Update: Singapore-Owned Firm Wins Polar Security Contract

VT Halter Marine,Inc. has been awarded a US Navy/US Coast Guard contract for detail design and construction of up to three Polar Security Cutters,it was announced on 23 April 2019.The company is a subsidiary of the state-owned Singapore Technologies Engineering.Singapore is a close US ally and VT Halter has built the Mark V Special Operations Craft for the US Navy,as well as mid-sized ocean surveillance vessels for the US Government.*
The contract is for up to almost 746 million dollars for the first cutter;if all options are exercised,VT Halter will build three PSCs for 1.9 billion.The hefty yet sleek multi-mission ships will have a stated mission of ensuring continued access to both polar regions and supporting the country's economic​, commercial, maritime and national security needs.Through an Integrated Program Office, the project is being jointly managed by the US Navy and US Coast Guard.Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is the lead contract authority.The arrangement is intended to deliver best value at speed, the Navy said.Construction on the first PSC is to begin in 2021, with completion by 2024.If all options are exercised, the other two PSCs are to be delivered by 2027.Coast Guard Commandant ADL Karl L. Schultz said:
This contract award marks an important step towards building the nation's full complement of six polar ice breakers (three heavy and three medium) to meet the unique mission demands that have emerged from increased commerce,tourism, research, and international activities in the Arctic and Antarctic.*
The PSCs will be capable of surface defence using removable weapons, and will be capable of fitting with additional sensors and weapons.The PSC will be fitted with surface and air search radars and will be capable of communications with other Joint Force and National Science Foundation ships and aircraft.
The cutter's missions will include defence operations and readiness; defending US sovereignty, national security and US interests;port, waterways and coastal security; research; search​ and rescue; logistics support; and vessel escort.*
Polar Security Cutters will be 460 feet in length, which is nearly as long as an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer at 510 feet.They will have a beam of 88 feet.A helipad will be astern.*
The PSCs will be built in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

USCGA Regimental Review, March On - New London, Connecticut - The making of US Coast Guard officers

USS LYNDON B JOHNSON ZUMWALT CLASS WARSHIP CHRISTENED !

RAF F-35B Jets Flying into RAF Marham Airbase

F-15E Strike Eagles • RAF Lakenheath Exercise (MARCH 2019)

US warships send a powerful message to Russia

Coast Guard and Navy Confront Arctic Challenges

In light of increasing competition in an Arctic Region undergoing environmental change, the US Coast Guard and Navy are determined to up their capability in the austere area.The Coast Guard has just published its Arctic Strategic Outlook:
Actions by strategic competitors will challenge the long-standing norms that have made the Arctic an area of peace and low tension.The institutions contributing to a conflict-free Arctic will face new challenges requiring active and committed American leadership.*
While Russia has been refurbishing military bases above the Arctic Circle,China has sent warships on patrol near Alaska and says it is a near-Arctic state.It also aspires to establish a Polar Silk Road to further its commercial and strategic profile.*
The US Coast Guard goes on to promise:
The Service will make integrated operations with joint service, interagency and allied partners a critical element of current and future strategic and operations plans.*
Congress has just appropriated 655 million dollars to start work on the first of up to six Polar Security Cutters,a new class of cutter with the size, strength and electrical capacity to support cruise missile emplacement while breaking ice.*
In its analysis, the Coast Guard found that:
A key element of the strategies of our competitors is to engage in activities that weaken the international order that underpins a free and open maritime domain.They do so under a cloud of ambiguity that makes it difficult to mount an effective or timely response to such activities.*
According to the US Navy in its Arctic Roadmap for 2014 to 2030:
The Navy and Coast Guard have a decades-long history of cooperation and collaboration... The combined efforts of the Navy and the Coast Guard in the Arctic Ocean will reflect this historic relationship.The Coast Guard and the Navy are committed to ensuring safe, secure and environmentally responsible maritime activity in Arctic Ocean waters and to promoting our other national interests in the region.*
The Navy explains that:
The Navy's submarine fleet has decades of experience performing missions and exercises under the sea ice.On the other hand, the Navy's surface and air forces have limited operational experience in the region.The Navy will need to periodically evaluate preparedness for operations and conduct training exercises in harsh conditions as changes occur over time in order to assure the Navy can operate in a more accessible Arctic Ocean.
The Navy will protect American sovereign rights and jurisdiction through flexible, periodic presence, and contribute to homeland defense in conjunction with the Joint Force.The Navy will ensure it remains prepared to operate in the Arctic Region to​ counter any threat that may arise.
The Navy will continue to operate in the Arctic Region and be ready to conduct maritime patrol operations and maritime interception operations, and support Coast Guard operations as required.
The Navy's unique capabilities allow it to rapidly and effectively deploy and sustain forces in and from multiple dispersed locations to respond to crises, contribute to deterrence, and to enhance regional stability.
During shoulder​ seasons, the Navy may employ ice strengthened Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships to conduct Navy missions.
By 2030, the Navy will have the necessary training and personnel to respond to contingencies and emergencies affecting national security... The Navy will work to mitigate the gaps and seams and transition its Arctic Ocean operations from a capability to provide periodic presence to a capability to operate deliberately for sustained​ periods when needed.

Just weeks after antagonising Beijing, US Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf docks in Hong Kong, showing the complexity of the relationship - US Sends Warship and Coast Guard cutter in the South China Sea after sai...

USS Ross DDG-71 Northbound on the Bosphorus with Turkish Coast Guard escort

Naval Academy Pre Lunch March on Last Day of Plebe Summer - Annapolis, Maryland - The making of US Navy and Marine Corps officers

USS Ross Begins Black Sea Patrol

On 14 April 2019, the USS Ross (DDG 71),a US Navy Arleigh Burke- class guided-missile destroyer, began its northward transit of the Dardanelles Strait, the Navy announced in a press release.It was headed for the Black Sea:
To conduct maritime security operations and enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability with NATO Allies and partners in the region, the Navy said.
Added USS Ross commanding officer CDR Dave Coles:
Our Allies in the Black Sea continue to play a key role in maintaining security in the European theatre. The crew and I look forward to enhancing our interoperability in a dynamic environment as well as experiencing the rich history and culture in this region.*
Operating in the Black Sea in accordance with international law and the Montreux Convention, the USS Ross, which is forward deployed to Naval Station Rota, Spain, will conduct naval operations in the US 6th Fleet Area of Operations in support of US national security interests in Europe, demonstrating collective resolve to Black Sea security under Operation Atlantic Resolve.*
Once the Ross entered the Black Sea later on the 14th,it was continuously surveiled by Russian coastal electronic warfare equipment of their Black Sea Fleet, the Russian Ministry of Defence said.It was then monitored by the Russian patrol ship Vasily Bykov and reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs.*
The Ross is on its first Black​ Sea patrol of 2019, which is part of NATO's Black Sea package to ensure regional maritime security.Besides patrols and drills, the package also contains several classified
provisions, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.In general, the package consists of increased situational awareness (surveillance); more NATO and partner presence; and increased support for the Ukrainian Navy and coastal defence,in light of a pattern of Russian aggression in the region since its invasion of the Republic of Georgia in 2008.

US Marine Corps:Long Live the King: With Problems Fixed, CH-53K Contract Expected in Weeks - Rotor & Wing International

Long Live the King: With Problems Fixed, CH-53K Contract Expected in Weeks - Rotor & Wing International: “The vendor and the program office are going to fix these,” Rudder said. “And we’re going to hold them accountable to fix it.”

Are pioneering coyotes, foxes and jackals alien species? Canid colonists in the changing conservation landscape of the Anthropocene

Are pioneering coyotes, foxes and jackals alien species? Canid colonists in the changing conservation landscape of the Anthropocene: Are pioneering coyotes, foxes and jackals alien species? Canid colonists in the changing conservation landscape of the Anthropocene - Han Somsen, Arie Trouwborst

2018 USAFA Graduation March On - United States Air Force Academy

US Marines Killed in Taliban Attack Indentified

The US Marines killed in action on 8 April 2019 near Bagram Air Base,Northern Parwan Province,Afghanistan have been identified by the Pentagon.All of them were serving in the 25th Marine Regiment,4th Marine Division,US Marine Forces Reserve.They were:
CPL Robert Hendriks,25,of Locust Valley,New York;SGT Benjamin Hines,31,of York,Pennsylvania;and SSGT Christopher Slutman,43,of Newark,Delaware.All the Marines were deployed through the Georgia Deployment Program-Resolute Support Mission,which is an ongoing six-month rotation in partnership with the Georgian Armed Forces in support of the NATO Resolute Support Mission.The Marines first deployed to the Republic of Georgia in Eastern Europe,where they trained and assisted the Georgian infantry in preparation for executing the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.*
SGT Hines and SSGT Slutman were previously acquainted,both having pulled tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008.SSGT Slutman was fondly called "the old man" in light of his age and depth of experience both within and outside of the Marine Corps.He had been a New York City Fire Department firefighter for 15 years in the Bronx,as well as a volunteer firefighter with the Kentlands Volunteer Fire Department in Prince Georges County,Maryland for 19 years.In New York,he was decorated with the Fire Chiefs Association Memorial Medal for rescuing an unconscious woman from a high rise apartment building fire.SSGT Slutman was married and the father of three daughters.*
"Be strong and of a good courage,fear not,nor be afraid of them:for the Lord thy God,he it is that doth go with thee;he will not fail thee,nor forsake thee."
-Deuteronomy 31:6

Tribute to American, Canadian, and British forces in Afghanistan - song: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

Afghan War:Three Marines Killed in Attack Near Air Base

On 8 April 2019,a US convoy was reportedly on security patrol near Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan when it was struck by an IED.Three US Marines were killed and three other service members wounded.An Afghan contractor was also injured in the attack.He was treated at the Air Base, which is located in Bagram district of Northern Parwan Province.The wounded service members were also transported for treatment.*
The Taliban Islamist extremists claimed responsibility for the attack.They said it was carried out by a VBIED.*

Local Afghan officials said four Afghan civilian passersby,plus an Afghan motorist, were also injured.US troops returned fire immediately the convoy was hit, according to Abdul Shakor Qudosi, administrative chief of Bagram district.*

This raises the US death toll in Afghanistan for 2019 to seven.In 2018,13 US service members were killed in action in the Afghan War.*

Commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission and US Forces Afghanistan GEN Austin Scott Miller responded to the incident:

We feel and mourn the loss of these Americans with their families and loved ones.They volunteered to protect their country.We will continue our mission.*

US-Backed Fighters Clash with ISIS Militants in Eastern Syria;air strikes continue

US-Backed Fighters Clash with ISIS Militants in Eastern Syria: The nearly five-year war left a swath of destruction across both countries and ended in Baghouz.

US Navy Corpsmen Are Preparing for the Next War in Civilian Hospitals

US Navy Corpsmen Are Preparing for the Next War in Civilian Hospitals: The next war the Navy finds itself in could bring the first significant sea battles since World War II.

Guided Missile Destroyer USS Zumwalt Enters Pearl Harbor

US Army Prepares its Armoured Fighting Vehicles For a Possible Russian S...

Stoltenberg and Hutchison:NATO Strategy and Tactics for 2019 and Beyond

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Permanent Representative to NATO Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison have briefed the press prior to the NATO Foreign Ministerial in Washington,DC on 3-4 April 2019.In their respective presentations, they gave insight into the Alliance's strategic and tactical plans for meeting the threats of the present day.
Mr.Stoltenberg: Russia continues to violate the INF Treaty by developing and deploying SSC-8 missiles.These missiles are hard to detect.They lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons and make us all less safe.Russia continues to defy our calls to return to compliance with the INF Treaty,and time is running out.So we will discuss NATO's next steps.The Alliance remains committed to arms control; but we must also remain committed to a credible deterrence and defence.
NATO is also concerned about Russia's pattern of aggressive behaviour, including its ongoing actions against Ukraine and the seizure of Ukrainian Sailors and ships near the Sea of Azov.NATO has already stepped up its presence in the Black Sea and we continue to work closely with our partners in the region.
Just last week I saw for myself this cooperation at the 2019 NATO Georgia Exercises; and today ships from one of NATO's naval groups are in Ukraine and Georgia.These ships will take part in Exercise Sea Shield in the Black Sea.I expect Ministers will agree this week on new measures to improve our situational awareness in the region, and to step up NATO's support for both Georgia and Ukraine in areas such as training of maritime forces and Coast Guards;port visits and exercises; and​ sharing of information.*
We will invest more than 260 million US dollars in a project to support US Forces in Central Poland.This will fund maintenance and storage of prepositioned military equipment, which will speed up reinforcement for Europe.
I will not comment exactly on which ports we are going to visit, where and how. We are in the Black Sea.We operate there and we strongly urge all countries in the region, and especially of course Russia, to respect international law.*
NATO provides help to the Georgian Coast Guard.We are looking how we can step that up,do more of that.That is something I discussed when I visited Tbilisi a few days ago.*
Ms. Hutchison: It's unacceptable that Russia should be holding those Ukrainian Sailors in Moscow in prison right now.And so we are going to make sure that we have the capability to deter a very aggressive Russia.We need to prepare our deterrence for the violating missiles.
On defence spending, it's necessary for the risks that we all face from an aggressive Russia.There is a malign influence throughout our Alliance that Russia is producing; also counterterrorism.We need to message our publics so they understand that two percent.This is essential.
We have been working on a package that beefs up the surveillance.It is air surveillance as well as more of the NATO countries' ships going into the Black Sea to assure that there is safe passage for Ukrainian vessels through the Kerch Strait, the Sea of Azov.It is very important for Bulgaria and other nations surrounding the Black Sea that we have more attention to assuring that the countries in and around the Black Sea are safe from Russian​ meddling.
It is very important that Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine,as well as Georgia, have security in that Black Sea area, both for ships, but also for their land-based safety.
On China:NATO is now assessing what China is doing.They're clearly getting much more active-especially seaports, and China is buying rights into seaports in Italy,as well as other parts of the world; getting more active in container port investment.
We are also very concerned about the 5G networks that Chinese companies have the capability to deliver; but also, because of Chinese law,have a responsibility,if the Chinese government asks for information that is proprietary, they would be required to give that to the Chinese government, which is what is of concern to NATO countries, because​ we want to make sure that our communications systems are secure.So if a country is investing in the 5G infrastructure, that could interrupt our NATO communications;or that could have, again, our NATO communications being distorted or disrupted.That is a very serious issue for NATO.
So we are looking at the risk,we are assessing risk.We are active in doing​ so with China.
We value security above everything-above economic trade, above everything else.You first have to be secure.That provides the trade capababilities.And two percent is not asking too much to make sure that we have the capabilities that we need.That is my first point.And the second is,if we look into the future, the kinds of weapons, the systems are so advanced now by nations that we might have to fight some day-and we're talking about Russia, China, North Korea,Iran- the US is making a new effort in space on the security front.We've got to realise that if we're going to keep our populations safe, that we have to be willing to make the investments to do that.
We have 29 members going on 30.We hope that North Macedonia will be a new member later this fall.And that 29 is approximately fifty percent of the GDP of the world, so we are stronger together.If we're going to face a major adversary,we need the strength that that GDP would produce, Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison told the press at the State Department.

DARPA R3D2 Launch - 03/28/2019 - Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency satellite launched by Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from New Zealand