TheList 5778

The List 5778     TGB

 

Good Friday Morning July 16

I hope that your week has been a good one

 

Regards

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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:

 

July 16

1862 Congress establishes the rank of Rear Admiral, with David G. Farragut named as the first Rear Admiral.

1863 The screw sloop of war USS Wyoming, commanded by Capt. D. McDougal, is fired on by shore batteries and Japanese ships of the Prince of Nagoya. During this action, Wyoming became the first foreign warship to take the offensive to uphold treaty rights in Japan.

1915 The first Navy ships, the battleships USS Ohio (BB 12), USS Missouri (BB 11), and USS Wisconsin (BB 9) transit the Panama Canal, steaming from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

1945 The first atomic bomb test, Trinity, is detonated at Alamogordo, N.M.

1957 An F8U 1P Crusader (Bu#144608), piloted by Maj. John H. Glenn, Jr., USMC, breaks the transcontinental speed record by crossing the country from Los Alamitos, Calif., to Floyd Bennett Field, N.Y., in three hours and 22 min., 50.5 sec. for an average speed of 723.517 mph. This is the first upper atmosphere supersonic flight from the West Coast to the East Coast.

1987 Republic of Korea Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Choe Sang-Hwa gives a model of the Korean Turtle "Kobuksan" to Secretary of the Navy James Webb Jr. as a symbol of the partnership between the two nations.

 

Thanks to CHINFO

 

Executive Summary:

•           National and trade press outlets reported on the first woman to successfully complete Naval Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen training.

•           Trade and local press covered Joint Force Command Norfolk reaching full operational capability.

 

 

 

This day in History

 

July 16

1765		English Prime Minister Lord Grenville resigns and is replaced by Lord Rockingham.
1774		Russia and the Ottoman Empire sign the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainardji, ending their six-year war.
1779		American troops under General Anthony Wayne capture Stony Point, N.Y.
1861		The first battle of Bull Run
1875		The new French constitution is finalized.
1882		Mary Todd Lincoln, the widow of Abraham Lincoln, dies of a stroke.
1940		Adolf Hitler orders preparations for the invasion of England.
1944		Soviet troops occupy Vilnius, Lithuania, in their drive towards Germany.
1945		The United States detonates the first atomic bomb in a test at Alamogordo, N. M.
1969		Apollo 11 blasts off from Cape Kennedy, Florida, heading for a landing on the moon.
1999		A private plane piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. is lost over the waters off Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

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Thanks to DR and Rich…..I found this buried in my in box…Still relevant 

 

Subject: Just How Close Are We ???

 

Hi to all - 

 

CDC

 

This health center is ending the VERS reporting system.  This was a voluntary system, where Covid cases, etc. were reported, along with deaths, and adverse reactions.  Before the pandemic, since 1997, about 2500 people died from adverse effects of the hundreds of millions of vaccines that were given to Americans.  That was almost a quarter century of results.  As of June VERS reported more than 5000 deaths from the vaccines used for Covid.  And, says the CDC, they think they are seeing only 1% of total cases.  This is 'bad optics', so they will no longer make reports.  That should solve the problem.  That suggests that  many more people have died after taking these vaccines than we are being told about.  We already know of many, many adverse reactions, ranging from mild irritation to life threatening hospitalizations.

 

Biden is now threatening to send the Covid Cops door to door to 'encourage' people to get vaccinated.  Seems odd for an experimental vaccine, with such terrible side effects, unless that was the intent.

 

A Chinese doctor says that Americans have way too much freedom in such matters.  She suggested that Biden demand people take the jab, or if they want to opt out, they must sign papers, and submit to twice weekly testing.  That is 'freedom' in China.

 

Kids have outsmarted many of these tests.  Seems that soda, especially cola, and even fruit drinks can cause a false positive test.  Great way to get out of going to school.

 

You may have seen the report a couple of days ago that the Pfizer version of this vaccine is mostly graphene oxide, a deadly toxic chemical, which the doctor described as 'of no use unless you are trying to kill people'.  Could this be true?  Well, one way to tell is to watch how the shills in the media respond to such a claim.  So, look and see - there are  puff pieces praising this vaccine, and delivered with the usual sarcasm, sneering and disdain for those who disagree,  how could you silly people actually believe such foolishness?  That alone is a good clue that the doctor (an actual doctor, not a media stooge) was on to something.

 

Keep in mind that the left is like The Borg.  They believe in the collective, one mind, many bodies.  Individuals, or individual choice, is anathema to them.

 

Utah

 

The local BLM group there has declared that the American Flag is 'a symbol of hatred', and that anyone who shows such a flag is, of course, a racist.  Utah is not known as a hotbed of anti-black racism.  Never had slavery, Jim Crow or the KKK, nor any other of the democrat control systems in place.  So, something else must have made this group of BLM folks feel oppressed.  Wonder what it could be?

 

Charlottesville, VA

 

Well, the city fathers have removed yet another statue - that of Lewis and Clark, the great explorers of the frontier west.  For some strange reason, they, too, were racists, white supremacists, and generally evil people.  Perhaps their place will be filled by that icon of America - George Floyd.

 

Boston

 

The group, Boston Pride has a 50 year history of promoting the gay life and experience.  But, all things must end.  They have discovered that - can you believe it - within their own group, there is massive systemic racism.  They were unable to root out this evil, so the group is being disbanded.

 

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

 

There is a seven story statue there of Christ of the Ozarks.  It resembles that huge statue in Rio.  Well, overnight, some people dressed as construction workers mounted this statue, and placed a 40 foot long banner that read 'God Bless Abortions'.  Oddly enough, I cannot find a single reference in all of scripture or the writings of those folks that shares that sentiment.  Plenty of things that cast doubt on it, however.

 

Viral Video

 

A young woman (the mother?) and a small boy were riding their bikes down a street, when the boy saw a small American flag in a yard.  He tried to pull it up as he rode by, missed, so he went back and tore it up, and threw it to the ground.  Then, this was posted on social media.  The reactions were massive.  Mostly directed at the mother, who stood by and watched this, taking no action to correct the child.  Is this what our schools, and homes, have become?  Maybe we should offer people like that the opportunity to move elsewhere, where they can support that other nation.

 

January 6

 

Congress has just granted $6.1 million to Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, LLC to create a database to identify and target all those 'insurrectionists' who dared exercise their First Amendment Rights to 'petition the government' on that fateful day.  There is a lot of reason to question the legality of this contract.  Especially since the Capitol Police invited these people to enter the building, then shot one.  And, they refuse to release the 14,000 hours of surveillance video to the public, but have provided all that and more to this company.  They also authorize the company to dig deeper, to track people (like from cell phone records, credit card purchases, etc.)  Mao and Stalin would be so proud.  And, the PRC is overjoyed - it is what they do all day long.

 

Nancy wants to set up 'field offices' for the Capitol Police in Florida, and California, to help root out all those white supremacists.  Since when does a local police force get to set up field offices, anywhere?

 

AARP

 

Well, there is a backlash against them for going 'woke'.  Seems that 'woke is broke' also applies to them.  Membership is crashing, and there are letters circulating that are very critical of their politics before people stance.

 

Biden

 

He is trying to do by Executive Order something that the left has failed to accomplish over and over.  Remember the (typically backwards named) Net Neutrality?  He wants it back.  The left cannot sell its product in an open market.  Liberal Talk Radio, etc. just cannot get an audience.  so, when people won't buy the product, the left tries to force it on them.  This law would force 'equal time' for viewpoints, and let the government settle differences.  Like they did in Nazi Germany, and do today in the PRC.  This is a bad idea, it always fails, but it is very 'woke'.

 

Pennsylvania

 

Their Department of State is trying to outlaw allowing any outside access to their corrupt and failed voting machines and procedures.  They really do not want anyone looking at what really happened there.  This is one of the six major areas where fraud happened.

 

Coors Field

 

Sounds like a beer commercial, but no such luck.  This is the location where the All Star game, originally scheduled for Atlanta, is to be held.  After all, Georgia passed an election integrity bill that discriminates against democrats, by requiring things like voter ID (which has been here for decades), and limits things like mail in voting, and other tactics used to cause fraud in the elections.

 

But, someone was not happy about this change of venue.  A hotel maid reported a lot of guns in one hotel room near the park.  Police raided the place, and found 16 long guns, more than 1000 rounds of ammo, and more.  Four were arrested, three men and one woman.  Not much else is yet known, but they may have prevented another mass shooting, like the one in Vegas a while back.

 

 

 

Well, we are still in the SHOUT phase, and somewhat into SHOVE.  How long before it devolves into SHOOT?

 

Rich

 

 

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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, 16 July 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 16 July 1966… "A Young Marine's Letter to his Mother"

 

https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-16-july-1966-none-but-the-brave/

 

 

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…….July 16

 

1769 – Father Juñpero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, founds the first Catholic mission in California on the site of present-day San Diego. After Serra blessed his new outpost of Christianity in a high mass, the royal standard of Spain was unfurled over the mission, which he named San Diego de Alcala. Serra came to Spanish America in 1750 and served in the Sierra Gorda missions and then in south-central Mexico. A successful missionary, he was appointed a member of the second Spanish land expedition to Alta California in 1769. When the party reached San Diego, Serra remained with a few followers to found California's first mission. The rest of the expedition continued on in search of Monterrey harbor, which had been previously used by Spanish sailors. Although the explorers failed in their aim, Serra succeeded in finding Monterrey in 1770, and there he founded his second mission–San Carlos Barromeo. Appointed president of the Alta California presidios, Serra eventually founded a total of nine missions, stretching from San Diego to present-day San Francisco. The Franciscan fathers built large communities around their missions, teaching Christianized Native Americans to farm and tend cattle, and directing their work. These agricultural communities enjoyed a considerable autonomy from first the Spanish colonial authorities and then the Mexican government, but with the coming of the Americans in the mid-19th century most were abandoned.

 

1916 – Captain Raynal Bolling commanded the 1st Aero Squadron, New York National Guard, when it was mobilized during the Mexican Border Crisis. Using a variety of privately owned aircraft the 1st was the first flying unit organized in the Guard. Though the unit was not deployed to the border before being released from active duty in November 1916, a large number of its members, including Bolling, joined the Signal Corps Reserve (then controlling all Army aviation) prior to the U.S. entry into World War I. During the war Bolling, now a colonel, was a leading planner of American air strategy. For instance, he determined and got approved the use of British DeHaviland's for observation and daylight bombing missions and British Bristol's and French Spads as America's lead fighters. While riding in a staff car near the front at Amiens, France on March 26, 1918, he was surprised by advancing German troops. Bolling and his driver, coming under enemy fire, jumped into a ditch, where Bolling returned fire with his pistol (the only weapon either man had). He killed a German officer and almost immediately was killed himself by another officer. His had to be one of the few pistol fights to have occurred in World War I! Bolling was posthumously awarded the French Legion of Honor and the American Distinguished Service Medal for his bold leadership and far-reaching vision of the role air power would come to play on the battlefield.

 

1940 – Hitler issues his Directive 16. It begins, "I have decided to begin to prepare for, and if necessary to carry out, an invasion of England." It goes on to explain the importance of the air battles for the achievement of this aim. At this stage in the planning the German army's views are dominant. They wish the Channel crossing to take place on a wide front with landings all along the south coast of Britain. They envisage that the force to be employed will be at least 25 and perhaps 40 divisions. They hope that the crossing can be protected by the Luftwaffe and mines on its flanks. This is not a very realistic plan.

 

1945 – The United States conducts the first test of the atomic bomb at its research facility in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The terrifying new weapon would quickly become a focal point in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The official U.S. development of the atomic bomb began with the establishment of the Manhattan Project in August 1942. The project brought together scientists from the United States, Great Britain, and Canada to study the feasibility of building an atomic bomb capable of unimaginable destructive power. The project proceeded with no small degree of urgency, since the American government had been warned that Nazi Germany had also embarked on a program to develop an atomic weapon. By July 1945, a prototype weapon was ready for testing. Although Germany had surrendered months earlier, the war against Japan was still raging. On July 16, the first atomic bomb was detonated in the desert near the Los Alamos research facility. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, director of the project, watched the mushroom cloud rise into the Nevada sky. "Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds," he uttered, reciting a passage from an ancient Hindu text. News of the successful test was relayed to President Harry S. Truman, who was meeting with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in Potsdam to discuss the postwar world. Observers at the meeting noted that the news "tremendously pepped up" the president, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill believed that Truman almost immediately adopted a more aggressive tone in dealing with Stalin. Truman and many other U.S. officials hoped that possession of the atomic bomb would be America's trump card in dealing with the Soviets after the war. Use of the weapon against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 demonstrated the destructive force of the atomic bomb. The American atomic monopoly did not last long, though. By 1949, the Soviets had developed their own atomic bomb, marking the beginning of the nuclear arms race.

 

1945 – Cruiser Indianapolis left SF with an atom bomb.

 

1946 – US court martial in Dachau condemned 46 SS to hang for the Malmedy massacre of disarmed GIs.

 

1950 – U.S. Army Chaplain Herman G. Felhoelter became the first chaplain to earn an award for heroism and the first to lose his life in the Korean War. Voluntarily remaining behind with several critically wounded soldiers, he and his group was overwhelmed and killed by the communists. Chaplain Felhoelter was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

 

1969 – At 9:32 a.m. EDT, Apollo 11, the first U.S. lunar landing mission, is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a historic journey to the surface of the moon. After traveling 240,000 miles in 76 hours, Apollo 11 entered into a lunar orbit on July 19. The next day, at 1:46 p.m., the lunar module Eagle, manned by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, separated from the command module, where a third astronaut, Michael Collins, remained. Two hours later, the Eagle began its descent to the lunar surface, and at 4:18 p.m. the craft touched down on the southwestern edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong immediately radioed to Mission Control in Houston a famous message, "The Eagle has landed." At 10:39 p.m., five hours ahead of the original schedule, Armstrong opened the hatch of the lunar module. Seventeen minutes later, at 10:56 p.m., Armstrong spoke the following words to millions listening at home: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." A moment later, he stepped off the lunar module's ladder, becoming the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. Aldrin joined him on the moon's surface at 11:11 p.m., and together they took photographs of the terrain, planted a U.S. flag, ran a few simple scientific tests, and spoke with President Richard M. Nixon via Houston. By 1:11 a.m. on July 21, both astronauts were back in the lunar module, and the hatch was closed. The two men slept that night on the surface of the moon, and at 1:54 p.m. the Eagle began its ascent back to the command module. Among the items left on the surface of the moon was a plaque that read: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon–July 1969 A.D.–We came in peace for all mankind." At 5:35 p.m., Armstrong and Aldrin successfully docked and rejoined Collins, and at 12:56 a.m. on July 22 Apollo 11 began its journey home, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:51 p.m. on July 24. There would be five more successful lunar landing missions, and one unplanned lunar swing-by, Apollo 13. The last men to walk on the moon, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of the Apollo 17 mission, left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The Apollo program was a costly and labor intensive endeavor, involving an estimated 400,000 engineers, technicians, and scientists, and costing $24 billion (close to $100 billion in today's dollars). The expense was justified by President John F. Kennedy's 1961 mandate to beat the Soviets to the moon, and after the feat was accomplished, ongoing missions lost their viability.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

COSTELLO, JOHN
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1850, Rouses Point, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 214, 27 July 1876. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Hartford, Philadelphia, Pa., 16 July 1876. Showing gallantry, Costello rescued from drowning a landsman of that vessel.

FORBECK, ANDREW P.
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 29 August 18,9, New York. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy during the battle of Katbalogan, Samar, Philippine Islands, 16 July 1900.

STOLTENBERG, ANDREW V.
Rank and organization: Gunner's Mate Second Class, U.S. Navy. Born: Boto, Norway. Accredited to: California. G.O. No.: 55, 29 July 1899. Citation: For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in battle at Katbalogan, Samar, Philippine Islands, 16 July 1900.

DAHLGREN, JOHN OLOF
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 14 September 1872, Kahliwar, Sweden. Accredited to: California. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900, Dahlgren distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

*FISHER, HARRY
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 20 October 1874, McKeesport, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: Served in the presence of the enemy at the battle of Peking, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900. Assisting in the erection of barricades during the action, Fisher was killed by the heavy fire of the enemy.

HUNT, MARTIN
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 9 July 1873, County of Mayo, Ireland. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900, Hunt distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

WALKER, EDWARD ALEXANDER
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 2 October 1864, Huntley, Scotland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900. Throughout this period, Walker distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

YOUNG, FRANK ALBERT
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 22 June 1876, Milwaukee, Wis. Accredited to: Wisconsin. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Pehng, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900. Throughout this period, Young distmguished himself by meritorious conduct.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 16, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

16 July

 

1917: The Aircraft Manufacturers Association formed to solve aircraft patent problems facing US military aviation as war for America neared.

 

1940: First bombardier training in Air Corps Schools began at Lowry Field with the first class of bombardier instructors. (24)

 

1945: First atomic bomb, called the "Gadget," exploded near at the Trinity Site near Alamogordo, N. Mex. This bomb had a yield of 19 kilotons. It was the prototype for the Fat Man bomb used against Japan. (8: Jul 90) (12)

 

1953: Lt Col William F. Barnes flew a F-86D Sabre over a 3-kilometer (1.86 miles) course at Salton Sea, Calif., to a world speed record of 715.74 MPH. (24) In a Cessna L-19B at Wichita, Kans., William Thompson set a world altitude record of 37,063 feet for light planes. (24)

 

1957: Maj John H. Glenn, Jr. (USMC) used a F8U-1P Crusader to break the cross-county speed record. He flew from Los Alamitos, Calif., to Long Island in 3 hours 22 minutes 50 seconds at 723.51 MPH. He also completed the first upper atmosphere supersonic, west coast-to-east coast flight. (9)

 

1964: The US Army's XV-5A, a "lift-fan" VTOL aircraft, made by General Electric and Ryan Aeronautical, made its first vertical takeoff and landing at Edwards AFB.

 

1965: Rockwell's OV-10A counterinsurgency aircraft flew its first test flight at company plant in Columbus. (12)

 

1969: APOLLO XI/FIRST LUNAR LANDING. From Kennedy Space Center, the Apollo XI manned lunar landing mission began for Astronauts Michael Collins, Neil A. Armstrong, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. On 20 July, Aldrin and Armstrong flew the lunar module Eagle to the Sea of Tranquility, where Armstrong took the first step on the moon. On 21 July, after 21 hours 36 minutes on the moon the module lifted off; 4 hours later it docked with the command module to return home. On 24 July, the module splashed down in mid-Pacific, 195 hours 19 minutes after launch. The astronauts set FAI records for greatest mass landed on the moon with 16,153 pounds and greates mass lifted into lunar orbit from the moon with 5,928.6 pounds. For the USAF, Colonels Aldrin and Collins set two records—Aldrin became the second man to step on the moon, while Collins established a record of 59 hours 27 minutes 55 seconds in lunar orbit. (9) (16)

 

1999. Lockheed Martin Corporation of Marietta received a $370 million contract to produce seven more C-130J aircraft, including four for the ANG. (32)

 

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World News for 16 July thanks to Military Periscope

 

  USA—Deputy Head Of NRO Named To Lead Space Systems Command  C4ISRNet | 07/16/2021 President Biden has nominated the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to lead the Space Force's new acquisitions command, reports C4ISRNet. On Tuesday, the White House formally nominated Maj. Gen. Michael Guetlein to lead the Space Systems Command (SSC), reported Space News. At the same time, Guetlein was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general. Guetlein has served as the deputy director of the NRO, which is responsible for acquiring, launching and operating U.S. intelligence satellites, since July 2019. He previously served as a program executive officer at the Missile Defense Agency. The SSC is being established in Los Angeles, Calif., to oversee development of next-generation technologies and the procurement of satellites and launch services. The command will replace the Space and Missile Systems Center and the Space Force launch wings in Florida and California. The Space and Missile Systems Center will be redesignated as the headquarters of the SSC. The command is expected to have a workforce of approximately 10,000 people. 

 

USA—Brown Withdraws As Pentagon Acquisition Chief Nominee Inside Defense | 07/16/2021 The Biden administration nominee to serve as undersecretary for acquisitions and sustainment has withdrawn due to an ongoing inspector general (IG) investigation, reports Inside Defense. Defense Innovation Unit Director Mike Brown announced his withdrawal in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday, Defense News reported on Wednesday. An ongoing investigation by the Pentagon's Office of the Inspector General into hiring practices at the DIU was expected to delay Brown's nomination by up to a year, according to the letter. Although Brown said that he did not expect the investigation to uncover any wrongdoing, other qualified candidates were available who could do the job. Brown's nomination was met with praise from defense innovation experts due to his long career in the tech sector and his work at the DIU. He had been expected to reform the Pentagon's outdated acquisition practices to better accommodate small, nontraditional contractors offering innovative technology solutions. 

 

USA—Army Receives 7th King Air Intel Aircraft Sierra Nevada Corp. | 07/16/2021 Sierra Nevada Corp. says it has delivered the seventh King Air 350 Mission Enhancement Kit (MEK) intelligence aircraft to the U.S. Army. The recently delivered King Air 350 MEK was the seventh added to the Army's Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) fleet, Sierra Nevada said in a Thursday release. The King Air 350 MEK features reduced weight, increased engine performance and reduced sound signature to enhance its stealth capabilities. Its time aloft and maximum operating weight were also increased, the company said. Operations from shorter runways are also enabled to allow missions to be conducted in a wider range of environments. The aircraft is designed with multimission and special mission capabilities. The Army has ordered 16 King Air 350 MEK kits from Sierra Nevada. Two additional aircraft are expected to be delivered by the end of the year. 

 

USA—Facebook Disrupts Iranian Hacking Campaign Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 07/16/2021 Facebook says it has disrupted an Iranian espionage operation, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.  On Thursday, the tech giant said it had busted a group known as Tortoiseshell, which was using about 200 fake accounts across multiple platforms to build trust with targets and get them to click on malicious links. The campaign primarily targeted U.S. military personnel and defense and aerospace firms, said Facebook.  Fewer than 200 people are believed to have been victims of the operation. All have been notified, the company said. The activity bore the hallmarks of a state-run hacking campaign, reported the Voice of America News.  Facebook's probe traced the malware to the Mahak Rayan Afraz (MRA) company, which has ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Some current and former figures at MRA have links to companies sanctioned by the U.S. 

 

Poland—Defense Ministry Confirms Abrams Tank Buy Defense News | 07/16/2021 The Polish Ministry of Defense has confirmed plans to purchase 250 tanks from the U.S., reports Defense News. The Polish military plans to purchase the best-equipped, combat-proven tanks to counter Russia's advanced T-14 Armata tanks, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Baszczak said on Wednesday during a ceremony on the Wesola district of Warsaw. The Wesola district is home to the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade, which is equipped with Leopard 2A4 and Leopard 2A5 tanks. The purchase involves M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2022.  Once in service, the Abrams tanks will be deployed to eastern Poland to serve as a first line of defense, Blaszczak said. The value of the deal has not been made public. The contract is expected to include logistics, training and simulators. The Abrams will replace Poland's aging Soviet-era T-72 and PT-91 tanks.

 

South Korea—Destroyer On Counter-Piracy Mission Catches COVID Yonhap | 07/16/2021 A warship assigned to the South Korean navy's Cheonghae counter-piracy mission off the coast of Africa has reported at least six cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). At least six cases were discovered onboard the destroyer Moonmu Daewang, South Korea's Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Thursday. The infections are believed to be linked to the destroyer's visit to a nearby port to load supplies from June 28 to July 1.  One sailor initially showed cold symptoms on July 2 but was only given cold medicine. After 40 more personnel began showing symptoms, they were tested on July 10 using rapid tests, which are less accurate than PCR tests. All tested negative. The outbreak was discovered after samples from six sailors were sent to a nearby country on July 13 for PCR testing. At least one officer, who has not tested positive for COVID-19, has pneumonia symptoms and was transferred to a civilian hospital where he was expected to be tested for the virus. At least 80 sailors were undergoing isolation to prevent further spread of the virus. None of the sailors currently deployed as part of the current 24th contingent of Cheonghae unit have received a COVID-19 vaccine.  South Korea currently has 1,300 military personnel deployed overseas, of whom 960, or 73 percent, are fully vaccinated. President Moon Jae In ordered the mobilization of an aerial refueling aircraft to conduct a medical evacuation mission if the infected sailors are unable to receive the necessary treatment in the region. 

 

Philippines—Suspected NPA Militant Killed In Southern Luzon Philippine Daily Inquirer | 07/16/2021 A suspected communist rebel has been killed in the central Philippines region of Bicol, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer. On Friday, troops responded to reports of armed men near the village of Canarom in the Daraga municipality in Albay province, said a spokesman for the 9th Infantry Division. Troops subsequently engaged about 10 suspected New People's Army (NPA) militants in a 10-minute gun battle, killing one, he said. Security forces recovered two M16 rifles, improvised explosive devices (IED) and a laptop following the encounter. Pursuit operations against the rebels were continuing on Friday morning, said the spokesman. 

 

Afghanistan—Taliban Proposes Cease-Fire British Broadcasting Corp. | 07/16/2021 The Taliban has proposed a temporary cease-fire in return for the release of thousands of militants held by the Afghan government, reports BBC News. The proposal calls for the Afghan government to release 7,000 captured fighters in exchange for a three-month cease-fire, a government official said. Taliban leaders also asked that their names be removed from a U.N. blacklist, the official said. The Afghan government has not commented on the cease-fire offer. The proposal comes as the insurgent group has seized large swaths of territory in Afghanistan as international forces have withdrawn. The Taliban claims to have taken control of 85 percent of the country. Other sources estimate the group controls around one third of Afghanistan's 400 districts. The Afghan government released 5,000 Taliban prisoners last year, many of whom are believed to have returned to the fight, contributing to worsening violence. 

 

Lebanon—Hariri Steps Down As Prime Minister-Designate Cable News Network | 07/16/2021 Lebanon's prime minister-designate has stepped down after trying to form a new government for the last nine months, reports CNN. On Thursday, Saad Hariri announced his resignation. He was appointed to the post in October 2020.  Hariri told reporters that President Michel Aoun had not accepted his latest Cabinet proposal less than 24 hours after he submitted it. He said that he had asked the president to take more time, but Aoun said that it looked like they would not agree. Subsequently, Hariri resigned. The proposal reportedly included 24 ministers, eight of whom would be under the direction of Aoun, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar). The president previously accused Hariri of failing to include sufficient Christian representation in his Cabinet proposals and of dismissing Lebanon's sectarian-based power-sharing system Hariri accused Aoun of trying to control an unnecessarily large share of the government. His resignation comes during an economic crisis in Lebanon that has resulted in half of the population falling into poverty and the devaluation of the Lebanese pound by more than 90 percent. The international community has called on Lebanon's political leadership to form a government in order to implement reforms needed to unlock aid. 

 

Tunisia—Cairo Delivers Medical Aid Amid COVID Surge Tunis Afrique Presse | 07/16/2021 Egypt has delivered medical aid to Tunisia amid an ongoing surge of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, reports Tunis Afrique Presse. On July 14, three Egyptian military transport aircraft brought tons of medical equipment, medicine, respirators and oxygen devices to Tunisia, reported the Daily News Egypt. On July 10, two trucks with medical supplies arrived in Tunisia to bolster the North African country's medical sector, which has been badly hit by the pandemic. Tunisia also recently received a large amount of aid from international donors to battle the escalating wave. On Wednesday, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani told his Tunisian counterpart, Kais Saied, that he would send medical equipment. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warned of escalating case numbers in six Middle East and North African countries: Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, reported Reuters.  On July 6, the Tunisian Health Ministry said that the country was facing a "catastrophic situation" amid rising cases, which had reached about 10,000 daily.  Tunisia has vaccinated about 750,000 of its 11.6 million residents.  

 

Morocco—New Cybersecurity Accord Inked With Israel New Arab | 07/16/2021 Israel and Morocco have signed a cybersecurity cooperation agreement, reports the New Arab (London). On Thursday, the Israeli National Cyber Directorate announced that an agreement between the two nations was recently signed during a ceremony in Rabat. The deal was signed by Yigal Unna, the chief of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, and Gen. El Mostafa Rabii, the head of Morocco's General Directorate of Information Systems Security. The accord covers cooperation in research, development and the sharing of information and knowledge, according to the Israeli directorate. Morocco normalized relations with Israel in December 2020 after the U.S. agreed to recognize its claims to the disputed Western Sahara territory.  

 

Mozambique—Government Formally Requests Military Aid From SADC Agence France-Presse | 07/16/2021 The Mozambican government has officially requested military assistance from a regional organization to combat militants in the northern Cabo Delgado province, reports Agence France-Presse. On Thursday, Defense Minister Jaime Neto said it had formally requested an intervention by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Last month, the SADC agreed to send a military mission to Cabo Delgado. The announcement came a day after Mozambique signed a status of forces agreement with the 16-member bloc in Gaborone, the Botswanan capital, and a week after Rwanda, which is not an SADC member, announced that it was sending 1,000 troops and police to Cabo Delgado. The European Union has also agreed to a training mission in Mozambique, with 200 to 300 trainers expected to arrive by the end of the year, Reuters reported on Monday. Analysts have expressed concern that several overlapping missions could complicate efforts to uproot the ISIS-linked Ansar al Sunna group. More than 800,000 people have been displaced and about 2,800 killed since the conflict began in 2017, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).

 

South Africa—Military Reserves Called Up In Response To Escalating Violence South African Government News Agency | 07/16/2021 The head of the South African army has ordered all reservists to report for duty in response to unrest that broke out following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma, reports the South African Government News Agency. Lt. Gen. Lawrence Mbatha overnight ordered all reserve members to report for duty on Thursday morning, reported Radio France Internationale. Reservists were expected to report with their necessary equipment. The government announced on July 12 that it was deploying 2,500 troops to the KwaZulu-Natal province, the home of Zuma, and the Gauteng province. Both provinces saw extensive violent rioting and looting that left dozens dead, reported the Guardian (U.K.). The deployment was later doubled to 5,000 troops on Wednesday and then further increased to 25,000. At least 72 people have died, and 1,200 have been arrested during the unrest. President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned of shortages of basic provisions due to supply chain disruptions. 

 

Haiti—Suspects In Moise Assassination Received U.S. Training, Says Pentagon Washington Post | 07/16/2021 Some of the suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise had received U.S. military training, reports the Washington Post. "A small number of the Colombian individuals detained" in connection with Moise's killing received U.S. training while members of the Colombian military, a Pentagon spokesman said. A more thorough review is ongoing, he said. The spokesman did not identify how many of the suspects had received training and of what type. Colombia has been a U.S. military partner for decades and many of its troops have taken part in U.S. training and education programs. Colombian officials previously said that 13 of the 15 Colombian suspects detained as part of the July 7 assassination had served in the nation's armed forces. Experience gained in Colombia's long-running conflict with militant groups and drug-traffickers has long been used by soldiers as a launchpad for mercenary work around the world. Colombian military chief Gen. Luis Fernando Navarro told Reuters on July 9 that no law prohibits such mercenary service. 

 

Cuba—Restrictions On Some Imports Lifted Amid Protests Cable News Network | 07/16/2021 Cuba has announced a temporary lifting of restrictions on the import of food, medicine and hygiene products by travelers, reports CNN. On Wednesday, the Cuban government said no customs duties would need to be paid on such goods amid rare protests that began on July 11. The temporary measures will remain in place for the rest of the year, the government said. The protests were spurred by shortages of food, electricity and other basic goods, curbs on civil liberties and the government's failure to address a worsening novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Many Cubans have been left without work because of lockdowns due to the pandemic, which has badly hurt the island's tourism industry. At least 100 people have been detained so far in the largest protests seen in years, according to anti-government activists.  The U.S., Canada and the European Union have condemned the arrests of political activists and journalists and called for the release of any detained for peacefully protesting.
 

 

Colombia—War Crimes Tribunal Charges 15 For Scores Of Murders, Forced Disappearances Colombia Reports | 07/16/2021 A Colombian war crimes tribunal has charged 15 members of a now-defunct army unit with scores of murders and forced disappearances, reports Colombia Reports.  The tribunal accused former members of the La Popa battalion with 176 murders and the forced disappearance of 120 others. Among those accused was Col. Hernan Mejia, a presidential hopeful who was recently released from prison after serving part of a 19-year sentence. Mejia and his successor, Col. Juan Carlos Figueroa, were both released from prison as part of an ongoing peace process.  They and 13 subordinates will be exempt from judicial punishment if they tell the truth about the killing and disappearances of civilians who were falsely presented as combat-related deaths from 2002 to 2005. Mejia could be sent back to prison if he continues to deny wrongdoing and refuses to compensate his victims. The unit was disbanded following accusations of killing civilians and ties to drug-trafficking and paramilitary groups.
  

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