TheList 5335

The List 5335     TGB

To All

Good Wednesday Morning. May 20, 2020

A bit of history and some tidbits

Regards

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This day in Naval History May 20, 2019

 

1815 Commodore Stephen Decatur sails with his flagship USS Guerriere and a squadron of nine ships for the Mediterranean to suppress piracy. Under strict negotiations, Decatur is able to secure a treaty with the Day of Algiers, His Highness Omar Bashaw, on July 3.

1909 USS Mississippi (BB 23) arrives at Natchez, Miss., and becomes the first U.S. Navy battleship to visit an inland city.

1943 The Tenth Fleet is established in Washington D.C., under the command of Adm. Ernest J. King, to coordinate U.S. anti-submarine operations in the Atlantic. Disbanded after WWII, the Tenth Fleet is reactivated in Jan. 2010 as U.S. Fleet Cyber Command.

1944 USS Angler (SS 240) sinks Japanese transport Otori Maru and survives depth charging by its escort, while both USS Silversides (SS 236) and USS Bluegill (SS 242) sink enemy vessels.

1995 USS Russell (DDG 59) is commissioned during a ceremony at Pascagoula, Miss. The 9th Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is named for Rear Adm. John Henry Russell and his son, Commandant of the Marine Corps John Henry Russell Jr.

 

Thanks to CHINFO

 

Executive Summary:

•           Multiple outlets report that the Senate Armed Services Committee approved the nomination of Ambassador Kenneth Braithwaite as Secretary of the Navy.

•           San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Sailors are returning to USS Kidd following three weeks of quarantine.

•           The U.S. Navy warned that vessels in the Persian Gulf coming within 100 meters of U.S. warships would be interpreted as a threat and subject to defensive measures, multiple outlets report.

 

Today in History: May 20

0325 The Ecumenical council is inaugurated by Emperor Constantine in Nicea.

1303 A peace treaty is signed between England and France.

1347 Cola di Rienzo takes the title of tribune in Rome.

1520 Hernando Cortes defeats Spanish troops sent against him in Mexico.

1674 John Sobieski becomes Poland's first king.

1690 England passes the Act of Grace, forgiving followers of James II.

1774 Parliament passes the Coercive Acts to punish the colonists for their increasingly anti-British behavior. The acts close the port of Boston.

1775 North Carolina becomes the first colony to declare its independence.

1784 The Peace of Versailles ends a war between France, England, and Holland.

1799 Napoleon Bonaparte orders a withdrawal from his siege of St. Jean d'Acre in Egypt.

1859 A force of Austrians collide with Piedmontese cavalry at the village of Montebello, in northern Italy.

1861 North Carolina becomes the last state to secede from the Union.

1862 President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act, providing 250 million acres of free land to settlers in the West.

1874 Levi Strauss begins marketing blue jeans with copper rivets.

1902 The U.S. military occupation of Cuba ends.

1927 Charles Lindbergh takes off from New York for Paris.

1930 The first airplane is catapulted from a dirigible.

1932 Amelia Earhart lands near Londonderry, Ireland, to become the first woman fly solo across the Atlantic.

1939 Pan American Airways starts the first regular passenger service across the Atlantic.

1941 Germany invades Crete by air.

1942 Japan completes the conquest of Burma.

1951 During the Korean War, U.S. Air Force Captain James Jabara becomes the first jet air ace in history.

1961 A white mob attacks civil rights activists in Montgomery, Alabama.

1969 In South Vietnam, troops of the 101st Airborne Division reach the top of Hill 937 after nine days of fighting entrenched North Vietnamese forces.

1970 100,000 people march in New York, supporting U.S. policies in Vietnam.

 

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 AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS For May 20

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 16

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

 

1915: The Army accepted its first Curtiss JN-2 aircraft. It went to the 1st Aero Squadron. (21)

 

1926: President Calvin Coolidge signed the Air Commerce Act. It was the first federal law regulating civil aviation. (21) (24)

 

1927: KEY EVENT—SOLO FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC/MEDAL OF HONOR. Charles A. Lindbergh, a Captain in the Missouri National Guard's 110th Observation Squadron, landed his Ryan Monoplane, the "Spirit of St. Louis," in Paris on 21 May after the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic. He set a 3,609-mile FAI record for straight-line distance in his 33-hour 39-minute flight. For this feat, President Calvin Coolidge presented Lindbergh with a special Medal of Honor (not the "Congressional" Medal of Honor). (9) (21)

 

1932: Amelia Earhart flew a Wasp-powered Lockheed Vega on the first solo flight across the North Atlantic by a woman. She flew from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, to Londonderry, Ireland, in 15 hours 20 minutes. (9)

 

1939: Pan American Airways started the first scheduled transatlantic airmail service, using a southern route through the Azores, Portugal, and Marseilles, France. A northern route through New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Eire, and England started later on 24 June. (5) (21)

 

1948: A production North American P-86 Sabre, the first swept-wing jet fighter, made its first flight. (12) 1951: KOREAN WAR/FIRST JET-TO-JET ACE. In an F-86 Sabre, Capt James Jabara from the 334 FIS became the world's first jet ace by shooting down his fifth and sixth MiG-15s. (21) (24) (28)

 

1952: KOREAN WAR. Col Harrison R. Thyng, 4 FIW Commander, destroyed his fifth MiG to become the sixteenth jet ace of the war. (28)

 

1954: The first Matador surface-to-surface guided missile arrived in the European theater. (4)

 

1960: From Cape Canaveral, the USAF launched a Convair HGM-16 Atlas ICBM with a 1.5-ton payload to a target 9,040 miles away in the Indian Ocean. This feat represented the greatest distance traveled by an ICBM to date. (20) (24)

 

1966: The NORAD Attack Warning System (NAWS) became operational. 1970: An FB-111 launched a SRAM successfully for the first time at the White Sands Missile Range. (6)

 

1978: McDonnell Douglas delivered its 5,000th F-4 Phantom to the services. (8)

 

1983: The 18 MAS at McGuire AFB sent a C-141 with an all-female crew on a round-trip flight across the Atlantic. They became the first all-woman crew to make that flight.

 

2005: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched its NOAA-N spacecraft from Vandenberg AFB into a polar orbit to collect information about Earth's atmosphere and environment. The data would be used to improve weather prediction and climate research across the globe. NOAA-N also has instruments to support an international search-and-rescue program. The Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System, called COPAS-SARSAT, transmits to ground stations the location of emergency beacons from ships, aircraft and people in distress around the world. (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/main/index.html) The 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron's "Hurricane Hunters" from Keesler AFB flew their first WC-130J operational mission into a storm to gather data about Hurricane Adrian off the coast of El Salvador. Prior to this event, the 53d's crews had flown the WC-130J into storms for training and evaluation, but not to fulfill a National Hurricane Center tasking. (AFNEWS Article, "Hurricane Hunters Fly First Operational WC-130J Mission," 23 May 2005)

 

2003: Boeing's 777-300ER extended-range jetliner set an FAI world weight record of 774,600 pounds at takeoff, the heaviest weight ever for a twin-engine airplane. Boeing test pilot Frank Santoni and FAA pilot Eugene Arnold set the record during the airliner's FAA certification testing. The 777-300ER had General Electric 90-115B engines rated at 115,000 pounds of thrust each, the most powerful in the world. (3)

 

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Thanks to Brown Bear for this marvelous tribute to John

Remembering John Hellman

 

Serving with Fighter Squadron 111 aboard USS Oriskany on Yankee Station during Operation Rolling Thunder 1966-68, I had the honor and privilege of observing John Hellman during his performance as a VF-162 combat division flight leader, flying the air-to-ground version of the Crusader, the F8E.  Equipped with dual wing pylons, he carried either Mark 82's with daisy-cutter fuses or the new CBU cluster bombs.  A series of handheld photographs, later shown to LBJ in the Oval Office, clearly demonstrate his courage and considerable professional capability.  He led a division of flak suppressors against the heavily defended Hai Duong target complex in the middle of the Red River Valley.  Maneuvering 5 miles in front of the major strike group, to draw enemy fire away from the slower bomb-laden A-4's, John engaged the numerous heavy aircraft artillery  batteries.  The first photographs show the extreme amount of blazing gunfire from the ground, then those sites are completely enveloped by the exploding rings of John's accurately delivered CBU's.  No one was shot down on that mission.  John Hellman undoubtably saved at least two aircraft and a couple pilots with his dedicated courage and professional expertise.  During the long hot summer of '67, Rolling Thunder was a "Dr Pepper war", with daily major Alpha strikes at 10, 2, and 4.  Experiencing heavy losses, Oriskany pilots normally flew 2, sometimes 3, of those hazardous missions every day.  It was during that trying time Oriskany set a record of 59 consecutive days of combat on Yankee Station.  Needless to say morale was not very high, dinner in the ward room was more like a gathering of zombies.  John Hellman was always a welcome sight at your table.  Pleasant mannered, very articulate, with a pleasing sense of humor, he always managed to make life seem worth living.

When we returned to NAS Miramar in January '68, the newly imposed BUPERS limit of two consecutive combat cruises was in effect.  About half the Crusader pilots from my Sundowner and John's Superheat squadrons were transferred to the Crusader training squadron VF-124.  Under the tutelage of Skippers Bob Chew and Harry Post, John teamed with Tom Corboy and Al Lansdowne to author the first edition of the Tactical Manual for Air Combat Maneuvering.  It combined the technical aspects/specifications of the Crusader with the historical experiences of over a couple decades  of fighter pilots, and became the first authentic text book for the newly formed Gunfighter School within VF-124.  John's academic expertise was clearly demonstrated in the classroom of the predecessor to today's TOPGUN. 

As well as working long hours as a leading Instructor in ACM, John also often served as the O-in-C of squadron gunnery training detachments to El Centro.  During one of those occasions, he had to eject from a malfunctioning Crusader over the Sierra Madre mountains. Unfortunately, his parachute came down alongside a rocky cliff, and he was seriously injured.  Fully realizing the shortage of instructors during those trying times, he returned to flying duty long before he should have.

John Hellman was one of those guys who I hoped my sons would grow up to be!  If God would grant my decrepit 86-year-old body one final wish, it would be to once again climb into the cockpit of a Crusader and, as Jerry Coffee so fervently prayed in his POW cell of the Hanoi Hilton , "do one more roll" for that Officer and a Gentleman, and a helluva friend and fighter Pilot, John Hellman.

Very Respectfully Submitted,

Dick Schaffert aka Brown Bear

Sent from my iPad=

 

I remember John as an instructor in VF-124 in 1968. He was always smiling.  skip

 

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Thanks to Dr.Rich

Burt Comments - May 27th NASA/SpaceX Demo-2 launch plan

Comments from Burt …

To: Media and Space Journalists:

Yesterday my friend Doc Rich Sugden sent me this:

On May 27, SpaceX will launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in the first-ever crewed test flight of its Crew Dragon astronaut taxi. The mission, called Demo-2, will lift off …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkiRBcDaRrY

On May 27, SpaceX will launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in the first-ever crewed test flight of its Crew Dragon astronaut taxi. 

The mission, called Demo-2, will lift off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's historic Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on board. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:33 p.m. EDT (2033 GMT), and the Crew Dragon is expected to arrive at the International Space Station about 19 hours later. 

____________________

 

For old guys like me, who remember what NASA did during its first decade, I just had to comment:

Rich,

I watched this Hollywood-style video of the Demo-2 mission four times.  And each time the flight it looked identical.  WOW, what precision (sarcasm).  I make this point to highlight the fact that 42 of the 45 manned research aircraft (including a manned spaceship), developed in Mojave by Scaled and RAF from 1972 to my retirement in 2011 were all unveiled showing real flight test videos or film; no Hollywood fake marketing video extravaganzas were used.  There were only 3 exceptions: The Rotary Rocket Roton in 1999 and the two projects done for Sir Richard Branson in 2008 and 2010.

________________

 

I have four comments on the planned SpaceX/NASA May 27th Demo-2 mission:

1).  The present situation is not exciting, its embarrassing.  This mission will represent the first time that America will launch humans to space in nine years.  Hmmmm……. Exactly the same time period it took America to go from the 10-minute sub-orbital flight of Alan Shepard to a round trip to the surface of the moon.  Media coverage of Demo-2 will likely focus on the tremendous technical breakthroughs and the huge bravery of the two NASA astronauts.  But they might not point out the embarrassment of the last nine years. Today's media seems to never do the research on their stories.

2).  Compare the Demo-2 mission to the two-place Gemini program which developed the rendezvous tasks needed for Apollo.  Gemini/Titan flew ten manned space flights, the first in March, 1965 and the tenth in November, 1966.  I will be impressed with the performance of today's NASA/SpaceX/Boeing efforts only when they significantly beat the flight rate Gemini achieved (a manned space flight every two months) 50+ years ago.

3).  Now, lets count the new important breakthroughs and capabilities of space launch that have been achieved the last half century:  1) Reuse of the rocket booster's first stage.  This huge breakthrough was accomplished only because SpaceX funded the effort, was willing to take the risk it might not work (a risk that NASA and Boeing were not willing to take) and pressed on inspite of multiple failures.  2) ………crickets………

4).  I cannot fail to comment on the selection of the mission name.  One might think America's first space mission that finally frees us from paying exorbitant fees to Russia to launch our Astronauts on their rocket design that first flew in 1967, would command a better name than "Demo-2".  Hell, this is an important Milestone, not just some numbered 'test demo'.  The guy responsible for the name of this mission should be looking for another job, and not one requiring creative marketing skills.
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Now, lets look at the striking comparison between the 1960s Saturn V booster and the current SLS booster (NASA's largest program since the Shuttle was grounded).  Nope, I will not go there. Someone else should do the comparison, my weak heart might fail just collecting the data………..

Recently I was asked to recommend methods and goals for the President to help him generate a plan for America's next 20 years' space exploration.  I brought together a team of six of the most experienced and capable experts to answer the request.  All but one recommended defunding NASA, since it seems to have no appetite or capability to change its behavior the last 4 decades.  This was a very difficult decision to make, since I truly believe that NASA and its contractors accomplished the world's greatest-ever technical accomplishments in the 1960s and early 1970s.  In the 1960s America developed seven different manned rocket launch systems in 8.5 years, all launched humans to space without accident.  The Apollo Moon mission and the SkyLab space station were done on schedules that seem impossible today even with our huge advances in computer and manufacturing capabilities.  Since 1970, only three new launch systems have launched humans to space, Shuttle, Chinese Shenzhou and Scaled's SpaceShipOne.

No-one familiar with what was done then, can be proud of our current situation.  That said, I am now optimistic about the Space future because it might finally be driven by real competition among those who do it for profit. The incentive for market share will result in things being done in the most $ efficient and quickest possible way.  Left only to Government, I might not live to see another moon landing and my six great grandchildren might not live to see us colonize another planet to protect our species from another extinction that would occur due to astroid/comet impact on earth.

Burt

 

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This day in US Military History

1943 – On Attu, fighting continues in the Clevesy Pass. Japanese forces hold the high ground and offer determined resistance to the American attacks.
1944 – A V2, on a test flight, lands near the Bug River about 80 miles east of Warsaw. Polish resistance workers hide the rocket before German forces arrive to recover it.
1944 – Forces of the US 5th Army assault the German-held Senger Line. The French Expeditionary Corps attacks Pico; the Canadian 1st Corps attacks Pontecorvo; and the Polish 2nd Corps attacks Piedimonte San Germano.
1944 – American forces have eliminated the Japanese garrison on Wadke. On the mainland, nearby, Japanese forces conduct weak attacks near Arare.
1944 – American aircraft the carriers of Task Group 58.2 (Admiral Montgomery) conduct a raid.

1945 – On Okinawa, American troops secure Chocolate Drop Hill after fighting in the interconnecting tunnels. Elements of the 1st Marine Division, part of US 3rd Amphibious Corps, capture Wana Ridge. Elements of the US 6th Marine Division, part of the same corps, begin mopping up operations in the Japanese held caves of the Horseshoe and Half Moon positions. They use flame-throwers and hollow-charge weapons and seal off some Japanese troops. Japanese forces counterattack on the Horseshoe position suffering an estimated 200 killed. To the east, the US 7th and 96th Divisions, of US 24th Corps, continue to be engaged in the capture of Yonabaru.
1945 – On Mindanao, the US 31st Division, part of US 10th Corps, advances northward and occupies positions near the town of Malaybalay and encounter Japanese artillery fire. Other units advance north of Davao and resist nighttime counterattacks.

 

1969 – After 10 days and 10 bloody assaults, Hill 937 in South Vietnam is finally captured by U.S. and South Vietnamese troops. The Americans who fought there cynically dubbed Hill 937 "Hamburger Hill" because the battle and its high casualty rate reminded them of a meat grinder. Located one mile east of the Laotian border, Hill 937 was ordered taken as part of Operation Apache Snow, a mission intended to limit enemy infiltration from Laos that threatened Hue to the northeast and Danang to the southeast. On May 10, following air and artillery strikes, a U.S.-led infantry force launched its first assault on the North Vietnamese stronghold but suffered a high proportion of casualties and fell back. Ten more infantry assaults came during the next 10 days, but Hill 937's North Vietnamese defenders did not give up their fortified position until May 20. Almost 100 Americans were killed and more than 400 wounded in taking the hill, amounting to a shocking 70 percent casualty rate. The same day that Hamburger Hill was finally captured, Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts called the operation "senseless and irresponsible" and attacked the military tactics of President Richard Nixon's administration. His speech before the Senate was seen as part of a growing public outcry over the U.S. military policy in Vietnam. U.S. military command had ordered Hill 937 taken primarily as a diversionary tactic, and on May 28 it was abandoned. This led to further outrage in America over what seemed a senseless loss of American lives. North Vietnamese forces eventually returned and re-fortified their original position.

 

Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

*MOYER, DONALD R.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company E, 35th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Near Seoul, Korea, 20 May 1951. Entered service at: Keego Harbor, Oakland, Mich. Born: 15 April 1930, Pontiac, Mich. G.O. No.: 19, 1 February 1952. Citation: Sfc. Moyer assistant platoon leader, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations. Sfc. Moyer's platoon was committed to attack and secure commanding terrain stubbornly defended by a numerically superior hostile force emplaced in well-fortified positions. Advancing up the rocky hill, the leading elements came under intense automatic weapons, small-arms, and grenade fire, wounding the platoon leader and platoon sergeant. Sfc. Moyer, realizing the success of the mission was imperiled, rushed to the head of the faltering column, assumed command and urged the men forward. Inspired by Sfc. Moyer's unflinching courage, the troops responded magnificently, but as they reached the final approaches to the rugged crest of the hill, enemy fire increased in volume and intensity and the fanatical foe showered the platoon with grenades. Undaunted, the valiant group forged ahead, and as they neared the top of the hill, the enemy hurled a grenade into their midst. Sfc. Moyer, fully aware of the odds against him, unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion with his body. Although mortally wounded in this fearless display of valor, Sfc. Moyer's intrepid act saved several of his comrades from death or serious injury, and his inspirational leadership and consummate devotion to duty contributed significantly to the subsequent seizure of the enemy stronghold and reflect lasting glory on himself and the noble traditions of the military service.

*BELLRICHARD, LESLIE ALLEN
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry. Place and date: Kontum Province Republic of Vietnam, 20 May 1967. Entered service at: Oakland, Calif. Born: 4 December 1941, Janesville, Wis. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Acting as a fire team leader with Company C, during combat operations Pfc. Bellrichard was with 4 fellow soldiers in a foxhole on their unit's perimeter when the position came under a massive enemy attack. Following a 30-minute mortar barrage, the enemy launched a strong ground assault. Pfc. Bellrichard rose in face of a group of charging enemy soldiers and threw hand grenades into their midst, eliminating several of the foe and forcing the remainder to withdraw. Failing in their initial attack, the enemy repeated the mortar and rocket bombardment of the friendly perimeter, then once again charged against the defenders in a concerted effort to overrun the position. Pfc. Bellrichard resumed throwing hand grenades at the onrushing attackers. As he was about to hurl a grenade, a mortar round exploded just in front of his position, knocking him into the foxhole and causing him to lose his grip on the already armed grenade. Recovering instantly, Pfc. Bellrichard recognized the threat to the lives of his 4 comrades and threw himself upon the grenade, shielding his companions from the blast that followed. Although severely wounded, Pfc. Bellrichard struggled into an upright position in the foxhole and fired his rifle at the enemy until he succumbed to his wounds. His selfless heroism contributed greatly to the successful defense of the position, and he was directly responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades. His acts are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.

MOLNAR, FRANKIE ZOLY
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. place and date: Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 20 May 1967. Entered service at: Fresno, Calif. Born: 14 February 1943, Logan, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Molnar distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader with Company B, during combat operations. Shortly after the battalion's defensive perimeter was established, it was hit by intense mortar fire as the prelude to a massive enemy night attack. S/Sgt. Molnar immediately left his sheltered location to insure the readiness of his squad to meet the attack. As he crawled through the position, he discovered a group of enemy soldiers closing in on his squad area. His accurate rifle fire killed 5 of the enemy and forced the remainder to flee. When the mortar fire stopped, the enemy attacked in a human wave supported by grenades, rockets, automatic weapons, and small-arms fire. After assisting to repel the first enemy assault, S/Sgt. Molnar found that his squad's ammunition and grenade supply was nearly expended. Again leaving the relative safety of his position, he crawled through intense enemy fire to secure additional ammunition and distribute it to his squad. He rejoined his men to beat back the renewed enemy onslaught, and he moved about his area providing medical aid and assisting in the evacuation of the wounded. With the help of several men, he was preparing to move a severely wounded soldier when an enemy hand grenade was thrown into the group. The first to see the grenade, S/Sgt. Molnar threw himself on it and absorbed the deadly blast to save his comrades. His demonstrated selflessness and inspirational leadership on the battlefield were a major factor in the successful defense of the American position and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Army. S/Sgt. Molnar's actions reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

 

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Daily News from Military Periscope for20 May

  USA—F-35 Goes Down During Night Training At Eglin AFB; Pilot Ejects Safely Stars And Stripes | 05/20/2020 A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter jet has crashed while landing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., reports the Stars and Stripes. On Tuesday, the aircraft went down while landing after a "routine night training sortie," the base said in a statement. The pilot ejected safely and was in stable condition, said the medical group associated with the base. There were no casualties or damage to civilian property, reported the Air Force Times. An investigation has been opened, reported WJHG (Panama City, Fla.). This is the second crash of an advanced Air Force fighter at Eglin in the last week. On May 15, an F-22 Raptor went down over a training range near the base. The pilot ejected safely. 

 

USA—Army Inks Deal With Patria To Evaluate Mortar Turret Patria Industries | 05/20/2020 Patria has signed a research agreement with the U.S. Army, enabling the service to study the integration of its breech-loaded, 120-mm mortar system with U.S. vehicles, reports the Finnish defense firm. Under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), Patria will help the Army assess the capabilities of the NEMO mortar turret, its compatibility with American mortar carrier platforms and fire-control systems and study the use of current U.S. 120-mm mortar bombs in a breech-loaded system. The U.S. Army is seeking to provide its armored and Stryker brigade combat teams with rapid, precision, direct- and indirect-fire capabilities where the crew is well-protected and has a reduced physical burden under the 120-mm Mortar Future Indirect Fire Turret (FIFT) program, said a Patria release. The Finnish company proposed the NEMO in response to a market survey launched by the Army in late 2018. The NEMO is a turreted, remotely operated mortar that is designed to be integrated with a variety of ground vehicles and naval vessels, according to the manufacturer. 

 

USA—Suspects Plead Guilty Of Trying To Export Drone Components To Hezbollah Asharq Al-Awsat | 05/20/2020 A Lebanese national has pleaded guilty to trying to export uncrewed aerial vehicle parts and technology from the U.S. to Hezbollah in Lebanon, reports Asharq Al-Awsat (London). On Monday, Usama Hamade plead guilty to conspiring to illegally export goods and technology in a federal court in Minnesota, according to wire service accounts. His brother, Issam Hamade, plead guilty to similar charges in March. Prosecutors said the brothers acquired advanced drone technology and exported it to Hezbollah from 2009 to 2013. The brothers were arrested in 2018 in South Africa and extradited to the U.S. in the fall of 2019. The indictment said that the parts included inertial measurement units and digital compasses.  

 

USA—Cruiser Commander Relieved Following Fuel Spill Navy Newsstand | 05/20/2020 The commander of a U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class cruiser has been removed from her post after her ship spilled thousands of gallons of diesel fuel into a Virginia river, reports the Navy NewsStand. Capt. Erica Hoffman, the commanding officer of USS Philippine Sea, was fired on Monday by Rear Adm. Richard Cheeseman, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 2, due to a loss of confidence in her ability to command. Hoffman was temporarily reassigned to the staff of the commander of U.S. Fourth Fleet. The removal came after a May 7 incident in which the Philippine Sea spilled approximately 4,000 gallons (15,140 liters) of diesel fuel into the York River while loading ammunition at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Va., reported USNI News. The majority of the fuel was contained by booms in place around the cruiser at the time. The spill was 90 percent contained by the afternoon of May 7, according to Navy officials. Hoffman had commanded the cruiser since April 2019, reported the Navy Times.  

 

NATO—Alliance Group Set To Receive Initial Aerial Tankers Defense News | 05/20/2020 NATO nations participating in a program to acquire joint tanker assets will receive the first two aircraft next month, reports Defense News. Two A330 multirole tanker-transport aircraft are scheduled to arrive at Eindhoven air base in the Netherlands in June, slightly behind the original schedule, the alliance said. Six allies are acquiring eight of the aerial refuelers under the Multinational Multirole Tanker and Transport Fleet (MFF) program. Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands are participating in the program, which is managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. Five of the tankers will be based at Eindhoven and three in Cologne, Germany.  

 

France—Steel Cut For 1st Of 4 New Replenishment Ships Naval Group | 05/20/2020 The Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire has launched construction of the first of four new replenishment ships for the French navy, reports Naval Group. On Monday, the first steel plate for the first supply ship being built under the Batiments Ravitailleurs de Force (BRF) program was cut during a ceremony at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard. The French navy ordered four BRF vessels from a partnership of Chanters de l'Atlantique and Naval Group in January 2019. The ships are scheduled to be delivered in late 2022, 2025, 2027 and 2029, respectively, reported defense-aerospace.com. Chantiers de l'Atlantique is responsible for the overall design and construction of the four ships as well as integration and assembly of onboard systems, the shipyard said in a release. Naval Group will design, develop and integrate the military systems for the ships, including the Polaris combat management system. During the ceremony, the French navy chief announced that the four vessels would be named Jacques Chevallier, Jacques Stosskopf, Emile Bertin and Gustave Zede after naval engineers. The replenishment ships are based on the Vulcano-class vessels designed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and in service with the Italian navy, reported Naval News.  

 

Germany—Constitutional Court Rules Against BND Collection Of Foreign Internet Data Fortune | 05/20/2020 Germany's Constitutional Court has ruled that legislation that permits the country's signals intelligence agency to collect all foreign information passing through a major internet exchange point is unconstitutional, reports Fortune magazine. On Tuesday, the court ruled that foreign nationals receive the same privacy protections as German citizens under the country's constitution. The legislation under review, which was introduced in 2016, violates the rights of foreigners in several ways, including permitting mass surveillance instead of targeted surveillance; no protections for journalists or lawyers; and insufficient safeguards for sharing the information with other intelligence agencies. Under the ruling, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) must halt at-will monitoring of foreign telecommunications by the end of 2021, reported Agence France-Presse. The ruling was prompted by a court challenge by several foreign journalists and German journalist unions, who argued that BND searches could violate freedom of the press by allowing the agency to identify their sources abroad. 

 

Russia—Crew Killed In Mi-8 Helo Crash Near Moscow Moscow Times | 05/20/2020 A Russian military helicopter has crashed outside of Moscow, killing all three crewmembers, reports the Moscow Times. On Tuesday night, the Mi-8 transport helicopter went down outside of Klin, about 50 miles (80 km) north of Moscow, during a routine training flight, reported RIA Novosti. The aircraft made a hard landing during a training flight, killing all three personnel onboard, said the defense ministry. Preliminary reports suggested a technical failure caused the crash, the ministry said. The Mi-8 was destroyed in the crash, unnamed sources told Russia's Tass news agency. Response teams recovered the flight data recorder and onboard voice recorder, reported the Asia News International.  

 

Japan—GSDF Unveils New Rifle, Pistol Asahi Shimbun | 05/20/2020 The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has unveiled its first new standard service rifle since 1989, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo). On Monday, the new Type 20 5.56-mm assault rifle and Heckler & Koch SFP 9-mm service pistol were unveiled during a ceremony in Tokyo, reported the Firearm Blog. The Type 20 modular assault rifle offers increased water and corrosion-resistance compared to the Type 89 it is replacing. The new features are intended to improve performance during amphibious operations. The rifle, built by Howa Machinery in Aichi prefecture, was chosen over the FN Herstal SCAR-L and H&K 416 rifles. Howa also built the Type 89 rifle. Approximately 3,000 of the rifles are expected to be purchased in fiscal 2020, with deliveries to begin in 2021. The Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade in Nagasaki prefecture will be the first unit to be equipped with the rifles. The SFP 9-mm, also known as the VP9, beat out competition from the Beretta APX and Glock 17, to replace the GSDF's current service pistol, a locally produced variant of the SIG P220 that entered service in the early 1980s. Between 300 and 330 of the new pistols are set to be purchased this year. 

 

Japan—GSDF Unveils New Rifle, Pistol Asahi Shimbun | 05/20/2020 The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has unveiled its first new standard service rifle since 1989, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo). On Monday, the new Type 20 5.56-mm assault rifle and Heckler & Koch SFP 9-mm service pistol were unveiled during a ceremony in Tokyo, reported the Firearm Blog. The Type 20 modular assault rifle offers increased water and corrosion-resistance compared to the Type 89 it is replacing. The new features are intended to improve performance during amphibious operations. The rifle, built by Howa Machinery in Aichi prefecture, was chosen over the FN Herstal SCAR-L and H&K 416 rifles. Howa also built the Type 89 rifle. Approximately 3,000 of the rifles are expected to be purchased in fiscal 2020, with deliveries to begin in 2021. The Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade in Nagasaki prefecture will be the first unit to be equipped with the rifles. The SFP 9-mm, also known as the VP9, beat out competition from the Beretta APX and Glock 17, to replace the GSDF's current service pistol, a locally produced variant of the SIG P220 that entered service in the early 1980s. Between 300 and 330 of the new pistols are set to be purchased this year.

 

Iran—Navy Will Continue Ops In Gulf Despite U.S. Warning Reuters | 05/20/2020 The Iranian navy will continue to operate in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman despite a warning from the U.S., reports Iranian media cited by Reuters. On Tuesday, the U.S. Navy warned that all mariners should stay at least 330 feet (100 m) away from American warships or they will be considered "a threat and subject to lawful defensive measures," reported CNBC. On Wednesday, unnamed Iranian officials told the semi-official Islamic Students News Agency (ISNA) that Iranian naval assets would continue their normal operations in the region subject to "professional principles as in the past." The notice is "designed to enhance safety, minimize ambiguity and reduce the risk of miscalculation," said U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. An unnamed source said that the notice did not constitute a change to U.S. rules of engagement. The move comes after 11 Iranian vessels engaged in harassing maneuvers last month near U.S. ships exercising in the region, at one point coming within 27 feet (10 m) of the American vessels. 

 

Libya—GNA Forces Continue Push West Libya Observer | 05/20/2020 Forces with the Government of National Accord have recaptured two towns near the border with Tunisia as part of its Volcano of Rage offensive, reports the Libya Observer. On Tuesday, the media office of the Volcano of Rage operation announced that the towns of Badr and Tiji had been retaken without fighting after forces loyal to eastern militia leader Khalifa Haftar departed. Negotiations with leaders in the town of Al-Asaba to return to GNA control failed after Haftar loyalists could not be convinced to leave, said unnamed sources. The advance comes a day after GNA forces forced the LNA out of Al-Watiya airbase, the last airfield supporting Haftar's forces in western Libya. The loss of the airbase was a major setback for Haftar's offensive on Tripoli and forced LNA forces to withdraw from several neighborhoods in the city, reported Reuters. 

 

Niger—12 Soldiers Killed In Suspected Boko Haram Assault In Diffa Region Agence France-Presse | 05/20/2020 At least 12 Nigerien soldiers have been killed and 10 wounded in an attack in Niger's southern Diffa region, reports Agence France-Presse. On Monday, militants launched an overnight assault on the Blabrine military base, said officials. Seven militants were neutralized in the attack, according to a government statement. The base is located about 12 miles (20 km) northeast of the city of Diffa, near Lake Chad where the borders of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria meet. A local official said that the attack was likely conducted by Boko Haram.   Burkina Faso—7 Die In Militant Ambush In North Agence France-Presse | 05/20/2020 Two Burkinabe soldiers and five civilian defense volunteers have been killed in a militant attack in Burkina Faso's northern Loroum region, reports Agence France-Presse. The troops from a military detachment in Banh were conducting a patrol in the area when they were ambushed, said an unnamed security source. At least four other members of the patrol were wounded, the source said. Details of the ambush were not immediately available. Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said killed nine soldiers. 

 

South Sudan—Hundreds Killed In Inter-Ethnic Fighting In Jonglei State Voice Of America News | 05/20/2020 More than 200 people have been killed in recent inter-ethnic violence in South Sudan's eastern Jonglei state, reports the Voice of America News. On May 16 and May 17, youth reportedly wearing military uniforms attacked the villages of Pieri, Pamai Panyok and Oluwek in Uror County, shooting at residents and stealing cattle, said witnesses. The attackers were from the Murle ethnic group from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, said local officials. One man who took part in the fighting to defend the towns said that as many as 300 people may have been killed. Uror County Commissioner John Dak Gatluak told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that at least 1,000 people were killed and 370 injured, some critically, in attacks on six villages in the county. The death toll could rise, since search operations were continuing for missing villagers who fled into the bush. Local officials said the attack was likely a reprisal for a February incident when men from the Lou Nuer ethnic group stole cattle and abducted children from the Murle. Cattle raiding between the two groups has taken place for centuries, with children sometimes kidnapped to be used as domestic slaves.

 

Nigeria—Navy Frees Chinese Fishing Vessel From Pirates News Agency Of Nigeria | 05/20/2020 The Nigerian navy has successfully rescued the crew of a Chinese fishing vessel that was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, reports the News Agency of Nigeria. MV Hailufang II was captured by pirates off the coast of Ivory Coast on May 15. The crew of 18 included Chinese, Ghanaian and Ivorian nationals. The Nigerian navy dispatched the patrol ship Nguru in response, which intercepted the fishing vessel later that day some 140 nautical miles (260 km) south of Lagos, a Nigerian naval official said on Monday. A boarding party from the Nguru gained access to the Hailufang II, freeing the crew and arresting 10 pirates. The operation was supported by intelligence shared by the Benin navy. On Tuesday, Chinese diplomats in Lagos confirmed that a Chinese fishing vessel had been rescued and that the Nigerian navy had escorted the ship into Lagos the previous day, reported Xinhua, China's state news agency.