Good Friday Morning August 13
I hope that your week has been going well.
Regards
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
August 13
Today in Naval History
August 13
1777 A spar torpedo made by David Bushnell is used unsuccessfully against HMS Cerberus, off New London, Conn. Bushnell and his brother, Ezra, also designed the first submersible vessel: Turtle. Two ships have been named after David Bushnell, USS Bushnell (AS 2), 1915-1940 (renamed Sumner), and USS Bushnell (AS 15), 1943-1980.
1812 During the War of 1812 and while returning to New York from Bermuda waters, the frigate, USS Essex, commanded by Capt. David Porter, engages the British brig HMS Alert in intense gunfire, broadsides the British brig and forcing her surrender.
1870 The armed tug, USS Palos, becomes the first Navy ship to transit the Suez Canal.
1945 USS Atule (SS 403) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.6 and damages Coast Defense Vessel No.16 off Hokkaido. Also on this date, USS Torsk (SS 423) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship, Kaiho Maru.
1952 While serving in combat with a 1st Marine Division Rifle Company during the Korean War, Hospitalman John E. Kilmer exhibits great heroism moving from one injured man to the next administering aid under intense enemy fire. While administering aid to a fallen Marine and using his own body as a shield, Kilmer is mortally wounded. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" at that time, he is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
1994 USS Stout (DDG 55) is commissioned at Houston, Texas. The sixth Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is named for Rear Adm. Herald F. Stout for his actions as a commander of USS Claxton during World War II.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• There was widespread coverage of the Pentagon's announcement that troops are deploying to Afghanistan to evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
• Breaking Defense reported on comments from STRATCOM Commander Adm. Charles Richard on China's growing strategic capabilities.
• Politico interviewed SOUTHCOM Commander Adm. Craig Faller on the Chinese threat to U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere.
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Today in History August 13
1521 | Hernan Cortes captures the city of Tenochtitlan, Mexico, and sets it on fire. | |
1630 | Emperor Ferdinand II dismisses Albert Eusebius von Wallenstein, his most capable general. | |
1680 | War starts when the Spanish are expelled from Santa Fe, New Mexico, by Indians under Chief Pope. | |
1704 | The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Austria defeat the French Army at the Battle of Blenheim. | |
1787 | The Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia. | |
1862 | Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest defeats a Union army under Thomas Crittenden at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. | |
1881 | The first African-American nursing school opens at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. | |
1889 | The first coin-operated telephone is patented by William Gray. | |
1892 | The first issue of the Afro American newspaper is published in Baltimore, Maryland. | |
1898 | Manila, the capital of the Philippines, falls to the U.S. Army. | |
1910 | British nurse Florence Nightingale, famous for her care of British soldiers during the Crimean War, dies. | |
1932 | Adolf Hitler refuses to serve as Franz Von Papen's vice chancellor. | |
1948 | During the Berlin Airlift, the weather over Berlin becomes so stormy that American planes have their most difficult day landing supplies. They deem it 'Black Friday.' | |
1961 | Construction begins on Berlin Wall during the night. | |
1963 | A 17 year-old Buddhist monk burns himself to death in Saigon, South Vietnam. | |
1978 | Bomb attack in Beirut during Second Lebanese Civil War kills more than 150 people. | |
1989 | The wreckage of a plane that carried U.S. congressman Mickey Leland and others on a humanitarian mission is found on a mountain side in Ethiopia; there are no survivors. | |
1993 | US Court of Appeals rules Congress must save all emails. |
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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, 13 August 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)….
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 13 August 1966 Panning gold at the Weber County Library…
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-13-august-1966-whats-that/
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.
SEE BELOW
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Friends
TWO years ago we offered this special edition and do so again to commemorate the 2 year anniversary. If you did not know about it then try it out. There have been many updates and changes from friends and families and even the aircrew themselves.
The List 5071 Special Edition
To All,
This is a special edition of The List to introduce a monumental achievement of two Men. Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady. In 2001 Chris published a book called Vietnam Air Losses. A definitive account of all the fixed wing losses in the Vietnam War. After talking to the Bear who has used this as a reference in his work On Rolling Thunder and Commando Hunt Dave got a copy of the book as did I and realized what a treasure it was for those who were involved in the war or associated with those who were lost. In collaboration with Chris who has recently spent hours updating portions to go into this site Dave put it all into the searchable site that he is introducing below.
Well Done gentlemen
Regards,
Skip
From Dave
Skip:
The project I've been working on is now finished, and the website is on line for all to use.
As you know, Bear refers frequently to Chris Hobson's book Vietnam Air Losses, and he gave us some ideas on where we could purchase a used copy, since it has been out of print since 2001. I found a copy and was fascinated by the information in it. I was able to contact Chris, who has now retired, and he agreed to update the manuscript with new information and allowed me to put all of it on a website so others won't have to chase down a used copy and pay as much as $896 (actual price for one copy on Amazon) to see what happened to their grandfathers.
I thought the greatest value would be in having a searchable database, so I did that. You can search for a name, day, month, year, military unit, home base (or ship), aircraft type (designation/model or nickname), service, or the disposition of persons (KIA, POW, etc.). On a separate form, you can search the Narratives of the losses by keywords using Boolean search operators (explanation is on the site). So, if you wanted to look up the siege on Khe Sanh or Thanh Hoa, you can use that form. The only things you can't search for that are in the database are the serial number of aircraft or the rank of the persons.
As I write this, there are 3,118 records in the database. A "record" includes all the data on a loss event, which can often mean more than one aircraft. In fact, there were as many as six aircraft involved in a single event, but most often there were only a couple. Individuals in aircraft ranged from one to 30, with a great many with four, six, eight, 16, etc. One record contains a minimum of 13 pieces of data; the maximum contained in a single record was 129 pieces of data. I say this to indicate that I inputted over 100,000 pieces of data into the database, so I suspect we haven't yet found all the errors I made.
Going through that amount of data as quickly as I could over about a month or so gave me some impressions that I'd like to record. These are not statistical analyses; they are simply my impressions as the data passed over my eyes in great volume and quickly:
I was amazed at how many pure accidents there were and how many people died in accidents that had nothing to do with enemy action (in the database, those are defined as KWF, or Killed While Flying, as opposed to KIA).
I was astounded at the number of aircraft that hit mountain tops in bad weather, killing everyone on board. Such a waste.
I was surprised at how slow some units were to heed Lessons Learned, resulting in aircraft being shot down on their 12th pass on the same target at low level, or their tenth or eighth or sixth, etc. In addition, it was clear that small arms fire was nothing to ignore, yet far too many did just that.
I was surprised to see how many pilots were hit by bullets or shrapnel, as opposed to aircraft being damaged alone. There are a lot of instances where the pilot had time to eject but was apparently incapacitated. There was a far higher percentage of that than I would have thought.
It was interesting that some units (and some ships) had considerably more losses than others at the same time, in the same place, in the same type aircraft, flying the same type missions. Again, my impressions are that comparing sister squadrons might indicate that one lost a great deal more than the other, and the same was true of USAF and USMC squadrons flying from the same base. Some ships had incredible runs of "bad luck" compared to others. In some instances, the types of targets might make some of the difference, but it appears to me that leadership might have played an important role.
Both my deployments were during much easier times, so I'm no expert; however, my air wing policy was no multiple runs on the same target and no pullouts below 3,500 feet AGL. We lost only one aircraft (for the entire air wing on two deployments) due to enemy action. Even late in the war, there were still some units that were strafing or dropping napalm at low altitude on multiple runs and getting shot down.
The narratives often relate what happened to a survivor (or POW returnee) later in life/career. Many of them became very senior. At one point, Chris comments that getting shot down seemed to be a prerequisite for making high rank. Certainly, we all know that combat experience improves chances for promotion. What I noted was that, early in the war, the losses were very junior aircrew, mostly 1Lt's and Lt(jg)'s. It struck me that so many very young people died. As the war continued, the ranks of those lost (which presumably reflects those that were flying the missions and were not shot down) increases dramatically. I don't recall off-hand any Navy or Marine O-6's being lost, but there are many Air Force O-6's and above, up to and including 2-stars and I believe a three-star. Perhaps some of those were just trying to get their tickets punched for career purposes, and they got bit.
Along that same line, there were a great many killed that didn't have to be there. They were flight surgeons or intel officers or even maintenance personnel going along for the ride and getting shot down. Sometimes it happened with experienced aircrew on an orientation flight. I suspect the outgoing FAC was showing the new guy some of the dangerous territory and got hit. A great many disappeared on training flights.
I was dismayed to see several aircraft and a number of deaths due to low passes or other "impromptu" air shows. In one instance, on his last flight in theater before shipping home, a pilot was killed, along with his crew, doing that. In another, a C-123 tried to snag a "flag" (reported as lady's underwear) from a flag pole; on the second attempt, they crashed killing all four on board and two Thai civilians on the ground. Wasn't getting shot at enough excitement?
I was heartened and encouraged by the incredible acts of bravery and self-sacrifice to save buddies or people they didn't know. MOH's, Navy and Air Force Crosses are always impressive.
I was disappointed to see how many aircrew landed safely on the ground after ejections only to be killed by civilians or troops. There were a ton of those, including getting shot while still coming down in a parachute. Personally, I'm not so sure there's any such thing as a non-combatant in a war zone.
It should have come as no surprise, but it was, to see how many were known to have been captured yet either died in captivity (known) or simply were never heard of again. Those that we know made it to a prison and subsequently died are listed as "POW – died," whereas those that we know were captured on the ground but never made it to a prison are listed as KIA.
Again, these are my impressions as I entered the data and couldn't help but read many of the stories and circumstances.
As I said on the site, the purpose is: To Preserve and Present What Really Happened for Our Children and Grandchildren.
In addition, the "site is dedicated to those that were lost in the skies over the Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and on routes to and from the war zone. May their stories never be forgotten. May their families and friends always be proud."
Everyone is invited to see for themselves at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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This Day in U S Military History
August 13
1779 – The Royal Navy defeats the Penobscot Expedition with the most significant loss of United States naval forces prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
1831 – Nat Turner sees a solar eclipse, which he believes is a sign from God. Eight days later he and 70 other slaves kill approximately 55 whites in Southampton County, Virginia, beginning the rebellion that bears his name.
1846 – The American flag was raised for the first time in Los Angeles as a joint expedition led by CDR Robert Stockton seizes the city.
1898 – When the U.S. declared war against Spain in April it was to help the Cubans gain their independence from Spanish colonial rule. Nothing was said about Spain's other colonies, including the Philippines. However, as part of America's war effort, it was quickly decided to take the islands as a colony of the United States. Commodore George Dewey's decisive naval victory destroying the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1st opened the way for land forces to be used to capture the colonial capital city of Manila on the island of Luzon. By June American troops, most of them in state volunteer units, began arriving to besiege the city. Among these units was the "Utah Battery" actually composed of two batteries each armed with 3-inch rifled guns. As the U.S. soldiers arrived they were confronted by two armies, one composed of Spanish soldiers and the other of Philippine rebels who wanted their freedom from Spanish rule. American political leaders want the islands too, so a three-way stand-off was in the making. When enough American troops were in position around Manila it was decided to attack the city; however, Spanish officials agreed to surrender to the Americans only after a brief, honor saving, attack. So on this date the Utah batteries found themselves firing in support of almost uncontested American advances into the city. This soon changed when the rebels also attacked, trying to seize the old part of Manila, containing most of the government buildings. American troops got into fire fights with Filipinos while attempting to save Spanish lives from marauding rebels out for revenge. By the end of the day, most of the city was in American hands and an uneasy peace settled over the area. While coming under enemy fire at least once and forced to change position several times during the engagement the Utah units lost no men in action.
1945 – About 1600 American aircraft fly over Tokyo and other Japanese cities dropping millions of leaflets explaining the position reached in the surrender negotiations and the state of affairs in Japan. Most Japanese "hawks" still refuse to admit defeat. Japanese Sub-Lieutenant Saburo Sakai, the one-eyed fighter ace (with 64 victories), shoots down a B-29 near Tokyo during the night (August 13-14).
1969 – The Apollo 11 astronauts are released from a three-week quarantine to enjoy a ticker tape parade in New York, New York. That evening, at a state dinner in Los Angeles, California, they are awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Richard Nixon.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*KILMER, JOHN E.
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman, U.S. Navy, attached to duty as a medical corpsman with a Marine rifle company in the 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Korea, 13 August 1952. Entered service at: Houston, Tex. Born: 15 August 1930, Highland Park, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy aggressor forces. With his company engaged in defending a vitally important hill position well forward of the main line of resistance during an assault by large concentrations of hostile troops, HC Kilmer repeatedly braved intense enemy mortar, artillery, and sniper fire to move from 1 position to another, administering aid to the wounded and expediting their evacuation. Painfully wounded himself when struck by mortar fragments while moving to the aid of a casualty, he persisted in his efforts and inched his way to the side of the stricken marine through a hail of enemy shells falling around him. Undaunted by the devastating hostile fire, he skillfully administered first aid to his comrade and, as another mounting barrage of enemy fire shattered the immediate area, unhesitatingly shielded the wounded man with his body. Mortally wounded by flying shrapnel while carrying out this heroic action, HC Kilmer, by his great personal valor and gallant spirit of self-sacrifice in saving the life of a comrade, served to inspire all who observed him. His unyielding devotion to duty in the face of heavy odds reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for another.
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Thanks to Carl
From Teenage Pilot to POW: Col. Joseph Peterburs, USAF (Ret), on his World War II Service - MOAA
From Teenage Pilot to POW: Col. Joseph Peterburs, USAF (Ret), on His World War II Service
By: Amanda Dolasinski
AUGUST 11, 2020
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(This article and others in MOAA's "Window Into War" series originally appeared in the May edition of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members. Learn more about the magazine here; learn more about joining MOAA here.)
Joseph Peterburs flew his P-51 Mustang close to the B-17 bombers he was escorting through the sky above Berlin, just as he had on 48 previous missions during WWII.
But on his 49th mission, the Germans flooded the sky with fighters. Peterburs, an adrenaline-filled 19-year-old, soared through the sky chasing a German fighter he saw blow up a B-17 bomber. He closed in as it hit a second bomber.
"Just as he blew up the second, I came in from the rear," Peterburs said. "I saw smoke and fire on his left wing. He immediately rolled over and started to the deck. I just broke off the chase."
If the attack on Pearl Harbor hadn't happened four months prior, Peterburs would have been back in Wisconsin studying to be a priest. But now he was in German airspace — and spotted an airfield full of the enemy's aircraft.
"I was by myself, 19 years old," said Peterburs. "I made too many passes, and I destroyed at least five on the ground and set a hangar on fire."
Trouble Afoot
On his last pass, Peterburs was hit and his engine started to overheat. He had 90 miles to reach the airbase, but his aircraft was losing altitude quickly.
He debated bailing out when the aircraft fell to 1,000 feet, but then he saw a German Focke-Wulf 190 fighter coming at him. The 190 fired off rockets but missed, and Peterburs kept flying.
At 500 feet, Peterburs was devising a belly landing, but he kept going. At 300 feet, the right side of the aircraft caught fire. Peterburs waited too long and had to bail from the left side, which guaranteed he would hit the aircraft's tail on his exit.
Peterburs landed in an open field with townspeople yelling and running toward him. Peterburs was sent to a POW camp for the night. He escaped with a small group.
"There was very little security," Peterburs said. "Basically, it was just going down to the fence at night."
After their midnight escape, the group walked for about five miles toward Berlin when they were stopped by a Russian tank unit. Through the Russian lieutenant's English, the men learned the tank unit was headed to Wittenburg.
Peterburs said he was given a rifle and told to hop on. The Americans fought with the Russians for the next three days.
Peterburs finally got his break when an American patrol noticed his flight suit among the Russian tank crew camped out near the Elbe River. Peterburs was reluctantly turned over to the Americans and began his journey home.
Once he was back in the U.S., Peterburs married his girlfriend, Josephine, for whom he had nicknamed the Mustang P-51 that helped him destroy so many enemy aircraft on his 49th combat mission.
Unlikely Reunion
Peterburs left the war behind as a memory — until the late 1990s. That's when he received a letter from a German man who was just a boy when he watched Peterburs fall into the German farmland. The man tracked down Peterburs from a piece of the downed aircraft that he saved.
In 2005, Peterburs was surprised when again he received a letter from the man — this time telling him he had found the German pilot whom he had been chasing through the sky that April day in 1945. And it wasn't just any pilot — it was Walter Schuck, a top German pilot with 206 confirmed aerial victories.
Schuck claimed four American B-17s just before Peterburs shot him down. The men met for the second time, this time on friendlier terms, when Schuck traveled to the U.S. in 2005.
"Both of us reconciled the relationship by recognizing that we were each doing our job," Peterburs said.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for August 13, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
13 August
1917: The 1st Aero Squadron, which departed Columbus, N.Mex., on 5 August, sailed for Europe under command of Maj Ralph Royce. It was the first squadron to report for flying duty in the American Expeditionary Forces. (24)
1943: The Northwest African Strategic Air Force bombed Weiner Neustadt in the first mission from Mediterranean bases against targets in greater Germany. (24)
1944: Two GB-4 Glide Bombs, with television and radio controls, were launched against E-boat pens at Le Havre, France. Four additional GB-4s were sent against targets in France and Germany between 17 August and 13 September 1944. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. Advancing N. Korean Army forces caused two 35 FIG squadrons of F-51s to move from Yonil AB, S. Korea, to Tsuiki AB, Japan. (28) 1952: The USAF ordered the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, an eight jet heavy bomber, into full-scale production. (12) (24)
1953: The XC-99, the world's largest plane to date, made its first transatlantic flight from Kelly AFB to Frankfurt, Germany, with 60,000 pounds of cargo.
1959: Using a Thor-Agena rocket, the USAF launched Discoverer V, a satellite with nose cone reentry capsule, into a polar orbit from the Pacific Missile Range. A malfunction prevented the capsule's recovery, and the satellite fell from orbit on 16 September. (16) (24)
1960: Through 17 August, in the largest peacetime maneuver to date, AF Reserve troop carrier wings moved 10,400 men of the 101st Airborne Division from Camp Campbell, Ky., to Fort Bragg. (24)
1962: Ten USAF pilots completed a month-long stay in a simulated space cabin. (24)
1967: Through 16 August the Alaskan Air Command, assisted by the Alaska ANG and other Air Force units, conducted a three-day rescue and support operation after a flood hit the Fairbanks area. AFCS in Alaska provided emergency communications, while MAC provided airlift support. (16) (26)
1978: NEPTUNE III. Through 22 August, the largest joint airborne operations conducted to date occurred at Pope AFB, N.C. (16)
1987: The Marine Corps accepted five Kfir C-2 Lion Cub aircraft from Israel Aircraft Industries to use as aggressor aircraft in dissimilar air combat training at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, Ariz.
1995: A 60 AMW C-5 Galaxy airlifted 75 tons of food from Germany to Croatia to feed war victims. (16) (26)
1998: At Altus AFB, a 54 AREFS KC-135 received the first Pacer CRAG and Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) modifications. The TCAS modification gave pilots the ability to see other aircraft and get advance warning of possible mid-air collisions. (See 2 June 1998 for details on Pacer CRAG) (AFNEWS Article 981260, 25 Aug 98) After 12 Americans died in a terrorist bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi on 7 August, a 437 AW C-17 from Charleston AFB returned 10 victims to Andrews AFB. In a hangar at Andrews, President William J. Clinton presided over a national ceremony of remembrance. On 12 August, a 436 AW C-5 from Dover AFB returned the eleventh victim, SMSgt Sherry Lynn Olds, from Ramstein AB to Dover, where a 375 AW C-9 from Scott AFB flew her remains to Panama City, Florida, her hometown. The twelfth American victim, married to a Kenyan, was buried in Kenya. (22)
2001: NASA's experimental, solar-powered, remotely piloted Helios aircraft reached a record 96,500 feet in altitude for UAVs in a 17-hour flight. (21)
2004: A C-17 flying for the AFFTC at Edwards AFB airdropped a 52,500-pound Army Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle, equipped with a Mobile Gun System, from some 12 feet above the Rogers Dry Lake as part of a feasibility test. (3)
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World News for 13August thanks to Military Periscope
Afghanistan—Taliban Rolls Over Herat, Kandahar, Lashkar Gah Reuters | 08/13/2021 The Taliban has continued its push across much of Afghanistan, seizing the country's second- and third-largest cities, reports Reuters. On Friday, the militant movement captured the cities of Herat in the west and Kandahar in the south. In both cities, government troops and personnel have largely withdrawn to the cities' outskirts, where fighting continues, local officials told the Washington Post. Some have moved to fortified positions on bases within those cities. Elsewhere, the militants gained control of Lashkar Gah in the south and Qala-e-Naw in the northwest after sustained fighting. Firuz Koh, in the central Ghor province, was handed over without a major fight, said officials. Taliban fighters hold an estimated 17 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals, reported the Tolo News (Kabul). The internationally-recognized Afghan government now holds three major cities: Kabul, the capital; Mazar-i-Sharif in the north; and Jalalabad, an eastern city near the border with Pakistan. As the Taliban has advanced, outside nations have ordered evacuations of most citizens and mobilized troops to aid in these efforts. The Pentagon says about 3,000 U.S. troops will arrive within 48 hours. About 600 British troops and an unknown number of Canadian special operators are also deploying to aid in similar efforts.
USA—C-HGB Hypersonic Flight Test Planned For 4th Quarter Defense News | 08/13/2021 The Dept. of Defense plans to conduct the second test of its Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) before the end of this year, reports Defense News. The flight test will take place in the final quarter of the calendar year and be more challenging than an initial test conducted in March 2020. During the maiden demonstration, the C-HGB was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, achieved hypersonic speed and impacted within 6 inches (15 cm) of the target. The second test was initially planned to occur in the third quarter of fiscal 2021 but has been pushed back and replanned, said Eric Scherff, Lockheed Martin's vice president of hypersonic strike programs. The Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) confirmed that the test was pushed back for non-technical reasons. Three more tests are subsequently planned in fiscal 2022, with one in the first quarter and two in the third quarter. Those third, fourth and fifth tests will include the new 34.5-in (0.87-m) diameter booster. The Army is on track to deliver an initial set of equipment to begin training to the first unit within 41 days, RCCTO officials said on Wednesday, allowing training to begin on Oct. 18. The C-HGB is being jointly developed by the Dept. of Defense and will equip the Army's ground-launched Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, expected to enter service by the end of fiscal 2023, and the Navy's ship- and submarine-launched hypersonic weapons, expected to enter service in 2023 and 2024 respectively. USA—
New SOUTHCOM Chief Confirmed By Senate Air Force Magazine | 08/13/2021 The Senate has confirmed the administration's nominee to lead U.S. Southern Command (SOUTCHOM), reports Air Force magazine. On Wednesday, Air Force Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson was confirmed by the Senate to serve as commander of SOUTHCOM. She was also approved for promotion to full general at the same time. Richardson, who currently serves as the head of U.S. Army North, will be the first woman to lead SOUTHCOM and the second to head a combatant command. Former Rep. Gil Cisneros was also approved by the senate to serve as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness the same day, reported the Military Times.
Poland—Controversial Media Law Passed Despite Loss Of Coalition Partner CNBC | 08/13/2021 A law restricting foreign ownership of Polish media has passed the lower house of the Polish legislature despite the withdrawal of a governing coalition partner, reports CNBC. On Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Matesz Moraviecki fired Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Gowin over his opposition to the bill, leading Gowin's Accord party to withdraw from the governing coalition, reported the Guardian (U.K.). Accord's withdrawal left the coalition, led by the Law and Justice party (PiS) without a majority in the lower house, the Sejm, putting its ability to pass the media control law into question. On Wednesday, the law was passed by a vote of 228 to 216 after PiS successfully persuaded MPs from smaller parties to vote in favor of the bill. The controversial law would ban non-E.U. companies from holding controlling stakes in Polish media firms. It is seen as targeting U.S. media-network Discovery's ownership of TVN. TVN is one of Poland's largest independent media networks and its TVN24 news channel is frequently critical of the PiS government. The law will now go to the opposition-controlled senate. Even if the senate opposes the legislation, the Sejm can still send it to President Andrzej Duda for ratification with another absolute majority vote.
Belarus—Former Ambassador To Slovenia Arrested Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 08/13/2021 Belarus' former ambassador to Slovenia has been arrested and taken to a notorious detention center in Minsk, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. On Aug. 11, former Ambassador Ihar Lyashchenya was arrested after authorities searched his home. The following day, he was identified among several dozen individuals being held at the Akrestsina detention center, according to a group of Belarusian volunteers. Most of those arrested were pro-democracy figures. The cause for the search and the charges that Lyashchenya is facing were not immediately announced. Lyashchenya served as Belarus' ambassador to Slovenia before resigning on Aug. 18, 2020, after supporting protests against last year's presidential elections that opposition figures decried as rigged in favor of President Aleksander Lukashenko.
Russia—FSB Arrests Hypersonics Researcher Moscow Times | 08/13/2021 Russian security services have arrested a researcher who led the country's hypersonic weapons program, reports the Moscow Times. On Thursday, Federal Security Service (FSB) agents arrested Alexander Kuranov, 73, in Moscow, reported the Tass news agency (Moscow). The FSB reportedly requested that Kuranov be placed in pre-trial detention for two months. Kuranov was later charged with treason, reported the state-run RIA Novosti. He is the general director and chief designer of St. Petersburg's State Hypersonic Systems Research Institute. As part of that work, he was assigned to the long-running Ayaks program, which began in the 1970s. Prosecutors will argue that he passed state secrets to a foreign citizen, reported the Interfax news agency (Moscow). Sources suggested to Interfax that those foreign individuals might be American or Chinese.
South Korea—LIG Nex1 Expected To Win CIWS Evaluation Naval News | 08/13/2021 LIG Nex1 is likely to be selected as the winner of South Korea's Close-in Weapon System II (CIWS-II) program, reports Naval News. LIG Nex1's submission received the highest score during the preliminary evaluation for the CIWS-II program, reported the Seoul Economic Daily. Hanwha was the only other firm known to be competing for the program. Both LIG Nex1 and Hanwha's CIWS-II bids were revealed during the Marine Defense Expo held in June. LIG Nez1's proposal consists of a 30-mm Gatling cannon with a rate of fire of 4,200 rounds per minute. Sensors include a four-face active electronically-scanned array (AESA) search radar arrayed around the mount, an AESA fire-control radar above the cannon and an electro-optical tracking system above the cannon. The CIWS-II will support automatic, manual and semi-automatic manipulation and could be installed land for point-defense near runways and command facilities. The CIWS-II is expected to complete development by 2030 at a cost of US$2.9 billion and will be installed on the future KDDX, FFX-III and CVX warships along with retrofits onto existing vessels.
South Korea—Navy Receives 1st SSB Yonhap | 08/13/2021 The South Korean navy has taken delivery of its first ballistic missile submarine, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Friday, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho was commissioned in a ceremony at the Okpo Shipyard on the southern island of Geoje. She is the lead boat in a class that will include two more by 2023. The navy plans for the sub to begin operations in 12 months. She is the largest sub now in service with the navy at about 3,000 tons, with six vertical launching tubes and a diesel engine capable of air-independent propulsion.
Taiwan—Maiden Inter-Coast Guard Virtual Talks Held With U.S. Taipei Times | 08/13/2021 Taiwan's coast guard has conducted its first virtual meeting with counterparts from the U.S. Coast Guard, reports the Taipei Times. On Wednesday, the two services held a working group meeting via videoconference to discuss joint missions at sea, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The two sides exchanged opinions on maritime law enforcement, including fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities; and joint action to promote regional peace and stability, according to the ministry. Methods of improving joint maritime responses on search-and-rescue; disaster relief; environmental missions; and opportunities to improve communication and continue personnel education exchanges were also discussed. The meeting was conducted under a memorandum of understanding signed on March 25, which established a joint coast guard working group. The names and ranks of the participants were not revealed due to the sensitivity of the talks, the ministry said.
Malaysia—4 Airmen Killed In Workplace Shooting Malaysia Star | 08/13/2021 Four Malaysian airmen are dead following a shooting in the eastern Sarawak state, reports the Star (Kuala Lumpur). On Friday, a corporal arrived at the base in Kota Samarahan, shooting three people before turning the gun on himself. Police said that there were no immediate clues as to the motive of shooting. Some reports suggested that the shooter was undergoing quarantine for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). An investigation is ongoing, said officials. Pakistan—
Foreign Minister Accuses Afghan, Indian Intelligence Of Plotting Terror Attack Al Jazeera | 08/13/2021 Pakistan has accused the intelligence services of Afghanistan and India of enabling a bus explosion in July that killed 10 Chinese foreign workers, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). In a press conference from Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that investigators had collected body parts, including fingers, from the scene of the July 14 attack in Dasu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Fingerprints linked the attack to the Swat chapter of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, other details implicated some degree of involvement by Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) and India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Among other indicators, Qureshi said that the attack was planned in Afghanistan and used a car that originated in Afghanistan. The bomber involved in the attack was not believed to be Pakistani, reported Reuters. Two Pakistani citizens have been arrested in connection with the attack, while three more have been identified in Afghanistan. Qureshi indicated that Pakistan had requested extradition of the suspects. The circumstances surrounding the attack, which killed workers headed to a dam construction site in the country's north, were initially disputed, with some accounts suggesting that the explosion was the result of mechanical failure.
Iran—Raeisi Announces Cabinet Proposal Mehr News Agency | 08/13/2021 Newly inaugurated Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has submitted a list of proposed cabinet ministers to the country's parliament, reports Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency. The list submitted on Wednesday included nominees for ministries including: interior; foreign affairs; intelligence; energy; economic affairs and finance; communication and information technology; science, research and technology; defense; culture and Islamic guidance' industry, mine and trade; petroleum; and justice, among others. The list submitted Wednesday was unofficial, a parliament spokesman said, and could be finalized before Saturday, when it will be officially announced by the speaker in an open session. The nomination of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as foreign minister suggests that improved relations between Iran and the West are unlikely, noted experts cited by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Amir-Abdollahian is a senior diplomat and enjoys the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). He was previously involved in U.S.-Iran talks in 2007 on efforts to stabilize Iraq. From 2011 to 2016, helped implement regional policies enforced by the IRGC's Quds Force while serving as deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs. Amir-Abdollahian has voiced suspicion of the West and the so-called "axis of resistance" against Israel. However, his appointment could signal increased clarity from Iran during negotiations with the U.S., as he could face less internal resistance to his proposals compared to the previous Rouhani administration, said analysts.
Israel—Air Defenses Intercept Hezbollah Drone Times of Israel | 08/13/2021 Israel says it has downed a militant-launched drone in the country's north, reports the Times of Israel. On Wednesday, Israeli air defense neutralized a small uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) launched by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. It crossed into Israeli airspace near the disputed Shebaa Farms area, reported Agence France-Presse. The aircraft was under surveillance for the entirety of its flight path, said the military. The incident was not announced until Thursday to allow time for a full investigation of the event, it said. Tensions have been rising on Israel's northern border. On Aug. 6, Hezbollah fired multiple rockets into Israel, though they did not cause any casualties.
Egypt—13 Militants Killed In Sinai Ops Ahram Online | 08/13/2021 Thirteen suspected militants have been killed amid ongoing counterinsurgency operations in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, reports Ahram Online (Cairo). The suspects were killed in operations in the peninsula's northern and central regions, according to an army statement on Saturday. Details of those operations, including specific locations and timing, were not immediately available. At least nine soldiers were killed in the operations, according to the statement. Their ranks were not released in the statement. Security forces recovered multiple rifles, magazines, motorbikes, mobile phones and a large amount of currency during the operations.
Ethiopia—Oromo, Tigray Rebel Groups Announce Partnership Bloomberg News | 08/13/2021 Rebel groups from Ethiopia's Tigray and Oromiya region have announced plans to ally in their fight against the central government, reports Bloomberg News. On Wednesday, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) leader Kumsa Dirriba announced that the partnership with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) had been agreed to. The accord was confirmed by senior TPLF members. The two sides will share intelligence and coordinate strategy under the alliance, said an OLA spokesperson cited by Reuters. The alliance was reached after talks occurring over the preceding six weeks, Dirriba said. A partnership between the OLA, which operates in the southwestern Oromiya province, and the TPLF in the northern Tigray province, could significantly escalate the conflict that broke out in November 2020, when TPLF forces were accused of attacking a military base. Ethiopian government forces initially seized control of the province but were driven back out by the TPLF in June. The fighting in Tigray has since expanded into the neighboring Amharra and Afar provinces as well as into Sudan and Djibouti.
Burkina Faso—17 Militants, 5 Volunteers Killed In North Agence France-Presse | 08/13/2021 Seventeen suspected militants and five members of state security forces have been killed in northern Burkina Faso, reports Agence France-Presse. On Wednesday, gunmen arrived on about 20 motorbikes at a state militia camp in Bilakoka, near the border with Mali and Niger, said a government official. As the militants attacked, members of the militia returned fire. After the militants were pushed back, professional security forces were dispatched to the area to conduct a sweep operation. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. The Burkinabe government established the Volunteers for the Defense of the Motherland (VDP) in December 2019 to help bolster the fight against militant groups in the country's northern regions. VDP members perform auxiliary as well as support work for regular troops and receive 14 days training. At least 250 members have been killed since its formation.
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