The U.S. Army is turning to low-cost interceptor drones first tested in Ukraine to counter Iranian-made Shahed drones, aiming to flip the economics of air defense that have long favored combatants using quick, disposable technology.Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told lawmakers last week during a budget hearing that the service has already begun deploying the system — known as the Merops — and is rapidly scaling production as part of a broader push to defend against cheap, massed drone attacks.“When the conflict kicked off, within about eight days, we were able to purchase … 13,000 Merops, which are incredible,” Driscoll said during a budget hearing, describing a streamlined acquisition process that cut through what had previously been a years-long, multi-agency effort.The cost advantage is central to the strategy. Officials say the Merops interceptor currently runs about $15,000 per unit and could drop below $10,000 at scale and well below the estimated $30,000 to $50,000 price tag of a Shahed drone.“That puts us on the right end of the cost curve, and we will make that trade all day long,” Driscoll said.Developed by U.S. defense firm Perennial Autonomy, formerly known as Project Eagle, the Merops is a mobile, fixed-wing interceptor designed to…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! One of the most visited national parks in the U.S. is closing parts of its hiking trails as officials deal with a spike in bear activity.Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee has temporarily shut down several trails and backcountry areas due to increased sightings of black bears, according to the National Park Service.Officials said closures are put in place when bears frequent specific areas or show signs of unpredictable behavior, posing a risk to both visitors and wildlife.HIDDEN HAZARD AT POPULAR NATIONAL PARK SPARKS URGENT SAFETY WARNING FOR SPRING BREAKERSThe park draws more than 12 million visitors each year, meaning even a small increase in bear encounters with visitors can escalate quickly.The Smokies are home to roughly 1,900 black bears, one of the densest populations in the country, the National Park Service said. Bear activity tends to increase in the spring and summer months as the animals emerge from hibernation and search for food, often bringing them closer to hiking trails, campsites and roadways.Park officials say human behavior is also contributing to the problem.When bears access food left out by visitors or are intentionally fed, they can start to associate humans…

Want to safely land a Black Hawk on a frozen Alaskan lake? There could be an app for that.The Army Corps of Engineers’ research and development component is working to disprove old assumptions about the risks of landing on frozen lakes and other “terrestrial ice” in hopes of opening up as much as 25% more space for soldiers to land on, take off of and even use as a base for firing and maneuvers from the aircraft.The Corps’ Engineering Research and Development Center, or ERDC, conducted a critical test in January, completing a controlled and monitored landing with a CH-47 Chinook in Alaska’s Yukon Training Area, southeast of Fort Wainwright. It proved that the aircraft could safely touch down on 21 inches of what researchers call “quality ice,” some 10 inches less than prescribed by the decades-old assessments that the Army still uses. The research started around 2021 with Jenna Williams, an ERDC cold regions scientist who formerly served in the 11th Airborne Division, headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. “One of [Williams’] personnel contacted me asking, ‘Hey, can we land helicopters on ice?’” said Kevin Bjella, a research civil engineer with ERDC. “‘We don’t have that in our doctrine,…

My very first handgun was a Springfield Armory XD in 9mm. It was around 2007, I was shopping for a home-defense solution and I’d read positive reviews about the XD line in American Rifleman and Guns & Ammo magazines. At decision time, it wasn’t much of a competition. The XD I acquired was sold in a package with extra magazines, a loading tool, a holster and dual magazine pouch. It was range-ready, right out of the box, and seemed to come with everything except the ammo. For a new shooter just starting their firearms journey, it was exactly what I needed. The SAINT Gear Pac includes a Viridian Venta green dot optic and riser as well as four 30-round Magpul PMAG Gen M3 magazines — and all with a high-quality case to pack it all to the range. Image: Carson McDaniel/Springfield Armory Now, with a couple decades of added experience, I still appreciate a well-equipped firearm. Sure, I will likely tinker down the road, and I definitely have favorites when it comes to gear and accessories. But I love an “easy button” option — everything I need to start shooting right away. That is exactly what Springfield provided with that XD, and I’m pleased to…

The United States has seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship. Iran has already condemned the theft as “armed maritime piracy,” and sent a warning of retaliation. The ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman, attempting to breach the American naval blockade around Iran. “The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Touska in the Gulf of Oman and issued a warning to stop,” U.S. ruler Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “The Iranian crew refused to comply, so our Navy ship stopped them in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” the president added, accoridng to a report by RT.  Iranian rulers claimed that the U.S. fired at the Touska before intercepting it. In a statement released shortly afterward, Iran’s military command center, Khatam al-Anbiya, condemned the strike on a vessel returning from China, accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire in place since April 8th. This was at least the second time Iran accused its enemies of violating the ceasefire agreement. Iran Accused Israel and The U.S. Of Violating The Ceasefire Trump claimed that the ship had been sanctioned by the U.S. due to its “prior history of illegal activity.” Trump did not detail the…

SEAL Team 6 veteran Alex West pulled back the curtain on the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.The al-Qaeda mastermind and chief was killed in a daring SEAL Team 6 raid deep into Pakistan in May 2011. A small commando element of DEVGRU flew into Pakistan on modified stealth helicopters to deliver justice for Americans and the world. The mission nearly went sideways when one of the helicopters crashed while attempting to get guys on the ground. Fortunately, the 160th SOAR pilots were able to pin the tail on a wall, and the men got off to get the job done.After a couple different engagements throughout the area, the SEALs found Osama bin Laden on the third floor and took him out.SEAL Team 6 member talks Osama bin Laden raid West, who had a distinguished career as a SEAL Team 6 operator, joined former Delta Force operator Brent Tucker on the Tier 1 podcast to break down the biggest mission of his career.”Okay, boom the [breaching] charge goes. And then from there the rest of the guys came in. At that time, there was also another element that was taking down some other buildings. One of the [SEALs]…They got in…

As the Iran war has shown, detecting and sweeping mines is one of the biggest challenges for the U.S. Navy. Meanwhile, the sea service also has to worry about detecting submarines operated by China, Russia and other nations. But rather than separate sonars and helicopters for spotting mines and subs, the Navy is exploring the convenience of having one sonar that allows a single helicopter to perform both missions. The service, therefore, is looking for a helicopter-borne dipping sonar capable of both anti-submarine warfare, or ASW, and airborne mine countermeasures, or AMCM. “The multi-mission capability of such a sonar transducer assembly would also allow one aircraft, without reconfiguring, [to] cover both ASW and AMCM mission sets for reduced maintenance and reducing the equipment needed to be stored while afloat in space-constrained ships,” explained the Navy Small Business Innovation Research solicitation, which opens May 6 and closes June 3. The sonar would be mounted on multi-mission helicopters. It would also be suitable for the Navy’s upcoming maritime strike future vertical lift platform, which will replace aging MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters. Historically, acoustic ASW and AMCM have been different fields, with anti-submarine sonar and sonobuoys installed on medium-lift helicopters, and mine detection…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney asserted that many of his nation’s prior “strengths” stemming from its close relationship with the U.S. have turned into “weaknesses” that must be addressed.”The U.S. has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression. Many of our former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become our weaknesses, weaknesses that we must correct,” Carney said in a video message.”Workers in our industries most affected by U.S. tariffs, in autos, in steel, in lumber, are under threat. Businesses are holding back investments, restrained by the pall of uncertainty that’s hanging over all of us. The U.S. has changed. And we must respond,” the Canadian leader declared.Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.CARNEY CASTS HIMSELF AS NATO DEFENDER AMID TRUMP BEEF, DESPITE CANADA MISSING KEY BENCHMARK FOR DECADES “It’s about taking back control of our security, our borders, and our future. There are some who say there’s no need for a comprehensive plan. They believe we should wait it out in the hope that the United States will return to normal, that the good…

The Space Force must expand in order to accomplish its mission, says the service’s new Objective Force plan, a 100-page document outlining a vision for its structure and doctrine through 2040.“The Space Force will require significant additional manpower and specialized expertise to generate Space Control forces able to conduct sustained operations at a global scale,” the plan says.For example, the Space Domain Awareness mission “will demand additional analysts, operators, and engineering support with a projected growth of approximately 30% in personnel.” The Space Force currently has around 15,000 military and civilian personnel.The Space Force also anticipates operating — and tracking — many more satellites. The Future Operating Environment report released alongside the Objective Force plan predicts the number of satellites in orbit will more than quintuple from around 12,000 today to 60,000 in 2040. The U.S. satellite fleet will grow from about 7,000 to 30,000, while China’s satellites will soar from 1,900 to 21,000. To keep up, the Space Force must rely on commercial space companies, the report says. The “Spacelift and Launch Range Control Objective Force will implement the ‘Spaceport of the Future’ concept for distributed, resilient, and hybrid architecture that is commercially integrated by design,” the plan said.…

This article was originally published by Garrison Vance at Natural News.  Introduction The Trump administration signaled a potential diplomatic breakthrough in talks to end the ongoing war with Iran on Wednesday, while simultaneously delivering a stark warning to foreign purchasers of Iranian oil. Officials from both the White House and the Treasury Department framed the dual approach as a combination of optimistic negotiation and continued economic pressure. The development comes as a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect, a central component of a military campaign that began in late February. U.S. and Iranian negotiators are considering a return to Pakistan for further discussions after weekend talks concluded without a formal agreement, according to administration statements. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explicitly stated the United States would sanction any entity purchasing Iranian petroleum, reinforcing the blockade’s economic squeeze. The administration’s posture reflects a strategy of pursuing diplomacy while maintaining maximum pressure on Tehran’s primary revenue stream. Details of Recent Negotiations and Blockade Talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Pakistan over the weekend ended without a signed deal, but communication channels remain open. Officials from both sides are now weighing a return to the negotiating table in Pakistan for…