CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — On March 4, when a U.S. Navy submarine torpedoed an enemy combatant for the first time since World War II, three Australian submariners were aboard.This was a contentious point for Canberra, as it is not a party to military actions against Iran.Two days later, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the presence of Royal Australian Navy (RAN) sailors aboard the U.S. submarine when the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was sunk.“We wouldn’t normally confirm such an issue, but given our meetings and the public interest, I can confirm that there were three Australian personnel on board that vessel,”…
Author: Tommy Grant
Lighter fluid is a convenience, not a necessity. When the grid goes down, supply chains break, or you simply run out, knowing how to light charcoal without lighter fluid could mean the difference between a hot meal and going hungry. This is not a campfire trick. It is a core preparedness skill. The methods covered in this guide range from zero-equipment techniques using only newspaper and kindling, to simple tools you can stockpile cheaply right now. Each one has been used in real-world conditions. Whether you are grilling in your backyard today or cooking in a crisis tomorrow, these skills…
Multiple U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers have arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, as American forces intensify strike operations against Iran under Operation Epic Fury. The U.K. Ministry of Defence confirmed Saturday that U.S. forces had begun using the British base for “specific defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region.” The BBC reported at least three B-1B Lancers at the base, with the first aircraft arriving the evening of March 6 and two more on March 7. Aviation tracking outlet The Aviationist reported four arrivals in the initial deployment, followed by a second flight…
President Donald Trump declared on Monday that the United States has already “won” the war with Iran “in many ways,” but conceded that broader objectives of the conflict — which he described as a “little excursion” — remain unresolved. Trump, speaking from his eponymously named golf club in South Florida during a House Republican policy retreat, addressed the state of the war, while reflecting on its human cost. “The hardest thing to do is go to Dover,” he said, referring to his weekend visit to the Air Force base in Delaware where the remains of the first six American service…
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a measure on March 5 that would permit lawful gun owners to carry their firearms for self-defense in all 50 states. Called the National Constitutional Carry Act, the measure would restore the right to carry as the Founding Fathers had intended 250 years ago. This bill would ensure that law-abiding American citizens are able to carry around the country without fear of anti-gun states arbitrarily restricting or criminalizing their chosen self-defense tool. “The Founders established a national right to keep and bear arms, not to ask for permission from hostile local officials, or risk imprisonment for crossing the wrong state line,”…
A U.S. intelligence assessment completed shortly before the United States and Israel launched a war in Iran had determined that American military intervention was not likely to lead to regime change in the Islamic Republic, according to two people familiar with the finding.The National Intelligence Council’s assessment in February concluded that neither limited airstrikes nor a larger, prolonged military campaign would be likely to result in a new government taking over in Iran, even if the current leadership was killed, according to the two people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the classified report.The determination undercuts the administration’s…
The U.S. Coast Guard set a new record for the largest drug seizure made at sea in 18 years, which also turned out to be the largest bust ever in the history of its tactical helicopter unit.The California-based Coast Guard cutter Munro announced the news after returning Sunday from a 119-day deployment that began in November of last year. Sailing in the Eastern Pacific, the Munro spotted a go-fast smuggling boat and took up what became an intense pursuit. A Scan Eagle surveillance drone participated in the pursuit alongside an MH-65 helicopter of the Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron.…
NEW DELHI — The United States and Iran have offered sharply different accounts of the sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean last week, with Washington rejecting Tehran’s claim the vessel was unarmed and Iranian officials insisting it was operating in a noncombat role.The United States Indo-Pacific Command on Sunday rejected Iran’s claim that the warship IRIS Dena was unarmed when it was sunk in a submarine attack in international waters off Sri Lanka on March 4. In a statement on X, INDOPACOM called Iran’s assertion that the vessel was unarmed “false.”The response followed strong objections from Tehran,…
When a legislative measure has a nickname with the word “killer” in it, that’s usually not a good sign. Such is the case with L.D. 1821 currently under consideration in the Maine legislature. The measure, called the “FFL Killer” bill by the National Rifle Association, is eligible for a vote on the House floor, despite receive an “ought not pass” vote in committee last month. According to a legislative update from NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), the measure purports to ensure responsible business practices by licensed firearms dealers, but does little more than impose costly burdens on already highly…
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and its strike group finished a pre-deployment training event that prepares naval forces for long-term sustained combat, according to the U.S. Navy.The carrier completed Composite Training Unit Exercise, or COMPTUEX, on March 5, certifying and readying the carrier strike group for deployment for U.S. Fleet Forces Command.“COMPTUEX is the certification event for the strike group to let us know we are ready for major combat operations around the world,” said Rear Adm. Alexis Walker, commander of Carrier Strike Group 10. “It brings the entire strike group team together and enables us to…