To All
Good Friday Morning June 26, 2020
I hope that you all have a great weekend.
Regards,
Skip
Today in Naval History
June 26
1945 USS Bearss (DD 654), USS John Hood (DD 655), USS Jarvis (DD 799), and USS Porter (DD 800) sink three Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers and a guardboat and damage a fourth auxiliary submarine chaser south of Okekotan, Kurils.
1945 USS Parche (SS 384) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks gunboat Kamitsu Maru and freighter Eikan Maru seven miles of Todo Saki, southern Honshu.
1950 After North Korean invaded South Korea, USS Mansfield (DD 728) and USS De Haven (DD 727) evacuates 700 Americans and friendly foreign nationals from Inchon, Korea.
1962 U.S. Naval Facility, Cape Hatteras, N.C., makes the first Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) detection of a Soviet diesel submarine.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• The Associated Press reported on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS San Jacinto's record-breaking, 161 consecutive days at sea.
• CNO Adm. Mike Gilday released a video sharing personal experiences from Sailors to encourage dialogue about race relations and inclusiveness within the Navy.
• Breaking Defense reported on Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite's trip to Norway.
Today in History June 26
363 | Roman Emperor Julian dies, ending the Pagan Revival. | |
1096 | Peter the Hermit's crusaders force their way across Sava, Hungary. | |
1243 | The Seljuk Turkish army in Asia Minor is wiped out by the Mongols. | |
1541 | Former followers murder Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish Conqueror of Peru. | |
1794 | The French defeat an Austrian army at the Battle of Fleurus. | |
1804 | The Lewis and Clark Expedition reaches the mouth of the Kansas River after completing a westward trek of nearly 400 river miles. | |
1844 | Julia Gardiner and President John Tyler are married in New York City. | |
1862 | General Robert E. Lee attacks George McClellan's line at Mechanicsville during the Seven Days' campaign. | |
1863 | Jubal Early and his Confederate forces move into Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. | |
1900 | The United States announces it will send troops to fight against the Boxer Rebellion in China. | |
1907 | Russia's nobility demands drastic measures be taken against revolutionaries. | |
1908 | Shah Muhammad Ali's forces squelch the reform elements of Parliament in Persia. | |
1916 | Russian General Aleksei Brusilov renews his offensive against the Germans. | |
1917 | General Pershing arrives in France with the American Expeditionary Force. | |
1918 | The Germans begin firing their huge 420 mm howitzer, "Big Bertha," at Paris. | |
1926 | A memorial to the first U.S. troops in France is unveiled at St. Nazaire. | |
1924 | After eight years of occupation, American troops leave the Dominican Republic. | |
1942 | The Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter flies for the first time. | |
1945 | The U.N. Charter is signed by 50 nations in San Francisco, California. | |
1951 | The Soviet Union proposes a cease-fire in the Korean War. | |
1961 | A Kuwaiti vote opposes Iraq's annexation plans. | |
1963 | President John Kennedy announces "Ich bin ein Berliner" at the Berlin Wall. | |
1971 | The U.S. Justice Department issues a warrant for Daniel Ellsberg, accusing him of giving away the Pentagon Papers. | |
1975 | Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is convicted of election fraud. | |
1993 | Roy Campanella, legendary catcher for the Negro Leagues and the Los Angeles Dodgers, dies. |
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Thanks to Dennis. This story was in the list a couple of years ago but it is worth the repeat.
This is a great read
A REALLY SUSPENSEFUL read of about 20 minutes. Spare the time! You'll be glad you did. the "California Clipper" was the first commercial aircraft to circumnavigate the globe. The risks they had to take were unprecedented to avoid destruction by the Japanese after war was declared on Dec 5th. What started as a routine shuttle between San Francisco and Auckland, New Zealand (and back across the Pacific to S.F.) turned out to be a trip around the world to New York by returning home from the OPPOSITE DIRECTION to avoid Pacific hostile Jap fighters.
Dennis
Written by John Bull, Writer and Historian - Aug 11, 2014
This Plane Accidentally Flew Around the World
After Pearl Harbor, the crew of Pan Am flight 18602 was forced to do the impossible
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From Pickett's Charge to Roosevelt's Rough Riders by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
06/29/2010
This Week in American Military History
June 28, 1776: In what has been described as the "first decisive victory of American forces over the British Navy" during the American Revolution, the garrison at Fort Sullivan, S.C. (today Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island in Charleston harbor) under the command of militia Col. William Moultrie repulse Royal Navy forces under the command of Admiral Sir Peter Parker.
The 12-plus hour battle begins around 9 a.m. when Parker's ships open fire on the fort: many of the British shells sinking harmlessly into the soft palmetto logs of which the fort is constructed. The ships, on the other hand, (some of which run aground on the harbor's shoals) are constructed of oak, which Moultrie's artillerists quickly shatter sending deadly splinters into the unfortunate British crews.
Moultrie is destined to become a Maj. Gen. in the Continental Army and a S.C. governor. And S.C. will forever be known as "the Palmetto State."
(AUTHOR NOTE: My five-times great grandfather, Capt. Thomas Woodward – commanding a company of S.C. Rangers on Moultrie's extreme left – helps thwart an attempt by Royal Marines to land on the island.) June 28, 1778: The Battle of Monmouth, N.J. is fought between Gen. George Washington's Continental Army (including the legendary Molly Pitcher) and British forces under Gen. Sir Henry Clinton. Though tactically inconclusive, the battle is a strategic victory for the Americans who prove they can go toe-to-toe with the British Army in a large pitched battle.
July 1, 1898: U.S. Army Lt. Col. (future U.S. pres.) Theodore Roosevelt leads several of his "Rough Riders" – a crack regiment of U.S. cavalry troopers during the Spanish American War – in the famous charge up San Juan Hill, Cuba.
For his actions, Roosevelt will receive the Medal of Honor. A portion of his citation reads: "Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt, in total disregard for his personal safety, and accompanied by only four or five men, led a desperate and gallant charge up San Juan Hill, encouraging his troops to continue the assault through withering enemy fire over open countryside.
Facing the enemy's heavy fire, he displayed extraordinary bravery throughout the charge, and was the first to reach the enemy trenches, where he quickly killed one of the enemy with his pistol, allowing his men to continue the assault."
July 3, 1863: Day-three of the Battle of Gettysburg: Confederate Maj. Gen.
George Pickett leads his ill-fated division against Union Army forces under the command of Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock positioned on Cemetery Ridge.
Said to be "the highwater mark of the Confederacy," Pickett's charge will fail.
Gen. Robert E. Lee – commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia – had ordered the charge. Lee's subordinate (corps) commander, Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, had argued against such a charge. But following Lee's orders, Longstreet directed Pickett to attack.
Years later, Pickett will be asked why his attack failed. His reply: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."
Nobel prize-winning author William Faulkner will write, "For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it's still not yet two o'clock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it's all in the balance, it hasn't happened yet, it hasn't even begun yet, it not only hasn't begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin against that position… ."
July 4, 1776: The American colonies – already at war with Great Britain – declare their independence.
July 4, 1802: The U.S. Military Academy at West Point opens its doors.
July 4, 1863: The Confederate city of Vicksburg, Mississippi falls to Union Army forces under the command of Maj. Gen. (future U.S. pres.) Ulysses S. Grant. It will be decades before the city celebrates the 4th of July again.
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thanks to Hal
In the year 1812, the French invaded Russia, and on almost this same date, June 22, 1941, Hitler unleashed the German Army on Russia. It was Operation Barbarossa and it was evident that Hitler did not know much of Russia's history. And the results were about the same.
It was a secret between dictators, Josef Stalin and Adolph Hitler, that they looked at the map of Europe and decided which countries each would occupy. Hitler proceeded to invade and occupy most all of Western Europe and when he felt that it was under control, he broke the pact and turned his army Eastward on the Russians. Again the Russians took all the livestock with them as they retreated and burned the fields and barns and houses to the ground, leaving nothing for the Germans to forage.
When Napoleon invaded, Typhus became a Russian ally. Nearly one-third of his army died of Typhus which is transmitted by infected lice. An army in the field in those days lived under the filthiest conditions.
The German army surrounded Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and for a thousand days, nothing came in and nothing got out. It wasn't long before all the pets and zoo animals were eaten by the starving Russians, and they even scraped off the wallpaper paste which was wheat-based for food. As people died, others did not have the strength to bury them and they were stacked like cordwood in the winter.
America provided weaponry for the Russians, make that the Soviet Army, and they began to push the Germans back.
At war's end, Russia had lost twenty-seven million civilians and soldiers. The Russian army killed about four million Germans. Allied forces made the decision to allow the Russians to take Berlin. It was get even time. Ninety-two thousand German soldiers and eighty-one thousand Russian soldiers died in that battle. Berlin was reduced to rubble and twenty-two thousand German civilians died in the battle. Whatever German soldiers who were left alive and captured were sent to slave labor camps, the gulags, in Siberia. Some were repatriated in 1953. But most had died.
You might not know this, but at war's end, the Soviet army liberated the German stalags and took twenty-five thousand, six hundred American Prisoners of War to the labor camps In the Soviet Union. None ever came home. General Patton knew this and wanted to go after them. The assignment to kill General Patton was given to OSS Agent Douglas Bazata. But that's another story....
Hal
1812
Napoleon's Grande Armee invades Russia
Following the rejection of his Continental System by Czar Alexander I, French Emperor Napoleon orders his Grande Armee, the largest European military force ever assembled to that date, into Russia. The enormous army, featuring some 500,000 soldiers and staff, included troops from all the European countries under the sway of the French Empire.
During the opening months of the invasion, Napoleon was forced to contend with a bitter Russian army in perpetual retreat. Refusing to engage Napoleon's superior army in a full-scale confrontation, the Russians under General Mikhail Kutuzov burned everything behind them as they retreated deeper and deeper into Russia. On September 7, the indecisive Battle of Borodino was fought, in which both sides suffered terrible losses. On September 14, Napoleon arrived in Moscow intending to find supplies but instead found almost the entire population evacuated, and the Russian army retreated again. Early the next morning, fires broke across the city, set by Russian patriots, and the Grande Armee's winter quarters were destroyed. After waiting a month for a surrender that never came, Napoleon, faced with the onset of the Russian winter, was forced to order his starving army out of Moscow.
During the disastrous retreat, Napoleon's army suffered continual harassment from a suddenly aggressive and merciless Russian army. Stalked by hunger and the deadly lances of the Cossacks, the decimated army reached the Berezina River late in November, but found their way blocked by the Russians. On November 27, Napoleon forced a way across at Studenka, and when the bulk of his army passed the river two days later, he was forced to burn his makeshift bridges behind him, stranding some 10,000 stragglers on the other side. From there, the retreat became a rout, and on December 8 Napoleon left what remained of his army to return to Paris. Six days later, the Grande Armee finally escaped Russia, having suffered a loss of more than 400,000 men during the disastrous invasion.
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Berlin Airlift: When American power was unstoppable
65th anniversary marks saving of German city from Soviet strangulation
By Thomas V. DiBacco
In this era of increasing diplomatic friction with Russia over Ukraine, it would be well to remember that April 30 marks the 65th anniversary of the first, and most unbelievable, successes of American and Western foreign policy marking the beginning of the Cold War.
That was the first sign on April 30, 1949, that the Soviet Union started to ease its Berlin blockade of Western power access to the city by permitting limited canal traffic. A formal agreement ending the blockade came on May 4. It had been a 328-day siege, coming to an end thanks to the massive airlifting of supplies to the beleaguered city.
After World War II, Germany was divided into four temporary zones occupied by the United States, Great Britain, France and Soviet Union. Berlin was located 100 miles inside the eastern-located Soviet zone, and it, too, was divided into four zones, but essentially two as a result of Western powers merging their boundaries, a situation that also mirrored the larger geographical zones. Postwar agreements looked forward to a unified Germany, and Western powers initiated, first in 1947, an economic-aid program named after Secretary of State George Marshall and second in 1948, currency reform that would stabilize Germany's almost worthless existing monetary system.
The Soviets balked at both notions. Recognizing that West Berlin could produce only about a quarter of its food needs and even less of its energy requirements, they began on June 24, 1948, to block all rail, road and canal access from the west. The goal, of course, was to gain total control of the city because the Western powers, it was thought, would give up under such total blockage — or risk war. That was unlikely, given that the latter had only 22,600 troops in their Berlin section. The Soviets in their zone, on the other hand, numbered 1.5 million soldiers. Worse, at the start of the Soviet blockade, West Berliners had only 36 days of food supplies and 45 days of coal.
Gen. Lucius D. Clay, head of the U.S. Occupation Zone, set forth both the dilemma and solution: "There is no practicability in maintaining our position in Berlin, and it must not be evaluated on that basis. We are convinced that our remaining in Berlin is essential to our prestige in Germany and in Europe. Whether for good or bad, it has become a symbol of the American intent."
Hence began the largest military-diplomatic relief effort in history, as impressive as the D-Day invasion in terms of its boldness and tenacity. Operation Vittles, as the airlift was dubbed by Americans, was meticulous in terms of its planning, calculations and results. Some 1,990 calories for each of the 2.2 million West Berliners were set as the minimum daily requirement, necessitating 1,534 tons per day in food and 3,475 tons of coal and gasoline for fuel and electricity. Although Soviet fighters boasted that they would challenge the airlift, the threat was hollow. Some 400 Western-supplied cargo planes — flying stacked above each other in a 20-mile wide air corridor — arrived every three minutes at first two, then three airfields in West Berlin. On Saturday, April 16, 1949, a day before the end of Lent, a record 1,398 planes landed in what was called the Easter Parade, averaging one every 61.8 seconds.
The daily food supplies varied from 640 tons of flour to 109 tons of meat and fish, from 19 tons of powdered milk to five tons of whole milk for children, the latter dubbing the planes "candy bombers" because of their always dependable supply of sweets.
And not only were supplies brought in, but manufactured goods made by West Berliners filled returning planes. Some 175,000 ill West Berliners, including young children, were also airlifted out during the period as a result of a severe winter. The total statistical accomplishments were breathtaking: From June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949, when the Soviets capitulated and opened up all routes to the city, more than 278,000 flights had taken off, and 1,592,787 tons of supplies had been airlifted, equal to about 1,000 pounds per West Berliner. To make certain that sufficient surpluses were built up for West Berliners, air deliveries continued until Sept. 30, 1949. To be sure, there were losses during the airlift period. Seventeen American and eight British aircraft had crashed, with 70 resulting deaths. The pilots represented not only traditional occupation-zone powers, but also Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans.
As for Americans at home, the era of the airlift was no picnic. A railroad strike, demobilization problems, short supplies, and high prices made for public unrest. Still, a national poll on Sept. 15, 1948, indicated that 85 percent backed the airlift policy, with only 7 percent opposed and 8 percent undecided.
Thomas V. DiBacco is professor emeritus at American University.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 26
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 26
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
26 June
1909: Glenn H. Curtiss flew his first Curtiss airplane in exhibitions at the Aeronautical Society's meet at Morris Park aerodrome. These were the first flights over New York City. (24)
1942: The F6F Hellcat first flew.
1945: B-29s started nighttime raids on Japanese oil refineries. (20)
1946: The Aeronautical Board agreed that the US AAF and US Navy would use the knot and nautical mile as standard aeronautical units of speed and distance. (20)
1948: KEY EVENT--Operation VITTLES. An airlift began with C-47s in response to the blockade of Berlin. At Furstenfeldbruck, Germany, SAC had a 30l BG squadron with B-29s in place for training. SAC also ordered two other 30lst squadrons to Furstenfeldbruck along with the 28 BG from Rapid City AFB and 307 BG from MacDill AFB to England for alert duty. (1) (2) The 7 BG at Carswell AFB received SAC's first B-36A Peacemaker (44-92004). With its 160- foot length and 230-foot wingspan, the six-engine Peacemaker was the world's largest warplane. The bomber had an intercontinental capability. (1) (12) (21)
1950: President Truman ordered the USAF and US Navy to aid South Korea, which had been invaded by the North Korean Communist forces. The 68th Fighter All-Weather Squadron flew F-82 Twin Mustangs to provide cover for a Norwegian ship evacuating US citizens from Seoul, Korea, by sea. SB-17 planes then covered the ship's movement from Inchon to Japan. In continued preparation for air evacuation of US citizens from Korea, FEAF traded C-54s for C-47s from all over the Far East to permit operations on smaller airfields. (21) (28)
1954: Operation WOUNDED WARRIOR. Through 17 July, airlift aircraft from FEAF and MATS carried 509 French Foreign Legion veterans from Saigon, Vietnam, to Paris, France, and Oran, Algeria, by way of Tokyo and Westover AFB, Mass. The 14,000-mile airlift had to follow an eastern route for political reasons. (18)
1956: An aircraft flew the first mission in the CARTRAC air traffic control tests conducted at Shaw AFB. This test continued through 15 December.
1957: TAC's first WB-66 weather reconnaissance aircraft arrived for duty with the 9th Reconnaissance Squadron, 363d TRW, at Shaw AFB.
1962: At Vandenberg AFB, a 389 SMS crew of Francis E. Warren AFB successfully launched an Atlas D in the first test of the Army's Nike-Zeus interceptor. The interception failed. (6)
1963: A Thor-Delta rocket launched NASA's SYNCOM II communications satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral. Five hours later, an apogee kick motor fired to place the satellite into a synchronus orbit. (16)
1964: Through 24 July, C-130s delivered over 950 tons of food to remote areas in Pakistan in affected by flooding. (18)
1971: The last F-100 unit in Southeast Asia, the 35 TFW at Phan Rang AB in S. Vietnam, ceased operations. (17)
1972: The Air Force unveiled the F-15 superiority fighter in ceremonies at the McDonnell Douglas facility in St. Louis. (30)
1983: Through 1 July, three USAF C-130s moved 170 tons of food, medicine, and other relief supplies to help victims of a flood in northwestern Peru. (16)
1994: A 60 AW C-5 from Travis AFB flew a 34-ton Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine to Chernobyl, Ukraine. There, medical specialists used the machine to treat victims of the 1986 nuclear reactor meltdown. (16)
2001: Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld proposed a one-third cut in USAF's fleet of 93 B-1B bombers. Under that initiative, which surprised Congress and the National Guard Bureau, the ANG B-1B units in Georgia and Kansas would lose their B-1s and unit funding by 1 October 2001. (32)
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Thanks to Mud
Happy Birthday Chesty wherever you are.
S/F,
- Mud
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This day in US Military History
June 26
1917 – During World War I, the first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops land in France at the port of Saint Nazaire. The landing site had been kept secret because of the menace of German submarines, but by the time the Americans had lined up to take their first salute on French soil, an enthusiastic crowd had gathered to welcome them. However, the "Doughboys," as the British referred to the green American troops, were untrained, ill-equipped, and far from ready for the difficulties of fighting along the Western Front. One of U.S. General John J. Pershing's first duties as commander of the American Expeditionary Force was to set up training camps in France and establish communication and supply networks. Four months later, on October 21, the first Americans entered combat when units from the U.S. Army's First Division were assigned to Allied trenches in the Luneville sector near Nancy, France. Each American unit was attached to a corresponding French unit. Two days later, Corporal Robert Bralet of the Sixth Artillery became the first U.S. soldier to fire a shot in the war when he discharged a French 75mm gun into a German trench a half mile away. On November 2, Corporal James Gresham and privates Thomas Enright and Merle Hay of the 16th Infantry became the first American soldiers to die when Germans raided their trenches near Bathelemont, France. After four years of bloody stalemate along the Western Front, the entrance of America's well-supplied forces into the conflict was a major turning point in the war. When the war finally ended on November 11, 1918, more than two million American soldiers had served on the battlefields of Western Europe, and more than 50,000 of these men had lost their lives.
1944 – Coast Guard LCDR Quentin R. Walsh and his small commando/reconnaissance unit forced the surrender of Fort du Homet, a Nazi stronghold at Cherbourg, France, and captured 300 German soldiers and liberated 50 U.S. paratroopers who had been captured on D-Day. For his heroic actions Walsh was awarded the Navy Cross.
Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*MURANAGA, KIYOSHI K.
Private First Class Kiyoshi K. Muranaga distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 26 June 1944, near Suvereto, Italy. Private First Class Muranaga's company encountered a strong enemy force in commanding positions and with superior firepower. An enemy 88mm self-propelled gun opened direct fire on the company, causing the men to disperse and seek cover. Private First Class Muranaga's mortar squad was ordered to action, but the terrain made it impossible to set up their weapons. The squad leader, realizing the vulnerability of the mortar position, moved his men away from the gun to positions of relative safety. Because of the heavy casualties being inflicted on his company, Private First Class Muranaga, who served as a gunner, attempted to neutralize the 88mm weapon alone. Voluntarily remaining at his gun position, Private First Class Muranaga manned the mortar himself and opened fire on the enemy gun at a range of approximately 400 yards. With his third round, he was able to correct his fire so that the shell landed directly in front of the enemy gun. Meanwhile, the enemy crew, immediately aware of the source of mortar fire, turned their 88mm weapon directly on Private First Class Muranaga's position. Before Private First Class Muranaga could fire a fourth round, an 88mm shell scored a direct hit on his position, killing him instantly. Because of the accuracy of Private First Class Muranaga's previous fire, the enemy soldiers decided not to risk further exposure and immediately abandoned their position. Private First Class Muranaga's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
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World News thanks to Military Periscope for 26 June
USA—Damaged Tubes Prevent F-35As From Flying Near Lightning Air Force Magazine | 06/26/2020 The U.S. Air Force has ordered its F-35A Lightning II fighters to refrain from flying near thunderstorms after a problem with the lightning protection system was found during routine maintenance, reports Air Force magazine. The F-35As are under a cautionary restriction prohibiting them from flying within 25 miles (40 km) of thunderstorms or lightning, a Lockheed Martin spokesman said Wednesday. The restrictions were implemented after the service discovered damage to the onboard inert gas generation system (OBIGGS) tube during depot maintenance at Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Flawed tubes were later discovered on 14 of 24 F-35As inspected by the Air Force, reported Bloomberg News. The OBIGGS fills the fighter's fuel tanks with inert nitrogen gas to prevent an explosion if it is struck by lightning. The damaged tube could have prevented the system from working, officials said. Deliveries of the F-35 were paused from June 2 through June 23 to allow Lockheed to ensure that it was installing the system correctly. The company says the problem is occurring in the field and has resumed deliveries. A maintenance action could be causing the problem, analysts said. The OBIGGs problem does not appear to affect the carrier and short-takeoff-vertical-landing F-35 variants operated by the Navy and Marine Corps.
USA—Senate Passes Hong Kong Autonomy Act South China Morning Post | 06/26/2020 The U.S. Senate has passed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act in response to Beijing's decision to pass a national security law seen as stripping the city of its semi-autonomous status, reports the South China Morning Post. The legislation passed on Thursday by unanimous consent and is now headed to the House of Representatives, which will consider its own version of the bill. Its passage was nearly derailed after one of its co-sponsors, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) briefly blocked it at what he said was the request of the White House for technical amendments, reported Politico (Washington, D.C.). If signed into law, the act would mandate punitive sanctions against individuals, banks and other entities that violate the Sino-British Joint Declaration that established China's commitments to Hong Kong following its transfer from British sovereignty.
USA—Counterterrorism Efforts Fail To Slow Terror Groups, Says State Dept. Report Voice Of America News | 06/26/2020 The State Dept.'s annual report on terrorism says that recent successes against terrorist groups have not had an appreciable effect on defeating the threat, reports the Voice of America News. The report, published on Wednesday, listed numerous successes, including the defeat of the Islamic State's caliphate and the killings of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Hamza bin Laden, the son of Al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden. Despite those successes, dangerous terror threats persist, says the document. Challenges include the variety of terrorist threats globally and the tendency of other nations to rely on the U.S. to take the lead. Militant groups are also adapting to successful counterterror operations, with ISIS shifting from a territorial control model to a global network, said experts. The report noted the Sahel region of Africa, Somalia and southeast Asia as areas where terror groups had found success. In Somalia, the State Dept. warned that the Somali army remained incapable of removing Al-Shabaab from territory it controlled, reported the East African (Kenya). The study also found an increasing and spreading threat of racially or ethnically motivated terrorism, particularly white supremacist attacks, reported ABC News.
United Kingdom—Johnson Pursues Sovereign Satellite Navigation Capability Times Of London | 06/26/2020 The British government is preparing to invest in its own satellite navigation system after losing access to the military signals from the European Union's Galileo system, reports the Times of London. Late Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak approved a measure to acquire a 20 percent stake, worth about 500 million pounds (US$620 million), in OneWeb, a firm that operates low-orbit satellites. OneWeb filed for bankruptcy in March due in part to financial stresses related to the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. London is technically bidding for the stake, but government officials said the transaction was at "a very advanced stage." The U.K. needs access to its own satellite navigation capabilities, since it has been denied the use of the military component of the E.U.'s Galileo system after leaving the bloc. OneWeb has placed 74 of a planned 650 satellites in orbit and says it will be able to provide broadband and military and civilian global positioning services once completed. Johnson previously pledged to domestically develop a new system, but costs and delays in such a project forced him to reconsider. An unnamed source told the Times that the purchase was "messy" and might not provide the best value for money.
Belgium—Army NH90 Helicopters To Be Retired Due To Expense Defense-Aerospace | 06/26/2020 The Belgian military plans to retire its NH90 tactical transport helicopters due to high costs and limited industrial support, reports defense-aerospace.com. Personnel shortages and the need to implement costly upgrades have further reduced their operational utility, the Belgian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry plans to reduce NH90 operations before retiring the helicopters and replacing them with a cheaper platform, analysts said. The Belgium will instead focus on its naval NH90 helicopters, which support frigate and search-and-rescue operations. The defense ministry also said that it had decided to retire its fleet of aging B-Hunter uncrewed aerial vehicles four months ahead of schedule. The Hunter fleet is obsolete and has limited availability, the ministry said. The early retirement will enable personnel to begin training for MQ-9B SkyGuardian operations ahead of the drone's fielding in 2023.
Turkey—Alpagu Loitering Munition Set To Join Army Anadolu News Agency | 06/26/2020 Turkish defense firm STM has developed a new loitering munition that will soon enter service with the Turkish military, reports the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). The Alpagu is a fixed-wing tactical uncrewed aerial vehicle designed to loiter over an area before crashing into its target to deliver its explosive warhead. The drone has a lightweight structure, weighing less than 4.4 pounds (2 kg), and a low radar cross-section, according to the manufacturer. It can be used in a swarm and integrate with a variety of other platforms. The Alpagu can be operated by a single soldier or launched from a vehicle-based multiple launcher. STM is working to increase the capabilities of the system, including larger, longer-range variants weighing around 22 pounds (10 kg). Deliveries of the initial variant are expected to begin toward the end of the year following final testing, reported the Daily Sabah (Ankara).
European Union—Germany To Push Defense Projects During Council Presidency Defense News | 06/26/2020 Germany plans to push defense cooperation during its upcoming six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, reports Defense News. Berlin's plans include the first common threat analysis for the E.U., Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Wednesday in an interview with the Atlantic Council think tank. A threat analysis agreed to by all 27 member states could provide a new framework for the development of military capability requirements. Germany will also seek to obtain a deal on non-member state participation in E.U. defense cooperation projects. U.S. defense companies have been pressing for maximum access to the E.U.'s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which includes subsidies from the European Defense Fund. The fund is expected to receive about US$9 billion for projects from 2021 to 2027. Germany is set to propose a compromise to let non-member states, with a focus on NATO allies, to participate in projects as long as an E.U. country retains "primacy."
Sweden—3rd Flotilla Receives 1st Patrol Boat Upgraded For ASW Defense-Aerospace | 06/26/2020 The Swedish navy's 3rd Naval Flotilla has taken delivery of its first patrol boat upgraded for anti-submarine warfare duties, reports defense-aerospace.com. On Tuesday, HSwMS Dristig was handed over in Karlskrona, said a release from the Swedish armed forces. Six Tapper-class patrol boats are being upgraded to fulfill a requirement for passive anti-submarine warfare monitoring missions. The vessels will be evenly divided between the 3rd and 4th Naval Flotillas. Following the 2014 operation to try and find a submarine reported in the Stockholm archipelago, the military decided to regain passive capabilities to detect submarines. Prior to 2005, there were four hydrophone buoys deployed to support such missions. The modified guard boats use sonar buoys to detect the movement of submarines. The engines and auxiliary machinery have also been replaced, the armed forces said.
South Korea—Defense Committee Approves Plan For Additional Early Warning Aircraft Yonhap | 06/26/2020 South Korea's defense project promotion committee has approved several new acquisition programs, including the procurement of additional airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Friday, the committee approved a US$1.32 billion plan to launch a project in 2021 to purchase AEW&Cs from a foreign supplier by 2027 instead of developing an indigenous aircraft, said the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The military has been pushing for the acquisition of two more aircraft in addition to the four E-737 AEW&Cs currently in service. The aircraft would help fill any surveillance gaps amid growing regional security threats, officials said. The committee also approved a US$725 million plan to acquire domestic Baekdu reconnaissance aircraft between 2021 and 2026. The military currently operates six such aircraft to gather signals intelligence from North Korea and wants to replace four of them with more advanced models. Finally, the committee approved plans to buy upgraded T-50 Block 2 jet trainers through 2024 at a cost of about US$823 million to support increased air force demand for pilot training.
Philippines—4 Suspected Terrorists Killed Outside Manila Rappler | 06/26/2020 Four suspected terrorists have been killed in a Philippine police operation outside Manila, reports the Rappler (Manila). On Friday, police and military personnel were preparing to search the house of suspected terrorists in Paranaque outside Manila when they were fired on, setting off a gun battle, according to police reports. One of the suspects attempted to lob a grenade at the security forces but it detonated prematurely. When security personnel entered the house, all four militants had been killed. At least one officer was injured by shrapnel that hit his legs, reported the Straits Times (Singapore). Intelligence indicated that the cell was responsible for finance and logistics for the Islamic State-affiliated faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu province. One suspect, Merhama Abdul Sawari, is believed to have helped plan the Jolo cathedral attack in January 2019.
Iran—No Casualties In Explosion At Military Site Outside Tehran Wall Street Journal | 06/26/2020 There has been an explosion near a sensitive military site outside Tehran, reports the Wall Street Journal. On Friday, residents reported signs of a blast near the Parchin military facility east of the Iranian capital. The fire caused by the explosion was brought under control and there were no casualties, said a military spokesman. The blast was caused by an industrial gas tank in a civilian area of Parchin, the spokesman said. The Parchin complex is a large facility that produces rockets and ammunition for the Iranian military and houses multiple test sites. The Khojir missile base is also located in the vicinity. The incident is under investigation, reported state media cited by Agence France-Presse.
Iraq—Security Forces Arrest 14 Iran-Backed Paramilitaries Al Jazeera | 06/26/2020 Iraqi security forces have arrested 14 Iran-backed militiamen in a raid on their base in southern Baghdad, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). On Thursday, security forces arrested at least 14 suspected members of Kataib Hezbollah, in what was called a pre-emptive operation against rocket attacks. During the operation, the Counterterrorism Service seized at least 10 rockets. Kataib Hezbollah has been blamed for numerous rocket attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq. The move is complicated because the group is technically part of the government-funded Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), consisting of Shi'ite militias dominated by Iran-backed groups. Following the operation, unidentified gunmen drove towards government buildings and the CTS headquarters to demand the release of the militiamen, reported Reuters. The raid is the first sign that new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi could take a harder line on the Iran-backed groups, which exert significant influence in the country.
Egypt—Editor Of Independent News Outlet Released On Bail Egypt Today | 06/26/2020 Authorities have released the editor-in-chief of an independent Egyptian news website after arresting her on charges of illegally operating a website, reports the Egypt Today. Nora Younis, who edits the al Manassa website, was arrested on Wednesday night and released on a bail of US$617. Police officers claiming to be from the censorship bureau raided the office of the website and examined its computers to verify that they were operating with licensed software, Sayyid Turki, the executive editor of al Manassa, told the Mada Masr news site. Two laptops using the open-source Ubuntu operating system were seized during the raid. Prosecutors said that Younis faces charges of operating a platform that facilitates cyber crimes; operating a website without government authorization; violating copyright; and "unjust use" of information and telecommunications technology. Younis is a well-known journalist in Egypt. She worked at the Washington Post and as a managing editor for the Al-Masry Al-Youm news website before founding al Manassa in 2015. Al Manassa and at least 500 other websites have been blocked in Egypt since 2017. Egypt was named the third-worst jailer of journalists by the Committee to Protect Journalists in 2019, noted Al Jazeera (Qatar).
Morocco—Order Placed For Apache Attack Helicopters Boeing | 06/26/2020 Morocco has finalized a contract for 24 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, reports Boeing, the manufacturer. On Thursday, the U.S. Army awarded Boeing a US$439 million contract modification under the Foreign Military Sales program for new-build AH-64E aircraft and Longbow crew trainers for Morocco, reported the Dept. of Defense. Work under the deal is due to conclude by March 1, 2025. In November, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that the Morocco wanted to buy 24 Apaches, with options for 12 more, in a deal worth up to US$4.25 billion. The proposed sale also covered crewed-uncrewed teaming video receivers and air-to-air-to-ground kits, which would allow the crew to control drones from the cockpit, reported Flight Global. Due to the timeline, the Apaches will likely be supplied in the latest Version 6 configuration, reported Jane's. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2024.
Niger—10 Aid Workers Abducted In Tillaberi Agence France-Presse | 06/26/2020 Suspected jihadists have abducted 10 aid workers in southwestern Niger, reports Agence France-Presse. On Wednesday, attackers on motorbikes entered a village in the Tillaberi region and ordered the relief workers to follow them, said the Action and Impact Program in the Sahel (APIS) aid group. The kidnappers also made off with two 4 x 4 vehicles used by the organization, it said. It was the first reported kidnapping in the area since 2018. Motorbikes, often favored by militants for their speed and low-profile, were banned in the area in January. There were no immediate ransom demands or claims of responsibility.
Democratic Republic of the Congo—WHO Declares End To 10th Ebola Outbreak; 11th Already Underway World Health Organization | 06/26/2020 The World Health Organization has declared the end to the 10th outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On Thursday, the WHO announced that the outbreak in the eastern DRC had ended after no new cases were recorded for 42 days, twice the incubation period for the virus. The outbreak, which began on Aug. 1, 2018, in North Kivu province, was the second largest to date and made more challenging by taking place in an active conflict zone. The WHO was on the cusp of declaring the outbreak over in April when a new case emerged three days before the end of the required 42 days, noted Al Jazeera (Qatar). There were a total of 3,470 cases during the outbreak, which caused 2,287 fatalities, the WHO said. The 11th Ebola outbreak in the DRC was declared on June 1, after seven cases were identified in Mbandaka city and neighboring Bikoro Health Zone in the western Equateur province.
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