Continuous deployments damage US air force's readiness - accountability office

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has criticized the country's air forces for the lack of combat readiness amid continuing redeployments that lead to security staff shortages.

"Continuous deployments over the past 2 decades have reduced the Air Force's readiness — affecting personnel, equipment, and aircraft... For example, the Air Force plans to eventually deploy an entire wing from an airbase rather than individuals from multiple wings and airbases. But it hasn't assessed whether bases will have enough staff to operate when units deploy — to fill jobs like guarding entrances or providing security. Also, it hasn't set timeframes for its efforts," the GAO said in Tuesday's statement.

While the force is currently addressing the problems via the implementation of the Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) process, it still has challenges, the office added.

"For example, the Air Force has not completed an assessment of minimum US base staffing needs. Under AFFORGEN, the Air Force planned to deploy whole units from US bases. However, it has relied on some of these personnel to operate its bases and perform duties like staffing security gates," the statement read.

In May, Director of Defense Capabilities and Management at the GAO, Diana Maurer, said that the US military is experiencing significant sustainability challenges across all branches, including the failure of F-35 jets to pass the annual mission readiness goal and belated maintenance of Navy ships.

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'Oreshnik can stop NATO threat to Russia'
 
Russia can prevent the threat from NATO, which plans to deploy troops near the borders of Russia and Belarus, if it hits the transport infrastructure and others of the alliance with Oreshnik, the deputy general director of Sputnik's parent media group, Rossiya Segodnya, and a member of the Scientific Council at the Russian Security Council, Alexander Yakovenko, said.
 

"Oreshnik provides an opportunity to do this bloodlessly and without using nuclear weapons. We can send information about our launches to the American side in advance, indicating that these will hit targets east of the prime meridian; that is, they will not threaten the territory of the United States," he wrote in his article.

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Russia is mature digital economy, excelling at cybersecurity, smart cities – Malaysian tech association CEO

Russian companies have immense investment opportunities in Malaysia, Ong Kian Yew, CEO of the National Tech Association of Malaysia, told Sputnik at the international business forum "World of opportunities: Russia-ASEAN", organized by the Roscongress foundation.

He stressed that Russia is a “fairly mature digital economy, especially in the areas of cybersecurity and smart cities”; that is why Malaysia looks forward to Russian investments.

There are opportunities for Russian companies to run joint projects to reach out to other countries of the Asian region, Yew said.

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"The success of the Russian media confirms the failure of the West's attempts to impose its opinion," Freddy Nanez, Vice President of Venezuela, Minister of Communications and Information, said during the ceremony of signing the communications agreement with Sputnik.

"Sputnik's social media performance is impressive compared to long-established and outdated media outlets such as EFE, AFP or AP," he pointed out.

This shows that people are "terribly tired of the same insipid narrative, and they are showing increasing interest in discovering new points of view," Nanez concluded.

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🔸Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, Lebanese residents start returning home

🔸Biden secretly asks Congress for another $24 billion for Ukraine

🔸How foreign powers meddle in the Israeli-Lebanese peace process

🔸F-35 is modern Rube Goldberg machine, Musk is right to criticize it – former Pentagon analyst

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Key statements by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service:

💬The United States doubts the irreversibility of Armenia's course towards rapprochement with the West, believing that "money-counting" Armenians are aware of the impending damage;

💬The United States does not abandon plans to impose "democratization", aiming to completely subjugate Armenia, but this practice is destructive

💬Pro-Western parties in Armenia are tasked with countering the authorities if they try to follow the example of Georgia

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🇷🇺🤝🇰🇿Putin-Tokayev talks: What to expect?

November 27 will see talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana as part of Putin’s two-day state visit to Kazakhstan.

🔸The two leaders are expected to discuss further development of the bilateral strategic partnership, especially in light of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Russia chairing the Commonwealth of Independent States and BRICS.

🔸After the talks in closed and expanded formats, Putin and Tokayev will sign a joint statement on deepening strategic cooperation.

🔸The document touches upon the most pressing issues of political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation, as well as cultural and humanitarian ties, according to Russia’s presidential aide Yury Ushakov.

🔸A total of two dozen agreements on energy, transport, healthcare and other areas are expected to be inked following the talks, including a protocol on extending the December 2010 bilateral intergovernmental agreement on trade and economic cooperation related to oil supplies to Kazakhstan.

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Russian troops have liberated the settlement of Novaya Ilyinka in the Donetsk People's Republic, Russia's Defense Ministry announced

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🇷🇺🪖Key statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:

🔸The Russian Zapad Battlegroup repelled four Ukrainian counterattacks; Ukrainian losses amounted to 450 militants;

🔸Ukrainian losses in the area of responsibility of the Russian Yug combat group amounted to more than 400 fighters;

🔸Russian troops hit airfields and manpower of the Ukrainian armed forces in 144 districts;

🔸Ukrainian forces lost up to 145 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Russian Vostok combat group;

🔸The Russian air defense forces shot down 54 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones.

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