Tuesday, February 27, 2018

ROYAL DANISH NAVY HDMS NIELS JUEL F363 ENTERS DEVONPORT AT ARTILLERY TOW...


HMCS St John’s Work-ups - RCN video


North Sea:Interlocking Drills Test Norwegian Navy and its NATO Allies - Updated 1 March 2018

For the past few weeks,Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 has been participating in the Royal Norwegian Navy Exercise TG 18-1.Some 14 ships and submarines arrived in Bergen,Norway to initiate TG 18-1 in support of training and qualifying the RNN's new submarine commanders.The drills also aim to sharpen warfighting skills under rugged Nordic wintry conditions.
At the same time,TG 18-1 is being integrated with NATO exercise Dynamic Guard,which emphasises air defence and electronic warfare.The electronic warfare component of the challenge links TG 18-1 to Dynamic Guardian and treats the interception,jamming and emission of radar signals for defensive and deceptive applications.Maritime air defence involves naval helicopters and fixed wing patrol aircraft searching for and destroying enemy submarines.The maritime drills are being staged in the North Sea as well as fjords near Bergen.The 14 vessels include SNMG1'S current flagship,Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Niels Juel,and Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS St.John's and the French FREMM multi-mission frigate Provence.Besides Norway,Denmark and Canada,other participating Allies include:France,Germany,Poland,the Netherlands and Spain,plus NATO partner Australia.A total of 5,000 Sailors and 14 frigates have been taking part in the sophisticated tests,such as trying to block a submarine from entering a fjord from the North Sea. *
As well as the warships,helicopters and other aircraft are joining the exercises.The complex multinational drills extend into Dynamic Guard,where interoperability is increased at both the unit-to-unit and the task force level.The conditons have been rough,with seas generating waves of 5-6 meters at times.Nonetheless,the tasks are executed to sustain high interoperability and readiness among the Allies-STRONGER TOGETHER.*
The commander of SNMG1 is Commodore Soren Thinggard Larsen,Royal Danish Navy.He ensures that,as a member of the NATO Reaction Force,SNMG1 trains at a high operational level to meet the very high readiness requirements,always with a view to reaching the capability to respond promptly in times of crisis and conflict.



Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Royal Marines Boarding Skills On Display


HMS DUNCAN D37 - arriving in Piraeus,Greece as flagship of SNMG2


NATO (SNMCMG2) has visit the port city of Constanta - Romanian/English


Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan heads for NATO SNMG2 deployment


A Brief Tour of USS Donald Cook Guided-Missile Destroyer - Ballistic Mis...


Busy February:NATO Increases Maritime Forces in the Black Sea

In a move described by the US Navy as proactive rather than reactive,NATO has made a point of thoroughly exercising its maritime forces in the Black Sea this month.The activity is overseen by Allied Maritime Command,which is headquartered in Northwood,Slough,UK.The multinational HQ there is crewed by 300 officers,petty officers and civilians,all under the command of Royal Navy Vice Admiral Peter Hudson,who is the prime maritime advisor to the Alliance.The Command plans and executes all NATO maritime operations,including the Counter Piracy Operation Ocean Shield in the Mediterranean.It also directs Operation Sea Guardian,with tasks in support of maritime situational awareness;upholding freedom of navigation;conducting interdiction tasks;maritime counter terrorism;and contributing to capacity building. *
On 30 January,warships of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 cruised through the Bosphorus Straits to enter the Black Sea with Royal Navy destroyer and SNMG2 flagship HMS Duncan and Turkish frigate TCG Gazintep joining the ships of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2.The two patrols emphasised NATO's maritime presence in the Sea with drills increasing interoperability among the Groups and Allied nations that operate in the Sea.Both Groups,a total of six warships,made a port call at Constanta,Romania from 1-4 February as part of operations supporting national sovereignty through collective defence.
There were courtesy calls with local civilian and Naval authorities;as well as planning for further interoperability exercises with the Romanian Navy after departing Constanta and public tours of the warships.*
The SNMG2 currently consists of HMS Duncan;Romanian frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand;and Turkish frigate TCG Gazintep.SNMCMG2 includes RN survey ship HMS Enterprise;minesweeper ROS Lt.Lupu Dinescu;and mine-hunter TCG Akcay.Prior to the port call,the two Groups patrolled both the Mediterranean and the Black Seas,conducting passing exercises (PASSEX) and operations.Both Groups are part of the NATO Reaction Force,providing crucial skill sets to keep sea lanes and ports open during a crisis.They stage a wide range of multinational drills with NATO Allies and partners to enhance operability and maintain warfighting skills.*
As part of the PASSEX activity,a PASSEX with the Bulgarian Navy was staged.One of its highlights was a boarding exercise with participants from the Romanian Navy and the Royal Marines.Previous to the Bulgarian PASSEX,there was a PASSEX with the Romanian Navy as well,including an intense air defence drill,or ADEX,in which one or two Romanian Mig 21 aircraft flew over Allied warships off the shore of Constanta.*
At the conclusion of the Maritime Groups' exercises,the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) entered the Black Sea on 17 February,joining the USS Ross (DDG 71).According to USN 6th Fleet commander Vice Admiral Christopher Grady:
We operate at the tempo and timing of our choosing in this strategically important region.By nature,ships are flexible,mobile forces,and the Navy is uniquely capable of providing credible and capable forces to defend our national interests throughout the world.*
It is the first time since July 2017 that two USN warships have operated simultaneously in the Black Sea.Both guided missile destroyers are forward-deployed to Rota,Spain as part of a group of four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

NASA Goddard:Webb Move from Houston to LA


Exploration. It's What We Do. - new video


Orion ESM - Mission through deep space - Airbus Defence and Space


Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway Planning Accelerated as the ISS Partnership Met In Holland

Construction of the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway,as the ISS successor is now being called,is projected to begin in the first half of the 2020s.The LOP-G is the main destination for the Orion Program in the 2020s,building up enough experience for missions beyond the Moon and possibly to Mars and even a Venus flyby in the 2030s.The LOP-G is being designed by the five space agencies of the ISS Partnership to succeed the aging Low Earth Orbit station:NASA,ESA,Roscosmos,the Canadian Space Agency and the Japanese Space Agency.The second meeting for LOP-G planning was held in August 2017 at the European Space Centre,ESTEC,in Noordwijk,the Netherlands.*
An outline of the LOP-G initiative has been drawn up.It lays out establishing a cislunar presence as Phase 1 of the project,the core of which is the new space station.The LOP-G is not meant to be continually staffed,unlike the ISS;instead,with the Orion spacecraft docked,a crew of four would work in space for 42 day periods.The LOP-G would consist of a power/propulsion module;a habitation module;a possible airlock for space walks,similar to the Space Shuttle setup;likely an updated Canadarm robot arm;and possibly an advanced glass cupola for a 360-degree view of the Moon and Earth.
The core LOP-G would be assembled by 2025 over three SLS flights,each with a crewed Orion capsule.This could possibly be changed to two SLS flights plus a less expensive SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy flight for the power/propulsion module deployment,given the President's 2019 NASA budget proposal.
Commercial or international partners could provide the resupply flights.The final construction mission,to bring up the airlock,is projected for 2026.*
With the LOP-G,NASA will practice complex deep space rendezvous,while learning to live and work where a quick return to Earth is not possible.The 40kw solar-electric propulsion system,more powerful than any SEP currently operating,will allow LOP-G to transition between an always-sunlight halo lunar orbit to other orbits that could be used for other applications,including lunar landings.Anyone can come and use the LOP-G,both the commercial and international partners.*
In Phase 2,the Deep Space Transport,depicted as a cylindrical vehicle in concept artwork,will be developed.The LOP-G will be a lunar port of call for a large crew vehicle,the DST.Between each trip,the DST will be resupplied,refurbished and maintained at the LOP-G.Each DST will be good for a total of three roundtrips to Mars.One SLS cargo flight will carry a DST to lunar orbit in 2027.No other launch vehicle but the SLS can carry the 41 metric tonnes of the DST to the Moon in one piece,the minimum size for a Mars-class transport.*
In 2029,a crew would board the DST for a one-year shakedown mission.In 2033,there will be the first crewed flight to a Mars orbit.If a Venus assist,or slingshot,is used to reach Mars,the astronauts could observe the clouds of Venus and the volcanoes of Mars on one mission.*
This is the basic outline sketched by the ISS partners in Holland last summer.Details may be altered,but President Donald Trump and the National Space Council under Vice President Mike Pence are committed to the Orion Program and its commercial and international partnerships.The President's 2019 NASA Budget proposal funds both EM-1 and EM-2,which are the first two Orion missions;the ISS through 2024;as well as the Parker Solar Probe,James Webb Space Telescope and other important missions such as New Horizons.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Afghan War:B-52 Upgrade Pulverises Islamist Militants

A press release has been issued by NATO's Resolute Support Mission,Afghanistan.Dated 6 FEB 2018,it reads:
United States Forces-Afghanistan launched a series of precision strikes in Northern Afghanistan in a direct effort to destroy insurgent revenue sources,training facilities,and support networks.Over the past 96 hours,U.S. forces conducted air operations to strike Taliban training facilities in Badakhshan province,preventing the planning and rehearsal of terrorist acts near the border with China and Tajikistan by such organisations as the East Turkistan Islamic Movement and others.The strikes also destroyed Afghan National Army vehicles in the process of being converted to vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices.
During the strikes,a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress dropped 24 precision-guided munitions on Taliban fighting positions,setting a record of the most guided munitions ever dropped by a B-52.The aircraft has played a leading role for decades,and was recently reconfigured with a conventional rotary launcher to increase its reach and lethality.
Continued U.S. strikes disrupt Taliban support networks in Helmand province,as well as destroying their sources of revenue such as illegal narcotics.*
This Blog's Analysis:Such strikes were made possible by President Donald Trump's new South Asia Strategy.In the past four years,the only strikes allowed were those in response to NATO or Afghan troops coming under fire.Proactive operations against the enemy in such areas as the Hindu Kush Mountains were off limits.Thus the Islamist extremists were able to build up an infrastructure for the proliferation of terrorist acts against civilians,as well as the land grabs and blue on green attacks that we have seen over the past four years.



Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Dolphins Swimming With Nuclear Submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735)


US Coast Guard Helicopter Medivac From Trident Nuclear Submarine


Ohio Class Submarine | Combat Countdown


Submarine passing through Kings Bay/Cumberland Island - an Ohio-class Ballistic Missile Submarine escorted by US Coast Gurad and Military Sealift Command vessels,USNS Black Powder and USNS Westwind


NATO Nuclear Exercise - STEADFAST NOON 2017; Tornado's , Italian AF, at KB


NATO Nuclear Exercise - 2x F16, USAF +Tornado GAF Voilently evading a flok of birds at Kleine Br...


NATO Nuclear Exercise - GRIPEN's Czech AF, Steadfast Noon 2017, at Kleine Brogel


Pentagon Issues Nuclear Posture Review - where Russia and NATO fit in

The Pentagon has released its Nuclear Posture Review,dated February 2018.Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis contributed a preface to the document.Here are some excerpts of his thoughts on the subject:
This review comes at a critical moment in our nation's history,for America confronts an international security situation that is more complex and demanding than any since the end of the Cold War.In this environment,it is not possible to delay modernization of our nuclear forces if we are to preserve a credible nuclear deterrent-ensuring that our diplomats continue to speak from a position of strength on matters of war and peace.*
While Russia initially followed America's lead and made similarly sharp reductions in its strategic nuclear forces,it retained large numbers of non-strategic nuclear weapons as well as its other strategic systems.Even more troubling has been Russia's adoption of military strategies and capabilities that rely on nuclear escalation for their success.These developments,coupled with Russia's seizure of Crimea and nuclear threats against our allies,mark Moscow's decided return to Great Power Competition.*
This review confirms the finding of previous NPRs that the nuclear triad (sea,air and land-based systems) - supported by NATO dual-capable aircraft and a robust nuclear command and control system - is the most cost effective and strategically sound means of ensuring nuclear deterrence.To remain effective,however,we must recapitalize our Cold War legacy nuclear forces.*
Modernizing our dual-capable fighter bombers will maintain the strength of NATO's deterrence posture and maintain our ability to forward deploy nuclear weapons,should the security situation demand it.*
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the vital role our Soldiers,Sailors,Airmen,Marines and Coast Guardsmen,and civilians play in making a safe,secure and ready nuclear force.Without their ceaseless and often unheralded efforts,America would not possess a nuclear deterrent.At the end of the day,deterrence comes down to the men and women in uniform - in silos,in the air,and beneath the sea.
To each and every one of them,I wish to express my personal respect and that of a grateful and safe nation.
                                                                     
                                                                         Signed,
                                                                        Jim Mattis*
According to NATO:
Nuclear weapons are a core component of NATO's overall capabilities for deterrence and defence,alongside conventional and missile defence forces.The circumstances in which any use of nuclear weapons might have to be contemplated are extremely remote.
Strategic nuclear forces:
As stated in the 2010 Strategic Concept:
The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance,particularly those of the US;the independent strategic nuclear forces of the UK and France,which have a deterrent role of their own,contribute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies.
Dual-capable aircraft:
A number of NATO member countries contribute a dual-capable aircraft (DCA) capability to the Alliance.These aircraft are available for nuclear roles at various levels of readiness - the highest level of readiness is measured in weeks.In their nuclear role,the aircraft are equipped to carry nuclear bombs and personnel are trained accordingly.The US maintains absolute control and custody of the associated nuclear weapons.
Allies provide military support for the DCA mission with conventional forces and capabilities.*
According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative think tank:
About 150 US gravity bomb B-61 warheads are currently stored in Europe.
There are six nuclear weapon facilities in five NATO countries:Belgium;Germany;Italy;the Netherlands;and Turkey.
Dual-capable aircraft currently include:US F-15 E;F-16 C/Ds;Belgian,Dutch and Turkish F-16s;German and Italian PA-200 Tornados*
The US Coast Guard helps provide security for US ballistic missile submarine bases,plus emergency support for the subs such as medevac as needed.