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Good Thursday Morning February 24

I hope that your week has been going well .

Regards,

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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History

February. 24

Yesterday was the 77th Anniversary of the Iwo Jima Flag Raising.

1813—The sloop of war Hornet, commanded by Capt. James Lawrence, encounters HMS Peacock off British Guyana and easily wins the engagement.

1942—Task Force 16, commanded by Vice Adm. William F. Halsey Jr., leads the Wake Island Raid in an attempt to destroy the Japanese installations on the island.

1944—PBY-5As (VP 63) employing Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) gear, bomb and sink German submarine U 761 as she attempts to transit the Straits of Gibraltar.

1945—USS Lagarto (SS 371) sinks Japanese submarine I 371 and freighter Tatsumomo Maru off Bungo Strait, Kyushu. 

1959—USS Galveston (CLG 3) fired the first Talos surface-to-air missile.

Today in History: February 24

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0786 Pepin the Short of Gaul dies. His dominions are divided between his sons Charles (Charlemagne) and Carloman.

1525 In the first of the Franco-Habsburg Wars, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V captures the French king Francis I at the Battle of Pavia, Italy.

1538 Ferdinand of Hapsburg and John Zapolyai, the two kings of Hungary, conclude the peace of Grosswardein.

1803 Chief Justice John Marshall, by refusing to rule on the case of Marbury vs. Madison, asserts the authority of the judicial branch.

1813 Off Guiana, the American sloop Hornet sinks the British sloop Peacock.

1821 Mexico gains independence from Spain.

1836 Some 3,000 Mexicans launch an assault on the Alamo with its 182 Texan defenders.

1895 The Cuban War of Independence begins.

1908 Japan officially agrees to restrict emigration to the U.S.

1912 The Jewish organization Hadassah is founded in New York City.

1912 Italy bombs Beirut in the first act of war against the Ottoman Empire.

1914 Civil War soldier Joshua Chamberlain dies.

1916 A film version of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea opens in New York.

1921 Herbert Hoover becomes Secretary of Commerce.

1928 The New Gallery of New York exhibits works of Archibald Motley, its first show to feature a black artist.

1944 Merrill's Marauders, a specially trained group of American soldiers, begin their ground campaign against Japan into Burma.

1945 U.S. forces liberate prisoners of war in the Los Baños Prison in the Philippines.

1947 Franz von Papen is sentenced to eight years in a labor camp for war crimes.

1959 Khrushchev rejects the Western plan for the Big Four meeting on Germany.

1968 North Vietnamese troops capture the imperial palace in Hue, South Vietnam.

1972 Hanoi negotiators walk out of the peace talks in Paris to protest U.S. air raids on North Vietnam.

1991 General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the coalition army, sends in ground forces during the Gulf War.

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Military Milestones from Old Ironsides to Fortress Corregidor by  W. Thomas Smith Jr.

02/16/2010

This Week in American Military History:

Feb. 14, 1778:  The Continental sloop-of-war Ranger (the first of 10 so-named American warships) under the command of Capt. John Paul Jones fires a 13-gun salute to French Adm. Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte's fleet anchored in France's Quiberon Bay. The French return the salute with nine guns. It is the first time America's new flag – "the stars and stripes" – is officially recognized by a foreign power.

Feb. 14, 1814:  The American frigate USS Constitution captures Lovely Ann, a British armed merchant vessel, and HMS Pictou, a Royal Navy schooner, within hours of each other.

Constitution (known affectionately as "Old Ironsides") is the oldest ship in the American Navy. Launched in 1797, she serves today as a duly commissioned ship crewed by active-duty U.S. sailors and Naval officers in order to further public awareness of American Naval tradition.

Feb. 14, 1912:  USS E-1 (SS-24), the U.S. Navy's first diesel-powered submarine, is commissioned in Groton, Connecticut. The sub is skippered by an almost 27-year-old Lt. Chester W. Nimitz, destined to become the famous five-star fleet admiral of World War II.

Feb. 14, 1968:  As the bloody Battle of Hue rages (part of the broader Vietnamese TET Offensive), Capt. Myron Harrington and his Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines prepare to assault the city's Citadel with its commanding Dong Ba tower.

Harrington is ordered to attack, to which he responds simply, "aye aye, sir." Harrington's Marines take the tower and other objectives in fierce fighting. Harrington will receive the Navy Cross for "extraordinary heroism" in an action on the 23rd, and ultimately rise to the rank of colonel.

In a PBS documentary Harrington recalls:

"Throughout all of this, you constantly had this fear. Not so much that you were going to die, because I think to a certain degree that was a given.

This was combined with the semi-darkness type of environment that we were fighting in because of the low overcast – the fact that we didn't see the sun – gave it a very eerie, spooky look. You had this utter devastation all around you. You had this horrible smell. I mean you just cannot describe the smell of death especially when you're looking at it a couple of weeks along. It's horrible. It was there when you ate your rations. It was almost like you were eating death. You couldn't escape it."

Feb. 15, 1898:  A terrific explosion rips through the bow of USS Maine anchored in Havana Harbor, Cuba. Almost everyone in the forward third of the vessel is instantly killed. Black smoke and seawater begin pouring into the remaining spaces. The dying ship, its bulkheads groaning under the stress of collapse, is then rocked by a series of jarring secondary explosions. Capt. Charles Sigsbee, the Maine's skipper, orders "Abandon ship!" Within minutes, 260 U.S. sailors and Marines are dead.

Convinced that the explosion (the cause of which is still being debated) is the result of a mine or the work of Spanish saboteurs, American newspapers will demand vengeance. America will soon be at war with Spain.

Maine is the first of three so-named American battleships and one submarine.

Feb 16, 1804: U.S. Navy Lt. (future commodore) Stephen Decatur sails a captured Tripolitan ketch he renames USS Intrepid into the harbor at Tripoli. There, Decatur and a volunteer force of sailors and Marines board the frigate USS Philadelphia (the second of six so-named American warships), which had been previously captured by Tripolitan pirates. After a brief but violent close-quarters struggle – in which several pirates but no Americans are killed – Decatur orders the Philadelphia burned.

In time, Decatur will be referred to as "America's Lord Nelson," an affectionate comparison to Britain's legendary Admiral Horatio Nelson. In fact, when Nelson himself learns of Decatur's action at Tripoli, he says it is "the most bold and daring act of the age." And contemporary British historian John Keegan will describe Decatur as "the most dashing of the frigate captains whom the Corsair and 1812 Wars produced."

Destined to be killed in a duel with fellow Naval officer Commodore James Barron in 1820, Decatur is author of the famous aphorism, "Our country, right or wrong."

Decatur has had five American warships and numerous American towns and counties named in his honor.

Feb 16, 1945:  American paratroopers – members of the U.S. Army's famed 503rd Regimental Combat Team – jump over the Philippines' "fortress Corregidor" (also known as "the Rock") in one of the most difficult airborne operations of the war. Jumping in relatively high winds, the paratroopers hit the ground hard, fighting Japanese soldiers who had been ordered to fight to the death. For the next 11 days, the Americans will root out the enemy (deeply burrowed in a labyrinth of caves and tunnels) and beat back multiple banzai attacks before wiping out almost all of the 6,500-man enemy garrison.

Feb. 17, 1864:  The Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley – a pioneering vessel designed to help break the Union Navy's blockade of Southern ports – sinks the Federal sloop-of-war USS Housatonic in Charleston (S.C.) harbor, becoming the first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship in action.

It is a pyrrhic victory however: the submarine also sinking – either with its victim or soon after the attack – with the loss of all hands.

The submarine is named for its designer and builder, Tennessee-born engineer Horace Lawson Hunley, who incidentally was killed during one of the submarine's test dives.

Feb. 17, 1865:  Exactly one year to the day after Hunley's famous attack in South Carolina waters, S.C.'s capital, Columbia – site of the first secession convention – falls to Union Army forces under the command of Maj.

Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. Columbia is subsequently burned. Both sides blame the other for the destruction of the city, fueling a controversy that continues into the 21st century. Sherman will withdraw from Columbia within three days, and continue his march up through the Palmetto state. He will write in his memoirs, "Having utterly ruined Columbia, the right wing [of the army] began its march northward toward Winnsboro."

Feb. 18, 1944:  U.S. Marines land and quickly capture Engebi island, the first obstacle to seizing Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshalls. The following day, U.S. Army forces strike Eniwetok – a tougher fight – and soldiers and Marines seize the island in three days.

Feb. 19, 1945:  One year after the Eniwetok landings, the first two of three dispatched U.S. Marine divisions begin hitting the beach on day-one of the epic battle for Iwo Jima (one of the great U.S. Marine Corps victories which we will expound on over the coming weeks). Described as "throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete," the battle is best remembered by the dramatic photograph of the flag-raising on Mt. Suribachi and the 27 Medals of Honor awarded. But it will not be without great cost:

Of the 21,000 Japanese diehards defending Iwo, some 20,800 will be killed.

Almost 7,000 Marines will lose their lives. Another 26,000 will be wounded.

Aside from Marine losses, a handful of casualties will be suffered among the ranks of U.S. Army, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel who also were there.

Feb. 20, 1944:  U.S. Army Air Forces and Britain's Royal Air Force begin Operation Argument – also known as "Big Week" – a massive thousand-plus bomber offensive (with all of the bombers' supporting fighter aircraft) aimed at destroying the German Air Force in the air and the Luftwaffe manufacturing facilities on the ground in order to achieve irreversible air superiority before the Normandy landings. Allied losses will be high.

German losses will be staggering.

Feb. 20, 1962:  U.S. Marine Lt. Col. (future colonel) and two-war fighter pilot John H. Glenn Jr. becomes the first American to orbit Earth. Glenn orbits Earth three times in less than five hours in his spacecraft, Friendship 7.

Glenn will become a U.S. senator in 1974. In 1998, at the age of 77, he will return to space (becoming the oldest human in space) aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-95) commanded and piloted respectively by U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonels Curtis L. Brown and Steven W. Lindsey.

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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post

… For The List for Thursday, 24 February 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 24 February 1967… The anti-Vietnam War movement shifts from Park to Drive…

http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-24-february-1967-the-anti-vietnam-war-movement/

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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STRATFOR Thanks to Brett

Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Will Cause Western Sanctions, but Not Intervention

Feb 24, 2022

Russia's decision to launch a large military operation in Ukraine early Feb. 24, hitting targets across the country, including the capital Kyiv, will see Western countries impose significant sanctions on Russia, but their direct military involvement is unlikely. In a TV speech announcing the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the plan is not to "occupy" Ukraine but to "demilitarize" the country, which he described as a threat to Russia. While Putin described the operation as necessary to defend the separatist republics in Donbas, one of Russia's main goals seems to be to oust the Ukrainian government, which he described as a "regime." Russia's initial actions involved missile, artillery and air attacks in coordinated moves launched from areas including Crimea in the south, Belarus in the north, and the Ukrainian separatist republics in the east, which targeted Ukrainian military infrastructure and border positions. Three hours after the start of the attacks, Moscow claimed to have "neutralized" Ukraine's airbases and air defenses and videos widely shared online show Russian forces moving throughout the country.

While most of the airstrikes appear to be concentrated in the east of Ukraine, reports also indicate that attacks also took place in western Ukrainian cities including Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk.

There are also reports of Russian troops entering Ukraine from multiple positions, including Crimea and Belarus. Ukrainian officials have denied reports of an amphibious landing in Odessa.

Explosions were heard in the capital, Kyiv, and large cities such as Odessa, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Ivanko Frankivsk and Kramatorsk. Russia's apparent goal of overthrowing the Ukrainian government suggests that the military actions could last for several days and include a ground incursion to take Kyiv, which could significantly increase the number of casualties. While the Russian government said it would not target population centers, if Moscow's goal is to depose the Ukrainian government to replace it with a pro-Russian administration, an attack on Kyiv is possible. As Russian tanks have entered Ukraine from points north, east, and south of Kyiv, an attempt to take the capital could happen in the coming hours. This would severely increase the casualties of the conflict, especially in the case of urban warfare.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Maj. Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhny, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has declared martial law, "gave orders to inflict maximum losses against the aggressor." Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that anyone who is able to hold a weapon should join the territorial defense forces. The police said they would distribute weapons to veterans.

In his televised speech, Putin warned against anyone "who may be tempted to intervene" (a threat likely directed at deterring further NATO support for the Ukrainian government) and encouraged Ukrainian soldiers to "immediately put down arms and go home."

The West will impose heavy sanctions on Russia, but direct military involvement to expel Russia from Ukraine is improbable. The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union condemned Russia's attacks and promised to impose additional sanctions against Moscow. In recent weeks, Washington, London and Brussels have worked on sanctions targeting Russia's banking and energy sectors and banning exports of technology and other goods. The West has so far refrained from implementing these sanctions, opting instead for a gradual approach. Russia's recent actions mean, however, that some punitive measures that seemed improbable before Feb. 24 will now be on the table. The sanctions could also include Belarus because some of the attacks took place from its territory, where Russian troops have also been staged since joint military exercises earlier this month. While Western governments are also likely to accelerate their transfer of weapons to Ukraine, they will probably not get militarily involved in the conflict to avoid a direct military confrontation with Russia that could escalate to other parts of Europe.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the members of the G-7 will meet soon to coordinate "severe" sanctions against Russia.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said Brussels will later today present "a package of massive and targeted sanctions" against Russia. According to von der Leyen, "we will target the strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking the access to technologies and markets that are key for Russia. We will weaken Russia's economic base and its capacity to modernize. In addition, we will freeze Russian assets in the European Union and stop the access of Russian banks to European financial markets."

EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc will adopt "the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented" against Russia. Borrell also condemned the "involvement of Belarus in this aggression against Ukraine" and called on Minsk "to abide by its international obligations."

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have called for sanctions on Russia including disengaging Russia from the SWIFT international system for bank transactions, though this is unlikely in the short term.

The British government promised to impose "unprecedented" sanctions to punish Russia's "appalling decision" to invade Ukraine.

Germany had so far opposed sending weapons to Ukraine. On Feb. 24, however, the head of the Bundestag's foreign affairs committee, Norbert Rottgen, said that he now supports such a move.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Feb. 24 said that "We don't have NATO troops in Ukraine, and we don't have any plans to send NATO troops into Ukraine."

On Feb. 24 the ruble fell to an all-time low of 89.60 against the dollar, forcing the Bank of Russia to intervene to support the currency. Separately, the Moscow Exchange temporarily suspended trading for two hours before reopening after stocks fell 50%. In the meantime, oil prices soared past $105 for the first time since 2014.

While an increase in the arrival of refugees into the European Union is likely and retaliatory Russian measures like cyberattacks are probable, the expansion of direct military conflict beyond Ukraine is improbable. In the coming days, countries including Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova will probably see an increase in the arrival of Ukrainians escaping their country and multiple Western states and companies could see disruptive cyberattacks, judging from Russia's past actions. While some countries in the region have declared a state of emergency, kinetic conflict is unlikely to extend beyond Ukraine because Russia is not interested in a regional war and its primary focus is to supplant Ukraine's sovereignty and install a pro-Russian regime. More importantly, most of Russia's neighbors in Europe are NATO members and therefore covered by the alliance's Article V clause of collective defense.

On Feb. 24 the Polish government announced the opening of eight reception points for Ukrainian refugees on its border.

On Feb. 24 Lithuanian President Gitanas Naused issued a decree declaring a state of emergency in the country. While the government said this would not substantially change the daily life of Lithuanians, it will allow Vilnius to mobilize funds and infrastructure faster if need be.

On Feb. 24 the Moldovan government declared a state of emergency amid reports of dozens of cars trying to enter the country from Ukraine.

The announcement on February 23 that Ukrainian computer networks were hit with a data-wiping attack, the second this year, indicates a significant risk that the malware could expand to networks beyond the country, similar to what happened in the 2017 NotPetya attack. The data wiper has already been found in Latvia and Lithuania on the computers of contractors for the Ukrainian government.

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This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/

Feb. 23, 1912

In Washington, D.C., as the Army became more firmly wedded to airplanes, it issued War Department Bulletin No. 32 to establish new ratings for "military aviator." It stipulates that prospective candidates must reach and hold an altitude of 2,500 feet in a 15 mph wind, and also make a dead-stick landing within 150 feet of designated areas.

Feb. 24, 1955

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Robert B. Carney directed the use of the term "angled" in lieu of "canted," "slanted," and "flamed" to describe the deck of aircraft carriers in which the landing runway was offset at an angle from the line of the keel.

Feb. 25, 1931

The Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics issued a new pilot training syllabus, which added advanced seaplane training courses and reinstated bombing and torpedo courses and observation and gunnery courses that were dropped in November 1929. These changes expanded the regular flight course to 258.75 hours or, for those also taking advanced combat, to 282.75 hours. The new syllabus also expanded the ground school course to 386.5 hours, with a short course in photography among the additions.

Feb. 26, 1974

The A-10A prototype fired its GAU-8/A gun for the first time during an inflight test at Edwards AFB, California.

Feb. 27, 1928

Pilot Cmdr. Theodore G. Ellyson (Naval Aviator No. 1) and crewmembers Lt. Cmdr. Hugo Schmidt and Lt. Roger S. Ransehousen died when their XOL-7 observation amphibian, BuNo A-7335, crashed into the Chesapeake Bay while en route from NAS Hampton Roads, Va., to Annapolis, Md. Portions of the amphibian's tail and wing drifted onto a beach several days later. Ellyson, Daedalian Founder Member #4377, had received the Navy Cross for his service with submarine chasers in World War I, and the destroyer Ellyson (DD 454, later DMS 19) was named in his honor.

Feb. 28, 1994

Two F-16s from Ramstein AB, Germany, shot down 4 Serbian Jastreb-Galeb aircraft over Bosnia, the first aerial combat in NATO history, during Operation DENY FLIGHT.

Feb. 29, 1964

President Lyndon B. Johnson publicly acknowledged the existence of the Lockheed A-12 "Oxcart" Mach 3+ spy plane program.

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This Day in U S Military History

1944 – Maj. Gen. Frank Merrill's guerrilla force, nicknamed "Merrill's Marauders," begin a campaign in northern Burma. In August 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to create an American ground unit whose sole purpose would be to engage in a "long-range penetration mission" in Japanese-occupied Burma. This mission would consist of cutting Japanese communications and supply lines and otherwise throwing the enemy's positions into chaos. It was hoped that this commando force could thus prepare the way for Gen. Joseph Stillwell's Chinese American Force to reopen the Burma Road, which was closed in April 1942 by the Japanese invaders, and once again allow supplies and war material into China through this route. Within the military, a type of "Help Wanted" ad was put up with the president's authority, an appeal for applicants to participate in a "dangerous and hazardous mission." About 3,000 soldiers volunteered from stateside units to create what was officially called the 5307th Composite Unit, code named "Galahad." It would go into history as Merrill's Marauders, after Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill, their commander. Brigadier General Merrill trained his men in the art of guerrilla warfare in the jungles of India, for secrecy's sake. The commando force was formed into six combat units–Red, White, Blue, Green, Orange, and Khaki–with 400 men in each (the remaining 600 men or so were part of a rear-echelon headquarters that remained in India to coordinate the air-drops of equipment to the men in the field). The Marauders' mission began with a 1,000-mile walk through dense jungle, without artillery support, into Burma. On February 24, 1944, they began their Burmese campaign, which, when done, consisted of five major and 30 minor engagements with a far more numerous Japanese enemy. They had to carry their supplies on their backs and on pack mules, and were resupplied only with airdrops in the middle of the jungle. Merrill's Marauders succeeded in maneuvering behind Japanese forces to cause the disruptions necessary to throw the enemy into confusion. They were so successful, the Marauders managed even to capture the Myitkyina Airfield in northern Burma. When their mission was completed, all surviving Merrill's Marauders had to be evacuated to hospitals to be treated for everything from exhaustion and various tropical diseases to malnutrition or A.O.E. ("Accumulation of Everything"). They were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation in July 1944, which was re-designated the Presidential Unit Citation in 1966. Every member of the commando force also received the Bronze Star, a very rare distinction for an entire unit. Merrill remained in the Far East and was made an aide to General Stillwell.

1968 – The Tet Offensive ends as U.S. and South Vietnamese troops recapture the ancient capital of Hue from communist forces. Although scattered fighting continued across South Vietnam for another week, the battle for Hue was the last major engagement of the offensive, which saw communist attacks on all of South Vietnam's major cities. In the aftermath of Tet, public opinion in the United States decisively turned against the Vietnam War. As 1968 began–the third year of U.S. ground-troop fighting in Vietnam–U.S. military leadership was still confident that a favorable peace agreement would soon be forced on the North Vietnamese and their allies in South Vietnam, the Viet Cong. Despite growing calls at home for an immediate U.S. withdrawal, President Lyndon Johnson's administration planned to keep the pressure on the communists through increased bombing and other attrition strategies. General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. operations in Vietnam, claimed to see clearly "the light at the end of the tunnel," and Johnson hoped that soon the shell-shocked communists would stumble out of the jungle to the bargaining table. However, on January 30, 1968, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese launched their massive Tet Offensive all across South Vietnam. It was the first day of Tet–Vietnam's lunar new year and most important holiday–and many South Vietnamese soldiers, expecting an unofficial truce, had gone home. The Viet Cong were known for guerrilla tactics and had never launched an offensive on this scale; consequently, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces were caught completely by surprise. In the first day of the offensive, tens of thousands of Viet Cong soldiers, supported by North Vietnamese forces, overran the five largest cities of South Vietnam, scores of smaller cities and towns, and a number of U.S. and South Vietnamese bases. The Viet Cong struck at Saigon–South Vietnam's capital–and even attacked, and for several hours held, the U.S. embassy there. The action was caught by U.S. television news crews, which also recorded the brutal impromptu street execution of a Viet Cong rebel by a South Vietnamese military official. As the U.S. and South Vietnamese fought to regain control of Saigon, the cities of Hue, Dalat, Kontum, and Quangtri fell to the communists. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces recaptured most of these cities within a few days, but Hue was fiercely contested by the communist soldiers occupying it. After 26 days of costly house-to-house fighting, the South Vietnamese flag was raised again above Hue on February 24, and the Tet Offensive came to an end. During the communist occupation of Hue, numerous South Vietnamese government officials and civilians were massacred, and many civilians died in U.S. bombing attacks that preceded the liberation of the city. In many respects, the Tet Offensive was a military disaster for the communists: They suffered 10 times more casualties than their enemy and failed to control any of the areas captured in the opening days of the offensive. They had hoped that the offensive would ignite a popular uprising against South Vietnam's government and the presence of U.S. troops. This did not occur. In addition, the Viet Cong, which had come out into the open for the first time in the war, were all but wiped out. However, because the Tet Offensive crushed U.S. hopes for an imminent end to the conflict, it dealt a fatal blow to the U.S. military mission in Vietnam. In Tet's aftermath, President Johnson came under fire on all sides for his Vietnam policy. General Westmoreland requested 200,000 more troops to overwhelm the communists, and a national uproar ensued after this request was disclosed, forcing Johnson to recall Westmoreland to Washington. On March 31, Johnson announced that the United States would begin de-escalation in Vietnam, halt the bombing of North Vietnam, and seek a peace agreement to end the conflict. In the same speech, he also announced that he would not seek reelection to the presidency, citing what he perceived to be his responsibility in creating the national division over Vietnam.

1991 – After six weeks of intensive bombing against Iraq and its armed forces, U.S.-led coalition forces launch a ground invasion of Kuwait and Iraq. On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, its tiny oil-rich neighbor, and within hours had occupied most strategic positions in the country. One week later, Operation Shield, the American defense of Saudi Arabia, began as U.S. forces massed in the Persian Gulf. Three months later, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq if it failed to withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991. At 4:30 p.m. EST on January 16, 1991, Operation Desert Storm, a massive U.S.-led offensive against Iraq, began as the first fighter aircraft were launched from Saudi Arabia and off U.S. and British aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. All evening, aircraft from the U.S.-led military coalition pounded targets in and around Baghdad as the world watched the events transpire in television footage transmitted live via satellite from Baghdad and elsewhere. Operation Desert Storm was conducted by an international coalition under the command of U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf and featured forces from 32 nations, including Britain, Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. During the next six weeks, the allied force engaged in a massive air war against Iraq's military and civil infrastructure, encountering little effective resistance from the Iraqi air force. Iraqi ground forces were also helpless during this stage of the war, and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's only significant retaliatory measure was the launching of SCUD missile attacks against Israel and Saudi Arabia. Saddam hoped that the missile attacks would provoke Israel, and thus other Arab nations, to enter the conflict; however, at the request of the United States, Israel remained out of the war. On February 24, a massive coalition ground offensive began, and Iraq's outdated and poorly supplied armed forces were rapidly overwhelmed. By the end of the day, the Iraqi army had effectively folded, 10,000 of its troops were held as prisoners, and a U.S. air base had been established deep inside Iraq. After less than four days, Kuwait was liberated, and a majority of Iraq's armed forces had either been destroyed or had surrendered or retreated to Iraq. On February 28, U.S. President George Bush declared a cease-fire, and Iraq pledged to honor future coalition and U.N. peace terms. One hundred and twenty-five American soldiers were killed in the Persian Gulf War, with another 21 regarded as missing in action.

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

COOLEY, RAYMOND H.

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Lumboy, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 24 February 1945. Entered service at: Richard City, Tenn. Born: 7 May 1914, Dunlap, Tenn. G.O. No.: 77, 10 September 1945. Citation: He was a platoon guide in an assault on a camouflaged entrenchment defended by machineguns, rifles, and mortars. When his men were pinned down by 2 enemy machineguns, he voluntarily advanced under heavy fire to within 20 yards of 1 of the guns and attacked it with a hand grenade. The enemy, however, threw the grenade back at him before it could explode. Arming a second grenade, he held it for several seconds of the safe period and then hurled it into the enemy position, where it exploded instantaneously, destroying the gun and crew. He then moved toward the remaining gun, throwing grenades into enemy foxholes as he advanced. Inspired by his actions, 1 squad of his platoon joined him. After he had armed another grenade and was preparing to throw it into the second machinegun position, 6 enemy soldiers rushed at him. Knowing he could not dispose of the armed grenade without injuring his comrades, because of the intermingling in close combat of the men of his platoon and the enemy in the melee which ensued, he deliberately covered the grenade with his body and was severely wounded as it exploded. By his heroic actions, S/Sgt. Cooley not only silenced a machinegun and so inspired his fellow soldiers that they pressed the attack and destroyed the remaining enemy emplacements, but also, in complete disregard of his own safety, accepted certain injury and possible loss of life to avoid wounding his comrades.

LEVITOW, JOHN L.

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, 3d Special Operations Squadron. place and date: Long Binh Army post, Republic of Vietnam, 24 February 1969. Entered service at: New Haven, Conn. Born: 1 November 1945, Hartford, Conn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Levitow (then A1c.), U.S. Air Force, distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while assigned as a loadmaster aboard an AC-47 aircraft flying a night mission in support of Long Binh Army post. Sgt. Levitow's aircraft was struck by a hostile mortar round. The resulting explosion ripped a hole 2 feet in diameter through the wing and fragments made over 3,500 holes in the fuselage. All occupants of the cargo compartment were wounded and helplessly slammed against the floor and fuselage. The explosion tore an activated flare from the grasp of a crewmember who had been launching flares to provide illumination for Army ground troops engaged in combat. Sgt. Levitow, though stunned by the concussion of the blast and suffering from over 40 fragment wounds in the back and legs, staggered to his feet and turned to assist the man nearest to him who had been knocked down and was bleeding heavily. As he was moving his wounded comrade forward and away from the opened cargo compartment door, he saw the smoking flare ahead of him in the aisle. Realizing the danger involved and completely disregarding his own wounds, Sgt. Levitow started toward the burning flare. The aircraft was partially out of control and the flare was rolling wildly from side to side. Sgt. Levitow struggled forward despite the loss of blood from his many wounds and the partial loss of feeling in his right leg. Unable to grasp the rolling flare with his hands, he threw himself bodily upon the burning flare. Hugging the deadly device to his body, he dragged himself back to the rear of the aircraft and hurled the flare through the open cargo door. At that instant the flare separated and ignited in the air, but clear of the aircraft. Sgt. Levitow, by his selfless and heroic actions, saved the aircraft and its entire crew from certain death and destruction. Sgt. Levitow's gallantry, his profound concern for his fellowmen, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

*WILBANKS, HILLIARD A.

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 21st. Tactical Air Support Squadron, Nha Trang AFB, RVN. Place and date: Near Dalat, Republic of Vietnam, 24 February 1967. Entered service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born: 26 July 1933, Cornelia, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As a forward air controller Capt. Wilbanks was pilot of an unarmed, light aircraft flying visual reconnaissance ahead of a South Vietnam Army Ranger Battalion. His intensive search revealed a well-concealed and numerically superior hostile force poised to ambush the advancing rangers. The Viet Cong, realizing that Capt. Wilbanks' discovery had compromised their position and ability to launch a surprise attack, immediately fired on the small aircraft with all available firepower. The enemy then began advancing against the exposed forward elements of the ranger force which were pinned down by devastating fire. Capt. Wilbanks recognized that close support aircraft could not arrive in time to enable the rangers to withstand the advancing enemy, onslaught. With full knowledge of the limitations of his unarmed, unarmored, light reconnaissance aircraft, and the great danger imposed by the enemy's vast firepower, he unhesitatingly assumed a covering, close support role. Flying through a hail of withering fire at treetop level, Capt. Wilbanks passed directly over the advancing enemy and inflicted many casualties by firing his rifle out of the side window of his aircraft. Despite increasingly intense antiaircraft fire, Capt. Wilbanks continued to completely disregard his own safety and made repeated low passes over the enemy to divert their fire away from the rangers. His daring tactics successfully interrupted the enemy advance, allowing the rangers to withdraw to safety from their perilous position. During his final courageous attack to protect the withdrawing forces, Capt. Wilbanks was mortally wounded and his bullet-riddled aircraft crashed between the opposing forces. Capt. Wilbanks' magnificent action saved numerous friendly personnel from certain injury or death. His unparalleled concern for his fellow man and his extraordinary heroism were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 24, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

24 February

1908: The US awarded its first airship contract to Capt Thomas S. Baldwin. (5)

1914: Due to a large number of accidents and deaths, an Army board at the Signal Corps Aviation School, San Diego, condemned all pusher airplanes. This recommendation basically condemned all Wright aircraft, all pushers. (5) (21)

1915: Tests on the Macy automatic pilot began at San Diego with Raymond V. Morris, a Curtiss test pilot, at the controls. (24)

1949: Republic unveiled its XF-91 jet rocket interceptor at its Farmingdale factory, Long Island. (24) A two-stage rocket, a WAC (Without Altitude Control) Corporal mounted on a V-2 first stage, attained a 250-mile altitude and 5,000 MPH at White Sands Proving Ground. (24)

1954: President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a National Security Council recommendation to build the DEW Line. (20)

1955: Convair's R3Y-1 Tradewind flew cross-country from San Diego to Patuxent River in 6 hours, averaging 403 MPH. This feat made the 80-ton aircraft the world's fastest water-based air transport. (24)

1958: General Curtis E. LeMay, VCSAF, said the Air Force wanted to establish a single tanker force to support all combat operations requiring air refueling. (18)

1960: A Titan I, launched from Cape Canaveral, flew 5,000 miles down the Atlantic missile range on its first full-range flight test. Its reentry vehicle landed in the target area, making the event highly successful. (6) (24)

1961: Cape Canaveral launched the first Atlas E. It flew over 7,000 miles down the Atlantic Missile Range, using an all-inertial guidance system. (6)

1966: At Vandenberg AFB, two 341 SMW combat crews fired two Minuteman I (Model A) missiles simultaneously for the first time to examine multiple-firing techniques. This also marked the first salvo launch down the Western Test Range. (1) (6)

1967: MEDAL OF HONOR. In an unarmed and unarmored O-1 Bird Dog aircraft flying near Di Linh in South Vietnam, Capt Hilliard A. Wilbanks attacked a large body of Vietcong that had attacked a much smaller South Vietnamese ranger force. He used smoke rockets and rifle fire to draw enemy fire and interrupt its advance. He sacrificed his life to protect the withdrawing rangers and received a Medal of Honor for his bravery. (21)

1968: Lockheed rolled out the C-5A Galaxy at its plant in Marietta. (3)

1969: MEDAL OF HONOR. While dropping flares near Saigon, A1C John L. Levitow, a loadmaster, saved the lives of eight crewmembers and their AC-47 aircraft when it sustained a hit from an 82-mm mortar shell. Bleeding from over 40 shrapnel wounds, Levitow dragged another crewmember away from the open cargo door and, without regard for his life, threw himself on a live flare, dragged it to the cargo door, and pushed it out just as it ignited. Levitow then lapsed into unconsciousness. He was the first Air Force enlisted man to receive the Medal of Honor since World War II. (18)

1979: An Atlas booster successfully launched Space Test Program Flight P78-1 from Vandenberg AFB. As its primary payload, the spacecraft carried a gamma spectrometer sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). (5)

1982: NATO's new airborne early warning force at Geilenkirchen AB, Germany, received the first of 18 authorized E-3As. (4) The USAF selected the F-15E over the F-16E for its new dual-role fighter. The USAF planned to buy 393 aircraft with deliveries scheduled to begin in 1988. (30)

1984: Gen Charles A. Gabriel announced the selection of the F-15E as the next dual-role combat fighter. The USAF, however, decided to continue testing on the General Dynamics F-16XL. (3) MAC flew two C-141 missions from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Cherry Point, N.C., to support the withdrawal of US Marines from Lebanon. (16) (26)

1991: Operation DESERT STORM. The ground campaign opened against Iraq. US-backed coalition air forces flew 3,000 sorties in support. Previously, C-130s airlifted Army XVIII Airborne Corps elements from eastern Saudi Arabia to Rafha on the Iraqi border. Flying 300+ sorties a day at 10-minute intervals, the C-130s delivered 13,843 troops and 9,396 tons of cargo. General Norman H. Schwartzkopf's "Hail Mary" maneuver allowed coalition forces to surround Iraq's Republican Guard. In 100 hours, continuous air attacks then allowed the coalition forces to overwhelm the Iraqi ground forces. (16) (21)

1998: President William J. Clinton signed an executive order to call-up of 500 Guardsmen and Reservists for up to 270 days to support military operations in Southwest Asia. (32)

1999: The Orbital Sciences Corporation's X-34 technology-testbed demonstrator airframe arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB for vibration and flight certification tests. It was an unmanned rocket powered vehicle designed to be launched from a modified jetliner, reach orbit, and return to a conventional runway. (3)

2001: Lt Col Stayce D. Harris became the first black female to command a USAF flying squadron, the 729 AS at March AFB. (21)

2005: The AFFTC completed software upgrade testing of the B-1B Lancer to integrate the GBU-38 (500 pound JDAM) munition. (3)

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World News for 24 February thanks to Military Periscope

  Russia—Putin Launches Invasion Of Ukraine Cable News Network | 02/24/2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched his long-awaited war in Ukraine, reports CNN. On Thursday, Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine, under the pretext of protecting Russian-speaking populations from "abuse and genocide" from a government he compared to the Nazis. The claims have no basis in reality. Before dawn, Russian missiles struck sites near Kyiv. Artillery fired on the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Russian troops entered Ukrainian territory from the north, south and east, reported Agence France-Presse. CNN said it witnessed livestreamed video of Russian troops entering Ukraine from Belarus. Subsequently, President Alexander Lukashenko said that no Belarusian troops were participating in the invasion. Air attacks have targeted at least 25 cities across the country, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. At least 68 Ukrainians were killed in the initial hours of the assault, according to Ukrainian officials, including 18 people near a base in Odesa on the Black Sea. Ukrainian officials claimed that about 50 Russian troops were killed in a single attack. Military officials said that five Russian aircraft and a helicopter had been shot down early Thursday, claims that Moscow denied. 

USA—More, Tougher Sanctions Planned After Putin Launches Ukraine Invasion Wall Street Journal | 02/24/2022 The U.S. and its allies are poised to announce additional sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, reports the Wall Street Journal.  Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a full-scale assault on Ukraine early Thursday morning. Subsequently, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the bloc would announce "massive" and "targeted" economic measures against the strategic sectors of the Russian economy. Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) countries are scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss responses to Russian aggression. European Union leaders are also scheduled to meet on Thursday. The next phase of sanctions are expected to target Sberbank and VTB, which collectively hold US$750 billion in assets, more than half of the total in Russia. The U.S., E.U. and U.K. have been working on new sanctions for weeks as it became increasingly clear that Putin intended to invade Ukraine.  These are believed to target larger Russian banks, gas projects and sectors of the Russian economy reliant on imported technology and include a broader set of criteria than those previously employed. The U.K. has indicated it would freeze British assets held by a wider group of Russian oligarchs. 

USA—Northrop Grumman Tapped For Deep Space Radar Northrop Grumman | 02/24/2022 U.S. Space Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to develop an advanced ground-based radar to enhance space domain awareness, reports the defense firm. On Tuesday, Space System Command awarded Northrop Grumman a $341 million contract for development, test and delivery of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC). The DARC ground-based radar will provide an all-weather, 24/7 ability to monitor the geosynchronous orbital environment, company officials said. The initial award covers the design, development and delivery of a radar to a site in the Indo-Pacific region. Completion is anticipated in 2025. The $1 billion program is expected to cover a total of three ground-based radar sites around the world, reported Space News. The DARC program was launched by the Air Force in 2017 with the goal of detecting, tracking, identifying and characterizing objects in deep space. 

USA—U.S., Partners Issue New Vision For Space Dept. Of Defense | 02/24/2022 The U.S. and six partner countries have jointly released a new vision for future space operations, reports the Dept. of Defense. On Tuesday, the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand unveiled the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) Vision 2031. The document seeks to promote the responsible use of space while recognizing the challenges to space sustainability, threats presented by technological advances and more comprehensive and aggressive counterspace programs of other states, according to the Pentagon. The vision has four objectives: freedom of use of space; responsible and sustainable use of space; partnering while recognizing sovereignty; and upholding international law, reported C4ISRNet. There are six lines of effort in support of these objectives, including developing and operating resilient and interoperable architectures; fostering responsible military behaviors in space; and sharing intelligence and information. The partners also agreed on the need to strengthen command, control and communication capabilities and collaborate on strategic communications.

 

USA—Blinken Cancels Meeting With Lavrov Axios | 02/24/2022 Secretary of State Antony Blinken has canceled a scheduled meeting with his Russian counterpart, following Russia's aggressive military action in Ukraine, reports Axios. On Tuesday, Blinken announced that the meeting with Sergei Lavrov, scheduled to take place on Thursday in Geneva, would not go forward, reported CNN. "Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time," said Blinken. The secretary said that he consulted with U.S. allies, and all agreed to call off the meeting. Separately, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that his meeting with Lavrov, set for Friday, would also not take place. 

United Kingdom—New Malware Attributed To Russian Hackers National Cyber Security Center | 02/24/2022 British and U.S. cyber experts have identified a new form of malware employed by a hacker organization linked to Russian military intelligence, reports the National Cyber Security Center (U.K.). In a joint report with U.S. intelligence agencies, the center attributed the Cyclops Blink malware to Sandworm, also known as Voodoo Bear. The Sandworm hacking group, active since 2009 and based in Russia, has been linked to previous attacks against foes of the Russian state, including the republic of Georgia and Ukraine. The Cyclops Blink malware targets firewalls made by Watchguard and uses a similar exploit to the VPNFilter malware, which was exposed in 2018. It appears to be a replacement for VPNFilter and could allow Sandworm to remotely access networks, the NCSC said. About 1 percent of network firewall devices made by WatchGuard have been affected by the exploit, the company said on Wednesday, as cited by Ars Technica.  Although it has not targeted other devices yet, it could do so in the future, the center said.  Cyclops Blink appears resistant to common responses to incursion, including reboots, says the report. 

Germany—A400M Demonstrates Ability To Launch Drones In Flight Airbus | 02/24/2022 Airbus has demonstrated the ability of its A400M airlifter to deploy an uncrewed aerial vehicle in flight. During a recent test over a range in northern Germany, an A400M deployed a Do-DT25 UAV from its opened rear ramp, Airbus said in a Monday release. Shortly after the launch, the drone deployed a parachute and landed safely. During the trial, the drone was connected to and transmitted data to the A400M to illustrate how the UAVs could connect to a combat cloud network to monitor the battlefield and receive operational taskings from crewed aircraft. The company's Modular Airborne Combat Cloud Services (MACCS) facilitated the connectivity between the aircraft during the test flight. A joint test crew from the German air force and Airbus conducted the demonstration. The test was designed to validate the ability of the A400M to act as an airborne launch platform for drones, a key role envisioned as part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program. The airlifter could carry 40 or more remote carrier drones to release them closer to operational areas, maximizing their range. Another flight test is planned for later this year. 

European Union—Cyber Team Activated To Support Ukraine Politico Europe | 02/24/2022 The European Union is activating a cybersecurity team to help Ukraine defend against Russian cyberattacks, reports Politico Europe (Brussels). On Tuesday, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced that a Cyber Rapid Response Team was being activated to support a request for aid from Ukraine, reported Defense News. Lithuania is the lead nation for the Cyber Rapid Response Team project, which is part of the E.U.'s Permanent Structure Cooperation (PESCO) defense and security initiative. The response team incorporates 10 national cybersecurity officials from Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands with specific skills in areas such as incident response, forensics and vulnerability assessments.  Romania holds the rotating operational leadership of the team this year. This is the first deployment of the Cyber Rapid Response Team. As of Tuesday, officials were still assessing how the team would operate, including "on-site and remote support," Lithuanian officials said. Sending personnel into Ukraine was among the options being considered. On Wednesday, several Ukrainian government websites were taken offline due to a massive distributed denial of service attack, reported CNBC. Several banks were also affected, officials said. 

Serbia—Deal Inked For C-295 Transports Airbus | 02/24/2022 Airbus says it has signed a deal with Serbia for a pair of transport aircraft. The 81 million euro (US$91.7 million) deal, signed during a ceremony in Madrid, covers two C-295 airlifters, reported the SeeNews (Bulgaria). About 15 million euros (US$17 million) of the contract is for equipment and training. The aircraft will be supplied in the transport configuration with the Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion avionics suite, Airbus said. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2023. With the purchase, Serbia will become the 36th operator of the C-295 worldwide. 

Turkey—Protest Filed After Fisher Injured By Greek Coast Guard Anadolu News Agency | 02/24/2022 The Turkish government has lodged a formal protest with Greece after a fisher was injured in a clash with the Greek coast guard, reports the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). On Tuesday, two Turkish fishing boats were sailing between the Greek island of Chios and Turkey's western Izmir province when the Greek coast guard vessel fired on them, injuring one sailor in the leg. One of the boats was also damaged, according to Ankara. On Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the counselor at the Greek Embassy in Ankara to protest the "disproportionate use of force." A diplomatic note was also sent to Athens. The Greek coast guard said that its ship had told the Turkish fishing boats that they were in Greek territorial waters and needed to leave, reported the Greek Reporter. The fishers ignored the warning, threw objects at the coast guard vessel and attempted to ram it, the service said. The coast guard ship then fired warning shots in the air near the fishing boats, using a Flobert gun, a type of low-power firearm. The Turkish boats then turned back toward Turkey, said the coast guard. The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Greece and Turkey over their territorial waters in the eastern Aegean Sea. 

Japan—U.S. F-35s Arrive In Kadena U.S. Indo-Pacific Command | 02/24/2022 The U.S. has sent additional advanced fighter aircraft to Japan, reports U.S. Indo Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). On Sunday, an unspecified number of F-35A jets from the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan, to conduct integrated air operations, according to a command release.  The deployment is part of continuing efforts to refine "warfighting capability through agile combat employment," developing a "more lethal, agile and resilient force," said INDOPACOM. The move may be intended to strengthen deterrence against China and North Korea, reported the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). 

Burma—2 Civilians Killed In Airstrike In Kayah State Irrawaddy | 02/24/2022 At least two civilians have been killed in an air attack by Burmese government forces in the southeastern Kayah state, reports the Irrawaddy (Burma). On Wednesday, Burmese military aircraft bombed the villages of Dawkami and Silidon in Demoso township, killing two and injuring four, said the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force. The Karenni Human Rights Group said that the regime had conducted similar attacks in the area in the past, accusing the junta of crimes against humanity. Both villages were hosting dozens of refugees at the time of the strike. Recent fighting in Nan Mei Khon, about 3 miles (5 km) from the villages, has been fierce. A local defense force said that many government soldiers had been killed. 

Philippines—Deal Inked For 32 S-70i Black Hawk Helicopters PZL Mielec | 02/24/2022 The Philippine government has ordered more utility helicopters from PZL Mielec, reports the Polish defense firm.  Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and PZL Mielec President Janusz Zakrecki signed the contract on Tuesday in Manila. The US$624 million deal covers 32 S-70i Black Hawks in a general utility configuration, reported Jane's.  The helicopters are scheduled to be delivered to the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing of the Philippine air force by 2026. In December 2021, the wing received the last of 16 S-70i helicopters ordered from PZL Mielec. The Black Hawks will be equipped with a fully integrated digital cockpit, color weather radar, integrated vehicle health-monitoring system, cabin troop seats and a 9,000-pound (4,080-kg) cargo hook. The helicopters will significantly improve the ability of the air force to perform search-and-rescue, humanitarian and disaster relief and troop transport missions. The deal includes training for pilots and maintainers, which will take place in the U.S. and the Philippines, and a logistics support package. The contract is the largest sale of Black Hawks by PZL Mielec since the company began producing the helicopter in 2009. 

Pakistan—10 Baloch Militants Killed In Security Op Dawn | 02/24/2022 The Pakistani military says that it killed 10 suspected militants during an operation in the western Balochistan region, reports the Dawn (Karachi). On Wednesday, security forces launched a cordon operation against a suspected terrorist hideout in the Hoshab area of the southern Kech district, according to the military's Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR). While troops were sealing the area, the suspects tried to flee and opened fire. Ten militants were killed in the subsequent gun battle, including a commander, Master Asif, also known as Mukesh. The suspects, whose affiliations were not immediately disclosed, were linked to recent attacks in Turbat and Pasni in southern Balochistan, said the ISPR. Security forces recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the site. 

Central African Republic—U.N. Seeks Release Of French Peacekeepers Voice Of America News | 02/24/2022 The U.N. says it is working to secure the release of four French peacekeepers who were arrested while working with the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, reports the Voice of America News. On Monday, the four soldiers escorted French Gen. Stephane Marchenior, the chief of staff of the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), to the airport in Bangui, the capital. Shortly after Marchenior departed, the soldiers were arrested by C.A.R. authorities. On Wednesday, MINUSCA rejected reports that the soldiers were involved in suspicious activity. The troops were accused on social media of planning to assassinate President Faustin Archange Touadera, who arrived at the Bangui airport about 30 minutes after the soldiers were apprehended. The top C.A.R. public prosecutor said the four men were heavily armed and traveling in a suspicious vehicle. No formal charges had been laid, though the prosecutor said an investigation was continuing. 

Venezuela—2 Troops Die In Crash In Northwest Agence France-Presse | 02/24/2022 Two Venezuelan military personnel have been killed in a helicopter crash in the northwestern Lara state, reports Agence France-Presse. On Tuesday, the Mi-17 transport helicopter went down during a supply mission to border bases, said President Nicolas Maduro. The aircraft reportedly burst into flame upon hitting the ground. The pilot and co-pilot were badly injured and rescued by locals. Two other soldiers were killed in the crash. It was not immediately clear what caused the helicopter to go down. An investigation has been launched.     

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