TheList 5662

The List 5662     TGB

 

Good Friday Morning March 26.

 

 

Regards,

Skip.

 

 

This Day In Naval History – March 26

 

1942

During World War II, Adm. Ernest J. King becomes Chief of Naval Operations and also Commander, U.S. Fleet, holding both positions through the rest of the war, guiding the Navy's plans and global operations.

1942

Task Force 39, commanded by Rear Adm. John W. Wilcox, Jr., sails from Portland, Maine, for Scapa Flow, Orkeny Islands, Scotland, to reinforce the British Home Fleet due the British Fleets involvement in Operation Ironclad, the British invasion of the Vichy French controlled Madagascar. The following day, Rear Adm. Wilcox, while taking an unaccompanied walk on his flagship, USS Washington (BB 56), is washed overboard and disappears in the heavy seas.

1943

During the Battle of Komandorski Islands, Task Group 16.6, commanded by Rear Adm. Charles H. McMorris, prevents Japanese reinforcements from reaching Kiska, Aleutian Islands. USS Salt Lake City (CA 25) is damaged by gunfire from Japanese heavy cruisers, but damages one with return fire.

1945

USS Halligan (DD 584) is sunk by a mine off Okinawa. Also on this date, USS Balao (SS-285) sinks Japanese army stores ship No.1 Shinto Maru.

Thanks to CHINFO

 Executive Summary:

•           There was widespread coverage of President Joe Biden's first press conference since taking office.

•           Trade and local press reported on the Marine Corps' release of an investigation into last summer's AAV training accident.

•           Breaking Defense interviewed the commander of SURFDEVRON 1 Capt. Henry Adams.

 

 

Today in World History March 26

1517		The famous Flemish composer Heinrich Issac dies.
1799		Napoleon Bonaparte captures Jaffa, Palestine.
1804		Congress orders the removal of Indians east of the Mississippi River to Louisiana.
1804		The territory of New Orleans is organized in the Louisiana Purchase.
1827		German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven dies in Vienna. He had been deaf for the later part of his life, but said on his death bed "I shall hear in heaven."
1832		Famed western artist George Catlin begins his voyage up the Missouri River aboard the American Fur Company steamship Yellowstone.
1885		Eastman Film Co. manufactures the first commercial motion picture film.
1913		The Balkan allies take Adrianople.
1918		On the Western Front, the Germans take the French towns Noyon, Roye and Lihons.
1938		Hermann Goering warns all Jews to leave Austria.
1942		The Germans begin sending Jews to Auschwitz in Poland.
1950		Senator Joe McCarthy names Owen Lattimore, an ex-State Department adviser, as a Soviet spy.
1951		The United States Air Force flag design is approved.
1953		Eisenhower offers increased aid to the French fighting in Indochina.
1953		Dr. Jonas Salk announces a new vaccine against polio.
1954		The United States sets off an H-bomb blast in the Marshall Islands, the second in four weeks.
1961		John F. Kennedy meets with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in Washington to discuss increased Communist involvement in Laos.
1969		The Soviet weather Satellite Meteor 1 is launched.
1969		Writer John Kennedy Toole commits suicide at the age of 32. His mother helps get his first and only novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, published. It goes on to win the 1981 Pulitzer Prize.
1979		The Camp David treaty is signed between Israel and Egypt.
1982		Ground is broken in Washington D.C. for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
1989		The first free elections take place in the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin is elected.
1992		An Indianapolis court finds heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson guilty of rape.

 

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Thanks to Glen

here's an article that THE LIST might enjoy reading.
Glenn

Air Force PJs

When Navy SEALS Call 9-1-1: Inside the Special Ops Force That Shows Up

 

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Thanks to Mike.

 

not everyone appreciates this kind of cleverness

 

    John Travolta tested negative for coronavirus last night. Turns out it was just Saturday night fever.

 

    The World Health Organization has announced that dogs cannot contract Covid-19. Dogs previously held in quarantine can now be released. To be clear, WHO let the dogs out.

 

    I saw an ad for burial plots, and thought to myself that's the last thing I need.

 

    Intelligence is like underwear. It is important that you have it, but not necessary that you show it off.

 

    Relationships are a lot like algebra. Have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?

 

    A courtroom artist was arrested today for an unknown reason, details are sketchy.

 

    People are making end of the world jokes like there's no tomorrow.

 

    Whatever you do, always give 100% unless you're donating blood

 

    What do you call a sleepwalking nun?  Roamin' Catholic.

 

    What did Snow White say when she came out of the photo booth? Someday my prints will come.

 

    A girl said she recognized me from her vegetarian club but I'd never met herbivore.

 

    I've always had an irrational fear of speed bumps but I'm slowly getting over it.

 

    What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it? Short.

 

    I've finally told my suitcases there will be no holiday this year. Now I'm dealing with the emotional baggage.

 

    If you're not supposed to eat at night, why is there a light bulb in the refrigerator?

 

    My dad died when we couldn't remember his blood type. As he died, he kept insisting "be positive," but it's hard without him.

 

    Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

 

    There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

 

 

 

 

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Thanks to Dr. Rich

I remember this one from a while ago

Debutante Ball ..

 

Thanks to TK ...

 

A US Navy cruiser anchored in Mississippi for a week's shore leave.   The first evening, the ship's Captain received the following note from the wife of a very wealthy and influential plantation owner:

"Dear Captain, Thursday will be my daughter's Debutante Ball.  I would like you to send four well-mannered, handsome, unmarried officers in their formal dress uniforms to attend the dance."  

 

"They should arrive promptly at 8:00 PM prepared for an evening of polite Southern conversation.  They should be excellent dancers, as they will be the escorts of lovely refined young ladies. One last point: "No Jews please."

Sending a written message by his own yeoman, the captain replied:

"Madam, thank you for your invitation. In order to present the widest possible knowledge base for polite conversation, I am sending four of my best and most prized officers."

 

"One is a lieutenant commander, and a graduate of Annapolis with an additional Masters degree from MIT in fluid technologies and ship design."  

 

"The second is a Lieutenant, one of our helicopter pilots, and a graduate of Northwestern university in Chicago, with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering.  His Masters Degree and PhD. In Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering are from Texas Tech University and he is also an astronaut candidate."  

 

"The third officer is also a lieutenant, with degrees in both computer systems and information technology from SMU and he is awaiting notification on his Doctoral Dissertation from Cal Tech."

 

"Finally, the fourth officer, also a lieutenant commander, is our ship's doctor, with an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and his medical degree is from the University of North Carolina .  We are very proud of him, as he is also a senior fellow in Trauma Surgery at Bethesda."

Upon receiving this letter, Melinda's mother was quite excited and looked forward to Thursday with pleasure.  Her daughter would be escorted by four handsome naval officers without peer (and the other women in her social circle would be insanely jealous).  At precisely 8:00 PM on Thursday, Melinda's mother heard a polite rap at the door which she opened to find, in full dress uniform, four very handsome, smiling Black officers.

Her mouth fell open, but pulling herself together, she stammered, "There must be some mistake."

"No, Madam," said the first officer.

"Captain Goldberg never makes mistakes."

 

 

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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED  Thanks to the Brear

Friday, 26 March 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🤩

 

LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War—26 March 1966...

From the archives of Pete Fey's  rollingthunderremembered.com ...

"The new weapon—'flying telephone poles'— and 'Black Friday'"...

 

http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-26-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…26 March

 

1943 – Battle of Komandorski Islands, prevents Japanese reinforcements from reaching Attu. An American squadran of 2 cruisers and 4 destroyers (under the command of Admiral McMorris) meets a Japanese squadron of 4 cruisers and 5 destroyers (under the command of Admiral Hosogaya) off the Komandorski Islands. A traditional gun engagement begins and a cruiser on each side is badly damaged. Hosogaya decides to break off at this point although he has a clear superiority which is beginning to tell.

 

1945 – On Iwo Jima, the few hundred Japanese troops remaining on the island mount a final suicide attack. They are wiped out by elements of the 5th Marine Division, which have been assigned the task of reducing the last pockets of resistance. About 200 of the Japanese garrison of 20,700 remain alive as prisoners of the marines of US 5th Amphibious Corps. American casualties have been almost 6,000 dead and 17,200 wounded.

 

1945 – US naval forces (TF58 and TF52) continue air strikes on Okinawa. US Task Force 54 (Admiral Deyo), with 10 battleships, 10 cruisers and 33 destroyers, begin the main bombardment of Okinawa. The US 77th Infantry Division (General Bruce) lands on Kerama Retto and overruns the small Japanese garrison. The British Pacific Fleet (Admiral Rawlings), also designated Task Force 57, with 4 fleet carriers, 2 battleships, 5 cruisers and 11 destroyers, attacks airfields and other targets on Sakashima Gunto. Japanese submarines make unsuccessful attacks on the Allied ships. Coast Guardsmen participated in the landings at Geruma Shima, Hokaji Shima, and Takashiki in the Ryukyu Islands.

 

1975 – The city of Hue, in northernmost South Vietnam, falls to the North Vietnamese. Hue was the most recent major city in South Vietnam to fall to the communists during their new offensive. The offensive had started in December 1974, when the North Vietnamese had launched a major attack against the lightly defended province of Phuoc Long, located north of Saigon along the Cambodian border. The communists overran the provincial capital of Phuoc Binh on January 6, 1975. President Richard Nixon had repeatedly promised South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu that the United States would come to the aid of South Vietnam if North Vietnam committed a major violation of the Peace Accords. However, by the time the communists had taken Phuoc Long, Nixon had already resigned from office and his successor, Gerald Ford, was unable to convince a hostile Congress to make good on Nixon's promises to Saigon. This situation emboldened the North Vietnamese, who launched a campaign in March 1975 to take the provincial capital of Ban Me Thuot in the Central Highlands. The South Vietnamese defenders there fought very poorly and were overwhelmed by the North Vietnamese attackers. Once again, the United States did nothing. President Thieu ordered his forces in the Highlands to withdraw to more defensible positions to the south. What started out as a reasonably orderly withdrawal degenerated into a panic that spread throughout the South Vietnamese armed forces. They abandoned Pleiku and Kontum in the Highlands with very little fighting and the North Vietnamese pressed the attack from the west and north. In quick succession, Quang Tri and Hue fell. The communists then seized Da Nang, the second largest city in South Vietnam. Many South Vietnamese, both military and civilian, died in the general chaos while attempting to escape from the airport, docks, and beaches. By this time, the South Vietnamese forces were in flight all over the northern half of South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese continued to attack south along the coast, overrunning city after city, methodically defeating the South Vietnamese forces. By April 27, the North Vietnamese had completely encircled Saigon and began to maneuver for their final assault, which became known as the "Ho Chi Minh Campaign." By the morning of April 30, it was all over. As the North Vietnamese tanks broke through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, the Vietnam War came to an end.

 

1982 – Ground was broken in Washington D.C. for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial designed by Maya Lin of Yale. It was dedicated Nov 13.

 

2003 – In the 8th day of Operation Iraqi Freedom about 1,000 members of the US Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade parachute into northern Iraq and seize control of an airfield. The U.S. Navy announces that Iraq's Persian Gulf oil export terminal of Mina al-Bakr has escaped sabotage and is ready to resume operations.

 

2233 – James T. Kirk, science fiction captain of USS Enterprise (Star Trek), was born.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

*MARTIN, HARRY LINN
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 4 January 1911, Bucyrus, Ohio. Appointed from. Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as platoon leader attached to Company C, 5th Pioneer Battalion, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 26 March 1945. With his sector of the 5th Pioneer Battalion bivouac area penetrated by a concentrated enemy attack launched a few minutes before dawn, 1st Lt. Martin instantly organized a firing line with the marines nearest his foxhole and succeeded in checking momentarily the headlong rush of the Japanese. Determined to rescue several of his men trapped in positions overrun by the enemy, he defied intense hostile fire to work his way through the Japanese to the surrounded marines. Although sustaining 2 severe wounds, he blasted the Japanese who attempted to intercept him, located his beleaguered men and directed them to their own lines. When 4 of the infiltrating enemy took possession of an abandoned machinegun pit and subjected his sector to a barrage of hand grenades, 1st Lt. Martin, alone and armed only with a pistol, boldly charged the hostile position and killed all of its occupants. Realizing that his few remaining comrades could not repulse another organized attack, he called to his men to follow and then charged into the midst of the strong enemy force, firing his weapon and scattering them until he fell, mortally wounded by a grenade. By his outstanding valor, indomitable fighting spirit and tenacious determination in the face of overwhelming odds, 1st Lt. Martin permanently disrupted a coordinated Japanese attack and prevented a greater loss of life in his own and adjacent platoons. His inspiring leadership and unswerving devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.

*DICKEY, DOUGLAS E.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company C, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, 3d Marine Division (Rein). Place and dale: Republic of Vietnam, 26 March 1967. Entered service at: Cincinnati, Ohio. Born: 24 December 1946, Greenville, Darke, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While participating in Operation Beacon Hill 1, the 2d Platoon was engaged in a fierce battle with the Viet Cong at close range in dense jungle foliage. Pfc. Dickey had come forward to replace a radio operator who had been wounded in this intense action and was being treated by a medical corpsman. Suddenly an enemy grenade landed in the midst of a group of marines, which included the wounded radio operator who was immobilized. Fully realizing the inevitable result of his actions, Pfc. Dickey, in a final valiant act, quickly and unhesitatingly threw himself upon the deadly grenade, absorbing with his body the full and complete force of the explosion. Pfc. Dickey's personal heroism, extraordinary valor and selfless courage saved a number of his comrades from certain injury and possible death at the cost of his life. His actions reflected great credit upon himself, the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

 

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 26, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

26 March

 

1939: Pan American began survey flights between Baltimore and South Hampton. (5)

 

1940: US commercial airlines ended a year of flying without a fatal accident or serious injury. (24)

 

1942: The Douglas C-54 Skymaster first flew. (http://www.afa.org/magazine/gallery/c-54.html) 1943: The first Air Medal awarded to a woman went to 2Lt Elsie S. Ott, Army Nursing Corps, who served as nurse for five patients evacuated from India to Washington DC. (24)

 

1944: Marine Corsairs from Engebi flew the first fighter escort for US AAF B-25s on a 360-mile bombing mission against Ponape. (24)

 

1949: The YB-36D prototype, the first 10-engine plane with six reciprocating and four Allison J35 jetassist engines, made a successful maiden test flight at Fort Worth. The later production-model B-36D received J47-GE-19 jet engines. (16) (24)

 

1958: White Alice, a military radio relay network using tropospheric scatter, inaugurated in Alaska for better communications between isolated Arctic posts and their headquarters. It joined the radar warning outposts of the Alaskan segment of the DEW line with the Alaskan Air Command. (5) Explorer III, the third US satellite to go into orbit, launched from Cape Canaveral. (16)

 

1959: The US and Italy signed an agreement to deploy to squadrons of Jupiter IRBMs to Italy. (6)

 

1961: NASA's Aerobee research rocket attained 252 miles in altitude after being launched from Wallops Station. (24)

 

1965: A successful first launch of the Army's rapid-acceleration intercept Sprint missile took place at White Sands Missile Range. (5)

 

1968: Maj William J. Knight received the 1968 Octave Chanute Award for flying the X-15A-2 rocket aircraft to a new speed record of 4,354 MPH. (16)

 

1977: TEAM SPIRIT 77. Through 26 April, 548 aircraft from the USAF, US Navy, USMC, and the Republic of Korea flew about 6,400 sorties. (16) (26)

 

1987: Gruman's F-14A Tomcat passed the 1,000,000 flight hour milestone. Lt Bing Stickney (pilot) and Cmdr Ed James (radar intercept officer) of VF-111 (The Sundowners) achieved the record in F-14 (number 160666).

 

1996: The F-4 Phantom line retired from active service.

 

1998: The National Science Foundation (NSF), DoD, USAF, Navy, U.S. Transportation Command, and the National Guard Bureau signed a Memorandum of Agreement to transfer responsibility for airlift support of NSF operations in Antarctica from the US Navy to the New York ANG's 109th Airlift Wing. (32)

 

1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. An F-15 shot down two MiG-29s in aerial combat over Yugoslavia on the third day of the operation. (3) (21) 2003: Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Nearly 1,000 173d Airborne Brigade "Sky Soldiers," based at Vicenza, Italy, parachuted from C-17 Globemaster IIIs into the Kurdish-controlled area of northern Iraq. It was the C-17's first insertion of paratroopers into combat. The aircraft and aircrews came from Charleston AFB and McChord AFB. (22)

 

 

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World News for 26 March thanks to Military Periscope

 

USA—Biden Says Doesn't See Troops In Afghanistan In 2022 Military Times | 03/26/2021 President Joe Biden says U.S. forces are unlikely to withdraw by a May 1 deadline under an agreement with the Taliban, but that he does not foresee troops remaining there in 2022, reports the Military Times. During a press conference on Thursday, Biden reiterated that the U.S. was unlikely to meet the deadline, saying that it would be hard to get the troops out for tactical reasons. He said that reviews were underway to determine the best way to reduce the U.S. contingent, emphasizing that he does not envision a U.S. presence in 2022. An estimated 2,500 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan. Some have argued against a full withdrawal, saying that the Taliban has failed to live up to its obligations to reduce violence and cut ties with Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. 

 

USA—F-35B Damaged In Ammo Malfunction Military.Com | 03/26/2021 A Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter was damaged earlier this month after a round fired from its cannon pod detonated early, reports Military.com. On March 12, the jet assigned to VMX-1, the Marine test and evaluation squadron, was conducting nighttime close air support training at the Yuma Range Complex, Ariz., when a PGU-32/U semi-armor piercing high-explosive incendiary tracer (SAPHEI-T) round exploded shortly after being fired, a service spokesman told the news website on Tuesday. The underside of the F-35B was damaged, but the jet landed safely, and the pilot was unharmed, reported the War Zone website. It was not immediately clear if the round had been fired deliberately. The cause of the accident is under investigation. The incident has been classified as a Class A mishap, indicating at least $2.5 million in property damage. 

 

USA—T-45 Trainer Goes Down In Texas Naval Air Force Pacific | 03/26/2021 A Navy trainer jet has crashed in southern Texas, reports Naval Air Force Pacific. The T-45C Goshawk went down on Wednesday around 3 miles (5 km) northeast of the Naval Outlying Field Orange Grove, on the outskirts of Corpus Christi. The aircraft was based out of Naval Air Station Kingsville, reported KRIS 6 News (Corpus Christi). Student pilots routinely fly training missions in the area, said a Navy spokeswoman. The instructor and student pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. The crash is under investigation.  

 

United Kingdom—Royal Navy Trainer Jet Goes Down In Cornwall Sky News | 03/26/2021 A Royal Navy Hawk T1 trainer jet has been destroyed in a crash in Cornwall, reports Sky News (U.K.) On Thursday, the aircraft crashed in a wooded area near the town of Helston in southwest Cornwall. Both pilots ejected and were being assessed for injuries following the incident, said Defense Minister Johnny Mercer. Engine failure was suspected as the cause of the accident, he said. The aircraft involved was assigned to 736 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Culdrose in Helston, reported BBC News. The squadron uses its Hawks to simulate attacks on ships for Royal Navy vessels preparing for deployments as well as to train students at the Royal Navy School of Fighter Control. 

 

United Kingdom—Crowsnest AEW Helicopter Enters Service Royal Navy Press Release | 03/26/2021 The Royal Navy has received its first Merlin helicopter equipped with an airborne surveillance capability. The "Crowsnest" helicopter was delivered to Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, near Helston in Cornwall, where it will begin operational training ahead of its maiden deployment on the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth this spring, the Royal Navy said in a release on Wednesday. Aircrews have been training to use the new system since the fall of 2020, officials said. The Merlin Crowsnest features new mission systems and radar from Thales. The radar can be deployed from the side of the fuselage for airborne surveillance and control (ASaC) missions. The system enables the helicopter crew to detect surface and air targets beyond the horizon and serve as a control center for strike operations. The Merlin replaces the retired Sea King helicopter in the ASaC mission. Each helicopter has a pilot and two observers, who serve as mission and tactical specialists.

 

France—SAMP/T Upgrade Program Launched With Italy Defense News | 03/26/2021 France and Italy have launched a major modernization for their jointly developed air defense system, reports Defense News. On March 19, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly and Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini officially launched the SAMP/T NG program to renew the ground-based air defenses of the French air force and Italian army, reported the French Ministry of Defense. The Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) also notified the contract to Eurosam on that date. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Under the program, the SAMP/T will be updated to deal with evolving threats that are faster, more maneuverable and stealthier as well as used in combination with cyberattacks, decoys, jamming and saturation attacks, said the French Directorate General of Armaments. The upgraded system will provide improved capabilities to NATO ballistic missile defense efforts. The fire-control system will be modernized with a new active electronically scanned array that is adapted to the greater range of the Aster 30 B1 NT Extended Capability missile. 

 

North Korea—New Tactical Ballistic Missile Test-Fired British Broadcasting Corp. | 03/26/2021 A North Korean missile test this week evaluated a "new-type tactical guided projectile," reports the BBC News. On Thursday, North Korea launched two missiles, hitting a test target at a range of more than 375 miles (600 km), reported the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Friday. The missiles were launched in the direction of the Sea of Japan, reported the Yonhap news agency. South Korean and Japanese officials said that the missiles only flew 250 miles (400 km) to 280 miles (450 km), reaching an altitude of 40 miles (60 km). The new missile can reportedly carry a 2.5-ton warhead and uses a solid-fuel engine. North Korean official Ri Pyong Chol, who was present for the test, described it as a significant boost for Pyongyang's defense and deterrence capability. Experts said the missile appeared to be an upgraded version of the KN-23, which is based on the Russian Iskander. That missile has a payload of about 1 ton. The KN-23 variant was first seen during a military parade in Pyongyang in January and had not been tested before. A State Dept. spokesman said that the U.S. condemned the launch, which violated U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting ballistic missile tests.

 

South Korea—Stronger Ties Agreed During Defense Minister's Visit To India Yonhap | 03/26/2021 The defense ministers of India and South Korea have agreed to bolster defense and military cooperation, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook met with his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, on Friday in New Delhi. Singh expressed support for South Korea's position on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and broader peace efforts, said the South Korean Defense Ministry. Both leaders agreed on "the need to establish a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region." The ministers also agreed to accelerate cooperation that had been slowed or suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to expand ties on cyber, space and maritime issues. Suh also raised the possible sale to India of the K30 Biho air defense system and minesweepers. India is believed to be interested in the possibility of leasing a minesweeper from South Korea, noted the Mint (New Delhi).

 

Taiwan—Coast Guard Cooperation Pact Inked With U.S. Bloomberg News | 03/26/2021 The Taiwanese government has signed an agreement with the U.S. to boost coast guard cooperation, reports Bloomberg News. The memorandum of understanding covers the establishment of a coast guard working group to "improve communications, build cooperation and share information," the American Institute of Taiwan said in a statement on Friday. U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Sung Kim attended the signing ceremony on Thursday, reported Reuters. Taiwanese officials said the accord was expected to enhance cooperation in maritime safety, humanitarian rescue, fisheries enforcement and protection of the marine environment. Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said that greater cooperation with the U.S. was needed following China's passage of a new law that permits its coast guard ships to open fire on foreign vessels in defense of areas claimed by Beijing. The agreement is the first bilateral pact signed by the U.S. and Taiwan under the Biden administration. 

 

Burma—KIA Seizes Border Post Amid Growing Fighting With Military Myanmar Now | 03/26/2021 The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has seized a Burmese border outpost near the frontier with China, reports Myanmar Now. On Thursday, KIA fighters gained control of the base in the Alaw Buam area of Dawphoneyan in southern Kachin state, after 11 hours of fighting, said a spokesman for the group. The spokesman said he could not confirm reports about military casualties or that the KIA had captured a battalion commander. Tensions between the KIA and military have been escalating since the coup that overthrew the civilian government on Feb. 1. On Monday, the military attacked a KIA position in Waingmaw township with artillery. The KIA responded by attacking a nearby military base. On Tuesday, soldiers attacked a KIA post in Sa Done township. The KIA entered cease-fire negotiations with the government in 2018 but has sided with protesters following the coup and ensuing crackdown. 

 

Saudi Arabia—Houthis Launch Another Round Of Missile, Drone Attacks Al Arabiya | 03/26/2021 Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched another round of attacks targeting military and oil targets across Saudi Arabia, reports Al Arabiya (Dubai). On Thursday, Saudi air defenses intercepted eight explosive-laden drones, including five over the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait, said the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen. A sixth drone targeted Najran. A fire was reported in Jazan after an unspecified projectile hit a petroleum distribution terminal but there were no casualties, reported the state-run Saudi Press Agency. On Friday, air defense systems intercepted a ballistic missile over Najran, sources said. In a statement via the allied Al Masirah television channel, the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on oil sites in Ras Tanura, Rabigh, Yanbu and Jizan. It also claimed an attack on the King Abdulaziz military base in Dammam, at least 540 miles (870 km) from the Yemeni border. The Houthis said that the attacks involved the use of Sammad-3 drones and Zulfiqar, Badr and Sa'ir ballistic missiles.

 

Israel—Another Attack On Israeli Ship Blamed On Iran Times of Israel | 03/26/2021 Iran is suspected in another attack on an Israeli-owned ship, reports the Times of Israel. On Sunday, the Liberian-flagged container ship Lori left Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, headed for the Indian port of Mundra. Early Thursday morning, the ship came under missile fire in the Gulf of Oman, suffering light damage, reported Israel's Channel 12. No casualties were reported. The ship is owned by the Haifa-based firm XT Management Ltd., reported Israel Defense. The incident was reported to the appropriate Israeli security officials and the ship continued on its course, reported the Jerusalem Post. Iran and Israel have increasingly accused the other of attacking its merchant ships. 

 

Egypt—Top Sinai Province Leader Killed In Security Op New Arab | 03/26/2021 A senior member of the Sinai Province militant group has been killed in an Egyptian security operation, reports the New Arab (London). On March 21, Salim Salmi Saeed Al-Hamadin was killed in a joint operation between the Egyptian military and local tribal forces, reported Sky News Arabia (Abu Dhabi). Hamadin was a senior member of the Sinai Province, which is affiliated with the Islamic State. Attacks by the group have killed hundreds of civilians and security personnel in the Sinai in recent years. Hamadin was arrested for his role in a series of bombings targeting tourist sites along the southern Sinai cities of Sharm el-Sheikh and Taba in 2004 and 2005. He was released in 2011 and joined extremists in northern Sinai.

 

Somalia—3 Killed In Mortar Attack On U.N., AMISOM HQ In Mogadishu Anadolu News Agency | 03/26/2021 At least three people have been killed in a mortar attack on the U.N. and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) headquarters in Mogadishu, reports the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). On Thursday, Al-Shabaab militants fired mortars at the U.N. compound, known as Camp Halane, which also houses the British and U.S. diplomatic missions, killing three civilians and injuring five. Several mortar shells landed in a nearby residential area close to the Somali Adan Adde International Airport, said a local police officer. At the time of the attack, Somali leaders were meeting at Camp Halane as part of efforts to break a political stalemate concerning presidential elections. Militants previously attacked Camp Halane on March 9 without causing any casualties. Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attack. 

 

Ethiopia—Eritrean Forces To Withdraw From Tigray, PM Says Al Jazeera | 03/26/2021 Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says that Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its troops from the northern Tigray region, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki agreed to the pullout during talks between the leaders in Asmara, the Eritrean capital, on Thursday, Abiy said on Friday. Once the drawdown is complete, Ethiopian troops will assume responsibility for border security, said Abiy in a statement. The statement did not indicate how many Eritrean troops were currently in Ethiopia. Thousands of Eritrean troops have reportedly been active in Tigray. Abiy first acknowledged the presence of Eritrean troops in the region on Tuesday. The prime minister said that the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which ruled the region prior to last year's war, had provoked the Eritrean intervention by firing rockets across the border, reported Agence France-Presse. There has been growing criticism from human-rights groups and the U.S. of alleged extrajudicial killings, rape, looting and other violations in Tigray by Eritrean forces. 

 

Uruguay—Air Force Chopper Carrying Vaccines Crashes In South Mercopress | 03/26/2021 A Uruguayan air force helicopter carrying vaccines has been destroyed after crashing in the southern Rocha state, reports Mercopress (Uruguay). On Thursday, the helicopter was transporting about 300 refrigerated doses of the Pfizer novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine when it suffered a mechanical failure. The crew made an emergency landing. The helicopter caught fire and was destroyed along with its cargo, said the Uruguayan Ministry of Defense. The three crewmembers suffered minor injuries in the incident. The type of helicopter involved was not identified, but it was believed to be a UH-1N. An investigation has been launched. 

 

 

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