Jake Epstein
@byjepstein.bsky.social
Senior defense reporter at Business Insider covering national security and global military issues. Reach out: jepstein@businessinsider.com.
https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jake-epstein
https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jake-epstein
Reposted by Jake Epstein
"It's kind of a big leap to actually make something without people," Blue Water Autonomy's CEO told @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/us-company-l...
A US company making long-range drone warships for a China fight just put its tech to the test in the water
The US Navy needs multi-mission, long-range autonomous warships that can traverse and fight across the vast waters of the Pacific.
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November 11, 2025 at 5:38 PM
"It's kind of a big leap to actually make something without people," Blue Water Autonomy's CEO told @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/us-company-l...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
"If the conditions make refueling difficult, it can be stressful," a refueling boom operator told @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/how-air-forc...
How boom operators aboard the US Air Force's flying gas stations keep their cool doing an 'inherently dangerous' job
Business Insider spoke to a boom operator about their responsibilities aboard a KC-135 tanker at a base in England.
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November 11, 2025 at 5:26 PM
"If the conditions make refueling difficult, it can be stressful," a refueling boom operator told @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/how-air-forc...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Ukraine shared footage on Tuesday of a helicopter raid with special operations troops via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/video-specia...
Front-line combat video captures special ops Black Hawk raid into Pokrovsk, Ukraine's fiercest fight
The footage shows how Ukraine is scrambling to defend the embattled city from brutal Russian assaults.
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November 4, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Ukraine shared footage on Tuesday of a helicopter raid with special operations troops via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/video-specia...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
These infiltration tactics are terrifying and typically suicidal, via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/russian-infi...
Ukrainian forces say small Russian infiltration teams are increasingly appearing out of nowhere and sowing chaos in their lines
Ukrainian soldiers told Business Insider the tactic is becoming increasingly frequent and a growing challenge.
www.businessinsider.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:57 PM
These infiltration tactics are terrifying and typically suicidal, via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/russian-infi...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Great perspective on Skyfall: "It's a subsonic (~260 m/s) cruise missile. NATO aircraft could intercept it."
Via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/trump-us-nuc...
Via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/trump-us-nuc...
After Russia's 'Skyfall' missile test, Trump says the US has a nuclear submarine 'right off their shores'
It's the second time in just a few months the US president has brought up nuclear submarines in response to Russian talk about its weapons.
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October 28, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Great perspective on Skyfall: "It's a subsonic (~260 m/s) cruise missile. NATO aircraft could intercept it."
Via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/trump-us-nuc...
Via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/trump-us-nuc...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
NATO forces can respond to unusual activity in the Baltic Sea within an hour, thanks in part to AI monitoring and drones, reports @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/nato-baltic-...
NATO's Baltic Sea patrol surge and much faster reaction time are driving down undersea sabotage, Western officials say
The NATO mission began in January after several incidents of sabotage in the Baltic Sea, some of which has been linked to Russia.
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October 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
NATO forces can respond to unusual activity in the Baltic Sea within an hour, thanks in part to AI monitoring and drones, reports @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/nato-baltic-...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
As long as a country is willing to pay a higher price, there are people who can get them the sanctioned technologies through a shell game @byjepstein.bsky.social and Sinéad Baker report: www.businessinsider.com/how-russia-g...
Russia's missiles and drones run on Western tech. Here's how it keeps getting the parts.
Ukraine is still finding thousands of foreign-made parts in Russian weapons over three and a half years into the war.
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October 23, 2025 at 6:48 PM
As long as a country is willing to pay a higher price, there are people who can get them the sanctioned technologies through a shell game @byjepstein.bsky.social and Sinéad Baker report: www.businessinsider.com/how-russia-g...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Ukraine says its new sea drone has the mass of a heavyweight torpedo and the range of a Tomahawk cruise missile, via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-reve...
Ukraine shows off new 'Sea Baby' naval drones decked out with automated machine guns and rocket launchers
Ukraine has relied on its armed naval drones to battle Russia's Black Sea Fleet in a display of asymmetric warfare.
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October 22, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Ukraine says its new sea drone has the mass of a heavyweight torpedo and the range of a Tomahawk cruise missile, via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-reve...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Interceptor drones are a window into the future of air defenses. @businessinsider.com 's Matthew Loh and @byjepstein.bsky.social look at their rise www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-inte...
Ukraine's interceptor drones are rewriting the air war playbook. NATO is taking notice.
Interceptor drones, once a far-fetched experiment, are now a cornerstone of Ukraine's air defense, downing Russian Shaheds. NATO is watching closely.
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October 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Interceptor drones are a window into the future of air defenses. @businessinsider.com 's Matthew Loh and @byjepstein.bsky.social look at their rise www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-inte...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Ukraine is increasingly turning to helicopters as Shahed-hunters, via @byjepstein.bsky.social: www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-send...
Ukraine forms new helicopter units to fight off Russia's nightly drone attacks
Helicopters with guns have increasingly become an important part of Ukraine's air defense network.
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October 14, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Ukraine is increasingly turning to helicopters as Shahed-hunters, via @byjepstein.bsky.social: www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-send...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
A drone pilot says they're Russia's "Target No. 1," @byjepstein.bsky.social and Sinéad Baker report: www.businessinsider.com/russian-stri...
Russia is stepping up its hunt for top targets: the pilots powering Ukraine's drone fight
Ukrainian soldiers and drone operators said that Russia has ramped up its attacks on drone pilots since the war began.
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October 3, 2025 at 3:33 PM
A drone pilot says they're Russia's "Target No. 1," @byjepstein.bsky.social and Sinéad Baker report: www.businessinsider.com/russian-stri...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Recent NATO exercises included a robot that relays sonar data to ashore command centers, @byjepstein.bsky.social reports: www.businessinsider.com/nato-fieldin...
NATO is trying to beat Russia and China on drones and robots. A top commander says it's not moving fast enough.
NATO is betting on drones, robots, and other emerging technologies to modernize its naval forces and help gain an edge over foes.
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September 30, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Recent NATO exercises included a robot that relays sonar data to ashore command centers, @byjepstein.bsky.social reports: www.businessinsider.com/nato-fieldin...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Oil prices initially jumped at news of this oil port attack via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-dr...
Ukrainian long-range drones struck a major Russian oil port, causing a fire and disrupting key shipments
Long-range drones struck the Russian port of Primorsk, setting a ship and a pumping station on fire. Oil prices initially jumped on the news.
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September 12, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Oil prices initially jumped at news of this oil port attack via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-dr...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Project Octopus will mass-produce drones to augment Ukraine's limited stocks of very expensive air defense missiles via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-bets...
Ukraine is betting on this Western country to build thousands of its interceptor drones
The UK is planning to mass-produce thousands of interceptor drones for Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's growing attacks.
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September 12, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Project Octopus will mass-produce drones to augment Ukraine's limited stocks of very expensive air defense missiles via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-bets...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Kalibr-carrying corvettes like this one have been a key part of Russia's naval modernization, via @byjepstein.bsky.social: www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-hit-...
Ukraine says it hit a Russian missile ship with flying explosive-packed drones
The strikes marked the latest Ukrainian attack on Russia's embattled navy, which has suffered heavy losses in the Black Sea.
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September 2, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Kalibr-carrying corvettes like this one have been a key part of Russia's naval modernization, via @byjepstein.bsky.social: www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-hit-...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
These things are 10 to 20 times the range of the longest TOW wire-guided missiles, via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-co...
A Ukrainian weapons maker says it's building a new unjammable drone with a 100-kilometer reach. It says 'the war has changed.'
Fiber-optic drones are becoming a weapon of choice for Ukraine and Russia because they are immune to traditional electronic warfare tactics.
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August 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
These things are 10 to 20 times the range of the longest TOW wire-guided missiles, via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-co...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
Changing missile trajectories are making Patriot interceptions harder @byjepstein.bsky.social reports: www.businessinsider.com/russia-impro...
Russia improved its missiles. Now, Ukraine's Patriots are struggling to consistently shoot them down, defense intel says.
The US-made Patriot air defense system is Kyiv's best tool for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
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August 19, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Changing missile trajectories are making Patriot interceptions harder @byjepstein.bsky.social reports: www.businessinsider.com/russia-impro...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
"Looking at what they're doing in the Mediterranean, losing a port there means losing logistical support — and that stretches the capabilities they have, which mainly come from this Northern Fleet." via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/russian-navy...
Russia's navy looks to be stretched thin after getting battered by Ukraine and losing a key port, Western officials say
Ukraine's punishing attacks on the Black Sea Fleet and the sudden loss of a key port in Syria have dealt major blows to Moscow.
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August 13, 2025 at 9:10 PM
"Looking at what they're doing in the Mediterranean, losing a port there means losing logistical support — and that stretches the capabilities they have, which mainly come from this Northern Fleet." via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/russian-navy...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
"What we see is more ISR flights — surveillance and reconnaissance flights — and not as much air activity into Ukraine anymore." via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/nato-surveil...
How Russia's air war against Ukraine changed, as seen from a NATO surveillance jet
As the front lines froze, and air defenses got better, Russia and Ukraine pivoted away from close bombing runs to standoff attacks.
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August 1, 2025 at 9:40 PM
"What we see is more ISR flights — surveillance and reconnaissance flights — and not as much air activity into Ukraine anymore." via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/nato-surveil...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
@byjepstein.bsky.social has a rundown of recent F-35 crashes; the pilot was able to safely eject from this latest one yesterday www.businessinsider.com/f-35-stealth...
With a fiery disaster in a California field, the F-35 stealth fighter suffers another major crash
A US Navy F-35C "went down" not far from Naval Air Station Lemoore, the base said on Wednesday.
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July 31, 2025 at 9:59 PM
@byjepstein.bsky.social has a rundown of recent F-35 crashes; the pilot was able to safely eject from this latest one yesterday www.businessinsider.com/f-35-stealth...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
An American combat trainer trains Ukrainian soldiers in many of the same ways he would snipers, @byjepstein.bsky.social reports: www.businessinsider.com/ukraines-spe...
Ukraine's special operators used to dodge artillery shells. Now they're trying to survive Russian drones.
Small drones have emerged as the main battlefield killer. This trend is being reflected in Ukrainian special operations training.
www.businessinsider.com
July 30, 2025 at 7:22 PM
An American combat trainer trains Ukrainian soldiers in many of the same ways he would snipers, @byjepstein.bsky.social reports: www.businessinsider.com/ukraines-spe...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
The Shahed-like FLM vehicles seem ideal to ready US troops to face Russian drones via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/us-has-versi...
A new American drone that showed up at the Pentagon looks a lot like the Shaheds Russia uses to bomb Ukraine
Shahed-style drones are deadly systems that Russia has been using to strike Ukrainian cities for nearly three years.
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July 21, 2025 at 1:53 PM
The Shahed-like FLM vehicles seem ideal to ready US troops to face Russian drones via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/us-has-versi...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
NATO forces have gotten better at anti-submarine operations, a top US admiral told @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/nato-steppin...
NATO is stepping up its anti-submarine warfare game — this flying hunter is key, top admiral says
Several NATO militaries operate the Boeing P-8, a derivative of a civilian airliner, that can be used to track Russian submarines activity.
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July 15, 2025 at 4:21 PM
NATO forces have gotten better at anti-submarine operations, a top US admiral told @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/nato-steppin...
Reposted by Jake Epstein
The Houthis also sank the cargo ship Eternity C, an attack @byjepstein.bsky.social wrote about
July 9, 2025 at 8:51 PM
The Houthis also sank the cargo ship Eternity C, an attack @byjepstein.bsky.social wrote about
Reposted by Jake Epstein
A Chinese warship lasered a civilian aircraft monitoring Houthi attacks in the Red Sea via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/germany-chin...
Germany says a Chinese warship used a laser against one of its surveillance aircraft over the Red Sea. It's pulled this dangerous move before.
Germany said its aircraft was in the middle of a routine flight in support of the European Union's counter-Houthi mission.
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July 8, 2025 at 7:40 PM
A Chinese warship lasered a civilian aircraft monitoring Houthi attacks in the Red Sea via @byjepstein.bsky.social www.businessinsider.com/germany-chin...