TheList 5747

The List 5747     TGB

 

Good Tuesday Morning 15 June

I hope that your week has started well.

 

Regards

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This Day in Naval Aviation

June 15

 

1775—Abraham Whipple takes command of Rhode Island's coastal defense ship, Katy, and captures a tender of HMS Rose. In December, Katy is taken into the Continental service and renamed Providence.

 

1864—During the Civil War, the side-wheel steamer, USS Lexington, commanded by Lt. George Bache, and a boat crew from the side-wheel steamer, USS Tyler, capture three steamers aiding Confederates off Beulah Landing, MS.

 

1944—Following intensive naval gunfire and carrier-based aircraft bombing, Task Force 52 lands the Marines on Saipan, which is the first relatively large and heavily defended land mass in the Central Pacific to be assaulted by US amphibious forces.

 

1956—USS Canberra is recommissioned as (CAG 2) at Philadelphia Navy Yard, PA. She was previously a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser.

 

1963—The combat stores ship, USS Mars (AFS 1), is launched. She is the first of a new class of underway replenishment ships that combines the functions of the stores ship (AS), the stores issue ship (AKS), and the aviation supply ship (AVS). 

 

1991 - 2 battle groups and amphibious ships evacuate dependents and Air Force personnel from Clark Air Force Base after Mount Pinatubo erupts in Philippines

 

2017—The Navy releases the results of a comprehensive review to determine causes of and make recommendations to eliminate physiological episodes within Naval Aviation. Physiological episodes occur when aircrew experience a decrease in performance due to the cabin pressure fluctuations, contamination of breathing air, or other factors in the flight environment. Steps recommended to reduce the episodes include improved aircraft oxygen systems, increased inspection requirements and establishing an integrated life support system program at Naval Air Systems Command.

 

 

Today in History June 15

1184		King Magnus of Norway is defeated by his rival, Sverre.
1215		King John signs the Magna Carta.
1381		The English peasant revolt is crushed in London.
1389		Ottoman Turks crush Serbia in the Battle of Kosovo.
1607		Colonists in North America complete James Fort in Jamestown.
1752		Benjamin Franklin and his son test the relationship between electricity and lightning by flying a kite in a thunder storm.
1775		George Washington is named Commander-in-Chief by Congress.
1779		American General Anthony Wayne captures Stony Point, New York.
1836		Arkansas is admitted into the Union as the 25th state.
1846		Great Britain and the United States agree on a joint occupation of Oregon Territory.
1849		James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States, dies.
1862		General J.E.B. Stuart completes his "ride around McClellan."
1864		The Battle for Petersburg begins.
1866		Prussia attacks Austria.
1877		Henry O. Flipper becomes the first African American to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
1898		The U.S. House of representatives approves the annexation of Hawaii.
1904		Fire aboard the paddle steamer General Slocum on New York's East River kills 1,021, mostly German-Americans.
1916		President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America.
1917		Great Britain pledges the release of all Irish captured during the Easter Rebellion of 1916.
1920		Three African Americans are lynched in Duluth, Minnesota, by a white mob of 5,000.
1928		Republicans, convening in Kansas City, name Herbert Hoover their candidate for President.
1932		Gaston Means is sentenced to 15 years for fraud in the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.
1940		The French fortress of Verdun is captured by Germans.
1944		U.S. Marines begin the invasion of Saipan in the Pacific.
1947		The All India Congress accepts a British plan for the partition of India.
1958		Greece severs military ties to Turkey because of the Cyprus issue.
1964		The last French troops leave Algeria.
1977		The first general election in Spain since 1936 results in victory for the UCD (Union of Democratic Centre).

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Thanks to CAP

 

An AWWWWWW moment for the day 😊

 

https://biggeekdad.com/2021/06/dogs-are-awesome-4/

 

 

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Thanks to Tom

 

View the Latest Edition of "This Week @NASA" (Published June 11, 2021)

 

Folks-

 

Short notes this week  - away from duty station....

 

SP-x 22 – yet another commercial launch to resupply the ISS.  This has gone from art to science – meaning the exceptional is again, looking routine.  STILL a hard job to safely pull off these launches,  but this is paving the way for the future to have low earth orbit (LEO)  "owned" by the commercial space segment.  Only concern is at somoe point, like on earth, if the industry is "dirty" the earth orbit will be laden with risk from space junk collisions.   We are nearly there – roughly 380 (estimated) tons of junk is in orbit today.

 

TechRise is an investment in the education of our youth.  With the dumbing down of everything to accommodate the slower student, this is a bright spot!  Think about how many unchallenged minds are going to be creating new ideas and technologies ....not 100 years out but in our lifetimes!  WELL worth the time effort and money invested!!

 

Unexplained is why we would get resources from Jupiter's moon.   The rationale in short is that Jupiter landings are not possible – gravity to do an ascent is prohibitive, and it is a "gas giant" rather than a solid surface.  Therefore, visiting a moon is easier by far – small "gravity well"  (amount of energy required to exit its gravity field) AND...rich in needed materials.

 

Must run!

 

Enjoy!

 

Tom

 

 

AGENCYWIDE MESSAGE TO ALL NASA EMPLOYEES

 

Points of Contact: Jim Wilson, jim.wilson@nasa.gov and Andre Valentine, andre.valentine-1@nasa.gov, Office of Communications, NASA Headquarters

------------------------------------------------------------------------

   

View the Latest Edition of "This Week @NASA" (Published June 11, 2021)

 

View the latest "This Week @NASA" produced by NASA Television for features on agency news and activities. Stories in this program include:

 

Progress Preparing the Artemis I Moon Rocket

Juno's Flyby Images of Ganymede

June 10 Eclipse of the Sun

Resupply Mission Arrives at Space Station

Highlighting Winners of Challenge to Engineer Human Tissue

New Student Hands-On Tech Challenge

 

To watch this edition of "This Week @NASA" dated June 11, 2021, click on the image below:

 

 

 

Watch the Video

 

 

To access this edition of "This Week @NASA," you may also visit:

 

https://youtu.be/vxD_iE0Uko8

 

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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, 15 June 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 15 June 1966… "Bonnie Dick in the van—Going Downtown (July '67)"…

 

https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-15-june-1966-going-downtown/

 

 

 

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 15

 

1944 – American forces began their successful invasion of Saipan during World War II. Meanwhile, B-29 Superfortresses made their first raids on Japan. Coast Guard-manned transports that took part in the invasion included the USSs Cambria, Arthur Middleton, Callaway, Leonard Wood, LST-19, LST-23, LST-166 and LST-169. Preceded by naval gunfire and carrier air strikes, the V Amphibious Corps assaulted the west coast of Saipan, Marianas Islands. By nightfall, the 2d and 4th Marine Divisions, moving against heavy opposition, had established a beachhead 10,000 yards wide and 1,500 yards deep.

1944 – Admiral Clark leads two groups of US carrier forces raiding Iwo Jima, Chichi Jima and Haha Jima. The Japanese carriers are sighted by US patrols heading through the San Bernardino Strait while some of the Japanese battleships are seen east of Mindanao.

1944 – A fourth American corps is add to the US 1st Army. The US 8th Corps becomes operations on the Cotentin Peninsula. Meanwhile, elements of the US 7th Corps capture Quineville.

1944 – The first B-29 Superfortress raid on Japan is conducted. Bombers from the US 20th Air Force in China attack Yawatta on Kyushu.

1945 – American OSS units complete mopping up operations in the Shan Mountains area.

1945 – US B-29 Superfortress bombers drop 3000 tons of bombs on Osaka.

1945 – On Okinawa, Marines suffer heavy casualties and are unable to advance on Kunishi Ridge. The US 1st Division, already short of troops, is attached to the US 2nd Marine Division. Forces of the US 24th Corps continue operations to eliminate Japanese positions on Mount Yaeju and Mount Yuza.

1945 – On Luzon, Filipino guerrillas seize Cervantes in the north. Meanwhile, the US 37th Division continues to battle forward in the Cagayan valley, eliminating a Japanese strong point about 3 miles from Santiago, near Cabanatuan.

 

1965 – U.S. planes bomb targets in North Vietnam, but refrain from bombing Hanoi and the Soviet missile sites that surround the city. On June 17, two U.S. Navy jets downed two communist MiGs, and destroyed another enemy aircraft three days later. U.S. planes also dropped almost 3 million leaflets urging the North Vietnamese to get their leaders to end the war. These missions were part of Operation Rolling Thunder, launched in March 1965, after President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered a sustained bombing campaign of North Vietnam. The operation was designed to interdict North Vietnamese transportation routes in the southern part of the North Vietnam and to slow infiltration of personnel and supplies into South Vietnam. During the early months of this campaign, there were restrictions against striking targets in or near Hanoi and Haiphong, but in July 1966, Rolling Thunder was expanded to include the bombing of North Vietnamese ammunition dumps and oil storage facilities. In the spring of 1967, it was further expanded to include power plants, factories, and airfields in the Hanoi and Haiphong areas. The White House closely controlled Operation Rolling Thunder and at times President Johnson personally selected the targets. From 1965 to 1968, about 643,000 tons of bombs were dropped on North Vietnam. The operation continued, with occasional suspensions, until President Johnson halted it entirely on October 31, 1968, under increasing domestic political pressure.

 

1991 – Mount Pinatubo (4,750 feet high) erupted. Due to early warning 56,000 people were evacuated and only 450 people died. The eruption forced the closure of Clark Air Force Base in Angeles City and displaced hundreds of families of the Aeta tribe. 2 battle groups and amphibious ships evacuate dependents and Air Force personnel from Clark.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

APPLETON, WILLIAM H.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company H, 4th U.S. Colored Troops. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 15 June 1864; At New Market Heights, Va., 29 September 1864. Entered service at: Portsmouth, N.H. Born: 24 March 1843, Chichester, N.H. Date of issue: 18 February 1891. Citation: The first man of the Eighteenth Corps to enter the enemy's works at Petersburg, Va., 15 June 1864. Valiant service in a desperate assault at New Market Heights, Va., inspiring the Union troops by his example of steady courage.

FALLON, THOMAS T.
Rank and organization: Private, Company K, 37th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Williamsburg, Va., 5 May 1862. At Fair Oaks, Va., 30-31 May 1862. At Big Shanty, Ga., 14-15 June 1864. Entered service at: Freehold, N.J. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 13 February 1891. Citation: At Williamsburg, Va., assisted in driving rebel skirmishers to their main line. Participated in action, at Fair Oaks, Va., though excused from duty because of disability. In a charge with his company at Big Shanty, Ga., was the first man on the enemy's works.

HALLOCK, NATHAN M.
Rank and organization: Private, Company K, 124th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Bristoe Station, Va., 15 June 1863. Entered service at: Middletown, N.Y. Birth: Orange County, N.Y. Date of issue: 10 September 1897. Citation: At imminent peril saved from death or capture a disabled officer of his company by carrying him under a hot musketry fire, to a place of safety.

NUGENT, CHRISTOPHER
Rank and organization: Orderly Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 1840, County of Caven, Ireland. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 32, 16 April 1864. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Fort Henry, Crystal River, Fla., 15 June 1863. Reconnoitering on the Crystal River on this date and in charge of a boat from the Fort Henry, Orderly Sgt. Nugent ordered an assault upon a rebel breastwork fortification. In this assault, the orderly sergeant and his comrades drove a guard of 11 rebels into the swamp, capturing their arms and destroying their camp equipage while gallantly withholding fire to prevent harm to a woman among the fugitives. On 30 July 1863, he further proved his courage by capturing a boat off Depot Key, Fla., containing 2 men and a woman with their baggage.

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KELLEY, THOMAS G.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, River Assault Division 152. place and date: Ong Muong Canal, Kien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 15 June 1969. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Born: 13 May 1939, Boston, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in the afternoon while serving as commander of River Assault Division 152 during combat operations against enemy aggressor forces. Lt. Comdr. (then Lt.) Kelley was in charge of a column of 8 river assault craft which were extracting 1 company of U.S. Army infantry troops on the east bank of the Ong Muong Canal in Kien Hoa province, when 1 of the armored troop carriers reported a mechanical failure of a loading ramp. At approximately the same time, Viet Cong forces opened fire from the opposite bank of the canal. After issuing orders for the crippled troop carrier to raise its ramp manually, and for the remaining boats to form a protective cordon around the disabled craft, Lt. Comdr. Kelley realizing the extreme danger to his column and its inability to clear the ambush site until the crippled unit was repaired, boldly maneuvered the monitor in which he was embarked to the exposed side of the protective cordon in direct line with the enemy's fire, and ordered the monitor to commence firing. Suddenly, an enemy rocket scored a direct hit on the coxswain's flat, the shell penetrating the thick armor plate, and the explosion spraying shrapnel in all directions. Sustaining serious head wounds from the blast, which hurled him to the deck of the monitor, Lt. Cmdr. Kelley disregarded his severe injuries and attempted to continue directing the other boats. Although unable to move from the deck or to speak clearly into the radio, he succeeded in relaying his commands through 1 of his men until the enemy attack was silenced and the boats were able to move to an area of safety. Lt. Comdr. Kelley's brilliant leadership, bold initiative, and resolute determination served to inspire his men and provide the impetus needed to carry out the mission after he was medically evacuated by helicopter. His extraordinary courage under fire, and his selfless devotion to duty sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 15, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

15 June

 

1928: Flying an Air Corps blimp over an Illinois Central train, Lt Karl S. Axtater and Lt Edward H. White dipped down and handed a mailbag to a postal clerk on the train to complete the first airplane-to-train mail transfer. (20)

 

1940: Congress authorized 10,000 useful airplanes and 48 useful airships for the Navy. (24)

 

1942: Seven B-24s from the Halverson Detachment attacked and damaged the Italian battleship Littorio east of Malta. (4)

 

1944: KEY EVENT. Brig Gen LaVerne G. Saunders, XX Bomber Command, led the first B-29 strike against Japan. In that raid, 47 B-29s flew from bases in Chengtu, China, to attack steel mills at Yawata on Kyushu. (20) (21)

 

1952: KOREAN WAR. In aerial combat, 2Lt James F. Low, 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, destroyed his fifth MiG, becoming an ace just six months after completing flight training. (28)

 

1959: The 463 TCW at Sewart AFB, Tenn., received the first C-130B.

 

1963: The Air Force launched its 200th Thor missile.

 

1965: SAC declared the 400 SMS to be operational at Francis E. Warren AFB. This act ended the deployment of 800 Minuteman Is in 16 squadrons. (1) (6) 1969: C-5A No. 2 set several records: heaviest takeoff at 762,800 pounds and heaviest landing with 600,000 pounds. (3)

 

1970: A C-130 flew the final Blind Bat flare mission over the Barrel Roll area of Laos. The PACAF C-130s involved in this mission returned to Naha AB. (17)

 

1971: The first Titan III-D space booster launched from Vandenberg AFB. It was a two-stage liquid-fueled, core vehicle with two additional outboard strap-on thrust pods of solid propellant.

 

1972: A 42 BMW B-52G crew from Loring AFB launched the first operational SRAM at White Sands Missile Range. (1) (6)

 

1975: The last F-111s in Thailand began their redeployment to the US. (16) (26)

 

1978: SAC demilitarized and removed the last Hound Dog missiles from its inventory at the 42 BMW, Loring AFB. (6)

 

1984: MAC C-130s flew 4.5 tons of pumps and other equipment from Dyess AFB to Kansas City, Missouri, to assist in flood fighting efforts in northwest Missouri. (16) (26) The first Peacekeeper with a Mark-21 Reentry Vehicle completed a flight test at Vandenberg AFB. (16) (26)

 

2006: The last production Block 10 Global Hawk arrived at Edwards AFB for acceptance and operational check flights before delivery to Beale AFB for operational use. (3)

 

2007: The last operational F-16A Fighting Falcon (Tail No. 82-993) flew its final mission in Arizona's skies, taking off from the Tucson Air National Guard base for indefinite storage at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group yard at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. (AFNEWS, "Air Guard Retires Last F-16A in Service," 20 Jun 2007.)

 

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World News for 15 June thanks to Military Periscope

 

USA—Reagan Carrier Strike Group Enters S. China Sea U.S. Pacific Fleet | 06/15/2021 A U.S. carrier group has begun operations in the South China Sea, reports the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is conducting "flight operations with fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, maritime strike exercises and coordinated tactical training between surface and air units," the fleet said on Tuesday. The unit also includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh and destroyer USS Halsey. "The South China Sea is pivotal to the free flow of commerce," said Rear Adm. Will Pennington, the strike group commander. "It is both a privilege and a pleasure to work alongside our allies, partners and joint service teammates to provide full spectrum support to key maritime commons and ensure all nations continue to benefit from a free and open Indo-Pacific region," he said. 

 

USA—LCAC-100 Hovercraft Program Breaches Cost Limits Defense News | 06/15/2021 The costs of the Navy's LCAC-100 Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) program have breached the thresholds set by the Nunn-McCurdy law, reports Defense News. On March 26, the Navy notified Congress that the increase in the program acquisition unit cost and average procurement unit cost for the program had exceeded the current baseline sufficiently to trigger a Nunn-McCurdy breach, the service said in a statement on June 11. The increase was driven by first-in-class challenges that drove up construction costs resulting from labor and material cost growth and schedule-related issues on early craft, the Navy said. Production is now stable following the resolution of first-in-class issues, according to the service. The breach is less than the 25 percent figure that requires recertification or cancellation, the newspaper said. The LCAC-100 program is expected to cover 72 vehicles to replace the aging fleet of air-cushion landing craft (LCACs) that transport Marines, ground vehicles and equipment from amphibious warships to shore. Textron was awarded a contract for the the LCAC-100, in 2012, but the maiden vehicle did not see in-water testing until 2018. It underwent acceptance trials in 2019 and was delivered in 2020. The second and third SSCs, LCAC-101 and LCAC-102, have also been delivered, with LCAC-102 transferring to Panama City, Fla., to support initial operator training and post-delivery test and trials earlier this month. Textron is currently under contract to build the first 24 craft, with LCAC-103 through LCAC-115 under construction. 

 

USA—Biden Administration Names Navy Secretary Nominee Defense News | 06/15/2021 The Biden administration has announced its pick for Navy secretary, reports Defense News. On June 11, the administration indicated that Carlos Del Toro would be nominated as the civilian leader of the Navy. Del Toro graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983 and served in the Navy for 22 years, including as the first commanding officer of the destroyer Bulkeley, during which he oversaw integration of women into the crew as one of the first mixed-gender warships. He also served as a program manager for Space and Naval Warfare Command, now Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, and as a senior executive assistant to the director for program analysis and evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Del Toro also held positions working with the White House, Congress and Office of Management and Budget during his career. After leaving the Navy, Del Toro founded SBG Technology Solutions, which has worked on defense programs related to shipbuilding, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and space systems. 

 

USA—Northrop Grumman Delivers EW System To Navy For Testing Northrop Grumman | 06/15/2021 Northrop Grumman says it has delivered the first AN/SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 electronic warfare system to the Navy for testing. The SEWIP Block 3 engineering and development model was handed over to the Navy for land-based testimony during a ceremony at Northrop Grumman's systems integration facility in Baltimore, Md., the company said in a release last week. Prior to delivery, Northrop Grumman completed systems integration and formal qualification testing on the system under the engineering, manufacturing and development contract. The Block 3 system will undergo land-based testing at the Naval Sea Systems Command Surface Combat Systems Center in Wallops Island, Va 

 

Canada—Attorney General Approves Terror Charges For Truck Attack On Muslim Family Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | 06/15/2021 The suspect in a truck attack that killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, will also face terrorism charges, reports CBC News. On Monday, the charges against Nathaniel Veltman were expanded to include committing a terrorist act during a hearing at the Ontario superior court. Canada's attorney general approved the charges, reported BBC News. Veltman has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for the June 6 attack, when he intentionally drove his vehicle into the Azfaal family as they waited to cross a street at a red light. Four members of the family were killed. A nine-year-old boy, the youngest member of the family, is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries. The family was targeted for their Muslim faith, according to police. 

 

Belarus—Lukashenko's Right-Hand Man Suddenly Resigns Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 06/15/2021 Viktor Sheiman, considered to be the right-hand man of President Aleksander Lukashenko, has abruptly resigned from his post in the Belarusian government, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. On June 11, Lukashenko accepted Sheiman's resignation as the head of Belarus President Property Management Directorate, reported the state-run Belarusian Telegraph Agency. He most recently served as the head of the presidential administration, according to RFE/RL. Lukashenko said that Sheiman had wished to resign on previous occasions, but that Sheiman had now accomplished enough. Sheiman has served in a variety of senior security positions with Lukashenko since the latter came to power in 1994. Lukashenko says that Sheiman saved his life from an assassination attempt during that election. Sheiman was appointed as secretary of the Security Council from 1994 to 2000. He was accused of running a death squad during that period that was responsible for over 30 assassinations and forced disappearances. He later served as prosecutor general and chief of staff as well as an envoy to various authoritarian regimes in Latin America and Africa. During the meeting to accept the resignation, Lukashenko said that Sheiman would continue to oversee relations with Cuba, Venezuela and Africa until he decided who would replace him. 

 

China—Framatome Seeks U.S. Assistance With Possible Leak At Taishan Nuclear Power Plant Cable News Network | 06/15/2021 A French company that assists in the operation of and partially owns a nuclear reactor in China's southeastern Guangdong province has warned that the plant poses an "imminent radiological threat" in a letter to the U.S. government, reports CNN. Over the last week, U.S. officials and experts have been assessing a letter that Framatome sent to the Dept. of Energy, which included accusations that the Chinese nuclear safety authority was increasing the acceptable limits for radiation detection outside of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in order to avoid having to shut it down. The company is seeking a waiver for U.S. technical assistance to resolve the problem. The problem is linked to an increase in the concentration of noble gases in the primary circuit of reactor number one at Taishan, said French utility company Electricite de France (EDF), which owns Framatome. The plant is currently operating within safety parameters. On Sunday, the Taishan plant said the environmental readings for the plant and the surrounding area were normal. The leak is not at a crisis level but is increasing and requires monitoring, according to U.S. government officials. Construction of the Taishan power plant began in 2009 and the two reactors began generating power in in 2018 and 2019, respectively. It was the first plant in the world to operate a next-generation EPR pressurized water reactor design. 

 

Philippines—4 Militants Die In Sulu Shootout Philippine Daily Inquirer | 06/15/2021 Four militants, including a subleader, have been killed during a Philippine security operation in the southern Sulu province, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer. On Sunday, the soldiers were attempting to serve arrest warrants on Abu Sayyaf Group militants in the village of Alat in Jolo municipality when the suspects opened fire, the Philippine National Police said. Four militants were killed in the clash, including Injam Yaddah, who has been implicated in the kidnapping of several foreign nationals. Al-al Sawadjaan, the brother of Abu Sayyaf bomb-maker Mundi Sawadjaan and a volunteer suicide bomber, was also killed in the fighting. No casualties were reported among the security forces. Following the firefight, police recovered a loaded M16 rifle and a loaded .45-caliber pistol along with an improvised explosive device, cell phone, Honda XRM motorcycle, detonating cords and a blasting cap. 

 

Philippines—VFA With U.S. Extended For Another 6 Months Rappler | 06/15/2021 The Philippine government has again extended an agreement covering military activities with the U.S., reports the Rappler (Manila). On Monday, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced that the Philippines would again pause plans to scrap the visiting forces agreement (VFA) for further study. The agreement was set to expire in August. Populist President Rodrigo Duterte announced in February 2020 that he planned to abandon the deal, which provides the framework for defense and training arrangements with the U.S. Duterte has since suspended the withdrawal three times, each for six months. Following Joe Biden's election in November 2020, the Philippines said it was interested in renegotiating portions of the arrangement. Earlier this year, the sides reportedly concluded negotiations to improve the VFA. 

 

Vietnam—New Maritime Militia Unit Established In South Nikkei Asia | 06/15/2021 Vietnam has launched a new squadron to protect its interests in the Gulf of Thailand, reports the Nikkei Asia (Tokyo). On June 9, the Permanent Maritime Militia Unit was established in the southwestern Kien Giang province. The militia unit consists of nine ships and platoons equipped with light weapons for paramilitary operations. Vietnam's Naval Academy and Naval Technical College will support the new unit, which will protect fishing activities and conduct patrols in the Gulf of Thailand. The region is of increasing importance as Hanoi expands oil and gas exploration and transportation activities there. It is the second such unit to stand up since April, when another squadron consisting of 131 personnel began operations in the southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province, which is situated near strategic hydrocarbon deposits. 

 

Pakistan—4 Paramilitaries Die In Roadside Bombing In Baluchistan Dawn | 06/15/2021 Four Pakistani paramilitaries have been killed in an explosion in the western Baluchistan region, reports the Dawn (Karachi). The Frontier Corps troops were traveling on the road connecting Margat and Quetta when they struck an improvised explosive device, said the official Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). They were stationed in the region to secure mines in Margat, said the ISPR. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. In May, three Frontier Corps soldiers were killed in an attack on a checkpoint near a mine in Margat. 

 

Afghanistan—Polio Vaccine Campaigners Killed In Separate Attacks In Nangarhar TOLONews | 06/15/2021 Five volunteers working with a polio vaccination team have been killed in a series of attacks in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, reports the Tolo News (Kabul). On Tuesday, unknown gunmen made five separate attacks on vaccination campaigners in the Sorkh Rod and Khogyani districts, as well as the city of Jalalabad, said a spokesman for the provincial governor. Five workers were killed and four wounded in the attacks, he said. Two are in critical condition. The spokesman noted that the team had not been provided with additional security even though security agencies had been asked to support the program. 

 

Iran—Navy Takes Delivery Of 2 New Warships Agence France-Presse | 06/15/2021 The Iranian navy says it has received two new warships, reports Agence France-Presse. On Monday, the navy took delivery of the corvette Dena and minesweeper Shahin. Iranian officials say that the Dena is an indigenous design, capable of embarking a helicopter and possessing a range of offensive and defensive systems. She is the fourth ship in the Jamaran class. The Shahin, measuring 110 feet (33 m) in length, is designed to detect and neutralize naval mines. 

 

Somalia—Suicide Attack At Military Camp Kills 15 Garowe Online | 06/15/2021 More than a dozen Somali army recruits have been killed in a suicide bombing in Mogadishu, reports the Garowe Online (Somalia). On Tuesday, a suicide bomber disguised as a recruit detonated his explosive device as recruits lined up to enter the General Dhegobadan Military Camp, said police. At least 15 recruits were killed in the attack, though that number could rise, reported the New Arab (London). A Somali lawmaker tweeted that there were more than 20 casualties in the blast, reported the Voice of America News. Many others were wounded and taken the Madina hospital in Mogadishu, reported Reuters. There were no immediate claims of responsibility, although Al-Shabaab was suspected. 

 

South Sudan—Government Hinders Peacekeeper Access To Some Areas Voice Of America News | 06/15/2021 The new head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) says the South Sudan government is preventing peacekeepers from accessing certain sensitive areas, reports the Voice of America News. UNMISS chief Nicholas Haysom told the VOA that peacekeepers were unable to patrol in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr El Ghazal states due to a lack of consent from the government. Under the status of forces agreement between the U.N. and South Sudan, peacekeepers are permitted to operate in the country as long as the government consents. Currently, about 90 percent of the country is accessible to peacekeepers provided they give notice, said Haysom. In September 2020, Chinese peacekeepers were prevented from intervening during fighting in Lobonok village, east of Juba. 

 

Ivory Coast—Ambush Kills 3 Soldiers Near Burkina Faso Border Tunis Afrique Presse | 06/15/2021 Three Ivorian soldiers have been killed in an ambush near the Ivory Coast's border with Burkina Faso, reports Tunis Afrique Presse. On Saturday, the soldiers were on a reconnaissance mission near the northern town of Tehini when one of their vehicles struck an improvised explosive device. Three soldiers were killed and four injured in what the Ivorian Defense Ministry called a "complex attack." No group has claimed responsibility for the ambush. Armed extremist organizations, including Al-Qaida and the Islamic State, have been accused of previous attacks in the region.