The United States is set to commit almost its entire inventory of long-range JASSM-ER cruise missiles to its ongoing military campaign against Iran, significantly reducing stockpiles earmarked for other regions, according to a Bloomberg report.Citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter, Bloomberg reported that orders were issued in late March to pull $1.5 million worth of missiles from the Pacific stockpile, with additional weapons from the continental US and other locations redirected to US Central Command bases and Fairford in the United Kingdom.After redeployment, only about 425 JASSM-ER missiles will remain from the pre-war inventory of about 2,300, the report said. About 75 others are considered “unusable” due to damage or technical failure. The remaining operational stock would be enough for about 17 B-1B bomber missions.The JASSM-ER, or Joint Air-to-Surface Missile, has an extended range of more than 600 miles and is designed to attack targets from a distance while avoiding enemy air defenses. With the shorter-range JASSM, which has a strike range of about 250 miles, about two-thirds of the US stockpile is now allocated to the Iran conflict.The heavy use of long-range precision weapons comes as US and Israeli forces continue their air campaign that began on February 28. According to reports, more than 1,000 JASSM-ER missiles were expended in the first four weeks of the war alone.Although such weapons reduce the risk to personnel by enabling stand-off attacks, their rapid consumption is putting a strain on reserves designed for potential conflict with more advanced adversaries such as China. At current production rates it may take several years to replenish these stocks.Although Washington and its allies claim to have knocked out a large portion of Iran’s air defense network, recent losses indicate continued risks. An American F-15E fighter plane was shot down on Friday, followed by an A-10 fighter plane and two combat search and rescue helicopters were damaged, according to the New York Times. Iran has also reportedly destroyed more than a dozen MQ-9 drones during the conflict.Despite the scale of deployment, not all committed missiles are expected to be used. So far, JASSM-ERs have been launched from B-52 and B-1B bombers as well as strike fighters.The US has funded the purchase of more than 6,200 JASSM missiles since 2009, although production of the baseline version ended nearly a decade earlier. Manufacturer Lockheed Martin is expected to produce 396 JASSM-ER missiles in 2026, with the potential to increase to 860 annually if production lines are fully dedicated.US Central Command and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Warning of the ‘Stone Age’ and the dynamics of the evolving battlefieldUncertainty remains over the next phase of the US campaign, even as additional ground forces, including Marines and paratroopers, have been deployed to the region. Speculation has intensified about a possible move to seize Kharg Island, an important hub for Iran’s oil exports.President Donald Trump said in a Wednesday night address that “over the next two to three weeks, we will bring them back to the Stone Age where they belong,” without clarifying whether the comments referred to Iran’s military, government or civilian infrastructure.American military officials have indicated a change in strategy. Gen. Dan Kane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said B-52 bombers have begun flying over Iran, suggesting better access to airspace and enabling the use of cheaper JDAM precision-guided bombs.However, analysts have so far questioned the reliance on stand-off weapons. “It raises questions about the extent to which the United States continues to rely on interdiction capabilities,” said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, referring to the delay in deployment of older B-52 bombers.The conflict has also put pressure on missile defense systems. According to Gulf officials, Iran has launched more than 1,600 ballistic missiles and about 4,000 Martyr-type cruise missiles across the region. At least 3,200 interceptor missiles may be required to intercept ballistic threats alone.Production constraints remain a matter of concern. Lockheed Martin currently manufactures about 650 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors annually, with plans to increase to 2,000 per year by 2030. THAAD interceptor output is 96 per year, with an agreement to increase production to 400.Meanwhile, the US fired hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles during the campaign. Before the war, the US inventory consisted of approximately 4,000 Tomahawks, including older and anti-ship versions. RTX Corp plans to produce about 100 new missiles in 2025, while upgrading about 240 older units to the latest Block V configuration.

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chaddha He has issued a strong denial of the allegations leveled against him by his party colleagues and hit back with the warning, “Because I am injured, therefore I am dangerous”, a famous dialogue used in the Bollywood film Dhurandhar.“I go to Parliament to create influence, not to create ruckus,” Chadha said. He rejected his party leaders’ allegation that he was afraid to speak against PM Narendra Modi BJP And failing to raise issues that were relevant to his party’s stance, Chadha claimed that the “false” allegations leveled against him were part of a “scripted campaign” and a “coordinated attack”.AAP leaders reacted sharply and said Punjab Chadha was criticized in the Parliament for ignoring the core issues of Punjab. The controversy started when AAP on Thursday removed Chadha from the post of deputy leader of the party in Rajya Sabha. On Friday, Chadha announced through a video message that he would not be intimidated by efforts to silence him, prompting a sharp reaction from his colleagues.“To those who are accusing me today, I want to tell them that every lie will be exposed and every question will be answered,” Chadha said in a video message on Saturday.“To those who are accusing me today, I want to tell them that every lie will be exposed and every question will be answered – because I am injured I am dangerous,” Chadha warned.“A written campaign is being carried out against me since yesterday. Same language, same words and same allegations. This is no coincidence but a coordinated attack,” Chadha said.The MP rejected the allegation as “blatant falsehood” that he does not join opposition walkouts on issues and challenged his accusers to cite even a single such instance, which he said could be verified through CCTV footage of House proceedings.Denying the allegation that he had refused to sign the notice demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Chadha said no party leader had asked him to sign it “formally or informally”. He said that about 6 or 7 out of 10 AAP MPs did not sign it, then why are they being singled out and why are they being held guilty. Chadha also highlighted that signatures of at least 50 members are required to submit a notice and this number was achieved by the opposition in the Rajya Sabha and hence he wondered why AAP was making so much noise about not signing their notice. On AAP’s charge that he was raising unimportant issues because he was scared, Chadha said, “I want to make it clear that I have not gone to Parliament to shout, create ruckus, break mics or abuse others. I have gone there to raise the concerns of the common man.” He listed the issues raised by him GSTFrom income tax, water issues in Punjab, air quality in Delhi to unemployment and price rise.Meanwhile, hitting out at Chadha, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, AAP Punjab president Aman Arora and AAP Punjab chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal alleged that despite repeated communications, important matters including GST deficit were not addressed. Terming Chadha’s silence a betrayal of the people and mandate of Punjab, the leaders said his failure to raise the concerns of farmers and the plight of flood victims reflects a complete disconnect from the ground reality.

देवकीनंदन ठाकुर
– फोटो: अमर उजाला ग्राफिक्स

विस्तार

आज अगर देश में वक्फ बोर्ड है तो सनातन बोर्ड भी होना चाहिए। सनातन बोर्ड बनेगा तो सनातन का उत्थान होगा। गुरुकुलम बनेंगे और सनातनियों को रोजगार मिलेगा। ये बातें प्रसिद्ध कथावाचक एवं आध्यात्मिक गुरु देवकीनंदन ठाकुर महाराज ने विशेष बातचीत में कहीं.

ट्रेंडिंग वीडियो

यह वीडियो/विज्ञापन हटाएं

उन्होंने कहा कि वर्तमान में चारधाम में गैर-सनातनी प्रवेश पर प्रतिबंध है, यह आदेश भारत के हर तीर्थ क्षेत्र में लागू किया जाना चाहिए। जब हिंदू मक्का-मदीना नहीं जा सकते तो मथुरा, अयोध्या या हर तीर्थ क्षेत्र में गैर-हिंदुओं के प्रवेश पर रोक क्यों नहीं लगाई जा सकती.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year has done nothing to hide the growing problem in the longest format. Despite better results in limited overs cricket under the leadership of the head coach, there has been a significant decline in the team’s Test performance. Gautam GambhirThe red-ball setup remains a matter of concern. Defeats against New Zealand and South Africa at home have underlined that India are no longer invincible in their own conditions, with their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final now diminishing. Recognizing the issue, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has taken steps to reset its long-term Test structure. According to PTI, the Center of Excellence headed by VVS Laxman has drawn up a detailed plan to rebuild India’s red-ball depth by focusing on the next generation. At the heart of this strategy is a four-day intra-COE competition scheduled in June and July. The tournament, which is set to feature talents like Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, will feature 64 players under the age of 25. These players will be divided into four teams of 16, with each side playing two multi-day matches on different surfaces to simulate different match scenarios. The idea is to create a consistent pipeline of red-ball players who can serve India over the next decade. As part of this change, coaches and selectors have been instructed to prioritize red-ball development at high-performance camps in Bengaluru in the coming year. “The India Emerging team will consist of only Under-25 players and they will also form India A teams for shadow tours. The roadmap will be made keeping in mind senior selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir,” a BCCI source told PTI. “After the IPL ends, both India Under-19 and Emerging (Under-25) will tour Sri Lanka for four-day games. The team will be selected on the basis of performance in the intra-CoE tournament,” the source said. India’s difficulties in Tests, especially their falling effectiveness against spin even on home soil, has been a major trigger for this change since Gambhir took charge. The new system is designed to overcome those shortcomings through continued exposure to longer format cricket. For selection, 25 under-23 players will be selected by the junior panel led by S Sharath. The other 25 players from the Under-23 and Under-25 categories will be selected by the senior selection committee on the basis of their performances in domestic tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with the condition that these players will not have been part of the IPL. The remaining 14 places will go to players who have played in the IPL, including Mhatre, Suryavanshi and Sameer Rizvi, who complete the 64-player pool. “The idea is to select 25 players after the Intra-CoE tournament, and this core group of cricketers will represent both Emerging and India A in the shadow tours. BCCI officials and the Team India management have been very clear – even for the Under-19s, the focus has to be on the red ball for the next one year,” the source said.