Category: Aviation

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Symbol of the Unconquered Spirit: 80 Years Since the Raising of the Victory Banner over the Reichstag

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On April 30, 1945, several banners and flags of various units of the Red Army were installed over the Reichstag building in Berlin. But the Banner of Victory is considered to be a specially made cloth of the 150th Rifle Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree, Idritskaya Division of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. In accordance with Russian law, this banner is a symbol of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and a state relic.

    The Reichstag had also long had a more symbolic meaning in 1945. After the National Socialist German Workers’ Party came to power in Germany in 1933 and the building was set on fire, government meetings were no longer held there, and the plenary hall was not even repaired. In 1941, the windows were walled up, the basements became a bomb shelter, and anti-aircraft guns were installed in the corner towers. Nevertheless, for the Germans, the building remained one of the symbols of statehood. And the Soviet troops needed the final goal of their victorious campaign in the form of a real object. With the approval of Joseph Stalin, the Reichstag building was chosen as such a goal.

    Given the circumstances, the Reichstag was defended by elite SS units, not only Germans, but also Swedes, Norwegians, and Latvians. And the building was stormed by the most experienced Red Army guards. Due to the ferocity of the battles and the contradictory reports, it is difficult to reliably determine who was the first to raise the flag over the Reichstag. In addition to the nine flags specially made for this purpose, many went into battle with homemade flags. According to various sources, there were from 20 to 40 of them. Recently, it has been accepted that on the afternoon of April 30, the fighters of the 150th Rifle Division, Lieutenant Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev and Private Grigory Bulatov, were in the lead. Later, two more flags were raised. Noticing this, the Germans began shelling the building and, having broken the glass dome, managed to destroy all three flags.

    Late in the evening of April 30 (already May 1 Moscow time), Junior Lieutenant Meliton Kantaria and Private Mikhail Egorov from the same 150th Rifle Division managed to install the banner on the eastern facade of the building, where it could not be reached by enemy artillery. It was this flag that became the Victory Banner. On May 2, after the capitulation of the Berlin garrison, the same soldiers were ordered to move the banner to the dome of the Reichstag. A few days later, for the sake of safety, the banner was removed, and on June 20 it was transported by plane to Moscow, where it was transferred for permanent storage to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces.

    Thus, both the actual and symbolic victory over Germany was achieved at the very beginning of May. All that remained was to confirm it legally.

    #Scientific regiment

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/30/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Years of Persistent Advocacy and Work to Secure New Fighter Mission, Senator Peters Welcomes Announcement to Base 21 F-15EX Fighters at Selfridge Air National Guard Base

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement after President Trump announced that Selfridge Air National Guard will receive a new fighter mission. At an event in Macomb County, the President confirmed that Selfridge would receive 21 F-15EXs – a next-generation fighter aircraft. This announcement follows years of advocacy and efforts by Peters to secure a new fighter mission for Selfridge and protect the future of the base. Peters, who served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, drilled at Selfridge for more than a decade. 
    “After years of persistent work and advocacy, and as someone who had the privilege to drill alongside the dedicated men and women who serve at Selfridge, I am thrilled to welcome this exciting announcement. I have long said that Selfridge Air National Guard Base is a top-tier asset to our nation’s military and the ideal location for an advanced fighter mission. Selfridge is located close to the world-class training venues we have in Northern Michigan and home to highly skilled pilots, crews, and maintainers. Selfridge has the capabilities and the generational expertise needed to keep our military ready and our nation safe. 
    “I have repeatedly fought and secured investments to prepare for bringing F-15EX fighters to Selfridge, and this decision is going to help ensure the base, Macomb County, and our entire state remain central to U.S. defense strategy and operations for decades to come. Michigan has always stepped up when our country needed us, and as we stare down an increasingly dangerous world with escalating military aggression from our adversaries, Selfridge is the best choice to base these new, next-generation aircraft. I look forward to continue working with our delegation and the Administration to bring these fighters home.” 
    Selfridge supports approximately 5,000 military and civilian jobs and generates an estimated $850 million in economic impact statewide. Selfridge also supports an estimated 30,000 jobs in Michigan. 
    Peters has made securing a future fighter mission and strengthening the future of Selfridge Air National Guard Base a top priority. In 2021, Peters held up the confirmation of former-U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, as well as nine other Department of Defense (DOD) nominees being considered by the Senate, in response to the Air Force’s decision to pass over Selfridge for its planned international F-35 training center. Peters ended his hold on the nominees after receiving strong, written commitmentsfrom the Air Force that Selfridge will continue to play a “critical and ongoing role for our national security.”  
    Peters has led the Michigan delegation in meeting with and urging top Defense Department officials to replace Selfridge’s A-10 mission with a new, long-term fighter mission. Peters has also hosted numerous DOD and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials at Michigan’s military installations, including Selfridge, to showcase the base and our state’s robust defense capabilities. Peters secured language in the most recent national defense bill encouraging the Air Force to plan for replacement of the 25 Air National Guard fighter aircraft squadrons across the country with advanced fighter aircraft – including the A-10 squadron based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Peters has also leveraged his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to push for the funding needed to procure additional F-15EX fighter jets in the Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Appropriations Act, which passed committee in August 2024. In 2023, Peters urged the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to include funding for a F-15EX Fighter Mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.  
    To ensure Selfridge was equipped to house a future fighter mission, Peters secured $28 million in federal funding for a new aircraft hangar on the base. The new 41,900 square-foot facility will transform two hangars into a new hangar equipped for fighter maintenance and help to better position the base to be selected for a new, long-term fighter mission.  
    As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Peters has consistently made the case for Selfridge to host a new fighter mission, stressing how a new mission is not only essential to the ongoing sustainability of Selfridge, but also a cost-effective opportunity for the Air Force and critical for America’s defense strategy. During numerous Armed Services Committee hearings, Peters pushed former-U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and other top DOD officials to deliver a new fighter mission to the base, including most recently President Trump’s current nominee to serve as Air Force Secretary, Troy Meink. 
    In addition to securing a new fighter mission, in January 2024, Peters announced that the U.S. Air Force selected Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County to host a new squadron of twelve KC-46A refueling tankers. This announcement came shortly after Peters led a bipartisan, bicameral group of Michigan delegation members in urging then-U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to select Selfridge for a new squadron of these next-generation tankers, which will be deployed by the U.S. Air Force for the next 50 years. Earlier this year, Peters introduced bipartisan legislation seeking to preserve the U.S. Air Force’s fighter force structure and support the recapitalization of Air National Guard fighter missions, including at Selfridge. In March, he also led a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to honor the 108th anniversary of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and commemorate the thousands of men and women who have worked and trained and Selfridge since its inception.   
    To further strengthen Selfridge’s role in U.S. national and homeland security efforts, Peters established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Northern Border Mission Center at the base last year. Peters also secured $3 million in March 2024 to operate this Center at Selfridge, where it is collocated with current DHS components. The Center, which DHS is already working to set up, will coordinate with state, local, and Tribal governments, and other key stakeholders, to ensure DHS and its operational components are able to fulfill their security mission at the Northern Border.     
    Peters has also been pushing to position Selfridge for additional investments that will keep the base at the forefront of national security efforts for years to come. In recent government funding legislation that was signed into law, Peters secured language authorizing a report that will clarify the basing criteria for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and evaluate whether existing Air National Guard units, such as Selfridge, are appropriate basing candidates for CCA. These types of unmanned aircraft are the future of warfare, and this report will help Selfridge better position itself as an installation that has significant long-term value for the Air Force. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement on air strike against Houthi military facility in Yemen: 29 April 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Statement on air strike against Houthi military facility in Yemen: 29 April 2025

    Royal Air Force participates in operation targeting a Houthi military facility in Yemen.

    On 29 April 2025, UK forces participated in a joint operation with US forces against a Houthi military target in Yemen.  This action was in line with long-standing policy of the UK government, following the Houthis initiating their campaign of attacks in November 2023, threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, striking international ships, and killing innocent merchant mariners.

    Careful intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings, used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some fifteen miles south of Sanaa.

    Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, with air refuelling support from Voyager tankers, therefore engaged a number of these buildings using Paveway IV precision guided bombs, once very careful planning had been completed to allow the targets to be prosecuted with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure.  As a further precaution, the strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further. All of our aircraft subsequently returned safely.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bipartisan Bill Rosen Helped Introduce to Combat Explicit Deepfakes Passes Congress, Heads to President’s Desk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that bipartisan legislation she helped introduce to stop the spread online of non-consensual explicit content, including “deepfake” images, has now passed both the Senate and House of Representatives, and it is now headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act would criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated images, and require social media and similar websites to establish procedures to remove such content within 48 hours of notice from a victim.
    “The lack of protections for victims of online abuse has put far too many people at risk, and it’s past time we took action to stop bad actors, protect victims, and hold social media sites accountable,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m glad to see that our bipartisan bill to criminalize non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes, and require social media platforms to remove this content has passed Congress and is on its way to becoming law. I’ll always work across party lines to protect victims of online abuse.”
    Senator Rosen has consistently worked across the aisle to protect victims of crime. She helped introduce and pass the bipartisan Human Trafficking Prevention Act, which requires the National Human Trafficking Hotline to be posted in the restrooms of all U.S. planes, buses, trains, airports, bus stations, and rail stations.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: 100 DAYS OF HOAXES: Cutting Through the Fake News

    Source: The White House

    Since President Donald J. Trump took office 100 days ago, it has been a nonstop deluge of hoaxes and lies from Democrats and their allies in the Fake News suffering from terminal cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

    In no particular order, here are some of the most egregious hoaxes peddled by the usual suspects so far in President Trump’s second term:

    • HOAX: Fake News CNN attempted to “fact check” President Trump’s claim that the Biden Administration spent millions on “making mice transgender.”
    • FACT: After their so-called “fact check” was thoroughly debunked, they were forced to update it in disgrace and admit the claim was, in fact, true.
    • HOAX: The Fake News claimed the Department of Defense removed Gen. Colin Powell’s name from a list of notable Americans buried at Arlington Cemetery.
    • FACT: No service members’ names were removed from that section — and Gen. Powell’s name remains among those listed.
    • HOAX: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) claimed “no president” presided over more plane crashes during their first month in office as President Trump.
    • FACT: “There were 55 aviation accidents in the U.S. between Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 21, 2021, and Feb. 17, 2021, compared to 35 during the same period for Trump,” Fox News reported.
    • HOAX: Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) and Chicago Public Schools officials claimed, without bothering to verify, that ICE agents had conducted a “raid” at an elementary school — a false claim echoed by media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune.
    • FACT: It was actually the U.S. Secret Service investigating a threat unrelated to immigration.
    • HOAX: Far-left influencers and other leftist hacks falsely claimed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk were out to “cut Social Security.”
    • FACT: They were referencing an interview in which Musk was clearly referring to the tremendous amount of waste, fraud, and abuse within entitlement programs.
    • HOAX: The media smeared DOGE as “young, inexperienced engineers” engineering a “government takeover.”
    • FACT: In reality, DOGE is led by seasoned industry professionals, including successful CEOs who paused their lives to aid in the effort of streamlining government and holding the bureaucracy accountable.
    • HOAX: NBC’s Peter Alexander peddled the lie that “constituents in some traditionally red districts” were unhappy with President Trump’s effort to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in government.
    • FACT: The same “protests” cited by the Fake News were funded and organized by far-left special interest groups.
    • HOAX: NPR claimed NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore — who were stuck on the International Space Station for more than nine months following problems with their spacecraft — were “not stranded.”
    • FACT: NPR itself had described the astronauts as stranded in prior reporting, and only seemed to take issue with the description once President Trump and Elon Musk made it a priority to bring them home.
    • HOAX: A foreign Fake News outlet reported that President Trump “shut down” the British prime minister during a news conference.
    • FACT: In reality, President Trump was simply moving on from a reporter who was trying to goad the two leaders into division.
    • HOAX: NPR falsely claimed the White House was actively searching for a new secretary of defense.
    • FACT: This lie was immediately shut down by multiple Trump Administration officials, including President Trump himself.
    • HOAX: The Fake News attempted to paint illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia as an innocent “Maryland father” who was unjustly deported by the Trump Administration — and actively censored the truth about him.
    • FACT: Abrego Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador and was deported to his home country amid overwhelming evidence of his gang affiliation.
    • HOAX: Deranged “filmmaker” Michael Moore questioned whether deported illegal immigrants would go on to cure cancer or stop “that asteroid (sic) that’s gonna hit us.”
    • FACT: Moore’s statement was a strong early contender for the dumbest, most ridiculous statement of the year considering those deported illegal immigrants were violent criminals.
    • HOAX: The Fake News portrayed Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Hamas radical who led violent protests at Columbia, as an innocent graduate student with an absolute right to remain in the U.S.
    • FACT: An immigration judge ruled Khalil — who is not a U.S. citizen — can be deported.
    • HOAX: The Financial Times reported that Senior White House Counselor Peter Navarro wanted to remove Canada from the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing network.
    • FACT: Mr. Navarro immediately shut down this fake story.
    • HOAX: A foreign Fake News reporter claimed President Trump referred to European nations as “parasites.”
    • FACT: President Trump immediately pushed back on this ridiculous claim — as did the Italian prime minister.
    • HOAX: Fake News CNN’s Brianna Keilar implied the Trump Administration was somehow wrong for stopping illegal immigrants from stealing taxpayer dollars in the form of welfare benefits.
    • FACT: Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller summarily embarrassed her with the facts: “The federal government will find EVERY illegal alien who is stealing American taxpayer dollars — and that’s what Americans expect to happen. I don’t even fathom the premise of your question.”
    • HOAX: A favorite refrain of the Fake News is that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is “anti-vaccine.
    • FACT: Kennedy debunked the lie in his confirmation hearings: “This has been repeatedly debunked … Bringing this up right now is dishonest.”
    • HOAX: WIRED falsely claimed the Social Security Administration is “shifting its public communication exclusively to X” under President Trump.
    • FACT: Not happening.
    • HOAX: Reuters falsely reported that the Trump Administration “stalled a United Nations program in Mexico aimed at stopping imported fentanyl chemicals from reaching the country’s drug cartels.”
    • FACT: The Department of State is actually trying to expand the initiative.
    • FACT: The Fake News frequently pushed the lie that as part of the Trump administration, Secretary Kennedy would implement a national abortion ban and “restrict or even ban medication abortion without a single act of Congress.”
    • FACT: Secretary Kennedy consistently pledged to implement President Trump’s policies — which include leaving abortion to the states, ending barbaric late-term abortions, protecting conscientious objections, and ending federal funding for abortions.
    • HOAX: Fake News savant Tara Palmeri falsely reported that President Trump’s proposal for Gaza was conceived by Jared Kushner.
    • FACT: This lie was immediately and summarily debunked by the Trump Administration: “The worst reporter in America makes up fake news for clout because she has no real sources. Sit down, dummy.”
    • HOAX: Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and media outlets claimed President Trump’s directive to pause radical, wasteful government spending meant an end to Medicaid, food assistance, and other individual assistance programs.
    • FACT: Individual assistance programs — Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, etc. — were explicitly excluded, as was made clear by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and the Office of Management and Budget. Only unnecessary spending — DEI, Green New Scam, NGOs that undermine the national interest — were included in the directive.
    • HOAX: A “physicians advocacy group” was widely cited as opposing President Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
    • FACT: The “advocacy group” was really an astroturfed partisan organization funded by prominent left-wing donors — and accepted fake signatures.
    • HOAX: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and other Democrats pushed the lie that DOGE posted “classified information” on their website.
    • FACT: That alleged “classified information” was really just an employment headcount — which has been publicly available for years.
    • HOAX: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) claimed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called all Venezuelan immigrants “dirtbags.”
    • FACT: Secretary Noem actually called illegal immigrant members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang “dirtbags,” which is true.
    • HOAX: The New York Times wrote that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., wanted to “ban fluoride in drinking water” and “reverse … one of the most important public health practices in the country’s history.”
    • FACT: New York Times made no mention of their own reporting that fluoride may be “linked to lower IQ scores in children.”
    • HOAX: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) repeatedly lied about President Trump “going after” Social Security.
    • FACT: President Trump has repeatedly pledged to protect Social Security and make it more robust for American citizens.
    • HOAX: Sen. Mark Kelley (D-AZ) attempted to scare veterans by shamelessly claiming their care was in jeopardy due to “layoffs” at VA hospitals.
    • FACT: The lie was debunked by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins: “What changes are you talking about? We’ve not had those layoffs… I put $360 million back into community care… It’s concerning to me that a veteran would actually tell stories to veterans that are not true.”
    • HOAX: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) exploited the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport plane crash tragedy by claiming President Trump “froze the hiring” of air traffic controllers.
    • FACT: Air traffic controllers were exempt from the federal hiring freeze.
    • HOAX: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) implied that “cutting” members of an aviation advisory committee was somehow a cause of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport plane crash tragedy.
    • FACT: The advisory group hadn’t met since 2023 and was comprised of business and union leaders who gave “advice” to the TSA and had nothing to do with actual air travel.
    • HOAX: A far-left writer claimed Elon Musk and DOGE staffers “illegally installed a commercial server to control federal HR databases that contain sensitive personal information, including SSNs, home addresses, and medical histories.”
    • FACT: A top official confirmed “there’s nothing illegal and no server, just more made up tall tales from uninformed career bureaucrats.”
    • HOAX: The Washington Post alleged the Trump Administration was setting “quotas” for immigration authorities — and gave the administration just four minutes to comment before publishing.
    • FACT: As usual, this was a fake story.
    • HOAX: Online liberal activists claimed President Trump “took down” President Obama’s portrait in the White House.
    • FACT: Obama’s portrait was not taken down — it was simply moved only feet away from its previous location.
    • HOAX: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) claimed Attorney General Pam Bondi created a “weaponizing task force.”
    • FACT: It was a task force to END weaponization at the Department of Justice.
    • HOAX: CBS News reported that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a “makeup studio” be installed inside the Pentagon.
    • FACT: It was a “totally fake story,” and the alleged studio was really an existing green room with no frills.
    • HOAX: Politico reported the Trump Administration was debating lifting sanctions on Russian energy assets, including the Nord Stream pipeline.
    • FACT: This was debunked by both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
    • HOAX: An illegal immigrant in U.S. custody “simply disappeared,” The New York Times reported.
    • FACT: The illegal immigrant was a confirmed member of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang. An immigration judge ordered his removal, and he was deported along with other threats to national security.
    • HOAX: The Wall Street Journal alleged that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was receiving sensitive information on a personal phone while in Moscow and that Russian Intelligence must’ve had access to the information.
    • FACT: This was a total fabrication. Special Envoy Witkoff did not even have a personal phone with him in Russia. He had only a government phone; a secure line of communication.
    • HOAX: The Wall Street Journal claimed the Trump Administration “sought to portray” deported criminal illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia as “violent.”
    • FACT: Abrego Garcia’s own wife filed an order of protection against him and testified that he brutally beat her.
    • HOAX: An AP reporter claimed that FAA staff who worked on “radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, among others” were “harassed on Facebook” by DOGE.
    • FACT: That was a total lie. DOGE doesn’t have a Facebook page and no professionals who perform critical safety functions were fired.
    • HOAX: The Daily Beast claimed Vice President JD Vance “broke one of the most notorious Vatican rules during his Easter weekend visit” by being photographed in the Sistine Chapel.
    • FACT: Buried all the way down in the 14th paragraph, The Daily Beast admitted the vice president was given special permission by the Vatican to have photographs taken inside the Sistine Chapel.
    • HOAX: Left-wing social media accounts promoted fake, AI-generated audio of Vice President Vance “disparaging Elon Musk in private.”
    • FACT: The audio was debunked as fake.
    • HOAX: The New York Times reported that funding for the Women’s Health Initiative was being slashed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
    • FACT: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., himself declared this Fake News and recognized the project is “mission critical.”
    • HOAX: Fox News’s Jennifer Griffin gave legitimacy to a hoax from delusional Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requested nearly $140,000 in “upgrades” to his government residence.
    • FACT: This lie was debunked by Secretary Hegseth — and it was so outrageous, even the AP was forced to admit it was completely fake.
    • HOAX: Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and many others claimed the Supreme Court ordered the return of illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States.
    • FACT: Even CNN admitted that’s not what happened: “They did not order the administration to return him to the United States … they could’ve said ‘we order him returned,’ but they didn’t do that.”
    • HOAX: Joe Biden accused the Trump Administration of “taking aim at Social Security.”
    • FACT: As usual, he was lying — President Trump has repeatedly pledged to protect Social Security.
    • HOAX: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) claimed the arrest of a Milwaukee judge who helped an illegal immigrant evade arrest was “unprecedented.”
    • FACT: It wasn’t; it has happened before.
    • HOAX: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called the arrest of a Milwaukee judge who helped an illegal immigrant evade arrest a “gravely serious and drastic move.”
    • FACT: The judge violated the law by obstructing an ICE arrest of an illegal immigrant.
    • HOAX: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) claimed the arrest of the Milwaukee judge who obstructed an apprehension of a criminal illegal immigrant “threatens the rule of law.”
    • FACT: It literally does the opposite because no one is above the law.
    • HOAX: Politico claimed the Trump Administration “wipe[d] out firefighter health and safety programs.”
    • FACT: The programs remain a top priority for the administration — and will remain intact.
    • HOAX: Sen. Elizabeth Warren claimed that President Trump’s policies make it so “no one wants to make investments in the United States.”
    • FACT: President Trump has secured more than $5 trillion in investments since taking office, which is expected to create more than 451,000 new jobs — and the list is only expected to grow.
    • HOAX: NBC’s Kristen Welker peddled a Fake News hoax that the Trump Administration was deporting children.
    • FACT: Secretary of State Marco Rubio shut down her desperate attempt at a hoax by highlighting how the mother, who was in the country illegally, made that choice all on her own.
    • HOAX: The New York Times implied President Trump was alone in wearing a blue suit to the funeral of Pope Francis.
    • FACT: Photos show dozens of world leaders and other attendees — many situated near President Trump — also wearing blue clothing.
    • HOAX: Teachers’ union boss Randi Weingarten accused President Trump of taking teachers’ salaries and giving them to “billionaires” by cutting the Department of Education.
    • FACT: President Trump has repeatedly called teachers “the most important people in this country” who should be paid more, not less. The federal government does not pay the salaries of teachers; state and local governments do.
    • HOAX: The Fake News and their predictable allies ran with a story that claimed an American citizen was detained by authorities after he informed them he was, in fact, a citizen.
    • FACT: That’s not what happened. The individual “approached Border Patrol in Tucson and stated he had entered the U.S. illegally through Nogales. He said he wanted to turn himself in and completed a sworn statement identifying as a Mexican citizen who had entered unlawfully … A few days later, his family presented documents showing U.S. citizenship. The charges were dismissed, and he was released to his family.”
    • HOAX: PBS News claimed “DOGE operatives attempted to gain access to secure spaces,” implying they attempted to access classified information without approval.
    • FACT: This wasn’t even remotely true.
    • HOAX: The AP falsely claimed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said President Trump is “very good friends” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    • FACT: The AP was humiliatingly forced to retract its story, admitting they were wrong. Stephanie Ruhle also had to issue a correction. DNI Gabbard was referencing President Trump’s relationship with Indian PM Narendra Modi.
    • HOAX: Student visa holders should have unfettered access to do whatever they want in the United States.
    • FACT: Wrong. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “When you apply to enter the United States and you get a visa, you are a guest… If you tell us when you apply for a visa ‘I’m coming to the U.S. to participate in pro-Hamas events,’ that runs counter to the foreign policy interest of the United States… If you had told us you were going to do that, we never would have given you the visa.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The Holy Buddha Relic of Sarnath for Exposition to Vietnam will arrive at National Museum

    Source: Government of India

    The Holy Buddha Relic of Sarnath for Exposition to Vietnam will arrive at National Museum

    Holy Relic will be transported to Ho Chi Minh City by a special aircraft on 1st May 2025

    High level delegation will be led by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minister of Minority Affairs

    Posted On: 29 APR 2025 6:39PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Culture, Government of India in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) New Delhi will be holding for the   first time an exposition of the sacred Buddha Relic of Sarnath at Vietnam during the gala celebrations of the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak 2025. 

    The Holy Relic will be ceremonially brought to Delhi on April 30, 2025, amidst prayers from Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, (monastery) in Sarnath to the Varanasi airport. The Vihara is enshrined with the sacred relics of Sakyamuni Buddha. It was built by Angarika Dharmapala, who was the founder of Mahabodhi society and is still maintained and run by the Mahabodhi Society.

    Upon reaching Delhi the Holy Relic will be placed in a special protected enclosure at the National Museum for prayers, chanting and meditation by the followers of Dhamma, including eminent members of the community and the diplomatic representatives from the Buddhist countries at 5.30 pm on April 30, 2025.

    The following day, May 1, 2025, the Holy Relic of the Buddha will be transported from the National Museum with great reverence escorted by senior monks with full religious sanctity and protocol to Ho Chi Minh City by a special Indian Air Force aircraft.

    A high-level delegation from the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) led by Secretary General Ven. Shartse Khensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden, including member of the Governing Council are attending the Holy Exposition ceremonies and the Vesak celebrations in Vietnam. The delegation will be led by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minister of Minority Affairs.

    The Holy Relics of the Buddha enshrined in Mulagandha Kuti Vihara were excavated in Nagarjuna Konda, a prominent site in Andhra Pradesh. It holds historical significance as a major centre of Mahayana Buddhism and is associated with the monk, philosopher Nagarjuna of second century CE. These were worshiped and venerated for ages since the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha. A.H. Longhurst, the then superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted full scale excavation from 1927-31; most of the monuments at the site were constructed in third-fourth century CE; remains of more than thirty Buddhist establishments were found here. Inscription date the oldest great Stupa around 246 CE but archaeologist say the Stupa could be older.

    After the excavations they were presented to the Mahabodhi Society of India on December 27, 1932, by Rai Bahadur Dayaram Sahni, Director General of ASI, on behalf of H.E. the Viceroy of India before a distinguished gathering of Buddhists. Every year on the foundation day of the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara which is celebrated in the month of November, when thousands of people from different parts of the world come to Sarnath.

    The sacred Relic will be ceremoniously enshrined, venerated, and worshiped at the following important sites; At Hanh Tâm Monastery in Ho Chi Minh city from May 2–8, 2025 (coinciding with the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025); next at the Bà Đen Mountain, Tây Ninh Province from May 9–13, 2025 (Southern Vietnam’s national spiritual pilgrimage site); from here the sacred Relic will be placed for exposition at Quán Sứ Monastery, Hanoi from May 14–18, 2025 (Headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha), and finally at Tam Chúc Monastery, Hà Nam Province from May 18–21, 2025 (the largest Buddhist centre in Southeast Asia).

    The important exposition coincides with the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak 2025 as it is being celebrated in Vietnam, an opportunity for not only the citizens of Vietnam to seek blessings of the Holy Relic but also the international delegates from over 100 countries and regions who would be participating in the Vesak Day celebrations.

    Every year, since the passing of the resolution by the United Nations General Assembly on 15th December 1999, the thrice-sacred day of Vesak (celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of the Buddha Gautama) has been celebrated internationally. The International Day of Vesak was celebrated at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the first time in 2000. This had inspired annual celebrations of the United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV) by international Buddhist communities.

    The International Council for the Day of Vesak (ICDV) has held a Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council since 2013. The main theme for the UNDV 2025 Celebrations and Academic Conference will be “Buddhist Approach to Unity and Inclusivity for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insights for World Peace and Sustainable Development,” at Vietnam Buddhist University, Ho Chi Minh City, Sunworld Buddhist Cultural Centre, Tay Ninh Province.

    Exhibitions on the Buddha Dhamma

    On the occasion International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) will also be hosting three exhibitions on the dissemination of Buddha Dhamma and its cultural practices from India to Vietnam. These are and electronic display of Jataka tales; the sculptures depicting different forms of the Buddha; and a comparative study of Buddhist artefacts from India and Vietnam.

    The analysis draws on a variety of resources to deepen understanding of this rich cultural exchange, including epigraphic inscriptions, historical texts, and visual artifacts. This multifaceted approach aims to provide a comprehensive narrative of the evolution of Buddha Dhamma in Vietnam, reflecting its profound impact on art, spirituality, and cultural identity throughout history.

    The highlight is a display of the digital restoration of the Ajanta Cave murals, illuminating the ancient Jataka Kathas. The IBC, in collaboration with the Prasad Pawar Foundation of Pune will unveil 8 panels and exhibit on separate TV screens showcasing the digital restoration process of the famous Bodhisattva Padmapani, a mural painting dating from the late 5th century. The mural is in Cave 1 of the Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra, and it reflects the beauty and classical sophistication of the arts of India’s Gupta dynasty.

    The exhibition invites visitors to walk among visions of Bodhisattvas and celestial beings, as ancient narratives gently unfold. These tales remind us that compassion knows no borders, wisdom belongs to all, and peace is born from the shared dignity of every living being.

     

    ****

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2125251) Visitor Counter : 74

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Larry Walker III Announces Funding to Improve Runway Lighting at Hawkinsville-Pulaski County Airport

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (April 29, 2025) — Senator Larry Walker III (R–Perry) today announced that the Hawkinsville-Pulaski County Airport will receive more than $165,000 in state funding to rehabilitate its primary runway lighting system. The funding is part of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) FY25 Airport Aid Program.

    The project will upgrade the lighting along Runway 10-28, enhancing pilot safety and reliability and improving airport operations. The total project cost is estimated at $221,222.85, with the Department’s contract providing $165,917.14 in state funds. The City of Hawkinsville will contribute a local match of $55,305.71.

    “This investment is critical for the future of Hawkinsville-Pulaski County Airport and the entire community it serves,” said Sen. Walker. “Upgrading the runway lighting ensures pilots have access to safe and reliable facilities, which in turn supports local economic development, emergency services and connectivity for our region. I appreciate the continued partnership between state and local leaders to keep our rural airports strong.”

    Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, LLC will conduct construction inspections and testing. GDOT’s District Engineer and Materials Research Engineer teams will support the project, with services charged to the Capital Outlay–Airport Aid Program.

    For more information about Georgia’s Airport Aid Program, visit www.dot.ga.gov.

    # # # #

    Sen. Larry Walker serves as Secretary of the Majority Caucus and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Treutlen, Pulaski and Wilcox counties, as well as portions of Houston County.  He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at Larry.Walker@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Sherrill Demands Republican Colleagues Support Amendment To Hold Hegseth Accountable For Reckless Use Of Signal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — During today’s House Armed Services Committee reconciliation markup, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter aircraft commander and Russian policy officer, demanded that her Republican colleagues hold Secretary Hegseth accountable for recklessly disclosing classified information on Signal. 

    Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks. 

    Full remarks, as delivered:

    I learned how to properly handle classified information when I was a teenager in the U.S. Naval Academy. I used that training again as a Russian Policy officer in the Navy. 

    So I’ll start with the obvious: if Secretary Pete Hegseth believed a word he said about turning our military into a meritocracy, he would have sent in his resignation weeks ago. 

    His decision to send strike plans in multiple unsecured signal chats with his wife, his brother, his personal attorney, and a reporter could have killed American service members. And he did so while at least one Signal member was in the Kremlin. 

    But I’m not surprised by his complete disregard for our national security and the safety of our men and women in uniform. From his views on women in combat, to his willingness to bend the knee to Russian Dictator Vladimir Putin, we knew exactly who Trump was picking. It’s why I strongly opposed his nomination from the very beginning. 

    But I will say that I am deeply disappointed that it has taken until this moment for us to even bring this up. An investigation by this committee is long overdue. Because every single individual in this room knows that the information Hegseth shared on Signal was classified. 

    Every member of the House Armed Services Committee knows without a doubt that the timing, schedule, and composition of operations are absolutely classified. Every individual in this room knows that Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal could have gotten American service members killed. 

    So even if you haven’t served in uniform, you know how to handle classified information by virtue of sitting on this very committee. We host any hearing with classified information in secure rooms, without our phones, and without messaging apps like Signal. 

    Which is why I think it’s frankly asinine that the Majority on this committee has refused to hold any sort of investigatory hearing into Hegseth’s behavior. So the next time the majority tries to tell you they support our troops or care about our national security, remember that they continue to defend a Secretary of Defense who is a clear and present danger to every single American in uniform.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Raising Awareness: Sexual Assault Aboard Aircraft

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    Q: What should you do if you’re being attacked? 
    A: If someone is attacking you on the flight, Tarbert explains that the first thing you should do “is to make noise, make a ruckus, and tell the person to stop—and then notify the flight crew as quickly as possible to hopefully get reassigned to a new seat and to explain what happened so the flight crew can notify law enforcement on the ground to meet the aircraft when it lands.”

    Offenders may take advantage of the fact that some victims might not report an incident because they are embarrassed, don’t want to cause a scene, or try to convince themselves the assault was accidental.

    “If you need a reason to get out of your seat and find a flight attendant, you can use the excuse of going to the restroom to get up and talk to them. Or you can hit the flight attendant call button and when they come over you could say something like, ‘Hey, can I come back and get a water’ or ‘I would like to get another snack, and I’ll pay for it,’” said Tarbert. 

    Q: What should you do if you witness an attack? 
    A: Notify the flight crew as soon as possible.

    Q: Why is it important to promptly notify the flight crew if you’ve been attacked or witness an attack?  
    A: Timely notification to law enforcement is key—crime aboard aircraft is more difficult to investigate once days, or even hours, have passed following the incident since witnesses depart and recollections fade. The more advance notice the flight crew has, the more information they can provide to law enforcement to assist upon landing.

    “The ultimate authority on a flight is the flight crew and captain,” said Tarbert. “Their job is maintaining the safety and security of the flight until the aircraft lands. They’re the ones who are going to coordinate a response with law enforcement.”

    The flight crew can share information such as passenger flight manifests and seat numbers, incident timelines, and timezones in which the incident occurred, all of which can assist in the investigation.

    With timely notification, FBI agents and other law enforcement can also be on scene when the plane lands to conduct interviews, take subjects into custody, and offer victim services.

    This is important because gathering all parties relevant to an investigation can be challenging. “For many passengers, when they land, they’re just focused on getting to their destination and often don’t stick around at the gate,” said DArcangelis. Flight crew members also face time constraints to avoid delaying their next flight. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Willis Lease Finance Corporation Closes Three Additional JOLCO Deals, Bringing Total JOLCO Financings to Nearly $120M

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COCONUT CREEK, Fla., April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) (“WLFC” or the “Company”), the leading lessor of commercial aircraft engines and global provider of aviation services, today announced the closing of three Japanese operating lease with call option (“JOLCO”) transactions, totaling US$64.8 million in financing. Two of the loans closed in the first quarter of 2025 for a PW1127GA-JM engine and a PW1133G-JM engine, respectively, and mature in 2033. The third loan closed in April of 2025 for a LEAP-1A engine and matures in 2034. These transactions bring WLFC’s total JOLCO financings to approximately US$119.8 million.

    “The JOLCO market remains an attractive way to diversify financing options and we’re proud to deepen our relationship with Japanese counterparties,” said Scott B. Flaherty, WLFC EVP and Chief Financial Officer. “Through global capital sources like this, WLFC is able to offer our airline customers compelling lease and financing solutions.”

    WLFC closed its first JOLCO engine transaction in August of 2023.

    Willis Lease Finance Corporation
    Willis Lease Finance Corporation (“WLFC”) leases large and regional spare commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft to airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers worldwide. These leasing activities are integrated with engine and aircraft trading, engine lease pools and asset management services through Willis Asset Management Limited, as well as various end-of-life solutions for engines and aviation materials provided through Willis Aeronautical Services, Inc. Through Willis Engine Repair Center®, Jet Centre by Willis, and Willis Aviation Services Limited, the Company’s service offerings include Part 145 engine maintenance, aircraft line and base maintenance, aircraft disassembly, parking and storage, airport FBO and ground and cargo handling services.

    Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements, which give only expectations about the future and are not guarantees. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which the forward-looking statement is based, except as required by law. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the effects on the airline industry and the global economy of events such as war, terrorist activity and the COVID-19 pandemic; changes in oil prices, rising inflation and other disruptions to world markets; trends in the airline industry and our ability to capitalize on those trends, including growth rates of markets and other economic factors; risks associated with owning and leasing jet engines and aircraft; our ability to successfully negotiate equipment purchases, sales and leases, to collect outstanding amounts due and to control costs and expenses; changes in interest rates and availability of capital, both to us and our customers; our ability to continue to meet changing customer demands; regulatory changes affecting airline operations, aircraft maintenance, accounting standards and taxes; the market value of engines and other assets in our portfolio; and risks detailed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other continuing and current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is advisable, however, to consult any further disclosures the Company makes on related subjects in such filings. These statements constitute the Company’s cautionary statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Sky Quarry Taps TAR360 to Drive Production Growth and Operational Excellence at Foreland Refinery

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WOODS CROSS, Utah, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ) (“Sky Quarry” or the “Company”), an integrated energy solutions company committed to revolutionizing the waste asphalt shingle recycling industry, today announced it has engaged Kevin Arrington of TAR360 as a strategic consultant. Arrington will work closely with the Sky Quarry team to accelerate the company’s growth trajectory, optimize internal processes, and support execution across key operational initiatives.

    The consulting engagement will focus on a production scale-up strategy at the Company’s Foreland Refinery, Nevada’s only operational crude oil refinery. The initiative includes optimizing existing infrastructure and implementing a clear roadmap to initially increase output by up to 125%, from 20,000 to 45,000 barrels per month, and ultimately by up to 300% to 80,000 barrels per month.

    By improving distillation and refracturing processes at the Foreland Refinery, Sky Quarry is driving greater refining efficiency and accelerating the conversion of recycled liquid asphalt from waste shingles into blended, sustainably produced fuels and other high-value materials. The Company believes that this initiative will reinforce its position as a next-generation energy provider and will enhance its ability to meet rising regional demand, particularly as California faces ongoing fuel supply constraints driven by refinery closures and tightening environmental regulations.

    “As we scale Sky Quarry into a fully integrated waste-to-energy platform, it’s critical that our internal systems evolve with our growth,” said David Sealock, CEO of Sky Quarry. “Kevin Arrington and TAR360 bring a proven track record of transforming complex operations into high-performance systems, delivering measurable results for companies like BP, Shell, and Boeing. By leveraging that expertise, we’re strengthening our foundation for disciplined growth, operational excellence, and long-term shareholder value.”

    Arrington and TAR360 will also help design and implement a practical operating framework that connects day-to-day activities with Sky Quarry’s broader business goals, ensuring teams are aligned, performance is measurable, and resources are focused where they will have the greatest impact on the Company’s operating results. At the same time, he will evaluate and upgrade the Company’s internal reporting systems, giving the Board and executive leadership better access to timely, decision-ready information to support strategic oversight and improve transparency.

    About Kevin Arrington and TAR360

    Kevin Arrington is the founder of TAR360, a performance consulting firm with over 15 years of experience driving operational improvements across the energy, aviation, and manufacturing sectors. Known for delivering measurable results, including nearly $1 billion in added revenue at BP’s Whiting Refinery and significant efficiency gains at Shell, Boeing, and American Airlines, Arrington applies a proprietary 16 Dimensions Framework to identify performance gaps and streamline complex systems. His engagement with Sky Quarry will focus on scaling production at the Foreland Refinery, aligning internal operations, and strengthening governance systems to support the Company’s next phase of sustainable growth.

    About Sky Quarry Inc.

    Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYQ) and its subsidiaries are, collectively, an oil production, refining, and a development-stage environmental remediation company formed to deploy technologies to facilitate the recycling of waste asphalt shingles and remediation of oil-saturated sands and soils. Our waste-to-energy mission is to repurpose and upcycle millions of tons of asphalt shingle waste, diverting them from landfills. By doing so, we can contribute to improved waste management, promote resource efficiency, conserve natural resources, and reduce environmental impact. For more information, please visit skyquarry.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may include “forward-looking statements.” All statements pertaining to our future financial and/or operating results, future events, or future developments may constitute forward-looking statements. The statements may be identified by words such as “expect,” “look forward to,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “will,” “project,” or words of similar meaning. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of our management, of which many are beyond our control. These are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and factors, including but not limited to those described in our disclosures. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying expectations not occur or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance, or our achievements may (negatively or positively) vary materially from those described explicitly or implicitly in the relevant forward-looking statement. We neither intend, nor assume any obligation, to update or revise these forward-looking statements in light of developments which differ from those anticipated. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and the Company’s other disclosures, including the statements made under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are contained.

    Investor Relations
    Jennifer Standley
    Director of Investor Relations
    Ir@skyquarry.com

    Company Website
    www.skyquarry.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Aemetis to Benefit From EPA’s Approval of 15 Percent Ethanol Blend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CUPERTINO, Calif., April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX), a diversified global renewable natural gas and biofuels company, announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a waiver allowing a 15 percent blend of ethanol (E15) to continue to be sold after May 1st which will benefit the company through increased demand and sales of the renewable fuel nationwide. The average blend of ethanol in the U.S. in 2024 was 10.4% and 14.2 billion gallons. The adoption of E15 allows up to a 50% increase in the market for ethanol in the U.S.

    “The EPA’s action allowing nationwide E15 sales to continue is a significant step toward increasing the demand for ethanol and has broad support for permanent approval from the President, as well as numerous members of Congress,” stated Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis. “Permanent national approval of E15 would allow the demand for ethanol to grow as consumers nationwide benefit from lower-cost, domestic, renewable fuel that lowers the price of gasoline and supports rural communities with good jobs throughout the country.”

    The EPA has indicated its intent to ensure that E15 remains available throughout the summer driving season. The EPA’s action applies throughout the United States, except California. The E15 blend is expected to help American drivers save money at the pump, reduce carbon emissions, strengthen rural economies, and enhance U.S. energy independence, according to the Renewable Fuels Association.

    California is now the only state in the US that has not approved the E15 blend and typically has the highest average gasoline prices nationwide. To address the situation, Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year issued a letter to the California Air and Resources Board (CARB) requesting completion of the study required to adopt E15 in California.

    The adoption of a 15 percent ethanol blend in California is projected to create more than 600 million gallons per year of new biofuels demand and save consumers an estimated twenty cents per gallon, or approximately $2.7 billion at the pump each year, according to a UC Berkeley and US Naval Academy study. Californians would also benefit from reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the increased use of ethanol, and reduced exposure to benzene and other carcinogens in gasoline.

    Senate Bill 2707, the “Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act,” was recently introduced into the U.S. Congress by 14 senators. This bill proposes the permanent sale of year-round E15 throughout the United States, except in states such as California that have their own fuel regulations. The E15 blend is approved for use in more than 95 percent of vehicles on the road today, according to the EPA.

    About Aemetis

    Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Aemetis is a renewable natural gas and biofuels company focused on the operation, acquisition, development, and commercialization of innovative technologies that support energy independence and security. Founded in 2006, Aemetis operates and is expanding a California biogas digester network and pipeline system to convert dairy waste into renewable natural gas. Aemetis owns and operates a 65 million gallon per year ethanol production facility in California’s Central Valley near Modesto that also supplies about 80 dairies with animal feed. Aemetis owns and operates an 80 million gallon per year biofuels facility on the East Coast of India producing high quality distilled biodiesel and refined glycerin. Aemetis is developing a sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel biorefinery and a carbon sequestration project in California. For additional information about Aemetis, please visit www.aemetis.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events or other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, projections of financial results; statements related to the development, engineering, financing, construction, timing, and operation of biodiesel, biogas, sustainable aviation fuel, CO2 sequestration, and other facilities; our ability to promote, develop, finance, and construct such facilities; and statements about future market demand and market prices and results of government actions. Words or phrases such as “anticipates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “targets,” “view,” “will likely result,” “will continue” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions and predictions and are subject to many risks and uncertainties. Actual results or events could differ materially from those set forth or implied by such forward-looking statements and related assumptions due to certain factors, including, without limitation, competition in the ethanol, biodiesel and other industries in which we operate, commodity market risks including those that may result from current weather conditions, financial market risks, customer adoption, counter-party risks, risks associated with changes to government policy or regulation, and other risks detailed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, and in our other filings with the SEC. We are not obligated, and do not intend, to update any of these forward-looking statements at any time unless an update is required by applicable securities laws.

    Company Investor Relations
    Media Contact:
    Todd Waltz
    (408) 213-0940
    investors@aemetis.com

    External Investor Relations
    Contact:
    Kirin Smith
    PCG Advisory Group
    (646) 863-6519
    ksmith@pcgadvisory.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British-built satellite to map Earth’s forests in 3D for the first time

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    British-built satellite to map Earth’s forests in 3D for the first time

    A satellite developed by British academics and engineers is set to become the first in the world to measure the condition of the Earth’s forests in 3D from space.  

    Artist’s impression of Biomass in orbit. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.

    The European Space Agency (ESA) Biomass Earth observation mission, which launched successfully from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana today, aims to enhance our understanding of the world’s forests and their role in the carbon cycle. The mission will use state-of-the-art radar technology to uncover new insights into forests, including their size and weight, and areas of deforestation.  

    This work will be crucial to helping us understand how tropical forests are changing and provide critical data to understand the carbon cycle and help develop climate strategies. 

    Biomass taking to the skies on 29 April 2025. Credit: ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. Martin

    The concept was conceived in Yorkshire, at the University of Sheffield by Professor Shaun Quegan, working with the National Centre for Earth Observation in Leicester. Other academics from the University of Edinburgh and UCL have brought modelling and data assimilation expertise to the application of Biomass data.   

    Since 2016 the UK has won almost £77 million in contracts for Biomass through its membership of ESA. 

    Minister for Space Sir Chris Bryant said:  

    The Biomass mission showcases British ingenuity at its very best, from conception in Sheffield to construction in Stevenage.     

    Britain is not only stepping to the forefront of the space industry, but of global climate action too.    

    Contributing to such great extent to a European mission set to deliver vital global results is testament to the UK’s industrial and academic expertise in space technology and will attract global investment into our vibrant space ecosystem, helping us boost growth and deliver our Plan for Change.

    Biomass was built by Airbus in Stevenage, UK. Credit: Airbus.

    Shaun Quegan, University of Sheffield’s Professor and lead proposer of the mission concept to the European Space Agency, said:  

    It’s been a privilege to have led the team in the development of a pioneering mission that will revolutionise our understanding of the volume of carbon held in the most impenetrable tropical rainforests on the planet and, crucially, how this is changing over time. Our research has solved critical operational scientific problems in constructing the Biomass satellite.   

    Conceived and built in the UK, Biomass is a brilliant example of what we can achieve in collaboration with our partners in industry and academia. The mission is the culmination of decades of highly innovative work in partnership with some of the best scientists in Europe and the US.   

    Airbus UK is the Prime Contractor and has manufactured the satellite in Stevenage. Throughout construction, it has supported approximately 250 highly skilled jobs, benefitting the local economy and bolstering the UK’s 52,000-strong space workforce. 

    Kata Escott, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space in the UK, said:  

    Biomass is a groundbreaking mission that will advance our understanding of how carbon is stored in the world’s forests – delivering crucial data in the fight against climate change. With more than 50 companies involved across 20 nations, the team in Stevenage has shown exceptional leadership in delivering this flagship ESA mission.

    Many other businesses in the UK supply chain have contributed, including ABSL in Abingdon, which has provided the battery, European Astrotech UK in Westcott, which has provided test services, and Nammo, in Cheltenham, providing the service valves.

    Its revolutionary technology will help scientists capture vital data on the changes to carbon in forests as ecosystems are increasingly impacted by deforestation. The satellite will create a 3D map of tropical forests after 17 months, then new (non-3D) maps every 9 months for the rest of the 5-year mission, providing insights normally hidden from human sight because of the difficulty in accessing these environments.   

    Both deforestation, which releases carbon dioxide, and forest growth, which soaks up CO2 from the atmosphere, are crucial parts of climate change.  

    Data on the biomass of tropical forests is very limited because they are difficult to access.     

    The Biomass satellite will be able to penetrate cloud cover and measure forest biomass more accurately than any current technology, which only see the top of the canopy. By providing better data it will help create a more accurate global carbon budget and better understanding of carbon sinks and sources which will help in developing and implementing effective strategies to achieve net-zero goals.  

    Observations will also lead to better insight into the rates of habitat loss and, as a result, the effect this may have on biodiversity in the forest environment.   

    Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said:  

    The Biomass satellite represents a major leap forward in our ability to understand Earth’s carbon cycle. By mapping the world’s forests from space in unprecedented detail, it will provide critical insights into how our planet is responding to climate change — helping scientists, policymakers, and conservationists take informed action.  

    We’re proud of the leading role the UK has played in this important mission.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Adventures of Foreigners in Russia. How a Telegram Channel Helps Foreign Students

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Life is in full swing at the Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University: the university was recently visited by an unusual guest — Arina Rylova, a representative of the popular Telegram channel “Adventures of Foreigners in Russia.” The meeting within the university walls turned into a real brainstorming session: activists of student organizations supervising the adaptation of foreign guests shared their experiences, and the guest shared success stories and plans for the future.

    Imagine: a student from Nigeria comes to Russia, gets lost in a pile of documents, doesn’t know where to run. We become his guides, — the channel’s representative begins the presentation. The project, which has united tens of thousands of subscribers, works as a multilingual bridge between foreigners and Russian bureaucracy. Through a bot integrated with the Ministry of Digital Development, the guys quickly resolve migration issues. The channel publishes life hacks in five languages (Chinese, English, French, Arabic, Spanish): how to open an account, extend a visa or find a doctor.

    But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The channel is also a social lift.

    “Last year, our activists visited the SPIEF and the Russia-Africa forum,” the speaker says proudly. “The guys were able to communicate with the leaders of their countries.”

    The faces of the channel’s heroes flash across the screen. Here is Ibrahim from Algeria. He entered, learned Russian so well that he received citizenship, and now he runs a blog for his fellow countrymen. Next to him is a smiling student from Africa, whose blog about life in Russia was noticed by Yandex and invited to work.

    We don’t just provide information – we open doors, the speaker emphasizes.

    In response, Polytechnic student leaders are demonstrating their ecosystem of support. PolyUnion is a whole world.

    Adapters and tutors meet newcomers at the airport with signs in their native language, help with documents, and even teach them how to pay for the metro. The Council of Associations from 20 countries organizes Nowruz, Chinese New Year, and excursions around St. Petersburg and other Russian cities. The guys act as a link between students and the university administration. The Women’s Club creates a safe space for female students: from culinary master classes to career advice. The UN Model turns classrooms into diplomatic arenas, where foreigners hone their Russian in heated debates.

    Polytechnic University foreign students try to take part in activities outside our university: Our volunteer group recently visited Rzhevka, where we spent time walking dogs from a local shelter. For many students who left their pets at home, this trip was special – they happily interacted with animals, played with cats and shared warmth with those who need it, – shared one of the PolyUnion leaders and the ideological inspirer of the “Women’s Club” Alexandra Le Gall.

    PolyUnion actively participates in organizing humanitarian aid for countries that have found themselves in difficult situations. For example, in previous years, they collected aid for Syria and Turkey, and now they are holding an action for Myanmar. Collection points are open in the main building of the university, the Interclub and the dormitory: you can bring clothes, medicines, long-term storage products and other necessary things there. Everything collected through the embassy will be sent to Myanmar to support people affected by the crisis.

    Olesya Stepanova, Head of the Special Projects Department of the Polytechnic University’s USO, spoke about joint projects with foreign students, including the development of instruction cards for applicants from abroad who want to study at SPbPU. The meeting culminated in joint plans. The first candidates from the Polytechnic University will take part in the Summer International Gathering of the channel, which will become a platform for training bloggers.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA 3D Wind Measuring Laser Aims to Improve Forecasts from Air, Space

    Source: NASA

    Since last fall, NASA scientists have flown an advanced 3D Doppler wind lidar instrument across the United States to collect nearly 100 hours of data — including a flight through a hurricane. The goal? To demonstrate the unique capability of the Aerosol Wind Profiler (AWP) instrument to gather extremely precise measurements of wind direction, wind speed, and aerosol concentration – all crucial elements for accurate weather forecasting.
    Weather phenomena like severe thunderstorms and hurricanes develop rapidly, so improving predictions requires more accurate wind observations.
    “There is a lack of global wind measurements above Earth’s surface,” explained Kris Bedka, the AWP principal investigator at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “Winds are measured by commercial aircraft as they fly to their destinations and by weather balloons launched up to twice per day from just 1,300 sites across the globe. From space, winds are estimated by tracking cloud and water vapor movement from satellite images.”
    However, in areas without clouds or where water vapor patterns cannot be easily tracked, there are typically no reliable wind measurements. The AWP instrument seeks to fill these gaps with detailed 3D wind profiles.

    Mounted to an aircraft with viewing ports underneath it, AWP emits 200 laser energy pulses per second that scatter and reflect off aerosol particles — such as pollution, dust, smoke, sea salt, and clouds — in the air. Aerosol and cloud particle movement causes the laser pulse wavelength to change, a concept known as the Doppler effect.
    The AWP instrument sends these pulses in two directions, oriented 90 degrees apart from each other. Combined, they create a 3D profile of wind vectors, representing both wind speed and direction.

    Kris bedka
    NASA Research Physical Scientist

    “The Aerosol Wind Profiler is able to measure wind speed and direction, but not just at one given point,” Bedka said. “Instead, we are measuring winds at different altitudes in the atmosphere simultaneously with extremely high detail and accuracy.”
    Vectors help researchers and meteorologists understand the weather, so AWP’s measurements could significantly advance weather modeling and forecasting. For this reason, the instrument was chosen to be part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Venture Program, which seeks data from new technologies that can fill gaps in current weather forecasting systems. NASA’s Weather Program also saw mutual benefit in NOAA’s investments and provided additional support to increase the return on investment for both agencies.
    On board NASA’s Gulfstream III (G-III) aircraft, AWP was paired with the agency’s High-Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) that measures water vapor, aerosols, and cloud properties through a combined differential absorption and high spectral resolution lidar.
    Working together for the first time, AWP measured winds, HALO collected water vapor and aerosol data, and NOAA dropsondes (small instruments dropped from a tube in the bottom of the aircraft) gathered temperature, water vapor, and wind data.

    “With our instrument package on board small, affordable-to-operate aircraft, we have a very powerful capability,” said Bedka. “The combination of AWP and HALO is NASA’s next-generation airborne weather remote sensing package, which we hope to also fly aboard satellites to benefit everyone across the globe.”

    kris bedka
    NASA Research Physical Scientist

    The animation below, based on AWP data, shows the complexity and structure of aerosol layers present in the atmosphere. Current prediction models do not accurately simulate how aerosols are organized throughout the breadth of the atmosphere, said Bedka.

    “When we took off on this particular day, I thought that we would be finding a clear atmosphere with little to no aerosol return because we were flying into what was the first real blast of cool Canadian air of the fall,” described Bedka. “What we found was quite the opposite: an aerosol-rich environment which provided excellent signal to accurately measure winds.” 
    During the Joint Venture flights, Hurricane Helene was making landfall in Florida. The AWP crew of two pilots and five science team members quickly created a flight plan to gather wind measurements along the outer bands of the severe storm.

    “A 3D wind profile can significantly improve weather forecasts, particularly for storms and hurricanes,” said Harshesh Patel, NOAA’s acting Joint Venture Program manager. “NASA Langley specializes in the development of coherent Doppler wind lidar technology and this AWP concept has potential to provide better performance for NOAA’s needs.”

    The flights of the AWP lidar are serving as a proving ground for possible integration into a future satellite mission.
    “The need to improve global 3D wind models requires a space-based platform,” added Patel. “Instruments like AWP have specific space-based applications that potentially align with NOAA’s mission to provide critical data for improving weather forecasting.”

    After the NOAA flights, AWP and HALO were sent to central California for the Westcoast & Heartland Hyperspectral Microwave Sensor Intensive Experiment  and the Active Passive profiling Experiment, which was supported by NASA’s Planetary Boundary Layer Decadal Survey Incubation Program and NASA Weather Programs. These missions studied atmospheric processes within the planetary boundary layer, the lowest part of the atmosphere, that drives the weather conditions we experience on the ground. 

    To learn more about lidar instruments at NASA visit:
    NASA Langley Research Center: Generations of Lidar Expertise

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Madagascar: Improving Infrastructure Resilience to Reduce Climate-Related Economic Losses

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Madagascar: Improving Infrastructure Resilience to Reduce Climate-Related Economic Losses

    (In collaboration with UNDRR and CDRI)

    One of the world’s largest islands, located in the tropical south-west Indian Ocean, Madagascar needs new roads, schools, electricity networks, and more to lift large portions of its 30 million population out of poverty. But even as it builds this new infrastructure, its progress remains fragile. Tropical cyclones and other extreme hazard events can wipe out these development gains, and climate change multiplies that threat. 

    The challenge is significant. Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island, and its relatively small population is spread out, much of it in rural hard-to-access areas. Most villages are isolated and they lack access to decent roads, drinking water or electricity, preventing sustainable development and poverty reduction too. Rapid population growth increases the pressure to build new infrastructure fast, but Madagascar must also find new ways to protect its transport networks, energy supplies, water supplies, and more from the growing threat of climate change. 

    Building resilience into infrastructure will bring significant benefits. Madagascar’s infrastructure currently suffers damage worth roughly USD 100 million each year. Cyclones account for 85 percent of this damage and are expected to increase with climate change.  

    With that in mind, Madagascar has become one of four countries – together with Bhutan, Chile, and Tonga – to pioneer the Global Methodology for Infrastructure Resilience Review. Developed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the methodology helps countries to identify and prioritize strategies that will make their infrastructure more resilient through a five-step approach. 

    • Developing the plan
    • Developing the plan

      “With this new way of looking by zooming out, we have more of an overall vision of everything that makes infrastructure vulnerable,” Randrianandrasana Lila Norolalaina, Head of Disaster Risk Reduction at the Ministry of Education, says.

      Together, these stakeholders looked at six specific sectors – transport, energy, water, telecommunications, health and education – analyzing them against ten key hazards. Cyclones account for most of Madagascar’s recorded losses, but floods, rising sea levels, variations in rainfall patterns, and heatwaves also have an impact. 

      Cascading disasters were central to the analysis, since a failure in one infrastructure sector can spread to others. Electricity failure impacts communication, transportation, and water supply systems, for example. And pumping equipment loses power and is unable to keep floodwaters under control around the capital Antananarivo, then an electricity failure would lead to other disasters, for example. Understanding these interdependencies helps to prevent a chain of failures and thus much bigger crises

      The UNDRR stress testing tool simulated various scenarios and assessed the potential impact on different sectors. It helped decision-makers to understand their vulnerabilities and to analyse the possibilities for cascading disasters. Finally, it concluded that telecommunications and energy were the sectors most likely to trigger further failures, while wastewater management was the most vulnerable to disruptions from elsewhere. 

      Interdependencies of Functions and Cascading Effects

    • Energy
    • Energy

      Discussed within the context of resilient infrastructure, energy is also vital for Madagascar’s human development. It is, however, in short supply throughout the country and this shortage prevents the country from industrialising its key sectors, especially farming. Some 80 percent of the workforce is involved with subsistence farming, for example, while failure to industrialise prevents the creation of higher paying jobs. The lack of energy also slows the modernisation of Madagascar’s young mining sector, a major contributor to GDP, through exports of nickel, cobalt, chromium, titanium, and heavy metals.

      Madagascar aims to connect 70 percent of its population to electricity by 2030, from just 15 percent at present. For those who are connected, however, power cuts and voltage fluctuations are frequent, causing serious disruptions to daily life and economic development alike. The issue is often acute in rural areas, where just 5 percent of the population is connected.

      Stress-testing analysis, Energy

      Inadequate maintenance is part of the problem, but cyclones, heavy rains, landslides, and strong winds all lead to widespread interruptions and power outages. Two of six power stations are vulnerable to rising water levels, while earthquakes and cyber-attacks can also damage production. Droughts and fires threaten serious impacts to water supplies. They can therefore limit the production of electricity from hydropower, which accounts for 31 percent of Madagascar’s energy. 

      Resilience is a vital priority. Part of Madagascar’s resilience plan is to move away from imported fossil fuels towards renewables. Oil and coal, for example, account for 49 and 19 percent respectively of the island’s energy production, but they depend heavily on Madagascar’s transport, which is also vulnerable to storms. Madagascar wants renewables to account for 80 percent of its energy production by 2030, up from 33 percent at present. 

      Even before the review of infrastructure resilience, Madagascar had already begun to improve its energy infrastructure, through its 2015-2030 New Energy Policy (NPE). One key element of NPE is to integrate disaster risk management into the energy sector. In case of emergency, Madagascar has also developed a contingency plan to ensure continuity of essential services. With support from the World Bank, Madagascar is enhancing its energy sector management and improving service quality.

      These opportunities mainly link to information and data. Stakeholders discussed the need to strengthen and update data for monitoring and evaluation, as well as to request information and disaster risk best practices from private operators in the sector. By mapping the state of energy infrastructure, including an assessment of vulnerability and resilience levels, Madagascar will be better placed to prioritise its interventions.

      Following the Global Methodology for Infrastructure Resilience Review, therefore, Madagascar has already begun to work with other partners. The Global Risk Modelling Alliance (GRMA), for example, is working with Madagascar to improve their data through better hazard modelling.

    • Transport
    • Transport

      Made up of four sub-sectors – air, sea, road, and rail – Madagascar’s transport illustrates the country’s challenges effectively too. Even without the natural hazards, Madagascar’s transport networks are limited. To the south, for example, one single trainline connects a region of roughly 100,000 people to the rest of the country. Also in the South, covering 500km by road can take three days. 

      With limited internal roads and railways, Madagascar uses its air network to connect different parts of the vast country, especially in the rainy season or when humanitarian aid is needed urgently. Its ports are also vital for the country’s economy, exporting vanilla and other agricultural products, together with minerals and seafood products. 

      Much of this infrastructure is, however, vulnerable to disasters, such as cyclones, cyber-attacks, fire hazards, and even pandemics. Cyclones, landslides, and flooding routinely damage roads and – in the wake of Cyclone Gamane in March 2024 – reconstruction of road infrastructure was set to cost USD 76 million.

      International financial institutions, such as the World Bank and European Investment Bank, support Madagascar to recover from cyclone damage and to make their transport infrastructure more resilient. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is supporting the USD 640 million expansion of Toamasina port, the gateway for about 75 percent of Madagascar’s international freight, while the African Development Bank (AfDB) is also considering rehabilitation of the port at Manakara. 

      Policies on rigorous maintenance, disaster planning, and construction or rehabilitation of new infrastructure, such as Ivato International Airport, will also help Madagascar to strengthen its infrastructure resilience. 

      Stress-testing analysis, Transportation

      However, the Infrastructure Resilience Review brought new insights, enabling Madagascar to prioritise its interventions. Data analysis identified:

      Stakeholders discussed the need to improve regulations and institutions alike, including by incorporating resilience principles. More work is needed on climate adaptation, while Madagascar would also benefit from better engagement with financial institutions and the insurance sector too. Better coordination would improve national adaptation plans and coastal area management. 

      Stakeholders also discussed the need for more data analysis, preventive maintenance, capacity building, and emergency planning, as well as the need to involve the private sector and facilitate more competition. 

      One key topic was the importance of resilience norms, especially in the transport sector. How does Madagascar develop these and then ensure compliance? These norms – and stakeholder compliance – are essential in reducing the amount of substandard construction, a major boost for resilience. 

    • Lessons for other countries
    • Lessons for other countries

      The Infrastructure Resilience Review represents an important step forward by Madagascar towards infrastructure resilience. Stakeholders hope it will also benefit donors and provide key lessons for other countries. 

      Resilient infrastructure is important because it enables and protects sustainable development. All too often, ferocious storms have destroyed donor-financed infrastructure, which means – in other words – that insufficient resilience puts development progress at risk.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Tonga: Building infrastructure resilience in an isolated, hazardous world

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Tonga: Building infrastructure resilience in an isolated, hazardous world

    (In collaboration with UNDRR and CDRI)

    When an underwater volcano erupted about 65 kilometres north of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, in January 2022, it sent ash high into the atmosphere and triggered a tsunami that struck the archipelago nation with waves as high as 15 metres. While the waves killed four people directly in Tonga, the eruption and consequent tsunami smashed into residential and non-residential buildings alike, damaged other infrastructure such as submarine cables, and contaminated water supplies with ashfall.

    The event also highlighted how Tonga must quickly build more resilience into its infrastructure and economy if it wants to improve the quality of life for its roughly 100,000 population.

    The country is a lower-middle income nation, constrained by its geographic isolation, small market size, and high cost of basic services. A Pacific archipelago of 172 islands, whose nearest neighbours – Fiji and Samoa – are more than 700 kilometres away, Tonga is highly dependent on climate sensitive-sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. Its economy is sensitive to external shocks. 

    Cyclones, tsunamis, and volcanoes cause serious damage every time they hit Tonga, and yet – in recent years – the Pacific nation has experienced more extreme weather events than usual. Cyclone Gita, a category 4 tropical cyclone which hit Tonga in February 2018, was one of the most powerful storms to hit Tonga in decades, killing two, destroying at least 171 homes, and damaging more than 1,100 others. 

    This immense vulnerability to multiple natural hazards – and the dangers of cascading impacts – led Tonga to become one of four countries – together with Bhutan, Chile, and Madagascar – pioneering the Global Methodology for Infrastructure Resilience Review. Developed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the methodology helps countries to identify and prioritise the strategies that will build their infrastructure resilience through a five-step approach.

    • The process
    • The process

      In 2021, Tonga enacted the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) 2021 Act, replacing the Emergency Management Act 2007, signaling a new ambition to manage risk instead of reacting to disaster

      After the 2022 volcano eruption, it also connected quickly with international partners. With World Bank support, it upgraded its ports, roads, and an airport, making them more resilient to storm surges, floods, and high winds. The Asian Development Bank has also helped with grants to help the country recover from disasters and health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

      The infrastructure resilience assessment approach in the Global Methodology, provided Tonga with the opportunity to take a holistic look at their infrastructure and risk, identify the gaps, and then fill them.

      Stress-testing of Critical Infrastructure against Identified Hazard, Tonga

      In the first phase, a technical working group was set up with representatives from 21 departments and agencies across six ministries. Supported by this working group, the review process began with a kick-off meeting that included key stakeholders for infrastructure development, disaster risk reduction, and sectoral operations. Next, in phase two, it reviewed existing policies and regulations, assessing the extent to which they address disaster risks and support infrastructure resilience.

      In the third phase, stakeholders conducted stress tests and gap analysis on ten critical infrastructure functions against a range of hazards, including cyclones, droughts, underground water / seawater intrusion, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, non-communicable diseases, land degradation and erosion, floods, sea level rises, and cybersecurity breaches. By identifying these vulnerabilities, interdependences, and cascading risks, the participants were able to seriously consider the economic impacts and interdependences of different hazards throughout. 

    • Water sector
    • Water sector

      One of the sectors examined was the water sector, including a deep dive analysis. Water is everywhere in a small island development state (SIDS) like Tonga, of course, but securing a stable supply remains difficult. Water in Tonga comes from ground water and rainwater, which are both vulnerable to impacts from climate change. 

      Rising sea-levels mean that many assets are at risk of flooding, while soil erosion is also a threat. When sea levels rise, salt water can enter some freshwater supplies, reducing the available water for drinking. 

      Funding the necessary upgrades, however, is a challenge. The Tonga Water Board (TWB) operates without subsidies, making capital investment difficult.

      Meanwhile, the lack of a centralised infrastructure database complicates the assessment and management of existing resources. Multiple institutions manage water resources across the archipelago’s 45 or so inhabited islands, doing so with varying levels of expertise. While integrated planning and coordination should be essential for efficiency, the system is fragmented. Integrated planning and management are urgently needed to ensure resilience in the water sector. Equally as importantly, there’s a need for more data and information, and for a better understanding of how to use the already available data, which does not capture all boreholes and rainwater harvesting.

      Finally, the water pumping stations are dependent on electricity. This means that if a cyclone damages the power lines and impacts electricity supply, then water supply would also be affected. The disaster responses are complicated by limited standard operating procedures (SOPs) as cyclones, volcanoes, and tsunamis all affect the water infrastructure in different ways. Take a look at how some of the most recent events have affected Tonga’s water infrastructure:

      TROPICAL CYCLONES:

      Cyclone Gita (2018) damaged water distribution systems and rainwater tanks, while other cyclones have led to extensive system failures.

      VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS AND ASHFALL:

      The 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai severely impacted water punps and contaminated rainwater tanks, leading to supply disruptions.

      DROUGHTS:

      Prolonged droughts in 2023 have affected rainwater collection systems, exacerbating water shortages.

      TSUNAMIS:

      The 2022 tsunami contamined groundwater sources in southern islands and destroyed coastal water infrastructure.

      Several resilience measures do exist. Desalination units provide emergency water, even if their maintenance or repairs sometimes fall on untrained community members, causing delays and potential safety issues. Overall, however, these are uneven and insufficient.

      Some development support has been provided, but the projects are also unevenly distributed. They tend to focus mostly on the main island, leaving outer islands underserved. 

      From the Infrastructure Resilience Review, several recommendations emerged:

    • Transport
    • Transport

      The Infrastructure Resilience Review also looked at transport, given the importance and vulnerabilities of Tonga’s ports, airports, and roads. 

      On the one hand, Tonga’s geographic isolation makes it highly dependent on its ports and airports for imports of food, fuel, and spare parts. In 2000, the last available energy balance showed that 75 percent of the country’s energy depends on imported petroleum products. Over 98 percent of Tonga’s grid-supplied electricity is generated using imported diesel. 

      On the other hand, those ports and airports are highly vulnerable to disruption of the other critical infrastructure functions, including transport. The ports and airports both depend on Tonga’s roads, for example, to connect them with the rest of the country.

      Multi Hazards Disaster Risk Assessment, ARUP 2021

      However, while Tonga’s climate is already tropical, climate change is expected to bring heavier and more frequent rainfall, damaging roads in the low-lying areas. Inadequate drainage will compound this damage, disrupting transport and mobility to the ports and airports. 

      In turn, this could also disrupt Tonga’s electricity, which relies heavily on diesel imports, as well as the delivery of clean water to remote areas or even – in case of emergencies – access to evacuation centres. 

      “The infrastructure resilience review reminds us that we are not passive actors, but that to a much greater extent we are masters of our own destiny,” said Sione Pulotu ‘Akau’ola, CEO for Ministry of MEIDECC.

      “In the long run, building resilience into our infrastructure will save us lives, destruction, and economic damage,” he said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Drone racing and UAV control: a course for Moscow teachers at the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The State University of Management held a series of educational events on the management of unmanned aerial vehicles for teachers of comprehensive schools in Moscow.

    The program is being implemented by the State University of Management jointly with the Department of Education and Science of the City of Moscow and the State Budgetary Educational Institution of Additional Professional Education “Moscow Center for Educational Practices”.

    During the 4 days of training, teachers became familiar with the legal basis of UAS, the organization of project activities in the field of UAV management, and the management of a drone racing competition project.

    The students also learned about current trends in the development of unmanned aircraft systems and became familiar with the design and construction of UAVs.

    In addition, the participants tried their hand at controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle in a special cube – a safe airspace.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/29/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Lufthansa Group improves adjusted EBIT in the first quarter and confirms positive outlook for the full year

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG:

    “Global demand for air travel continues to grow. Despite all the geopolitical uncertainties, we therefore remain on course for growth, are optimistic about the summer, and are sticking to our positive outlook for 2025. In the first quarter, our airlines were able to sell their expanded capacity at higher yields in the market. Our revenue improved by ten percent compared with the previous year, with Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa Technik also contributing with their strong performance. On the North Atlantic, the number of guests rose by more than seven percent in the first quarter, with higher load factors and better yields. Demand continues to be robust for the second quarter. I am pleased that our guests are benefiting from significantly improved punctuality and stability, particularly with our core brand Lufthansa. Operationally, we had our best start to the year in ten years. I would therefore like to express my special thanks to all crew members, technicians, and employees at the airports and in the operations centers of our airlines, who contributed to this success with their great commitment.”

    Results for the first quarter of 2025

    The Lufthansa Group increased its revenue in the first quarter of 2025 by ten percent compared to the previous year to 8.1 billion euros (previous year: 7.4 billion euros). The company posted an operating loss (adjusted EBIT) of 722 million euros; a significant improvement compared to the previous year (previous year: -849 million euros).

    The adjusted EBIT margin improved to -8.9 percent (previous year: -11.5 percent). The Group result fell to -885 million euros (previous year: -734 million euros).

    Significantly improved punctuality and operational stability

    The Group’s airlines expanded their capacity by almost five percent compared with the first quarter of the previous year. Load factors declined slightly to 78.7 percent. Thanks to moderate growth compared with previous years, the operational stability and punctuality of the passenger airlines improved significantly despite the rising number of flights. In operational terms, the core brand Lufthansa had its best start to a year in ten years. At the Frankfurt hub alone, 20,000 fewer hotel beds had to be booked for guests in the first quarter than in the same period in 2024. Direct compensation payments for flight delays and cancellations fell groupwide by 52 percent to EUR 47 million (previous year: EUR 98 million) due to significantly improved operational stability.

    Cost increases weigh on passenger airline results

    Revenue from passenger airlines rose by six percent in the first quarter to 5.9 billion euros (previous year: 5.6 billion euros). The operating result of the Lufthansa Group Passenger Airlines declined slightly with an adjusted EBIT of -934 million euros compared to the previous year (previous year: adjusted EBIT: -918 million euros).

    Yields rose by 0.4 percent on average year-on-year driven by consistently high demand. Unit revenues (RASK) were 2.7 percent higher than in the previous year, partly due to significantly lower compensation payments to passengers compared with the strike-hit first quarter of the previous year.

    Unit costs (CASK) excluding fuel and emissions expenses rose by 3.1 percent compared with the same quarter last year due to general cost increases. The main cost drivers were fee increases at system partners such as air traffic control (+19 percent) and airports, as well as high-cost inflation for maintenance services.

    In addition, the seasonal shift of the usually strong Easter travel season, which fell in the first quarter last year, also had an impact on earnings development. Without this shift, the passenger airlines would have significantly improved their earnings compared with the previous year.

    Strong first quarter on the North Atlantic

    Demand for air travel to and from North America remained strong in the first quarter. The number of passengers rose by 7.1 percent compared with the previous year. Load factors were also higher than in the previous year, with the seat load factor 0.7 percentage points above the 2024 figure. Average revenues for flights to and from North America also developed positively in the first quarter. They rose by 6.7 percent compared with the first three months of the previous year.

    Currently, demand in the US sales region continues to rise. In March, Lufthansa Group airlines carried around 25 percent more passengers from the US to Europe than in the same month last year.

    Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Cargo continue positive trends

    Demand for maintenance, overhaul and repair services and other products offered by Lufthansa Technik remains high. Revenue rose by 18 percent compared with the previous year to 2.0 billion euros (previous year: 1.7 billion euros). Adjusted EBIT rose by 49 percent to a new record level of 161 million euros (previous year: 108 million euros [1]).

    In the logistics segment, capacity increased by seven percent due to the expansion of freight capacity in passenger aircraft because of a further increase in traffic volume and the addition of another Boeing 777 freighter, while sales also increased by nine percent. Average revenues rose by around 12 percent compared with the same quarter last year. Unit costs were reduced slightly thanks to successful cost management. As a result, Lufthansa Cargo generated a significantly improved adjusted EBIT of 62 million euros in the first quarter (previous year: -22 million euros).

    Positive adjusted free cash flow further reduces net debt

    Operating cash flow rose to around 1.8 billion euros in the first quarter (previous year: 1.3 billion euros). The change is mainly due to improved working capital in relation to a seasonal increase in ticket sales. Including a decline in net capital expenditure, Adjusted free cash flow improved to 835 million euros (previous year: 305 million euros).

    The Group further strengthened its balance sheet in the first quarter of 2025. Net debt decreased to 5.3 billion euros compared with the end of 2024 (December 31, 2024: 5.7 billion euros). Net pension obligations fell to 2.2 billion euros due to interest rates (December 31, 2024: 2.6 billion euros). At the end of March 2025, the company had total liquidity of 11.4 billion euros (December 31, 2024: 11.0 billion euros).

    Till Streichert, Chief Financial Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG:

    “We are in a period of high volatility. In this environment, it is good news that we are making progress as planned on issues within our control, such as our turnaround program at Lufthansa Airlines. At the same time, we are keeping an eye on market risks. We are well prepared to respond should these materialize. However, it is not just about risks, but also about positive factors that are already supporting our earnings performance today, such as favorable fuel prices and exchange rates. These can help to offset the financial effects of any changes in demand. Overall, we therefore remain confident that we will be able to achieve a full-year result significantly above the previous year’s level.”

    Outlook

    Global demand for air travel remains strong. The Lufthansa Group therefore expects another strong summer travel season overall.

    The most popular vacation destinations are Mediterranean destinations, especially Spain, Italy, and Greece. Demand for long-haul travel also remains steady. This also applies to flights to and from North America, where ticket sales for the second quarter are up on the previous year.

    Nevertheless, macroeconomic uncertainties, particularly the trade tensions between the US, the EU and other regions, are making it difficult to forecast the coming quarters accurately. Visibility for the third quarter remains limited.

    The Lufthansa Group has set up a task force to closely monitor current developments and, if necessary, respond quickly and flexibly to any weakening in demand, for example by adjusting capacity. The company also believes that potential market changes offer opportunities. For example, a further decline in kerosene prices could counteract temporary fluctuations in demand.

    Despite the uncertainties, the Lufthansa Group is confirming its forecast for the full year with an operating result (adjusted EBIT) significantly above the previous year (1,645 million euros).

    Further information

    Further information on the results of individual business segments will be published in the report for the first quarter of 2025. This will be published simultaneously with this press release on April 29, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. CEST at https://investor-relations.lufthansagroup.com/en/investor-relations.html.

    The traffic figures for the first quarter of 2025 will also be published at 07:00 CEST at https://investor-relations.lufthansagroup.com/en/publications/traffic-figures.html.


    [1] Since the beginning of the 2025 fiscal year, Lufthansa Industry Solutions, which was previously part of the MRO division, has been allocated to the other companies and Group functions. The previous year’s figures have been adjusted accordingly.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI: GL Communications Advances ED-137 Solutions for Air Traffic Communication Testing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GL Communications Inc., a global leader in telecom testing solutions, addressed the press regarding their ED-137 testing solutions for Air Traffic Management (ATM) networks. The solutions are fully compliant with EUROCAE ED-137 standards, ensuring robust and versatile testing capabilities across a wide range of air traffic applications, including air-to-ground and ground-to-ground communications.

    GL invites attendees to visit Stand #H1110 at Airspace World 2025, May 13–15, in Lisbon, Portugal, to explore these solutions.

    [For illustration, refer to ED137 Solutions for Air Traffic Communication Testing]

    Vijay Kulkarni, CEO of GL Communications, says, “GL offers advanced testing tools for next-generation ATM networks, enabling accurate emulation and load testing of Controller Working Positions (CWPs), Ground Radio Stations (GRSs), Analog-IP converters, and Gateways. Fully compliant with ED-137, our solutions support both air-to-ground and ground-to-ground signaling and traffic emulation. For ED-138-based service quality monitoring, we provide detailed voice metrics including MOS, jitter, packet loss, latency, and support for PESQ and POLQA scoring.”

    GL’s ED-137 solutions are fully compliant with the latest standards, ensuring interoperability and easy adaptation to future updates. With full IPv6 support and active involvement in industry forums, GL stays ahead of evolving ATM requirements. Trusted by global Air Navigation Service Providers and manufacturers of Voice Communication Systems (VCS), radio, recorder, and gateway manufacturers, GL’s ED-137 and ED-138 VoIP Test Tools support development, verification, load and field testing, and factory acceptance.

    The Message Automation and Protocol Simulation (MAPS™) framework supports protocol emulation across Analog, TDM and VoIP technologies. It emulates ED-137-compliant Radio, Telephone, and Recorder interfaces for testing VoIP-based ATM systems. MAPS™ runs on the Windows® operating system and uses the PC’s network interface card to send and receive traffic.

    MAPS™ ED-137 Radio emulates air-to-ground calls by emulating either CWPs or Radios as per ED-137 volume 1 Radio. Similarly, MAPS™ ED-137 Telephone emulates ground-to-ground calls by emulating CWPs as per ED-137 volume 2 Telephone. Optionally Telephone emulator supports Addendum 2: FAA Legacy Telephone Interworking, Addendum 4: Override Call and Addendum 5: Voice Call. MAPS™ ED-137 Recorder can emulate recorder interface at CWP, GRS, and Recorder Server as per ED-137 volume 4 Recorder. Hundreds of CWPs or Radios can be emulated and can generate bulk air-to-ground or ground-to-ground calls using a single instance/license.

    All GL emulators support ED-137 B and C versions, including Change 1 and 2, with IPv6 compatibility. Validated with EUROCAE’s VOTER tool, they ensure reliable, standards-based functional and load testing of interfaces like CWP, VCS, GRS, Recorder, and Radio Gateway. The MAPS™ framework enables protocol customization and negative testing, while also emulating IP impairments—such as packet loss, duplication, delay, and out-of-order delivery—for robust network evaluation. Traffic can be monitored via GL’s PacketScan™ and analyzed locally or remotely using the NetSurveyorWeb™ platform.

    [For more information, refer to maps-ed137-emulators-and-analyzers.jpg]

    Centralized Monitoring for ED-138 Air-Ground and Ground-Ground Calls

    Measuring voice quality, latency, packet loss, and other metrics across air traffic networks is essential for ensuring safe and reliable aviation communication. GL’s PacketScan™ software enables the capture and monitoring of live signaling and voice traffic, analyzing both ground-to-ground and air-to-ground calls in compliance with EUROCAE ED-138 standards. It measures voice quality metrics like MOS, packet loss, jitter, and delay, providing essential tools for troubleshooting and passive monitoring. Multiple PacketScan™ probes can be deployed across the network, sending call detail records to a centralized database for easy querying via web browsers.

    GL’s NetSurveyorWeb™ is a web-based, centralized network surveillance system with a back-end database. It displays call detail records, measurement results, and network performance metrics. It provides both real-time and historical analysis through graphical reports, alarms, filters, search capabilities, and email notifications.

    [For more information, refer to voice-quality-metrics-graph.jpg]

    End-to-End Delay and Voice Quality Measurement for Air Traffic Systems

    GL Communications’ TM-ATM (Timing Measurement in Air Traffic Management) solution delivers precise delay and voice quality measurements across analog, TDM, and IP systems. Designed for ANSPs and equipment manufacturers, it enables accurate performance assessment in both lab and field environments. The solution captures, filters, time stamps, and correlates events at various interfaces, measuring delays for PTT actions, confirmation signals, and voice path delays. With GPS-based timing and automated testing, it ensures high accuracy and consistency. Key modules include MAPS™ Administrator, Packet Analyzer, Audio Analyzer, and Discrete Signal Logger.

    About GL Communications Inc.,

    GL Communications is a global provider of telecom test and measurement solutions. GL’s solutions are used to verify the quality and reliability of Wireless, Fiber Optic, TDM and Analog networks.

    Warm Regards,
    Vikram Kulkarni, PhD
    Phone: 301-670-4784 x114
    Email: info@gl.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Mexico

    Source:

    We continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Guanajuato, Sonora, Colima and Chiapas. There are lower levels within some of these locations. See our advice level summary for details.

    Plan your travel carefully. Don’t travel at night outside major cities. Use major toll roads wherever possible or access cities directly by air travel. Other travel options and routes may have higher security risks (see ‘Safety).

    If you have an ordinary passport with a chip, you can use the e-gates located at the airports of Mexico City, San Jose del Cabo, and Cancun. You’ll receive your FMM (Multiple Immigration Form) printed, which authorises Australians to stay for 180 days exclusively for tourism purposes.

    If you don’t have an ordinary passport with a chip, and you’re visiting for 180 days or less as a tourist, you’ll receive a visa on arrival. Mexican authorities advise to avoid being detained or deported, you must complete an online Multiple Immigration Form (FMM) and obtain a QR code (see ‘Travel’).

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters & Slotkin to President Trump: “Selfridge is the Ideal Location” for Future Fighter Mission

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Elissa Slotkin (MI) underscored their willingness to work with President Trump and his Administration to secure a new fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County. In a letter to President Trump, Peters and Slotkin expressed their appreciation of his recent commitment to base a new fighter mission at Selfridge, which builds on the long-term bipartisan efforts of Peters, Slotkin, and the Michigan delegation at-large to achieve this goal.  
    “As you highlighted, Selfridge has enjoyed bipartisan support from the Michigan Congressional delegation, state and local leaders and the Macomb County community to recapitalize the 107th Fighter Squadron’s A-10 aircraft with an advanced fighter,” Peters and Slotkin wrote. “Your announcement is an important step towards realizing our long-held goal and we are ready to work with you, the Department of Defense and the Air Force to identify and base a new advanced fighter mission at Selfridge.” 
    The letter also highlights the advantages of placing a new fighter mission at Selfridge, including the base’s proximity to Michigan’s key military installations such as the National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which is comprised of the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Northern Michigan. 
    “Selfridge is the ideal location for a future fighter mission with the experienced pilots, crews and maintainers, access to world-class exercises and training ranges with state-of-the-art infrastructure,” the senators continued. “The world is facing greater threats than at any time since the end of World War II. It is fitting that during this time of need our country once again turns to Michigan to protect America by placing a new fighter mission at Selfridge. We stand ready to work closely with you and the Department of Defense to make this new mission a reality.” 
    The full text of the letter can be found here. 
    Senators Peters and Slotkin have made supporting the future of Selfridge Air National Guard Base a top priority. In January 2024, Peters announced that the U.S. Air Force selected Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County to host a new squadron of twelve KC-46A refueling tankers. This announcement came shortly after Peters led a bipartisan, bicameral group of Michigan delegation members, including Slotkin, in urging then-U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to select Selfridge for a new squadron of these next-generation tankers, which will be deployed by the U.S. Air Force for the next 50 years. Earlier this year, the senators introduced bipartisan legislation seeking to preserve the U.S. Air Force’s fighter force structure and support the recapitalization of Air National Guard fighter missions, including at Selfridge. In March, they also led a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to honor the 108th anniversary of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and commemorate the thousands of men and women who have worked and trained and Selfridge since its inception.  
    To further strengthen Selfridge’s role in U.S. national and homeland security efforts, Peters established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Northern Border Mission Center last year. Peters secured $3 million last March to operate this Center at Selfridge, where it is collocated with current DHS components. The Center, which DHS is already working to set up, will coordinate with state, local, and Tribal governments, and other key stakeholders, to ensure DHS and its operational components are able to fulfill their security mission at the Northern Border.    

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: NXP Semiconductors Reports First Quarter 2025 Results, Announces Management Transition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) today reported financial results for the first quarter, which ended March 30, 2025. “NXP delivered quarterly revenue of $2.84 billion, in-line with the midpoint of guidance. NXP’s first-quarter results and guidance for the second quarter underpin a cautious optimism that NXP continues to effectively navigate through a challenging set of market conditions. We are operating in a very uncertain environment influenced by tariffs with volatile direct and indirect effects. Considering these external factors, we are redoubling our efforts to manage what is in our direct control, enabling NXP to drive solid profitability and earnings,” said Kurt Sievers, NXP President and Chief Executive Officer.

    The company announced that Mr. Sievers has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire from NXP at the end of 2025. “Kurt has been a dynamic, visionary, and highly effective CEO of NXP since May 2020,” said Julie Southern, NXP’s Chair of the Board of Directors. “He has been instrumental in leading the definition and implementation of NXP’s strategy to be the leader in intelligent systems at the edge within the Automotive and Industrial & IoT end markets. After a successful 30-year career with NXP, we are saddened to see Kurt retire. We and the entire NXP community thank him for his leadership and wish him the absolute best in his retirement.”

    Following a comprehensive and thorough succession planning process, NXP’s Board of Directors announced that it has unanimously approved Mr. Rafael Sotomayor to succeed Mr. Sievers as President, effective April 28, 2025. Messrs. Sievers and Sotomayor will work closely to orchestrate a smooth leadership transition until October 28, 2025, when Mr. Sotomayor will assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer. “Rafael has been an integral part of creating and shaping NXP’s strategy and enabling the company’s success. We are confident he is ideally suited to assume the role of President and CEO at NXP, and to execute the company’s vision for leadership in the intelligent systems at the edge within the Automotive and Industrial & IoT end markets,” said Ms. Southern.

    Mr. Sievers’ departure is a purely personal decision and is not related to any disagreement with the Board of Directors, or any issues relating to the strategic or financial performance of the company.

    Key Highlights for the First Quarter 2025:

    • Revenue was $2.84 billion, down 9 percent year-on-year;
    • GAAP gross margin was 55.0 percent, GAAP operating margin was 25.5 percent and GAAP diluted Net Income per Share was $1.92;
    • Non-GAAP gross margin was 56.1 percent, non-GAAP operating margin was 31.9 percent, and non-GAAP diluted Net Income per Share was $2.64;
    • Cash flow from operations was $565 million, with net capex investments of $138 million, resulting in non-GAAP free cash flow of $427 million;
    • Capital return during the quarter was $561 million, representing 131 percent of first quarter non-GAAP free cash flow. Share buybacks were $303 million and dividends paid during the quarter were $258 million. After the end of the first quarter, between March 31, 2025, and April 25, 2025, NXP executed via a 10b5-1 program additional share repurchases totaling $90 million;
    • On January 7, 2025, NXP announced the MCX L14x and MCX L25x, the first families in the ultra-low-power L Series of the MCX microcontroller portfolio. The MCX L series features a dual-core architecture with an independent ultra-low-power sense domain to enable challenging battery-limited applications, such as sensors for industrial monitoring, building management, and flow metering;
    • On January 8, 2025, Honeywell and NXP announced an expansion of its partnership that will accelerate aviation product development and chart the path for autonomous flight. The Honeywell Anthem cockpit is powered by NXP’s i.MX 8 applications processors to help improve operational efficiency, safety and unlock value for pilots and operators. This builds on the companies’ existing relationship, which is focused on helping optimize how building management systems sense and securely control energy consumption;
    • On January 15, 2025, NXP announced it has secured a €1 billion loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to advance the company’s RDI investments across its broad portfolio of semiconductor solutions. The €1 billion loan facility carries a weighted average interest rate of 4.54 percent when drawn in dollar denominated tranches, under the current market conditions and has a duration of six years;
    • On February 10, 2025, NXP announced the agreement to acquire Kinara Inc., an industry leader in high performance, energy-efficient and programmable discrete neural processing units (NPUs) to enable intelligence at the edge solutions. The all-cash transaction was valued at $307 million and is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances;
    • On March 11, 2025, NXP announced the new S32K5 family of automotive microcontrollers (MCU), the automotive industry’s first 16nm FinFET MCU with embedded magnetic RAM (MRAM). The S32K5 MCU family will extend the NXP CoreRide platform with pre-integrated zonal and electrification system solutions for scalable software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures.

    Summary of Reported First Quarter 2025 ($ millions, unaudited) (1)

      Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q – Q Y – Y
    Total Revenue $ 2,835   $ 3,111   $ 3,126   -9 % -9 %
    GAAP Gross Profit $ 1,560   $ 1,678   $ 1,783   -7 % -13 %
    Gross Profit Adjustments (i) $ (31 ) $ (111 ) $ (35 )    
    Non-GAAP Gross Profit $ 1,591   $ 1,789   $ 1,818   -11 % -12 %
    GAAP Gross Margin   55.0 %   53.9 %   57.0 %    
    Non-GAAP Gross Margin   56.1 %   57.5 %   58.2 %    
    GAAP Operating Income (Loss) $ 723   $ 675   $ 856   7 % -16 %
    Operating Income Adjustments (i) $ (181 ) $ (390 ) $ (224 )    
    Non-GAAP Operating Income $ 904   $ 1,065   $ 1,080   -15 % -16 %
    GAAP Operating Margin   25.5 %   21.7 %   27.4 %    
    Non-GAAP Operating Margin   31.9 %   34.2 %   34.5 %    
    GAAP Net Income (Loss) attributable to Stockholders $ 490   $ 495   $ 639   -1 % -23 %
    Net Income Adjustments (i) $ (183 ) $ (322 ) $ (201 )    
    Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Stockholders $ 673   $ 817   $ 840   -18 % -20 %
    GAAP diluted Net Income (Loss) per Share (ii) $ 1.92   $ 1.93   $ 2.47   % -22 %
    Non-GAAP diluted Net Income (Loss) per Share (ii) $ 2.64   $ 3.18   $ 3.24   -17 % -19 %
    Additional information          
      Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Q1 2024 Q – Q Y – Y
    Automotive $ 1,674 $ 1,790 $ 1,804 -6 % -7 %
    Industrial & IoT $ 508 $ 516 $ 574 -2 % -11 %
    Mobile $ 338 $ 396 $ 349 -15 % -3 %
    Comm. Infra. & Other $ 315 $ 409 $ 399 -23 % -21 %
    DIO   169   151   144    
    DPO   62   65   65    
    DSO   34   30   26    
    Cash Conversion Cycle   141   116   105    
    Channel Inventory (weeks)   9   8   7    
    Gross Financial Leverage (iii) 2.4x 2.1x 1.9x    
    Net Financial Leverage (iv) 1.6x 1.5x 1.3x    
               
    1. Additional Information for the First Quarter 2025:
      1. For an explanation of GAAP to non-GAAP adjustments, please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
      2. Refer to Table 1 below for the weighted average number of diluted shares for the presented periods.
      3. Gross financial leverage is defined as gross debt divided by trailing twelve months adjusted EBITDA.
      4. Net financial leverage is defined as net debt divided by trailing twelve months adjusted EBITDA.
      5. Guidance for the Second Quarter 2025: ($ millions, except Per Share data) (1)

           
          GAAP   Reconciliation   non-GAAP
          Low   Mid   High       Low   Mid   High
        Total Revenue $2,800   $2,900   $3,000       $2,800   $2,900   $3,000
        Q-Q -1%   2%   6%       -1%   2%   6%
        Y-Y -10%   -7%   -4%       -10%   -7%   -4%
        Gross Profit $1,533   $1,604   $1,675   $(29)   $1,562   $1,633   $1,704
        Gross Margin 54.8%   55.3%   55.8%       55.8%   56.3%   56.8%
        Operating Income (loss) $680   $741   $802   $(182)   $862   $923   $984
        Operating Margin 24.3%   25.6%   26.7%       30.8%   31.8%   32.8%
        Financial Income (expense) $(100)   $(100)   $(100)   $(12)   $(88)   $(88)   $(88)
        Tax rate 18.5%-19.5%       17.0%-18.0%
        Equity-accounted investees $(8)   $(8)   $(8)   $(6)   $(2)   $(2)   $(2)
        Non-controlling interests $(9)   $(9)   $(9)       $(9)   $(9)   $(9)
        Shares – diluted 255.0   255.0   255.0       255.0   255.0   255.0
        Earnings Per Share – diluted $1.78   $1.97   $2.16       $2.46   $2.66   $2.86


        Note (1) Additional Information:

        1. GAAP Gross Profit is expected to include Purchase Price Accounting (“PPA”) effects, $(7) million; Share-based Compensation, $(15) million; Other Incidentals, $(7) million;
        2. GAAP Operating Income (loss) is expected to include PPA effects, $(33) million; Share-based Compensation, $(115) million; Restructuring and Other Incidentals, $(34) million;
        3. GAAP Financial Income (expense) is expected to include Other financial expense $(12) million;
        4. GAAP Results relating to equity-accounted investees is expected to include results relating to non-foundry equity-accounted investees $(6) million;
        5. GAAP diluted EPS is expected to include the adjustments noted above for PPA effects, Share-based Compensation, Restructuring and Other Incidentals in GAAP Operating Income (loss), the adjustment for Other financial expense, the adjustment for results relating to non-foundry equity-accounted investees and the adjustment on Tax due to the earlier mentioned adjustments.

        NXP has based the guidance included in this release on judgments and estimates that management believes are reasonable given its assessment of historical trends and other information reasonably available as of the date of this release. Please note, the guidance included in this release consists of predictions only, and is subject to a wide range of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond NXP’s control. The guidance included in this release should not be regarded as representations by NXP that the estimated results will be achieved. Actual results may vary materially from the guidance we provide today. In relation to the use of non-GAAP financial information see the note regarding “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below. For the factors, risks, and uncertainties to which judgments, estimates and forward-looking statements generally are subject see the note regarding “Forward-looking Statements.” We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, including the guidance set forth herein, to reflect future events or circumstances.

        Non-GAAP Financial Measures

        In managing NXP’s business on a consolidated basis, management develops an annual operating plan, which is approved by our Board of Directors, using non-GAAP financial measures, that are not in accordance with, nor an alternative to, U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). In measuring performance against this plan, management considers the actual or potential impacts on these non-GAAP financial measures from actions taken to reduce costs with the goal of increasing our gross margin and operating margin and when assessing appropriate levels of research and development efforts. In addition, management relies upon these non-GAAP financial measures when making decisions about product spending, administrative budgets, and other operating expenses. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, when coupled with the GAAP results and the reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide a more complete understanding of the Company’s results of operations and the factors and trends affecting NXP’s business. We believe that they enable investors to perform additional comparisons of our operating results, to assess our liquidity and capital position and to analyze financial performance excluding the effect of expenses unrelated to core operating performance, certain non-cash expenses and share-based compensation expense, which may obscure trends in NXP’s underlying performance. This information also enables investors to compare financial results between periods where certain items may vary independent of business performance, and allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management.

        These non-GAAP financial measures are provided in addition to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The presentation of these and other similar items in NXP’s non-GAAP financial results should not be interpreted as implying that these items are non-recurring, infrequent, or unusual. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to the most comparable measures calculated in accordance with GAAP are provided in the financial statements portion of this release in a schedule entitled “Financial Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Results (unaudited).” Please refer to the NXP Historic Financial Model file found on the Financial Information page of the Investor Relations section of our website at https://investors.nxp.com for additional information related to our rationale for using these non-GAAP financial measures, as well as the impact of these measures on the presentation of NXP’s operations.

        In addition to providing financial information on a basis consistent with GAAP, NXP also provides the following selected financial measures on a non-GAAP basis: (i) Gross profit, (ii) Gross margin, (iii) Research and development, (iv) Selling, general and administrative, (v) Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, (vi) Other income, (vii) Operating income (loss), (viii) Operating margin, (ix) Financial Income (expense), (x) Income tax benefit (provision), (xi) Results relating to non-foundry equity-accounted investees, (xii) Net income (loss) attributable to stockholders, (xiii) Earnings per Share – Diluted, (xiv) EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and trailing 12 month adjusted EBITDA, and (xv) free cash flow, trailing 12 month free cash flow and trailing 12 month free cash flow as a percent of Revenue. The non-GAAP information excludes, where applicable, the amortization of acquisition related intangible assets, the purchase accounting effect on inventory and property, plant and equipment, merger related costs (including integration costs), certain items related to divestitures, share-based compensation expense, restructuring and asset impairment charges, extinguishment of debt, foreign exchange gains and losses, income tax effect on adjustments described above and results from non-foundry equity-accounted investments.

        The difference in the benefit (provision) for income taxes between our GAAP and non-GAAP results relates to the income tax effects of the GAAP to non-GAAP adjustments that we make and the income tax effect of any discrete items that occur in the interim period. Discrete items primarily relate to unexpected tax events that may occur as these amounts cannot be forecasted (e.g., the impact of changes in tax law and/or rates, changes in estimates or resolved tax audits relating to prior year tax provisions, the excess or deficit tax effects on share-based compensation, etc.).

        Conference Call and Webcast Information

        The company will host a conference call with the financial community on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) to review the first quarter 2025 results in detail.

        Interested parties may preregister to obtain a user-specific access code for the call here.

        The call will be webcast and can be accessed from the NXP Investor Relations website at www.nxp.com. A replay of the call will be available on the NXP Investor Relations website within 24 hours of the actual call.

        About NXP Semiconductors

        NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) is the trusted partner for innovative solutions in the automotive, industrial & IoT, mobile, and communications infrastructure markets. NXP’s “Brighter Together” approach combines leading-edge technology with pioneering people to develop system solutions that make the connected world better, safer, and more secure. The company has operations in more than 30 countries and posted revenue of $2.84 billion in 2024. Find out more at www.nxp.com.

        Forward-looking Statements

        This document includes forward-looking statements which include statements regarding NXP’s business strategy, financial condition, results of operations, market data, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. These factors, risks and uncertainties include the following: market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; our ability to successfully introduce new technologies and products; the demand for the goods into which NXP’s products are incorporated; trade disputes between the U.S. and China, potential increase of barriers to international trade and resulting disruptions to NXP’s established supply chains; the impact of government actions and regulations, including restrictions on the export of US-regulated products and technology; increasing and evolving cybersecurity threats and privacy risks, including theft of sensitive or confidential data; the ability to generate sufficient cash, raise sufficient capital or refinance corporate debt at or before maturity to meet both NXP’s debt service and research and development and capital investment requirements; our ability to accurately estimate demand and match our production capacity accordingly or obtain supplies from third-party producers to meet demand; our access to production capacity from third-party outsourcing partners, and any events that might affect their business or NXP’s relationship with them; our ability to secure adequate and timely supply of equipment and materials from suppliers; our ability to avoid operational problems and product defects and, if such issues were to arise, to correct them quickly; our ability to form strategic partnerships and joint ventures and to successfully cooperate with our alliance partners; our ability to win competitive bid selection processes; our ability to develop products for use in customers’ equipment and products; the ability to successfully hire and retain key management and senior product engineers; global hostilities, including the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and resulting regional instability, sanctions and any other retaliatory measures taken against Russia and the continued hostilities and the armed conflict in the Middle East, which could adversely impact the global supply chain, disrupt our operations or negatively impact the demand for our products in our primary end markets; the ability to maintain good relationships with NXP’s suppliers; and a change in tax laws could have an effect on our estimated effective tax rate. In addition, this document contains information concerning the semiconductor industry, our end markets and business generally, which is forward-looking in nature and is based on a variety of assumptions regarding the ways in which the semiconductor industry, our end markets and business will develop. NXP has based these assumptions on information currently available, if any one or more of these assumptions turn out to be incorrect, actual results may differ from those predicted. While NXP does not know what impact any such differences may have on its business, if there are such differences, its future results of operations and its financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak to results only as of the date the statements were made. Except for any ongoing obligation to disclose material information as required by the United States federal securities laws, NXP does not have any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after we distribute this document, whether to reflect any future events or circumstances or otherwise. For a discussion of potential risks and uncertainties, please refer to the risk factors listed in our SEC filings. Copies of our SEC filings are available on our Investor Relations website, www.nxp.com/investor or from the SEC website, www.sec.gov.

        For further information, please contact:

        Investors:
        Jeff Palmer 
        jeff.palmer@nxp.com
        +1 408 205 0687
        Media:
        Paige Iven
        paige.iven@nxp.com
        +1 817 975 0602
           
        NXP-CORP


        NXP Semiconductors
        Table 1: Condensed consolidated statement of operations (unaudited)

        ($ in millions except share data) Three months ended
          March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
                   
        Revenue $ 2,835     $ 3,111     $ 3,126  
        Cost of revenue   (1,275 )     (1,433 )     (1,343 )
        Gross profit   1,560       1,678       1,783  
        Research and development   (547 )     (612 )     (564 )
        Selling, general and administrative   (281 )     (323 )     (306 )
        Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets   (27 )     (28 )     (51 )
        Total operating expenses   (855 )     (963 )     (921 )
        Other income (expense)   18       (40 )     (6 )
        Operating income (loss)   723       675       856  
        Financial income (expense):          
        Other financial income (expense)   (92 )     (91 )     (70 )
        Income (loss) before income taxes   631       584       786  
        Benefit (provision) for income taxes   (130 )     (77 )     (141 )
        Results relating to equity-accounted investees   (4 )     (2 )     (1 )
        Net income (loss)   497       505       644  
        Less: Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests   7       10       5  
        Net income (loss) attributable to stockholders   490       495       639  
                   
        Earnings per share data:          
        Net income (loss) per common share attributable to stockholders in $
        Basic $ 1.93     $ 1.95     $ 2.49  
        Diluted $ 1.92     $ 1.93     $ 2.47  
                   
        Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period (in thousands):
        Basic   253,709       254,349       256,567  
        Diluted   255,018       256,628       258,954  
                   

        NXP Semiconductors
        Table 2: Condensed consolidated balance sheet (unaudited)

          ($ in millions) As of
            March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
        ASSETS          
        Current assets:          
          Cash and cash equivalents $         3,988           $         3,292           $         2,908        
          Short-term deposits           —                     —                     400        
          Accounts receivable, net           1,060                     1,032                     881        
          Inventories, net           2,350                     2,356                     2,102        
          Other current assets           627                     625                     603        
        Total current assets           8,025                     7,305                     6,894        
                     
        Non-current assets:          
          Deferred tax assets           1,284                     1,251                     1,048        
          Other non-current assets           1,942                     1,796                     1,290        
          Property, plant and equipment, net           3,210                     3,267                     3,304        
          Identified intangible assets, net           777                     836                     839        
          Goodwill           9,942                     9,930                     9,945        
        Total non-current assets           17,155                     17,080                     16,426        
                     
        Total assets           25,180                     24,385                     23,320        
                     
        LIABILITIES AND EQUITY          
        Current liabilities:          
          Accounts payable           863                     1,017                     954        
          Restructuring liabilities-current           75                     147                     68        
          Other current liabilities           1,412                     1,434                     1,906        
          Short-term debt           1,499                     500                     —        
        Total current liabilities           3,849                     3,098                     2,928        
                     
        Non-current liabilities:          
          Long-term debt           10,226                     10,354                     10,178        
          Restructuring liabilities           4                     10                     9        
          Other non-current liabilities           1,424                     1,392                     1,055        
        Total non-current liabilities           11,654                     11,756                     11,242        
                     
          Non-controlling interests           355                     348                     321        
          Stockholders’ equity           9,322                     9,183                     8,829        
        Total equity           9,677                     9,531                     9,150        
                   
        Total liabilities and equity           25,180                     24,385                     23,320        
                     

        NXP Semiconductors
        Table 3: Condensed consolidated statement of cash flows (unaudited)

        ($ in millions) Three months ended
          March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
        Cash flows from operating activities:          
        Net income (loss) $ 497     $ 505     $ 644  
        Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:          
        Depreciation and amortization   209       259       235  
        Share-based compensation   127       117       115  
        Amortization of discount (premium) on debt, net   1       1       1  
        Amortization of debt issuance costs   1       2       2  
        Net (gain) loss on sale of assets   (22 )     (1 )     (2 )
        Results relating to equity-accounted investees   4       2       1  
        (Gain) loss on equity securities, net   6       6       2  
        Deferred tax expense (benefit)   (27 )     (145 )     (64 )
        Changes in operating assets and liabilities:          
        (Increase) decrease in receivables and other current assets   (29 )     (25 )     (25 )
        (Increase) decrease in inventories   6       (122 )     32  
        Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and other liabilities   (110 )     16       (102 )
        (Increase) decrease in other non-current assets   (106 )     (218 )     6  
        Exchange differences   4       (1 )     3  
        Other items   4       (5 )     3  
        Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities   565       391       851  
                   
        Cash flows from investing activities:          
        Purchase of identified intangible assets   (25 )     (36 )     (32 )
        Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment   (139 )     (130 )     (226 )
        Insurance recoveries received for equipment damage               2  
        Proceeds from the disposals of property, plant and equipment   1       1       2  
        Advance payment from sale of property, plant and equipment         30        
        Proceeds of short-term deposits         400       9  
        Purchase of investments   (53 )     (67 )     (34 )
        Proceeds from the sale of investments               5  
        Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities   (216 )     198       (274 )
                   
        Cash flows from financing activities:          
        Repurchase of long-term debt               (1,000 )
        Proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt   370       670        
        Cash paid for debt issuance costs         (1 )      
        Proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper notes   646              
        Repayment of commercial paper notes   (146 )            
        Dividends paid to common stockholders   (258 )     (258 )     (261 )
        Proceeds from issuance of common stock through stock plans   37       3       37  
        Purchase of treasury shares and restricted stock unit withholdings   (303 )     (455 )     (303 )
        Other, net   (1 )           (1 )
        Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities   345       (41 )     (1,528 )
                   
        Effect of changes in exchange rates on cash positions   2       (4 )     (3 )
        Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   696       544       (954 )
        Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   3,292       2,748       3,862  
        Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   3,988       3,292       2,908  
                   
        Net cash paid during the period for:          
        Interest   41       92       38  
        Income taxes, net of refunds   96       280       198  
        Net gain (loss) on sale of assets:          
        Cash proceeds from the sale of assets   31       1       2  
        Book value of these assets   (9 )            
        Non-cash investing activities:          
        Non-cash capital expenditures   108       161       223  
                   

        NXP Semiconductors
        Table 4: Financial Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Results (unaudited)

        ($ in millions except share data) Three months ended
          March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
        GAAP Gross Profit $ 1,560     $ 1,678     $ 1,783  
        PPA Effects   (8 )     (11 )     (12 )
        Restructuring   (4 )     (21 )     (3 )
        Share-based compensation   (16 )     (15 )     (15 )
        Other incidentals   (3 )     (64 )     (5 )
        Non-GAAP Gross Profit $ 1,591     $ 1,789     $ 1,818  
        GAAP Gross margin   55.0 %     53.9 %     57.0 %
        Non-GAAP Gross margin   56.1 %     57.5 %     58.2 %
        GAAP Research and development $ (547 )   $ (612 )   $ (564 )
        Restructuring   (7 )     (50 )     (3 )
        Share-based compensation   (64 )     (60 )     (58 )
        Other incidentals   (1 )     (5 )     (1 )
        Non-GAAP Research and development $ (475 )   $ (497 )   $ (502 )
        GAAP Selling, general and administrative $ (281 )   $ (323 )   $ (306 )
        Restructuring   (3 )     (41 )     (1 )
        Share-based compensation   (47 )     (42 )     (42 )
        Other incidentals   (20 )     (12 )     (29 )
        Non-GAAP Selling, general and administrative $ (211 )   $ (228 )   $ (234 )
        GAAP Operating income (loss) $ 723     $ 675     $ 856  
        PPA effects   (40 )     (39 )     (63 )
        Restructuring   (14 )     (112 )     (7 )
        Share-based compensation   (127 )     (117 )     (115 )
        Other incidentals         (122 )     (39 )
        Non-GAAP Operating income (loss) $ 904     $ 1,065     $ 1,080  
        GAAP Operating margin   25.5 %     21.7 %     27.4 %
        Non-GAAP Operating margin   31.9 %     34.2 %     34.5 %
        GAAP Income tax benefit (provision) $ (130 )   $ (77 )   $ (141 )
        Income tax effect   13       87       30  
        Non-GAAP Income tax benefit (provision) $ (143 )   $ (164 )   $ (171 )
        GAAP Net income (loss) attributable to stockholders $ 490     $ 495     $ 639  
        PPA Effects   (40 )     (39 )     (63 )
        Restructuring   (14 )     (112 )     (7 )
        Share-based compensation   (127 )     (117 )     (115 )
        Other incidentals         (122 )     (39 )
        Other adjustments:          
        Adjustments to financial income (expense)   (12 )     (17 )     (6 )
        Income tax effect   13       87       30  
        Results relating to equity-accounted investees, excluding Foundry investees1   (3 )     (2 )     (1 )
        Non-GAAP Net income (loss) attributable to stockholders $ 673     $ 817     $ 840  
                   
                   
        Additional Information:          
        1. Refer to Table 7 below for further information regarding the results relating to equity-accounted investees.
                   
        GAAP net income (loss) per common share attributable to stockholders – diluted $ 1.92     $ 1.93     $ 2.47  
        PPA Effects   (0.16 )     (0.15 )     (0.24 )
        Restructuring   (0.05 )     (0.44 )     (0.03 )
        Share-based compensation   (0.50 )     (0.46 )     (0.44 )
        Other incidentals         (0.47 )     (0.15 )
        Other adjustments:          
        Adjustments to financial income (expense)   (0.05 )     (0.07 )     (0.02 )
        Income tax effect   0.05       0.34       0.11  
        Results relating to equity-accounted investees, excluding Foundry investees1   (0.01 )            
        Non-GAAP net income (loss) per common share attributable to stockholders – diluted $ 2.64     $ 3.18     $ 3.24  
                   
                   
        Additional Information:          
        1. Refer to Table 7 below for further information regarding the results relating to equity-accounted investees.

        NXP Semiconductors
        Table 5: Financial Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial income (expense) (unaudited)

          ($ in millions) Three months ended
            March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
        GAAP Financial income (expense) $ (92 )   $ (91 )   $ (70 )
          Foreign exchange loss   (3 )     3       (1 )
          Other financial expense   (9 )     (20 )     (5 )
        Non-GAAP Financial income (expense) $ (80 )   $ (74 )   $ (64 )
                     

        NXP Semiconductors
        Table 6: Financial Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Other income (expense) (unaudited)

          ($ in millions) Three months ended
            March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
        GAAP Other income (expense) $ 18     $ (40 )   $ (6 )
          PPA effects   (5 )            
          Other incidentals   24       (41 )     (4 )
        Non-GAAP Other income (expense) $ (1 )   $ 1     $ (2 )
                   

        NXP Semiconductors
        Table 7: Financial Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Results relating to equity-accounted investees (unaudited)

          ($ in millions) Three months ended
            March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
        GAAP Results relating to equity-accounted investees $ (4 )   $ (2 )   $ (1 )
          Results of equity-accounted investees, excluding Foundry investees1   (3 )     (2 )     (1 )
        Non-GAAP Results relating to equity-accounted investees $ (1 )   $     $  
                   
        Additional Information:
        1. We adjust our results relating to equity-accounted investees for those results from investments over which NXP has significant influence, but not control, and whose business activities are not related to the core operating performance of NXP. Our equity-investments in foundry partners are part of our long-term core operating performance and accordingly those results comprise the Non-GAAP Results relating to equity-accounted investees.


        NXP Semiconductors

        Table 8: Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow (unaudited)

        ($ in millions) Three months ended
          March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
        GAAP Net income (loss) $ 497     $ 505     $ 644  
        Reconciling items to EBITDA (Non-GAAP)          
        Financial (income) expense   92       91       70  
        (Benefit) provision for income taxes   130       77       141  
        Depreciation and impairment   143       190       145  
        Amortization   66       69       90  
        EBITDA (Non-GAAP) $ 928     $ 932     $ 1,090  
        Reconciling items to adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP)          
        Results of equity-accounted investees, excluding Foundry investees1   3       2       1  
        Purchase accounting effect on asset sale   5              
        Restructuring   14       112       7  
        Share-based compensation   127       117       115  
        Other incidental items2   (4 )     77       39  
        Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP) $ 1,073     $ 1,240     $ 1,252  
        Trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP) $ 4,885     $ 5,064     $ 5,395  
                   
        Additional Information:          
        1. Refer to Table 7 above for further information regarding the results relating to equity-accounted investees.
        2. Excluding from total other incidental items, charges included in depreciation, amortization or impairment reconciling items:
        – other incidental items   4       45        
                   
                   
                   
        ($ in millions) Three months ended
          March 30,
        2025
          December 31,
        2024
          March 31,
        2024
        Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities $ 565     $ 391     $ 851  
        Net capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment   (138 )     (99 )     (224 )
        Non-GAAP free cash flow $ 427     $ 292     $ 627  
        Trailing twelve month non-GAAP free cash flow $ 1,889     $ 2,089     $ 2,933  
        Trailing twelve month non-GAAP free cash flow as percent of Revenue   15 %     17 %     22 %
                   

      The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group F/A-18 Super Hornet Lost at Sea

    Source: United States Navy

    MANAMA, Bahrain – USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) lost an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136 and a tow tractor as the aircraft carrier operated in the Red Sea, April 28. All personnel are accounted for, with one Sailor sustaining a minor injury.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Pressure to release a Russian spy and the Commission’s rule of law report – E-001534/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001534/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mariusz Kamiński (ECR)

    The Commission’s rule of law report criticised the conservative Polish government for arresting dangerous Russian spy Pavel Rubtsov[1], which raises serious questions. Poland was clearly being pressured to release a Russian spy. In addition, this was an attack on the EU’s most anti-Putin government, which has been exceptionally active in supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia. Despite spending millions of euros on fact-checking and fighting disinformation, the Commission made no effort to verify the circumstances around Rubtsov’s arrest but simply, and disgracefully, played into Russia’s hands.

    The Commission handled the situation disgracefully, avoiding any responsibility and pinning the blame entirely on the Council of Europe’s platform[2]. However, following the spy exchange and the public welcome from Putin that backed up the Polish government’s position, the Council of Europe updated the information on the platform on 16 October. Other organisations also withdrew their false accusations[3]. By not withdrawing its disgraceful claims, the Commission is alone in stubbornly sticking to and promoting the lie. Commissioner McGrath’s stance was also significant – during an EUDS committee meeting he did not respond to questions on the matter.

    • 1.The Commission’s false accusations serve the interests of the Russian special services. It is the Commission’s responsibility to determine whether the accusations originated from them. Does the Commission intend to conduct an investigation and disclose who backed up these disgraceful claims?
    • 2.Does the Commission recognise that defending Rubtsov and attacking the Law and Justice government served the interests of the Russian special forces?
    • 3.Will the Commission continue to be the only institution compromising itself in this fashion, or will it apologise and update its 2023 report?

    Submitted: 15.4.2025

    • [1] The 2023 rule of law report criticised the Polish government for arresting Spanish left-wing journalist Pablo González. The case was supposed to be evidence of rule of law violations in Poland and restrictions on freedom of speech. However, Pablo González was actually Pavel Rubtsov, a dangerous Russian spy. In August 2024, Rubtsov was handed over to the Russians as part of a high-profile spy swap and was greeted by Putin at the airport.
    • [2] In response to a question I submitted, the Commission stated that it had supported Rubtsov based on information from the Council of Europe platform.
    • [3] Alert 87/2022 was deactivated and its content was updated. In addition, the Council of Europe stated that ‘the partner organisations decided to deactivate this alert on the Platform, concluding that the charges against Pablo González (Pavel Rubtsov), which led to his arrest in Poland, were not related to his journalistic activities.’ httpsfom.coe.int/en/alerte/detail/107637244.
    Last updated: 28 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Inter-Governmental Agreement inked with France for 26 Rafale-Marine aircraft for Indian Navy

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 28 APR 2025 3:53PM by PIB Delhi

    The Governments of India and France have signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the procurement of 26 Rafale Aircraft (22 Single-Seater and four Twin-Seater) for the Indian Navy. It includes Training, Simulator, Associated Equipment, Weapons and Performance-Based Logistics. It also includes additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

    The IGA has been signed by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister of Armed Forces of France Mr Sebastien Lecornu. The signed copies of the agreement, aircraft package supply protocol and weapons package supply protocol were exchanged by Indian and French officials in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh at Nausena Bhawan, New Delhi on April 28, 2025.

     

     

    In line with the Government’s thrust on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the agreement includes Transfer of Technology for integration of indigenous weapons in India. It also includes setting up of production facility for Rafale Fuselage as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facilities for aircraft engine, sensors and weapons in India. The deal is expected to generate thousands of jobs and revenue for a large number of MSMEs in setting up, production and running of these facilities.

    Manufactured by France’s Dassault Aviation, the Rafale-Marine is a carrier-borne combat-ready aircraft with proven operational capabilities in maritime environment. The delivery of these aircraft would be completed by 2030, with the crew undergoing training in France and India.

    Rafale-Marine has commonality with the Rafale being operated by IAF. Its procurement will substantially enhance joint operational capability, besides optimising training and logistics for the aircraft for both Indian Navy and IAF. The induction would lead to the addition of a potent force multiplier to the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers, substantially boosting the nation’s air power at sea.

    ******

    VK/SR/Savvy

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump is prompting China to change its relationship with the world

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ming Gao, Research Scholar of East Asia Studies, Lund University

    China has spent much of the past two months shoring up friendships both near and far. Two rounds of ministerial meetings with regional rivals Japan and South Korea took place in Tokyo and Seoul at the end of March.

    And earlier in April the red carpet was rolled out for the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, for his second visit to Beijing in less than seven months. This came shortly before the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, embarked on his first overseas trip of 2025 – a charm offensive to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia.

    Central to these diplomatic moves is Donald Trump, whose return to the White House has clearly unsettled the boundaries between friend and foe.

    China, Japan and South Korea have historically approached one another with caution. This is a legacy of imperial aggression, unresolved territorial disputes and diverging security alignments with the US.

    But the unpredictability of the Trump administration, which has most recently been demonstrated by the imposition of sweeping trade tariffs, seems to be bringing the three countries closer together.

    At the ministerial meeting in Tokyo in March, their respective governments agreed to extend the tenure of the secretary-general and deputy secretaries of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat from two years to three. This still relatively unknown international organisation was established in 2011 in an effort to promote cooperation between the three countries.

    The decision, while seemingly a minor administrative adjustment, symbolises a growing mutual trust between these nations. China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, has explicitly acknowledged that the extension represents a full endorsement of the organisation’s role. And China has now called on Japan for a coordinated response to US tariffs.

    This renewed momentum in regional cooperation set the stage for Xi’s broader diplomatic offensive through south-east Asia, where China sought to reinforce strategic ties and assert its leadership.

    China rolled out an elaborate diplomatic programme for Xi’s stop in Vietnam. It aimed to reaffirm ideological ties of “comrades and brothers” and counter Hanoi’s recent deepening relations with Washington.

    Following talks with Xi, the general secretary of the Communist party of Vietnam, To Lam, said that his country has always regarded developing relations with China as “a strategic choice and top priority”.

    Malaysia, on the other hand, is one of the earliest supporters of Xi’s signature belt and road initiative. It officially joined the Brics group of emerging economies as a “partner country” in 2025 and currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the Asean group of south-east Asian states. This gives Malaysia a central role in coordinating China’s relations with the bloc.

    During Xi’s visit, the Malaysian prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, made the alignment between the two countries clear. He stated that Malaysia “stands with China” in the face of US threats. Malaysia is one of China’s main trading partners.

    Cambodia is also considered one Beijing’s most loyal partners in south-east Asia. In May 2024, it even named a road in the capital, Phnom Penh, “Xi Jinping Avenue” to thank China for its contribution to Cambodia’s development.

    The authorities pulled out all the stops for Xi’s latest visit. Cambodia’s king, Norodom Sihamoni, personally greeted Xi at the airport in an unprecedented break from protocol. And the two countries elevated their ties to an “all-weather” partnership, a label signalling that their relationship is resilient to external shifts.

    Relations with Europe

    Sánchez’s April visit to Beijing, meanwhile, marked an important point in relations between China and the EU. Following the ramping up of US tariffs, Xi called for the EU and China to “jointly resist unilateral bullying”. This appears to have resonated in Madrid.

    The Spanish delegation carried a message that Washington’s tariff hikes were “neither fair nor just” and had harmed the EU economy. It also said that Europe must “strengthen unity and coordination to safeguard its own interests”.

    This message appears to be filtering through wider European circles, with some leaders signalling their interest in stabilising ties with Beijing. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, for example, has engaged in “constructive” discussions with Chinese premier Li Qiang to address potential trade disruptions from US tariffs.

    Yet the EU faces an obvious dilemma: whether to engage China as an alternative economic partner or push back against a likely surge in redirected Chinese exports that would threaten European industries and deepen existing political tensions.

    Spain, for its part, has its own strategic calculations. Sánchez’s return to China highlights Madrid’s interest in positioning itself as the European leader in renewable energy, with Chinese investment expected to play a central role in this transition.

    This helps explain why, when asked about the EU’s tariff policy on China during a press briefing in September 2024, Sánchez remarked that “Europe needs to reconsider this decision”. Spain ultimately chose to abstain in the EU’s vote on imposing tariffs on the Chinese EV industry.

    China’s message to the world is clear. It is a stable partner and a defender of free trade. Whether China can persuade the world to trust its leadership amid deepening geopolitical uncertainty remains an open question.

    Ming Gao receives funding from the Swedish Research Council. This research was produced with support from the Swedish Research Council grant “Moved Apart” (nr. 2022-01864). Ming Gao is a member of Lund University Profile Area: Human Rights.

    ref. How Trump is prompting China to change its relationship with the world – https://theconversation.com/how-trump-is-prompting-china-to-change-its-relationship-with-the-world-253567

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI China: Regular Press Conference of the Ministry of National Defense on April 24, 2025 2025-04-29 Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China, answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense 2

    By Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND)

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Zhang Zhicheng)

    (The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

    Zhang Xiaogang: Friends from the media, welcome to this month’s regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

    Today, I have one piece of information to announce on the top.

    The inaugural Navigator Meeting of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum will be held in Beijing from April 28 to 30. The theme of the meeting will be “Opportunities and Challenges Facing Global Security”. Over 200 defense officials, experts, scholars and media representatives from more than 30 countries and international organizations will attend the event. Through multilateral seminars and dialogues, the meeting aims to enhance the effectiveness of international participation and contribute insights to global security governance. Bilateral and multilateral meetings as well as cultural and technological visits will also be arranged on the margins of the event.

    Journalist: It’s reported that President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Malaysia. With a focus on building a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, he underlined the importance of deepening exchanges and cooperation on national security, defense and law enforcement. Please share with us what measures will the Chinese side take to bolster China-Malaysia military-to-military relationship.

    Zhang Xiaogang: President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Malaysia upon invitation from April 15 to 17, which ushered in the next “golden 50 years” for bilateral relations. China and Malaysia are neighbors across the sea with a millennium-old friendship. Under the strategic guidance of leaders of our two countries, the Chinese and Malaysian militaries have had productive cooperation in different areas. A 2+2 diplomatic and defense dialogue mechanism will be established to deepen exchanges and cooperation on national security, defense and law enforcement. Exercise Aman Youyi, initiated by China and Malaysia, has become a brand of military cooperation with significant influence in the region.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

    The Chinese and Malaysian people both believe that solidarity brings strength. We are ready to work with the Malaysian side to deliver on the important consensus between leaders of our two countries, strengthen high-level engagements, and deepen strategic trust. Our two sides will have more cooperation in areas such as joint exercises, maritime security, and multilateral coordination, and promote greater quality-oriented growth of our military-to-military relationship.

    Journalist: It’s reported that the US, the Philippines and other countries are conducting Exercise Balikatan. As part of drills, the US military has, for the first time, deployed anti-ship missile system to the Luzon Strait north of the Philippines. Some analysts believe that this is to simulate the blockade of the Bashi Channel during a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippines and the US also organized Exercise Cope Thunder previously. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: We always hold that military cooperation between countries should not target or hurt the interests of any third party, nor should it jeopardize regional peace and stability. The South China Sea should be a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship. However, the Philippines holds a candle to the devil by currying favor and colluding with the US and other outside countries to make provocations. It frequently conducts the so-called joint patrols and exercises, and invites and deploys strategic and tactical weapons, which seriously undermines the common interests of regional countries. We firmly oppose any country strengthening military deployment in the region and provoking tensions and confrontation under the excuse of the Taiwan question. Regardless of external challenges and turbulence, the Chinese side will resolutely safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and firmly maintain peace and stability in the region.

    Journalist: The Chinese and Egyptian air forces are conducting their first joint training. Could you please brief us what are the strategic and tactical achievements of this training?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Thanks for your attention. Eagles of Civilization 2025 joint air force training is the first joint training between the Chinese and Egyptian armed forces. The two sides deployed fighter jets, AEW&Cs, tankers and helicopters to the activity. Drills on air combat and air refueling began on April 19, and subjects of air support and battlefield search and rescue will also be covered. The training will run until early May. The participating PLAAF aircraft will train in collaboration with assets of the Egyptian Air Force. This will help enhance capabilities of the two air forces and deepen substantive cooperation between the Chinese and Egyptian militaries.

    Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, the US Secretary of Defense reportedly claimed that China is building an army specifically designed to destroy the US. He said that China’s hypersonic missiles can destroy all US aircraft carriers in 20 minutes. In every war game played by the Pentagon, the US loses to China. In addition, the Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command stated that China is producing warplanes and warships much faster than the US, and is capable of denying US air superiority along the first island chain. Do you have any comment on that? My second question is about the on-going vessel open-day events held by the PLA Navy in 10 cities. Some netizens asked when will the Chinese aircraft carrier also open to the public? What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, some individuals in the US see the Chinese military through colored lens and keep hyping up the so-called “China military threat”. I think this is an obstacle hindering engagements between the Chinese and US militaries. Non-conflict, non-confrontation and peaceful coexistence is in the most fundamental interests of both China and the US, and meets the common expectation of people across the world. We have a sober understanding of the state of our development. We hope the US side will break away from “persecution mania” and stop using others as excuses.

    On your second question, I fully understand the public’s interest in China’s aircraft carriers, and I believe their wish will come true sometime in the future.

    Journalist: It’s reported that President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Cambodia. At his talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, President Xi pointed out the importance of ensuring greater security. Please share with us the Chinese side’s consideration in advancing China-Cambodia military-to-military relationship.

    Zhang Xiaogang: President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Cambodia upon invitation from April 17 to 18. During his visit, he met with leaders of Cambodia to chart the way forward for jointly building an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era. China and Cambodia are friends with ironclad bonds. No matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Cambodia always stand by each other in good faith, support each other, and pursue shared success. Under the strategic guidance of leaders of our two countries, the Chinese and Cambodian armed forces have had close high-level engagements and productive cooperation in different areas. The China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream has been put into operation. The two sides have held Exercise Golden Dragon and Exercise Peace Angel. Exchanges in areas including demining, medical care and publicity continue to deepen. Our military relationship is rock-solid and unbreakable.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Sun Yue)

    Standing at a new starting point, we are ready to work with the Cambodian side to implement the important consensus between leaders of our two countries and make good use of the newly-established 2+2 strategic dialogue mechanism. The two sides will further enrich and expand substantive cooperation in areas such as education and training, joint exercises, medical service, and equipment and technology, and will elevate our military-to-military relationship to a new level.

    Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, as revealed by Taiwan media outlets, there is a wave of resignation inside the troops of Taiwan. Many military officers on the ground chose early decommissioning or resignation to avoid fighting in war. Some analysts think that it’s because they don’t want to be cannon fodder for “Taiwan independence” separatists. What’s your comment on this? Secondly, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Diplomatic Bluebook 2025. In the document, the Japanese side labeled China as an “unprecedented strategic security challenge” and hyped up situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea as well as military cooperation between China and Russia. In addition, the Japanese Defense Minister said that Japan will invest nearly 2 trillion yen in 2 Aegis system equipped vessels. Each of them will have a displacement of over 10,000 tons and firepower far beyond the need required for defense. The Japanese side keeps violating its “exclusively defense-oriented policy” and accelerates the building of offensive capabilities. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, this is another evidence that “Taiwan independence” separatists have no support from the people of Taiwan and will collapse like a house of cards.

    On your second question, we firmly oppose the Japanese side playing up the so-called “China military threat”, hyping up tensions in the region, and deliberately provoking confrontation. China follows a path of peaceful development and pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. Our military development is aimed at safeguarding our national sovereignty, security and development interests. We have no intention to challenge or threaten any country. Engagements and cooperation between the Chinese and Russian militaries feature non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting any third party.

    In recent years, the Japanese side has drastically increased defense budget, and sought breakthroughs in military build-up. Its behaviors have led to serious concerns among its Asian neighbors and the international community. We urge the Japanese side to recalibrate its strategic perception of China, stop provoking bloc confrontation, be prudent with its words and actions in the military and security domain, and contribute more to regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: The Japanese Defense Minister reportedly claimed that Chinese military drones operate frequently near Japan’s airspace and are expanding their flying zone, which concerns the Japanese side and the international community. He also said that the Japanese side will take comprehensive measures for vigilance and reconnaissance. The Japanese Defense Ministry said that the number of emergency scrambles conducted in response to Chinese military drones in 2024 more than doubled year-on-year. May I have your comments on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Chinese military’s operations in relevant waters and airspace are in line with international law and practices, and do not target any specific entity. They are aimed at enhancing our capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. There is absolutely no need for the Japanese side to be paranoid. We require the Japanese side to stop its hype and stop monitoring and disrupting operations of the Chinese side. This will help avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation, prevent accidents at sea and in the air, and avert negative impacts on the relationship between the two countries.

    Journalist: This year marks the 35th year of the Chinese military’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs). Since the Chinese military dispatched military observers for the first time to UNPKOs in April 1990, it has now become a major troop contributor. Could you provide an overview of the Chinese military’s participation in UNPKOs?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Since our first deployment 35 years ago, the Chinese military has participated in 25 peacekeeping missions, and dispatched over 50,000 personnel to more than 20 countries and regions, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon and South Sudan. Chinese peacekeepers completed tasks such as mine clearance and explosive ordinance disposal, medical treatment, security escorts, and protection of civilians. China’s Blue Helmets have stepped forward for world peace with courage and persistence in despite of difficulties and dangers. 17 Chinese service members, including Liu Mingfang, Du Zhaoyu and Shen Liangliang, have made the ultimate sacrifice for the UN peacekeeping cause.

    It’s our objective to preserve peace and protect the people. China is the largest troop contributor to UNPKOs among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping assessments. We maintain an 8,000-strong peacekeeping standby force, which consists of 28 units in 10 categories, such as infantry, medical and rapid response units. The Chinese military has conducted exchanges and cooperation on peacekeeping with over 90 countries and 10 international and regional organizations. We have built “Shared”series, an international brand of peacekeeping operations. As we speak, approximately 1800 Chinese peacekeepers are executing tasks in the UN headquarters and seven mission areas. The Chinese military will continue to deepen and expand our participation in UNPKOs, and contribute more to the implementation of the Global Security Initiative and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

    Journalist: According to reports, the US Chief of Naval Operations announced that a large-scale inter-service joint-operation exercise will be conducted in the Pacific Ocean as a “stress test” to evaluate the combat capabilities of the US military. The US side claimed that the exercise aims to prepare the military for potential conflicts with China in the Pacific. In addition, a US B-1B bomber task force has arrived at the Misawa Air Base in Japan, and US MQ-4C long-endurance drones will be deployed to Okinawa. Do you have any comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Asia-Pacific is a promising land for peace and development, not a “hunting ground” for geopolitical games. Show of force and provocation are “stress tests” that no regional country wants to see or take. We hope the US side will do more to promote peace and stability in the region, rather than the opposite. China remains a force for peace, stability and progress in the Asia-Pacific, and will never be swayed by fallacies, deterred by intimidation, or cowed by pressure. We will resolutely safeguard our national sovereignty, security and development interests.

    Journalist: It’s reported that the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a recent Senate hearing that “China’s increasingly aggressive actions near Taiwan are not just exercises, but rehearsals for attacking Taiwan”. He suggested that the US should significantly advance autonomous systems and deploy them in the Taiwan Strait, so as to build a “hellscape” to deter China. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. How to resolve it is a matter for the Chinese, which brooks no foreign interference. Some individuals of the US side point fingers at and make groundless speculations on the legitimate and necessary measures taken by the Chinese side to safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also attempt to bluff us with a fancy slogan. This exposes their true motive of clinging to US hegemony and selfish interests at the cost of destroying others’ homeland. Threats and intimidation will never work on China or the Chinese military.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first one is that the Philippine corvette BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) invaded into China’s territorial waters of Huangyan Dao on April 20. The naval force of the Southern Theater Command carried out tracking, monitoring, warning and repelling in accordance with law. Analysts believe that by changing the subject of its harassing activities from fishing boats, PCG vessels to warships, the Philippine side is attempting to escalate the South China Sea issue from law enforcement by coast guard to military conflict, leaving space for following diplomatic and public opinion manipulations. What’s your comment on this? Secondly, according to Japanese media outlets, the Japanese and Philippine governments will make legal arrangements to facilitate military intelligence exchanges. The Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will visit the Philippines at the end of April to reach an agreement on starting discussions as soon as possible for signing the General Security of Military Information Agreement. The Philippines signed with the US a military intelligence-sharing agreement last year. If it signs another with Japan, the three countries will be able to share intelligence regarding the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Analysts believe that this is aimed at monitoring and deterring military presence of the PLA in this region. Do you have any comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, the PLA Southern Theater Command has issued a statement in response. We urge the Philippine side to stop right-infringing provocations. If it keeps barreling down the wrong path and acting recklessly, it will do itself more harm than good and taste the bitter fruit of its own doing.

    On your second question, the Philippine side soliciting foreign support to stir up troubles in the South China Sea will not work. External countries meddling in the South China Sea issue will bring about chaos and is not welcomed.

    Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, it’s reported that the troops in Taiwan started the computer-assisted command post drill (computer-simulated war games) under  Exercise Han Kuang 41 on April 5. The drill will last for 14 days and 13 nights. The scenarios include the so-called potential operations by the Chinese mainland, such as “gray-zone harassment” and “transition from exercise to war”. Koo Li-hsiung, Head of Taiwan’s military authorities, said that as it takes the PLA shorter time to shift from training to war, the troops in Taiwan needs to test and enhance its ability to respond to potential situations at any time. What’s your comment on this?

    The second one is that it is reported that the DPP authorities is considering using over 13,000 convenience stores as “wartime hubs” in the event of “a cross-Strait war”. This is one of the plans under discussion for the ”Whole of Society Defence Resilience Committee”, a unit set up by the Lai Ching-te authorities. May I have your comments on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, the military elements of “Taiwan independence” separatist forces put on a flashy show by conducting exercises. This does nothing more than embolden and comfort themselves. No matter how many drills they carry out, they will not be able to escape from their destined failure.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Sun Yue)

    On your second question, for its selfish gains, the DPP authorities hysterically hype up the so-called “mainland’s threat”, stir up social panic, and double down on their “combat readiness for Taiwan independence”. If left unchecked, their behaviors will surely plunge Taiwan into war. The DPP authorities’ so-called “whole-of-society defence” actually harms the whole society, as they take the Taiwan island as a battlefield and coerce the local people into cannon fodders for “Taiwan independence”. Their actions are shameful. The PLA is committed to fighting against “Taiwan independence” separatists, promoting national reunification, and safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope our Taiwan compatriots recognize the true nature of the DPP authorities as a source of chaos and disasters, take active actions to oppose “Taiwan independence”, and protect their own well-being and livelihood. We hope the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will join hands to promote national reunification and rejuvenation.

    Journalist: According to reports from Taiwan media, the US side sent a retired four-star army general, who was also a former commander of US Forces Korea, to serve as the senior observer for the war games of this year’s Han Kuang Exercise. In addition, the war games revealed five potential patterns of joint operations between Taiwan and the US in wartime. May I have your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: We firmly oppose any form of military collusion between the US and Taiwan. To embolden and support “Taiwan independence” separatists is to ruin peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Those who do that will get burned for playing with fire, and taste the bitter fruit of their own doing. We urge the US side to stop stirring up troubles on the Taiwan question, earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués, and deliver on its promise of not supporting “Taiwan independence”. We solemnly warn the DPP authorities that those who solicit US support for “Taiwan independence” will be stabbed in the back, and be abandoned as a useless pawn.

    Zhang Xiaogang: If no other questions, this concludes today’s press conference. Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Man Sentenced to Multiple Life Sentences in Prison for Murder and Other Crimes Committed in His Role as Leader of Sprawling Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was sentenced to four life sentences on April 23, 2025 for ordering and committing three murders and for his role in a large-scale narcotics enterprise, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Michael Healy, 44, of Montclair, New Jersey, was convicted by a federal jury in April 2024 of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiring to murder a federal witness, three counts of murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms offenses following a four-week trial before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court. 

    “Michael Healy orchestrated three murders in order to silence the victims in this case.  When Healy believed that someone in his drug trafficking enterprise was cooperating with law enforcement, he demonstrated that he was willing to go to the greatest lengths possible – to commit multiple acts of murder – to protect his profitable enterprise.  This sentence will prevent Healy from harming any other members of our community and will send a message that attacks on the justice system will not be tolerated.”

    U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    “Healy spent much of his life building an illegal drug trafficking enterprise, fueled by greed and violence,” FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly said.  “He used his power to destroy communities through the distribution of poisonous narcotics and murdered those who he perceived as a threat to his empire. Now, he will spend the rest of his life in federal prison, where his power and money won’t matter.”

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:

    In February 2018, Healy found out that one of his conspirators in the drug trafficking enterprise (DTE) was cooperating with law enforcement by providing information about the drug enterprise. Healy ordered members of the Bloods in East Orange to kill the informant, referenced in the Indictment as ‘A.S.” On Feb. 3, 2018, outside the informant’s residence in Bloomfield, New Jersey, Healy’s conspirators shot and killed a bystander, referenced in the Indictment as “Victim-1,” believing the bystander was the informant. Realizing they killed the wrong person, Healy ordered the Bloods to finish the job, and on March 12, 2018, in Bloomfield, the conspirators killed the informant while he was walking his dog in the area of his residence. On April 6, 2018, believing that another member of the enterprise – identified in the indictment as “J.C.” – might also pose a risk to the Enterprise, Healy himself shot and killed “J.C.” in Newark.

    Healy’s DTE operated in and around Newark beginning in approximately 2012. Between 2003 and 2012, Healy became a member of the Tree Top PIRU set of the Bloods street gang in Maryland. In and around 2012, Healy formed and led the Healy DTE, a large and sophisticated drug distribution organization that obtained, transported and distributed large amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana. Healy used his leadership status in the Tree Top PIRU Bloods to assist him with obtaining suppliers, recruiting and controlling enterprise members, and otherwise conducting the Healy DTE’s operations.

    The Healy DTE transported multi-kilogram quantities of controlled substances from California to New Jersey by various means, including private aircraft, vehicles with hidden secret compartments, and the U.S. Postal Service. The Healy DTE then processed and repackaged the controlled substances at various “stash houses” in New Jersey. The Healy DTE distributed some of the controlled substances in New Jersey, including through Bloods gang members in East Orange.

    The Court sentenced Healy to four life sentences plus 360 months’ imprisonment. On Counts One (Racketeering Conspiracy), Six (Murder of a Federal Witness), and Twelve (Drug Trafficking Conspiracy), Healy was sentenced to life in prison, each term ordered to run concurrent to each other and consecutive to the prison sentences imposed on the remaining counts.  On Counts Two (Murder in Aid of Racketeering for the murder of Victim-1), Five (Murder in Aid of Racketeering for the murder of A.S.), and Nine (Murder in Aid of Racketeering for the murder of J.C.), the Court imposed life sentences on each count to run consecutively.  On Counts Three, Seven, and Ten (each charging Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence), the Court imposed consecutive 10-year sentences for a total of 360 months, ordered to run consecutively to the sentences imposed on all other counts.

    Thomas Zimmerman, Tyquan Daniels, and Ali Hill – all members of the Brick City Brims subset of the Bloods street gang in East Orange – previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy for their respective roles in the murders of Victim-1 and A.S.  Zimmerman was sentenced to a 37-year term of imprisonment; Daniels was sentenced to a 35-year term of imprisonment; and Hill was sentenced to a 25-year term of imprisonment.  In addition, on February 22, 2024, Leevander Wade pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy for his roles in all three murders, and was sentenced to a term of 36 years and 8 months’ imprisonment.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Newark FBI Joint Organized Crime Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda; the Essex County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Theodore N. Stephens, II; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of William A. Daniel, the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Phyllis L. Bindi; the Montclair Police Department, under the direction of Todd M. Conforti, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Intelligence and Investigative Division, under the direction of Secretary Robert Green; the Ohio State Highway Patrol, under the direction of Colonel Charles A. Jones.

    The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Robert L. Frazer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha C. Fasanello.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel: Stephen Turano and Thomas Ambrosio

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sustainable aviation fuel revenue certainty mechanism

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Written statement to Parliament

    Sustainable aviation fuel revenue certainty mechanism

    Update on government actions to support the UK sustainable aviation fuel sector.

    Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is integral to reaching net zero aviation by 2050. It reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around 70% on average over the lifecycle of its production and use when replacing fossil kerosene. It is also an enabler of growth, and can provide good, skilled jobs across the UK.

    That is why this government has taken rapid action to support SAF. Just weeks into office, we reiterated our commitment to the SAF Mandate. In November (2024), we signed it into law, and it has been in place since January (2025).

    The SAF Mandate is the UK’s key policy mechanism to secure demand for SAF. It delivers GHG emission savings by encouraging the use of SAF within the aviation industry. It does this by setting a legal obligation on fuel suppliers in the UK to supply an increasing proportion of SAF over time. Suppliers receive certificates for the SAF they supply. Certificates are issued in proportion to the level of GHG emission reductions that the fuel delivers. That is, the greater the savings, the greater number of certificates they receive. The SAF Mandate started at 2% of total UK jet fuel demand in 2025 and increases linearly to 10% in 2030 and then to 22% in 2040. It could deliver up to 6.3 million tonnes of carbon savings per year by 2040.

    We are also committed to developing the UK SAF industry to secure a UK supply of SAF, attract investment and create good green jobs across the UK.

    In January, we announced an additional £63 million of funding for the Advanced Fuels Fund, our grant funding programme for UK SAF production, extending the programme for another year.

    We are also introducing a revenue certainty mechanism to help attract investment into UK SAF production. Under the SAF revenue certainty mechanism, SAF producers will enter into a private law contract with a government-backed counterparty. These contracts will set a strike price for SAF: if producers sell their SAF for below the strike price, the counterparty makes payments of the difference; if the SAF is sold for above the strike price, the producer makes payments of the difference to the counterparty. This addresses the most significant constraint on investment in SAF production and sends a clear signal to investors: that this is a serious UK investment opportunity.

    This government has made significant progress towards delivering the revenue certainty mechanism. We announced that we will be introducing a revenue certainty mechanism bill in the first session of this Parliament in the King’s Speech and will have the legislation in place by the end of 2026 at the very latest.

    In 2050, up to 15,000 jobs and £5 billion gross value added (GVA) in the UK could be supported with future low carbon fuel production for the domestic and international markets. The revenue certainty mechanism, along with the government’s modern industrial strategy, will provide a launchpad for this sector to drive growth and investment.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom