Good Thursday morning May 27
I hope that your week has been going well.
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On This Day in Naval History May 27
1862 USS Bienville captures the British blockade-runner Patras off Bulls Island, S.C. and USS Santiago de Cuba captures the schooner Lucy C. Holmes off Charleston.
1919 The crew of the Curtiss flying boat NC-4 arrives at Lisbon, Portugal for a stop during its transatlantic flight to Portsmouth, England, arriving May 31.
1942 Mess Attendant 2nd Class Doris Miller receives the Navy Cross for his heroism at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. Adm. Chester W. Nimitz presents the medal to Miller on board USS Enterprise (CV 6). He is killed when his ship is torpedoed Nov. 24, 1943, during the invasion of the Gilbert Islands.
1943 USS Runner (SS 275) departs Midway for her third war patrol but is never heard from again. Overdue and presumed lost in July 1943, she is struck from the Navy list that October.
1952 During the Korean War, USS Douglas H. Fox (DD 779) receives eight to 10 rounds of 76-mm fire off Suwon, Korea. The destroyer returns fire, silencing the gun crew.
1995 USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) is commissioned at Charleston, S.C. before sailing to her homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Paul Hamilton, named for the third Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton, is the 10th in a class of ship that continues to serve the fleet.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• Several outlets reported on the death of John W. Warner, a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, who served as the Secretary of the Navy, U.S. senator from Virginia, and chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee. Warner was 94 years old.
• Wall Street Journal and USNI News reported the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) will assist with the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• Media reported CMC GEN Berger is reviewing results of the completed 15th MEU AAV investigation.
Today in History: May 27
.1564 John Calvin, one of the dominant figures of the Protestant Reformation, dies in Geneva.
1647 Achsah Young becomes the first woman known to be executed as a witch in Massachusetts.
1668 Three colonists are expelled from Massachusetts for being Baptists.
1813 Americans capture Fort George, Canada.
1907 The Bubonic Plague breaks out in San Francisco.
1919 A U.S. Navy seaplane completes the first transatlantic flight.
1929 Colonel Charles Lindbergh marries Anne Spencer Morrow.
1935 The Supreme Court declares President Franklin Roosevelt's National Recovery Act unconstitutional.
1937 San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge opens.
1941 The German battleship Bismarck is sunk by British naval and air forces.
1942 German General Erwin Rommel begins a major offensive in Libya with his Afrika Korps.
1944 American General Douglas MacArthur lands on Biak Island in New Guinea.
1960 A military coup overthrows the democratic government of Turkey.
1969 Construction begins on Walt Disney World in Florida.
1972 President Richard M. Nixon and Soviet Communist Party chief Leonid Brezhnev sign an arms reduction agreement.
1999 The international war crimes tribunal indicts Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic for war atrocities.
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Thanks to Chuck
Professional Armored Car Driver
Just another day at work??!!
https://biggeekdad.com/2021/05/professional-armored-car-driver/
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Thanks to Tim
Seen this? Unbelievable. Just confirmed that NG is not doing it ….. yet. No idea about BA or RTN …. Or others. This is awful.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— ... For The List for Thursday, 27 May 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)...
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 27 May 1966...
"Remembering the first aviators to fight and die in the Vietnam War"...
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-27-may-1966-some-gave-all-2/
This work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
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 May 27
1919 – First Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone, USCG, piloting the Navy's flying boat NC-4 in the first successful trans-Atlantic flight, landed in the Tagus River estuary near Lisbon, Portugal on 27 May 1919. Stone was decorated that same day by the Portuguese government with the Order of the Tower and Sword. Three aircraft, designated NC-1, NC-3 and NC-4–called "Nancy" boats–had taken off from New York's Rockaway Naval Air Station for Lisbon on May 8, with intermediate stops planned for Newfoundland and the Azores. Only NC-4 completed the 3,925-mile transatlantic flight. Heavy rain and fog forced NC-1 down at sea, where it sank on May 17. NC-3 came down in rough seas and taxied 200 miles into the harbor at Horta in the Azores.
1941 – Despite US neutrality thus far into World War II, the US Navy assists the Royal Navy in its pursuit of the German battleship Bismarck. British code-breakers had been able to decrypt some German signals, including an order to the Luftwaffe to provide support for the damaged Bismarck making for Brest, and the French Resistance provided the British with confirmation that Luftwaffe units were relocating there. British Admiral John Tovey, in charge of the pursuit, could now turn his forces toward France to converge in areas through which Bismarck would have to pass. A squadron of Coastal Command PBY Catalinas based in Northern Ireland joined the search, covering areas where Bismarck might be headed in her attempt to reach occupied France. At 10:30, a Catalina piloted by Ensign Leonard B. Smith of the US Navy located her, some 690 nmi (1,280 km; 790 mi) northwest of Brest. At her current speed, she would have been close enough to reach the protection of U-boats and the Luftwaffe in less than a day. Bismarck would be sunk early the next day.
1942 – The Japanese invasion fleet for Midway puts to sea from Saipan and Guam with troop transports carrying 5000 men. They are escorted by cruisers and destroyers. Likewise, the invasion force for the Aleutians sets sail in two groups from Ominato.
1942 – The damaged USS Yorktown arrives at Pearl Harbor and repairs begin immediately.
1945 – On Okinawa, American forces attacking southward, continue to encounter heavy Japanese resistance. Japanese aircraft begin a two-day series of strikes against the Allied naval forces around the island. The US destroyer Drexler is sunk.
1945 – The US 25th Division, part of the US 1st Corps, takes Santa Fe on Luzon. There is still heavy fighting in several parts of Mindanao.
1958 – The Air Force received its first production Republic F-105B Thunderchief. In 1951, Republic Aviation began a project to develop a supersonic tactical fighter-bomber to replace the F-84F. The result was the F-105 Thunderchief, which later gained the affectionate nickname "Thud". Although the prototype YF-105A made its first flight on October 22, 1955, the first production aircraft, an F-105B, was not delivered to the United States Air Force (USAF) until May 27, 1958. A supersonic aircraft capable of carrying conventional and nuclear weapons internally as well as externally, the F-105B was the heaviest, most complex fighter in the USAF inventory when it became operational. F-105s were produced only in the "B," "D" and "F" series (later, some "F"s were modified to become F-105Gs). Of the 833 Thunderchiefs built, only 75 were produced as F-105Bs.
1958 – The F-4 Phantom II makes its first flight. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor aircraft/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was also adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, and by the mid-1960s had become a major part of their respective air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated a M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively; it served as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, and became important in the ground-attack and aerial reconnaissance roles late in the war. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U.S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, the USAF had one pilot and two weapon systems officers (WSOs), and the US Navy one pilot and one radar intercept officer (RIO), achieve five aerial kills against other enemy fighter aircraft and become aces in air-to-air combat. The F-4 continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 in the U.S. Air Force, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the U.S. Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. It was also the only aircraft used by both U.S. flight demonstration teams: the USAF Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the US Navy Blue Angels (F-4J). The F-4 was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with seven countries, and in use as an Target drone in the U.S. Air Force. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft.
1968 – Last Monday of the month. Memorial Day, which began in 1868 as Decoration Day, was set aside to remember those who have died in the service of their country. Celebrated on May 30 for the first 100 years, Memorial Day was officially changed to the last Monday in May in 1968.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
McHUGH, MARTIN
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1837, Cincinnati, Ohio. Accredited to: Ohio. G.O. No.: 17, 10 July 1863. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Cincinnati during the attack on the Vicksburg batteries and at the time of her sinking, 27 May 1863. Engaging the enemy in a fierce battle, the Cincinnati amidst, an incessant fire of shot and shell, continued to fire her guns to the last, though so penetrated by shellfire that her fate was sealed. Serving bravely during this action, McHugh was conspicuously cool under the fire of the enemy, never ceasing to fire until this proud ship went down, "her colors nailed to the mast."
PUTNAM, EDGAR P.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company D, 9th New York Cavalry. Place and date: At Crumps Creek, Va., 27 May 1864. Entered service at: Stockton, N.Y. Birth: Stockton, N.Y. Date of issue: 13 May 1892. Citation: With a small force on a reconnaissance drove off a strong body of the enemy, charged into another force of the enemy's cavalry and stampeded them, taking 27 prisoners.
RUTHERFORD, JOHN T.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company L, 9th New York Cavalry. Place and date: At Yellow Tavern, Va., 11 May 1864; At Hanovertown, Va., 27 May 1864. Entered service at: Canton, N.Y. Birth:——. Date of issue: 22 March 1892. Citation: Made a successful charge at Yellow Tavern, Va., 11 May 1864, by which 90 prisoners were captured. On 27 May 1864, in a gallant dash on a superior force of the enemy and in a personal encounter, captured his opponent.
STRONG, JAMES N.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 49th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Port Hudson, La., 27 May 1863. Entered service at: Pittsfield, Mass. Birth: ——. Date of issue: 25 November 1893. Citation: Volunteered in response to a call and took part in the movement that was made upon the enemy's works under a heavy fire therefrom in advance of the general assault.
WARREN, FRANCIS E.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company C, 49th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Port Hudson, La., 27 May 1863. Entered service at: Hinsdale, Mass. Birth: Hinsdale, Mass. Date of issue: 30 September 1893. Citation: Volunteered in response to a call, and took part in the movement that was made upon the enemy's works under a heavy fire therefrom in advance of the general assault.
CUTTER, GEORGE W.
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1849, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Powhatan, Norfolk, Va., 27 May 1872. Jumping overboard on this date, Cutter aided in saving one of the crew of that vessel from drowning.
*FLEEK, CHARLES CLINTON
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U .S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 27 May 1967. Entered service at: Cincinnati, Ohio. Born: 28 August 1947, Petersburg, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Fleek distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader in Company C, during an ambush operation. Sgt. Fleek's unit was deployed in ambush locations when a large enemy force approached the position. Suddenly, the leading enemy element, sensing the ambush, halted and started to withdraw. Reacting instantly, Sgt. Fleek opened fire and directed the effective fire of his men upon the numerically superior enemy force. During the fierce battle that followed, an enemy soldier threw a grenade into the squad position. Realizing that his men had not seen the grenade, Sgt. Fleek, although in a position to seek cover, shouted a warning to his comrades and threw himself onto the grenade, absorbing its blast. His gallant action undoubtedly saved the lives or prevented the injury of at least 8 of his fellow soldiers. Sgt. Fleek's gallantry and willing self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*PHIPPS, JIMMY W.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company B, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam, 27 May 1969. Entered service at: Culver City, Calif. Born: 1 November 1950, Santa Monica, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a combat engineer with Company B in connection with combat operations against the enemy. Pfc. Phipps was a member of a 2-man combat engineer demolition team assigned to locate and destroy enemy artillery ordnance and concealed firing devices. After he had expended all of his explosives and blasting caps, Pfc. Phipps discovered a 175mm high explosive artillery round in a rice paddy. Suspecting that the enemy had attached the artillery round to a secondary explosive device, he warned other marines in the area to move to covered positions and prepared to destroy the round with a hand grenade. As he was attaching the hand grenade to a stake beside the artillery round, the fuse of the enemy's secondary explosive device ignited. Realizing that his assistant and the platoon commander were both within a few meters of him and that the imminent explosion could kill all 3 men, Pfc. Phipps grasped the hand grenade to his chest and dived forward to cover the enemy's explosive and the artillery round with his body, thereby shielding his companions from the detonation while absorbing the full and tremendous impact with his body. Pfc. Phipps' indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty saved the lives of 2 marines and upheld the highest traditions of 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 May 27, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
27 May
1913: Under General Order No. 39, Army officers who qualified as military aviators received a Military Aviator's Certificate and badge. At the time, 24 officers qualified. (18)
1931: The first full-scale wind tunnel for testing airplanes placed in operation at the Langley Field Laboratory of the NACA. (21)
1939: Lt Col Alfred A. Cunningham, first Marine and fifth naval aviator, died at his home in Sarasota, Fla.
1951: KOREAN WAR. Unit 4/SAM C-47s flew leaflet drop/voice broadcast sorties encouraging the enemy to surrender to elements of the U.S. Army's IX Corps. Some 4,000 enemy soldiers surrendered, with many carrying leaflets. The captives reported morale problems among the enemy because of UN aerial attacks. (28)
1958: Gen O. P. Weyland accepted TAC's first production F-105B Thunderchief from Republic at its Farmingdale plant in Long Island. (12) Company test pilot Robert Little flew the McDonnell Douglas' XF-4H-1 Phantom II prototype on its first flight in St. Louis. (8)
1959: The 702 SMW (ICM-Snark) at Presque Isle AFB received SAC's first Snark missile. (6)
1963: McDonnell-Douglas' two-seat, twin-engine F-4C Phantom II completed its first flight. (4) (12)
1965: The Army's XH-51A, fastest helicopter in the world, demonstrated its rigid motor system and auxiliary jet engine during a test flight. It had a top speed of 272 MPH. Without thrust from the engine, the XH-51A could be operated as a helicopter.
1966: The McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom made its first public flight.
1970: The Air Force completed the Minuteman III's basic R&D program. The last launch of the Minuteman III at the Eastern Test Range took place on 14 December 1970.
1971: Boeing received a $81,745,707 contract to produce 19 737 jet transports for the USAF's Undergraduate Navigator Training System. Honeywell received an earlier contract to build 52 ground simulators for the system. (16)
1996: The Air Force named the ninth B-2 the "Spirit of Hawaii" in ceremonies at Hickam AFB. (AFNEWS Article 960453, May 96)
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World News for 27 May thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Predeployment Quarantines Lifted For Vaccinated SailorsNavy Times | 05/27/2021 The Navy is eliminating predeployment quarantines for sailors who have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports the Navy Times.On Monday, the Navy issued new standard operational guidance for COVID-19.The main update is an end to the requirement for sailors to complete a 14-day restriction of movement (ROM) sequester prior to deployment to prevent the spread of the virus.Non-vaccinated sailors must complete the ROM with test-in and test-out to ensure they are not infected with the virus when boarding their vessel for a deployment.The Navy previously reduced the health protection measures required for vaccinated sailors in February At the time, the service said that vaccinated individuals would be permitted to go ashore in overseas safe haven ports, including Guam, Bahrain, Yokosuka and Sasebo in Japan and Rota in Spain.In addition, Naval Component Command was authorized to relax some underway healthcare protection measures to allow a more realistic and unimpeded shipboard setting.
USA—Roosevelt Carrier Wraps Up 2nd Deployment In 16 MonthsU.S. Third Fleet | 05/27/2021The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has returned to its homeport on the West Coast after a deployment in the Indo-Pacific, reports the U.S. Third Fleet.On Tuesday, the Roosevelt arrived at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., seven months after departing on Dec. 23, 2020.The Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group included Carrier Air Wing 11, Destroyer Squadron 23, the cruiser Bunker Hill and destroyer Russell.The overseas deployment was the second for the carrier in 16 months, noted USNI News.The prior deployment was cut short by the first major outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) aboard a Navy vessel.In its latest deployment, the Roosevelt CSG operated in the Pacific and Indian oceans.On two occasions, the carrier conducted freedom of navigation operations in the disputed South China Sea. The carrier also trained with the Australian, Indian, Malaysian and Japanese armed forces. Earlier this month, the strike group took part in the Northern Edge exercise in Alaska.
United Kingdom—Type 31 Frigates To Get Sea Ceptor Air Defense SystemsMBDA Missile Systems | 05/27/2021 The U.K. Ministry of Defense has awarded a contract to MBDA Systems to supply air defense systems for its new class of frigates, reports the European missile maker.The contract covers the integration of the Sea Ceptor missile system with the Type 31 frigate as well as the delivery and installation of ship hardware for the program, MBDA said in a Wednesday release.The value of the contract was not made public.The Sea Ceptor will protect Type 31 frigates and nearby vessels against current and future threats, including high-speed maneuvering missiles, aircraft and fast inshore craft, the company said.
Norway—Ground Master Radars Ordered From Netherlands Thales | 05/27/2021Norway has signed a government-to-government agreement with the Netherlands for the purchase of new ground radars, reports Thales. The deal, inked on Tuesday, covers the delivery of five Ground Master 200 Multimission Compact (GM200 MM/C) radars with options for three more, the company said.The agreement is valued at 77 million euros (US$94 million), with deliveries set for 2023 and 2024, reported Jane's.The GM200 MM/C features a 4D active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar employing a dual-axis multibeam for unrestricted elevation and bearing. The radar is designed to automatically detect, track and classify numerous uncrewed aerial vehicles; rockets, artillery and mortars; missiles; aircraft and helicopters It is particularly suited to the weapon-locating, air surveillance and air defense missions, according to Thales. The GM200 MM/C variant is a palletized system featuring high tactical mobility and a short deployment time.
Russia—Surveillance Ship Operating Off Hawaii USNI News | 05/27/2021A Russian navy surveillance vessel has been identified off the coast of Hawaii, reports USNI News.On Tuesday, U.S. Navy officials confirmed that the vessel, reportedly the intelligence ship Kareliya (SSV-535), was operating just outside U.S. territorial waters.Open-source intelligence trackers initially identified the Kareliya off the west coast of Kauai on May 21.The vessel was operating within international law and did not pose a hazard to navigation, Navy officials said. The Kareliya was not operating with its automatic identification system active, said the officials.
Russia—Putin Ratifies Military Cooperation Treaty With Kazakhstan Tass | 05/27/2021Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation ratifying a military cooperation agreement with Kazakhstan, reports Russia's Tass news agency.The legislation was posted to the government's legal information web portal on Wednesday. It was formally adopted by the Duma on May 11 and approved by the Federation Council on May 19.The military cooperation treaty was initially signed by Russia and Kazakhstan during a meeting in the Kazakh city of Nur-Sultan on Oct. 15, 2020.The treaty covers military cooperation measures such as military education and personnel training; delivery of armaments and hardware; participation in joint bilateral and multilateral drills; and troop combat training. Russia and Kazakhstan will hold staff negotiations and consultations on regional security and joint employment of troops, conferences and workshops under the agreement.The treaty also stipulates interactions in peacekeeping activity and the improvement of bilateral regulatory and legal frameworks as well as in culture and sports.The sides will next develop a three-year program of strategic military partnership to enhance cooperation.
Russia—Surveillance Ship Operating Off Hawaii USNI News | 05/27/2021A Russian navy surveillance vessel has been identified off the coast of Hawaii, reports USNI News.On Tuesday, U.S. Navy officials confirmed that the vessel, reportedly the intelligence ship Kareliya (SSV-535), was operating just outside U.S. territorial waters.Open-source intelligence trackers initially identified the Kareliya off the west coast of Kauai on May 21.The vessel was operating within international law and did not pose a hazard to navigation, Navy officials said. The Kareliya was not operating with its automatic identification system active, said the officials.
Russia—Putin Ratifies Military Cooperation Treaty With Kazakhstan Tass | 05/27/2021Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation ratifying a military cooperation agreement with Kazakhstan, reports Russia's Tass news agency.The legislation was posted to the government's legal information web portal on Wednesday. It was formally adopted by the Duma on May 11 and approved by the Federation Council on May 19. The military cooperation treaty was initially signed by Russia and Kazakhstan during a meeting in the Kazakh city of Nur-Sultan on Oct. 15, 2020.The treaty covers military cooperation measures such as military education and personnel training; delivery of armaments and hardware; participation in joint bilateral and multilateral drills; and troop combat training. Russia and Kazakhstan will hold staff negotiations and consultations on regional security and joint employment of troops, conferences and workshops under the agreement.The treaty also stipulates interactions in peacekeeping activity and the improvement of bilateral regulatory and legal frameworks as well as in culture and sports. The sides will next develop a three-year program of strategic military partnership to enhance cooperation.
Armenia—6 Troops Captured By Azerbaijani Forces On Border Tass | 05/27/2021The Armenian Defense Ministry has confirmed that several Armenian troops have been captured by Azerbaijani forces along the border of the eastern Gegharkunik province, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow).Early Thursday morning, six Armenian soldiers were seized while performing engineering work along the border, the ministry said. All measures were being taken to ensure the safe return of the troops. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said that the Armenians attempted to enter Azerbaijani territory near Yukhari Ayrim in the Kalbajar district, near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.The Armenians were attempting to mine a road leading to an Azerbaijani army base, the ministry said.The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also said that a concentration of Armenian military equipment, including tanks, was spotted near the border.
China—New MRLs, Air Defense Systems Fielded In Xinjiang Global Times | 05/27/2021Troops in western China have received new air defense and artillery systems, reports the state-run Global Times (Beijing). The Xinjiang Military Command took delivery of an undisclosed number of 122-mm PHL-11 multiple rocket launchers and HQ-17A air defense missile systems, reported military-linked media on Wednesday. These are the fifth and sixth new equipment sets to enter service in Xinjiang in May, said the paper.China has been upgrading its equipment in the region to improve the ability of its forces to fight in the high altitudes in Xinjiang.
Japan—U.S. Army Opens 1st Patriot Missile Storage Facility In OkinawaU.S. Army | 05/27/2021The U.S. has completed its first Patriot missile storage facility in Japan, reports the U.S. Army.On May 19, the facility at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa was officially opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the service said in a Tuesday release.The 1,700-square-foot (158-square-m) facility has two main buildings that can support separate missile batteries and a cooling and humidity monitoring system to preserve the weapons in the humid climate. The storage building will support increased readiness and improve response times, said Lt. Col. Rosanna Clemente, the commander of 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, in Okinawa. Construction of the facility included many firsts, such as the first use of virtual reality technology to tour the military facility prior to construction, said Col. Thomas Verell Jr., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Japan District commander. It was also built to Japanese industrial standards under a program permitting the use of host country materials during construction to save time and money.
India—Leased Heron Drones To Arrive Soon Times Of India | 05/27/2021Indian soldiers will soon take delivery of Israeli uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) under a lease agreement made earlier this year, reports the Times of India.Two upgraded Heron Mk II drones are to be delivered in two to three months, sources said on Wednesday. Two more are expected to follow before the end of the year as part of the three-year lease. The new aircraft will deploy with troops in the Ladakh sector and other areas along the disputed border with China, reported the Asian News International (New Delhi).The upgraded Herons feature improved anti-jamming capabilities, officials said.
Afghanistan—Taliban Unveil Conditions For Istanbul Talks Voice Of America News | 05/27/2021The Taliban has indicated that it has conditions that must be met before it will participate in proposed peace talks with the Afghan government, reports the Voice of America News.Last month, the U.S. proposed holding a conference in Turkey after announcing that it would withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by September. The event is to be jointly hosted by the U.N., Turkey and Qatar in Istanbul.The insurgent group has announced three demands: that the conference be short; the agenda not include decision-making on critical issues; and that the Taliban delegation be low level.Sheikh Abdul Hakeem, the head of the Taliban's negotiating team, and several other Taliban officials recently met in Pakistan with Taliban leadership, including its head, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, to discuss the proposed conference.The consultations lasted about a month before ending last week.The U.S. wanted the conference to take place in April and run for 10 days to provide enough time for the Afghan government and Taliban to resolve their differences and make important decisions toward peace or reach a breakthrough in otherwise deadlocked talks.
Iran—Hardliners Dominate List Of Approved Candidates For PresidentBritish Broadcasting Corp. | 05/27/2021 The Guardian Council has released its list of approved candidates for Iran's upcoming presidential election, reports BBC News. On Tuesday, the interior ministry published the list of candidates approved by the council, an unelected 12-member constitutional vetting body overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar).The list includes current judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi; secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei; former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili; deputy parliament speaker Amir Hossein Gazizadeh Hashemi; and lawmaker Alirezah Zakani, all considered hardliners.Moderate central bank governor Abdolnasser Hemmati and reformist former Vice President Mohsen Mehralizadeh were also approved to run.Raisi is seen as the frontrunner to replace President Hassan Rouhani, who is nearing the end of his second and final term.Several prominent candidates were not included on the list, including former parliament speaker Ali Larijani, considered a pragmatic conservative who has become more of a centrist, and reformist First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri. The Guardian Council has been accused of fixing the election through the narrow list, reported the Guardian (U.K.). In April, the council suddenly announced new rules restricting candidates to those between the age of 40 and 75 with no criminal record and at least four years of senior executive leadership experience.Those rules automatically disqualified two prominent officials.
Iraq—Senior PMF Commander Arrested In Baghdad Rudaw | 05/27/2021Iraqi security forces have arrested a militia commander linked to attacks on U.S. bases, reports Rudaw (Iraqi Kurdistan).On Wednesday, Iraqi security personnel arrested Qasim Muslih during a dawn raid in Baghdad, said security sources. Anti-terrorism police arrested Muslih in connection with several recent attacks on facilities hosting U.S. personnel, including Ain Al Assad Air Base, reported Reuters.Muslih leads the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the western Anbar province. In that capacity, he was linked to the death of several activists in the region, reported Agence France-Presse.The PMF is an umbrella of militia groups nominally under state control. Many elements within the PMF have been linked to the Iranian military and intelligence services. Following the arrest, armed groups drove vehicles through the Green Zone in Baghdad, where many government offices are based, in a show of force, security forces said. Other fighters from the PMF blocked entrances to the Green Zone and refused to allow people to enter.
Ethiopia—Filling Of Controversial Dam Reservoir Resumes, Sudanese Officials Say Reuters | 05/27/2021Sudanese officials say that Ethiopia has begun filling the reservoir behind its controversial dam on the Nile, reports Reuters.The second phase of filling the reservoir behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) began in early May, Sudanese officials said on Tuesday.Filling is expected to accelerate in July and August after seasonal rains.Recent construction work enabled the latest phase to being, said the official. Ethiopian began filling the reservoir in June 2020. Construction of the dam and its effect on the downstream water supplies have raised concerns of neighboring Sudan and Egypt, both of which rely heavily on the Nile for freshwater.
Democratic Republic of the Congo—ADF Blamed For Murder Of 13 Civilians Near Beni Agence France-Presse | 05/27/2021 Thirteen people have been killed in another militant attack in North Kivu province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, reports Agence France-Presse.On Tuesday evening, militants attacked the village of Kisima-Vutotolia, which is about 18 miles (30 km) from the city of Beni, said a local official.Several others were missing after the attack, which was blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militant group. Among those killed in the assault were the local chief and his wife. The ADF, which began as a Ugandan rebel group but has been based in the DRC since 1995, has killed more than 500 people in the area since the beginning of the year. It has also been linked to the Islamic State.
Mozambique—SADC To Discuss Military Mission In Cabo Delgado News24 | 05/27/2021Southern African leaders are meeting this week in Mozambique to discuss the conflict in the northern part of that country, reports News 24 (Cape Town, South Africa). On Thursday, leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) were scheduled to meet in Maputo, the Mozambican capital, to discuss the militant threat in Cabo Delgado, including the deployment of a military mission. The leaders are expected to approve the deployment of up to 3,000 troops to help combat militants in Cabo Delgado. A leaked SADC report called for the mission to include 150 special operations forces to perform "targeted operations" and secure the coast of the Mozambican channel; six helicopters; four transports; two maritime surveillance aircraft; and two drones. The move follows a fact-finding mission deployed after attacks in March in Palma that killed dozens. The talks will also focus on keeping the security response African-led, said South Africa Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor. Following the attack, Portugal agreed to boost an existing training mission by about 60 troops. In addition to the 16-member southern African body, Rwanda is reportedly assessing the possibility of sending troops to Mozambique.
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