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The Associated Press via Stars and Stripes
Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, the commanding general of the Russian 7th Airborne Division, was killed in fighting in Ukraine. His death was confirmed by a local officers’ organization in the Krasnodar region in southern Russia. The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear.
Defense News
“This aircraft and its gun system were designed to counter an armored assault in Europe. They proved effective in Desert Storm’s target-rich environment, quite similar to the current advancing Russian force. They also became the infantry’s friend in close-air support missions. The United States Air Force has deployment packages ready to go. The whole transfer to the Ukrainian Air Force could be completed in days after congressional authorization. Firepower is needed to defeat the coming onslaught of armored forces. Other weapons are necessary for ground forces, but air power will be decisive. The A-10 has proven this ability and was designed for this purpose,” writes Everett Pyatt, a former assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for shipbuilding and logistics.
Breaking Defense
Gambit will be General Atomics' entrant for the Air Force's Off-Board Sensing System program, a source with knowledge of the program told Breaking Defense exclusively.
Defense One
Cargo planes that drop cruise missiles from pallets and land on water show how air special operators are trying to trick out what they’ve already got on the tarmac.
DOD release
President Joe Biden has nominated 32 Air Force colonels for their first star and new assignments.
Air Force Times
The White House has formally asked Congress for $32.5 billion in pandemic relief and “critical assistance” to help Ukraine fight off a Russian invasion, with $4.8 billion for the Pentagon, as part of an updated supplemental spending request. Ukraine spending makes up $10 billion, split between the Pentagon―for troop deployments in Eastern Europe, covert support, and to replace U.S. weapons sent to Ukraine―and the State Department, for humanitarian, economic, and military aid. The request marks a big jump from the Biden administration’s stated need of $6.4 billion for Ukraine aid days ago.
Military.com
Shortly after the Russian invasion began, unconfirmed rumors spread widely across the internet of a mysterious Ukrainian fighter pilot in a MiG-29 gunning down six enemy aircraft within the first hours of the war. The unknown military hero, dubbed "The Ghost of Kyiv" on social media, had been taking to the skies since the invasion started and allegedly reached 21 confirmed Russian aircraft kills as of March 2, making the pilot the first supposed flying ace of the 21st century. "The Ghost of Kyiv," however, is almost certainly a myth, albeit an incredibly useful one as Ukraine tries to rally its citizens to resist Russian conquest.
One More Thing
HistoryNet
The triangular-shaped struts supporting the high wing and fixed landing gear of the single-engine Bellanca Aircruiser cargo and passenger airplane earned it the nickname the “Flying W.” In 1935, Eldorado Gold Mines Limited purchased one and contracted with the Mackenzie Air Service of Edmonton, Alberta, for its operation. Capable of carrying payloads of up to 4,000 pounds, the Aircruiser was used to deliver uranium to Eldorado’s refinery in Port Hope, Ontario. In addition, workers were flown out of the Great Bear Lake mine for relaxation while sitting on the burlap bags of uranium oxide.
