The US Army fired its new missile system that rattles China in a Western Pacific first. It found its target and sank it.
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What to know about the Bangladesh air force jet crash into a Dhaka school
At least 31 people have been killed in the crash of a Bangladesh air force jet into a private school campus in Dhaka. The F-7 BGI jet, a variant of a Chinese fighter, crashed into the campus of the Milestone School and College in the Uttara neighborhood. The pilot was among the dead, according to the military and a fire official, and 171 people, mostly students, were injured. The military said the pilot tried to avoid densely populated areas but the jet hit a two-story building. It said the aircraft experienced a “technical malfunction,” adding that a high-level Air Force committee will investigate the cause.
It is the deadliest airplane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory. In 2008, another F-7 air force training jet crashed outside Dhaka, killing its pilot, who had ejected after he discovered a technical problem.
While details are still emerging, here’s what is known:
The crash
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The F-7 BGI jet, a variant of a Chinese fighter, crashed Monday into the campus of the Milestone School and College in the Uttara neighborhood.
The pilot was among the dead, according to the military and a fire official, and 171 people, mostly students, were injured.
On Tuesday, 78 people remained hospitalized.
Officials described the plane as a training aircraft. The military said the jet took off from Bangladesh Air Force Base A.K. Khandaker in the Kurmitola neighborhood at 1:06 p.m. and crashed soon after, catching fire immediately.
The military said the pilot tried to avoid densely populated areas but the jet hit a two-story building. It said the aircraft experienced a “technical malfunction,” adding that a high-level Air Force committee will investigate the cause.
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The school
Milestone is a school with some 2,000 students. It describes itself as having more than two decades of experience and has a focus on extracurricular activities, career counseling and “global opportunities.”
Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not present at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press by phone that the school offers classes from elementary to 12th grade.
The Uttara neighborhood is in northern Dhaka, a metropolitan area of more than 20 million people.
The victims
Officials said at least 25 students died.
Maherin Chowdhury, a teacher who rescued more than 20 students from the burning school, died from severe burns, colleague Tanzina Tanu said.
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Local media reported that many of the more than 160 injured were students who were on campus for classes.
The reaction
Hundreds of students protested near the site of the crash, demanding accountability, compensation for victims’ families and an immediate halt to the use of “outdated and unsafe” training aircraft by the Bangladesh air force. They also demanded “accurate” publication of identities of the dead and injured.
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus pledged an investigation, expressing his deep sorrow over the “heartbreaking accident.”
The government announced a day of mourning Tuesday.
Neighboring India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X: “Our hearts go out to the bereaved families. India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible support and assistance.”
Israel intercepts missile fired from Yemen
Yemen’s Houthi militant group said on Tuesday it had launched a ballistic missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. The launch from Yemen follows an Israeli military attack on Houthi targets in Yemen’s Hodeidah
The Israeli military said it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen following the activation of air raid sirens in multiple regions across the country.
The launch from Yemen follows an Israeli military attack on Houthi targets in Yemen’s Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the Iran-backed militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.
(Reporting by Yomna Ehab ansd Tala Ramadan; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Andrew Heavens)
US defense official reacts to Iran’s claims about encounter with warship
The USS Fitzgerald was in international waters off the Gulf of Oman when it encountered an Iranian SH-3 “Sea King” helicopter. Iran’s state-controlled media said the warship attempted to approach Iranian-controlled waters in a provocative move. The incident came amid heightened tension between the U.S. and Iran and weeks after U.s. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.”This interaction had no impact to USS Fitzgerald’s mission and any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods and attempts by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to spread misinformation,” the defense official said.
The USS Fitzgerald was in international waters off the Gulf of Oman when it encountered an Iranian SH-3 “Sea King” helicopter at around 10:50 a.m. Wednesday.
Iranian state media reported that the helicopter instructed the U.S. guided-missile destroyer to change course.
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The USS Fitzgerald is pictured in the Gulf of Oman with an Iranian helicopter hovering nearby.
“This interaction had no impact to USS Fitzgerald’s mission and any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods and attempts by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to spread misinformation,” the defense official said in a statement.
“U.S. Central Command will continue to operate safely and professionally in accordance with internationally recognized norms and customs,” the official added.
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Iran’s state-controlled media said the warship attempted to approach Iranian-controlled waters in a provocative move.
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The helicopter quickly flew over the destroyer and issued a stern warning to leave the area, the report states. In response, the U.S. destroyer reportedly threatened the Iranian helicopter, but the pilot continued the mission and issued another warning, the report states.
Following the renewed U.S. threat, the Iranian army’s defense system took action and announced that the helicopter was under full defense cover and the destroyer had to change its course, it said. The warship then left the area, the report said.
The incident came amid heightened tension between the U.S. and Iran and weeks after U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Original article source: US defense official reacts to Iran’s claims about encounter with warship
The US Army fired its new missile system that rattles China in a Western Pacific first. It found its target and sank it.
The US Army fired its new MRC missile system in the Western Pacific for the first time. The test occurred earlier this month during the joint Talisman Sabre exercise in northern Australia. The Mid-Range Capability, or Typhon, missile system drew China’s ire during a previous deployment. The Army sees the weapon as an essential strike asset that closes a critical capability gap in the region. The MRC is a high-value system for the Army, filling both a capability and range gap by providing a flexible way to fire both the SM-6s and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, the Army said. It has been deployed to the Philippines before, notably during a joint exercise with the Philippines last year, but China has expressed its frustration at its presence there, calling it “a move to turn back the wheel of history” The test of the MRC in Australia, the US Army said, validated the ability to forward deploy long-range precision fires.
The US Army fired its new MRC missile system in the Western Pacific for the first time, striking and sinking a maritime target.
The Mid-Range Capability, or Typhon, missile system drew China’s ire during a previous deployment, with Beijing repeatedly warning that its presence risks escalating tensions. The Army sees the weapon as an essential strike asset that closes a critical capability gap in the region.
The Army said on Tuesday that the 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force successfully fired a Standard Missile-6 using the versatile MRC launcher and sank an unspecified sea target. The test occurred earlier this month during the joint Talisman Sabre exercise in northern Australia.
The service said it was the first time the land-based MRC had been fired west of the international date line, which splits the Pacific Ocean.
“The deployment of the MRC and successful execution of a [Standard Missile-6] live fire against a maritime target is another significant step forward in our ability to deploy, integrate, and command and control advanced land-based maritime strike capabilities,” Col. Wade Germann, commander of the 3rd MDTF, said.
While this was the first live test of the MRC in the region, it has been deployed there before, notably during a joint exercise with the Philippines last year. The MRC is a high-value system for the Army, filling both a capability and range gap by providing a flexible way to fire both the SM-6s and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.
The MRC’s development followed the 2019 US withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty over concerns about Russian violations. The treaty banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 kilometers.
American and Japanese officials have also discussed deploying an MRC to Japan. Courtesy photo of the Mid-Range Capability Project Office
The withdrawal, overseen by the first Trump administration and driven by Moscow’s SSC-8/9M729 missile, opened the door to the development of previously banned weapons.
When the MRC was first deployed to the Philippines, China was quick to express its frustration. In September of last year, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s foreign military, called the deployment “a move to turn back the wheel of history,” adding that “it gravely threatens regional countries’ security, incites geopolitical confrontation, and has aroused high vigilance and concerns of countries in the region.”
Earlier last year, he said that Beijing “strongly opposes the US strengthening forward deployment at China’s doorstep.”
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China notably maintains a large arsenal of ballistic missiles, including many intermediate-range systems able to threaten US and allied forces in the region.
China also expressed its irritation to the Philippines last year. In August 2024, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said that his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, had expressed concerns the weapon could destabilize the security and relations of the region and that when they discussed it, China “made it very dramatic.” China has warned Manila against igniting an arms race.
Beijing has said the Philippines, a key US ally, is serving American interests to the detriment of its own. Manila has expressed interest in the MRC’s capabilities as a useful combat capability.
China’s US embassy didn’t immediately respond to BI’s request for comment on the test.
The MRC is a work in progress for the Army, which is still exploring how best to employ it. During the MRC’s deployment to the Philippines, US personnel also tinkered with and reworked the system in the field, according to a Government Accountability Office report earlier this year, providing user input that led to “multiple design changes.”
The test of the MRC in Australia, the Army said, validated the ability to forward deploy long-range precision fires. It also, Germann added, provided valuable insights and lessons for future land-based maritime strike capabilities. Mobile launchers with the ability to strike targets on land and at sea have tremendous potential in Pacific combat.
US Army drops into Australia for massive war games
U.S. paratroopers made the most dramatic entrance possible to Australia during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. They flew 14.5 hours nonstop from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. After landing, they proceeded to march another 30-plus miles to seize an urban objective located near Townsville in northern Queensland. Their 6,800-mile flight was only the beginning of the unit’s simulated joint forcible entry operation. Six C-17A Globemaster III aircraft transported 323 American and a dozen German paratrooper on the intercontinental flight, while French troops joined the sky train upon their arrival Down Under. The C- 17s also dropped heavy equipment such as HMMWVs. The 11th Airborne Division is a mobile combat brigade equipped with Infantry Squad Vehicles, while the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) is equipped with 1st Battalion, 509th Parachute Regiment – nickname “Three Geronimo” (Gordon Arthur/staff)
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Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
TOWNSVILLE, Australia — U.S. paratroopers made the most dramatic entrance possible to Australia during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. Flying 14.5 hours nonstop from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, they parachuted from the night sky into the Australian countryside on July 14.
“We landed right on the X,” Col. Brian Weightman, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division, told Defense News during an interview in Townsville.
The commander said he was the first to jump onto the drop zone.
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In such a parachute operation, casualties of up to 10% are anticipated, he explained.
“We’re very comfortable with that if we land and 90% of the force is able to continue on,” Weightman said.
Luckily, this nighttime airdrop resulted in only three minor injuries, one of which was caused by a midair parachute entanglement in the dark.
Their 6,800-mile flight was only the beginning of the unit’s simulated joint forcible entry operation. After landing, the paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Regiment – nickname “Three Geronimo” – proceeded to march another 30-plus miles to seize an urban objective located near Townsville in northern Queensland.
Col. Brian Weightman, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division, is pictured at the Talisman Sabre exercise in Townsville, Australia, in July 2025. (Gordon Arthur/staff)
“To be able to do that with real violence and at speed is really impressive, and I think it should scare adversaries,” the commander said.
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Six C-17A Globemaster III aircraft – four from the U.S. Air Force and two from Australia – transported 323 American and a dozen German paratroopers on the intercontinental flight, while French troops joined the sky train upon their arrival Down Under. The C-17s also dropped heavy equipment such as HMMWVs.
Technological gains
Weightman relayed how he enjoyed continuous communications to higher headquarters with voice, data and video from his aircraft. This high bandwidth is a big deal, as it “gives you a lot better situational awareness and a lot better understanding of what’s going on. You’re able to really paint a much better picture of the enemy.”
Furthermore, “To be able to directly deliver an infantry battalion with its command that is situationally aware and physically optimized onto a drop zone 7,000 miles away, means that you can really go anywhere in the world.”
Asked whether nighttime parachute jumps are more challenging, Weightman responded, “For us it’s not much more. You know, we own the night, so once we get on the drop zone, we have an asymmetric advantage against our adversaries.”
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Talisman Sabre is meant to showcase interoperability, which is “easy to talk about but hard to do,” according to the colonel.
Nighttime jumps demonstrate “the highest level of proficiency,” he said.
After refitting in Townsville, more than 400 American paratroopers were to join 100 German and 36 French soldiers to perform another nighttime jump on July 21, this time at Shoalwater Bay in central Queensland.
“This airfield seizure and expanded lodgment is very classic – it’s the bread and butter of the airborne infantry,” Weightman noted.
The 11th Airborne Division possesses two of the U.S. Army’s five airborne brigades: the 1st Brigade is a mobile combat brigade equipped with Infantry Squad Vehicles, while 2nd Brigade is airborne. Asked what his division brings, Weightman highlighted two things – the ability to move anywhere in the Indo-Pacific, and the other is its Arctic mission.
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“We’re the only brigades in the world that have the ability to conduct offensive operations in the Arctic,” the commander said. The troops can operate in arctic climates or the subtropics of Australia with equal adeptness.
Defense News asked whether there is still a place for airborne units on modern battlefields. After all, Russia’s airmobile operation at Hostomel Airport at the start of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 ended disastrously.
“I would argue, yes,” Weightman responded. “And as I’m looking from the enemy’s perspective, what we’re able to do would absolutely scare me if I was the enemy of our country.”
The Indo-Pacific region is rife with tensions – China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula – and the 11th Airborne Division is ready to accomplish offensive, defensive, stability or expeditionary operations, said the brigade commander.
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Asked about the rising threat from China, Weightman responded, “You know, we’re not training against a specific adversary. What we’re training to do is to be interoperable with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.”
However, he continued, “If we’re able to do that and mass power from anywhere to anywhere at scale, then we should be able to beat any adversary and keep the Indo-Pacific region open.”
The exercise was the eleventh iteration of Talisman Sabre. The drill involved more than 40,000 troops from 19 nations.