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Les adeptes de cette doctrine millénariste se posent en victimes du Parti communiste chinois. Très actif aux États-Unis mais aussi en France où il n'hésite pas à relayer les meetings de certaines personnalités politiques d'extrême droite, leur mouvement a le soutien d'élus du Congrès américain et (...) / Chine, Industrie culturelle, Bouddhisme, Politique - 2024/08

Etienne Bamogo, alias Bam'ss Grace est un gendarme de profession, artiste musicien par passion. Après avoir survécu à une attaque un certain 16/02/2023, à Partiaga, dans la région de l'Est, le soldat prête sa voix pour rendre hommage à tous les FDS et VDP tombés sur les champs de batailles. Aux « immortels » tombés à ses cotés à Partiaga, il promet que leur sacrifice ne sera pas vain. Dans son album de huit titres baptisé « Plus que vainqueur », Bam'ss Grace véhicule un message de consolation et d'espoir.

Lefaso.net : Pourquoi Bam'ss Grace comme nom d'artiste ?

Bonjour. Je m'appelle Etienne Bamogo. Bam'ss c'est diminutif de mon nom de famille et Grace, que je préfère qu'on lice en anglais, c'est la grâce en français. Je fais allusion à la grâce de Dieu qui nous permet de vivre.

Quels sont les messages que Bam'ss Grace véhicules dans ses chansons ?

Déjà, je dis merci à Lefaso.net pour l'accueil. Merci à toute son administration. Que la grâce de Dieu, qui surpasse toute chose, soit le partage de tout un chacun. Et surtout que Dieu étendent vos limites. Je dis aussi merci à ma hiérarchie qui me permet d'être dans vos locaux, grâce à ces autorisations. Je dis également merci à la culture à travers les hommes et femmes qui la font. Bam's Grace a commencé la musique juste après sa formation. J'ai sorti mon album et dans cet opus, je véhicule ce message de consolation, d'espoir, de réconfort envers mes collègues, les veuves, etc.

Pourquoi avez-vous décidé de vous investir dans la musique malgré le fait que vous soyez un FDS ?

Je suis né d'une famille de musiciens. Mes frères et mes sœurs sont des chantres. Ma vocation est venue comme ça. C'est pourquoi, juste après ma formation, j'ai usé de mon talent, ma vocation, pour utiliser ma voix pour consoler, soulagé et guérir.

Parlez-nous de l'attaque de Partiaga le 16 février 2024 dont vous avez été un témoin privilégié ?

Le 16 février 2024 est un jour qui reste inoubliable. J'étais dans une zone nommée Partiaga, dans l'Est du pays. On a vécu des expériences qu'on ne peut pas relater ici. L'expérience, d'après un l'adage, se vit et ne se raconte pas. Ce n'était vraiment pas la joie. Mais Dieu nous a permis de vivre. On a perdu des proches, des amis, des collègues. Nous qui avons survécu, nous sommes là pour apporter notre soutien à ces femmes et enfants de soldats qui sont restés sur les champs de batailles.

Quel est le message contenu dans le titre « Plus fort que la peur » dont le clip vient de sortir ?

Nous avons lancé notre album à travers la dédicace le 26 juin 2023 au Mess des officiers. La chaine de commandement de la gendarmerie était présente, de même que le ministre en charge de la culture. Juste après avoir écouté les titres, le ministre était ému et nous a accordé la réalisation de deux clips. Nous avons choisi donc de cliper « Plus fort que la peur » pour essayer relater nos vécus et nos expériences sur le terrain. Afin que de galvaniser nos frères sur les différents champs de bataille. Parce qu'il y a des moments où ce n'est vraiment pas facile. Beaucoup perdent le moral. Mais par nos voix, la chanson, on peut aussi contribuer à les remotiver.

Un deuxième album de 12 titres est presque prêt, selon l'artiste

Lefaso.net : Dans cette chanson, vous parlez aussi aux soldats blessés sur les théâtres d'Operations ?

Le clip dit aussi aux soldats rendu inoperationnel de fait de blessure, que ce n'est pas encore fini. Même dans ta blessure, tu peux toujours donner ta contribution à l'effort de paix ou à la reconquête du territoire national. Vous savez, quelqu'un qui a une jambe ou une main empotée qui se sent abandonner, peut avoir des remords et tout ce qui va avec. A ces derniers, on leur dit, ce n'est pas encore fini, essuie tes larmes. La victoire n'est plus loin.

Lefaso.net : C'est une carrière musicale qui vient d'être lancée ou c'est juste pour rendre hommage à tes collègues FDS ?

En plus d'encourager les soldats, c'est aussi ma carrière musicale que j'ai lancé avec mon premier album. Je profite vous informer qu'on a déjà finalisé un album de 12 titres. On a aussi un autre clip du premier album qu'on va réaliser. On a ferme conviction d'y parvenir.

Lefaso.net : Quelle est la suite pour Bam'ss Grace ?

La suite, c'est de ne pas abandonner. On compte faire des tournées dans les provinces du Burkina Faso, dans les pays voisins et pourquoi pas à l'extérieur, pour véhiculer le message. Puisqu'en plus du message d'encouragement, il y a d'autres messages que je transmets et qui pourraient intéresser tout le monde. On va s'accrocher aux anciens pour pouvoir aller loin.

Lefaso.net : Cela n'entravera pas votre mission première ?

Toute suite j'ai dit que je suis là grâce à ma hiérarchie. Parce que ma profession prime sur ma passion. Je pense que pour pouvoir réaliser mes projets dans le cadre de ma passion, qui est la musique, on va toujours demander des autorisations. Je ne pense pas que cela va jouer sur mon métier qui est la priorité.

Lefaso.net : Est-ce qu'il y a des collaborations en vue avec les autres artistes qui sont dans les rangs ?

Oui bien sûr. J'ai des collaborations avec des acteurs, des doyens de la musique qui sont des FDS comme les Kezi, les Whé-wé, les Privat, etc. On a prévu une collaboration de clip ensemble. Parce qu'un l'adage dit que seul on est faible et ensemble on est plus fort.

Lefaso.net : Un dernier mot ou un appel à lancer ?

Je lance un appel à toute la population du Burkina Faso de collaborer avec les FDS, de collaborer avec le gouvernement, afin qu'ensemble, cette paix que l'on recherche tous, soit de retour. Car la paix c'est le bonheur de tous. Avec ce gouvernement, beaucoup de défis sont relevés. Je demande seulement une cohésion pour pouvoir mener à bien toutes les activités. Je dis encore merci à Lefaso.net pour m'avoir reçu.

Interview réalisée par Obissa Juste Mien
Lefaso.net

Travailler aux champs pendant les congés : c’est ce que proposent le parti présidentiel et le gouvernement à leurs sympathisants. Des initiatives révélatrices de la vision des nouveaux dirigeants sénégalais, qui souhaitent parvenir à l’autosuffisance alimentaire.

Le Groupe d’experts intergouvernemental sur l’évolution du climat (GIEC) s’est réuni pour sa 61e plénière afin de discuter du calendrier de ses prochains rapports, sans toutefois parvenir à un accord sur la question.

Le président du Comité olympique italien, Giovanni Malago, a fait de graves révélations à propos de la polémique Imane Khelif. Il a accusé ouvertement la […]

L’article Imane Khelif : le président du Comité olympique italien dénonce une politisation de l’affaire est apparu en premier sur .

Das Verwaltungsgericht Lissabon entschied am Mittwoch (7. August), dass die Lissabonner Stadtverwaltung eine Strafe in Höhe von einer Million Euro zahlen muss. Grund ist die Weitergabe von Daten über Anti-Putin-Demonstranten.

Summary and Key Points: The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is an upgraded, larger, and more capable variant of the original F/A-18 Hornet, featuring advanced thrust-vectoring engines, improved maneuverability, and increased fuel capacity.

-Although slightly slower than its predecessors, the Super Hornet excels in carrier operations and incorporates technology initially developed for fifth-generation aircraft like the F-35 and F-22.

-Despite the arrival of the F-35, the U.S. Navy will continue to operate the Super Hornet until at least the 2030s.

F/A-18 Super Hornet: The U.S. Navy’s Reliable Powerhouse

A redesigned variant of the F/A-18C and D Hornet, Boeing F/A-18E, and F/A-18F are larger and more capable than its predecessor. It is a carrier-capable fighter that is powered by a General Electric (GE) F414-GE-400 twin-engine and can travel at supersonic speeds. This engine produces 13,000 pounds of force (lbf) of dry thrust and 22,000 lbf of thrust when its afterburners are engaged.

And this bird has greater thrust than its predecessors.

The United States Navy is the main user of this variant. It was introduced to the fleet in 2000. America’s Navy says the Super Hornet will continue to operate at least until the 2030s when the F-35 Lightning II will replace it. 

F/A-18 Variants: Differences with Its Predecessors

Designers of the Super Hornet stretched out its airframe to make the warplane longer than the original variants. The Super Hornet’s wing area was increased by a whopping twenty-five percent, too.

Thus, this warbird is twenty percent larger than the original Hornet (hence, the term “Super” Hornet). 

With larger wings and larger capacity, this bad bird can carry more weapons and pods. More weapons mean greater staying power whilst in combat. Overall, this means increased lethality. 

That’s a win for the Navy.

To improve airlift and enhance the bird’s stealthiness, Boeing replaced the original Hornet’s oval air intakes with rectangular air intakes. Boeing made further tweaks to the original design to make the Super Hornet more maneuverable than its predecessors. 

In terms of fuel, this warbird carries thirty-three percent more internal fuel which, according to Simple Flying, increases “its range by forty-one percent and endurance by fifty percent. As a result, it is also significantly heavier.” For instance, the Basic Empty Weight (BEW) and Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) are 7,000 pounds and 15,000 pounds higher than the legacy model. 

Mentioned earlier was the fact that the F/A-18 Super Hornet has greater thrust than its Hornet predecessors. Yet, it should be noted here that greater thrust does not equal faster speeds. Indeed, the Super Hornet has a maximum speed of Mach 1.60, or about 1,227 miles per hour whereas the original Hornet can reach Mach 1.80, or 1,381 miles per hour. That might seem like a distinction without a difference, but the facts don’t lie. 

The Super Hornet is slower than its predecessors.

Interestingly, many pilots who have flown both the original Hornets and the Super Hornet swear by the Super Hornet, even though it is around twenty knots slower than the original bird. The reason that the bird is slightly slower than the original has to do with the expansion of the size of the wings and the fact that the Super Hornet carries more into battle.

Still, Mach 1.60 is nothing to shrug about. 

To clarify any possible confusion, the reason that the Super Hornet has greater thrust is because of the need to take off from carriers. Carriers have a very limited flight deck, so being able to go from zero to takeoff speeds in short order is a key element for any bird operating on an aircraft carrier. The slower speed also helps with landing a plane on a moving flight deck. Carrier landings are notoriously difficult, even for the best-trained pilots. 

In other words, the Super Hornet is a comprehensively great upgrade to the original Hornets, despite the relatively slower speed.

Other Tidbits on Super Hornet 

Interestingly, the Super Hornets had impressive technologies incorporated into them that had originally been designed for the F-35 and the F-22A Raptor. So, while these birds are still nowhere near as sophisticated as the fifth-generation warplanes mentioned above, including capabilities originally only found on those fifth-generation warplanes, has made the Super Hornet, a fourth-generation bird, a highly capable platform—especially when compared to the enemy aircraft that Super Hornets might encounter in combat.

Here again is proof that the Super Hornets are probably the best naval air superiority fighter to date. While the Navy has taken delivery of multiple F-35 carrier variants, the fleet has not yet transitioned to these birds being their primary warplane. Their efficacy in combat compared to their older Super Hornet cousins remains to be seen. 

With the fleet opting to operate the Super Hornet throughout the 2030s, one can foresee that the Super Hornet will continue impressing all the way until the Navy finally decides to retire these beasts.

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock. All photos are of various submarine styles. 

From the Vault

Russia Freaked Out: Why the U.S. Navy 'Unretired' the Iowa-Class Battleships

Battleship vs. Battlecruiser: Iowa-Class vs. Russia's Kirov-Class (Who Wins?)

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.

Alger, le 07 août 2024 – Dans une initiative visant à ancrer une culture de la propreté et à renforcer le civisme chez les citoyens, […]

L’article Alger se fait une beauté : grande mobilisation ce 8 et 9 août pour une capitale propre est apparu en premier sur .

Summary and Key Points: The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are powerful, fast at flank speed, and maneuverable, but their effectiveness is increasingly challenged by China's sophisticated anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems.

-These systems can track and threaten U.S. carriers far beyond the range of their air wings, forcing the U.S. Navy to keep these valuable assets out of combat zones.

-Despite the carriers' capabilities, the growing threat of Chinese A2/AD technology means that the Nimitz-class carriers may be rendered less effective in a potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Nimitz-class Carriers Are Fast. But Not Fast Enough to Defeat Chinese A2/AD

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is a great, lumbering beast with little in the way of real protection other than its airwing. And while this author has been highly critical of America’s infatuation with the flat top, American carriers are quite fast and maneuverable. 

Flank Speed

The Nimitz-class carrier can sustain speeds as fast as 35 miles per hour, otherwise known as its flank speed. 

Okay, so that sounds slow. You’re thinking about driving near that school zone, or around a tricky bend on an old country road. But we’re talking about a warship carrying a variety of warplanes, helicopters, and machines, and with a crew of nearly 6,000, that displaces an impressive 97,000 tons. 

So, yeah, going 35 miles an hour at sea is highly impressive. 

According to my colleague, Peter Suciu, “the Nimitz-class carriers populating the current fleet can move anywhere within a 700-square mile area within 30 minutes. After 90 minutes, that area grows to over 6,000 square miles” when traveling at flank speed. 

Two powerful Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, producing 260,000 shp/194 MW, churn four steam turbines. These, in turn, propel four shafts and four propellers. As Suciu outlines, it takes approximately 10 minutes for a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier to reach its flank speed. Once it does, it might as well be an oversized rocket. The entire boat shakes with power. It becomes an unstoppable beast on the sea. 

It's all very impressive.

But does it matter? 

China’s A2/AD

The Chinese have developed one of the world’s most sophisticated anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities. China’s A2/AD systems can reach hundreds of miles away from the shores of China and its manmade islands in the South China Sea. These capabilities include long-range ballistic missiles and even deadlier hypersonic weapons. They are linked to highly sophisticated and accurate tracking systems. 

Sure, the Nimitz class is fast and can cover a lot of ground. But it is not invincible. The Chinese have proven they can track an American aircraft carrier from its point of origin all the way to its arrival in the Indo-Pacific theater. 

Beyond that, the Chinese have shown, with relatively ancient systems like their Song-class diesel-electric submarine, that getting within torpedo range of an American nuclear-powered submarine is relatively easy. This is precisely what a Song-class sub did to USS Kitty Hawk in 2006. 

Of course, USS Kitty Hawk did not belong to the Nimitz class. Nevertheless, China can hold America’s carrier force under threat. Especially considering any fight between the two sides would likely be waged close to China’s shores, giving Beijing’s forces serious strategic and tactical advantages over the Americans and their allies. 

The Nimitz-class 

America’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are modern technological marvels. But they are not invincible. The very fact that they are so advanced and impressive has forced America’s enemies to develop realistic countermeasures against these carriers. 

Thus the advent of A2/AD – it was built to neutralize America’s carrier force. 

Even if the U.S. doesn’t lose any carriers in a potential war with China, these carriers are far too valuable for Washington to risk in conflict. Given that China’s A2/AD systems can threaten an American flattop far beyond the range of that carrier’s airwing, U.S. carriers will have to be kept beyond the horizon.

This means that the Chinese military will have decisive advantages over the Americans in any fight for control of the western Indo-Pacific. Such a fight will favor China. It doesn’t matter how fast or maneuverable America’s impressive Nimitz-class carriers are. Until the Pentagon develops meaningful countermeasures against Chinese A2/AD systems, the carrier force will be rendered combat-ineffective. 

Right now, it doesn’t look as though the Americans have figured out how to make the Nimitz class useful in any war with China. 

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock. All photos are of various submarine styles. 

From the Vault

Russia Freaked Out: Why the U.S. Navy 'Unretired' the Iowa-Class Battleships

Battleship vs. Battlecruiser: Iowa-Class vs. Russia's Kirov-Class (Who Wins?)

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.

Vor Beginn der Olympischen Spiele bemängelten Kritiker die angebliche Verschmutzung, den Mangel an öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln und die Unsicherheit in Paris. Die Pariser Bürgermeisterin kann den Erfolg der 33. Olympiade nutzen, um ihr Image vor den Kommunalwahlen 2026 aufzupolieren.

European Union and South American negotiators will meet on 4-6 September in Brasilia in the first in-person talks since April, raising hopes an EU-Mercosur trade deal can be concluded this year, diplomats said.

Lisbon's Administrative Court ruled on Wednesday (7 August) that Lisbon City Hall will have to pay one million euros for revealing data on anti-Putin demonstrators in a case from 2021.

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Le Djiboutien Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, le Kényan Raila Odinga et le Mauricien Anil Gayan sont candidats pour succéder au Tchadien Moussa Faki Mahamat, dont le mandat prendra fin en février 2025.

German opposition parties and parts of the government coalition are calling for more border checks to tackle irregular migration, questioning the consensus on Schengen that has long been taken for granted in the country that borders most EU member states.

Giorgia Meloni est certainement la Première ministre d'Europe occidentale la plus ouvertement opposée à l’avortement. Il faut dire que le débat autour de l'interruption volontaire de grossesse (IVG) reste tumultueux dans un pays majoritairement catholique, siège du Vatican.

A Danish court on Wednesday handed a Polish man a four-month prison sentence and ordered him deported for punching the country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in June.

Summary and Key Points: The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, a successor to the B-2 Spirit, is set to be the most advanced stealth bomber in the U.S. Air Force.

-Building on decades of stealth technology, the B-21 features enhanced low observability, advanced networking, and open systems architecture, allowing for future upgrades.

-Unlike its predecessor, the B-21 is designed for cost-effectiveness, with plans for at least 100 units. It is expected to be a cornerstone of U.S. air power for decades, offering superior capabilities in modern warfare.

The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is the Best Stealth Aircraft

Aerospace and defense giant Northrop Grumman continues to develop its B-21 Raider long-range strategic bomber. The B-21 is the planned replacement for the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers.

Information is still sparse on the Raider, which is named for the men who took part in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in the spring of 1942. But there are several facts about the B-21 that we do know.

The B-21 is Building on the B-2's Success

The stealthy B-21 will not be the first Air Force bomber to feature a flying wing design to reduce its radar signature. Efforts to build an aircraft without a fuselage date back almost 100 years. Northrop Grumman’s B-2 Spirit was the first such design mass-produced, even if just 20 aircraft were manufactured.

Seen as the first successful flying wing aircraft, the B-2’s low-observable characteristics help it penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most heavily defended targets. With these capabilities, the B-2 has ensured a strong, effective deterrent and combat force well into the 21st century.

The B-2's low observability was derived from a combination of reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual, and radar signatures. These signatures make it difficult for sophisticated defensive systems to detect, track, and engage the B-2. Many aspects of the low-observability process remain classified, but the B-2's composite materials, special coatings, and flying wing design all contribute to its stealthiness.

The Raider Bomber is Better

Everything the B-2 Spirit did right, the B-21 Raider promises to do better. There were reports its advanced stealth technology – much of which remains classified – could give the aircraft a radar signature as small as an insect. That's likely hyperbole, as no one expects to track a butterfly on radar.

The B-2's development began when disco was all the rage and Jimmy Carter was in the White House, while the B-21 Raider's development is truly a product of the 21st century. It takes into account numerous lessons learned from the F-117 Nighthawk, B-2 Spirit, F-22 Raptor, and F-35 Lightning II – and likely from programs yet to be disclosed.

As The Heritage Foundation reported, the B-21 Raider "is built around the most sophisticated and easily maintained stealth technology ever developed."

Even the aircraft's maker was only slightly more forthcoming, describing the B-21 as benefiting "from more than three decades of strike and stealth technology. It is the next evolution of the Air Force strategic bomber fleet. Developed with the next generation of stealth technology, advanced networking capabilities and an open systems architecture, the B-21 is optimized for the high-end threat environment. It will play a critical role in helping the Air Force meet its most complex missions."

Some 8,000 employees of Northrop Grumman and various other defense contractors of all sizes, spread across 40 states, have been secretly building the Air Force's new stealth bomber. Great efforts have been taken to prevent China and other potential adversaries from gaining access to its technology.

Cost-Effective as Well as Stealthy

Even the best aircraft is only good if it can be employed in significant numbers. The simple lack of B-2s has been the Spirit’s greatest weakness. The Air Force is seeking to guarantee the production of at least 100 Raiders.

To that end, the air service has emphasized cost containment while simultaneously allowing for maximum flexibility. The future backbone of the Air Force's bomber fleet has been noted for an open systems architecture that would allow future capabilities to be integrated into the aircraft, and fast.

With the B-21, the Air Force plans not only to have the best stealth bomber in service for years to come. By the end of the 2030s, it also plans to operate a strong number of these aircraft.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image Credit: Creative Commons. 

Un tribunal danois a condamné le 7 août un Polonais de 39 ans à quatre mois de prison et a ordonné son expulsion pour l’agression de la Première ministre danoise à Copenhague en juin.

Summary and Key Points: This summer, Finnish and Spanish F/A-18 Hornets are taking part in NATO's air policing missions over Romania. Finland deployed seven Hornets in June for their first NATO mission since joining the alliance, operating alongside the Royal Air Force and Romanian Air Force.

-As Finland's deployment ended, Spain sent eight F/A-18+ Hornets to continue the mission, reflecting NATO's ongoing efforts to secure its southern flank in the Black Sea region.

The F/A-18 Is Getting Closer to Russia These Days 

The Boeing F/A-18 Hornet is a familiar sight over the skies of the Black Sea. This summer Hornets will continue to operate from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, although the national insignia on the aircraft will change. 

In early June, seven Finnish Air Force Hornets were deployed on the first NATO Air Policing and Air Shielding mission in Romania since the Nordic nation joined the international alliance last year.

According to NATO, the "deployment was carried out in three rotations and involved over 250 personnel from all Finnish Air Force units." The staged deployments allowed the Finnish personnel to gain as much experience as possible, "operating under the direction of NATO's military command structure."

The Finnish personnel completed their rotation and returned home on July 29, 2024.

"The operation was interesting and rewarding. We will take home a lot of lessons learned about participating in a NATO mission and operating in a new environment." said Maj. Toni Vanhatalo, commander of the third rotation of the Finnish Air Force detachment. "Being under the direction of NATO's command structure required some minor changes in the planning of flight operations, but we adapted well, and also gained some lessons for developing our operations at home. Cooperation with Allies was smooth and continuous training activity improved our capabilities."

During their deployment to NATO's southern flank, the Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornets operated alongside Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons and took part in exercise Ramstein Legacy 24 in Romania and Bulgaria. They flew with Romanian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons to perform escort drills with U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers deployed to the region.

Spanish Hornets Have Arrived

On Tuesday, just days after the Finnish F/A-18s departed from Romania, eight F/A-18+ Hornets from Spain landed in Romania to begin a four-month deployment. A total of 150 Spanish Air Force personnel – including pilots, maintainers, and technical staff – deployed to Romania as part of NATO's Black Sea Air Policing mission. 

Designated the C-15 in Spanish service, these F/A-18s date to the 1980s but have received significant service life upgrades that extended their operational lifespan and capabilities. The Spanish Air Force's Hornets were previously used in NATO missions in Kosovo in 1999, as well as during 2011's Operation Unified Protector to enforce UN Security Council resolutions during the Libyan Civil War.

In 2022, Madrid announced it would phase out its C-15 fleet, replacing those fighters with the Eurofighter Typhoon. Several of the modern combat aircraft have already entered service. The Spanish Air Force deployed five Eurofighter Typhoons, along with a 60-person team, to the same Romanian air base earlier this year.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.