To All
Good Thursday Morning June 29, 2023.
I hope that your week has been going well.
Regards,
Skip
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On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History
June 29
1860
The steamer USS Mystic, commanded by William E. LeRoy, captures the slaver, Thomas Achorn at Kabenda, Africa and sends her to New York.
1862
During the Civil War, the steam sloop USS Susquehanna, commanded by Cmdr. R.B. Hitchcock, captures the blockade-running British steamer HMS Anna near Mobile, Ala.
1871
Capt. Charles F. Hall's arctic expedition sails from New York on USS Polaris. Aiming for the North Pole, USS Polaris reaches 82X 11 N, 61X W. latitude, then the furthest point north reached by a vessel.
1950
USS Juneau (CLAA 119) and USS De Haven (DD 727) fire the first naval shore bombardment of the Korean War in the vicinity of Samchock, Korea.
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Today in World History: June 29
1236 Ferdinand III of Castile and Leon take Cordoba in Spain.
1652 Massachusetts declares itself an independent commonwealth.
1767 The British parliament passes the Townshend Revenue Act, levying taxes on America.
1862 Union forces, falling back from Richmond, fight at the Battle of Savage's Station.
1880 France annexes Tahiti.
1888 Professor Frederick Treves performs the first appendectomy in England.
1903 The British government officially protests Belgian atrocities in the Congo.
1905 Russian troops intervene as riots erupt in ports all over the country, leaving many ships looted.
1917 The Ukraine proclaims independence from Russia.
1925 An earthquake ravages Santa Barbara, California.
1926 Fascists in Rome add an hour to the work day in an economic efficiency measure.
1932 Siam's army seizes Bangkok and announces an end to the absolute monarchy.
1938 Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, and Olympic National Park, Washington, are founded.
1950 President Harry S. Truman authorizes a sea blockade of Korea.
1951 The United States invites the Soviet Union to the Korean peace talks on a ship in Wonsan Harbor.
1955 The Soviet Union sends tanks to Poznan, Poland, to put down anti-Communist demonstrations.
1966 The U.S. Air Force bombs fuel storage facilities near Hanoi, North Vietnam.
1967 Israel removes barricades, re-unifying Jerusalem.
1970 U.S. troops pull out of Cambodia.
1982 Israel invades Lebanon.
On June 29, 1995, the American space shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir to form the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth.
Many of you remember Hoot Gibson from Miramar. The last time I saw him was by the Hangers and we had parked next to each other as both of us had 1965 Porsch SC He was on his way to astronaut training. He had quite few interesting missions and was the first one to take the Shuttle back into orbit after the Disaster. He also made the news after dead sticking his P-51 at the Reno Äir races when the engine quit. He said it was easier than landing the Shuttle….skip
This historic moment of cooperation between former rival space programs was also the 100th human space mission in American history. At the time, Daniel Goldin, chief of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), called it the beginning of "a new era of friendship and cooperation" between the U.S. and Russia. With millions of viewers watching on television, Atlantis blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in eastern Florida on June 27, 1995.
The Space Race
Just after 6 a.m. on June 29, Atlantis and its seven crew members approached Mir as both crafts orbited the Earth some 245 miles above Central Asia, near the Russian-Mongolian border. When they spotted the shuttle, the three cosmonauts on Mir broadcast Russian folk songs to Atlantis to welcome them. Over the next two hours, the shuttle's commander, Robert "Hoot" Gibson expertly maneuvered his craft towards the space station. To make the docking, Gibson had to steer the 100-ton shuttle to within three inches of Mir at a closing rate of no more than one foot every 10 seconds.
The docking went perfectly and was completed at 8 a.m., just two seconds off the targeted arrival time and using 200 pounds less fuel than had been anticipated. Combined, Atlantis and the 123-ton Mir formed the largest spacecraft ever in orbit. It was only the second time ships from two countries had linked up in space; the first was in June 1975, when an American Apollo capsule and a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft briefly joined in orbit.
Once the docking was completed, Gibson and Mir's commander, Vladimir Dezhurov, greeted each other by clasping hands in a victorious celebration of the historic moment. A formal exchange of gifts followed, with the Atlantis crew bringing chocolate, fruit and flowers and the Mir cosmonauts offering traditional Russian welcoming gifts of bread and salt. Atlantis remained docked with Mir for five days before returning to Earth, leaving two fresh Russian cosmonauts on the space station. The three veteran Mir crew members returned with the shuttle, including two Russians and Norman Thagard, a U.S. astronaut who rode a Russian rocket to the space station in mid-March 1995 and spent over 100 days in space, a U.S. endurance record. NASA's Shuttle-Mir program continued for 11 missions and was a crucial step towards the construction of the International Space Station now in orbit.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
Skip… For The List for Thursday, 29 June 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 29 June 1968…
Remembering a great warrior: Colonel Jim Kasler… THREE awards of the AFC…
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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A repeat from a few years ago
, https://www.history.navy.mil/ is still the way to access all he H-Grams and many other Navy items from NHHC (Navy History and Heritage Command)
Go to the director's corner and then get access to all 78 H-Grams…skip
Another great H-Gram from Admiral Cox and the Naval History and Heritage Command
H-Gram 050: 70th Anniversary of the Korean War—The Initial Naval Actions
25 June 2020
This H-gram covers the first two month of naval action in the Korean War, which started on 25 June 1950. Sometimes referred to as the "Forgotten War," I plan to give it pretty thorough treatment because some of the amazing U.S. Navy action has indeed largely been forgotten.
Before dawn on Sunday morning, 25 June 1950, Communist North Korea launched a massive surprise attack across the border into South Korea, smashing through the inadequate South Korean defenses. Within three days, the North Korean People's Army (NKPA) had captured the South Korean capital of Seoul and kept on going south, with little to stop it, while also overrunning the airfields that might have been of use to the U.S. Air Force. The attack not only took the South Koreans by surprise, it caught the United States unprepared for war.
To the extent that the United States was planning for war in 1950, it was almost exclusively focused on a potential Soviet invasion of Europe, which was to be deterred or won (on the cheap, relatively) by U.S. Air Force intercontinental bombers armed with atomic bombs. The U.S. Navy had repeatedly lost the budget and service roles and missions battles of the late 1940s; the size, capability, and readiness of the Navy was a pale shadow of what it had been at the Japanese surrender only five years before.
As it turned out, the U.S. Army was in even worse shape than the Navy, and the first combat actions between the U.S. Army and the NKPA were humiliating defeats for the Americans, with several thousand U.S. soldiers killed and captured as they were steam-rollered by superior NKPA armored forces and sheer numbers. It was also apparent that the massive U.S. Air Force investment in long-range nuclear bombers was useless in a war in which the object was to stop North Korean aggression, without getting into a full-scale war with the Soviet Union—i.e., a "limited war." And, without airfields in Korea, the ability of Air Force tactical aircraft to affect the battle from bases in Japan was severely constrained.
The U.S. Navy presence in the Western Pacific in 1950 had been reduced to one aircraft carrier (Valley Forge, CV-45), two cruisers, and a handful of destroyers, which were severely short of ammunition and underway logistics support. Nevertheless, it was this naval force, augmented by a smaller British carrier (HMS Triumph) and other Allied ships under a (U.S.-led) United Nations command structure that played a key role in establishing command of the air and of the sea that prevented the U.S. Army from being thrown out of Korea. Without control of the vital sea lanes, there is little doubt that, by August 1950, the North Koreans would have been in possession of the entire Korean peninsula. It was U.S. Navy amphibious capability—as enfeebled as it was by budget cuts—that got a well-trained U.S. Marine brigade into Korea just in time to stiffen the defense of the Pusan Perimeter and prevent the last UN toehold in South Korea from being overrun.
The miniscule Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) acquitted itself well, particularly in a small battle with major strategic consequences, when the largest warship in the ROKN (a submarine chaser) sank a North Korean transport with 600 troops embarked that were attempting a surprise seizure of the port of Pusan on 26 June 1950.
The U.S. and Allied navies were in the action almost immediately, with two U.S. destroyers covering the evacuation of U.S. and friendly foreign nationals from Seoul on only the second day of the war. On 2 July 1950, light cruiser Juneau (CL-119) and two Allied ships sank three of four North Korean PT-boats and two of two motor gunboats in the Battle of Chumonchin Chan. This was the first and last surface engagement between the U.S. and North Korean navies, as it convinced the North Koreans to never try that again (at least until the Pueblo—AGER-2—incident in 1968).
On 3 July, Valley Forge and Triumph (both in Task Force 77) caught the North Koreans by surprise with a strike from the Yellow Sea right into their capital of Pyongyang. The action that resulted in the first air-to-air kill by a U.S. Navy jet fighter, when an F9F Panther flown by Lieutenant (j.g.) Leonard Plog downed a piston-engine North Korean Yak-9 fighter. This was also the combat debut of the Panther and the new AD-4 Skyraider attack aircraft. Although hampered by lack of underway ammunition resupply and refueling, the two carriers bounced back and forth between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, so the North Koreans could never be sure from which direction they would be hit.
U.S. Navy aircraft played a critical role in interdicting North Korean troop movements and supply lines, which became increasingly vulnerable the farther the NKPA advanced. This forced increased North Korean resupply via small coastal craft, which the ROKN (beefed up with several more sub-chasers) proved very adept at catching and destroying. On the other hand, close air support procedures between the .U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Army proved to be completely bolloxed up, in need of urgent fixing.
Bombardment by Allied ships on the west coast (especially challenging given the extreme tidal conditions) and by (primarily) U.S. ships on the east coast made the North Koreans pay a heavy price for their advance. Naval gunfire on the east coast became even more effective when the heavy cruisers Helena (CA-75) and Toledo (CA-133), with their 8-inch guns, arrived within a month to augment Rochester (CA-124). U.S. surface ships ranged far to the north along the Korean coast shelling key North Korean ports. The destroyer Mansfield (DD-728) put a raiding party ashore in North Korea to blow a key tunnel on the railroad bringing supplies in from Vladivostok, Soviet Union. This was followed by submarine transport Perch (ASSP-313) putting a British commando party ashore in a similar operation. U.S. and UN warships played a key role in keeping the northern end of the Pusan Perimeter from collapsing.
The arrival of a second U.S. carrier (Philippine Sea, CV-47) enabled near-continuous carrier strikes on North Korean targets. The arrival of two escort carriers, Badoeng Strait (CVE-118) and Sicily (CVE-116), each with a Marine Corsair squadron embarked, provided critical air support that enabled the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade to repel North Korean breakthroughs of U.S. Army divisions attempting to hold the hard-pressed Pusan perimeter.
Compared to the massive casualties being suffered by the U.S. and ROK armies, the cost to the U.S. Navy in the first months of the war was relatively light, with only a handful of aircraft shot down (and even more lost to operational causes than the enemy). However, the first Navy Cross went posthumously to Commander Raymond Vogel, the commander of Air Group 11 (CVG-11), who was shot down while dropping a span on the Han River Bridge in Seoul on 19 August 1950.
Although Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps aircraft inflicted massive losses to North Korean troops, tanks, and supply lines, the North Koreans just kept attacking. At the end of August 1950, the issue was still very much in doubt as to whether the Pusan Perimeter would hold.
That the U.S. Navy accomplished anything at all was a testament to the leaders and sailors who hadn't forgotten how to win, despite shortfalls in just about everything. In 1949, the general consensus in the new unified Department of Defense was that the Navy was obsolete, and the Secretary of Defense cancelled the next-generation aircraft carrier (United States, CVA-58) and gave orders to reduce the number of operational fleet carriers from eight to four. An additional draconian budget cut in mid-1949, if implemented, would have meant putting every aircraft carrier into mothballs, along with the last battleship that wasn't already in reserve. Upon the outbreak of the Korean War, the Truman administration suddenly discovered that a navy really truly can come in handy, and can do things that strategic bombers and atomic weapons can't. So, in some respect, the U.S. Navy can thank Kim Il-sung (grandfather of today's "Dear Leader") for showing the rest of the Defense Department the error of their ways.
For more on the U.S. Navy's role in the first months of the Korean War, please see attachment H-050-1.
As always, you are welcome to forward H-grams in order to spread these stories of U.S. Navy valor and sacrifice. Back issues of H-grams enhanced with photos may be found here.
Published: Fri Jun 26 08:20:47 EDT 2020
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From the archives
Thanks to Gay
"I NEVER CARED"
I believe more and more people are starting to feel this way.
I never cared if you were "gay" or whatever acronym you chose to call yourself, until you started shoving it down my throat.
I never cared what color you were, until you started blaming me for your problems.
I never cared about your political affiliation, until you started to condemn me for mine.
I never cared where you were from in this great Republic, until you began condemning people based on where they were born and the history that makes them who they are.
I have never cared if you were well off or poor, because I've been both . . . until you started calling me names for working hard and bettering myself.
I've never cared if your beliefs are different than mine - until you said my beliefs are wrong.
I've never cared if you don't like guns, until you tried to take my guns away.
Now . . . I care. I've given all the tolerance I have to give. This is no longer my problem. It's your problem. You can still fix it. It's not too late. But it needs to be soon.
I'm a very patient person. But I'm out of patience. There are literally Tens of Millions of people just like me that are sick of all your Anti-American crap !
I've always cared about life, and all lives, but now you try to force the notion on me and my other fellow citizens and patriots that certain lives matter more than others. You protest, riot, attack, burn and loot. Your so-called "movement" has become a radical out-of-control bunch of thugs, criminals and anarchists who are destroying our Country.
We have had enough ! America is the greatest country on Earth, and if you don't like America then you can leave. We are done caring about your misguided "feelings".
You don't have the right to enjoy American freedoms if you are trying to take that right away from other Americans.
"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
-- Winston Churchill
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From the archives
Thanks to Todd S. ...
VIGGEN Vs BLACKBIRD: HOW SWEDISH AIR FORCE JA-37 FIGHTER PILOTS WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE RADAR LOCK ON THE LEGENDARY SR-71 MACH 3 SPY PLANE
"In total I have five hot intercepts against the SR-71 to my credit. All can be described as successful," Per-Olof Eldh, Swedish Air Force JA-37 Viggen pilot
At the height of the Cold War, when East-West tensions were at their greatest, Swedish JA-37 Jaktviggen (or fighter Viggen) fighter pilots were scrambled on 400-500 live Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions per year to intercept any unidentified aircraft approaching Swedish airspace.
QRA targets came from both Warsaw and NATO nations, and were usually flying close to Swedish airspace over the Baltic Sea or the Gulf of Bothnia.
No doubt the most challenging QRA targets were the U.S. Air Force's Lockheed SR-71As, that often passed very close to Swedish airspace on their regular 'Baltic Express' missions.
The SR-71's awesome performance capabilities provided a unique opportunity for Swedish fighter controllers and JA-37 fighter pilots to evaluate various intercept solutions against a high-speed, high-altitude threat, as Rolf Jonsson, a retired Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) fighter controller recalls in Paul F Crickmore book Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions. "The most spectacular alerts in the Swedish Air Force during the eighties occurred about once a week, when the Blackbird was operating in the Baltic. These were also probably the most frustrating events of the entire Cold War, with our fighters trying to reach the same altitude and position as this high-speed, high altitude target, efforts which, if successful, would allow the fortunate pilot to catch a brief glimpse of the fantastic SR-71 at quite close quarters. When the SR-71 first began operating in Europe our air force was equipped with the Saab J-35F Draken and although intercept attempts were made, the aircraft's performance wasn't up to the task. However, one point was clear – the method that offered the greatest opportunity of success was a frontal attack, with both aircraft exactly on a 180° divergent heading – always assuming of course that the SR-71 didn't turn! Other very important factors to try to determine when planning an intercept were the high altitude air temperature and the SR-71 altitude.
When the Saab JA-37 Viggen entered service, suddenly the mix was right; the aircraft's performance and avionics capabilities combined with the eagerness of its pilots and a high degree of teamwork with the air command and control centres, including the radar tracker (a conscript), the intercept controller and the pilots.
For everything to work, the pilot needed to reach the speed and altitude that corresponded with information derived from the data tracker system in the Air Operator Centre (AOC). This data determined exactly where and when the pilot needed to initiate a pull-up from cruising altitude to acquire a radar contact. If the pilot failed to lock his radar on first time that was it, the opportunity was gone – at least for another week. On some occasions our pilots had problems locking-on because the SR-71 crew activated their defensive countermeasures systems, but pilots soon learned how to avoid triggering such systems. Also, an electronic counter-countermeasures system was built into the JA-37.
Another high performance aircraft operating from bases around the Baltic was the MiG-25 Foxbat; this has a speed advantage on the JA-37 Viggen, but the latter had a superior weapon system and, from 1981, was already using an information dissemination system similar to the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System the U.S. deployed later on tactical aircraft including the F-15 Eagle.
The most difficult phase on the intercept for pilots was during the steep climb, since they had to monitor their engine instruments to ensure they remained within the Volvo Flygmotor RM8B turbofan's EGT limits, and also scan their radar screens. During this phase the pilot tilted his radar scan angle down, on its maximum of -15°. The radar then had just a few seconds to locate and then lock on to the target before the two aircraft passed one another with a combined speed closing speed of Mach 5; it was an extremely impressive spectacle to watch on radar from the ground! The intercept window was incredibly tight, and all the SR-71 pilot needed to do during the fighter's final climb phase was manoeuvre just slightly and the intercept solution changed and failed. One of the main problems facing our Viggen pilots was that one of the rules in their Orders for Safe Flights stipulated that flight above 16,000m was prohibited without the use of a full pressure suit and these weren't available, so our pilots needed to be careful or they would be grounded by their divisional commanders.
The SR-71 "Baltic Express" flights were usually known about an hour before the aircraft entered the area. The Blackbird always entered the Baltic Sea over a reporting point named "Codan", located about 80km south of Copenhaghen and on a heading of about 090°. This usually triggered a scramble by a pair of JA-37s that were kept on alert at either F10 Ängelholm, F17 Ronneby or F13 Norrkšping, although sometimes even temporary bases like Visby were used. The best base for an SR-71 intercept, however, was F17 Ronneby, because this was best positioned for the acceleration and climb phase, about 30-50km southeast of Gotland and Öland.
The SR-71 Baltic Flight path remained the same throughout the time it operated in Europe and consisted of a singe anticlockwise loop that took about 30 minutes to complete. It remained in international airspace and first flew off the Polish coast, then just before the Bay of Gdánsk, well inside the Kaliningrad enclave, the aircraft muted turned left, onto a heading of about 015°. With the Blackbird now flying at 21-24.000m only the Su-15 Flagons based at Vainode, in Latvia, had a chance of making an intercept, and it's doubtful that any of them were actually successful. Certainly the MiG-21 Fishbeds and MiG-23 Floggers based at Pamu, Haapsalu and Tapa in Estonia had no chance; their trails on our radar screens in Sweden were so harmless it was painful to witness!
The SR-71 then proceeded to a point about 60km west of the Estonian island of Saaremaa, where it began a long, programmed left turn, taking it onto a southerly heading of about 190°, rolling southeast of Stockholm. It then passed between the islands of Gotland and Öland, and this always impressed us because the corridor of international airspace between the two islands is only 3km wide; the Blackbird only violated our airspace once (this was the only time that it became necessary for the Swedish foreign department to protest about an airspace violation) when an SR-71 was forced to interrupt its high speed left turn, reduce speed and descent from its position in the north of its route due to an inflight emergency. [On that occasion, the SR-71 was forced to fly directly over Gotland – at this point AJ-37 strike Viggen pilots took hand-held photos of the Blackbird and it is clear to see from these that the aircraft was flying on one engine]. It was in this area that our JA-37 pilots carried out their practice intercepts. Once 56-74km southeast of Gotland and Öland, the "Baltic Express" turned onto a heading of about 265° and exited the area over the same point that it had entered.
Almost every time the SR-71 was about to leave the Baltic, a lone MiG-25 Foxbat belonging to the 787th IAP at Finow-Eberwalde in the German Democratic Republic was scrambled. […] Arriving at its exit point, the "Baltic Express" was flying at about 22km and the lone MiG would reach about 19km in a left turn before rolling out and always completing its stern attack 3km behind its target. We were always impressed by this precision; it was always 22km and 3 km behind the SR-71. [this would seem to suggest that these were the parameters necessary for its weapons system to effect a successful intercept if the order to fire was ever given.] This is interesting, since US Air Force intelligence specialists and SR-71 crewmembers believed that the only possibility of an interceptor successful engaging a Blackbird would be head on, a position given further credence by the fact that the DEF systems designed to tackle an airborne threat operating within the X-band (DEF A2) was forward-facing]. When the SR-71 detachment at Mildellhall was deactivated, the 787th IAP re-equipped with new MiG-29 Fulcrum, but even after the withdrawal, we believe that at least three Foxbats remained behind at Finow-Eberswalde, just in case the "Baltic Express" returned!" This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. SR-71A Blackbird 61-7972 "Skunkworks"
According to Crickmore, the key to JA-37's successes was the integration of a highly sophisticated datalink, which, until relatively recently, remained highly classified. The Swedish Air Force gained significant expertise in the datalink field with a system installed in the J-35F back in the 1956. However, the system installed in the JA-37 was far more capable than that of the Draken. It entered service in 1982 and it had the capability to upload and download data to four active aircraft of the same link; it was also capable of downlinking data from an airborne JA-37 to others still on the ground. Datalink information was displayed on the Horizontal Situation Display (HSD) and a tactical display, the latter using link symbology that could be overlaid with an electronic map on a multifunction display (MFD). As an integral part of the STRIL-60 command-and-control system that was built around it, the JA-37 could take off, attack, land refuel and rearm, then re-engage, with little or no voice communication, while enduring heavy jamming.
As told by Crickmore, the first successful intercept of an SR-71 over the Baltic was carried out by Per-Olof Eldh, who recalls the incident: "In the 1980, I joined the 2nd Squadron "Blue Marlins" of Fighter Wing 13, equipped with the JA-37 fighter Viggen and based at Bravalla, just outside the town of Norrkšping, on the Baltic coast. Our mission was to conduct operational task and evaluation focused on air defence and air superiority. We were already equipped with a datalink from the air defence network; the next step was to establish it between fighters and we achieved this in 1981. Integrating this with the PS-46 air-to-air pulse-Doppler radar and the Skyflash missile provided the JA-37 with a significant enhanced capability. Looking at the map display on the MFD, the pilot could see other friendlies, the enemy, SAM sites, etc, and this information was constantly updated via the datalink by fighter controllers and other JA-37s, giving the pilot unprecedented levels of situational awareness. In fact, the system was so good that we could employ the same tactics – line abreast, box formations or scissors maneuvers – day or night in VFR or IFR [visual flight rules or instrument flight rules] conditions.
When i conducted the first Swedish Air Force intercept of an SR-71, the target had completed its north-bound pass of the Soviet coastline, and had turned west, south of the Finnish island of Aland, and was tracking south of a heading that would take it between Gotland and Öland. The datalink from the fighter controller was on, and I lined up for a head-on attack with a target angle of 180°. From my altitude of 8.000m I accelerated to Mach 1.35 then pulled up, very gently, continuing to accelerate to between Mach 1.7 and Mach 2.0, topping out at between 18.500 and 20.000m. All the target data was on my map display, including radar detection of the target at maximum range, which then locked on immediately afterwards. I simulated missile launches – the closing velocity was very high, between Mach 4.5 and 5.0; the SR-71 was flying at Mach 2.98 and 21.500m.
I had visual contact.
In total I have five hot intercepts against the SR-71 to my credit. All can be described as successful. I was visual three times; on a couple of occasions the SR-71 was contrailing, which was very useful because you could do a visual check to ensure you ended up in the right spot!
When we began conducting these SR-71 intercepts, the squadron began a special air safety program and we all underwent an intense series of emergency procedure checks in the simulator, because we were flying at the outer edges of the envelope and at higher risk.
On January 1986, while leading a JA-37 three-ship in aircraft tail number "38", we received target data immediately after take-off from Bravalla. We flew in trail, receiving updated target information over the link from both the fighter controller and the other fighters in the formation. All three of us carried out successful intercepts between 13:14 hours and 13:25 hours, about 50km west of the town of Visby, on the island of Gotland. Major Moller was number two, in tail number "60", and Captain Ulf Johansson number three in tail number "53".
I remember that the SR-71 was flying at an altitude of 22.000m and a speed of Mach 2.9. Ulf had some difficulties coming back to earth – he actually reached the target's altitude and passed the SR-71 head-on at the same altitude with some side separation, but suffered a high temperature engine stall! A cartoon drawn by SAS Captain Stefan Lofren to commemorate this event was used as a poster in our briefing room."
Photo credit: Lockheed Martin, Flygvapenmuseum, U.S. Air Force, Swedish Air Force, Dmitriy Pichugin, Steve Fitzgerald and Mike Freer – Touchdown-aviation via Wikipedia
Dario Leone
Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of "The Aviation Geek Club" one of the world's most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.
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This Day in U S Military History…….June 29
1502 – Christopher Columbus arrived at Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, on his 4th voyage to the new world. He requested harbor and advised Gov. Nicolas de Ovando of an approaching hurricane. Ovando denied the request and dispatched a treasure fleet to Spain. 20 ships sank in the storm, 9 returned to port and one made it to Spain.
1835 – Determined to win independence for the Mexican State of Texas, William Travis raises a volunteer army of 25 soldiers and prepares to liberate the city of Anahuac. Born in South Carolina and raised in Alabama, William Travis moved to Mexican-controlled Texas in 1831 at the age of 22. He established a legal practice in Anahuac, a small frontier town about 40 miles east of Houston. From the start, Travis disliked Mexicans personally and resented Mexican rule of Texas politically. In 1832, he clashed with local Mexican officials and was jailed for a month. When he was released, the growing Texan independence movement hailed him as a hero, strengthening his resolve to break away from Mexico by whatever means necessary. Early in 1835, the Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna overthrew the republican government and proclaimed himself dictator. Rightly fearing that some Texans would rebel as a result, Santa Anna quickly moved to reinforce Mexican control and dispatched troops to Anahuac, among other areas. Accustomed to enjoying a large degree of autonomy, some Texans resented the presence of Santa Anna's troops, and they turned to Travis for leadership. On this day in 1835, Travis raised a company of 25 volunteer soldiers. The next day, the small army easily captured Captain Antonio Tenorio, the leader of Santa Anna's forces in Anahuac, and forced the troops to surrender. More radical Texans again proclaimed Travis a hero, but others condemned him for trying to foment war and maintained that Santa Anna could still be dealt with short of revolution. By the fall of 1835, however, conflict had become inevitable, and Texans prepared to fight a war of independence. As soon as the rebels had formed an army, Travis was made a lieutenant colonel in command of the regular troops at San Antonio. On February 23, 1836, Travis joined forces with Jim Bowie's army of volunteers to occupy an old Spanish mission known as the Alamo. The following day, Santa Anna and about 4,000 of his men laid siege to the Alamo. With less than 200 soldiers, Travis and Bowie were able to hold off the Mexicans for 13 days. On March 6, Santa Anna's soldiers stormed the Alamo and killed nearly every Texan defender, including Travis. In the months that followed, "Remember the Alamo" became a rallying cry as the Texans successfully drove the Mexican forces from their borders. By April, Texas had won its independence. Travis, who first hastened the war of independence and then became a martyr to the cause, became an enduring symbol of Texan courage and defiance.
1945 – President Truman approves the plan, devised by the joint chiefs of staff, to invade Japan. The plan calls for 5 million troops, mostly Americans. Kyushu is to be invaded on November 1st with some 13 divisions (Operation Olympic) and Honshu is to be invaded on March 1, 1946 with some 23 divisions (Operation Coronet), including forces of the US 1st Army from Europe. The British will deploy a very long range bomber force in support of the invasion.
1950 – While defending Suwon Airfield, Air Force Lieutenant Orrin R. Fox, 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, scored two Yak-9 kills and Lieutenants Richard J. Burns, 35th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, and Harry T. Sandlin, 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, each shot down a Yak fighter. These were the first aerial victories made by F-51 Mustang pilots in the Korean War. Interestingly, General MacArthur witnessed the air battle while conferring with Syngman Rhee.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
WHITAKER, EDWARD W.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company E, 1st Connecticut Cavalry. Place and date: At Reams Station, Va., 29 June 1864. Entered service at: Ashford, Conn. Born: 15 June 1841, Killingly, Conn. Date of issue: 2 April 1898. Citation: While acting as an aide voluntarily carried dispatches from the commanding general to Gen. Meade, forcing his way with a single troop of Cavalry, through an Infantry division of the enemy in the most distinguished manner, though he lost half his escort.
SALE, ALBERT
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Santa Maria River, Ariz., 29 June 1869. Entered service at:——. Birth: Broome County, N.Y. Date of issue: 3 March 1870. Citation: Gallantry in killing an Indian warrior and capturing pony and effects.
*BENNETT, STEVEN L.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force. 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Pacific Air Forces. Place and date: Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1972. Entered service at: Lafayette, La. Born: 22 April 1946, Palestine, Tex. Citation: Capt. Bennett was the pilot of a light aircraft flying an artillery adjustment mission along a heavily defended segment of route structure. A large concentration of enemy troops was massing for an attack on a friendly unit. Capt. Bennett requested tactical air support but was advised that none was available. He also requested artillery support but this too was denied due to the close proximity of friendly troops to the target. Capt. Bennett was determined to aid the endangered unit and elected to strafe the hostile positions. After 4 such passes, the enemy force began to retreat. Capt. Bennett continued the attack, but, as he completed his fifth strafing pass, his aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile, which severely damaged the left engine and the left main landing gear. As fire spread in the left engine, Capt. Bennett realized that recovery at a friendly airfield was impossible. He instructed his observer to prepare for an ejection, but was informed by the observer that his parachute had been shredded by the force of the impacting missile. Although Capt. Bennett had a good parachute, he knew that if he ejected, the observer would have no chance of survival. With complete disregard for his own life, Capt. Bennett elected to ditch the aircraft into the Gulf of Tonkin, even though he realized that a pilot of this type aircraft had never survived a ditching. The ensuing impact upon the water caused the aircraft to cartwheel and severely damaged the front cockpit, making escape for Capt. Bennett impossible. The observer successfully made his way out of the aircraft and was rescued. Capt. Bennett's unparalleled concern for his companion, extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
HERDA, FRANK A.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). Place and date: Near Dak To, Quang Trang Province, Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1968. Entered service at: Cleveland, Ohio. Born: 13 September 1947, Cleveland, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Herda (then Pfc.) distinguished himself while serving as a grenadier with Company A. Company A was part of a battalion-size night defensive perimeter when a large enemy force initiated an attack on the friendly units. While other enemy elements provided diversionary fire and indirect weapons fire to the west, a sapper force of approximately 30 men armed with hand grenades and small charges attacked Company A's perimeter from the east. As the sappers were making a last, violent assault, 5 of them charged the position defended by Sp4c. Herda and 2 comrades, 1 of whom was wounded and lay helpless in the bottom of the foxhole. Sp4c. Herda fired at the aggressors until they were within 10 feet of his position and 1 of their grenades landed in the foxhole. He fired 1 last round from his grenade launcher, hitting 1 of the enemy soldiers in the head, and then, with no concern for his safety, Sp4c. Herda immediately covered the blast of the grenade with his body. The explosion wounded him grievously, but his selfless action prevented his 2 comrades from being seriously injured or killed and enabled the remaining defender to kill the other sappers. By his gallantry at the risk of his life in the highest traditions of the military service, Sp4c. Herda has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
MORRIS, CHARLES B.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Sgt.), U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1966. Entered service at: Roanoke, Va. Born: 29 December 1931, Carroll County, Va. C.O. No.: 51, 14 December 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Seeing indications of the enemy's presence in the area, S/Sgt. Morris deployed his squad and continued forward alone to make a reconnaissance. He unknowingly crawled within 20 meters of an enemy machinegun, whereupon the gunner fired, wounding him in the chest. S/Sgt. Morris instantly returned the fire and killed the gunner. Continuing to crawl within a few feet of the gun, he hurled a grenade and killed the remainder of the enemy crew. Although in pain and bleeding profusely, S/Sgt. Morris continued his reconnaissance. Returning to the platoon area, he reported the results of his reconnaissance to the platoon leader. As he spoke, the platoon came under heavy fire. Refusing medical attention for himself, he deployed his men in better firing positions confronting the entrenched enemy to his front. Then for 8 hours the platoon engaged the numerically superior enemy force. Withdrawal was impossible without abandoning many wounded and dead. Finding the platoon medic dead, S/Sgt. Morris administered first aid to himself and was returning to treat the wounded members of his squad with the medic's first aid kit when he was again wounded. Knocked down and stunned, he regained consciousness and continued to treat the wounded, reposition his men, and inspire and encourage their efforts. Wounded again when an enemy grenade shattered his left hand, nonetheless he personally took up the fight and armed and threw several grenades which killed a number of enemy soldiers. Seeing that an enemy machinegun had maneuvered behind his platoon and was delivering the fire upon his men, S/Sgt. Morris and another man crawled toward the gun to knock it out. His comrade was killed and S/Sgt. Morris sustained another wound, but, firing his rifle with 1 hand, he silenced the enemy machinegun. Returning to the platoon, he courageously exposed himself to the devastating enemy fire to drag the wounded to a protected area, and with utter disregard for his personal safety and the pain he suffered, he continued to lead and direct the efforts of his men until relief arrived. Upon termination of the battle, important documents were found among the enemy dead revealing a planned ambush of a Republic of Vietnam battalion. Use of this information prevented the ambush and saved many lives. S/Sgt. Morris' gallantry was instrumental in the successful defeat of the enemy, saved many lives, and was in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 29, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
29 June
1909: With Orville Wright at the controls, the first Army airplane began trial flights at Fort Myer, Va. (12) (24)
1927: Through 1 July, Lt Cmdr Richard E. Byrd, Lt George O. Noville, Bert Acosta, and Bernt Balchen, set a record four-passenger flight in their airplane, the America. They flew from Roosevelt Field, N.Y., to Ver-Sur-Mer, France (about 125 miles from Paris), and covered the 3,477 miles in 46 hours 6 minutes. (9) (24)
1928: John H. Mears and Capt C. B. D. Collyer flew around the world from New York and back in 23 days 15 hours 21 minutes to establish an FAI record. (9)
1936: Maj Gen Frank M. Andrews, along with Maj John Whiteley and crew, set a world's distance record for amphibians in a Douglas YOA-5. Two Wright Cyclone 800 HP engines pulled the aircraft 1,429.7 miles from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Langley Field. (24)
1940: A program to build over 12,000 airplanes by 1 April 1942 approved as the "Army's first aviation objective for training, organization, and procurement. (12)
1950: KOREAN WAR. President Truman authorized General MacArthur to dispatch air forces against targets in North Korea. Later that day, the 3 BG launched 18 B-26s to attack Heijo Airfield near Pyongyang, North Korea. (21) KOREAN WAR. General MacArthur directed General Stratemeyer to concentrate air attacks on the Han River bridges and North Korean troops massing north of the river. B-26s attacked the bridges, and Fifth Air Force F-80s patrolled the Han River area. F-82s from the 86 FAWS, using jettisonable fuel tanks, attacked with napalm for the first time. The 35 FBS and 80 FBS shot down five North Korean airplanes that were attacking Suwon Airfield, while eight 19 BG B-29s attacked enemy-held Kimpo Airfield and the Seoul railroad station, reportedly killing a large number of enemy troops. As the B-29s turned toward Kadena AB, enemy aircraft attacked the formation, enabling B-29 gunners to shoot down an enemy airplane for the first time. (28) KOREAN WAR. General MacArthur authorized FEAF attacks against North Korean airfields. In the first USAF attack, eighteen 3 BG B-26s attacked Heijo airfield near Pyongyang, claiming up to 25 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. The 8 TRS began photographing North Korean airfields. Using RB-29 aircraft, the 31 SRS (Photographic) also started operations over Korea from Yokota. (28)
1955: The first Boeing B-52B Stratofortress (serial number 52-8711) entered operational service with SAC at Castle AFB and the 93 BMW. (1) (12)
1956: An Aerobee-Hi rocket, built by Aerojet General Corporation, attained an altitude of 163 miles in a launching from White Sands Proving Ground. (24)
1961: The US Navy's Transit IV-A navigational satellite, launched from Cape Canaveral on a Thor-Able-Star booster, became the first satellite equipped with a nuclear power generator. A radio-isotope-powered battery of the Snap series provided its power. Two other satellites, the Injun and Greb III, mounted "piggyback" on the Transit IV-A failed to separate and function. (24)
1962: The first Minuteman to be launched by an USAF crew was fired from an underground silo at Cape Canaveral to a target area some 2,300 miles away. (16) (24) In an offensive operation against the Viet Cong about 20 miles northwest of Saigon, 16 Mule Train C-123s and 10 Vietnamese AF C-47s dropped over 1,000 Vietnamese paratroopers. (17)
1965: Capt Joseph Engle qualified as a military astronaut by flying the X-15 No. 3 to 280,600 feet at 3,432 MPH (Mach 4.94). By exceeding 264,000 feet (50 miles), Engle became the third USAF and youngest astronaut. (3)
1972: MEDAL OF HONOR. Capt Steven L. Bennett, a forward air controller, and his observer found enemy troops attacking a friendly unit. He then strafed the enemy forces into retreating. After a surface-to-air missile hit and crippled his OV-10 Bronco and shredded his observer's parachute, Bennett ditched his OV-10 into the Gulf of Tonkin even though he knew the OV-10 was not likely to survive the ditching. He died, but his observer survived. For his heroic sacrifice, Bennett received the Medal of Honor posthumously. (21)
1982: Lockheed delivered the last C-141B to the USAF. The program cost $489.6 million, an impressive $193.3 million below the 1978 estimate. (18)
1984: The HH-60D completed its first air refueling from an HC-130 tanker. (3)
1985: The 60 BMS, 43 SW, at Andersen AFB became the second B-52G Stratofortress unit to be equipped with the Harpoon antiship missile. This event gave the weapon system full operating capability. (16) (26)
1993: Wright-Patterson AFB successfully tested the OC-135B Open Skies reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft performed surveillance over signature nations to the Open Skies Treaty. (16) (26)
1998: At Edwards AFB, the DarkStar 2 high altitude UAV made its successful first flight, flying for 44 minutes and completing pre-programmed flight maneuvers at up to 5000 feet. (3)
2007: The 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla., celebrated the 30th anniversary of the E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System. The first E-3 Sentry arrived at Tinker on 23 March 1977, and since then it served in almost every U. S. military operation. The wing also honored the crewmembers lost in an accident on 22 September 1995, the only E-3 lost in the airframe's 30-year history. (AFNEWS, "Airmen Honor 30 Years of AWACS," 3 Jul 2007.)
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Thanks to Brett…..A glimpse at what is going on in the rest of the world
Stratfor snippets - Greece, Mali, China, Guatemala, U.S., Chad, EU, Japan/South Korea, Pakistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, China/U.S., Russia/Taiwan, China/New Zealand, Ukraine/Poland
Greece: Prime Minister's Reelection Portends Policy Continuity
What Happened: Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou formally gave Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis the mandate to form a government, marking the beginning of Mitsotakis' second term, Kathimerini reported on June 26. The day before, Mitsotakis' conservative New Democracy party won 158 of Parliament's 300 seats during a general election.
Why It Matters: The new Greek government will be stable and experience continuity in its domestic and foreign policy, as New Democracy will control enough seats in Parliament to pass legislation without negotiating with other parties. Mitsotakis has promised that during his second mandate, Greece will regain an investment credit grade rating after 13 years, keep a primary fiscal surplus, raise wages and deregulate the Greek economy. While Mitsotakis has promised to keep a cordial relationship with Turkey, he is critical of Ankara's Blue Homeland doctrine (which promotes an assertive policy over disputed parts of the Mediterranean) and promised to defend Athens' territorial claims.
Background: Greece held an inconclusive general election on May 21 in which New Democracy was the clear winner but did not win enough seats in Parliament to govern alone. A second general election took place on June 25 using different electoral rules that enabled New Democracy to win again and this time control enough seats in Parliament to govern alone.
Mali: Approved Constitutional Referendum Will Increase Presidential Powers
What Happened: Mali's transitional government announced that a June 18 referendum on constitutional changes passed with 97% of the vote, Reuters reported on June 23. The changes will enhance the powers of the presidency, as well as create new political institutions and regions.
Why It Matters: The referendum's approval will pave the way for elections in February 2024. However, the enhanced presidential powers — which allow the head of state to hire and fire the prime minister and Cabinet members, as well as take control of the government from the National Assembly — will likely further bolster military leaders' likelihood of retaining power following elections.
Background: The turnout rate was 39.4% of Mali's 8.4 million registered voters, according to the head of the electoral commission. However, reports indicate that the entire northeastern region of Kidal and other parts in the north did not vote in the referendum, in some cases due to insecurity and in others because the referendum was not presented at all.
China: Russia's 'Wagner Incident' Will Escalate Internal Security Concerns in Beijing
What Happened: The short-lived mutiny of Russia's paramilitary Wagner Group against the Russian Defense Ministry on June 24 prompted the Chinese government to issue a number of statements supporting Russia's national security, although Beijing did not directly condemn the Wagner Group, Trivium China reported on June 26. The Chinese readout also hinted at the mutiny being driven and monopolized by Western forces.
Why It Matters: Russia's mutiny may prompt Chinese President Xi Jinping to double down on internal security and military loyalty. This could exacerbate China's "national securitization" of all policy spheres, impeding China's efforts to curb Washington's industrial containment campaign. Meanwhile, the Russia-China partnership will remain strong, despite the possibly increased reputational risks to China of supporting Russia if Moscow decides to show its strength by conducting domestic crackdowns on dissenters or by escalating the war in Ukraine.
Background: Wagner forces withdrew from around Moscow on June 26 after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin obtained "security guarantees" for them during negotiations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The convoy had stopped their so-called march on Moscow about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the Russian capital.
Guatemala: Runoff Election Will Likely Lead to Left-Wing President
What Happened: Guatemalan presidential candidates Sandra Torres of the center-left National Unity of Hope party and Bernardo Arevalo of the center-left Seed Movement party will compete in a runoff election on Aug. 20 after no candidate achieved over 50% of the vote in the country's June 25 general election, Reuters reported on June 26.
Why It Matters: With two center-left candidates, Guatemala is set to have its first left-wing president in a decade, reflecting significant voter frustration with the country's current government, which has faced regular criticism for corruption and suppression of freedom of speech. Sandra Torres, while a left-wing candidate, is very much an ally of the current government and an entrenched member of the political elite, which will limit the likelihood of an increase in anti-corruption efforts if she wins the runoff. However, an Arevalo victory could bring about a surge in investigations into current members of government, potentially creating legal challenges for businesses operating in the country and slowing policymaking. The government may attempt to limit Arevalo's chances against Torres, potentially by disqualifying him from the vote, which would likely lead to a significant escalation in anti-government sentiment. In the meantime, unrest will remain a risk over the coming months before the run-off (and after, if a large enough portion of the public disbelieves the results).
Background: According to preliminary results, Torres received the highest percentage of the vote at 15.8%, while Arevalo received 11.8% of the vote. Arevalo, who ran on an anti-corruption platform, is the son of former left-wing President Juan Jose Arevalo Bermejo, who was president from 1945-51 and survived a series of coup attempts. Right-wing presidents have governed Guatemala almost exclusively since its civil war ended in 1996.
U.S.: Outbound Investment Screening Mechanism Could Be Ready by Late July
What Happened: The U.S. Biden administration's executive order on screening (and possibly blocking some) outbound investments for national security concerns is nearing completion and could be ready as soon as "late July," Bloomberg reported on June 26. The order has no timeline for issuance.
Why It Matters: The long-awaited executive order has been pushed back several times, highlighting the business community's concern that it would give Washington too much power over overseas investments. However, proponents of the order argue that U.S. investments in strategic industries are helping China's technology sector catch up to that of the United States — and even surpass it in some cases. Previous reports earlier in 2023 suggest that the executive order's scope has narrowed considerably and that for most strategic and technology sectors, it will only force companies to notify the government of overseas investments; blocked investments may be limited to those in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Background: The U.S. Commerce and Treasury Departments are working on a separate and broader mechanism to screen and possibly prohibit overseas investments in certain Chinese sectors.
Chad: Transitional Military Council Adopts Draft Constitution
What Happened: Chad's transitional military council adopted a draft of a new constitution, Radio France Internationale reported on June 27. The draft passed through the council with 96% of the vote, while three lawmakers abstained, four voted against it and 16 were absent.
Why It Matters: The adoption of the draft constitution lays the groundwork for Chad to hold a constitutional referendum that is scheduled for November. The council will likely ensure that the referendum succeeds, using it and the new constitution to further legitimize its rule. This strategy will improve transitional leaders' chances of winning Chad's October 2024 elections, meaning a real "transition" from military to civilian rule is unlikely.
Background: Chad's interim leaders postponed elections for two years in October 2022.
EU: France, Germany, Italy to Increase Cooperation on Critical Raw Materials
What Happened: France, Germany and Italy pledged to increase cooperation on the extraction, refining and recycling of critical raw materials during a meeting between the three countries' economy and industrial ministers in Berlin, Germany, Reuters reported on June 27.
Why It Matters: The summit in Berlin was the first of a series of trilateral meetings for the three largest EU economies to coordinate action on pursuing the strategic goals enshrined in the bloc's recently launched Critical Raw Materials Act. Particularly, they pledged to expand cooperation in minerals extraction, refining, recycling and common stockpiling, as well as on setting the environmental criteria related to all these processes. Italy and France have already earmarked 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) and 500 million euros ($548 million) in ad-hoc funds, respectively, to finance these goals. Germany is reportedly drawing up plans to establish a fund worth 500 million-1 billion euros, although the country's coalition government has not reached an agreement amid intra-alliance tensions regarding the allocation of a shrinking federal budget.
Background: The European Union is pushing to reduce its dependence on imports of critical raw materials from China, on which it relies for roughly 95% of its supply of rare earths that are key for the energy transition. In March, the European Commission unveiled the Critical Raw Materials Act, which sets targets for the European Union to increase domestic production and limit imports from third countries of critical minerals needed for the energy transition by 2030.
Japan, South Korea: Countries to Restore 'Whitelist' Status, Officially End Trade Dispute
What Happened: Japan is redesignating South Korea as a "whitelisted" or Group A trade partner, effectively ending a four-year trade dispute, The Korea Herald reported on June 27. The policy change will come into force on July 21.
Why It Matters: The redesignation will bolster bilateral trade, as well as insulate both countries' strategic minerals supply chains, reducing their exposure and dependency on — as well as trade ties with — China in strategic sectors. The move also shows that Japan reciprocates South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's desire to rebuild economic and diplomatic relationships after years of mutual distrust. This trajectory will likely remain strong at least for the duration of Yoon's and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's respective terms in office.
Background: In 2019, Japan downgraded South Korea to a Group B trade partner and placed export controls on fluorine, polyamide, photoresist and hydrogen fluoride, all key materials to produce semiconductors. The move was retaliation for a South Korean court ruling requiring that Japanese companies compensate Korean victims of 1910-45 colonial-era crimes. South Korea restored Japan's "whitelist" status in April.
Pakistan: Military Fires Three Army Officers, Disciplines Others for Alleged Role in May 9 Violence
What Happened: Pakistan's military fired three army officers, including a lieutenant general, and disciplined 15 other senior officers for allegedly failing to secure military installations during violent riots sparked by former Prime Minister Imran Khan's May 9 arrest, AP reported on June 26. Maj. Gen. Ahmad Sharif further stated that 102 civilians were on trial in military courts for their alleged role in the violence, though Pakistan's attorney general said on June 27 that the trials had not yet begun.
Why It Matters: The disciplinary actions indicate that the military's assertive crackdown against those alleged to have partaken in or enabled violence in early May continues nearly two months later. The announcement is intended to send a clear warning to those in the military who support Khan that they will face harsh consequences should their ultimate loyalty to military leaders waver. Although strong support for Khan within the military has historically made military leaders reluctant to crack down on the former prime minister and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, the firing and disciplining of a broad range of officers may enable the military to take stronger action against Khan going forward.
Background: The military's crackdown follows days-long violence by Khan's supporters — many of whom targeted the military — following his May 9 arrest; several military installations were breached or damaged in the violence, including the residence of the Lahore corps commander, which was razed. The military in May expressed its intent to try some civilians accused of targeting the military during the rioting in military courts, prompting human rights groups to express concern over the impartiality of such trials. The Supreme Court is currently hearing legal challenges to the trials.
Mali: UN Peacekeeping Mission to End on June 30
What Happened: The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali is set to end on June 30, when UN Security Council members will vote on a draft resolution, Reuters reported June 27. The resolution will give 13,000 peacekeepers six months to withdraw from the country but will allow them to "respond to imminent threats of violence to civilians" through the end of the year.
Why It Matters: The Malian peacekeeping mission's withdrawal will likely worsen insecurity in central and northern territories, most notably in cities like Timbuktu and Gao, where peacekeepers have been based. In the medium term, worsening insecurity in Mali's peripheral regions will likely also worsen the jihadist threat to Bamako.
Background: In order for the resolution to pass, nine U.N. member states will need to vote in support of it. A veto from Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom or France would prevent it from moving ahead.
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Republika Srpska's Lawmakers Pass Law Suspending Rulings From Central Constitutional Court
What Happened: The National Assembly of Bosnia-Herzegovina's autonomous Serb-dominated Republika Srpska passed a law suspending recognition of the country's constitutional court's rulings, Reuters reported on June 27.
Why It Matters: The move, which would amount to a de-facto "legal secession," is the latest in a series of inflammatory actions from the pro-Russian leader of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik that will likely deepen political and ethnic divisions in the volatile and ethnically divided country. As a result of the vote, Republika Srpska will only implement constitutional court rulings once the latter reverses changes to its quorum regulations and reforms its rules to remove foreign judges, which would go against the 1995 Dayton peace deal. While Dodik's long-declared goal of seceding Republika Srpska from Bosnia-Herzegovina remains an unlikely scenario for the near future, given how the Serb-controlled entity relies heavily on the European Union for trade and aid investments (a support that would come amiss if it was to achieve succession), the continued push for independence represents a destabilizing factor.
Background: The 1995 Dayton peace agreement, which ended a war in Bosnia-Herzegovina that killed around 100,000 over nearly four years of conflict, split the country into two semi-autonomous regions, Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosniaks and Croats and established a constitutional court composed of nine judges, three of whom are appointed by the European Court of Human Rights and six by regional parliaments. Dodik, who has long campaigned for secession from the country's central institutions and has criticized the court for including foreign nationals as judges, called the June 27 vote following a change in the court's rules that would allow it to convene even when Serb judges are not present, something he sees as "unconstitutional."
Iraq: Federal Government Redirects Oil Away From Kurdistan for Local Consumption
What Happened: The Iraqi government began sending oil extracted from the Kirkuk field to the federally-controlled city of Mosul instead of to refineries in the Kurdish city of Erbil to secure "the oil needs of Nineveh Governorate," Alsumaria News reported on June 27.
Why It Matters: By refining Kirkuk oil on land controlled by the federal government instead of the semiautonomous Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Baghdad is using the constitution and freshly-approved Iraqi budget to exert its economic sovereignty over Kurdistan. This will remove some of the KRG's potential leverage over Baghdad, as well as potentially help limit some oil smuggling from the Kirkuk and Khurmala fields to Kurdish refineries or Turkey.
Background: The International Chamber of Commerce ruled on March 25 that crude oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan via Turkey's Ceyhan terminal were illegal under Iraqi law. The court also ruled that Turkey owed Baghdad $1.5 billion for illegally facilitating the export of Kurdish oil from 2014-8. As a result, crude oil flows from Kurdistan through the Ceyhan terminal in Turkey remain halted.
China, U.S.: Washington Looks to Tighten Export Controls on AI-Related Semiconductors
What Happened: The United States is preparing to update its October 2022 export controls on semiconductors used for artificial intelligence (AI) models as early as July, The Wall Street Journal reported on June 27. The new restrictions will aim to cut off China from a broader array of semiconductors after AI chip suppliers tweaked their products to remain just below the threshold that triggers export controls.
Why It Matters: The United States' focus on AI-related technologies is no surprise, as the November release of AI chatbot ChatGPT led to a dramatic surge in AI investment and development over the last seven months, with a number of high-profile Chinese technology companies announcing or accelerating plans to develop their own ChatGPT competitors. If the update merely establishes a new threshold for export controls, chip manufacturers will likely continue to produce chips just below the threshold to continue some sales to Chinese companies. Even so, further restrictions will slow China's technology sector in AI-related technologies.
Background: The U.S. Biden administration and the U.S. Commerce and Treasury Departments are preparing separate mechanisms to screen (and possibly block some) outbound investments for national security.
Russia, Taiwan: Naval Sailing May Show Russia's Support of Chinese Interests
What Happened: Two Russian naval frigates sailed east of Taiwan's port city of Suao, prompting Taiwan's military to deploy forces to monitor the transit, Reuters reported on June 28. Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax news agency said a portion of Russia's Pacific Fleet was sailing in the south of the Philippine Sea (southeast of Taiwan) for a long-distance sea passage.
Why It Matters: The timing of the transit — directly after Russia's recent political instability and following months of U.S.-China military posturing around Taiwan — suggests Moscow may be showing its support of China's interest in Taiwan or at least showing the Japanese and U.S. militaries that Russian forces are not absent from Asia's critical waterways.
Background: Russia does have some past maritime interests in the South China Sea, such as Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay, but its engagement there has been quiet of late. Russia has also been conducting joint bomber drills with Chinese forces in recent years over the waters off of South Korea and Japan.
China: Patriotic Education and Foreign Relations Laws Harm Business Environment
What Happened: China passed its Foreign Relations Law (FRL), which states that all "enterprises, institutions, and citizens" must safeguard China's national interests in foreign exchanges or be held legally liable, during its June 26-8 legislative session. China also reviewed a draft Patriotic Education Law (PEL), which would require the same groups to conduct "patriotic education" activities, and it asserts that the state will "enhance patriotic sentiments of overseas Chinese."
Why It Matters: These requirements will make it harder to do business in China, as the provided definition of China's national interests is vague and enables Beijing to penalize a wide range of actions by businesses and individuals. Meanwhile, Beijing's efforts to influence overseas Chinese will raise Western legislative scrutiny of China's espionage efforts. They could also make it more difficult for companies to balance limiting state-sponsored industrial espionage risks and avoiding reputational damage over their treatment of ethnic Chinese employees.
Background: The PEL will go through at least one more draft before it is passed, likely later in 2023 or early in 2024.
EU: Institutions Reach Deal for Arms Joint Procurement Program
What Happened: The European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission agreed on June 27 to create a 300 million euro ($327 million) fund to incentivize EU member states' joint procurement of weapons, Politico reported on June 28. EU countries and the European Parliament must still formally approve the agreement.
Why It Matters: The new fund will seek to help EU countries replenish weapons stockpiles as they continue to provide military support for Ukraine, as well as boost Europe's own defense industrial base by providing incentives to procure equipment from European contractors. Although the budget allocated for the scheme is so low that it is almost symbolic for now, the approval of the new instrument offers a base for funding to be expanded in the future.
Background: The bloc initially intended to use the fund to purchase only EU-made weapons, but this proved to be unfeasible, so the scope was extended to also include non-EU components for urgent and critical defense products that are only available outside the European Union. The bloc will implement the European Defense Investment Program, which seeks to incentivize the longer-term collaborative procurement of military weapons and enable the creation of European Defense Capability Consortia, in 2025.
China, New Zealand: Trade Deals Will Have Mixed Results for Wellington
What Happened: New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a series of trade deals to improve market access for Kiwi companies in China, The New Zealand Herald reported on June 28. The agreements addressed e-commerce, the green economy, food security and agriculture, and new commercial air routes, as well as the establishment of a dialogue mechanism on new energy vehicles.
Why It Matters: New Zealand's economic headwinds are driving it to deepen economic ties with China despite growing domestic and international worries that New Zealand is overdependent on Beijing. The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia may even reduce cooperation with New Zealand over these worries in the context of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance. In addition to boosting exports, Wellington is hoping to revive Chinese interest in tourism and student exchanges to pre-pandemic levels.
Background: Hipkins is in China for a five-day, multi-city tour aimed at fostering business relations between the two countries and boosting New Zealand's exports to China. New Zealand officially entered a recession in May, and its efforts to find new markets in Europe and Asia have stalled. New Zealand exports around $18 billion of goods each year to China.
Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania: Presidents Meet Ahead of NATO Summit
What Happened: The presidents of Poland and Lithuania made an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, to strengthen their positions on a Ukrainian pathway to NATO membership ahead of the alliance's July 11 summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Reuters reported June 28.
Why It Matters: At the summit, Kyiv will likely emphasize the need for a concrete NATO ascension path to prevent continued war with Russia in the future, but larger NATO powers like Germany and the United States may remain noncommittal. If calls for a Ukrainian ascension path and other security guarantees go unanswered, Kyiv may pursue a more conservative military strategy, as it continues to utilize effective but limited weaponry from the United States and the European Union.
Background: In an interview published on June 28, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced that Ukraine expects a guaranteed invitation to join NATO following Ukraine's victory in the war. On the same day, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas promised a "surprise" related to Ukraine's membership prospects at the upcoming summit, as she reinforced that Ukraine's NATO status would more definitively establish a front of deterrence against Russia.
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