army

not only its drones come from China, but also Ukraine’s latest army

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In the month of October there was an anomaly for Ukrainian troops. Reconnaissance drones began to spot unknown figures among Moscow’s soldiers. It was known that there were north koreansbut a new front began to increase as the days went by: Cubans. Now, in an unpredictable turn of events, kyiv is being joined by a most unexpected group: Chinese. Why are there Chinese? The story was told in an extensive report by The Guardian newspaper. Although the contingent is still small, they speak of a few dozen, the very existence of Chinese fighting on the Ukrainian side is politically significant because contradicts the story that Beijing, as a social bloc, massively supports the invasion of Russia. Most of these volunteers did not set out as combatants from the beginning, but rather as observers or humanitarian volunteers: they arrived, saw direct damage to civilians, and concluded that simply donating or showing compassion was not enough. Cases like Tim’swho was scarred after seeing the bodies in the kyiv children’s hospital, and jumped into combat from the simple idea that his inaction would have been worse than the risk. There is no epic in his story: there is a feeling of moral urgency and the point of no return once the violence is seen in the first person. Disenchantment as a driving force. He explained the British media that these decisions are not only born from the war, but from a previous trajectory of personal wear within China: unemployment structural, feeling of vital stagnation, deterioration of freedoms and closure of civic space after the pandemic. Both Tim and Fan, another of the combatants, they express the same with different languages: to stay was to remain tied to a life that for them was not moving forward and that, as they saycould not be questioned publicly. War, paradoxically, offers them what they lacked: the ability to act, a real transformation of their own destiny and an environment where, although there is enormous physical risk, there is also room for personal decision. At least for them, it is more rational to risk their lives on a foreign front than to remain “frozen” in their country with no option to change. Public opinion. A investigation Tao Wang of Manchester Metropolitan University concluded that 80% of Chinese Respondents held pro-Russian views during the first year of the war and that “government-controlled media managed to influence public opinion in favor of Russia” as the war progressed. The volunteers they described an ecosystem where the pro-Kremlin narrative seemed the only one that circulated without cost, while sympathizing with Ukraine was seen as “deviation” and could bring social or legal consequences. That is why dissent seems like a rare bird: not because it does not exist, but because, according to the studyit is not safe to express it. Prudential asymmetry. Plus: the operating path is not symmetrical. There is a lot of pro-mercenary content for Russia that circulate in Chinese networks without brakes (video above), while finding instructions for enlisting in Ukraine requires bypassing censorship, using VPN and, as In the case of Fangetting to ask an AI where to start. Furthermore, the Guardian indicated that the risk to coming back is real: relatives questioned, possible ambiguous charges, surveillance. In other words, the State tolerates (and sometimes facilitates) the pro-Russian participationbut forces those who decide otherwise to go underground. This difference in cost explains why the pronuclear group with Ukraine is small, although it does not invalidate its relevance as a symptom. Limited military value. There is no doubt, militarily, these few dozen do not change the balance of the conflict. Symbolically, they confront part of the official discourse. They demonstrate that the legitimacy of the Beijing-Moscow alliance It is not socially homogeneous, or it is not always so, and that there is also a layer that rejects it when it has room to act. For Ukraine, its value possibly lies in proving that even in China there are citizens who consider the invasion unjustifiable and enough to risk their lives to stop it. What are they looking for? When the Guardian I asked them why take risks for a foreign country, the answers were not geopolitical but vital: the idea of ​​building a life in another environment, giving a different future to your children and/or demonstrating that your identity as Chinese is not automatically tied to the State or its foreign policy. In it Tim’s caseis also a message towards prejudices: nothing should be taken for granted about any society, much less just because the State is going in the opposite direction. Thus, the gesture of these unlikely recruits in the Ukrainian war once again demonstrates that the sides are invisible. If the Cubans went to Ukraine for an issue purely economicthe Chinese seem to do it for a much more vital issue. Image | LAC Chad Sharman, IToldYa In Xataka | Ukraine brought its drones closer to the Russian army. Their surprise is capital: the North Koreans are now Cubans with an irresistible promise In Xataka | In 2023, a pilot from Ukraine had an idea for Star Wars. Not only did it go well: his kamikaze plan has rewritten the war manual

an army of combat drones

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For decades, the Rust Belt was the map of industrial failure American: abandoned factories, cities bled by unemployment and entire generations that saw the American dream rust along the assembly lines. In those gray landscapes, where silence replaced the roar of metal, no one expected a second life. And yet, something unexpected is happening among the old hangars and empty ships: a new noise has filled the air again, but this time it is not coming from the engines. It comes from the echoes of Europe, and from the war that pound in Ukraine. The industrial rebirth. I was telling it on the weekend the new york times. In the heart of America’s former automobile empire, where shuttered factories and for-lease signs had become part of the landscape, a new industry is breathing life back into the factory towns of the Midwest and Northeast. Where engines and bodies were once assembled, today drones are builtautonomous systems and smart weapons. Companies as Swarm Defense Technologieswhich occupies a former plant in Auburn Hills, Michigan, produces thousands of drones a month for the Army and other agencies, reviving an industrial environment that seemed doomed to decline. What was once the symbol of manufacturing decline has been transformed into a laboratory of the military future. The new industrial map. The expansion is not limited to an isolated case. Startups like Andurilbacked by artificial intelligence, are investing billions in factories of drones and autonomous weapons in Ohio, Rhode Island and Mississippi, while Regent builds electric marine gliders for the Marines off the New England coast and UXV Technologiesof Danish origin, installs a plant in Pennsylvania. They have all been found in the old industrial centers a fertile ground: skilled labor, cheap land and state governments willing to offer incentives in exchange for employment. Politics and industry are intertwined: for the White House, promoting “made in USA” defense It is as much a question of national security as it is of electoral strategy. Swarm Defense Technologies factory in Mich The political calculation. President Trump has turned this military reindustrialization into a political flagimposing tariffs, restricting purchases from abroad and proclaiming the end of dependence on Chinese technologies. The Rust Belt states, once bastions of the displaced working class, are now theaters of a rebirth defense driven. Politicians such as Ohio Senator Jon Husted, son of a General Motors worker, celebrate the arrival of these factories as a historical reparation: after decades of closures, jobs and hope return. Investors as Christian Garrettfrom 137 Ventures, recognize that producing in these regions is not only profitable, but strategic: “the end customer is the Pentagon,” and each position created consolidates a political link between the industry and the State. The factory of the future. However, this rebirth does not represent a return to the industrial past. The new plants will not employ hundreds of thousands of workers, but rather specialized technicians and programmers of autonomous systems. Anduril, for example, builds in Ohio a modular installation of hundreds of thousands of square meters, capable of adapting its production to different war platforms and that will employ some four thousand people. Automation and artificial intelligence redefine the notion of a factory: less muscle and more codeless assembly and more calibration. But the symbolic and economic effect is enormous: cities like Warren, North Kingstown or Auburn Hills once again appear on the innovation maps, replacing steel and oil with silicon and sensors. Between tradition and the avant-garde. The new manufacturers are rediscovering the value of inherited trades. Regent chose Rhode Island for its naval legacy and its community of boatbuilders, Swarm, for the technical knowledge passed down through generations of automotive workers, and Atomic Industries, in Michigan, for a network of welders and assemblers that still exists. mechanical skill that the 21st century seemed to have displaced. This combination of artisanal experience and cutting-edge technology embodies a new type of industrial patriotism, in which defense becomes an economic engine and the reconstruction of factories, a symbol of technological sovereignty. The manufacturing spirit. The resurgence of the factory towns It is not just a story of drones and military contracts, but a cultural metamorphosis. For workers re-entering a plant that their parents helped liftassembling a drone is a way of reconciliation with history. The same infrastructure that once supported Detroit or Flint is now adapting to the challenges of a new era: national defense, automation and industrial independence. What was the decline of the American motor is becoming the dawn of its technological muscle, one that unites the nostalgia of assembly lines with the promise of a future controlled by algorithms and electric drives. Image | Swarm Defense Technologies In Xataka | Russia has set up the largest drone factory in the world using a well-kept secret: teenagers In Xataka | The paradox of Ukraine’s huge drone industry: an advantage against Russia, a problem for its pilots

There are so many drones in Ukraine that they have become cars. So the army has created a DGT to regulate its traffic

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In a battle where drones are already they don’t need humans to coordinate and attack, and where these combat devices have taken technological warfare to a new crazy phase where they are knocking themselves downsooner or later it had to happen. Drones and Ukrainian airspace are increasingly similar, for better and worse, to cars and roads around the planet. The congested sky. The Ukrainian front has turned into an airspace so saturated with drones that its operators they must negotiate between them to avoid collisions and, above all, interference from their own electronic warfare systems. In an environment where thousands of devices they fly simultaneouslythe pilots establish “flight corridors” temporary, agreed by group messages or by radio, to cross areas under friendly control without being shot down by the signal jammers of their own army. This exchange, at times chaotic and spontaneous, reflects how modern warfare is fought both in the air and on the electromagnetic spectrum, where waves, rather than bullets, determine who sees, who shoots, and who survives. The invisible war. we have told before. The battle for dominance electromagnetic spectrum is already one of the most decisive of the conflict. each side try to saturate or protect the other’s frequencies through jamming systems that can nullify drones, missiles or radars, but also blind their own. Pilots as Dimko Zhluktenkoof the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces, they explain Insiere that his work includes identifying Russian electronic warfare systems to destroy them before they block the signal of his drones. Other operators, however, they must coordinate with several units simultaneously, seeking a balance between protecting their troops and the need to keep flight routes open. In many cases, the commanders who control the jamming systems are at higher hierarchical levels, so units on the ground can barely request changes, with no real ability to turn them off or adjust them according to their missions. The chaos of the sky. The device density in the air has created an environment almost impossible to manage. Commercial drones modifiedappliances FPV explosives, reconnaissance dronesinterceptors and systems electronic warfare They compete for space and signal, in a landscape where distinguishing between friend and enemy is increasingly difficult. Many soldiers shoot or activate their inhibitors at any approaching drone, unable to identify it precisely. The similarity between the Russian and Ukrainian models aggravates the confusion, and sometimes the Ukrainians themselves Allied aircraft are shot down out of fear or uncertainty. In this scenario, the war resembles a gigantic air traffic jam where each operator must warn, coordinate and wait their turn to cross the front without being blocked or destroyed by their own side. Non-stop race. In the background, Ukraine and Russia compete to develop technologies capable of resisting the electromagnetic lock. New models include drones no dependence on GPScontrolled by fiber optic cableequipped with artificial intelligence or capable of changing frequency to escape enemy “noise.” However, these innovations slowly reach the front lines, where they coexist with outdated equipment that requires improvisation and constant communication. Thus, each flight is a negotiation between units, each mission a bet against the chaos of the spectrum, and each Russian advance forces an immediate Ukrainian response. The new frontier. Ultimately, the conflict in Ukraine has turned the sky into a laboratory where 21st century war is redefined. It is no longer just about tanks or missiles, but about waves, signals and microprocessors. The coordination between drones and interference systems reveals both the maturity and fragility of an army that has made ingenuity its main weapon. And it also shows a limit: the more saturated the spectrum, the more likely it will be that the technology will turn against those who use it. In that invisible space, where every interference can decide the fate of a drone or a life, Ukraine is waging a war as modern as it is paradoxical: a war in which communication It is the only way to prevent the defense from becoming its own enemy. Image | TASS In Xataka | If the question is how to end the war in Ukraine, the US has a disturbing solution: threaten Russia with a missile In Xataka | Russia’s technological superiority over Ukraine is growing every day. And all thanks to a friend: China

create 3,000 jobs to modernize the army

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International pressure for Spain invest more in defense had never been so remarkable. NATO has made it clear that member countries must achieve spending goals much more ambitious, and the Spanish Government has responded with concrete measures and heavy investments. Just as the war in Ukraine and other tensions have led Europe to beef up its security, key opportunities are emerging for domestic industry, and a wave of hiring is coming. Rain of millions for Indra. The latest agreement between the allies sets as a goal dedicate 5% of GDP to defense in 2035, although Spain already meets the previous minimum objective of 2% in 2025. Compared to 2024, the country has increased military spending by 43.11%, raising the budget from 22,693 million to 33,123 million euros, according to official data from the Atlantic Alliance published by The World. In a new step towards this investment objective, the Government announced this week the granting of 6,890 million euros in credits for companies involved in the development of new technologies and equipment for Defense. Among all these companies there is a great beneficiary: Indrawhich will attract 6,582 million euros in investment. Investing does not mean buying. The Government has insisted on its approach of using this increase in defense spending not simply to modernize the Armed Forces with better equipment, but its commitment is to turn Spain into a producer of new technology. that can be sold to other countries. In this context of investments in Defense, Indra just announced through a statement that will generate 3,000 direct jobs related to the development of technologies and tools for military modernization. This represents a relevant opportunity for young people who are thinking about directing their training towards technology or engineering in areas of application in military defense and cybersecurity. A commitment to technological employment. Indra, one of the defense contractors most benefited for rearmament in Spain and Europe. Ángel Escribano, executive president of Indra Group, has confirmed that “we will generate wealth throughout the national territory through high added value jobs, an industry that is as self-sufficient as possible and completely national advanced technology”, making clear its commitment to young technological talent in Spain. According to sources of Indra, currently its supplier network is already made up of an ecosystem of companies in which more than 65% of its national supply network is made up of SMEs, startups and technological or research centers based in Spain. Around 77% of Indra’s subcontracting already benefits the national industry, and the company estimates that the current value chain, made up of approximately 1,000 employees, will add another 200 partners and suppliers in the coming years. There are already 2,400 open vacancies. Indra’s intention to expand its workforce with new additions of engineers and technical personnel was seen even before the Government made official the granting of the credits approved by the Council of Ministers, and already before the summer opened the vacancies to attract 2,400 new qualified professionals. With an eye on FP. To make talent attraction more efficient, Indra has signed agreements with 346 vocational training centers and plans to incorporate 75% of the interns into its workforce this year in 2025. A third of Indra’s staff in Spain are graduates in some vocational training branch. Escribano has pointed out that “we are convinced that Vocational Training not only trains thousands of young people each year, but is a lever of transformation for our society. A country that wants to develop a solid industrial capacity and real technological autonomy must decisively bet on vocational training, as Spain does.” In Xataka | Italy has activated “rearmament” in Europe: the longest suspension bridge in the world will connect Sicily for the passage of tanks Image | Indra, Unsplash (ThisisEngineering)

The army wants to expand the military area of ​​a privileged corner of Mallorca. His neighbors have told him not so quickly

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Cap del Pinar is a postcard place from the north of the island of Mallorca. Cliffs, coves, trees and unique views of the Mediterranean. None of that has prevented that small strip of land from motivating an institutional ‘riffrafe’ between the Alcúdia City Council (21,000 residents), where the small peninsula is located, and the Ministry of Defense. The reason: Cap del Pinar is a privileged place for locals, but also an Area of ​​Interest for National Defense. The question is how compatible both uses are. What has happened? That the future of Cap del Pinara cape located north of the island of Mallorca, has caused an institutional clash between the Government and the Alcúdia Town Hallthe locality in which the spit of land is located. The reason? For the department headed by Margarita Robles, it is a space of “national interest” for defense. For the Consistory, however, it is something more: a space for “high heritage and natural value” which plays an important role in local traditions and cannot be stolen from neighbors. Where does the problem come from? To understand it you have to go back a few decades, in the early 40’swhen the Army initiated a file of forced expropriation of the lands of The Victory. Your goal, remember The Confidentialwas to install military batteries and auxiliary services in several strategic points on the Majorcan island: Cap del Pinar and Cap Gros. In 1947, the Alcúdia City Council (the town where the first one is located) accepted the transfer, although including a small print that clarified that it was granting the land temporarily and reserving certain rights. That was 79 years ago, but the area and especially its use has continued to make people talk. Why’s that? Because the presence of the Army marked the use of the environment, which began to focus on national defense. So much so that already entering the 21st century, the Alcúdia City Council and the Government came to an agreement to guarantee that residents could enjoy Cap del Pinar, although with certain conditions. As published in April 2009 Mallorca newspaper, The pact contemplated that people could visit the military base during the summer months and respecting a maximum daily quota of 50 people. Before, yes, they needed to request a special permit, which in practice deters to quite a few neighbors. The result is that locals have been able to continue enjoying the area, although with limitations. And what happens now? That the army wants to reinforce its presence in that small (and privileged) salient in the north of Mallorca. Recently the ministry communicated to the City Council that wants to declare a barracks located right on the Cape road “Area of ​​Interest for National Defense”. In other words, it wants to expand the area it already uses as a military maneuver and shooting range to 145 hectares. Although Margarita Robles’ department is still processing the Royal Decree that will allow it to expand the “area of ​​interest”, the notice has been enough to put the Balearic Council on guard, which was quick to make a move. What has he done? A few weeks ago the municipal plenary agreed to transfer to Defense a list of allegations. Basically, the City Council warns that the expansion “could condition local powers” in matters of urban planning and heritage, in addition to the use of the environment. Because if there is something that is worrying in Alcúdia, it is that its neighbors will lose access to a space of “high natural and heritage value”. “This is our main demand. We don’t want to have to ask for permits to climb,” explains the mayorFina Batlessa, a The Confidential. Why this concern? Because it is not just any area. Beyond your environmental protectionthe Cap del Pinar peninsula is a space of tradition and enjoyment for the neighbors. Very popular excursions are organized, not counting the coves (or paths to coves) that are distributed throughout the area. The big question is… If Defense decides to expand the military zone, how would that affect the use that locals make of the environment? After all, the neighbors already have experience of what happened with the land transferred in the 1940s. Hence, the City Council’s allegations clarify that one of its objectives be “maintain the hiking and hiking activity”, “guarantee access without prior authorization” and protect the popular festivals that are celebrated in Victòria. “It should not entail unjustified limitations on the rights of citizens and municipal autonomy. Alcúdia must preserve its environment and traditions,” summarizes Linares in Mallorca Diary. In its allegations the Consistory ask For example, the expansion of the military zone does not interfere with “hiking and hiking activities” nor does it represent a “reduction in the free movement of people” during the holidays. Hunters also have a license valid until 2028. What does Defense say? The issue has generated so much controversy that the Ministry of Defense has already come out to clarify that the expansion will not affect the enjoyment of the area. He has also clarified that he does not aspire to another 145 extra hectares, but that this will be the total area that he will manage after the change, including those that he has already controlled since the 1940s. To be more precise, the focus is on a 400-meter stretch of land that will leave a stretch of road and part of the surroundings under his management. Will that affect its public use? A few days ago the department of Robles guaranteed to Mallorca Diary that both hikers and hunters will be able to continue enjoying the area “without problem.” That has not prevented the debate has escalated even beyond local and regional politics, reaching Congress, where Sumar Més has registered several questions on the topic. Images | Wikipedia (Frank Vincentz) and Selvatgi (Flickr) In Xataka | Ibiza promised them happiness with its coves. Until luxury villas and beach clubs began to privatize them with hammocks

There are fewer and fewer North Koreans fighting with Russia in Ukraine. An army has arrived with an irrefutable promise: Cubans

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For months, reports about foreign fighters in Ukraine indicated to North Korea as the main source of soldiers sent to support Russia. Then there was official confirmation by both nations. Quietly, however, that balance is shifting in surprising ways. On the board of the war in Eastern Europe, another country begins to displace Pyongyang in the role of largest supplier of troops to Moscow, an unexpected turn that reveals both the fragility of Russia and the depth of its authoritarian alliances. The Cuban front. What began as a regional invasion has transformed into a global war, in which Russia not only faces Ukraine and its Western allies, but also mobilize a network of regimes to sustain the war effort. Among them, Cuba emerges as an unexpected actor: according to Ukrainian estimates, up to 25,000 Cubans They could join the Russian front, becoming the largest foreign force in Ukraine, above the North Korean contingents. For the Kremlin, the usefulness of this formula it is evident: The casualties of foreign fighters do not generate internal protests, do not require compensation to Russian families and reduce the political cost of the conflict. In a country with more than one million estimated casualtiesattract soldiers overseas It is also a matter of strategic survival. A formula that is difficult to reject. The main motivation for many Cuban recruits is simple: economic. On an island mired in one of the worst crises in recent decades, where the average salary barely exceeds 20 dollars a month, the promises of charge $2,000 a month They fight any ideological objection. Some accept the contracts convinced, others are deceived with job offers in construction or factories, to discover upon arriving in Russia that their destination is the battle front. Analysts like Cristina López-Gottardi they point out that the economic attraction is irresistible, but they also highlight the political dimension: Havana obtains income from remittances from combatants and consolidates its alignment with Moscow, presenting it as a gesture of “revolutionary loyalty” and, incidentally, a symbolic challenge to Washington. Experts point out that the regime seeks reinforce your narrative anti-American, presenting participation as an act of internationalist solidarity, although in practice it is a source of foreign currency in times of hardship. Mercenaries, coercion and globality. The Cuban presence is part of a broader trend: the growing Russian dependence on foreign fighters. According to intelligence data, in 2025 almost half of the prisoners captured in Ukraine They were not Russian citizenswhen in 2022 they barely represented 1%. From Africans recruited under threats of deportation, until deceived students With false job offers in “shampoo factories”, including North Koreans sent as cannon fodder, Moscow turns to a whole mosaic of forced soldiers or mercenaries. In this sense, the Cuban contribution not only strengthens the Russian lines, but also magnify the image of a war waged by an international authoritarian axis that includes Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and now Cuba, sharing weapons, technology and experience on a battlefield converted into a laboratory for modern warfare with drones, electronic warfare and new combat tactics. Cuba as a diplomatic target. Cuban involvement in Ukraine has not gone unnoticed by the United States. The Trump administration has decided to use it as a central argument in his diplomatic offensive against Havana at the UN. An internal State Department cable, dated October 2, instructed US delegations to pressure allies to vote against the traditional annual resolution demanding an end to the US embargo on Cuba. Year after year, the measure has had overwhelming support (in 2024, 187 countries voted in favor and only the United States and Israel against), although Washington hopes to reduce that margin by presenting evidence that the Miguel Díaz-Canel regime has become in active accomplice of Russian aggression, with between 1,000 and 5,000 fighters deployed on the front. In the documents is underlined that Cuba “has failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns” in the war, and the regime is accused of “undermining democracy” in the region, particularly through its alliance with Venezuela. The embargo and sanctions. Washington’s strategy seeks to disarm the Havana narrative, which presents the embargo as the root of all their evils. The diplomatic cable instructs to highlight the corruption and incompetence of the Cuban government, in addition to highlighting that the economic problems do not derive from the sanctions, but from its mismanagement. Trump, upon his return to the presidency, has hardened the restrictions: has reinstated Cuba to the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, has further limited financial transactions and has sanctioned third countries that collaborate with Cuban doctors abroad. Faced with this pressure, the Cuban regime accuses Washington of seeking a pretext for aggression and even instrumentalizing the anti-drug fight in the Caribbean as an excuse to increase tension. That said, the backdrop seems different: the combination internal collapse and military alliance with Moscow places Cuba at the epicenter of the geopolitical struggle between Washington and the authoritarian bloc. Military school. Beyond the diplomatic balances, what worries many analysts is that the war in Ukraine has become an involuntary academy for allied armies of Russia. Every foreign contingent that steps on the front learn first hand the techniques of the first great drone war in history: from swarm operations to electronic warfare. As warns Bill Colefounder of Peace Through Strength Institute“the real danger is not the thousands of Cubans or North Koreans sent, but what they learn and then export to other conflicts in Latin America, Africa or Asia.” This transfer of war knowledge turns war into a multiplier of global instability, with authoritarian regimes absorbing tactics and adapting them to their own scenarios. The Cuban paradox. The participation of thousands of Cubans in the Ukrainian war also reveals a paradox: while for the Havana regime it represents both a source of foreign currency and a reaffirmation of its anti-American identity, for Moscow it is a cheap solution and politically comfortable to internal wear and tear, and for Washington an opportunity to intensify diplomatic pressure … Read more

Now the hunt is in charge of a lethal drone army

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It is no secret that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 summer was not the best of all. After the plane stranded for a month In India, the reverse from Spain to an order (to which they have added other countries), A second breakdown of a hunt, this time in Japan, and a report that questioned the plane and its sophisticated software Because of the iceyou could say that the storm has passed. In fact, the United States has a message: F-35 will be more Powerful that never. The technological commitment. Yes, Lockheed Martin has undertaken a decisive leap in the evolution of the F-35 Lightning II by incorporating advanced capabilities of Enjambres control of drones through artificial intelligence. With an investment of about 100 million dollars in programs such as The career projectthe company seeks to transform hunting not only into a versatile and furtive combat plane, but an authentic Air Command Center capable of directing unmanned vehicles in recognition, electronic warfare or coordinated attacks. The objective: maintain American aerial supremacy against increasingly complex threats, betting on synergy between manned aircraft and autonomous systems in a network combat ecosystem. Synergy Man -Machine and Remote Control. The integration of AI allows the F-35 to communicate In real time With drones, processing a lot of volumes of data and making instant decisions that extend their operational scope far beyond their own sensors. In recent tests It was checked That an F-35 could directly control a drone, which opens the door to operations in which the plane can “see” and attack objectives through intermediary platforms without putting the pilot at direct risk. Moreover, Lockheed proposes that F-35 itself have An optional mode not manned, which would reduce costs compared to the development of a sixth generation hunting from scratch and allowed to take advantage of the cells already produced with greater degree of autonomy. The autonomous era. The F-35 was born from the program Joint Strike Fighter which in 2001 granted the victory to Lockheed against Boeing. Since then it has evolved in three variants (F-35a of conventional takeoff, F-35b of short takeoff and vertical landing, and F-35c embarked) and has become a key piece of several branches of the US and Allied armed forces. This 2025 is expected to deliver Up to 190 unitswhich reflects the magnitude of the program and the confidence of the company in its long -term validity. However, the complexity of the system raises risks, as evidenced by the Incident in Alaska in which a pilot had to eject after almost an hour of solution attempts with Lockheed engineers, and that underlines the need for exhaustive tests before displaying large -scale autonomous capabilities. The integrated air dominance vision. The weight of these developments lies greatly in the Skunk Works division of Lockheed, which raises a concept of “Integrated air dominance” in which the F-35 will benefit from sixth generation technologies, including advanced autonomy, interoperability with swarms and improvements of furtiveness. Associated companies such as Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems strengthen the capacities in electronic warfare and surveillance, expanding the network of connected functions. Sector analysts interpret this strategy as A calculated movement in front of rivals like Boeing, especially after loss of a contract of new generation fighters, and as a way of presenting the F-35 as a bridge to completely autonomous fleets. DRON VECTIS The birth of Vectis. It is the device that explains the U-35 update. Skunk Works has presented these days DRON VECTISa large non -manned air combat system (Group 5) conceived under philosophy Agile Drone Framework. The framework prioritizes modularity, interoperability and rapid adaptability against changing threats, so that the vectis is not defined by a closed hardware, but by its ability to integrate Useful loads, control architectures and diverse missions according to the needs of each operator. The name, of Latin origin, refers to the “lever” that the system represents to multiply air power. Your first prototype is expected to fly in a two -year periodafter having surpassed Skunk Works his initial proposal “too sophisticated” that was out of the first phase of the program Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) of the United States Air Force. Furtive design The revealed images They show a drone without queue, air inlets mounted on the top, tilted nose line and an S duct that reduces the radar and infrared firm. Its exact dimensions have not been published, although it is known that it is less than an F-16 but greater than the CMMT missile drones of Lockheed herself. The Vectis is designed to operate from conventional clues, although with a view to a future in which it can adapt to austere environments or dispersed bases under concepts such as AGILE COMBAT EMPLOYMENT (ACE). Its architecture allows compact radars, infrared sensors, electronic war systems or retransmission packages to be installed, in addition to carrying air-air and air-surface missiles from internal wineries. In addition, it does not seek to reach supersonic speeds, but Prioritize rankinessresistance and multimisional flexibility. Accompanying hunting. As we said before, the vectis is fully integrated with fifth and sixth generation platforms, as the F-22 and F-35that they can exercise Control nodes To direct dwarfs. In fact, simulations already made show the ability to use it In air defense missionssuppression of anti -aircraft defenses, intelligence, surveillance and recognition. Its open mission architecture, aligned with Washington’s reference standards, allows compatibility with multinational systems and opens the door to use by US allies. Lockheed underlines The importance of intuitive control interfaces, such as touch screens, so that pilots can order maneuvers or armament throws without overloading their workload. The system is designed to fly daily in training, but also to be stored and deployed on demandwhich provides logistics and strategic flexibility. Challenges and the future. The development of an F-35 capable of Direct drone swarms advanced Like the Vectis Raise strategic and ethical questions about the level of acceptable autonomy in war operations. Meanwhile, the logic of the pentagon of moving towards the war in network supports the need … Read more

The Ukrainian army that is not afraid of Russia. They arrive as outdated machines and become robots for war

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The year 2025 has been a radical change in the Ukraine War. We had seen drones with shotguns of double cannonrobots Lanzaluelaunmanned vessels With missilesairplanes With shotguns or even devices with kilometer cables of optical fiber Looking for its goal through algorithms. However, in recent months a change in trend has been accelerated. Because soldiers are no longer recruited, they are recruited directly robots. Even if they are antiques. Improvising on the front line. It Forbes counted. In an abandoned Soviet warehouse in Donetsk, Ukrainian soldiers and engineers transform old vehicles into non -manned combat systems, the called UGV. Under the command of Oleksandr, head of the Robotic Unit of the Antares Battalion, the workshops work thanks to raffles, donations and volunteer networks that Finish pieces and spare parts. Robots arrive with analog communications vulnerable to Russian electronic war and are completely comforted: new chassis, digital systems, StarlinkLte or encrypted links. Each conversion costs Between 750 and 1,000 dollarswithout counting satellite equipment, and requires maintenance after each mission. Once ready, the UGV are mostly destined for tasks logistics and evacuationtransporting ammunition, food or injured under enemy fire, although some are equipped with turretsmortars or electronic war modules. The speed remains limited and unstable connectivity, which forces them to use them mainly at night or in discretion conditions to avoid Russian kamikaze drones. Robots against the death zone. The proliferation of drones in Ukraine has extended The Russian “Kill” More than 15 kilometers behind the front line, causing entering or leaving positions to be one of the most lethal maneuvers. In fact, up to a 80% of the casualties Russians are already attributed to unmanned systems, and losses of Ukrainian logistics vehicles have forced multiply the use of UGVS for supplies and evacuations. The need is so high that in December 2024 the first compound Ukrainian assault was documented entirely by robotsand in July 2025 the 3rd Assault Brigade achieved an operation with Russian surrender Without own casualties. However, the UGV follow being vulnerable: day they are easy prey of FPV drones, and any signal failure can leave a wounded in the open field. Given this, some units are used as suicidal vehicles, launched against trenches, bridges or mined fields to detonate loads and open path. Another UGV development An accelerated race. Both kyiv and Moscow They experience With fleets of terrestrial robots, aware that the future of combat will depend on the mass integration of autonomous systems. Ukraine aspires to deploy 15,000 UGV By the end of 2025, supported by The Brave1 programwhile Russia shows prototypes With thermobáric launchers in their state media. The analysts They point That kyiv maintains advantage thanks to a decentralized network of start-ups and creative brigades, while Russia still depends on fragmented and volunteer efforts. At the same time, other global actors Like China They observe carefully the Ukrainian innovations to incorporate them into their own war doctrines. The test terrain in Donbás is accelerating a cycle of military innovation that in peace times would have been. Of logistics to direct fire. Ukrainian brigades already work for prototypes that They go further of the simple delivery of supplies: anti -aircraft turrets, UGVs kamikaze with Starlink to attack tanks, and modular platforms that can be adapted according to the mission. The main challenge is to reduce costs and simplify the operation to massify its deployment. The 28th mechanized brigade even presented a UGV equipped with A manpads Iglacapable of folding drones or low -level helicopters keeping operators covered. The vision is clear: an army in which the machines do the most dangerous work and the soldiers are preserved for control and supervision missions. The role of civil innovation. The rapid evolution of this robotic war It would not be possible without the direct intervention of Civil engineers and entrepreneurswhich have created a unique ecosystem of warlike innovation. Organizations as dignitas Ukraine They drive the Victory Robots programThey train soldiers in the management of UGVs and spread best practices among brigades. These initiatives They seek to build a “technological shield” that reduces human casualties and accelerates the adoption of autonomous systems. The next phase, they anticipate, will be the integration of artificial intelligence into terrestrial robots, multiplying their autonomy and efficiency in the battlefield. A robotic army. The Ukrainian bet for the UGV is not conjunctural, but part of a long -term strategy to compensate for demographic inferiority against Russia. If they manage to industrialize their production and stabilize the supply chain, these robots could become In spine From a hybrid army in which humans and machines fight side by side. Thus, the perspective of a future where entire brigades are accompanied by swarms of aerial drones and autonomous land vehicles no longer belong to science fiction, but to everyday reality of the Ukrainian front. For kyiv, robotics is more than a tool: it is the key to resist for years in a wear war and, perhaps, to define what the wars of the 21st century will be. Image | TV Zvezda, Gopua In Xataka | Something unprecedented in Ukraine is happening: combat drones do not need humans to coordinate and attack In Xataka | We had seen the drones of Ukraine do everything, but this is new: they are arriving lost to countries outside the war

An army of robot dogs

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Hong Kong is preparing to combat the increase in cases of the Chikungunya virus, transmitted through mosquitoeswith a strategy taken from the Black Mirror series: with robots dogs. The authorities themselves They are already planning Deploy these four -legged robots equipped with insecticides to deal with the threat in difficult access areas. What is the ‘chikungunya’ disease. In summary, it is an infectious disease that is transmitted through mosquitoes that have the virus inside being the vectors of the disease. The symptoms generally begin four to eight days after the mosquito sting, and mainly will be accompanied by fever and joint pain. At the moment, there is no treatment because it is a virus, and the health system can only focus on treating symptoms. The problem is that the concern for the disease does not stop growing. Recently, nine imported cases have been registered this year and one significant out of the neighboring province of Guangdongwith more than 7,000 cases reported since June. The good news is that this is not a disease with a great mortality rate, being more dangerous only for pluripatological patients, which are normally those of older. The ‘war against mosquitoes’ will begin as a pilot plan. It will be From next month When the city will begin its strategy to fumigate slopes and other places that present difficulties for pest control equipment. In this way, eliminating mosquitoes (which act as virus vectors) can control the spread of the disease. This was confirmed by the Secretary of Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-Wan, that he pointed out That the initiative seeks to relieve the load of first -line personnel, especially during the hottest months. And in the event that this first strategy works, many more robotic dogs can be deployed. Technology for difficult land. Robotic dogs, popularized by companies such as Boston Dynamics, are designed to operate and perform tasks on irregular land. Their agility makes them a viable solution to reach the habitats of mosquitoes in areas where humans cannot easily access. The potential of this technology goes beyond simple fumigation. By integrating AI, cameras and sensors, these robots can in the future detect stagnant watersmap mosquito hatcheries and send real -time updates to command centers. The AI ​​could also analyze the temperature data, rainfall and outbreaks to predict where mosquitoes are most likely to prolve, allowing preventive and more ecological action by reducing the use of chemicals. Alternatives and concerns. In addition to robots, the Hong Kong government is exploring other alternatives, such as A technique recommended by WHO which introduces a bacterium into Aedes mosquitoes to limit their reproduction capacity and virus transmission. Something that according to the authorities is already taking a result in Singapore. Robotic dogs are not free of controversies. The high cost is one of the problems that part of the population can see to this plan. In addition, there is concern that excessive dependence on technology can weaken basic preventive habits of the community, such as being careful with stagnant waters. Another critical point is The possible damage to other insects beneficial, such as bees and butterflies, which generates long -term environmental risks in pollination processes, for example. Robots begin to be present today. Apart from this idea with robotized dogs in the field of health, in China it is already organizing the Robotic Olympicsbut they are also using Robots to patrol the autonomous wind farms either even install solar parks. And having them at home is also possible Thanks to robots megatiendas that will arrive in November 2025. Images | Andrew Jephson In Xataka | China has gathered more than 150 humanoid robots in Shanghai. Your message is clear: this is no longer about ideas, it goes from industry

We believed to know what killed Napoleon’s army in Russia. The finding of a tooth has shown us something else

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In 1812 there is a moment that was going to be registered in the history books. The Russia invasion by Napoleon culminated in one of the greatest military tragedies: The great arméeformed by more than half a million men, was forced to a devastating withdrawal marked by hunger, cold and disease, a combination that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Or we believed. Health catastrophe. In the summer of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte gathered up to 600,000 soldiers for his campaign against Russiathe greatest force he had ever deployed. However, the burned land strategy of Tsar Alejandro iwhich involved Evacuar Moscow and deprive the supplier of supplies, forced the withdrawal of the French army to Poland during a brutal winter. Between October and December of that year, more than 300,000 men perishedvictims of hunger, the extreme cold and a wave of diseases that devastated to an already weakened force. For a long time, the testimonies of survivors and the first scientific analyzes pointed to the TIFUS and the trench fever as the main culprits, reinforcing the idea that the bad hygienic conditions had sealed the fate of the great Armée. The new findings. Now, research carried out In the Pasteur Institute in Paris they have contributed a more precise vision thanks to metagenomic techniques, capable of identifying genetic material of any pathogen present in human remains. Nicolás Rascovan’s team analyzed Thirteen soldiers Buried in Vilna (current Lithuania), epicenter of mortality during the withdrawal. The results did not detect traces of typhus or trenches fever, but they did reveal the presence of Salmonella Entericacause of paratyphoid fever, and Borrelia recurrentis, transmitted by lice and responsible for recurring fever. These diseases, although not always fatal, would have deeply weakened soldiers already exhausted by endless marches, lack of food and glacial temperatures. In that context, even pathologies that in other circumstances could have overcome became mortal. Napoleonic invasion in Russia Lethal combination He New scenario It suggests that defeat is not explained by a single infectious agent, but by a devastating combination: physical exhaustion, starvation, extreme cold and a set of diseases that, together, undermined the resistance of tens of thousands of men. The Parathyphoid fever It would have caused diarrhea and dehydration, while recurring fever progressively weakened with cyclical episodes of high fever. All this, added to the lack of hygiene, to the spread of lice and the impossibility of adequate medical care in the middle of the chaos of the withdrawal, turned the Napoleon army into a paid field For the disease. The magnitude of the health catastrophe even exceeded combat losses, and became one of the decisive factors that precipitated the collapse of the campaign. Historical and scientific implications. Although some experts warn that the amount of recovered DNA is reduced and that the results are not entirely conclusive, The study It marks an important advance in the use of modern tools to reinterpret historical episodes. Demonstrates the Metagenomics potential To trace diseases in ancient human remains and offers new perspectives on how biology, and not only military strategy, it can explain the collapse of whole armies and populations. Researchers They point That these techniques could also be applied to the study of communities in America and Australia after European contact, where the lack of reliable records and historical biases make it difficult to understand the true impact of epidemics. The defeat that sealed the empire. The Tragedy of 1812 It is still one of the most studied inflection points in military history. The collapse of the Great Armée Not only stopped the Napoleonic expansion, but triggered the offensive of his enemies and the beginning of the end of his empire. While the epic of the campaign has traditionally been narrated in the key of battles and strategic decisions, the New evidence They confirm that biology and disease played a central role in the debacle. The withdrawal of Russia was, ultimately, both a military disaster and an epidemiological catastrophe, and the DNA of a few teeth found in Vilna has allowed to illuminate more precisely the executioners invisible and tiny that decimated the soldiers of Napoleon in one of the most lethal winters in history, starting with an unexpected “army” of lice. Image | Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, Blaue Max In Xataka | “Even if I told you, you would not believe me”: the mystery of what Napoleon saw when he slept in the great pyramid of Egypt In Xataka | ‘Napoleon’ is Ridley Scott’s most controversial film in years. Not among critics: among historians

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