TheList 5739

The List 5739     TGB

Good Tuesday morning 8 June

I hope that your week has started well

Regards

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Today in Naval History

June 8

 

1830

The sloop of war USS Vincennes becomes the first US Navy warship to circle the globe when she returns to New York. She departs on Sept. 3, 1826, rounds Cape Horn and cruises the Pacific protecting American merchantmen and whalers until June 1829.

 

1937

Capt. Julius F. Hellweg commands the Navy detachment that observes a total eclipse of the sun.

 

1943

TBF aircraft from USS Bogue (ACV 9) damage German submarine (U 758) west by south of the Canary Islands.

 

1943

USS Finback (SS 230) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks auxiliary minelayer Kahoku Maru about 100 miles north of Palau.

 

1959

The Navy and the Post Office deliver the first official missile mail when USS Barbero (SS-317) fires a Regulus I missile with 3,000 letters 100 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla., to Mayport, Fla.

 

1967

USS Liberty (AGTR-5) is mistakenly attacked by four Israeli jet fighters and three motor torpedo boats (MTB). Of the 293 U.S. personnel aboard, 34 (31 Sailors, 2 Marines, and 1 National Security Agency civilian) are killed and 171 wounded as a result of multiple strafing runs by jet aircraft, surface fire from the MTBs, and one hit by a 19-inch torpedo.

 

1996

USS Cole (DDG 67) is commissioned at Port Everglade, Fla. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is named after Medal of Honor recipient Marine Sgt. Darrell S. Cole, a machine-gunner killed in action during action on Iwo Jima Feb. 19, 1945.

 

1996

USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) is commissioned. The Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship is the second named to honor the home of President James Monroe, where he penned the Monroe Doctrine.

 

This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:

1945 - During the Okinawa Campaign, while serving with the Third Marine Battalion, Twenty-Ninth Marines, Sixth Marine Division, Pvt. Robert M. McTureous's company suffers casualties after capturing a hill on Oroku Peninsula, and the wounded can't be evacuated due to heavy Japanese fire. Waging a one-man assault to redirect enemy fire away from the wounded, McTureous attacks numerous times and suffers severe wounds in the process. He crawls 200 yards back to safety before asking for aid. His actions confuse the enemy and enable his company to complete its mission. He dies on June 11 on board USS Relief. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" on this occasion, McTureous is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

 

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This Day in World History

0452 Attila the Hun invades Italy.

0632 Muhammad, the founder of Islam and unifier of Arabia, dies.

0793 The Vikings raid the Northumbrian coast of England.

1861 Tennessee votes to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy.

1862 The Army of the Potomac defeats Confederate forces at Battle of Cross Keys, Virginia.

1863 Residents of Vicksburg flee into caves as General Ulysses S. Grant's army begins shelling the town.

1866 Prussia annexes the region of Holstein.

1904 U.S. Marines land in Tangiers, Morocco, to protect U.S. citizens.

1908 King Edward VII of England visits Czar Nicholas II of Russia in an effort to improve relations between the two countries.

1915 William Jennings Bryan quits as Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson.

1953 The Supreme Court forbids segregated lunch counters in Washington, D.C.

1965 President Lyndon Johnson authorizes commanders in Vietnam to commit U.S. ground forces to combat.

1966 Gemini astronaut Gene Cernan attempts to become the first man to orbit the Earth untethered to a space capsule, but is unable to when he exhausts himself fitting into his rocket pack.

1967 Israeli airplanes attack the USS Liberty, a surveillance ship, in the Mediterranean, killing 34 Navy crewmen.

1968 James Earl Ray, the alleged assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr., is captured at the London Airport.

1969 President Richard Nixon meets with President Thieu of South Vietnam to tell him 25,000 U.S. troops will pull out by August.

1995 U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady is rescued by U.S. Marines in Bosnia.

 

 

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Thanks to Todd ...and Dr. Rich

 

And not much in the way of anti-GLOC maneuvers … but then women have higher G tolerance than men, esp. if they have high blood pressure, smokers and overweight!!  Really!

 

 

 

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w14zGmFtHO4>

 

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Thanks to Dutch

 

What Our Government Has Done to Our Children This Past Year Is Unforgivable – RedState

 

 

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Electric vehicles' future filled with potholes

Automakers must navigate logistics to hit Biden's goal

BY HARIS ALIC THE WASHINGTON TIMES

President Biden's goal of transitioning the country from gasoline- powered vehicles to electric cars is fraught with challenges, including sticker shock for consumers and the knotty logistics of recharging batteries.

Nevertheless, Mr. Biden's climate change agenda depends on a retooling of the transportation sector, which accounts for 29% of national greenhouse gas emissions each year.

"Look, the future of the auto industry is electric. There's no turning back," Mr. Biden said during a visit to a Ford Motor Co. electric vehicle plant in Michigan. "We're going to set a new pace for electric vehicles."

One of the biggest detriments to electric vehicle ownership is the high cost.

Car and Driver magazine reported last year that the base price of a compact gasoline-powered car was significantly lower than its electric counterpart. The price of a Mini Cooper averaged around $24,000, while the Mini Electric ranged upwards of $30,000. The base price for a conventional Ford F-150 starts around $28,000, but the "entry-model" electric version will be priced at more than $39,000.

More problematic is the lower driving range for electric cars on one full battery charge. The electric Ford F-150 will have a total range of slightly more than 300 miles per battery. Its gasfueled counterpart can go nearly 600 miles on one full tank, the company said.

"The price and efficiency differential is one reason for why electric cars will struggle to overtake gas-powered vehicles," said Dan Kish, a distinguished senior fellow at the Institute for Energy Research. "People don't want to pay for something more expensive and less reliable just because it's green."

Despite the roadblocks to an EV future, automobile manufacturers are racing ahead. Ford, General Motors and other industry giants have pledged to produce all-electric fleets by 2035.

"Climate change is real, and we want to be part of the solution by putting everyone in an electric vehicle," GM CEO Mary Barra said when announcing the decision.

Environmentalists tout myriad benefits from electric cars, including reduced air pollution, cleaner streets and massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

A single electric car saves an average of 3,300 pounds of carbon dioxide during its life cycle, or the equivalent of four round-trip flights from New York to Atlanta, EV proponents say.

To reap the benefits, however, environmentalists have to convince Americans that buying battery-powered cars is worth the expense.

Mr. Biden is aware of the price problem. The White House has proposed an expansion of the $7,500 tax credit available to individuals who purchase electric vehicles. Talks are underway to give the automobile industry a bevy of tax credits and subsidies.

The incentives would go to manufacturers to offset the higher cost of producing electric cars. The component most responsible for the high cost in most cases is the advanced battery.

In some cases, the battery needed to power a midsize electric sedan runs more than $15,000.

"If you're a car executive, this is a dream for you," said Steve Milloy, who served on the Trump-Pence Environmental Protection Agency transition team. "You get to charge a lot more for cars, and the cost will be subsidized by taxpayers."

Even if manufacturers were able to discount prices of electric vehicles, the lack of proper charging infrastructure would hamper the transition away from gas-powered cars.

As of February, only 97,589 charging outlets were available across the country for plug-in electric vehicles. Nearly onethird, more than 32,000 outlets, were in California alone.

About 40,500 electric vehicle charging stations were in service across the U.S. — roughly one charging station for every 6,800 electric cars.

In 2019, more than 276 million vehicles were registered in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The number includes both individually owned passenger cars and commercial vehicles, including publicly owned buses.

The White House wants its infrastructure package to include at least $174 billion for electric vehicles. At least $40 billion would be used to install 500,000 charging stations across the country.

It remains to be seen whether more public charging stations boost demand for electric vehicles.

A study published in Nature Energy, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, found that one-fifth of electric vehicle owners in California revert to buying gas-powered vehicles. Those surveyed said the main reason was a lack of easy access to charging at home rather than in public.

Complicating matters is battery charging time. It takes more than eight hours to fully charge an empty electric car battery. Because of the extensive time, most owners continuously charge their vehicles, contributing to high electricity bills.

Electricity sourcing is another wrinkle in Mr. Biden's vision for a 100% carbon-pollution-free power sector. Energy experts say a stable and abundant electricity supply would be required for electric vehicles to overtake gaspowered cars on the road.

Coal and natural gas produce 63% of all electricity consumed in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. The green economy that the White House promises includes decarbonizing the electricity sector in favor of solar and wind power.

"Here we are crippling our grid by shifting the reliance on wind and solar," Mr. Milloy said. "Yet they want to load up the electric grid even more by having people charging their cars 24/7. That's a recipe for disaster."

Another concern is that the Biden administration's embrace of electric vehicles will serve to benefit only America's biggest economic competitor: China.

A report by the London-based firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence said China produces 80% of the total raw materials used for advanced batteries. Lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite are all central to producing electric vehicles.

In 2019, China produced 72% of the world's lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, while the U.S. accounted for 9%. Such batteries are most frequently used to power electric vehicles,

IDLING: Teslas and other electric vehicles have environmental benefits, but car buyers need stronger incentives — and a lot more charging stations — to overcome the high base prices and low efficiency rates compared with gas-powered automobiles. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS

LONG HAUL: "There's no turning back" from electric vehicles, President Biden has said. Manufacturers are pledging to help him rid roads of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

It takes more than eight hours to fully power an electric car battery, so most owners put their vehicles on a continuous charge and find themselves with high electricity bills. ASSOCIATED PRESS

the Energy Department says.

The communist regime's advantage is the result of long-range investment and planning. Beijing is on track to develop at least 107 lithium-ion battery megafactories through 2030. At least 53 of those factories are already up and running. The U.S. is expected to develop only nine megafactories in the same span. Only three are now operating.

"The supply chain for electric vehicle batteries runs directly through China," said Myron Ebell, director of the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute's Center for Energy and Environment. "It's more or less impossible to open a new rare earth mineral processing plant in the U.S. because of our stringent regulations."

China's monopoly of the rare earth mineral market is unlikely to change anytime soon. Last week, Mr. Biden announced that the U.S. would rely on trade instead of domestic excavation of the minerals and metals required for electric vehicle batteries

 

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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, 8 June 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)...

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 8 June 1966...

"Struggle"

 

https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-8-june-1966-struggle/

 

 

 

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 8

 

1944 – A second wave of Allied troops has landed. Elements of the US 7th Corps, from Utah beach, advance toward Cherbourg. The 4th Division engages in heavy fighting near Azeville. Elements of the US 5th Corps, on Omaha beach, capture Isigny but cannot establish a link with the American forces on Utah. A link is established between Omaha and Gold beach once British Marines, part of the 30th Corps, take Port-en-Bessin.

1944 – Russian Premier Joseph Stalin telegraphs British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to announce that the Allied success at Normandy "is a source of joy to us all." He renews promises to launch his own offensive on the Eastern Front, as had been agreed upon at the Tehran Conference in late '43, and thereby prevent Hitler from transferring German troops from the east to support troops at Normandy.

 

1944 – Fighting continues on Biak Island. A Japanese attempt to ship reinforcements to Biak is intercepted by the cruiser squadron commanded by Admiral Crutchley. It is forced to retreat. On the mainland, at the American beachhead around Aitape, US forces begin counterattacking.

1945 – There are reports that every able bodied Japanese man, woman and child is being given instructions in the fighting of tanks, paratroops and other invading forces.

1945 – On Okinawa, in the north heavy fighting continues on the Oroku peninsula. In the south, the US 24th Corps prepares to attack Mount Yaeju.

1945 – On Luzon, patrols of the US 37th Division reach the Magat river. The US 145th Infantry Regiment (US 37th Division) takes Solano and advances as far as Bagabag, towards the Cagayan valley.

1967 – During the Six-Day War, Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats attack the USS Liberty in international waters off Egypt's Gaza Strip. The intelligence ship, well-marked as an American vessel and only lightly armed, was attacked first by Israeli aircraft that fired napalm and rockets at the ship. The Liberty attempted to radio for assistance, but the Israeli aircraft blocked the transmissions. Eventually, the ship was able to make contact with the U.S. carrier Saratoga, and 12 fighter jets and four tanker planes were dispatched to defend the Liberty. When word of their deployment reached Washington, however, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered them recalled to the carrier, and they never reached the Liberty. The reason for the recall remains unclear. Back in the Mediterranean, the initial air raid against the Liberty was over. Nine of the 294 crewmembers were dead and 60 were wounded. Suddenly, the ship was attacked by Israeli torpedo boats, which launched torpedoes and fired artillery at the ship. Under the command of its wounded captain, William L. McGonagle, the Liberty managed to avert four torpedoes, but one struck the ship at the waterline. Heavily damaged, the ship launched three lifeboats, but these were also attacked–a violation of international law. Failing to sink the Liberty, which displaced 10,000 tons, the Israelis finally desisted. In all, 34 Americans were killed and 171 were wounded in the two-hour attack. In the attack's aftermath, the Liberty managed to limp to a safe port. Israel later apologized for the attack and offered $6.9 million in compensation, claiming that it had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptian ship. However, Liberty survivors, and some former U.S. officials, believe that the attack was deliberate, staged to conceal Israel's pending seizure of Syria's Golan Heights, which occurred the next day. The ship's listening devices would likely have overheard Israeli military communications planning this controversial operation. Captain McGonagle was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic command of the Liberty during and after the attac

1991 – General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of Allied forces in Operation "Desert Storm" leads the National Victory Parade up Pennsylvania Avenue past the reviewing stand holding President George H.W. Bush and other dignitaries in the first such military parade held in the nation's capital since the end of World War I. Among the contingents of military units are composite battalions of Air and Army Guard personnel who served in theater.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

*LESTER, FRED FAULKNER
Rank and organization: Hospital Apprentice First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 29 April 1926, Downers Grove, Ill. Accredited to: Illinois. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Medical Corpsman with an Assault Rifle Platoon, attached to the 1st Battalion, 22d Marines, 6th Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Shima in the Ryukyu Chain, 8 June 1945. Quick to spot a wounded marine Iying in an open field beyond the front lines following the relentless assault against a strategic Japanese hill position, Lester unhesitatingly crawled toward the casualty under a concentrated barrage from hostile machineguns, rifles, and grenades. Torn by enemy rifle bullets as he inched forward, he stoically disregarded the mounting fury of Japanese fire and his own pain to pull the wounded man toward a covered position. Struck by enemy fire a second time before he reached cover, he exerted tremendous effort and succeeded in pulling his comrade to safety where, too seriously wounded himself to administer aid, he instructed 2 of his squad in proper medical treatment of the rescued marine. Realizing that his own wounds were fatal, he staunchly refused medical attention for himself and, gathering his fast-waning strength with calm determination, coolly and expertly directed his men in the treatment of 2 other wounded marines, succumbing shortly thereafter. Completely selfless in his concern for the welfare of his fighting comrades, Lester, by his indomitable spirit, outstanding valor, and competent direction of others, had saved the life of 1 who otherwise must have perished and had contributed to the safety of countless others. Lester's fortitude in the face of certain death sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

*PEREGORY, FRANK D.
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K 116th Infantry, 29th Infantry Division. Place and date: Grandcampe France, 8 June 1944. Entered service at: Charlottesville, Va. Born. 10 April 1915, Esmont, Va. G.O. No.: 43, 30 May 1945. Citation: On 8 June 1944, the 3d Battalion of the 116th Infantry was advancing on the strongly held German defenses at Grandcampe, France, when the leading elements were suddenly halted by decimating machinegun fire from a firmly entrenched enemy force on the high ground overlooking the town. After numerous attempts to neutralize the enemy position by supporting artillery and tank fire had proved ineffective, T/Sgt. Peregory, on his own initiative, advanced up the hill under withering fire, and worked his way to the crest where he discovered an entrenchment leading to the main enemy fortifications 200 yards away. Without hesitating, he leaped into the trench and moved toward the emplacement. Encountering a squad of enemy riflemen, he fearlessly attacked them with handgrenades and bayonet, killed 8 and forced 3 to surrender. Continuing along the trench, he single-handedly forced the surrender of 32 more riflemen, captured the machine gunners, and opened the way for the leading elements of the battalion to advance and secure its objective. The extraordinary gallantry and aggressiveness displayed by T/Sgt. Peregory are exemplary of the highest tradition of the armed forces.

 

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"This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.

 

June 6-7, 1962

A B-52H bomber (tail # 61-018) set a National Aeronautic Association world record for distance over a closed course without air-refueling. The flight was 22:45 hours duration and covered 11,336.92 miles. The aircraft was assigned to 19th Bomb Wing (Heavy), 28th Bomb Squadron at Homestead AFB, Florida. The route of flight was Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina - Bermuda - Sondestrom, Greenland - Anchorage, Alaska - March AFB, California - Key West, Florida - Seymour Johnson AFB. (Thank you to retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dave Wilson for sending us this heritage item)

 

June 7, 1936

Maj. Ira C. Eaker performed the first blind transcontinental flight on June 7, 1936, as he piloted an airplane from New York to Los Angeles, relying solely upon instruments. Eaker was Daedalian Founder Member #289.

 

June 8, 1995

After being shot down in his F-16 Fighting Falcon, Air Force Capt. Scott O'Grady was rescued in Bosnia on after spending six days in hostile territory. He was assigned to the 555th Fighter Squadron at Aviano AB, Italy.

 

June 9, 1942

In Washington, D.C., President Franklin D. Roosevelt awarded the Medal of Honor to newly promoted Brig. Gen. James H. Doolittle for his role in the raid on Tokyo, Japan. General Doolittle was Daedalian Founder Member #107.

 

June 10, 1989

Capt. Jacquelyn S. Parker became the first female pilot to graduate from the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California. Parker attended the University of Central Florida, majoring in mathematics and computer science. She graduated from college at age 17, the youngest graduate in the school's history. She became an intern at NASA's Johnson Space Center, and was responsible for analysis of onboard computer systems. She was the youngest flight controller in NASA's history. After completing Officer Training School in 1980, she entered pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas. Parker received her pilot wings in 1981, later becoming the first female T-38 instructor there. Between 1983 and 1985, she was named "Most Outstanding T-38 Academic Instructor" five times. She has also flown the F-16, F-111, F-4, C-141, KC-135 and UH-60 Blackhawk.

 

June 11, 2007

The National Aeronautic Association presented its annual Robert J. Collier Trophy to the Lockheed Martin Corporation and the Air Force for developing the F-22 Raptor. The award submission focused heavily on the F-22's performance during the 2006 Northern Edge exercise in Alaska where Raptors flew 97 percent of their assigned sorties. The F-22 pilots scored an 80-to-1 kill ratio against their opponents and direct hits with 100 percent of their 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions.

 

June 12, 1918

The 96th Aero Squadron carried out the first American daylight-bombing mission in World War I from Amanty Airdrome against the occupied Dommary-Baroncourt rail yards in France. The squadron flew the Breguet 14B.2 bomber.

 

June 13, 1973

The National Aeronautic Association presented the Robert J. Collier Trophy for 1972 jointly to the Navy's Task Force 77 and to the Seventh and Eighth Air Forces for their "demonstrated expert and precisely integrated use of advanced aerospace technology" during Operation Linebacker II against the North Vietnamese during December 1972.

 

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 8

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 8

THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

1908: The first aeronautical exhibit building was dedicated at the Jamestown Exposition on Sewell's Point, facing Hampton Roads across from Norfolk Va. (24)

1911: The Connecticut State Air Regulation passed and became the first state air law. (24)

1920: Lt John H. Wilson made a new unofficial world record parachute jump of 19,861 feet over San Antonio. (24)

1921: Lt Harold R. Harris flew an Army Air Service's first pressurized cabin airplane, the USD-9A. Harris was a noted Air Service pilot of the period. He flew the XNBL-1 "Barling" Bomber's first flight and became the first Air Service pilot to save his own life using a free-fall parachute. (18) (24)

1942: A presidential directive established the European Theater of Operations with Maj Gen James E. Chaney as commander. 1953: The Thunderbirds, officially known as the 3600th Air Demonstration Flight, gave their first performance at Luke AFB, Ariz. (21) (26)

1959: The USS Barbero submarine fired a Navy Regulus I missile off the Florida coast to deliver the mail ashore at Mayport. The missile made a 22-minute flight. (24)

After a B-52 launched the X-15A-1 rocket research plane at 38,000 feet for its first nonpowered glide flight, Scott Crossfield flew the aircraft on a five-minute unpowered descent to Edwards AFB. (3) (7) (9)

1960: The 4135 SW from Eglin AFB launched SAC's first GAM-72A Quail missile. (6) While testing the X-15's new 57,000-pound thrust XLR-99 engine on a static test stand at Edwards AFB, Scott Crossfield endured a force of 50 G's.

1962: The USAF ejected Zena, a chimpanzee, from a B-58 flying at 45,000 feet at 1,060 MPH to test an escape capsule. (24)

1963: At Davis-Monthan AFB, the 570 SMS became SAC's first operational Titan II squadron. (6)

1966: Research pilot Joseph A. Walker, a veteran of 25 flights in the X-15 and holder of the world's speed and altitude records, died when his F-104N (NASA) chase plane collided with the XB-70 No. 2 near Edwards AFB. Alvin S. White, the XB-70 pilot, ejected successfully; however, his copilot, Maj Carl S. Cross, died when the aircraft crashed into the ground. (3)

1968: The Colorado ANG's 120 TFS, deployed to Phan Rang Air Base, flew its first combat mission in Vietnam. (32)

1971: An Air Force Thor space booster, with a Burner II upper stage, placed two instruments into a circular 300-nautical-mile polar orbit. This launch was part of the DoD's Space Experiments Support Program (SESP) to test a celestial mapping service. (16) The Air Force and Navy signed a joint agreement to develop the AIM-9L Short Range Missile for the F-15. Additionally, the Air Force approved the F-100 engine design for the F-15. (30)

1980: In the first all-woman airlift mission, Capt Susan R. Regele flew a C-9 from Scott AFB. The crew included two other pilots, two flight nurses, three aeromedical technicians, and a flight engineer. (18)

1984: The HH-60D Night Hawk helicopter flew for the first time at night. (3)

2001: Global Hawk No. 5 landed at Edwards AFB after a 22.3 hour flight from Australia. While there, the UAV completed 11 of 12 planned sorties in 238.5 flight hours. The Global Hawk took over 1,500 pictures. (3) Technicians towed a Boeing 747 fuselage from an aircraft salvage facility at Mojave Airport to south Edwards for integration into the airborne laser program's System Integration Laboratory under construction. (3)

 

 

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World News for 8 June thanks to Military Periscope

 

  USA—800 Suspects Arrested In 18 Countries In Major Op Against Organized Crime Reuters | 06/08/2021 More than 800 suspected members of organized crime groups have been arrested in 18 countries as part of a global law enforcement operation, reports Reuters. Operation Greenlight brought together the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation with Australian and European police, nabbing suspects in Australia, Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East, officials said on Tuesday. Law enforcement officers recovered an estimated US$148 million in cash, along with assets that included drugs, cryptocurrencies, weapons and cars. While the arrests were recent, Australian and U.S. officials began planning the op in 2018. As part of the plan, U.S. officials were involved in developing An0m, a supposedly secure communications application that FBI agents were able to use to infiltrate more than 300 phones in 100 countries, an official at the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division told reporters. Australian criminals acquired the phones and then distributed them among members of their network, believing them to be secure. The operation also revealed that criminals were tipped off regarding imminent police action in several cases, leading prosecutors in those countries to open corruption investigations.  

 

USA—Biden Admin Halts Practice Of Seeking Reporter Records Cable News Network | 06/08/2021 The Dept. of Justice says it will no longer seek records from reporters during investigations into leaks, reports CNN. On Saturday, the department announced that, at the direction of President Biden, it would no longer seek compulsory legal process during leak investigations to obtain information on sources from members of the news media engaged in their jobs. The move comes after reports on June 4 that the Trump administration sought to obtain the email records of four reporters from the New York Times, an effort that continued during the Biden administration. Similar efforts were made to obtain records from reporters with CNN and the Washington Post. The practice of using subpoenas and court orders to secure journalist records during leak investigations has endured under multiple presidential administrations, reported BBC News. The policy change has not resulted in a formal change to guidelines at the department, meaning the policy could be reversed under a future administration.  

 

USA—Stingray Drone Refuels Jet For 1st Time U.S. Naval Air Systems Command | 06/08/2021 In a first, the Navy's uncrewed aerial tanker has refueled a crewed aircraft, reports the Naval Air Systems Command. On June 4, the MQ-25 Stingray T1 test article operating out of MidAmerica Airport, Ill., successfully demonstrated it could fulfill the tanker mission using the Navy's standard probe-and-drogue refueling method. The Stingray was equipped with a Navy-issued aerial refueling store, reported Boeing. During the flight, the receiver F/A-18E/F Super Hornet approached the Stingray and conducted a formation evaluation, wake survey and drogue tracking. The MQ-25 drogue was extended. and the F/A-18 connected with it and began receiving fuel. The test will provide important early data on airwake interaction, guidance and control, program officials said. The T1 test asset previously completed 25 test flights evaluating the airframe and the aerodynamics of the aerial refueling system across the flight envelope. The test asset will complete additional flight envelope expansion and engine testing before being shipped to Norfolk, Va., for deck-handling trials on a Navy carrier later this year.

 

USA—Supreme Court Sidesteps Ruling On Draft National Public Radio | 06/08/2021 The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging the constitutionality of the male-only draft, reports NPR News. On Monday, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer and Brett Kavanaugh said that Congress created the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service in 2016. The commission's final report recommends that draft registration include men and women from the ages of 18 to 26. The Senate Armed Services Committee concluded a hearing on the matter in March. For the moment, the court will defer to lawmakers since they are actively considering the issue, the justices said. Supporters of the change argue that a male-only draft is no longer reasonable because combat roles were opened to women in 2013.

 

USA—Supreme Court Sidesteps Ruling On Draft National Public Radio | 06/08/2021 The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging the constitutionality of the male-only draft, reports NPR News. On Monday, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer and Brett Kavanaugh said that Congress created the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service in 2016. The commission's final report recommends that draft registration include men and women from the ages of 18 to 26. The Senate Armed Services Committee concluded a hearing on the matter in March. For the moment, the court will defer to lawmakers since they are actively considering the issue, the justices said. Supporters of the change argue that a male-only draft is no longer reasonable because combat roles were opened to women in 2013.  

 

Germany—Russian Intel Activity Reaches 'Cold War' Levels, Intel Chief Says Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 06/08/2021 The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency has warned that Russian intelligence activity in Germany has increased to levels not seen since the Cold War, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Russia has a complex intelligence interest in Germany across most policy areas, Thomas Haldenwang, the head of the Agency for the Protection of the Constitution, said in an interview with the Welt Am Sonntag newspaper published on Sunday. Moscow has a large number of intelligence agents working to make contact with decision makers, he warned. Additionally, Russian intelligence methods are becoming coarser and more brutal, as signified by the 2019 murder of a Georgian national in Berlin that was believed to have been ordered by Moscow, reported Deutsche Welle. The greatest threat to German security and democracy is right-wing extremism, with a significant amount of extremist propaganda spreading on the internet, Haldenwang warned.  

 

Germany—Foreign Minister Calls For Abolishing Veto For E.U. Foreign Policy Agence France-Presse | 06/08/2021 German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has called for the European Union to abolish vetoes on foreign policy decisions, reports Agence France-Presse. Maas told reporters on Monday that vetoes by individual member states had caused paralysis on certain foreign policy matters and affected the bloc's cohesion in the short- and long-term. The minister acknowledged that this could result in Germany being outvoted on certain issues. Under E.U. rules, some decisions require unanimity, such as those involving taxes and foreign policy. Hungary has used its veto in recent months to block statements critical of China as well as a statement calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Hungarian and Polish governments have also opposed the adoption of the bloc's multiyear budget and a recovery plan to help member states deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in response to a mechanism that would make such aid contingent on adherence to democratic values, human rights and the independence of the judiciary, reported Euronews. Hungary and Poland have come under increasing pressure from the E.U. for reforms seen as undermining democracy. The veto issue has affected the bloc for many years and requires a unanimous vote to be abolished, noted E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrel.  

 

Turkey—Navy Concludes Large-Scale Surface Warfare Training Defense News | 06/08/2021 The Turkish navy has just completed the largest version of its biennial surface warfare exercise to date, reports Defense News. Exercise Denizkurdu ran from May 25 to June 6 in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. This year's drill included 132 surface vessels, 10 submarines, 43 fixed-wing aircraft, 28 helicopters and 14 drones. It was also the first time that the training was led by the Naval Warfare Center Command, which was created in accordance with NATO planning processes. The exercise was divided into three phases, beginning with operational readiness drills, followed by force-on-force training and concluding with port visits to Turkish cities on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. During the exercise, a Bayraktar TB2 drone successfully attacked a sea target with a MAM-L guided munition for the first time. Turkey's first indigenous uncrewed combat surface vessel, the ULAQ, was also tested, although it was not formally part of the exercise.  

 

Switzerland—Spending On Nuclear Weapons Rises In 2020 International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons | 06/08/2021 Global spending on nuclear weapons increased by US$1.4 billion in 2020, according to a new report by the Switzerland-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Nine countries spent US$72.6 billion on nuclear weapon programs last year, according to the report released on Monday. According to publicly available figures and estimates, the U.S. spent US$37.4 billion; China, US$10.1 billion; Russia, US$8 billion; U.K., US$6.2 billion; France, US$5.7 billion; India, US$2.4 billion; Israel, US$1.1 billion; Pakistan, US$1 billion; and North Korea, US$667 million. In the case of China, where no such spending information is publicly available, ICAN estimated nuclear spending at 4 percent of total military expenditures. Estimates for Israel, which does not publicly acknowledge its nuclear arsenal, were based on the global average. Figures for North Korea were based on South Korean estimates.

 

Russia—Putin Signs Law Exiting Open Skies Treaty The Moscow Times | 06/08/2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law formalizing Russia's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, reports the Moscow Times Putin signed the legislation on Monday. The law was approved by Russia's lower house on May 19 and by the upper house on June 2, reported Russia's Tass news agency. Russia's withdrawal formally takes effect in six months. The U.S. pulled out of the pact in November. The Trump administration alleged at the time that Russia was not complying with its obligations under the treaty. The Biden administration examined rejoining the pact, but U.S. officials announced in April that it would not do so. Russia subsequently began the process to withdraw.  

 

Philippines—4 Civilians Injured In Roadside Bombing Philippine Daily Inquirer | 06/08/2021 An improvised explosive device (IED) planted by suspected New People's Army (NPA) militants on the Philippine island of Luzon injured four civilians, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer. On Sunday, the IED went off along a road in in the sub-village of Tico-Tico of Barangay Homapon, an upland village of Legazpi City, as a civilian vehicle passed. Four civilians in the car were injured in the blast and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, a military spokesman said. Earlier that day, the same NPA militants that planted the IED are believed to have set fire to a Globe cell site in Barangay Homapon. The attack on the cell site was part of the militant group's extortion activities and a diversion while the group set IEDs to target military and police responders, said officials.

 

Indonesia—Marines Conduct Urban Training With U.S. Counterparts Antara News Agency | 06/08/2021 Indonesian and U.S. marines have been conducting a joint urban warfare exercise, reports Antara News, Indonesia's national news agency. On June 5, the marines practiced urban operations at the Baluran Marine Corps Combat Training Center as part of the Reconex 21-II drills. The sides exchanged knowledge on urban operations as well as technical and tactical skills during the training. This exercise covered urban tactics, visual signals used in patrols and technical assaults in cities and residential areas.

 

India—Army Eyes New Integrated Battle Groups Times Of India | 06/08/2021 The Indian army is creating a new type of unit as part of a major reorganization, reports the Times of India. Plans to form integrated battle groups (IBGs) are under way with the first set to be ready for service by early 2022, said army chief Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane. Each battle group will have about 5,000 troops from a variety of combat specialties, including infantry, armor, artillery, air defense, signals and engineering, depending on their location and likely missions. The self-contained fighting units are larger than an Indian brigade (3,000 troops) but smaller than a division (12,000 troops). They are designed to provide greater offensive capabilities than existing units, said Naravane. Plans call for the formation of between 8 to 10 IBGs from the 9th, 17th and 33rd Corps, with additional IBGs to be established in the coming years, said the general. The effort is part of a broader expansion and restructure of the force, which seeks to expand to about 1.3 million soldiers in preparation for the possibility of a two-front conflict with Pakistan and China.  

 

Qatar—OPV Launched, Construction Starts On LPD At Italian Yard Fincantieri | 06/08/2021 Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri says it has reached a pair of milestones as part of a contract to build naval vessels for the Qatari navy. On Saturday, the offshore patrol vessel Sheraouh was launched at the company's Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard, said a Fincantieri release. The Sheraouh is one of two Musherib-class OPVs ordered by Qatar in August 2017, noted Naval News. The 5 billion euro (US$5.9 billion) deal covered two OPVs based on the Falaj-2 class, four Al Zubarah-class air defense corvettes and a single amphibious transport dock based on the Kalaat Beni Abbes built by Fincantieri for Algeria. About 1 billion euros (US$1.2 billion) of the agreement covered missiles. During the same event, Fincantieri cut the first steel for the Qatari amphibious ship and opened the Halul 1 training center that will prepare personnel to operate the various Qatari ships.

 

Israel—F-35s Join Multinational Exercise In Italy Times of Israel | 06/08/2021 A detachment of Israeli air force F-35s is in Italy for a multinational drill, reports the Times of Israel. Six Israeli F-35s flew to Italy last week to join the two-week Falcon Strike exercise, which runs from June 6-17, the Israel Defense Forces reported on Sunday. The main component of the training was scheduled to begin on Monday. F-35s from Italy, the U.S. and U.K. are also taking part along with U.S. F-16s, Italian KC-767 and KC-130J aerial tankers and G550 reconnaissance aircraft, Israeli G550 reconnaissance aircraft and Re'em tankers and a British A330 Voyager tanker. Italy is also providing an adversary force including Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, AMX and Panavia Tornado strike aircraft, Predator uncrewed aerial vehicles and Bell Agusta helicopters. A large number of surface-to-air missile threats will be employed to create a complex operational environment, Israeli officials said. This is the largest and most distant exercise that the Israeli F-35 fleet has participated in since entering service in late 2016. The Israeli F-35s are expected make two sorties each day, the first with U.S. aircraft and the second with British and Italian jets. The Israeli pilots will conduct simulated strikes behind enemy lines and close-air support missions over unfamiliar terrain as well as mock air-to-air engagements. The training is expected to enhance the capabilities of the Israeli F-35 fleet and its ability to work with other militaries, Israeli officials said.

 

Libya—ISIS Claims Suicide Attack That Kills 2 in Sebha Libyan Express | 06/08/2021 At least two people have been killed in a terrorist attack in southern Libya, reports the Libyan Express. On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at the Mazig checkpoint in Sebha. Two public workers, including a senior police officer, were killed and four others wounded. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

a Mali—Goita Formally Sworn In As Interim President Reuters | 06/08/2021 Col. Assimi Goita, who led the most recent coup in Mali, has been sworn in as interim president, reports Reuters. Goita took the oath of office on Monday in a ceremony in Bamako, the capital. Hours after taking office, he appointed opposition leader Choguel Maiga as prime minister, reported state media. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, France and the U.S., have called on Mali to return to civilian rule or face diplomatic and economic consequences. It was unclear if Maiga's appointment would satisfy these demands. Goita deposed interim President Bah N'Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane on May 25, saying that they had implemented a Cabinet reshuffle that pushed out two pro-military members in violation of the transitional charter. The special operations officer has pledged to continue the transition to civilian government, although his advisers have said that elections scheduled for February 2022 might be postponed.