TheList 5336

The List 5336     TGB

To All

Good Thursday Morning. May 21, 2020

A bit of history and some tidbits.

I hope that your week is going well

Regards

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This day in Naval History May 21, 2019

 

1917 During World War I, USS Ericsson (DD 56) becomes the first U.S. Navy warship to fire a torpedo in the war at a German U-boat.

1918 During World War I, while serving as an officer on USS Christabel (SP-162), Ensign Daniel A.J. Sullivan, exhibits "extraordinary heroism" in securing live depth charges that came loose during combat with a German U-Boat. For his action, he receives the Medal of Honor.

1943 USS Nields (DD 616) sinks Italian submarine Gorgo that is attacking a US convoy off Algeria.

1944 During preparations for the invasion of Saipan, accidental ordnance blasts on LST 353 at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, kills 163 and injures 396. Six tank landing ships, three tank landing craft, and 17 track landing vehicles are destroyed in explosions and fires.

1983 USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) is commissioned at Submarine Base New London, Groton, Conn. 

2005 The first T-AKE ship, USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1), is launched at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego, Calif. The dry cargo ship replaces the aging T-AE ammunition ships and T-AFS combat stores ships that are nearing the end of their service lives.

 

Thanks to CHINFO

Executive Summary:

•           Multiple outlets reported on USS Theodore Roosevelt's return to sea on Wednesday.

•           USNI News reports that maintenance teams working on USS Gerald R. Ford accomplished about 30 percent more work than planned, reducing the maintenance period after shock trials.

•           USS Blue Ridge broke its 48-year-old record for consecutive days underway while remaining at sea to avoid COVID-19 while USS Ronald Reagan officially began its deployment, reports Stars and Stripes.

•           Multiple outlets reported on GAO findings that the Department of Defense continues to struggle to recruit and retain women in uniformed service.

 

 

Today in History May 21

996		Sixteen year old Otto III is crowned the Roman Emperor.
1471		King Henry VI is killed in the Tower of London. Edward IV takes the throne.
1506		Christopher Columbus dies.
1536		The Reformation is officially adopted in Geneva, Switzerland.
1620		Present-day Martha's Vineyard is first sighted by Captain Bartholomew Gosnold.
1790		Paris is divided into 48 zones.
1832		The Democratic party holds its first national convention.
1856		Lawrence, Kansas is captured and sacked by pro-slavery forces.
1863		The siege of the Confederate Port Hudson, Louisiana, begins.
1881		The American Red Cross is founded by Clara Barton.
1927		Charles Lindbergh lands in Paris completing the first solo air crossing of the Atlantic.
1940		British forces attack German General Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division at Arras, slowing his blitzkrieg of France.
1941		The first U.S. ship, the S.S. Robin Moor, is sunk by a U-boat.
1951		The U.S. Eighth Army counterattacks to drive the Communist Chinese and North Koreans out of South Korea.
1961		Governor John Patterson declares martial law in Montgomery, Alabama.
1970		The U.S. National Guard mobilizes to quell disturbances at Ohio State University.
1991		In Madras, India, a suicide bomber kills the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.

 

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thanks to Marathon and Dutch

Subject: Fwd: XB-70 SUPERSONIC STRATEGIC BOMBER MACH 3 FLIGHT TEST FILM 

 

https://youtu.be/qzAWfFJqaQc

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Live organ donor candidate ...

thanks to Doctor Rich 

Thanks to Felix …

 

And also a good Darwin Award candidate!!

 

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

 

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 AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS For May 21

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 16

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

 

21 May

1929: Assistant Secretary of War for Aviation F. Trubee Davison directed the Army Air Corps to hold a public demonstration of the usefulness of air refueling in military operations. The demonstration was to be part of the maneuvers of 1929. What was planned as a round-trip, nonstop bomber mission from Dayton to New York on 21-22 May failed to reach fruition when weather grounded the tanker. The Keystone bomber, however, continued on to New York and Washington, D.C. On the return leg, the bomber and tanker successfully connected over New York City.

1931: Through 30 May, Brig Gen Benjamin D. Foulois, Assistant to the Chief of the Air Corps, led a provisional division in the largest maneuvers to date. The exercise involved 667 airplanes and 1,400 men in flights over northeastern and midwestern states. The provisional division included a pursuit wing, a bomb wing, an attack group, two observation wings, and a transport group. (21)

1937: Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan left San Francisco on a West to East around-the-world flight. Their trip ended on 2 July when they disappeared near Howland Island in the Pacific. (9)

1944: Operation CHATTANOOGA CHOO-CHOO. An effort began to attack trains in Germany and France by air. (4)

1949: Capt Hubert D. Gaddis, flying a Sikorsky S-52-1 helicopter, set an international and US altitude record of 21,220 feet at Bridgeport. (24)

1953: KOREAN WAR. Using SHORAN to aim the bombs, B-29s hit the Kuwonga dam directly seven times. The dam did not burst, because the N. Koreans had lowered the water level 12 feet to reduce the pressure on the dam. (28)

1955: In his F-86 Sabre, Lt John M. Conroy (ANG) made the first dawn-to-dusk round trip transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to New York and back in 11 hours 18 minutes 27 seconds by averaging a FAI record 432.6 MPH. Returning, he also set a New York to Los Angeles record of 4 hours 24 minutes for the 2,446-mile flight. (9) (24)

1956: Operation REDWING. On Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, Maj David Crichlow flew a B-52 bomber to nearly 50,000 feet and dropped an H-bomb. This was the first known airborne-dropped H-bomb to explode. (16) (24)

1957: Maj Robinson Risner flew Lindbergh's transatlantic route with a F-100 in 6 hours 40 minutes (as compared to 33 1/2 hours). 1958: The USAF said that the first site for the Titan I ICBM would be at Lowry Range near Denver, Colo.

1959: The Air Force recovered a Thor-Able nose cone after a 6,000-mile flight over the Atlantic from Cape Canaveral. (24) Test pilot Maj Robert C. Ferry flew Bell Aircraft's XV-3 Convertiplane on its first flight for the USAF. (3)

1960: At Eglin AFB, the Air Force retired the last World War II B-25 Mitchell medium bomber from its active inventory. It was a VB-25J model that flew staff support missions. (20) 1966: The 1370th Photo Mapping Wing retired the USAF's last RB-50.

1969: The C-5A Galaxy became the heaviest aircraft flown to date in a flight from Dobbins AFB, Ga., with a 728,100-pound takeoff weight. This exceeded the C-5's designed gross weight takeoff load by 100 pounds. Previous record was 703,826 pounds.

1973: Maj Herbert K. Fisher was the first USAF officer to enter a Pilot Requalification Program for former prisoners of war.

1984: The 390 SMW at Davis-Monthan AFB took its last Titan II site (570-5) off alert. (1)

 

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Thanks to Barrett

1952: Harry Thyng was one of seven US aces in two wars.  He got around: bagged Vichy, German & Japanese in the Big One, flying Spitfires & Thunderbolts.

 

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https://canadafreepress.com/article/reflections-on-harry-truman-and-armed-forces-appreciation-day

 

At the very least, grateful Americans can offer thanks to those men and women who still stand to protect our truest values, and that is what Armed Forces Appreciation Day is for.

Reflections on Harry Truman and Armed Forces Appreciation Day

 

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Thanks to MICRO

Not a bad way to graduate! GO NAVY!

 

https://www.facebook.com/USNavalAcademy/videos/171736237586888/?t=0

 

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Thanks to Dr. Rich

Subject: Fwd: A Very Sad Aviation Status...

 

A SAD day for a 100 years old industry of AVIATION.:

Virgin fires more than 3,000 people including 600 Pilots.
Virgin Australia files for Bankruptcy.
Air Mauritius goes into AdministrationSouth African Airways Bankrupt.
Finnair returns 12 planes and lays off 2,400 people.
YOU grounds 22 planes and fires 4,100 people.
Ryanair grounds 113 planes and gets rid of 900 pilots for the moment, 450 more in the coming months.
Norwegian completely stops its long-haul activity!!!  The 787s are returned to the lessors.
SAS returns 14 planes and fires 520 pilots... The Scandinavian states are studying a plan to liquidate Norwegian and SAS to rebuild a new company from their ashes.
Ethiad cancels 18 orders for A350, grounds 10 ea. A380's and 10 ea. Boeing 787's.  Lays off 720 staff.
Emirates grounds 38 A380s and cancels all orders for the Boeing 777x (150 aircraft, the largest order for this type). They "invite" all employees over 56 to retire 
Wizzair returns 32 A320s and lays off 1,200 people, including 200 pilots, another wave of 430 layoffs planned in the coming months.  Remaining employees will see their wages reduced by 30%.
IAG (British Airways' parent company) abandons the takeover of Air Europa (and will pay €40 million compensation for that).
IAG (Iberia) grounds 56 planes.
IAG (British Airways) grounds 34 planes.  Everyone over 58 to retire.
Luxair reduces its fleet by 50% (and associated redundancies)
CSA abolishes its long-haul sector and keeps only 5 medium-haul aircraft.
Eurowings goes into Bankruptcy
Brussels Airline reduces its fleet by 50% (and associated redundancies).
Lufthansa plans to ground 72 aircraft (in 2 instalments).
Hop is studying the possibility of reducing fleet and staff by 50%.

Additional info:

Currently, 60 new aircraft stored at Airbus with no buyers in sight (order cancellations) including 18 A350s.
They *forecast a minimum of 8,000 grounded planes by September*.  With an average of 5.8 crews per plane (medium and long haul combined), that would make *more than 90,000 unemployed pilots worldwide*

*The Air Transport Industry is on Life Support !*

This will have a major impact on our lifestyle ... 

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This day in American Military History May 21

 

1542 – On the banks of the Mississippi River in present-day Louisiana, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto dies, ending a three-year journey for gold that took him halfway across what is now the United States. In order that Indians would not learn of his death, and thus disprove de Soto's claims of divinity, his men buried his body in the Mississippi River. In late May 1539, de Soto landed on the west coast of Florida with 600 troops, servants, and staff, 200 horses, and a pack of bloodhounds. From there, the army set about subduing the natives, seizing any valuables they stumbled upon, and preparing the region for eventual Spanish colonization. Traveling through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, across the Appalachians, and back to Alabama, de Soto failed to find the gold and silver he desired, but he did seize a valuable collection of pearls at Cofitachequi, in present-day Georgia. Decisive conquest also eluded the Spaniards, as what would become the United States lacked the large, centralized civilizations of Mexico and Peru. As was the method of Spanish conquest elsewhere in the Americas, de Soto ill-treated and enslaved the natives he encountered. For the most part, the Indian warriors they encountered were intimidated by the Spanish horsemen and kept their distance. In October 1540, however, the tables were turned when a confederation of Indians attacked the Spaniards at the fortified Indian town of Mabila, near present-day Mobile, Alabama. All the Indians were killed, along with 20 of de Soto's men. Several hundred Spaniards were wounded. In addition, the Indian conscripts they had come to depend on to bear their supplies had all fled with baggage. De Soto could have marched south to reconvene with his ships along the Gulf Coast, but instead he ordered his expedition north-westward in search of America's elusive riches. In May 1541, the army reached and crossed the Mississippi River, probably the first Europeans ever to do so. From there, they traveled through Arkansas and Louisiana, still with few material gains to show for their efforts. Turning back to the Mississippi, de Soto died of a fever on its banks on May 21, 1542. The Spaniards, now under the command of Luis de Moscoso, traveled west again, crossing into north Texas before returning to the Mississippi. With nearly half of the original expedition dead, the Spaniards built rafts and traveled down the river to the sea, and then made their way down the Texas coast to New Spain, finally reaching Veracruz, Mexico, in late 1543.

 

1863 – Under Lieutenant Commander J. G. Walker, U.S.S. Baron De Kalb, Choctaw, Forest Rose, Linden, and Petrel pushed up the Yazoo River from Haynes' Bluff to Yazoo City, Mississippi. As the gunboats approached the city, Commander Isaac N. Brown, CSN, who had commanded the heroic ram C.S.S. Arkansas the preceding summer, was forced to destroy three "powerful steamers, rams and a "fine navy yard, with machine shops of all kinds, sawmills, blacksmith shops, etc. . . to prevent their capture. Porter noted that "what he had begun our forces finished," as the city was evacuated by the Southerners. The Confederate steamers destroyed were Mobile, Republic, and "a monster, 310 feet long and 70 feet beam." Had the latter been completed, "she would have given us much trouble." Porter's prediction to Secretary Welles at the end of the expedition, though overly optimistic in terms of the time that would be required, was nonetheless a clear summary of the effect of the gunboats' sweep up the Yazoo: "It is a mere question of a few hours, and then, with the exception of Port Hudson (which will follow Vicksburg), the Mississippi will be open its entire length."

 

1881 – In Washington, D.C., humanitarians Clara Barton and Adolphus Solomons found the American National Red Cross, an organization established to provide humanitarian aid to victims of wars and natural disasters in congruence with the International Red Cross. Barton, born in Massachusetts in 1821, worked with the sick and wounded during the American Civil War and became known as the "Angel of the Battlefield" for her tireless dedication. In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln commissioned her to search for lost prisoners of war, and with the extensive records she had compiled during the war she succeeded in identifying thousands of the Union dead at the Andersonville prisoner-of-war camp. She was in Europe in 1870 when the Franco-Prussian War broke out, and she went behind the German lines to work for the International Red Cross. In 1873, she returned to the United States, and four years later she organized an American branch of the International Red Cross. The American Red Cross received its first U.S. federal charter in 1900. Barton headed the organization into her 80s and died in 1912.

 

Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

LINDBERGH, CHARLES A.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve. Place and date: From New York City to Paris, France, 20-21 May 1927. Entered service at: Little Falls, Minn. Born: 4 February 1902, Detroit, Mich. G.O. No.: 5, W.D., 1928; act of Congress 14 December 1927. Citation: For displaying heroic courage and skill as a navigator, at the risk of his life, by his nonstop flight in his airplane, the Spirit of St. Louis, from New York City to Paris, France, 20-21 May 1927, by which Capt. Lindbergh not only achieved the greatest individual triumph of any American citizen but demonstrated that travel across the ocean by aircraft was possible.

 

 

DOSS, DESMOND T.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Urasoe Mura, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 29 April-21 May 1945. Entered service at: Lynchburg, Va. Birth: Lynchburg, Va. G.O. No.: 97, 1 November 1945. Citation: He was a company aid man when the 1st Battalion assaulted a jagged escarpment 400 feet high As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying them 1 by 1 to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands. On 2 May, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the lines on the same escarpment; and 2 days later he treated 4 men who had been cut down while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through a shower of grenades to within 8 yards of enemy forces in a cave's mouth, where he dressed his comrades' wounds before making 4 separate trips under fire to evacuate them to safety. On 5 May, he unhesitatingly braved enemy shelling and small arms fire to assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his patient to a spot that offered protection from small arms fire and, while artillery and mortar shells fell close by, painstakingly administered plasma. Later that day, when an American was severely wounded by fire from a cave, Pfc. Doss crawled to him where he had fallen 25 feet from the enemy position, rendered aid, and carried him 100 yards to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire. On 21 May, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking the chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating Japanese and giving aid to the injured until he was himself seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited 5 hours before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy tank attack and Pfc. Doss, seeing a more critically wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter; and directed the bearers to give their first attention to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers' return, he was again struck, this time suffering a compound fracture of 1 arm. With magnificent fortitude he bound a rifle stock to his shattered arm as a splint and then crawled 300 yards over rough terrain to the aid station. Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Pfc. Doss saved the lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty.

 

World news from Military Periscope for 21 May

 

USA—3 Firms Chosen To Compete For B-52 Bomber Re-Engining Program Aviation Week And Space Technology | 05/21/2020 The U.S. Air Force has selected three companies to bid for its program to re-engine its aging B-52 bombers, reports Aviation Week & Space Technology. The request for proposals (RFP) released on Monday invites GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce to bid for the work. The program calls for 608 engines to replace all eight engines on each of the 76 B-52s in service. The aging TF33 engines on the bombers will be unsustainable by 2030, according to the Air Force. GE is expected to offer its CF34 or Passport engine, or possibly both, while Pratt & Whitney has put forward its PW800 and Rolls-Royce is submitting a militarized variant of the BR.725 engine. The bidding process will occur in two stages. In the first phase, the competitors will submit "virtual prototypes" that include integrated models for manufacturing, performance and sustainment. The second stage will consist of a normal engine source selection process informed by data from the virtual prototypes and an integration risk analysis.

 

USA—3 Firms Chosen To Compete For B-52 Bomber Re-Engining Program Aviation Week And Space Technology | 05/21/2020 The U.S. Air Force has selected three companies to bid for its program to re-engine its aging B-52 bombers, reports Aviation Week & Space Technology. The request for proposals (RFP) released on Monday invites GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce to bid for the work. The program calls for 608 engines to replace all eight engines on each of the 76 B-52s in service. The aging TF33 engines on the bombers will be unsustainable by 2030, according to the Air Force. GE is expected to offer its CF34 or Passport engine, or possibly both, while Pratt & Whitney has put forward its PW800 and Rolls-Royce is submitting a militarized variant of the BR.725 engine. The bidding process will occur in two stages. In the first phase, the competitors will submit "virtual prototypes" that include integrated models for manufacturing, performance and sustainment. The second stage will consist of a normal engine source selection process informed by data from the virtual prototypes and an integration risk analysis. 

 

France—COVID-19 Pandemic Hits Recruiting Agence France-Presse | 05/21/2020 The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has hampered French military recruiting, reports Agence France-Presse. Restrictions on enlistment were lifted last week and recruiters have been working to make up for a drop in numbers caused by a two-month nationwide lockdown. The French military has a target of enlisting 26,000 new recruits for 2020. In the army, recruiters are about 2,500 recruits short of their goal of 16,000 for this year. Unemployment and other economic issues caused by the pandemic could boost enlistments, said one recruiter. Recruiting is vital for the French armed forces, which are heavily deployed domestically to combat terrorism and in West Africa to battle jihadist militants in the Sahel. 

 

Germany—Joint Tank Project With France Takes Another Step German Ministry Of Defense | 05/21/2020 A joint program between France and Germany to develop a next-generation main battle tank has advanced to the definition phase, reports the German Ministry of Defense. The German defense procurement agency, BAAINBw, has finalized a contract with the ARGE consortium, consisting of German firms Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and French company Nexter, for a system architecture definition study, the ministry said on Monday. The study will be used to harmonize concepts selected by the partner countries for the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) program. The first phase is expected to be completed within 20 months. Germany and France are funding the project equally and work will be evenly split between firms from the two countries. The MCGS program is designed to develop a replacement for the German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc tanks, with the goal of reaching service entry in the mid-2030s. 

 

Japan—Mitsubishi Electric Cyberattack May Have Targeted Hypersonics Data Asahi Shimbun | 05/21/2020 A cyberattack last year against Mitsubishi Electric Corp. is believed to have compromised sensitive data on a hypersonic missile program, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo). The hackers, believed to be from China, are thought to have stolen data related to the military's hypersonic glide vehicle program, government officials said. Mitsubishi was one of several companies that received information from the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency for the defense ministry's hypersonic glide missile project. Mitsubishi was not selected for the program. The stolen specifications may have included the range of the missile, required level of heat-resistance and propulsion system. The information was not classified as top secret, since the system was expected to change over the development period. Mitsubishi has come to believe that the cyberattack was a case of industrial espionage. The program seeks to develop a hypersonic glide vehicle for anti-ship missions in Japan's southern islands, according to previous reports by Defense News.  

 

Japan—Government Reasserts Claims To Northern Islands In New Document Kyodo News Agency | 05/21/2020 Japan has reinserted claims to four northern islands in a new foreign policy document, reports the Kyodo news agency. The Japanese Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Bluebook published on Monday included an explicit claim to the Russian-held islands Shikotan, Etorufu, Kunashiri and the Habomai islet group. Tokyo has maintained its sovereignty over the islands since they were annexed by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. The Soviet move has prevented the signing of a formal peace treaty ending the war. Last year, Japan removed the claim from its bluebook as part of efforts to advance negotiations with Russia for a formal peace treaty and the return of Shikotan and the Habomai group. Under a 1956 bilateral joint direction, the Habomai islets and Shikotan were to be returned once a peace treaty was signed. The bluebook also contained new policy language on South Korea, which was restored to the status of important partner, reported the Asahi Shimbun. Ties were downgraded last year due to a dispute over compensation for harsh labor practices during Japan's colonial rule over South Korea from 1910 to 1945. In 2017, South Korea had been declared Japan's most important neighbor.  

 

Taiwan—Heavyweight Torpedoes Sought From U.S. U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency | 05/21/2020 The U.S. State Dept. has approved the possible sale of heavyweight torpedoes to Taiwan, reports the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The proposed US$180 million deal covers 18 Mk 48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology heavyweight torpedoes and associated equipment and support. The torpedoes would be supplied from the U.S. Navy's existing stocks, the agency said on Wednesday. The potential sale would support U.S. interests by enhancing Taiwan's deterrent and defensive capabilities, said the DSCA.  

 

Philippines—New Frigate Bringing Medical Supplies From S. Korea Philippine News Agency | 05/21/2020 The first of two new frigates built in South Korea for the Philippine navy is expected to arrive in the Philippines this weekend with medical supplies donated by the government in Seoul, reports the Philippine News Agency. The Jose Rizal left the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, on Monday and is expected to arrive at her homeport of Subic Bay on May 23. The crew will complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine before a final inspection and induction into service. The frigate is carrying donated medical supplies from the South Korean government, including 35,000 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits, 20,000 face masks, 2,000 units of hand sanitizer, disinfectants and other healthcare supplies, said a navy spokeswoman. The supplies will augment the ability of the government to fight the virus. The Jose Rizal is the first multimission frigate acquired by the Philippine navy. The second ship in the class is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.

 

Israel—Abbas Announces End To Cooperation With Israel, U.S. Times of Israel | 05/21/2020 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that Palestine is terminating all agreements with Israel and the United States, including security cooperation, reports the Times of Israel. The move was driven by Israeli plans to annex portions of the West Bank, Abbas said on Tuesday in a speech to senior Palestinian Liberation Organization officials. The annexations are part of a peace plan proposed by the Trump administration in January. Remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday regarding the planned extension of Israeli sovereignty over various settlements and the Jordan Valley indicated that Israel had "annulled" the 1993 Oslo Accords, he said. Abbas also said that the "state of Palestine" would immediately join international organizations and agreements that it was not already party to. The withdrawal includes all security accords between the three parties, including agreements that allowed Palestinian security services to work with the Israeli security forces and the Central Intelligence Agency, reported the New York Times. The move could disrupt the basic capabilities of the Palestinian Authority, including prisoner transfers through Israeli-controlled territory, import of telecommunications equipment, international travel by Abbas and basic water services, analysts said.   It was not immediately clear if Abbas' declaration would be implemented or have any effect. 

 

Libya—Ankara Vows To Retaliate Against Attacks On Its Interests In Libya Bloomberg News | 05/21/2020 Turkey will respond vigorously to any attack on its interests in Libya by forces loyal to eastern militia leader Khalifa Haftar, according to a senior Turkish official quoted by Bloomberg News. The pledge was made hours after Haftar's air force chief threatened a major air campaign against the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), including Turkish positions. Turkey is prepared to defend its interests in Libya using drones and warships stationed near Tripoli, the senior Turkish official said on Thursday. Any attacks on Turkish personnel could result in retaliatory action, including against Haftar's headquarters, the official said. The official made his remarks after GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, revealed that at least six Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets and two Su-24 strike aircraft had flown to eastern Libya from the Russian-administered Hmeimim air base in Syria. Haftar's Libyan National Army has suffered a number of setbacks in its effort to capture Tripoli in recent weeks, in large part due to Turkish support for GNA forces.  

 

Algeria—Activists Jailed For Social Media Posts Al Jazeera | 05/21/2020 Two Algerian courts have handed down jail sentences to three opposition activists whose social media posts were deemed potentially damaging to the national interest, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). On Wednesday, Soheib Debaghi was sentenced to one year in jail after being convicted on charges of encouraging an illegal gathering, insulting an official body and publishing potentially damaging material on Facebook. Two other activists, Larbi Tahar and Boussif Mohamed Boudiaf, were sentenced to 18 months in prison on charges stemming from posts on the social media website, according to Amnesty International. The Algerian government has been cracking down on opposition activists since protests against the regime began in February 2019. Around 50 people are currently in custody for their alleged links to the Hirak protest movement, Amnesty said.   Activists have expressed concern that the Algerian government is using the novel coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to crush its opponents.  

 

Morocco—Government Approves Deal For French Air Defense Systems United Press International | 05/21/2020 The Moroccan government has approved a purchase of air defense systems from France, reports United Press International. Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani approved the purchase from MBDA Systems on May 11, reported Morocco World News. A contract between the government and MBDA has been concluded, according to an entry in the official bulletin of regulations and laws. Details of the agreement were not immediately available. The approval came after the government secured a US$211 million loan in April from BNP Paribas to fund the acquisition. The type of air defense system being acquired was not made public. The acquisition is part of Morocco's five-year military modernization plan, which began in 2017. 

 

Senegal—1st 2 KT-1 Trainers Delivered From S. Korea Defence Web | 05/21/2020 Senegal has received the first two of four KT-1S light attack and trainer aircraft purchased from South Korea, reports Defence Web (South Africa). The aircraft were delivered on April 3, according to the Korea Aerospace Industries Fly Together magazine. The delivery was requested ahead of Senegal's April 4 independence day celebrations. Senegalese pilots and technicians are currently undergoing training in South Korea. Dakar inked a deal for the four aircraft in July 2016. The remaining aircraft are slated for delivery in October.  

 

South Africa—COVID-19 Pandemic Exacerbates Denel's Cash Problems Business Day | 05/21/2020 South Africa's state-owned Denel defense firm says it will not pay salaries for May amid a cash crunch made worse by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports the Business Day (Johannesburg). The company faces a liquidity crisis and must take drastic measures to save the business, CEO Danie du Toit told the newspaper in a letter. Wages for June and July are also in jeopardy, he said, weeks after it was revealed that the company had missed the deadline to pay employee pensions and tax contributions. Denel and numerous other state-owned enterprises find themselves in difficult financial circumstances following years of mismanagement and corruption due in part to state capture. Last year, the company received a US$98.5 million government bailout after struggling to pay workers and pensions and raised another US$2.7 million through bond sales to ease a cash shortfall after a US$93 million loss in the 2017/2018 fiscal year. Denel's revenue has now taken a further hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 19 percent of its staff are able to work from home, while its factories are restricted to 30 percent capacity. A trade union representing workers at the company called for an end to the lockdown to allow work to resume on export orders. It also pointed out that South Africa's national conventional arms control committee has not been sitting during the lockdown, potentially delaying the export of ammunition.  

 

Venezuela—Military To Escort Iranian Tankers Once In EEZ Reuters | 05/21/2020 The Venezuelan military says it will escort Iranian ships delivering oil once they arrive in the South American country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), reports Reuters. On Wednesday, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino told state media that Venezuelan air and naval assets would escort the Iranian ships once they enter the EEZ, which typically extends about 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the shore. Five Iranian tankers are carrying about 1.5 million barrels of fuel to Venezuela. Earlier this month, the ships passed through the Suez Canal on their way to the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Opposition leader Juan Guaido said the shipment of fuel to the oil-rich nation demonstrates the scale of mismanagement by President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela's oil refineries have a capacity of 1.3 million barrels per day, but production has collapsed after years of underinvestment, experts said. Washington has imposed sanctions on both Iran and Venezuela and has indicated it may seek to prevent the shipment from reaching Caracas.