The List 6160 TGB
Good Friday Morning July 15.
I hope that you all have a great weekend.
Regards,
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
July 15
1862
While CSS Arkansas makes her way down the Yazoo River, she encounters the Union gunboats USS Carondelet, USS Tyler, and USS Queen of the West. In the ensuing battle, CSS Arkansas damages the first two vessels and makes her way into the Mississippi River, where she boldly fights through the Federal fleet to find refuge at the Confederate batteries at Vicksburg, Miss.
1896
USS Oregon (BB 3) is commissioned.
1942
USS Grunion (SS 216) sinks the Japanese submarine chasers (25 and 26) off Kiska, Aleutian Islands.
1942
USS Terror (CM 5), the first minelayer built as such, is commissioned. During World War II she participates in Operation Torch, the Battle for Iwo Jima, and the Okinawa Invasion, where she is struck by a kamikaze on May 1, 1945.
1943
TBF aircraft from (VC 29) from USS Santee (CVE 29) sinks German submarine (U 509) south of the Azores.
1943
PBY (VP 92) and British destroyer HMS Rochester and frigates HMS Mignonette and HMS Balsam sink German submarine (U 135) west of the Canary Islands. Previously, (U 135) sank 3 and damaged 1 Allied vessels, none from the United States.
2017
The guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113) is commissioned in a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The ship honors Chief Aviation Ordnanceman John Finn, who received the Medal of Honor for heroism during the first attack by Japanese airplanes at Pearl Harbor.
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Today in History July 15
1099 Jerusalem falls to the Crusaders.
1410 Poles and Lithuanians defeat the Teutonic knights at Tannenberg, Prussia.
1685 The Duke of Monmouth is executed in Tower Hill in England.
1789 The electors of Paris set up a "Commune" to live without the authority of the government.
1806 Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins his western expedition from Fort Belle Fontaine.
1813 Napoleon Bonaparte's representatives meet with the Allies in Prague to discuss peace terms.
1834 Lord Napier of England arrives at Macao, China, as the first chief superintendent of trade.
1863 Confederate raider Bill Anderson and his Bushwhackers attack Huntsville, Missouri, stealing $45,000 from the local bank.
1895 Ex-prime minister of Bulgaria, Stepfan Stambolov, is murdered by Macedonian rebels.
1901 Over 74,000 Pittsburgh steel workers go on strike.
1942 The first supply flight from India to China over the 'Hump' is flown.
1958 President Dwight Eisenhower sends 5,000 Marines to Lebanon to keep the peace.
1960 John F. Kennedy accepts the Democratic nomination for president.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Thanks to THE BEAR
… For The List for Friday, 15 July 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 15 July 1967… Short night, short story…
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.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War
. Listed by last name and has other info
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Thanks to P'Nuts and Jack
One week from today
Subject: Tailhook Ready Room Happy Hour
July Happy Hour -
Tailhook Ready Room
Our next Happy Hour will be held on
Friday, July 22, 2022. Time: 1700 to 1900 at the MCAS Miramar Officers' Club. You will need a Military I.D. to attend this event/enter the base.
Per normal, we will be collecting $25 per head for a couple of cold ones and some delicious appetizers! As always, bring the in-laws, out-laws, significant others, homeless fighter pilots, black shoes, rotor-heads, Republicans, Democrats (be fair minded), Intel Weenies, people that think "TOPGUN" was a documentary and that "TOPGUN MAVERICK" is the best movie ever made!!! Really, bring a Shipmate that does not normally attend. Sea stories are like fine wine, they get better with age! Look forward to seeing you all there!
Tailhook Educational Foundation: At each Ready Room event, if you are philanthropically inclined, please consider donating any "spare change". We will have a jar at check in for donations. This money will go to the Educational Foundation donated by you, the San Diego Ready Room. ...thanks!
Best,
Jack "Damien" Schuller
Mike "P-Nuts" Borich
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: The Storm Rages
Thoughts in and around politics
By: George Friedman
July 15, 2022
In my most recent book, "The Storm Before the Calm," I predicted that the 2020s would be a period of intense economic and political unrest in the United States that would wind down toward the end of the decade. I wrote that the U.S. undergoes political cycles every 50 years, and that the crisis period at the end of the last cycle in the 1970s resolved itself in the early 1980s. I want to take this opportunity to benchmark where we are going by comparing it to the 1970s.
The United States was in economic crisis. Inflation was rising, so President Richard Nixon declared a freeze on prices and salaries early in the decade. In 1973, a war broke out between Israel and the Arab world. The U.S. sided with Israel, so the Arabs imposed an oil embargo. This created a massive oil shortage and inflation across the board. The early period also included culture wars. The Vietnam War created what was called the generation gap that manifested itself in the counter-culture. Counter-culture was guided by the writing of Herbert Marcuse (I wrote my doctoral dissertation largely on him) who had with others developed something called critical theory, a progenitor of critical race theory. Marcuse and others argued that the United States was racked by false consciousness, that people didn't understand the destructiveness of the material and the corporate. Universities became the center of movements designed to change American values and beliefs. One of the key beliefs was sexual liberation. Racial riots and assassinations racked the country. As we moved to the middle of the decade, the underlying problems were unemployment, inflation and staggeringly high interest rates.
That era is eerily similar to our present one. The Ukraine war has helped trigger massive inflation, and we are nearing a period of high interest rates. Unemployment will likely replace the current labor shortage. The COVID-19 pandemic certainly played an important role in our current woes, but I'd argue not the defining role.
Politically, a president in the 1970s was forced from office because of criminal activity. The case of Donald Trump is different, of course, but the resulting division is similar. A large part of America believed that Nixon was destroyed by the liberal media. Others said he destroyed himself. Oliver Stone made a movie about it.
The anger between cultures was intense. I remember driving through North Carolina, stopping at a 7-11 for some beer to keep me awake. The cashier looked at me and called me a "hippie degenerate punk." I was heading to Fort Bragg for God's sakes; I might have been a degenerate and a punk, but not a hippie. Another time I met a young lady who told me that Nixon was Hitler. I demurred. She called me a monster. I foolishly said that he was only a part-time monster. Bad move in a bad time.
Nixon gave rise to Gerald Ford, who in my mind was Joe Biden in terms of effectiveness if not ideology. Then came Jimmy Carter, who represented all of the traits of the dying cycle. Amid raging inflation, he forced a tax cut for the middle class and a tax increase for the wealthy. This played to the moral position of Franklin Roosevelt but increased demand and prices, decreasing capital for investment, just as Japan was breaking into the U.S. auto industry.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected, and regardless of whether you like him, he ushered in a new era, not because he was responsible for it but because the election cleared the table for it.
In other words, Nixon was replaced by Ford, who could not get control. Ford was replaced by Carter, who tried to create some version of the New Deal. Far from being foolish, they were simply trapped in an old cycle that couldn't see beyond. For our current cycle, Biden is Ford, and in a couple of years, a new Carter will be elected. The Carter of our time will be someone who can't see that the Reagan era is over, and that something new will come. Like Carter, whoever is elected will make the situation worse. Then in 2028, a new era will begin.
So where are we now? The culture wars are raging but starting to wear thin. There is a massive economic crisis built around a war, inflation and surging interest rates. There is no solution apparent, and general internal hostility is boiling. We have at least six years to reach a resolution. Until then, we await a Jimmy Carter who deeply believes that the solutions of 50 years ago will work now.
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Thanks to Brett
The Epoch Times: US Military Can't Fulfill National Defense Strategy Because of Force Cuts: Experts
The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, U.S., March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Military
US Military Can't Fulfill National Defense Strategy Because of Force Cuts: Experts
By Andrew Thornebrooke
July 14, 2022
The U.S. military isn't able to fully realize the demands of the National Defense Strategy because of years of force cuts and a failure to modernize its arsenal, according to experts.
"There's a huge gap between what the national defense strategy requires that the Navy, the Air Force, the Army, and the Marine Corps [provide] and what they can actually provide today," said Mark Gunzinger, director of future concepts and capability assessments at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. "That's the product of three decades worth of force cuts and delayed modernization."
To make up for that fact and to prepare for a possible conflict with China, the United States may need to consider increasing its use of cheaper, unmanned systems in an effort to augment its more expensive assets, Gunzinger said. Particularly so, given that U.S. officials have warned that China's communist regime could launch an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.
"How do you make up that gap and in the time frame we're talking about?" he said. "A big part of the answer in unmanned systems."
Many US Systems Not Mission Capable
Gunzinger delivered the remarks during a July 12 roundtable on the issue of U.S. air and naval forces development hosted by the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.
The group of experts discussed how unmanned systems could boost the survivability and warfighting capacity of U.S. military units in the Pacific, even as the military contends with sluggish readiness levels.
One such sign of dwindling military readiness discussed is a decade-long decrease in mission-capable systems, a trend most pronounced in the Navy and Marine Corps, which would be responsible for most of the fighting in the event of a conflict with China.
In perhaps the most jarring example of decreasing readiness, roughly 50 percent of the military's F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets were considered to not be mission capable, according to Diana Maurer, director of defense capabilities and management at the Government Accountability Office.
"When half of your aircraft are not able to get up in the air to perform a single mission, that really blunts the ability to carry out some of the operations that the Navy and others would like to perform," she said. "That's a concern."
Maurer said there were similar concerns with a number of vessels typically used to launch such aircraft and that the backlog and delays for routine maintenance on naval vessels were negatively affecting the military in profound ways.
To that end, she said the various service branches would need to do more to overcome "institutional bias" and integrate with one another in order to be capable of seizing the advantage in a Pacific conflict.
"They're going to have to work together in a much more integrated, much more seamless way to make that possible," Maurer said.
US Forces Not Ready for China Conflict
Overall, the United States would need to do much to regain the high ground against China in the Pacific, according to Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.
"The main challenge we're facing is the missile threat posed by China," Clark said. "Fundamentally, China has the ability to reach out thousands of miles away from its coast and threaten carrier strike groups … with a large number of precision strike weapons."
As such, he said, U.S. forces would likely need to operate in a highly constrained environment, 1,000 to 1,500 nautical miles away from the Chinese coastline in order to be effective. Even then, however, it would face its biggest challenge in Chinese aircraft with large salvos of cruise missiles and bombs.
Clark and his Hudson Institute colleague, Timothy Walton, co-authored a report (pdf) on the issue earlier in the year. In that document, they made the case that the Navy and Marine Corps should opt to field more F-18s and fewer costly F-35s.
The F-35's operational advantages would be effectively nullified given the distance they would have to be stationed away from Chinese forces, the authors said. The United States could make up the difference much more efficiently through distributed counter-air operations that relied on more drones and layered short-range air defenses, they said.
Such may not be the direction the Navy has in mind, however.
"Our engagement with the Navy showed that they were thinking of getting longer-range weapons to try to deal with the challenge," Clark said. "Fundamentally, they're constrained by the fact that their future attack aircraft portfolio is F-35s and F-18s, they don't have a more penetrating aircraft on the horizon."
To that end, Clark said physically larger missiles also meant reducing salvo sizes and that the strategy might not be affordable at scale. As such, his and Walton's report suggested overhauling U.S. aircraft carriers to focus solely on strike capabilities while transferring other operation capacities to land and space assets.
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This Day in U S Military History…….July 15
1941 – Master spy Juan Pujol Garcia, nicknamed "Garbo," sends his first communique to Germany from Britain. The question was: Who was he spying for? Juan Garcia, a Spaniard, ran an elaborate multiethnic spy network that included a Dutch airline steward, a British censor for the Ministry of Information, a Cabinet office clerk, a U.S. soldier in England, and a Welshman sympathetic to fascism. All were engaged in gathering secret information on the British-Allied war effort, which was then transmitted back to Berlin. Garcia was in the pay of the Nazis. The Germans knew him as "Arabel," whereas the English knew him as Garbo. The English knew a lot more about him, in fact, than the Germans, as Garcia was a British double agent. None of Garcia's spies were real, and the disinformation he transmitted to Germany was fabricated-phony military "secrets" that the British wanted planted with the Germans to divert them from genuine military preparations and plans. Among the most effective of Garcia's deceptions took place in June 1944, when he managed to convince Hitler that the D-Day invasion of Normandy was just a "diversionary maneuver designed to draw off enemy reserves in order to make a decisive attack in another place"-playing right into the mindset of German intelligence, which had already suspected that this might be the case. (Of course, it wasn't.) Among the "agents" that Garcia employed in gathering this "intelligence" was Donny, leader of the World Aryan Order; Dick, an "Indian fanatic"; and Dorick, a civilian who lived at a North Sea port. All these men were inventions of Garcia's imagination, but they leant authenticity to his reports back to Berlin–so much so that Hitler, while visiting occupied France, awarded Garcia the Iron Cross for his service to the fatherland. That same year, 1944, Garcia received his true reward, the title of MBE-Member of the British Empire–for his service to the England and the Allied cause. This ingenious Spaniard had proved to be one of the Allies' most successful counterintelligence tools.
1942 – The first supply flight from India to China over the 'Hump' was flown to help China's war effort.
1943 – General Griswold replaces General Hester in command of operation in New Georgia. There is an air battle over Rendova in which the Americans lose 3 aircraft and claim to shoot down more than 40 Japanese planes.
1945 – American naval vessels bombard Muroran, the second biggest steel center in Japan, lying in Volcano Bay on the east side of the island of Hokkaido. Three battleships bombarded the Muroran and some 1000 carrier planes bombed the cities of Hakodati, Otaru, Abashiri, Kushiro, Asahigawa and Obihiro, all on Hokkaido.
1945 – American B-29 Superfortress bombers, based in the Marianna Islands, raided an oil refinery at Kudamatsu on Honshu Island while fighters and bombers from Okinawa attacked objectives on Kyushu and southern Honshu.
1950 – F-80s accounted for 85 percent of the enemy's losses to air attack. Far East Air Forces Commander, Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer, stated that he wouldn't trade the F-80 for all the F-47s and F-51s he could get. "It does a wonderful job in ground support and can take care of the top-side job if enemy jets appear."
1953 – U.S. Air Force Captain James Jabara, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, qualified as the second and last "triple ace" of the war — 15 kills. He also was the second ranking jet ace of the war.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
MORRISON, JOHN G.
Rank and organization: Coxswain, U.S. Navy. Entered service at: Lansingburg, N.Y. Born: 3 November 1842, Ireland G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Serving as coxswain on board the U.S.S. Carondelet, Morrison was commended for meritorious conduct in general and especially for his heroic conduct and his inspiring example to the crew in the engagement with the rebel ram Arkansas, Yazoo River, 15 July 1862. When the Carondelet was badly cut up, several of her crew killed, many wounded and others almost suffocated from the effects of escaped steam, Morrison was the leader when boarders were called on deck, and the first to return to the guns and give the ram a broadside as she passed. His presence of mind in time of battle or trial is reported as always conspicuous and encouraging.
ROBINSON, THOMAS
Rank and organizarion: Captain of the Afterguard, U.S. Navy. Born: 17 May 1837, Norway. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 77, 1 August 1866. Citation: For heroic efforts to save from drowning Wellington Brocar, landsman, of the Tallapoosa, off New Orleans, 15 July 1866.
BUCHANAN, DAVID M.
Rank and organization: Apprentice, U.S. Navy. Born: 1862, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 246, 22 July 1879. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Saratoga off Battery, New York Harbor, 15 July 1879. On the morning of this date, Robert Lee Robey, apprentice, fell overboard from the after part of the ship into the tide which was running strong ebb at the time and, not being an expert swimmer, was in danger of drowning. Instantly springing over the rail after him, Buchanan never hesitated for an instant to remove even a portion of his clothing. Both men were picked up by the ship's boat following this act of heroism.
HAYDEN, JOHN
Rank and organization: Apprentice, U.S. Navy. Born: 1863, Washington, D.C. Accredited to: Washington, D.C. G.O. No.: 246, 22 July 1879. Citation: On board the U.S. Training Ship Saratoga. On the morning of 15 July 1879, while the Saratoga was anchored off the Battery, in New York Harbor, R. L. Robey, apprentice, fell overboard. As the tide was running strong ebb, the man, not being an expert swimmer, was in danger of drowning. David M. Buchanan, apprentice, instantly, without removing any of his clothing, jumped after him. Stripping himself, Hayden stood coolly watching the 2 in the water, and when he thought his services were required, made a dive from the rail and came up alongside them and rendered assistance until all 3 were picked up by a boat from the ship.
HAYS, GEORGE PRICE
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army 10th Field Artillery, 3d Division. Place and date: Near Greves Farm, France, 14-15 July 1918. Entered service at: Okarche, Oklahoma. Born: 27 September 1892, China. G.O. No.: 34, W.D., 1919. Citation: At the very outset of the unprecedented artillery bombardment by the enemy, his line of communication was destroyed beyond repair. Despite the hazard attached to the mission of runner, he immediately set out to establish contact with the neighboring post of command and further establish liaison with 2 French batteries, visiting their position so frequently that he was mainly responsible for the accurate fire therefrom. While thus engaged, 7 horses were shot under him and he was severely wounded. His activity under most severe fire was an important factor in checking the advance of the enemy.
Another Nise
*OTANI, KAZUO
Staff Sergeant Kazuo Otani distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 15 July 1944, near Pieve Di S. Luce, Italy. Advancing to attack a hill objective, Staff Sergeant Otani's platoon became pinned down in a wheat field by concentrated fire from enemy machine gun and sniper positions. Realizing the danger confronting his platoon, Staff Sergeant Otani left his cover and shot and killed a sniper who was firing with deadly effect upon the platoon. Followed by a steady stream of machine gun bullets, Staff Sergeant Otani then dashed across the open wheat field toward the foot of a cliff, and directed his men to crawl to the cover of the cliff. When the movement of the platoon drew heavy enemy fire, he dashed along the cliff toward the left flank, exposing himself to enemy fire. By attracting the attention of the enemy, he enabled the men closest to the cliff to reach cover. Organizing these men to guard against possible enemy counterattack, Staff Sergeant Otani again made his way across the open field, shouting instructions to the stranded men while continuing to draw enemy fire. Reaching the rear of the platoon position, he took partial cover in a shallow ditch and directed covering fire for the men who had begun to move forward. At this point, one of his men became seriously wounded. Ordering his men to remain under cover, Staff Sergeant Otani crawled to the wounded soldier who was lying on open ground in full view of the enemy. Dragging the wounded soldier to a shallow ditch, Staff Sergeant Otani proceeded to render first aid treatment, but was mortally wounded by machine gun fire. Staff Sergeant Otani's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 15, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
15 July
1920: KEY EVENT. Capt St. Clair Street led a flight of four DH-4s from Mitchel Field, New York, to Nome, Alaska, and back to Mitchel Field, covering 8,690 miles in 110 flying hours. (U.S. Air Service, "To Nome and Back," Clifford A. Tinker, Vol 3, No. 5) 1925: Dr. A. Hamilton Rice's Expedition, with Lt Walter Hinton piloting the Curtiss Seagull plane, returned from the Amazon after discovering the headwaters of the Amazon River. Rice's expedition was the first to use a plane for exploring. (24)
1933: Through 22 July, Wiley Post completed the first solo global flight in a Lockheed Vega, the "Winnie Mae." He flew the 15,596 miles in 7 days 18 hours 49 minutes at an average speed of 134.5 MPH. (9) (20)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The 51 FS (Provisional) at Taegu flew the first F-51 Mustang combat missions in Korea. Fifth Air Force assigned the "Mosquito" call signs to airborne controllers in T-6 aircraft. This name later became the aircraft's identifier. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew approximately 175 sorties against the Sungho-ri cement plant and a nearby locomotive repair facility. (28)
1954: The first jet-powered transport built in the US, the Boeing 707, the prototype for the KC-135 Stratotanker and the commercial Stratoliner, underwent flight testing near Seattle. (16) (24)
1958: Operation BLUE BAT. After the Iraqi government fell, tensions increased in Lebanon. This strain led Lebanon's President to seek US security assistance. TAC dispatched its Composite Air Strike Force BRAVO to the Middle East in 12 hours. By the 8 September end of the crisis, MATS aircraft had moved 5,500 passengers and 5,500 tons of cargo in 314 missions to support the strike force. (2) (24) 1961: The 341 SMW activated at Malmstrom AFB as SAC's first silo-based Minuteman wing. (1) (6)
1965: The Air Force awarded the first Minuteman III R&D contract to Boeing. (6)
1968: Commercial air service between the US and USSR began when an Ilyushin-62 aircraft of the Soviet flag carrier Aeroflot left Moscow. The aircraft landed at Kennedy IAP on 16 July after a 13-hour, 17-minute flight via Montreal. Pan American World Airways, the US flag carrier, flew two Boeing 707s from New York on 16 July to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport via Copenhagen.
1970: Deputy SECDEF David Packard approved the Subsonic Cruise Aircraft Decoy (SCAD) for development. (6)
1973: LAST SEA COMBAT MISSION/VIETNAM SUMMARY. All US bombing in Cambodia ended after eight years of conventional operations in SEA. An A-7D from 354 TFW flew the last combat mission in SEA. Altogether, the USAF flew 5.25 million sorties over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, northern and southern Laos, and Cambodia. The USAF lost 2,251 planes—1,737 to hostile action and 514 for operational reasons—at a cost of $3,129,948,000. During the Vietnam War, tactical or intratheater airlift carried 7 million tons of passengers and cargo between 1962-1973. The Air Force Reserve made valuable contributions to strategic airlift operation. By October 1972, reserve aircrews had made 1,294 trips to Vietnam, delivering 30,434 tons of cargo and 3,600 personnel. Between 1964 and mid-August 1973, air rescue operations in Southeast Asia saved 3,883 lives. And from 9 June 1964 through 15 August 1973, KC-135s flew 194,687 sorties to supply 8,964 million pounds of fuel during 813,878 refuelings. They also routinely airlifted people, equipment, and aircraft parts between the US, forward bases, and bases in the Far East and Southeast Asia. (16) (26)
1975: Apollo XVIII. Astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald "Deke" Slayton launched from Cape Canaveral to meet up with the Soyuz 19 cosmonauts. Mr. Slayton, at 51, became the oldest man to fly in space. He was also one of the original seven astronauts. This Apollo mission, when it ended on 24 July, was the last US manned space mission until the first space shuttle launch in 1981. (8: Jul 90)
1976: Mather AFB started interservice navigator training for Navy and Marine personnel. (16) (26)
1981: The first TR-1, a high-altitude tactical reconnaissance aircraft rolled out at Lockheed's plant in Palmdale. (12)
1982: SAC launched its 1,500 missile from Vandenberg AFB. (16) (26)
1985: Exercise READEX 85-2. Two B-52s from the 42 BMW simulated Harpoon launches as part of this US Atlantic Command exercise. The event marked the first Full Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) of the Harpoon anti-ship missile. (16) (26)
1998: Raytheon Aircraft Company's first T-6A Texan II aircraft, or the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS), successfully completed its initial flight at Wichita, Kan. To meet Air Force and Navy primary aircraft training needs, the DoD decided to buy 740 T-6A aircraft, along with the accompanying JPATS Ground Based Training System. (AFNEWS Article 981039, 17 Jul 98)
2000: Whiteman AFB received the final B-2A from Northrop Grumman. It was the first test vehicle (AV-1 or Tail No. 82-1066), named Fatal Beauty. With its assignment to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, the aircraft received a new name, Spirit of America. (21)
2002: The first production C-17 (P-86), fitted with the Block 13 software upgrade, arrived at McChord AFB. The Block 13 upgrade included a state-of-the-art Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS) and improved Station Keeping Equipment (SKE). The TAWS featured a terrain map to help aircrews detect and avoid terrain, while the upgraded SKE had a multi-functional display that enabled 18 aircraft to fly in formation within 10 nautical miles and up to 100 aircraft to fly in formation within 100 nautical miles. The new SKEs also allowed C-17 aircrews to perform formation airdrops in nearly all types of weather. (22)
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World News for 15 July thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Navy Announces Pitch Challenge For Tank Inspection Technology U.S. Navy | 07/15/2022 The U.S. Navy and National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) are holding a pitch challenge for researchers and inventors to show off autonomous tank inspection technologies, reports the service. The Navy noted that it faces challenges from aging land-based bulk water and fuel storage as well as the complexity of shipboard tanks and voids. The service said it spends about $8 billion annually fighting corrosion on ships, aircraft and other military vehicles. The goal is to reduce corrosion repair costs and free up funding for research and development for combat capabilities. Finalist participants in the challenge will receive nearly $500,000 in awards. The first-place recipient would receive $200,000 and the second-place recipient, $50,000. All other finalists would receive $10,000 in travel costs reimbursement. Applications are due by Aug. 1, with the finalists to be announced on Aug. 8.
USA—U-2 Flies Last OBC Mission From Beale AFB Air Force News Service | 07/15/2022 Beale Air Force Base, Calif., has hosted its final Optical Bar Camera (OBC) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission, reports the Air Force News Service. The OBC mission, which captures high-altitude photographs in daylight, is moving to forward operating locations overseen by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA). This permits film processors to consolidate film closer to collection, the service said in a release. The final mission was flown by the U-2 Dragon Lady high-altitude, all-weather reconnaissance aircraft. The U-2 conducted its first OBC mission from Beale in 1974. The Dragon Lady retains the ability to perform OBC missions around the world, said Air Force officials.
Ukraine—23 Killed In Russian Missile Strikes In Vinnytsia Washington Post | 07/15/2022 At least 23 people have been killed in a Russian cruise missile strikes in Vinnytsia in central Ukraine, reports the Washington Post. On Thursday, a Russian submarine in the Black Sea launched four cruise missiles at the city. Two were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses and two hit a business complex in Vinnytsia. National Police Chief Ihor Klymenko said on Friday that 183 civilians were injured in the strikes, 82 of whom were hospitalized. Another eight people were missing. At least three children were killed, reported Interfax-Ukraine. On Friday, Vitaliy Kim, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, said that 31 Russian missiles had struck the region, including five that hit the University of Shipbuilding and four that struck the Pedagogical University in the city of Mykolaiv. Kim said that Russia used S-300 air defense missiles in the attacks.
India—I2U2 Forum Announces Major Food Security, Green Energy Projects Times of Israel | 07/15/2022 The leaders of India, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the U.S. met virtually for the first time in the I2U2 format, reports the Times of Israel. Following the closed-door talks, U.S. President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed and Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi announced plans to cooperate and jointly invest in water, energy, transportation, space, health and food security. The four countries will employ their private sectors to advance low carbon development; improve public health and access to vaccines; jointly create new solutions for waste treatment; and promote the development of green technologies, the leaders said in a joint release. The I2U2 also announced two major projects following the talks. In the first, the U.A.E. will invest US$2 billion in food parks across India that incorporate green technologies to reduce food waste, conserve fresh water and employ renewable energy sources. The second project is a hybrid renewable energy project in India's western Gujarat state consisting of 300 MW of wind and solar capacity supplemented by a battery energy storage system. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency already funded a US$330 million feasibility study for the project. The leaders said the programs are the start of a "long-term strategic partnership" that will "improve the movement of people and goods across hemispheres and increase sustainability."
Italy—President Rejects PM's Resignation The Local | 07/15/2022 President Sergio Mattarella has rejected Prime Minister Mario Draghi's resignation, reports the Local (Italy). Draghi tendered his after the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) party abstained from a vote on a 23 billion euro (US$23.1 billion) aid package designed to help Italians deal with rising energy costs and inflation. The prime minister, who was appointed in 2021 to guide Italy through the COVID-19 crisis, previously said he would not lead a government that did not include the M5S. A presidential spokesman said that Mattarella had asked Draghi to address the Senate instead to resolve disputes within the ruling coalition, reported CNN. Analysts said that the move by M5S was likely intended to drum up grassroots support ahead of elections next year amid declining fortunes due to policy U-turns and infighting. Several parties expressed support for the president's decision, calling Draghi vital for Italy at this time. The leaders of the far-right League and Brothers of Italy parties called for "immediate elections."
Mozambique—SADC Extends Deployment Of Troops Fighting Militants In North Bloomberg News | 07/15/2022 The Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional organization has provisionally approved an extension of its military mission in Mozambique, reports Bloomberg News. The SADC deployed troops to Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province in 2021 to help local forces fight the ISIS-linked Ansar Sunnah militant group. The extension is provisional until a meeting of the SADC heads of state on Aug. 17-18. The SADC forces and a contingent of Rwandan troops have helped Mozambique drive back the militants and destroy many of their bases, although the group continues to conduct raids in the region.
Nigeria—14,500 Killed In Terrorist, Bandit Attacks In 4.5 Years, Says Outgoing ECOWAS Chief This Day | 07/15/2022 At least 14,500 people have been killed in bandit and terrorist attacks in West Africa in the last 4.5 years, according to the outgoing president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, the executive body of the regional organization, as reported by This Day (Lagos). Jean-Claude Kassi Brou of Ivory Coast is stepping down as president of the ECOWAS Commission after completing his four-year term. He is succeeded by Omar Alieu Touray of Gambia. Brou will become the new governor of the West African bank, the newspaper said. Another 5.5 million people have been displaced by the violence and need humanitarian assistance, Brou said, noting that ECOWAS was providing aid for many of them. The countries in the region were implementing an action plan to fight terrorism but it would require sustained commitment, including financial support from member states, to achieve long-term results, he said. Brou noted a "deepening of the democratic culture" in the region, with 11 countries conducting peaceful elections during his tenure but lamented the "unconstitutional changes of powers" in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali. ECOWAS member states were working with transitional authorities in the three countries to support their return to constitutional order and full membership in the regional organization. New ECOWAS President Touray urged member states to support the organization's regional stability efforts by keeping up with their dues and adhering to ECOWAS protocols.
Togo— Military Takes Responsibility For Strike That Killed Civilians Agence France-Presse | 07/15/2022 The Togolese military says it was behind an airstrike that killed civilians in the northern Tone prefecture earlier this month, reports Agence-France Presse. An explosion on July 9 in Tone, near the border with Burkina Faso, killed seven civilians and injured two others. On Thursday, Gen. Dadja Maganawe, the chief of staff of the Togolese armed forces, said that commanders had received intelligence of "infiltration by armed gangs wanting to conduct terrorist attacks" and had stepped up air and ground patrols in the area in response. During a night patrol, a military aircraft mistook a group of civilians for jihadists and attacked, the general said. Maganawe said that the military would do everything possible to prevent such incidents in the future. Togo has been strengthening its defenses in the north in an effort to head off the spillover of Islamist violence from Burkina Faso and the Sahel region.
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