Air Force Special Operations Command is testing whether it can take its new Skyraider II apart, pack it inside a cargo jet and put it back together in the field, officials said this week at Special Operations Forces Week.The single-engine, prop-driven OA-1K, a militarized version of the Air Tractor AT-802 crop duster, is built to give isolated special operations teams eyes overhead and firepower on call from rough dirt strips with little support.“It is essentially a Swiss Army Knife of airborne capability,” Lt. Col. Robert Wilson, AFSOC’s armed overwatch requirements branch chief, told reporters.“Rapid disassembly and reassembly means, in a matter of hours, the aircraft can be loaded into mobility aircraft like a C-5 or C-17 for worldwide deployment,” Wilson said in an AFSOC release. “With the OA-1K, ‘any place, any time, anywhere’ is not just a motto, but an actual capability.”Lt. Gen. Mike Conley, AFSOC commander, added in the release that the OA-1K “offers a unique and modular solution for a wide range of operations, including armed overwatch, at a fraction of a cost of other platforms.”The cost case rests on platform consolidation. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report noted SOCOM refers to the mix of close air support,…

Jason Kidd oversaw perhaps the most chaotic stretch of basketball in Dallas Mavericks history. Now, he’s no longer tied to the franchise’s mess.Announced Tuesday, the Mavericks and Kidd mutually agreed to part ways, ending a coaching tenure that began in 2021 and concluded with an even 205-205 regular-season record.Just months ago, Kidd signed a lucrative multi-year contract extension, while owner Patrick Dumont leaned heavily on him following the firing of general manager Nico Harrison.MAVERICKS SELECT COOPER FLAGG WITH TOP PICK IN 2025 NBA DRAFT AFTER CONTROVERSIAL LOTTERY But the winds of change swept quickly through Dallas after the hiring of new team President Masai Ujiri.Tasked with evaluating a basketball operation that cratered to a dismal 26-56 finish this season, Ujiri wasted little time making his first major executive statement.”Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals,” the new Mavericks president said.”We are thankful for Jason’s leadership, his professionalism and his commitment to the team. In my short time here, I’ve developed an enormous amount of respect for what he has built. He will always be an…

Navy officials told senators in Washington on Tuesday that reports about plumbing issues aboard the world’s largest aircraft carrier were embellished and not entirely true.Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said that challenges with the USS Gerald R. Ford’s toilets were the result of misuse by sailors and the natural wear and tear of a historically long deployment.“If that system is operated in accordance with procedure, then it does not clog,” Caudle said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing regarding the Navy’s fiscal 2027 budget request.Military Times reported in January that the Ford, which contains approximately 650 toilets, experienced issues during its most recent deployment with its vacuum collection, holding and transfer system, which uses pressure to suck out and transport wastewater from the toilets.A spokesperson from U.S. Fleet Forces Command confirmed the problem to Military Times at the time but said the plumbing failures had no bearing on the operational readiness of the ship and that most incidents were isolated events that didn’t affect the entire sewage system.Repairs took between 30 minutes and two hours, the spokesperson said, and problems with the plumbing decreased as the nearly 11-month deployment continued.In January, NPR published a report that said…

This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The End of the American Dream under the title: The Ebola Scare Begins: This Is Already The Worst Outbreak Of Bundibugyo Virus Disease In World History, And People Are Starting To Freak Out Global health authorities are extremely concerned about an outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The death toll has already reached triple digits, and new cases have been detected hundreds of miles away from the original outbreak. BVD is a type of Ebola disease, but unlike other types of Ebola, there is no effective treatment, and there is no cure. The incubation period can range from 2 to 21 days, and once you are infected, you will either live or you will die. For those who do not recover, it can be an absolutely excruciating death. Unfortunately, we are being told that the death rate for BVD is somewhere between 30 and 50 percent, and the WHO has already designated the outbreak that we are witnessing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a “public health emergency of international concern”. Normally, outbreaks of Ebola are not a huge concern because doctors have…

In a bugout scenario, you are likely to spend a lot of time in your vehicle as you travel from one destination to the next. This means a vehicle well-stocked with survival supplies is one of the most important components in a bugout plan – and food is the most essential supply that you can stockpile. Before you start tossing groceries into the trunk of your car, it’s important to note that not all foods are great for storing in vehicles. For example, chocolate protein bars are great meal replacements, but the chocolate is likely to melt and get all over the place. A food that is good for vehicle storage needs to have a long shelf-life, have lots of nutrition, and be easy to prepare. With those qualifications in mind, here are 20 emergency foods that you should keep in your vehicle. Want to save this post for later? Click Here to Pin It On Pinterest! 1. Beef Jerky Beef jerky is a tasty snack that is high in protein and calories. It’s also a food that has a shelf-life of up to two years and can withstand the temperature extremes that occur in most vehicles. Calories per ounce:…

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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! In one of the most crowded Republican Senate primaries in the country, President Donald Trump’s thumb on the scale proved the difference maker. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., came out on top of an 11-person bar fight in Kentucky, teeing him up for a showdown in November to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a one-time ally-turned-thorn in Trump’s side.Though it’s a race overshadowed by another contest, where Trump is the driving factor in the state, it’s still significant, given that Barr and his Democratic opponent will be at the forefront of change in the political status quo of the Bluegrass state. HOUSE REPUBLICAN ENTERS RACE FOR MITCH MCCONNELL’S SENATE SEAT, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES GOP PRIMARY Whoever comes out on top in November will replace McConnell, the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history, who has been a political force and polarizing figure during his decades in the upper chamber.But like so many races during this and previous cycles in the Trump era, the president was the main factor on the Republican side. And Barr’s bid for the upper chamber after serving seven terms in the House was spurred by a late endorsement from Trump earlier…

The Trump administration is planning to tell NATO allies this week that it will shrink the pool of military capabilities that the U.S. would have available to assist the alliance’s European nations in a major crisis, three sources familiar with the matter said. Under a framework known as the NATO Force Model, the alliance’s member countries identify a pool of available forces that could be activated during a conflict or any other major crisis, such as a military attack on a NATO member.While the precise composition of those wartime forces is a closely guarded secret, the Pentagon has decided to significantly scale down its commitment, said the sources, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans.U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear he expects European countries to take over primary responsibility for the continent’s security from the United States. The message to allies this week is a concrete sign of that policy being implemented.Several details were unclear, such as how quickly the Pentagon plans to shift crisis-mode responsibilities onto European allies. The sources said, however, that the Pentagon plans to announce its intention to lessen its commitment at a Friday meeting of defense policy chiefs in Brussels.Pentagon policy chief…

This article was originally published by Patrick Barron at The Mises Institute.  Annual US public spending has been in deficit for decades. As a result, total US debt continues to increase year after year with no end in sight. The end may not be in sight, but the debt cannot continue to grow forever. We just don’t know when markets will shed the dollar, although the process may already be underway. In this brief essay, I will not point out all the disastrous consequences except that they are disastrous and will happen. Rather, I will point out how we got to this sorry state of affairs when it appears that other nations, such as China and Russia, have done a much better job of controlling public spending. Gold Standard Takes the Blame The main, and most obvious, reason that American spending has been in chronic deficit is that it abandoned the gold standard and appears to have no intention of reinstating it. Such is not the case with China and Russia. True, neither country is on the gold standard now, but both have been quietly accumulating gold for many years. Nor has either announced their respective total gold holdings or…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Ali Larter is enjoying spring in the mountains.In a new Instagram dump, the 50-year-old actress stunned in a series of photos, featuring her in a white button-down collared shirt and big black sunglasses.”Spring has sprung in the mountains!” she captioned the post.The actress accessorized the look with a diamond necklace and bold lipstick as she posed looking down at the camera with the sun shining behind her. ALI LARTER LEAVES LITTLE TO IMAGINATION IN SHEER BURGUNDY OUTFIT AT LONDON ‘LANDMAN’ PREMIEREAnother photo showcases her blue eyes, as she took off the sunglasses and looked straight into the camera with her hand in her hair.Many famous faces sang the actress’s praises in the comments section, with Michelle Monaghan writing, “and look how gorgeous it is with u in it! 🙌,” and Jessica Alba adding, “and she’s stunning.” Also included in the carousel of photos was pictures of Larter hiking with her dogs. She posted a selfie of her smiling while out in nature with her fluffy black dog behind her, and a video of her dogs relaxing in a small creek along the trail.For her hike, the actress opted for a tan long-sleeve…