On 30 September 2019,in response to re-emergent great power competition, the US Navy re-established Commander,Sub Group 2 in Norfolk, Virginia.It had been dis-established in August 2014.According to the Navy,SUBGRU 2 is aimed at:
Enhancing the Navy's capacity to command and control its Undersea Warfare forces seamlessly across the entire Atlantic area, from the Eastern Seaboard of the United States to the Barents Sea, and even into the South Atlantic,if the need arises.*
VADM Charles Richard, Commander of Submarine Forces, said that:
The security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex in the North Atlantic.To maintain America's undersea superiority, we must increase naval power and our readiness for high-end blue water warfare.How we're organized to command that employment will be a driving factor in our success-that's why we're re-establishing Sub Group 2 today.*
Commander, SUBGRU 2 RADM James Waters:
We will prepare forces to control the undersea domain through rigorous competitive training, and a thorough understanding of our adversaries and the environment where we both operate.Further, we will innovate and advance the art of theater anti-submarine warfare through complex fleet exercises and war games.*
SUBGRU 2 is capable of operating as an embedded Commander ,Task Force within Commander ,U.S. 2nd Fleet when it is activated as a Maritime Command Element.*
ADM Christopher Grady, Commander,U.S. Fleet Forces Command,told SUBGRU 2 that:
You must understand that winning decisively in a potential "Fourth Battle of the Atlantic" should be your guiding vision.The best way to prevent a fight is to be prepared to win decisively should anyone threaten us.We believe in power for peace.*
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Friday, October 4, 2019
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Orion Program Update: NASA Awards Contract for Crew Modules - revised
NASA has awarded Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado a contract for at least six, and as many as twelve Orion spacecraft for the Artemis lunar exploration missions.The capsules for Artemis Missions III - V will be produced for 2.7 billion dollars; while those for Missions VI through VIII will be produced for 1.9 billion.The long-term plan is to reuse each crew module at least once.*
As for the Artemis I and II Orion capsules, NASA says that work is well underway on them:
Engineers at Kennedy Space Center have completed and attached the crew and service modules for Artemis I and are preparing the spacecraft for environmental testing.Meanwhile, teams at Kennedy are integrating thousands of parts into the crew module for Artemis II in preparation for the first crewed Artemis mission.*
Artemis I is planned for a 2020 launch on a test mission of the integrated Orion capsule, European Service Module and Space Launch System rocket. Artemis II will be the first crewed Orion spacecraft mission, taking astronauts to a high orbit 40,000 miles from the Moon, the farthest humans have gone from Earth.Artemis III is planned to land the first woman and a male crewmate on the Moon by 2024.These Missions have the ultimate goal of enabling further crewed exploration of the solar system, with the next step being the Mars system.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
As for the Artemis I and II Orion capsules, NASA says that work is well underway on them:
Engineers at Kennedy Space Center have completed and attached the crew and service modules for Artemis I and are preparing the spacecraft for environmental testing.Meanwhile, teams at Kennedy are integrating thousands of parts into the crew module for Artemis II in preparation for the first crewed Artemis mission.*
Artemis I is planned for a 2020 launch on a test mission of the integrated Orion capsule, European Service Module and Space Launch System rocket. Artemis II will be the first crewed Orion spacecraft mission, taking astronauts to a high orbit 40,000 miles from the Moon, the farthest humans have gone from Earth.Artemis III is planned to land the first woman and a male crewmate on the Moon by 2024.These Missions have the ultimate goal of enabling further crewed exploration of the solar system, with the next step being the Mars system.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
US Strikes IS in Libya
In a news release,US Africa Command says it carried out an airstrike on Islamic State in Libya on 29 September 2019.The strike targeted IS militants in Southern Libya.According to US Army MG William Gayler,AFRICOM director of operations:
By disrupting the terrorists' planning, training and activities, we also degrade their capacity to threaten US and partner interests in the region.*
AFRICOM said that,at this time, seven IS terrorists were killed as a result of the strike, and that no civilians were killed or injured.*
Islamist extremists have sought influence in Libya since strongman Colonel Muammar Gadaffi was assassinated in 2011 after some fifty years in power.*
By disrupting the terrorists' planning, training and activities, we also degrade their capacity to threaten US and partner interests in the region.*
AFRICOM said that,at this time, seven IS terrorists were killed as a result of the strike, and that no civilians were killed or injured.*
Islamist extremists have sought influence in Libya since strongman Colonel Muammar Gadaffi was assassinated in 2011 after some fifty years in power.*
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