To All,
Good Wednesday Morning December 2.
A bit of history and some tidbits.
Regards
Skip.
This day in Naval History
December 2
1891 New York (CA 2) launches. In 1911, it is renamed Saratoga and renamed again in 1917 to Rochester. Rochester serves as the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet from 1932-33 and is decommissioned in 1933.
1908 Rear Adm. William S. Cowles submits the report prepared by Lt. George C. Sweet recommending to the Secretary of the Navy the purchase of aircraft suitable for operating from naval ships on scouting and observation missions.
1944 USS Sea Devil (SS 400) attacks a Japanese convoy in the East China Sea and sinks merchant tanker Akigawa Maru and passenger-cargo ship Hawaii Maru, while USS Gunnel (SS 253) evacuates 11 rescued aviators from Palawan, Philippines and turns over all available stores to Filipino forces ashore.
1944 In order to halt resupply and reinforcement of troops on Leyte, Destroyer Division 120 leaves to attack a Japanese convoy escorted by destroyers Take and Kuwa. After midnight during the Battle of Ormoc Bay, USS Allen M. Sumner (DD 692) and USS Cooper (DD 695) sink Kuwa, but USS Cooper sinks from a torpedo.
1965 USS Enterprise (CVAN 65) and USS Bainbridge (DLGN 25) become the first nuclear-powered task unit used in combat operations with launch of air strikes near Bien Hoa, Vietnam.
1941 – Yamamoto ordered his fleet to Pearl Harbor. A special code order "Climb Mount Niitaka" is transmitted by Japanese naval headquarters to their carrier force bound for Hawaii. This order confirms that negotiations have broken down and the attack on Pearl Harbor is to proceed.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• National, trade and local press covered Navy's decision to decommission USS Bonhomme Richard.
• International and regional press reported on escalating diplomatic dispute between China and Australia.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that President Donald Trump is expected to select Adm. John Aquilino to be the next INDOPACOM commander.
BONHOMME RICHARD:
1. Ravaged By Fire, USS Bonhomme Richard Bound For Scrapyard, Navy Says
Investigations continue into the cause of the fire, which burned for almost five days and smothered south San Diego County in noxious smoke
(SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE 30 NOV 20) ... Andrew Dyer
SAN DIEGO — A fire that raged for almost five days in July has doomed the San Diego-based amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard to the scrapyards, Navy officials announced Monday.
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Today in History
December 2
1804 Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of France in Notre Dame Cathedral.
1805 Napoleon Bonaparte celebrates the first anniversary of his coronation with a victory at Austerlitz over a Russian and Austrian army.
1823 President James Monroe proclaims the principles known as the Monroe Doctrine, "that the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintained, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by European powers."
1863 General Braxton Bragg turns over command of the Army of Tennessee to General William Hardee at Dalton, Ga.
1864 Major General Grenville M. Dodge is named to replace General William Rosecrans as Commander of the Department of Missouri.
1867 People wait in mile-long lines to hear Charles Dickens give his first reading in New York City.
1907 Spain and France agree to enforce Moroccan measures adopted in 1906.
1909 J.P. Morgan acquires majority holdings in Equitable Life Co. This is the largest concentration of bank power to date.
1914 Austrian troops occupy Belgrade, Serbia.
1918 Armenia proclaims independence from Turkey.
1921 The first successful helium dirigible, C-7, makes a test flight in Portsmouth, Va.
1927 The new Ford Model A is introduced to the American public.
1932 Bolivia accepts Paraguay's terms for a truce in the Chaco War.
1942 The Allies repel a strong Axis attack in Tunisia, North Africa.
1944 General George S. Patton's troops enter the Saar Valley and break through the Siegfried line.
1946 The United States and Great Britain merge their German occupation zones.
1964 Brazil sends Juan Peron back to Spain, foiling his efforts to return to his native land.
1970 The U.S. Senate votes to give 48,000 acres of New Mexico back to the Taos Indians.
1980 A death squad in El Salvador murders four US nuns and churchwomen.
1982 Dentist Barney Clark receives the first permanent artificial heart, developed by Dr. Robert K. Jarvik.
1993 NASA launches Space Shuttle Endeavor on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
1999 UK devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive, the administrative branch of the North Ireland legislature.
2001 Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, one of the most complex bankruptcy cases in US history.
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Thanks to Dutch
BULLSEYE!!!!! thanks to ben
https://parler.com/post/bd1314e764a041349c84d3eddc4b035b
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This Day in U S Military History
1775 – Congress orders first Navy officers commissions printed.
1775 – The USS Alfred becomes the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Stars and Stripes); the flag is hoisted by John Paul Jones.
1776 – George Washington's army began retreating across the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania.
1942 – General Eichelberger, sent by General MacArthur to investigate the lack of progress at Buna, New Guinea, decides to relieve General Harding of command of the US forces there.
1942 – Enrico Fermi, the Italian-born Nobel Prize-winning physicist, directs and controls the first nuclear chain reaction in his laboratory beneath the bleachers of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago, ushering in the nuclear age. Upon successful completion of the experiment, a coded message was transmitted to President Roosevelt: "The Italian navigator has landed in the new world." Following on England's Sir James Chadwick's discovery of the neutron and the Curies' production of artificial radioactivity, Fermi, a full-time professor of physics at the University of Florence, focused his work on producing radioactivity by manipulating the speed of neutrons derived from radioactive beryllium. Further similar experimentation with other elements, including uranium 92, produced new radioactive substances; Fermi's colleagues believed he had created a new "transuranic" element with an atomic number of 93, the result of uranium 92 capturing a neuron while under bombardment, thus increasing its atomic weight. Fermi remained skeptical about his discovery, despite the enthusiasm of his fellow physicists. He became a believer in 1938, when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for "his identification of new radioactive elements." Although travel was restricted for men whose work was deemed vital to national security, Fermi was given permission to leave Italy and go to Sweden to receive his prize. He and his wife, Laura, who was Jewish, never returned; both feared and despised Mussolini's fascist regime. Fermi immigrated to New York City–Columbia University, specifically, where he recreated many of his experiments with Niels Bohr, the Danish-born physicist, who suggested the possibility of a nuclear chain reaction. Fermi and others saw the possible military applications of such an explosive power, and quickly composed a letter warning President Roosevelt of the perils of a German atomic bomb. The letter was signed and delivered to the president by Albert Einstein on October 11, 1939. The Manhattan Project, the American program to create its own atomic bomb, was the result. It fell to Fermi to produce the first nuclear chain reaction, without which such a bomb was impossible. He created a jury-rigged laboratory with the necessary equipment, which he called an "atomic pile," in a squash court in the basement of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. With colleagues and other physicists looking on, Fermi produced the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction and the "new world" of nuclear power was born.
1944 – Elements of the US 3rd Army reach Saarlautern. To the south, the US 7th Army advances to the Rhine river after the Germans have withdrawn across it at Kehl. The three available bridges are all demolished in the retreat.
1944 – Two-day destroyer Battle of Ormoc Bay begins. Vice Admiral James L. Kauffman had just reported as Commander, Philippine Sea Frontier and was under heavy pressure from General MacArthur to do something – anything – to interdict incoming Japanese reinforcements. On 27 November 1944, he did the obvious, ordering first that the Canigao Channel be swept of mines by minesweepers USS Pursuit (AM-108) and USS Revenge (AM-110). That night, the Fletcher-class destroyers USS Waller (DD-466), USS Pringle (DD-477), USS Renshaw (DD-499) and USS Saufley (DD-465) under Captain Robert H. Smith, with a Black Cat PBY Catalina doing the spotting, steamed into the bay at flank speed. The Destroyers raked the Ormoc dock area with main battery fire for about an hour when suddenly the PBY reported a surfaced sub entering the bay. USS Waller opened fire and the spunky sub returned the fire while at the same time fishtailing furiously. As the WALLER got into position to ram, the sub suddenly submerged, but for the last time – stern first. The next night, Kauffman ordered four PT boats (PTs 127, 128, 191 and 331) into Ormoc Bay. Visibility was excellent, and in the light of a full moon they sunk a freighter and a patrol craft. They had caught the enemy by surprise and the mission was "a piece of cake," in the words of PT skipper J.R. Chassee. The following day Captain Smith again took four cans into Ormoc Bay – USS Waller (DD-466), USS Cony (DD-508), USS Renshaw (DD-499) and USS Conner (DD-582). There was no sign of enemy shipping in the harbor, and curiously enough, no enemy fire, so he withdrew. Two days later, on the night of 1 December, DDs USS Conway (DD-507), USS Cony (DD-508), USS Eaton (DD-510) and USS Sigourney (DD-643) also found no shipping in the bay so they continued northwest around the San Isidro peninsula. At 0224 they made radar contact with an incoming transport, brought it under a withering barrage of shellfire and quickly dispatched it to the bottom. Many days action will follow but will involve no capital ships
1950 – In the Chosin/Changjin Reservoir Area, 1st Marine Division elements began the fighting withdrawal from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri. The subzero weather earned the area the title "Frozen Chosin" from the Marines and soldiers who fought there.
1992 – The space shuttle Discovery blasted off with five astronauts and a spy satellite aboard. Classified United States Department of Defense primary payload (possibly a Satellite Data System relay), plus two unclassified secondary payloads and nine unclassified middeck experiments. Some later reports say the primary payload was a U.S. Navy ELINT / Sigint satellite in the Advanced Jumpseat series. Secondary payloads contained in or attached to Get Away Special (GAS) hardware in the cargo bay included the Orbital Debris Radar Calibration Spheres (ODERACS) the combined Shuttle Glow Experiment/Cryogenic Heat Pipe Experiment (GCP).
1993 – The space shuttle Endeavour blasted off on a mission to fix the Hubble Space Telescope. With its very heavy workload, the STS-61 mission was one of the most sophisticated in the Shuttle's history. It lasted almost 11 days, and crew members made five EVA sorties, an all-time record. Even the spectacular Intelsat IV retrieval of STS-49 in May 1992 required only four. To be on the safe side, the flight plan allowed for two additional sorties which could have raised the total number to seven EVA's but the final two contingency EVA's turned out not be be necessary. In order to bring off this exploit without too much fatigue, the five extravehicular working sessions were shared between two alternating shifts of two astronauts.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BARBER, WILLIAM E.
Rank and organization: Captain U.S. Marine Corps, commanding officer, Company F, 2d Battalion 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Chosin Reservoir area, Korea, 28 November to 2 December 1950. Entered service at: West Liberty, Ky. Born: 30 November 1919, Dehart, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Company F in action against enemy aggressor forces. Assigned to defend a 3-mile mountain pass along the division's main supply line and commanding the only route of approach in the march from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri, Capt. Barber took position with his battle-weary troops and, before nightfall, had dug in and set up a defense along the frozen, snow-covered hillside. When a force of estimated regimental strength savagely attacked during the night, inflicting heavy casualties and finally surrounding his position following a bitterly fought 7-hour conflict, Capt. Barber, after repulsing the enemy gave assurance that he could hold if supplied by airdrops and requested permission to stand fast when orders were received by radio to fight his way back to a relieving force after 2 reinforcing units had been driven back under fierce resistance in their attempts to reach the isolated troops. Aware that leaving the position would sever contact with the 8,000 marines trapped at Yudam-ni and jeopardize their chances of joining the 3,000 more awaiting their arrival in Hagaru-ri for the continued drive to the sea, he chose to risk loss of his command rather than sacrifice more men if the enemy seized control and forced a renewed battle to regain the position, or abandon his many wounded who were unable to walk. Although severely wounded in the leg in the early morning of the 29th, Capt. Barber continued to maintain personal control, often moving up and down the lines on a stretcher to direct the defense and consistently encouraging and inspiring his men to supreme efforts despite the staggering opposition. Waging desperate battle throughout 5 days and 6 nights of repeated onslaughts launched by the fanatical aggressors, he and his heroic command accounted for approximately 1,000 enemy dead in this epic stand in bitter subzero weather, and when the company was relieved only 82 of his original 220 men were able to walk away from the position so valiantly defended against insuperable odds. His profound faith and courage, great personal valor, and unwavering fortitude were decisive factors in the successful withdrawal of the division from the deathtrap in the Chosin Reservoir sector and reflect the highest credit upon Capt. Barber, his intrepid officers and men, and the U.S. Naval Service.
*JOHNSON, JAMES E.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company J, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Yudam-ni, Korea, 2 December 1950 (declared missing in action on 2 December 1950, and killed in action as of 2 November 1953). Entered service at: Washington, D.C. Born: 1 January 1926, Pocatello, Idaho. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader in a provisional rifle platoon composed of artillerymen and attached to Company J, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Vastly outnumbered by a well-entrenched and cleverly concealed enemy force wearing the uniforms of friendly troops and attacking his platoon's open and unconcealed positions, Sgt. Johnson unhesitatingly took charge of his platoon in the absence of the leader and, exhibiting great personal valor in the face of a heavy barrage of hostile fire, coolly proceeded to move about among his men, shouting words of encouragement and inspiration and skillfully directing their fire. Ordered to displace his platoon during the fire fight, he immediately placed himself in an extremely hazardous position from which he could provide covering fire for his men. Fully aware that his voluntary action meant either certain death or capture to himself, he courageously continued to provide effective cover for his men and was last observed in a wounded condition single-handedly engaging enemy troops in close hand grenade and hand-to-hand fighting. By his valiant and inspiring leadership, Sgt. Johnson was directly responsible for the successful completion of the platoon's displacement and the saving of many lives. His dauntless fighting spirit and unfaltering devotion to duty in the face of terrific odds reflect the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service.
*LEISY, ROBERT RONALD
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Infantry, Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. place and date: Phuoc Long province, Republic of Vietnam, 2 December 1969. Entered service at: Seattle, Wash. Born: 1 March 1945, Stockton, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 2d Lt. Leisy, Infantry, Company B, distinguished himself while serving as platoon leader during a reconnaissance mission. One of his patrols became heavily engaged by fire from a numerically superior enemy force located in a well-entrenched bunker complex. As 2d Lt. Leisy deployed the remainder of his platoon to rescue the beleaguered patrol, the platoon also came under intense enemy fire from the front and both flanks. In complete disregard for his safety, 2d Lt. Leisy moved from position to position deploying his men to effectively engage the enemy. Accompanied by his radio operator he moved to the front and spotted an enemy sniper in a tree in the act of firing a rocket-propelled grenade at them. Realizing there was neither time to escape the grenade nor shout a warning, 2d Lt. Leisy unhesitatingly, and with full knowledge of the consequences, shielded the radio operator with his body and absorbed the full impact of the explosion. This valorous act saved the life of the radio operator and protected other men of his platoon who were nearby from serious injury. Despite his mortal wounds, 2d Lt. Leisy calmly and confidently continued to direct the platoon's fire. When medical aid arrived, 2d Lt. Leisy valiantly refused attention until the other seriously wounded were treated. His display of extraordinary courage and exemplary devotion to duty provided the inspiration and leadership that enabled his platoon to successfully withdraw without further casualties. 2d Lt. Leisy's gallantry at the cost of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 2, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
2 December
1908: Rear Admiral William S. Cowles, Chief of the Navy's Bureau of Equipment, submitted Lt George C. Sweet's report on aviation to the Secretary of the Navy with its recommendations for airplanes capable of operating from naval vessels on scouting and observation missions. Sweet also asked the Navy to buy aircraft to develop aviation for naval uses. (29)
1930: Ruth Nichols flew from Los Angeles, Calif., to New York, N. Y., to set a new women's cross county speed record of 13 hours 22 minutes. She made only one stop during the flight. (24)
1936: Boeing's YB-17 Flying Fortress made its maiden flight. (12)
1941: The Pacific Clipper of Pan American Airways made the first commercial world flight. It left San Francisco, Calif., and landed in New York City on 6 January 1942, after covering 31,500 miles in 209 hours 30 minutes flying time. (24)
1943: The Combined Chiefs of Staff asked the Allied Expeditionary Air Force to attack "Ski Sites" in the Pas de Calais and Cherbourg Peninsula areas. These areas were identified as V-1 missile launching sites. (4) The Navy accepted the world's largest flying boat, the 70-ton Martin JRM Mars. (24)
1949: First USAF Aerobee missile launched at Holloman AFB, N. Mex. Through 7 December, Thomas G. Lanphier set an around-the-world commercial transport record of 119 hours 47 minutes by flying 22,180 miles from La Guardia Field, N. Y., eastward.
(9) 1952: KOREAN WAR. Through 7 December, the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command increased from one to three the number of B-29s allocated for radar-directed bombing in front of IX Corps during the battle for Sniper Ridge north of Kumhwa. (28)
1954: The Air Force issued a requirement for the Thor intermediate range ballistic missile. (6)
1965: Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, the first Deputy Administrator of the National Air and Space Administration, died at the age of 67. He was an internationally renowned scientist-engineer, whose career began with the airplane. He was regarded as the man who guided the US into the space age.
1976: Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfield authorized the USAF to begin B-1 production. Congress had restricted funding for the program to $87 million a month earlier in September. (1)
1979: TYPHOON ABBEY. The storm hit Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands, causing extensive damage. Over the next three weeks through 21 December, the Military Airlift Command flew 35 C-141 and 5 C-130 missions to airlift 250 relief workers and 650 tons of supplies, communications, and power systems to Majuro Atoll. The flights took off from Hickam AFB, Hawaii, Andersen AFB, Guam, and several bases in the US. (2)
1983: The 571st Strategic Missile Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., became the first Titan II unit to inactivate under a deactivation program. (1)
1993: Through 13 December, the Space Shuttle Endeavour flew a mission to repair the $2 billion Hubble Space Telescope. Colonel Richard O. Covey (USAF) piloted the shuttle. (16) (26)
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World News for 2 December thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Trump Threatens To Veto Defense Spending Bill Over Internet Regulations Voice Of America News | 12/02/2020 President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) unless it includes eliminating a law that shields internet companies from liability for content on their sites, reports the Voice of America News. On Tuesday, Trump threatened to block the bill unless it eliminated Section 230, which he called corporate welfare and said threatened election integrity. The move comes at a time when the bill is under committee review to reconcile the House and Senate versions. Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act empowers content providers, like vendors and social media companies, to remove potentially offensive content that would otherwise be protected by the First Amendment while also shielding them from any liability from said content. Both Democrats and Republicans have called for changes to the law, but few have backed a complete repeal. Social media sites Twitter and Facebook have come under criticism from Trump and Republicans after the sites labeled statements by the president as false or misleading, reported Agence France-Presse. In July, Trump threatened to veto the NDAA after it included language to rename military bases named after Confederate generals.
USA—Trump Administration Disbands Defense Dept. ISIS Task Force New York Times | 12/02/2020 The White House has disbanded a Defense Dept. task force overseeing the fight against the Islamic State, reports the New York Times. On Monday, the Pentagon said that Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller had accepted the resignation of Christopher Maier, who led the Pentagon's Defeat ISIS Task Force. The Defense Dept. said that Maier's departure recognized "the success of the military fight" to destroy the terrorist group's material holdings. Reports suggested that Maier was forced out by a presidential appointee after being informed that ISIS had been defeated. The task force has also been disbanded. Maier had led the group since March 2017. Analysts have questioned the justification for the move. A U.N. report from August noted that an estimated 10,000 ISIS fighters remain in Syria and Iraq, with attacks reported in Iraq's Diyala province last month. Maier's duties have been absorbed by Ezra Cohen-Watnick and Anthony Tata, both Trump appointees, who lead offices responsible for special operations and regional issues. Pentagon officials denied that the change indicated that they were taking the ISIS threat lightly, arguing that the time was right to reorganize the department's counterterrorism policy efforts.
USA—Major JLTV Order Placed With Oshkosh Defense Dept. Of Defense | 12/02/2020 The U.S. Army has awarded Oshkosh Defense contracts worth nearly US$1 billion for Joint Light Tactical Vehicles for the U.S. military and allied countries, reports the Dept. of Defense. An $888.4 million contract modification covers the purchase of 2,679 JLTVs, 1,001 trailers and 6,275 vehicle kits for the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy, said a departmental release on Monday. Another deal, valued at $23 million, covers the acquisition of 59 JLTVs and associated kits for Brazil, Lithuania and North Macedonia, said an Oshkosh Defense release. Work under both contracts is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 31, 2022.
USA—Production Starts For Simulators For T-7 Trainer Jets Boeing | 12/02/2020 Boeing has launched production of the ground-based training system for its T-7A Red Hawk trainer jet, reports the aerospace firm. Two weapon systems trainer simulators and an operational flight trainer are being assembled at Boeing's St. Louis facility, the company said on Tuesday. An initial batch of simulators is scheduled to be delivered to the Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, in 2023, reported Defense News. Each simulator features dynamic motion seats and the Boeing Constant Resolution Visual System's 8K native projector. The simulators will be capable of digitally connecting to T-7A aircraft, enabling the digital linking of simulators and Red Hawks in flight. Boeing is currently under contract to build an initial batch of seven simulators and five T-7 aircraft. Air Force plans call for the acquisition of 351 T-7s and 46 simulators.
NATO—New Report Identifies China As 'Systemic Rival,' Calls For Reforms Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 12/02/2020 NATO must adapt to confront threats that include a "persistently aggressive Russia" and rising China, according to a report cited by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The report was presented on Tuesday during the first day of a two-day video conference for NATO foreign ministers. It was commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron and written by an outside group of experts, following Macron's criticism of the alliance last year, reported Politico. The 67-page report contains about 140 suggestions to address threats posed by "systemic rivals" China and Russia as well as terrorism. It also calls for NATO to broaden its focus to include non-military threats, such as pandemics, reported Reuters. "Hard decisions" on the alliance's mission in Afghanistan will need to be made at the defense ministers meeting in February, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters. Other recommendations include limiting veto power of individual member states, creating a body to coordinate policy toward China, holding summits with European Union leaders and giving the secretary-general greater power over personnel and budgets. The document will be presented to NATO leaders at a meeting next year. The recommendations could be included in an update to NATO's strategic concept, which was last formulated in 2010 before Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.
United Kingdom—Troops Secretly Deployed To Saudi Arabia After Iranian Attack Independent | 12/02/2020 The U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed that it secretly sent an army air defense unit to Saudi Arabia earlier this year to protect oil fields, reports the Independent (U.K.). In February, the 16th Regiment Royal Artillery was deployed to protect Saudi oil fields from drone attacks. The move came in response to a September 2019 missile and drone strike on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities, which were attributed to Iran, said a ministry spokesperson. Lawmakers and the public were not informed of the deployment, the newspaper said. The regiment, the British army's only short-range air defense unit, is equipped with the Rapier surface-to-air missile system, reported defense-aerospace.com. The deployment was coordinated with the Saudi Ministry of Defense and other international partners, said the ministry. The deployment was ongoing as of November and had cost about 840,000 pounds (US$1.1 million).
Spain—Final Reaper Drones Handed Over General Atomics Aeronautical Systems | 12/02/2020 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems says it has delivered the final MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper drones purchased by Spain. The last two of four Reaper drones and the third and final ground-control station were handed over on Nov. 23, said a General Atomics release on Monday. The delivery followed successful acceptance trials in the U.S. in September at the Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility near Palmdale, Calif. The drones will be operated by the 233rd Squadron at Talavera la Real Air Base near Badajoz.
Germany—Neo-Nazi Group Banned After Police Raids Deutsche Welle | 12/02/2020 The German Interior Ministry has banned a neo-Nazi group after police raided the properties of more than a dozen members, reports Deutsche Welle. On Tuesday, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced that Sturmbrigade 44, also known as Wolfsbrigade 44, had been banned for spreading hatred, reported Agence France-Presse. The formal prohibition permits the government to confiscate assets and propaganda material in order to collect evidence on right-wing extremist groups. Prior to the announcement, the properties of 13 members were raided in the states of Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and North Rhine-Westphalia. During the searches, police discovered weapons, including knives and crossbows, propaganda and Nazi paraphernalia. The group was founded in 2016 and had the stated goal of reviving a "free fatherland" under "German moral law" through the use of force. A bag containing weapons and a t-shirt bearing the group's name was discovered on a train in 2018, and the homes of several members were raided by police last year. Sturmbrigade 44 is the fourth right-wing extremist group to be banned by the German government this year.
Germany—4 Die As Car Plows Through Pedestrian Zone In Trier British Broadcasting Corp. | 12/02/2020 Four people have been killed and more than a dozen injured after a car plowed through a busy pedestrian shopping street in western Germany, reports BBC News. On Tuesday, the vehicle "ran amok" at high speeds through pedestrians in the Trier city center at lunchtime, according to the city's mayor. The driver, a 51-year-old local who was drunk, has been arrested. There did not appear to be any political motivation, police said. Witnesses identified the vehicle involved as a Range Rover. The suspect drove for about 0.6 miles (1 km) through the pedestrian street, hitting people at random until he was stopped by a police car, said a police spokesman. The incident raised concerns about a possible terrorist motive due to its similarity to a 2016 attack, in which 12 people were killed when an Islamic State supporter drove through a Christmas market in Berlin, reported Agence Frace-Presse. In August 2019, six people were injured in a series of motorway accidents in Berlin that were described as suspected terror attacks.
Hungary—NASAMS To Replace Soviet-Era Air Defense Systems Kongsberg Defence And Aerospace | 12/02/2020 Hungary has signed a contract with Kongsberg and Raytheon to procure the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), reports the Norwegian defense firm. On Monday, the 410 million euro (US$490 million) contract was signed during a ceremony in Budapest, reported the Hungarian Ministry of Defense. Hungary is the sixth NATO member and the 12th nation to purchase NASAMS. The system consists of AMRAAM and AMRAAM-ER interceptors and the Sentinel radar supplied by Raytheon and the fire distribution center and canister launchers provided by Kongsberg. The number of NASAMS being acquired was not made public. The system is expected to enter service in Hungary in 2023. It will replace aging, Soviet-era Kub air defense systems.
Croatia—Army Seeks Refurbished Bradley IFVs U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency | 12/02/2020 The U.S. State Dept. has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale of refurbished infantry fighting vehicles to Croatia, reports the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The proposed US$757 million deal covers the refurbishment/modernization and support for 76 M2A2 Operation Desert Storm (ODS) Bradley fighting vehicles. The possible sale also includes 84 M240 machine guns; 1,103 TOW 2A radio frequency (RF) missiles; 16 TOW 2A RF fly‑to‑buy lot acceptance missiles; 100 TOW 2B RF missiles; eight TOW 2B RF fly-to-buy lot acceptance missiles; 500 TOW Bunker Buster (BB) RF missiles; eight TOW BB fly-to-buy lot acceptance missiles; as well as M257 smoke grenade launchers, ammunition, radios, simulators, support and maintenance. The proposed sale would improve the security of a NATO ally and enhance Croatia's interoperability with the U.S. and other alliance members, the agency said.
Russia—Air Defense Batteries Enter Service On Disputed Islands Tass | 12/02/2020 Russia has deployed air defense systems on the Kuril Islands, which are also claimed by Japan, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow). The S-300V4 batteries have been activated on the islands, the Eastern Military District said on Tuesday. The announcement followed air warning drills with the long-range air defense system, said Lt. Gen. Gennady Zhidko, the district commander. The systems were deployed on Iturup, one of the four islands held by Russia, according to a Zvezda TV report cited by Reuters. Previously, only short-range air defense systems had been deployed to the islands. Moscow said in October that it would deploy S-300 systems to the island, indicating that they would only be used for training. The Japanese government has officially protested the move.
China—Analysts Predict Warmer Relations Under Biden Presidency South China Morning Post | 12/02/2020 China expects relations with the U.S. to warm somewhat following the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, reports the South China Morning Post. This could include increasing the number of student visas issued and reopening consulates that were recently closed, said Yao Yunzhu, an adviser to the China Association of Military Science. A Biden administration might also end the practice of interrogating the crew of cargo ships and aircraft upon arrival in the U.S. for suspected links to the Chinese Communist Party, he said. Other analysts said that recent nominations for key foreign policy positions indicated a desire by Biden to return to multilateralism. Ezra Vogel, professor emeritus at Harvard University, called for Beijing to treat foreign companies equally to encourage cooperation. Joseph Nye, former dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, has said that both the U.S. and China should find means of cooperation despite their rivalry, eschewing the bipolar arrangements that characterized the Cold War. Despite these calls, many analysts believe that U.S. policy towards China is unlikely to be headed to a total reset. In several areas, including the detention of Muslim Uighurs in western China and disputed formations in the South China Sea, Biden is expected to maintain pressure on Beijing.
Taiwan—U.S. Set To Supply Key Technologies For Indigenous Submarine Program Central News Agency | 12/02/2020 Taiwan will soon receive two technologies critical for the development of its indigenous submarine, according to officials cited by the Central News Agency (Taipei). Art Chang, the president of the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, told lawmakers on Wednesday that he expected the U.S. to supply the integrated combat system and a digital sonar system for the new boats next month. The Taiwanese navy has indicated that agreements for the supply of both systems have been finalized and approved. The two systems, as well as the diesel propulsion system, have been identified among those that could not be produced domestically, sources said. Construction for the first of the submarines was formally launched in November. Plans call for the lead boat to enter service by 2025.
Lebanon—Quds Force Commander Calls For Restraint From Hezbollah Al Arabiya | 12/02/2020 During a recent visit to Lebanon, the commander of Iran's Quds Force issued a call for Hezbollah to refrain from provoking Israel, reports Al Arabiya (Dubai). Following the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on Nov. 27, Esmail Qaani traveled to southern Beirut to meet with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, reported the French-language L'Orient-Le Jour (Lebanon) newspaper. The timing of the meeting could not be confirmed. Qaani instructed Nasrallah to remain on high alert, but to avoid taking action against Israel that could be exploited by the Jewish state. The Quds Force chief reportedly also visited Iraq and Syria to deliver a similar message to Iranian proxy groups in those countries.
Libya—Another Round Of Political Talks Held Anadolu News Agency | 12/02/2020 The latest round of U.N.-hosted political talks in Libya have gotten underway, reports the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). On Tuesday, the fourth round of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum commenced over closed-circuit television link. The talks focused on more than eight proposals concerning the selection of a prime minister and presidential council. The U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) began held the first political talks between the two main Libyan factions on Nov. 9. The second and third rounds were held last week.
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