(Zero Hedge)—The US Navy revealed it had recently conducted a live weapons firing exercise in the surrounding waters of the Arabian Peninsula using an unmanned vessel equipped to deploy loitering munitions – drones designed to self-destruct upon striking a target – which successfully eliminated a mock enemy target.
The exercise was called “Digital Talon” – and performed by the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) on Oct. 22. It involved unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and loitering munitions. The service said the exercise “constituted the first use of lethal munitions from USVs in the Middle East region.”
A video released by the Navy shows NAVCENT’s Task Force 59, the Navy’s first Unmanned and Artificial Intelligence Task Force, firing loitering munitions, or “kamikaze drones,” from the USV. The drones with a built-in munition (warhead) struck a simulated hostile forces target in the waters of the Arabian Peninsula.
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) is advancing lethality and the combat capabilities of unmanned surface vehicles during Exercise Digital Talon in international waters @US5thFleet, Oct. 23. During the exercise, NAVCENT’s Task Force 59, the Navy’s first Unmanned and… pic.twitter.com/N9jkv4vpeM
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 2, 2023
“We are focused on the operational application of new, cutting-edge unmanned systems and artificial intelligence technologies,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, NAVCENT commander, wrote in a statement.
Cooper continued, “Last month, we integrated 12 different unmanned platforms with manned ships for ‘manned-unmanned teaming’ operations to conduct enhanced maritime security operations in the waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula.”
The exercise comes as the Navy enhances surveillance and security around the Strait of Hormuz, where at least 20% of the world’s oil (nearly 17 million barrels a day) plus 18% of liquified natural gas transits daily.
Iran has shown hostility in the region against commercial and military vessels transiting the strait – also, tensions between Israel and Hamas risk sparking a broader conflict throughout the Middle East.
Independent Journalism Is Dying
Ever since President Trump’s miraculous victory, we’ve heard an incessant drumbeat about how legacy media is dying. This is true. The people have awakened to the reality that they’re being lied to by the self-proclaimed “Arbiters of Truth” for the sake of political expediency, corporate self-protection, and globalist ambitions.
But even as independent journalism rises to fill the void left by legacy media, there is still a huge challenge. Those at the top of independent media like Joe Rogan, Dan Bongino, and Tucker Carlson are thriving and rightly so. They have earned their audience and the financial rewards that come from it. They’ve taken risks and worked hard to get to where they are.
For “the rest of us,” legacy media and their proxies are making it exceptionally difficult to survive, let alone thrive. They still have a stranglehold over the “fact checkers” who have a dramatic impact on readership and viewership. YouTube, Facebook, and Google still stifle us. The freer speech platforms like Rumble and 𝕏 can only reward so many of their popular content creators. For independent journalists on the outside looking in, our only recourse is to rely on affiliates and sponsors.
But even as it seems nearly impossible to make a living, there are blessings that should not be disregarded. By highlighting strong sponsors who share our America First worldview, we have been able to make lifelong connections and even a bit of revenue to help us along. This is why we enjoy symbiotic relationships with companies like MyPillow, Jase Medical, and Promised Grounds. We help them with our recommendations and they reward us with money when our audience buys from them.
The same can be said about our preparedness sponsor, Prepper All-Naturals. Their long-term storage beef has a 25-year shelf life and is made with one ingredient: All-American Beef.
Even our faith-driven precious metals sponsor helps us tremendously while also helping Americans protect their life’s savings. We are blessed to work with them.
Independent media is the future. In many ways, that future is already here. While the phrase, “the more the merrier,” does not apply to this business because there are still some bad actors in the independent media field, there are many great ones that do not get nearly enough attention. We hope to change that one content creator at a time.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
