TheList 5597

The List 5597     TGB

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With today's reminder of The Paris Peace Accords are signed, ending U.S. participation in the Vietnam War. I thought I would resend the following:

 

To all of you new or old to the list. I just wanted to make sure that you have access to the site.

Regards,

skip

 

From: Skip Leonard [mailto:sleonard001@san.rr.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 3:02 PM
To: thelist@skipsthelist.org
sleonard001@san.rr.com
Subject: 5071 Special Edition

 

The List 5071 Special Edition

To All,

This is a special edition of The List to introduce a monumental achievement of two Men. Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady. In 2001 Chris published a book called Vietnam Air Losses. A definitive account of all the fixed wing losses in the Vietnam War. After talking to the Bear who has used this as a reference in his work On Rolling Thunder and Commando Hunt Dave got a copy of the book as did I and realized what a treasure it was for those who were involved in the war or associated with those who were lost. In collaboration with Chris who has recently spent hours updating portions to go into this site Dave put it all into the searchable site that he is introducing below.

Well Done gentlemen

Regards,

Skip

From Dave

Skip:

 

The project I've been working on is now finished, and the website is on line for all to use.

 

As you know, Bear refers frequently to Chris Hobson's book Vietnam Air Losses, and he gave us some ideas on where we could purchase a used copy, since it has been out of print since 2001. I found a copy and was fascinated by the information in it.  I was able to contact Chris, who has now retired, and he agreed to update the manuscript with new information and allowed me to put all of it on a website so others won't have to chase down a used copy and pay as much as $896 (actual price for one copy on Amazon) to see what happened to their grandfathers.

 

I thought the greatest value would be in having a searchable database, so I did that.  You can search for a name, day, month, year, military unit, home base (or ship), aircraft type (designation/model or nickname), service, or the disposition of persons (KIA, POW, etc.).  On a separate form, you can search the Narratives of the losses by keywords using Boolean search operators (explanation is on the site). So, if you wanted to look up the siege on Khe Sanh or Thanh Hoa, you can use that form. The only things you can't search for that are in the database are the serial number of aircraft or the rank of the persons.

 

As I write this, there are 3,118 records in the database.  A "record" includes all the data on a loss event, which can often mean more than one aircraft.  In fact, there were as many as six aircraft involved in a single event, but most often there were only a couple.  Individuals in aircraft ranged from one to 30, with a great many with four, six, eight, 16, etc. One record contains a minimum of 13 pieces of data; the maximum contained in a single record was 129 pieces of data. I say this to indicate that I inputted over 100,000 pieces of data into the database, so I suspect we haven't yet found all the errors I made.

 

Going through that amount of data as quickly as I could over about a month or so gave me some impressions that I'd like to record.  These are not statistical analyses; they are simply my impressions as the data passed over my eyes in great volume and quickly:

I was amazed at how many pure accidents there were and how many people died in accidents that had nothing to do with enemy action (in the database, those are defined as KWF, or Killed While Flying, as opposed to KIA).

I was astounded at the number of aircraft that hit mountain tops in bad weather, killing everyone on board. Such a waste.

I was surprised at how slow some units were to heed Lessons Learned, resulting in aircraft being shot down on their 12th pass on the same target at low level, or their tenth or eighth or sixth, etc. In addition, it was clear that small arms fire was nothing to ignore, yet far too many did just that.

I was surprised to see how many pilots were hit by bullets or shrapnel, as opposed to aircraft being damaged alone. There are a lot of instances where the pilot had time to eject but was apparently incapacitated. There was a far higher percentage of that than I would have thought.

It was interesting that some units (and some ships) had considerably more losses than others at the same time, in the same place, in the same type aircraft, flying the same type missions. Again, my impressions are that comparing sister squadrons might indicate that one lost a great deal more than the other, and the same was true of USAF and USMC squadrons flying from the same base. Some ships had incredible runs of "bad luck" compared to others.  In some instances, the types of targets might make some of the difference, but it appears to me that leadership might have played an important role.

Both my deployments were during much easier times, so I'm no expert; however, my air wing policy was no multiple runs on the same target and no pullouts below 3,500 feet AGL. We lost only one aircraft (for the entire air wing on two deployments) due to enemy action.  Even late in the war, there were still some units that were strafing or dropping napalm at low altitude on multiple runs and getting shot down.

The narratives often relate what happened to a survivor (or POW returnee) later in life/career.  Many of them became very senior.  At one point, Chris comments that getting shot down seemed to be a prerequisite for making high rank. Certainly, we all know that combat experience improves chances for promotion. What I noted was that, early in the war, the losses were very junior aircrew, mostly 1Lt's and Lt(jg)'s. It struck me that so many very young people died. As the war continued, the ranks of those lost (which presumably reflects those that were flying the missions and were not shot down) increases dramatically. I don't recall off-hand any Navy or Marine O-6's being lost, but there are many Air Force O-6's and above, up to and including 2-stars and I believe a three-star. Perhaps some of those were just trying to get their tickets punched for career purposes, and they got bit.

Along that same line, there were a great many killed that didn't have to be there. They were flight surgeons or intel officers or even maintenance personnel going along for the ride and getting shot down. Sometimes it happened with experienced aircrew on an orientation flight. I suspect the outgoing FAC was showing the new guy some of the dangerous territory and got hit. A great many disappeared on training flights.

I was dismayed to see several aircraft and a number of deaths due to low passes or other "impromptu" air shows.  In one instance, on his last flight in theater before shipping home, a pilot was killed, along with his crew, doing that.  In another, a C-123 tried to snag a "flag" (reported as lady's underwear) from a flag pole; on the second attempt, they crashed killing all four on board and two Thai civilians on the ground. Wasn't getting shot at enough excitement?

I was heartened and encouraged by the incredible acts of bravery and self-sacrifice to save buddies or people they didn't know. MOH's, Navy and Air Force Crosses are always impressive.

I was disappointed to see how many aircrew landed safely on the ground after ejections only to be killed by civilians or troops.  There were a ton of those, including getting shot while still coming down in a parachute. Personally, I'm not so sure there's any such thing as a non-combatant in a war zone.

It should have come as no surprise, but it was, to see how many were known to have been captured yet either died in captivity (known) or simply were never heard of again. Those that we know made it to a prison and subsequently died are listed as "POW – died," whereas those that we know were captured on the ground but never made it to a prison are listed as KIA.

 

Again, these are my impressions as I entered the data and couldn't help but read many of the stories and circumstances.

 

As I said on the site, the purpose is:  To Preserve and Present What Really Happened for Our Children and Grandchildren.

 

In addition, the "site is dedicated to those that were lost in the skies over the Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and on routes to and from the war zone. May their stories never be forgotten. May their families and friends always be proud."

 

Everyone is invited to see for themselves at:  https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.

 

Micro

 

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Thanks to Dick

 

Subject: China

PLEASE READ THIS FRIENDS. This a must!!l

I think you will find this one interesting!!!!

Consider this a heads-up!

China, what we do not know

A Little Known Reality.

Source: Michael Snyder, Guest Post

In future China will employ millions of American workers and dominate thousands of small communities all over the United States. Chinese acquisition of U.S. businesses set a new all-time record last year, and it is on pace to shatter that record this year.

The Smithfield Foods acquisition is an example. Smithfield Foods is the largest pork producer and processor in the world. It has facilities in 26 U.S.A. states, and it employs tens of thousands of Americans. It directly owns 460 farms and has contracts with approximately 2,100 others. But now a Chinese company has bought it for $ 4.7 billion, and that means that the Chinese will now be the most important employer in dozens of rural communities all over America.

Thanks in part to our massively bloated trade deficit with China, the Chinese have trillions of dollars to spend. They are only just starting to exercise their economic muscle.

It is important to keep in mind that there is often not much of a difference between "the Chinese government" and "Chinese corporations." In 2011, 43 percent of all profits in China were produced by companies in which the Chinese government had a controlling interest.

Last year a Chinese company spent $2.6 billion to purchase AMC entertainment – one of the largest movie theater chains in the United States. Now that Chinese
company controls more movie ticket sales than anyone else in the world.

But China is not just relying on acquisitions to expand its economic power, "economic beachheads" are being established all over America . For example, Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group, Inc. recently broke ground on a $100 million plant in Thomasville, Alabama. Many of the residents of Thomasville, Alabama will be glad to have jobs, but it will also become yet another community that will now be heavily dependent on communist China.

And guess where else Chinese companies are putting down roots?
Detroit.
Chinese-owned companies are investing in American businesses and new vehicle technology, selling everything from seat belts to shock absorbers in retail stores, and hiring experienced engineers and designers in an effort to soak up the talent and expertise of domestic automakers and their suppliers. If you recently purchased an "American-made" vehicle, there is a really good chance that it has many Chinese parts in it. Industry analysts are hard-pressed to put a number on the Chinese suppliers operating in the United States.

China seems particularly interested in acquiring energy resources in the United States.
For example, China is actually mining for coal in the mountains of Tennessee.
Guizhou Gouchuang Energy Holdings Group spent 616 million dollars to acquire Triple H Coal Co. in Jacksboro, Tennessee. At the time, that acquisition really didn't make much news, but now a group of conservatives in Tennessee is trying to stop the Chinese from blowing up their mountains and taking their coal.

And pretty soon China may want to build entire cities in the United States just like they have been doing in other countries. Right now China is actually building a city larger than Manhattan just outside Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

Are you starting to get the picture?
China is on the rise. If you doubt this, just read the following:

# When you total up all imports and exports, China is now the number one trading nation on the entire planet.

# Overall, the U.S.A. has run a trade deficit with China over the past decade that comes to more than 2.3 trillion dollars.

# China has more foreign currency reserves than anyone else on the planet.

# China now has the largest new car market in the entire world.

# China now produces more than twice as many automobiles
as the United States does.
#After being bailed out by U.S. taxpayers, GM is involved in 11 joint ventures with Chinese companies.

# China is the number one gold producer in the world.

# The uniforms for the U.S. Olympic team were made in China.

# 85% of all artificial Christmas trees the world over are made in China.

# The new World Trade Center tower in New York is going to include glass imported from China.

# China now consumes more energy than the United States does.

# China is now in aggregate the leading manufacturer of goods in the entire world.

# China uses more cement than the rest of the world combined.

# China is now the number one producer of wind and solar power on the entire globe.

# China produces 3 times as much coal and 11 times as much
steel as the United States does.

# China produces more than 90 percent of the global supply of rare earth elements.

# China is now the number one supplier of components that are critical to the operation of any national defense system.

# In published scientific research articles China is expected to become number one in the world very shortly.

And what we have seen so far may just be the tip of the iceberg.

For now, I will just leave you with one piece of advice - learn to speak Chinese.

You are going to need it.

This is another reason half of the voting citizens of the U.S.A. supported Trump. Biden and son are to promote dealings with China.

PS = As a retiree of Farmland IND & Farmland Foods witch was bought by a Chines Company, My retirement check now is dependent on a Chines Company. Maybe I need to thank God I'm as old as I am!

 

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World News for 27 January thanks to Military Periscope

 

 

USA—Raytheon Expects Biden To Nix Paveway Sale To Saudi Arabia Defense One | 01/27/2021 Raytheon officials believe that the Biden administration may cancel at least one planned arms sale to a customer in the Middle East, reports Defense One. Company executives told investors on Tuesday that Raytheon has removed from its books a $519 million deal for an offensive weapons system to an unnamed Middle Eastern customer. The scale of the deal suggests that the executives were referring to the planned sale of 7,500 Paveway bombs to Saudi Arabia, analysts said. Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes said the company had anticipated receiving a license for the sale but that appears less likely under the new administration. Hayes said he did not anticipate any issues selling defensive weapons, such as the Patriot air defense system, and other types of arms in the region. During his confirmation hearing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the administration would end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. 

 

USA—Biden Broaches Navalny, Hacking, Bounties In 1st Call With Putin National Public Radio | 01/27/2021 President Joe Biden has officially spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time, reports NPR News. During the phone call on Wednesday, Biden raised several issues, including Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan; the SolarWinds hack; the poisoning of opposition figure Alexei Navalny; and Russian influence operations in the 2020 election. He also broached the subject of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Russia has denied many of these allegations as hoaxes or Western propaganda. Sources told CNN that Russia had requested the call shortly after Biden's inauguration and that the new president had sought to confer with European leaders prior to the call. Both leaders agreed to extend the New START arms control agreement for five years ahead of its expiration on Feb. 5. The Kremlin described the call as "business-like and sincere." 

 

USA—Biden Administration To Restore Ties With Palestinians Times of Israel | 01/27/2021 The White House says it will restore relations with and resume aid to Palestinian entities, reports the Times of Israel. On Tuesday, acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Richard Mills announced the steps, including reopening diplomatic offices serving Palestinians and restoring humanitarian aid, as part efforts to support a two-state solution to the conflict. Mills emphasized that the U.S. will maintain steadfast support for Israel and oppose "one-sided resolutions and other actions in international bodies that unfairly single out Israel." The Trump administration closed the Washington, D.C., office of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO); ended U.S. contributions to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which helps Palestinian refugees and their descendants; and shuttered the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, which served as a de-facto embassy to the Palestinians. He also took several steps that raised questions about the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution. 

 

United Kingdom—Spirit Aerosystems To Build Loyal Wingman Drone Royal Air Force | 01/27/2021 The U.K. has awarded Spirit Aerosystems a contract to design and build a prototype drone capable of operating alongside crewed fighter jets, reports the Royal Air Force. Under the three-year, 30 million pound (US$41.1 million) contract, Spirit Aerosystems will lead Team Mosquito to further develop the RAF's Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA), the service said in a release on Monday. Spirt Aerosystems was selected over partnerships led by Boeing and Blue Bear Systems, reported Defense News. Team Mosquito partner Northrop Grumman UK will provide model-based systems engineering and agile engineering expertise, the company said. The drone is intended to operate at high speed alongside crewed fighters to provide strike, surveillance and electronic warfare support in a "loyal wingman" role. Plans call for a full-scale vehicle prototype to be ready for flight testing by the end of 2023. Work will take place at Spirit's facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Lessons learned from the prototype will support a follow-on to the LANCA program with the goal of fielding an operational loyal wingman drone alongside Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II jets by the end of the decade. 

 

United Kingdom—Spirit Aerosystems To Build Loyal Wingman Drone Royal Air Force | 01/27/2021 The U.K. has awarded Spirit Aerosystems a contract to design and build a prototype drone capable of operating alongside crewed fighter jets, reports the Royal Air Force. Under the three-year, 30 million pound (US$41.1 million) contract, Spirit Aerosystems will lead Team Mosquito to further develop the RAF's Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA), the service said in a release on Monday. Spirt Aerosystems was selected over partnerships led by Boeing and Blue Bear Systems, reported Defense News. Team Mosquito partner Northrop Grumman UK will provide model-based systems engineering and agile engineering expertise, the company said. The drone is intended to operate at high speed alongside crewed fighters to provide strike, surveillance and electronic warfare support in a "loyal wingman" role. Plans call for a full-scale vehicle prototype to be ready for flight testing by the end of 2023. Work will take place at Spirit's facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Lessons learned from the prototype will support a follow-on to the LANCA program with the goal of fielding an operational loyal wingman drone alongside Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II jets by the end of the decade. 

 

Austria—Order Made For Another Batch of Pandur APCs General Dynamics European Land Systems | 01/27/2021 The Austrian Ministry of Defense has awarded General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) a contract for a second batch of wheeled armored vehicles, reports the defense firm. The 105 million euro (US$127.6 million) contract awarded on Oct. 30, 2020, covers 30 Pandur Evolution 6 x 6 wheeled armored personnel carriers, GDELS said in a Tuesday release. Deliveries are scheduled for 2022 and 2023. The modular vehicle can be quickly converted into other roles, including casualty evacuation, the company said. The Pandur Evolutions will join 34 vehicles ordered by Austria in 2016 and based at Jagerbataillon 17 in Strass. 

 

India—1 Killed In Dhruv Chopper Crash In Kashmir Press Trust Of India | 01/27/2021 An Indian army light helicopter has crashed while operating in the northern Jammu and Kashmir state, reports the Press Trust of India. On Monday, a Dhruv helicopter crash-landed in an army area in the Kathua district, said local police officials. The helicopter had taken off from Pathankot in Punjab state and was on a routine operational mission, said unnamed sources quoted by the Tribune (India). Both pilots were injured in the crash and taken to a military base hospital for treatment. One later died of his injuries. The cause of the accident is under investigation. A technical problem is suspected.

 

Sri Lanka—U.N. Human-Rights Chief Calls For ICC Investigation Into Crimes Committed During 2009 Offensive Agence France-Presse | 01/27/2021 U.N. human-rights chief Michelle Bachelet has called for an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into allegations of war crimes during the final phase of Sri Lanka's war against Tamil separatists, reports Agence France-Presse. According to a copy of the report obtained by AFP, Sri Lankan-led investigations into crimes committed during the final stages of the war against the Tamil Tigers have failed to hold officials accountable. The U.N. should work to impose asset freezes and travel bans on officials credibly implicated in crimes, says the document. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa won elections in 2019 on a platform that included immunity for troops implicated in wrongdoing in 2009, when a brutal government offensive brought an end to the decades-long conflict. The report says that Rajapaksa has undermined previous investigations into possible crimes and may have contributed to the destruction of evidence. His brother, Mahinda, was president at the time and is now prime minister. Previous U.N. reports have estimated that as many as 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the May 2009 offensive. President Rajapaksa has threatened to withdraw from the U.N. human-rights council if it pursues measures against Sri Lankan soldiers. Sri Lanka is not a member of the ICC. Only the U.N. can refer non-signatory states to the court. 

 

Afghanistan—Taliban Militants Return To Fight After Release, Officials Say Stars And Stripes | 01/27/2021 Senior Afghan government officials say that hundreds of former Taliban prisoners who were released in last year's prisoner exchange have been detained after taking up weapons again, reports Stars & Stripes. At least 600 militants have been recaptured while fighting alongside the Taliban, Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said on Sunday. The return of former prisoners to the battlefield is the cause of intensified combat in southern Afghanistan, said army chief of staff Gen. Yasin Zia. A Taliban spokesman denied the allegations, saying that security forces had "killed or re-arrested" 40 militants in raids on their homes or medical centers where they were receiving treatment, reported the Voice of America News. Last year, Kabul released more than 5,000 members of the Taliban in exchange for 1,000 members of the Afghan security forces held by the militant group as part of an effort to begin direct peace negotiations under a February 2020 agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban. Those released were required to promise not to return to the fight. 

 

Saudi Arabia—U.S. Seeks Access To Airfields, Ports In West Defense One | 01/27/2021 The U.S. has reached a preliminary agreement with Saudi Arabia that would enable it to use various ports and airfields in the western part of the country in the event of a conflict with Iran, reports Defense One. The need for such access has increased as Iran has improved its ballistic missile capabilities, increasing the vulnerability of the permanent U.S. bases in Kuwait, Qatar the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere. In a conflict with Iran, the U.S. could move troops in and out of facilities in western Saudi Arabia and "lily pad" them eastward into the fight, said Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, during a tour of three potential sites. Aircraft could be stationed in the area farther from Iran's ballistic missiles. McKenzie visited a commercial and industrial port in Yanbu as well as airfields in Tabuk and Taif. The airfields would not require any additional infrastructure, while the port facilities at Yanbu would need some development which would be funded by Saudi Arabia and serve both civilian and military needs, McKenzie said. CENTCOM has been studying additional military sites in Saudi Arabia for at least a year. 

 

Yemen—Sanctions Monitors Accuse Government, Houthis Of Financial Corruption Reuters | 01/27/2021 U.N. sanctions monitors have accused multiple parties in Yemen of financial crimes, reports Reuters. In 2019, the Houthis collected at least US$1.8 billion from citizens as a form of taxes, a large portion of which was redirected to fund militant activities. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia deposited US$2 billion in 2018 with the Central Bank of Yemen for humanitarian purposes. The central bank subsequently broke several foreign exchange rules to launder a large portion of the funds. Private companies received about US$423 million of the Saudi funds through the sophisticated money-laundering scheme, says the report. Those actions benefited high-ranking business and politicians at the expense of the Yemeni people. 

 

Israel—Government Threatens To Strike Iran If U.S. Rejoins Nuclear Pact Breaking Defense | 01/27/2021 Israeli officials say that their government will be forced to attack Iran if the U.S. reduces pressure on Tehran and returns to the nuclear agreement, reports Breaking Defense. Israel is actively monitoring Iranian nuclear facilities and waiting to see if the U.S. will ease sanctions or "plans to stop Iran's race to the bomb," said an unnamed Israeli source. Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner circle, such as Minister of Settlement Affairs Tzachi Hanegbi, have warned that Israel could attack Iran if the U.S. rejoins the nuclear deal. Analysts say that Iran sees nuclear weapons as the only way to guarantee its security, noting how North Korea is treated by world powers compared to non-nuclear countries. Israeli experts generally agree that any concessions to Iran would only accelerate its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. The time Iran would need to acquire the uranium needed for one nuclear device should it decide to do so (known as breakout) has been estimated at about two months. It would take longer, if Tehran is limited to using only the 1,000 centrifuges at the Fordo facility, experts said. 

 

Sudan—Israeli Intelligence Minister Makes Stop In Khartoum New Arab | 01/27/2021 A delegation of Israeli intelligence officials has visited Sudan for the first time since the countries normalized relations, reports the New Arab (London). Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen arrived in Khartoum on Monday, marking the first time an Israeli minister had led a delegation to Sudan. Talks with Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim covered diplomatic, economic and security issues, said an Israeli Intelligence Ministry readout. Cohen and Ibrahim signed a memorandum of understanding on the issues. The sides also discussed expanding intelligence cooperation. Sudanese leaders briefed their Israeli counterparts on the status of efforts to end boycotts of Israeli goods and other measures affecting bilateral ties. Official Sudanese media did not publicize the visit, noted Agence France-Presse. An Israeli statement cited by Reuters said that a Sudanese delegation would soon visit Israel. 

 

Mali—100 Jihadists Killed In Joint Op With France Agence France-Presse | 01/27/2021 Malian officials say that 100 suspected jihadists were killed in a joint offensive with France this month, reports Agence France-Presse. The operation in central Mali from Jan. 2 to Jan. 20 also resulted in the capture of 20 suspects and the destruction and capture of several vehicles and pieces of military equipment, the Malian military said on Tuesday. Malian troops and French forces from Operation Barkhane, the French-led counterterrorism mission in the Sahel, took part in the operation, which was designed to drive militants out of hideouts in the Douentza-Hombori-Boulkessi sector, where elements of the Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) group are based. 

 

Kenya—Deal For Turkish Hizir APCs In The Works The Star | 01/27/2021 The Kenyan Dept. of Defense is working to procure new armored vehicles from Turkey, reports the Star (Kenya). The department is finalizing an agreement for 118 Hizir APCs, produced by Turkish firm Katmerciler, at a cost of US$69 million, said a military spokesman. The acquisition was approved on Jan. 12, reported Defence Web (South Africa). The vehicles would be deployed in Kenya and Somalia to improve security and support operations against the Al-Shabaab militant group. The Hizirs would replace vehicles lost in combat and "mitigate shortcomings in force protection, firepower and mobility in a changing security environment," said the Kenyan procurement board in its recommendation. The APCs can be fitted with an Aselsan SARP remotely operated turret that can be armed with a machine gun or automatic grenade launcher. The Hizir will receive unspecified modifications to meet army requirements, officials said. 

 

Nigeria—Buhari Sacks Military Service Chiefs British Broadcasting Corp. | 01/27/2021 Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has replaced his defense chief and the heads of the armed services, reports BBC News. On Tuesday, Buhari announced that he had fired the chief of defense staff and the leaders of the army, navy and air force and named their replacements. Maj. Gen. Leo Irabor will replace Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin as the chief of defense staff; Maj. Gen. I. Attahiru succeeds Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai as army chief; Rear Adm. A.Z. Gambo replaces Vice Adm. Ibok Ekwe Ibas as navy chief; and Air Vice Marshal I.O. Amao replaces Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as head of the air force. Attahiru was sacked as theater commander for operations against Boko Haram in 2017 by Buratai, noted the Pulse (Lagos). The military leadership had served in their positions since Buhari assumed office in 2015, the longest tenure since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999. A presidential spokesman told Reuters that some of the outgoing officers had retired, while others were fired. There has been growing dissatisfaction with the performance of the armed forces due to the ongoing battle against Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the northeast; growing conflict between herders and farmers in the central region; and the rise of violent kidnapping gangs in the northwest.  . 

 

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