The List 6102 TGB
Good Friday Morning May the 20th
I hope that you all have a great weekend.
Regards,
Skip.
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History May 20
1815 Commodore Stephen Decatur sails with his flagship USS Guerriere and a squadron of nine ships for the Mediterranean to suppress piracy. Under strict negotiations, Decatur is able to secure a treaty with the Day of Algiers, His Highness Omar Bashaw, on July 3.
1909 USS Mississippi (BB 23) arrives at Natchez, Miss., and becomes the first U.S. Navy battleship to visit an inland city.
1943 The Tenth Fleet is established in Washington D.C., under the command of Adm. Ernest J. King, to coordinate U.S. anti-submarine operations in the Atlantic. Disbanded after WWII, the Tenth Fleet is reactivated in Jan. 2010 as U.S. Fleet Cyber Command.
1944 USS Angler (SS 240) sinks Japanese transport Otori Maru and survives depth charging by
its escort, while both USS Silversides (SS 236) and USS Bluegill (SS 242) sink enemy vessels.
1995 USS Russell (DDG 59) is commissioned during a ceremony at Pascagoula, Miss. The 9th Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is named for Rear Adm. John Henry Russell and his son, Commandant of the Marine Corps John Henry Russell Jr.
Today in World History: May 20
0325 The Ecumenical council is inaugurated by Emperor Constantine in Nicea.
1303 A peace treaty is signed between England and France.
1347 Cola di Rienzo takes the title of tribune in Rome.
1520 Hernando Cortes defeats Spanish troops sent against him in Mexico.
1674 John Sobieski becomes Poland's first king.
1690 England passes the Act of Grace, forgiving followers of James II.
1774 Parliament passes the Coercive Acts to punish the colonists for their increasingly anti-British behavior. The acts close the port of Boston.
1775 North Carolina becomes the first colony to declare its independence.
1784 The Peace of Versailles ends a war between France, England, and Holland.
1799 Napoleon Bonaparte orders a withdrawal from his siege of St. Jean d'Acre in Egypt.
1859 A force of Austrians collide with Piedmontese cavalry at the village of Montebello, in northern Italy.
1861 North Carolina becomes the last state to secede from the Union.
1862 President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act, providing 250 million acres of free land to settlers in the West.
1874 Levi Strauss begins marketing blue jeans with copper rivets.
1902 The U.S. military occupation of Cuba ends.
1927 Charles Lindbergh takes off from New York for Paris.
1930 The first airplane is catapulted from a dirigible.
1932 Amelia Earhart lands near Londonderry, Ireland, to become the first woman fly solo across the Atlantic.
1939 Pan American Airways starts the first regular passenger service across the Atlantic.
1941 Germany invades Crete by air.
1942 Japan completes the conquest of Burma.
1951 During the Korean War, U.S. Air Force Captain James Jabara becomes the first jet air ace in history.
1961 A white mob attacks civil rights activists in Montgomery, Alabama.
1969 In South Vietnam, troops of the 101st Airborne Division reach the top of Hill 937 after nine days of fighting entrenched North Vietnamese forces.
1970 100,000 people march in New York, supporting U.S. policies in Vietnam.
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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 Friday, 20 May 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 20 May 1967… The Red River Valley, May 1967—no place for the timid…
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 Michael ... and Dr. Rich
A Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ALBM being carried by a Mikoyan MiG-31K in 2018. Kremlin Photo The Kremlin's most advanced missile systems are not operating effectively in Russia's conflict with Ukraine ...
View the article. https://flip.it/JP.wtY
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: From Paris to Vienna
Thoughts in and around geopolitics.
By: George Friedman
May 20, 2022
My wife and I are still Europe, where we are scheduled to meet with Europeans working in areas in which, to my dismay, some consider me an expert. By nature, I am not a modest man, but ours is a vast field where expertise is hard-won and quickly lost. The meetings I had in Vienna instilled pride and melancholy – pride because people ask for my views, melancholy because in much of my life Vienna has been a place of sorrow and conflict.
I spent the first two years of my life in Vienna, I'm told, in abject poverty. My parents and sister had survived the Holocaust and returned to a shattered Budapest. My father, a printer, tried to restart his business, my mother struggled to gain weight, and my sister fought to return to something resembling normal. I arrived on the scene in February 1949, just a few months before my father received word that the Soviets and their Hungarian puppet regime had him on a list for arrest. In those days, there didn't have to be a reason for arrest, and if my father was arrested, then the family as a whole would be blacklisted, barred from luxuries like sufficient food.
The only choice was to escape from a country whose borders were mined and surrounded by machine gun positions. My father survived by his wits, leading him to smugglers who would take us across the Danube at night, and from there, by a circuitous route to Vienna, a city occupied by Soviets, Frenchmen, Brits and Americans. We made it to the American sector, were designated as refugees, and were put in a place that had food on the plates and shelter from the storms. We waited there for two years and then went to the promised land in the U.S., discovering that it was indeed as advertised. I know of this only through my family, who spoke little of it to me, but I managed to find some papers and documents in Washington that confirmed the story and more.
I returned to Vienna several times for various reasons and identified the places where we had been back then. I came to Vienna on assignment, my role utterly trivial, but I couldn't ignore the magic of the city where a family that embodied suffering and stubborn resistance would later find redemption in America.
For a time, Vienna was controlled by the four powers that won World War II. One of the powers, Russia, was still at war. It had lost 24 million people, the result of a massive miscalculation by Stalin: He trusted Hitler. The war was won by heroism and terror. For Russians, it was sometimes a choice of death by the Nazis or execution by the communists for betraying the motherland by living. In 1949, the hatred of the enemies and fear of what they might do continued unabated. If you walked down the wrong street in Vienna, you might never be seen again. I didn't know it of course, for Vienna was the city of my family's hope and primordial fear.
Our redemption took the form of a visa to America. It allowed us to flee the Nazis and communists but not the Germans and Russians. My family held nations responsible, not ideology. I learned about geopolitics at the dinner table. I came to consciousness knowing these things, knowing that the Russians were still alive and waiting to kill us. I grew up in a family in which this was self-evident, in a country waging war against Russia's minions and awaiting the launch of Russian missiles at any moment. Russia was the force that would annihilate humanity.
I studied Marxism in college, betting that my father was wrong and ideas mattered. I went to graduate school and studied philosophy and comparative communism, comparing Russia and China. I learned much but little that changed me. Russia was the enemy, and it was a foe worthy of our steel. The battle, as someone wrote, was in the back alleys of Europe. If Europe was the battleground, then Vienna remained the pivot of the war. It was near the Soviet satellites. Once there, it's an easy trip to Paris or Hamburg, Warsaw or Budapest. I was obsessed with the war but made no real contribution to it. Still, the war of the streets touched all of Europe, and there were friends I lost. Whether it was in Rome or next door, it somehow always touched Vienna.
I visited Vienna with some frequency in the 1970s and 1980s. I was a professor, and the city was a center of obscure studies such as mine. It allowed me to be a useless onlooker in a war the rest of America didn't know was being waged. I walked by the Schoenbrunn Palace in whose gardens my parents said was the displaced persons camp we survived in, and also the back alleys in which you could disappear. I was, as I said, no one, doing nothing. But I was created to see things and was bred with Russia on my mind. All this gave me a sense of the city.
My meeting in Vienna this week thus meant a lot to me. With enough imagination, I could see my life. I was an infant in this city. I was invited to America in this city. I studied Russian history in this city. I observed a war of back alleys initiated by Russia in this city. For me, Vienna, Russia and my obscurity are tied together.
Once again I am obsessed with the Russians. But this time I was not a nonentity, an accident waiting to happen. I sat among people of some importance, who were speaking of the Russians and seeking my opinion. In a sense, it is extraordinary that a life that began with fleeing the Russians, hiding from the Russians, dreading the Russians, would come to this moment. I was the wretched refuse brought to America's teeming shores. I came because of the Russians, I have shaped my life thinking about the Russians, and now the Russians are back, to be discussed not in the coffee houses but in the places where we speak of serious things that might even matter. Looking back, I mark my years in trips to Vienna.
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Some of my favorites
Thanks to Boysie ...and Dr. Rich
What Is A Thesaurus?
I have a few jokes about unemployed people, but none of them work .
"I have a split personality," said Tom, being Frank.
I Renamed my iPod The Titanic, so when I plug it in, it says "The Titanic is syncing."
How do you make holy water? You boil the hell out of it
When life gives you melons, you're dyslexic
It's hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they always take things literally
What's the difference between a hippo and a zippo? One is really heavy and the other is a little lighter
Two windmills are standing in a wind farm. One asks, "What's your favorite kind of music?" The other says, "I'm a big metal fan."
Hear about the new restaurant called Karma? There's no menu - you get what you deserve
I went to buy some camouflage trousers yesterday but couldn't find any
What do you call a bee that can't make up its mind? A maybe
I tried to sue the airline for losing my luggage. I lost my case
When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane
A cross-eyed teacher couldn't control his pupils
She had a photographic memory but never developed it
Is it ignorance or apathy that's destroying the world today? I don't know and don't really care
I wasn't originally going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind
Which country's capital has the fastest-growing population? Ireland. Every day it's Dublin.
My ex-wife still misses me. But her aim is starting to improve
Two fish are in a tank, one says to the other "how do you drive this thing?"
The guy who invented the door knocker got a no-bell prize
Need an ark? I Noah guy
I used to be indecisive; now I'm not so sure
Sleeping comes so naturally to me, I could do it with my eyes closed
What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing - but it let out a little whine
What do you call a super articulate dinosaur? A Thesaurus!
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: Biden Tours East Asia, Canada Bans Chinese Firms From 5G
Beijing has already condemned the Canadian move.
By: GPF Staff
May 20, 2022
Asia tour. U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in South Korea for his first visit to Asia since taking office. Biden will meet with the new South Korean president, Yoon Suk-yeol, on Saturday and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday. He'll then attend a summit of the Quad security grouping on Tuesday.
China ban. The Canadian government announced that China's Huawei and ZTE will be banned from the country's 5G network due to security risks. Companies that already installed 5G equipment from these companies must remove it by June 28, 2024, and any 4G equipment must be dismantled by the end of 2027. China's Foreign Ministry condemned the move. Earlier this week, Canada's Trade and Agriculture ministries said China had reversed a ban on Canadian canola, granting market access to two Canadian grain trading companies. The ban had been in place since March 2019.
U.S. mediation. A delegation of U.S. representatives will meet with the European Commission's vice president and Brexit commissioner Maros Sefcovic on Friday to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol. The delegation will then hold talks with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Saturday to help mediate between Brussels and London. On Thursday, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives reiterated that Congress would not back a U.S.-Britain free trade deal if the U.K. undermines the protocol, which could be revised under a new bill set to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Trade talks. Mexico and the U.K. announced the start of negotiations on a free trade agreement. The first round of talks will occur this July in Mexico City followed by a second round in the fall. The goal is to reach a deal within two years.
Ruble rising. The Russian ruble continues to gain steam. On Friday, its value against the dollar and euro increased to the highest level since April 2018 and April 2017, respectively.
First call. The chief of Russia's General Staff and the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed the situation in Ukraine and a number of security issues during their first call since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
South China Sea construction. The Philippines has established coastguard outposts on three islands in the disputed South China Sea to monitor maritime traffic, according to coastguard officials. The move is likely to spark criticism from China, which opposes any new developments in the region.
BRICS expansion. During a virtual meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers, China's foreign minister proposed expanding BRICS membership, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, to help increase the influence of the grouping. Argentina's foreign minister, meanwhile, attended the meeting and said the country was ready for closer coordination with the organization.
Russia's western borders. Russia's defense minister announced that Moscow would establish 12 new military units and subunits in the Western Military District by the end of 2022. According to the minister, U.S. strategic aircraft flights in Europe are increasing and U.S. ships are conducting more frequent visits to the Baltic Sea.
Uranium in Uzbekistan. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan has decided to increase uranium reserves through the development of new deposits. In recent years, 14 uranium projects have been launched in the country and 27 new deposits have been discovered. Eight more sites are being developed.
Investment is key. Kazakh President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev told the country's legislature that he intends to increase investments from the European Union, the United States, China, Turkey and other countries. He said the investments are key to helping the country get out of its financial troubles.
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This day in US Military History
May 20
1943 – On Attu, fighting continues in the Clevesy Pass. Japanese forces hold the high ground and offer determined resistance to the American attacks.
1944 – A V2, on a test flight, lands near the Bug River about 80 miles east of Warsaw. Polish resistance workers hide the rocket before German forces arrive to recover it.
1944 – Forces of the US 5th Army assault the German-held Senger Line. The French Expeditionary Corps attacks Pico; the Canadian 1st Corps attacks Pontecorvo; and the Polish 2nd Corps attacks Piedimonte San Germano.
1944 – American forces have eliminated the Japanese garrison on Wadke. On the mainland, nearby, Japanese forces conduct weak attacks near Arare.
1944 – American aircraft the carriers of Task Group 58.2 (Admiral Montgomery) conduct a raid.
1945 – On Okinawa, American troops secure Chocolate Drop Hill after fighting in the interconnecting tunnels. Elements of the 1st Marine Division, part of US 3rd Amphibious Corps, capture Wana Ridge. Elements of the US 6th Marine Division, part of the same corps, begin mopping up operations in the Japanese held caves of the Horseshoe and Half Moon positions. They use flame-throwers and hollow-charge weapons and seal off some Japanese troops. Japanese forces counterattack on the Horseshoe position suffering an estimated 200 killed. To the east, the US 7th and 96th Divisions, of US 24th Corps, continue to be engaged in the capture of Yonabaru.
1945 – On Mindanao, the US 31st Division, part of US 10th Corps, advances northward and occupies positions near the town of Malaybalay and encounter Japanese artillery fire. Other units advance north of Davao and resist nighttime counterattacks.
1969 – After 10 days and 10 bloody assaults, Hill 937 in South Vietnam is finally captured by U.S. and South Vietnamese troops. The Americans who fought there cynically dubbed Hill 937 "Hamburger Hill" because the battle and its high casualty rate reminded them of a meat grinder. Located one mile east of the Laotian border, Hill 937 was ordered taken as part of Operation Apache Snow, a mission intended to limit enemy infiltration from Laos that threatened Hue to the northeast and Danang to the southeast. On May 10, following air and artillery strikes, a U.S.-led infantry force launched its first assault on the North Vietnamese stronghold but suffered a high proportion of casualties and fell back. Ten more infantry assaults came during the next 10 days, but Hill 937's North Vietnamese defenders did not give up their fortified position until May 20. Almost 100 Americans were killed and more than 400 wounded in taking the hill, amounting to a shocking 70 percent casualty rate. The same day that Hamburger Hill was finally captured, Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts called the operation "senseless and irresponsible" and attacked the military tactics of President Richard Nixon's administration. His speech before the Senate was seen as part of a growing public outcry over the U.S. military policy in Vietnam. U.S. military command had ordered Hill 937 taken primarily as a diversionary tactic, and on May 28 it was abandoned. This led to further outrage in America over what seemed a senseless loss of American lives. North Vietnamese forces eventually returned and re-fortified their original position.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*MOYER, DONALD R.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company E, 35th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Near Seoul, Korea, 20 May 1951. Entered service at: Keego Harbor, Oakland, Mich. Born: 15 April 1930, Pontiac, Mich. G.O. No.: 19, 1 February 1952. Citation: Sfc. Moyer assistant platoon leader, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations. Sfc. Moyer's platoon was committed to attack and secure commanding terrain stubbornly defended by a numerically superior hostile force emplaced in well-fortified positions. Advancing up the rocky hill, the leading elements came under intense automatic weapons, small-arms, and grenade fire, wounding the platoon leader and platoon sergeant. Sfc. Moyer, realizing the success of the mission was imperiled, rushed to the head of the faltering column, assumed command and urged the men forward. Inspired by Sfc. Moyer's unflinching courage, the troops responded magnificently, but as they reached the final approaches to the rugged crest of the hill, enemy fire increased in volume and intensity and the fanatical foe showered the platoon with grenades. Undaunted, the valiant group forged ahead, and as they neared the top of the hill, the enemy hurled a grenade into their midst. Sfc. Moyer, fully aware of the odds against him, unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion with his body. Although mortally wounded in this fearless display of valor, Sfc. Moyer's intrepid act saved several of his comrades from death or serious injury, and his inspirational leadership and consummate devotion to duty contributed significantly to the subsequent seizure of the enemy stronghold and reflect lasting glory on himself and the noble traditions of the military service.
*BELLRICHARD, LESLIE ALLEN
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry. Place and date: Kontum Province Republic of Vietnam, 20 May 1967. Entered service at: Oakland, Calif. Born: 4 December 1941, Janesville, Wis. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Acting as a fire team leader with Company C, during combat operations Pfc. Bellrichard was with 4 fellow soldiers in a foxhole on their unit's perimeter when the position came under a massive enemy attack. Following a 30-minute mortar barrage, the enemy launched a strong ground assault. Pfc. Bellrichard rose in face of a group of charging enemy soldiers and threw hand grenades into their midst, eliminating several of the foe and forcing the remainder to withdraw. Failing in their initial attack, the enemy repeated the mortar and rocket bombardment of the friendly perimeter, then once again charged against the defenders in a concerted effort to overrun the position. Pfc. Bellrichard resumed throwing hand grenades at the onrushing attackers. As he was about to hurl a grenade, a mortar round exploded just in front of his position, knocking him into the foxhole and causing him to lose his grip on the already armed grenade. Recovering instantly, Pfc. Bellrichard recognized the threat to the lives of his 4 comrades and threw himself upon the grenade, shielding his companions from the blast that followed. Although severely wounded, Pfc. Bellrichard struggled into an upright position in the foxhole and fired his rifle at the enemy until he succumbed to his wounds. His selfless heroism contributed greatly to the successful defense of the position, and he was directly responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades. His acts are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
MOLNAR, FRANKIE ZOLY
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. place and date: Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 20 May 1967. Entered service at: Fresno, Calif. Born: 14 February 1943, Logan, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Molnar distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader with Company B, during combat operations. Shortly after the battalion's defensive perimeter was established, it was hit by intense mortar fire as the prelude to a massive enemy night attack. S/Sgt. Molnar immediately left his sheltered location to insure the readiness of his squad to meet the attack. As he crawled through the position, he discovered a group of enemy soldiers closing in on his squad area. His accurate rifle fire killed 5 of the enemy and forced the remainder to flee. When the mortar fire stopped, the enemy attacked in a human wave supported by grenades, rockets, automatic weapons, and small-arms fire. After assisting to repel the first enemy assault, S/Sgt. Molnar found that his squad's ammunition and grenade supply was nearly expended. Again leaving the relative safety of his position, he crawled through intense enemy fire to secure additional ammunition and distribute it to his squad. He rejoined his men to beat back the renewed enemy onslaught, and he moved about his area providing medical aid and assisting in the evacuation of the wounded. With the help of several men, he was preparing to move a severely wounded soldier when an enemy hand grenade was thrown into the group. The first to see the grenade, S/Sgt. Molnar threw himself on it and absorbed the deadly blast to save his comrades. His demonstrated selflessness and inspirational leadership on the battlefield were a major factor in the successful defense of the American position and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Army. S/Sgt. Molnar's actions reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for May 20 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
20 May
1915: The Army accepted its first Curtiss JN-2 aircraft. It went to the 1st Aero Squadron. (21)
1926: President Calvin Coolidge signed the Air Commerce Act. It was the first federal law regulating civil aviation. (21) (24)
1927: KEY EVENT—SOLO FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC/MEDAL OF HONOR. Charles A. Lindbergh, a Captain in the Missouri National Guard's 110th Observation Squadron, landed his Ryan Monoplane, the "Spirit of St. Louis," in Paris on 21 May after the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic. He set a 3,609-mile FAI record for straight-line distance in his 33-hour 39-minute flight. For this feat, President Calvin Coolidge presented Lindbergh with a special Medal of Honor (not the "Congressional" Medal of Honor). (9) (21)
1932: Amelia Earhart flew a Wasp-powered Lockheed Vega on the first solo flight across the North Atlantic by a woman. She flew from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, to Londonderry, Ireland, in 15 hours 20 minutes. (9) 1939: Pan American Airways started the first scheduled transatlantic airmail service, using a southern route through the Azores, Portugal, and Marseilles, France. A northern route through New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Eire, and England started later on 24 June. (5) (21)
1948: A production North American P-86 Sabre, the first swept-wing jet fighter, made its first flight. (12)
1951: KOREAN WAR/FIRST JET-TO-JET ACE. In an F-86 Sabre, Capt James Jabara from the 334 FIS became the world's first jet ace by shooting down his fifth and sixth MiG-15s. (21) (24) (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Col Harrison R. Thyng, 4 FIW Commander, destroyed his fifth MiG to become the sixteenth jet ace of the war. (28)
1954: The first Matador surface-to-surface guided missile arrived in the European theater. (4)
1960: From Cape Canaveral, the USAF launched a Convair HGM-16 Atlas ICBM with a 1.5-ton payload to a target 9,040 miles away in the Indian Ocean. This feat represented the greatest distance traveled by an ICBM to date. (20) (24)
1966: The NORAD Attack Warning System (NAWS) became operational.
1970: An FB-111 launched a SRAM successfully for the first time at the White Sands Missile Range. (6)
1978: McDonnell Douglas delivered its 5,000th F-4 Phantom to the services. (8)
1983: The 18 MAS at McGuire AFB sent a C-141 with an all-female crew on a round-trip flight across the Atlantic. They became the first all-woman crew to make that flight. 2005:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched its NOAA-N spacecraft from Vandenberg AFB into a polar orbit to collect information about Earth's atmosphere and environment. The data would be used to improve weather prediction and climate research across the globe. NOAA-N also has instruments to support an international search-and-rescue program. The Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System, called COPAS-SARSAT, transmits to ground stations the location of emergency beacons from ships, aircraft and people in distress around the world. (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/main/index.html) The 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron's "Hurricane Hunters" from Keesler AFB flew their first WC-130J operational mission into a storm to gather data about Hurricane Adrian off the coast of El Salvador. Prior to this event, the 53d's crews had flown the WC-130J into storms for training and evaluation, but not to fulfill a National Hurricane Center tasking. (AFNEWS Article, "Hurricane Hunters Fly First Operational WC-130J Mission," 23 May 2005)
2003: Boeing's 777-300ER extended-range jetliner set an FAI world weight record of 774,600 pounds at takeoff, the heaviest weight ever for a twin-engine airplane. Boeing test pilot Frank Santoni and FAA pilot Eugene Arnold set the record during the airliner's FAA certification testing. The 777-300ER had General Electric 90-115B engines rated at 115,000 pounds of thrust each, the most powerful in the world. (3)
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World News for 20 May thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Aid Package In The Works To Help India Reduce Reliance On Russian Weapons Bloomberg News | 05/20/2022 The U.S. government is preparing a military aid package for India to strengthen security ties and reduce New Delhi's dependence on Russian-made weapons, reports Bloomberg News. The proposed package would include foreign military financing worth up to US$500 million, which would make India one of the largest recipients of such aid behind Egypt and Israel, said an unnamed source. The move is part of a larger initiative by the Biden administration to develop a long-term security partnership with India. Washington is working with other countries, including France, to help India move away from Russian systems. New Delhi has already started to diversify its equipment purchases, including a focus on domestic industry through the Make in India program, but the U.S. wants to accelerate the process.
USA—Anti-Ship Missiles Sought For Ukraine Reuters | 05/20/2022 The U.S. government is working on plans to send advanced anti-ship missiles to Ukraine as part of efforts to break the Russian blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, reports Reuters. Washington is considering sending Boeing Harpoon or Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs), either directly or in collaboration with European partners. The older Harpoon would require significant training, while there are few existing ground-based launcher options. There is already coastal defense configuration for the NSM, which requires around 14 days of training to operate, experts said. Both missiles cost about $1.5 million per round. There are concerns that providing such systems to Ukraine could escalate tensions with Russia.
USA—Biden Heads To S. Korea, Japan To Shore Up Indo-Pacific Ties Cable News Network | 05/20/2022 President Joe Biden arrived in South Korea on Friday as part of his first trip to Asia since taking office, reports CNN. He was scheduled to pay a visit to a Samsung semiconductor factory soon after arriving, emphasizing strong bilateral economic and trade ties. Biden has been working to reduce the reliance of American supply chains on China by increasing domestic production and seeking components elsewhere. U.S. intelligence has also indicated that North Korea may be preparing to fuel an intercontinental ballistic missile ahead of a test launch during Biden's visit. There has also been speculation that Pyongyang may be preparing another nuclear test. After a three-day stop in Seoul, Biden is scheduled to travel to Japan, where he will emphasize the role of Russia's war in Ukraine in tightening U.S. alliances. The president is also expected to roll out his administration's strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, including plans to strengthen trade ties after former President Trump blew up the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiated under the Obama administration.
USA—New Littoral Regiment Trains With Air Force In Idaho United States Marine Corps | 05/20/2022 Marines from the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR), 3rd Marine Division, recently took part in an exercise with the Air Force at U.S. National Guard Base Gowen Field, Idaho, reports the U.S. Marine Corps. The Garnet Rattler drills, which ran from April 25 to May 11, brought together Marines and Air Force personnel from the 40th Helicopter Squadron, 190th Fighter Squadron and 389th Fighter Squadron to train and qualify joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs) in a distributed and realistic training environment. The exercise was also designed to support MLR experimentation between the regiment's fire-support coordination center and elements of the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion. 3rd MLR conducted air- and ground-based fires training while employing experimental equipment. It included artillery-based fire direction, airspace control and long-range communication while working with the Air Force, officials said. The regiment sought to simulate expeditionary advanced base operations, with dispersed and low-signature locations ranging from 30 mi (50 km) to 60 miles (100 km), replicating the distances between island chains in the Pacific.
USA—Senate Passes $40 Billion Ukraine Support Bill The Hill | 05/20/2022 The U.S. Senate has passed a $40 billion bill for additional military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, reports the Hill (Washington, D.C.). The legislation exceeds the $33 billion originally requested by the White House. The package includes $9 billion to replenish supplies of U.S. weapons provided to Ukraine; $6 billion in training, equipment and other military support; $8.8 billion to fight human-trafficking in Ukraine; $5 billion in global food aid; $4.35 billion in international disaster support; and $900 million in refugee aid. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives by 368-57 earlier this month. Biden was expected to quickly sign it into law.
Russia—Checkmate Light Fighter To Enter Production In 2027 Flightglobal | 05/20/2022 Russia's Rostec state-owned technology conglomerate says that its new light fighter design will enter serial production in 2027, reports Flight Global. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Rostec chief Sergey Chemezov said that work was underway on the design documentation for the Su-75 Checkmate light fighter, with plans for serial production to begin in 2027. The report indicates a delay from a target outlined by the United Aircraft Corp. at the Dubai Air Show in November. The company said then that it wanted to launch production in 2025-2026. The design borrows onboard equipment and engines from the Su-57 Felon but reconfigured them in order to reduce costs and speed development, Chemezov said. Meanwhile, the Rostec chief said that plans called for serial production of the S-70 Okhotnik uncrewed combat air vehicle to begin next year. A prototype first flew in 2019.
Russia—New Laser Weapon Employed In Ukraine, Officials Say Tass | 05/20/2022 Senior Russian government officials say that a new laser weapon has been employed by military forces in Ukraine, reports Russia's state-run Tass news agency. On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said initial prototypes of the Zadira laser system, which is designed to shoot down drones at ranges up to 3 miles (5 km), have been deployed with Russian invasion forces in Ukraine. The system is designed to defeat drones at a lower cost than the Pantsyr and Tor air defense systems, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia's claims were part of a propaganda effort by leaders afraid of admitting their "catastrophic mistakes," reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
. Russia—Top Commanders Lose Jobs For Military Failures, British Intel Says Times Of London | 05/20/2022 Several Russian senior commanders have been fired for "poor performance" during the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, reports the Times of London, citing British intelligence. Lt. Gen. Serhiy Kisel, the commander of the elite 1st Guards Tank Army, has been suspended for failing to capture Kharkiv, according to the British Defense Ministry. Vice Adm. Igor Osipov, the Black Sea Fleet commander, is also believed to have been suspended after the cruiser Moskva was sunk by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles last month, officials said. Meanwhile, the ministry said that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of General Staff, was likely still in his post, though it was not clear if he retained the "confidence of President Putin." The ministry also said that Russia had relieved senior commanders who were considered to have performed poorly in the initial stages of the invasion. Intelligence assessed that "a culture of cover-ups and scapegoating is probably prevalent within the Russian military and security system." As a result, many officials could be "increasingly distracted by efforts to avoid personal culpability for Russia's operational setbacks," which could place additional strain on Moscow's centralized command system.
Australia—More Military Vehicles To Be Donated To Ukraine Ukrinform | 05/20/2022 Defense Minister Peter Dutton says Australia will send more armored vehicles to Ukraine, reports Ukrinform. Canberra is donating 14 M113 armored personnel carriers and another 20 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles to the Ukrainian government, Dutton said on Thursday. Australia will also send 60 pallets of medical supplies, three pallets of radiation-monitoring equipment and personal protective equipment, the defense minister said. The additional US$60.9 million in aid will bring Australia's total contribution to Ukraine to date to more than US$285 million.
Canada—Government Bans Chinese Firms From Telecom Networks Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | 05/20/2022 The Canadian government has formally announced that controversial Chinese telecom firms will be banned from participating in 5G networks, reports the CBC News. On Thursday, Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that Huawei and ZTE would be banned from Canadian telecommunication networks. Canadian firms have until June 28, 2024, to remove 5G equipment supplied by Huawei and ZTE from their networks and until Dec. 31, 2027, to remove their 4G technology, Champagne told reporters. There have been longstanding security concerns about permitting Chinese technology in advanced telecom networks. Under China's National Intelligence Law, Chinese organizations and citizens are required to support, assist and cooperate with state intelligence work.
East Timor—President Ramos-Horta Sworn In, Promises To Strengthen Ties With China South China Morning Post | 05/20/2022 East Timor has sworn in a new president, reports the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong). On Friday, Jose Ramos-Horta was inaugurated as president after winning the office in a runoff vote last month. He called for national unity between the two main political parties, which have paralyzed the small country for years, including failing to pass government budgets. Ramos-Horta also pledged to boost bilateral relations with China, while touting U.S. assistance in developing infrastructure. The president said he would continue to strengthen economic ties with the U.S. and seek to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc.
Indonesia—Palm Oil Export Ban Lifted, Local Sales Requirement Imposed Bloomberg News | 05/20/2022 The Indonesian government has lifted a ban on exports of palm oil implemented in response to market demand due to the loss of sunflower oil exports from Ukraine, reports Bloomberg News. On Thursday, President Joko Widodo announced the end of the ban, which began on April 28, citing improvements in local supplies and prices. Indonesia has struggled to control prices and ensure local palm oil supplies since December, analysts noted. Meanwhile, on Friday, Jakarta said it would reimplement a requirement for local producers to sell a portion of their output to the local market. The policy calls for producers to provide 10 million tons of palm oil for the domestic market before exporting. A similar requirement existed before the export ban was launched, said experts. The new policy would ease global cooking oil supplies somewhat, and shift sales to Malaysia, Thailand and some smaller producers, analysts said.
Jordan—King Abdullah Cracks Down On Half-Brother Jerusalem Post | 05/20/2022 Jordanian King Abdullah has implemented severe restrictions on his half-brother, former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, reports the Jerusalem Post. On Thursday, the king announced new restrictions on Hamzah's communications, residence and movements, saying he had "adopted a negative behavior" that was clear to the royal family. Hamzah was named crown prince in 1999, a position he held until Abdullah removed him in 2004. Last year, Hamzah was placed under house arrest after accusing Jordanian leaders of corruption, incompetence and harassment. The move followed an alleged coup plot against Abdullah. Two of Hamzah's friends received lengthy sentences for their alleged role in the plot. Hamzah had recently announced that he was renouncing his title of prince, saying his "personal convictions" were not aligned with the "modern methods of our institutions."
Nigeria—Military Touts Success Of Recent Ops Against Boko Haram News Agency Of Nigeria | 05/20/2022 The Nigerian military says its latest operation against militants in the northeast killed 43 terrorists, reports the News Agency of Nigeria. On Thursday, a defense ministry spokesman said another 20 Boko Haram militants had surrendered and 63 people held by the terrorist group had been freed during Operation Hadin Kai from April 28 to May 19. Another 1,627 Boko Haram fighters and their families surrendered to Nigerian forces during the first two weeks of May. A total of 53,262 militants have surrendered, said the spokesman. Separately, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of the north-central Kaduna state warned that Boko Haram had begun to move into northwestern Nigeria, reported the Premium Times (Abuja).
Poland—PM Pledges To Assist Finland, Sweden If Attacked Politico Europe | 05/20/2022 Senior Polish officials say their country is prepared to defend Finland and Sweden should they come under attack prior to becoming NATO members, reports Politico Europe. On Thursday, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki pledged during the Strategic Ark conference in Warsaw that Poland would come to the aid of the Nordic countries if they were attacked during the NATO accession process. Finland and Sweden jointly submitted their applications to join the Atlantic alliance on Wednesday. Poland joins the U.K. on committing to defend the two Nordic countries while the accession process plays out. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to help defend Finland and Sweden on May 11.
Tajikistan—Security Forces Kill 25 In Crackdown On Protests Guardian | 05/20/2022 At least 25 people were killed when Tajik security forces opened fire on a protest in the autonomous Gorno-Badakhshan region, reports the Guardian (U.K.). Several hundred residents of Khorog, the regional capital, gathered over the weekend to call for the dismissal of the governor and the release of demonstrators arrested for taking part in a November protest, in which three men were killed and 17 wounded by security forces. The demonstration continued until Wednesday, when security forces blocked the road and reportedly fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at the protesters, killing at least 25, according to witnesses. The clash marks an escalation of violence in the region, where the Tajik government has for decades repressed the Pamiri ethnic minority. The Tajik government claimed that ""members of an organized criminal group" had blocked the highway "in order to destabilize the social and political situation." The authorities further claimed that arms and support from foreign terrorist organizations were entering the region from Afghanistan and China. Activists said that their protests were peaceful and accused the government of branding demonstrators as "terrorists" to justify shooting them.
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