TheList 5731

The List 5731     TGB

Good Tuesday morning June 1

I hope that you all had a great Memorial Day weekend;

The Battle of Midway and the D-Day landings will be a lot of the next few days of lists

Regards,

skip

 

 

Today in Naval History

June 1

1813 HMS Shannon, commanded by Capt. Philip Broke, captures USS Chesapeake, commanded by Capt. James Lawrence off the coast of Boston, Mass. During the battle, Capt. Lawrence is mortally wounded, but as he is carried below deck, he orders the iconic phrase: "Tell the men to fire faster! Don't give up the ship!"  

1871 Two ships under the squadron command of Commodore John Rodgers, on USS Colorado, are attacked from Korean forts and batteries. The squadron is carrying Frederick Low, U.S. foreign minister to China, who was sent to negotiate trade with Korea. A Marine Corps expedition destroys the forts and inflicts heavy casualties on the Koreans on June 10-11.

1939 Capt. Hollis M. Cooley, director of the Naval Research Laboratory, proposes research in atomic energy for future use in nuclear powered submarine.

1943 USS Trigger (SS 237) sinks Japanese merchant collier Noborikawa Maru off Kominato, southern Honshu.

1944 Blimp Squadron Fourteen (ZP 14) Airships, (K 123) and (K 130), complete the first crossing of the Atlantic by non-rigid, lighter-than-air aircraft. The journey takes 50 hours after leaving Naval Air Station, South Weymouth, Mass., and arriving at Gibraltar.

1991 USS Rushmore (LSD 47) is commissioned at River Walk in New Orleans, La., the seventh of eight Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships. Its homeport is Naval Base San Diego.

 

Thanks to CHINFO

 

Executive Summary:

•           National press outlets reported on President Joe Biden's Memorial Day address.

•           CNN interviewed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

•           There was widespread national and trade press coverage of the PB FY22 budget submission.

 

 

This Day in World History

 

0193 The Roman emperor, Marcus Didius, is murdered in his palace.

 

1533 Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's new queen, is crowned.

 

1774 The British government orders the port of Boston closed.

 

1789 The first U.S. congressional act on administering oaths becomes law.

 

1812 American navy captain James Lawrence, mortally wounded in a naval engagement with the British, exhorts to the crew of his vessel, the Chesapeake, "Don't give up the ship!"

 

1862 General Robert E. Lee assumes command of the Confederate army outside Richmond after General Joe Johnston is injured at Seven Pines.

 

1864 The Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, begins as Confederate general Robert E. Lee tries to turn Union general Ulysses S. Grant's flank.

 

1868 James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, dies.

 

1877 U.S. troops are authorized to pursue bandits into Mexico.

 

1915 Germany conducts the first zeppelin air raid over England.

 

1916 The National Defense Act increases the strength of the U.S. National Guard by 450,000 men.

 

1921 A race riot erupts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing 85 people.

 

1939 The Douglas DC-4 makes its first passenger flight from Chicago to New York.

 

1941 The German Army completes the capture of Crete as the Allied evacuation ends.

 

1942 America begins sending Lend-Lease materials to the Soviet Union.

 

1958 Charles de Gaulle becomes premier of France.

 

1963 Governor George Wallace vows to defy an injunction ordering integration of the University of Alabama.

 

1978 The U.S. reports finding wiretaps in the American embassy in Moscow.

 

 

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The Flying Leatherneck of Norwood

 

Thanks to Billy and Dr. Rich

 

Please see attachment

 

 

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This is great advice for working out as you get older. BTW Steve Reeves ( a role model for me as I was growing up) mentioned below lived in the Poway / Rancho Bernardo area and I remember an article in a local magazine showing him walking with small weights and talking about the difference in his training as he got older. I am doing what he recommends below and add a lot of stretching and some favorite Yoga moves that have really helped my neck and back ..Skip

 

Thanks to Carl

 

What is senior fitness?

 

(More good common sense exercise advice from Logan!  We must learn to "throttle back" as we add the years!  Keep moving!!)

 

Never stop training, but do adjust, and make it age-appropriate.

June 1, 2021

In this newsletter . . .

What is
senior fitness?

It was years ago that I decided to write about fitness for mature adults. And the first order of business was to decide at what age to refer to people as "seniors."

Hmm?

So I took a tip from AARP and AMAC (seniors' advocacy companies), as they seem to know when anyone anywhere turns 50, and they try to sign you up.

Does 50 seem too young to be called a senior? Maybe. But actually, a gradual decline in physical ability begins even before age 50, at somewhere around age 35, on average. The good news is that most people who take care of themselves are able to perform at near peak into their 40s. Think of pro-football player Tom Brady, for example.

At about age 50, however, consideration should be given to more age-appropriate training. Certain kinds of workouts or competitions may do seniors more harm than good. Particularly, excessive stress on tendons, ligaments, and joints may result in chronic aches and pains that take the fun out of life later on.

As I got older I first noticed a change when I didn't recover as quickly after hard workouts. I also experienced shoulder pain I never had before. Through trial and error, I found that bench pressing made my shoulders sore. I replaced the movement with a variety of push-ups and the pain went away. For me, push-ups were more age-appropriate.

(The bench press, by the way, is notorious. I have known guys — it's usually men — who stubbornly try to push through chronic rotator cuff pain. Some eventually are unable to do any exercise involving their shoulders. Sometimes surgery corrects this, but not always.)

Years ago, I did some long-distance running. It was for fun and I was a middle-of-the-pack plodder, though I did complete some long, tough events. Today, I sometimes watch young family members run long-distance races. At the finish lines I invariably see a few very senior runners. While I admire such determination, to tell you the truth, some of the older folks look unhealthy. I think to myself they'd be better off running shorter distances and putting more effort into muscle building and strength training.

Dedicated martial artists provide other examples. Many who love the discipline but continue to practice hard styles into middle-age and beyond are often rewarded with chronic back and joint problems. Changing to softer or so-called "internal" styles might be better choices as they get older.

The late, great Steve Reeves' pre-competition full-body workouts lasted from two to three hours of intense lifting. Still today, many seniors write and ask about how he trained. I refer them to a workout site but remind them these were pre-competition workouts and he was in his 20s. By the time he reached his 70s, he was doing mostly two sets per exercise and working with cables and a Universal machine, not heavy free weights or with the intensity of his youth. He never stopped training but was wise enough to adjust and scale down.

Bob Hoffman, who owned the York Barbell Company and years ago published Strength & Health magazine, would tell readers: "Train. Don't strain." It was good advice then and it's good advice today.

Test yourself personally. If in the morning following training days you are not fully recovered and it is a real effort getting out of bed, your body is warning you. You're probably doing too much or pushing too hard. Take a good look at what and how much you are doing. Never stop training, but do adjust, and make it age-appropriate.

Remember your mission is to stay as fit as possible for as long as possible. Beating yourself up isn't the way to do it.

Stay healthy. Stay fit.

Logan

Senior Exercise Central

 

 

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Thanks to Mike

 

An American Hero is Created

 

Kneeling

 

  From John McNulty... John McNulty (born May 29, 1968), is an American football coach who is currently the tight ends coach at the University of Notre Dame. He is a former player and graduate of the Penn State University. McNulty returned to Rutgers, where he spent five seasons as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator from 2004 to 2008. The veteran coach also spent 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), coaching for six different teams.

  

This hits the nail right on its head... About Kneeling... From John McNulty...

 

      "I watched the Democratic leaders of Congress kneel in the halls of Congress for about 9 minutes, for the death of a black man named George Floyd.   

I have never seen them kneel for a fallen *Police Officer. 

I have never seen them kneel for a fallen *Soldier. 

 

I NEVER SAW THEM KNEEL FOR THE *SOLDIERS THAT HILLARY &  OBAMA LEFT TO DIE IN Benghazi!!  

I have never seen them kneel for the thousands of (black and white) *babies aborted EVERY DAY.  

I have never seen them kneel for a murdered *white man or woman.  

I have not seen them kneel for the thousands of *black-on-black murder victims.  

I have not seen them kneel for the thousands of *elderly people that died in nursing homes due to the Corona Virus.(Especially N.Y.) 

I have to ask: *WHY are Democrats putting the life of George Floyd as more valuable than the lives of everyone else?  

In fact, Democrats have put so much value on the life of George Floyd, they have allowed rioting,  🙅   looting,  🔥   arson,  🧟   ‍ ♂   ️   murder, and     💣   mayhem in communities n ationwide...  

 

ASK YOURSELF - WHY NOW?" 

 

The family (brothers and sister) of George Floyd opened a Go Fund Me account to "help the family"? It has already raised   $14,455,100.00  and still counting from donations as of June 22, 2020. Yes, almost $14 1/2 MILLION. This is for  a guy who was arrested NINE times; was a convicted drug dealer (and at a drug deal the day he died); held a gun to the stomach of a pregnant lady while his five buddies robbed her home; did prison time three different times totaling about eight years, and obviously didn't learn from our penal system. And America is memorializing him by painting murals of the guy on the sides of buildings like he's a Hero? Unbelievable!!   

You got to be kidding me.

  

Crime does pay! .....and to pour salt in the wound, Rep. Pelosi   (Democrat ) presented his brother a folded American flag flown over   the Capitol in his honor in a beautiful tri-cornered presentation case. 

We should be embarrassed if not disgusted as citizens!!!!!

  

 

 

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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear

LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— ... For The List for Tuesday, 1 June 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 1 June 1966...

"Weather CAVU—Busy day for Yankee Air Pirates"....

 

https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-1-june-1966-good-weather/

 

 

This following 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…….June 1

 

1942 – The aircraft carrier USS Saratoga sails after repairs from torpedo damage. It will be too late to take part in the coming battle at Midway.

1942 – Twenty-five American submarines from various forces assume stations around Midway. 

1944 – Forces of the US 5th Army advance toward Rome. The US 2nd and 6th Corps, exploiting the capture of Velletri, attack through the Alban Hills toward Albano and Valmonte. With the breach of the Caesar Line, German Army Group C (Kesselring) orders a withdrawal north of Rome. Rearguards delay the American advance.

1944 – In the evening, the BBC broadcasts the first code message intended as a warning to the French resistance that a invasion is imminent. The Germans appreciate the significance of the message and alert some units in occupied France.

1944 – On Biak Island, American forces resume their offensive and the infantry gain some ground with armored support. On the mainland, Japanese forces continue their attacks around the Aitape beachhead and the American defenders continue to fall back.

1945 – On Okinawa, after the fall of Shuri, General Mushijima orders the Japanese troops to withdraw southward, towards the Oroku peninsula and the hills of Yaeju, Yuza and Mezado in the extreme south of the island. There are reports of discontent among the Japanese troops, something previously unheard of in the Imperial Army. Elements of the US 1st Marine Division cross the Koruba river, south of Naha. The forces of the US 24th Corps pursue the retreating Japanese while elements mop up around Shuri.

1945 – On Luzon, the US 37th Division (US 1st Corps) advances rapidly in the Cagayan valley. Japanese resistance is reduced to rearguard actions. On Mindanao, American forces are engaged north of Davao.

1951 – One flight of F-86s from the 336th FIS escorting B-29s engaged eighteen MiG-15s, destroying two. A flight of B-29s, 343th BS, defended itself against twenty-two MiG-15s in the vicinity of Sonchon. The MiGs destroyed one B-29 and damaged another, while the defenders destroyed two enemy jets. FEAF Special Air Mission C-47s dropped fifteen Koreans into enemy held territory to retrieve parts from a crashed MiG-15. Unfortunately, communist forces captured all fifteen Koreans. Maj. Gen. Frank F. Everest, USAF, assumed command of Fifth Air Force, replacing General Timberlake.

1953 – Air battles raging over "MiG Alley" produced five F-86 Sabre jet aces during this month, more than any other month of the war.

1954 – First test of steam catapult from USS Hancock.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

GRANT, GABRIEL
Rank and organization: Surgeon, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At Fair Oaks, Va., 1 June 1862. Entered service at: New York. Born: Newark, N.J. Date of issue: 21 July 1897. Citation: Removed severely wounded officers and soldiers from the field while under a heavy fire from the enemy, exposing himself beyond the call of duty, thus furnishing an example of most distinguished gallantry.

HASKELL, FRANK W.
Rank and organization: Sergeant Major, 3d Maine Infantry. Place and date: At Fair Oaks, Va., 1 June 1862. Entered service at: Waterville, Maine. Born: 1843, Benton, Maine. Date of issue: 8 December 1898. Citation: Assumed command of a portion of the left wing of his regiment, all the company officers present having been killed or disabled, led it gallantly across a stream and contributed most effectively to the success of the action.

HENRY, GUY V.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 40th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Cold Harbor, Va., 1 June 1864. Entered service at: Reading Pa. Birth: Fort Smith, Indian Ter. Date of issue: 5 December 1893. Citation: Led the assaults of his brigade upon the enemy's works, where he had 2 horses shot under him.

HILL, EDWARD
Rank and organization: Captain, Company K, 1 6th Michigan Infantry. Place and date: At Cold Harbor, Va., 1 June 1864. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich. Birth: Liberty, N.Y. Date of issue: 4 December 1893. Citation: Led the brigade skirmish line in a desperate charge on the enemy's masked batteries to the muzzles of the guns, where he was severely wounded.

HOWARD, OLIVER O.
Rank and organization: Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At Fair Oaks, Va., 1 June 1862. Entered service at: Maine. Born: 8 November 1830, Leeds, Maine. Date of issue: 29 March 1893. Citation: Led the 61st New York Infantry in a charge in which he was twice severely wounded in the right arm, necessitating amputation.

REPORT THIS AD

TOMPKINS, CHARLES H.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 2d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Fairfax, Va., 1 June 1861. Entered service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Birth: Fort Monroe, Va. Date of issue: 13 November 1893. Citation: Twice charged through the enemy's lines and, taking a carbine from an enlisted man, shot the enemy's captain.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 1, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

1 June

 

1912: Capt Charles DeForest Chandler made the first night flight at College Park.

 

1915: The Navy awarded its first contract for a lighter-than-air craft, a nonrigid airship that became the DN-1, to the Connecticut Aircraft Company in New Haven. (24)

 

1919: Responding to the San Francisco District Forester's request, the first organized and sustained aerial forest fire patrol started at Rockwell Field with Curtiss JN-4D and JN-6H planes. (24)

 

1934: Army Air Corps airmail operations ended. The official record for the enterprise reflected 57 crashes and 12 fatalities (main reason for ending the program), with 1.5 million miles flown to carry 777,000 pound of mail at a cost of $2.7 million. (21)

 

1939: The Army Air Corps inaugurated a plan to use civilian flying schools for the primary training of its flying cadets. (24)

 

1944: Navy airships completed the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by nonrigid airships, flying from South Weymouth, Mass., to Argentia, Newfoundland, and the Azores, to Port Lyautey, Morocco. (24)

 

1951: KOREAN WAR. A flight of F-86s from the 336 FIS, escorting B-29s, engaged 18 MiG-15s, destroying two. A second flight of B-29s from 343 BS defended itself against 22 MiG-15s in the vicinity of Sonchon. The MiGs destroyed one B-29 and damaged another, while the defenders destroyed two enemy jets. FEAF Special Air Mission C-47s dropped 15 Koreans into enemy held territory to retrieve parts from a crashed MiG-15; however, communist forces captured all 15 Koreans. (28) Maj John P. Stapp survived 45 "G's" in a rocket sled powered by a 4,000-pound thrust engine.

 

1961: At Kincheloe AFB, Mich., the USAF declared the first BOMARC-B pilotless interceptor site operational. (16) (24) The USAF activated the last Titan I squadron at Mt. Home AFB, Idaho. (12)

 

1962: The USAF launched Oscar II, a 10-pound satellite, piggyback on a Thor-Agena B rocket from Vandenberg AFB. Launched for the American Radio Relay League, Oscar II transmitted radio signals in Morse code for use of amateur radio operators. (16) (24)

 

1964: Miss Jacqueline Cochran flew the 100-kilometer circular course at Edwards AFB at 1,302 MPH to break Jacqueline Auriol's 4 June 1963 international women's record.

 

1967: Two 48 ARRS HH-3E helicopters completed the first helicopter crossing of the Atlantic. The 4,270-mile flight followed Lindbergh's route from New York to Paris of 40 years earlier. They completed the flight in 30 hours 46 minutes with nine inflight refuelings from HC-130P tankers to set a FAI record. (2) (9) (16) The Vietnamese Air Force bought its first jets, 20 F-5 Freedom Fighters. (12) For his role in the MOL development program, Alexander H. Flax, Assistant SECAF for Research and Development, became the first civilian to win the General Thomas D. White USAF Space Trophy. (16)

 

1979: Maj Gen Philip J. Conley, Jr., the Commander of the AFFTC at Edwards AFB, accepted the first F-15C (SN78-0468) for the Air Force. (3) To support SAC's air tanker operations, USAFE activated RAF Fairford, UK. The base became fully operational on 12 September when the first two KC-135 Stratotankers arrived. (16) (26)

 

1990: SAC turned over the first FB-111s to TAC. After modifications, the USAF redesignated the jets as F-111Gs. (20)

 

1994: Maj Jacqueline Parker arrived at 174th FW at Hancock Field, N.Y., to begin mission qualification training in the F-16. She was the first female F-16 pilot in the ANG. (16)

 

1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. Through 2 June, the 108 AREFW (New Jersey ANG) deployed an advanced party and four KC-135s to an undisclosed European location to support NATO operations in Kosovo. (32)

 

2005: A C-17 aircrew flew the first IRAQI FREEDOM support mission from the new "hub and spoke" location at Incirlik AB. Under the "spoke and hub" concept, contract commercial aircraft and AMC airlifters carried cargo to Incirlik from Charleston AFB, after which C-17s airlifted the cargo to Iraqi locations. This new system made it possible for AMC to deliver more cargo to US forces in Iraq with fewer aircraft. (22)

 

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World News for 1 June thanks to Military Periscope

 

USA—Air Force Failed To Properly Oversee KC-46 Refueling Boom Air Force Magazine | 06/01/2021 The Air Force failed to properly oversee the development of the refueling boom for the KC-46 Pegasus aerial tanker aircraft, according to a Pentagon watchdog report cited by Air Force magazine. In 2012, the Air Force's KC-46 Program Office failed to effectively manage the development of the boom after Boeing proposed a redesigned version that significantly differed from the design originally proposed in 2011, the Defense Dept. Inspector General said in the report released on May 27. The original design was based on the boom from the KC-10 Extender, reported Defense News. As the boom was considered to be based on proven technology, further assessment of the technologies was determined to be unnecessary. However, in 2012, Boeing proposed a substantial redesign of the boom that included making a computer control system integral to the boom's function, a significant difference from the KC-10 technology. The Air Force then failed to revalidate the changes to the critical technologies during the engineering, manufacturing and development phase and in 2014 decided that reduced flight testing for the tanker was appropriate ahead of the production decision in 2016. The reduced flight testing decision was not changed even after failures occurred in January 2016 that forced Boeing to redesign the boom. By 2018, the Air Force was forced to label the refueling boom issue a Category 1 deficiency, indicating a serious threat to operations or safety.  The issue centers around "boom axial loads," where the boom is too stiff to extend or retract unless subject to more force than certain aircraft can generate. The KC-46 is still unable to refuel the A-10 and some variants of the C-130, while operational restrictions are necessary when refueling certain other aircraft. The service was eventually forced to provide $100 million to help Boeing redesign the boom. The retrofit of the current fleet is not expected to begin until January 2024. 

 

USA—Biden To Make Pandemic Origin Report Public Voice Of America News | 06/01/2021 President Joe Biden has committed to releasing the results of an ongoing study into the origins of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports the Voice of America News. On May 26, Biden ordered a 90-day review into the origins of COVID-19, including the possibility of a leak from a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated. The president subsequently announced that he planned to make the report public, unless there was something he was "unaware of." Biden ordered the U.S. intelligence community to produce a report within 90 days providing a definitive conclusion on the origins of COVID-19, reported the Guardian (U.K.). U.S. national laboratories are assisting the investigation. The intelligence community previously reported that the virus was not human-made or genetically modified but could not confirm whether the virus was first transmitted to humans from animals in nature or in a laboratory accident. Biden called upon China to cooperate with international investigations into the origins of COVID-19 and for the World Health Organization to carry out the second phase of its investigation into the virus. 

 

USA—Navy Conducts 1st Hypersonic Booster Test Navy Newsstand | 06/01/2021 The Navy has tested the rocket motor for its future Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon for the first time, reports the Navy NewsStand. On May 27, the first-stage solid-rocket motor for the weapon completed an initial live-fire test in Promontory, Utah. The motor fired for the full duration of the test and met its performance parameters and objectives, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin said in a joint press release. The first-stage solid-rocket motor was developed by Northrop Grumman, reported Defense News. Lockheed Martin is serving as the prime weapon systems integrator to provide boost capability for the Army and Navy's common hypersonic missile. The motor will serve as part of a new missile booster for the Navy's CPS and the Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon programs. Both will carry the common hypersonic glide body. The common hypersonic glide body was previously tested on March 20, 2020. A joint Navy and Army flight test of the common hypersonic missile is planned for the first quarter of fiscal 2022. 

 

USA—New Cyberattack Launched Through USAID Email Microsoft | 06/01/2021 Russia-based hackers have launched a new cyberattack against U.S. government agencies and think tanks, reports Microsoft. The attack was launched by the Nobelium threat actor and targeted approximately 3,000 email accounts across 150 organizations using a USAID email account, the company said in a release on May 27. Although most of the targets were in the U.S., the victims include entities from 24 countries. A quarter of the targeted organizations are involved in international development, humanitarian or human rights work. Many of the attacks targeting Windows customers were blocked, Microsoft claimed. Nobelium is the actor responsible for last year's SolarWinds cyberattacks. The recent attack indicates that Nobelium has a pattern of gaining access to trusted technology providers to infect their customers and tracking its activities with issues of concern to Russia. Previous Nobelium attacks targeted healthcare organizations in 2020 during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and in 2019 against sporting and anti-doping organizations during the investigation into widespread doping by Russian athletes. 

 

NATO—Cooperation With Belarus Cut Back Reuters | 06/01/2021 NATO is restricting the ability of Belarusian military personnel to access to the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, reports Reuters. On Monday, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Belarusian personnel would have their access to headquarters of the alliance restricted. Belarus is not a member of NATO but can attend some seminars and meetings arranged by the alliance to encourage cooperation. The move is expected to affect about five Belarusian officials, who will now only be able to visit the site as visitors, reported Euronews. The alliance is scheduled to have meetings that include foreign and defense ministers of member nations on Tuesday. Turkey torpedoed a more dramatic proposal that would have removed Belarus from the Partnership for Peace program. The move comes after Belarus forced a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius to land in Minsk to arrest a dissident journalist onboard. 

 

Croatia—Air Force To Acquire Ex-French Rafales Defense News | 06/01/2021 Croatia has decided to buy secondhand fighter jets from France, reports Defense News. The Croatian Cabinet has approved a plan to purchase 12 Rafale F3R fighters previously in service with the French air force at a cost of 999 million euros (US$1.2 billion), Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on May 28. The Rafales will replace Croatia's aging Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter aircraft that are scheduled to reach the end of their service life in 2024. The Croatian government will now proceed to final contract negotiations with France. The French proposal covers 10 single-seat and two twin-seat aircraft, with the first six jets arriving in 2024 and the balance delivered the following year. The Rafale bid beat out offers of F-16 Block 70 jets from the U.S., JAS 39 Gripen C/D jets from Sweden, and F-16C/D Block 30 jets from Israel. The Croatian Defense Ministry initially announced plans to purchase used Israeli F-16s in 2018, but that decision was scrapped in 2019 over U.S. objections. 

 

Turkey—Ankara Sending Russian Personnel In Bid To Reduce Tensions With U.S. Bloomberg News | 06/01/2021 The Turkish government says it will send home Russian military experts supervising the introduction into service of a controversial air defense system, reports Bloomberg News. On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the state-run TRT News that Russian personnel overseeing training and operations of the S-400 air defense systems would return to Russia. Cavusoglu said that Ankara would not scrap the system entirely, denying a key U.S. demand. "It is not possible to accept calls from another country to 'not use' them," he said. The announcement comes ahead of a NATO summit on June 14 that is expected to include a meeting between President Biden and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey's acquisition of the Russian system led to its expulsion from the F-35 stealthy fighter program in 2019 over concerns that the S-400's radars could compromise the aircraft's capabilities. U.S. officials have since proposed a series of compromise measures that Turkey has rejected. 

 

China—Army Demonstrates Anti-Ship Capabilities Global Times | 06/01/2021 The Chinese army has demonstrated its ability to support anti-ship missions in an exercise in the Bohai Bay in northeastern China, reports the state-run Global Times newspaper (Beijing). On Sunday, a brigade of the 80th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) used PHL-03 long-range multiple launch rocket systems against different types of mock maritime targets. Drones provided reconnaissance for the live-fire drills. The training included different tactics and combined strikes on targets to validate the maritime strike capabilities of the weapon systems. Separately, PLA Army Academy of Artillery and Air Defense employed HJ-10 anti-tank missile systems against maritime targets elsewhere on the Yellow Sea, reported Xinhua, China's state news agency. The exercises demonstrated the army's ability to support the other armed services in defending Chinese territory against maritime threats, analysts said. 

 

Pakistan—8 Killed In Separate Attacks In Baluchistan Al Jazeera | 06/01/2021 At least eight people have been killed and 15 injured in a pair of attacks in Pakistan's western Baluchistan province, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). On Tuesday, gunmen opened fire on a security checkpoint on the outskirts of Quetta, the provincial capital, killing four Frontier Corps paramilitaries and wounding six others, reported the Dunya News (Lahore). At least four attackers were killed and seven wounded in the fighting, according to a statement by the military's Inter-Services Public Relations. Separately, an improvised explosive device was detonated near a paramilitary vehicle in Turbat. Two soldiers were wounded in that attack, which was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the first attack. The military blamed forces hostile to Pakistan. Several militant groups, including Islamist groups and ethnic Baluch separatists, operate in the area. 

 

Afghanistan—Taliban Warns Neighbors Against Hosting U.S. Khaama Press | 06/01/2021 The Taliban has warned countries neighboring Afghanistan not to host U.S. forces, reports the Khaama Press (Afghanistan). Hosting U.S. military forces would be considered a provocative act that could warrant a response, the insurgent group said last week. The militant group reminded countries of its commitments to not host foreign terrorists on Afghan soil and urged them not to host any potentially hostile forces on their soil.  The warning may have been in response to speculation that Pakistan might host U.S. forces to conduct counterterrorism operations, reported the Diplomat (Tokyo). U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs David Helvey said during recent congressional testimony that Islamabad would continue to allow overflights and ground access to U.S. forces to enable access to Afghanistan. Pakistan does not plan to allow the U.S. to operate military bases on its territory, a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman said last week. 

 

Iran—2 Pilots Killed In Mishap Prior To Takeoff Mehr News Agency | 06/01/2021 Two Iranian pilots have been killed in an accident at an air base in western Iran, reports the semi-official Mehr news agency (Tehran). On Monday, an unspecified "technical problem" killed the pilots of a U.S.-made F-5 fighter prior to takeoff at the 4th IRIAF Air Force Base in Dezful, reported the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). Local officials said that the fatalities were not the result of a crash and no aircraft had been damaged. The incident is under investigation. 

 

Iraq—Coalition Moves To Support Role In Fight Against ISIS Anadolu News Agency | 06/01/2021 The U.S.-led mission against the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq says that it is taking up a support role, reports Turkey's Anadolu Agency. On Sunday, a coalition spokesman confirmed that its forces will no longer conduct direct combat operations against ISIS militants. Instead, the coalition will focus on providing support to the Iraqi military, including "intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, logistics" and advice, the spokesman said. U.S. aircraft will continue to provide air support when requested, he said. 

 

Israel—Gantz Seeks To Extend IDF Chief Of Staff's Term Times of Israel | 06/01/2021 Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz plans to seek to extend the term of the head of the Israel Defense Forces, reports the Times of Israel. Gantz made the decision on May 27 and informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and Gen. Aviv Kohavi, the IDF chief, that he planned to seek Cabinet approval for a one-year extension in the coming weeks. Kohavi is nearly 2.5 years into his three-year term, which began in January 2019 and is set to conclude in January 2022. The government can extend the IDF chief's tenure for one year, and on rare occasions two years. Most serve in the position for four years. Kohavi's leadership during the recent conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and other "operational activities" elsewhere received praise from Gantz. The general has also been recognized for his work on the multiyear Momentum Plan, a general framework for the IDF to modernize its forces and train its troop training to confront the latest threats. The plan is based on the concept that future wars will have to be won as quickly as possible, necessitating prepared lists of concrete targets and the weapons and equipment to strike them 

 

Libya—New Round Of Peace Talks Set For Berlin The National | 06/01/2021 The German Foreign Ministry says it will host another round of talks between rival parties in Libya later this month, reports the National (Abu Dhabi). The talks, co-hosted by the U.N., will take place in Berlin on June 23, the ministry announced on Tuesday. Libya's interim government led by Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah is scheduled to attend. This is the first time that the transitional government will participate in such talks. A first round of meetings was held in Berlin in January 2020. The agenda is expected to cover preparations for elections slated for Dec. 24, sustainable stabilization, creating a unified security force and the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries, reported Deutsche Welle. 

 

Mali—ECOWAS Suspends Malian Membership After 2nd Coup Agence France-Presse | 06/01/2021 West African leaders have decided to suspend Mali's membership in a regional economic bloc following its second coup in nine months, reports Agence France-Presse. On Sunday, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held an emergency summit in Accra, the capital of Ghana. At the meeting, representatives from 13 nations voted to suspend Mali's membership until February 2022 at the earliest. The ECOWAS leaders called for the immediate appointment of a new civilian prime minister and inclusive government. Mali suffered its first coup in August following protests against the government of Ibrahim Boubacar. On May 24, Col. Assimi Goita ordered soldiers to detain President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, releasing them only after they had resigned. A court later declared him president. Goita was also instrumental in the August coup. French President Emmanuel Macron told the Journal du Dimanche he could pull French troops fighting militants in northern Mali if the junta did not return to the democratic transition. 

 

Nigeria—New Army Chief Nominated Premium Times | 06/01/2021 Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari has nominated Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya to serve as chief of army staff, reports the Premium Times (Abuja). A defense ministry spokesman announced the nomination on May 27. Yahaya previously served as the commander of the 1st Division and is currently the theater commander for the Operation Hadin Kai counterinsurgency operation in northeast Nigeria. He replaces Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, who died along with 10 others on May 21 in a plane crash while visiting the northern Kaduna state, noted the Guardian (Lagos).