This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge.  At least seven people were killed in Ukraine on Tuesday after Russia launched a truly massive drone attack that’s said to be the largest of the four-year war. Counting both drones and cruise missiles, 979 warheads poured into Ukrainian airspace as diplomatic efforts at ending the war remain stalled, and the world’s attention is focused almost entirely on the US-Israeli war on Iran. Daylight death from above: A Russian Shahed drone above central Lviv (Reuters via New York Times) Ukrainian officials said it began with an overnight attack comprising almost 400 long-range drones and 23 cruise missiles. Then, in a surprise twist, Russia unleashed even more in broad daylight. Startled Ukrainians were sent rushing to bomb shelters after alarms rang out around noon, as a swarm of 556 drones hammered cities across the western part of the country, including Lviv, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro. Ukraine’s air force claimed it shot most of them down, with only 15 of the daytime drones supposedly hitting anything. Ukraine said the impacted structures included apartment buildings, hospitals, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Video captured the dramatic sound and site of a Shahed drone as it…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Iran could significantly increase U.S. casualties if its elite military and proxy forces shift to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks in the region, a leading military analyst has warned.Michael Eisenstadt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy spoke as the Pentagon moved elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division into the Middle East amid a new escalation in the conflict, according to reports.”Iran has large infantry units in its military that are equivalent to the brigade combat team of the 82nd Airborne,” Eisenstadt, a former U.S. Army Reserve officer, told Fox News Digital.”The 82nd Force is too small to cause significant harm to Iran, but it is large enough to be vulnerable to Iranian strikes, and this would enable Iran to significantly increase U.S. casualties,” he said.HEGSETH WARNS ‘MORE CASUALTIES’ EXPECTED IN OPERATION EPIC FURY AGAINST IRAN Eisenstadt, who has worked as a U.S. government military analyst, claimed that, even if major conventional operations begin to wind down in the Middle East region, the danger may only evolve rather than disappear.”We could see an end to major combat operations, with activity shifting to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks in the Gulf and other gray-zone activities…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. military chaplains will no longer wear rank insignia, instead displaying symbols of their faith. Chaplains will retain their rank, he said in a video announcement Tuesday, but the new directive will shift how they are identified in uniform. Hegseth added that he would sign a memorandum solidifying the change.Before the change, a chaplain’s uniform carried their rank insignia along with a symbol denoting their religion. The policy, he said, “speaks to the difficult balance of the duality of a military chaplain. A chaplain is first and foremost a chaplain and an officer second. This change is a visual representation of that fact.”Hegseth also said that removing rank allowed chaplains to “be seen among the highest ranks because of their divine calling.”The directive follows a broader effort by Hegseth to reshape the military’s Chaplain Corps. In a December message, he said he wanted to restore chaplains’ focus on ministry and argued that the role had shifted toward counseling and support functions in recent years.He terminated the Army’s spiritual fitness guide and said he would simplify how the military categorizes religious affiliation. In his most recent message, Hegseth said that the number of religious affiliation codes…

You can pick out the right gun. You can select the best holster in the world. You can practice your draw thousands of times and be able to put hits on target consistently. But, what can you do to take your self-defense skills to the next level? Are your self-defense skills refined as much as they can be? Can you make the shot you need to, when you need to? The question is, can you teach an old or young dog new tricks? The simple answer is “yes.” After thousands of draws and rounds with iron sights, is moving to a target/threat focus on a pistol natural? For most people I talk to, the initial answer is “no.” However, in my experience, most people seem to like it better right away. One might ask themselves how is the transition not natural, but we like it better? Let’s see if we can figure that out. For me, I have been practicing this a lot with my XD-M Elite Tactical OSP pistol. An optics-ready pistol like this XD-M Elite Tactical OSP from Springfield Armory makes switching to red dots on your handgun a breeze. Stop Staring at Me When we shoot, our eyes are…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! First lady Melania Trump on Wednesday was escorted by a walking, talking humanoid at the White House as she met with her counterparts at a children’s technology summit. The robot accompanied Trump on the final day of the Fostering the Future Together global initiative, which focused on the role of artificial intelligence and education.Officials from nine countries—including the United States, France, Poland, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco—presented national strategies for integrating technology into education systems.WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS ITS FIRST FEDERAL AI FRAMEWORK, PUSHES CONGRESS TO ACT ‘THIS YEAR’ “The future of AI is personified,” the first lady said. “It will be formed in the shape of humans. Very soon, artificial intelligence will move from our mobile phones to humanoids that deliver utility. Since our environment is designed for people, humanoid systems are uniquely suited to navigate and operate within our world. They fit well.””Imagine a humanoid educator named ‘Plato,” she added. “Access to the classical studies is now instantaneous – literature, science, art, philosophy, mathematics, and history – Humanity’s entire corpus of information is available in the comfort of your home.”Trump and the humanoid walked side by side in the White House…

The Pentagon announced three framework agreements today with prime defense manufacturers to surge production and delivery of missile systems and components.Agreements made with Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and Honeywell Aerospace will rapidly accelerate production of a wide array of missile components, including ballistic interceptors.“Through this agreement, we are actively building the Arsenal of Freedom with speed and urgency,” Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, said in a release. “By empowering industry to invest in the factory floor, we are building a decisive and enduring advantage for our warfighters to outpace any potential adversary.” Lockheed will quadruple production levels of the Precision Strike Missile, which was used for the first time in combat against Iranian targets in Operation Epic Fury. “Lockheed Martin delivers the advanced precision fires capabilities the warfighter needs, including the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which expands deep-strike capability,” said Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin, in a statement. The company will also work with BAE Systems to ramp up output of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptor, or THAAD. BAE Systems announced that annual THAAD production rates will also quadruple. Honeywell will rapidly increase production of critical missile components. These…

Working in the firearms industry and reviewing shooting gear offers a front-row seat to the cutting edge of gun-related tech and trends. And while some categories, such as optics, chronographs and suppressors seem to advance in leaps and bounds, other products progress through an unassuming procession of modest refinement. New materials, enhanced ergonomics, and original combinations of pre-existing features and components denote new generations of long-trusted designs. For proof of my supposition, look no than the ubiquitous bolt-action rifle. The Model 2020 Waypoint in 7mm PRC offers hunters an all-around bolt-action rifle capable of handling a wide range of North American game. Image: Carson McDaniel/Springfield Armory The modern bolt action can trace its roots back nearly 200 years, to 1841 and Prussian arms maker Nicolaus von Dreyse. His military long arm, popularly dubbed the “needle gun” for its lengthy firing pin, was the first bolt-action rifle to feed and fire self-contained metallic cartridges. Fast forward to today. We live in a time of super materials such as metal alloys and carbon fibers that are lighter, stronger and more heat-resistant than traditional walnut and steel. Too, our ammunition and cartridge ignition systems have come a long way from match cord, mercury fulminate…

While Donald Trump touts a “present” he received from Iran, Iran has said it attacked a United States aircraft carrier. After vowing to attack the USS Abraham Lincoln, footage has surfaced allegedly showing Iran following through on the threat. Hegseth Warns “Most Intense Day” Of Operation Epic Fury Imminent Footage has emerged of the moment Iran launched a series of shore-to-sea cruise missiles at the Lincoln carrier, which was deployed to the Arabian Sea to support Operation Epic Fury. Trump has confirmed the attack; however, he downplayed its seriousness, according to a report by The Daily Mail.  While speaking in the White House yesterday, Donald Trump said: “They shot 100 missiles at one of our aircraft carriers, one of the biggest ships in the world, actually. And of 101 missiles shot, every single one of them was knocked down.” Naval Today confirmed Trump’s quote that 101 missiles were fired at the USS Abraham Lincoln. American naval forces successfully intercepted the large-scale missile attacks launched by Iran. However, Tehran said that another attack was in the works.  Iranian Navy commander Shahram Irani warned the warship was under constant surveillance ahead of another possible attack. This threat comes after the initial strike was unsuccessful.…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The man reportedly being floated by the Trump administration as a possible interlocutor with Iran is also one of the regime’s most hardline figures — Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a longtime Revolutionary Guards commander, widely described by experts as a loyal “yes man,” with a record of threats against the United States and deep ties to the system’s inner circle.That contradiction underscores the central question facing U.S. policymakers: Even if Washington is speaking to the “right people,” as President Donald Trump has claimed, can someone like Ghalibaf actually deliver?”Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’” said Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies. He added, “If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do it. If he is told to escalate, he will. It is not about moderation, it is about who gives the orders.”AS AIRSTRIKES RAIN DOWN ON THE IRANIAN REGIME, CAN A FRACTURED OPPOSITION UNITE TO LEAD IF IT FALLS? Regime Insider Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment.He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard…

The Schutzstaffel was a fascinating mob. Few organizations were more reviled during WWII than the feared SS. Universally feared on the battlefield while being justifiably vilified for their well-documented atrocities, Himmler’s black-clad storm troops were history’s original jack-booted thugs. The Bergmann MP35 represents a fascinating chapter in WWII small arms development. This German submachine gun combined old-world craftsmanship with some genuinely weird design choices. First-Person Impressions of the MP35 I had a friend who has since passed who landed on Omaha Beach at 1400 hours on 6 June 1944. He said that, by the time he hit the beaches, most of the machine guns had been silenced. However, the German mortars and artillery still took a terrible toll. However, this paled in comparison with what was to come. This field-stripped view shows the mechanical sophistication that defined early submachine gun development. By war’s end, this man had seen it all. He slogged all the way across Western Europe, slugging it out with the Wehrmacht, the Fallschirmjagers and the vaunted SS. During the precious time I had talking with this amazing guy, he consistently conflated the SS with the Gestapo. Conversationally, he referred to Waffen SS combat troops as, “those Gestapo…