To All,
December 16
Good Saturday morning. Cloudy and cool today and rain expected next week.
Have a great weekend to get that Christmas shopping done…
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
December 16
1821 Lt. Robert F. Stockton and Dr. Eli Ayers, a naval surgeon and member of American Colonizing Society, persuade a local African king to sell territory for a colony that becomes the Republic of Liberia.
1907 The Great White Fleet departs Hampton Roads, Va. to circumnavigate the world in 14 months, a journey of 43,000 miles that included 20 port calls across six continents. Fourteen thousand Sailors and Marines participated in the voyage, leaving a lasting legacy at home and abroad.
1922 Lt. Cmdr. Walter A. Edwards, commanding USS Bainbridge (DD 246), leads the rescue of 482 passengers from the burning French transport Vinh-Long by placing his destroyer in dangerous positions to ensure the passengers could disembark, despite a series of explosions. He later brings them to Constantinople. For his leadership and heroism, Edwards receives the Medal of Honor.
1944 USS Swordfish (SS 193) attacks a Japanese convoy south of Hainan Island and sinks Japanese army transport Atsutasan Maru.
1998 In Operation Desert Fox, Navy cruise missiles attack Iraq to degrade Saddam Husseins ability to make and use weapons of mass destruction.
2017 The Freedom variant littoral combat ship USS Little Rock (LCS 9) is commissioned in a ceremony at the Canalside waterfront in Buffalo, New York. It is the second warship named for the Arkansas state capital and is commissioned alongside the first USS Little Rock (CL 92), which serves as a museum at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.
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Today in World History December 16
1431 Henry VI of England is crowned King of France.
1653 Oliver Cromwell takes on dictatorial powers with the title of "Lord Protector."
1773 To protest the tax on tea from England, a group of young Americans, disguised as Indians, throw chests of tea from British ships in Boston Harbor.
1835 A fire in New York City destroys property estimated to be worth $20,000,000. It lasts two days, ravages 17 blocks, and destroys 674 buildings including the Stock Exchange, Merchants' Exchange, Post Office, and the South Dutch Church.
1863 Confederate General Joseph Johnston takes command of the Army of Tennessee.
1864 Union forces under General George H. Thomas win the battle at Nashville, smashing an entire Confederate army.
1930 In Spain, a general strike is called in support of the revolution.
1939 The National Women's Party urges immediate congressional action on equal rights.
1940 British troops carry out an air raid on Italian Somalia.
1944 Germany mounts a major offensive in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium. As the center of the Allied line falls back, it creates a bulge, leading to the name--the Battle of the Bulge.
1949 Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tung is received at the Kremlin in Moscow.
1950 President Harry Truman declares a state of National Emergency as Chinese communists invade deeper into South Korea.
1976 President Jimmy Carter appoints Andrew Young as Ambassador to the United Nations.
1978 Cleveland becomes the first U.S. city to default since the depression.
1998 The United States launches a missile attack on Iraq for failing to comply with United Nations weapons inspectors.
2003 President George W. Bush signs the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which establishes the United States' first national standards regarding email and gives the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce the act.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for Monday, 11 December through Sunday, 17 December 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT I (1968-1972)… Week 5… From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 10 December 1968… For the week: Nine fixed wing aircraft lost, eleven aviators KIA/MIA… Merry Christmas…
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
Interesting read in this one
From Vietnam Air Losses site for Saturday 16 December
December 16: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1496
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.
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 https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Servicemembers Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend last week and I forgot to forward. The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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From the archives
Great Mig 21 video Thanks to Denny
Here is a good clip I had not seen before.
Best,
Denny Who said it was a lot of fun to fly and easy to maintain Just Gas and oil
This is very interesting and well done
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Another from the archives Thanks to Denny
Here is a great story of a C-130/F-35 midair near El Centro.
Denny
Great story of survival
USMC KC-130J Collision With an F-35 over the Salton Sea
https://www.coffeeordie.com/raider-five-zero
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
Electric eels inspired the world's first battery.
From smartphones to electric cars, today's world is powered by batteries, and it's all thanks to electric fish and one stubbornly curious Italian chemist. Near the end of the 18th century, Alessandro Volta wanted to see if he could artificially recreate the electric organs found in electric eels (which are technically not eels) and rays. These organs look like stacked cells that closely resemble a roll of coins, and are used to stun potential prey with up to 1,000 volts. Volta tried to mimic this structure by stacking sheets of various materials to see if he could similarly produce electricity. All of his experiments failed, until he stumbled across a winning combination: alternating copper and zinc disks separated by paper soaked in salt water. While Volta originally named the world's first battery an "artificial electric organ," he actually discovered a wholly separate mechanism for creating electricity. Instead, fishes like eels use a process similar to how human nerves transmit electricity, but on a much larger scale. Yet because of Volta's happy electrochemical accident, you can read these words on your favorite battery-powered, eel-inspired device.
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Thanks to Historical facts
This one will keep you busy for a while. It is filled with different places to go
9 World War II Facts Every History Buff Should Know
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Thanks to "Dr. Rich
Thanks to Thierry at Air Journey ...
What a beautiful story …
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
As the holiday season of 1938 came to Chicago, Bob May wasn't feeling much comfort or joy. A 34-year-old ad writer for Montgomery Ward, May was exhausted and nearly broke. His wife, Evelyn, was bedridden, on the losing end of a two-year battle with cancer. This left Bob to look after their four-year old-daughter, Barbara.
One night, Barbara asked her father, "Why isn't my mommy like everybody else's mommy?"
As he struggled to answer his daughter's question, Bob remembered the pain of his own childhood. A small, sickly boy, he was constantly picked on and called names. But he wanted to give his daughter hope, and show her that being different was nothing to be ashamed of. More than that, he wanted her to know that he loved her and would always take care of her. So he began to spin a tale about a reindeer with a bright red nose who found a special place on Santa's team. Barbara loved the story so much that she made her father tell it every night before bedtime. As he did, it grew more elaborate. Because he couldn't afford to buy his daughter a gift for Christmas, Bob decided to turn the story into a homemade picture book.
In early December, Bob's wife died. Though he was heartbroken, he kept working on the book for his daughter.
A few days before Christmas, he reluctantly attended a company party at Montgomery Ward. His co-workers encouraged him to share the story he'd written. After he read it, there was a standing ovation. Everyone wanted copies of their own.
Montgomery Ward bought the rights to the book from their debt-ridden employee. Over the next six years, at Christmas, they gave away six million copies of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to shoppers. Every major publishing house in the country was making offers to obtain the book. In an incredible display of good will, the head of the department store returned all rights to Bob May. Four years later, Rudolph had made him into a millionaire.
Now remarried with a growing family, May felt blessed by his good fortune. But there was more to come. His brother-in-law, a successful songwriter named Johnny Marks, set the uplifting story to music. The song was pitched to artists from Bing Crosby on down. They all passed.
Finally, Marks approached Gene Autry. The cowboy star had scored a holiday hit with "Here Comes Santa Claus" a few years before. Like the others, Autry wasn't impressed with the song about the misfit reindeer. Marks begged him to give it a second listen. Autry played it for his wife, Ina. She was so touched by the line "They wouldn't let poor Rudolph play in any reindeer games" that she insisted her husband record the tune.
Within a few years, it had become the second best-selling Christmas song ever, right behind "White Christmas". Since then, Rudolph has come to life in TV specials, cartoons, movies, toys, games, coloring books, greeting cards and even a Ringling Bros. circus act. The little red-nosed reindeer dreamed up by Bob May and immortalized in song by Johnny Marks has come to symbolize Christmas as much as Santa Claus, evergreen trees and presents. As the last line of the song says, "He'll go down in history.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All Y'all !!
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This Day in U S Military History
December 16
1942 – Admiral Tanaka's supply run is attacked again, US dive bombers sink the destroyer Kagero off Guadalcanal. On land, US troops move on Mount Austen.
1944 – With the Anglo-Americans closing in on Germany from the west and the Soviets approaching from the east, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler orders a massive attack against the western Allies by three German armies. The German counterattack out of the densely wooded Ardennes region of Belgium took the Allies entirely by surprise, and the experienced German troops wrought havoc on the American line, creating a triangular "bulge" 60 miles deep and 50 miles wide along the Allied front. Conditions of fog and mist prevented the unleashing of Allied air superiority, and for several days Hitler's desperate gamble seemed to be paying off. However, unlike the French in 1940, the embattled Americans kept up a fierce resistance even after their lines of communication had been broken, buying time for a three-point counteroffensive led by British General Bernard Montgomery and Americans generals Omar Bradley and George Patton. The Germans threw 250,000 soldiers into the initial assault, 14 German infantry divisions guarded by five panzer divisions-against a mere 80,000 Americans. Their assault came in early morning at the weakest part of the Allied line, an 80-mile poorly protected stretch of hilly, woody forest (the Allies simply believed the Ardennes too difficult to traverse, and therefore an unlikely location for a German offensive). Between the vulnerability of the thin, isolated American units and the thick fog that prevented Allied air cover from discovering German movement, the Germans were able to push the Americans into retreat. One particularly effective German trick was the use of English-speaking German commandos who infiltrated American lines and, using captured U.S. uniforms, trucks, and jeeps, impersonated U.S. military and sabotaged communications. The ploy caused widespread chaos and suspicion among the American troops as to the identity of fellow soldiers–even after the ruse was discovered. Even General Omar Bradley himself had to prove his identity three times–by answering questions about football and Betty Grable–before being allowed to pass a sentry point. The battle raged for three weeks, resulting in a massive loss of American and civilian life. Nazi atrocities abounded, including the murder of 72 American soldiers by SS soldiers in the Ardennes town of Malmedy. Historian Stephen Ambrose estimated that by war's end, "Of the 600,000 GIs involved, almost 20,000 were killed, another 20,000 were captured, and 40,000 were wounded." The United States also suffered its second-largest surrender of troops of the war: More than 7,500 members of the 106th Infantry Division capitulated at one time at Schnee Eifel. The devastating ferocity of the conflict also made desertion an issue for the American troops; General Eisenhower was forced to make an example of Private Eddie Slovik, the first American executed for desertion since the Civil War. Fighting was particularly fierce at the town of Bastogne, where the 101st Airborne Division and part of the 10th Armored Division were encircled by German forces within the bulge. On December 22, the German commander besieging the town demanded that the Americans surrender or face annihilation. U.S. Major General Anthony McAuliffe prepared a typed reply that read simply: "To the German Commander: Nuts! From the American Commander." The Americans who delivered the message explained to the perplexed Germans that the one-word reply was translatable as "Go to hell!" Heavy fighting continued at Bastogne, but the 101st held on. On December 23, the skies finally cleared over the battle areas, and the Allied air forces inflicted heavy damage on German tanks and transport, which were jammed solidly along the main roads. On December 26, Bastogne was relieved by elements of General Patton's 3rd Army. A major Allied counteroffensive began at the end of December, and by January 21 the Germans had been pushed back to their original line. Germany's last major offensive of the war had cost them 120,000 men, 1,600 planes, and 700 tanks.
1950 – In the wake of the massive Chinese intervention in the Korean War, President Harry S. Truman declares a state of emergency. Proclaiming that "Communist imperialism" threatened the world's people, Truman called upon the American people to help construct an "arsenal of freedom." In November, the stakes in the Korean War dramatically escalated with the intervention of hundreds of thousands of communist Chinese troops. Prior to their arrival on the battlefield, the U.S. forces seemed on the verge of victory in Korea. Just days after General Douglas MacArthur declared an "end the war offensive," however, massive elements of the Chinese army smashed into the American lines and drove the U.S. forces back. The "limited war" in Korea threatened to turn into a widespread conflict. Against this backdrop, Truman issued his state of emergency and the U.S. military-industrial complex went into full preparations for a possible third world war. The president's proclamation vastly expanded his executive powers and gave Mobilization Director Charles E. Wilson nearly unlimited authority to coordinate the country's defense program. Such an increase in government power had not been seen since World War II. The Soviet Union, which Truman blamed for most of the current world problems in the course of his speech, blasted the United States for "warmongering." Congress, most of America's allies, and the American people appeared to be strongly supportive of the President's tough talk and actions. Truman's speech, and the events preceding it, indicated that the Cold War-so long a battle of words and threats-had become an actual military reality. The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953.
1953 – Charles E. Yeager flew 2,575 kph in Bell X-1A.
1997 – The Galileo spacecraft flew to within 124 miles of the surface and recorded images of Europa. Volcanic ice flows implicated a vast ocean below the surface. Giant lightning bolts on Jupiter, a hundred times more powerful than those on Earth, were reported via the spacecraft and it indicated a magnetic field around Ganymede. It also indicated an atmosphere of hydrogen and carbon dioxide around Callisto. Metallic cores inside Io, Ganymede and Europa and the lack of a similar core inside Callisto was also indicated.
1998 – In Operation Desert Fox, Navy cruise missiles attack Iraq. Pres. Clinton ordered a sustained series of missile strikes against Iraq forces in response to Saddam Hussein's continued defiance of UN weapons inspectors. Iraqi envoy Nizar Hamdoon accused UN weapons inspector Richard Butler of producing a biased report on weapons inspections. The strike came one before scheduled vote on Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives and days before the beginning of Ramadan. Some 200 missiles fell on Iraq in the first 24 hours of the attack and initial reports indicated two people killed and 30 injured. The House Republicans postponed impeachment by at least 24 hours.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
WELCH, GEORGE W.
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 11th Missouri Infantry. Place and date: At Nashville, Tenn., 16 December 1864. Entered service at: Keokuk, Lee County, lowa. Birth: Brown County, lowa. Date of issue: 24 February 1965 Citation: Captured the flag of the 13th Alabama Infantry (C.S.A.).
EDWARDS, WALTER ATLEE
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Sea of Marmora, Turkey, 16 December 1922. Born: 8 November 1886, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 123, 4 February 1924. (Medal presented by President Coolidge at the White House on 2 February 1924.) Other Navy award: Navy Cross. Citation: For heroism in rescuing 482 men, women and children from the French military transport Vinh-Long, destroyed by fire in the Sea of Marmora, Turkey, on 16 December 1922. Lt. Comdr. Edwards, commanding the U.S.S. Bainbridge, placed his vessel alongside the bow of the transport and, in spite of several violent explosions which occurred on the burning vessel, maintained his ship in that position until all who were alive were taken on board. Of a total of 495 on board, 482 were rescued by his coolness, judgment and professional skill, which were combined with a degree of heroism that must reflect new glory on the U.S. Navy.
McGARlTY, VERNON
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company L, 393d Infantry, 99th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Krinkelt, Belgium, 16 December 1944. Entered service at: Model, Tenn. Born: 1 December 1921, Right, Tenn. G.O. No.: 6, 11 January 1946. Citation: He was painfully wounded in an artillery barrage that preceded the powerful counteroffensive launched by the Germans near Krinkelt, Belgium, on the morning of 16 December 1944. He made his way to an aid station, received treatment, and then refused to be evacuated, choosing to return to his hard-pressed men instead. The fury of the enemy's great Western Front offensive swirled about the position held by T/Sgt. McGarity's small force, but so tenaciously did these men fight on orders to stand firm at all costs that they could not be dislodged despite murderous enemy fire and the breakdown of their communications. During the day the heroic squad leader rescued 1 of his friends who had been wounded in a forward position, and throughout the night he exhorted his comrades to repulse the enemy's attempts at infiltration. When morning came and the Germans attacked with tanks and infantry, he braved heavy fire to run to an advantageous position where he immobilized the enemy's lead tank with a round from a rocket launcher. Fire from his squad drove the attacking infantrymen back, and 3 supporting tanks withdrew. He rescued, under heavy fire, another wounded American, and then directed devastating fire on a light cannon which had been brought up by the hostile troops to clear resistance from the area. When ammunition began to run low, T/Sgt. McGarity, remembering an old ammunition hole about 100 yards distant in the general direction of the enemy, braved a concentration of hostile fire to replenish his unit's supply. By circuitous route the enemy managed to emplace a machinegun to the rear and flank of the squad's position, cutting off the only escape route. Unhesitatingly, the gallant soldier took it upon himself to destroy this menace single-handedly. He left cover, and while under steady fire from the enemy, killed or wounded all the hostile gunners with deadly accurate rifle fire and prevented all attempts to reman the gun. Only when the squad's last round had been fired was the enemy able to advance and capture the intrepid leader and his men. The extraordinary bravery and extreme devotion to duty of T/Sgt. McGarity supported a remarkable delaying action which provided the time necessary for assembling reserves and forming a line against which the German striking power was shattered.
MURRAY, CHARLES P., JR.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company C, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Kaysersberg, France, 16 December 1944. Entered service at: Wilmington, N.C. Birth: Baltimore, Md. G.O. No.: 63, 1 August 1945. Citation: For commanding Company C, 30th Infantry, displaying supreme courage and heroic initiative near Kaysersberg, France, on 16 December 1944, while leading a reinforced platoon into enemy territory. Descending into a valley beneath hilltop positions held by our troops, he observed a force of 200 Germans pouring deadly mortar, bazooka, machinegun, and small arms fire into an American battalion occupying the crest of the ridge. The enemy's position in a sunken road, though hidden from the ridge, was open to a flank attack by 1st Lt. Murray's patrol but he hesitated to commit so small a force to battle with the superior and strongly disposed enemy. Crawling out ahead of his troops to a vantage point, he called by radio for artillery fire. His shells bracketed the German force, but when he was about to correct the range his radio went dead. He returned to his patrol, secured grenades and a rifle to launch them and went back to his self-appointed outpost. His first shots disclosed his position; the enemy directed heavy fire against him as he methodically fired his missiles into the narrow defile. Again he returned to his patrol. With an automatic rifle and ammunition, he once more moved to his exposed position. Burst after burst he fired into the enemy, killing 20, wounding many others, and completely disorganizing its ranks, which began to withdraw. He prevented the removal of 3 German mortars by knocking out a truck. By that time a mortar had been brought to his support. 1st Lt. Murray directed fire of this weapon, causing further casualties and confusion in the German ranks. Calling on his patrol to follow, he then moved out toward his original objective, possession of a bridge and construction of a roadblock. He captured 10 Germans in foxholes. An eleventh, while pretending to surrender, threw a grenade which knocked him to the ground, inflicting 8 wounds. Though suffering and bleeding profusely, he refused to return to the rear until he had chosen the spot for the block and had seen his men correctly deployed. By his single-handed attack on an overwhelming force and by his intrepid and heroic fighting, 1st Lt. Murray stopped a counterattack, established an advance position against formidable odds, and provided an inspiring example for the men of his command.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 16, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
16 December
1907: The Chief Signal Officer called for bids on a lighter-than-air "airship." (24)
I watched both of these go off when I lived at Vandenberg. It had just been renamed from Camp Cook when we got there.
1958: Launching operations began down the Pacific Missile Range with a successful Thor missile shot from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. This was the first ballistic missile flight over the Pacific Ocean. (6) At Dover AFB, Del., Brig Gen Robert J. Goewey flew a C-133 Cargomaster with the heaviest load in aviation history to date. The aircraft carried 117,000 pounds to 10,000 feet. (24)
1960: From Vandenberg AFB, Calif., the Strategic Air Command fired the first Atlas-D equipped with a Mark-3 nose cone over a 4,384-mile course to Eniwetok Island. (24) The Semi-automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) facility at Gunter AFS, Ala., controlled two BOMARC-B missiles launched from Eglin AFB, Fla., and directed their interception of a B-47 drone flying at 500 MPH at 30,000 feet. (24)
1963: A 13-man Air Force and Army team set a 41,000-foot free-fall parachute record.
1970: The 509th Bombardment Wing at Pease AFB, N. H., received the Strategic Air Command's first combat-capable FB-111A. (12)
1976: First F-16A delivered to Edwards AFB, Calif., for testing. (12)
1982: The 416th Bombardment Wing at Griffiss AFB, N.Y., became the first Strategic Air Command unit to be operationally equipped with Air Launched Cruise Missiles. (6) (12)
1985: Pioneer 6 becomes the longest running spacecraft in history. When launched in 1965, the solarorbiting satellite had a six-month life expectancy. (8: Dec 90)
1992: MACKAY TROPHY. At night, a B-52 from the 668th Bomb Squadron lost two engines in flight when one exploded and damaged another. Two other engines on the same side of the aircraft flamed out, forcing the crew into frantic maneuvers to save the aircraft. The pilot managed to restart the two flamed-out engines and land the plane safely. For that feat, the crew received the trophy. (16) (26)
1996: At Seymour Johnson AFB, N. C., Gen Richard E. Hawley, Air Combat Command Commander, and Congressman Walter B. Jones Jr. of North Carolina, named the thirteenth B-2 the "Spirit of Kitty Hawk" to honor the Wright Brothers first flight. (AFNEWS Article 961250, Dec 96) General Hawley also announced that the 509th Bombardment Wing had achieved a limited operational capability with B-2 and conventional weapons at Whiteman AFB, Mo. (AFNEWS Article 961330, Dec 96) Lockheed Martin celebrated a major milestone in C-130 history, when the company assembled its last "H" model to end a 32-year production run. The C-130H was first introduced in 1964 and has been in steady production since. (AFNEWS Article 961271, 16 Dec 96)
1998: Operation DESERT FOX/PHOENIX SCORPION IV. The US and Great Britain initiated the operation against Iraq after Iraq prevented UN weapons inspectors from continuing their work. In the 4-day operation, cruise missiles and aircraft strikes hit about 100 Iraqi weapons production facilities. It was the largest air campaign against the Iraqis since DESERT STORM in 1991, and it featured the first use of the B-1B in combat. Under PHOENIX SCORPION IV, the Air Mobility Command deployed forces that were placed on alert a month earlier as a CONUS Crisis Response Force. In the 4-day deployment, Air Mobility Command aircraft flew 159 missions to airlift 2,462 passengers and 1,940 short tons of cargo. Air National Guardsmen and Air Force Reservists from five different units, plus several active duty units assigned to the Northeast Tanker Task Force in Maine, refueled Air Force aircraft deploying to the Persian Gulf. (21) (22) (32) A 33d Fighter Wing F-15D from Eglin AFB, Fla., became the first in the Air Force inventory to log 6,000 flying hours. (30)
2000: Lockheed Martin's X-35C Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrator for the Navy made its first flight, a 27-minute trip, from Palmdale to Edwards AFB in California to begin flight testing. It resembled the USAF's X-35A, but had larger wing and control surfaces, ailerons, and a special structure for high-impact landings for carrier operations. (3)
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Thanks to Brett
Stratfor snippets -Germany, Congo, South Korea/Netherlands, Sri Lanka/Bangladesh, Israel/Gaza, Somalia, U.S./North Korea, U.S., Finland/U.S./Russia, Taiwan, Yemen, China/Myanmar, Venezuela/Guyana
Germany: German Government Agrees to 2024 Budget, Sticks to Debt Brake
What Happened: The German government presented its plan to address a 17 billion euro ($18.3 billion) funding gap in the 2024 federal budget following a November 2023 constitutional court ruling against plans to reallocate 60 billion euros of unused debt earmarked for the pandemic crisis response, Reuters reported Dec. 13.
Why It Matters: While the agreement solves short-term funding issues for the 2024 federal budget, avoiding a government crisis and largely preserving many of the proposed economic measures on the coalition's agenda for next year, it does not address longer-term funding issues coming from the 60 billion euro shortfall that significantly reduces the fiscal space for the ruling coalition to pursue key policy objectives through the end of its term in 2025. The reinstatement of the debt brake, in particular, will curb the government's capacity to fund investments to support the country's industrial sector in its transition away from fossil fuels and expand its green technologies and semiconductor production capacity while exacerbating existing intra-coalition tensions in 2024 over the allocation of funds. Moreover, the combination of restrictive fiscal policy and the resulting increase in policy uncertainty will also impact Germany's economic growth, which is likely to remain stagnant next year.
Background: The plan includes cuts to climate-damaging subsidies, an earlier-than-planned end to subsidies for electric vehicles and solar panels and other cuts to ministry budgets and social spending. Additionally, the plan sees an increase in carbon prices and the introduction of a new tax on plastic packaging. Most importantly, the three coalition partners agreed to preserve the constitutionally enshrined debt brake in 2024, barring another emergency that would again require its suspension. Finally, the climate and transition fund will see a 45 billion euro reduction through 2027.
Congo: Katumbi Temporarily Suspends Presidential Campaign
What Happened: One of the primary challengers to Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi's reelection, Moise Katumbi, temporarily suspended his campaign following violence at one of his campaign rallies, Reuters reported on Dec. 13.
Why It Matters: Regardless of which side started the violence, the clashes and Katumbi's campaign suspension illustrate the electoral advantage conferred to Tshisekedi through command of security forces, as well as the security challenges facing opposition candidates ahead of the Dec. 20 polls. While a short suspension of Katumbi's campaign is unlikely to have a significant impact on the election results given that his chances of winning were limited anyway, the cause of the suspension underscores one of the primary challenges to Congolese democracy that will very likely last for elections to come.
Background: Katumbi held a campaign rally in Muanda on Dec. 12, when clashes between supporters and police injured several people. The provincial government says Katumbi's guards fired warning shots, which escalated tensions before police used tear gas to restore order. However, Katumbi said on X, formerly Twitter, that police shot live bullets into the crowd intentionally to stoke violence at his campaign rally. Katumbi was scheduled to campaign in Kasai Central province's Kananga city on Dec. 13, but Tshisekedi was also scheduled to campaign in the area, leading to fears that clashes between the two candidates' supporters could turn violent.
South Korea, Netherlands: Chip Sector, Defense Cooperation Expanding
What Happened: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte released a joint statement declaring the two countries' "semiconductor alliance" and pledging deeper cooperation on economic and maritime security, Yonhap News Agency reported on Dec. 13. Meanwhile, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik met with NATO representatives from eight member countries, with discussions focused on countering threats from North Korea.
Why It Matters: This cooperation is unlikely to significantly bolster the technological progress of the semiconductor industries in either South Korea or the Netherlands, as supply chain cooperation is already high and meaningful innovation in the chips industry requires tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars. The defense cooperation, however, will help expand the presence of South Korea's arms industry in Europe. Additionally, the NATO meeting will raise hackles in Beijing, which is already concerned about Western containment and an "Asian NATO."
Background: The NATO visit comes after Japan failed to secure European support for a NATO liaison in Tokyo in June, a move China painted as an effort to establish an Asian NATO.
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh: IMF Approves Second Installment of Bailout Funds
What Happened: The International Monetary Fund's executive board approved the second tranches of Sri Lanka's and Bangladesh's bailouts, $337 million and $690 million, respectively, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 12. The IMF said Sri Lanka needs to strengthen its revenue streams and foreign exchange reserves, while Bangladesh needs to tighten its monetary policy and embrace greater exchange rate flexibility.
Why It Matters: IMF disbursements will alleviate economic strains in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, particularly by bolstering their foreign exchange reserves. This could mitigate worries about food and fuel insecurity while increasing investor confidence in both countries. However, these funds come with conditions necessitating unpopular adjustments to monetary policies such as cutting social programs, eliminating subsidies and raising taxes. These measures may provoke protests and violent clashes with security forces as both governments crack down on dissent, risking disruptions to transportation, supply chains and business operations. Moreover, impending elections could constrain Bangladesh's and potentially Sri Lanka's willingness and ability to enact contentious reforms in the near term.
Background: The IMF's decision comes after the fund completed its first review of Sri Lanka's and Bangladesh's bailouts in October. Sri Lanka's bailout totals $2.9 billion, while Bangladesh's amounts to $4.7 billion.
Israel, Gaza: Israel Strikes Rafah Area for First Time, Portending Heavy Civilian Losses
What Happened: Israel carried out air and drone strikes on targets in Gaza along the Egyptian border in Rafah and the Philadelphi route for the first time, The Jerusalem Post reported on Dec. 15. Meanwhile, the United States suggested that fighting would soon subside from major combat operations to localized missions to capture or kill leaders of the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Why It Matters: Israel will likely move into the Rafah area in the coming weeks as it tries to wrap up major ground operations in Khan Younis and northern Gaza. Operations will then likely shift to search and destroy missions against remaining pockets of Hamas fighters both above and underground. The Rafah operation will likely entail significant civilian losses, with Gazans having virtually nowhere to go; some might be able to enter Egypt, though that number will be severely limited. This humanitarian crisis will increase international outrage and pressure on Israel to slow the military assault, potentially escalating into more protests and strikes across the world.
Background: Media continued to report Israeli and Hamas casualties amid intense fighting in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis and refugee camps in northern Gaza. Rafah was the last city in Gaza to be largely spared from the war, and it was previously a safe zone for civilians during Israel's invasion of the northern part of the strip. Signs are mounting that the United States is running out of patience with Israel as President Joe Biden prepares to enter election season in 2024 with his base split over the war.
Somalia: Government Secures $4.5 Billion Debt Relief Package
What Happened: Somalia secured a $4.5 billion debt relief deal from international creditors as part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative, Africanews reported on Dec. 14. The International Monetary Fund said that due to participation in the program, Somalia's external debt will fall from 64% of gross domestic product in 2018 to less than 6% of GDP by the end of 2023.
Why It Matters: Debt relief should free up revenue for the government to address infrastructure failures and social services and attract renewed investment. However, there is a medium to long-term risk that the reduction will only be temporary, as the government could slide back into high debt levels amid low business activity, low investment and ongoing conflicts.
Background: The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative is a large debt forgiveness program overseen by the IMF and the World Bank. Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world.
Israel, Gaza: Hamas' Political Wing Warms to Negotiated End of War
What Happened: A senior official of Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said Hamas might recognize Israel in exchange for a role in the Palestine Liberation Organization, or PLO, The Jerusalem Post reported on Dec. 14. The comments came a day after Hamas' exiled political leader Ismail Haniyeh said he was open to discussing an end to the Israel-Hamas war if it led to a two-state solution with a Hamas role in the PLO or the Palestinian Authority.
Why It Matters: Marzouk's comments suggest that Hamas could follow PLO policy by recognizing Israel should the group be invited to join the organization in a unity play. While the military wing of Hamas continues to reject this option, Israel will defeat Hamas militarily in Gaza, so Hamas' political wing may gain some leverage to drive the group's policies in the post-war environment. Hamas' ultimate decision on whether to strive for international recognition or continue fighting Israel may depend on both internal politics and the group's perceptions of Israel's relationship with the rest of the world.
Background: Hamas has never officially recognized Israel's right to exist, though a 2017 revision to its charter suggested it could be open to a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. There has also long been a split between Hamas' political and military wings over strategy, with the political wing favoring diplomatic maneuvering while the military wing rejects it. As Israel carries out the final stage of its invasion of Gaza, Hamas' gunmen are surrendering and top Hamas leaders are now in hiding.
US, North Korea: Trump Denies Report He Is Mulling North Korea Strategic Overhaul
What Happened: Former U.S. President Donald Trump denied a Dec. 13 Politico report claiming he is considering a major overhaul of U.S. strategy on North Korea should he return to office in 2025, Yonhap News Agency reported on Dec. 14. Trump called the report "fake news," claiming the only accuracy is that he has a friendly relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Why It Matters: The claims and denials point to a chaotic geopolitical landscape amid the potential for a second Trump administration following U.S. elections in 2024, leaving even U.S. allies such as South Korea uncertain of the former president's intentions. Regardless of whether Politico's report is true, South Korea will prepare contingencies ahead of a potential second Trump term by bolstering its defenses — possibly by acquiring nuclear capability — and expanding security partnerships beyond its alliance with the United States.
Background: The Politico report outlines Trump's alleged proposed policy shift for the United States that would allow North Korea to keep its nuclear stockpile in exchange for not adding to it, which would likely damage Washington's relations with Japan and South Korea.
US: FCC Updates Data Breach Rules
What Happened: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted to expand the definition of data breach incidents to include "inadvertent access, use or disclosure of customer information" and to broaden the scope of data breach incidents to cover all customers' personally identifiable information held by carriers and telecommunications relay services, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 13.
Why It Matters: The updates will increase compliance costs for organizations and will likely lead to a significant increase in reported breaches. The new rules require organizations to take additional steps to report an expanded number of what constitutes a breach, and they require additional measures for notifying relevant authorities. The rules also shorten the window for reporting incidents, placing more stringent requirements on organizations that face data breaches. Republicans will likely challenge the change, specifically via an initiative led by Sen. Ted Cruz, who has already written to the agency warning that the rules violate a previous congressional order that struck down expanded FCC privacy rules in 2017.
Background: The new rules require carriers and providers to give the FCC and the FBI notices of breaches that affect 500 or more customers within seven business days of the day the breach was determined. The rules also forego the previous seven-day waiting period for notifying customers of a breach. In June, the FCC set up the Privacy and Data Protection Task Force to address data breaches and other cyber intrusions.
Finland, US, Russia: Finland to Sign Bilateral Defense Agreement With US
What Happened: Finland will sign a bilateral defense cooperation agreement with the United States on Dec. 18, The Washington Post reported on Dec. 14. The agreement is judicially binding on both sides and will allow the United States to send troops and construct new and specific NATO infrastructure in the country.
Why It Matters: Finland will allow U.S. soldiers to access 15 military areas and facilities, including a key southern naval base, four airbases, a storage area alongside a railway that leads to the Russian border, and numerous other training locations across the country. U.S. troops will also be allowed to establish a permanent logistical presence and conduct regular exercises in Finland, although the Finnish government claims there are no plans to establish permanent U.S. military bases in the country. But as the agreement foresees the establishment of new, permanent and specific NATO military infrastructure and activities in Finland, Russia will be very likely to respond with measures to cast Finland's NATO integration as making the country less safe and more of a target for Russia. To this end, Russia will use asymmetric means such as cyber attacks and the continuation of its funneling of migrants to Finland's borders in the near term, as well as establish new military bases and defense infrastructure along its border with Finland in the longer term.
Background: On Dec. 14, the Finnish government reclosed all of its border crossing points with Russia until at least Jan. 14, 2024, amid concerns about Russian government attempts to direct migrants to the Finnish border. Finland formally joined NATO on April 4.
Taiwan: NDAA To Accelerate US Arms Procurement, Chinese Military Coercion
What Happened: The U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, for 2024 includes provisions that accelerate U.S. fulfillment of pledged arms sales to Taiwan, Focus Taiwan reported on Dec. 15. The NDAA passed through both houses of Congress on Dec. 14 and will soon be signed by the president.
Why It Matters: These measures will prompt more retaliatory Chinese military demonstrations, which will worsen U.S.-China relations. However, arms sales are unlikely to spark new kinds of Chinese retaliation unless the sales are of an unprecedented scale or enhance Taiwan's strike capability against the Chinese mainland.
Background: One provision will hold up naval research funding until a plan is submitted for the procurement of Harpoon missiles. The secretaries of defense and state must also produce for Congress plans to provide committed arms sales to Taiwan and to address procurement delays. In December 2022, China conducted a record-high number of air incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone after the 2023 NDAA included provisions for Taiwan.
Yemen: Maersk Halts Shipping Travel Near Bab el-Mandab Strait
What Happened: Danish shipping company Maersk paused maritime travel near the Bab el-Mandab Strait over concerns of attacks by Yeman-based Houthi rebels, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 15.
Why It Matters: As the Houthis widen their targets traveling through the Red Sea, more companies will avoid traveling in the region to prevent being targeted by Houthi attacks. These longer routes will increase shipping costs and likely lead to global supply chain delays and disruptions.
Background: Maersk's announcement comes a day after a Houthi drone reportedly targeted the containership Maersk Gibraltar near the Bab el-Mandab Strait. The Houthis have targeted vessels in the Red Sea region since mid-November to protest Israeli actions in Gaza. Although the attacks initially targeted Israeli-linked vessels, the Houthis expanded their targets on Dec. 9 to include vessels traveling towards Israeli ports, leading them to target at least two non-Israeli-linked ships in the past week.
China, Myanmar: Beijing Claims to Have Brokered Cease-Fire Between Junta, Militia Group
What Happened: Beijing claimed that it successfully mediated a temporary cease-fire between the ruling Myanmar junta and the Brotherhood Alliance, a grouping of three ethnic militias in northern Shan state, Barron's reported on Dec. 14. The Brotherhood Alliance previously stated it would continue fighting until the junta fell.
Why It Matters: The cease-fire is only with the Brotherhood Alliance, not with the entire rebel movement, so Myanmar's civil war will continue. The Chinese Foreign Ministry provided few details, but it is likely that the Brotherhood Alliance, components of which have close ties to China, will for now retain control of Shan's Myanmar-China border crossing, which means cross-border trade is likely to resume. The junta's willingness to reach a cease-fire points to its weakening military position as it faces onslaughts from rebels on several other fronts. However, the Brotherhood Alliance's willingness to reach a cease-fire could sink morale and raise suspicions among the various rebel factions, which bodes poorly for the cohesiveness they likely need for a more decisive push on junta-controlled urban centers.
Background: The Brotherhood Alliance sat out the war until Oct. 27 when it launched Operation 1027. The surprise offensive left the militias in control of key border crossings into China but also resulted in the shutdown of scores of scam centers run by Chinese fugitives victimizing Chinese (and other) citizens.
Venezuela, Guyana: Countries Agree to 'Peaceful Coexistence,' but Dispute Remains
What Happened: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Guyana's President Irfaan Ali agreed to "not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstance," Bloomberg reported on Dec. 14. They also established a joint commission between both countries' foreign ministers to "address matters as mutually agreed" and decided to meet again in Brazil within three months to discuss the implications of their territorial dispute over the Essequibo region.
Why It Matters: The joint agreement may temporarily ease tensions between Guyana and Venezuela, but the Essequibo dispute will likely continue, as both countries remain at an impasse over how to legally address the border dispute. Venezuela is supposed to file counter arguments to Guyana's claim at the International Court of Justice in April 2024, but on Dec. 3, Venezuelans rejected the ICJ's jurisdiction on the case, so Maduro is unlikely to send representatives. Meanwhile, Ali is firmly committed to the legal proceedings in the ICJ. The Venezuelan government will probably continue to develop its operational headquarters for Guayana Esequiba province in Tumeremo, a city bordering Guyana, and will likely view any future joint military exercises between Guyana and the United States as a provocation. International businesses operating in Guyana's waters and the Essequibo region will continue to face uncertainty that could rise if future discussions between the two countries collapse.
Background: Maduro later posted, "Excellent day of dialogue…We did it!" on X, formerly Twitter. A day earlier, the Venezuelan president submitted his $20.5 billion dollar 2024 national budget to the National Assembly, which nearly doubles the 2023 budget and allocates 3.5% for Essequibo. This is the "first time" the region has formally been included in Venezuela's budget, according to Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
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