Good Thursday Morning 17 June
I hope that you all are having a great week
Regards
skip
Today in Naval History
June 17
1815 Commodore Stephen Decatur's squadron engages the Algerian flagship Mashouda near Cape de Gatt, Spain. Though the Algerian frigate maneuvers actively to escape, she surrenders after 20 men, including her commander, are killed.
1833 The ship of the line, USS Delaware, becomes the first warship to enter a public drydock in the United States when secured at Gosport Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Va.
1870 Under the command of Lt. Willard H. Brownson, six boats from the steam sloop-of-war USS Mohican attack a group of pirates in the Teacapan River, Mexico.
1898 President William McKinley signs into law a Congressional bill authorizing the establishment of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps.
1944 TBF (VC 95) from USS Croatan (CVE 25) damages German submarine (U 853) in the North Atlantic. On May 6, 1945, USS Atherton (DE 169) and USS Moberly (PF 63) sink (U 853) off Block Island.
2017 The guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) is involved in a collision with the Philippine-flagged merchant vessel ACX Crystal while operating about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan. Seven Sailors lose their lives and the ship is damaged on her starboard side above and below the waterline.
Thanks to CHINFO
. Pentagon to Start Considering Hundreds of Malpractice Claims
(BLOOMBERG GOVERNMENT 16 JUN 21) ... Roxana Tiron
The Pentagon will be able to start considering hundreds of medical malpractice claims next month, after military victims of botched procedures and misdiagnoses have waited for more than a year.
Biden, Putin Put Differences On Table
(WASHINGTON POST 17 JUN 21) ... Anne Gearan, Ashley Parker and John Hudson
GENEVA — President Biden said he pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged hacking, human rights abuses and other troubling issues in a historic first summit in Geneva on Wednesday, a session shadowed by the unprecedented deference to the canny Russian leader that President Donald Trump displayed for four years
Russia's Newest Submarines Are "On Par With Ours" According To Senior American General
The head of U.S. Northern Command says that Russia's Yasen class submarines are set to present a "persistent proximate threat" to the United States.
(THE DRIVE 16 JUN 21) ... Joseph Trevithick
Asenior U.S. military officer has again sounded the alarm about the threat that advanced, very quiet, cruise-missile-armed Russian submarines, as well as Chinese ones, increasingly present to the United States
This Day In History June 17
0362 Emperor Julian issues an edict banning Christians from teaching in Syria.
1579 Sir Francis Drake claims San Francisco Bay for England.
1775 The British take Bunker Hill outside of Boston, after a costly battle.
1799 Napoleon Bonaparte incorporates Italy into his empire.
1848 Austrian General Alfred Windisch-Gratz crushes a Czech uprising in Prague.
1854 The Red Turban revolt breaks out in Guangdong, China.
1856 The Republican Party opens its first national convention in Philadelphia.
1861 President Abraham Lincoln witnesses Dr. Thaddeus Lowe demonstrate the use of a hot-air balloon.
1863 On the way to Gettysburg, Union and Confederate forces skirmish at Point of Rocks, Maryland.
1872 George M. Hoover begins selling whiskey in Dodge City, Kansas--a town which had previously been "dry."
1876 General George Crook's command is attacked and bested on the Rosebud River by 1,500 Sioux and Cheyenne under the leadership of Crazy Horse.
1912 The German Zeppelin SZ 111 burns in its hangar in Friedrichshafen.
1913 U.S. Marines set sail from San Diego to protect American interests in Mexico.
1917The Russian Duma meets in secret session in Petrograd and votes for an immediate Russian offensive against the German Army.
1924 The Fascist militia marches into Rome.
1926 Spain threatens to quit the League of Nations if Germany is allowed to join.
1930 The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Bill becomes law, placing the highest tariff on imports to the United States.
1931 British authorities in China arrest Indochinese Communist leader Ho Chi Minh.
1932 The U.S. Senate defeats the Bonus Bill as 10,000 veterans mass around the Capitol.
1940 The Soviet Union occupies Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
1942 Yank a weekly magazine for the U.S. armed services, begins publication.
1944 French troops land on the island of Elba in the Mediterranean.
1950 Surgeon Richard Lawler performs the first kidney transplant operation in Chicago.
1953 Soviet tanks fight thousands of Berlin workers rioting against the East German government.
1963 The U.S. Supreme Court bans the required reading of the Lord's prayer and Bible in public schools.
1965 27 B-52s hit Viet Cong outposts, but lose two planes in South Vietnam.
1970 North Vietnamese troops cut the last operating rail line in Cambodia.
1972 Five men are arrested for burglarizing Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.
1994 Millions of Americans watch former football player O.J. Simpson--facing murder charges--drive his Ford Bronco through Los Angeles, followed by police.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Carl
The Next Pandemic Is Here and Being Ignored
Antibiotic use increased throughout the pandemic; about 79% to 96% of people who reported taking antibiotics didn't have COVID-19 but were taking them in the hopes of preventing infection, even though antibiotics don't work against viral infections
Overall, 73% of the antibiotics sold globally are used in farm animals raised for food, typically on CAFOs.
The Next Pandemic Is Here and Being Ignored
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Robert
. Test for over 60 crowd.... And Others!!!
Great mental exercise for the over-sixty crowd. Which of the following names are you familiar with?
1. Monica Lewinsky
2. Spiro Agnew
3. Benito Mussolini
4. Adolf Hitler
5. Jorge Bergoglio
6. Alfonse Capone
7. Vladimir Putin
8. Linda Lovelace
9. Saddam Hussein
10. Tiger Woods
You had trouble with #5, didn't you?
You know all the liars, criminals, adulterers, murderers, thieves, sluts and cheaters, but you don't know the Pope??
Lovely, just lovely....
Sometimes I worry about you!!
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
From FBI Mike…and Shadow
Begin forwarded message:
From: Gerald Collins .
Subject: Former FBI deputy assistant director Terry Turchie says the Biden admin is "weaponizing the machinery of government to silence dissent" Fox News 6/15/2021 (short interview)
Date: June 16, 2021 at 11:11:37 AM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
In the below-linked TV appearance of former DAD Terry Turchie from last evening. In a little less than five minutes, he has a lot to say about this week's announced plans by AG Merrick Garland to weaponize the government against political dissenters.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/news/ingraham-biden-ignores-real-dangers-to-target-americans/vi-AAL5wdy <https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/news/ingraham-biden-ignores-real-dangers-to-target-americans/vi-AAL5wdy>
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Dr. Rich
The fatal arrogance …
💀
Tam
"Our prospective opponent has always started operations by attacking before a declaration of war."
https://newsletter.butwhatfor.com/p/an-attack-on-pearl-harbor
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— ... … For The List for Thursday, 17 June 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 17 June 1966… "Stay and fight, or cut and run"
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-17-june-1966-3v2/
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.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in U S Military History…….June 17
1579 – During his circumnavigation of the world, English seaman Francis Drake anchors in a harbor just north of present-day San Francisco, California, and claims the territory for Queen Elizabeth I. Calling the land "Nova Albion," Drake remained on the California coast for a month to make repairs to his ship, the Golden Hind, and prepare for his westward crossing of the Pacific Ocean. On December 13, 1577, Drake set out from England with five ships on a mission to raid Spanish holdings on the Pacific coast of the New World. After crossing the Atlantic, Drake abandoned two of his ships in South America and then sailed into the Straits of Magellan with the remaining three. A series of devastating storms besieged his expedition in the treacherous straits, wrecking one ship and forcing another to return to England. Only the Golden Hind reached the Pacific Ocean, but Drake continued undaunted up the western coast of South America, raiding Spanish settlements and capturing a rich Spanish treasure ship. Drake then continued up the western coast of North America, searching for a possible northeast passage back to the Atlantic. Reaching as far north as present-day Washington before turning back, Drake paused near San Francisco Bay in June 1579 to repair his ship and prepare for a journey across the Pacific. In July, the expedition set off across the Pacific, visiting several islands before rounding Africa's Cape of Good Hope and returning to the Atlantic Ocean. On September 26, 1580, the Golden Hind returned to Plymouth, England, bearing its rich captured treasure and valuable information about the world's great oceans. In 1581, Queen Elizabeth I knighted Drake during a visit to his ship.
1775 – During the American Revolution, British General William Howe lands his troops on the Charlestown peninsula overlooking Boston and leads them against Breed's Hill, a fortified American position just below Bunker Hill. As the British advanced in columns against the Americans, Patriot General William Prescott reportedly told his men, "Don't one of you fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" When the Redcoats were within 40 yards, the Americans let loose with a lethal barrage of musket fire, cutting down nearly 100 enemy troops and throwing the British into retreat. After reforming his lines, Howe attacked again, with much the same result. However, Prescott's men were now low on ammunition, and when Howe led his men up the hill for a third time, they reached the redoubts and engaged the Americans in hand-to-hand combat. The outnumbered Americans were forced to retreat. The British had won the so-called Battle of Bunker Hill, and Breed's Hill and the Charlestown peninsula fell firmly under British control. Despite losing their strategic positions, the battle was a morale-builder for the Americans, who had suffered far fewer casualties than their enemy while demonstrating that they could conduct war effectively against the British.
1944 – The US 1st Army cuts off the Contentin Peninsula. The US 9th Division (part of US 7th Corps) reaches the west coast to the north and south of Barneville. German divisions isolated to the north are not permitted to attempt to break out. Hitler meets with Rundstedt, Commander in Chief (West), and Rommel, commanding Army Group B. Both Field Marshals seek a withdrawal to more defensible positions inland. Hitler refuses to allow a retreat in Normandy. He suggests that the V1 bombing of Britain will force it out of the war.
1944 – The US 27th Infantry Division lands on Saipan to reinforce the American beachhead.
1944 – The carriers led by Admiral Clark and the rest of the main US carrier forces sail for a rendezvous to the west of the Mariana Islands.
1945 – On Okinawa, reinforced American units advance in the Kuishi Ridge area which has been stubbornly defended by forces of the Japanese 32nd Army. Along the line of the US 24th Corps, the last Japanese defensive line is broken. The US 7th Division completes the capture of Hills 153 and 115. The commander of the Japanese naval base on Okinawa, Admiral Minoru Ota, is found dead, having committed suicide.
1945 – On Luzon, elements of the US 37th Division, US 1st Corps, captures Naguilian after making a forced crossing of the Cagayan river, near the town of Cagayan.
1945 – General Arnold orders General Chennault to be replaced by General Stratemeyer as Commander in Chief of the US air forces operating in China. Japanese troops in southern China begin withdrawing northward in five long columns between the Yellow and Yangtze rivers.
1965 – For the first time, 27 B-52s fly from Guam to bomb a Vietcong concentration in a heavily forested area of Binhduong Province. Such flights, under the aegis of the Strategic Air Command, are known as Operation Arc Light.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BROSNAN, JOHN
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company E, 164th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 17 June 1864. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 18 January 1894. Citation: Rescued a wounded comrade who lay exposed to the enemy's fire, receiving a severe wound in the effort.
CHANDLER, HENRY F.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company E, 59th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 17 June 1864. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Andover, Mass. Date of issue: 30 March 1898. Citation: Though seriously wounded in a bayonet charge and directed to go to the rear he declined to do so, but remained with his regiment and helped to carry the breastworks.
.
STRAUSBAUGH, BERNARD A.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company A, 3d Maryland Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 17 June 1864. Entered service at: Warfordsburg, Pa. Birth: Adams County, Pa. Date of issue: 1 December 1864. Citation: Recaptured the colors of 2d Pennsylvania Provisional Artillery.
WAGEMAN, JOHN H.
Rank and organization: Private, Company I, 60th Ohio Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 17 June 1864. Entered service at: Amelia, Ohio. Birth: Clermont County, Ohio. Date of issue: 27 July 1896. Citation: Remained with the command after being severely wounded until he had fired all the cartridges in his possession, when he had to be carried from the field.
YOUNG, BENJAMIN F.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company I, 1st Michigan Sharpshooters. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 17 June 1864. Entered service at: Canada. Born: 1844, Canada. Date of issue: % December 1864. Citation: Capture of flag of 35th North Carolina Infantry (C.S.A.).
McGANN, MICHAEL A.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Rosebud River, Mont., 17 June 1876. Entered service at:——. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 9 August 1880. Citation: Gallantry in action.
PARNELL, WILLIAM R.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 1st U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At White Bird Canyon, Idaho, 17 June 1877. Entered service at: New York. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 16 September 1897. Citation: With a few men, in the face of a heavy fire from pursuing Indians and at imminent peril, returned and rescued a soldier whose horse had been killed and who had been left behind in the retreat.
ROBINSON, JOSEPH
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company D, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Rosebud River, Mont., 17 June 1876. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 23 January 1880. Citation: Discharged his duties while in charge of the skirmish line under fire with judgment and great coolness and brought up the lead horses at a critical moment.
SHINGLE, JOHN H.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Troop 1, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Rosebud River, Mont., 17 June 1876. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 1 June 1880. Citation: Gallantry in action.
SNOW, ELMER A.
Rank and organization: Trumpeter, Company M, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Rosebud Creek, Mont., 17 June 1876. Entered service at: ——. Birth. Hardwick, Mass. Date of issue: 16 October 1877. Citation. Bravery in action; was wounded in both arms.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
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 16, 1936
Seversky Aircraft Company won a contract to provide the Air Corps with P–35 airplanes—the Army's first single-seat fighters with enclosed cockpits and retractable landing gear.
June 17, 1986
After being returned to flyable condition, B-47E-25-DT Stratojet serial number 52-166, made the last flight of a B-47. It was flown by Maj. Gen. John D. ("J.D.") Moore and Lt. Col. Dale E. Wolfe from the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in the high desert of Southern California, to Castle AFB in California's San Joaquin Valley, to be placed on static display. Click HERE to learn more about this historic mission.
June 18, 1981
The first Full Scale Development Lockheed YF-117A Nighthawk, 79-10780, made its first flight at Groom Lake, Nevada, with Skunk Works test pilot Harold "Hal" Farley Jr. at the controls. The super-secret airplane was made of materials that absorbed radar waves, and built with the surfaces angled so that radar signals are deflected away from the source. Commonly called the "Stealth Fighter," the Nighthawk is actually a tactical bomber. Five developmental aircraft and 59 operational F-117As were built. They were in service from 1983 until 2008, when the Lockheed F-22 Raptor was planned to assume their mission. They are mothballed and could be returned to service if needed.
June 19, 1968
Lt. j.g. Clyde Everett Lassen was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as the pilot and aircraft commander of a search and rescue helicopter during operations against enemy forces in North Vietnam. In part, the citation reads: "Although enemy fire was being directed at the helicopter, he initially landed in a clear area near the base of the hill, but, due to the dense undergrowth, the survivors could not reach the helicopter. With the aid of flare illumination, Lieutenant Lassen successfully accomplished a hover between two trees at the survivor's position. Illumination was abruptly lost as the last of the flares were expended, and the helicopter collided with a tree, commencing a sharp descent. Expertly righting his aircraft and maneuvering clear, Lieutenant Lassen remained in the area, determined to make another rescue attempt, and encouraged the downed aviators while awaiting resumption of flare illumination. After another unsuccessful, illuminated, rescue attempt, and with his fuel dangerously low and his aircraft significantly damaged, he launched again and commenced another approach in the face of the continuing enemy opposition." Click HERE to read the full story of this historic mission.
June 20, 1941
The Department of War established the United States Army Air Forces. The new organization consisted of Headquarters Army Air Forces, the newly formed Air Force Combat Command, and the existing United States Army Air Corps. The U.S.A.A.F. was placed under the command of Maj. Gen. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Chief of the Air Forces. At the end of 1941, the U.S. Army Air Forces had a strength of 354,161 (24,521 officers and 329,640 enlisted) and 12,297 aircraft, with 4,477 of these classified as combat aircraft.
June 21, 1993
Lt. Col. Nancy J. Currie-Gregg, the first female Army aviator to become an astronaut, made her first space flight.
June 22, 1962
The last of 744 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers, B-52H-175-BW, serial number 61-0040, was rolled out at the Boeing Military Airplane Company plant in Wichita, Kansas. The U.S. Air Force contracted 62 B-52H Stratofortresses, serial numbers 60-0001 through 60-0062, on May 6, 1960. A second group of 40, serials 61-0001 through 61-0040, were ordered later. All were built at the Boeing Wichita plant.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 17, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
17 June
1909: Orville and Wilbur Wright received special gold medals from Congress. (24)
1917: The Aeronautical Mission (known as the Bolling Mission), under Maj Raynal Cawthorne Bolling, sailed for Europe. It determined the types of aircraft the US should build and surveyed foreign manufacturing techniques. (21)
1922: RAdm William A. Moffett became the first Naval Aviation Observer. (24)
1928: FIRST WOMAN TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC: Amelia Earhart flew her airplane, the Friendship, with Wilmer Stultz and Lou Gordon (navigator) from Newfoundland to Wales in 20 hours 40 minutes. (9) (24)
1942: Army Air Corps tow planes picked up their first gliders.
1943: PROJECT WINDOW. Tinfoil strips (chaff) were used to confuse German radar so American bombers could strike targets. (4)
1952: Goodyear delivered the world's largest nonrigid airship, ZPN-1, 324 feet long and 94 feet 5 inches high, to the Navy at Lakehurst, N. J. (24)
1957: The formation of the International Council of Aeronautical Services officially announced.
1958: The USAF accepted the Martin Company's first Titan I. (6) The Air Force picked the Boeing and Martin companies to be competing prime contractors on the X-20 Dyna-Soar boost-glide space vehicle. (20)
1963: The Polaris A3 made its first successful firing at sea from the USS Observation Island. (5)(16)
1964: The triservice XC-142A, a vertical takeoff and landing VTOL aircraft, made its roll-out in Dallas, Texas.
1968: MAC's first C-9 Nightingale aeromedical evacuation aircraft rolled out at the McDonnell Douglas facility at Long Beach. (16) (21)
1975: Detachment 5, 37 ARRS, saved 131 flood victims from a 13-county flood in Montana. (16) (26)
1983: The USAF launched the first Peacekeeper ICBM from Vandenburg AFB. Its unarmed reentry vehicles landed in the Kwajalein target area. (21)
1985: SAC initiated studies of five alternative basing modes in case Congress approved the second installment of 50 Peacekeeper missiles. The modes included superhardened silos in pattern array, superhard silos in Minuteman spaced basing, rail mobility, multiple protective shelters, and ground mobility. (16)
1986: Rickenbacker ANGB, Ohio, retired the last operational UC-123K Provider. (18)
1993: At Minot AFB, Lt Col Patricia Fornes became the 740th Missile Squadron commander. She was the first woman to command a combat missile unit. Her father, Lt Col Glenn L. Fornes, also commanded the 740th from 1969 thru 1971. (16) (26)
1996: The USAF selected Lockheed-Martin Integrated Systems of Orlando, Fla., and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace of St. Louis to compete to build the new JASSM. (AFNEWS)
1997: Operation PROVIDE HOPE. A C-5A Galaxy from the 436 AW at Dover AFB flew from Andrews AFB to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on the 500th humanitarian airlift mission supporting this operation. (22)
2003: DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSSES. The USAF awarded 34 aircrew members from Charleston AFB the DFC for actions in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Eight recipients earned the DFC during the first night of humanitarian relief operations in Afghanistan (7 October 2001), while the others received the DFC for inserting Marine forces at the Rhino Landing Zone near Kandahar on 28-30 November 2001. The crews flying to the landing zone performed the deepest insertion of Marines into hostile territory in Marine Corps history. They also accomplished three C-17 operational milestones: (1) the first C-17 combat landings on an unimproved dirt strip; (2) the first missions by C-17 special operations low-level aircrews in hostile conditions; and (3) the first use of night vision goggles by C-17 aircrews to make blacked-out approaches and landings in hostile territory. (22) An AFFTC B-1B dropped two JSOWs, the first time the new long-range glide weapon had been dropped from a Lancer, as part of a separation test. (3)
2007: The 555th Fighter Squadron deployed 300 airmen and 18 F-16 Fighting Falcons to Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea, making it the first U.S. Air Forces in Europe unit to deploy to a Pacific Air Forces unit for an air expeditionary force rotation. During its deployment to Kunsan, the 555th from Aviano AB, Italy, reunited with the 8th Fighter Wing for the first time since 1966, when the squadron joined the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon AB, Thailand. (AFNEWS, "USAFE Fighter Squadron Deploys to Kunsan," 20 Jun 2007.)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
World News for 17 June thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Biden Meets Putin For 1st Time Cable News Network | 06/17/2021 President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have held their first face-to-face summit, reports CNN. On Wednesday, the leaders met in Geneva to discuss a range of issues, including human rights and cyberattacks. The talks included two rounds, a smaller session and a subsequent larger one with delegations from both sides, running for a total of four to five hours, said officials. There were few breakthroughs, although the sides agreed to return their ambassadors to their posts. Russia pulled its ambassador out of Washington in March after Biden called Putin "a killer." Biden also said that he presented Putin a list of 16 targets considered off-limits for cyberattacks. The president added that there was an agreement for experts from both countries to work together to establish certain cybersecurity policies, reported NPR News. The leaders also reached an agreement to resume talks on nuclear arsenals and establish a "bilateral strategic stability dialog," reported CNBC.
USA—NRO Satellites Launched From Va. C4ISRNet | 06/17/2021 Three National Reconnaissance Office satellites have been launched from a facility in Virginia, reports C4ISRNet. On June 15, the classified satellites were launched on a Minotaur I rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility, Va. The launch was delayed by 2.5 hours due to weather, reported Space News. The NRO did not provide any information on the payloads other than that they would support its overhead surveillance mission. The mission was procured under the OSP-4 initiative by the Dept. of Defense to better leverage the commercial market. OSP-4 allows DoD customers to secure launches for payloads under 400 pounds (180 kg) within one to two years of issuing a task order. The Air Force said in 2019 that it expected to launch 20 missions over nine years using OSP-4. This was the final NRO launch planned for 2021. The agency plans to conduct its next two launches in January and February of 2022 from New Zealand using Rocket Lab's Electron rocket. A total of six NRO launches are planned for next year.
USA—Space Force Recovers Drugs Washed Ashore At Cape Canaveral Space Launch Delta 45 | 06/17/2021 The Space Force has discovered an abandoned drug shipment that washed ashore at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, reports Space Launch Delta 45. On May 19, personnel from the 45th Security Forces Squadron seized about 65 pounds (29 kg) of cocaine that had washed ashore on a beach near the base. A wildlife manager with the 45th Civil Engineer Squadron found 24 suspicious packages during a survey of the area. Intelligence collected from tests and inspection of the packages was passed to the El Paso Intelligence Center, which serves as a repository for information on abandoned drugs. The origin of the cocaine is under investigation.
United Kingdom—Free Trade Deal Reached With Australia U.K. Prime Minister's Office | 06/17/2021 The U.K. and Australia have agreed to a new trade deal, reports the British Prime Minister's Office. On June 14, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, agreed on the main elements of the trade deal. It is the first trade deal to be negotiated by the U.K. since it left the European Union, noted BBC News. The deal is expected to remove most tariffs on the sale of goods between the two countries. For example, tariffs will be removed from British products such as Scotch whisky, cars, life science, chemicals and manufacturing goods used in Australia's mining, quarrying and recycling sectors. The agreement will also eliminate tariffs on Australian products, such as wines, swimwear and confectionery. The deal also abolishes tariffs on agricultural products, a key Australian objective. However, agricultural tariff-free imports will be protected for a 15-year period by tariff rate quotas and other safeguards, the prime minister's office said. The deal is expected to increase the size of the U.K. economy by about 0.02 percent over 15 years, said analysts. British officials also anticipate that the agreement will enhance the U.K.'s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which Australia is a member.
Germany—Troops Pulled From NATO Mission In Lithuania British Broadcasting Corp. | 06/17/2021 Germany has withdrawn an army platoon assigned to the NATO enhanced forward presence mission in Lithuania after reports of sexual assault and racist and anti-Semitic abuses, reports BBC News. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that around 30 soldiers would be recalled to Germany in a social media post on Wednesday. Four soldiers were previously pulled out following an initial investigation. The abuses allegedly occurred during party held at a hotel at the end of April, Der Spiegel reported on Monday. Several soldiers have been accused of bullying, threatening violence, filming the sexual assault of another soldier and singing anti-Semitic songs. Some members of the platoon were later accused of other instances of sexual and racial abuse as well as singing a song to mark the birthday of Adolf Hitler. Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Tuesday that any soldiers who knew about the behavior but did not report it would be punished. The ringleaders were facing immediate dismissal, reported Reuters.
Estonia—Foreign Ministry Protests Violation Of Airspace By Russian Jets Estonian Public Broadcasting | 06/17/2021 The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally complained after a pair of Russian fighter jets briefly violated Estonian airspace, reports Estonian Public Broadcasting. On Tuesday, two Su-35 Flankers entered Estonian airspace without permission and remained there for less than a minute, the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Force said on Wednesday, as cited by Russia's Tass news agency. The aircraft did not file a flight plan and did not turn on their transponders or communicate with Estonia's air traffic control service. The jets entered Estonian airspace over the western Hiiu county. Such breaches typically occur over the island of Vainloo in the Gulf of Finland, noted analysts. On Wednesday, the ministry of foreign affairs summoned the Russian charge d'affaires and delivered an official note. The Russian Ministry of Defense denied that the Flankers had entered Estonian airspace, saying that the jets had performed a scheduled flight over neutral waters in the Baltic Sea and had not deviated from their designated route.
Ukraine—Luch Unveils Upgraded Self-Propelled Anti-Tank System Defence-Blog | 06/17/2021 Ukraine state arms manufacturer Luch has unveiled a new self-propelled anti-tank guided missile system, reports Defence Blog. On Tuesday, Luch debuted the Barrier-S vehicle based on the Soviet-era Shturm-S anti-tank system. The Barrier-S features RK-2P or RK-2POF semi-automatic command-to-line-of-sight (SACLOS) anti-tank missiles, with a range of 3.7 miles (6 km) and a modern guidance system fitted on a gyrostabilized platform. The system is designed to defeat modern tanks, light armored vehicles, small ships and low-flying aircraft. It is protected against some forms of electric countermeasures. The Ukrainian military and other users of Soviet-era equipment have expressed interest in the new system, said Luch officials.
European Union—New Round Of Sanctions On Belarus Agreed Tass | 06/17/2021 The Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union (COREPER) has agreed on an additional round of sanctions against Belarus, reports Russia's Tass news agency. COREPER, consisting of E.U. ambassadors, approved the sanctions, which are expected to be adopted by the E.U. Council during a foreign ministerial meeting on Monday, reported Reuters. The measures target seven individuals with links to the Belarusian aviation sector, said an unnamed E.U. diplomat. The ambassadors also signed off on a fourth package of asset freezes and travel bans to be imposed on around 80 Belarusian officials in response to last year's rigged election. These measures were being prepared when Belarusian authorities forced a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk to arrest an opposition blogger and his girlfriend. The E.U. decried the incident as a case of air piracy and added the individuals linked to the aviation sector as a stop-gap measure while harsh economic sanctions are discussed. Such measures could hit bond sales, the oil sector and potash, a type of fertilizer and a key Belarusian export.
China—Astronauts Reach Tianhe Space Station Space.Com | 06/17/2021 Three Chinese astronauts have arrived at China's Tianhe space station, reports Space.com. On Wednesday, a Long March-2F rocket took off with the three astronauts of the Shenzhou-12 mission from the Jiuquan satellite launch center in northwest China, reported the Guardian (U.K.). Seven hours later, the astronauts successfully docked with the Chinese space station. The Shenzhou 12 astronauts will live aboard the station for three months, testing systems aboard the new station, the core of which was launched in April. They will also conduct two spacewalks, according to Chinese officials. Chinese officials have said that the Tianhe station will require crew, supplies and additional modules from three more flights before it is complete.
Philippines—Rights Group Says 3 Farmers Killed In Military Op Gma News | 06/17/2021 The Philippine military says it has killed three communist rebels in a clash in the southern Mindanao region, reports the GMA News (Quezon City). On Tuesday, troops from the 3rd Special Forces Battalion tracked a group of fleeing New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Diatagon in Surigao del Sur province. During the encounter, the rebels detonated an explosive device, leading to an exchange of fire that killed three rebels, including a minor, the military said. Soldiers recovered arms and ammunition from the scene, reported the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The suspected militants were believed to be part of the NPA's Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee, said the government. However, the rights group Karapatan says that the military killed three members of an indigenous community with no ties to armed groups as they were harvesting manila hemp. A spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division denied the claim, saying that the NPA had been recruiting local indigenous people.
Burma—Karen National Union To Investigate Alleged Massacre Agence France-Presse | 06/17/2021 A Burmese rebel group says it will investigate accusations by the ruling junta that one of its units massacred 25 civilians, reports Agence France-Presse. Reuters reported on Monday that state-run media accused the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) of kidnapping and killing at least 25 people from an area near the Thai border. The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper and Myawaddy Television published images of the bodies from the alleged killing. On Wednesday, the Karen National Union (KNU) said that it would investigate the accusations. If true, such acts would violate the group's code of conduct, it said. The KNDO denied that it had killed civilians, saying that the men it killed were soldiers sent by the junta to spy on it, reported the Irrawaddy (Burma). They had military uniforms and badges, said a spokesman. The group said that some of the men were killed in military shelling. Armed Karen groups have clashed sporadically with the Burmese military since March. The KNU signed a cease-fire with the government in 2016 but appears to have abandoned that following the Feb. 1 coup.
Australia—Morrison Warns Naval Group To Submit Design Plans By September Australian Broadcasting Corporation | 06/17/2021 Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned French shipbuilder Naval Group to meet an upcoming deadline for Australia's new diesel-electric submarine program, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corp. On Monday, Morrison met with French President Emmanuel Macron and with Naval Group in Paris for "candid talks," he said. The prime minister warned that Naval Group must meet a September deadline to submit its design work plans for the next two years of the project. An initial plan submitted in February was rejected for being too expensive. In 2016, Naval Group won the Aus$90 billion (US$69.3 billion) contract to build 12 Attack-class submarines to replace the aging Collins-class boats. The program is significantly behind schedule and has experienced cost issues and disputes over Australian content. Last week, Canberra announced that it planned to upgrade all six Collins-class submarines to fill a capability gap before the Attack class enters service in the mid-2030s.
India—Debate Continues Over Plans For Unified Theater Commands The Print | 06/17/2021 The Indian military's plans for unified theater commands are likely to be delayed due to a lack of consensus, reports the Print (New Delhi). During a meeting last week, key stakeholders met to draft a proposal for the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to create the new commands. The talks revealed ongoing issues that need to be resolved, such as if the theater commands should be based on challenges or potential adversaries, namely China and Pakistan. Gen. Bipin Rawat, the chief of defense staff, is eager to stand up two initial commands -- the Maritime Theater and Air Defense commands -- with plans calling for activation in 2022. Three other theater commands are anticipated: the Northern Land Theater, covering Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and the central sector; Western Land Theater, focused on Pakistan; and the Eastern Land Theater. Other issues include how to integrate non-military forces, like border guards, into the new structure. Financing is also a concern, said sources familiar with the talks.
Iran—3 Candidates Withdraw Ahead Of Presidential Elections Mehr News Agency | 06/17/2021 Three candidates in Iran's presidential election have dropped out to endorse the front-runners, reports Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency. On Wednesday, Mohsen Mehralizadeh and Alireza Zakani announced that they were withdrawing, reported Reuters. Mehralizadeh, a former governor of the central Isfahan province, said the move was intended to boost the candidacy of Abdolnasser Hemmati, a former top banker and moderate, reported Agence France-Presse. Zakani, a hardliner, endorsed leading hardline candidate Ebrahim Raisi, who is currently considered the favorite. Saeed Jalili also ended his campaign and endorsed Raeisi. The presidential vote is scheduled for Friday.
Niger—French Troops Arrest Top Islamic State Militant In Tri-Border Region Agence France-Presse | 06/17/2021 French forces say they have arrested a high-ranking terrorist in Mali in a joint operation with Nigerien forces, reports Agence France-Presse. On June 11, French troops detained Dadi Ould Chouaib, also known as Abou Dardar, in the tri-border region of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the French military said on Wednesday. Dardar was carrying an automatic weapon, night-vision telescope, combat vest, phone and radio but surrendered without resistance. The suspected terrorist leader was a member of the Al-Qaida-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and is now a senior figure in Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). He was identified during a helicopter sweep by the French-led Operation Barkhane. He was originally arrested in 2014 but was released in October 2020 as part of a deal to free four hostages. Since then, he has been accused of mutilating three people at a market in Tin Hama in northern Mali on May 2.
Peru—Castillo Wins Popular Vote In Tight Presidential Election British Broadcasting Corp. | 06/17/2021 Left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo has won the most votes in Peru's presidential election, reports BBC News. All ballots in the June 6 run-off contest between Castillo and right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori have been counted. Castillo received 44,000 more votes than Fujimori, winning just over 50 percent of the 18.8 million ballots cast. Castillo claimed victory following the announcement in a social media post, reported Reuters. The election is not expected to be formally called until a series of legal challenges brought by Fujimori arguing electoral fraud have been processed. Observers have said that this could take several weeks. Fujimori has not produced detailed evidence of fraud. Electoral observers from the Organization of American States say they found no irregularities. Castillo's Free Peru party has also rejected the allegations. This is the third time that Fujimori has run for president. She is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and human-rights abuses during his presidency. Fujimori is under investigation on allegations of corruption and money laundering. She has rejected the charges as politically motivated.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.