Good Friday Morning 25 June
Hope you all have a great weekend.
Flying home later today. Great trip.
Regards
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Today in Naval History
June 25
1859 Though the U.S. is neutral in the Spanish Opium War, Capt. Josiah Tattnall offers the use of the U.S. steamer Toey-Wan to the British and French during the Battle of Taku Forts to receive wounded and dead troops.
1917 During World War I, the first Navy convoy of troopships carrying the American Expeditionary Forces arrives in France. The 14 troopships depart on June 14 from New York, which includes the 5th Marine Regiment.
1942 USS Nautilus (SS 168) sinks the Japanese destroyer, Yamakaze, southeast of Yokosuka, Japan.
1950 North Korea invades South Korea, beginning the Korean War. Two days later, President Harry S. Truman supports the United Nations call and authorizes US naval and air operations south of the 38th Parallel, Korea.
1956 Fleet Adm. Ernest J. King dies at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in New Hampshire.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• Multiple outlets reported on acting SECNAV Harker, CNO Adm. Gilday and CMC Gen. Berger's SAC-D testimony.
• National and international press continued to report on the confrontation between HMS Defender and Russian military forces ivo Crimea.
• Trade and regional press reported on the start of CARAT in the Indian Ocean.
Today in History June 25
841 | Charles the Bald and Louis the German defeat Lothar at Fontenay. | |
1658 | Aurangzeb proclaims himself emperor of the Moghuls in India. | |
1767 | Mexican Indians riot as Jesuit priests are ordered home. | |
1857 | Gustave Flaubert goes on trial for public immorality regarding his novel, Madame Bovary. | |
1862 | The first day of the Seven Days' campaign begins with fighting at Oak Grove, Virginia. | |
1864 | Union troops surrounding Petersburg, Virginia, begin building a mine tunnel underneath the Confederate lines. | |
1868 | The U.S. Congress enacts legislation granting an eight-hour day to workers employed by the federal government. | |
1876 | General George A. Custer and over 260 men of the Seventh Cavalry are wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians at Little Bighorn in Montana. | |
1903 | Marie Curie announces her discovery of radium. | |
1920 | The Greeks take 8,000 Turkish prisoners in Smyrna. | |
1921 | Samuel Gompers is elected head of the American Federation of Labor for the 40th time. | |
1941 | Finland declares war on the Soviet Union. | |
1946 | Ho Chi Minh travels to France for talks on Vietnamese independence. | |
1948 | The Soviet Union tightens its blockade of Berlin by intercepting river barges heading for the city. | |
1950 | North Korea invades South Korea, beginning the Korean War. | |
1959 | The Cuban government seizes 2.35 million acres under a new agrarian reform law. | |
1962 | The U.S. Supreme Court bans official prayers in public schools. | |
1964 | President Lyndon Johnson orders 200 naval personnel to Mississippi to assist in finding three missing civil rights workers. | |
1973 | White House Counsel John Dean admits President Richard Nixon took part in the Watergate cover-up. | |
1986 | Congress approves $100 million in aid to the Contras fighting in Nicaragua. |
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— ... … For The List for Friday, 25 June 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 25 June 1966… "Frances FitzGerald: Lessons From a War—How do we avoid another Vietnam war?"
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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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 25
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 25
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
25 June
1934: Richard C. DuPont set a glider distance record of 158.299 miles from Elmira, N.Y., to Basking Ridge, N.J., in a DuPont Bowlus sailplane. (24)
1937: Richard Archbald made first nonstop transcontinental amphibian flight in a PBY-1 Catalina from San Diego to New York. (24)
1943: Eighth Air Force sent B-17s to attack enemy convoys off Wangerooge and Juist Islands in the North Sea. (4) In the heaviest single attack made to date by the Northwest African Air Forces, 130 B-17s dropped more than 300 tons of bombs on Messina, Sicily. (24)
1947: First flight of the Boeing B-50. (12)
1950: KOREAN WAR BEGAN. The North Koreans moved their army along the 38th parallel, and at 0400 hours they launched a sudden and all-out attack against the Republic of Korea. The USAF took its B-29s from "mothballs" and pressed them into service along with current combat-ready fighters, bombers, and cargo aircraft. (1) (12) (17) Boeing flew its B-47A Stratojet for the first time. (31)
1951: President Truman dedicated the Arnold Engineering Development Center at Tullahoma for testing and evaluating aircraft and guided missiles. (24) Edwards AFB became the AFFTC.
1961: Four months after reaching combat readiness, the 702 SMW at Presque Isle AFB inactivated as SAC phased the obsolete Snark out of the Air Force inventory. (6)
1965: SAC inactivated the last Titan I units: the 724 SMS and 725 SMS and 451 SMW at Lowry AFB, and the 569 SMS at Mountain Home AFB. (6)
1968: President Johnson reappointed Gen John P. McConnell as CSAF for one year beginning 1 August 1968.
1975: The USAF conducted the first of two jettison vehicle flight tests on Boeing's ALCM from a B52 SRAM rotary launcher. (6)
1986: Lt Gen James Abrahamson, Director of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization announced the selection of Falcon Station as the site of the SDI National Test Facility. (16)
1991: The 60 MAW delivered 80 tons of food to Nairobi, Kenya, to relieve a drought-induced food shortage. (16)
1996: Terrorists bombed Khobar Towers near King Abdul-Aziz AB, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 Air Force personnel and injuring 300 others. It was the worst terrorist attack against American military personnel since the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Lebanon. USAF personnel were in Saudi Arabia to support Operation Southern Watch. (26)
1999: An all-Air Force crew flew the V-22 Osprey for the first time in a 20-minute sortie from Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico, Va., to NAS Patuxent River. (AFNEWS Article 991306, 8 Jul 99)
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Thanks to the Early Bird
AC-130 gunship crew awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for saving 88 lives during Afghanistan battle
(Task & Purpose) An Air Force AC-130 gunship crew was recognized at Hurlburt Field, Florida on Tuesday for saving the lives of 88 American and Afghan Special Forces members during a fierce battle in Afghanistan in September 2019.
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Thanks to Lanny … great story!!
Rich,
This is right up your alley.
Semper Fi,
Lanny
Great-grandson of last living WWII Medal of Honor recipient completes Marine boot camp - CBS News
The Marine Corps Boot Camp at Parris Island, SC graduation is quite an achievement for young Marines who have conquered boot camp — but this year's graduation is truly one for the ages.
Three hundred fifty young men and women are on the final leg of a life-changing journey through Marine boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. It's been 13 grueling, sometimes brutal, weeks. And for the first time since COVID-19 hit, all family members are allowed to attend the proud moment.
In attendance for graduation is legendary Marine Hershel "Woody" Williams. At 97, he is the last living Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. Among the new Marines passing in review is his great-grandson, Cedar Ross.
"The only advice I think I gave him was to do the very best that he could and then to do a little more," Williams said.
Ross was about halfway through boot camp when his drill instructor realized he was the direct descendant of a Marine legend.
"The chief drill instructor told me, 'Ross, you're going to have big shoes to fill,'" Ross told CBS News. "I said, 'Yes, sir. Thankfully, I wear size 15.'"
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/family-celebrates-legacy-of-service-as-wwii-hero-passes-the-torch/
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Thanks to Dale
This is a repeat from an old List about the battle of Saipan
one Crazy Marine,
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Thanks to Robert
Remember Andy? He spoke the truth.
Subject: Fwd: [Fwd: What would happen if he said this today?]
.
I always liked Andy Rooney and his segment on the show
Subject: What would happen if he said this today?
At the end of '60 Minutes,' on CBS, the late Andy Rooney usually had
his own 10-minute segment that, unbelievably, was never censored by CBS.
He's probably the only one who could have gotten away with this.
Andy Rooney once said . . "I don't think being a minority makes you a
victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are
truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet
Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America.
Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine,
White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what
happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door. With Al Sharpton
in tow.
Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a
killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is
trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.
I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there
are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU
LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?
I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is
an opinion.
I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are
different, weird, or tick me off.
When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of
the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of
Probability.
I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a
newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of
fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak
English!
My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the
countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.
I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten
them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word
'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines.
I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are
qualified for any special loan programs, government-sponsored bank loans
or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store,
or any other business.
We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives
in wars to defend their freedoms so that decades later they could come
over here and tell us our constitution is a living document, and open to
their interpretations.
I don't hate the rich; I don't pity the poor.
I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That
doesn't stop you from watching them.
I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and
continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next
operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.
It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a
parent to stand up to the kid, and smack their little behinds when
necessary, and say 'NO!'
I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't
pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that
new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as
you serve me French fries!
I am sick of 'Political Correctness.'
I know a lot of black people, and
not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be
'African-Americans'? Besides, Africa is a continent.
I don't go around
saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great,
great, great grandfather was from Europe.
I am proud to be from America
and nowhere else, and if you don't like my point of view, tough..."
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This day in US Military History
1876 – Determined to resist the efforts of the U.S. Army to force them onto reservations, Indians under the leadership of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse wipe out Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and much of his 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Sioux Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse had been successfully resisting American efforts to confine their people to reservations for more than a decade. Although both chiefs wanted nothing more than to be left alone to pursue their traditional ways, the growing tide of white settlers invading their lands inevitably led to violent confrontations. Increasingly, the Sioux and Cheyenne who did try to cooperate with the U.S. government discovered they were rewarded only with broken promises and marginal reservation lands. In 1875, after the U.S. Army blatantly ignored treaty provisions and invaded the sacred Black Hills, many formerly cooperative Sioux and Cheyenne abandoned their reservations to join Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse in Montana. They would not return without a fight. Late in 1875, the U.S. Army ordered all the "hostile" Indians in Montana to return to their reservations or risk being attacked. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse ignored the order and sent messengers out to urge other Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe Indians to unite with them to meet the white threat. By the late spring of 1876, more than 10,000 Indians had gathered in a massive camp along a river in southern Montana called the Little Big Horn. "We must stand together or they will kill us separately," Sitting Bull told them. "These soldiers have come shooting; they want war. All right, we'll give it to them." Meanwhile, three columns of U.S. soldiers were converging on the Little Big Horn. On June 17, the first column under the command of General George Crook was badly bloodied by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors led by Crazy Horse. Stunned by the size and ferocity of the Indian attack, Crook was forced to withdraw. Knowing nothing of Crook's defeat, the two remaining columns commanded by General Alfred Terry and General John Gibbon continued toward the Little Big Horn. On June 22, Terry ordered the 7th Cavalry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer to scout ahead for Indians. On the morning of this day in 1876, Custer's scouts told him that a gigantic Indian village lay nearby in the valley of the Little Big Horn River. Custer dismissed the scouts' claim that the village was extraordinarily large-certainly many thousands of Indians-as exaggerated. Indeed, his main fear was that the Indians would scatter before he could attack. Rather than wait for reinforcements, Custer decided to move forward immediately and stage an unusual mid-day attack. As the 7th Cavalry entered the valley, Custer divided the regiment of about 600 men into four battalions, keeping a force of 215 under his own command. In the vast Indian encampment (historians estimate there were as many as 11,000 Indians), word quickly spread of the approaching soldiers. Too old actually to engage in battle, Sitting Bull rallied his warriors while seeing to the protection of the women and children. The younger Crazy Horse prepared for battle and sped off with a large force of warriors to meet the invaders. As Custer's divided regiment advanced, the soldiers suddenly found they were under attack by a rapidly growing number of Indians. Gradually, it dawned on Custer that his scouts had not exaggerated the size of the Indian force after all. He immediately dispatched urgent orders in an attempt to regroup his regiment. The other battalions, however, were facing equally massive attacks and were unable to come to his aid. Soon, Custer and his 215 men found themselves cut off and under attack by as many as 3,000 armed braves. Within an hour, they were wiped out to the last man. The remaining battalions of the 7th Cavalry were also badly beaten, but they managed to fight a holding action until the Indians withdrew the following day. The Battle of the Little Big Horn was the Indians' greatest victory and the army's worst defeat in the long and bloody Plains Indian War. The Indians were not allowed to revel in the victory for long, however. The massacre of Custer and his 7th Cavalry outraged many Americans and only confirmed the image of the bloodthirsty Indians in their minds, and the government became more determined to destroy or tame the hostile Indians. The army redoubled its efforts and drove home the war with a vengeful fury. Within five years, almost all of the Sioux and Cheyenne would be confined to reservations. Crazy Horse was killed in 1877 after leaving the reservation without permission. Sitting Bull was shot and killed three years later in 1890 by a Lakota policeman.
1950 – Armed forces from communist North Korea smash into South Korea, setting off the Korean War. The United States, acting under the auspices of the United Nations, quickly sprang to the defense of South Korea and fought a bloody and frustrating war for the next three years. Korea, a former Japanese possession, had been divided into zones of occupation following World War II. U.S. forces accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in southern Korea, while Soviet forces did the same in northern Korea. Like in Germany, however, the "temporary" division soon became permanent. The Soviets assisted in the establishment of a communist regime in North Korea, while the United States became the main source of financial and military support for South Korea. On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces surprised the South Korean army (and the small U.S. force stationed in the country), and quickly headed toward the capital city of Seoul. The United States responded by pushing a resolution through the U.N.'s Security Council calling for military assistance to South Korea. (Russia was not present to veto the action as it was boycotting the Security Council at the time.) With this resolution in hand, President Harry S. Truman rapidly dispatched U.S. land, air, and sea forces to Korea to engage in what he termed a "police action." The American intervention turned the tide, and U.S. and South Korean forces marched into North Korea. This action, however, prompted the massive intervention of communist Chinese forces in late 1950. The war in Korea subsequently bogged down into a bloody stalemate. In 1953, the United States and North Korea signed a cease-fire that ended the conflict. The cease-fire agreement also resulted in the continued division of North and South Korea at just about the same geographical point as before the conflict. The Korean War was the first "hot" war of the Cold War. Over 55,000 American troops were killed in the conflict. Korea was the first "limited war," one in which the U.S. aim was not the complete and total defeat of the enemy, but rather the "limited" goal of protecting South Korea. For the U.S. government, such an approach was the only rational option in order to avoid a third world war and to keep from stretching finite American resources too thinly around the globe. It proved to be a frustrating experience for the American people, who were used to the kind of total victory that had been achieved in World War II. The public found the concept of limited war difficult to understand or support and the Korean War never really gained popular support.
1996 – At least 23 Americans were killed at a US base near Dhahran and another 105 suffered serious injuries from a truck bomb estimated at 5,000 pounds at the Khobar Towers apartment complex adjacent to King Abdul Aziz Air Base. About 5,000 US troops served in Saudi Arabia. US, French and British aircraft resumed flying 100 missions per day over southern Iraz from Saudi Arabia. In 1997 intelligence information tied a senior Iranian intelligence officer to Hani Abd Rahim Sayegh, a man who fled Saudi Arabia shortly after the bombing. In 1999 the US threatened was set to deport Hani al-Sayegh to Saudi Arabia. Sayegh feared torture and asked for US asylum. Sayegh was deported Oct 10. In 2000 Ahmad Behbahani told a 60 Minutes journalist from a refugee camp in Turkey that he proposed the Pan Am operation and coordinated the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. In 2001 13 Saudis and one Lebanese man were indicted for the bombing that killed 19 American airmen and wounded nearly 400 others.
Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*EPPERSON, HAROLD GLENN
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 14 July 1923, Akron, Ohio. Accredited to: Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 2d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on the Island of Saipan in the Marianas, on 25 June 1944. With his machinegun emplacement bearing the full brunt of a fanatic assault initiated by the Japanese under cover of predawn darkness, Pfc. Epperson manned his weapon with determined aggressiveness, fighting furiously in the defense of his battalion's position and maintaining a steady stream of devastating fire against rapidly infiltrating hostile troops to aid materially in annihilating several of the enemy and in breaking the abortive attack. Suddenly a Japanese soldier, assumed to be dead, sprang up and hurled a powerful hand grenade into the emplacement. Determined to save his comrades, Pfc. Epperson unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice himself and, diving upon the deadly missile, absorbed the shattering violence of the exploding charge in his own body. Stouthearted and indomitable in the face of certain death, Pfc. Epperson fearlessly yielded his own life that his able comrades might carry on the relentless battle against a ruthless enemy. His superb valor and unfaltering devotion to duty throughout reflect the highest credit upon himself and upon the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*KELLY, JOHN D.
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant (then Corporal), U.S. Army, Company E, 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division. Place and date: Fort du Roule, Cherbourg, France, 25 June 1944. Entered service at: Cambridge Springs, Pa. Birth: Venango Township, Pa. G.O. No.: 6, 24 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 25 June 1944, in the vicinity of Fort du Roule, Cherbourg, France, when Cpl. Kelly's unit was pinned down by heavy enemy machinegun fire emanating from a deeply entrenched strongpoint on the slope leading up to the fort, Cpl. Kelly volunteered to attempt to neutralize the strongpoint. Arming himself with a pole charge about 10 feet long and with 15 pounds of explosive affixed, he climbed the slope under a withering blast of machinegun fire and placed the charge at the strongpoint's base. The subsequent blast was ineffective, and again, alone and unhesitatingly, he braved the slope to repeat the operation. This second blast blew off the ends of the enemy guns. Cpl. Kelly then climbed the slope a third time to place a pole charge at the strongpoint's rear entrance. When this had been blown open he hurled hand grenades inside the position, forcing survivors of the enemy gun crews to come out and surrender The gallantry, tenacity of purpose, and utter disregard for personal safety displayed by Cpl. Kelly were an incentive to his comrades and worthy of emulation by all.
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World News for 25 June thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Army, Navy Satellite Ops Moving To Space Force Space News | 06/25/2021 The U.S. Army and Navy are on track to transfer satellites and units that operate communication payloads to Space Force this fall, reports Space News. The transfer of the Navy's fleet of 11 narrowband communication satellites, including the Multiple User Objective System (MUOS), Ultra High Frequency Follow-On (UFO) and FLTSATCOM UHF satellites, is scheduled to begin in October, Col. Matthew Holston, commander of Space Delta 8 at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., said on Wednesday. Those satellites would be assigned to Space Delta 8 along with three Navy satellite control antennas and ground-control stations at Prospect Harbor, Maine; Laguna Peak, Calif.; and Finegayan, Guam. The Army's 53rd Signal Battalion and the SATCOM Directorate, will also move to the Space Force, Holston said. The 53rd Signal Battalion is the only unit within the Dept. of Defense that controls the payloads of the Wideband Global Satcom and Defense Satellite Communications System communication satellites. The SATCOM Directorate supports wideband and narrowband services for Space Command and oversees international partner satellite communication agreements. Personnel in those units can volunteer to transfer to the Space Force but will not be required to do so. The consolidation of these units is part of efforts to develop an integrated satellite communications enterprise of military and commercial systems, said Holston.
USA—Bell Retires V-280 Technology Demonstrator Bell Textron | 06/25/2021 Bell Textron is retiring its V-280 Valor demonstrator from flight operations after 3.5 years. The tiltrotor, which was built for the Army's Joint Multirole (JMR) technology demonstrator program, has finished its flying career, Bell said in a release on Thursday. The demonstrator conducted its first flight in December 2017 and over the past 3.5 years has been used to prove out the Army's requirements for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. This included flying the demonstrator in a two-phase competitive demonstration and risk-reduction effort following the JMR project, reported Defense News. Work under the first phase has now been completed. Bell says it is moving into the second phase to "provide initial preliminary designs for major subsystems and the conceptual weapon system, based on data-proven performance that ensures transformational capabilities will be delivered in line with the Army's schedule." During the demonstration and risk-reduction effort, the Valor demonstrated its low-speed agility, long-range cruise capabilities and a top speed of 305 knots (560 kph) across 214 flight hours. Army experimental pilots had the opportunity to fly 15 sorties with the aircraft and provide feedback. The V-280 Valor design will form the basis of Bell's offering for the FLRAA program, where it will compete against the SB>1 Defiant developed by Sikorsky and Boeing. The Army is expected to release its request for proposals for the FLRAA program this summer.
USA—Defense Dept. Linguist Sentenced For Passing Secrets To Hezbollah Dept. Of Justice | 06/25/2021 A former Defense Dept. linguist has been sentenced after being found guilty of passing classified information to a Lebanese national linked to the Hezbollah terrorist group, reports the Justice Dept. On Wednesday, Mariam Taha Thompson was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Thompson pled guilty on March 26 and admitted that she knew the information she was providing would be passed on to Hezbollah. Thompson was born in Lebanon and became a U.S. citizen in 1993, noted the Washington Post. She worked as a contract linguist with a top-secret security clearance at an overseas U.S. military facility. She was assigned to a Special Operations Task Force facility in Iraq in December 2019 and January 2020 when the U.S. launched a series of airstrikes in Iraq against Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed foreign terrorist organization, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qassem Soleimani. In 2017, Thompson began communicating with an unindicted co-conspirator, who had a family member in the Lebanese Ministry of the Interior and connections with Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Lebanese Hezbollah. Thompson admitted to developing a romantic interest in this individual. Following the airstrikes, the unindicted co-conspirator began asking Thompson to provide information on human assets the U.S. had used to help kill Soleimani. Thompson acknowledged that she understood she was passing such information to Lebanese Hezbollah, including a high-ranking commander in the organization. Thompson accessed dozens of files on human-intelligence sources, including their names, personal identification data, background information and photographs as well as operational cables detailing the information they provided to the U.S. She then passed that information to her co-conspirator through a variety of means. Before she was arrested in February 2020, she had revealed the identity of eight clandestine human assets; 10 U.S. targets; and multiple tactics, techniques and procedures to Hezbollah.
USA—Plan In The Works To Relocate Afghan Partners Awaiting Visas Cable News Network | 06/25/2021 The Biden administration is working on a plan to temporarily relocate Afghan nationals who worked with U.S. diplomats and military forces to a third location until their visa applications can be completed, reports CNN. On Wednesday, Badministration officials began notifying members of Congress that an effort to move thousands of interpreters, drivers and others who worked with the U.S. would begin shortly, reported the New York Times. Afghans awaiting U.S. Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) would be moved to a third country. The details of this are still being worked out. Guam has been discussed as a potential option. The relocation effort would only apply to those who are currently in the visa process and their families. SIVs are available to people who face threats because of their work with the U.S. government. More than 18,000 Afghans have applied for SIVs themselves and 53,000 family members. Officials are concerned that these people could be targeted by the Taliban as the U.S. continues its drawdown in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testified that the military had developed a plan to evacuate interpreters from Afghanistan in a way that would not interfere with the U.S. withdrawal, but said that it had not yet been implemented.
European Union—Military Mission In Mozambique Could Get Greenlight Soon Reuters | 06/25/2021 A European Union military mission in Mozambique could be approved next month, reports Reuters. On Wednesday, Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva told a parliamentary committee in Lisbon that he was optimistic the mission could be approved during a meeting of E.U. foreign ministers on July 12. The E.U. is considering a mission to support and train Mozambican forces to combat the threat posed by the ISIS-linked Ansar Al Sunnah in the northern Cabo Delgado province. Portugal has already sent 60 trainers to Mozambique, in addition to special operators already in country. In May, E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that up to 300 troops could be deployed by the end of the year but acknowledged that it was difficult to find countries willing to contribute troops.
Germany—Lawmakers Greenlight Poseidon Patrol Aircraft Procurement Naval News | 06/25/2021 The German Parliament has a approved a plan to replace the navy's aging P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, reports Naval News. On June 23, the budget committee of the Bundestag approved 27 projects valued at more than 25 million euros (US$29.8 million) with a total cost of 19 billion euros (US$22.7 billion), the defense ministry said in a social media post. Among the projects approved was the procurement of five P-8A Poseidon MPAs to replace aging P-3Cs, the head of naval aviation confirmed in a social media post. The P-8A was seen as the leading candidate to replace the Orions. Thee Airbus C-295 Persuader, RAS-72 Eagle and used ex-French navy Atlantique 2s were also considered. The German navy is seeking an interim solution to fill the gap between the retirement of the P-3C fleet and the expected fielding of a new Maritime Airborne Warning System (MAWS) being jointly developed with France around 2035, noted Defense News. The Poseidon's procurement is expected to cost roughly 1.4 billion euros (US$1.7 billion).
Turkey—Government Accuses Greece Of Violating Pact On Aegean Drills Anadolu News Agency | 06/25/2021 The Turkish government has announced it will conduct military exercises in the Aegean Sea after accusing Greece of violating a pact prohibiting drills during the summer months, reports the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). According to Ankara, the Greek government violated the 1988 Athens Memorandum of Understanding, which forbids drills in the international waters of the Aegean during the tourist season and holidays. The high tourism season runs from June 15 to Sept. 15. The Turkish government accused Greece of violating the pact by holding an exercise on May 19 during the Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sport Day, a national holiday in Turkey. On Wednesday, Turkey issued a navigational alert declaring international waters in the Aegean Sea to be training zones in response to the alleged violations.
Russia—3 Killed In Helo Crash Near St. Petersburg Agence France-Presse | 06/25/2021 Three Russian personnel have been killed in a helicopter crash in Russia's northwestern Leningrad region, reports Agence France-Presse. On Thursday, the Mi-8 utility helicopter operated by the Russian National Guard went down in the Gatchina district near St. Petersburg, said local officials. All three people onboard at the time were killed, reported Fontanka (St. Petersburg).
Russia—Admiral Kuznetsov Carrier Could Rejoin Fleet By 2023 Tass | 06/25/2021 Russia's sole aircraft carrier could rejoin the fleet by 2023 if overhaul work continues as scheduled, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow). The Admiral Kuznetsov will complete overhaul and upgrade work in 2023 and rejoin the navy by the end of that year, Vladimir Korolev, the vice president of the United Shipbuilding Corp. (USC), said on Thursday. Trials are set for June or July of 2023, he said. Work is underway to replace the ship's avionics, flight deck, electric equipment, powerplant and takeoff and landing control system, said Korolev. The Pantsyr-M air defense system is also being installed. The Admiral Kuznetsov began a scheduled overhaul in April 2018. The ship was subsequently damaged in a series of mishaps, involving the flight deck in October 2018 and a fire December 2019. China—
Under Pressure From Beijing, Hong Kong Paper Forced To Close Cable News Network | 06/25/2021 Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy newspaper has been forced to shut down after authorities arrested senior staff and froze its accounts, reports CNN. The tabloid's final print copy was published on Thursday and its digital platform ceased operations the same day, the Apple Daily said on Wednesday. The paper said it made the decision to shut down "in view of staff member safety." Authorities raided the Apple Daily's offices last week, arresting the chief editor and five other executives and freezing assets linked to the newspaper, reported BBC News. The arrests and asset freezes were linked to alleged violations of the controversial national security law implemented in Hong Kong by authorities in Beijing last year. Although Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam said at the time that press freedoms would be protected, workers at the Apple Daily indicated that they expected to be targeted. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warned that the closure of the newspaper was a "chilling blow to freedom of expression in Hong Kong." Jimmy Lai, the founder of the paper, was previously arrested for attending a pro-democracy rally and charged with colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. Five other top Apple Daily executives and editors have been arrested on similar charges, apparently for calling on foreign countries to sanction Hong Kong in articles. The newspaper, founded in 1995, was long a platform for criticism of the authoritarian government in Beijing.
Philippines—Fighter Jets, Missiles Sought From U.S. U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency | 06/25/2021 The U.S. State Dept. has cleared the potential sale of fighter jets and air-launched missiles to the Philippines in deals worth up to US$2.59 billion, reports the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. One proposed deal, worth US$$2.43 billion, covers 10 F-16C Block 70/72 jets; two F-16D Block 70/72s; 15 F100-PW-229EEP or F110-GE-129D engines; 15 Improved Programmable Display Generators (iPDG); 15 AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radars (SABRs); 15 Modular Mission Computers 7000AH; and 15 LN-260 Embedded GPS/INS (EGI) with SAASM and PPS. The possible sale also includes 24 AIM-120C-7/C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) or equivalent; 48 LAU-129 missile launchers; three KMU-572 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) tail kits; six Mk 82 500-pound bombs; six Mk 82 500-pound inert training bombs; six FMU-152 or FMU-139 fuzes; six Sniper advanced targeting pods (ATP) or Litening ATPs; 15 Multifunctional Information Display System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS-JTRS) aircraft terminals; and 15 20-mm M61A1 Vulcan cannons. The State Dept. has also approved a potential US$42.4 million sale of 24 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II missiles; 24 AIM-9X Block II captive air-training missiles (CATMs); six tactical guidance units; and 10 captive air-training missile (CATM) guidance units. In a third possible deal, Manila requested to buy 12 AGM-84L-1 Harpoon Block II air-launched missiles, two ATM-84L-1 Harpoon Block II exercise missiles and associated equipment and support. for US$120 million. The potential sales would improve the ability of the Philippines to meet current and future threats, including the use of precision weapons in counterinsurgency operations, the agency said.
India—Army Issues RFI For BMP Replacement The Hindu | 06/25/2021 The Indian army has issued a request for information for new ground combat vehicles, reports the Hindu (Chennai). The tender released on Thursday calls for industry input for the potential purchase of up to 1,750 Future Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICVs). About 55 percent of the fleet would be infantry fighting vehicles armed with a 30-mm cannon; 20 percent command vehicles; and 25 percent command and surveillance vehicles. The new vehicles should be capable of cross-country operations, including in desert, high-altitude and amphibious environments. The modular design should be easily upgradeable and support the development of a follow-on family of armored vehicles. The FICV is intended to replace the army's aging BMP-2 vehicles. This is the third attempt to replace those vehicles. The army has proposed a three-phase procurement model, reported the Financial Express (India). The first would cover limited series production, with 10 percent of the fleet to be delivered over two years. This would be followed by a product improvement phase, with 40 percent of the vehicles to be delivered over six to seven years. Finally, the balance of the order would be delivered with product improvements and technical upgrades. Indian firms are expected to collaborate with foreign original equipment manufacturers for the program. Russia's Rosoboronexport, Germany's Rheinmetall, South Korea's Hanwha and Italy's Leonardo have reportedly expressed interest in the project.
Sri Lanka—President Pardons 16 Convicted Tamil Tigers Agence France-Presse | 06/25/2021 Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pardoned more than a dozen people convicted of terrorism who spent more than a decade behind bars, reports Agence France-Presse. On Thursday, Rajapaksa pardoned 16 people linked to the Tamil Tigers who were convicted under Sri Lanka's broad Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Officials said that the move was the first phase in a plan to free all those held under the PTA, which has come under increasing international scrutiny. Tamil sources told AFP that another 78 people have been held for decades but never charged under the PTA. In January, U.N. human-rights chief Michelle Bachelet called for an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes during the final phase of Sri Lanka's war against Tamil separatists in 2009. In October 2019, the U.S. said it would scale back military cooperation with Sri Lanka over the appointment of a general involved in some of the alleged violations to the army's top post. Yemen—
2 Killed In Separatist Infighting Reuters | 06/25/2021 At least two people have been killed in a clash between separatist forces in southern Yemen, reports Reuters. On Wednesday, fighting began when a brigade of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) attempted to disarm another STC convoy at a checkpoint in Aden, the temporary capital. Both sides exchanged fire for about two hours in the Sheikh Othman district, leading to a fire at an education ministry building, said residents. The clash ended when STC leader Aidarous Al Zubaidi ordered both sides to withdraw, said security sources. At least 15 people were wounded in the fighting The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between the separatist STC and the internationally recognized Yemeni government, who are nominal allies in the fight against the Houthi rebels. STC fighters have recently overtaken several government buildings and reportedly patrol the streets in much of the city.
Kenya—M-171E Helicopter Crashes Outside Nairobi Daily Nation | 06/25/2021 At least 10 Kenyan air force personnel died when their helicopter crashed during operations south of Nairobi, reports the Daily Nation (Nairobi). The Mi-171E helicopter went down on Thursday morning in the town of Oltepesi in Kajiado county, a Kenya Defense Forces spokesperson said. The helicopter was on a training flight at the time. Prior to the crash, the helicopter circled for 20 minutes to allow some onboard to escape, officials said. Ten personnel were killed and 13 injured in the crash. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.
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