Leading US news outlets have rejected a new Pentagon policy that bars journalists from the building unless they only report information that has been officially authorised by the Department of Defense.


USA: News outlets refuse to accept Pete Hegseth's new press policy

A report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the US Department of Defense (DOD) spends around one billion dollars every year to develop what is known as “directed energy” weapons.&nbsp;

The weapons in question essentially fire concentrated electromagnetic energy or simply known as lasers. However, this military technology is also something that the American taxpayers are now paying at least a billion dollars for. So this is how it is being used.&nbsp;

According to the report, the DOD has developed high-energy lasers that have “successfully shot down drones in demonstrations.” The GAO who reportedly visited these defence facilities also found how the US military is working on making laser weapons small and light enough to be used by one person.&nbsp;

The Pentagon too is experimenting with high-powered microwave weapons which could potentially penetrate solid objects and this technology has several implications including, disrupting the enemy’s power source, sensors and other electronics, said the GAO.&nbsp;

Similarly, a Congressional Research Service (CRS), a non-partisan organisation which conducts research for lawmakers, in its analysis, last year, found that these high-energy lasers and microwave weapons could be useful for short-range air defence, against drones as well as to counter rocket, artillery and mortar fire, reported CBS News.&nbsp;

The CRS also found that these lasers are not only affordable but also more efficient than conventional weapons.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the GAO noted how various branches of the US military have already tested these powerful lasers. Reportedly, the US Navy has tested them on drones and small boats while the Air Force has developed a laser which can be attached to its aircraft.&nbsp;

“DOD has pursued these potentially transformative technologies for decades because they could provide considerable advantages,” stated the GAO, in its report. It added, “They can deliver destructive or disruptive effects to targets at the speed of light and have potentially significant advantages over kinetic weapons, such as missiles, including lower per-use cost.”&nbsp;

However, the GAO report finds that the departments have had difficulty “getting these technologies out of the lab and into the field for several reasons” which include determining how to use them for different missions. Additionally, the DOD’s “efforts to transition prototypes to acquisition programs face challenges,” said the government agency.&nbsp; 
 
But this is not the only hurdle that these weapons face, as directed energy weapons also have legal and functional limitations, including some laser systems being restricted under international treaties.&nbsp;

For example, the United Nations has banned laser weapons specifically designed to cause permanent blindness, while previous prototypes have reportedly been affected by atmospheric conditions like rain or fog.&nbsp;

Therefore, before these “direct energy” weapons can be put to actual use on missions, simply powering them remains a challenge, not to mention the development of new tactics to deploy this novel weaponry.&nbsp;

“As a novel technology, (directed energy) weapons require the development of new tactics, techniques and procedures — processes by which the warfighter knows how best to use a particular technology in an operational environment,” the GAO noted.&nbsp; 
 
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A report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the US Department of Defense (DOD) spends around one billion dollars every year to develop what is known as “directed energy” weapons.

A report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the US Department of Defense (DOD) spends around one billion dollars every year to develop what is known as “directed energy” weapons. The weapons in question essentially fire concentrated electromagnetic energy or simply known as lasers. However, this military technology is also something that the American taxpayers are now paying at least a billion dollars for. So this is how it is being used. According to the report, the DOD has developed high-energy lasers that have “successfully shot down drones in demonstrations.” The GAO who reportedly visited these defence facilities also found how the US military is working on making laser weapons small and light enough to be used by one person. The Pentagon too is experimenting with high-powered microwave weapons which could potentially penetrate solid objects and this technology has several implications including, disrupting the enemy’s power source, sensors and other electronics, said the GAO. Similarly, a Congressional Research Service (CRS), a non-partisan organisation which conducts research for lawmakers, in its analysis, last year, found that these high-energy lasers and microwave weapons could be useful for short-range air defence, against drones as well as to counter rocket, artillery and mortar fire, reported CBS News. The CRS also found that these lasers are not only affordable but also more efficient than conventional weapons. Meanwhile, the GAO noted how various branches of the US military have already tested these powerful lasers. Reportedly, the US Navy has tested them on drones and small boats while the Air Force has developed a laser which can be attached to its aircraft. “DOD has pursued these potentially transformative technologies for decades because they could provide considerable advantages,” stated the GAO, in its report. It added, “They can deliver destructive or disruptive effects to targets at the speed of light and have potentially significant advantages over kinetic weapons, such as missiles, including lower per-use cost.” However, the GAO report finds that the departments have had difficulty “getting these technologies out of the lab and into the field for several reasons” which include determining how to use them for different missions. Additionally, the DOD’s “efforts to transition prototypes to acquisition programs face challenges,” said the government agency. But this is not the only hurdle that these weapons face, as directed energy weapons also have legal and functional limitations, including some laser systems being restricted under international treaties. For example, the United Nations has banned laser weapons specifically designed to cause permanent blindness, while previous prototypes have reportedly been affected by atmospheric conditions like rain or fog. Therefore, before these “direct energy” weapons can be put to actual use on missions, simply powering them remains a challenge, not to mention the development of new tactics to deploy this novel weaponry. “As a novel technology, (directed energy) weapons require the development of new tactics, techniques and procedures — processes by which the warfighter knows how best to use a particular technology in an operational environment,” the GAO noted. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Pentagon spends $1 billion every year to develop ‘directed energy’ weapons

A US&nbsp;soldier killed by an improvised bomb in Afghanistan has been identified as Army Sgt. 1st Class Elis A. Barreto Ortiz of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense said on Friday.

Barreto, 34 and based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was killed on Thursday when an improvised bomb in a vehicle exploded in a suicide attack near his vehicle in the Afghan capital Kabul, the department said in a statement.

Barreto was a paratrooper and maintenance control sergeant in the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion.

A Romanian soldier also died in the attack near a neighbourhood in Kabul that housed embassy staff from the United States and other countries, the Army Times reported on its website.

The incident is under investigation, the department said.

A US soldier killed by an improvised bomb in Afghanistan has been identified as Army Sgt. 1st Class Elis A. Barreto Ortiz of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense said on Friday.

A US soldier killed by an improvised bomb in Afghanistan has been identified as Army Sgt. 1st Class Elis A. Barreto Ortiz of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense said on Friday. Barreto, 34 and based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was killed on Thursday when an improvised bomb in a vehicle exploded in a suicide attack near his vehicle in the Afghan capital Kabul, the department said in a statement. Barreto was a paratrooper and maintenance control sergeant in the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion. A Romanian soldier also died in the attack near a neighbourhood in Kabul that housed embassy staff from the United States and other countries, the Army Times reported on its website. The incident is under investigation, the department said.

United States soldier killed in Afghanistan identified

Washington's recent test of a ground-launched cruise missile will result in a new round of arms race and will jeopardise international security, the Chinese foreign ministry's spokesman, Geng Shuang, said on Tuesday.

Washington's recent test of a ground-launched cruise missile will result in a new round of arms race and will jeopardise international security, the Chinese foreign ministry's spokesman, Geng Shuang, said on Tuesday. On August 2, the Russian-US Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which banned ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,417 miles), was terminated. The US Department of Defense conducted on Sunday a flight test of a conventional ground-launched cruise missile, which hit its target after flying more than 500 kilometres. "These actions by the United States will result in a new arms race and an escalation of military tensions, and will also seriously damage the structure of regional and international security," Geng said at a briefing. "This amply confirms that the United States indeed aimed at getting rid of restrictions, at developing advanced missiles and at securing unilateral military supremacy when it withdrew from the [INF] treaty," Geng stressed.

US missile test will result in arms race, seriously damage international security, warns China

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-army-is-ready-to-go-dont-mistake-our-discretion-for-weakness-us-national-security-advisor-john-bolton-tells-iran-229716">US Army</a> soldier killed in Afghanistan was identified on Sunday as decorated special forces company Sergeant Major James G. "Ryan" Sartor of Teague, Texas, the Department of Defense (DOD) said in a release.

Sartor, 40, died Saturday from wounds from enemy small arms fire in a combat operation in the province of Faryab, in northern Afghanistan, the DOD said.

Additional details about his death were not immediately available.

Sartor was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colorado, the DOD said.

Sartor joined the Army in 2001 and was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as an Infantryman, the Army Times reported.

He later completed special forces training and was deployed numerous times to Iraq and Afghanistan, starting in 2002, the publication said. He also became a Green Beret, media reported.

Sartor's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Valorous Unit Award, among others, media reported.

He will be posthumously awarded the Purple Heart medal.

A US Army soldier killed in Afghanistan was identified on Sunday as decorated special forces company Sergeant Major James G. "Ryan" Sartor of Teague, Texas, the Department of Defense (DOD) said in a release.

A US Army soldier killed in Afghanistan was identified on Sunday as decorated special forces company Sergeant Major James G. "Ryan" Sartor of Teague, Texas, the Department of Defense (DOD) said in a release. Sartor, 40, died Saturday from wounds from enemy small arms fire in a combat operation in the province of Faryab, in northern Afghanistan, the DOD said. Additional details about his death were not immediately available. Sartor was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colorado, the DOD said. Sartor joined the Army in 2001 and was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as an Infantryman, the Army Times reported. He later completed special forces training and was deployed numerous times to Iraq and Afghanistan, starting in 2002, the publication said. He also became a Green Beret, media reported. Sartor's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Valorous Unit Award, among others, media reported. He will be posthumously awarded the Purple Heart medal.

United States military identifies soldier killed in Afghanistan

Air Force One will be upgraded with two new refrigerators that will cost the United States taxpayers nearly $24 million.

In December, the US&nbsp;Air Force approved a $23.6 million contract with Boeing to replace two of the five &quot;cold chiller units&quot; aboard the aircraft used by President Donald Trump, reported CNN.

According to the Department of Defense (DOD) contract, the $24 million contract will cover the costs of engineering support services for the new chillers -- including prototype design, manufacturing and installation.

One reason the refrigerators cost so much is that Air Force One is a heavily modified and customized 747 jets, according to Defense One.

It is reported that the refrigerators and &quot;many other items on the aircraft&quot; are unique and not found on commercial or business aircraft.

Additionally, contractors that work on the presidential jet must also have high-level security clearances.

The $24 million price tag amounts to enough taxpayer money to fund an estimated eight weekends for the president at Mar-a-Lago in Florida&#39;s Palm Beach, where Trump visited 11 times in his first year as president, according to the media reports.

In December, the US Air Force approved a $23.6 million contract with Boeing to replace two of the five "cold chiller units" aboard the aircraft used by President Donald Trump

Air Force One will be upgraded with two new refrigerators that will cost the United States taxpayers nearly $24 million. In December, the US Air Force approved a $23.6 million contract with Boeing to replace two of the five "cold chiller units" aboard the aircraft used by President Donald Trump, reported CNN. According to the Department of Defense (DOD) contract, the $24 million contract will cover the costs of engineering support services for the new chillers -- including prototype design, manufacturing and installation. One reason the refrigerators cost so much is that Air Force One is a heavily modified and customized 747 jets, according to Defense One. It is reported that the refrigerators and "many other items on the aircraft" are unique and not found on commercial or business aircraft. Additionally, contractors that work on the presidential jet must also have high-level security clearances. The $24 million price tag amounts to enough taxpayer money to fund an estimated eight weekends for the president at Mar-a-Lago in Florida's Palm Beach, where Trump visited 11 times in his first year as president, according to the media reports.

Air Force One's new refrigerators cost $24 million

The United States fully supports Israel`s right to defend itself against threats, a Pentagon spokesman said after Israel said it struck 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defense systems.

&quot;The (US) Department of Defense did not participate in this military operation,&quot; Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway said. &quot;Israel is our closest security partner in the region and we fully support Israel`s inherent right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its people.&quot;

Israel launched the air strikes after anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli F-16 warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria on Saturday. 
 
&quot;We share the concerns of many throughout the region that Iran`s destabilizing activities that threaten international peace and security, and we seek greater international resolve in countering Iran`s malign activities,&quot; Rankine-Galloway said.

Israel launched the air strikes after anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli F-16 warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria on Saturday

The United States fully supports Israel`s right to defend itself against threats, a Pentagon spokesman said after Israel said it struck 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defense systems. "The (US) Department of Defense did not participate in this military operation," Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway said. "Israel is our closest security partner in the region and we fully support Israel`s inherent right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its people." Israel launched the air strikes after anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli F-16 warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria on Saturday. "We share the concerns of many throughout the region that Iran`s destabilizing activities that threaten international peace and security, and we seek greater international resolve in countering Iran`s malign activities," Rankine-Galloway said.

US supports Israel's right to defend itself: Pentagon