zeus online slot Iron Maiden 's drummer Nicko McBrain is leaving the rock band after four decades together. The musician, 72, announced his departure in a statement on the band's official website and his social media. "After much consideration, it is with both sorrow and joy, I announce my decision to take a step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle," the pro drummer began. "Today, Saturday, December 7th, Sao Paulo will be my final gig with IRON MAIDEN. I wish the band much success moving forward." While McBrain made it clear that he is only retiring from touring, the musician assured the fans that he will still remain "part of the IRON MAIDEN family working on a variety of projects." The veteran drummer revealed that he will also continue with his ongoing personal ventures. "I'll also be working on a variety of different personal projects and focusing on my existing businesses and ventures, including The British Drum Company, Nicko McBrain's Drum One, TITANIUM TART, and of course, Rock-N-Roll Ribs!" The group's manager Rod Smallwood praised the drummer for being an "irrepressible force behind the drum kit." Smallwood also revealed that Nicko's replacement has already been picked, with the newcomer being announced in due course. Fans honoured the drummer in heartfelt tweets for giving "40+ years of metal" while also being devastated by his exit. "Bummed but congrats on a well-deserved retirement. Thanks for 40+ years of metal...Up The Irons!!!" one fan wrote on X. A second user wrote, "'I knew this day would come eventually, but it's still incredibly sad. Nicko is awesome. Thanks for all the great music." "An absolute legend, one of the most underappreciated drummers ever Thank you Nicko McBrain," said another while a fourth user wrote, "Gutted I won't be seeing you at the London Stadium next summer. Up The Irons!" "You’re an absolute Legend, Nicko. Thank you for the decades of incredible music, humour, and dedication. I’m glad you are able to go off into the future, on your terms. UP THE IRONS," another fan wrote. His decision to retire from touring comes after he suffered a stroke with partial paralysis in January 2023. McBrain first went public with his stroke in August 2023, saying the episode left him "paralysed" down one side of his body and "worried" that his career with the band was over. Four years ago, McBrain was also diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer, per a 2021 interview. McBrain's exit means he will miss out on the band's 50th anniversary UK tour next year.Solana (SOL) and Chainlink (LINK) Skyrocketed Despite BTC Dominance – Will This New Exchange-Based Crypto Flip BNB?

CNN wants the North Carolina lieutenant governor's defamation lawsuit against it thrown outZelensky insists on a 'just peace' at Trump Paris meeting

San Juan (Puerto Rico), Nov 24 (AP) Gunmen opened fire early Sunday at a bar in southeast Mexico, killing six people and injuring at least five others, according to local media reports. The shooting took place in the coastal province of Tabasco, which is struggling with a recent increase in violence. Public Safety Secretary Omar García Harfuch said on X that the shooting happened in Villahermosa and that federal authorities are working with local officials to help solve the crime. No arrests were reported, and it wasn't immediately clear what prompted the shooting. Videos posted on social media show people fleeing the bar while some survivors stayed with the victims as police arrived. Sunday's attack was the latest violent incident to occur as a new president inherits a whirlwind of violence. Earlier this month, gunmen opened fire in a bar in central Mexico killing 10 people and injuring 13. The attack took place in the historic city centre of Querétaro in a region that until recently had long been spared the violence seen in neighbouring states like Guerrero. (AP) PY PY (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

Who are the favorites to win Golden Globes? | Streamed & Screened podcastAmazon's best Cyber Monday deals on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones

$HAREHOLDER INVESTIGATION: The M&A Class Action Firm Continues to Investigate the Mergers ...

Washington CommandersST. ALBANS CITY — As each morning reminds us: It’s cold outside. Every winter, our planet tilts its northern half away from the sun, shortening the days and lowering the temperatures, yet everybody needs a place to stay warm. This year more than most, the follow-up question has become: “At what price?” As the debate around energy use continues, Vermont and its residents face the age-old challenge of finding the best way to heat their homes at the cheapest cost. From heat pumps to wood stoves, there are more options available than ever, but the conversation has also gotten more complicated, especially as the state wrestles with its own age-old problem — keeping taxes low. To get a comprehensive solution to your heating needs, the Messenger recommends talking to a professional heating specialist. But in the meantime, here’s our next best effort to explain what Vermonters need to know as they deal with another cold winter and rising heating costs. Layers, movement and energy In Vermont, most of the state’s underlying social issues are related to housing in some way, and heat joined the list this summer, thanks in part, to the Clean Heat Standard. But then, Vermont has always been cold. So what changed his past year? Like everything else since the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest conversation around indoor heating has been spurred by rising costs, changing demographics and a lackluster housing stock. Admittedly, explaining all that isn’t going to help anyone actually keep their homes warm. Instead, this past week, I sat down with Dwight Decoster, who thinks a lot about how to keep a place toasty. He’s the head of the Champlain Valley Weatherization program, a Colchester-based nonprofit where he and his team upgrade 240 homes per year as part of a state-funded program. To meet with Decoster, a homeowner can apply to the program through the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, where applicants are weighed and ranked according to need. There’s a point system, but if you fit the state’s criteria, Decoster’s crew could show up to take a look over your property and start identifying the best ways to bring it up to 21st century heating standards. Through the program, a client can get their homes weatherized for free. “It’s one of the best kept secrets in Vermont ,” he said. To get started with a new client, Decoster said it requires two visits by energy experts to lay out what they do with each house, because it takes so much time to help people wrap their heads around the concept of what they want to do. Decoster said he tends to start his conversations about heat by relating it to how people get ready to go outside in the winter. To weatherize your home — like to weatherize yourself — you start with putting on your hat. Since heat rises, Decoster and his team look into the roof and the attic to make sure everything is nice and tight. Then, they focus on the foundation to keep your footers dry, followed by the final check — the exterior walls. To keep the warm air in and your house zipped up, they usually add a few layers — usually including some sprayed cellulose insulation — and then you essentially have a house buttoned up for the winter. The weatherized results should better encapsulate the thermal energy that’s generated in a house. Every home has some sort of heat-generating device, but Decoster said a house that leaks hot air is essentially throwing away the energy costs needed to generate it. “The (investment) payback on air sealing is like seven years,” he said. “The average payback on insulation is 10 to 12 years. So you see how obviously, customers want to get their biggest bang for their buck. But air sealing and insulation need to go together.” Decoster and his crew often start with a blower to kick-off each weatherization project. The machine forces air into a house, and a thermal imaging device can identify the various sources heat may be leaking from. Decoster compared the process to trying to stop up the light that can be seen outlining a closed door. If a door’s gap isn't tight enough, that’s plenty of space for it to shine through. Heat functions in the same way, as thermal energy moves toward a colder low pressure space. Usually, weatherization involves adding more insulation, but Decoster said doing so is kind of moot until those holes can be tightened up. Along those same lines, any homeowner can make necessary adjustments today to help prevent heat from escaping, he said. Check to make sure there is a weather strip on your door. For a quick test, Decoster said shut your front door, turn out the lights inside, turn on the porch lights and check for any silhouetting. Lock your windows at night. Even with double locking windows, the extra pressure against the frame creates a better air seal. Look on the outside of the house, by taking a walk around it. Check for any faults in air paths that could lead in and out, like range hoods or bathroom fans. Insulate your attic hatch. Decoster said he spent an hour adding a weather strip to the attic when he first moved into his house, and it can completely change the airflow throughout a structure. If you’re a little more DIY, Decoster said spraying insulation can be done by a relatively handy person. He recommends cellulose over fiberglass insulation, as it's cheaper and much greener from an environmental perspective. History and energy use Ask energy expert Jim Stiles about the most efficient heating solution he can think of, and he heads underground. “The one that has really captured my attention for many decades now is the groundsource heat pumps, or sort of, twist on that, a thermal energy network,” he said. Stiles is the chair of the City of St. Albans Climate & Energy Advisory Committee. The group’s focus has been on fixing up city property to find cost efficiencies, but he can imagine a much bigger mission of helping establish an underground thermal network for the city. The idea is far from being a reality any time soon, but the concept behind the technology is to create a system of underground pipes that holds thermal energy — via warm water or coolant — that each building attached to the system could easily share. It’s kind of like huddling for warmth, but on a streetwide level and if huddling was more of a shared utility. “It’s ideal in terms of where you most hope to be,” Stiles said. “For the people and places where it makes good engineering sense, it has other advantages because of the reduced demand for electricity.” While such a system could be beneficial for Vermont, Stiles recognizes the steep ask required for such a system. The infrastructure would include installing underground pipes — likely taking a few million in grant funding — and there’s no previous success to point to in Vermont to show the proof of concept. In the grand scheme, however, the concept does solve the basic problem for Vermonters, Stiles said. There’s a natural lack of heat in Vermont’s northern climate, and a row of weatherized homes connected to a thermal network would be able to capture a lot of the heat that currently goes to waste in many of Vermont’s neighborhoods. The cost to do it, however, is just too much in the current economic climate, especially as oil companies tend to sink millions into securing their holds on energy markets, Stiles noted. “It’s there, but it’s value engineering,” Decoster said. “A lot of these really energy efficient builders, they'll give you a package. ‘This is the most energy efficient I can build. And we back off from there.’” But then again, that’s how most efficiency upgrade discussions tend to head. In the long run, energy efficiency saves money, but the upfront costs are usually too expensive until there are more adopters. Decoster gave his own example. He knows people in the climate field who can construct houses that heat and cool themselves, adapt to the weather, have zero emissions and can generate their own electricity. Getting to green is possible. But making that technology affordable, that’s another question. “In Vermont, you’d be talking the top tenth of 1% that can afford that technology, the average Vermonter, no way,” Decoster said. “In my house, I have a wife who’s really good who knows when to put the shades up when she wants them. She knows how the air flows in her house.” As for the debate around the Clean Heat Standard, those rhetorical guidelines around the latest climate tech have hyper-focused on air source heat pumps. Underground systems, as considered by Stiles, also use heat pumps, but the difference primarily lies in the source of the heat itself. Air from Vermont’s cold winters — compared to the earth a few hundred feet down — tends to be much colder, making it a worse heat source for a heat pump. Using them as the only source of heat was generally frowned upon by those interviewed for this piece, due to their inefficiencies related to Vermont’s climate. The Vermont Public Utility Commission, however, is still hacking out new rules to try to encourage the use of heat pumps, although the final details could end up being much different. With that said, everyone interviewed for this piece encouraged the use of heat pumps as a secondary source, as they still deliver heating efficiencies. This past May, Americans for Prosperity — a conservative think tank — even ended up sending out a five-part mailer campaign to stir up a political defense against the Clean Heat Standard, as it tied into complaints around affordability. The policy’s effectiveness was also under contention. As proposed, the Clean Heat Standard’s stated goal was to essentially lower the overall amount of energy used by Vermont by giving fuel providers and distributors the additional task of helping Vermonters with the transition to cleaner alternatives. In theory, the effort would have shielded Vermont residents from the ebbs and flows of gas prices, which are affected by much bigger players in the world — both private and public — than the State of Vermont. Instead, the effort is currently leaning toward a much simpler solution set of some sort of fee system to collect incentive dollars to help pay for heat pump house conversions, although the exact rules — as well as the policy’s effectiveness — are still in contention. They are due in January. Getting a heat pump Most people have seen a heat pump without recognizing it. Like electrical panels, air conditioners and cell towers, the devices are literally designed to be as inconspicuous as possible. Vermont, as a state, is one of the earliest adopters of the device, installing 63,000 of the units last year. “It’s kind of like a small filing cabinet tipped on its side horizontally, connected to a refrigerant line,” he said. Some sit outside a home like an air conditioner. Some are fitted inside a house’s already-installed heating system, with mini-splits functioning as space heaters. The really fancy ones take advantage of underground thermal systems, as Stiles preferred. VGS technicians install a ductless mini-split heatpump at a residential dwelling. To create heat, they essentially function like reverse air conditioners, pulling heat from one source to shoot hot air into an enclosed space, or to warm up liquid when attached to a water heater. Installing them, however, can be tricky. Tim Perrin, VGS’s director of energy management and services, explained some of the considerations with me this past week over Zoom. Many households can benefit from a heat pump, Perrin said, but so much depends on the set-up of each house and its existing heating source. In Vermont, for example, roughly 6 in 10 households rely on gas-powered furnaces attached to a central air system. In such cases, Perrin said even an air source heat pump could help carve out some efficiencies, as the heat pump can do much of the heavy lifting to bring a home up to higher temperature before it becomes a better trade-off to switch to a primary fuel source and warm a space up the rest of the way. Usually, the time to switch between two heating sources is when the temperature measures between 40 and 50 degrees. The extra device also gives property owners some options, Perrin said. They can switch to whatever heating option works best at each temperature, and if there’s a major upswing in fuel prices, households can more easily adapt. But that doesn’t mean that heat pumps can be programmed and forgotten. There is something of a learning curve to running the devices, Perrin said. Unlike a central heating system, where you can set a temperature and wait for the furnace to kick in, heat pumps can be a little more finicky. They require annual cleaning, and heat exchange is often localized — depending on the design, of course. Relatedly, solutions often require some customization to fit each space. Like Decoster, Perrin also stressed the importance of weatherization attached to all these conversations. Heating a space is a combination of both generation and retention, and there’s not much point in addressing one without tackling the other. In older houses, for example, past construction techniques often created houses that were a little more loose and actually encouraged air flow, Stiles said, which robbed the house of its heat. Instead, people hunkered down in limited parts of the house, dressed with the expectation of the cold. “They dressed very warm and lived very cold in the winter,” Stiles explained. These days, we’ve made some progress. During a custom-fit, Perrin said a heat pump expert will examine the space to double check for weatherization issues, as well as, begin the conversation around potential conversion. “This is where understanding the heating needs of a home might be effective to find that technical balance point,” Perrin said. “At some point, the outside air temperature is just able to heat the home and it starts to be necessary to have some sort of supplemental heating source to support the home on really cool days.”

AMESBURY, Mass. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Provident Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq:PVBC), the holding company for BankProv (the "Bank"), today announced that its Board of Directors has adopted a new stock repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 883,366 shares of its common stock, or approximately five percent of the current outstanding shares. The repurchase program was adopted following the receipt of non-objection from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston . The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Repurchases will be made at management's discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its stockholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company's financial performance. Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b -18 of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. These factors may also affect the timing and amount of share repurchases. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares. About Provident Bancorp, Inc. Provident Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PVBC) is the holding company for BankProv, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts . With retail branches in the Seacoast Region of Northeastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire , as well as commercial banking offices in the Manchester / Concord market in Central New Hampshire , BankProv delivers a unique combination of traditional banking services and innovative financial solutions to its markets. Founded in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1828, BankProv holds the honor of being the 10th oldest bank in the nation. The Bank insures 100% of deposits through a combination of insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit bankprov.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements, such as statements of the Company's or the Bank's plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as, "expects," "subject," "believe," "will," "intends," "may," "will be" or "would." These statements are subject to change based on various important factors (some of which are beyond the Company's or the Bank's control), and actual results may differ materially. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements (which reflect management's analysis of factors only as of the date on which they are given). These factors include: general economic conditions; interest rates; inflation; levels of unemployment; legislative, regulatory and accounting changes; monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank; deposit flows; our ability to access cost-effective funding; changes in liquidity, including the size and composition of our deposit portfolio and the percentage of uninsured deposits in the portfolio; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; competition; our ability to successfully shift the balance sheet to that of a traditional community bank; real estate values in the market area; loan demand; the adequacy of our level and methodology for calculating our allowance for credit losses; changes in the quality of our loan and securities portfolios; the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans; our ability to retain key employees; failures or breaches of our IT systems, including cyberattacks; the failure to maintain current technologies; the ability of the Company or the Bank to effectively manage its growth; global and national war and terrorism; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic on our operations and financial results and those of our customers; and results of regulatory examinations, among other factors. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Investor contact: Joseph Reilly President and Chief Executive Officer Provident Bancorp, Inc. jreilly@bankprov.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/provident-bancorp-inc-adopts-stock-repurchase-program-302320082.html SOURCE Provident Bancorp, Inc.Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas on Wednesday accused a well-connected political consultant of double-dipping in county funds by receiving grant money from a program he oversees. The consultant, Mike Musser II, has administered the Dauphin County Industrial Development Authority’s gaming grant program since 2008 and is paid $5K per month to review applications and help usher applicants through the selection process. Stories by Juliette Rihl Embattled ex-Dauphin County commissioner had secret business with county’s lobbyist 2nd Dauphin County town takes action over questions with ex-official, consultant Dauphin County agency agrees to sell its solar farm, but details remain secret

AMESBURY, Mass. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Provident Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq:PVBC), the holding company for BankProv (the "Bank"), today announced that its Board of Directors has adopted a new stock repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 883,366 shares of its common stock, or approximately five percent of the current outstanding shares. The repurchase program was adopted following the receipt of non-objection from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston . The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Repurchases will be made at management's discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its stockholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company's financial performance. Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b -18 of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. These factors may also affect the timing and amount of share repurchases. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares. About Provident Bancorp, Inc. Provident Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PVBC) is the holding company for BankProv, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts . With retail branches in the Seacoast Region of Northeastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire , as well as commercial banking offices in the Manchester / Concord market in Central New Hampshire , BankProv delivers a unique combination of traditional banking services and innovative financial solutions to its markets. Founded in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1828, BankProv holds the honor of being the 10th oldest bank in the nation. The Bank insures 100% of deposits through a combination of insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit bankprov.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements, such as statements of the Company's or the Bank's plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as, "expects," "subject," "believe," "will," "intends," "may," "will be" or "would." These statements are subject to change based on various important factors (some of which are beyond the Company's or the Bank's control), and actual results may differ materially. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements (which reflect management's analysis of factors only as of the date on which they are given). These factors include: general economic conditions; interest rates; inflation; levels of unemployment; legislative, regulatory and accounting changes; monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank; deposit flows; our ability to access cost-effective funding; changes in liquidity, including the size and composition of our deposit portfolio and the percentage of uninsured deposits in the portfolio; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; competition; our ability to successfully shift the balance sheet to that of a traditional community bank; real estate values in the market area; loan demand; the adequacy of our level and methodology for calculating our allowance for credit losses; changes in the quality of our loan and securities portfolios; the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans; our ability to retain key employees; failures or breaches of our IT systems, including cyberattacks; the failure to maintain current technologies; the ability of the Company or the Bank to effectively manage its growth; global and national war and terrorism; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic on our operations and financial results and those of our customers; and results of regulatory examinations, among other factors. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Investor contact: Joseph Reilly President and Chief Executive Officer Provident Bancorp, Inc. jreilly@bankprov.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/provident-bancorp-inc-adopts-stock-repurchase-program-302320082.html SOURCE Provident Bancorp, Inc.

Middle East latest: Syria's forces withdraw from Homs, a key link between the capital and coast

Chris Hemsworth and his son hold hands on a Black Friday shopping tripPHILADELPHIA — A new crop of classic, award-winning films have been named to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, including some with Philly connections. Joining Oscar-winning films like "No Country for Old Men" and David Fincher’s "The Social Network" is "The Miracle Worker," the 1962 film directed by Philly-born filmmaker Arthur Penn (whose brother was famed photographer Irving Penn). The Olney High School alum and Army vet went on to direct the neo-noir crime classic "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) and "Little Big Man" (1970), starring Dustin Hoffman. He died in 2010 at age 88. The library also added the 1973 horror-drama "Ganja and Hess" by actor, screenwriter, novelist and Philly native Bill Gunn, who died in 1989, a day before his play "The Forbidden City" was scheduled to open at New York City’s Public Theater. Also making its way to the registry is Philly-born filmmaker Sam Wood’s 1942 film, "The Pride of the Yankees," based on the life of baseball player Lou Gehrig. The Bill Cosby-starring film "Uptown Saturday Night" was also inducted. Then there’s "Will" (1981) by cinematographer and director Jessie Maple, which is the first indie feature helmed by a Black woman. Maple is an alum of Philadelphia’s Franklin School of Science and Arts, where she studied medical technology. She was the head of a bacteriology and serology laboratory in the city, before venturing into filmmaking. Other entries in the registry this year include "Dirty Dancing," "Beverly Hills Cop," "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," the Robert Rodriguez children’s adventure "Spy Kids" and Andy Warhol’s "The Chelsea Girls." Since 1989, the National Film Registry has added 25 motion pictures for their “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage” every year, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in an announcement on Tuesday. The oldest film on this year’s list is the 1895 short "Annabelle Serpentine Dance," which was produced by Thomas Edison’s manufacturing imprint, the Edison Co. The most recent is the Jesse Eisenberg-starring bio-drama "The Social Network" (2010). The registry now includes 900 titles . For the full list of additions, visit newsroom.loc.gov . ©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The UH-60 Black Hawk is not just an icon of the US military but of modern helicopters as our world knows them. The prolific whirly-bird was built by Sikorsky at the behest of the US Army and Air Force. The family of variants has grown over the years to include the SH-60 Seahawk of the US Navy , the US Air Force's MH-60 Pave Hawk and MH-60T Jayhawk of the US Coast Guard . It has served as the U.S. Army's primary utility helicopter since 1979. Renowned for its versatility, the Black Hawk is the go-to battlewagon that gets troops on the battlefield from point A to point B. It also serves as the workhorse for many missions like medical evacuation (medevac), search and rescue (SAR), cargo airlift and fire support. Time and time again, the rugged helo has proven it can take any mission the Army throws at it. As time marches on, combat continues to evolve, and the Black Hawk has kept pace with many phases of upgrades and modifications to integrate new technology. However, the landscape is changing, and new threats demand ever-increasing performance from the Army’s Air Corps. As reported by Defense News , the US Army plans to reduce the Black Hawk fleet significantly over the next decade to prioritize modernization efforts. This modernization effort focuses on the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)program, which seeks a next-generation rotorcraft capable of meeting 21st-century operational demands. The Bell V-280 Valor and other tiltrotor platforms are top contenders for replacing the Black Hawk . Sikorsky's project, which combines autonomy and fly-by-wire technology, is another candidate. However, the notable gains in speed, range, and payload capacity offered by tilt-rotors have the potential to completely transform the Army's vertical lift capabilities. Because the platform choice will influence the Army's aviation capabilities for many years, it is a crucial strategic decision. Black Hawk legacy The Black Hawk family has been the backbone of the Army’s rotary-wing fleet for over four decades. The UH-60 was created during the Cold War to meet the demand for a dependable, durable, and adaptable helicopter. The helicopter has deployed on every mission from disaster relief in the States to counterinsurgency ops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Famously immortalized by the movie “Black Hawk Down,” for its central role in the peacekeeping operations in Somalia where the Army relied on its fleet to rapidly ingress special forces like Rangers and Green Berets to execute tactical strikes. The Black Hawk's rotors are designed to withstand extreme conditions, including medics & direct arms fires, making it a powerful lifeline in combat. One recent upgrade program tested a semi-autonomous, fly-by-wire MH-60M variant that would allow the pilot to focus on tactical tasking and leave the flying primarily up to the autopilot. “We’re going to have a tablet. You push a button, and it’ll go through all the pre-flight checks, it’ll start, it’ll take off, and perform that [assigned] mission,” said Dan Tenney , Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin for Rotary and Mission Systems. Even with its legacy of service and achievement, the Black Hawk is becoming seen as unsuitable for threats in the future. It is less resilient than it once was for operations under fire, as today's adversaries have more sophisticated air defense weaponry than ever before. Bell Valor’s promise The Bell V-280 Valor was developed under the Army’s FLRAA program. The Valor holds the potential for a paradigm shift in rotary-wing aviation. The V-280 employs tiltrotor technology to transition between vertical takeoff and higher-speed horizontal flight. Bell V-280 Valor specs : Cruise speed: 320 mph (520 km/h) Range: 500-800 nautical miles (926-1,482 km) Maximum payload: 12,000 lbs (5,443 kg) Valor versus the Hawk Although decades of service have demonstrated the Black Hawk's worth, the V-280 outperforms it in critical metrics critical to maintaining the battlefield advantage in future conflicts. Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk specs : Cruise speed: 183 mph (295 km/h) Range: 320 nautical miles (593 km) Maximum payload: 10,350 lbs (4,694 kg) The Black Hawk's capabilities have made it one of the world's most versatile military helicopters with a diverse range of roles. Implications for Army aviation The choice to switch to a next-generation platform and replace over 2,000 Black Hawks will have a widespread impact on how the Army allocates resources for many programs. Tiltrotor aircraft will require infrastructure changes that provide maintenance and training, which necessitates an investment of funding and time. The promise of improved survivability in contested environments, increased range, and quicker battlefield response times may provide operational advantages that outweigh these difficulties. Only time will tell which course the top brass in the Army choose will be the new direction for their air cavalry. Until then, we will have to wait and watch.The Search For A Successor to the US Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter

Starlink rollout on Qatar Airways exceeds initial targets

LeBron James avoids embarrassment as unreal Will Hardy mistake hands Los Angeles Lakers winNEW YORK, Dec. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm by ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating: Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. (NYSE: AE ) , relating to the proposed merger with an affiliate of Tres Energy LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, Adams stockholders will receive $38.00 per share in cash for each share of Adams common stock they own. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/adams-resources-energy-inc-ae/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. Evergreen Corporation (Nasdaq: EVGR ), relating to its proposed merger with Forekast Limited. Under the terms of the agreement, Forekast shares will automatically be converted into the right to receive a number of Evergreen shares. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/evergreen-corporation/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRN ) , relating to the proposed merger with Aya Healthcare. Under the terms of the agreement, shares of Cross Country will be converted into the right to receive $18.61 in cash. Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/cross-country-healthcare-inc-ccrn/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. BurTech Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: BRKH ) , relating to the proposed merger with Blaize, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, shares of BurTech Acquisition will be exchanged for shares of Blaize. ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for December 23, 2024. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/burtech-acquisition-corp-brkh/ . It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask: Do you file class actions and go to Court? When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders? What cases did you recover money in and how much? About Monteverde & Associates PC Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders...and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in any of the above listed companies and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740 New York, NY 10118 United States of America jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2024 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.