Israeli air force chief confirms first F-35 airstrike
The head of Israel’s air force on Tuesday revealed that it used the next-generation F-35 fighter jet for the first time during a recent mission.
Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin told a conference that he believes it was the first time the fighter has been used in the Middle East, and that the air force is just beginning to understand the “huge potential” of the aircraft.
In a brief video clip released by the army, Norkin points to what he says is a picture of the plane “over Beirut.” He did not say when the mission occurred, but Syria and Iran have accused Israel of carrying out a number of airstrikes recently in Syria.
On May 10, Israel acknowledged striking a series of Iranian targets in Syria in response to an Iranian rocket attack launched from the neighboring country.
Israel has repeatedly said it will not allow Iran, its archenemy, to establish a permanent military presence in Syria. It fears that Iran and its Shiite proxies, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah, will use Syrian territory to launch attacks against Israel.
Israel’s Channel 10 TV said the F-35 jets have recently been deployed in two unspecified operations. Their use remained secret until the May 22 announcement, the station said.
Norkin’s comments can be seen as a show of force from Israel’s air force, sending a message of deterrence to Iran and Hezbollah, according to Channel 10’s military analyst, Alon Ben David.
Israel was one of the first countries to acquire the U.S.-made warplane, in 2016. The F-35 fighter jet’s advanced stealth technology allows it to evade even sophisticated anti-aircraft systems, according to weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin. AP
United Technologies plans to hire 35,000 people
United Technologies plans to hire 35,000 people and invest more than $15 billion in the United States over the next five years.
The company said May 23 that the investment will go toward research and development and capital expenditures.
United Technologies has more than 200,000 employees in over 75 countries. It currently has 67,000 workers in the U.S.
The 35,000 positions will be mostly from retirements and normal turnover, the company said, but it anticipates several thousand will be new jobs. While jobs are anticipated in all states, the greatest hiring needs are in Connecticut, Florida and Georgia.
Half of the jobs are expected to be in production and maintenance, with the rest being professional and managerial positions.
United Technologies makes Otis elevators, Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines and other products. AP
Russian sub test-fires four intercontinental missiles in salvo
A Russian nuclear-powered submarine successfully test-fired four intercontinental ballistic missiles on May 22, the navy said.
The navy said the submarine, named Yuri Dolgoruky after the medieval prince who founded Moscow, launched the Bulava missiles in a single salvo from a submerged position in the White Sea. The navy said the mock warheads the missiles carried reached their practice targets on the opposite side of Russia — the Kura shooting range on the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
The exercise marked the first simultaneous launch of four Bulava missiles, which can carry multiple nuclear warheads and has a range of up to 9,300 kilometers (about 5,770 miles.)
The Bulava has been commissioned by the Russian navy after a long cycle of development. Russian officials said the missile has quicker start than its predecessors, helping it dodge missile defenses.
The Yuri Dolgoruky is one of the three new Borei-class submarines the Russian navy has. Another five such submarines are under construction to gradually replace some of the older Soviet-built ones. AP
Union vote set for some South Carolina Boeing workers
Some employees at Boeing’s plant in South Carolina will soon vote on whether they want to join the International Association of Machinists union.
The National Labor Relations Board ruled May 21 that 178 flight readiness technicians and inspectors at the manufacturer’s North Charleston plant can vote on whether to join the union. Balloting is scheduled for May 31.
According to local media outlets, Boeing has said that it will appeal the ruling, arguing that the smaller group is too hard to set different rules for and that any union vote should include all 3,000 production employees. In a March hearing, Boeing said work done by the flight line employees is so intertwined with the rest of the facility that the small group can’t be parsed out for collective bargaining.
The larger group rejected unionization by a three to one margin last year. According to the union, the smaller group has different duties and should be allowed to vote separately.
Flight line workers are tasked with getting planes ready for test flights, performing inspections and responding to issues raised by pilots. In the March hearing, a union attorney said those workers have licensing requirements that other employees don’t have and are given special bonuses, training and even clothing that set them apart from the rest of the assembly staff.
The Machinists, the country’s largest aerospace union, already represents more than 35,000 Boeing employees at 24 locations nationwide.
This marks the third time the Machinists have attempted to organize Boeing workers in North Charleston. A 2015 effort ended when the union withdrew its petition days before a scheduled election. AP