State One Alert Level—the highest level of operational readiness.”

The War Zone cannot independently confirm that claim.

Tensions between the two nations have soared over Trinidad and Tobago’s support for the U.S. That includes a recent visit by the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Gravely. A U.S. Navy official confirmed to us that the Gravely left that nation yesterday after a port call for joint military training.

It also appears that the MV Ocean Trader – a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship modified to carry special operators and their gear – has left Puerto Rico for an unknown destination. Navy officials and U.S. Special Operations Command have declined to comment on this vessel. The ship, which TWZ first reported on back in 2016, has been something of a ghost since entering service, popping up in hot spots around the globe.

The Ocean Trader has been spotted several times in various parts of the Caribbean in the past few weeks.

MV Ocean Trader, chartered by the Military Sealift Command for the U.S. Special Operations Command that supports Special Operations Forces as a mothership leaving Ponce, Puerto Rico – October 31, 2025 SRC: TW-@MichaelBonet8 pic.twitter.com/80HocPjWZL

— WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) October 31, 2025

Update: 4:14 PM Eastern –

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the chorus of those pushing back on the Miami Herald‘s claim that a strike on Venezuela was imminent.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Anduril’s YFQ-44A ‘fighter drone’ prototype has now made its maiden flight. The YFQ-44A is one of two designs currently being developed under the first phase, or Increment 1, of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The other is General Atomics’ YFQ-42A, which took to the skies for the first time earlier this year.

A TWZ reader has shared pictures with us of the YFQ-44A in flight, which were taken earlier today at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California. The drone was also seen accompanied by two L-29 Delfin trainer jets acting as chase planes. We have reached out to Anduril for more information.

Additional imagery of the YFQ-44A in flight is now beginning to circulate online.

Last year, the Air Force announced that it trimmed back the field of prospective Increment 1 CCA designs to the proposals from Anduril and General Atomics. However, Fury’s story traces back to the late 2010s and an aggressor drone concept from a company called Blue Force Technologies, which Anduril acquired in 2023, as you can read about in extensive detail in this past War Zone feature.

“This marks another major milestone for the CCA program, now with two new uncrewed fighter aircraft going from concept to flight in less than 2 years,” the Air Force has now said in a press release confirming the YFQ-44A’s first flight. “This flight testing expands the program’s knowledge base on flight performance, autonomous behaviors, and mission system integration. By advancing multiple designs in parallel, the Air Force is gaining broader insights and refining how uncrewed aircraft will complement crewed fifth-and sixth-generation platforms in future mission environments.”

“This milestone demonstrates how competition drives innovation and accelerates delivery,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a statement. “These flights are giving us the hard data we need to shape requirements, reduce risk, and ensure the CCA program delivers combat capability on a pace and scale that keeps us ahead of the threat.”

Anduril and the Air Force had previously declined to provide a hard timeline for when the YFQ-44A would make its first flight.

“We have multiple vehicles at our test facility in ground testing right now, and we’re in the final stages before first flight,” Diem Salmon, Anduril’s Vice President of Air Dominance and Strike, had told TWZ and others at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2025 Air, Space, and Cyber Conference back in September. “All in all, we’re still well ahead of the program schedule in terms of getting YFQ-44A into the air. [We] feel really confident in our ability to do so and still feel really good about the program schedule.”

At that time, Salmon, as well as Jason Levin, Anduril’s Senior Vice President of Engineering for Air Dominance and Strike, offered additional details about the plans for Fury’s first flight, including the level of autonomy the company was hoping to demonstrate, which was a key schedule driver. You can read more about that here.

“It was not a race to get to first flight as fast as humanly possible. It was, how do we field this really advanced and novel capability as fast as we can,” Salmon had said. “And with that comes the recognition that the autonomy is the hard part here, and so that’s the thing that you actually need to burn down from a technical development, testing, and risk perspective. And so that’s how we’ve approached our program.”

Secretary of the Air Force Meink had also told TWZ and others at a separate roundtable at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference that his service was hoping to see the YFQ-44A fly by the middle of October. In a keynote address at the event, now-retired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin described Fury’s first flight as “imminent,” as well.

“My engineers tell me that if we push the button … [the drone] will take off, it’ll fly around, and it’ll come back home,” Anduril founder Palmer Luckey had also told reporters earlier this month, according to Breaking Defense. “The Air Force is going through a process of evaluation that is very, very reasonable, I think.”

“Obviously, now the problem is we’re into the shutdown,” Luckey added at that time. “Certainly … a lot of stuff stops moving.”

The U.S. federal government remains in a shutdown. Efforts have been made to find continued funding for various priority efforts, especially within the U.S. military.

With the YFQ-42A and the YFQ-44A now flying, “developmental flight activities continue across both vendor and government test locations, including Edwards Air Force Base [AFB], where envelope expansion and integration work will inform future experimentation,” according to the Air Force’s press release today. “The Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit (EOU), located at Nellis AFB, will be instrumental in evaluating operational concepts as the program transitions from testing to fielding substantial operational capability for Increment 1 before the end of the decade.”

How many Increment 1 CCAs the Air Force ultimately plans to acquire is not entirely clear. Air Force officials have said previously that between 100 and 150 drones could be ordered under the program’s first phase. It also remains to be seen whether the service buys YFQ-42As, YFQ-44As, or a mix of both.

“CCA is part of the Next Generation Air Dominance Family of Systems and leverages the Department’s Government Reference Architectures—enabling platform-agnostic autonomy development, streamlined integration across vendor systems, and more agile capability updates over time,” the Air Force’s release also noted. “The architecture is built to integrate with Allied and Joint partners, offering common autonomy and mission system standards that support seamless interoperability and teaming across Services and coalition forces.”

There are still plans for at least one more incremental CCA developmental cycle, the requirements for which have yet to be publicly disclosed. However, the submissions for Increment 2 are already expected to be significantly different from the ones for Increment 1. in September, Lockheed Martin unveiled a new CCA-type drone, called Vectis, which the company suggested could be proposed for Increment 2. This week, Aviation Week also disclosed the existence of a new drone design from Northrop Grumman subsidiary Scaled Composites, currently referred to just as Project Lotus, which that outlet described in terms of its similarities to Vectis.

Increment 2 has also long been expected to involve foreign participation. Earlier this month, authorities in the Netherlands notably announced they had signed the letter of intent about joining the CCA program.

The Air Force’s CCA effort is also directly intertwined with similar efforts underway within the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy. The Air Force still has many general questions to answer about how its future CCA fleets, whatever they are comprised of, will be deployed, launched, recovered, supported, and otherwise operated, not to mention employed tactically.

As such, in addition to being an important milestone in Fury’s development, the YFQ-44A’s first flight is also another step forward for the Air Force’s larger CCA plans.

Update, 3:45 PM EST:

Anduril has now put out its own release regarding the YFQ-44A’s first flight.

“Flight testing is where we prove to ourselves, to the Air Force, to our allies, and to our adversaries that these proclamations about game-changing technology go beyond words. They’re real, and they are taking to the skies today,” Jason Levin, Senior Vice President of Engineering for Air Dominance and Strike at Anduril, writes. “The flight testing process is where we prove that our aircraft meets the mark in terms of speed, maneuverability, autonomy, stealth, range, weapons systems integration, and more. As YFQ-44A climbs higher, we’re proving that it doesn’t merely look like a fighter, but that it performs like one.”

“Flight testing for the CCA program is also about more than simply proving raw fighter performance in a vacuum. The real step change that autonomy is driving is enabling a team of robotic aircraft to collaborate to accomplish mission objectives,” he adds. We designed YFQ-44A for a specific Air Force mission: to enhance survivability, lethality, and mission effectiveness by teaming with crewed fighter aircraft or operating independently. Through flight testing, Anduril and the Air Force are developing those collaborative, manned-unmanned teaming concepts and tactics that will inform how we integrate, fight with, and sustain truly autonomous aircraft.”

Levin also speaks more directly to Anduril’s previously stated focus on autonomy for the first flight, and now for testing going forward.

“YFQ-44A was not designed to be a remotely-piloted aircraft, and that is not how we are operating it — from first flight and forever onward. All of our taxi and flight tests have been and will continue to be semi-autonomous. This is a new age of air power; there is no operator with a stick and throttle flying the aircraft behind the scenes,” he says in the release. “Our aircraft is ushering in this new paradigm with incredible technical precision: it executes a mission plan on its own, manages flight control and throttle adjustment independent of human command, and returns to land at the push of a button, all under the watchful eye of an operator “on the loop” but not in it.”

“It must do more than just fly. CCA are built to win the high end fight; that’s what we’ve built the software that powers YFQ-44A to do. In the air, the fully integrated weapon system processes data at the speed that combat demands. It identifies targets and commands effects, enhancing the lethality, survivability, and effectiveness of the combined team,” he continues. “On the ground, YFQ-44A’s software backbone tracks and manages maintenance, vehicle health, and more, streamlining sustainment to ensure that it’s always ready to fly. In short, YFQ-44A’s autonomy is what makes it more than just a flying machine, but one that’s ready to fight.”

Anduril’s release also includes details about the production plans for the YFQ-44A, which tie into a “hyperscale” production facility, called Arsenal-1, that the company is now building in Ohio.

“To achieve the scale we need at the speed that the threat demands, we are building and testing a new type of production system for YFQ-44A. Through the employment of a common software backbone called ArsenalOS, our production system multiplies the effects of the thousands of design-for-manufacturing decisions made during the development of YFQ-44A,” according to Levin. “That system is underpinned by a manufacturing philosophy focused on simple, mature, and low-risk production technologies, rather than relying on manufacturing miracles. YFQ-44A will be produced at rate by a broad labor pool, commoditized supply chain, and industry-standard manufacturing processes.”

“YFQ-44A is streaking through the skies, but its next chapter will be written on the factory floors of America’s heartland. Our investment in this aircraft is the driving force behind Arsenal-1, the 5 million square foot production facility that we’re building in Columbus, Ohio,” he adds. “YFQ-44A will be the first program to move into the factory when its doors open, and we are on track to begin production of prototype CCA at Arsenal-1 in the first half of 2026.”

“We’re not waiting for Arsenal-1 to start building, though. In the meantime, we have already more than doubled our manufacturing speed for YFQ-44A by rapidly optimizing our processes and workflows, and by making hundreds of tweaks to the design of the aircraft to further enhance producibility,” Levin also notes. “Making it this far has required herculean investments from the combined Anduril-USAF team measured in time and money.”

Update, 6:00 PM EST:

During a press call today, Anduril’s Jason Levin provided TWZ and other outlets with additional information about today’s first flight and future testing plans. The company has so far declined to say how long the YFQ-44A’s first flight lasted or provide other, more specific details about what it entailed.

“I don’t think I can say any specifics, but the team is very excited,” Levin said in response to a question about whether the first flight went as planned. He did say that the YFQ-44A flew today with an Anduril flight autonomy mission package, but declined to speak to what additional mission autonomy capabilities might be integrated into the drone in future test flights.

“I think it’s kind of the standard buildup that you would have in in in aviation. So I think it’s just checking out subsystems, continue to burn down risk, continue to prove that systems are flight worthy and things are working as expected, matching up the simulation, and then just to continue to start to push the envelope,” he added when asked about potential hurdles to further expanding Fury’s flight envelope. “So, I don’t see any specific risk. We’ve kind of designed Fury to be a simple, low-risk, producible system on purpose, so that we didn’t have to clear any huge hurdles while progressing through the flight test program.”

“We still have a lot to do. So, we’ve shown the airplane works. We’ve shown the autonomy works. The software brain that powers it works. We have a lot to do in terms of proving out the speed, maneuverability, autonomy, stealth, weapon systems integration, and more. And that’s when we’re going to start developing the tactics with experimentation with the Air Force,” he also said. “We’ve already begun integrating weapons with YFQ-44A, and we’ll execute our first live shot next year. And then over the next year, we’ll execute multi-ship mission autonomy, deploy weapons from YFQ-44A, fly in conjunction with crewed fighters, and operate outside of test locations.”

“I can’t talk to the specific build-up to firing a missile, but you can kind of imagine it’s not going to be too dissimilar from any aircraft doing a first shot. So we’re just going to build up in terms of flying, integrating systems, and testing them out,” he added when asked to elaborate on the weapon testing plans. “We have a test planning collaboration with the Air Force for things like that.”

It also gives us the hard data we need to shape requirements, reduce risk, and ensure the CCA program delivers combat capability on a pace and scale that keeps us ahead of the threat (2/2). https://t.co/qoCd9PY3do

— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) October 31, 2025

He offered a similar response when asked about the plans for multi-ship flight testing, which is set to be conducted in coordination with crewed fighters.

“We have a flight test kind of procedure that I think is going to move quite rapidly, because we’ve built out a lot of the autonomy, so we can start hitting the other test points and showing the capability of the aircraft much quicker,” Levin said, speaking more generally. “And so we feel confident that’ll get us pretty quickly into the live shot, multi-ship autonomous flight, and then autonomous flight with crewed aircraft.”

“We’ve [got] currently multiple Fury fully-built aircraft in testing, as well as multiple aircraft in various stages of the manufacturing process,” he also noted. Anduril had previously disclosed this at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2025 Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in September.

“Arsenal-1, it is going to open next year, and it can support the increment one demand that the U.S. Air Force has for CCA,” he added. “And so we’re scaling up that facility to build hundreds of aircraft.”

Contact the author: [email protected]

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

MONDAY’S RESULTS

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 1

JSerra 41, Santa Margarita 0

Dos Pueblos 12, Edison 6

Huntington Beach 20, Camarillo 6

Orange Lutheran 41, San Marcos 18

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 2

Newbury Park at Bishop Amat

Ventura at Corona del Mar, 6 p.m.

Downey at Westlake

El Toro at Upland

DIVISION 3

Sunny Hills at La Serna

Glendora at Long Beach Poly

Mission Viejo at El Modena

La Habra at Eastvale Roosevelt

DIVISION 4

Canyon Springs at West Ranch

Riverside King at Great Oak

Riverside Poly at Temecula Valley

Royal at Compton

DIVISION 5

Moreno Valley at Rancho Alamitos

Norte Vista at Castaic

Don Lugo at Anaheim

Vista Murrieta at Vasquez

DIVISION 6

Leuzinger at Cerritos

Loara at Adelanto

Alemany at Estancia

Palm Desert at Hillcrest

Note: Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 1; Finals (all divisions) Nov. 7-8 at Fred Kelly Stadium.

Sikorsky has unveiled a new, fully uncrewed version of the Black Hawk helicopter with a completely transformed front end that swaps out the cockpit for clamshell doors. Depending on how it is configured, what has been dubbed the U-Hawk can move thousands of pounds of outsized cargo internally and slung underneath, deploy uncrewed ground vehicles, and fire dozens of “launched effects” like surveillance and reconnaissance drones and loitering munitions.

A U-Hawk demonstrator, converted from an ex-U.S. Army UH-60L, is on display at the Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) main annual conference in Washington, D.C., which opened today and at which TWZ is in attendance. Sikorsky, now a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, also refers to the design as the S-70 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), with S-70 being the company’s internal model number for H-60 variants.

The U-Hawk leverages the company’s past work on a Pilot Optional Vehicle (OPV) version of the Black Hawk, which has been flying for years, as well as its MATRIX autonomy flight control software. Development of MATRIX first began more than a decade ago and was buoyed early on by support from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program.

“A lot of our customers said, hey, I need to be able to move things into theater, and I need to be able to move them in mass. And a lot of the drones out there may be able to carry 100 pounds, may be able to carry 500 pounds,” Rich Benton, Sikorsky Vice President and General Manager, told TWZ and other outlets during a press call earlier this month. “We look introspectively, what do we have? Well, we actually have an autonomous Black Hawk today, our OPV, optionally piloted. But why couldn’t we just take the cockpit out of that and make that a UAS?”

“We conceived this idea [the U-Hawk], believe it not, at the last AUSA, talking to some of the folks from the Army and other services,” Igor Cherepinsky, Sikorsky Innovations Director, also told TWZ and other outlets during a separate call ahead of the opening of today’s conference. “We procured the [underlying UH-60L] aircraft towards the beginning of this year.”

It took Sikorsky roughly 10 months to go from “concept to reality,” according to a company press release. The goal is for it to take flight for the first time next year. The U-Hawk has, so far, been an internally funded effort.

The U-Hawk adaptation of the Black Hawk does do much more than simply remove the pilots and offers significantly greater capability than crewed versions for certain missions. The design also features a different hardware backend for the MATRIX autonomy package and a revised fly-by-wire control system compared to the previous OPV Black Hawk, which we will come back to later on.

Still, the most eye-catching features of the new uncrewed version are its new front section and revised internal arrangement.

“We have completely removed the cockpit, the pilot, and also the crew chief stations of the aircraft,” Ramsey Bentley, Sikorsky Advanced Programs Business Development Director, explained while speaking alongside Cherepinsky. “This gives us the entire cabin and cockpit area for either a logistics operation or mission support operations.”

Sikorsky says the U-Hawk will also be able to “self-deploy” out to a range of 1,600 nautical miles and have a total unrefueled endurance of 14 hours. The press release today also says the uncrewed Black Hawk can “carry internal fuel tanks for increased range or extended time on station,” but it is unclear if this is required to meet the stated range and endurance figures, although that seems likely. Increased range while carrying a useful payload still opens up significant new opportunities, especially for operations across the broad expanses of the Pacific, but also elsewhere.

Payload-wise, Sikorsky expects the uncrewed Black Hawk to be able to carry up to 7,000 pounds internally or 9,000 pounds slung underneath, or a mix of both up to a maximum rating of 10,000 pounds. The company says this is roughly in line with the payload capacity, by weight, of a standard crewed UH-60L. For helicopters, in general, the maximum allowable payload on any particular sortie is also heavily dependent on environmental factors like altitude and temperature.

The U-Hawk’s revised configuration gives it approximately 25 percent more physical space inside for cargo and/or other payloads compared to existing UH-60 variants. This is important as payloads often have dimensional restrictions, as well as weight-based ones. Some cargoes that would have been previously slung underneath could be carried internally, which would drastically increase the range at which they could be delivered.

“The payload, I think, is what really distinguishes this from competitors. … So one can start to imagine the missions that that U-Hawk can begin to solve,” Beth Parcella, Sikorsky Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, noted while speaking together with Vice President and General Manager Benton. “Everything from delivering swarms of drones, from launched effects ‘quivers,’ carrying cargo in a contested logistics environment, driving on and off uncrewed ground vehicles, operating in a counter-UAS function, [and] roll-on and roll-off of supplies.”

“So there’s a tremendous amount of flexibility with this aircraft,” she added.

When it comes to “launched effects,” or LEs, this is a catch-all term that the U.S. military currently uses to refer to uncrewed aerial systems that can be fired from other aerial platforms, as well as ones on the ground or at sea. Sikorsky and its parent company, Lockheed Martin, are currently using the Army’s requirements for three tiers of short, medium, and long-range launched effects as a baseline for the development of the launch ‘quivers’ and what gets loaded in them. LEs in all three categories could be configured to perform surveillance and reconnaissance and electronic warfare missions, as well as be employed as loitering munitions or act as decoys.

“What this quiver does is, depending upon the size of the launched effect, it’s able to hold 24 to 50 different launched effects in the back of the aircraft,” Bentley said. “The quiver is actually designed for what would be the Army short-range and medium-range-sized LEs. The long-range [ones] probably ends up going out on the [stub] wing, like you’ve probably seen [in] some other demonstrations.”

Bentley also noted that the quivers will be able to carry mixed loads of different types of LEs at once, including types developed by other companies.

Parcella did not elaborate on the potential “counter-UAS function” for the U-Hawk, but indicated that it could be tied to its launched effects capabilities. The U-Hawk might be able to carry other types of weaponry, as well as electronic warfare systems, that could be employed against hostile drones, as well as other targets.

As noted, general cargo-carrying is also envisioned as a key role for the uncrewed Black Hawk. Sikorsky says the U-Hawk will be able to carry up to four U.S. military-standard Joint Modular Intermodal Containers (JMIC), spread between the main cabin and slung underneath, compared to the two that existing Black Hawk variants can lug around today. It will also be able to carry a single one of the standard ammunition ‘pods’ used in the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), as well as a pair of Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) in their launch canisters, according to today’s press release. The Army operates both the M270 and M142. The Marine Corps has HIMARSs, as well, and is also fielding NSM in a ground-launched configuration.

The U-Hawk’s clamshell doors allow for the loading and unloading of cargo even while the rotors are still turning. There is also a folding ramp to help ease the process, as well as allow for the deployment of UGVs.

All of “this is designed to do direct support of the maneuver commander. So, as the Army is conducting an air assault, you would envision the U-Hawk flying ahead of the soldiers,” Bentley explained. “As the U-Hawk comes into the landing zone area, first it dispenses launched effects out of the sides of the aircraft, out of our launched effects quiver. And then it lands, it disembarks the UGV, and then the aircraft departs. And this is done ahead of any soldiers putting boots on the ground.”

“You’ve probably heard about Gen. [James] Rainey, the AFC [Army Futures Command] commander, talking about metal-on-metal first contact,” Bentley said. “This is Sikorsky focused on that commander’s need, the soldiers’ need, to put these launched effects, UGVs, and UAS in the battle space, ahead of us, putting soldiers in harm’s way.”

The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps are also both especially interested in using vertical takeoff and landing-capable uncrewed aircraft for logistics missions, including the resupply of forces in higher-threat areas. The Marines are already pursuing a multi-tier family of Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) platforms, and have started to field drones to meet the lowest-end Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS) requirement. 

Bentley also said the company envisions U-Hawks performing non-military missions, including supporting wildfire fighting and disaster relief operations. A number of civilian operators already fly crewed H-60 variants in these roles.

Regardless of the missions it is configured for, Sikorsky is designing the U-Hawk to provide all of its capabilities with minimal training and sustainment requirements. Sikorsky says individuals without aviation-specific skill sets can be readily trained to operate the uncrewed Black Hawk via touchscreen tablet-like devices. The MATRIX system has a demonstrated ability to get platforms like the OPV Black Hawk between set waypoints in a highly autonomous manner.

“Upshot of this is that you can operate this aircraft with a minimally trained operator, and a tablet, if that’s what you want. We [are] obviously also providing a way to be integrated into [a] bigger airspace picture, be it civil or military airspace, where one can exercise more control over the aircraft,” Cherepinsky explained. “If you tell it to go from airport A to airport B, for example, and it knows it’s in civil airspace, it will take the right routes, follow the right civil procedures. If it knows it’s a military airspace, it will do what it thinks is right for the military airspace.”

“In some cases, [it] may not be what exactly — what you want. So, we’re providing this level of adjustable autonomy where you can have a local operator on the ground, for example, operating the aircraft as a crane, right, moving around the field, moving things around the field, loading the aircraft,” he added. “You can hand it off to a more central UAS command, where they have a lot more fine detail over … speeds, altitudes, and whatnot. It’s really, really up to our customer how they want to operate these vehicles.”

Sikorsky is also presenting U-Hawk as a very cost-effective option, even compared to what it previously demonstrated with the OPV Black Hawk.

“Our S-70 OPV aircraft has been flying for a number of years,” Cherepinsky said. “It’s optionally piloted. It’s [a] human-rated fly-by-wire system. It’s our autonomy system. It comes at a certain price point.”

He pointed out that many of the systems of the OPV demonstrator utilized available components sourced from existing suppliers rather than ones designed with that aircraft specifically in mind. This included the hardware used to run the MATRIX system, which he described as being more than what Sikorsky necessarily wanted or needed for that application. As he mentioned, the systems also had to meet standards for an aircraft designed to carry humans, which is not something U-Hawk has to take into account at present.

“On the U-Hawk, we actually did a lot more vertical integration,” according to Cherepinsky. “We designed our own vehicle management computers, our actuation, and the price point of the entire system, not just the aircraft, is much, much lower. As an example, our vehicle management computers are 10s of 1000s of dollars, not hundreds, as they are on a human-rated aircraft.”

The current cost proposition for the U-Hawks also includes savings from reusing existing UH-60L airframes. The U.S. Army has been steadily retiring these versions and selling them off as it acquires newer, more capable M variants. The Army had been working to bring some 760 L models up to an improved standard called the UH-60V, but axed plans for further conversions last year as part of a larger shakeup in the service’s aviation priorities. As such, hundreds more UH-60Ls are expected to become available in the coming years. Other older H-60s that could be turned into uncrewed versions might become available as other operators around the world begin upgrading their fleets, as well.

“We certainly can [build all-new U-Hawks]. It all depends on the economics and price point,” Cherepinsky said.

It is worth noting that the U.S. Army is currently envisioning future air assaults, especially in the context of a potential future high-end fight with China in the Pacific, stretching over distances beyond what the U-Hawk could cover. The ongoing war in Ukraine also continues to offer particularly good examples of how growing threat ecosystems are increasingly imposing significant operational limitations on the use of crewed helicopters. The pursuit of launched effects within the Army and elsewhere across the U.S. military directly reflects increasingly more capable and long-range adversary anti-air capabilities. The Army also notably canceled plans to acquire a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), which was set to be a crewed helicopter of some kind, last year, citing threat concerns and plans to focus more on uncrewed platforms.

“So, I’ll tell you up front, I can’t be specific on the things we’re doing to address survivability. And survivability has been an issue for aviation, for vertical aviation, for a long time,” Benton said during the previous press call in response to a direct question from this author about what might be in the works to help uncrewed and crewed Black Hawks address growing threats going forward. “We are leveraging the entire power of Lockheed Martin … what is [sic] the technologies that Lockheed Martin has and can bring to bear to provide survivability on those aircraft. Those are the things we’re continuing to look at.”

At the same time, crewed helicopters are not going away, and tradeoffs will have to be made. For many missions, the U-Hawk removes the biggest risk factor in terms of combat losses, a human crew, while also offering a significant boost in some capabilities. The uncrewed Black Hawk also proposes a way to do all of that at a lower cost that also leverages extremely well-established logistics and sustainment chains. This is particularly significant for the U.S. Army, which expects to continue flying H-60s on some level through at least 2070.

U-Hawks could also take over certain missions in lower-threat environments from crewed platforms, presenting the potential for additional operational flexibility and cost benefits. Being able to autonomously move even a few hundred pounds of critical cargo, such as spare parts, between far flung and remote locations separated by many hundreds of miles, without the need for a fully qualified aircrew, could be a boon even in lower threat areas. The fact that it can move much larger loads internally, without the range penalties of sling loading, is an even bigger sell. All this could be done without adding a new type to the Army’s shrinking helicopter fleet and leveraging the H-60/S-70’s global supply chain is also a very attractive factor, as well. Those same attributes underscore the sales potential of the uncrewed Black Hawk to non-military operators, too.

“We’re really excited. And honestly, some of us are thinking, gosh, why didn’t we think about this five years ago?” Parcella said on the press call earlier this month.

Update:

We got a walk-around tour of the U-Hawk on the floor of the Army Association’s symposium, check it out here.

Contact the author: [email protected]

With a large-scale ICE operation now underway in the Chicago area, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has enacted a uniquely massive 15-mile radius prohibition against drone flights. The FAA told us the temporary flight restriction (TFR) for drones in this area was requested by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The no-fly zone lasts through Oct. 12.

Under this restriction, only drones operated in support of national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, search and rescue and other emergency response efforts, or commercially used drones with a valid statement of work are allowed to fly. In addition, media organizations can apply for an approved special governmental interest airspace waiver. Any drones violating this restriction can be seized or destroyed, the TFR explains. It also extends about 15 miles into Lake Michigan, without any explanation.

There have been no reports that drones have created major problems for federal agents. However, having uncrewed aerial vehicles flying during an ongoing operation like the one taking place in the Chicago area clearly raises concerns about operational security as well as the safety of helicopters and other aviation assets flying in support of it. Meanwhile, despite the possibility of waivers for commercial and journalistic purposes, the restriction is also drawing the ire of commercial drone operators and sparking worries about civil liberties violations.

The move comes as the Trump administration has followed through on its vow to bring federal forces into the nation’s third-largest city. Hundreds of federal agents have poured into the region. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump suggested responding to protests in Chicago and elsewhere would be a good way to prepare troops for combat.

“…we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military – National Guard – but military, because we’re going into Chicago very soon,” Trump told a room full of admirals and generals gathered at Marine Base Quantico.

In response to these actions, hundreds of people have taken to the streets in downtown Chicago. They are protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration arrests and Trump’s promised federal troop deployment. One hundred National Guard troops are being deployed to Illinois to protect federal facilities.

Early on Tuesday, about 300 agents from various federal organizations, “using drones, helicopters, trucks and dozens of vehicles, conducted a middle-of-the-night raid on a rundown apartment building on the South Side of Chicago, leaving the building mostly empty of residents by morning and neighbors stunned,” The New York Times reported. Sources said the raid targeted the Tren de Aragua cartel, which the Trump administration has declared a narco terrorist organization.

Federal officials say they have made nearly 1,000 arrests for immigration violations in what has been dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, according to the DHS.

In addition, many of the protests have been aimed at a federal facility in suburban Broadview, located about 10 miles west of Chicago. The facility is being used to detain hundreds of people arrested on immigration violations. At least five people have been arrested amid clashes between protesters and agents in which chemical agents have been deployed to disperse crowds.

Issuing TFRs for emerging security concerns is not uncommon. However, the area this one covers is unusually large. TFRs are more commonly much more focused geographically.

For instance, a previous TFR was imposed over the Broadview facility. There is also one that is active over the federal facility in Portland, Oregon, which is a hotpoint for protests, that is one mile in radius.

Last year, for example, dozens of drone no-fly zones were created in the New Jersey area following thousands of reported mystery drone sightings, most of which proved to be unfounded. However, unlike the Chicago-area TFR, those were imposed on a localized level, mostly over power infrastructure sites. The vast majority only covered a one-mile radius of airspace. The TFR imposed over the Picatinny Arsenal was an outlier with a three-mile radius, a fraction of the area covered by the Chicago restrictions.

Not surprisingly, the local drone industry, which relies on flying the skies of Chicago to conduct business, is not happy with the restriction.

“The airspace closure affects Chicago’s substantial commercial drone industry, including real estate photographers, construction inspectors, and infrastructure surveyors who rely on drones for daily operations,” wrote Haye Kesteloo, Editor in Chief of two drone tech publications: DroneXL.co and EVXL.co. “Part 107 commercial pilots cannot work in the restricted airspace, while recreational pilots face the same grounding through mid-October.”

The restriction “represents one of the most expansive non-emergency TFRs affecting civilian drone operations in a major U.S. city, comparable to airspace closures during major events like the Super Bowl but lasting significantly longer,” he added.

“There’s zero legitimate security reason for this TFR,” Charles Black, a Chicago resident who writes software, complained on X.

A spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) says it has no force posture changes to announce after an unprecedented flurry of Russian drones violated Polish airspace overnight. Authorities in Poland say they have assessed that the incursions were not accidental. Polish and Dutch fighters shot down several of the intruding uncrewed aircraft. The alliance has described this as a first-of-its-kind event, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that the risk of a broader conflict in Europe is now greater than at any point since the end of World War II.

Polish authorities say Russian drones began to violate the country’s airspace at around 11:30 PM local time last night. The last incursion was reported at 6:30 AM local time this morning. The intrusions came amid a new round of Russian drone and missile attacks on neighboring Ukraine.

Exactly how many Russian drones, and of what specific types, made their way into Poland’s airspace is unclear. Polish Prime Minister Tusk said that between 11 and 19 violations of Polish airspace were recorded overnight, many of them crossing the border from Belarus. He said that at least three, and likely four, drones were shot down. In his Polish-language statements, Tusk used the term “kilkanaście,” which means a number between 11 and 19, and has no direct English translation.

Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s Foreign Minister, subsequently said there had been 19 total airspace violations. He also said Poland has assessed that the drones “did not veer off course but were deliberately targeted.”

Poland’s Tusk has also said that while at least three to four drones were shot down, another three to four appeared to have simply crashed in Polish territory. According to Karolina Gałecka, a spokesperson for the Polish interior minister, the remains of seven drones and an unidentified “rocket” have been recovered so far. Speaking at a briefing today, the spokesperson for the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command, Jacek Goryszewski, said debris currently categorized as being of “unknown origin” may turn out to be from an interceptor fired by NATO’s air defenses.

Pictures that have emerged so far show the drones that have been retrieved look to be Gerberas, a cheaper and simplified Russian-developed complement to variants and derivatives of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136s. Gerbera can be configured as kamikaze drones or decoys, and it is unclear whether the ones that flew into Poland were armed. With an estimated range of just under 373 miles (600 kilometers), it is not immediately clear where Gerberas may have been launched from that put them within reach of Polish territory.

❗️Breaking: More than 20, most likely 23, Russian drones were detected in a nighttime violation of Polish airspace, — Polish media Rzeczpospolita reported, referring to the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces. pic.twitter.com/piwOkFrwqt

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 10, 2025

The debris has been found mostly in areas in eastern Poland, relatively close to the country’s borders with Ukraine and Belarus, but some has also been discovered much further north and west. The drone incursions had also led to the temporary closure of four Polish airports, including the country’s main Chopin Airport in the capital Warsaw, although this has since reopened and flights have resumed. One of the other airports closed was Rzeszów-Jasionka in Poland’s south-east, which is a major hub for arms transfers to Ukraine.

Locations in Poland where Russian drones were found today shown on a map:

Cześniki (Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship) – 1 drone,
Czosnówka (Bialski County, Lublin Voivodeship) – 1 drone,
Wyryki Wola (Włodawa County, Lublin Voivodeship) – 1 drone and a damaged building,… pic.twitter.com/tVfugCeOrA

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 10, 2025

NOTAMs for closures at Modlin and Warsaw are set to expire at 0330 UTC (~60 minutes from now), while NOTAMs for Rzeszow and Lublin are scheduled to end at 0600 (all times preliminary and subject to change). Transit traffic over Poland continuing to stay west of normal routes. pic.twitter.com/QRd97Nw4Bv

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 10, 2025

At the time of writing, there have been no reports of casualties, but at least one Russian drone hit a house when it came down.

⚡ 7 drones and rocket debris of unknown origin found in Poland

This was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Karolina Gałecka, during a press conference. “We have found 7 drones and one piece of a rocket,” she confirmed.… https://t.co/EnsxzMOe6u pic.twitter.com/u6V2jz0iQj

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 10, 2025

Poland had already put its forces on high alert ahead of the first airspace violations last night. Polish and Ukrainian authorities have also confirmed they were actively coordinating throughout the night as Russian drones were tracked heading west.

Another report from the Commander of our Air Force. We are clarifying all available data and analyzing the details of this Russian strike.

Already during the night, Ukrainian forces were informing the Polish side through the relevant channels about the movement of Russian…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 10, 2025

More information is coming in about the intrusion of Russian attack drones into Polish territory. As of now, it’s known about 8 drones. Increasing evidence indicates that this movement, this direction of strike, was no accident. There have been previous incidents of individual…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 10, 2025

Prime Minister Tusk’s office has confirmed that assets that were “directed to the anticipated area of operation” included two Polish F-16s, as well as Polish Army Mi-24 Hind, Mi-17 Hip, and S-70 Black Hawk helicopters. At least one Polish Saab 340 Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft also appears to have participated in the operation last night, based on publicly available flight-tracking data. The look-down capability offered by the Erieye’s radar would have been particularly valuable for spotting small, low-flying drones. Poland’s armed forces also have extensive ground-based air defense capabilities.

After a major 9+ hour mission hunting Russian drones and coordinating air defenses overnight, Poland’s SAAB 340 airborne early warning aircraft is heading for home. pic.twitter.com/L1McAqVWz1

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 10, 2025

1x Polish AEW&C aircraft over Poland currently monitoring the eastern border.
Additionally, 1x NATO refueling aircraft was over Polish airspace supporting fighter jets, including at least one F-35, in the task of neutralizing Russian drones that have crossed the Polish border. pic.twitter.com/Dek3DwGFLb

— Amelia Smith (@ameliairheart) September 10, 2025

Polish authorities also said that two F-35 Joint Strike Fighters took part in the response to the Russian drone incursions. The Netherlands has separately said that its F-35s were among the assets that helped secure Poland’s skies overnight. The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) currently has Joint Strike Fighters stationed at Malbork in Poland, to help bolster the country’s air defenses.

Dutch F-35s have intercepted Russian drones over Poland.

Within the NATO framework, our F-35s make a significant contribution to the defence of our collective security. This is precisely what we stand ready to do.

This is how we keep the escalating Russian threat at a distance. pic.twitter.com/fxZDbAXuTG

— Ruben Brekelmans (@DefensieMin) September 10, 2025

NATO has further confirmed that an Italian Air Force AEW&C plane, which would be one of that country’s modified Gulfstream G-550 aircraft, as well as at least one A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) from a fleet the alliance operates collectively, were launched in response to the incursions into Polish airspace.

German Patriot surface-to-air missile systems forward-deployed in Poland were also at least placed on alert. A NATO source separately told Reuters that Patriot surface-to-air missiles in the region detected the drones with their radars, but had not engaged them.

Exactly what Polish and other NATO assets were used to shoot down Russian drones is unclear. The Dutch Minister of Defense, Ruben Brekelmans, has confirmed that Polish and Dutch fighters were among them.

Video, seen immediately below, has emerged that is said to show a Russian drone being downed by a Polish Air Force F-16, but this remains unverified. A picture of debris from an AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) that is said to have been found in Poland earlier today is also circulating online, but this is also unconfirmed. Both F-16s and F-35As could have employed AIM-120s, as well as AIM-9 Sidewinder variants, and even potentially their internal guns.

Doczekaliśmy się momentu w którym Polak może w swoim ogrodzie znaleźć resztki naszego albo holenderskiego pocisku powietrze – powietrze AIM-120 C-7 AMRAAM którym strzelano do rosyjskich dronów.

Gwoli jasności, tonie jest powód do radości

1/ pic.twitter.com/MavfmjGF4L

— Dawid Kamizela (@DawidKamizela) September 10, 2025

Poland’s Tusk thanked both his country’s armed forces and NATO allies for shooting down drones overnight.

My thanks and congratulations to the Polish Operational Command and our NATO pilots for shooting down Russian drones over Poland. Actions speak louder than words.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) September 10, 2025

Regardless, it is important to note here that NATO jets, including Dutch F-35s in Poland, have scrambled in response to Russian drones into the airspace over alliance members in the past. However, they had not fired any weapons in response to those intrusions until last night.

“This is the first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace,” Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) told ABC News.

❝Last night showed that we are able to defend every inch of NATO territory including its airspace.❞

— @SecGenNATO Mark Rutte on the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones

— NATO (@NATO) September 10, 2025

Though the immediate response to the Russian drone incursions overnight has concluded, Polish Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that the search for downed drones was still underway as of Wednesday.

“We ask for calm and to share only the announcements of the military and state services. In case of encountering object fragments, please do not approach them and inform the police,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said on X.

Nad Polską trwa operacja neutralizacji obiektów, które naruszyły granicę RP. Prezydent i Premier zostali powiadomieni. Wszystkie służby działają. Prosimy o stosowanie się do komunikatów Wojska Polskiego i Policji. Samoloty użyły uzbrojenia przeciwko wrogim obiektom. Jesteśmy w…

— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) September 10, 2025

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces called the overnight violations “unprecedented” and “an act of aggression that posed a real risk to the lives of our citizens.”

❗️W wyniku dzisiejszego ataku Federacji Rosyjskiej na terytorium Ukrainy doszło do bezprecedensowego w skali naruszenia polskiej przestrzeni powietrznej przez obiekty typu dron. Jest to akt agresji, który stworzył realne zagrożenie dla bezpieczeństwa naszych obywateli.

Na… pic.twitter.com/w9ygKlRh8V

— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) September 10, 2025

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces called the overnight violations “unprecedented” and “an act of aggression that posed a real risk to the lives of our citizens.”

“There is no reason to claim that we are in a state of war… but the situation is significantly more dangerous than all previous ones,” Poland’s Prime Minister Tusk said. He further warned that the prospect of a large-scale conflict in Europe is now “closer than at any time since the Second World War.”

Warsaw’s immediate response included the foreign ministry summoning Andrey Ordash, Russia’s chargé d’affaires in the Polish capital. However, Ordash told the Russian RIA Novosti news agency that Poland has not offered any evidence that the drones were of Russian origin.

Poland has also now invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which forms the legal basis for NATO. Article 4 states that “the Parties [to the alliance] will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”

NATO’s article four calls on allies to “consult” in case of a threat. It was last invoked in 2022 after the Russian invasion by several Eastern European countries. Among other things, it would be a test of Trump’s approach to the alliance. Just a week ago Trump had said: “We are… https://t.co/yddJZAcP4U

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) September 10, 2025

Since NATO was created in 1949, Article 4 has only been invoked seven times. The last of these was in 2022, in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The North Atlantic Treaty also includes a collective defense provision, Article 5, which has only ever been invoked once, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

As noted, a spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) told TWZ that there are “no force posture adjustments to announce at this time.” U.S. European Command (EUCOM) declined to comment.

It remains to be seen what kind of response NATO might formulate following the Article 4 consultation.

A White House official told TWZ that President Donald Trump and the White House are tracking the reports out of Poland, and there are plans for President Trump to speak with Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki today.

Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have been swift to condemn Russia’s actions. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said that the “repeated violations of NATO airspace” by Russian drones were “fair warning that Vladimir Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations.”

Repeated violations of NATO airspace by Russian drones are fair warning that Vladimir Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations. After the carnage Putin continues to visit on Ukraine, these incursions cannot be ignored.

— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) September 9, 2025

Republican congressman Joe Wilson, a senior member of the foreign affairs committee, went further, describing the incursions as an “act of war.”

Russia is attacking NATO ally Poland with Iranian shahed drones less than a week after President Trump hosted President Nawrocki at the White House. This is an act of war, and we are grateful to NATO allies for their swift response to war criminal Putin’s continued unprovoked…

— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) September 10, 2025

Wilson called upon President Donald Trump to respond with sanctions “that will bankrupt the Russian war machine.”

Increasingly, questions are being asked at the highest levels as to whether the drone incursion was a deliberate act, although the Kremlin has denied this.

German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius said the Russian drones were “clearly set on this course” and “did not have to fly this route to reach Ukraine.”

German Defense Minister Pistorius:

There is definitely no reason to assume that [Russian drones violating Polish airspace] was a matter of course correction errors or anything of that sort. These drones were quite obviously deliberately directed on this course.

According to the… https://t.co/Qw8C7h9wtQ pic.twitter.com/71AAh3x8Yz

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) September 10, 2025

“There is absolutely no reason to believe that this was a course correction error or anything of the sort,” Pistorius told the German parliament. He added that, according to the Polish government, the drones were armed with warheads, although this claim doesn’t seem to be otherwise supported.

The Russian Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, claims that there were no intentions to engage any targets on Polish territory, but has provided no further information to substantiate that assertion. The type of drones used are also indicative of this being a probing action to give Russia a valuable opportunity to observe NATO’s response. It could also serve as a form of intimation.

Same outward public signaling as if they had used larger Geran drones, but with a much lower risk to Russia of any actual NATO response given the much smaller warhead (if they even carried any and weren’t the decoy variant).

— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) September 10, 2025

The Russian government already stands accused of an escalating campaign of hostile activities short of all-out war across Europe since it launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Even before then, Russia had a long history of so-called hybrid or gray-zone warfare operations. Poland has previously accused Russia, as well as its ally Belarus, of deliberately fomenting crises along their shared borders.

Altogether, the full scale and scope of the response from Poland and the rest of NATO to last night’s Russian drone incursions, as well as whether that is the start of a trend of escalating airspace violations, remains to be seen.

Update: 2:00 PM Eastern –

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says he has now “received not only expressions of solidarity with Poland, but above all proposals for concrete support for the air defense of our country” following conversations today with the leaders of other NATO members in Europe and the alliance’s Secretary General. Tusk did not elaborate on what that support might entail. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had previously said that “allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behaviour.”

❝Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behaviour.❞

Following a North Atlantic Council meeting, @SecGenNATO Mark Rutte delivered a statement to the media on the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones

Tap to watch his full statement ↓

— NATO (@NATO) September 10, 2025

It is worth reiterating here that Poland has significant air defense capabilities itself and has been making major investments to expand and improve them. This includes plans for a new aerostat-based elevated airborne early warning system that would be especially useful for spotting and tracking incoming low-flying threats like drones and cruise missiles.

“What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” U.S. President Donald Trump has now written in a post on his Truth Social social media network, but what actions he may be looking to take are unclear. Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and major political ally of Trump’s, has said the U.S. Congress is prepared to help impose new sanctions and tariffs on Russia in response.

I completely agree with President @realDonaldTrump‘s sentiment in response to Russia’s insane violation of Polish airspace for hours, deploying multiple drones.

Mr. President, Congress is with you. We stand ready to pass legislation authorizing bone crushing new sanctions and… pic.twitter.com/LIqYmS4rG7

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 10, 2025

Fox News has reported that no U.S. forces were involved in the response to the drone incursions overnight. A report from CNN says that Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, had been on his way to Poland at the time.

A NATO spokesman tells @LucasFoxNews there was ‘no U.S. military involvement’ in shooting down the Russian drones.
“This is the first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace.”

Attributable to U.S. Army Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, Supreme Headquarters… https://t.co/FSDcqYsp8h

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) September 10, 2025

More imagery of Russian drones that came down in Poland also continues to emerge.

This remains a developing story.

Howard Altman contributed to this story.

Contact the author: [email protected]

A video has emerged that shows the maiden flight of a second pre-production B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Since July, U.S. Air Force officials have been openly talking about their hope to have two B-21s flying ‘soon.’

Jarod Hamilton, who also specializes in low-level aircraft photography, shared the footage of the B-21 taking off from the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, at around 8:00 AM local time. The video, seen below, shows the bomber continuing to fly with its landing gear down, which is indicative of initial flight testing. The Raider does lack the air data probe and trailing cone that were seen when the very first B-21 flew back in 2023. An F-16 chase plane is also seen flying alongside.

“We [a group of plane spotters outside Plant 42] saw the B-21 roll out and then it sat there and we waited for it,” Hamilton told TWZ. “We heard the engine noise and thought maybe they were doing taxi tests. But when the F-16 showed up, I knew.”

“It was incredible,” he said of seeing the Raider take off. “The sound, the power, I’ll never forget.”

Hamilton said he did not know how long the flight may have lasted, but tracked it for a few minutes until it was out of sight. The bomber may have flown to Edwards Air Force Base, which is also in California and currently hosts the B-21 Combined Test Force.

TWZ has also reached out to the Air Force for confirmation and further details.

The first of six pre-production B-21s also made its maiden flight in November 2023 from Plant 42 and subsequently moved to Edwards. The Raider’s prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, is building the bombers at Plant 42, which is a major hub for advanced and often classified aerospace development work.

“So this is an event-based process, based on the test team, the contractor, [and] the program office. I believe it [the first flight of the second B-21] will happen by the end of the year, but we’re not going to ever give them an artificial date that they have to make if it doesn’t bring the test program along to where they need to be,” Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara said during a virtual talk hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in August. “We’re going to proceed as we can, efficiently, effectively, and with a sense of urgency, but we’re also going to be event-based.”

“That’s really been the secret sauce to the B-21 right now, is no undue pressures. Let them do what they’re doing, and they’ll get us the world’s best aircraft here,” Gebara, who is currently Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, added at that time.

A second B-21 could make its first flight “shortly,” Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), had told Air & Space Forces Magazine in July. The service had previously told that outlet that its goal was for a pair of B-21s to be in flight testing in 2026. Northrop Grumman has also delivered at least two non-flying airframes to help with the test campaign.

Getting another B-21 into the air is an important new step forward for the Raider program that will allow for the further expansion of testing efforts. As of September 2024, the first flying B-21 was said to be making around two sorties every week from Edwards Air Force Base.

“The B-21 [program] is producing, its results-oriented in flight tests, basically on time, [and] basically on budget,” Gen. Gebara also said last month.

As it stands, the Air Force’s goal is to begin fielding the B-21 operationally before the end of the decade. The service also plans to buy at least 100 of the bombers, though that figure is increasingly expected to grow, as you can read more about here.

In the meantime, the Air Force’s current fleet of flying B-21s has now grown to two.

Update: 1:55 PM Eastern –

Jarod Hamilton has kindly shared additional still images from today’s B-21 flight from Palmdale with us.

Update: 3:35 PM Eastern –

The U.S. Air Force has now confirmed the first flight of the second B-21 and that the bomber has arrived at Edwards Air Force Base.

“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a statement. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft.”

The second B-21 Raider has taken flight! With two B-21s now flying, our test campaign accelerates.

We’re advancing mission system & weapons evaluations to ensure this aircraft delivers unmatched strategic deterrence and combat power for the @usairforce. #B21Raider #AirPower

— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) September 11, 2025

“The addition of a second B-21 to the flight test program accelerates the path to fielding,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin also said in a statement. “By having more assets in the test environment, we bring this capability to our warfighters faster, demonstrating the urgency with which we’re tackling modernization.”

“The B-21 Raider program represents a cornerstone of our strategic nuclear modernization,” Allvin continued. “The concurrent efforts in testing, sustainment preparation and infrastructure investments clearly illustrate our commitment to providing unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat threats well into the future.”

An Air Force press release highlights the value of adding a second flying bomber to the B-21 Combined Test Force, as TWZ already noted.

“The addition of the second aircraft expands the Air Force’s testing capabilities beyond initial flight performance checks, enabling progression into critical mission systems and weapons integration testing phases. This advancement marks a significant step toward operational readiness of the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber,” according to the release. “The presence of multiple test aircraft at Edwards AFB also provides Air Force maintainers invaluable hands-on experience in managing simultaneous aircraft sustainment operations, testing the effectiveness of maintenance tools, technical data and the logistical processes that will support future operational squadrons.”

“Concurrent with the expanded flight-testing effort, fiscal year 2026 will see the launch of extensive military construction projects at all three designated B-21 main operating bases,” the release adds. “Ellsworth AFB, S.D., the first base set to receive operational B-21 aircraft, is already progressing rapidly on numerous infrastructure projects to ensure readiness when the aircraft arrive.”

Northrop Grumman has also put out its own press release following today’s first flight of the second B-21, which it described as “robust.”

“The next phase of flight test moves beyond flight performance and into the weapons and mission systems that make B-21 an unrivaled stealth bomber. An enhanced software package will demonstrate how Northrop Grumman will deliver seamless upgrades to the B-21 fleet, ensuring its mission capability and weapons evolve to outpace any threat,” the company’s release explains. “The flight test expansion complements a robust ground test campaign that includes multiple B-21 aircraft. Engineers have rigorously tested the B-21 to certify it can fly in the most extreme mission conditions and are demonstrating the B-21’s durability by simulating lifetimes of flight conditions. These test results continue to consistently outperform digital modeling predictions, reinforcing confidence in the B-21’s performance and progress.”

“Northrop Grumman is preparing the Air Force to operate and maintain the B-21 through its advanced training and sixth-gen fleet management tools. The company is developing comprehensive training capabilities – to include high-fidelity, full-motion simulators, immersive labs and virtual spaces – as part of the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. Northrop Grumman is creating training content and devices for future pilots, weapons loaders, maintainers and support personnel to operate the world’s most advanced aircraft,” it continues. “Future Air Force maintainers will use the B-21 Fleet Management Tool Northrop Grumman is developing today for the aircraft’s sustainment and maintenance activities. Already equipped with flight test and performance data and informed by decades of sustainment experience across a variety of systems, the Fleet Management Tool will keep the B-21 mission ready for the American warfighter.”

Special thanks again to Jarod Hamilton for sharing the new imagery of the B-21 flying from Palmdale today with us.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Israel has carried out a precision strike targeting the top leadership of Hamas in the Qatari capital Doha. This appears to be the first time Israeli forces have openly attacked in Qatar, marking a significant expansion in the country’s operations against Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA; better known as Shin Bet) issued a joint statement after explosions rocked an area of Doha earlier today. This all comes as Hamas negotiators have been considering a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forth by the U.S. government.

A source familiar with the Trump administration’s counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean confirmed to The War Zone that 10 F-35 Joint Strike fighters have been ordered to fly to Puerto Rico to take part in that mission. This confirms an earlier report by Reuters. The jets are expected to arrive in Puerto Rico next week. It is unclear which branch they belong to, where they are coming from or what they will do once they arrive.

Word of the deployment of fighters comes a day after Venezuelan F-16s made a pass near a U.S. Navy destroyer operating in the Caribbean, the latest in the escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States.

“The interaction was highly provocative, and clearly a show of force,” a U.S. official told The War Zone Friday morning about the two Venezuelan F-16s that flew near the USS Jason Dunham.

The approach on the destroyer came two days after U.S. President Donald Trump said the military attacked a boat belonging to the “Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists,” who are closely aligned with Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Trump released a video of the attack, which he said killed 11 narco-traffickers. Though the president signed a still-secret memo in July authorizing the use of military force against groups designed as narco-terror organizations, the incident has raised questions about the legality of carrying out such a strike without Congressional authority, among other issues.

The boat had been ordered to stop before it was destroyed, Fox News reported on X.

As part of his claimed effort to stem the flow of drugs from the region, Trump had previously ordered at least eight warships to the region, plus additional surveillance and strike assets.

A U.S. official provided us with an update Friday morning on the location of the Navy assets in the region in addition to the Dunham.

The 22nd MEU, part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), left Norfolk Aug. 14, bound for the southern Caribbean. That force included more than 4,500 sailors and Marines on three ships: The Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships the USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale. Those vessels remain off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, where Marines and sailors were conducting amphibious landing training. You can read more about that in our story here.

In addition to the ARG/MEU ships, the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Gravely remains underway in the southern Caribbean, the official told us.

Meanwhile, at least two Navy warships have reached or transited the Panama Canal. The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie recently passed through the canal from the Pacific to the Caribbean. The Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Sampson remains docked on the Pacific side of the canal. Citing official policy about publicizing the location of its submarine force, the official declined to provide the whereabouts of the Los Angeles class fast attack submarine USS Newport News, which is also taking part in this effort.

Though aimed at groups considered narco-terrorist organizations, an official with direct knowledge of these operations told TWZ last week that they are also aimed at Maduro. He was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency. He and 14 others, including several close allies, were hit with federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy with the Colombian FARC insurgent group to import cocaine.  The U.S. government has issued a $50 million reward for Maduro’s capture.

The F-35s bring a wide array of capabilities wherever they are deployed. While best known for their kinetic capabilities, including striking targets and taking on enemy aircraft, the Joint Strike Fighter is an extremely powerful intelligence gathering tool, with its highly capable radar and electro-optical systems. Yet its electronic intelligence gathering ability is perhaps its most potent reconnaissance asset. You can read more about that here.

This is a developing story.

Update 1:20 PM Eastern –

During a trip to Fort Benning, Georgia on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered additional justification for the deadly strike against the cartel drug boat earlier this week. He likened the alleged smugglers killed to notorious terrorists.

“Coming from a drug cartel is no different than coming from Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth proclaimed to reporters. “And they will be treated as such, as they were, in international waters.” 

“We smoked a drug boat and there are 11 narcoterrorists at the bottom of the ocean,” he posited. “And when other people do that, they are going to meet the same fate. We knew exactly who they were, exactly what they were doing, what they represented, and why they were going where they were going.”

Update: 3:24 PM Eastern –

Video emerged on social media of the Iwo Jima off the coast of Puerto Rico.

The U.S. military has conducted a “lethal strike” in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X. His comments came moments after U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that “over the last few minutes [the military] literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat.” The incident took place as Trump has dispatched at least eight warships to the region to fight drug trafficking.

No details were immediately available about how the strike was carried out, or against what type of vessel or which organization was targeted.

This appears to be the first lethal attack on a cartel drug vessel since Trump deployed warships to the area, signaling a change to kinetic interdiction operations. However, even U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in the region, did not have details.

The British Embassy in Cairo is currently closed and this will be the case for the ‘foreseeable future’, the UK Foreign Office has warned. Here is all you need to know

Brits planning a trip to Egypt have been given updated travel guidance by the Foreign Office due to alterations at the British Embassy in Cairo.

The Embassy is not currently open, however, consular support remains accessible. Following the removal of security barriers outside the premises on August 31, the Embassy has temporarily shut its doors while the situation is being ‘reviewed’.

Despite the closure, emergency help is still available for travellers who can call 0020 2 2791 6000 if they require assistance. The Foreign Office released a statement on their Egypt travel advice page, stating: “On Sunday 31 August security barriers outside the British Embassy in Cairo were removed by the Egyptian authorities.

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“The main Embassy building will be closed while the impact of these changes is reviewed. Emergency consular assistance remains available by calling 0020 2 2791 6000. If you have a pre-booked appointment at the Embassy please call 0020 2 2791 6000 in advance for advice on how to access the Embassy compound.”

The decision to remove the security barriers came amidst a diplomatic dispute sparked by the detention of an activist, as reported by BBC News. Daily News Egypt has reported that the incident involved an Egyptian activist who was detained after a confrontation with protesters outside the Egyptian embassy in London last week, but he has since been released by British officials.

In response to the recent arrest, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty is said to have contacted the UK’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell last week seeking an explanation.

READ MORE: UK’s ‘prettiest street’ has pastel-coloured buildings and a ridiculously cool market

Abdelatty has previously stated that Egypt reserves the “right to respond and reciprocity” towards nations that do not adequately protect Egyptian embassies as per the Vienna Convention.

The initial detention prompted a “strong diplomatic response from Cairo”, with some calling for the removal of security barriers around the British embassy in Cairo.

The UK government remains in discussions with Egyptian officials regarding the security at the British embassy in Cairo, according to BBC News. Both the British and American embassies in Cairo have been fortified with substantial security barriers for many years.

According to the latest numbers, Egypt welcomed 15.7 million tourists in 2024, an increase of 800,000 compared to the previous year. The country also aims to welcome 30 million annual visitors by 2030, with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which will welcome visitors from around the world.

Individuals training to become U.S. Navy tactical jet pilots are no longer required to take off and land from aircraft carriers before being winged as Naval Aviators. This is a huge change in training requirements and has important ramifications for the service’s plans to replace its current carrier-capable T-45 Goshawk jet trainers.

Our colleagues at Task & Purpose first reported the elimination of carrier landing qualifications from the graduation requirements for the Tactical Air (Strike) aviator training pipeline earlier today. This pipeline currently produces new pilots to fly the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C fighters, as well as EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.

“The final strike carrier landing qualification occurred in March of 2025,” a Navy official told Task & Purpose. “Students in the strike pipeline, those training to fly F/A-18s, F-35s, and EA-18Gs, are no longer required to qualify by landing on a carrier prior to graduation.”

Naval aviators who come out of the Tactical Air pipeline will now conduct their first carrier qualifications when they reach a Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS). These units provide initial training on the specific type of tactical jet that those individuals have been assigned to fly.

TWZ has reached out to the Navy to find to what degree Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) landings and touch-and-goes on aircraft carriers are still part of the undergraduate Tactical Air training syllabus. FCLPs are conducted at bases on land, but are structured in a way that “simulates, as near as practicable, the conditions encountered during carrier landing operations,” according to the service.

As noted, just eliminating carrier qualifications from the undergraduate training requirements is a fundamental change in how the Navy produces new Naval Aviators to fly tactical jets. The procedures for taking off from and landing on an aircraft carrier bobbing up and down at sea are significantly different from those when operating from an airfield ashore.

“It’s what makes naval aviation unique,” Sterling Gilliam, a retired Navy captain who is now the director of the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, told Task & Purpose when asked about the change. “Audacity has kind of defined Naval Aviation, and the uniqueness of carrier operations, specifically fixed wing launches and recoveries, requires a fair amount of skill and practice and professionalism.”

At the same time, the change does not come as a complete surprise. In 2020, the Navy announced that the requirements for a future Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) jet trainer to replace the T-45 would no longer include the need to be able to land on or take off from an aircraft carrier. In the past year or so, service has also moved to cut demands for the forthcoming UJTS aircraft to have features needed to conduct FCLP landings.

All of this has come on the back of Navy investments in virtualized training and automated carrier landing capabilities, such as Magic Carpet, in recent years. Those developments have already proven to be controversial, prompting concerns and criticism about potential impacts down the line from cutting what have long been considered essential naval aviation training requirements.

“Carrier qualification is more than catching the wire. It is the exposure to the carrier environment and how an individual deals with it,” an experienced U.S. Navy strike fighter pilot told TWZ back in 2020. “The pattern, the communications, the nuance, the stress. The ability to master this is one of our competitive advantages.”

The UJTS requirements still have yet to be firmed up, at least publicly, ahead of the start of a formal competition, which is expected to kick off next year. The Navy has said in the past that the goal is for the first UJTS aircraft to enter service by 2035 and for the T-45 to be completely phased out by 2040.

The removal of carrier qualifications from the Tactical Air pipeline already shows the Navy is not waiting for the arrival of UJTS to make major changes to its naval aviation training requirements. This would seem to make it increasingly less likely that the service will reverse course on the related changes to the UJTS requirements, at least when it comes to what is needed from the aircraft landing-wise, which will have significant ramifications for the upcoming competition.

Just last week, the Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced its intention to compete for UJTS with a proposal that puts heavy emphasis on still being able to perform FCLP landings and touch-and-goes, as you can read more about in detail here.

“You want … your – I call it your lizard brain – to be trained to do the things you are going to do when things go south on you, because the way a [former Air Force pilot] like me lands an airplane is 180 degrees different than a carrier guy,” Derek Hess, Vice President of Strategy at SNC, told TWZ‘s Jamie Hunter on the sidelines of the Tailhook Association’s main annual symposium last week. “I touch down, go to idle. He touches down, slams down, goes to MIL [maximum non-afterburner thrust], and is ready to take off again.”

“This is why FCLPs are so important,” Ray “Fitz” Fitzgerald, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Technology at SNC, also said while speaking alongside Hess. “On that dark, stormy night, and everything’s just going bad, you rely on muscle memory, right? So when you think about muscle memory, as a carrier aviator, you’re on speed, so you’re on the right AOA, so the hook and the gear are the right AOA to trap, and everything hits at the same time. If I’m at a slow AOA, it means my nose is up, which means the hook grabs first and slams you down. You can break a jet like that. If I’m at a fast AOA, the nose is lower, hook is up, you skip across, and you go flying again, which is not good either.”

“So that muscle memory, I mean, it’s what will save lives,” He added.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin (in partnership with Korea Aerospace Industries), and Textron (together with Italy’s Leonardo) are also set to join the competition, but with aircraft based on existing land-based jet trainer designs that were not built for carrier operations, real or simulated.

More clarity on the Navy’s future vision for training future naval aviators will come when the final UJTS requirements are released. In the meantime, a major watershed moment has already occurred with the end of carrier qualifications as a graduation requirement for future tactical jet pilots.

Update, 3:30 PM Eastern:

A U.S. Navy official has now provided TWZ with the following additional statement:

“Students in the strike pipeline, those training to fly F/A-18s, F-35s, and EA-18Gs, are no longer required to qualify by landing on a carrier prior to graduation. However, future E-2 [Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft] pilots and international military students will complete carrier landing qualifications on a ship in the T-45 while in student training. Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) landings ashore are still required for graduation. The strategic decision of moving carrier qualifications from the training syllabus to their fleet replacement squadrons was driven by increased technological capabilities in the fleet, as well as the need to reduce training pipeline times, enabling the fleet to receive qualified pilots faster. After earning their initial qualifications after graduation, naval aviators in the strike pipeline are required to complete touch-and-goes and carrier landings at sea during their assignment at the Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS).”

Contact the author: [email protected]

Winter is approaching in the United States and COVID-19 cases are rising. Questions about accessing protective vaccines are swirling.

Nearly five years since the first US patient was vaccinated to help stem what was then a raging coronavirus pandemic, doctors, patients and pharmacists are navigating a radically different public health landscape.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 27 announced it had approved some COVID-19 vaccines – but for far fewer people than in years past.

If you tried to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine this week, your pharmacy’s online scheduler might have told you it isn’t available yet.

Meanwhile, leading medical organisations disagree with the government’s latest COVID-19 vaccine guidance.

If all that leaves you wondering about your ability to get a COVID-19 shot, you’re not alone. It’s confusing.

We sought answers.

Q: Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine?

First, what we do know: The FDA approved the 2025-26 vaccines for anyone age 65 and older and any person six months and older who has at least one underlying health condition that increases their risk of severe COVID-19 infection.

So, people in those groups should be able to schedule vaccinations as soon as healthcare providers who are authorised to administer the vaccine receive it – likely in the next few weeks.

Q: I don’t fit into those categories. Am I banned from getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

Not “banned”, per se. But it may require more legwork on your end. You’ll need to consult your doctor, who can legally prescribe a COVID-19 vaccine for you even if you don’t fall within the categories the FDA specified.

“Physicians can prescribe medications and vaccines that are beyond the label, beyond the licence,” said Dr William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University Medical Center professor of infectious diseases.

That’s true for adults and children – and the practice of prescribing medications and vaccines for “off-label” use is fairly common in paediatrics, he said.

Q: OK, so will insurance still cover COVID-19 vaccinations under these new rules?

If you’re in one of the two FDA-approved categories, the outlook is probably better than if you’re not.

Federal law requires that most health insurance plans fully cover vaccines recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its vaccine advisory committee.

Here’s the rub: Because the CDC hasn’t yet adopted 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, whether the shots will be covered by insurance is a grey area.

The CDC’s panel of experts, the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP), had planned to vote on updated COVID-19 vaccine recommendations at its June meeting, but did not. And it’s unclear when or if the ACIP will vote on the recommendations.

But there could be another avenue for people to get insurance-covered COVID-19 vaccines. The CDC’s vaccine recommendations typically include a provision for what’s known as “shared clinical decision making”, Schaffner said.

That means, for example, “If you were 52 years old and otherwise healthy, but you nonetheless wanted to get the vaccine, you could discuss that with your doctor – shared clinical decision-making – and you could receive the vaccine, and insurance companies would honour that,” he said.

That provision could be important for healthy people who want to avoid COVID-19 infection because they are close contacts with or care for people with high-risk conditions.

But again, without CDC recommendations, “We don’t know if that provision is still there,” Schaffner said.

To confirm whether your insurance will cover your COVID-19 shot, Schaffner recommends talking to your doctor and, potentially, your insurance provider. But first, give it a little more time: healthcare providers themselves are still working out the details.

Q: If my insurance doesn’t cover vaccination, how much might it cost?

Vaccine manufacturers report that COVID-19 vaccines cost about $142, according to the CDC’s price lists. It’s unclear whether that would be the out-of-pocket cost for patients receiving a COVID-19 vaccine not covered by insurance.

Q: Are COVID-19 vaccines still recommended during pregnancy? And if I’m pregnant and want one, what can I do? 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr in May announced he had unilaterally removed COVID-19 vaccines from the recommended immunisation schedule for healthy children and pregnant women. The health-focused news outlet STAT reported that no one from the CDC or ACIP was consulted before Kennedy announced this change. Vaccine experts called the move concerning and unprecedented.

Removing the vaccines from the immunisation schedule could limit vaccine access by reducing insurance companies’ coverage of the shot. But again, by consulting with your doctor, you might still be able to access it. Some pharmacies also might be able to provide it, because the CDC lists pregnancy as a factor that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 infection.

Q: Is there anyone who should not get the COVID-19 shot?

Broad health guidance always comes with exceptions. For example, people who have had “a very severe adverse reaction to a previous COVID-19 vaccine” should not get this season’s version, Schaffner said. You should discuss your health situation with your physician for personalised guidance.

Q: Why is the outlook for COVID-19 vaccines so different this year?

In short, Kennedy has long been broadly critical of vaccinations and, now that he’s in charge of the nation’s healthcare policy, has taken actions to overhaul their regulation and distribution.

Typically, the CDC recommends vaccines based on guidance from ACIP. ACIP’s recommendations become CDC policy if they’re adopted by the CDC director. This year, Kennedy fired all 17 members of ACIP and replaced them with new members, many of whom have expressed anti-vaccine views. CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired on August 27 amid a dispute with Kennedy over vaccine policy.

In previous years, the CDC recommended annual COVID-19 vaccines for everyone aged six months and older. The committee still hasn’t issued COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for this year.

Q: Aren’t there some medical organisations that recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for most people, though? 

Yes. In recent months, professional organisations have issued their own recommendations that contradict new messaging from the federal government.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine COVID-19 vaccines for all children aged six months to 23 months and for children aged two to 18 in some situations, including if they’re at high risk of COVID-19, have never been vaccinated against it or live in a household with people who are high risk.

And the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that anyone pregnant or lactating receive updated or “booster” COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Disease Society of America, said the FDA’s decision to limit the COVID-19 vaccine’s approval “contradicts the evidence base, severely undermines trust in science-driven policy and dangerously limits vaccine access”.

Q: What qualifies as an underlying health condition that puts someone at higher risk? 

The FDA and HHS did not point us to a list of health conditions that meet the high-risk requirements.

The CDC’s website catalogues a number of underlying conditions that it said demonstrate “a conclusive increase in risk for at least one severe COVID-19 outcome”. They included: chronic lung diseases, cancer, certain chronic kidney and liver diseases, diabetes, some disabilities, heart conditions, HIV, physical inactivity, primary immunodeficiencies and some mental health conditions.

Q: But I clicked on those lists and both say ‘pregnancy and recent pregnancy’ are risk factors. How do I square that with the latest changes?

You’re right. These lists are inconsistent with the messaging coming from top HHS officials. Again, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for people who are pregnant and lactating. Talk to your doctor.

Q: Is this season’s COVID-19 vaccine formula different from last season’s?

Yes. After the FDA passed its recommendations to vaccine manufacturers in May, the COVID-19 vaccines were updated to target the viral strain expected to circulate this year. The changes align with the World Health Organization’s recommendations.

Q: When will the updated COVID-19 shots be available? 

Since the FDA’s approval, updated vaccines are set to start shipping immediately and might even be available now in some pharmacies. Pfizer said it was shipping immediately and would be available across the US “in the coming days”. Sanofi, the company distributing the Novavax non-mRNA vaccines, said its vaccine should be available “in the early fall”.

But what that means for how quickly you can access it could depend on where you live, your age and your health. (See next question.)

Q: Where can I get the updated COVID-19 shots? 

We knew you were going to ask. And we wish we had a straightforward answer.

If you typically get your COVID-19 shots at a local pharmacy, it might not be that easy this year.

As of August 29, the scheduling apps for Walgreens and CVS notified patients in some locations that they could not schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment because of state restrictions, inventory or the need for a prescription.

In 18 states and Washington, DC, pharmacists’ authority to administer vaccines is linked to the CDC’s recommendations, said Brigid Groves, the American Pharmacists Association’s vice president of professional affairs. The states are: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

That means even though the FDA has issued its approval, in those 19 places, pharmacists cannot administer it because it isn’t on the CDC immunisation schedule yet, Groves said.

The American Pharmacists Association has asked those states’ governors to issue executive orders granting pharmacists broader authority to administer vaccines.

In the other 32 states, with some exceptions, it’s possible that a pharmacy can administer the updated COVID-19 shots for patients who fall within the FDA-approved categories of recipients.

If you are getting it “off label”, however, because you don’t have one of those underlying conditions, you might need to get it straight from your prescribing doctor.

One caveat: if ACIP votes on recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines that include giving them to healthy people through the “shared clinical decision making” process, Groves said pharmacists would be able to vaccinate almost anyone. That’s because pharmacists are considered clinicians who can conduct that shared decision-making.

Q: When might ACIP vote on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations? 

The committee has a September 18-19 meeting scheduled, according to the CDC’s website. A meeting agenda hasn’t been published yet.

Q: How will a pharmacy know if I have an underlying condition?

Typically, pharmacies ask patients to self-attest whether they have an underlying condition, Groves said. For example, a person who is under age 65 but has severe asthma would self-attest to that when making a vaccine appointment. So far, all signs point to that self-attestation still being the case.

Q: When is the best time to get vaccinated? 

During fall and winter months, when COVID-19 infections are typically expected to spike alongside other respiratory infections.

Q: What do the administration’s vaccine changes mean for future COVID-19 vaccines?

Kennedy recently cancelled $500m in funding for mRNA vaccine development. Two of the most effective COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA. Some companies had been researching combined mRNA flu and COVID-19 shots, and those projects’ status is unclear.

The FDA also recently announced that vaccine makers seeking approval for future COVID-19 vaccines, or boosters, would need to conduct new randomised clinical trials of healthy populations. That move, combined with the decision to narrow the FDA’s vaccine approval for certain segments of the population, is expected to limit COVID-19 vaccine access.

The U.S. Navy’s San Antonio class amphibious warfare ship USS New Orleans suffered a fire today while it was off White Beach in Uruma City on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

A U.S. official has confirmed to TWZ that the blaze has been contained, but it is unclear at this time if it has been fully extinguished. The fire started at about 5:00 PM local time (4:00 AM Eastern), according to NHK in Japan. At the time of writing, there have been no reports of casualties, and the cause and extent of the damage remain unknown. The New Orleans is homeported in Sasebo on the Japanese home island of Kyushu to the north, and is assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet.

“Crews are responding to a fire aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) this evening, Aug. 20, (Japan Time), which is in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan,” another Navy spokesperson had earlier told TWZ in a statement. “We will provide more details as they become available.”

“Smoke was confirmed rising from the bow of the ship, but so far there have been no requests to evacuate the crew,” a Japanese Coast Guard official told NHK. A Navy spokesperson confirmed to us that no evacuation order has been given.

Videos from the scene posted by NHK show two firefighting tugs located on both sides of the bow pouring water on the vessel. A Navy spokesperson told us the tugs were from White Beach Naval Facility in Okinawa.

Footage showing firefighting ships with the Japanese Coast Guard fighting a fire onboard the San Antonio-Class Amphibious Transport Dock, USS New Orleans (LPD-18), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. pic.twitter.com/czcUFgvSO8

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 20, 2025

NEW: Fire broke out aboard the USS New Orleans (LPD-18) while docked at White Beach, Okinawa, Japan.

US Navy & Japan Self-Defense Forces fought the blaze.

Cause, damage, and casualties not yet confirmed. pic.twitter.com/xbWLGoA1Xd

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 20, 2025

NHK reported that Japan Self-Defense Force vessels arrived to conduct firefighting efforts, and the Japan Coast Guard had also dispatched a patrol boat to the scene. A Navy spokesperson earlier told TWZ that they believed that the ship’s crew, plus the two tugs from White Beach, had been actively fighting the fire.

Okinawa’s White Beach is “a staging area for Marines and their equipment based on Okinawa,” according to the Navy. “This departure point allows utility landing craft and air-cushioned landing vehicles to ferry troops, vehicles and equipment to amphibious ships pier side or at sea.”

The cause of the fire and extent of the damage will be investigated, a Navy spokesperson also told TWZ.

Update, 5:52 PM Eastern:

The U.S. 7th Fleet has now put out a statement regarding the fire aboard USS New Orleans, which it says was extinguished at approximately 4:00 AM local time on August 21. This is roughly 12 hours after the blaze began. Two crew members were treated aboard the ship for unspecified “minor injuries.” An investigation is now underway.

The full statement is as follows:

“A fire aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), which is anchored near White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, was declared extinguished at 4 a.m., Aug. 21.

The fire began at approximately 4 p.m., Aug. 20. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

New Orleans Sailors’ firefighting efforts were supported by the crew of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), which is moored at White Beach Naval Facility.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force; Japan Coast Guard; and U.S. Navy commands from across Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa also provided critical support to the firefighting efforts.  

Two Sailors were taken to New Orleans’ medical for minor injuries.

New Orleans’ crew will remain aboard the ship. Additional services and berthing are available aboard San Diego and Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa, if needed.

Continue to follow U.S. 7th Fleet for updates.”

Contact the author: [email protected]

SOCAL REGIONAL PLAYOFFS

BASEBALL

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I
#7 Patrick Henry 2, #2 Santa Margarita 0

DIVISION II
#8 Rancho Bernardo 4, #1 Fountain Valley 2
#7 San Dimas 6, #2 Santa Maria St. Joseph 3

DIVISION IV
#3 Estancia 2, #6 Mary Star of the Sea 1

DIVISION V
#4 Nuview Bridge 14, #5 Port of Los Angeles 3

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(All games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION I
#5 Villa Park at #1 St. John Bosco
#7 Patrick Henry vs. #3 Crespi at Hartunian Park

DIVISION II
#8 Rancho Bernardo at #4 Eastlake, Friday
#7 San Dimas ar #6 Point Loma

DIVISION III
#5 Universal City at #1 Dos Pueblos
#3 Venice at #2 Mt. Carmel

DIVISION IV
#5 Rancho Mirage at #1 Wilmington Banning
#3 Estancia at #2 Ridgeview, Friday

DIVISION V
#4 Nuview Bridge at #1 Corcoran, Friday
#7 High Tech SD at #3 Pioneer

Note: Finals in all divisions Saturday at higher seeds.

SOFTBALL

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I
#5 Poway 4, #4 Ayala 1

DIVISION IV
#3 Irvine University 5, #6 Marquez 3

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(All games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION I
#5 Poway at #1 El Modena
#3 Bonita Vista at #2 Chula Vista Mater Dei

DIVISION II
#4 Monache at #1 El Cajon Christian
#6 Eastlake at #2 Westlake, Friday

DIVISION III
#4 Olympian at #1 Point Loma
#3 St. Bonaventure at #2 Legacy, 3 p.m.

DIVISION IV
#4 Rio Hondo Prep at #1 Pioneer Valley
#3 Irvine University at #2 Woodlake

DIVISION V
#1 Rancho Mirage at #4 Culver City
#6 Hueneme at #2 Orcutt Academy

Note: Finals in all divisions Saturday at higher seeds.

SOCAL REGIONAL PLAYOFFS

BASEBALL

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION 1

#1 St. John Bosco 2, #8 St. Augustine 1

#5 Villa Park 5, #4 Granite Hills 4 (9 innings)

#3 Crespi 4, #6 Mater Dei 3

DIVISION II

#4 Eastlake 4, #5 Glendora 1

#6 Point Loma 6, #3 El Camino Real 4

DIVISION III

#1 Dos Pueblos 10, #8 St. Anthony 2

#5 University City 5, #4 Birmingham 2

#3 Venice 5, #6 Trinity Classical Academy 2

#2 Mt. Carmel 5, #7 Elsinore 0

DIVISION IV

#1 Wilmington Banning 3, #8 Lemoore 2

#5 Rancho Mirage 7, #4 Ramona 3

#2 Ridgeview 13, #7 Riverside Notre Dame 3

DIVISION V

#1 Corcoran 9, #8 LA University 5

#3 Pioneer 6, #6 Mountain View 3

#7 High Tech SD 3, #2 Fillmore 1

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I

#7 Patrick Henry at #2 Santa Margarita, 12 p.m.

DIVISION II

#8 Rancho Bernardo at #1 Fountain Valley, 3:15 p.m.

#7 San Dimas at #2 Santa Maria St. Joseph, 4 p.m.

DIVISION IV

#6 Mary Stat of the Sea at #3 Estancia, 3:45 p.m.

DIVISION V

#5 Port of Los Angeles vs. #4 Nuview Bridge at Mystic Field

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

(All games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION I

#5 Villa Park at #1 St. John Bosco

#3 Crespi vs. #7 Patrick Henry or #2 Santa Margarita

DIVISION II

#4 Eastlake vs. #1 Fountain Valley or #8 Rancho Bernardo

#6 Point Loma vs. #7 San Dimas or #2 St. Joseph

DIVISION III

#5 Universal City at #1 Dos Pueblos

#3 Venice at #2 Mt. Carmel

DIVISION IV

#5 Rancho Mirage at #1 Wilmington Banning

#3 Estancia or #6 Mary Star of the Sea at #2 Ridgeview

DIVISION V

#5 Port of Los Angeles or #4 Nuview Bridge at #1 Corcoran

#7 High Tech SD at #3 Pioneer

Note: Finals in all divisions Saturday at higher seeds.

SOFTBALL

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION II

#1 El Cajon Christian, bye

#4 Monache 3, #5 Long Beach Poly 2

#6 Eastlake 3, #3 Bakersfield Christian 2

#2 Westlake 5, #7 Rancho Bernardo 3

DIVISION III

#1 Point Loma 9, #8 Port of Los Angeles 2

#4 Olympian 7, #5 West Ranch 6

#3 St. Bonaventure 6, #6 Southwest EC 5

#2 Legacy 5, #7 Elsinore 4

DIVISION IV

#1 Pioneer Valley, bye

#4 Rio Hondo Prep 9, #5 Taft 3

#2 Woodlake, bye

DIVISION V

#1 Rancho Mirage 9, #8 San Diego Lincoln 8

#4 Culver City 20, #5 Westchester 7

#6 Hueneme 9, #3 North Hollywood 4

#2 Orcutt Academy 17, #7 Cathedral City 0

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I

#5 Poway at #4 Ayala, 4 p.m.

DIVISION IV

#6 Marquez at #3 Irvine University, 2 p.m.

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

(All games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION I

#5 Poway or #4 Ayala at #1 El Modena

#3 Bonita Vista at #2 Chula Vista Mater Dei

DIVISION II

#4 Monache at #1 El Cajon Christian

#6 Eastlake at #2 Westlake

DIVISION III

#4 Olympian at #1 Point Loma

#3 St. Bonaventure at #2 Legacy

DIVISION IV

#4 Rio Hondo Prep at #1 Pioneer Valley

#6 Marquez or #3 Irvine University at #2 Woodlake

DIVISION V

#1 Rancho Mirage at #4 Culver City

#6 Hueneme at #2 Orcutt Academy

Note: Finals in all divisions Saturday at higher seeds.

A tourist-magnet country that welcomed more than 18 million international visitors last year will be hit hard by fresh travel warnings from the FCDO – and it could invalidate your insurance

Brits have been issued a stark warning following escalating tensions in a country that welcomes tourists in their droves. Last year, a staggering 18.89 million international visitors flocked to India – lured in by the country’s fascinating history, stunning architecture, and stellar street food.

Classed as the world’s seventh largest country, spanning some 1.2 million square miles, India is home to some of the most iconic tourist attractions in the world – including Amber Palace, Agra Fort, and Humayun’s Tomb. Of course, a trip to the country isn’t complete without having a selfie in front of the majestic Taj Mahal.

Touted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, this 17th century marble mausoleum and its pristinely symmetrical garden has attracted A-listers and political figures from across the globe. It’s where Princess Diana was snapped sitting on a bench – without her prince.

READ MORE: Major EU airline chaos as 1,400 flights suddenly axed with UK airports included

But, for almost 80 years, India has been locked in a military exchange with Pakistan over Kashmir, an area claimed in full and administered in parts by both countries. This conflict flared up on May 7 when India launched attacks on what it described as ‘terrorist infrastructure’ in Pakistan – in response to gunmen opening fire on a group of domestic tourists visiting Pahalgam, a popular part of Indian-administered Kashmir.

On May 10, the government of Pakistan stated that both countries have agreed to stop military action. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) therefore updated its travel advice on May 22, but still advises against ‘all travel to parts of India’ – including within 10km of the India-Pakistan border.

“FCDO advises against all travel to the region of Jammu and Kashmir (including Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, the city of Srinagar and the Jammu-Srinagar national highway), except for: travel by air to and from the city of Jammu, travel within the city of Jammu, and travel within the Union Territory of Ladakh,” the body added. “FCDO [also] advises against all but essential travel to the state of Manipur including the capital, Imphal.

“Curfews and restrictions continue in parts of Manipur following violent ethnic clashes that broke out in 2023. Intermittent incidents have continued and escalated in September 2024.”

Even tourist hotspots like Goa, renowned for its sugar-like beaches and cobalt waters, come with risks. The FCDO says the destination’s popularity has given surge to ‘opportunistic criminals’ that operate in the area.

“There have been some serious incidents involving British nationals in recent years, including sexual assaults and the murder of a young female traveller,” the FCDO added. “It is illegal to drink alcohol in public places in Goa. If you drink alcohol outside the limits of a licensed premises, you could be fined or given a prison sentence. You can drink within the limits of a registered beach shack or bar, for example, but not on an open beach or road.

Travelling to a country with an FCDO warning could mean your travel insurance is invalid. You can read the government’s full advice on India here.

Do you have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured.

SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 1
Norco 9, Chino Hills 1
Ayala 9, La Mirada 5
El Modena 6, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 4
Temescal Canyon 4, Etiwanda 0

DIVISION 2
Great Oak 8, California 3
JSerra 7, Palos Verdes 1
Santa Margarita 2, Ganesha 1
Los Alamitos 7, La Serna 1

DIVISION 3
Yorba Linda 14, Valley Christian 3
Marina 3, St. Paul 1
Kennedy 7, Aquinas 2
Westlake 4, Mission Viejo 0

DIVISION 4
Long Beach Poly 9, Santa Monica 3
Harvard-Westlake 12, Dos Pueblos 9
El Toro 9, Indio 3
Warren 8, Hemet 1

DIVISION 5
St. Bonaventure 17, Patriot 3
Riverside North 4, Irvine 2
Cerritos 4, Canyon Springs 1
West Ranch 7, Lancaster 4

DIVISION 6
University 7, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 5
Ramona Convent at Pasadena Poly, Thursday at 4 p.m.
Adelanto 16, San Jacinto 10
Rio Hondo Prep 12, Katella 11

DIVISION 7
Westminster 9, El Monte 7
Rancho Mirage 10, Edgewood 8
Silverado at Culver City, Thursday
Riverside Notre Dame 8, Lakeside 5

DIVISION 8
Cathedral City 3, Orange 1
Lennox Academy 14, United Christian Academy 10
Calvary Baptist 5, Hawthorne 0
Hueneme 12, Downey Calvary Chapel 2

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION 1
Norco at Ayala
El Modena at Temescal Canyon

DIVISION 2
JSerra at Great Oak
Santa Margarita at Los Alamitos

DIVISION 3
Marina at Yorba Linda
Westlake at Kennedy

DIVISION 4
Long Beach Poly at Harvard-Westlake
Warren at El Toro

DIVISION 5
St. Bonaventure vs. Riverside North
West Ranch at Cerritos

DIVISION 6
Ramona Convent / Pasadena Poly at University
Rio Hondo Prep at Adelanto

DIVISION 7
Rancho Mirage at Westminster
Riverside Notre Dame vs. Silverado / Culver City

DIVISION 8
Cathedral City vs. Lennox Academy
Calvary Baptist vs. Hueneme

Note: Finals (all divisions) May 30-31 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.

CITY SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

SEMIFINALS
At Stengel Field

DIVISION I
#2 Carson 4, #11 Taft 2
#1 Banning 3, #5 Verdugo Hills 1

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

FINALS
At Stengel Field

DIVISION III
#2 University vs. #1 Jefferson, 3 p.m.

DIVISION II
#7 Port of Los Angeles vs. #4 Chavez, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
At Dodger Stadium

DIVISION I
#2 Carson vs. #1 Banning, 10 a.m.

OPEN DIVISION
#2 El Camino Real vs. #1 Venice, 1 p.m.