To All
Good Wednesday Morning June 24, 2020
A lot of History and some tidbits
Regards,
Skip
Today in Naval History
June 24
1833 The frigate Constitution is the first vessel to enter the newly-built dry dock at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Mass. for overhaul. A false rumor circulates in Boston in 1830 that the U.S. Navy intends to scrap the ship; young Oliver Wendell Holmes pens his poem "Old Ironsides", becoming a rallying cry to save the ship.
1944 Torpedo bomber TBM aircraft (VC 69) from USS Bogue (CVE 9) sink Japanese submarine (I 52), 800 miles southwest of Fayal, Azores.
1944 Navy submarines USS Grouper (SS 214), USS Redfin (SS 272) and USS Tang (SS 306) attack Japanese convoys off the coast of Japan, sinking seven enemy vessels.
1948 The Berlin airlift Operation Vittles is initiated to offset the Soviet Union's blockade access of the U.S., France, and Great Britain to their sectors of Berlin.
1952 During the Korean War, aircraft from USS Philippine Sea (CV 47), USS Bon Homme Richard (CV 31), USS Princeton (CV 37), and USS Boxer (CV 21) continue attacks on hydroelectric plants in North Korea from the previous day
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
•USS Nitze conducted a freedom of navigation operation off the coast of Venezuela, multiple outlets report.
•Stars and Stripes reports that USS Blue Ridge returned to Yokosuka, Japan after a five-month deployment that saw the command ship break its days-at-sea record.
•Numerous outlets continued reporting on HASC subcommittee NDAA markups.
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This day in History
June 24
0217 Carthaginian forces led by Hannibal destroy a Roman army under consul Gaius Flaminius in a battle at Lake Trasimene in central Italy.
1314 Scottish forces, led by Robert the Bruce, win an overwhelming victory against English King Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn.
1340 The English fleet defeats the French fleet at Sluys, off the Flemish coast.
1497 Explorer John Cabot lands in North America in present-day Canada.
1509 Henry VIII is crowned King of England.
1647 Margaret Brent, demands a voice and a vote for herself in the Maryland colonial assembly.
1664 The colony of New Jersey, named after the Isle of Jersey, is founded.
1675 King Philip's War begins.
1812 Napoleon crosses the Neman River and invades Russia.
1859 At the Battle of Solferino, also known as the Battle of the Three Sovereigns, the French army, led by Napoleon III, defeats the Austrian army under Franz Joseph I.
1861 Federal gunboats attack Confederate batteries at Mathias Point, Virginia.
1862 U.S. intervention saves the British and French at the Dagu Forts in China.
1896 Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to receive an honorary MA degree from Harvard University.
1910 The Japanese army invades Korea.
1913 Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria following border disputes over Macedonia and Thrace.
1931 The Soviet Union and Afghanistan sign a treaty of neutrality.
1940 France signs an armistice with Italy.
1941 President Franklin Roosevelt pledges all possible support to the Soviet Union.
1943 Royal Air Force Bombers hammer Muelheim, Germany, in a drive to cripple the Ruhr industrial base.
1948 The Soviet Union begins the Berlin Blockade, America responds with the Berlin Airlift.
1953 John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier announce their engagement.
1955Soviet MIGs down a U.S. Navy patrol plane over the Bering Strait.
1964 The Federal Trade Commission announces that, starting in 1965, cigarette makers must include warning labels about the harmful effects of smoking.
1970 The U.S. Senate votes overwhelmingly to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 24
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 24
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
24 June
1914: The Signal Corps Aviation School at San Diego received its first Curtiss J tractor (Signal Corps No. 29). It was the forerunner of the "Jennies." (21)
1943: Near Ephrata, Wash., Lt Col William R. Lovelace made a record parachute jump of 40,200 feet. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Far East Air Forces flew 1,043 sorties, the highest daily total for the month. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew over 250 sorties against N. Korean hydroelectric power plants, four of them having been targets the previous day. (28) KOREAN WAR. Throug 25 June, 26 B-29s flew close air support sorties, one of the largest such medium bomber missions since the early days of the war. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers rendered temporarily unserviceable the Samdong-ni rail complex, the choke point of the eastwest and north-south rail lines in North Korea. Night-flying B-26s seeded the area with delayedaction bombs to hamper repair efforts. (28)
1963: SAC accepted the first flight of 10 Minuteman I (Model B) missiles at Ellsworth AFB with the 66 SMS. (6)
1978: The Sea Satellite (SEASAT), with remote sensing and monitoring of the world's oceans, launched.
1987: President Ronald Reagan signed National Security Decision Directive No. 280, National Airlift Policy, to redefine the roles of military and commercial airlift. It made both "important and interdependent" for fulfilling national security mobility requirements. (18)
1993: The USAF authorized the destruction of B-52 Stratofortress bombers and LGM-30F Minuteman II silos. The Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB started destroying the 363 B-52s immediately. (16)
1996: Exercise MARCOT '96. On a global power mission, SECAF Sheila E. Widnall flew on one of three B-52s from the 5 BMW at Minot AFB. Widnall and her crew took off from Andrews AFB on an eight-hour mission for the exercise. The flight included anti-ship operations in the North Atlantic, live MK-82 bomb drops at Gagetown Range, Canada, aerial refueling over western New England and fighter intercepts. Lt Kelly Flinn, a co-pilot of the 23 BS at Minot, joined Widnall on the flight. Flinn was the first B-52 combat-qualified woman. (AFNEWS)
1997: Operation PROVIDE COMFORT/NORTHERN WATCH. EF-111A Ravens from the 429th Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS) at Cannon AFB left Turkey for home after nearly 2,100 days of deployment to support the two operations. (AFNEWS, 26 June 1997)
1998: AMC announced a modernization program to re-engine its entire C-5 fleet over 10- to 12-year period. Besides new engines, the modernization included a comprehensive avionics upgrade with the new All Weather Flight Control System and Global Air Traffic Management equipment. (22)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen authorized the redeployment of 315 aircraft, including the 18 A-10s from the 104th Expeditionary Operations Group (ANG), to their home stations. As of this date, the ANG activated 4,227 Guardsmen under the Presidential Selected Reserve Call-Up for Kosovo operations. Of those, the ANG deployed 2,976 people to support those operations and the activities of 73 KC-135s and 18 A-10s. (32)
2001: Lockheed Martin's X-35B (STOVL) concept demonstrator made its first vertical takeoff and landing, at the contractor's facility at Plant 42 in Palmdale. The event validated the aircraft's unusual shaft-driven lift fan propulsion system, marking the first time in aviation history that a shaft-driven lift fan propulsion system had lifted an aircraft off the ground. (3) During a flight at NAS Patuxent River, Boeing test pilot Dennis O'Donoghue flew the X-32B through its first successful transition from horizontal flight to a jetborne hover. Altogether, the plane hovered four times in five flights.
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Thanks to Dan
: The attack on Firebase Fuller
My Army unit (2nd/17th Air Cavalry/101st Airborne Division), was based at Quang Tri, Vietnam. Firebase Fuller, which was W/O Quang Tri, and on the DMZ between North and South Vietnam, was visible from our unit area. Our aircraft were always fueled, armed, and preflighted at the end of each previous days flights, so that they could be used at a moments notice. This was an important SOP whenever an aircraft was shot down and another team had to respond to recover the crew.
On the morning in question, a couple of hours before dawn, we were all awakened by a major attack on Firebase Fuller. We all ran outside to see what was happening. Firebase Fuller was illuminated by heavy weapons fire, mortars, rocket propelled grenades (RPG's), and automatic weapons fire. Normally, before a mission, we received a tactical briefing, weather report, and aircraft/team assignment. But, in this case, we all ran to the nearest aircraft and responded to Firebase Fuller.
Our "Pink Teams" normally consisted of an OH-6 LOH (scout helicopter), two AH-1G Cobra Attack Helicopters, and one UH-1 Huey helicopter. I was a team lead and air mission commander. In this case, it was simply a question of who got in the air first. I assembled the team in the air, enroute to Firebase Fuller, which was only about 10 minutes away.
The normal weapons load for my aircraft was two 19-shot rocket pods inboard, and two 7-shot rocket pods outboard, all with 2.75" folding fin aerial rockets (all high explosive inboard, and a mixture of flechette and white phosphorous outboard); and, in the turret, 7.62 minigun rounds, and 40mm grenade launcher rounds.
Normally, this was an appropriate mix of what would be needed for all our missions. However, in this case, it was totally inappropriate. I was first on the scene. The Northern slope of Firebase Fuller descended into the DMZ. However, it wasn't actually a firebase. Instead, the hilltop was crammed with radio listening equipment, monitoring NVA communications deep inside N. Vietnam. The perimeter at the top of the hill was ringed by a line of bunkers, manned by South Vietnamese soldiers, with several U.S. Marine advisors. The bunkers, in turn, were surrounded by several lines of concertina wire, with trip wire flares in the wire, claymore anti-personnel mines, and fougasse anti-personnel drums.
When I arrived on the scene, a full scale human wave attack, by North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldiers, was occurring. This was the only time, in two combat tours, that I ever experienced such an action. Probably an entire enemy battalion was simultaneously climbing over the wire, with another NVA battalion already casualties. The first NVA soldiers would throw themselves on the wire and the following waves would climb over the bodies of the first soldiers.
As I said before, I had the wrong weapons load to engage a human wave attack. I immediately used my flechette anti-personnel rockets, which were very effective. Then, all the rest of my rockets, which were designed for bunkers, not personnel. Meanwhile, my co-pilot in the front seat, fired everything he had in the turret. At the same time, I had called back to the unit at Quang Tri and told them to rearm the Cobra's with all flechette rockets, and to immediately send every aircraft with weapons on board.
Because the flight time to our unit was so short, I was able to re-arm, re-fuel, and return to the scene, but, in that time, the base was overrun and the friendly ground forces had to escape and evade down the south slope of the firebase.
There were many South Vietnamese casualties, but the Marine advisors were able to successfully make it to safety. Following their abandonment of the base, friendly artillery and fighter/bomber air strikes were employed on the site, followed by a B-52 (Arclight) strike.
I have seen several references to this action, but none of them have shown an awareness of any of the above details. Even though this action was not planned, and it was long before any "Joint" actions that are commonplace today, it was a good example of every service willingly participating in an action, even though the base had to be abandoned. Most of the support was diverted from planned missions, particularly Air Force, Navy, and Marines. The radio traffic between services while making the support happen, was incredible. Instead of the expected excuses in order to avoid participating, all the energy was spent in ensuring mission accomplishment!
Dan Bresnahan
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Thanks to Dan
Skip,
Here is the story of the two aviation maintenance officers who rescued the two downed fighter pilots in Laos:
In 1971, my aviation unit (Alpha Troop/2nd/17th Air Cavalry/101st Airborne Division) was based at Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Quang Tri is located a few miles S/O the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Vietnam. We were a company sized aviation unit, with our own aviation maintenance section. Assigned to that section were two maintenance officers whose primary duty was to coordinate all maintenance for the units aircraft, which consisted of three platoons of observation helicopters (OH-6 Cayuse), attack helicopters (AH-1G Cobra), and utility helicopters (UH-1 Huey). Following whatever maintenance was completed on the assigned aircraft, both maintenance officers had to perform a maintenance test flight on each aircraft, before it could be returned to service.
One day the two aviation maintenance officers were performing such a flight in the flatlands surrounding Quang Tri, which was a totally secure area, particularly during the daytime. The two maintenance officers took off, by themselves, in a stripped Huey, which had no weapons, or gunners aboard. However, during the flight, they monitored on the "guard" frequency, a request by a Forward Air Controller (FAC), for "any aircraft which can help in rescuing a downed fighter crew". The maintenance officers, who not only were unarmed, but had no maps, and had never been in any combat, anywhere, answered the call. The FAC immediately gave them directions from "Channel 103", the TACAN navigation beacon at Quang Tri. However, Army pilots have no TACAN equipment on their aircraft, and navigate with 1:50,000 scale map sheets, anyway.
Subsequently, the FAC gave a heading to our intrepid maintenance pilots, which took them far to the West of Quang Tri. Since they had never been there before, they flew on the assigned heading until the FAC had them in sight. He then vectored them into a clearing, where two downed fighter pilots ran out of the tree line and jumped into the Huey. The scene was not only not in Vietnam, it was deep in Laos, but the rescue crew, not knowing where they were, just flew where the FAC directed them to go.
As they climbed out, heading for Phu Bai Airfield, at Hue, S. Vietnam, the FAC reported that they were taking airbursts, which they were oblivious to, not having ever experienced that before. When the Huey landed at Phu Bai, the rescued fighter crew were met by several members of their unit, based in Danang, S. Vietnam. The aviation maintenance crew was rewarded for their actions by being "Shanghaied" by the fighter unit and wined and dined in Danang, then given "orientation" flights in a fighter aircraft at Danang. The Commander of the fighter unit also ensured that the maintenance crew received appropriate valor awards for their actions in rescuing the downed fighter crew.
This entire caper occurred in an area which, only a few months before, had been part of Lam Son 719 - The Invasion of Laos, where dozens of aircraft had been shot down by NVA anti-aircraft and small arms weapons. We routinely flew near that area, still within S. Vietnam, and almost daily were shot at. Those of us who flew there daily, were incredulous that our aviation maintenance personnel had accomplished the rescue, without any loss or injury, and without actually knowing where they were. It was the type of mission that those of us who flew in combat everyday only dreamed about accomplishing, but which none of us ever did!
Dan
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Thanks to Tom Please see attachment
Senators Feinstein, Cornyn Introduce Bill to Investigate Military Aviators' Risk of Cancer
Today Senator Diane Feinstein, D-CA, introduced with co-sponsor Senator John Cornyn, R-TX, a bipartisan bill titled "The Military Aviators Cancer Study Act" (see attached). It will be included in the Senate's inputs into the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The intent of this bill is to determine if the facts and data support a greater incidence of cancer and mortality for fixed wing military aviators as compared to the general population. Additional co-sponsors include Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Edward Markey (D-MA).
Four us have been working this bill with Sen Feinstein's office the last 3 months – as we understand it this is the first time a bill this specific addressing cancer in military aviation has been introduced as part of the NDAA process. And to have two of the most respected and powerful Senators introduce it is extraordinary. In addition to Betty Seaman, the widow of CAPT (ret) Jim Seaman (one of the 4 of 7 Commanding Officers at NAWS China Lake to pass away from cancer) the Red River Valley Pilots Association (RRVA) provided support, especially Col (ret) Vince Alcazar and Dr. Phil Steeves. This effort has also been endorsed by the 30 Veteran Service Organizations (VSO's) of the Toxic Exposures in the American Military (TEAM) Coalition. The attached Press Release from Senator Feinstein's office also lists all these VSO's with links to their web pages.
While Phase 1 does not capture all of those involved in military aviation, it is "good enough" to determine if there is a clear higher incidence of cancer and mortality. The goal of Phase 2 is the identification of the "why's", from the operating environment (fuels, fumes, oils, coolants, etc.), to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, or other unknown factors, which should force the DoD and VA to expand future efforts to include everyone involved in military aviation, from all Services.
To ensure this bill continues its way forward, if you support this bill, please contact your members of Congress through their respective web pages. Other than meeting with your Congressperson, a personal email clearly stating your support and reasons why is considered the best influencer. The NDAA process is a long and frustrating and this bill still has hurdles to go through including the assignment of funding.
Please add your voice to the growing chorus of supporters.
Tom "Boot" Hill
"A nation that forgets its past has no future." Winston Churchill
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Update from Killer
Subject: Nancy Green also first black millionaire female
, I liked the Aunt Jemima millionaire story, but Snopes claims it is false (https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/aunt-jemima-millionaire/). Take care, Killer
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This day in US Military History
1664 – New Jersey, named after the Isle of Jersey, was founded.
1675 – In colonial New England, King Philip's War begins when a band of Wampanoag warriors raid the border settlement of Swansee, Massachusetts, and massacre the English colonists there. In the early 1670s, 50 years of peace between the Plymouth colony and the local Wampanoag Indians began to deteriorate when the rapidly expanding settlement forced land sales on the tribe. Reacting to increasing Native American hostility, the English met with King Philip, chief of the Wampanoag, and demanded that his forces surrender their arms. The Wampanoag did so, but in 1675 a Christian Native American who had been acting as an informer to the English was murdered, and three Wampanoag were tried and executed for the crime. King Philip responded by ordering the attack on Swansee on June 24, which set off a series of Wampanoag raids in which several settlements were destroyed and scores of colonists massacred. The colonists retaliated by destroying a number of Indian villages. The destruction of a Narragansett village by the English brought the Narragansett into the conflict on the side of King Philip, and within a few months several other tribes and all the New England colonies were involved. In early 1676, the Narragansett were defeated and their chief killed, while the Wampanoag and their other allies were gradually subdued. King Philip's wife and son were captured, and on August 12, 1676, after his secret headquarters in Mount Hope, Rhode Island, was discovered, Philip was assassinated by a Native American in the service of the English. The English drew and quartered Philip's body and publicly displayed his head on a stake in Plymouth. King Philip's War, which was extremely costly to the colonists of southern New England, ended the Native American presence in the region and inaugurated a period of unimpeded colonial expansion.
1930 – The 1st radar detection of planes was made at Anacostia, DC.
1941 – President Franklin Roosevelt pledged all possible support to the Soviet Union.
1943 – Allies began a 10-day fire bombing of Hamburg.
1944 – The battle for Cherbourg continues. American forces of US 7th Corps (part of 1st Army) continue to make progress. The German garrison commander, General Schlieben, refuses to surrender.
1944 – The battle for Saipan continues as US 5th Amphibious Corps makes progress. The 27th Division clears the southern part of the island and most of the division moves northward. The 2nd Marine Division continues to battle for Mount Tapotchau.
1944 – Japanese bases on Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima are raided by American carrier aircraft. The planes are from Hornet, Yorktown, Bataan and Belleau Wood (a force commanded by Admiral Clark). Japanese losses are 66 aircraft.
1948 – One of the most dramatic standoffs in the history of the Cold War begins as the Soviet Union blocks all road and rail traffic to and from West Berlin. The blockade turned out to be a terrible diplomatic move by the Soviets, while the United States emerged from the confrontation with renewed purpose and confidence. Following World War II, Germany was divided into occupation zones. The United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and, eventually, France, were given specific zones to occupy in which they were to accept the surrender of Nazi forces and restore order. The Soviet Union occupied most of eastern Germany, while the other Allied nations occupied western Germany. The German capital of Berlin was similarly divided into four zones of occupation. Almost immediately, differences between the United States and the Soviet Union surfaced. The Soviets sought huge reparations from Germany in the form of money, industrial equipment, and resources. The Russians also made it clear that they desired a neutral and disarmed Germany. The United States saw things in quite a different way. American officials believed that the economic recovery of Western Europe was dependent on a strong, reunified Germany. They also felt that only a rearmed Germany could stand as a bulwark against Soviet expansion into Western Europe. In May 1946, the Americans stopped reparations shipments from their zone to the Soviets. In December, the British and Americans combined their zones; the French joined some months later. The Soviets viewed these actions as a threat and issued more demands for a say in the economic future of Germany. On June 22, 1948, negotiations between the Soviets, Americans, and British broke down. On June 24, Soviet forces blocked the roads and railroad lines into West Berlin. American officials were furious, and some in the administration of President Harry S. Truman argued that the time for diplomacy with the Soviets was over. For a few tense days, the world waited to see whether the United States and Soviet Union would come to blows. In West Berlin, panic began to set in as its population worried about shortages of food, water, and medical aid. The United States response came just two days after the Soviets began their blockade. A massive airlift of supplies into West Berlin was undertaken in what was to become one of the greatest logistical efforts in history. For the Soviets, the escapade quickly became a diplomatic embarrassment. Russia looked like an international bully that was trying to starve men, women, and children into submission. And the successful American airlift merely served to accentuate the technological superiority of the United States over the Soviet Union. On May 12, 1949, the Soviets officially ended the blockade.
Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*BENNETT, EMORY L.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Sobangsan, Korea, 24 June 1951. Entered service at: Cocoa, Fla. Born: 20 December 1929, New Smyrna Beach, Fla. G.O. No.: 11, 1 February 1952. Citation: Pfc. Bennett a member of Company B, 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. At approximately 0200 hours, 2 enemy battalions swarmed up the ridge line in a ferocious banzai charge in an attempt to dislodge Pfc. Bennett's company from its defensive positions. Meeting the challenge, the gallant defenders delivered destructive retaliation, but the enemy pressed the assault with fanatical determination and the integrity of the perimeter was imperiled. Fully aware of the odds against him, Pfc. Bennett unhesitatingly left his foxhole, moved through withering fire, stood within full view of the enemy, and, employing his automatic rifle, poured crippling fire into the ranks of the onrushing assailants, inflicting numerous casualties. Although wounded, Pfc. Bennett gallantly maintained his l-man defense and the attack was momentarily halted. During this lull in battle, the company regrouped for counterattack, but the numerically superior foe soon infiltrated into the position. Upon orders to move back, Pfc. Bennett voluntarily remained to provide covering fire for the withdrawing elements, and, defying the enemy, continued to sweep the charging foe with devastating fire until mortally wounded. His willing self-sacrifice and intrepid actions saved the position from being overrun and enabled the company to effect an orderly withdrawal. Pfc. Bennett's unflinching courage and consummate devotion to duty reflect lasting glory on himself and the military service.
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World News thanks to Military Periscope for 24 June
USA—Destroyer Conducts Freedom Of Navigation Op Off Venezuelan Coast U.S. Southern Command | 06/24/2020 The U.S. Navy has conducted a freedom of navigation operation off the coast of Venezuela, reports the U.S. Southern Command. On Tuesday, the guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze sailed through waters beyond the 12 nm (22 km) limit of Venezuela's territorial sea, said a command release. The operation contested excessive maritime claims by the Venezuelan government that are inconsistent with international law, said SOUTHCOM. Caracas has claimed that all military ships traveling within 200 nm (370 km) of its coast need prior permission, reported USNI News. Venezuela is not a signatory to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits military vessels to operate in economic exclusive zones without prior notification.
USA—Navy Reaches Agreement For Construction 1st 2 Columbia-Class SSBNs Hartford Courant | 06/24/2020 The U.S. Navy and General Dynamics Electric Boat have finalized an accord, pending Pentagon and congressional approval, for construction contracts for the first two Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, reports the Hartford Courant. The accord specifies a cost and incentive schedule for full-rate construction options for SSBN-826 and SSBN-827 worth $9.5 billion, reported USNI News. The full-rate construction option was appended to an $869 million contract awarded on Monday for ongoing design and engineering work for the submarines, as well as support for the British Dreadnought-class SSBNs. The British boats will use the same quad-pack missile tubes as a cost-saving measure. The contract option was necessary to support the start of construction on the Columbia in October. The modification for SSBN-827 covers advance procurement and advance construction ahead of the start of full-rate production in fiscal 2024. Columbia is currently scheduled for delivery in 2028 with her first patrol to follow in 2031, noted Defense News.
United Nations—U.N. To Investigate War Crimes In Libya Human Rights Watch | 06/24/2020 The U.N. has established a factfinding mission to investigate alleged human-rights violations in the civil war in Libya, reports the Human Rights Watch non-governmental organization. On Monday, the U.N. Human Rights Council agreed to a resolution by the African group to dispatch a factfinding mission to Libya to investigate human-rights violations since the beginning of 2016. The resolution was initially put forward in March but shutdowns due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic delayed the vote until the latest session, which began on June 15 and concluded on Tuesday, said a release from the council. The mission will be the third to investigate human-rights abuses in Libya since the start of the conflict in 2011. The first was shut down in 2012 and the second in January 2016. Both sides have have been accused of a variety of abuses, including torture; rape and other acts of sexual violence; arbitrary arrests and detention; forced displacement; unlawful killings; and forced disappearances, said the NGO. Mass graves were also recently discovered in the town of Tarhuna outside Tripoli after Government of National Accord forces seized it from the Libyan National Army.
Russia—5 New Minesweepers To Be Delivered By 2023 Tass | 06/24/2020 The Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard says it will deliver the next five Alexander Obukhov-class minesweepers by 2023, reports the Tass news agency. According to an annual report published on Tuesday, the Yakov Balyayev and Georgy Kurbatov will be delivered in 2020, with the Pyotr Ilyichev, to follow in 2021. The remaining two ships, the Anatoly Shlemov and an unnamed minesweeper, will be handed over in 2022. The vessels are the largest plastic-hulled ships ever built in Russia and can displace up to 890 tons. Three ships have been delivered, with two commissioned and one in state trials. Construction on an eighth is expected to begin later this year.
China—Final Beidou NavSat Placed In Orbit Xinhua | 06/24/2020 China has launched the final spacecraft for its BeiDou satellite navigation system (BDS), reports Xinhua, China's state-run news agency. On Tuesday, the satellite was launched aboard a Long March 3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China's southwestern Sichuan province. The launch was delayed by a week due to technical issues discovered during prelaunch checks, noted Space News. This was the 55th overall satellite to be launched as part of the BDS and the 30th third-generation satellite. The BDS-3 network consists of 27 satellites in medium earth orbit, five in geostationary orbit and three in inclined geosynchronous orbits. The BeiDou network has both civil and military applications similar to the U.S. GPS. The development of a domestic precision navigation and timing network will significantly support the modernization of the Chinese military, said experts.
North Korea—Kim Suspends Threatened Military Action Korea Times | 06/24/2020 North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has temporarily halted promised military action against South Korea, reports the Korea Times. At a meeting of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), Kim suspended plans for potential aggressive actions toward the South, reported the official Korea Central News Agency. South Korean military sources said that on Wednesday that North Korean soldiers began removing about 10 recently erected loudspeakers blasting propaganda across the demilitarized zone, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). North Korean media have also softened their tone in articles on the South Korean government. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong Doo said that regardless of those steps, the military was maintaining its current state of readiness. Pyongyang often raises tensions in order to obtain concessions, but this latest round of escalation ended before the South agreed to anything, noted analysts cited by the Voice of America News. North Korea has been upset by the South's failure to implement economic measures agreed in a series of deals in 2018. International sanctions have prevented Seoul from moving forward with the agreements.
Burma—Top General Heads To Russia For Victory Day Celebrations Irrawaddy | 06/24/2020 The head of the Burmese military is in Moscow for events marking the end of World War II in Europe, reports the Irrawaddy (Burma). Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing departed on Monday for a week-long visit to Russia. During the visit, he will attend commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany, said a military spokesman. The event was originally scheduled for May but was postponed due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The visit reflects the close ties between Burma and Russia, noted the spokesman. Russia is an important arms supplier for Burma and hundreds of Burmese military personnel attend Russian higher military education institutions. Burma is a key Russian ally due to its strategic location next to India and on the Indian Ocean, said Burmese experts.
India—Moscow Agrees To Accelerate Deliveries Of Defense Equipment The Hindu | 06/24/2020 Russia has agreed to accelerate the delivery of defense equipment to India, reports the Hindu. On Tuesday, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that Moscow had agreed to speed up deliveries under several existing contracts. He made his remarks following a meeting with Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov. Singh had asked Russia to send spare parts and equipment for Su-30MKI and MiG-29 fighters, T-90S tanks and Sindhughosh-class submarines by air instead of the more time-consuming sea route, reported the Times of India. He also sought the expedited delivery of five batteries of S-400 air defense systems ordered in 2018. Deliveries were originally scheduled to begin in October 2020 and conclude by April 2023, but this was pushed back due to payment delays as India developed a workaround to avoid U.S. sanctions on the purchase of Russian military equipment. S-400 deliveries were slated for December 2021. No information was provided on when the accelerated deliveries might begin. India is also finalizing plans to acquire another 21 MiG-29 fighters from Russia as well as 12 Su-30MKI jets to replace those lost in crashes.
Afghanistan—Scores Killed In Week Of Taliban Assaults Cbs News | 06/24/2020 Nearly 300 Afghan security personnel were killed last week in Taliban attacks, making it one of the deadliest weeks since 2001, reports CBS News. From June 14 to June 20, the Taliban conducted 422 attacks across 32 provinces, killing at least 291 Afghan troops and injuring 550. Another 42 civilians were killed and 105 wounded in insurgent attacks, according to government figures. It is unusual for the government to release such casualty numbers, noted analysts. The move may have been intended to highlight increased Taliban violence while the U.S. continues its troop drawdown. The Taliban rejected the government figures, calling them an attempt to damage the peace process and intra-Afghan talks, reported Agence France-Presse. The spokesman said that the attacks were mostly in self-defense. Meanwhile, on Monday, gunmen fired on a vehicle outside Kabul that was transporting the attorney general, killing two prosecutors and three other employees of the attorney general's office, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar). The Taliban denied involvement in the attack. No other group immediately claimed responsibility. Afghanistan—10 Security Personnel Die In Taliban Assault TOLONews | 06/24/2020 At least 10 Afghan security personnel have been killed in a Taliban attack in the northwestern Badghis province, reports the Tolo News (Kabul). On Tuesday, Taliban fighters struck a security outpost in the Bala Murghab district, killing seven special operations and three special police officers, security sources told the Khaama Press (Kabul). Five other personnel were injured in the fighting. A security detachment was traveling to the outpost from a nearby base when it was attacked, lawmakers told Agence France-Presse. The fighting lasted for at least two hours and the militants were repelled, according to the defense ministry. The Taliban did not immediately comment on the attack.
Syria—Suspected Israeli Strikes Kill 7 Syrian Observatory for Human Rights | 06/24/2020 Suspected Israeli airstrikes have killed at least two soldiers and five Iranian militiamen in Syria, reports the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. On Tuesday, attacks hit regime positions along the Sokhna-Deir Ezzor road in eastern Syria, killing five Iranian fighters, said witnesses cited by the monitoring group. In the Tal Al-Sahen area in the southwestern Al Sweida province, missiles struck a radar and air defense center, killing two soldiers, injuring four and damaging the facility. Syrian air defenses intercepted most of a volley of missiles targeting a munitions warehouse in Hama, resulting in some damage to the facility, military sources told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Strikes in Al-Sweida are unusual due to the lack of critical infrastructure in the region, said analysts. The Syrian army said that Israeli strikes hit one of its outposts in Salamiya and Sabura in Hama province hours after the initial strikes, reported Haaretz (Israel). An Iranian arms depot near Salamiya was on fire and an Iranian command center in Sabura was severely damaged, said analysts.
Libya—AFRICOM, GNA Discuss Counterterrorism, Ending Conflict Al Jazeera | 06/24/2020 The head of the Libyan Government of National Accord has met with the commander of U.S. Africa Command to discuss cooperation and the ongoing conflict in Libya, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). On Tuesday, Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, Gen. Stephen Townsend and Richard Norland, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, discussed regional counterterrorism cooperation and strategic cooperation between the U.S. and GNA. The parties also talked about opportunities for a pause in combat operations by all sides in the conflict, said the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, as quoted by Agence France-Presse. Separately, on Tuesday, the Arab League held an emergency meeting of foreign ministers to try and reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Libya.
Burkina Faso—2 Militant Bases Destroyed In Separate Ops Agence France-Presse | 06/24/2020 The Burkinabe military says it has destroyed a pair of jihadist bases in northern and eastern Burkina Faso, reports Agence France-Presse. On Saturday, Burkinabe gendarmes dismantled a terrorist base near the eastern town of Tanwalbougou. In a separate operation, Burkinabe troops assigned to the G5 Sahel force supported by a company of Nigerien soldiers destroyed another base about 25 miles (40 km) from Oursi in the north, said a weekly army bulletin. Meanwhile, two suspected militants were arrested near Alidougou, along the frontier with the Ivory Coast. The arrests come after a deadly attack on Ivorian forces in the same area on June 11, which killed 11 soldiers and a gendarme. On Monday, Ivorian Defense Minister Hamed Bakayoko said that the militants behind that attack had been apprehended.
Kenya—Court Rules Contract For Completed Railway Illegal South China Morning Post | 06/24/2020 A Kenyan court has ruled that a contract between the Kenyan government and the China Road and Bridge Corp. (CRBC), part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, was illegal, reports the South China Morning Post. On June 19, the Kenyan appellate court found that the state-owned Kenya Railways failed to comply with, and violated, laws during the procurement of the railroad project. CRBC received a US$3.2 billion contract in 2014 to build a rail line connecting the port of Mombasa to Nairobi. CRBC's parent company, China Communications Construction, also built a US$1.5 billion extension from Nairobi to Naivasha in the Central Rift Valley. Both projects have been completed, with passenger and cargo trains operating. In 2017, the Africa Star Railway Operation Co., a CRBC subsidiary, received the contract to manage passenger and cargo operations on the line. Activists first sought to halt construction of the railway in a lawsuit in 2014. The case was dismissed by Kenya's High Court, which ruled that the plaintiff's evidence had been illegally obtained after the government said the documents were classified. It is not clear what the ruling will mean. It could enable Nairobi to reject some of its contractual obligations by claiming the award was never legal. The government could also challenge the ruling, or seek its interpretation, at the Supreme Court.
Malawi—Rerun Of Presidential Election Goes Ahead British Broadcasting Corp. | 06/24/2020 Malawi has voted in a redo of the presidential election in May 2019 that was declared illegal after judges found evidence of vote tampering, reports BBC News. On Tuesday, voters chose between incumbent President Peter Mutharika and opposition candidate Lazarus Chakwera. A third candidate, Peter Kuwani, is also running but is not well known, noted Voice of America News. Mutharika is running for a second five-year term after winning his first election in 2014. He was initially declared the winner of the May 2019 vote and sworn in. The results of the May 2019 election were annulled in February 2020 by Malawi's Constitutional Court over massive irregularities. The decision was then upheld in May by the Supreme Court of Appeal. The court also ruled that the winner must obtain at least 50 percent of votes. In the May election, Mutharika won only 38.6 percent of votes, coming ahead of Chakwera, who received 35.4 percent.
Botswana—New Police Helicopters Due In August Defence Web | 06/24/2020 The delivery of new light helicopters ordered by the Botswanan police service has been delayed due to the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports Defence Web (South Africa). A contract for three Enstrom 480B helicopters was inked in January, with deliveries planned for the second quarter of 2020. The aircraft are now expected to be handed over in August, Police Air Support Division Director Arthur Johnson told local media earlier this month. The helicopters will be used for crime prevention, wildlife conservation, command-and-control and search-and-rescue missions, said Johnson. The aircraft are being modified to Botswanan specifications, including navigation and communication equipment, cargo sling equipment and light emergency medical systems. The Enstrom 480Bs can also be easily reconfigured for passenger duties, carrying three to five people
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