The List 6026 TGB
Good Monday Morning March 7
I hope that you all had a great weekend
Regards,
Skip
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
March 7
1778 Continental frigate Randolph explodes while attacking HMS Yarmouth off the coast of Barbados, killing all but four of her 305 crew.
1942 USS Grenadier (SS 210) torpedoes Japanese Asahisan Maru south of Shioya Saki, causing damage to the transport ship.
1956 The fleet assignment of the all-weather fighter, F3H-2N Demon, begins with the delivery of six to VF-14 at Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Fla.
1958 USS Grayback (SSG 574) is commissioned. She is the first submarine built from the keel up with guided missile capability to fire the Regulus II missile.
1994 The Navy issues the first orders for women to be assigned on board a combatant ship, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
This Day in History March 7
0161 On the death of Antoninus at Lorium, Marcus Aurelius becomes emperor.
0322 The Greek philosopher Aristotle dies.
1774 The British close the port of Boston to all commerce.
1799 In Palestine, Napoleon captures Jaffa and his men massacre more than 2,000 Albanian prisoners.
1809 Aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard -- the first person to make an aerial voyage in the New World -- dies at the age of 56.
1838 Soprano Jenny Lind ("the Swedish Nightingale") makes her debut in Weber's opera Der Freischultz.
1847 U.S. General Winfield Scott occupies Vera Cruz, Mexico.
1849 The Austrian Reichstag is dissolved.
1862 Confederate forces surprise the Union army at the Battle of Pea Ridge, in Arkansas, but the Union is victorious.
1876 Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for the telephone.
1904 The Japanese bomb the Russian town of Vladivostok.
1906 Finland becomes the third country to give women the right to vote, decreeing universal suffrage for all citizens over 24, however, barring those persons who are supported by the state.
1912 French aviator, Heri Seimet flies non-stop from London to Paris in three hours.
1918 Finland signs an alliance treaty with Germany.
1925 The Soviet Red Army occupies Outer Mongolia.
1927 A Texas law that bans Negroes from voting is ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
1933 The film King Kong premieres in New York City.
1933 The board game Monopoly is invented.
1935 Malcolm Campbell sets an auto speed record of 276.8 mph in Florida.
1936 Hitler sends German troops into the Rhineland, violating the Locarno Pact.
1942 Japanese troops land on New Guinea.
1951 U.N. forces in Korea under General Matthew Ridgeway launch Operation Ripper, an offensive to straighten out the U.N. front lines against the Chinese.
1968 The Battle of Saigon, begun on the day of the Tet Offensive, ends.
1971 A thousand U.S. planes bomb Cambodia and Laos.
1979 Voyager 1 reaches Jupiter.
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Thanks to Micro
Skip:
The oft-repeated statement about members of Congress running for re-election is mostly BS. A small amount is true, and that's the part about taking some time off to run for office.
The rest of the "facts" are wrong, yet 90% of Americans think they're right. I've countered these arguments a dozen times in the past to various correspondents, but that hasn't actually educated anyone, apparently.
First, Members of Congress are Federal Employees. They have the same retirement system as every member of their staffs have. It is almost the same as all other Federal employees with one exception: when calculating their years of service, both to determine if they are eligible for any retirement pay at all and to determine the amount of their retirement pay, they get credit for more than one year's service for each year of actual service. It's a fraction, like 1.3, if I remember right (and I remember less and less each year). The concept is that many Congressional Staff are very young, and their "careers" are often interrupted when "their guy" gets beat or declines to run again. They run around Capitol Hill looking for a job on another staff. Barring that, they look for a job in a Federal Agency to tide them over.
Members of Congress have to run again every two years, so to be eligible for any retirement pay at all, they have to have a minimum of 5 years of Federal employment. That means a Congressman gets nothing unless he serves three terms. Even then, he won't see any retirement income until age 60, unless he serves for 30 years, and then he could retire at age 55. Like every other Federal employee. Of course, a Senator serves 6 years per term, so he could retire and get a small amount after only one term. As of 2018, the average retirement pay for all Congressmen was about $41,000 a year. The maximum possible starting pay at retirement is 80% of the "high 3". Of course, anyone that gets such a high percentage doesn't collect it for very long since they're quite a distance into their autumn years by the time they retire. Given that a few people do stay a long time gives you an idea how many don't serve very long, given the relatively low average retirement income (from a current salary approaching $175,000 a year).
There is a Federal Health Benefit Program, but it's just like all the other medical insurance programs that any employee has access to (unless you're in a very small company). The employee pays the premiums, and, during each year's Open Season, the employee can choose a different insurance plan with different premiums. I don't recall exactly, but I seem to remember there's about a dozen choices with about three tiers within each choice. Those choices determine whether you're in a PPO or not, what your co-pay is, what services are offered, maximum benefit per year, etc.
There is no Congressional Retirement Fund. There never has been.
A Congressman is not allowed "outside income" that exceeds 15% of a Level II Executive basic pay, so, around $30,000 a year max. Outside income does not include income from profits for a business the Congress Member still owns or income from investments (although those are scrutinized far more than recent news stories would have you believe). That income cannot have anything to do with any matters that come before that Congressman in his Federal job. It does include income from book sales.
Spouses DO NOT get full salary after the employee dies. There is a plan similar to the military's Survivor Benefit Plan that requires premiums be paid for a fraction of the retirement to be paid to a spouse (I think a good life insurance plan is better). There is also life insurance, but it actually phases out over just a year or two to zero value, unless the employee buys more and pays the premiums. None of that is particularly generous certainly in comparison to corporate benefits for highly compensated employees.
Anyone that thinks that pay system and benefits are wonderful should run for office and see how you like it.
If you're interested in more details, these are just two of thousands of links with accurate information:
My point is: how can we pretend to vote for the right things when we don't know the truth behind such simple matters where the facts are readily available?
Micro
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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 Monday, 7 March 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 7 March 1967… "War is a killing business."…
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 Carl
https://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/seven-ways-treat-minor-burns-naturally?utm_campaign=Solo Newsletter: Seven Ways to Treat Minor Burns Naturally (TeDHUb)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Daily Newsletter Sends- Updated&_kx=o0Pt1aWBPnnLwbJptmuycDmqJa8F4X9joD7HwHzQ2PI=.K2vXAy
Seven Ways to Treat Minor Burns Naturally
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Thanks to Al
From 16 THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME OVER 50 YEARS TO LEARN: by Dave Barry , Nationally Syndicated Columnist
You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
A first grade teacher collected well-known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders, but there are some good ones nonetheless - their insight may surprise you.
It's always darkest before..................Daylight Savings Time.
Musing on Daylight Saving Time
· Since when is less sleep and more daylight a good thing?
· I don't think of it as losing an hour of sleep…I think of it as being an hour closer to breakfast.
· This is the Mondayest Monday that ever Mondayed.
· Why can't daylight savings happen at 4 PM on a Friday?
· Daylight savings should be renamed aijekaiofajiooafjiaf because that's how my brain feels right now.
· Having kids basically feels like waking up on the first morning of daylight savings time every day for 18 years.
· Time travel is easy. Every fall I go back an hour and every spring I go ahead an hour.
· I'm not so sure about this daylight savings time thing, I give it six months.
· Daylight savings time gave me a back injury; I need to buy a smaller sundial.
· Changing to daylight savings time on Sunday should always be followed by a national holiday on Monday.
· Everybody's talking about daylight savings time…and I'm over in Arizona saying "No big deal."
· It's daylight savings time…don't forget to change your wine from red to white.
· The hour we lose this weekend was the one when I was planning to go to the gym.
How daylight saving time is just like every stupid new version of Facebook:
1. No one asks for the change.
2. It messes everyone up.
3. Just when we finally get used to it, they change the darn thing again.
Groaners…
Q: What did the clock say when I went to move it ahead an hour?
A: Hour you doing today?
Q: What happens when you try to make a clock Spring Forward?
A: It gets ticked off.
Q: What do you call a striker playing an April match?
A: A spring forward.
More groaners…
· My watch told me that the kitchen clock set itself back an hour… but that's second hand information.
· My clock was really tense about falling back for Daylight Savings… I guess you could say he was all wound up.
· Congress finally had a meeting about daylight savings… it was about time.
· Maybe if daytime was more careful, it wouldn't have to be saved all the time.
· A good pet should be able to set the Daylight Saving Time for you… that's why I'm looking for a watch dog.
· I asked Bob Dylan what he thought of Daylight Saving… he was glad the times they were a-changin'.
· If I remind my wife about Daylight Saving Time again, I think she might CLOCK me.
· One of the best things about Daylight Saving Time is that the clock in my car will finally be correct again.
To be technical, the proper title is Daylight Saving Time not Daylight Savings Time, but then again, who cares?
Have a great week and don't forget to set your clocks ahead on Sunday morning.
Al
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This Day in U S Military History
1774 – The British close the port of Boston to all commerce. The Boston Port Bill was intended to close down completely the Port of Boston until the East India Company was paid for their tea lost in the Boston Tea Party and Parliament was paid the tax due on the tea.
1774 – A 2nd Boston tea party was held.
1776 – Lead by General William Howe, the British evacuate Boston. Howe's army and a group of 1000 loyalists will set sail for Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17 March.
1778 – Capt. James Cook 1st sighted the Oregon coast at Yaquina Bay.
1847 – U.S. General Scott occupied Veracruz, Mexico. Pres. Polk decided to attack the heart of Mexico. He sent Gen. Winfield Scott, who landed at Veracruz and with his troops hacked their way to Mexico City.
1918 – President Wilson authorized the Army's Distinguished Service Medal. The Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to any person who while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service which is clearly exceptional. Exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration. For service not related to actual war, the term "duty of great responsibility" applies to a narrower range of positions than in time of war and requires evidence of conspicuously significant achievement. However, justification of the award may accrue by virtue of exceptionally meritorious service in a succession of high positions of great importance. Awards may be made to persons other than members of the Armed Forces of the United States for wartime services only, and then only under exceptional circumstances with the express approval of the President in each case.
1974 – The Civil War ironclad ship, Monitor, which sank in 1862, is discovered off the coast of Hatteras, North Carolina. For more than a century, the Monitor's resting place in the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" remained a mystery, despite numerous searches. In 1973, an interdisciplinary team of scientists led by John G. Newton of the Duke University Marine Laboratory located the Monitor while testing geological survey equipment for underwater archaeological survey and assessment. Newton's team determined the search area by replotting the track of the USS Rhode Island, a paddlewheel steamer that was towing the Monitor when she sank on New Year's Eve, 1862. The Rhode Island's logbook recorded events and times as the two ships rounded treacherous Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. An 1857 coast survey chart helped refine the plotting of the search area. The scientists also developed sonar and visual configurations for the wreck with specific points of identification: the ship's turret, armor belt, and nearly flat bottom. On August 27, 1973, after identifying twenty-one possible contacts, side-searching sonar found a long, amorphous echo. The first pass of the television camera revealed iron plates; a virtually flat, unobstructed surface (the bottom of the hull); a thick waist (the armor belt); and a circular structure (the turret). With each successive series of camera passes, evidence mounted that the wreck was that of the Monitor, but it would take an intensive study of the visual evidence over the next five months to confirm it. A second visit to the site in April 1974 will positively identify the Monitor, lying in approximately 230 feet of water about 16 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras.
1979 – Voyager 1 reached Jupiter.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
CARR, EUGENE A.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 3d Illinois Cavalry. Place and date: At Pea Ridge, Ark., 7 March 1862. Entered service at: Hamburg, Erie County, N.Y. Born: 10 March 1830, Boston Corner, Erie County, N.Y. Date of issue: 16 January 1894. Citation: Directed the deployment of his command and held his ground, under a brisk fire of shot and shell in which he was several times wounded.
POWER, ALBERT
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 3d lowa Cavalry. Place and date: At Pea Ridge, Ark., 7 March 1862. Entered service at: Davis County, lowa. Birth: Guernsey County, Ohio. Date of issue: 6 March 1899. Citation: Under a heavy fire and at great personal risk went to the aid of a dismounted comrade who was surrounded by the enemy, took him up on his own horse, and carried him to a place of safety.
DANIELS, JAMES T.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company L, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, 7 March 1890. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Richland County, 111. Date of issue: 15 May 1890. Citation: Untirlng energy and cool gallantry under fire in an engagement with Apache Indians.
McBRYAR, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company K, 1 0th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, 7 March 1890. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: 14 February 1861, Elizabethtown, N.C. Date of issue: 15 May 1890. Citation: Distinguished himself for coolness, bravery and marksmanship while his troop was in pursuit of hostile Apache Indians.
CECIL, JOSEPHUS S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 19th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Bud-Dajo, Jolo, Philippine Islands, 7 March 1906. Entered service at: New River, Tenn. Birth: New River, Tenn. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: While at the head of the column about to assault the first cotta under a superior fire at short range personally carried to a sheltered position a wounded man and the body of one who was killed beside him.
JOHNSTON, GORDON
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Signal Corps. Place and date: At Mount Bud Dajo, Jolo, Philippine Islands, 7 March 1906. Entered service at: Birmingham, Ala. Born: 25 May 1874, Charlotte, N.C. Date of issue: 7 November 1910. G.O. No.: 207. Citation: Voluntarily took part in and was dangerously wounded during an assault on the enemy's works.
LEIMS, JOHN HAROLD
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. marine Corps Reserve, Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 7 march 1945. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 8 June 1921, Chicago, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 7 march 1945. Launching a surprise attack against the rock-imbedded fortification of a dominating Japanese hill position, 2d Lt. Leims spurred his company forward with indomitable determination and, skillfully directing his assault platoons against the cave-emplaced enemy troops and heavily fortified pillboxes, succeeded in capturing the objective in later afternoon. When it became apparent that his assault platoons were cut off in this newly won position, approximately 400 yards forward of adjacent units and lacked all communication with the command post, he personally advanced and laid telephone lines across the isolating expanse of open fire-swept terrain. Ordered to withdraw his command after he had joined his forward platoons, he immediately complied, adroitly effecting the withdrawal of his troops without incident. Upon arriving at the rear, he was informed that several casualties had been left at the abandoned ridge position beyond the frontlines. Although suffering acutely from the strain and exhausting of battle, he instantly went forward despite darkness and the slashing fury of hostile machinegun fire, located and carried to safety 1 seriously wounded marine and then, running the gauntlet of enemy fire for the third time that night, again made his tortuous way into the bullet-riddled deathtrap and rescued another of his wounded men. A dauntless leader, concerned at all time for the welfare of his men, 2d Lt. Leims soundly maintained the coordinated strength of his battle-wearied company under extremely difficult conditions and, by his bold tactics, sustained aggressiveness, and heroic disregard for all personal danger, contributed essentially to the success of his division's operations against this vital Japanese base. His valiant conduct in the face of fanatic opposition sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*BRITTIN, NELSON V.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company I, 19th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Vicinity of Yonggong-ni, Korea, 7 March 1951. Entered service at: Audubon, N.J. Birth: Audubon, N.J. G.O. No.: 12, 1 February 1952. Citation: Sfc. Brittin, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. Volunteering to lead his squad up a hill, with meager cover against murderous fire from the enemy, he ordered his squad to give him support and, in the face of withering fire and bursting shells, he tossed a grenade at the nearest enemy position. On returning to his squad, he was knocked down and wounded by an enemy grenade. Refusing medical attention, he replenished his supply of grenades and returned, hurling grenades into hostile positions and shooting the enemy as they fled. When his weapon jammed, he leaped without hesitation into a foxhole and killed the occupants with his bayonet and the butt of his rifle. He continued to wipe out foxholes and, noting that his squad had been pinned down, he rushed to the rear of a machine gun position, threw a grenade into the nest, and ran around to its front, where he killed all 3 occupants with his rifle. Less than 100 yards up the hill, his squad again came under vicious fire from another camouflaged, sandbagged, machine gun nest well-flanked by supporting riflemen. Sfc. Brittin again charged this new position in an aggressive endeavor to silence this remaining obstacle and ran direct into a burst of automatic fire which killed him instantly. In his sustained and driving action, he had killed 20 enemy soldiers and destroyed 4 automatic weapons. The conspicuous courage, consummate valor, and noble self-sacrifice displayed by Sfc. Brittin enabled his inspired company to attain its objective and reflect the highest glory on himself and the heroic traditions of the military service.
KRAVITZ, LEONARD M.
Rank and Organization: Private First Class. U.S. Army. Company M, 3d Battalion. 5th Regiment. Place and Date: March 6-7, 1951, Yangpyong, Korea. Born: 1931, Brooklyn, NY . Departed: Yes (03/07/1951). Entered Service At: New York. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Kravitz is being recognized for his actions in Yangpyong, Korea, March 6-7, 1951. While occupying defensive positions, Kravitz's unit was overrun by enemy combatants and forced to withdraw. Kravitz voluntarily remained at a machine-gun position to provide suppressive fire for the retreating troops. This forced the enemy to concentrate their attack on his own position. Kravitz ultimately did not survive the attack, but his actions saved his entire platoon.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 7, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
7 March
1911: At Palm Beach, Fla., Percy G. B. Morris and John A. "Douglas" McCurdy demonstrated a new airplane radio that employed a small Marconi transmitter and a loop antenna. This replaced the hanging antenna. (24)
1919: Lt (JG) F. M. Johnson launched an N-9 landplane from a sea sled traveling at 60 MPH at Hampton Roads, Va. (24)
1924: Lt Eugene Hoy Barksdale and his navigator, Lt Bradley Jones, flew a DH-4B, powered by 400 horsepower Liberty engine from McCook Field to Mitchel Field using instruments only. (24)
1954: Northwest Orient Airlines set a transpacific speed record for commercial aircraft by flying 5,000 miles from Tokyo to Seattle in 16 hours 18 minutes. (24)
1958: The US Navy commissioned the USS Grayback at Mare Island, Calif. It was the first US submarine built from the keel up with a guided cruise missile launch capability.
1961: SAC declared the B-52's GAM-72A Quail missile system operational. (12) Maj Robert M. White flew the X-15A-2, with the XLR99 57,000-pound thrust engine, on its first Mach 4 flight. (3)
1962: NASA launched its first second-generation satellite, a 450-pound Orbiting Solar Observatory from Cape Canaveral. (24)
1965: Qantas Airlines completed the first nonstop commercial flight across the Pacific by flying a Boeing 707 from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia, in 14 hours 33 minutes. (5)
1967: EXERCISE SIYASAT. This 14-day Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) air-landsea exercise in the Philippines climaxed on 21 March with a massive firepower demonstration at Fort Magsaysay. Observers from six SEATO nations attended the event. F-102s from the 405 FW participated. (17)
1977 A MAC C-130 airlifted approximately 6.6 tons of medical supplies from Ramstein AB to Bucharest, Romania, after an earthquake. (18)
1983: In the largest B-52 mining exercise to date, 10 B-52D/Gs dropped mines off the South Korean coast in "Team Spirit 83." This exercise included US Navy and Marine minelayers and fighters, SAC and Navy tankers, and South Korean fighters. (1)
1986: The Air Force conducted its 11th flight test for the Peacekeeper (M-X) missile in the third launch from a modified Minuteman silo at Vandenberg AFB. The missile carried eight unarmed MK-21 reentry vehicles to the planned target area, 4,100 miles away at the Kwajalein Missile Test Range. Contractor crews conducted all previous launches; however, the 11th flight used two Air Force launch control officers with contractor support. (5) An F-16 conducted a successful separation control test of the Advanced Medium Range Air-toAir Missile. (11)
1990: Rockwell's Missile Systems Division received a $125,200,000 contract to build 4,864 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for the Army. (8: May 90) 2003: President George W. Bush issued an ultimatum giving Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq. (32)
2007: Operation Deep Freeze. Ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster IIIs redeployed from Christchurch, New Zealand, to end the 2006-2007 season of support to the National Science Foundation and US Antarctic Program. In this period, the LC-130s flew 430 missions to move nearly 11 million pounds of cargo and 1,000 passengers throughout Antarctica, while the C-17s flew 57 missions to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from Christchurch carrying more than 3 million pounds of cargo and 2,700 passengers to McMurdo, and more than 720,000 pounds of cargo and 2,600 passengers to Christchurch from McMurdo. The LC-130s came from the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, while the C-17s came from the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wings, McChord Air Force Base, Wash. (AFNEWS, "Operation Deep Freeze Ends Record-Setting Year," 7 Mar 2007.)
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World News for 7 March thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Plan In The Works To Transfer Fighter Jets To Ukraine Independent | 03/07/2022 Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is working on a plan to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, reports the Independent (London). On Sunday, Blinken said that talks were underway to transfer Soviet-era fighters in Polish service to Ukraine. The U.S. would provide additional F-16 jets to Poland to replace the transferred jets. Blinken said that no timeline could be given for when such a transfer might take place. Russia has said it would consider those supplying fighter jets to Ukraine as parties to the conflict.
USA—New MCM System In The Works For Fire Scout Drones U.S. Naval Air Systems Command | 03/07/2022 The Navy is developing a new mine countermeasures (MCM) capability for its uncrewed helicopters, reports Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). BAE Systems is developing the Single System Multimission Airborne Mine Detection (SMAMD) capability for the MQ-8C Fire Scout, which would provide the ability to detect and localize mines and obstacles on land and at sea. The SMAMD, the first MCM sensor suite for the MQ-8C, features an airborne optical sensor suite, real-time onboard processing and low false alarm rates to support rapid responses to detected threats. Onboard processing is an important improvement over current MCM systems that require post-mission analysis, lengthening the threat detection and mitigation timeline. The Navy conducted flying qualities and performance testing with SMAMD mass-equivalency models on an MQ-8C last month. The trials collected data to evaluate air vehicle performance and handling to assess safety of flight and airworthiness with the payload integrated. A land-based demonstration of the SMAMD prototype is scheduled for this spring at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, Fla. The event will cover the beach zone, drifting mines and moored mines in shallow water and deep water up to 6 miles (10 km) offshore. Performance data gathered will inform future integration efforts.
France—Macron Announces Intent To Run For Re-Election Politico Europe | 03/07/2022 French President Emmanuel Macron has officially announced his intention to run for re-election, reports Politico Europe (Brussels). On March 3, Macron published a letter announcing his candidacy for president in several regional newspapers. The deadline to enter the race was March 4, noted Agence France-Presse. The first round of the election is scheduled for April 10. Macron faces a fractured field of candidates and is generally expected to win re-election. The far-right candidates have come under fire for their previous support of Russia following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has been polling in second place behind Macron. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, a runoff will be held on April 24 between the top two candidates. If re-elected, Macron would be the first French president in more than two decades to win a second term, noted CNN.
Denmark—PM Announces Plans To Boost Defense Budget Ritzau | 03/07/2022 Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced a plan to increase defense spending to reach the NATO guideline of 2 percent of gross domestic product, reports Ritzau news agency (Copenhagen). The proposal announced Sunday would see Denmark reach the 2 percent figure by 2033. A majority of political parties back the increase following Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Frederiksen said. An additional US$1 billion will be allocated to defense, diplomacy and humanitarian efforts in 2022 and 2023 as an immediate response to Russia's aggression, reported Reuters. The gradual increase to the 2 percent mark is expected be equivalent to an annual increase of US$2.65 billion under the political agreement.
Poland—Spanish Citizen Accused Of Spying For Russia Vice News | 03/07/2022 Polish authorities have arrested a Spanish national of Russian descent on charges of spying for Russia, reports Vice News. In late February, Pablo Gomez was arrested by Polish authorities in Przemysl near the Polish border with Ukraine, reported Reuters. Gomez allegedly worked as an agent for Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, according to an official statement from Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) on Friday. Authorities say he used the identity of a journalist as a cover, enabling him to travel around Europe and the world, including to armed conflicts and areas of political tension. Gomez allegedly obtained information harmful to Poland's internal and external security and defense for Russian intelligence. He was also preparing to travel into Ukraine to continue his espionage activities there, authorities said.
Ukraine—Kremlin Declares Cease-Fire To Allow Civilians To Flee Cable News Network | 03/07/2022 Russia says that it would halt attacks in several locations in Ukraine to permit civilians to leave cities under siege, reports CNN. Russian forces violated two previous cease-fires, killing several civilians, according to Ukrainian authorities. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the truce would enter effect at 10 a.m. local time on Monday and cover the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy. Some of the corridors proposed by Moscow would funnel refugees from Kyiv to Belarus, and from Kharkiv to Russia, reported Russian media cited by Reuters. Additional efforts would be made to mount an airlift from Kyiv to Russia, the Russians said. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk called the corridors "unacceptable," reported USA Today. "Providing evacuation routes into the arms of the country that is currently destroying yours is nonsense," said British Europe Minister James Cleverly. It was not immediately clear if the cease-fire was upheld.
China—AIIB Freezes Lending In Russia, Belarus Nikkei Asia | 03/07/2022 The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is backed by the Chinese government, has stopped all activities in Russia and Belarus following Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, reports the Nikkei Asia (Tokyo). On Thursday, the AIIB announced that ""all activities relating to Russia and Belarus are on hold and under review." The decision would safeguard the bank's financial integrity "against the backdrop of the evolving economic and financial situation," the AIIB said. The Chinese government holds a veto over the bank's decision due to its 30 percent stake. The AIIB currently has two approved projects worth around US$800 million in in Russia and another US$300 billion awaiting approval. The approved projects are for improving road network connectivity and replenishing the working capital of Russia's Railway JSC rail transportation service provider following the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to Bloomberg News. Around 200 million euros (US$222 billion) in projects proposed in Belarus are awaiting approval. Another bank with close ties to the Chinese government, the New Development Bank (NDB) also announced on Thursday that it would put new transactions with Russia on hold. The NDB was formed by Russia, China, Brazil and India to fund infrastructure projects. The decisions by the AIIB and NDB to suspend operations may indicate a cautious approach in Beijing toward providing financial support to Moscow, said experts.
China—Defense Budget To See 7 Percent Boost Global Times | 03/07/2022 The Chinese government has announced plans to increase defense spending this year as it continues to modernize its military, reports the state-run Global Times (Beijing). The proposal announced Saturday calls for a 7.1 percent increase in 2022, for a total defense budget of around US$230 billion. The plan marks a return to 7 percent growth following smaller increases of 6.6 percent and 6.8 percent in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the increase is not unusual due to the scale of China's military modernization and growing external threats. The plan will allow China to achieve its centennial military development goals by 2027, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, with the overall modernization to be completed by 2035. Beijing will also accelerate the modernization of logistics and asset management systems; build a modern weaponry and equipment management system; continue defense reforms; and enhance innovations in defense science and technology, the proposal says. Overall government spending is set to rise by 14.3 percent, reaching US$2.12 trillion in 2022, reported CNBC.
North Korea—Recon Satellite Tech Tested, Government Says Yonhap | 03/07/2022 The North Korean government says it has successfully evaluated technology for the development of a reconnaissance satellite, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Saturday, the North Korean National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) and the Academy of Defense Science conducted an "important test" that "confirmed the reliability of data transmission and reception system of the satellite, its control command system and various ground-based control systems," reported the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). No further information about the trials and technology were provided. On Friday, Pyongyang conducted its ninth missile test of the year, launching a rocket from the Sunan area near the capital toward the Sea of Japan. There are concerns that North Korea may attempt to conduct long-range rocket tests under the guise of space rocket launches.
South Korea—Military Chief Visits Saudi Arabia Yonhap | 03/07/2022 The head of the South Korean military is visiting Saudi Arabia to discuss strengthening arms industry cooperation, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Friday, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Won In Choul traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he was scheduled to stay until Tuesday. During his visit, Won is expected to meet with the head of the Saudi military, Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed al-Ruwaili and other officials. The agenda covers regional security and enhancing bilateral arms industry cooperation, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. Won will also attend the World Defense Show in Riyadh, which will include delegations from 27 South Korean companies.
South Korea—Testing To Begin Soon On New AESA Radar Yonhap | 03/07/2022 South Korea will soon start performance testing on a domestically developed radar for its indigenous fighter jet program, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). The trials for the new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar are scheduled to begin in mid-March and run through April 2023, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration said last week. The radar will be mounted on a Boeing 737 for a planned series of 50 test flights that will cover 62 evaluation categories, such as detecting and tracking in an air-to-air mode. The AESA radar is intended for South Korea's KF-21 Boromae fighter. The first radar is slated to be integrated with the jet next year for performance testing that will run through 2026, the DAPA said.
Australia—Brake Issues Halt Deliveries Of Hawkei Light Vehicles Australian Broadcasting Corporation | 03/07/2022 The Australian army has stopped accepting deliveries of a new light vehicle due to a brake issue, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Thales launched full-rate production of the Hawkei protected mobility vehicle, of which the army has ordered 1,100, in September 2020. The service expected to begin taking deliveries in mid-2021, with production expected to continue until mid-2022. However, in December 2020, the Australian Defense Dept. stopped accepting deliveries after problems were discovered with the braking system, a department spokesperson said. An agreement has been reached with Thales to resolve the issue. The vehicles will not be accepted into army service until they are safe to operate, the spokesperson said. Production has continued and is expected to be completed by June 2022. The Hawkeis are being kept at the Thales facility in Bendigo in the southeastern Victoria state. Thales says that it has delivered an unspecified number of vehicles to the army, which are being used safely.
Iran—Officials Criticize Russian Demands At Nuclear Talks Reuters | 03/07/2022 Iranian officials say Russia has been making unhelpful demands during talks for the U.S. to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, reports Reuters, citing Iranian media. On Monday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency (Tehran) quoted unnamed Iranian officials who said that recent demands made by Russia were "not constructive." Russia has demanded a U.S. guarantee that any sanctions as a result of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine not harm trade with Iran. Officials told the agency that the Russian request amounted to "interference." The Iranians also asserted that Russia is attempting to hinder an agreement between Iran and the West in order to raise oil prices and increase its revenue.
Syria—Dozen Soldiers Killed In Attack In Homs Syrian Arab News Agency | 03/07/2022 More than a dozen Syrian soldiers have been killed in a militant attack in the central Syrian desert, reports the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). On Sunday, militants attacked a military bus with a variety of weapons in the Al Badiyah desert near Palmyra in Homs province, said a military source. Thirteen soldiers, including some officers, were killed and 18 wounded in the attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (U.K.) reported that 15 soldiers were killed, with the number expected to rise. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. Three soldiers were killed in a similar attack in the area on Friday.
Mali—27 Soldiers Die In Militant Assault On Base Agence France-Presse | 03/07/2022 More than two dozen Malian soldiers have been killed in a militant attack on their base in central Mali, near the border with Burkina Faso, reports Agence France-Presse. On Friday, about 150 jihadist militants attacked the Mondoro military base, killing 27 soldiers and wounding 33, said French and Malian military sources. Forty-seven militants were "neutralized" during the assault and another 23 later in the day, the Malian army said. The attackers seized 21 military vehicles, including tanks, during the assault, said a French military source.
Mozambique—President Reshuffles Government East African | 03/07/2022 Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has appointed several new members to the government, including a new prime minister, reports the East African (Nairobi). On March 3, Nyusi appointed former Finance Minister Adriano Maleiane as prime minister. He also appointed former Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Ernesto Max Tonela as minister of economy and finance, reported Reuters. New ministers were also named for the public works, housing and water resources; sea, inland waters and fisheries; mineral resources and energy; and industry and trade portfolios. Nyusi fired six members of the government on March 2 without explanation, including Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario; the minister of economy and finance; the minister of public works, housing and water resources; the minister of sea, inland waters and fisheries; minister of mineral resources and energy; and the minister of industry and trade. The firings may be linked to electoral challenges and the "hidden debt scandal" in Mozambique, analysts said. The scandal is linked to US$2 billion in loans that were taken out by state-owned companies in 2013 and 2014 to finance a fishing project. The funds were hidden from the Parliament and instead largely used to pay kickbacks. President Nyusi has been accused of receiving kickbacks under the scheme, which took place while he was defense minister. Local and parliamentary elections are scheduled for next year, with a presidential vote to follow in 2024. Nyusi is serving his second and final term allowed under the Mozambican constitution.
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