Thursday, July 30, 2020

Fw: TheList 5397

The List 5397     TGB

Good Thursday Morning

A little burp in the recovery Tuesday afternoon into the late evening in the emergency room. Took yesterday off to sleep and recuperate.

Regards,

skip

Today in Naval History

July 30

1918  Headquarters Company and Squadrons A, B, and C of the First Marine Aviation Force arrive at Brest, France, on board USS DeKalb (ID #3010), as U.S. enters European Theater of World War I.

1919 During an inspection by a six-man maintenance crew, the submarine USS G-2 suddenly floods and sinks at her moorings in Two Tree Channel near Niantic Bay off the Connecticut coast. She goes down in 13 1/2 fathoms, drowning three of the inspection crew.

1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the act establishing WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). During World War II, more than 80,000 officers and enlisted women serve in the WAVES.

1943 PV 1 aircraft from (VB 127) sinks German submarine (U 591) off Pernambuco, Brazil. Also on this date, TBFs and F4Fs (VC 29) from USS Santee (CVE 29) sink German submarine (U 43) in the mid-Atlantic, while (PC 624) sinks German submarine (U 375) off Tunisia.

1945 A Japanese submarine sinks USS Indianapolis (CA 35), northeast of Leyte. Only 316 of her 1,199 crew survive. Due to communications and other errors, her loss goes unnoticed until survivors are seen from a passing aircraft on Aug. 2. Four days earlier, she had delivered atomic bomb components used on Japan in August.

2005 USS Halsey (DDG 97) is commissioned at Naval Station North Island in San Diego, Calif. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is named after U.S. Naval Academy graduate Fleet Adm. William Bull Halsey Jr., who commanded the U. S. 3rd Fleet during much of the Pacific War against Japan.

 

 

Thanks to CHINFO

 

Executive Summary:

•           Several outlets are reporting that two U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan on Monday.

•           Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition James Geurts warned last week that the window for innovating in Defense Department acquisition is closing, reports Defense Daily.

•           USNS Carson City arrived in Lagos, Nigeria in support of its 2019 Africa Partnership Station (APS) deployment to the Gulf of Guinea.

•           Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) expresses concerns over the USS Gerald R. Ford advanced weapons elevators being further delayed, reports Bloomberg News.

 

 

Today in History July 30

1619

The House of Burgesses convenes for the first time at Jamestown, Va.

1787

The French parliament refuses to approve a more equitable land tax.

1799

The French garrison at Mantua, Italy, surrenders to the Austrians.

1864

In an effort to penetrate the Confederate lines around Petersburg, Va. Union troops explode a mine underneath the Confederate trenches but fail to break through. The ensuing action is known as the Battle of the Crater.

1919

Federal troops are called out to put down Chicago race riots.

1938

George Eastman demonstrates his color motion picture process.

1940

A bombing lull ends the first phase of the Battle of Britain.

1960

Over 60,000 Buddhists march in protest against the Diem government in South Vietnam.

1965

President Lyndon Johnson signs the Medicare Bill into law.

1967

General William Westmoreland claims that he is winning the war in Vietnam, but needs more men.

1975

Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa disappears, last seen coming out of a restaurant in Bloomingfield Hills, Michigan.

1988

 King Hussein dissolves Jordan's Parliament, surrenders Jordan's claims to the West Bank to the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

1990

Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent forces George Steinbrenner to resign as principal partner of the New York Yankees.

2003

The last of the uniquely shaped "old style" Volkswagen Beetles rolls off the assembly line in Mexico.

2012

Blackout in India as power grid failure leaves 300 million+ without power.

21st CENTURY

2003

Last classic VW Beetle rolls off the line »

 

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Thanks to Ed and Remembered Sky

1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 30 – Conclusion* or "Tales of the South Pacific"

http://rememberedsky.com/?p=4166#more-4166

(See links to the 6 Reflection posts below)

 

This serves as the announcement for the completion of the series 1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier, a two year effort focused on carrier aviation in the first year of WWII in the Pacific.

Since posting the piece on the involvement of USS Enterprise and the Cactus Air Force  in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, it has taken me six months to finish. With intent for 2-4 pieces to conclude including  an Afterword on the Marianna's Turkey Shoot graciously permitted by Barrett Tillman, I could not get comfortable with what I was writing.  Short was not getting it and only after I realized there was considerable left unsaid on various operational threads that ran throughout the year could I move forward.The posts links provided below reflect these selected threads:

The nature of things as Guadalcanal ended;

Due reflection on the CVs of 42;

Carrier operations overall including changes to task force organization;

Fighter and Fighter Director issues;

Land-based air in support of Amphibious operations;

The beginning of Close Air Support by the Marines at Henderson Field.

Barrett's post as an afterword then highlights how much had changed as we went into the Battle of the Philippine Sea and on to stand off the waters of Japan itself.

This final piece borrows the title of James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize winning 1947 book to emphasize a point. This effort was never intended as a book, or as a retelling in shorter form of the battles of 1942 in the Pacific. I'm neither historian, or author. I am though a great reader of history and if it concerns combat aviation - particularly Navy - I'm you're huckleberry! But digging in type reading uncovers stories, many that even interested people may never have had revealed to them. Case in point, I've been reading about the Battle of Midway forever - since I first read Walter Lord's Incredible Victory. But as I progressed, I realized the Guadalcanal Campaign was a vast almost unknown frontier for me.  I had never really given thought to how interconnected and interdependent the land, sea and air components were nor that the tin-can and cruiser guys  had roughly three times the losses as the Marines. Midway taught much about carriers but not all. Much was different at Cactus and much had to be painfully learned.

So Year of the Carriers is intended not for complete history but for the telling of tales. I've written much but borrowed much also. No footnotes or bibliographies here, but the sources are there mostly in showing the book covers and noting the historians and authors as I used their work. What a great library.

In summary...

For 75 years opponents of the U.S. have had to think and consider how to counter the US aircraft carrier and its airwing. That issue is obviously of concern today with all the cost, technology, and people on a Ford class CV. It is the basis for most critique on building U.S. strategy around CV's, and most certainly key to response for the Chinese build up in the South China Sea.

The attack on Pear Harbor accelerated the rise of the CV as THE capital ship replacing the long running top dog battleship. The British, Japanese and US had explored carrier operations in various forms for years, but it would be left to the Americans to take the concept of a large carrier raiding force to its full potential through employment in the four battles of 1942, learning how to support Marine amphibious landings, and  developing the capability to back it up with underway logistics and forward-deployed repair facilities. The stunningly powerful carrier task forces that the U.S. Navy wielded in 1944–45 were as much superior to the Japanese Navy Kido Butai as the latter had been to the British Illustrious's solo attack against Taranto. Indeed, the shock and devastation of Japan's unsuspected carrier aviation capabilities in 1941 helped lay the foundation for an even more lethal weapon system.

The Battle of the Coral Sea set the stage for the Battle of Midway. Often characterized as a miracle or incredible victory, and even by many as the decisive battle of the Pacific War, Midway certainly changed the course of the Pacific War in that the loss of the four Japanese carriers turned the tide in the sense that the U.S. could now consider shifting from a defensive and raiding posture to true offensive action.

The Americans had fundamentally altered the raw numbers in the fleet carrier equation, and  had also radically transformed the intrinsic power of the individual flight decks themselves. But the Guadalcanal Campaign proved there was much more to be learned in support of the Marine amphibious operations  if the path through the islands to Japan was to be successful. The very close run victory in the Guadalcanal Campaign was, I believe. the true turning point. The Japanese lost the core of their pilot experience, could never match US ship building and pilot training and never went on the offensive again.

In learning the lessons in brutal combat American naval aviation became capable of threatening areas of the empire once thought to be off-limits, while maintaining a much higher tempo of operations than the imperial fleet could. So impressive was this cumulative leap in technology and operational technique that, in effect, the Americans emerged in late 1943 with an entirely new navy.'

But the lasting legacy is one of paradox - the carrier as threat vs as high value vulnerability

Carrier operations in 1942 were the beginning of a major capability which opponents must still consider remaining a vital capability not to be thrown out but also one whose loss would be very serious. And therein lies the basis for current sea-based combined arms.

Thank you for all who have followed and all who have provided such help and guidance. (Next up The Secret Squirrel Chronicles in the Testimony of Pilot series)

Thanks for considering (Sorry for length, BUT it is the end of the series, so wrapping up)

Ed at Remembered Sky

Note: I've never quite understood the metrics of blogs, but FWIW, the eight July posts addressed here have drawn almost 15,000 "people reached" via the Rememberesky Facebook page, and 45,000 "hits" on the website itself.

"1942" – Part 23 – Reflections (1 of 6); Guadalcanal Endgame

"1942" – Part 24 – Reflections (2 of 6); Fast Ships in Harm's Way – The Carriers

"1942" – Part 25 – Reflections (3 of 6); CV Operations

"1942" – Part 26 – Reflections (4 of 6); Fighter Operations

"1942" – Part 27 – Reflections (5 of 6); Land Based Air

"1942" – Part 28 – Reflections (6 of 6); CAS

"1942" – Part 29 – Afterword by Barrett Tillman

1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 30 – Conclusions* or "Tales of the South Pacific"

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 12, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

30 July

1909: The Wright plane completed its second test with a 10-mile flight from Fort Myer to Alexandria and back at 42.583 MPH. The speed gave the Wrights a $5,000 bonus (10 percent of a $25,000base price for each MPH over 40) and made the purchase price $30,000. (4) (12)

1935: Lt Frank Akers (USN) flew an OJ-2 from NAS San Diego and made the first blind landing aboard the carrier USS Langley. He later received the DFC. (24)

1939: The US regained the world payload carrying record when Maj Caleb V. Haynes and Capt W. D. Old flew the Boeing XB-15 to 8,200 feet with a payload of 15 1/2 tons at Wright Field. (24)

1944: VOGELKOP OPERATION. FEAF aircraft supported an amphibious operation, the landings on the Vogelkop Peninsula on the western end of New Guinea. Troops of the 6th Infantry Division met no opposition and began work immediately on airfields at March and Sansapor. Middleburg and Amsterdam Islands, just offshore, were secured, and an airfield on Middleburg was ready for fighters on 17 August.

1948: North American Aviation delivered the first operational jet bomber, the B-45A Tornado, to the Air Force. (21)

1950: KOREAN WAR. 47 B-29s bombed the Chosen Nitrogen Explosives Factory at Hungnam on North Korea's east coast. (28)

1951: KOREAN WAR/ATTACK ON PYONGYANG. Fighters participated in a coordinated attack on selected targets in Pyongyang. The 91 F-80s performing flak suppression, although hampered by cloud cover over the target, were successful as no UN aircraft were lost to flak at Pyongyang during the day. The 354 USAF and USMC fighter-bombers attacking targets around Pyongyang reported fair results. (17) (28)

1952: KOREAN WAR. Following extended heavy rains, 3d Air Rescue Squadron helicopters carried approximately 650 flood-stranded U.S. military members and Koreans to safety. Flying over 100 sorties, five large H-19s transported some 600 evacuees, while two H-5s carried the rest. In the I Corps sector, two H-5s flew over 30 sorties to rescue 60 flood-stranded Koreans and U.S. soldiers. (28) KOREAN WAR. Through 31 July, in one of the largest medium bomber raids against a single target, 60 B-29s destroyed 90 percent of the Oriental Light Metals Company facility, only four miles from the Yalu River. The B-29s achieved the unusally extensive destruction of the target in spite of encountering the largest nighttime counter-air effort to date by the enemy. The attacking bombers suffered no losses. (28)

1959: The Norair N-156F (later modified into the F-5) twin jet tactical fighter completed its first flight at Edwards AFB. (3)

1965: The 7-year Saturn I program ended with the launch of Pegasus III, the tenth success in as many attempts for this booster. 1969: Mariner 6 flew by Mars.

1971: The last C-133 Cargomaster retired from Travis AFB to aircraft graveyard at Davis-Monthan AFB to end a chapter in military airlift history. It fell victim to the jet age and the jumbo airlift capability of the C-5A Galaxy. This event ushered in the modern all-jet airlift fleet. (5) (18) The last F-100 left Vietnam for the CONUS. Its departure ended a combat employment, which began in 1964 and produced 360,283 combat sorties with 243 aircraft losses. (17)

1981: Through 9 August, MAC supported the Gambia evacuation. When Gambia's president attended the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in London, leftist guerrillas attempted a coup. When loyal Gambian troops and their Senegalese allies were unable to rescue rebel-held hostages and quell rioting in Bangul, MAC sent two C-141s to Dakar, Senegal. On 8 August, the rebel force surrendered and released its hostages. One C-141 evacuated 95 civilians from Bangul to Dakar. (2)

1984: Modified B-1A number four, avionics flight test aircraft, completed its first flight at Edwards AFB. (12) 1985: The USAF Bomarc aerial target drone program ended. (16) (26)

1993: The VISTA NF-16 employed its multi-axis thrust-vectoring system for the first time in a flight over Edwards AFB. That system enabled the aircraft to achieve a 110-degree transient angle-ofattack and a sustained angle-of-attack by September. (20)

1997: Captain Dewey Gay flew a F-16C Fighting Falcon (Tail No. 83-1164) from the 62d Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB to history when he touched down after a 1.3-hour sortie that pushed the F-16 over 4,000 hours. It was the first C-model to reach the 4,000-hour mark. The feat took 14 years. (AFNEWS Article 970991, 13 Aug 97)

1997: The X-38 atmospheric test vehicle made its first captive-carry flight aboard a B-52. The subscale, unmanned X-38 shape was joint NASA Dryden Center and Johnson Space Center project to validate concept for a future International Space Station emergency Crew Return Vehicle. The space "lifeboat" relied on Lifting Body technology. (3)

1998: At Edwards AFB, testing on the C-141A Electric Starlifter came to an end. The joint Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate and Lockheed-Martin/Lucas Aerospace testing program outfitted a large military cargo aircraft with electrically operated Fly-By-Wire, PowerBy-Wire flight controls for the first time in aviation history. The C-141A aircraft, assigned to the 418th Flight Test Squadron, flew over 1,000 hours in the program. It was the last C-141A in operational service. With the completion of the test program, the Air Force retired the aircraft to Davis-Monthan AFB. (AFNEWS Article 981113, 30 Jul 98)

 

2001: The DoD awarded Boeing a $485 million contract to engineer and manufacture an Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) and a separate $1 billion contract for aircraft modifications, support, and other services to complement the AMP enhancements for 519 C-130s. The program would equip the C-130 cockpits with flat panels, digital displays, multi-functional radar, and a state-of-the-art communications system. (22) AETC's C-141 aircrew training school at Altus AFB officially closed to end more than 25 years of C-141 training there. The closure came with the phased retirement of more than 265 C-141Bs. The Air Force, however, modified 56 C-141Bs with state-of-the-art glass cockpits and redesignated them as C-141Cs. (22) A crew from Minot AFB delivered a B-52H to the AFFTC for transfer to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. It would be converted into an air launch platform to replace Dryden's venerable B-52B Tail No. 52-0008. (3)

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This Day in US Military History

1916 – German saboteurs blew up a munitions pier on Black Tom Island, Jersey City, NJ. 7 people were killed. Damages totaled about $20-25 million. Now a section of Liberty State Park (along Morris Pesin road including the park office and Flag Plaza), Black Tom was originally a small island in New York Harbor not far from Liberty Island. Between 1860 and 1880, Black Tom was connected to the mainland by a causeway and rail lines terminating at a freight facility with docks. The area between the island and the mainland was filled in sometime between 1905 and 1916 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad as part of its Jersey City facility. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Black Tom was serving as a major munitions depot. Before the United States entered the First World War, American businessmen would sell their supplies to any buyer. However, by 1915, the British Navy had established a blockade effectively keeping the Germans from being able to buy from the American merchants. The German government, on July 30, 1916, orchestrated the sabotage of freight cars at Black Tom, which were loaded with munitions for the Allies in Europe. According to a recent study, the resulting explosion was the equivalent of an earthquake measuring between 5.0 and 5.5 on the Richter Scale. Windows within a 25-mile radius were broken, the outside wall of Jersey City's City Hall was cracked and pieces of metal damaged the skirt of the Statue of Liberty (it is because of this explosion that the Lady's torch has been closed off to visitors). Most of the immigrants on Ellis Island were temporarily evacuated. Losses were estimate at $20 million and seven people were killed. After the war, a commission appointed to resolve American claims against Germany was established. It took years before a decision was made, finally in June of 1939, the commission ruled that the German Government had authorized the sabotage. However, World War II interrupted any chances of arranging for restitution. In 1953 the two governments finally settled on terms that the German government would pay a total of $95 million for a number of claims including Black Tom. The final payment was received in 1979.

1941 – Japanese aircraft bomb USS Tutuila (PR-4) at Chungking, China; First Navy ship damaged by Axis during World War II. Japan apologizes for the incident but it does nothing to ease the strained relations between the US and Japan.

 

1964 – At about midnight, six "Swifts," special torpedo boats used by the South Vietnamese for covert raids, attack the islands of Hon Me and Hon Ngu in the Tonkin Gulf. Although unable to land any commandos, the boats fired on island installations. Radar and radio transmissions were monitored by an American destroyer, the USS Maddox, which was stationed about 120 miles away. The South Vietnamese attacks were part of a covert operation called Oplan 34A, which involved raids by South Vietnamese commandos operating under American orders against North Vietnamese coastal and island installations. Although American forces were not directly involved in the actual raids, U.S. Navy ships were on station to conduct electronic surveillance and monitor North Vietnamese defense responses under another program, Operation De Soto. The Oplan 34A attacks played a major role in events that led to what became known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. On August 2, North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the Maddox, which had been conducting a De Soto mission in the area. Two days after the first attack, there was another incident that still remains unclear. The Maddox, joined by destroyer USS C. Turner Joy, engaged what were thought at the time to be more attacking North Vietnamese patrol boats. Although it was questionable whether the second attack actually happened or not, the incident provided the rationale for retaliatory air attacks against the North Vietnamese and the subsequent Tonkin Gulf Resolution. The resolution became the basis for the initial escalation of the war in Vietnam and ultimately the insertion of U.S. combat troops into the area.

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

O'NEIL, RICHARD W.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 165th Infantry, 42d Division. Place and date: On the Ourcq River, France, 30 July 1918. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: New York, N.Y. G.O. No.: 30, W.D., 1921. Citation: In advance of an assaulting line, he attacked a detachment of about 25 of the enemy. In the ensuing hand-to-hand encounter he sustained pistol wounds, but heroically continued in the advance, during which he received additional wounds: but, with great physical effort, he remained in active command of his detachment. Being again wounded, he was forced by weakness and loss of blood to be evacuated, but insisted upon being taken first to the battalion commander in order to transmit to him valuable information relative to enemy positions and the disposition of our men.

 

OZBOURN, JOSEPH WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 24 October 1919, Herrin, Ill. Accredited to: Illinois. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Browning Automatic Rifleman serving with the 1st Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division, during the battle for enemy Japanese-held Tinian Island, Marianas Islands, 30 July 1944. As a member of a platoon assigned the mission of clearing the remaining Japanese troops from dugouts and pillboxes along a tree line, Pvt. Ozbourn, flanked by 2 men on either side, was moving forward to throw an armed handgrenade into a dugout when a terrific blast from the entrance severely wounded the 4 men and himself. Unable to throw the grenade into the dugout and with no place to hurl it without endangering the other men, Pvt. Ozbourn unhesitatingly grasped it close to his body and fell upon it, sacrificing his own life to absorb the full impact of the explosion, but saving his comrades. His great personal valor and unwavering loyalty reflect the highest credit upon Pvt. Ozbourn and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

 

 

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This is a great history of the Guadalcanal Campaign put together by the Naval Historical and Heritage Command.   Each different phase is detailed in the Gualdalcanal Campaign URL highlighted below,

From August 1942 through February 1943, U.S. forces sought to capture and then defend Guadalcanal from the Japanese. A planned amphibious landing turned quickly into a series of massive air and naval battles. The Guadalcanal campaign marked a major turning point in the Pacific during World War II, but it also revealed important lessons about the nature of warfare itself. Specifically, Guadalcanal showed how the old saying "the best defense is a good offense" can be rephrased to "a strong defense can become an effective offensive weapon." Of those who have studied the campaign, Guadalcanal teaches enduring lessons about the importance of integrating planning, training, and technology to generate options that confuse the enemy. To learn more, read the op-ed by Dr. Benjamin M. Jensen and Brig. Gen. William J. Bowers at the Navy Times.

 

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USS FORRESTAL TRAGEDY...53 Years Ago

thanks to Wimbo  and Dutch

From Tom Wimberly     Re Forrestal fire:

     The account you published is the best I have seen. I was there; I was XO of VF-74 and was scheduled for the 1100 launch and was manning a VF-74 Phantom spotted portside, just about abeam of the after end of the island. My engines were running.

     One of the comments of the below account mentions "many" of the casualties occurred in the berthing compartments just under the after end of the flight. It was not just "many" - in fact, 89 of the 134 deaths were from the explosions over those berthing compartments. The night crews of VF-11 and VF-74 were in those two compartments: VF-74's compartment was portside and VF-11's was starboard. 42 from VF-74 did not survive and 47 from VF-11 did not survive. In VF-74, survivors came to our ready room. Skipper Hal Wellman and essentially all the pilots were on the flight deck, doing what they could. I stayed in the ready room and interviewed every survivor who came to the ready room. We needed to find out who was accounted for and who was not. It was quickly apparent that our squadron losses were severe.

      If anyone is interested, I can provide an Xcel file that lists all 134 casualties and tells rate and squadron.

      If anyone wants to hear my account of the fire, email me at twimbo@aol.com.

      I don't think I have seen either of the two training films mentioned. Where can I find them? I did see a film once many years ago which showed the flight deck, but the Phantoms of myself and my wingman were not shown. I was told that that particular film had mixed into it some footage of the Enterprise fire.

Wimbo

 

In a message dated 7/30/2020 7:17:33 AM Central Standard Time, flyboy@helndutch.com writes:

thanks to THE Bear - 

http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/29-july-2017-50th-anniversary-uss-forrestal-disaster-29-july-1967 /   

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Daily World news thanks to Military Periscope

USA—Pentagon Reveals Details Of Planned Germany Drawdown Cable News Network | 07/30/2020 Defense Secretary Mark Esper has revealed details of a planned reduction of forces stationed in Germany, reports CNN. Under the proposal, 5,400 personnel would redeploy elsewhere in Europe and 6,400 would return home, Esper said on Wednesday. The reductions would cut the U.S. presence in Germany from about 36,000 to 24,000, below the cap of 25,000 mandated by President Trump. The European Command (EUCOM) would relocate from Stuttgart to Belgium to collocate it with the NATO military command headquarters. Three brigade-size headquarters, an air defense battalion and an engineering battalion are also slated to move to Belgium, said Gen. Tod Wolters, the head of U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. An F-16 fighter squadron and two smaller support and contracting organizations will move to Italy, said Wolters. Plans to move 2,500 aerial refueling personnel from the U.K. to Germany would be canceled, reported NPR News. U.S. Africa Command might also move from its headquarters in Stuttgart. The moves would take months to plans and years to execute and cost billions of dollars, said U.S. defense officials. Lawmakers from both parties have slammed the decision, raising questions about whether the plan would move forward should Trump lose the election in November. 

USA—Daniels Takes Command Of Army Reserve Army Times | 07/30/2020 For the first time, a woman is in command of an Army component, reports the Army Times. On Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels assumed command of the Army Reserve. She received her third star during the ceremony. She said her priorities for her term included restarting collective training suspended due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, modernizing the reserves to support the Army's new multidomain operations doctrine and retaining talent. Daniels last commanded the 88th Readiness Division at Fort McCoy, Wis. She has also served as chief of staff for Army Forces Command and held leadership roles in U.S. Africa Command and the U.S. mission in Iraq. She holds a doctorate in computer science and in her civilian career was the director of advanced programs for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Laboratories. 

USA—Army Eyes Common Mission Systems For Helicopter Replacements Aviation Week And Space Technology | 07/30/2020 The U.S. Army recently provided its vision for the development of new rotorcraft under its Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program to defense contractors, reports Aviation Week & Space Technology. In briefings to contractors earlier this month, the Army said it wanted mission systems for the new aircraft to be as common as possible. The modular open systems architecture (MOSA) should enable the service to rapidly upgrade payloads, subsystems and design rights to support a perpetual cycle of competitive bidding. Army plans to field the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) as quickly as possibly by using only existing and highly mature systems on the new airframes. These initial Increment 1 aircraft would enter service in the third quarter of 2030. More advanced variants would subsequently be fielded in 2034 (FLRAA) and 2035 (FARA). To be ready to enter service by 2030, the Increment 1 platforms will be designed with electronics and systems that are available or set to reach a high level of maturity by 2024. More advanced systems still in the laboratory testing phase in the mid-2020s will be considered for the Increment 2 aircraft. To meet this schedule, the Army will need to establish the FVL Architecture Framework (FAF) to define the interfaces and standards for the common mission systems architecture for the FLRAA and FARA by the end of the year. The program schedule calls for choosing the FLRAA developer in fiscal 2023 and the FARA prime contractor in fiscal 2024. Limited user testing of production aircraft would follow four years after selection. The FLRAA program has benefited from work already completed under competitive demonstration and risk-reduction effort contracts awarded in March to Bell and a Sikorsky-Boing team, reported Defense News. 

USA—State, Treasury Announce New Sanctions On Syria U.S. State Dept. | 07/30/2020 The State Dept. and Treasury Dept. have announced a new round of sanctions on Syrian individuals and entities, reports State. On Wednesday, 14 new designations were announced under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. The act, named after a Syrian regime military photographer who documented abuse in Syrian government prisons, was enacted last month. Treasury said its Office of Foreign Assets Control had sanctioned one individual and nine entities responsible for enriching the Syrian regime through the construction of luxury real estate. Mall and hotel magnate Wassim Anwar Al-Qattan, who has received a number of recent contracts from the Syrian regime, was among those sanctioned. The measures also affect son of President Bashir Assad, Hafez Assad; the president's cousin, Maj. Gen. Zuhair Tawfiq Assad and his son, Karam Assad; and the Syrian army's First Division. 

United Kingdom—Troops Begin Mission Training For Mali Deployment U.K. Ministry Of Defense | 07/30/2020 British soldiers from several units have come together for the first time to begin training for an upcoming deployment with the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), reports the U.K. Ministry of Defense. Troops from the Light Dragoons Regiment and 2 Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, have completed two weeks of mission-specific training on Salisbury Plain, the ministry said on Wednesday. It is the start of months of preparatory training focusing on intelligence-gathering, reconnaissance, patrol and medical evacuation skills ahead of their deployment to Mali in December. The unit will form a Long-Range Reconnaissance Task Group, conducting patrols in Jackal vehicles to provide situational awareness and intelligence to MINUSMA. 

Greece—Turkish Firm Wins Deal For Mini Drones Defense News | 07/30/2020 The Greek Ministry of Defense has ordered miniature tactical drones from a Turkish firm, reports Defense News. The deal, the value of which was not disclosed, covers 50 Proton Elic RB-128 uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) from private Turkish firm Assuva Savunma Sanayi, company officials said on Tuesday. All necessary licenses have been obtained from Greece, the officials said. Two of the drones successfully passed acceptance tests in Greece prior to the completion of the deal, said the company. The Proton Elic RB-128 can be used for search-and-rescue missions and detect underground bunkers, explosives, land mines and chemical agents. Greece is the first European Union and NATO customer for the systems. The system has previously been sold to the Chinese, Sri Lankan and Turkish armed forces. 

Greece—Turkish Firm Wins Deal For Mini Drones Defense News | 07/30/2020 The Greek Ministry of Defense has ordered miniature tactical drones from a Turkish firm, reports Defense News. The deal, the value of which was not disclosed, covers 50 Proton Elic RB-128 uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) from private Turkish firm Assuva Savunma Sanayi, company officials said on Tuesday. All necessary licenses have been obtained from Greece, the officials said. Two of the drones successfully passed acceptance tests in Greece prior to the completion of the deal, said the company. The Proton Elic RB-128 can be used for search-and-rescue missions and detect underground bunkers, explosives, land mines and chemical agents. Greece is the first European Union and NATO customer for the systems. The system has previously been sold to the Chinese, Sri Lankan and Turkish armed forces. 

North Korea—Anti-Ship Cruise Missile Test-Fired During Recent Drills Yonhap | 07/30/2020 North Korea fired an anti-ship cruise missile during its annual summer exercises earlier this month, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On July 6, an unspecified North Korean vessel fired the missile during drills in the Sea of Japan, South Korean officials said on Thursday. The weapon traveled less than 60 miles (100 km), the officials said. The missile firing was not previously reported. Officials did not identify the type of weapon used but indicated that it had been tested before. North Korea's regular summer drills began in early July and typically wrap up around August. 

South Korea—Reservists Set To Resume Refresher Training In September Yonhap | 07/30/2020 The South Korean Defense Ministry says that refresher training for reservists will resume in September, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). Annual training for reservists, which was originally scheduled for March but has been pushed back due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will begin in September in a scaled-back fashion, the ministry said. South Korean men are required to complete one training session lasting one to three days each year for six years after finishing their mandatory military service. Reservists this year will instead go through a four-hour training program on a date of their choosing. Shooting is among the key programs that will be covered, said defense ministry officials. The military is also creating a trial online course for reservists that is scheduled to launch in November. Personnel who volunteer for the course will be allowed to skip the indoor portion of their training in 2021, the ministry said. This is the first time that South Korea has been forced to modify its training since the reserves program was implemented in 1968. 

Japan—Raytheon Seeks Role In Missile Defense Plans Reuters | 07/30/2020 U.S. defense contractor Raytheon is lobbying the Japanese government to choose its radar system for planned missile defense projects, reports Reuters. The move comes as Japan is considering its options after canceling a project to build two Aegis Ashore missile defense systems. Raytheon's proposal includes integrating its SPY-6 radar as part of an upgrade for Japanese destroyers, three sources said. The U.S. Navy is installing the radar on its newest destroyers and will refit some of its older ships with the system. The plan is being offered as an alternative to an existing US$300 million contract with Lockheed Martin to build SPY-7 radars at the two canceled Aegis Ashore sites. Lockheed says the radars could be placed elsewhere or on ships. A defense ministry source confirmed that Tokyo is looking at multiple options. Critics of the Raytheon proposal note that using destroyers for the missile defense mission prevents them from performing other duties, as well as the expense of building new warships. Japan could also face financial penalties if it terminated its contract with Lockheed. One option would be to acquire SPY-6 radars for shipboard use and buy SPY-7s for early warning missions, sources said. A group of former defense ministers and deputy ministers are expected to make recommendations to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next month.

 Japan—MHI Inks Eagle Upgrade Deal With Boeing Boeing | 07/30/2020 Boeing has announced that it has signed a contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to support the modernization of Japan's F-15J Eagle fighter jets. Under the direct commercial sale agreement, Boeing will provide MHI with retrofit drawings, ground support equipment and technical publications to support the upgrading of the first two F-15Js to the Japan Super Interceptor configuration, said a Boeing release on Tuesday. The value of the contract was not disclosed. Under the Japan Super Interceptor upgrade program, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force plans to upgrade 98 of its F-15Js with an advanced mission computer, a new cockpit and an APG-82 active electronically scanned array radar. The contract lays the foundation for the modernization program. MHI will develop a detailed modification plan for the jets and prepare facilities and personnel for work to start in 2022, said Boeing. The program is valued at up to US$4.5 billion.  

Australia—Defense, Foreign Ministers Visit Washington For Annual Talks Sydney Morning Herald | 07/30/2020 The defense and foreign ministers of Australia and the U.S. have held an annual meeting in Washington, D.C., reports the Sydney Morning Herald. On Tuesday, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defense Minister Linda Reynolds met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mike Esper. The sides pledged to bolster joint military projects in northern Australia, hold more exercises in the South China Sea and work together on missile and hypersonic defense technologies. China was a particular focus, with both countries accusing Beijing of violating international norms with its actions in the South China Sea. The ministers committed to cooperation on freedom of navigation operations and upholding the rule of law in the region, noted the Hill (Washington, D.C.). In a joint statement, the ministers criticized Beijing's efforts to subvert Hong Kong's autonomy through the recently introduced national security law and its repression of the Uighur minority. Other topics discussed included expanding the joint training exercises in Darwin to include other nations and creating a U.S.-funded commercial strategic military fuel reserve in the Northern Territory. 

Brunei—Navy Wraps Up Exercise With Singapore Singapore Ministry Of Defense | 07/30/2020 A Brunei navy patrol ship has just completed a bilateral exercise with a Singapore frigate, reports the Singapore Ministry of Defense. Exercise Pelican was held from July 27 to July 29 in the Philippine Sea, the ministry said on Wednesday. The Brunei patrol vessel Darulehsan and Singapore frigate Supreme conducted interoperability drills, including coordinated gunnery, maneuvering and communication exchanges. There was no physical interaction between the crews due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the ministry said.

 India—Defenses Beefed Up On Disputed Border With China Bloomberg News | 07/30/2020 India is moving an additional 35,000 troops to its disputed border with China in the Ladakh region, reports Bloomberg News. Unnamed Indian defense officials revealed the move on Thursday. The goal is to shift the balance of forces along the 2,167-mile (3,488-km) frontier but is expected to stretch the defense budget, officials said. Analysts said that continued deployments to the area in India's Ladakh province are likely to continue. The nature of the line of actual control has changed in Ladakh and neither side will pull back its additional forces until a resolution is reached at the highest political level, the analysts said. On Tuesday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman told Agence France-Presse that the disengagement plan had been completed along much of the disputed border. A fifth round of talks between military commanders is planned although no date has been set. 

Iran—Ballistic Missile Launches Trigger Alerts At U.S. Bases In Qatar, U.A.E. Radio Farda | 07/30/2020 Ballistic missiles launched during a large-scale Iranian exercise triggered alerts in two U.S. bases in the region, reports Radio Farda. On Tuesday morning, the ballistic missiles were launched at a mockup of an American aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, reported Air Force magazine. An initial assessment indicated that the missiles could have been aimed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, triggering the alert and sending troops to take cover. The alert lasted several minutes and was lifted once the threat had passed, said a Central Command spokeswoman. The systems that tracked the missiles were not made public, but potential platforms could have included missile warning satellites and an AN/TPY-2 missile defense radar based in Qatar, noted the War Zone website. As part of the exercise, Iran also demonstrated its ability to launch a ballistic missile from underground for the first time. Commercial satellite footage taken of the mock carrier target after the drills raised questions about the effectiveness of the ballistic missiles. The photos showed little apparent damage to the deck of the vessel where the missiles would have struck. 

Nigeria—14 Die In Village Assault In Kogi State Daily Sun | 07/30/2020 At least 14 people have been killed and six wounded in violence in Kogi state in central Nigeria, reports the Daily Sun (Lagos). On Wednesday, unknown attackers launched a nighttime raid on the Agbudu village in the Koton-Karfe local government area, said the state police commissioner. Thirteen of the fatalities were members of the same family, the commissioner said. An investigation into the incident has been opened. A longstanding land dispute may have been behind the assault, reported Agence France-Presse. Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello blamed the attack on "criminal elements," which he vowed would face justice, reported the Tribune Online (Ibadan). .

 

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Wednesday, July 29, 2020

TheList 5396

The List 5396     TGB

Good Tuesday Morning

I hope that your Week has started well. .

Regards,

skip

Today in Naval History

July 28

1861

During the Civil War, the frigate, USS St. Lawrence, spots a schooner flying English colors and gave chase. Some four hours later, as she is overhauling the schooner, the fleeing vessel runs up the Confederate flag and fires three shots. Firing with her forecastle battery, St. Lawrence hits the vessel twice, once in her bow. Survivors from the sunken vessel reveal it had been the Confederate privateer, Petrel.

1926

USS S-1 surfaces and launches a Cox-Klemin (XS 2) seaplane flown by Lt. D.C. Allen. The submarine recovers the aircraft and submerges, successfully completing an airplane transport on board a submarine.

1943

PBM aircraft (VP 32) sinks German submarine (U 359) south-southwest of Puerto Rico. During her service, (U 359) deploys on three war patrols.

1944

USS Wyman (DE 38) and USS Reynolds (DE 42) sink Japanese submarine (I 55), 400 miles east of Tinian.

1945

USS Callaghan (DD 792) is the last ship sunk by a Japanese kamikaze attack when she hits a radar picket station approximately 50 miles southwest of Okinawa, 25X 43N, 126X 55E. USS Pritchett (DD 561) is also damaged by a near hit from a kamikaze as she assists the destroyer. The kamikaze that hits USS Callaghan is carrying Willow (a primary training biplane), revealing the desperation level of the Japanese. USS Callaghan is named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient, Rear Adm. Daniel J. Callaghan, who died during the naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Nov. 12-13, 1942.

1973

Skylab 3 is launched. The mission is the second to the first U.S. manned space station. The commander of the mission is Capt. Alan L. Bean, USN, the pilot is Maj. Jack R. Lousma, USMC, and the Science Pilot is Owen K. Garriott, a former Navy electronics officer. The mission lasts 59 days, 11 hours and includes 858 Earth orbits. USS New Orleans (LPH 11) recovers the crew.

1984

USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52) is launched at Sturgeon Bay, Wisc. The rescue and salvage ship conducts salvage, diving, towing, off-shore firefighting, heavy lift operations and theater security cooperation missions through the Military Sealift Command.

2000

USNS Watkins (T-ARK 315) is launched at National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego, Calif. The large, medium-speed roll-on/roll-off ship is part of the prepositioning program with Military Sealift Command. The ships serve as dry cargo surge sealift carriers. Watkins is named after Army Master Sgt. Travis E. Watkins, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions and leadership during the second Battle of Naktong Bulge during the Korean War.

 

Thanks to CHINFO

.

. Executive Summary:

•Greek and trade press reported on the Dwight D. Eisenhower CSG's drills with the Hellenic Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.

•USNI News reported on USS Hershel 'Woody" William's first deployment.

•Reporting continued on tensions between the United States and China as the Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) commenced in Washington

 

Today in History July 28

 

1540 Henry VIII of England marries Catherine Howard; Thomas Cromwell is beheaded on Tower Hill in England.

1615 French explorer Samuel de Champlain discovers Lake Huron on his seventh voyage to the New World.

1794 Robespierre is beheaded in France.

1808 Sultan Mustafa of the Ottoman Empire is deposed and his cousin Mahmud II gains the throne.

1835 King Louis-Philippe of France survives an assassination attempt.

1863 Confederate John Mosby begins a series of attacks against General George Meade's Army of the Potomac.

1868 The 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to all those born or naturalized in the United States, is adopted.

1898 Spain, through the offices of the French embassy in Washington, D.C., requests peace terms in its war with the United States.

1914 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, beginning World War I.

1920 Pancho Villa surrenders to the Mexican government.

1932 The Bonus Army of impoverished World War I veterans is violently pushed out of Washington, D.C.

1941 A Japanese army lands on the coast of Cochin, China (modern day Vietnam).

1945 A B-25 bomber crashes into the Empire State Building in New York City, killing 13 people.

1965 President Lyndon Johnson sends an additional 50,000 troops to South Vietnam.

1988 Israeli diplomats arrive in Moscow for the first time in 21 years.

1990 A fire at an electrical substation causes a blackout in Chicago. Some 40,000 people were without power for up to three days.

1996 Discovery of remains of a prehistoric man near Kennewick, Washington, casts doubts on accepted beliefs of when, how and where the Americas were populated.

2005 Britain experiences its most costly tornado to date, causing 40 million Sterling Pounds of damage to Birmingham in just four minutes. There were no fatalities.

2005 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announces an end to its 30-year armed campaign in Northern Ireland.

 

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thanks to THE Bear 

 

Gentlemen... a new tale from the Summer of '67... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

Begin forwarded message:

ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED… When Naval Aviation Roared… Tales of the Brave and Bold… #17…

COMMEMORATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM WAR... and honoring the indefatigable Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers and air crewmen who penetrated layered and integrated air defenses to destroy military targets in the heartland of North Vietnam in the years of Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968)... GOOD EVENING. It's still Monday, 27...

ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED… When Naval Aviation Roared… Tales of the Brave and Bold… #17…

July 27, 2020Bear Taylor0 Comments

COMMEMORATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM WAR… and honoring the indefatigable Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers and air crewmen who penetrated layered and integrated air defenses to destroy military targets in the heartland of North Vietnam in the years of Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968)…

GOOD EVENING. It's still Monday, 27 July 2020, and Faithful Servant has another tale to tell: the devastation of a surface-to-air missile holding area 35 miles southwest of Hanoi on 7 June 1967 by Carrier Air Wing NINE… But first, a few of the HEAD LINES made 50-years ago this week (27 July-2 August 1970)… IN CHICAGO…Sears, Roebuck announced plans to build the tallest building in the world, to be 1,450 feet high, taller than the 1,350 feet towers of the World Trade Center in New York… IN THE SOVIET UNION… Leonid Brezhnev jumped all over East Germany's leader Walter Ulbricht for cozying up to West Germany and ordered East Germany Security Affairs Secretary Erich Honecker to work to remove Ulbricht, who would be gone in the next nine months… EGYPT-ISRAEL… wage a major air battle over the Suez and the Israeli Mirages and Phantoms bagged five Egyptian MiG-21s. The Egyptians accused the Israelis of employing American pilots and admitted that Soviet pilots had manned some of the MiG-21s… NFL PLAYERS walk out, go on strike–a first… MID-EAST… Golda Meir leads a vote of Israeli ministers to accept a 3-month cease-fire in the "War of Attrition" with Egypt that had been waged since the end of the 1967 "Six-Day War."… NBC ANCHOR Chet Huntley retires… SPLICE THE MAIN BRACE, the British Navy daily issue of a rum ration, a tradition of 238 years, comes to an end…

ON THE BATTLEFIELD. Americans killed in battle in July 1970 numbered 404 as the South Vietnamese took over more of the fighting and thousands of Americans were withdrawn from Southeast Asia as Nixon promised. Meanwhile, at a meeting of the National Security Council in Washington the President spelled out what he wanted to happen. "I want to create as much doubt in the minds of the enemy about what we will do in Laos and Cambodia and complete doubt as to what South Vietnam will do. We won't be pinned down on what interdiction is. I want to be sure we give no signal to the enemy. We will continue the bombing of the North and South Laos. I want to leave the policies as they are. We have no plans for U.S. activity in Laos but I want to leave it there. I do not want to indicate that the South Vietnamese are planning large scale activity in Laos (Lam Son 719), but we don't want to be pinned down. We'll say only 'There are no present plans.' Leave the enemy concerned. Air power will be used in Laos to interdict supplies. I want everyone here to follow this line."…Unquote…

IN THE AIR WAR (27 July-2 August 1970). Three fixed wing aircraft and three gallant aviators were lost in Southeast Asia during this week fifty years ago. MAJOR Otis Cleveland MORGAN, USAF, was killed when his A-1H was shot down by automatic weapon fire 20 miles southwest of Danang. A second 56th SOW A-1H was downed on a night Commando Hunt mission in Southern Laos while conducting night attacks on enemy trucks. The pilot was rescued. The third loss was an RF-4C conducting night photo reconnaissance over Laos that perished without a trace. CAPTAIN Gary Anthony CHAVEZ and CAPTAIN Donald Alan BROWN rest in peace and remain where they fell fifty years ago. They are remembered here with admiration, and with sorrow for their respective families who wait… https://www.vietnamairlosses.com

 

WHEN NAVAL AVIATION ROARED. Tale #17 from Faithful Scribe's cache of notes from the Vietnam War awards files of CINCPACFLT, including CINCPACFLT letter FF 1-1, 1650 ser 102/PD of November 16, 1967. On 6 June 1967 an RVAH-7 RA-5C Vigilante from USS ENTERPRISE zipped through the area 30-35 miles south and southwest of Hanoi at 600-knots to photo the five SAM sites that were covering the approaches to the capital city from that direction. Two of those sites had scored kills on ENTERPRISE strike groups a few weeks earlier. While both of those firing sites were hit hard by ENTERPRISE after their successes, the RVAH-7 Viggie was there to ensure the status of all five of the enemy SAM sites was known for ongoing strike operations against military targets near Hanoi and in the Red River Valley. The film from the Viggie's 6 June pass was the immediate object of the squadron's photo interpreters on ENTERPRISE. A sharp-eyed PI detected a storage and assembly area in the trees and bushes about three-quarters of a mile from the unoccupied VN-94 SAM site. The area contained nine enemy missiles on transporters and a FAN SONG radar van hidden and camoflaged in the wooded area. A strike on the lucrative target was immediately set in motion. Unfortunately, dusk and bad weather, including massive thunderstorms, postponed the execution of the strike until the afternoon of 7 June. This is the story of that mission…

THE MISSION. Destroy the concentration of enemy surface-to–air missiles, vans and enemy personnel detected by the RVAH-7 reconnaisance.

 photo 

 

THE DEFENSES. The target of the strike group was situated in the center of an extremely active and effective enemy SA-2 missile area. As many as twenty-five missiles had been fired from the five sites in the area during the preceding month. Two ENTERPRISE aircraft were lost in the area on May 19. In addition to heavy missile defenses in the area the strike group had to penetrate about 75 miles of hostile enemy territory to reach the target. Within five miles of the target the attackers would be opposed by three active and confirmed 37/57mm, one 85mm and several automatic weapon sites. The target area was 35 miles from Hanoi and 45 miles from MiG airfields.

THE PLAN. Commander Carrier Air Wing-NINE, CAPTAIN James L. SHIPMAN opted to plan, brief and lead the quick reaction strike flying an A-4C of the VA-113 Stingers. The strike group was composed of: four VA-113 A-4Cs, each armed with three pods of 2.75 rockets; three VA-56 A-4Cs, the lead aircraft armed with four CBU-24s and two wingmen, each armed with four MK-117 750-pound bombs; three F-4Bs from VF-92/VF-96, each carrying ten MK-82 500-pound bombs, two Sidewinders and two Sparrows; and, one VA-35 A-6A armed with 22 MK-82s. Weather limited the size and employment ot the strike group to eleven aircraft and required a variety of ordnance to meet a full range of weather possibilities at the target. A weather abort was not an option.

EXECUTION. Launch, rendezvous, and navigation to the coast-in point south of Haiphong by the eleven aircraft strike force went as briefed. An E-2A aircraft provided vectors to assist CAPTAIN SHIPMAN with navigation as he penetrated deep into enemy territory below an overcast and above several broken cloud layers. Navigation assistance was also provided by the F-4B and A-6A crews as CAPTAIN SHIPMAN circumnavigated several thunderstorms along the planned route. Avoidance of dangerous concentrations of enemy defenses was attempted with limited success as the flight was under fire for several miles of the path to the target. Fifteen miles southeast of the target the F-4B division accelerated ahead of the strike group to locate the target and determine if the enemy missiles were still in position or had been moved. A cloud-covered ridge line was used by CAPTAIN SHIPMAN to mask the strike group's approach until just south of the target. The valley in which the target was located was clear of clouds below 10,000-feet. As the strike group popped up and positioned for the attack, the F-4B division, led by LCDR Morton WINCHESTER located the target, confirmed the presence of the missiles and vehicles and commenced the initial attack. CAPTAIN SHIPMAN followed with his four rocket shooters. The F-4B bombs ignited two enemy missiles which twisted above and impacted the storage area. The four rocket shooters pressed their attacks to minimum altitude to score direct hits on six more of the missiles, and the four bombers–3 A-4Cs and an A-6A followed with the delivery of 22 MK-82s, 6 M-117s and four CBU-24s on the area. Three secondaries exploded out of the towering fire and smoke to completely devastate the area occupied by the enemy SAM battalion. The CVW-9 attack was met with intense 37mm fire and automatic weapon fire but avoided by all eleven aircraft in the strike force. The extremely poor weather and numerous thunderstorms apparently cancelled out both enemy SAM and MiG opposition. The RVAH-7 post BDA photo bird was less fortunate than the strike birds and sustained a direct hit from a 37mm projectile. The RA-5C returned safely to the carrier with photos of the site on fire. CAPTAIN SHIPMAN remained over the target area to determine if a restrike was required and reported "total destruction, no restrike required," an assessment confirmed by the post-strike photos.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT. Confirmed damage: Nine SAMs on their transporters destroyed, one FAN SONG radar van and one POL truck destroyed.

The skipper of USS ENTERPRISE, CAPTAIN James L. HOLLOWAY III subsequently wrote of the successful strike: "This operation was a classic demonstration of the capability of the ENTERPRISE team. The remarkable reconnaisance and photographic interpretation that located this important target, and the swift, accurate and effective strike that destroyed the target, are commendable feats. The flight crews who participated in this totally successful mission against a lucrative target deep in enemy territory displayed unusual determination, professional competency and personal courage. The mission received a 'well done' from Commander SEVENTH FLEET and Commander Task Force SEVENTY-SEVEN."

BITS OF RIBBON. Medals all around. DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSSES for: CAG SHIPMAN ( His second of the cruise–he let his Squadron Commanders lead the big Alphas); LCDR WINCHESTER, VF-96; LCDR E. James BOCK, VF-92; and LCDR David WINIKER, VA-56. INDIVIDUAL AIR MEDAL: LCDR Jeremy TAYLOR, VA-113; LTJG David FORMO, VF-92; LTJG Charles E. BOEMER, VF-96; LTJG Rodney BANKSON, VA-35; and LCDR Dale DOSS, VA-35. NAVY COMMENDATION MEDALS with Combat V:  LCDR Robert BRENNOCK, VA-113; LCDR Lawerence E. WEAR, VF-96; LCDR John E. HAMMACK, VA-56; LTJG Dennis a. LAWRENCE, VA-56; LTJG Michael L. McGRAW, VA-113 (CAG's Wingman–rated a DFC!); and ENSIGN Kenneth L. ROBERTS, VF-96…

 

END NOTE. Faithful Scribe was a steady letterwriter on my cruises on ENTERPRISE. When I opted to tell this CVW-9 story from 7 June 1967, I dug out the letter I wrote to my wife that evening to refresh my memory of that day 53 years ago. It is quoted in part here…

"Two very good hops today #s 94 and 95 for the cruise. I've flown five in three days…

"The first was a 0500 brief to lead four Stingers on an airborne RESCAP (rescue cover)–that's where somebody else goes in and bombs Hanoi and we hold off the coast to go in only if somebldy goes down and needs help. Nobody went down although 3 of the 15 planes were hit, so I ended up leading my guys on some barges south of Haiphong. Very good run and hits.

"The second one was in a gagle of eleven airplanes into 'SAM Valley' about 35 miles southwest of Hanoi. We hit a missile storage area about 3 miles from where I had my duel with a SAM site on 19 May. A photo plane got a pix yesterday that a fine eye spotted ten missiles hidden in the bushes. We charged in under marginal weather and thank goodness no missiles came up at us–so we found the spot and hit it. Did we hit it! I put my 57 rockets right in there along with almost everybody else and we had missiles frizzling up through the air, skittering along the ground, and blowing up on their trucks. It was great. There were ten, we got nine and two radar vans and an oil truck. There was some AAA but not enough to dim our glee. It was great fun.

"I took home-movies of both hops and together with a couple of Bullpup runs yesterday and a carrier landing this reel should be my best spool of film for the cruise. Unfortunately, my pix of a SAM twirling up through the air as I dove on the site today interested the intelligence people so they requested 'I loan them the film.' They assured me I'll get it back. I'll be worrying for months, then begging them for years to return the film (fifty-three years later I'm still waiting)…"... End quote from letter…

END NOTE #2… Faithful Scribe has it on good notice that TAILHOOK 2021 will feature "The Vietnam Air War: Rolling Thunder and Linebacker I and II" as the convention theme… I will oil up my walker and make it come hell or high water…

NEXT POST. USS CORAL SEA and CVW-15 surgically remove the railway/highway bridge in downtown Haiphong on 17 September 1967. This mission was earlier reported, in part, in my RTR post of 17-18 September 2017 (Ripple Salvo #561)…

Lest we forget…     Bear

 

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.

From the Marquis' Commission to an F-86 Kill by  W. Thomas Smith Jr.

07/27/2010

 

This Week in American Military History:

 

July 25, 1866:  David Glasgow Farragut – best known for purportedly uttering the command, "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!," or the more likely command, "Damn the torpedoes! "Four bells. Captain [Percival] Drayton, go ahead! [Lt. Commander James] Jouett, full speed!" during the

1864 Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama – is appointed to the rank of admiral (the first such rank in U.S. Naval history).

This same day, future American Pres. Ulysses S. Grant becomes the first "full [four star] general" in the history of the U.S. Army.

 

July 26, 1947: The National Security Act of 1947 – the law reorganizing the post-World War II national defense/intelligence structure of the United States – is passed.

 

The Act establishes the U.S. Department of Defense, which brings together the Departments of the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), the newly established Air Force (born of the World War II-era Army Air Forces), and it makes "official" the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Act also establishes the National Security Council (the highest-ranking executive council – composed of the U.S. president, vice president, secretaries of Defense and State, and others – responsible for advising the president on matters related to the integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies affecting national security) and the Central Intelligence Agency (born of a series of predecessor foreign intelligence-gathering/clandestine-operations organizations including the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services).

The Act, which will become effective Sept. 18, is considered to be the most sweeping reorganization of the American defense structure since the establishment of the Department of the Navy in 1798.

 

July 27, 1909:  Aviation pioneer Orville Wright flies himself and U.S. Army Lt. Frank P. Lahm above the Fort Myer, Virginia countryside for more than an hour in his now-famous Wright Flyer. The Army leadership is impressed enough that it takes delivery of its first Wright Flyer, "the world's first military airplane," within days.

 

July 27, 1953:  A negotiated ceasefire ends the "shooting war" in Korea.

This same day, U.S. Air Force Capt. Ralph S. Parr, flying an F-86 Sabre, shoots down a Soviet Ilyushin Il-12 transport, reportedly "the last kill"

of the Korean War.

 

July 28, 1915:  Rear Admiral William B. Caperton, commander of the Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet, orders 340 U.S. Marines and sailors ashore at Port au Prince, Haiti. The landing party is composed of the Marine Detachment USS Washington, the 12th Marine Expeditionary Company, and three companies of sailors. More troops will follow.

The landings are initiated in response to a spate of mob violence in which scores of political prisoners are summarily executed.

 

July 29, 1846:  Sailors and Marines of USS Cyane seize San Diego, California, during the Mexican War.

 

July 30, 1864: In a special-operation that proves disastrous for the initiators, Union Army troops under the command of Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside detonate a mine, blowing a huge hole (or crater) in the Confederate defenses at Petersburg, Virginia. Several units of Union soldiers charge in after the explosion, but each unit is beaten back with heavy losses by Confederates under Brig. Gen. William Mahone.

 

July 31, 1777:  The Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman whom Gen. George Washington will soon take under his wing, is commissioned "major general" in the Continental Army.

 

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Thanks to Dr. Rich

F/A-18's  to get IRST...

Thanks to Michael T. ...

The Navy's fleet of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets keeps getting better with age as it soars into the middle of its service life. The latest Block III upgrade package, which will be applied to many earlier Super Hornets and new build models going forward, will offer a big suite of improvements that you can read all about in detail here. These Super Hornets and earlier Block II ones will soon be able to take advantage of an old concept that has become incredibly relevant once again, not to mention far more potent with an injection of new technologies—the Infrared Search and Track system, commonly referred to as IRST. 

The Navy has gone without any form of an IRST for nearly a decade and a half, but that is about to change as the Super Hornet's IRST is slated to enter operations with the fleet in September of 2021, and it really couldn't come sooner. With the proliferation of stealth technology and advanced electronic warfare capabilities, being able to leverage a passive sensor, one that uses the infrared spectrum alone, to detect and track airborne targets far beyond-visual-range is becoming essential. Not only can the IRST do this independently, but now, leveraging the latest in sensor-fusion capabilities, it can provide another critical sensor data stream that can corroborate a flight crew's situational air-to-air 'picture' at any given time. It can do this while being totally immune to electromagnetic jamming and other electronic attacks, and it can see right through radar-evading stealth technology. 

Captain Jason Denney, head of the Super Hornet and Growler program for the U.S. Navy, was kind enough to field an in-depth interview and share his enthusiasm for this critical new capability with The War Zone. The discussion below answers a lot of questions many may have about the Navy's IRST 'renaissance' of sorts, such as how the Super Hornet's IRST ended up in the nose of an external fuel tank and how the sensor differs from its evolutionary predecessor found on the F-14D Super Tomcat before its retirement. 

For complete context and background, you can read an in-depth primer I wrote on IRSTs some time ago by clicking here

Now, without further ado, lets launch into the fascinating and potentially game-changing world of cutting-edge Infrared Search and Track systems with Navy's officer tasked with leading the Super Hornet into the future:

TR: The last time the Navy fielded an IRST was on the F-14D Super Tomcat. That aircraft was pulled from service 14 years ago. What capability was lost with its retirement? 

CD: So, an IRST is just another part of the spectrum. So, yes, when we retired the F-14 and we didn't have the follow-on IRST readily available, we lost access to that part of the spectrum. So, if you think about the spectrum, I like to use analogy because I can get the concepts that I want across without broaching anything that is sensitive or classified. So, if you think about the electromagnetic spectrum, you've got parts of it that are widely used and have a lot of traffic like I-5 [the Interstate 5 highway], right? And then, you've got other parts of it that not a whole lot of traffic, they're kind of like that side road, that country road that's got a lot of stoplights and things.

 

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Daily News from Military Periscope

USA—Army Plans To Test Long-Range Missiles For Future Helicopters Defense News | 07/28/2020 The U.S. Army plans to evaluate several long-range precision munitions that could equip its future helicopters, reports Defense News. The service must complete a preliminary design review for the assets for its future fleet by 2023, giving it three years to hold one or more fly-offs, Army officials said on July 24. The service is acquiring Israel Spike-NLOS missiles, with a range of more than 19 miles (30 km), to provide an interim capability. The Army has not determined the form factor for its required long-range precision munitions. Fly-offs over the next few years could be used to help finalize the requirement, officials said. The service is pleased with the range of the Spike-NLOS, so any competitor would need to provide comparable or better performance. The long-range missile is needed to enable Army helicopters to operate outside the envelope of future threats. 

USA—Space Force Takes 1st Steps Toward New Force Structure U.S. Space Force | 07/28/2020 The U.S. Space Force has begun implementing its organizational plan by inactivating several units it inherited from the Air Force and replacing them, reports the service. On July 24, the service held a virtual ceremony to inactivate three space wings and eight lower echelon commands that it had inherited from Air Force Space Command, reported Air Force magazine. In their place, Space Force activated two garrison commands and eight mission "deltas," the new basic organizational unit of the service, which is the equivalent of an Air Force wing. In addition, Space Force activated the Space Training and Readiness (STAR) Delta Provisional, which will serve as a precursor unit until the Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) can be formed. STAR Delta Provision will oversee various education, training and operational test units on an interim basis Eight mission deltas were activated, replacing their related Air Force units. At Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., Space Delta 2 replaced the 21st Operations Group in the space domain awareness mission; the 721st Operations group was replaced by Space Delta 3 in the space electronic warfare mission; and Space Delta 7 was created to partner with the 544th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group for ISR missions. Space Delta 4 replaced the 460th Operations Group at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., in the missile warning mission. At Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Space Delta 5 replaced the 614th Air Operations Center in the command-and-control mission. At Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., the 50th Network Operations Group was replaced by Space Delta 6 in the cyberspace operations mission; Space Delta 8 replaced the 50th Operations Group in the satellite communications/navigation warfare mission; and Space Delta 9 replaced the 750th Operations Group in the orbital warfare mission. The 21st Space Wing at Peterson and the 50th Space Wing at Schriever were both inactivated replaced with the Peterson-Schriever Garrison. The unit will also oversee Thule Air Base, Greenland; Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo.; Kaena Point Air Force Station, Hawaii; and New Boston Air Force Station, N.H. It will also support 16 other mission locations around the world. The Buckley Garrison unit was activated to replace the 460th Space Wing at Buckley AFB. The unit will support Cape Cod Air Force Station, Mass.; Cavalier Air Force Station, N.D.; Clear Air Force Station, Alaska; and 10 additional unspecified locations. The Air Force Warfare Center Detachment I; the 705th Combat Training Squadron Operating Location Alpha; the 25th Space Range Squadron; and the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron were also reassigned to Space Force. 

Ukraine—New Cease-Fire Enters Effect In Donbas Politico | 07/28/2020 A new cease-fire agreement between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine has come into force, reports Politico (Washington, D.C.). The cease-fire went into effect on Sunday after the government and separatists reached a deal to halt fighting on July 22, reported Deutsche Welle. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflict by telephone and expressed support for the cease-fire. Both sides also complained about the implementation of the Minsk peace agreement. Zelensky reiterated the need to support the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission and to grant Red Cross access to detainees. Putin objected to legislation passed by the Ukrainian Parliament earlier this month indicating that local elections would not be held in Russian-occupied territories. On Monday, the Ukrainian military said that there had been two breaches of the cease-fire, involving grenades, machine guns and small arms, neither of which caused any casualties, reported Euronews. 

Azerbaijan—Joint Exercises With Turkey To Begin This Week Anadolu News Agency | 07/28/2020 The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has announced that it will hold joint military exercises with Turkey later this week, reports the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). Air drills are scheduled from July 29 to Aug. 10 in Baku, Nakhchivan, Ganja, Kurdamir and Yevlakh, the ministry said on Monday. Ground exercises are slated for Aug. 1 to Aug. 5 in Baku and Nakhchivan and will involve armored vehicles, artillery, mortars, aviation and air defense systems. The move comes after deadly border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan earlier this month in which 12 Azerbaijani soldiers, including several high-ranking officers, were killed. Following the fighting, high-ranking Turkish officials, including Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, visited the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in a show of support, reported the Daily Sabah (Istanbul). 

China—Most Troops Withdrawn From Disputed Border With India Agence France-Presse | 07/28/2020 The Chinese Foreign Ministry says that Chinese and Indian troops have completed their withdrawal from most parts of the disputed border in the Kashmir region, reports Agence France-Presse. Front-line forces from both sides have "completed disengagement" at most places along the disputed border, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. The situation in the area continues to de-escalate, he said. A fifth round of talks between military commanders is in the works to evaluate a final settlement in the region, reported the Hindustan Times. Tensions have been high in the region following deadly clashes between Chinese and Indian border forces in mid-June. 

South Korea—Under New Agreement With U.S., Seoul Can Develop Solid-Fuel Rockets Yonhap | 07/28/2020 South Korea and the U.S. have agreed to revise rules for missile development to allow Seoul to develop solid-fuel rockets, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). The changes took effect on Tuesday, said South Korean Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Hyun Chong. The accord completely removes restrictions on the use of solid fuel for space rockets, said Kim. Accordingly, South Korean companies and research institutes are permitted to develop and produce various types of space rockets using liquid, solid and hybrid fuels, he said. Solid-fuel rockets are quicker to launch and harder to detect ahead of takeoff, while being cheaper and more fuel-efficient than liquid-fuel models. The move will enable the military to improve its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities by placing surveillance satellites in low-earth orbit. If Seoul accelerates related projects, it could have multiple satellites in orbit by the late 2020s, reported Reuters. South Korea has been subject to restrictions on its missile capabilities since 1979. The limits have been amended numerous times, most recently in 2017, when a payload cap of 1,100 pounds (500 kg) was lifted.   Seoul launched its first military communications satellite on July 20. 

South Korea—Huey Fleet Retires After 5 Decades Of Service Yonhap | 07/28/2020 The South Korean army has officially retired its fleet of UH-1H helicopters, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Monday, the service held a retirement ceremony commemorating the fleet's 52 years of service. The South Korean army operated 129 UH-1Hs that flew a total of 792,000 hours and 90.7 million miles (146 million km) over their service life. The UH-1H fleet is being replaced with the indigenous Surion multirole helicopter. 

Taiwan—Defense Budget In Line For 3 Percent Boost Taipei Times | 07/28/2020 The Taiwanese defense budget is set for a 3 percent increase in fiscal 2021, reports the Taipei Times. The baseline fiscal 2021 defense budget is expected to grow by US$339 million, reaching US$11.4 billion, said unnamed sources on July 24. This would represent a 3 percent increase from the fiscal 2020 defense budget, said the sources. That figure does not include US$984 million in specially allocated funding for the purchase of 66 F-16V fighter jets from the U.S. If the special budget is added, the 2021 budget is 7 percent more than in 2020. Funding for that acquisition, which has a total value of US$8.4 billion, is being provided outside the military budget over the next seven years. The Taiwanese government is expected to present its official budget proposal next month. The defense ministry is still in talks with the government for additional funding to buy advanced equipment, said the sources.

 New Zealand—Extradition Treaty With Hong Kong Suspended New Zealand Herald | 07/28/2020 The New Zealand government has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong after Beijing unilaterally passed a new national security law governing the semi-autonomous city, reports the New Zealand Herald. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said that New Zealand could no longer trust the independence of the Hong Kong criminal justice system following the passage of the security legislation. That law was passed in June in response to months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and is widely seen as a way to crack down on any opposition to Beijing's rule. Should China show adherence in the future to the "one country, two systems" framework, then New Zealand could reverse the decision, said Peters. Peters also said that dual-use technologies, which have both military and civilian applications, that are exported to Hong Kong will now face the same restrictions as those exported to China. Chinese officials criticized the decision, which they called a violation of international law and interference in China's internal affairs. The decision follows similar moves by Australia, Canada and the U.K. The U.S. has indicated that it will take similar steps. Officials in Beijing said that they are suspending Hong Kong's extradition treaties with those countries, reported BBC News. 

Singapore—1st CH-47F Emerges In Delaware Defense News | 07/28/2020 The first of as many as 16 CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters ordered by Singapore has begun test flights, reports Defense News. A CH-47F with Singapore air force markings was observed during test flights at Wilmington International Airport, Del. The helicopter flew there from Boeing's Chinook production line in Ridley Township, Pa. The civil registration number on the helicopter correlates to a set of 16 serial numbers Boeing filed with the Federal Aviation Administration in February, which is typically the precursor for new aircraft to undertake flight and other testing in American airspace. Singapore has not confirmed the size of its order for CH-47Fs, which was placed with Boeing in November 2016 as a direct commercial sale. Previous reports have indicated a purchase of 16 aircraft. The CH-47Fs intended for Singapore are significantly modified from U.S. Army aircraft. Changes include a lengthened nosecone to fit a radar and enlarged side sponson fuel tanks. An electro-optical sensor turret is fitted below the nosecone and a satellite communications antenna is provided on the top of the fuselage. The helicopters will replace Singapore's 10 CH-47SD and five CH-47D aircraft.

 India—Defense Minister Discusses Increased Cooperation With Indonesian Counterpart Press Trust Of India | 07/28/2020 The defense ministers of India and Indonesia have agreed to expand cooperation on strategic and defense matters, reports the Press Trust of India. On Monday, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto discussed military and defense ties during face-to-face talks in New Delhi. Possible avenues for further cooperation include defense industry and defense technology, the Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement following the meeting. The officials also discussed the possibility of enhanced maritime cooperation and the export of BrahMos cruise missiles to Indonesia. The sides also reportedly discussed China's aggressive activities in the South China Sea and Ladakh, although this was not officially confirmed. The latest talks build on a defense agreement inked between India and Indonesia that was signed in 2018. 

India—Initial Batch Of Rafale Fighters On The Way Press Trust Of India | 07/28/2020 An initial batch of fighter jets ordered from France are on their way to India, reports the Hindu. On Monday, the Rafale fighters took off from Merignac airbase in Bordeaux, headed for Ambala Air Force Station in the northern Haryana state, said Indian officials. The jets reached Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates on Monday afternoon for a scheduled stopover and were expected to arrive in India on Wednesday. The delivery includes three jets in the single-seat configuration and a pair of two seaters. Upon delivery, the jets are to be inducted into the air force's No. 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows. Dassault, the manufacturer, has delivered 10 of 36 Rafales ordered by India. Five remain in France for training. Deliveries are scheduled to conclude by the end of 2021, said officials.

 Iran—IRGC Wraps Up Large-Scale Drills In South Tasnim News Agency | 07/28/2020 The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched the final stage of a large-scale exercise in southern Iran and the Persian Gulf, reports the semi-official Tasnim news agency (Tehran). The Payambar-e Azam 14 (Great Prophet) drills kicked off on Tuesday in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, western part of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, said an IRGC statement. The joint exercise involves ground, air, naval and space operations, the IRGC said. The final phase of the training includes joint operations by missile units, vessels and drones from the IRGC navy and missile, drone and radar units from the IRGC aerospace forces. The exercise covers offensive missile operations, offensive minelaying, naval interceptions and helicopter and coastal defense system missile launches. Meanwhile, on Monday, satellite images showed that Iran had moved its replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier into the Strait of Hormuz, presumably to serve as a target, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

  Syria—8 Die In Bombing In Turkish-Held Border Town Middle East Eye | 07/28/2020 At least eight people are dead after a bomb went off in a market in a Turkish-held town in northeastern Syria, reports the Middle East Eye. On Sunday morning, a motorbike rigged with explosives detonated in a vegetable market in Ras al-Ain on the Syrian border with Turkey, according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said a car bomb was used in the attack. Nineteen people were wounded in the blast, including several who were in serious condition, the observatory said. Turkish-backed forces have held the town since Turkish troops and their Syrian allies seized it from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in October 2019. Turkey blamed the attack on the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which it considers part of the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has been fighting the Turkish government for decades. 

Israel—Troops Interdict Hezbollah Fighters Attempting To Cross Border Times of Israel | 07/28/2020 The Israel Defense Forces says it has intercepted a Hezbollah cell as it entered Israeli territory in the disputed Mount Dov area, reports the Times of Israel. Three or four militants were spotted shortly before they attempted to cross the border between Israel and Lebanon and were tracked the entire time that they were in Israeli territory, said an IDF spokesperson. Israeli forces opened fire on the militants as they crossed the border, driving them back into Lebanon, the spokesperson said. It was unclear if the Hezbollah cell suffered any casualties. No Israeli troops were killed or injured in the incident, the IDF said. A Hezbollah-linked news outlet said that the militant group had not suffered any fatalities. Shortly after the clash, Hezbollah denied that any of its forces attempted an attack and blamed the IDF report on a "fearful, anxious and tense enemy." The Iran-backed group also said that it would respond in the future to the killing of one of its operatives near Damascus in a suspected Israeli airstrike. Tensions have been high along the Israel-Lebanon border since Hezbollah pledged retribution for that attack. Separately, the Israeli military denied reports in Lebanese media that a Kornet anti-tank missile had been fired at an Israeli tank in the Mount Dov area. 

Sudan—Dozen Die In Growing Darfur Violence Reuters | 07/28/2020 At least 60 people have been killed in the latest violence in Sudan's western Darfur region., reports Reuters. On Saturday, about 500 armed men attacked Masteri, a town north of Beida, said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as reported by Agence France-Presse. About 60 others were wounded in the assault, said OCHA. The motivations behind the attack were not immediately clear. The town's inhabitants are primarily members of the Masalit community. The attack was the latest in a series over the last week that resulted in the burning of several villages and houses, looting of markets and shops and damage to infrastructure, said OCHA. Sudanese officials said a joint force would be deployed in Darfur following reports of renewed violence, reported the state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA). Separately, at least 20 people were killed and 22 injured on Saturday after unidentified militiamen attacked a village in South Darfur, said witnesses. Another three people were killed on Sunday during a renewed dispute between farmers and shepherds in the Al Jarf area of North Darfur, said the SUNA. Security forces intervened in that clash. Fighting has increased despite a peace deal signed between the government and a coalition of nine rebel groups in January. Much of the violence is thought to be spurred by land rights, after farmers returned to their fields in May ahead of the planting season, which usually runs from July to November.. .

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