Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Key exercise in Estonia tests NATO's readiness


U.S. Army Europe paratroopers train with counterparts in Lithuania


U.S. Army Europe Gets New Chief of Staff-a German general officer


US Army Europe To Preposition Tanks as Ukraine Conflict Rages-the latest intel

In the next few weeks,US Army Europe is sending a survey team to Europe to find suitable storage sites for some 220 tanks and other armoured vehicles,according to its commander,Lieutenant General Ben Hodges.In the next few weeks,the teams will survey sites in Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania,Poland,Romania and Bulgaria.A heavy brigade of around 3,000 US troops are to be rotated through Europe in 2015.The Army has upped its prepositioning plans from battalion up to brigade-size European Activity Sets to support the growing numbers of US troops rotating through Europe on their missions.
The ultimate EAS will include the full armoured brigade combat team;three maneuver battalions;a reconnaissance squadron;artillery,engineers and so on.That will amount to around 220 armoured vehicles,tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles.It should all be in place by year's end.The NATO allies in Eastern Europe all want these vehicles badly,GEN Hodges said.An obvious reason-they're a deterrent aspect.Although some of the tanks will be stationed in Germany,USAEUR really wants to station some in Southeastern Europe;some in the Baltics;some in Poland.
The 1st Brigade Combat Team,3rd Infantry Division,will be rotating to Europe to deter Russian aggression,reassure allies in the East and strengthen training partnerships.GEN Hodges cited hundreds of armoured vehicles,rocket launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles that are being provided by Russia and employed by either the Russians themselves or their proxies in Eastern Ukraine.The sky is full of Russian UAVs and they are immediately finding all the Ukrainian formations,and the Ukrainians are suffering huge casualties from artillery and rocket barrages.
This concern was echoed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on 24 January,who said fighting in Eastern Ukraine has sharply escalated,with indications of a large-scale offensive by Russian-backed separatists at multiple locations within Donestk and Luhansk Oblasts,as well as against the city of Mariupol.The shelling of residential areas in the city of Mariupol from separatist-controlled territory has cost the lives of at least 20 civilians and injured many more.
For several months,Mr.Stoltenberg continued,we have seen the presence of Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine,as well as a substantial increase in Russian heavy equipment such as tanks,artillery and advanced air-defence systems.Russian troops in Eastern Ukraine are supporting these offensive operations with command-and-control systems,air-defence systems with advanced surface-to-air missiles,unmanned aerial systems,advanced multiple-rocket launcher systems,and electronic warfare systems.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

U.S. & Canadian Army Paratroopers C-130H Airdrop-night jump


Canadian Special Operations - Canada's Silent Warriors (HD) FSSF- CANSOFCOM


Canadian Troops Suppress ISIL Barrage

Canadian special forces troops had traveled to the front lines in the past week with their Iraqi trainees,in order to visualise the map they had been studying.ISIL militants spotted them and opened up on them with a mortar and machine gun.Invoking their right of self-defence,the Canadians neutralised the enemy position by laying down sniper fire,according to General Michael Rouleau,commander of Canadian Special Operations Force Command.It was the first instance of coalition forces engaging in ground combat operations during Operation Inherent Resolve,the anti-Islamic State effort.General Rouleau described the ISIL militants' attack as being immediate and effective.
The Canadian SOP troops in Iraq number about 70.Their mission is to train,advise and assist Iraqi troops-particularly the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.In addition,they are serving as forward air controllers, targeting ISIL positions with laser markers,collecting intelligence on them and analysing what positions should be bombed.Six Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter aircraft are in Iraq participating in coalition airstrikes on Islamist militant targets,supported by another 600 Canadian troops.Canada is one of the leading contributors to Operation Inherent Resolve.
The SOP troops established Patrol Base Cirillo in a November ceremony.No Canadian soldiers were injured in last week's firefight.The incident points up the way even trainers can become involved in combat,the best intentions of their political leaders notwithstanding.Both Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama have insisted their troops are not on a combat mission.


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

DIA: Voice of the Customer


Get Ready: DIA Is Ready for a Changing World


Marine Corps General to Head Defense Intelligence Agency

Major General Vincent R Stewart,US Marine Corps,will assume command of the Defense Intelligence Agency on 23 January,Pentagon spokesman COL Steve Warren,US Army,announced today.Just before being sworn in at DIA headquarters on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington,GEN Stewart will be promoted to Lieutenant General.He will be the first Marine and the first African American to head the agency.
GEN Stewart is currently commander of Marine Forces Cyber Command,and was previously intelligence director at Headquarters US Marine Corps.*
DIA says it is committed to its vital role in winning today's wars,preventing strategic surprise,deterring conflict,and preparing to defeat future adversaries.Its core mission capabilities are collecting,processing,exploiting and analysing foreign military and defence-related information,and then disseminating the timely and relevant all-source analysis.It also takes pride in providing surge intelligence support to combatant commanders and warfighters for their priority operational and tactical intelligence requirements.The DIA trains the defence attaches who serve in US embassies.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

[FULL HD] Royal Saudi Air Force EF-2000 Typhoon at Toulouse-Blagnac


Pentagon: Operation Inherent Resolve Name Signifies 'Multinational, Mult...


Marines Come Under Attack in Iraq;Latest Airstrikes;Training Iraqi Troops

It is fair to say the al-Asad command has come under regular fire,but the fire has been completely ineffective,said Pentagon spokesman COL Steven Warren,US Army.These are purely nuisance attacks.Some 320 Marines are at the al-Asad Air Base in Western Anbar,where they have been training,advising and assisting the Iraqi 7th Division since 20 December.No Marines or their equipment have been hit by the incoming ISIL fire,and the Marines have not returned fire.Mostly they have been mortar attacks,but with some rockets as well.The Iraqi forces have done a very good job of creating a security zone,COL Warren noted.The Marines,members of a Marine Air Ground Task Force(MAGTF)under US Central Command,are among about 2100 US troops currently in Iraq.Around 800 of these are security and force protection troops;the others are on the train,advise and assist mission of Operation Inherent Resolve,the anti-ISIL militant effort.These 1300 are getting the Iraqi and Kurdsh Peshmerga forces ready to go on the offensive against ISIL and reclaim lost territory.Up to 1300 more US troops are on the way later this month,for a total of up to 3400 US troops in Iraq.*
In coalition airstrikes taking place in Iraq and Syria from 5-6 January,the Pentagon reports that 13 ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL building were destroyed near Kobani,Syria;while in Iraq,a strike destroyed an ISIL tactical unit,an ISIL armoured vehicle and another ISIL vehicle near Asad.Nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the US,Australia,Belgium,Canada,Denmark,France,the Netherlands and the UK.Those conducting airstrikes in Syria include the US,Bahrain,Jordan,Saudi Arabia and the UAE.*
Besides al-Asad Air Base,another training camp for Iraqi troops has been opened at Taji north of Baghdad,to be followed by a third camp at Besmaya southeast of Baghdad;Kurdish Peshmerga fighters will be trained at a fourth camp in Irbil in the north.