The F-35 is a family of three variants: F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL), F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL), and F-35C carrier-capable version. The aircraft first flew in 2006, with IOC achieved by the F-35B in July 2015, the F-35A in August 2016, and the F-35C in early 2019. As of mid-2025, more than 1,170…
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F-35 Lightning II, a 5th-gen stealth fighter, first flew in 2006, entered service in the mid-2010s, and by 2025 had over 1,000 delivered to 17 nations. F-22 Raptor, a 5th-gen air-superiority fighter, first flew in 1997 and entered service in 2005, with a top speed around Mach 2.25 and only 195 built. Chengdu J-20 Mighty…
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The 2017 U.S. Department of Defense project Maven was launched to apply AI-based computer vision to analyze drone surveillance footage in the Middle East, with fielding by year’s end. In 2019, China released its National Defense White Paper announcing the goal of “intelligentized warfare” and a plan to become the world AI leader by 2030.…
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In 2024 the global Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISL) market was about US$402 million and is projected to reach US$2.0 billion by 2030, a fivefold increase with roughly 30% CAGR. Major LEO mega-constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and the planned OneWeb Phase 2 are integrating optical inter-satellite links from the outset to boost…
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Latvia has about 1.9 million people, with roughly 92.9% online as of early 2024. Over 50% of Latvian households use fiber connections, placing Latvia among seven European countries with high fiber penetration. Latvia has the second-highest rural fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) coverage in Europe, behind Denmark. As of 2022, 76% of fixed broadband subscriptions were over fiber,…
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Over 50% of subscribers are already on fiber, with Telecom Italia San Marino planning to retire all copper DSL by 2027. San Marino achieved full nationwide 5G coverage by the end of 2018, making it Europe’s first country with nationwide 5G. The internet market is highly concentrated, with Telecom Italia San Marino (TISM) controlling about…
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In 2024 Ukraine’s online retail sales totaled about ₴239 billion (≈$6–6.5 billion), roughly one-third higher than 2023. About 11 million Ukrainians were online shoppers in 2024, with online purchases comprising about 16% of total spending and roughly 30 million adults as “active online consumers.” Rozetka generated about ₴45 billion in revenue in 2023 and commanded…
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By late 2024, the F-35 Lightning II had surpassed 1,000 deliveries worldwide, fueling Lockheed Martin’s market dominance and its ubiquity across more than a dozen nations. Lockheed Martin continues F-16 production into a 50th year with new Block 70/72 variants exported to Slovakia and Bahrain. Boeing is delivering the F-15EX Eagle II to the U.S.…
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Most countries require registration for drones over 250 g, with examples including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the EU, China, and Japan, and fees typically around $5 for 1–3 years. In the United States, recreational flyers must pass the TRUST test and follow community safety rules, while commercial operators must hold an FAA…
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Direct war damage reached $176 billion by end-2024, with 72% of losses concentrated in frontline regions Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Kyiv oblasts. An updated needs assessment estimates Ukraine will require about $524 billion (€506 billion) over the next decade to repair and rebuild, roughly 2.8 times the country’s 2024 GDP. Housing is the…
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