combat

a helicopter without a cabin that launches combat drones

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In February 2022, a Black Hawk helicopter took off, sailed and landed all alone for half an hour without anyone on board. What then seemed like a futuristic demonstration is now quickly becoming a new category of military aircraft. The end of one era and the beginning of another. Europe has been pursuing the dream of a large sixth-generation fighter capable of competing with the American and Chinese programs for years, but the FCAS lockout has once again highlighted the enormous political, industrial and budgetary difficulties that accompany this type of project. While the future of the European fighter jet is blurred between disputes over intellectual property, the distribution of work and rising costs, Airbus has taken advantage of the Berlin air show to submit a proposal much more aligned with the real trends that are transforming current battlefields: a autonomous aircraft, without cabin and designed to operate alongside drones. The contrast is striking because while the great symbol of European air power seems stagnant, the company is betting on technologies that are already demonstrating their value in conflicts such as the one in Ukraine. A helicopter without pilots or cabin. The new U145 is based on the successful H145 helicoptera platform with more than 1,800 examples in service and more than 8.5 million flight hours accumulated worldwide. However, Airbus has completely removed the cabinso that the aircraft cannot be piloted by humans under any circumstances. Instead, it incorporates autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and a set of sensors that will manage the flight independently. The company plans to carry out a first flight with a safety pilot before the end of 2026 and begin entering service at the beginning of the next decade. The philosophy is simple: take advantage of an already proven platform, with a consolidated logistics chain and known maintenance costs, to accelerate the leap towards autonomous operations without having to develop a completely new aircraft from scratch. From transport helicopter to autonomous aerial truck. The U145 has been conceived primarily as a logistics platform capable of operating in dangerous environments where sending human crews poses an increasing risk. With a maximum takeoff weight of 3,800 kilograms and a load capacity close to 1,200 kilogramsincorporates a large folding front door, a folding loading platform and a reinforced floor to facilitate the transport of supplies. Airbus imagines it supplying advanced units, carrying out emergency missions, supporting operations in remote areas or acting in scenarios where the threat of drones, missiles or electronic warfare makes the use of conventional helicopters increasingly difficult. It is a vision that fits with the conclusions that many armed forces are extracting from Ukraine: Logistics has become one of the priority objectives of the modern battlefield. The real bet: mothership. However, the most revealing feature of the project is not its autonomy or its cargo capacity, but the role that Airbus reserves for it in the future. The U145 is being developed to perform as mother platform capable of transporting and launching drones for reconnaissance, surveillance, attack or loitering munitions. Airbus is already working on this concept together with MBDA, one of the main European missile manufacturers, within the ecosystem of the called “launched effects”. The idea is to use relatively cheap and expendable aircraft to deploy swarms of autonomous systems on the battlefield. In other words, while Europe discusses how to build a sophisticated sixth-generation fighter, Airbus is betting on an architecture where an increasing part of the combat will be carried out. by drones launched from autonomous platforms that do not even need pilots. Ukraine as a laboratory. The appearance of U145 cannot be understood without observing what is happening in Ukraine. There the drones have completely transformed the way to fight, from reconnaissance missions to the destruction of armored vehicles, anti-aircraft systems and logistics centers. The conflict has shown that relatively inexpensive platforms can generate disproportionate strategic effects and that pilot survival in highly contested environments is increasingly complicated. Airbus, in fact, is not the only company that has reached this conclusion. Similar projects appear in the United States like the MQ-72C derived from Lakota, the U-Hawk based on the Black Hawk or Boeing’s plans to evolve the Chinook into autonomous configurations. The difference is that Europe seemed focused on chasing the next big fighter plane while the rest of the world explored new ways to automate warfare. European strategic autonomy takes another path. There is no doubt, although Airbus insist In that the U145 does not respond to any specific national program, its appearance coincides with a moment in which Europe seeks to reduce its technological and military dependence on the United States. The autonomous helicopter fits perfectly into this strategy because it takes advantage of a European platform, is integrated into a European industrial ecosystem and allows develop own capabilities in one of the most promising sectors of current defense. The implicit message is difficult to ignore: the great European fighter may be increasingly further away to materialize, but the continental industry continues to look for ways to maintain its military relevance. And while sixth-generation projects are consumed by endless negotiations, Airbus appears to have identified an alternative path much closer to the reality of future conflicts: autonomous aircraft, without a cabin, connected in a network and capable of deploying combat drones where sending a pilot no longer makes sense. Image | Airbus In Xataka | The future European fighter in which Spain participates has received the worst news. And it comes directly from France In Xataka | Airbus has just made the most autonomous commercial aircraft in the world fly. Your goal: 22 hours straight without a stopover

be the first in Latin America to have its own supersonic combat aircraft

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In 1969, Brazil made a decision that many considered excessive for a developing country: create a state company called Embraer to manufacture their own aircraft. More than half a century later, that bet has given rise to third largest manufacturer aerospace industry in the world, only behind Boeing and Airbus, and already one of the most advanced aerospace industries outside of the traditional great powers. A milestone beyond defense. Brazil has celebrated the output of the production line first supersonic fighter assembled in its territory, an event that far transcends the military sphere. What is truly relevant is not only the arrival of a new aircraft to the ranks of the Brazilian Air Force, but the fact that a Latin American country has reached an industrial level which for decades seemed reserved for a very small group of powers. In a region accustomed to importing advanced combat systems, Brazil has managed to join to an extremely exclusive club in which the ability to manufacture supersonic aircraft is as important as ownership of the aircraft themselves. The road to the Brazilian Gripen. The Gripen program began with contract signed in 2014 between Brazil and the Swedish Saab for the acquisition of 36 aircraft, but from the beginning the objective went far beyond purchasing airplanes. The agreement included technology transfer, training of engineers and direct participation of Embraer in the manufacturing and assembly of the devices. A decade later, the result is visible in Gavião Peixoto, where the first Gripen E has left the factory built on Brazilian soil. Although the design remains Swedish, the process has allowed the development of industrial capabilities that did not previously exist in the country and that would hardly have been acquired through a simple purchase of foreign material. Enter the most difficult club in aeronautics. Building a commercial airplane is a complex task. Building a modern fighter aircraft is one of the industrial activities more demanding of the planet. In fact, only one small group of countries has the ability to design and manufacture supersonic fighters from scratch, including the United States, France, Russia, China and Sweden. Brazil is not yet part of that circle of independent designers, but it has achieved something that no other Latin American country had achieved: locally produce a fighter front-line capable of operating in the most advanced scenarios of modern aerial warfare. That difference may seem subtle on paper, but it represents a gigantic leap for the region’s technology industry. Much more than a plane. The Gripen also represents a bet for technological sovereignty. The ability to assemble, maintain and modernize devices within the country reduces external dependencies and strengthens the operational autonomy of the Brazilian armed forces. At the same time, the project has promoted the creation of specialized knowledgenew supply chains and an industrial base capable of participating in increasingly sophisticated aerospace programs. The same impulse is behind other Brazilian strategic projects, such as the transport plane KC-390 or naval programs developed with foreign technology but growing national participation. Aerospace power. The true meaning of this program It is not measured solely in the number of aircraft or military capabilities. It is measured in the position that Brazil is beginning to occupy within the global industrial map. While much of Latin America remains dependent on the export of raw materials or the import of advanced technology, Brazil is building an industry capable of participating in some of the most complex and profitable sectors in the world. The departure of first assembled Gripen in Brazilian territory symbolizes precisely that: the moment in which the country stops being only a buyer of defense technology to become one of its producers. There is no doubt, it may never arouse the same passion as a football World Cup, but for the industrial history of the region it will probably be an even more exceptional achievement. Image | Embraer In Xataka | We tend to assume that the Wright brothers invented the airplane in the United States. In Brazil they believe they have evidence to the contrary In Xataka | A Brazilian has shown that having Internet in mid-flight is possible with Starlink. It has also shown that it is a real danger

the A400M is now combat ready

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Since Spain opted for the A400M More than two decades ago, the aircraft has gone from being an ambitious European industrial program to becoming a centerpiece of the country’s military capabilities. Between budget adjustments, delays and a progressive incorporation of capabilities, its history has reflected both the difficulties and the determination to provide itself with its own means to deploy strength, help and presence where it is most needed. Now, the key to Spanish military transport has leveled up. The spine that had to be armored. Spain had been supporting a good part of its military deployment capacity for years on an aircraft that was as versatile as it was vulnerable. Talk later of the A400Ma key piece to move troops, vehicles and material where the war really begins. The reason? In modern conflicts, reaching the front has become almost as dangerous as fighting there, especially for large, heavy aircraft that are slow to take off and land, as well as exposed to low-cost portable missiles. From that perspective, protecting that critical link had become a strategic needbecause without safe transportation there is no possible military projection that is worth it. A laser that changes the rules. The national response appears under the InShield namea self-protection system based on laser technology that allows the A400M to detect missile launch guided by infrared, calculate its trajectory and divert its guidance system in a matter of seconds and, very importantly, even in the face of multiple attacks. Integrated for the first time into an operational unit, this DIRCM makes the A400M the closest thing to an airplane “combat ready”one capable of operating in disputed airspace with a level of survival unthinkable until recently, de facto shielding the backbone of the Spanish military transport. A strategic and industrial leap. Behind this effort appear common actors in the Spanish defense. The development and integration of InShield, led by Indra and certified by the National Institute of Aerospace Technology, represent a technological milestone top level within the reach of very few countries on the old continent. Plus: how do we count last week, that the system is entirely national not only reduces external dependencies, but also reinforces sovereignty and the strategic autonomy of Spain in an area as critical as electronic warfare, demonstrating that the Spanish defense industry can compete in the global technological elite. First A400M – T23 of the Air Force From prototype to fleet standard. The first A400M equipped with InShield is has delivered through Airbus Defense and Space to the Air and Space Army, from where the system will be operationally evaluated before deciding its extension to the rest of the fleet. With 14 aircraft already in service in the 31st Wing and others six planned until 2029the A400M is definitively consolidated as an expanding platform, one that is increasingly capable and prepared for high risk missionsfrom tactical deployments to evacuations in hostile environments. Why is it so important? As we said at the beginning, it is not just any plane, it is the spine of Spain’s modern military transport capacity and a central piece of both national defense and foreign projection. For the Army, the A400M covers a critical void between large strategic aircraft and smaller tactical transports, allowing troops, heavy vehicles, material and humanitarian aid to be moved thousands of kilometers or directly to combat zones with short, damaged or unprepared runways. Not only that. Spain especially needs it due to its geographical position, with responsibilities on the southern flank of Europe, Africa and the Atlantic, as well as its constant commitment to NATO, EU and international operations missions. Furthermore, the A400M replaces and unifies functions that were previously distributed among several aging models, such as Hercules C-130reducing logistics costs and increasing operational flexibility. And now “prepared” for war. The combination of a growing fleetthe new operational configurations and that system laser self-protection Tested with live fire, it radically transforms the role of the A400M within the Spanish Armed Forces. It is no longer just a transport plane, but everything a strategic system capable of sustaining operations in contemporary war scenarios where, as has been confirmed in wars like Ukrainethe threat is not only in the front, but in every kilometer of the journey to it. With InShielda priori, Spain has not only protected a plane: it has armored the very ability to reach, fight and deploy military power. Image | Ronnie Macdonald, Air and Space Army Ministry of Defense Spain In Xataka | Spain has a dilemma that is difficult to solve: call the US or be the last with a fighter jet in danger of extinction In Xataka | Spain has been a weapons exporting power for decades. Now he has made a decision: keep them

drones converted into Uber of combat robots

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In Ukraine, the war is transforming at brutal speed due to the massive irruption of drones and robotsmachines and devices that have ceased to be a complement to central part of the fight. Every week they appear new shapes to use them to reconnoitre, attack, evacuate or move supplies without exposing soldiersand that is forcing us to adapt tactics almost in real time. What we did not imagine was to what extent. Cross a line. In Ukraine, this “machine war” has entered a phase as delusional as it is logicalone in which a drone is no longer just a weapon or an eye in the sky, but a means of transportation: Ukrainian soldiers have started using aerial drones as if they were improvised Ubers for combat robots, loading small ground vehicles and dropping them near Russian positions to save time and, above all, blood. The image was described by military commanders to the Insider mediumwhen the soldiers at the front saw with stupefaction and surprise the almost absurd scene (a flying platform carrying another armed platform), but which summarizes better than anything the technological moment of the front: the continuous impossible combinations that are born from a simple and brutal need, to put capabilities on the ground without exposing a human even a second more than is essential. The trick. Here is a company that we have talked before. Ark Roboticswhich supplies autonomous robots to more than 20 brigades, says that this tactic has even surprised its own CEO, Achi, who speaks on Insider under a pseudonym for safety and that when he saw it he reacted with a mixture of disbelief and alarm, before admitting that it made all the sense in the world. A large drone transports a small ground robot forward and “drops” it to deploy it directly where it matters, avoiding the most vulnerable part of the trip, that slow advance over land that exposes the UGV to mines, direct fire, mud, craters and detection. The idea is so simple that it is scary: it is not about inventing a marvel, but about skipping the route that produces casualties, and converting the deployment into something fast and safe for the human operator. Why does it make sense? The reason this madness works is that air and ground combat complement each other in modern warfare: aerial drones are numerous, can cover distances quickly and cross dangerous areas more easily, but they are noisy, visible and need to stay close to observe or attack. Terrestrial robots, on the other hand, they are slow to arrivebut when they are already in position they can do things that cannot be done in the same way from the air: get into trenches, enter shelters, approach without announcing their presence, place explosives, collect intelligence, shoot with more stability and remain hidden next to an enemy point as if they were part of the landscape. That species drone-Uber It precisely solves the bottleneck: it does not improve the robot itself, it improves “how you take it” to the place where it starts to be really dangerous. Ukrainian land robot Crazy innovation… with logic. This type of hybrid shows to what extent the war in Ukraine has become in a laboratory that no longer differentiates between classic categories, because everything is mixed in order to gain seconds and reduce casualties. It’s not just creativity: it’s creativity for survival, squeezing out any tool until you get uses from it that weren’t in the plans. Other manufacturers as Milrem Robotics They have also recognized that the Ukrainians have used their robots in unexpected waysand that pressure from the front is rewriting the design of systems in real time, in cycles of change so rapid that they seem impossible in traditional industry. The cost of speed. The problem for companies like Ark is that this “insane phase” of machine warfare forces them to innovate with a speed that can turn against: If you change too much, you no longer mass produce, and if you produce without changing, you fall behind. Achi describe an almost inhuman pace of iteration, with multiple modifications in weeks, and the permanent risk of following wrong trends that compromise reliability and volume. In practice, war requires them to do two incompatible things at once: experiment as an improvised workshop and manufacture as a real industry. The future that looms. Although hethe terrestrial robots are still a minority in the face of the torrent of aerial drones, the scene with Ark robots makes it clear that it is an expanding sector and that the front is pushing towards a model in which the front line is increasingly supported by machines. The company develops a system called Frontier to coordinate thousands of drones and robots with minimal human intervention, and the idea that floats above everything is as disturbing as it is coherent: if moving people near the front is increasingly absurd, war will tend to move machines, and Ukraine this exploiting that logic in a big way. Image | Ministry of Defense of Ukraine In Xataka | The drone war in Ukraine is scary for a reason: It’s called Sirius-82 and it has turned rivers into modern minefields In Xataka | Ukraine has called in a group of hunters for an unprecedented mission: to prevent Russian missiles from freezing it

Snow is one of the few things that can delay the Shinkansen in Japan. To combat it there is a solution as simple as it is effective.

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Japanese bullet trains are known for their extreme punctuality. However, when the snow appears, neither the most cutting-edge railway system of the world is saved. And to combat it, the country’s railway institutions developed a solution as simple as it was ingenious: sprinklers installed along the tracks that spray water during snowfall. This is done to prevent snow from accumulating and wreaking havoc on the trains. We explain in detail how these systems work. Why is it important. Snow not only causes the system to stop being as punctual as usual, but it can also cause serious damage to high-speed trains. And at speeds above 200 km/h, the snow on the ground rises due to the air current generated by the train, which can cause it to compact under the cars forming ice balls that, upon impact with the ground, throw gravel into the air. This can end up breaking windows and damaging train components if left untreated. Japan has spent decades perfecting systems to eliminate this problem without sacrificing speed or punctuality. The origin of the problem. When the Shinkansen began regular operations in 1964, according to explains JR Tokai (the operating company of the Tokaido Shinkansen), construction was carried out in a hurry and “there was not enough time to consider” alternative routes that would avoid areas of heavy snowfall. In January 1965, just three months after launch, snowfall in the Sekigahara region caused serious incidentsincluding broken windows and shattered water tanks. The investigation revealed that the real culprit was speed, since the wind generated raised the snow, which ended up turning into ice projectiles under the carriages. The solution: sprinklers. To prevent the snow from rising and forming those dangerous ice balls, it was installed a sprinkler system along the tracks that sprays water during snowfall. There are currently sprinklers deployed in a stretch of more than 70 kilometers, covering the lines most affected by the snow. In 2009, the nozzles were improved so that the water reached areas that were not reached before, melting the snow more effectively. The system does not completely remove snow, but changes its consistency to prevent it from compacting and flying, thus reducing the risk of damage. It is not the only solution. The water system is complemented by other resources. During non-service hours, snow plows work at dawn to remove accumulated snow. Since 2003, rotary snow plows have been used that use rotating brushes capable of cleaning up to five centimeters below the surface of the rails. In addition, since 2013, devices with optical sensors have been used to monitor weather conditions, and there are cameras installed under the carriages to detect snow accumulations. When a snow-covered train arrives at stations like Nagoya or Osaka, there are also specialized teams waiting under the platforms with high-pressure washers to quickly remove stuck-on snow. The results speak. All of this operation has radically transformed the Shinkansen’s defenses when the snow arrives. According to JR Tokaiin 1976 there were 635 train cancellations due to snow, a figure that has been reduced to zero since 1994. The average delay due to snowfall has also improved dramatically, dropping to just a few minutes. Beyond the trains. In the northern regions of Japan, where snowfall can exceed three meters, many roads have sprinklers integrated into the asphalt. The system, known as ‘shosetsu’ (disappearing snow) or ‘yuusetsu’ (melting snow), was developed in 1961 in the city of Nagaoka by Yosaburo Imai, founder of a century-old confectionery. Imai was inspired by observing that snow did not accumulate where thermal water gushed from underground. Since then, underground pipes transport geothermal water (at about 13-14°C) to pavement sprinklers that melt snow during winter storms, avoiding the use of salt or snow blowers. Cover image | KUA YUE In Xataka | The straightest road in Spain is located in a place whose name I don’t want to remember: between El Provencio and La Roda

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

We have filled Europe with traps to combat the terrible Asian wasp. It was a bad idea

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That non-endemic species reach new territories It’s a colossal problem. It is estimated that more than half of contemporary extinctions They are the fault of invaders and there are examples of kicks (reaching the Arctic due to climate change). He coypu or the blue crab They are two of those invasive animals, but if we share something in Europe it is the “fear” of Asian wasps: a ‘bug’ that we have been fighting for 20 years and against which we are losing miserably. And the big problem is that we are killing flies with cannon shots. vespa velutina. About three centimeters long, this wasp came to Europe at the beginning of the century. Supposedly, he did so aboard a cargo ship from China, landing on the French coast and, since then, colonizing other territories. In 2010 the species spread to Spain, entering from the Basque Country, colonizing the Cantabrian coast and arriving in Galiciabut it has also expanded to Portugal, Germany and even the United Kingdom. It is already well established and, although it is true that it is not more aggressive than “our” wasp, when it gets angry and stings it can cause serious allergic reactions, causing occasional deaths. The worst thing is that it continues to expand at a rate of about 80 kilometers of territory gained each year. Invaders. It’s no longer that they can bother us, but rather that, as an invasive species, they do what they do best: destroy the native ones. And not with other wasps, but with bees. The Asian wasp is a predator of other insects, but has a predilection for honey bees. It attacks their hives indiscriminately, causing enormous damage to beekeeping. At a time when awareness about importance of bees in naturebeyond for him human consumption of honeythere are those who take matters into their own hands and have started setting traps. It moves fast Flies with cannon shots. There are several types. On the one hand, the most homemade: the typical upside-down bottle that we fill with mixtures attractive to wasps (juices, wines, fruits and sugar), creating a sticky paste in which the wasp becomes trapped. There are others that are more sophisticated and selective, with large holes for wasps to enter, but with release mechanisms for smaller animals and pheromones that attract insects. The problem is that they are remedies that can do more harm than anything else because, although commercial traps have release mechanisms for accidentally captured insects, you have to be careful and, basically, it is killing flies with cannon fire. Those who do not have to fall fall. And the main criticism is precisely that: the traps do not discriminate and damage is created to biodiversity because many insects that are not the Asian wasp are killed. Among them are moths, beetles, flies, bees and an ally that fights against the Asian invader: the European hornet. In a recent investigation published Pest Management Science has analyzed how in Galician vineyards, traps against Vespa velutina have turned out to be ineffective in controlling the damage that the insect does to grapes, but although Asian wasps are trapped, other species that have an important role in pollination are also captured. Solutions? The request of the researchers is that the Galician administration, promoter of this massive trapping, takes a step back because what is produced is a false idea of ​​effectiveness due to general captures, but without implying that the objective, which is to stop the Asian wasp, is met. What do they propose? That this elimination technique be reconsidered and look at the scientific evidence, since “environmental problems are complex and can rarely be solved with quick and easy solutions.” It is not a solution as such to the damage that these invasive wasps can cause, but it is to put an end to the indiscriminate killing of other insects that do a job in our ecosystem. What is evident is that, as we mentioned a few paragraphs ago, for a kind of outsider to arrive and establish itself so quickly in a territory is something devastating. And the Asian wasp is a perfect example. Images | Clame Reporter, Didier Descouens In Xataka | After centuries of disappearance, there are people releasing beavers into the Tagus and other rivers in Spain. The problem is that we don’t know who

The threat of Russia is no longer drones, they are now combat airplanes violating airspace. And Europe has taken its fighters

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First it was a swarm of Russian drones entering Poland’s airspace. NATO He responded with fire. That first order of Moscow has had its continuation last Friday, when three Russian fighters did the same In Estonia. NATO response was overwhelmed again. However, threat and tension, far from lesseing, has increased a few hours ago About the Baltic Sea. Russian incursion in Estonia. As we said, the recent cross of three fighters MIG-31 Foxhound Russians in Estonia’s airspace All alarms In Eastern Europe and has tested the immediate response capacity of NATO. The intrusion, occurred on The island of Vaindloo In the Gulf of Finland, it was carried out without flight plans, with transponders off and without communication with the Sonian air control services, which makes it an act deliberately provocative. Given this, the new Eastern Sentry operationwith the takeoff of Italian F-35 fighters of the Baltic Air Police Detachment, to which devices were added Swedes Jas 39 flu and Finnish fighters to intercept and monitor intruders. The episode It is not isolated: It continues at the entrance of 19 Russian drones in Poland and Romania the previous week, of which several were demolished by Polish and Dutch forces, and others crashed into Polish territory. These incidents demonstrate a Russian pressure pattern that seeks to test the limits of the alliance. Reactions. The political response was swift. Estonia Foreign Minister He described the incursion of “unprecedented provocation” and demanded rapid measures of political and economic pressure. Prime Minister Estonia communicated directly with NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, who reiterated the solidarity of the organization and the need for reinforce deterrence In the region. In addition, Estonia announced that he will convene for the first time in his 34 years as a member of the United Nations an emergency meeting of the Security Council. European diplomacy, in the voice of Kaja Kallas, He condemned the act As a “dangerous provocation” and stressed that it was already the third violation of community airspace in a few days, promising more support for the defense of the Baltic states. In parallel, voices in Lithuania They suggested that the alliance should be willing to demolish intruder planes, remembering the Turkish 2015 precedentwhen a Russian Su-24 was killed on the border with Syria. A Russian Mig 31 The legal framework. Given the situation, Estonia considers invoke article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which forces allies to joint consultations provided that one of them feels threatened their safety, such as Poland already did After the intrusion of Russian drones. The activation of this mechanism reflects the severity with which the threat is perceived and the need to show cohesion against Moscow. The Eastern Sentry operation, launched days before, initially provides rapid reaction fighters and an anti -aircraft, with the perspective of extending from The Arctic to the Black Sea to cover the entire eastern flank of the alliance against drones, missiles and airplanes. General Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Commander Allied in Europe, He stressed that this new frame will allow a more flexible and focused defense where it is required. A Russian IL-20m German interception. A few hours ago the tension It has increased. The output of Two German Eurofighter From the Rostock-Laage base to intercept a Russian IL-20M recognition plane on the Baltic Sea, it has placed the region again in the center of the climb between Moscow and NATO. Again, the Russian apparatus flew with the transposeor off, without responding to contact calls, an increasingly common pattern in incursions that are interpreted as acts of deliberate provocation. The incident came just days after the incursion of the three Russian Mig-31 fighters. The strategic pulse of Moscow. For Poland and Baltic states, incidents are not isolated, but part of a sequence of calculated steps of harassment. Just a few days ago and as we count, Warsaw denounced Lat the fall of 19 Russian drones In its territory, and its Foreign Minister described the Kremlin strategy as a series of incremental provocations, always on the edge, but without reaching the open conflict. The discovery of remains of a lure drone in a Polish forest reinforces the sensation constant trial of NATO defenses. Meanwhile, the Kremlin He denies responsibility and accuses the West, in particular to the United Kingdom, to lead an alleged “warmongering field” that prevents progress in the resolution of the war in Ukraine. The fissures of the West. One of the most disturbing elements in this context is the perception that the United States could be reducing its commitment in the defense of the eastern flank. Bloomberg cited Kremlin sources according to which Putin would have concluded, after his summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, that Washington will not significantly reinforce kyiv’s military capacity, which encourages Moscow to intensify its attacks to force Ukrainian capitulation. In parallel, The Guardian told that reports that the White House plans to reduce security assistance to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, despite being countries directly exposed to Russian pressure. Trump’s statement, stating that he would defend Europe but without deepening details, adds strategic ambiguity at a time of high voltage. Climbing risk. Baltic and Central European leaders agree that the situation is dangerously approaching A breakdown. The president of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, warned that, although Russia strives to clearly exceed red lines, erratic logic and incompetence at different levels of the Russian system could lead to a real clash, whose responsibility would fall on the Kremlin. From Prague, President Czech Peta Pavel He claimed an answer Firm and united from NATO, remembering that giving in to the aggression would be equivalent to “turning your back on evil.” The shadow of a greater conflict plans on the northeast European: each new air incursion or drone attack increases the probabilities of a calculation error that precipitates a direct confrontation. Ukraine and a way. Under this climate of growing hostility, President Zelensky declaredbefore traveling to the UN, who would be willing to meet with Putin, even with Trump, to explore A political exit. … Read more

How it works, inconveniences and how to activate it to combat spam calls

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Let’s explain What is the call filter works of iOS 26with which you are going to have one more measure to protect yourself from stolen or telephone spam. These types of calls are a growing problem against which He is legislatingwith measures such as Force Use certain prefixes. However, none of these measures seems to be working, and the process of record and report spam calls It is a bit long, so many prefer or bother. Apple’s new method is not perfect, We will tell you some inconveniencesbut it is an extra layer of protection. How the new iOS filter works The new call filter of iOS 26 is specifically thought for the robollala. They are those calls that no human makes you, just a answering machine who sends you a message and then hangs, or even for the telephone advertising made by humans. What this filter does is that Siri acts as your answering machine. When it calls you an unknown number, instead of picking up the phone, Siri will ask you to say the name and reason for the call. And when the other person responds, then the call will arrive and you can read who he is and what he wants to decide whether you are interested in taking the call or not. This filter It will be activated with all the numbers you do not have on your agenda. Come on, if you call you a relative or friend whose number you have saved, the phone will usually sound, but if not, the protection with the answering machine of Siri will be applied. Another thing that is important is that The call will not sound to you from the beginning. First it will be Siri who answered asking the reason for the call, and only when the other person answers the call will come to you. This has inconvenience Apple’s idea is good, but it has a great inconvenience: if you call you a legitimate person I might think that the telephone bot is youand then you could lose an important call from someone you don’t have on the agenda. For example, it can be The call of a deliveryman That brings you the package of an online purchase. He thinks he calls you to tell you if he can happen, and instead of answering a person, Siri answers. The normal thing is that I hang thinking that your number has bad. In these cases, his call will never come to you, you will not even know what they have called you, because initially it does not sound. This can also happen with calls from the public administration, or simply with someone you know but whose number you do not have on your telephone agenda. How to activate this call filter To activate this call filter you must have an updated phone to iOS 26. Once you have it, enter the settings, and go to the section Apps. Here inside, click on the application Phone To enter your configuration. Once in the APP configuration options Phonego down to the section of Call filteringwhere can you Activate the option Request call To activate the filter. Cover image | Chatgpt In Xataka Basics | Customize your iPhone with iOS 26: How to take advantage of the new icon design and lock screen

The first time Spain displays combat airplanes in Iceland

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In a context marked by the War in Ukraine and Moscow’s growing aggressiveness in airspace of the North Atlantictogether with the progressive militarization of their Strategic routesSpain has first assumed the most active role in the defense of NATO’s northern flank. A historical step. Yeah, for the first time In its history, Spain has deployed combat planes in the nation of northern Europe as part of the NATO Air Police Mission. The operation, baptized as Tactical Air Detachment (DAT) Stinga (“Sting” in Icelandic), represents a milestone for the Army of the Air and Space (EA), which until now had concentrated its participation in the east flank of the Atlantic Alliance, especially in the Baltic countries. With this movement, the Spanish government intends to demonstrate Your commitment With all NATO defense scenarios, including the Arctic strategic, which gains relevance to the growing military activity Russian in the North Atlantic. Keflavik: The new Spanish advanced position. The detachment will operate from the Keflavik air basesouth of Iceland, considered a critical installation for its location in the North Atlantic, key to the control of intercontinental air traffic and for the routes between North America and Europe. Iceland, country No Air Force Own, trust Rotations of NATO allies to guarantee the integrity of their airspace. To the 44 aviators They arrived as advanced to prepare the operation, will add up to 122 Spanish military (among pilots, maintenance technicians, specialists in armament, logistics and security personnel), responsible for operating six F-18 fighters They arrived on July 22. The mission will officially begin on the 28th and will run until mid -August. Permanent alert in the north sky. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Ichaso Franco, the Stinga detachment will be in fast reaction alert (QRA), or in other words, will be prepared to Intercept any aircraft That violates the standards of allied airspace, whether flying without a flight plan, without radio contact or with the transposeor off, a usual practice in air intimidation maneuvers by Russia. This is precisely the reason why NATO launched in 2014 (After the Crimea Russian Annexation) a series of air surveillance deployments that have been expanding their territorial presence throughout Europe. “Hostile” training. Plus: Unlike other air police missions already carried out in Estonia, Lithuania or Romania, Iceland presents different operational challenges. Not only because of latitude and weather conditions, but by lack of previous experience of the Spanish army in that theater. That is precisely the reason why, according to The world pointedan intense preparation in simulatorsrecreating specific scenarios for the Arctic environment. In addition, training flights in the region have been scheduled to consolidate the operational capacities of the pilots and maintain the full operation of the F-18. Beyond a gesture. Although the duration of the mission will be rather brief, its political and strategic value is significant. Spain thus reinforces its image of Reliable and willing ally To participate in the distribution of responsibilities within the Atlantic Alliance, aligning with the priorities of Moscow deterrence On all fronts, including the least visible so far for Spanish public opinion. By projecting strength in the north, the Spanish nation also contributes to the defensive architecture that extends from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Circle, at a time when NATO Redfine Its military borders before a Kremlin every time more aggressive. Operation Stinga thus not only a punctual deployment, but the beginning of A new phase in the outer projection of the Spanish armed forces. Image | Ministry of Defense of Spain In Xataka | With its rejection of dedicating 5% of GDP to Defense, Spain has done something else: open the melon of the melons in NATO In Xataka | Spain refuses to spend 5% of GDP on artillery. Because what you really want is to sell it to Europe

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