Good Thursday Morning March 25 .
Regards,
Skip.
This Day In Naval History – March 25
1813 During the War of 1812, the frigate Essex, commanded by Capt. David Porter, takes the Peruvian cruiser Neryeda, which is the first capture by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.
1822 USS Shark, commanded by Lt. Matthew C. Perry, raises the first U.S. flag over Key West, Fla., and claims the territory for the United States, calling it Thompsons Island to honor Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson.
1898 Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, recommends to Secretary of the Navy John D. Long that he appoint two officers of scientific attainments and practical ability who, with representatives from the War Department, would examine Professor Samuel P. Langley's flying machine and report upon its practicability and its potential for use in war.
1915 The submarine, F-4 (SS 23) sinks off Honolulu, Hawaii, with the loss of 21 lives. It is the first commissioned submarine loss for the U.S. Navy.
1944 USS Manlove (DE 36) and submarine chaser PC 1135 sink Japanese submarine I 32, 50 miles south of Wotje.
1957 The first F8U-1 Crusader is delivered to a fleet unit, VF-32, in the record time of two years after the first flight of the experimental model.
2007 Congress designates March 25 each year as National Medal of Honor Day. The day is significant as it is the day the first Medal of Honor was presented in 1863.
This is a little known episode in the Iwo Jima battle. The Army pilots had landed planes there because they had flown missions over Japan and could not make it back to Base. The battle was still going on when the first B-29s and fighter escorts started landing. Iwo saved many thousands of aircrew. The story I read years ago stated that the Japanese used swords and bayonets on the sleeping men so as to not alert anyone. It was not until they were discovered and shooting started that they launched into the full yelling and screaming charge but not before they had killed a lot of men.
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
1945 -The assault on the island of Iwo Jima appeared to have ended after 35 days of intense fighting. However, that night, 300 Japanese troops launched a final, last-ditch counterattack near Airfield Number 2. Army pilots, Seabees, and Marines from the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 28th Marines fought the Japanese forces until morning but suffered heavy casualties. More than l00 Americans were killed and a further 200 were wounded. Almost all of the Japanese troops were killed in the battle.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• USNI News reported on VCNO Adm. William Lescher's testimony from a recent HASC Readiness Subcommittee hearing.
• National and trade press reported on the findings of a DoD IG investigation about the former Auditor General of the Navy Ronnie Booth.
• Navy Times reported that several lawmakers asked POTUS to make the COVID vaccine mandatory for the military.
This day in World History
0708 Constantine begins his reign as Catholic Pope.
1634 Lord Baltimore founds the Catholic colony of Maryland.
1655 Puritans jail Governor Stone after a military victory over Catholic forces in the colony of Maryland.
1668 The first horse race in America takes place.
1776 The Continental Congress authorizes a medal for General George Washington.
1807 British Parliament abolishes the slave trade.
1813 The frigate USS Essex flies the first U.S. flag in battle in the Pacific.
1865 Confederate forces capture Fort Stedman, during the siege of Petersburg, Va.
1879 Japan invades the kingdom of Liuqiu (Ryukyu) Islands, formerly a vassal of China.
1905 Rebel battle flags that were captured during the American Civil War are returned to the South.
1911 A fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, a sweatshop in New York City, claims the lives of 146 workers.
1915 The first submarine disaster occurs when a U.S. F-4 sinks off the Hawaiian coast.
1919 The Paris Peace Commission adopts a plan to protect nations from the influx of foreign labor.
1931 Fifty people are killed in riots that break out in India. Mahatma Gandhi was one of many people assaulted.
1940 The United States agrees to give Britain and France access to all American warplanes.
1941 Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers.
1953 The USS Missouri fires on targets at Kojo, North Korea, the last time her guns fire until the Persian Gulf War of 1992.
1954 RCA manufactures its first color TV set and begins mass production.
1957 The European Common Market Treaty is signed in Rome. The goal is to create a common market for all products--especially coal and steel.
1965 Martin Luther King Jr. leads a group of 25,000 to the state capital in Montgomery, Ala.
1969 John Lennon and Yoko Ono stage a bed-in for peace in Amsterdam.
1970 The Concorde makes its first supersonic flight.
1975 Hue is lost and Da Nang is endangered by North Vietnamese forces. The United States orders a refugee airlift to remove those in danger.
1981 The U.S. Embassy in San Salvador is damaged when gunmen attack, firing rocket propelled grenades and machine guns.
1986 President Ronald Reagan orders emergency aid for the Honduran army. U.S. helicopters take Honduran troops to the Nicaraguan border.
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Thanks to Chuck and Tom
Driving on China's Highways
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-XDxCb92X4
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Thanks to Mike,
This is interesting. Many years ago there was an F16 with a similar wing design that was being touted that did all things better than the Current F-16. I do not remember if they had a flying prototype or not …Skip
This Is the F-36 Kingsnake. It Could Be the Air Force's Next Fighter Jet.
Meet the new, non-stealthy fighter that may replace the F-16.
MAR 18, 2021
ANDY GODFREY/TEASEL STUDIO
· The U.S. Air Force has expressed interest in a new, non-stealthy fighter jet to replace the F-16.
· Several aviation experts have banded together and invented a new jet out of thin air.
· The result, the F-36 Kingsnake, would use the F-22's engines, place less of an emphasis on stealth, and use digital engineering.
Last month, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown caused a stir when he announced the service was looking into buying a brand-new fighter jet to help replace the F-16 Viper. Such a jet doesn't exist—yet—but thanks to new digital engineering techniques, it could actually enter service before 2030.
✈ You love badass planes. So do we. Let's nerd out over them together.
Now, the alternative aviation magazine Hush-Kit has brought experts together to design that potential F-16 replacement. The result: the F-36 Kingsnake lightweight fighter.
Hush-Kit huddled with aviation authorities Stephen Mcparlin and James Smith, who helped bring aircraft like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Eurofighter Typhoon to life. Then, illustrator Andy Godfrey from the Teasel Studio took their ideas and created this concept art for the F-36:
ANDY GODFREY/TEASEL STUDIO
Hush-Kit used Gen. Brown's specifications—a lightweight, inexpensive fighter jet that doesn't emphasize stealth (making it a "fifth-gen-minus" design)—to design the F-36.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
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The average age of the Air Force's 783 F-16C fighter jets is 28.7 years, making a 20-year development period for a new jet out of the question. Instead, experts wanted a fast design process that froze the plane's specs within one year and relied on simple construction techniques, but also utilized advanced technologies such as 3D printing if it could get the fighter off assembly lines faster.
The Air Force May Build a Replacement for the F-16
Re-using existing technologies would speed up the process. For example, the F-36 uses the F-22 Raptor's F119 afterburning turbofan engine to achieve a top speed of Mach 2. The Kingsnake is equipped with an AN/APG-83 advanced electronically scanned array radar— the same one used in the latest version of the F-16—and an infrared sensor system derived from the Legion electro-optical targeting pod.
A "Luddite Czar" would prevent new technologies from creeping into the jet, drawing out the jet's development time and increasing the likelihood Kingsnake would fall behind.
, the F-36 would have an internal weapons bay. It would also carry weapons on wing-mounted hardpoints.
NURPHOTOGETTY IMAGES
Like the F-16 it would replace, the Kingsnake would be a multi-role fighter jet capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The jet would carry missiles and guided bombs in internal bays, but as a non-stealthy plane, it would pack both on wing-mounted external hard points. The Kingsnake would also a gun, making it capable of strafing attacks against enemy ground forces.
"THE F-35 IS A FERRARI, THE F-22 A BUGATTI CHIRON—THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE NEEDS A NISSAN 300ZX."
The guiding principles behind the F-36 are speed of development, affordability, and the ability to incorporate new tech at a later date. "The F-35 is a Ferrari, the F-22 a Bugatti Chiron—the United States Air Force needs a Nissan 300ZX," Hush-Kit's Joe Coles tells Pop Mech.
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Thanks to Micro on Tom's NASA status yesterday
Skip:
Just a short note on Tom's comment that each new Administration brings a new NASA Administrator.
We all know that Government is inefficient. But each Administration has been elected to carry through a set of policies. Even if their campaign didn't specifically mention NASA, it's their overall philosophy of governing that we're supposed to be voting for. It's actually not the Administrator (or SecDef or whoever) that is "at fault" for the changes that take place. It is the "fault" of the Administration's emphasis. I caveat that with the barriers set up that I mention below.
Having said that, there are several kinds of Appointments each President is allowed to make. If memory serves me (not likely), I think that number is over 3,000. Those appointments are in the Law, and the rationale for them is also in the Law. The purpose is supposed to ensure that someone that has been personally selected by the new Administration is in charge of all (or most) of the decision-making nodes across the Executive Branch FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE of ensuring the Administration's agenda is being carried out. If that were not the case, the President could never be held accountable for anything. Even so, it's pretty difficult. We see it even in the military. When you have a tour inside the Beltway, you are stonewalled at every turn. If you give an order someone doesn't like, they just tell you, "I've seen people like you come and go, and I'll still be here long after you're gone." I've been told those exact words. And they know that adverse personnel action is very difficult to accomplish—because career civil servants run that, too.
My wife just finished a "tour" as a Presidential appointee. The maneuvering that went on by the career personnel at all levels to hamstring the Trump Administration was bordering on criminal, and I think it showed that the eroded power over the years of those Administration loyalists is simply not enough any longer.
Accordingly, if there are new Agency policies put in place, look to the layer of managers just below the Appointees, their non-Appointee deputies, and the layer of support personnel. Those are the ones that willingly carry out their own agenda and do so most noticeably when they have a pliable boss that gives them full rein. An Administrator or Cabinet Secretary cannot do much on their own.
Micro
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
Thursday, 25 March 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— 25 March 1966 From the archives of Pete Fey's rollingthunderremembered.com ...
"A DFC for David Sperling"...
http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/subject-rolling-thunder-remembered-25-march-1966/
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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This Day in U S Military History March 25
1898 – Assist. SECNAV Theodore Roosevelt proposes Navy investigate military application of Samuel Langley's flying machine, beginning naval aviation. Langley had been experimenting for over a decade with steam powered flying machines and was attempting to adapt a working steam model to an internal combustion powered design.
1945 – US 1st Army units, principally from US 3rd Corps, begin to break out of the Remagen bridgehead. The US 8th Corps (part of US 3rd Army) begins to cross the Rhine River near Boppard. To the south, Darmstadt is taken by US 12th Corps units who crossed at Nierstein. Other units have advanced farther east to the Main near Hanau and Aschaffenburg.
1958 – Elvis Presley's active duty service began and lasted two years, until March 5, 1960.
1960 – A guided missile, a Regulus I, was launched from a nuclear powered submarine, the USS Halibut, for the first time. Halibut is also the first submarine to be designed and built from the keel up to launch guided missiles.
1961 – Elvis Presley (26) performed live on the USS Arizona, a fund raiser for a memorial. Col. Parker, Presley's manager, came up with the brilliant idea to have Elvis Presley give the benefit concert in the 4,000-seat Bloch Arena next to the entrance to Pearl Harbor.
2003 – In the 7th day of Operation Iraqi Freedom US aircraft dropped more than 2,000 precision-guided bombs on Iraq since the war's start. The "smart" bombs were produced for a relatively cheap $20,000 each. Sandstorms slowed coalition movement and air missions. US officials reported 150-200 Iraqi soldiers were killed near Najaf. US Commander General Tommy Franks says US-led forces are making "rapid and in some cases dramatic" progress but has also met sporadic resistance. Franks also says that his forces have captured 3,000 prisoners.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
1863 – The first Army Medal of Honor is presented to PVT Jacob Parrott of the 33rd Ohio Infantry. Four others are so honored this day as well.
CARTER, JOSEPH F.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company D, 3d Maryland Infantry. Place and date: At Fort Stedman, Va., 25 March 1865. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Birth: Baltimore, Md. Date of issue: 9 July 1891. Citation: Captured the colors of the 51st Virginia Infantry (C.S.A.). During the battle he was captured and escaped bringing a number of prisoners with him.
HOUGHTON, CHARLES H.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company L, 14th New York Artillery. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 30 July 1864; 25 March 1865. Entered service at: Ogdensburg, N.Y. Born: 30 April 1842, Macomb, St. Lawrence County, N.Y. Date of issue: 5 April 1898. Citation: In the Union assault at the Crater (30 July 1864), and in the Confederate assault repelled at Fort Haskell, displayed most conspicuous gallantry and repeatedly exposed himself voluntarily to great danger, was 3 times wounded, and suffered loss of a leg.
LITTLEFIELD, GEORGE H.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company G, 1st Maine Veteran Infantry. Place and date: At Fort Fisher, Va., 25 March 1865. Entered service at: Skowhegan, Maine. Birth: Skowhegan, Maine. Date of issue: 22 June 1885. Citation: The color sergeant having been wounded, this soldier picked up the flag and bore it to the front, to the great encouragement of the charging column.
McDONALD, GEORGE E.
Rank and organization: Private, Company L, 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery. Place and date: At Fort Stedman, Va., 25 March 1865. Entered service at: Warwick, R.I. Birth: Warwick, R.I. Date of issue: 21 July 1865. Citation: Capture of flag.
MURPHY, JAMES T.
Rank and organization: Private, Company L, 1st Connecticut Artillery. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 25 March 1865. Entered service at: New Haven, Conn. Birth: Canada. Date of issue: 29 October 1886. Citation: A piece of artillery having been silenced by the enemy, this soldier voluntarily ass1sted in working the piece, conducting himself throughout the engagement in a gallant and fearless manner.
OLIVER, CHARLES
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company M, 100th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 25 March 1865. Entered service at: Allegheny County, Pa. Birth: Allegheny County, Pa. Date of issue. 3 July 1865. Citation: Capture of flag of 31st Georgia Infantry (C.S.A.).
PINKHAM, CHARLES H.
Rank and organization: Sergeant Major, 57th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Fort Stedman, Va., 25 March 1865. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Grafton, Mass. Date of issue: 15 April 1895. Citation: Captured the flag of the 57th North Carolina Infantry (C.S.A.) and saved his own colors by tearing them from the staff while the enemy was in the camp.
THOMPKINS, GEORGE W.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company F, 124th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 25 March 1865. Entered service at: Esport Jervis, N.Y. Birth: Orange County, N.Y. Date of issue: 6 April 1865. Citation: Capture of flag of 49th Alabama Infantry (C.S.A.) from an officer who, with colors in hand, was rallying his men.
SHIELS, GEORGE F.
Rank and organization: Surgeon, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At Tuliahan River, Philippine Islands, 25 March 1899. Entered service at: California. Birth: California. Date of issue: 22 November 1906. Citation: Voluntarily exposed himself to the fire of the enemy and went with 4 men to the relief of 2 native Filipinos Iying wounded about 150 yards in front of the lines and personally carried one of them to a place of safety.
*DOANE, STEPHEN HOLDEN
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam, 25 March 1969. Entered service at: Albany, N.Y. Born: 13 October 1947, Beverely, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. First Lt. Doane was serving as a platoon leader when his company, engaged in a tactical operation, abruptly contacted an enemy force concealed in protected bunkers and trenches. Three of the leading soldiers were pinned down by enemy crossfire. One was seriously wounded. After efforts of 1 platoon to rescue these men had failed, it became obvious that only a small group could successfully move close enough to destroy the enemy position and rescue or relieve the trapped soldiers, 1st Lt. Doane, although fully aware of the danger of such an action, crawled to the nearest enemy bunker and silenced it. He was wounded but continued to advance to a second enemy bunker. As he prepared to throw a grenade, he was again wounded. Undaunted, he deliberately pulled the pin on the grenade and lunged with it into the enemy bunker, destroying this final obstacle. 1st Lt. Doane's supreme act enabled his company to rescue the trapped men without further casualties. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by this officer were an inspiration to his men and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army .
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 25, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
25 March
1898: Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, recommended the appointment of two officers "of scientific attainments and practical ability" to join War Department representatives in the examination of Professor Samuel P. Langley's flying machine. They were to report upon its practicability and its potentiality for use in war. (29)
1918: Ensign John F. McNamara, flying out of RNAS Portland, England, made the first attack on an enemy submarine by a US naval aviator. (5)
1940: The US allowed Air Corps contractors to sell modern Army combat planes to anti-Axis governments under a "liberalized release policy." This program tried to expand Air Corps production facilities for the future. (12) (24)
1942: Flying with the RAF's 64th Squadron, Maj C. P. Lessig became the first Eighth Air Force pilot to fly a mission over France in World War II. (4)
1944: Fifteenth Air Force made the first operational delivery of a VB-1 Azon radio-controlled bomb against the Avisio Viaduct in the Brenner Pass to cut the main highway between Italy and greater Germany. Azon bombs were later employed in the European Theater in June 1944, and most successfully in China-Burma-India from November 1944 to August 1945. (8) (21)
1949: Bell's XH-12 helicopter claimed a new world speed record of 133.9 MPH at Niagara Falls. (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. H-5 helicopter aircrews from the 3 ARS recovered 148 paratrooper casualties in the second biggest paradrop of the Korean War. Despite intense mortar and ground fire, the crews flew 77 sorties in two days near Musan. (2)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force flew 959 sorties, concentrating on interdiction of the rail line from Sinanju to Chongju in Korea and making approximately 142 cuts in the track. Some aircraft struck the Sunchon-Pyongyang highway, scoring 27 hits. (28)
1955: The Chance Vought F-8 Crusader first flew. (5)
1956: The last XB-51 crashed at El Paso, Tex., going to Eglin AFB for use in the movie "Toward the Unknown." (3)
1960: The USS Halibut fired a Regulus I guided missile off Oahu. This was the first guided missile launch from a nuclear-powered sub. (16) (24) Asst SECDEF James H. Douglas authorized the USAF to field 150 Minutemans by July 1963. (6) (12) NASA test pilot Joseph A. Walker began the NASA/Air Force/Navy phase of the X-15A-1 test program with a powered flight above Edwards AFB. (3)
1961: From Cape Canaveral, NASA launched Explorer X into a highly elliptical ("Yo-Yo") orbit with an apogee of 148,000 miles and perigee of 100 miles to survey magnetic fields and charged particles. (24)
1965: SAC inactivated five Atlas and three Titan I squadrons under SECDEF McNamara's phaseout orders of 19 November 1964. (6)
1966: Lt Col R. C. W. Blessley flew an F-111A on the longest low-level penetration flight to date (1,201.8 miles). He flew 1,000 feet above terrain ranging from 500 feet to over 10,000 feet. (5)
1968: Four F-111As flew the first F-111 combat mission from Takhli AB, Thailand, under radar control to target areas northwest of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. (12)
1975: The USAF organized an airlift to evacuate 10,000 people a day from Da Nang, South Vietnam. Communist forces had surrounded and completely cut off this provincial city. (16) (26)
1977: The YC-141B "stretched" cargo aircraft completed its first test flight. (3) 1980: Boeing's AGM-86B won the ALCM competition. (3) (12)
1985: The SECAF announced changed in the combat exclusion policy to allow women to serve as forward air controllers, fly and crew various models of C-130 Hercules aircraft, and to serve at munitions storage facilities. (16) (26)
1986: The first all-female Minuteman crew stood alert at the 351 SMW, Whiteman AFB. This was the first time an all-female crew accomplished Minuteman combat crew duty under the genderspecific crew policy. (16)
1994: Operation RESTORE HOPE. American involvement in this relief effort to Somalia ended when the last US military personnel climbed aboard a C-5 Galaxy. (16) (26)
1999: A test team successfully released the first JSOW guided munition from a B-2 flying at 25,000 feet over the Precision Impact Range Area at Edwards AFB. (3)
2002: The USAF dispatched a third Global Hawk UAV (AV-4) from Edwards AFB to duty in the Southwestern Asia war zone. (3)
2004: MACKAY TROPHY. Five C-17 airmen from the 62 AW at McChord AFB won the 2003 Mackay Trophy for serving as the lead aircrew for a 26 March 2003 C-17 airdrop over northern Iraq. It was the largest combat airdrop since Operation JUST CAUSE in December 1989. The recipients included: Lt Col Shane Hershman and MSgt Chris Dockery, 7 AS; Maj Bob Colvin, 8 AS; 1Lt Matt Clausen, 4 AS; and MSgt Shawn Brumfield, 62d Operations Group. (22)
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World News for 25 March thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Lawmakers Call For Making COVID Shots Mandatory For Troops Military Times | 03/25/2021 Some U.S. lawmakers have urged President Biden to make it mandatory for servicemembers to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports the Military Times. In a letter to the White House, Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) called on Biden to issue a waiver of informed consent that would require troops to get the vaccine as soon as eligible if ordered to do so. Currently, the Pentagon requires informed consent because the three vaccines available were approved by the Food and Drug Administration via emergency use authorization, noted the Stars & Stripes. By requiring that the Defense Dept. obtain informed consent prior to vaccinating, the process has become unnecessarily slow and put national security at risk, Panetta said. The Pentagon has previously mandated FDA-approved drugs, such as anthrax and smallpox vaccinations. Panetta argued that waiting for the FDA to complete its lengthy approval process would waste valuable time, since troops would eventually be required to be vaccinated. The congressman said that recent outbreaks on naval vessels and long quarantine periods as well as canceled and scaled-down exercises due to the virus were detrimental to U.S. security. The letter was signed by six other House Democrats. Military testimony last month indicated that a third of servicemembers who had been offered the vaccine had declined it. A December report indicated that up to 49 percent planned to decline vaccination.
USA—Lockheed, Northrop Grumman To Compete For Missile Defense Interceptor Program Dept. Of Defense | 03/25/2021 The Missile Defense Agency has chosen two teams to move forward in its program to develop new interceptors for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) missile defense system, reports the Dept. of Defense. Teams led by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman each received contracts for the Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI) program intended to advance their designs into the technology development and risk-reduction phase as part of efforts to reduce technical and schedule risk, the Pentagon said in a release on Tuesday. The deals have a maximum value of $1.6 billion through fiscal 2022. Northrop Grumman received a contract with a total value of $3.9 billion through May 2026, reported Air Force magazine. Northrop Grumman is partnered with Raytheon for the program. Lockheed Martin, teamed with Aerojet Rocketdyne, was awarded a $3.7 billion deal, with the period of performance running through August 2025. The two companies will compete to build the NGI to replace the current Ground-Based Interceptors (GBI) stationed in Alaska and California as part of the GMD system, reported Defense News. The NGI program was announced in August 2019 shortly after the Dept. of Defense terminated the Redesigned Kill Vehicle program, which suffered from extensive technical issues and rising costs.
USA—Strategic Talks Planned With Iraq The Hill | 03/25/2021 The U.S. and Iraq plan to hold strategic talks next month, reports the Hill (Washington, D.C.). The sides expect to discuss a variety of issues, including mutual security, culture, trade and climate interests, a White House spokeswoman said on Tuesday. Also on the agenda will be the continued presence of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. The U.S. intends to clarify that the coalition is there for the purpose of training and advising Iraqi troops to prevent the re-emergence of the Islamic State, she said. There have been growing calls for the U.S. to withdraw since a drone strike outside Baghdad in January 2020 that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and has resulted in a series of missile attacks by Iran and its allies in Iraq on U.S. facilities. On Tuesday, Iraq sent a formal request to the Biden administration for a date to resume talks, including discussions on the withdrawal of the remaining U.S. troops.
Norway—Government Blocks Sale Of Engine Manufacturer To Russia Maritime Executive | 03/25/2021 The Norwegian government has permanently halted the sale of a Norwegian engine manufacturer to a Russian conglomerate on national security grounds, reports the Maritime Executive. In February, Rolls-Royce announced plans to sell its Bergen Engines subsidiary to Transmashholding (TMH) for US$180 million. Bergen Engines supplies medium-speed gas and diesel engines to marine and power-generation customers, including the Norwegian navy and coast guard, reported Reuters. On March 9, the Norwegian government announced that it was temporarily suspending the sale while it studied the security implications. On Tuesday, Justice Minister Monica Maeland told the Norwegian Parliament that the sale was being permanently blocked. The technology and engines controlled by Bergen Engines were of strategic military interest to Russia and would have boosted Moscow's military capabilities, she said. Rolls-Royce has been looking to sell Bergen Engines as part of plans to raise US$2.8 billion through divestments through 2022. The company called on the Norwegian government to help it find a new buyer.
Norway—Deal Reached With TKMS For Joint Sub Buy With Germany Norwegian Ministry Of Defense | 03/25/2021 The German and Norwegian defense procurement agencies have finalized an agreement with German shipbuilder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) to jointly purchase submarines, reports the Norwegian Ministry of Defense. The agencies have made a deal with TKMS for the procurement of identical submarines, the ministry said in a Wednesday release. The German Parliament must still approve the accord before final contracts can be signed. Germany and Norway also signed an agreement on the joint procurement of the Norwegian-made Naval Strike Missile and development of a Future Naval Strike Missile. Both programs are linked to the submarine program, said the ministry. Under the agreement, Norway will order four Type 212CD submarines for US$5.3 billion, while Berlin will procure two boats, reported Reuters. The Type 212CD, based on the Type 212A design, features extended range, speed and endurance, reported Naval News. The first submarine is scheduled for delivery in 2029.
Albania—U.S. Donates 29 Humvees To Army U.S. Embassy in Albania | 03/25/2021 The U.S. has donated 29 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (Humvees) to the Albanian military, reports the U.S. Embassy in Albania. On Wednesday, Ambassador Yuri Kim oversaw the handover of the new vehicles in Zall Herr outside of Tirana. The vehicles will support the transition of the army's 2nd Infantry Battalion from a light infantry battle group to a motorized infantry battle group, said Kim. Albania is building the motorized infantry battle group as part of its commitments to NATO, she said. The unit will improve Albania's ability to perform internal defense missions and deploy in support of global operations. The new Humvees are expected to see action during elements of the large-scale Defender 21 exercises in Europe this summer. Albania is scheduled to host some of the training.
Russia—Duma Paves Way For Putin To Serve For 2 More Terms Tass | 03/25/2021 The Russian State Duma has passed a bill that would allow President Vladimir Putin to run for two more terms, reports Russia's Tass news agency. On Wednesday, the lower house passed the bill, which included amendments to the constitution on the age and citizenship requirements to serve as president, reported the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). The amendment includes language specifying that presidential term limits apply to the incumbent president without regard to previous terms. This would allow Putin to run for two more five-year terms. The legislation requires candidates for president to be over the age of 35, have lived in Russia continuously for 25 years and never held foreign citizenship or overseas residency permits.
China—Defense Ministry Confirms Deadly Z-10 Crash Defence-Blog | 03/25/2021 The Chinese Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a Z-10 attack helicopter went down last week during a training mission over the southern Hunan province, reports Defence Blog. The aircraft crashed in Changsha on March 19 during a routine training mission, killing both pilots, the ministry said. The confirmation came after pictures of the crash began to circulate on social media. Military sources said that the aircraft had been assigned to an army aviation brigade.
Japan—Joint Drills With U.S. Near Disputed Islands Under Consideration Nikkei Asian Review | 03/25/2021 Japan and the U.S. are discussing possible joint exercises near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, reports the Nikkei (Tokyo). The proposed training would involve Japanese ground, air and maritime forces working with U.S. Marine and Air Force units to defend the islands. The Senkakus are administered by Japan but claimed by China, where they are known as the Diaoyus. The push for an exercise comes after China passed a law granting coast guard ships the authority to fire on foreign vessels in waters claimed by Beijing. The joint exercises would be based on bilateral defense guidelines that give the Japan Self-Defense Forces primary responsibility for the defense of remote islands, with the U.S. providing support as appropriate, noted the Jiji Press (Tokyo). During a meeting between Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week, the sides agreed to counter China's attempts to change the status quo around the islands.
Taiwan—Long-Range Missiles In Development To Boost Deterrence Reuters | 03/25/2021 Taiwan is developing long-range missiles as part of efforts to deter China, reports Reuters. On Wednesday, the deputy director of the state-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Leng Chin-hsu, told lawmakers that a long-range, land-based ballistic missile had entered production and three other designs were in development. He declined to provide details of the missile's range or capability. During the hearing, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that developing a long-range, mobile attack capability was a priority. The NCSIST has been conducting classified missile tests off Taiwan's southeastern coast in recent months, according to local media.
Philippines—Navy Steps Up Sovereignty Patrols In S. China Sea Philippine News Agency | 03/25/2021 The head of the Philippine armed forces has ordered additional naval patrols in the country's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, reports the state-run Philippine News Agency. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana has ordered additional naval vessels to conduct "maritime sovereignty patrols" in the West Philippine Sea, a military spokesman said on Thursday. The move is intended to demonstrate Manila's commitment to defending its citizens in the resource rich area of the South China Sea from harassment, he said. The patrols come after the Philippine coast guard reported on March 7 that there were some 220 Chinese fishing vessels, believed to be crewed by maritime militia, at the Julian Felipe Reef, also known as Whitsun Reef, in the disputed Spratly Islands. The spokesman said that there had been military-to-military talks with Beijing over the Chinese vessels at the reef. Chinese military officials emphasized that the ships were not crewed by militia and had only sought shelter at the reef due to poor weather. A spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that a diplomatic protest had been filed, reported Reuters.
USA—New Sanctions Target Burmese Military Businesses U.S. Treasury Dept. | 03/25/2021 The U.S. Treasury Dept. has implemented sanctions against two military-owned businesses in Burma. On Wednesday, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Ltd. (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corp., both holding companies through which the military controls significant segments of the national economy, said a Treasury release. The sanctions specifically target the economic resources of the Burmese military regime, which overthrew the democratic government on Feb. 1, and are not directed at the people of Burma, the department said. Accordingly, all assets belonging to the entities in the U.S. or in control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. The measures are the latest targeting the military and those connected to it following the Feb. 1 coup, noted Reuters. On Feb. 11, President Biden issued an executive order allowing for sanctions against the military and freezing about US$1 billion of reserves that the Burmese central bank was holding at the New York Fed. The military tried to withdraw the funds after seizing power.
Afghanistan—U.S. Offers Pause In Air Ops In Effort To Push Peace Process Forward Los Angeles Times | 03/25/2021 Taliban and U.S. negotiators have been discussing a possible halt to American airstrikes and drone flights over Afghanistan as part of a push to revive the peace process, reports the Los Angeles Times. The U.S. has offered the pause in exchange for the Taliban committing to drastically reduce the number of attacks and assassinations against the Afghan government ahead of multilateral peace talks in Istanbul scheduled for next month. Kabul and U.S. military commanders have expressed concern about such a pause since the Afghan military remains heavily reliant on U.S. airpower to defend against Taliban assaults. The Pentagon, meanwhile, is skeptical that such concessions will make the Taliban more likely to reach a deal with the Afghan government. Better security across Afghanistan is seen as necessary to get President Ashraf Ghani to make a serious effort in peace talks with the Taliban, analysts said. A peace deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban has seen little progress since the U.S. made its agreement with the Taliban in February 2020.
Egypt—Container Ship Blocks Suez Canal British Broadcasting Corp. | 03/25/2021 A large commercial vessel has become stuck in the Suez Canal and is blocking the critical trade route, reports BBC News. On Tuesday, the Panamanian-flagged container ship Ever Given ran aground after being overcome by strong winds as it entered the canal from the Red Sea, reported CNBC. She was sailing from China to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. There were at least 30 vessels trapped north of the Ever Given and three to the south, reported Reuters, citing local sources. About 12 percent of the world's trade passes through the Suez Canal, with an average of 50 vessels sailing through it daily. The effects of the blockage could have major ramifications for global trade, warned experts. Egypt has opened an older channel to accept some traffic until the Ever Given can be moved. Multiple tugboats have been deployed to try and move the ship, while diggers on the ground have been removing sand from where the Ever Given was wedged into the side of the canal. The operator, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, said on Wednesday that the ship had been partially refloated and could continue on its way soon.
Libya—U.N. Renews Call For Mercenaries To Leave Agence France-Presse | 03/25/2021 Foreign mercenaries and fighters remain a security challenge in Libya despite several agreements calling for their removal, according to a U.N. report cited by Agence France-Presse. A copy of a report by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, discussed by the Security Council on Wednesday, indicates that some mercenaries withdrew following an October truce, but many remain. Foreign fighters left the central and western areas of Sirte on Feb. 28, withdrawing to Wadi Harawa 30 miles (50 km) to the east, enabling the reopening of the Al Ghardabiya airport, according to the document. However, there has reportedly been no reduction in the number of mercenaries in central Libya, said Guterres. The secretary-general renewed his call for foreign forces to withdraw from Libya and respect all measures of the cease-fire. He also unveiled a proposal for the gradual deployment of an observation mission. In December, it was estimated that as many 20,000 foreign fighters were in Libya.
Mozambique—Militants Launch Attacks In North As Work On Natural Gas Project Set To Resume Agence France-Presse | 03/25/2021 Militants have launched a coordinated attack near a liquified natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province, reports Agence France-Presse. On Wednesday, two groups of militants attacked a police checkpoint and residential neighborhoods in Palma, said a military source. A second source said that the militants employed new, heavy weapons, forcing security forces to flee. The militants attacked the checkpoint on the coastal side of Palma and then moved into the town, where they reportedly robbed two banks, reported the Africa Report. Palma is about 4 miles (6 km) from the main gate of the LNG site on the Afungi peninsula, analysts said. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The attacks came hours after French oil firm Total said that it would progressively resume construction at the LNG site. In January, Total evacuated some workers in the face of escalating attacks by militants known as Ansar Al Sunna. At least 2,600 people have been killed and 700,000 displaced since the militants began attacks in 2017.
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