In Baltic skies, there's a regular ballet of posturing between pilots from NATO nations and Russia. The military alliance regularly sends up fighter jets to intercept Russian flights that NATO says fail to adhere to international norms and endanger other flyers. The Associated Press spoke to French and Romanian pilots serving on a NATO mission in Lithuania. With spring bringing better weather for flying, they're being kept busy, taking to the skies to identify and watch Russian planes. Alliance members take turns policing Baltic skies around the clock, seven days a week.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there's no imminent threat to the state from Iran. ABC News says the FBI warned California that Iran had aspired to send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war. The FBI later released text of the alert, which noted that the information was based on "unverified information." The White House now says, "No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists." Newsom says California and various agencies plan for worst-case scenarios. Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco say they are monitoring world events for any risks.
A surprise Ukrainian drone attack that targeted Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers was unprecedented in its scope and sophistication, and dealt a heavy blow to the Russian military. Ukraine said more than 40 bombers — or about a third of its strategic fleet — were damaged or destroyed Sunday. The Russian military said only several planes were damaged. The conflicting claims couldn't be independently verified. But the bold attack demonstrated Ukraine's capability to hit high-value targets anywhere on Russian territory, dealing a humiliating blow to the Kremlin and inflicting significant losses to Moscow's arsenal in the 3-year-old war.
Boeing will build the Air Force's future fighter jet. President Donald Trump announced the choice Friday. The Pentagon says the new jet fleet will have stealth and penetration capabilities that far exceed its current fleet and is essential in a potential conflict with China. Known as Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, the manned jet will serve as a quarterback to a fleet of future drone aircraft that would be able to penetrate China's air defenses. But critics have questioned the cost and necessity of the program. The Pentagon is still struggling to fully produce its most advanced jet and its future stealth bomber will have many of the same advanced technologies.
