Agrégateur de flux

Colombian Air Force Kfir fighter jets fly in formation during the military parade to commemorate Colombia’s Independence Day in Bogota on July 20, 2024. (Alejandro Martinez/AFP)

There has been a lot of discussions on US plans in addressing security issues with Venezuela, as US forces take to targeting boats related to cartels attempting to bring narcotics into the United States. While the likelihood of a full assault on Venezuela would mirror the recent strikes on Iran as opposed to a strategy of regime change like in Iraq and Afghanistan, the success in assaulting the most well equipped nation in Latin America comes with significant risks to US forces.

Venezuela has been the benefactor of past procurements of weapons systems from the United States. In the pre-Chavez era, Venezuela was tasked with protecting not only itself, but American and foreign owned oil production assets. This close relationship between the US and Venezuela enabled the former ally to purchase early F-16 jets and rely on the overall protection of US assets in the region. With the start of the Chavez regime, Venezuela moved to a policy of expropriation, the cutting of ties with the West, and massive purchases of Russian military equipment, specifically the SU-30 fighter platform. With Venezuela’s border nations flying older Kfir jets and Mirage IIIE/5s, the SU-30s gave Venezuela a massive advantage in air superiority, now having the most capable fighter jets in the Americas after the United States.

While air defence over Venezuela would start with their SU-30 radars and longer range missiles intercepting incoming threats, Venezuela also obtained a layered air defence network from Russia and radars from China. Venezuela has not just one of the most capable air defence networks in Latin America, but worldwide. Chinese radars are some of the more modern variants available for territorial defence, systems which are now operational in Venezuela. To target longer range threats from the air and evasive missile threats, the export version of the S-300VM is operational in Venezuela. The S-300VM is the export tracked version of Russia’s S-300 missile system, and is one of the most capable systems in the world. To support the S-300VMs, Venezuela also uses the modern BUK-M2 for medium to long range air defence, a system that matches anything operational in the War in Ukraine in 2025. An assault on Venezuela may require more advanced techniques than even the recent strikes on Iran, as their systems are more modern than some of those that were operating in Iran before the strikes.

Being well known for many decades, and becoming more popularized in the movie Top Gun: Maverick, Venezuela operates the SA-3 air defense missile system. While not used as they would operate in real life in the movie, the SA-3 when used en masse would cause a lot of chaos in the air for any non-stealth aircraft conducting an assault on Venezuela. While the F-35s and F-22s would be a solution to avoiding the SA-3’s modernised radars in Venezuela, it would have made for a less exciting movie. A a mark of excellence, of good training by the SA-3 radar operators, and mistakes by the pilot and his support structures, an SA-3 was able to shoot down a F-117 stealth bomber over Serbia in the 1999. Even in chess, the Pawn sometimes is lucky enough to kill a King.

While the common theme when speaking about a US assault on Venezuela does not consider the mission to have great risks overall, mistakes could lead to US pilots being shot down. With multiple scenarios of defeating both S-300 systems and BUK-M2s having taken place in Ukraine, US forces likely have a good base of knowledge on how to defeat these systems in real world combat scenarios. Venezuela is quite a large country, and the very limited number of S-300VMs is not adequate to defend the entire territory. Lacking a sufficient number of BUK-M2s is also a problem and the SA-3 systems can be carefully avoided or defeated via cruise missile strikes on their radar hubs and launchers themselves. In reality, those missiles would have been taken out by overwhelming waves of Tomahawk cruise missile strikes in order to save Tom Cruise an Miles Teller a lot of grief, and in real life, all of the S-300VMs, BUK-M2s and SA-3s would be hit early with the Chinese made radars seeing the strikes coming in and being subject to them directly. If US bravado on Venezuela turns to conflict, waves of missiles would be what strikes Venezuela first and perhaps last, with no pilots being put at risk in the initial assault. The loss of US lives in combat with Venezuela would sour the public on any coercive actions, but the bluff might be worth the reward in the view of the current US Administration.

Les manifestations exceptionnelles qui ont suivi la chute de l'auvent de la gare de Novi Sad le 1er novembre 2024, le vent nouveau qui souffle dans le pays depuis lors, nous ont donné envie, ma famille et moi, d'aller faire un tour du côté de la Serbie l'été dernier. Première étape à Belgrade. Je précise que je suis lié à la Croatie par la famille de ma femme.

- Libres opinions. L'espace de débat du Courrier des Balkans / Blogs - Diaporama, Serbie

The promise of frictionless money has matured into something far more consequential: a liquidity system powerful enough to reorder economies, and elusive enough to escape the laws meant to govern it.

La tension a continué de monter dimanche dans le sud-ouest de la France, où des éleveurs de bovins ont multiplié les blocages avant la venue, lundi, de la ministre de l'Agriculture Annie Genevard, dont ils contestent la gestion de l'épidémie de dermatose nodulaire contagieuse.

Filmée, Brigitte Macron a insulté un groupe de militantes du collectif NousToutes venues interrompre le spectacle d'Ary Abittan, un comédien accusé de viol, mais qui a bénéficié d'un non-lieu. Cette séquence est l'occasion de mettre en lumière la mission de ce collectif. Pour nous accompagner cette semaine, la journaliste spécialisée dans les violences sexistes et sexuelles Laurène Daycard. L'autrice de "Nos Absentes" reconstitue le parcours des femmes qui meurent sous les coups de leur conjoint ou ex-conjoint.

La police a confirmé la mort de l'un des assaillants. L'autre tireur est actuellement en garde à vue et blessé.

Lorsque les mouvements sociaux piétinent, que l'austérité budgétaire domine le débat public, qu'un président français et une bureaucratie européenne voient dans le réarmement et la rhétorique guerrière les remèdes à leur folle impopularité, il est bon de se rappeler qu'en novembre-décembre 1995 (…) / France, Politique, Idées, Mouvement de contestation, Économie, Libéralisme

Il y a un an, le 14 décembre 2024, le cyclone Chido dévastait Mayotte. La ministre des Outre-mer Naïma Moutchou est arrivée samedi sur place. Pour évoquer la situation dans l'archipel, France 24 reçoit Sabrina Mathiot, directrice de l'Union sociale pour l'Habitat Outre-mer.

Les autorités allemandes ont annoncé samedi 13 décembre au soir avoir arrêté cinq hommes soupçonnés de préparer un attentat à la voiture-bélier d'inspiration islamiste visant un des milliers de marchés de Noël du pays. Un an après l’attaque meurtrière à Magdebourg, ces marchés traditionnels se tiennent sous haute sécurité.

A több mint ötven éve repülő Boeing 747-es típus másodvirágzása az elmúlt évtizedben fellendült e-kereskedelemnek köszönhető. A légi áruszállításban az utasforgalomból fokozatosan kiszorult és kargógéppé átalakított Jumbók éppúgy megtalálhatók, mint az eredetileg is teherszállítónak készült példányok. Néhány ilyen gép kormánya mögött magyar pilóta ül. Egyikük Szüle Zsolt kapitány, aki immár tíz éve repüli a legendás típust. 

Volt idő, amikor a Boeing 747-esre csak a közforgalmi repülésben eltöltött évtizedek, a szakmai lépcsőfokok megmászása – 10-15 ezer óra repült idő, szélestörzsű tapasztalat, stb. - után, pályafutásuk megkoronázásaként kerülhettek a pilóták. Az ezredfordulót követően ez megváltozott, és már a fiatalabb repülőgép-vezetők is lehetőséget kaptak a típuson. Így bukkantak fel a világban szerencsét próbáló, szakmai kihívást kereső magyar pilóták is a B 747-esek fedélzetén. Ők többnyire első tisztként dolgoztak, és csak néhányukból lett idővel kapitány. Arra sokáig nem is volt példa, hogy valaki kapitányként debütáljon a Jumbón. Az elsők között volt Szüle Zsolt is, aki először légiforgalmi irányító majd később Boeing 737-es első tiszt és kapitány lett. A párhuzamosan űzött két hivatás nehezen fért meg egymás mellett, és amikor döntenie kellett, a frekvencia másik végét, a pilótafülkét választotta.

A közelmúltban azért kerestem meg, hogy saját élményein és tapasztalatain keresztül nyújtson betekintést a Boeing 747-esen dolgozó, világjáró kargópilóták kívülről kalandosnak tűnő, belülről olykor nagyon is rögös mindennapjaiba. Beszélgetésünkre, ha nem is egy Jumbo fedélzetén, de mindenképpen autentikus környezetben került sor, Zsolt B 747-es szimulátor központjában, a Simflite-ban. Arra kértem, hogy mielőtt elmerülünk a kargópilóták mindennapjaiban, röviden idézze fel a pilótafülkébe vezető út főbb állomásait.

[...] Bővebben!

Long-running mechanical, faulty metallic alloys in the Prop-Rotor Gear Box and lack of synergy between the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have compounded the V-22 Osprey’s troubles. Faulty parts, inconsistent communication of safety and hazard risks from the Joint Program Office, and poor coordination between the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force, […]

Les « chevaliers de la vocation » ont été mis à la porte du Théâtre national. La remise des prix s'est donc tenue en plein air, sur la place de la République de Belgrade, transformée en tribune de soutien aux étudiants et aux figures de la contestation civique en Serbie.

- Le fil de l'Info / Courrier des Balkans, Vucic, Serbie, Culture et éducation

BBC Sport Africa sélectionne six joueurs à suivre lors de la Coupe d'Afrique des nations 2025, qui se déroulera au Maroc du 21 décembre au 18 janvier.

Since the 1990s, the G7 has increasingly addressed gender equality in its political declarations. Treating gender equality initially as a challenge to be tackled mainly abroad, the group later acknowledged the need for change in its member countries too. In addition, over the years the G7 shifted from focusing on economic inclusion of women as a means to increase economic growth to considering gender equality as a goal in itself, to be addressed in other policy fields also. To what extent this changing approach to gender equality in the G7's declarations has influenced policy changes within G7 countries and abroad is hard to assess. In principle, the G7 has the potential to exercise two functions with respect to gender equality. First, the G7 might coordinate group members’ national policies and the activities of international organisations in this area. However, given the democratic deficits of the G7, it is questionable whether it is desirable for the group to exercise this function, especially since it does not seem necessary for the effectiveness of gender equality policies that these policies are internationally coordinated. Second, the G7 could serve as a forum for the transnational exchange of experiences and ideas.

Since the 1990s, the G7 has increasingly addressed gender equality in its political declarations. Treating gender equality initially as a challenge to be tackled mainly abroad, the group later acknowledged the need for change in its member countries too. In addition, over the years the G7 shifted from focusing on economic inclusion of women as a means to increase economic growth to considering gender equality as a goal in itself, to be addressed in other policy fields also. To what extent this changing approach to gender equality in the G7's declarations has influenced policy changes within G7 countries and abroad is hard to assess. In principle, the G7 has the potential to exercise two functions with respect to gender equality. First, the G7 might coordinate group members’ national policies and the activities of international organisations in this area. However, given the democratic deficits of the G7, it is questionable whether it is desirable for the group to exercise this function, especially since it does not seem necessary for the effectiveness of gender equality policies that these policies are internationally coordinated. Second, the G7 could serve as a forum for the transnational exchange of experiences and ideas.

Since the 1990s, the G7 has increasingly addressed gender equality in its political declarations. Treating gender equality initially as a challenge to be tackled mainly abroad, the group later acknowledged the need for change in its member countries too. In addition, over the years the G7 shifted from focusing on economic inclusion of women as a means to increase economic growth to considering gender equality as a goal in itself, to be addressed in other policy fields also. To what extent this changing approach to gender equality in the G7's declarations has influenced policy changes within G7 countries and abroad is hard to assess. In principle, the G7 has the potential to exercise two functions with respect to gender equality. First, the G7 might coordinate group members’ national policies and the activities of international organisations in this area. However, given the democratic deficits of the G7, it is questionable whether it is desirable for the group to exercise this function, especially since it does not seem necessary for the effectiveness of gender equality policies that these policies are internationally coordinated. Second, the G7 could serve as a forum for the transnational exchange of experiences and ideas.

Européens, Ukrainiens et Américains se retrouvent, dimanche 14 et lundi 15 décembre à Berlin, sans participation russe pour des nouvelles négociations sur l’Ukraine. Pour les alliés européens de Kiev, à commencer par le chancelier allemand Friedrich Merz, le but est de travailler sur les propositions américaines - au départ peu favorables à Kiev - pour trouver un compromis plus équilibré. L’émissaire américain Steve Witkoff est également de la partie.

C'est dans la division et la crainte quasi permanente d'une possible implosion que la Bosnie-Herzégovine commémore le trentième anniversaire des accords qui ont mis fin à la sanglante guerre de 1992-1995.

Le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky a déclaré jeudi que les États-Unis continuaient de demander d'importantes concessions de la part de son pays dans les négociations pour mettre fin à la guerre avec la Russie, dont le retrait de ses troupes du Donbass. Or, c'est dans la région de Donetsk, où se déroulent l'essentiel des combats, que la défense ukrainienne repose sur la ceinture fortifiée. Un dispositif militaire sans équivalent.

 Thanks to Duke 7 for the link.

Footage shows a Royal Thai Army mechanized force massing along the Thai-Cambodian border ahead of a planned offensive.

The formation includes M113 ACAV armored personnel carriers and FV101 Scorpion light tanks. pic.twitter.com/FpH2WBjeXY

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 12, 2025 Does anyone know what kicked off the fighting here? I thought it was just border clashes but it looks like the Thai Army is going full tilt boogie now.
Between this, the RSF and Burko whatever in Africa running wild, to even ISIS attacking our guys in Syria and of course Ukraine/Russia plus China continuing to push things against Taiwan that we could easily be in a multi-front war in the next few years.
Have to wonder how that'll workout.
I know the US will, or at least want to , prioritize Taiwan.  The Europeans have made noise (well actually just the UK and sometimes France) about supporting us there but I seriously doubt it.
Ukraine doesn't seem to want an end to the fighting so that will rage and no one seems to give a damn about the persecution of Christians in Africa by the Muslim horde and everyone (with sense) wants to wash their hands of the Syria mess.
I think it'll break down like the latest security assessment called for.  Until they cross the line Ukraine will prioritized at the expense of all else.  SOCOM will have a playground in Africa and Syria (but they will need MASSIVE conventional support).  The Navy will continue to play the flex role of supporting SOCOM more and more in Africa and Syria, along with the USAF.  The 82nd and 101st will probably be tasked with helping SOCOM too.
Drawdown of Army forces in Europe will be delayed (cause everyone in power was once a Russia expert and that's the fight they WANT) with the USAF getting stretched to support a mission there.
China will see their chance and make a move on Taiwan before the next presidential election and that will change the world.  WE MIGHT hold onto it by our fingernails but we'll see the destruction of many ships, a few MLRs and a multitude of aircraft.
I think things are lining up for shit to get nasty in the next few years.  Oh and notice that while the Thailand/Cambodia thing rages it wasn't even listed?  That leaves out another flair up between Pakistan/India, China/India, Pakistan/Iran and of course Israel and damn near the entire Middle East.