TheList 5327

The List 5327 TGB




To All

Good Friday Morning May 15.

I hope that your week went well

Regards,

Skip





This day in Naval History May 15, 2019



1800 The frigate USS Essex, commanded by Capt. Edward Preble, arrives in Batavia, Java, to escort United States merchant ships. During her journey, she is the first U.S. Navy warship to cross the Equator and the first U.S. man-of-war to double the Cape of Good Hope.



1930 The streamlined submarine (V 5) is commissioned, then named Narwhal in Feb. 1931, and receives the hull number (SS 167) that July. During World War II, Narwhal participates in 15 war patrols, serving in the Pacific Theatre, earning 15 battle stars.



1939 A contract is issued to Curtiss-Wright for the XSB2C-1 dive bomber, thereby completing action on a 1938 design competition. Retired from the active Navy in 1947, SB2Cs continues to serve in the reserves until 1950.



1942 The first Naval Air Transport Service flight across the Pacific takes place.



1944 PBY-5 Catalina aircraft from (VP 63) and British escort vessels HMS Kilmarnock and HMS Blackfly sink German submarine U 731 off Tangiers.



1969 The pre-commissioned submarine Guitarro (SSN 665) accidentally sinks while moored at U.S. Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Calif. Due to the damage, her commissioning date is rescheduled to Sept. 1972.



Thanks to CHINFO



Executive Summary:

•Multiple outlets report that USNS Mercy will return to its home port on Friday after spending seven weeks assisting Los Angeles's COVID-19 response.

•CNN reported on the U.S. military's efforts to pressure China in the South China Sea as China seeks to leverage COVID-19 to extend its sphere of influence in the region.

•Multiple outlets reported on the Navy's ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt.





Today in History May 15



756

Abd-al-Rahman is proclaimed emir of Cordoba, Spain.


1213

King John submits to the Pope, offering to make England and Ireland papal fiefs. Pope Innocent III lifts the interdict of 1208.


1602

English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold discovers Cape Cod.


1614

An aristocratic uprising in France ends with the Treaty of St. Menehould.


1618

Johannes Kepler discovers his harmonics law.


1702

The War of Spanish Succession begins.


1730

Following the resignation of Lord Townshend, Robert Walpole becomes the sole minister in the English cabinet.


1768

By the Treaty of Versailles, France purchases Corsica from Genoa.


1795

Napoleon enters the Lombardian capital of Milan in triumph.


1820

The U.S. Congress designates the slave trade a form of piracy.


1849

Neapolitan troops enter Palermo, Sicily.


1862

The Union ironclad Monitor and the gunboat Galena fire on Confederate troops at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff, Virginia.


1864

At the Battle of New Market, Virginia Military Institute cadets repel a Union attack.


1886

Emily Dickinson dies in Amherst, Mass., where she had lived in seclusion for the previous 24 years.


1916

U.S. Marines land in Santo Domingo to quell civil disorder.


1918

Pfc. Henry Johnson and Pfc. Needham Roberts receive the Croix de Guerre for their services in World War I. They are the first Americans to win France's highest military medal.


1930

Ellen Church becomes the first airline stewardess.


1942

The United States begins rationing gasoline.


1958

Sputnik III is launched by the Soviet Union.


1963

The last Project Mercury space flight, carrying Gordon Cooper, is launched.


1968

U.S. Marines relieve army troops in Nhi Ha, South Vietnam after a fourteen-day battle.


1972

Gov. George Wallace is shot by Arthur Bremer in Laurel, Maryland.


1975

The merchant ship Mayaguez is recaptured from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge.


1988

Soviets forces begin their withdrawal from Afghanistan.




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This Week in American Military History:

By Thomas Smith



May 15, 1862: U.S. Marine Corporal John F. Mackie participates in an action against Confederate forces at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia, for which he will become the first Marine in history to receive the Medal of Honor.



According to his citation, "As enemy shellfire raked the deck of his ship, Corporal Mackie fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits on shore, and when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, manned the weapon with skill and courage."



May 15, 1963: Astronaut, fighter pilot, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper Jr., piloting "Faith 7," becomes the first American to spend an entire day in space, and the first man to sleep in space.



A former U.S. Marine private who ultimately was commissioned an Army second lieutenant, Cooper will retire an Air Force colonel.



May 18, 1775: Future turncoat Col. Benedict Arnold leads a successful surprise attack against a British fort and the adjacent shipyards at St.

Johns, Canada. Among Arnold's prizes is the British sloop HMS George which he renames "Enterprise," the first of eight so-named American Navy ships.



May 18, 1863: Union Army forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S.

Grant move against the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Vastly outnumbered Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton fall back on prepared defenses. Pemberton's army is quickly surrounded. Grant strikes Pemberton's positions the following day hoping to destroy his army before it is properly positioned. Losses are heavy among the ranks of the assault forces. The siege of Vicksburg has begun.



May 21, 1881: Clara Barton, the Civil War's famous "angel of the battlefield," founds the American Red Cross.



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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 5

THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY





1918: Pilots in the Army Aviation Section (Signal Corps) started the government's first permanent airmail route from Washington to New York. (See 12 August 1918) (5) (18)



1930: Ellen Church, who was a registered nurse, became the first airline stewardess. She served sandwiches on a Boeing Air Transport flight between San Francisco and Cheyenne, Wyo., and rode in the jumpseat of a Boeing Model 80A. (8: May 90)



1938: Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes refused to export inert helium gas to Germany for use in Zeppelin airships, because the gas could be used for military purposes. (8)



1942: Interceptor and pursuit organizations of US AAF redesignated "fighter."



1948: Air Materiel Command asked Boeing to develop an American aerial fueling system, the flying boom to overcome problems with the British hose system used on B-29s. Among the deficiencies noted were slow rate of fuel flow, time-consuming contact procedures, excessive weight and space requirements, and relatively slow flying speeds during refueling. (18)



1951: KOREAN WAR. Through 16 May, communist forces launched the second phase of their spring offensive against Republic of Korea Corps in the east in a last attempt to drive UN forces from the Korean peninsula. FEAF day-time aerial attacks limited the enemy's tactical assaults to night. (28) The first personnel of the ANG's 136 FBW left the US for Japan. (History, 136th FBW, 1 Apr30 Jun 51, p. 2)



1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew 265 sorties against a vehicle repair factory at Tang-dong, north of Pyongyang, destroying at least 39 buildings and a power plant. 1Lt James H. Kasler, 335 FIS, destroyed two MiGs to become an ace. (28)



1956: The 309th Troop Carrier Group (TCG), with C-123 aircraft, deployed to Freux, France. This was the first time this plane appeared in Europe.



1959: MATS began using computer flight plans produced by the Joint Numerical Weather Prediction Unit at Suitland, Md. This test program became operational in the Air Weather Service on 14 December 1959. (2) The Air Force Ballistic Missile Division revised its plan to develop an operational rail mobile Minuteman system. (6)



1961: NASA Deputy Administrator Hugh L. Dryden revealed that the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., had simulated free flight speeds of almost 30,000 MPH. (24)



1963: LAST MERCURY FLIGHT. After 22-orbits around the earth, Maj L. Gordon Cooper ended a 34-hour, 20-minute flight in Mercury capsule Faith 7 before landing in the Pacific, 80 miles southeast of Midway Island. He was the first American to orbit for more than one day and the last pilot in the Mercury series. (8)



1964: Air Force Western Test Range activated and assigned to the National Range Division, and the Atlantic Missile Range became the Eastern Test Range. 1966: Nimbus II, the largest weather satellite yet, launched from Vandenberg AFB.



1968: US airmail service celebrated its 50th year at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.



1973: Operation AUTHENTIC ASSISTANCE. A humanitarian action to Africa's drought-stricken Sahelian region began. In the next six months, the USAF airlifted 9,250 tons of food, seed, grain, medical supplies, and vehicles to Mauritania, Chad and Mali. (5) (21)



1975: MAYAGUEZ INCIDENT: Cambodian Communists seized the USS Mayaguez on 12 May in the Gulf of Siam near Koh Tang Island. Afterwards, MAC used 16 C-141s on 30 sorties to airlift 1,165 Marines and 121 tons of cargo from the Philippines and Okinawa to Utapao AB, Thailand. The ARRS sent HH-53 helicopters to fly the Marines to Koh Tang Island and to the USS Holt, and later picked them up. In the operation, hostile fire damaged six helicopters and wounded two airmen. MAC then supported the later redeployment with 14 C-141 and 1 C-5 mission. (2) (18) MACKAY TROPHY. During efforts to rescue the crew of the USS Mayaquez, Maj Robert W. Undorf received the trophy for conspicuous gallantry, initiative, and resourcefulness. This was the last major operation in Southeast Asia. (21)



1977: SECDEF Brown directed the Air Force to develop the extended range ALCM-B rather than the ALCM-A due to a significant cost savings.



1983: The comparative flyoff between the F-16XL and F-15 in a dual-fighter role ended at Edwards AFB. (3)



1993: The 178 FG, Ohio ANG, was the last unit in the U.S. armed forces to fly the A-7. The unit honored the Corsair II during a "SLUF [i.e., Short, Little Ugly Flyer] Salute" at Springfield, Ohio. (2Lt Carol Thompson, "The Buckeye Guard Gives A Grand SLUF Salute," National Guard, August 1993, pp 20-22.)



1996: The eleventh operational B-2 Spirit bomber arrived at Whiteman AFB for duty with the 509 BW to mark another important milestone in the B-2 program. It was the first Block 20 series aircraft to arrive at Whiteman. The aircraft featured improvements in avionics, GPS-aided munitions, and terrain following software. The earlier Block 10 aircraft were retrofitted with those upgrades later. (AFNEWS Article 960484, May 96)





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Thanks to Mike



A B-17 Pilot Reflects On His Europe Missions



Truly Worth the 30 min to watch it!


https://video.kbtc.org/video/full-focus-the-303rd/





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Thanks to WC



Here is a link to a state by state RE-opening as of May 14. If you think your State is nutty take a look at some of the others

Wingo



https://www.governing.com/now/Reopening-the-Economy-Under-COVID-19-States-Plot-a-Way-Back.html



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Thanks to Glen



Unusual footage of an aircraft, that I had never seen up close.


Glenn

Very likely the most expensive aircraft crash in history w/ no fatalities.

Ralph



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zZFD1KAl64


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This day in American Military History May 15



Murcuralia; the Festival of Mercury, Patron of the Signal Corps: Mercury, was a Roman messenger god whose attributes were mainly borrowed from the Greek god Hermes although there are myths regarding Mercury that are distinctly Roman. He was also a god of trade, thieves, and travel. The name is closely related to merx, mercari, and merces which respectively mean merchandise, to trade, and wages. For good luck, on the Ides of May (May 15th) which was considered his birthday, the merchants of Rome would use laurel boughs to sprinkle their merchandise, their ships, and their heads with water from a fountain at Porta Capena known as aqua Mercurii. They also offered prayers to Mercury for forgiveness of past and future perjuries, for profit, and the continued ability to cheat customers!

1602 – Bartholomew Gosnold, an English lawyer, explorer, and privateer who was instrumental in founding the Virginia Company of London, and Jamestown in colonial America led the first recorded European expedition to Cape Cod. He is considered by Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) to be the "prime mover of the colonization of Virginia".



1756 – The Seven Years War, a global conflict known in America as the French and Indian War, officially begins when England declares war on France. However, fighting and skirmishes between England and France had been going on in North America for years. In the early 1750s, French expansion into the Ohio River valley repeatedly brought France into armed conflict with the British colonies. In 1756–the first official year of fighting in the Seven Years War–the British suffered a series of defeats against the French and their broad network of Native American alliances. However, in 1757, British Prime Minister William Pitt (the older) recognized the potential of imperial expansion that would come out of victory against the French and borrowed heavily to fund an expanded war effort. Pitt financed Prussia's struggle against France and her allies in Europe and reimbursed the colonies for the raising of armies in North America. By 1760, the French had been expelled from Canada, and by 1763 all of France's allies in Europe had either made a separate peace with Prussia or had been defeated. In addition, Spanish attempts to aid France in the Americas had failed, and France also suffered defeats against British forces in India. The Seven Years War ended with the signing of the treaties of Hubertusburg and Paris in February 1763. In the Treaty of Paris, France lost all claims to Canada and gave Louisiana to Spain, while Britain received Spanish Florida, Upper Canada, and various French holdings overseas. The treaty ensured the colonial and maritime supremacy of Britain and strengthened the 13 American colonies by removing their European rivals to the north and the south. Fifteen years later, French bitterness over the loss of most of their colonial empire contributed to their intervention in the American Revolution on the side of the Patriots.





1864 – Students from the Virginia Military Institute take part in the Battle of New Market, part of the multipronged Union offensive in the spring of 1864 designed to take Virginia out of the war. Central to this campaign was Ulysses S. Grant's epic struggle with Robert E. Lee around Richmond. Union General Franz Sigel had been sent to apply pressure on a key agricultural region, the Shenandoah Valley. He marched south out of Winchester in early May to neutralize the valley, which was always a threat to the North. The Shenandoah was not only a breadbasket that supplied Southern armies, it also led to the Potomac north of Washington. The Confederates had used the valley very effectively in 1862, when Stonewall Jackson kept three Federal armies occupied while keeping pressure off of Richmond. But the Confederates were hard pressed to offer any opposition to Sigel's 6,500 troops. Lee was struggling against Grant and was badly outnumbered. He instructed John Breckinridge to drive Sigel from the valley but could offer him little in the way of troops to do the job. Breckinridge mustered a force of regular troops and militia units and pulled together 5,300 men. They included 247 cadets from the nearby Virginia Military Institute, some of the boys just 15 years old. On May 15, Breckinridge attacked Sigel's troops at New Market. Sigel fell back a half mile, reformed his lines, and began to shell the Confederate center. It was at this juncture that Breckinridge reluctantly sent the VMI cadets into battle. The young students were part of an attack that captured two Yankee guns. Ten of the cadets were killed and 48 were wounded, but Sigel suffered a humiliating defeat and began to withdraw from the valley. The courage of the VMI cadets at the Battle of New Market became legendary, and the pressure was temporarily off of the Rebels in the Shenandoah Valley. Breckinridge was able to send part of his force east to reinforce Lee.





1918 – The U.S. Post Office and the U.S. Army began regularly scheduled airmail service between Washington and New York through Philadelphia. Lieutenant George L. Boyle, an inexperienced young army pilot, was chosen to make the first flight from Washington. Even with a route map stitched to his breeches, Boyle lost his way and flew south rather than north. The second leg of the Washington–Philadelphia–New York flight, however, took off and arrived in New York on schedule–without the Washington mail. The distance of the route was 218 miles, and one round trip per day was made six days a week. Army Air Service pilots flew the route until August 10, 1918, when the Post Office Department took over the entire operation with its own planes and pilots.





1951 – After the quick rout of two South Korean divisions by an attack of some 120,000 Communist Chinese troops, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, supported by intense and accurate 105mm howitzer fire from Wyoming's 300th Armored Field Artillery Battalion stemmed the enemy assault long enough for American positions to stabilize. For its determined resistance in the Battle of Soyang the 300th was awarded a Distinguished (now known as a Presidential) Unit Citation.
1952 – Air Force First Lieutenant James H. Kasler, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, became the war's 15th ace after downing two MiGs for a total of five kills.



1975 – Merchant ship U.S. Mayaguez was recaptured from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge. Some 200 Marines stormed the island of Koh Tang to rescue the crew of the Mayaguez, but the crew had been moved. The Marines fought all day against the Khmer Rouge and escaped by helicopter in the evening. Three comrades were left behind and later died under the Khmer Rouge. The crew was freed about the same time that the Marine assault began.



Congressional Medal of Honor Citation for Actions Taken This Day





KETTLES, CHARLES S.
Rank: Major, Organization: U.S. Army, Company: 176th Assault Helicopter Company, Division: 14th Combat Aviation Battalion, Task Force Oregon, Born: January 9, 1930, Ypsitanti, Michigan, Departed: No, Entered Service At: , G.O. Number: , Date of Issue: 07/18/2016, Accredited To: , Place and Date: Near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam, May 15, 1967. Citation: On 15 May 1967, Major Kettles, upon learning that an airborne infantry unit had suffered casualties during an intense firefight with the enemy, immediately volunteered to lead a flight of six UH-1D helicopters to carry reinforcements to the embattled force and to evacuate wounded personnel. Enemy small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire raked the landing zone, inflicting heavy damage to the helicopters; however, Major Kettles refused to depart until all helicopters were loaded to capacity. He then returned to the battlefield, with full knowledge of the intense enemy fire awaiting his arrival, to bring more reinforcements, landing in the midst of enemy mortar and automatic weapons fire that seriously wounded his gunner and severely damaged his aircraft. Upon departing, Major Kettles was advised by another helicopter crew that he had fuel streaming out of his aircraft. Despite the risk posed by the leaking fuel, he nursed the damaged aircraft back to base. Later that day, the Infantry Battalion Commander requested immediate, emergency extraction of the remaining 40 troops, including four members of Major Kettles' unit who were stranded when their helicopter was destroyed by enemy fire. With only one flyable UH-1 helicopter remaining, Major Kettles volunteered to return to the deadly landing zone for a third time, leading a flight of six evacuation helicopters, five of which were from the 161st Aviation Company. During the extraction, Major Kettles was informed by the last helicopter that all personnel were onboard, and departed the landing zone accordingly. Army gunships supporting the evacuation also departed the area. Once airborne, Major Kettles was advised that eight troops had been unable to reach the evacuation helicopters due to the intense enemy fire. With complete disregard for his own safety, Major Kettles passed the lead to another helicopter and returned to the landing zone to rescue the remaining troops. Without gunship, artillery, or tactical aircraft support, the enemy concentrated all firepower on his lone aircraft, which was immediately damaged by a mortar round that shattered both front windshields and the chin bubble and was further raked by small arms and machine gun fire. Despite the intense enemy fire, Major Kettles maintained control of the aircraft and situation, allowing time for the remaining eight soldiers to board the aircraft. In spite of the severe damage to his helicopter, Major Kettles once more skillfully guided his heavily damaged aircraft to safety. Without his courageous actions and superior flying skills, the last group of soldiers and his crew would never have made it off the battlefield. Major Kettles' selfless acts of repeated valor and determination are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.









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World News from Military Periscope for 15 May



USA—Pentagon Seeks Block Buy For Initial Columbia-Class SSBNs Defense News | 05/15/2020 The Dept. of Defense has asked Congress for permission to buy the first two Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines under a single contract, reports Defense News. If approved, the combined deal would be worth as much as $17.7 billion. It is intended to reduce costs by promising General Dynamics steady work at its shipyard amid uncertainty caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. General Dynamics and the Navy have been negotiating a potential two-boat buy, although no deal can be finalized until approved by Congress. The Navy plans to buy 12 Columbia-class SSBNs to replace its Ohio-class missile boats. The first sub is anticipated to cost $14 billion, $6.2 billion of which has already been funded, with the second boat to cost around $9.3 billion. Confirming work on two subs would help with the financial stability of both the shipyard and its suppliers as well as enable production efficiencies and reduce costs due to economies of scale. The Navy wants to procure the Columbia in fiscal 2021 and the second sub in fiscal 2024. Plans call for exercising contract options for the construction of the lead sub in October 2020.



USA—SOCOM Seeks To Piggyback On Army's Helo Modernization Programs National Defense | 05/15/2020 U.S. Special Operations Command says it plans to take advantage of the U.S. Army's vertical lift aircraft programs to upgrade its aging helicopter fleet, reports National Defense magazine. The Army is seeking a replacement for its UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters under the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, while it plans to fill a capability gap caused by the retirement of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopter with the winner of the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competition. SOCOM is looking at replacing its own Black Hawks with the FLRAA and its H-6 Little Bird helicopters with the FARA. The command has sent personnel to work with the Army cross-functional team managing the projects to help inform the designs so that they meet SOCOM requirements, officials said. Bell Helicopter and a Boeing Sikorsky team are competing for the FLRAA program with their V-280 Valor and SB>1 Defiant aircraft, respectively. Bell and Sikorsky are facing off in the FARA program with their Bell 360 Invictus and Raider X designs. Once a winner is decided for each competition, SOCOM would review the designs to determine their suitability for its future requirements. If the designs do not meet command requirements, it could go in a different direction. SOCOM could also replace all of its Little Birds with the FARA or consider a mixed FARA/FLRAA fleet.



Canada—Air Force Withdraws Choppers From Iraq Due To COVID-19 Ottawa Citizen | 05/15/2020 The Royal Canadian Air Force has withdrawn its helicopters deployed in Iraq due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports the Ottawa Citizen. The CH-146 Griffon helicopters returned in mid-April after the pandemic forced an effective halt to operations in Iraq, said a Dept. of National Defense spokeswoman. The mission consisted of seven Griffons, four from 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, Petawawa, Ontario, that were deployed in northern Iraq, and three from 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, Edmonton, Alberta, stationed at Camp Taji north of Baghdad, reported Vertical magazine. Two C-130Js assigned to the region for resupply missions will remain. The department also confirmed that COVID-19 has forced a halt to maintenance work on the Victoria-class submarines Victoria and Windsor, potentially preventing them from deploying later this year as planned.



Spain—New Joint Venture To Build Wheeled Armored Vehicles For Army Defense-Aerospace | 05/15/2020 The Spanish government has approved the creation of a new joint venture to produce new wheeled armored personnel carriers for the army, reports defense-aerospace.com. The joint venture involving Indra Systems, Santa Barbara Systems, Sapa Placencia and Escribano Mechanical and Engineering will execute the production and delivery of 348 wheeled armored vehicles, reported the Spanish Ministry of Defense. It will also be responsible for their maintenance, lifecycle support and international marketing, said a release from Indra. The move comes after offer from Santa Barbara to build the Piranha V for the program. In December 2019, Madrid canceled a 2.08 billion euros (US$2.4 billion) contract with the defense firm, part of the General Dynamics European Land Systems group, for 348 of the vehicles. The new joint venture will ensure the program meets Spanish military requirements by retaining domestic design authority and Spanish content of at least 70 percent. A contract for the APCs is anticipated by the third quarter of 2020.



Germany—2 Naval Shipyards Plan Merger German Naval Yards | 05/15/2020 German Naval Yards Kiel has announced plans to merge with Lurssen Group as part of an effort to rationalize Germany's shipbuilding industry. The two shipbuilders would move their naval and surface shipbuilding activities into a single joint company led by Lurssen, according to a German Naval Yards Kiel release on Thursday. The merger would not include either company's commercial shipbuilding business, reported defense-aerospace.com. The move was viewed as increasingly likely following the creation of a shipbuilding joint venture between France and Italy and the German government's decision to award the MKS 180 frigate program to Dutch shipbuilder Damen. The government supported the merger plans and participated in the process from an early stage through its maritime coordinator, said the shipbuilder. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, the largest individual naval shipbuilder in Germany, was not included in the move, possibly because ThyssenKrupp is a public company. ThyssenKrupp has expressed an interest in a potential merger with the other German shipbuilders but is also looking at a joint venture with Fincantieri in Italy, according to a source cited by Reuters.



Turkey—2 Aid Workers Killed In Attack In Van Province Anadolu News Agency | 05/15/2020 Two aid workers have been killed in Turkey's eastern Van province, reports Turkey's Anadolu Agency. On Thursday, gunmen opened fire on aid workers in Ozalp before fleeing the scene. A bystander was also wounded. The victims had been distributing food to a neighborhood placed under quarantine due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reported Reuters. The defense ministry blamed the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for the attack. On Friday, Turkish officials 38 people had been detained in connection with the attack, including the mayor of the Ozalp district from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and five executives, reported the Daily Sabah (Istanbul). HDP is a pro-Kurdish party that Ankara has repeatedly accused of links and sympathies with Kurdish armed groups.



Russia—Knyaz Vladimir Sub Begins Sea Trials Tass | 05/15/2020 Russia's newest ballistic missile submarine has begun a final round of sea trials prior to delivery, reports Russia's Tass news agency. On Tuesday, the Knyaz Vladimir departed from Severodvinsk to begin testing in the White Sea. The trials will evaluate fixes implemented for previously identified problems. The Knyaz Vladimir is the first sub in the upgraded Borei-A configuration and the fourth Borei-class submarine overall. The updated subs feature a further streamlined hull design, including the removal of a box-like superstructure around the missile tubes and a revised sail shape, reported the War Zone website. The rudders and endplates have also been improved. The changes are intended to reduce acoustic signature and increase maneuverability. Crew facilities are improved and upgraded communication and sonar systems installed. Construction on the Knyaz Vladimir started in 2012 and she was scheduled to enter service in 2017. Technical issues have delayed her entry into service several times.



Malaysia—Chinese Survey Vessel Departs After Month-Long Standoff Reuters | 05/15/2020 A month-long standoff between a Malaysian oil exploration vessel and Chinese survey ship in the South China Sea has ended, reports Reuters. On Friday, the Chinese survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 left the disputed region of the South China Sea, according to ship monitoring data. The West Capella, which was contracted by Malaysian state oil firm Petronas, left the area on Tuesday after completing its work, said its operator. The ships have been involved in a standoff in the region since mid-April. The vessels were conducting survey operations in waters claimed by Malaysia and Vietnam as well as China. Data from the last month indicated that the Chinese vessel had moved within Malaysian waters in a hash-shaped pattern consistent with survey operations. The Haiying Dizhi 8 was involved in a similar operation in Vietnamese waters last year. China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.



Philippines—U.S. Attack Helicopters Too Expensive, Says Defense Minister Philippine Daily Inquirer | 05/15/2020 The Philippines cannot afford to buy attack helicopters from the U.S., says Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, as quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The government has allocated US$256 million for the procurement, which would only cover one or two aircraft, Lorenzana said on Wednesday. Accordingly, the military will have to look to other suppliers who can meet its needs within the budget. In April, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that Manila had been cleared to acquire six Bell AH-1Z Vipers for around US$450 million and six Boeing AH-64E Apaches for an estimated US$1.5 billion. The Philippines was expected to choose one of the two models. The Philippine air force previously selected the Turkish T129 ATAK attack helicopter. The manufacturer has so far been unable to obtain an export license for certain subsystems on the aircraft due to U.S. sanctions on Ankara over its purchase of Russian air defense systems, preventing a deal from being finalized.



India—Deal Inked For Seahawk Maritime Helos Dept. Of Defense | 05/15/2020 The Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract for naval helicopters for India, reports the Dept. of Defense. The US$904.8 million deal covers 24 MH-60R helicopters. Three undelivered helicopters from the U.S. Navy inventory will be delivered to India to expedite pilot and maintainer training, reported the Financial Express (India). The contract is only for the aircraft, with the weapons and equipment package still being negotiated, reported Naval News. Sikorsky, which builds the helicopter, said the Indian MH-60Rs would be equipped for anti-submarine and surface warfare as well as special operations, search-and-rescue, utility, vertical replenishment and command-and-control missions, reported Flight Global. The weapons package is expected to include the helicopter-launched variant of the Naval Strike Missile. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency first announced the potential sale to India in April 2019. The Indian government approved the deal in February. The first helicopter is expected to be delivered in spring 2021. Work under the contract is scheduled to be completed by September 2024.



Israel—Soldier Injured In Ramming Attack In W. Bank Times of Israel | 05/15/2020 An Israeli soldier has been injured in what that military described as a car-ramming attack in the West Bank, reports the Times of Israel. On Thursday, the driver accelerated his car into a group of Israeli soldiers standing next to a military post on a highway near the Negohot settlement in the southern West Bank, injuring one, who was said to be in moderate-to-serious condition. Another soldier opened fire, killing the driver. The attack came a day before the Nakba Day (Arabic for "catastrophe"), which marks the displacement of Palestinians before and after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Violence in the West Bank and Israel often increases around Nakba Day. Tensions are already high after an Israeli soldier died earlier this week after being hit in the head with a rock during a raid in Yabed in the West Bank.



Burkina Faso—Prosecutor To Probe Suspicious Deaths Following Arrests Reuters | 05/15/2020 A Burkinabe prosecutor has announced an investigation into the deaths of 12 people after they were detained by security forces, reports Reuters. On Wednesday, Judicael Kadeba said he would investigate the incident on May 11-12, when 25 people were arrested in the town of Fada N'Gourma in eastern Burkina Faso on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activity. Twelve of the suspects died in their prison cells hours after their arrest. Source told Agence France-Presse that the cause of death could be asphyxiation. Most of the victims were members of the Fula community, a predominately Muslim ethnic group that has complained of marginalization by the government and has been actively recruited by militant groups. In April, Human Rights Watch published a report accusing Burkinabe security forces of extrajudicially killing 31 unarmed men in the northern town of Djibo. Burkina Faso has been battling several armed jihadist groups in its northern regions.



Sudan—26 Killed In Attacks On RSF Militia In S. Kordofan State Voice Of America News | 05/15/2020 At least 26 people have been killed and 19 wounded in an attack on militiamen in Sudan's southern South Kordofan state, reports the Voice of America News. On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen in military uniforms attacked a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia base in the town of Kadugli, according to local authorities. An RSF spokesman said army personnel from the 14th Division Security Arrangements launched the attack on a herders' settlement outside the town, where several RSF paramilitaries were on leave, reported Radio Dabanga (Sudan). Two RSF patrol vehicles were destroyed. At least nine militiamen were killed, the spokesman said. Several civilians were also reportedly killed. Meanwhile, Middle East Eye (London) reported that the violence was the result of ethnic tensions between the Arab Bagara and African Nuba groups that began with the theft of cattle. Other sources denied there was an ethnic angle to the attack. RSF leader Gen. Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, attributed the attack to former members of the Sudan Liberation Movement/North Sector (SPLM-N). The RSF, created under the regime of Omar Bashir from the Janjaweed militia that fought for the government in Darfur, was integrated into the Sudanese armed forces in August 2019. However, the militia remains independent and has been accused of maintaining significant business interests, including holding a large part of Sudan's gold industry.



Mozambique—Militants Target Key Infrastructure In Cabo Delgado Province Mozambique News Reports and Clippings | 05/15/2020 Militants in northern Mozambique have launched coordinated attacks designed to seize control of key roads and ports in Cabo Delgado province, reports Mozambique News Reports and Clippings (U.K.). The militants began their operation on May 11, targeting the main N380 road from the Montupuez River to Mocimboa da Praia, which would enable the group to control the ports of Mocimboa da Praia, Mucojo, and Quiterajo. The Nangade district, which includes important informal overland links to Tanzania, has also been attacked. The militants entered a number of towns and villages along the N380 road, including Koko and Nacate, Miengeua and Diaca, burning homes and granaries and attacking police stations. Several civilians were reportedly killed, while others were forced to join the militants.



Venezuela—39 Soldiers Arrested While Attempting To Escape To Colombia Agence France-Presse | 05/15/2020 The Venezuelan government says it has arrested 39 army deserters who were attempting to flee into Colombia, reports Agence France-Presse. The deserters were part of a failed plot to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino told state media on Thursday. Venezuelan authorities have arrested 91 people since May 4, when a seaborne attack intended to overthrow Maduro was broken up. Two former U.S. soldiers were arrested for their involvement. Maduro called the failed incursion a U.S. plot. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and the U.S. have denied involvement.



Colombia—Top ELN Leader Killed In Airstrike In Bolivar Department Deutsche Welle | 05/15/2020 Four members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), including a top commander, have been killed in a Colombian air force strike in the northern Bolivar department, reports Deutsche Welle. The commander, known as Mocho Tierra, and three others were killed in a joint operation involving the air force, army and police, Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said on Thursday. A regional official told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that as many as 22 militants were killed when the air force bombed the camp. The airstrikes targeted Mocho Tierra, an ELN member for more than 30 years who handled drug-trafficking and illegal mining in northern Colombia as well as managing illegal financial operations. The slain leader is also believed to have participated in the hijacking of Avianca Colombian Airlines Flight 9463 in April 1999