Jets Archives - usatoday24

Ukraine has returned from Europe with 250 fighter jets under its arm. The problem is that only Spain has told him the truth

November 19, 2025 by usatoday24

The new European trip of the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has finished in Spain and has crystallized into a military agenda that aims to reconfigure the Ukrainian air force over the next decade, based on political agreements of enormous symbolic scope. If nothing goes wrong, the Ukrainian nation has nothing less than 250 European fighters under his arm along with a huge aid package and arsenal. The problem is that the financing is very uncertain and its execution is very distant. Aerial reconstruction as a continental ambition. In Paris, the Ukrainian president signed a letter of intent to acquire up to one hundred Rafale fightersdevices that France presents as the heart of the future defense of Ukraine, complemented by Samp/T systemsnew generation drones, guided munitions and incipient industrial cooperation to manufacture interceptors on Ukrainian territory. The French bet aims to elevate Ukraine to European technological standardintegrating it into a long-term security architecture and relying on a financing framework yet to be defined, where the European Union and frozen Russian assets appear as the great promise, although deeply controversial. The political gesture, celebrated as historic in parisresponds to the French ambition to lead the regeneration of Ukrainian air power and to reinforce the role of its defense industry in a continent that is rapidly rearming. Doubts about the bet. Diplomatic enthusiasm contrasts with operational uncertainties. They remembered TWZ analysts either The Wall Street Journal that Ukraine does not have of the financial margin to pay for neither the acquisition nor the maintenance of a hundred Rafale, and France is going through a period of budget fragility which makes sustained long-term commitments difficult. The idea that Europe could finance the purchase through new joint debt mechanisms or from income generated by frozen Russian assets divides the states members and poses enormous legal risks, especially for Belgium, which holds most of those funds. Added to this is the industrial reality: the Dassault production chain is saturatedwith deliveries committed for years, and the manufacturing of 100 additional devices would require extraordinary efforts. The perspective of a parallel program, with 150 Swedish Gripen also agreed in the preliminary phase, increases doubts about whether Ukraine could sustain, train and maintain such a vast fleet of 4/5th generation aircraft. For many, the initiative reflects more a political movement to keep France at the center of the Ukrainian equation and to boost European industry in the face of a United States more distantthan a realistic military acquisition plan in the short or medium term. A Gripen fighter The military horizon. Zelensky’s trip has also highlighted the arrival of a winter that anticipates a new Russian campaign focused in energy infrastructure and strategic cities. France insists that Samp/T systems are demonstrating remarkable effectiveness against Russian missiles with a complex trajectory, even higher, some French commanders claim, than the performance of the Patriot in certain scenarios. In parallel, Paris reinforces its role as a provider of interim air capabilities, including Mirage fighters and precision ammunition, while promoting a future coalition of countries Europeans willing to guarantee the security of Ukraine after an eventual ceasefire, a project still impossible as long as Moscow rejects any negotiation. This strategy, which attempts to combine immediate support with an architecture of long term securityreveals both French determination and the continent’s real limitations in simultaneously sustaining the current war and future rearmament. Among others, Spanish military aid to Ukraine will consist of 40 IRIS-T missiles Spain and the contrast with the promises. The final stop of the trip, in Madrid, has revealed a very marked contrast between the declarative exuberance of some allies and the measured (and often austere) approach of the Spanish Government. Spain announced a package of 817 million of euros, which includes 300 million in nationally produced weapons, 215 million channeled through European programs and additional 100 million to acquire US missiles through PURL initiative of NATO. It is a significant effort in political and logistical terms, but modest in comparison with the great European powers and especially small in the face of the air ambitions presented in France or Sweden. In practice, it is a calibrated support for immediate needs from the Ukrainian winter: anti-aircraft missiles to repel drones and protect critical infrastructures, plus a commitment to accelerate joint industrial capabilities in areas where Spanish companies (with Indra at the head) can offer practical solutions such as deployable radars or anti-drone systems. Spain and realism. If you also want, the Spanish case reflects a much more realistic line than that of other countries visited by Zelensky. Since the beginning of the war, Spain has contributed with useful materialsbut in many cases coming from surplus (Leopard 2A4 retired, M113 obsolete, Hawk batteries aging) and has prioritized its participation in European programs where the direct cost to its budget is lower. In comparative terms, and especially measured as a percentage of GDP, Spain is far behind of the hard core of military support for Ukraine. However, what it offers now is probably more sincere and sustainable: an acceptable package, focused on urgent and realistic needs, that does not promise fighter fleets, perhaps impossible to finance, or industrial projects that exceed national capacity. Spanish extra ball. Furthermore, Spain stands out where other countries they can’t: in the reception of refugees, in the medical rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers and in light but reliable industrial cooperation. So, on that journey that began with spectacular advertisements in Paris and Stockholm, the Spanish stop has served to balance in a way the expectations. In that sense, Spain appears as one of the few allies that gauges its support by looking ahead. the budget figuresavoiding promising what it will be difficult to fulfill and remaining firm in what it can offer: a modest but operational contribution. Image | Ronnie MacdonaldTuomo Salonen, Air and Space Army Ministry of Defense Spain In Xataka | Europe already knows the arsenal it needs for rearmament. Now the most difficult thing remains: how to make it arrive in time if Russia attacks … Read more

A loaf of bread costs one euro in the supermarket. For the same price Europe just bought 18 fighter jets

November 6, 2025 by usatoday24

A loaf of bread from a supermarket or basic bakery usually around the euro in many cities. An automatic coffee machine in stations, hospitals or universities is also found at that price (okay, not always). In supermarkets, seasonal fruits such as a large apple, a banana or a loose piece of fruit can be around the amount. Even a single bus ticket in some cities is still close to the euro. What we were never going to imagine is that what a loaf of bread costs, 18 fighter jets cost. A strategic transfer. The transfer of 18 F-16 fighters from the Netherlands to Romania for the symbolic price of one euro It is, on the surface, an administrative gesture, but in practice it constitutes a strategic move with direct implications for the European security architecture and for the war in Ukraine. The formalized operation the full incorporation of these devices to the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC), installed at Fetești Air Base 86, in the southeast of Romania, and whose function is train Romanian and Ukrainian pilots in the management of the F-16 under interoperable NATO standards. Further. The presence of these aircraft on Romanian territory no longer depends on Dutch ownership, which allows expand and secure training places, adjust training rhythms to Allied needs and consolidate Romania as a key country on the eastern flank, in a context marked by Russian pressure in the Black Sea and on the border with Ukraine. Romania as a hub. The EFTC has become a space where instructors, pilots and technical personnel from multiple NATO countries and Ukraine work under homogeneous methodsensuring that new F-16 operators not only learn to fly the device, but also to integrate it into air defense doctrines, airspace control and combined operations. The center benefits from a tripartite structure: Romania provides the base, infrastructure and logistical support; The Netherlands provided the aircraft, and Lockheed Martin, as manufacturer, supplies instructors and advanced maintenance. Implications in war. This combination facilitates training of ukrainian pilots in an environment that reproduces real mission patterns and also guarantees constant course rotation without depending on US airspace or dispersed structures. The fact that these F-16s are European AM/BM standard models, the same ones that Ukraine has begun to receive from various allies, allows for immediate continuity: what is learned in Romania is translated without transition to combat operation. Relevance for Ukraine. The nation has received commitments to deliver dozens of F-16s from from Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgiumand its arrival has marked a slow but cumulative turning point in the modernization of its air force, until now dominated by MiG-29 and Su-27 Soviet design. The pilots trained in Romania (and in parallel in the United States) are already operating on defensive missions against Russian attacks with missiles and drones, and the value of the F-16 depends on both its number and the degree of training and the ability to sustain its maintenance and doctrine. In that sense, the EFTC is a structural piece, since it guarantees not only initial learning, but continuous trainingthe accumulation of Ukrainian instructors and the doctrinal integration with allies who have already dominated the apparatus for decades. Furthermore, the future possibility of these same aircraft transferred to Romania ending up in Ukraine is not ruled out, especially as Romania moves towards adoption of the F-35planned for after 2030. Implications. Plus: The strengthening of the EFTC reflects a broader shift in European defense: The progressive reduction in the number of F-16 operators in Western Europe, replaced by the F-35, has left room to reorient these aircraft to training, interoperability and reinforcement functions on the eastern flank. Romania, together with Bulgaria and Slovakia, is part of the group of new F-16 operatorsbecoming recipients of capabilities previously concentrated in northern and western countries. This geographical shift of air capabilities towards the east is significant because it accompanies the shift from the center of gravity strategic of NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Training, maintenance, doctrine and response capabilities are now concentrated in territories closer to the possible confrontation. Other transfers. The symbolic sale of weapons between allies has relevant precedents that show how the financial price can be irrelevant compared to the strategic objective. The best known case is the transfer of 22 fighters MiG-29 from Germany to Poland in 2002 for one euro per unit, an operation that allowed Polish air capacity to be maintained while Berlin advanced in its modernization and that, years later, facilitated the shipment of those same devices to Ukraine. Another example is the transfer of former Hamilton class coast guard cutters by the United States to the Philippines. for a dollarwithin the program Excess Defense Articlesstrengthening Philippine naval capabilities in the South China Sea without a prohibitive cost. Added to this is the howitzer transfer self-propelled M109L from Italian arsenals to Ukraine, also under symbolic conditions, when the priority was no longer their accounting value, but rather putting proven, repairable and compatible systems with available ammunition in the hands of the Ukrainian army. At one euro. The sale for one euro It is not an isolated symbolic gesture, but the formalization of a capacity transfer process that consolidates Romania as NATO strategic node in air training and preparation, reinforces the technical base of the Ukrainian air force in transition, and reflects the structural readjustment of European defense to the east. He EFTC It provides not only pilots, but also doctrine, interoperability and operational continuity at a time when the stability of the eastern flank depends both on the number of aircraft and the quality and consistency of those who operate them. Image | US Air Force, Dutch Ministry of Defense, Romanian Ministry of Defense In Xataka | A very dangerous idea is gaining strength in the corridors of Europe: paying Russia in kind In Xataka | The war in Ukraine has triggered delays and canceled flights. And Europe has the solution: a wall of drones

Its empire covers 17,000 properties, 38 private jets and a collection of 300 luxury cars

July 24, 2025 by usatoday24

While in Europe The monarchies They still remain They have made it delegating a good part of their power to parliaments, while maintaining a close and austere profilein Asia its evolution has been Just the opposite: greater concentration of power in the figure of the king and an opulence and excess that exceeds the imaginable. Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, is the monarch of Thailand and is considered as The richest king in the world. Its heritage is valued at 43,000 million dollars, including tens of thousands of properties, a huge collection of luxury cars and even several private planes. A unique heritage in the world The figures surrounding King Rama X not only attract attention for its size, but for the ostentation of it that the monarch does without complexes. It is estimated that King Rama X of Thailand has some 17,000 real estate properties Only in Bangkok, which cover from mansions on the banks of a lake in Bavaria where It passes long seasonspalaces and private residences, even urban developments and shopping centers. All his fortune is managed by the Crown Property Bureauan organism equivalent to what would be national heritage in Spain, which manages the assets of the Monarchy of Thailand. In addition to being able to sleep in a different house every day for the rest of his life, the Thai monarch has 38 private jets that he could pilot the military training he received as part of his preparation as a monarch. He put himself at the controls From Boeing 737-800 in which the Thai delegation was traveling and landed without major problems at the unemployment International Airport, considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world for its orography. His collection of cars is not far behind. According to published Autobildyour collection exceeds 300 luxury carsamong which are a Rolls-Royce Phantom from 1960, a Maybach 62, a Mercedes class S AMG, a Mercedes Class V, a Cadillac DTS or a Rolls-Royce Silver Limousine. This opulence is added 52 real barges, decorated with gold bread, which participate in traditional ceremonies in Thai rivers. A rich heir As usual in the monarchy, in addition to the throne, the Thai King inherited a substantial fortune of his father, King Bhumibol Adjusadej, who ruled for more than 70 years and established the basis of the real heritage that his only son enjoyed now. Forbes already included To the late king as The richest monarch in the world In 2008, with a fortune valued at about 35,000 million dollars. After his rise to the throne in 2016, Rama X did not limit himself to living in income, but has invested in numerous real estate projects that have generated new income. These investments include urban developments and shopping centers that have significantly increased their fortune. In addition, the monarch has invested in actions Of the main Thai companies and financial entities, so it has linked part of its fortune to the success of local companies, while increasing their economic and political influence on their commercial strategies. Rama X leads the ranking as the richest monarch in the worldwith a fortune valued at 43,000 million dollars. The Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunéi, with a fortune 28,000 million. With something more distance, the Fortunas de los Reyes and Emires of the Middle East headed by the Saudi Arabia Monarchyand the ABU DABI EMIRES and Dubai, with fortunes estimated at 18,000 and 14,000 million respectively. In Xataka | A single millionaire spent on his luxury vacation in Mallorca the equivalent of 10,000 tourists: the Emir de Catar Image | Wikimedia Commons (Tris_T7)

Private jets and premium travelers contaminate a lot, so Spain already plans what to do with them: charge them much more

July 1, 2025 by usatoday24

If you travel in Premium mode, it will have to pay (even more) premium prices. That is the idea that several countries shuffle, including Spain, which have discussed a unique possibility: to impose special rates both to private aircraft and jets and passengers traveling in the premium classes. New taxation for the air sector. As indicated In Reutersthe debate has occurred during the UN conference On development financing held these days in Seville. There has been where Spain and other countries have discussed the impact of the air sector on the environment and how to try to mitigate the problem. And the solution they have found is clear: special rates for them. A disparate group. Countries that are inclined to this option form a singular group. They are Spain, France, Kenya, Benín, Sierra Leone, Somaia, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda. All of them advocate the introduction of “a specific rate to executive class bills and private airplanes.” Pedro Sánchez, president of Spain, also added that “the specific rate for this type of flights” is intended to address pollution and climate change. Private jets and premium passengers, under examination. The proposal is based on the experience collected by the road map of the COP28 (Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and the COP29. The objective for COP30 is “a better contribution from the aviation sector to fair transitions and resilience, with special attention to premium passengers.” Premium travelers coalition. The French executive has published A statement explained that today the aviation sector contributes to 2.5% of CO2 emissions, and remains one of the industries that grow the most in this type of emissions. In the G20 the average price of the kerosene in 2021 was 9 euros/ton, compared to the 79 euros of the diesel and 68 euros of gasoline. Private jets, horror. But the problem is aggravated for private jets and “premium travelers”: 1% of luxury aircraft passengers pollute more than 50% of commercial aviation. Emissions generated by private jets have increased significantly: 46% From 2019 to 2023. What does the European Commission say. According to that statement, the European Commission “will continue to provide technical support to this initiative.” France has been fighting this problem for some time, and that three years ago I cricked that “two -speed effort“. Its rulers criticized that while they were required to neighboring countries that were Press the energy belta wealthy minority I took private jets for routes that could be covered with less comfortable alternatives, but also less burdensome and pollutants. Taxes to fight climate change. The Global Solidarity Levies Task Force (GSLT) is an association led by France that also supports this initiative that is part of the so -called Pact for Prosperity, People and the Planet (4p). In the statement The GSLT includes statements by Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez. For this body this type of tax can raise “vital taxes for the weather.” Tax. From Greenpeace Remember That “flying is the most elite and polluting way to travel, so this is an important step to ensure that the great consumers of this little taxed sector pay the part that corresponds to them.” It would thus be taxed by those industries that most contaminate, and private flights are of course a problem in that area. Other countries could join. The coalition indicated that it should work to “improve the mobilization of internal income of developing countries.” Member countries will work so that other countries join this initiative so that “air bills are applied, including high -end, and to tax private planes based on best practices, at the same time guaranteeing ascending harmonization and greater progressivity in countries that already have such levies.” In Xataka | Your own private jet for 111 euros: the company that has devised the “blablacar” of luxury flights

Darren Mougey General Manager of Jets

January 26, 2025 by usatoday24

The New York Jets reached an agreement with the deputy director of the Denver Broncos, Darren Mougeyto become its general manager. Mougey, a veteran Cazatalantos and Executive of the Denver Broncos who became his general manager assistant in 2022, will team with the newly hired coach Aaron Glenn, a group of experts who has no previous experience in his new positions. It is a bold couple by the Jets, who are trying to restart after a season full of turbulence and a 14 -year -old playoff drought. At 39, Mougey is the third youngest general manager in the NFL and 2 years younger than field marshal Aaron Rodgers, whose future with the jets will be determined in the coming weeks. Mougey is expected to have a traditional role of general manager, which means that he has the last word in personnel decisions and the control of the staff of 53 men. Joe Douglas replacement in the jets Mougey replaces Joe Douglaswho was fired on November 19 after more than five seasons in the post. Under the direction of Douglas, the Jets had a 30-64 record. Phil Savage served as an interim general manager. The Jets took an unconventional route to hire their coach before the general manager. A double announcement was expected on Wednesday, when Glenn’s treatment was over, but things changed. The general manager of the Washington Commanders, Lance Newmark, seemed to be the favorite, since he was the first candidate to receive a second interview. He and Glenn seemed to fit naturally, considering that they worked with the Detroit Lions from 2021 to 2023. Both interviewed Tuesday at the team’s facilities, but the Jets decided to meet Mougey again and the senior staff executive of the Cincinnati Bengals, Trey Brown. Continue reading: New England Patriots Star, Jabrill Peppers, declared himself guilty for drug possessionThey reveal Chilean arrest video in Ohio suspected from the robbery of Joe Burrow’s houseAaron Rodgers will have a new New York Jet coach (Tagstotranslate) New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers will have a new coach at New York Jets

January 23, 2025January 23, 2025 by usatoday24

Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will become the new coach of the New York Jets for the 2025 seasonalso having the possibility of deciding whether the team’s star, Aaron Rodgers, returns to fulfill his contract with the team. Through an advertisement on social networks The Jets made Glenn official in the position, although at the moment his work team has not been decidedwhich will be instrumental in deciding whether Rodgers will return as the team’s starting quarterback. Glenn returns to the team that made him famous as a cornerback after being selected in the first round of the 1994 draft. The now 52-year-old coach played for the Jets between 1994 and 2001. His playing career continued with the Houston Texans (2002-2004), he spent two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, one with the Jacksonville Jaguars and ended his career in the NFL in 2008 with the New Orleans Saints. His first experience on the sidelines was with the Cleveland Browns in 2014. as a deep defensive assistant; Between 2016 and 2020 he was in charge of the Saints’ secondary defense. His good performance led him to the Detroit Lions as defensive coordinator, a role he carried out successfully between 2021 and this campaign, in which he helped Detroit finish as the best team in the National Conference. After last Saturday’s elimination of the Lions against the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, several teams immediately emerged interested in hiring him as head coach, something that the Jets achieved this Tuesday. The New Yorkers seek to rebuild a team that did not work under Robert Salehfired after five games in the 2024 season, which Jeff Ulbrich finished as interim coach with disappointing results of five games won and 12 lost. As soon as the coach’s arrival was announced, Joe Namath, a legend who led the Jets to win their only Super Bowl in the 1968 season, was optimistic about what was to come for the New Yorkers. “I hope all Jets fans are as excited as my family and I are about Aaron Glenn being our new head coach. “Hopefully the season starts as soon as possible!” said Namath, who is a member of the Hall of Fame. Keep reading:

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections