Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Decorated Special Operations Pilot Killed in Afghan War Crash
On 27 October 2017,US Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jacob Michael Sims,36,of Juneau,Alaska,was killed and six other crewmembers injured when the UH-60 Blackhawk they were flying in crashed late Friday in Logar Province,Afghanistan,while on a mission in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel,US Special Operations Command said.The Soldiers were on a night raid in Kharwar district when,having transported troops there,they hit a tree and had to make an emergency landing,according to a provincial official.The Taliban Islamist extremists claimed responsibility for the incident,which is under investigation.NATO denied that enemy fire brought the helicopter down.*
CWO2 Sims was an 18-year veteran of the Army,having been deployed several times to both Iraq and Afghanistan,as well as Kosovo.He had been a Night Stalker,or special operations aviator,since 2014.Besides the UH-60,he was also rated to fly the CH-47 Chinook and its special operations version,the MH-476.Volunteering for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne),Alpha Company,4th Battalion,out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington state,he became an MH-476 pilot-in-command and a company aviation safety officer.*
Among CWO2 Sims' awards were:
Air Medal with Combat Device;Army Commendation Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters;Army Achievement Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters;Meritorious Unit Award with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters;Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Bronze Campaign Star;Iraqi Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Campaign Stars;NATO Medal (3rd Award);Air Assault Badge;and Combat Action Badge.*
Colonel Philip Ryan,commander 160th SOAR (A),said that:
Jacob lived by a creed that few understand and even fewer embody.He will not be forgotten and his legacy will endure through his family,friends and fellow Night Stalkers.*
Operation Freedom's Sentinel is the US military's mission in Afghanistan,including train,advise and assist,as well as counterterror operations,conducted in coordination with the overall NATO Resolute Support Mission.More troops and equipment have been en route to the country on President Donald Trump's orders.
CWO2 Sims was an 18-year veteran of the Army,having been deployed several times to both Iraq and Afghanistan,as well as Kosovo.He had been a Night Stalker,or special operations aviator,since 2014.Besides the UH-60,he was also rated to fly the CH-47 Chinook and its special operations version,the MH-476.Volunteering for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne),Alpha Company,4th Battalion,out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington state,he became an MH-476 pilot-in-command and a company aviation safety officer.*
Among CWO2 Sims' awards were:
Air Medal with Combat Device;Army Commendation Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters;Army Achievement Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters;Meritorious Unit Award with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters;Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Bronze Campaign Star;Iraqi Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Campaign Stars;NATO Medal (3rd Award);Air Assault Badge;and Combat Action Badge.*
Colonel Philip Ryan,commander 160th SOAR (A),said that:
Jacob lived by a creed that few understand and even fewer embody.He will not be forgotten and his legacy will endure through his family,friends and fellow Night Stalkers.*
Operation Freedom's Sentinel is the US military's mission in Afghanistan,including train,advise and assist,as well as counterterror operations,conducted in coordination with the overall NATO Resolute Support Mission.More troops and equipment have been en route to the country on President Donald Trump's orders.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Orion Program Update-what are they working on and when will it launch?
As far as NASA and partner ESA are concerned,it's full speed ahead for the Orion Program-not just for test flight Exploration Mission-1,but even for EM-2,the first crewed mission of Orion.The Orion Crew Module is currently being processed for EM-1,the first integrated mission of Orion and the new Space Launch System rocket,the most powerful rocket ever built.The capsule has been in the clean room of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center,Florida,where critical systems such as propellant lines,Environmental Control and life support systems are being installed.In the building's high bay,a number of test stands,processing bays and other hardware have been laid out.Several Orion components such as Thermal Protection Panels are in various stages of processing there,NASA said.
The Orion Crew Module will be launched from Pad 39B in 2019 on EM-1.A three-week flight will take it some 40,000 miles beyond the Moon into cislunar space,the farthest a human-rated spacecraft has ever flown.After a fiery re-entry,it will splash down in the Pacific.*
Meanwhile,in Europe the European Space Agency Orion Service Module is being processed for EM-1 and will be shipped to KSC in 2018.Additionally,the second ESA OSM,for EM-2,is being constructed by ESA contractor Thales Alenia in Turin,Italy.The ESA OSMs provide power,propulsion,cooling,water and oxygen to the Crew Module.*
The purpose of the Exploration Missions is to build and test the systems needed for the challenging deep space missions to the Mars system and beyond in the 2030s,in concert with NASA's domestic and international partners.The vision taking shape involves constructing the Deep Space Gateway,a small space station that will facilitate further crewed and robotic cislunar missions on the way to Mars.There may be about five crewed lunar landing missions in the 2020s as well as robotic counterparts,evaluating commercial prospects on the Moon as well as increasing the scientific knowledge base about our only natural satellite,while preparing for longer duration space flight more independent of Earth.*
The other major component of Orion,the Space Launch System,has been making similar progress.According to John Honeycutt,SLS Program Manager at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,Alabama:
This year,the SLS team has constructed major parts of the rocket,such as the in-space stage,which is already at NASA's KSC in Florida;the four RS-25 engines;core stage structures;and solid rocket booster segments.The rocket is happening now.The SLS has made great progress and has an exciting year ahead as NASA conducts critical structure tests at Marshall,assembles the core stage and the RS-25 engines at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility,New Orleans,and delivers more hardware to the launch pad at Kennedy.
The Orion Crew Module will be launched from Pad 39B in 2019 on EM-1.A three-week flight will take it some 40,000 miles beyond the Moon into cislunar space,the farthest a human-rated spacecraft has ever flown.After a fiery re-entry,it will splash down in the Pacific.*
Meanwhile,in Europe the European Space Agency Orion Service Module is being processed for EM-1 and will be shipped to KSC in 2018.Additionally,the second ESA OSM,for EM-2,is being constructed by ESA contractor Thales Alenia in Turin,Italy.The ESA OSMs provide power,propulsion,cooling,water and oxygen to the Crew Module.*
The purpose of the Exploration Missions is to build and test the systems needed for the challenging deep space missions to the Mars system and beyond in the 2030s,in concert with NASA's domestic and international partners.The vision taking shape involves constructing the Deep Space Gateway,a small space station that will facilitate further crewed and robotic cislunar missions on the way to Mars.There may be about five crewed lunar landing missions in the 2020s as well as robotic counterparts,evaluating commercial prospects on the Moon as well as increasing the scientific knowledge base about our only natural satellite,while preparing for longer duration space flight more independent of Earth.*
The other major component of Orion,the Space Launch System,has been making similar progress.According to John Honeycutt,SLS Program Manager at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,Alabama:
This year,the SLS team has constructed major parts of the rocket,such as the in-space stage,which is already at NASA's KSC in Florida;the four RS-25 engines;core stage structures;and solid rocket booster segments.The rocket is happening now.The SLS has made great progress and has an exciting year ahead as NASA conducts critical structure tests at Marshall,assembles the core stage and the RS-25 engines at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility,New Orleans,and delivers more hardware to the launch pad at Kennedy.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
NATO's Steadfast Noon 17:Nuclear Deterrence in the Heart of Europe
On 16 October 2017,NATO commenced its annual nuclear deterrence exercise,Steadfast Noon 17.The drill is perhaps the most cryptic of the NATO exercises,its details held very close to the vest.Revolving around a fictitious scenario,it is being lumped in with the biennial Exercise Formidable Shield 17 this year,an exercise focused on missile and air defence.FS 17 ends on 18 October,so perhaps Steadfast Noon will as well.
Typically SN involves launching and recovering a number of nuclear-capable fighters,such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the PA200 Tornado.There may also be support aircraft code-named SNOWCAT in the drill.*
Partcipating in Formidable Shield 17 are Canada,France,Germany,the Netherlands,the US and the UK.Poland has participated in Steadfast Noon since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014,and since it is being held in Belgium and Germany this year,those two Allies will certainly be participating.It has rarely been filmed,but I did locate some quality videos of the 2011 and 2012 drills by airplane enthusiast MrSoeberg.*
The US stores between 150-180 B61 nuclear bombs at six air bases in five European countries,the Congressional Research Service revealed.Among them is Belgium's Kleine Brogel Air Base.Belgium is intent on keeping the powerful weapons on its soil,where it has a nuclear dual key arrangement with the US.This may incline Belgium to select the F-35 Lightning II for the upcoming modernisation of its fighter jet fleet.*
German and Italian IDS PA200 Tornados are capable of deploying the B61.Other aircraft known to be capable of handling this bunker buster,tactical nuclear weapon are:
B-52 Stratofortress;B-2 Spirit;F-16 Fighting Falcon;F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet;F-22 Raptor;F-35 Lightning II;F-15E Strike Eagle.NATO is modernising its stockpile to the more accurate B61 Mod 12,which is a standoff weapon.The current Mod 11 is an unguided gravity weapon with a yield that varies from 0.3 to 340 kilotons.*
The following Allies have been assigned NATO nuclear strike missions:Belgium;Germany;Italy;the Netherlands;possibly Turkey;and the US.
Typically SN involves launching and recovering a number of nuclear-capable fighters,such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the PA200 Tornado.There may also be support aircraft code-named SNOWCAT in the drill.*
Partcipating in Formidable Shield 17 are Canada,France,Germany,the Netherlands,the US and the UK.Poland has participated in Steadfast Noon since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014,and since it is being held in Belgium and Germany this year,those two Allies will certainly be participating.It has rarely been filmed,but I did locate some quality videos of the 2011 and 2012 drills by airplane enthusiast MrSoeberg.*
The US stores between 150-180 B61 nuclear bombs at six air bases in five European countries,the Congressional Research Service revealed.Among them is Belgium's Kleine Brogel Air Base.Belgium is intent on keeping the powerful weapons on its soil,where it has a nuclear dual key arrangement with the US.This may incline Belgium to select the F-35 Lightning II for the upcoming modernisation of its fighter jet fleet.*
German and Italian IDS PA200 Tornados are capable of deploying the B61.Other aircraft known to be capable of handling this bunker buster,tactical nuclear weapon are:
B-52 Stratofortress;B-2 Spirit;F-16 Fighting Falcon;F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet;F-22 Raptor;F-35 Lightning II;F-15E Strike Eagle.NATO is modernising its stockpile to the more accurate B61 Mod 12,which is a standoff weapon.The current Mod 11 is an unguided gravity weapon with a yield that varies from 0.3 to 340 kilotons.*
The following Allies have been assigned NATO nuclear strike missions:Belgium;Germany;Italy;the Netherlands;possibly Turkey;and the US.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
NATO's Brilliant Mariner 17:Certifying France for Leadership at Sea
Brilliant Mariner 17 is a NATO non-Article V Crisis Response Operations exercise aimed at certifying France's Aero-Naval Rapid Reaction Force (FRMARFOR) for command of the NATO Response Force (NRF) Maritime Component in 2018.France will assume command on 1 January 2018 and serve in that capacity for one year.The drills are running from 29 September-13 October 2017.Participating are 3500 personnel,27 warships,two maritime patrol aircraft,and amphibious assets from twelve nations,including:
Canada;Denmark;France;Germany;Greece;Italy;the Netherlands;Norway;Portugal;Spain;Turkey;and the UK.*
The NRF is a highly ready and technologically advanced multinational force comprised of land,air,maritime and Special Operations Forces components that can deploy quickly wherever needed to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defensive posture,and project stability beyond the Alliance's borders,NATO said.*
Brilliant Mariner 17 is an opportunity for France to exercise command and control at the NRF MCC level.The participating units and crews will evaluate readiness and validate capabilities by operating in a demanding and challenging environment,enhancing collaboration and improving interoperability.*
Brilliant Mariner 17 is headquartered at the French Toulon Naval Base on the Mediterranean.Among the drills conducted so far were:
1.The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond conducted a live firing gunnery exercise (GUNEX) with its 4.5 inch gun at sunrise along with French frigate FS La Fayette;
2.A Maritime Tactical Operations Group (MTOG) from the Canadian Forces conducted small arms training aboard the frigate HMCS Charlottetown;
3.A Royal Danish Navy boarding party disembarked HMCS Charlottetown into a rigid-hulled inflatable boat;
4.Spanish Navy Marines from the Strategic Projection Ship ESPS Juan Carlos I conducted operations on French Military Facility Camp de Garrigues during an infantry exercise;
5.Royal Navy frigate HMS Enterprise received French Rear Admiral Olivier Lebas,who was transferred by helicopter off the exercise flagship,French amphibious ship (LHD) FS Mistral,and winched to the deck.
6.ESPS Juan Carlos I sent Spanish Navy AV-8B Harrier II Plus jets into night operations.
7.French Army Tigre,NH 90 and Puma helicopters practiced "Touch and Gos" on the flight deck of FS Mistral.
8.Spanish Navy Marines conducted amphibious assault training from FS Mistral,including transport ashore by French catamaran.They were also deployed on land by Spanish Navy Sea King helicopters and a French Army Puma for a projection force helicopter drill.
9.A flotilla of 21 Allied ships sailed in formation in the Mediterranean on 8 October.
Canada;Denmark;France;Germany;Greece;Italy;the Netherlands;Norway;Portugal;Spain;Turkey;and the UK.*
The NRF is a highly ready and technologically advanced multinational force comprised of land,air,maritime and Special Operations Forces components that can deploy quickly wherever needed to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defensive posture,and project stability beyond the Alliance's borders,NATO said.*
Brilliant Mariner 17 is an opportunity for France to exercise command and control at the NRF MCC level.The participating units and crews will evaluate readiness and validate capabilities by operating in a demanding and challenging environment,enhancing collaboration and improving interoperability.*
Brilliant Mariner 17 is headquartered at the French Toulon Naval Base on the Mediterranean.Among the drills conducted so far were:
1.The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond conducted a live firing gunnery exercise (GUNEX) with its 4.5 inch gun at sunrise along with French frigate FS La Fayette;
2.A Maritime Tactical Operations Group (MTOG) from the Canadian Forces conducted small arms training aboard the frigate HMCS Charlottetown;
3.A Royal Danish Navy boarding party disembarked HMCS Charlottetown into a rigid-hulled inflatable boat;
4.Spanish Navy Marines from the Strategic Projection Ship ESPS Juan Carlos I conducted operations on French Military Facility Camp de Garrigues during an infantry exercise;
5.Royal Navy frigate HMS Enterprise received French Rear Admiral Olivier Lebas,who was transferred by helicopter off the exercise flagship,French amphibious ship (LHD) FS Mistral,and winched to the deck.
6.ESPS Juan Carlos I sent Spanish Navy AV-8B Harrier II Plus jets into night operations.
7.French Army Tigre,NH 90 and Puma helicopters practiced "Touch and Gos" on the flight deck of FS Mistral.
8.Spanish Navy Marines conducted amphibious assault training from FS Mistral,including transport ashore by French catamaran.They were also deployed on land by Spanish Navy Sea King helicopters and a French Army Puma for a projection force helicopter drill.
9.A flotilla of 21 Allied ships sailed in formation in the Mediterranean on 8 October.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Boeing to Acquire Aurora Flight Sciences - Avionics - photo
Boeing to Acquire Aurora Flight Sciences - Avionics: Boeing plans to acquire Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., the to-be subsidiary said. Although the sale is not yet official, the two parties have signed an agreement. Terms have not been disclosed. “The combined strength and innovation of our teams will advance the development of autonomy for our commercial and military systems,” said Greg Hyslop, CTO …
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Dateline Finland:NATO and EU Inaugurate Counter-Hybrid Warfare Centre in Helsinki
On 2 October 2017 in Helsinki,Finland,NATO and the European Union inaugurated their European Centre of Excellence,or CoE,for Countering Hybrid Threats.Eleven nations are contributing to the Centre,including the US.Attending the ceremony were NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg;EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini;Finnish President Sauli Niinisto;and Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila.The Centre aims to better understand modern,complex threats and to strengthen our societies against them.
Meeting with the Finnish leaders,Mr.Stoltenberg praised Finland for its contributions to international security,especially airspace security in the Baltics,and expressed gratitude for Finland's close partnership with NATO.He also emphasised the close cooperation between the EU and NATO:
Our relationship has never been closer.*
NATO and the EU have agreed to 42 measures on the hybrid challenges,cyber defence,and security in the Mediterranean Basin.Both organisations hope to expand cooperation into even more areas later this year.*
Mr.Stoltenberg pointed out to the media that Finland's border with Russia is longer than that of all the NATO Allies and partners combined,so Finland offers NATO and the EU special insight and expertise regarding Russian activities and on relations with its giant neighbour.
Last November,Finnish President Sauli Niinisto became the first Finnish president to visit NATO headquarters in Brussels.Finland contributes to NATO missions and operations in the Balkans,Kosovo,and Afghanistan.They participate in NATO exercises and the NATO Response Force.Mr.Stoltenberg noted that:
This year was the hundredth anniversary of Finland's independence from Russia.And you know better than I,that those hundred years is very much about Finland's relationship to the neighbour to the east,to Russia,in good times and in bad times.*
We use the phrase "hybrid" to cover actually many things,Mr.Stoltenberg explained:normally a kind of mixture of military and non-military means of aggression;a combination of covert and overt operations and measures,everything from propaganda,from disinformation,actually the use of regular forces,from tweets to tanks;sometimes soldiers in uniforms,sometimes soldiers without uniforms;and sometimes something that happens in cyber space and sometimes things that happen at our borders.And this combination of so many different things at the same time with the aim to hide the real intention,that has got the name "hybrid threats."And it's a kind of buzzword I hear everywhere I go now.
We have responded in close cooperation with the EU,responded in close cooperation with countries like Finland:
1.We have improved our situational awareness,established a new division within NATO only working with intelligence:improved situational awareness to be able to foresee and understand what is going on;
2.significantly increased the readiness of our forces,tripling the NATO Response Force to 30,000 troops,including the new VJTF,Very High Readiness Joint Task Force,a brigade that can react in a few days.We have deployed four battle groups to the three Baltic countries and Poland,and also strengthened our presence in the Southeast of the Alliance.If we see small,green men showing up somewhere they should not show up,NATO will be there;
3.the third thing is to increase our resilience in infrastructure,energy security,but in particular cyber.There is no military activity;there is no military conflict without a big cyber dimension.So we have to be able to support and defend our own networks.
And I strongly believe that to have a Centre like this as a hub for sharing information,for sharing experiences,for learning from each other,for organising training,and for also doing some practical work and looking into how we can address specific hybrid threats,will be of great advantage both for the EU,for NATO,and of course for all our member states,including Finland,NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg concluded.*
Even on the plane out of Helsinki,Mr.Stoltenberg and Ms.Mogherini were photographed continuing their dialogue.
Meeting with the Finnish leaders,Mr.Stoltenberg praised Finland for its contributions to international security,especially airspace security in the Baltics,and expressed gratitude for Finland's close partnership with NATO.He also emphasised the close cooperation between the EU and NATO:
Our relationship has never been closer.*
NATO and the EU have agreed to 42 measures on the hybrid challenges,cyber defence,and security in the Mediterranean Basin.Both organisations hope to expand cooperation into even more areas later this year.*
Mr.Stoltenberg pointed out to the media that Finland's border with Russia is longer than that of all the NATO Allies and partners combined,so Finland offers NATO and the EU special insight and expertise regarding Russian activities and on relations with its giant neighbour.
Last November,Finnish President Sauli Niinisto became the first Finnish president to visit NATO headquarters in Brussels.Finland contributes to NATO missions and operations in the Balkans,Kosovo,and Afghanistan.They participate in NATO exercises and the NATO Response Force.Mr.Stoltenberg noted that:
This year was the hundredth anniversary of Finland's independence from Russia.And you know better than I,that those hundred years is very much about Finland's relationship to the neighbour to the east,to Russia,in good times and in bad times.*
We use the phrase "hybrid" to cover actually many things,Mr.Stoltenberg explained:normally a kind of mixture of military and non-military means of aggression;a combination of covert and overt operations and measures,everything from propaganda,from disinformation,actually the use of regular forces,from tweets to tanks;sometimes soldiers in uniforms,sometimes soldiers without uniforms;and sometimes something that happens in cyber space and sometimes things that happen at our borders.And this combination of so many different things at the same time with the aim to hide the real intention,that has got the name "hybrid threats."And it's a kind of buzzword I hear everywhere I go now.
We have responded in close cooperation with the EU,responded in close cooperation with countries like Finland:
1.We have improved our situational awareness,established a new division within NATO only working with intelligence:improved situational awareness to be able to foresee and understand what is going on;
2.significantly increased the readiness of our forces,tripling the NATO Response Force to 30,000 troops,including the new VJTF,Very High Readiness Joint Task Force,a brigade that can react in a few days.We have deployed four battle groups to the three Baltic countries and Poland,and also strengthened our presence in the Southeast of the Alliance.If we see small,green men showing up somewhere they should not show up,NATO will be there;
3.the third thing is to increase our resilience in infrastructure,energy security,but in particular cyber.There is no military activity;there is no military conflict without a big cyber dimension.So we have to be able to support and defend our own networks.
And I strongly believe that to have a Centre like this as a hub for sharing information,for sharing experiences,for learning from each other,for organising training,and for also doing some practical work and looking into how we can address specific hybrid threats,will be of great advantage both for the EU,for NATO,and of course for all our member states,including Finland,NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg concluded.*
Even on the plane out of Helsinki,Mr.Stoltenberg and Ms.Mogherini were photographed continuing their dialogue.
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