Tuesday, August 25, 2015
US Air Force Briefing - new bomber,tanker,F-22s for Europe
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh briefed reporters at the Pentagon Monday on the major programmes and issues the US Air Force is dealing with.The new long-range strike bomber,reportedly designated the B-3,will be intended to replace the B-52H and B-1B aircraft starting in the mid-2020's and over the next 25 years,GEN Welsh said.The B-52's going to try to make 100 years,but we really should take a look at that.We're at the point today where we don't have enough planes to keep our air crews trained.We have four types of planes that are over 50 years old.*
Secretary James spoke about the new air refueling tanker,the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus,which is based on the 767 airliner.Its first Air Force flight has been delayed by a month because an incorrect fuel substitute was placed in the fueling boom.It was already flown briefly by Boeing in December 2014.Boeing still believes it will deliver 18 aircraft by August 2017,Ms.James said.The margin in the schedule is all but gone.Would there be any operational impacts?It's a disappointing delay,but any cost overruns will not be borne by the government.*
As to whether the US could effectively respond to an Iranian crisis,GEN Welsh said our job is to be ready.I'm confident that the US military would be able to complete any mission that was assigned.
On North Korea having a missile that can strike the US,we know where North Korea is going toward.I think it's something we have to watch.They may have a missile capable of reaching the West coast.Certainly they have a missile capable of reaching Hawaii or US facilities in the Pacific,and that's our main concern.Whether they can deliver a payload with them,that's something beyond my understanding.*
The impending deployment of F-22 Raptors to Europe in light of Russian aggression in Ukraine was addressed by Secretary James.The timing and basing details are classified.The F-22 is part of the European Reassurance Initiative.It's an air-to-air capability.We need to be able to interoperate with the Eurofighter,for example,and that's what this training is for.*
We will get to F-35A initial operational capability next year,GEN Welsh promised.The new Gen 3 helmet has just been delivered.It is much more than a helmet.It is a workspace,providing situational awareness of the battlespace.All the people flying the F-35 since I've been here,the three years,say I want to use it.It's pretty incredible,amd they're very adaptable.
In Iraq and Syria,dynamic targeting,or an aircraft loitering until it is assigened a target,is not a new approach.We don't want to drop bombs indiscriminately.If we can't get the targeting done,we bring the aircraft home and they try again in the next sortie.*
Talks with Turkey are ongoing about a second Turkish air base,apart from Incirlik,being used in search and rescue operations for the anti-ISIL air campaign,Operation Inherent Resolve,Ms.James added.
The seven Air Force jobs that women cannot yet qualify for are currently being evaluated.These are difficult jobs,mostly in the special operations forces,and based on the reports I'm getting,I'm optimistic.We in the Air Force lead the services in the number of jobs women can qualify for,Secretary James pointed out.*
Boeing(BA)
Secretary James spoke about the new air refueling tanker,the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus,which is based on the 767 airliner.Its first Air Force flight has been delayed by a month because an incorrect fuel substitute was placed in the fueling boom.It was already flown briefly by Boeing in December 2014.Boeing still believes it will deliver 18 aircraft by August 2017,Ms.James said.The margin in the schedule is all but gone.Would there be any operational impacts?It's a disappointing delay,but any cost overruns will not be borne by the government.*
As to whether the US could effectively respond to an Iranian crisis,GEN Welsh said our job is to be ready.I'm confident that the US military would be able to complete any mission that was assigned.
On North Korea having a missile that can strike the US,we know where North Korea is going toward.I think it's something we have to watch.They may have a missile capable of reaching the West coast.Certainly they have a missile capable of reaching Hawaii or US facilities in the Pacific,and that's our main concern.Whether they can deliver a payload with them,that's something beyond my understanding.*
The impending deployment of F-22 Raptors to Europe in light of Russian aggression in Ukraine was addressed by Secretary James.The timing and basing details are classified.The F-22 is part of the European Reassurance Initiative.It's an air-to-air capability.We need to be able to interoperate with the Eurofighter,for example,and that's what this training is for.*
We will get to F-35A initial operational capability next year,GEN Welsh promised.The new Gen 3 helmet has just been delivered.It is much more than a helmet.It is a workspace,providing situational awareness of the battlespace.All the people flying the F-35 since I've been here,the three years,say I want to use it.It's pretty incredible,amd they're very adaptable.
In Iraq and Syria,dynamic targeting,or an aircraft loitering until it is assigened a target,is not a new approach.We don't want to drop bombs indiscriminately.If we can't get the targeting done,we bring the aircraft home and they try again in the next sortie.*
Talks with Turkey are ongoing about a second Turkish air base,apart from Incirlik,being used in search and rescue operations for the anti-ISIL air campaign,Operation Inherent Resolve,Ms.James added.
The seven Air Force jobs that women cannot yet qualify for are currently being evaluated.These are difficult jobs,mostly in the special operations forces,and based on the reports I'm getting,I'm optimistic.We in the Air Force lead the services in the number of jobs women can qualify for,Secretary James pointed out.*
Boeing(BA)
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
US Marine Corps Augments European Presence - response to Russian threat
In light of the continued heavy fighting in Eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces,as well as the presence of Russian troops themselves in Ukraine,tension remains high in Eastern Europe.In response,the US Marines are augmenting their Black Sea Rotational Force,a integral part of NATO's policy of assuming a more robust defence posture to deter Russian aggression,with a Combined Arms Company.
On 16 August,the Marines received a shipment of tanks,artillery and light-armoured reconnaissance vehicles at Bremerhaven,Germany to support NATO allies and international partner countries,said Captain Richard Ulsh,Marine Corps Forces Europe.The equipment was accompanied by the CAC's 160 Marines and will be transported to Bulgaria by rail to demonstrate our allies' and international partners' ability to move heavy equipment across the region to support operations during a crisis,CAPT Ulsh pointed out.
The CAC will be based at the Novo Selo Training Area in Bulgaria.The transport of a Marine Combined Arms capability in the Black Sea region has fostered improved communication and coordination with the allied force and its partners,said Lieutenant Colonel John Sattely,director of logistics for US Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa.The result of this collaboration and coordination is that the various agencies and organisations involved are familiar with each other now,rather than learning about one another after a crisis happens,LTCOL Sattely explained.*
The Black Sea Rotational Force is a semi-annual rotation of Marines and Sailors able to respond to a broad range of military operations in the US European Command's area of responsibility.It is based at the Mihail Kogliceanu Air Base,Romania.*
Marine Corps Commandant General Joseph Dunford,who will soon become the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,addressed the Russian threat at his recent confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee:
My assessment today is that Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security.Russia is not just threatening;it is actually doing it.It is a nuclear power that could pose an existential threat to the US, and their recent acts are nothing short of alarming,GEN Dunford observed.There is concern about Putin engaging in asymmetric instigation in the Baltics and elsewhere in Europe.It is critical for our allies to keep to 2% of GDP defence spending,and to improve their intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities,as well as their strategic airlift and cyber capabilities,GEN Dunford told the Senate Armed Services Committee on 9 July 2015.
On 16 August,the Marines received a shipment of tanks,artillery and light-armoured reconnaissance vehicles at Bremerhaven,Germany to support NATO allies and international partner countries,said Captain Richard Ulsh,Marine Corps Forces Europe.The equipment was accompanied by the CAC's 160 Marines and will be transported to Bulgaria by rail to demonstrate our allies' and international partners' ability to move heavy equipment across the region to support operations during a crisis,CAPT Ulsh pointed out.
The CAC will be based at the Novo Selo Training Area in Bulgaria.The transport of a Marine Combined Arms capability in the Black Sea region has fostered improved communication and coordination with the allied force and its partners,said Lieutenant Colonel John Sattely,director of logistics for US Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa.The result of this collaboration and coordination is that the various agencies and organisations involved are familiar with each other now,rather than learning about one another after a crisis happens,LTCOL Sattely explained.*
The Black Sea Rotational Force is a semi-annual rotation of Marines and Sailors able to respond to a broad range of military operations in the US European Command's area of responsibility.It is based at the Mihail Kogliceanu Air Base,Romania.*
Marine Corps Commandant General Joseph Dunford,who will soon become the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,addressed the Russian threat at his recent confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee:
My assessment today is that Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security.Russia is not just threatening;it is actually doing it.It is a nuclear power that could pose an existential threat to the US, and their recent acts are nothing short of alarming,GEN Dunford observed.There is concern about Putin engaging in asymmetric instigation in the Baltics and elsewhere in Europe.It is critical for our allies to keep to 2% of GDP defence spending,and to improve their intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities,as well as their strategic airlift and cyber capabilities,GEN Dunford told the Senate Armed Services Committee on 9 July 2015.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Brazen Attacks Rock Kabul,Afghanistan - Green Beret killed
Taliban militants penetrated the outer perimeter of Camp Integrity,a NATO base in Kabul,Afghanistan and HQ for the US Army Green Berets.The intruders detonated a bomb and engaged in a firefight with security forces,killing a decorated Green Beret,Master Sergeant Peter Andrew McKenna,35,of the 1st Battalion,7th Special Forces Group,with small arms fire.MSGT McKenna,of Bristol,Rhode Island,was a 17-year Army veteran who had served in Iraq as well,receiving a Bronze Star with V device for heroism in combat operations,as well as the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal.On Independence Day,he was presented with a flag that had flown over the US Capitol by Senator Jack Reed,D-Rhode Island.*
The Taliban assault was part of a wave of terrorist attacks last Friday through Monday in the Afghan capital Kabul.Two other US troops were wounded in the Camp Integrity attack.Eight Afghan contractors and four militants also died in the battle,which was within hours of an attack on the police academy in Kabul,in which 20 cadets were killed and 24 others wounded at he academy gates.
In yet another incident Friday,a truck bomb devastated an entire city block of the Kabul residential neighbourhood Shah Shaheed,killing 15 and wounding 240 more.On Monday,a vehicle-borne IED hit a crowded entrance to Kabul International Airport,killing at least 5 and wounding 16 others.Over the four-day period,almost 70 were killed and hundreds wounded by the Islamist extremists.*
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani complained that the Pakistanis failed to prevent the Taliban from congregating and planning the attacks in Quetta,Pakistan.They elected and installed their new leader there,Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour,whose predecessor,Mullah Omar,had died in a Pakistani hospital 2 years ago.
The current fighting has seen heavy clashes between the Afghan National Security Forces,supported by their NATO trainers,advisors and US counter-terrorist forces,and the Taliban.
The Taliban assault was part of a wave of terrorist attacks last Friday through Monday in the Afghan capital Kabul.Two other US troops were wounded in the Camp Integrity attack.Eight Afghan contractors and four militants also died in the battle,which was within hours of an attack on the police academy in Kabul,in which 20 cadets were killed and 24 others wounded at he academy gates.
In yet another incident Friday,a truck bomb devastated an entire city block of the Kabul residential neighbourhood Shah Shaheed,killing 15 and wounding 240 more.On Monday,a vehicle-borne IED hit a crowded entrance to Kabul International Airport,killing at least 5 and wounding 16 others.Over the four-day period,almost 70 were killed and hundreds wounded by the Islamist extremists.*
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani complained that the Pakistanis failed to prevent the Taliban from congregating and planning the attacks in Quetta,Pakistan.They elected and installed their new leader there,Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour,whose predecessor,Mullah Omar,had died in a Pakistani hospital 2 years ago.
The current fighting has seen heavy clashes between the Afghan National Security Forces,supported by their NATO trainers,advisors and US counter-terrorist forces,and the Taliban.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Marine Corps Aviation:F-35B Squadron Goes Operational
On 31 July,the US Marine Corps declared initial operational capability for the first squadron of Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II aircraft.Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition,Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall hailed the event as a significant milestone in the continued evolution of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.The decision was made following a thorough operational readiness inspection,which assessed the Marine Corps' ability to employ this complex weapon system in an operational environment.This accomplishment is an affirmation that the F-35 program is on track to deliver essential 5th generation warfighting capabilities to our US services and international partners,Mr.Kendall said.*
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121,VMFA-121,is based in Yuma,Arizona.It has 10 F-35Bs in the Block 2B configuration with the requisite performance envelope and weapon clearances,to include the training,sustainment capabilities and infrastructure to deploy to an austere site or a ship,Marine Corps Commandant General Joseph Dunford said.It is capable of conducting close air support,offensive and defensive counter-air,air interdiction,assault support escort and armed reconnaissance as part of a Marine air-ground task force or in support of the joint force.
The F-35B conducted flight operations for 7 weeks at sea aboard an L-class carrier;participated in multiple large force exercises;and executed a recent operational evaluation which included multiple live ordnance sorties,GEN Dunford certified.*
The F-35B will replace the AV-8B Harrier,F/A-18 Hornet and EA-6B Prowler.More than 50 F-35B pilots have been trained and qualified,and about 500 maintenance personnel have been certified to assume autonomous,organic-level maintenance support for the aircraft,the USMC said in a press release.*
The British Royal Navy is also acquiring the F-35B for its new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth,and RN pilots and maintenance crews have been training alongside US Navy and Marine Corps personnel.*
GEN Dunford has been confirmed by the US Senate as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121,VMFA-121,is based in Yuma,Arizona.It has 10 F-35Bs in the Block 2B configuration with the requisite performance envelope and weapon clearances,to include the training,sustainment capabilities and infrastructure to deploy to an austere site or a ship,Marine Corps Commandant General Joseph Dunford said.It is capable of conducting close air support,offensive and defensive counter-air,air interdiction,assault support escort and armed reconnaissance as part of a Marine air-ground task force or in support of the joint force.
The F-35B conducted flight operations for 7 weeks at sea aboard an L-class carrier;participated in multiple large force exercises;and executed a recent operational evaluation which included multiple live ordnance sorties,GEN Dunford certified.*
The F-35B will replace the AV-8B Harrier,F/A-18 Hornet and EA-6B Prowler.More than 50 F-35B pilots have been trained and qualified,and about 500 maintenance personnel have been certified to assume autonomous,organic-level maintenance support for the aircraft,the USMC said in a press release.*
The British Royal Navy is also acquiring the F-35B for its new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth,and RN pilots and maintenance crews have been training alongside US Navy and Marine Corps personnel.*
GEN Dunford has been confirmed by the US Senate as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
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