'Fat Leonard,' Navy contractor behind one of military's biggest scandals, sentenced to 15 years

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — 'Fat Leonard,' Navy contractor behind one of military's biggest scandals, sentenced to 15 years.

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  • US Military Alarmed by Russian Nuclear Weapon Platform in Orbit

    A Russian spacecraft launched higher than most satellites has long had the Pentagon worried — and new revelations about what it contains onboard have made those concerns all the greater. Launched in early 2022, Russia's Cosmos 2553 spacecraft is nominally built to test out "newly developed onboard instruments and systems." According to new reporting from the New York Times, however, the mysterious satellite system contains a "dummy warhead"

  • Hegseth and Collins’ push for cutting veterans’ health benefits alarms service members and veterans groups

    Pete Hegseth, now Trump’s nominee to serve as secretary of defense, had been a vocal and persistent advocate for veterans having unfettered access to private health care, rather than having to go through the VA to keep their benefits.

  • Russian bases in Syria threatened by insurgent advance, say Moscow's war bloggers

    (Reuters) -Two strategically-important Russian military facilities in Syria and Moscow's very presence in the Middle East are under serious threat from rapidly advancing insurgents, Russian war bloggers have warned. With Russian military resources mostly tied down in Ukraine where Moscow's forces are rushing to take more territory before Donald Trump comes to power in the U.S. in January, Russia's ability to influence the situation on the ground in Syria is far more limited than in 2015 when it intervened decisively to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Rapid advances by the insurgents threaten to undermine Russia's geopolitical clout in the Middle East and its ability to project power in the region, across the Mediterranean and into Africa.

  • Ukraine just gave a first look at its new homemade Hell 'drone-missile' with more than twice the range of ATACMS

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the weapon, called "Peklo," has already been used in combat.

  • Ukraine shows off new 'rocket-drone' in bid to boost long-range strikes

    Ukraine showed off a new locally-produced "rocket-drone" on Friday which it said could fly 700 km (430 miles) - more than twice the longest range attributed to missiles supplied by Western allies. The unmanned craft, called "Peklo" - which means hell in Ukrainian - is the second such "rocket drone" unveiled by Kyiv as it tries to increase its ability to strike deep into Russia, which invaded 33 months ago. The drones could reach speeds of 700 kph, a representative from Ukraine's state arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom told reporters at a ceremony where they were officially handed over to the armed forces.

  • Russia is suffering record casualties as the West steps up support for Ukraine, and it may struggle to replace them

    Russia is losing around 1,500 troops a day. The Institute for the Study of War said it won't be able to sustain such a high casualty rate.

  • Iraq considers Syria intervention as rebels advance

    BEIRUT (Reuters) -Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim ruling parties and armed groups are weighing the pros and cons of armed intervention in Syria, viewing as a grave threat the advance of Sunni Islamist rebels who have taken two Syrian cities and now bear down on a third. Baghdad has a dark history with Syria-based Sunni fighters, thousands of whom crossed into Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion and fuelled years of sectarian killing before returning again in 2013 as Islamic State to conquer a third of the country. The Syrian rebels currently advancing in Syria, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have disavowed Al Qaeda and IS and say they have no ambitions in Iraq, but the ruling factions in Iraq have little trust in those assertions.

  • The Pentagon knows it's got a drone problem. Here's what it's doing about it.

    The Pentagon has a new but classified strategy to address the growing threat that drones are posing to US forces at home and overseas.

  • Putin signs agreement offering Russia's security guarantees to ally Belarus

    MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Belarus on Friday to sign a treaty offering security guarantees for Moscow’s closest ally, including the possible use of Russian nuclear weapons to help repel an aggression.

  • Military leaders are rattled by a list of 'woke' officers that a group urges Hegseth to fire

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Pete Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon.

  • Russian embassy advises its citizens to leave Syria as rebels advance on strategic city of Homs

    The Russian embassy in Syria advised its citizens to leave the country "in the light of the difficult military and political situation" there.

  • How the U.S. Can Maintain Its Military Edge Over China

    America is blessed with the world's most capable military and a vast network of allies. Yet Washington is taking it for granted.

  • China's special forces are untested. Success in a Taiwan invasion could depend on them.

    Chinese special operations forces would play key roles in any Taiwan assault, but serious issues like lack of combat experience limit their efficacy.

  • Rebel forces 'reach Damascus suburbs' as protesters topple statue on outskirts

    Syrian rebels have reportedly taken the key city of Homs and reached the suburbs of the capital Damascus as their lightning offensive threatens to end Bashar al Assad's 24-year rule. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents are now active in three Damascus suburbs, including Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya - making it the first time they have reached the outskirts of the city since 2018, when government forces recaptured the area after a years-long siege. Meanwhile, Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul-Ghani said insurgent forces had now "fully liberated" Syria's central city of Homs - in a strategically important move the cuts off Damascus from coastal military bases.

  • US announces nearly $1 billion more in longer-term weapons support for Ukraine

    SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — The United States will provide nearly $1 billion more in longer-term weapons support to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday as the Biden administration rushes to spend all the congressionally approved money it has left to bolster Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

  • Biden’s lame-duck Ukraine request faces slim chances in Congress

    Lawmakers see a slim chance of passing President Biden’s request for $24 billion in funding related to Ukraine, as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has called for any new funding to be pushed back until President-elect Trump takes office. Pro-Ukraine lawmakers are counting on strong bipartisan support in Congress to help push through the request…

  • Defeat Of Putin's Ally Assad Is 'Also Our Defeat,' Russians Warn

    The fall of the Syrian regime is a major humiliation for Moscow.

  • Naval Academy's race-conscious admissions policies upheld by federal judge

    A federal judge on Friday ruled that the U.S. Naval Academy may continue to consider race when evaluating candidates to attend the military school.

  • Taiwan reports 14 Chinese warships and 4 balloons near the island

    China sent 14 warships, seven military aircraft and four balloons near Taiwan between Saturday and Sunday, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, as Beijing ramps up pressure on the island it claims as its own. China’s military activities come amid speculation Beijing might organize military drills around the island in response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s recent visit to Pacific allies, including U.S. stops in Hawaii and Guam.

  • 6 Pakistani security personnel killed in a checkpoint attack

    PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Armed men killed six Pakistani security personnel and wounded seven in a checkpoint attack in the country’s northwest, a police official said Saturday.