TheList 5931

The List 5931     TGB

Good Monday Morning 6 December.

I hope that you are all had a great weekend..

Regards,

Skip

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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History

December 6

1861—During the Civil War, the side-wheel steam cruiser Augusta, commanded by Cmdr. Enoch G. Parrott, captures British blockade runner Cheshire off South Carolina.

1917—During World War I, German submarine U-53 torpedoes and sinks USS Jacob Jones (DD 61) off England with the loss of 64 lives. U-53's commanding officer, Hans Rose, in a rare gesture, reports the 38 survivors' drift location to the American base in Queenstown, Ireland.

1941—USS Decatur (DD 341), in Task Unit 4.1.4, while on escort duty with convoy ONS 39, carries out a depth charge attack on a suspicious contact in the North Atlantic.

1941—President Franklin D. Roosevelt sends a letter to the Japanese emperor reminding the Japanese leader of their country's long-standing relationship and his concern about developments occurring in the Pacific area.

1943—USS Raven (AM 55) rescues 16 survivors from U.S. tanker Touchet, which was sunk by German submarine U 193 three days earlier. The entire merchant complement of 50 men survived but 10 of the 30-man armed guard are lost with the ship.

1959—Cmdr. Lawrence E. Flint, Jr., piloting a McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II powered by two GE J-79 engines, betters the existing world altitude record by reaching 98,560 feet above Edwards Air Force Base, CA. The previous record of 94,658 feet was reached in the USSR by a TU-431 jet. 

 

Today in History December 6

1492		Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Santo Domingo in search of gold.
1776		Phi Beta Kappa, the first scholastic fraternity, is founded at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg.
1812		The majority of Napoleon Bonaparte's Grand Armeé staggers into Vilna, Lithuania, ending the failed Russian campaign.
1861		Union General George G. Meade leads a foraging expedition to Gunnell's farm near Dranesville, Virginia.
1862		President Abraham Lincoln orders the hanging of 39 of the 303 convicted Indians who participated in the Sioux Uprising in Minnesota. They are to be hanged on December 26.
1863		The monitor Weehawken sinks in Charleston Harbor.
1865		The 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery.
1876		Jack McCall is convicted for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok and sentenced to hang.
1877		Thomas A. Edison makes the first sound recording when he recites "Mary had a Little Lamb" into his phonograph machine.
1906		Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge flies a powered, man-carrying kite that carries him 168 feet in the air for seven minutes at Baddeck, Nova Scotia.
1917		The Bolsheviks imprison Czar Nicholas II and his family in Tobolsk.
1921		Ireland's 26 southern counties become independent from Britain forming the Irish Free State.
1922		Benito Mussolini threatens Italian newspapers with censorship if they keep reporting "false" information.
1934		American Ambassador Davis says Japan is a grave security threat in the Pacific.
1938		France and Germany sign a treaty of friendship.
1939		Britain agrees to send arms to Finland, which is fighting off a Soviet invasion.
1941		President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues a personal appeal to Emperor Hirohito to use his influence to avoid war.
1945		The United States extends a $3 billion loan to Great Britain to help compensate for the termination of the Lend-Lease agreement.
1947		Florida's Everglades National Park is established.
1948		The "Pumpkin Spy Papers" are found on the Maryland farm of Whittaker Chambers. They become evidence that State Department employee Alger Hiss is spying for the Soviet Union.
1957		Vanguard TV3 explodes on the launch pad, thwarting the first US attempt to launch a satellite into Earth's orbit.
1967		Adrian Kantrowitz performs first human heart transplant in the US.
1969		Hells Angels, hired to provide security at a Rolling Stones concert at the Altamont Speedway in California, beat to death concert-goer Meredith Hunter.
1971		Pakistan severs diplomatic relations with India after New Delhi recognizes the state of Bangladesh.
1973		US House of Representatives confirms Gerald Ford as Vice-President of the United States, 387–35.
1975		A Provisional IRA unit takes a couple hostage in Balcombe Street, London, and a 6-day siege begins.
1976		Democrat Tip O'Neill is elected speaker of the House of Representatives. He will serve the longest consecutive term as speaker.
1992		The Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, India, is destroyed during a riot that started as a political protest.
2006		NASA reveals photographs from Mars Global Surveyor that suggest the presence of water on the red planet.

 

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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … For The List for Monday, 6 December 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 6 December 1966… A 1964 offer to talk peace in SEAsia…US "not interested"…

 

http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-6-december-1966-what-were-we-thinking/

 

 

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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Thanks to Sluggo 

Fantoomery ...

 Seems familiar thru my narcotic haze. 

OBTW, 3 weeks and getting a bit better every day!

Reminds me of a cross country with Teddy Wong. Mid-America USAF base. Some USAF dickless NAV trainer with a major in charge was holding court in the planning room. Wiz wheels were a spinning. 

Teddy Wong and I were in our speed jeans with stirrups jangling. We weren't sure where to go, so were using our 200 NM pens to bang out a nice 1000 mile leg. After several minutes of banging on the wall mounted chart, we realized our flight planning was spooling the major big time. 

So… Teddy grabs a similar chart and unfolds it onto the floor. He then announces "better be sure" and proceeds to use his boots to walk two boots length between blue suit base and east coast destination. As Teddy was announcing that it worked, the major interrupted our act and attempted to kick us out of the flight planning room. He made a big deal about how we were stranded as HE wasn't going to sign off our DD-175 for us. 

Laughing at him, we informed him that ALL Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers can sign our own flight plans. Guess USAF flight plans require a hinge signature.  Leaving him crushed, we then proceeded to weather, filed, and were on our way. Zero friends made. 

Ahhh, the good old days, eh? 

Cheers, Sluggo 

 

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Thanks to Al

Monday Morning Humor--Hanukkah

     The eight days of Hanukkah end this evening.

     Hanukkah (or Chanukah) also known as the Festival of Lights is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the second century BCE.

     Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

     The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah. One branch is typically placed above or below the others and its candle is used to light the other eight candles. This unique candle is called the shammash  or attendant. Each night, one additional candle is lit by the shammash until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival. 

     Other Hanukkah festivities include singing Hanukkah songs, playing the game of derider and eating oil-based foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods. Since the 1970s, the worldwide Chabad  Hasidic movement has initiated public menorah lightings in open public places in many countries.

     Originally instituted as a feast "in the manner of Sukkot (Booths)", it does not come with the corresponding obligations, and is therefore a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms. Nevertheless, Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, due to often occurring around the same time as Christmas during the holiday season.

 

 

Now for some Hanukkah humor:

 

 

Submitted by Skip Leonard:

 

This is a story about the first Jewish president of the United States.
     One day, his mother calls him on the telephone.  "Mendle, tomorrow is Hanukkah, I want you should come home and be with the family."
     "But Ma, I'm the president of the United States. I can't get away. I've got too many things to attend to. But why don't you come down here for the holiday?"

     "No, it's too much trouble. I'm not so young anymore.  I'd have to clean up the apartment, stop delivery of the newspapers, pack up and it would be a real rush."

     "Ma, I'm the president of the United States. I'll send some of my aides and they'll take care of everything for you. You won't have to lift a finger."

     "OK, but then I'd have to book a reservation on a flight and I know I'll never get a seat one day before Hanukkah."
     "But Ma, I'm the president of the United States. I'll send Air Force One to pick you up and fly you down here. You'll travel first class."

     "OK, but then I'll have to schlep from the airport into the city, the taxi service in Washington is terrible, and I'm afraid of the subway."

     "Ma, Ma, I'm the president of the United States. I'll have my helicopter pick you up at the airport and bring you straight into the city."

     "OK, but then I'll need to get a hotel room and they are so expensive and you know how I hate hotels."
     "Ma, I'm the president of the USA. You'll stay at the White House and sleep in Lincoln's bedroom."
     "Well, OK. I guess I'll come."
     So, it was finally settled. The president's mother was scheduled to leave for DC the next morning to celebrate Hanukkah with her son. A few minutes after she hung up from her son, her friend Minnie called:  "So what are you doing for Hanukkah?"
     "I am going to spend it with my son."
     "Your son the doctor?"
     "No, the other one."

 

 

 

Submitted by David Rackow:

 

     A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Chanukah cards.  She says to the clerk "May I have 50 Chanukah stamps please."
     "What denomination?" says the clerk.
     The woman says "Oy vey, my god, has it come to this? Okay, give me 6 orthodox, 12 conservative and 32 reform!"

 

 

 

     Last year, just before Hanukkah, Miriam, a grandmother was giving directions to her grown up grandson who was coming to visit with his wife. 'You come to the front door of the condominium complex.  I am in apartment 2B.'
     Miriam continued, 'There is a big panel at the door.  With your elbow push button 2B. I will buzz you in. Come inside, the elevator is on the right.  Get in, and with your elbow hit 2.  When you get out I am on the left.  With your elbow, hit my doorbell.'
     'Grandma, that sounds easy,' replied Jonathan, the grandson, 'but why am I hitting all these buttons with my elbow.'
     To which she answered, 'You're coming to visit empty handed?'

 

 

     My mother once gave me two sweaters for Hanukkah. The next time we visited, I made sure to wear one.
     As we entered her home, instead of the expected smile, she said, 'Aaron, what's the matter? You didn't like the other one?'

 

 

     It was Hanukkah and the tiny village was in fear of not having any latkes because they had run out of flour.  Rudi, the rabbi, was called upon to help solve the problem.  He said, "Don't worry, you can substitute matzo meal for the flour and the latkes will be just as delicious!"
     Sheila looks to her husband and says, "Mortey...you think it'll work?"
     And Mortey says, "Of course! Everybody knows...Rudolph, the Rab, knows grain dear!"


     Admiring the Christmas trees displayed in his neighbor's windows, Nathan asks his father, 'Daddy, can we have a Hanukkah Tree?'
     'What? No, of course not.' says his father.
     'Why not?' asks Nathan again.
     Bewildered, his father replies, 'Well, Nathan, because the last time we had dealings with a lighted bush we spent 40 years in the wilderness.'


     Stan and John are walking to school one day and Stan is describing his new Playstation 5 to John. "Where did you get that?" John asked.

     "I got it last night for Hanukkah," said Stan.

     "What's Hanukkah?" John asked.
     "It's the Jewish holiday where we get presents every night for eight nights to celebrate the festival of lights."
     "Wow, I wish we got that!" John exclaimed.

     The next day on the way to school John runs up to Stan, curious to see what he got. He sees that Stan is upset, "What's wrong? Where's your present from last night?" asks John.
     Stan holds up a ball of crumpled wrapping paper, "It was leftovers night."


Top Reasons to Like Hanukkah…

• No roof damage from reindeer 
• More elephants in the Hanukkah story
• Never a silent night when you're among your Jewish loved ones 
• If someone screws up on their gift, there are seven more days to correct it
• Dance of the Sugar-Plum Rebbe
• Betting Hanukkah gelt (the chocholate coins) on candle races 
• You can use your fireplace
• Naked spin-the-dreidel games 
• Fun waxy buildup on the menorah
• Cheer optional 
• No Irving Berlin songs

Funny Quotes…

• Most Texans think Hanukkah is some sort of duck call.--Richard Lewis
• I once wanted to become an atheist but I gave up...they have no holidays.--Henny Youngman
• My father never lived to see his dream come true of an all-Yiddish-speaking Canada.--David Steinberg
• God, I know we are your chosen people, but couldn't you choose somebody else for a change?--Shalom Aleichem
• The remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served us nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.--Calvin Trillin
• Let me tell you the one thing I have against Moses.  He took us 40 years into the desert in order to bring us to the one place in the Middle East that has no oil.--Golda Meir
• Even a secret agent can't lie to a Jewish mother.--Peter Malkin
• Don't be humble; you are not that great.--Golda Meir

Chag Urim Sameach (i.e., Happy Holiday of Lights) and have a great week,
Al

 

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This Day in U S Military History

December 6

1917 – At 9:05 a.m., in the harbor of Halifax in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, the most devastating manmade explosion in the pre-atomic age occurs when the Mont Blanc, a French munitions ship, explodes 20 minutes after colliding with another vessel. As World War I raged in Europe, the port city of Halifax bustled with ships carrying troops, relief supplies, and munitions across the Atlantic Ocean. On the morning of December 6, the Norwegian vessel Imo left its mooring in Halifax harbor for New York City. At the same time, the French freighter Mont Blanc, its cargo hold packed with highly explosive munitions–2,300 tons of picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 35 tons of high-octane gasoline, and 10 tons of gun cotton–was forging through the harbor's narrows to join a military convoy that would escort it across the Atlantic. At approximately 8:45 a.m., the two ships collided, setting the picric acid ablaze. The Mont Blanc was propelled toward the shore by its collision with the Imo, and the crew rapidly abandoned the ship, attempting without success to alert the harbor of the peril of the burning ship. Spectators gathered along the waterfront to witness the spectacle of the blazing ship, and minutes later it brushed by a harbor pier, setting it ablaze. The Halifax Fire Department responded quickly and was positioning its engine next to the nearest hydrant when the Mont Blanc exploded at 9:05 a.m. in a blinding white flash. The massive explosion killed more than 1,800 people, injured another 9,000–including blinding 200–and destroyed almost the entire north end of the city of Halifax, including more than 1,600 homes. The resulting shock wave shattered windows 50 miles away, and the sound of the explosion could be heard hundreds of miles away. Coast Guardsmen from the CGC Morrill were landed to provide assistance. This disaster led to the creation of captains of the ports for the major U.S. ports. The Coast Guard was tasked with the new duty.

1941 – President Roosevelt-convinced on the basis of intelligence reports that the Japanese fleet is headed for Thailand, not the United States-telegrams Emperor Hirohito with the request that "for the sake of humanity," the emperor intervene "to prevent further death and destruction in the world." The Royal Australian Air Force had sighted Japanese escorts, cruisers, and destroyers on patrol near the Malayan coast, south of Cape Cambodia. An Aussie pilot managed to radio that it looked as if the Japanese warships were headed for Thailand-just before he was shot down by the Japanese. Back in England, Prime Minister Churchill called a meeting of his chiefs of staff to discuss the crisis. While reports were coming in describing Thailand as the Japanese destination, they began to question whether it could have been a diversion. British intelligence had intercepted the Japanese code "Raffles," a warning to the Japanese fleet to be on alert-but for what? Britain was already preparing Operation Matador, the launching of their 11th Indian Division into Thailand to meet the presumed Japanese invasion force. But at the last minute, Air Marshall Brooke-Popham received word not to cross the Thai border for fear that it would provoke a Japanese attack if, in fact, the warship movement was merely a bluff. Meanwhile, 600 miles northwest of Hawaii, Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, announced to his men: "The rise or fall of the empire depends upon this battle. Everyone will do his duty with utmost efforts." Thailand was, in fact, a bluff. Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii was confirmed for Yamamoto as the Japanese target, after the Japanese consul in Hawaii had reported to Tokyo that a significant portion of the U.S. Pacific fleet would be anchored in the harbor-sitting ducks. The following morning, Sunday, December 7, was a good day to begin a raid. "The son of man has just sent his final message to the son of God," FDR joked to Eleanor after sending off his telegram to Hirohito, who in the Shinto tradition of Japan was deemed a god. As he enjoyed his stamp collection and chatted with Harry Hopkins, his personal adviser, news reached him of Japan's formal rejection of America's 10-point proposals for peace and an end to economic sanctions and the oil embargo placed on the Axis power. "This means war," the president declared. Hopkins recommended an American first strike. "No, we can't do that," Roosevelt countered. "We are a democracy and a peaceful people."

1948 – The "Pumpkin spy papers" were found on the Maryland farm of Whittaker Chambers. They became evidence that State Department employee Alger Hiss was spying for the Soviet Union.

1950 – Fifth Air Force jets and Australian F-51 Mustangs were credited with killing 2,500 enemy troops in an attack near Pyongyang. This did not, however, prevent the Chinese communists for occupying the North Korean capitol.

1972 – Fighting in South Vietnam intensifies as the secret Paris peace talks resume after a 24-hour break. The renewed combat was a result of both sides trying to achieve a positional advantage in the countryside in preparation for the possibility that a cease-fire might be worked out in Paris. Tan Son Nhut, one of two major airports near Saigon, is hit by the heaviest communist rocket attack in four years. One U.S. rescue helicopter was destroyed and a fuel dump was set ablaze. In response, U.S. planes bombed suspected Viet Cong positions within 10 miles of the airport. These strikes were followed by South Vietnamese troop attacks against the area from which the rockets were fired. Elsewhere in South Vietnam, fighting continued around Quang Tri, south of the Demilitarized Zone. Quang Tri fell to the North Vietnamese during their spring offensive earlier in the year. South Vietnamese forces reclaimed the city from the communists in September, but fighting continued in the areas around the city.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

DITZENBACK, JOHN
Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1828, New York, N.Y. Accredited to: Indiana. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served on board the U.S. Monitor Neosho during the engagement with enemy batteries at Bells Mills, Cumberland River, near Nashville, Tenn., 6 December 1864. Carrying out his duties courageously during the engagement, Ditzenback gallantly left the pilot house after the flag and signal staffs of that vessel had been shot away and, taking the flag which was drooping over the wheelhouse, made it fast to the stump of the highest mast remaining, although the ship was still under a heavy fire from the enemy.

FERRELL, JOHN H.
Rank and organization: Pilot, U.S. Navy. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: 15 April 1823, Tennessee. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served on board the U.S. Monitor Neosho during the engagement with enemy batteries at Bells Mills, Cumberland River, near Nashville, Tenn., 6 December 1864. Carrying out his duties courageously during the engagement, Ferrell gallantly left the pilothouse after the flag and signal staffs of that vessel had been shot away and, taking the flag which was drooping over the wheelhouse, make it fast to the stump of the highest mast remaining although the ship was still under a heavy fire from the enemy.

LITEKY, ANGELO J.
Rank and organization: Chaplain (Capt.), U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 199th Infantry Brigade. place and date: Near Phuoc-Lac, Bien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 6 December 1967 . Entered service at: Fort Hamilton, N.Y. Born: 14 February 1931, Washington, D.C. Citation: Chaplain Liteky distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving with Company A, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was participating in a search and destroy operation when Company A came under intense fire from a battalion size enemy force. Momentarily stunned from the immediate encounter that ensued, the men hugged the ground for cover. Observing 2 wounded men, Chaplain Liteky moved to within 15 meters of an enemy machine gun position to reach them, placing himself between the enemy and the wounded men. When there was a brief respite in the fighting, he managed to drag them to the relative safety of the landing zone. Inspired by his courageous actions, the company rallied and began placing a heavy volume of fire upon the enemy's positions. In a magnificent display of courage and leadership, Chaplain Liteky began moving upright through the enemy fire, administering last rites to the dying and evacuating the wounded. Noticing another trapped and seriously wounded man, Chaplain Liteky crawled to his aid. Realizing that the wounded man was too heavy to carry, he rolled on his back, placed the man on his chest and through sheer determination and fortitude crawled back to the landing zone using his elbows and heels to push himself along. pausing for breath momentarily, he returned to the action and came upon a man entangled in the dense, thorny underbrush. Once more intense enemy fire was directed at him, but Chaplain Liteky stood his ground and calmly broke the vines and carried the man to the landing zone for evacuation. On several occasions when the landing zone was under small arms and rocket fire, Chaplain Liteky stood up in the face of hostile fire and personally directed the medivac helicopters into and out of the area. With the wounded safely evacuated, Chaplain Liteky returned to the perimeter, constantly encouraging and inspiring the men. Upon the unit's relief on the morning of 7 December 1967, it was discovered that despite painful wounds in the neck and foot, Chaplain Liteky had personally carried over 20 men to the landing zone for evacuation during the savage fighting. Through his indomitable inspiration and heroic actions, Chaplain Liteky saved the lives of a number of his comrades and enabled the company to repulse the enemy. Chaplain Liteky's actions reflect great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 6, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

6 December

1907: Lt Thomas E. Selfridge flew Alexander Graham Bell's kite, Cygnet I. It was towed by a motorboat tug and stayed aloft for 7 minutes over Bras d'Or Lake, Nova Scotia. (24)

1944: In New York, Roy W. Howard, President of Scripps-Howard Newspapers, received the Frank M. Hawks Memorial Award from the American Legion's Air Service Post 501 for outstanding aid and cooperation in developing aviation. (24)

1950: KOREAN WAR. The 27 FEW, a SAC unit from Bergstrom AFB, launched the first F-84E Thunderjet mission in the war from Taegu airfield. (1) (28)

1954: The Curtiss-Wright Corporation revealed the existence of what was believed to be the first rocket engine with throttle control. This control made extended flight range in supersonic airplanes possible. (24)

1957: The Vanguard vehicle failed in its attempt to launch the first US satellite. It exploded on its launch platform. (21)

1959: At Edwards AFB, Cmdr Lawrence E. Flint (USN) flew McDonnell's F4H Phantom II to 98,560 feet to set a FAI record. (9) (24) Capt Walter J. Hodgson flew an H-43B helicopter at Bloomfield, Ct., to a 29,846-foot altitude record for Class E1D helicopters. (3) First Martin Titan II, a large two-stage ICBM, launched. (12)

1961: In a joint Navy-Air Force ceremony, new wings were pinned on American astronauts, Cmdr Alan B. Shepard (USN) and Capt Virgil I Grissom. The new design displayed a shooting star superimposed on the traditional aviator wings of the respective services.

1963: Maj Robert W. Smith piloted the NF-104A Aerospace Trainer, with its ballistic controls (attitude control nozzles on the wing tips, nose, and tail) and a 6,000-pound thrust rocket engine, to 120,800 feet above Edwards AFB. (3)

1966: The first of five Applications Technology Satellites (ATS-1), carrying 15 communications, technology, and scientific experiments, launched at Cape Kennedy. On 9 December, ATS-1 took the world's first high-quality photos of the earth from synchronous orbit altitudes.

1983: The United States and Germany signed the cooperative Patriot/Roland air defense agreement. (4) The National Transonic Tunnel, a wind tunnel to test ultra-fast aircraft, dedicated at Langley AFB. (26)

1985: The Air Force accepted the 18th and last C-23A Sherpa. On 7 December, the C-23 joined the 10 MAS at Zweibruken AB, Germany, with a mission to deliver engines and spares throughout the theater. (8: Dec 90) At Barksdale AFB, La., SAC's KC-10 Extender squadron, the 32 AREFS, reached full operational capability. (16) (26)

1989: Boeing rolled the prototype MH-47E helicopter at Ridley Township, Pa. It had oversized composite fuel pods, an air-to-air refueling system, an internal cargo handling system, and a rescue hoist and Fastrope rappelling system among its new features. The Army expected the first of 50 such helicopters to be delivered in 1992. (8: Feb 90)

1991: Following Cyclone Zelda, the 834th Airlift Division sent six C-130 Hercules with supplies to provide relief to people at Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. (16) (26)

1992: Through 20 December, six C-5 missions moved 415 tons of engineering vehicles and equipment to Islamabad, Pakistan, to help with flood damage. (16)

1995: Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. USAF airlifters started moving troops and equipment to Bosnia to support this NATO operation to implement peace between Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia. (16) (26)

2002: The AFFTC at Edwards AFB had the X-45A UCAV and a Global Hawk airborne on test missions at the same time. This marked the first time that two unmanned aircraft from two different programs were airborne simultaneously. (3)

2005: During a ten-second ground test at Edwards AFB, the Airborne Laser's megawatt-class chemical laser released enough energy to destroy a ballistic missile in its boost phase. The test met a major program milestone. (3)

 

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World News for 6 December thanks to Military Periscope

  Syria—U.S.-Backed Militia Denies Reports Of Blasts At Al Tanf Base Reuters | 12/06/2021 A U.S.-backed militia in eastern Syria have denied a Syrian government report of an explosion at a U.S. military base, reports Reuters.  On Sunday, Syrian state media reported that there were several explosions at the U.S. base in Al Tanf, near the border with Iraq.  The U.S.-backed rebel group Maghawir Al Thawra said that the explosions were part of joint ground and air exercises and occurred outside the base. Several hundred members of the group work with U.S. troops in eastern Syria. The Al Tanf base came under drone attack in October, though no casualties were reported. 

 

India—Putin Discusses Defense, Regional Topics With Modi Times Of India | 12/06/2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to focus on defense and diplomatic topics, reports the Times of India. On Monday, Modi hosted Putin in New Delhi for the 2 + 2 talks. During the meetings, India and Russia are expected to extend a military technical cooperation agreement until 2031, reported the Wall Street Journal. The sides are also expected to sign a deal to produce more than 500,000 Russian-designed rifles in India. An agreement is planned that would permit Russia to use certain ports and military installations as logistics facilities. A similar accord was previously reached with the U.S. Washington has threatened to impose sanctions on India for its purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia, although most expect New Delhi to receive a waiver. 

 

United Arab Emirates—Rafales Not A Substitute For F-35s, Says Air Force Chief Emirates News Agency | 12/06/2021 The United Arab Emirates has not abandoned plans to acquire advanced U.S. fighter jets after making a deal with France for new aircraft, reports the state-run Emirates News Agency. On Saturday, Air Force Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi said the French Rafale jets would replace the service's aging Mirage 2000 aircraft and was not a substitute for plans to acquire 50 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters from the U.S. The two types would serve in complementary roles as the U.A.E. continues to develop its air capabilities, the general said. The sale of F-35s to the United Arab Emirates was cleared in November 2020 but has since stalled due to concerns over its close relations with China, noted Reuters. 

 

United Arab Emirates—Top Security Adviser In Tehran For Talks Gulf News | 12/06/2021 The top national security official in the United Arab Emirates is visiting Iran this week, reports Gulf News (Dubai). On Monday, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Iranian counterpart, Adm. Ali Shamkhan. The agenda covered bilateral ties and the latest regional developments. Emirati diplomatic adviser Anwar Mohammed Gargash said last month that the government was taking steps to de-escalate tensions with Iran and boost bilateral communication. 

 

India—14 Civilians Killed In Army Op In Nagaland Hindustan Times | 12/06/2021 At least 14 civilians have been killed by soldiers who mistook them for militants in India's northeastern Nagaland state, reports the Hindustan Times. On Saturday, security personnel attacked a civilian van in Oting village in the Mon district believing they were militants, killing seven. The military had launched an operation after receiving intelligence about possible militant movements in the area. Angry villagers subsequently set fire to two army vehicles. During the clash, soldiers killed six attackers. Several troops were injured, one of whom later died.  The following day, locals attacked a local paramilitary camp in Mon, setting vehicles on fire. Soldiers killed one of the attackers. Murder charges have been filed against some of the soldiers involved in the incident, officials said.  The chief ministers of Meghalaya and Nagaland have called for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives the military special powers in areas affected by violence and insurgency, reported News 18 (Noida). Initial reports indicated that the soldiers made several errors, including failing to ask for a local police guide prior to the operation. 

 

Russia—Putin Plans Multiprong Attack On Ukraine Washington Post | 12/06/2021 U.S. intelligence reports indicate that Russia may be planning an extensive, multifront invasion of Ukraine, reports the Washington Post. Russia could put together a force of to 175,000 troops to invade in early 2022, according to U.S. officials and an intelligence document obtained by the newspaper. An anonymous administration official said that the plan involves 100 battalion tactical groups, along with armor, artillery and equipment, about twice the numbers seen in Russia's buildup on the Ukrainian border over the summer. Satellite imagery shows Russian troops massing in four locations in Russia or Russian-seized territory: Yelnya, Boyevo, Persianovka and the Crimean Peninsula.  Russia has also mobilized 100,000 reservists in addition to the 70,000 or so troops currently deployed near the Ukrainian border. There has been extensive movement of battalion tactical groups to and from the border to hide the total number of forces in the region, officials said. Russia is also prepositioning equipment at training ranges to support a rapid invasion, says the U.S. report. Meanwhile, Moscow has stepped up information operations against Ukraine and the West. Analysts say such an operation is intended to force the Ukrainian military to fight on multiple fronts and make Kyiv and the West acquiesce to the security guarantees Putin wants, including a pledge that NATO will not expand further east. President Biden has warned that any military operation would come with significant costs, include harsh economic measures. 

 

Sweden—Global Arms Sales Grow Despite Pandemic Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | 12/06/2021 Arms sales by major defense firms around the world increased in 2020 despite the pandemic, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Last year, the world's 100 largest arms companies recorded sales of US$531 billion, an increase of 1.3 percent over the previous year. The growth came despite an overall economic contraction of 3.1 percent, due in large part to the ongoing global pandemic. The industry was largely shielded from the effects of the pandemic by sustained government demand for military goods and services, analysts said. In some places, governments accelerated military payments to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. The U.S. accounted for 41 companies on the list, totaling US$285 billion in sales, an increase of 1.9 percent from 2019. Chinese firms represented the second-largest group on the list, with five firms raking in US$66.8 billion in 2020, a 1.5 percent increase over the previous year. A total of 26 European firms accounted for 21 percent of global sales, equaling US$109 billion.  Nine Russian firms recorded US$26.4 billion in sales in 2020, a decrease of 6.5 percent. Sales outside of the U.S., Europe, Russia and China increased 3.4 percent to US$43.1 billion, driven by sales in Israel, Japan, South Korea and India. Overall sales were 17 percent higher since 2015, the first year that SIPRI began including Chinese figures. 

 

Equatorial Guinea—U.S. Intel Warns Of Plans To Build Naval Base Wall Street Journal | 12/06/2021 China seeks to establish a military base in Equatorial Guinea, reports the Wall Street Journal. Classified U.S. intelligence reports indicate that Beijing wants to build a facility to rearm and refit warships in Bata, where China previously built a deepwater commercial port. U.S. officials have met with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and his son and anticipated successor, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, lobbying them to reject China's request.  American military officials say that a military useful naval facility on Africa's east coast would be a "significant threat." The U.S. has since warned of the potential consequences of such a decision and offered aid and support to Equatorial Guinea in an attempt to dissuade the government of supporting such a move. 

 

USA—Stingray UAV Begins Testing Onboard Carrier USNI News | 12/06/2021 A prototype of the Navy's first carrier-launched uncrewed aircraft has arrived aboard an aircraft carrier for initial trials, reports USNI News. On Nov. 30, the MQ-25 Stingray T1 test aircraft arrived on USS George H.W. Bush for testing during the ship's carrier qualifications, Rear Adm. Andrew Loiselle, the head of the chief of naval operation's air warfare directorate, said in an interview. The Bush is the first of four carriers planned to be modified with the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS) needed to operate the MQ-25, reported the War Zone website. The testing is focused on verifying the UAV's performance on the flight deck in various conditions. This would include looking at how the MQ-25's dorsal engine air intake behaves while the UAV deals with winds of 25 knots (46 kph) or more coming from all directions, Loiselle said. The demonstration will also include exploring how the MQ-25 is integrated aboard the ship, including moving the drones around on the carrier elevators and inside the hangar deck. The MQ-25 T1 will not conduct flights from the carrier during this phase. 

 

South Korea—Lawmakers Pass Budget For Next Phase Of Light Carrier Project Yonhap | 12/06/2021 The South Korean Parliament has approved a budget for a project to build a light aircraft carrier, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Friday, the National Assembly approved a US$6.1 million budget for the light carrier project, dubbed CVX. The funding was included as part of the overall fiscal 2022 defense budget, which increased 3.4 percent from 2021 to US$6.1 billion, reported Naval News. The CVX program funding included US$5.2 million for preliminary design of the light carrier, US$720,000 for aircraft-related expenses and US$840,000 for other program expenses. The funding will allow the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to begin the process next year for the basic design of the carrier. This will move the program out of the conceptual design stage, which lasted from October 2019 to December 2020. Once the basic design is complete, detailed design work can begin. The CVX program was nearly derailed after a committee-level decision was made in November to cut the project budget to $425,000, which would have prevented the completion of the project by 2033 as planned. 

 

Turkey—Domestic Naval Gun Completes Live-Fire Tests Daily Sabah | 12/06/2021 A new naval cannon being developed in Turkey has been test-fired successfully, reports the Daily Sabah (Istanbul). On Dec. 2, the indigenous 76-mm naval gun completed live-fire trials at the Karapinar shooting range in the central Konya province. The 76-mm cannon is being developed by state-owned gun and ammunition manufacturer Machinery and Chemical Industry (MKE). The cannon has a 15-foot (4.7-m) barrel and a range of 10 miles (16 km). The domestic naval cannon project was launched in 2020 in response to the high procurement costs and lengthy delivery schedule for 76-mm Super Rapido cannons produced by Leonardo. Leonardo-built cannons currently arm a variety of Turkish warships, including the Gaziantep-class frigates, Heybeliada-class corvettes and fast attack craft. The indigenous cannon is expected to gradually replace the imported naval cannons. The gun is expected to undergo initial at-sea testing on a Heybeliada-class or Gaziantep-class warship, reported Naval News. The first cannons are expected to enter service by February 2022. 

 

USA—More GPS Systems With Anti-Jam Capability Ordered C4ISRNet | 12/06/2021 BAE Systems has received a follow-on order for the latest GPS modules capable of taking advantage of the new M-Code capability, reports C4ISRNet. The $315 million contract from the Defense Logistics Agency covers an unspecified number of Common GPS Modules.  The deal brings the total value of the GPS modules ordered from BAE to $641 million following an initial $325 million contract awarded in May. BAE Systems has also received an order from Germany for M-Code-capable GPS receivers. The Common GPS Module can employ the M-Code military GPS signal that features improved accuracy as well as anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities. The M-Code signal was incorporated into the GPS Block III satellites. Space Force declared baseline completion of the space segment of M-Code with the acceptance into service of the 24th M-Code capable GPS satellite over the summer. However, work is still underway to get GPS modules capable of using M-Code into the hands of personnel in order to take advantage of the new capability. The new receivers will be used in a range of configurations, from a handheld formfactor to installations in vehicles, aircraft and munitions, the company said. 

 

France—Government Rejects British Proposal For Joint Patrols In Channel Guardian | 12/06/2021 The French government has rejected a proposal by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to conduct joint patrols off the French coast to combat illegal migration, reports the Guardian (U.K.). Prime Minister Jean Castex rejected Johnson's proposal in a letter in which he suggested that the U.K. focus on reforming its systems to offer legal immigration paths. France could not accept British police officers or soldiers patrolling off its coast, calling it an issue of sovereignty, Castex said as cited by Le Monde (Paris). Johnson wrote a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron two weeks ago that included five proposals to prevent further tragedies during attempts to cross the English Channel after 27 migrants lost their lives in an attempt on Nov. 25. The letter included a proposal for British border force officials to conduct joint patrols off of Calais as well as for France to immediately take back migrants who landed in England.  

 

USA—Army Secretary Lays Out Core Tasks For Service In Pacific Conflict Defense One | 12/06/2021 Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has laid out her vision of the service's role in a potential Indo-Pacific conflict, reports Defense One. The service would have five "core tasks," she said on Dec. 1 during a Center for Strategic and International Studies event on Chinese power. The first task would be to secure and establish joint bases for use by the air force and navy and provide integrated air and missile defense and quick-reaction forces. This role would make the Army a linchpin service for the joint force, the secretary said. The second mission would involve operating much of the secure communications network for the joint force and developing a supply chain network to support forces across the region. The Army would maintain munitions stockpiles and forward arming and refueling points, she said. The Army would also provide a scalable joint headquarters to help synchronize, sustain and defend operations. In its fourth role, the service would provide ground-based fires using its planned hypersonic weapons, a midrange missile and precision strike missiles that are all currently under development. The Pentagon and State Dept. are currently discussing the possibility to base such weapons overseas. Finally, the service would be available to counterattack using infantry and aviation assets to restore the territorial integrity of allies and partners, said Wormuth.  

 

Israel—Training Suspended After F-15I Lands On 2 Wheels Times of Israel | 12/06/2021 The Israeli air force has temporarily suspended training with some of its fighter aircraft after an incident last week, reports the Times of Israel. On Dec. 3, an F-15I fighter made an emergency landing at a base in southern Israel after one of its three landing gear failed to deploy correctly. The jet landed on its two remaining wheels. No personnel were injured in the incident, but the aircraft was damaged, officials said. Following the accident, air force chief Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin announced that an investigation had been launched and that all F-15s would be grounded except for those involved in operational activities. 

 

Belarus—U.S, U.K., Canada, E.U. Unveil New Sanctions Cable News Network | 12/06/2021 The West has stepped up pressure on Belarus with the introduction of new sanctions, reports CNN. Canada, the European Union, U.K. and U.S. have implemented a new wave of coordinated sanctions targeting the regime of Aleksander Lukashenko in response to the manufactured migrant crisis on the borders of the Baltic states and Poland and ongoing political repression and human-rights violations domestically. On Thursday, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control in the Treasury Dept. designated 20 individuals and 12 entities for sanctions and identified three aircraft as blocked property, reported the department. This is the fifth tranche of sanctions against Belarus by the U.S. since the presidential election there in August 2020, which were widely seen as rigged. The entities targeted include a state-owned tourism company, the state-owned cargo carrier, five defense sector entities and several individuals close to Lukashenko. The sanctioned individuals were found to have enabled the smuggling of migrants into the E.U., participated in the crackdown on human rights and democracy and propped up the Lukashenko regime. Additionally, Treasury imposed restrictions on new issuances of Belarusian sovereign debt in the primary and secondary markets, bringing the U.S. in line with allies and partners, including the E.U., U.K., Canada and Switzerland. The new policy is likely to make it difficult for Minsk to borrow money and issue bonds, experts said. The latest E.U. sanctions targeted commanders involved with the migrant crisis, state airline Belavia, state-owned travel companies and Syrian airline Cham Wings, reported Deutsche Welle. Several judges, prosecutors and a media figure were sanctioned for their role in political crackdowns and misinformation. Belarus condemned the sanctions and warned it could impose "harsh and asymmetrical" measures in response, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.