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Four F-35Bs of 617 Squadron have deployed to Iceland to begin a NATO Air Policing deployment, the first ever deployment of its type for the F-35 in British service. The NATO Icelandic Air Policing mission [...]

The post British F-35Bs Deploy on Air Policing Mission for the First Time appeared first on The Aviationist.

Badische Zeitung: Freiburg (ots) - "Vor allem Bundes- und Landespolitiker haben seit Jahren Wahlwerbung mit dem Rechtsanspruch auf einen Ganztagsplatz betrieben. Die Städte und Gemeinden waren (...) seit jeher skeptisch. Viele machten sich dennoch an die Arbeit, ...

Summary and Key Points: The USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), a Nimitz-class supercarrier, is undergoing a prolonged Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH), now scheduled for completion in October 2026. This midlife upgrade has faced delays due to post-pandemic challenges, including staffing shortages at shipyards.

-Despite the setbacks, the Navy assures that CVN-74 will emerge as the most technologically advanced Nimitz-class carrier.

-However, the ship might not retain its name, as controversies surrounding its namesake, Senator John C. Stennis, have sparked discussions about renaming the carrier before it returns to service.

Ready: Will Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis Ever Return to Service – Yes, But Likely With a New Name

The U.S. Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) will not return to service on schedule. 

The sea service announced earlier this year that the carrier's midlife overhaul and refueling will take about five and a half years, which is some 14 months longer than first expected. The warship began its Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) in 2021, and work was originally set to be finished by August 2025. The updated timeline calls for the flattop to be returned to the U.S. Navy no earlier than October 2026. 

CVN-74’s is the second RCOH in recent years to cause hardship for a ship’s crew. USS George Washington’s midlife upgrade took nearly six years. Eleven sailors took their own lives during the time the ship was stuck at the HII Newport News Shipbuilding facilities.

Stennis: Delayed Midlife Overhaul and Possible Name Change

In April, CVN-74 exited dry dock and began the second phase of its RCOH, with work reportedly more than 65% completed. The ship has since been moved to an outfitting berth as shipyard workers and the crew install and test the warship's major components and other systems.

The Navy says several post-pandemic challenges continue to impact the U.S. carrier industrial base. Capabilities and capacities are reduced as the shipyards struggle to find adequate staff to build and maintain warships. 

The Navy insists the delays won't impact the capabilities of the warship and will be worth the added time.

"When John C. Stennis redelivers, she'll be the most technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the Navy," said Rear Adm. Casey J. Moton in April. "She'll bring to the Fleet the highest level of capability across all mission sets."

According to the Navy, more than 25 million total man-hours of work will go into the RCOH, nearly as much time as was spent building the carrier.

"RCOH construction enhances nearly every space and system on the carrier, beyond the most critical requirement to defuel and refuel the ship's two nuclear reactors and to repair and upgrade the propulsion plant," said Capt. Mike Johnson, manager of the PEO Aircraft Carriers In-Service Aircraft Carrier Program Office. "We work on every part of the ship, from the hull, screws, and rudders to more than 600 tanks; thousands of valves, pumps, and piping components; electrical cables and ventilation; as well as combat and aviation support systems. It's demanding, complex work that challenges every member of the planning team, shipyard crews, and ship's force."

Still the Stennis? Maybe Not

CVN-74 will not be quite the same ship. Upgrades will make the vessel practically as good as new, and perhaps even a better ship than when she entered service in 1995. 

In addition to the technological improvements, it is possible the warship could sail with a new name.

The seventh Nimitz-class supercarrier was named for Democratic Sen. John C. Stennis of Mississippi. The lawmaker, who hadn't lost an election in 60 years, was seen as an odd choice to receive the honor, but the name still gained the approval of President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

The lead ship of the class of U.S. Navy supercarriers was fittingly named for World War II Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, and subsequent carriers of the class were named for past presidents. Though USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) honored a congressman, he was known as the father of the two-ocean Navy, and the name was considered fitting.

By contrast, Stennis had little to do with naval affairs. 

Moreover, the naming of the carrier has been the subject of controversy as Stennis was an outspoken critic of civil rights and racial equality, while the ship's nickname – "Johnny Reb" – has drawn its share of criticism in recent years.

The U.S. military has gone to great (and at times expensive) lengths to retire the names of bases and other warships that seemed to honor Confederate military leaders. While Stennis was a U.S. lawmaker, his policies seem at odds with the direction the country has taken. He voted against or actively opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1968, and the establishment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday.

It is likely that by the time CVN-74 sails again, it will be named for someone other than John C. Stennis.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image Credit: Creative Commons. 

Le président du comité de coordination de l'AS VClub de Kinshasa, Amadou Diaby se fixe rendez-vous avec les supporters, ce samedi 10 aout, au siège du club, dans la commune de Limete.

Il a annoncé ce face-à-face dans un communiqué parvenu, ce jeudi, aux médias :

Summary and Key Points: The USS Dallas (SSN-700), a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, served the U.S. Navy for nearly 40 years, featuring prominently in Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October.

-In 2013, during joint anti-submarine warfare exercises in the Middle East, the USS Dallas demonstrated its stealth by successfully evading Royal Navy surface warships and helicopters to simulate an attack on the HMS Illustrious aircraft carrier.

-A published photo revealed the submarine’s periscope as it approached undetected, implying that in a real scenario, the carrier would have been sunk. The USS Dallas was decommissioned in 2018 after an illustrious career.

USS Dallas vs. HMS Illustrious Aircraft Carrier: The 2013 Submarine War Game

Fans of Tom Clancy's debut novel The Hunt for Red October likely are familiar with the USS Dallas (SSN-700), as the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine features heavily in the story.

The now-retired submarine, launched in April 1979 and commissioned two years later, served for nearly 40 years with multiple deployments worldwide.

While the submarine likely never had an encounter with a Soviet vessel as noteworthy as the fictional account in The Hunt For Red October, in October 2013, SSN-700 certainly gave the crew of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious a fright during joint anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises in the Middle East. The American submarine was able to successfully evade surface warships and helicopters that sought to locate the USS Dallas.

More importantly, a photo was published (see above) that showed that had it been the real deal, the Royal Navy would have seen its carrier sunk. 

The UK's sea service didn't try to hide that fact, as it released the photo with the description, "The periscope of the American submarine USS Dallas cuts through the surface as HMS Illustrious sails past in the morning haze."

How the Wargame Occured: Aircraft Carrier vs. Navy Submarine 

According to the UK's Ministry of Defence, the 2013 exercise was broken down into three phases, and the HMS Illustrious, RFA Fort Victoria, RFA Fort Austin, USS Bulkeley along with the USS Dallas initially tested acoustic and non-acoustics sensor performance against known positions, gaining useful real-life data of the region. The second phase relied on the ships escorting HMS Illustrious as the Mission Essential Unit (MEU) along a passage whilst evading detection and simulated torpedo attacks by USS Dallas.

In the final phase, the U.S. Navy's Los Angeles-class submarine attempted to locate and destroy RFA Fort Austin as the MEU, in a holding box that simulated an anchorage, while the Royal Navy and U.S. Navy surface vessels provided protection. Additional helicopter support to the ships was ably provided by the Anti-Submarine sonar dipping Merlins embarked in HMS Illustrious along with a Seahawk ASW helicopter from USS Bulkeley providing additional surface search and weapon carrying capability.

As David Axe previously wrote for The National Interest, "Neither navy has published the results of the exercise, so it’s not clear whether Dallas got close enough in the course of the war game to simulate firing Mark-48 torpedoes at the flattop, which at 22,000 tons displacement is one of the largest ships in Royal Navy service," and he added, "But there are good reasons to assume the 7,000-ton Dallas did succeed in pretend-sinking Illustrious. In 2007 HMCS Corner Brook, a diesel-electric submarine of the Canadian navy, sneaked up on Illustrious during an exercise in the Atlantic."

Less than five years after that exercise, the USS Dallas was decommissioned in a ceremony at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Bremerton, Washington.

During her nearly four decades in service, SSN-700 was deployed a total of 14 times and steamed over one million miles, visiting more than 30 nations worldwide. While many of the deployments were routine, some may have been more noteworthy than others – like the time the crew could lay claim to sinking an aircraft carrier.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

All images are Creative Commons. 

Super Micro Computer, Inc.: San Jose, Kalifornien (ots/PRNewswire) - Auf demfünften jährlichen Gipfel werden in sieben Sitzungen mit 17 führenden Partnern für Speichertechnologie und 30 Rednern bewährte Verfahren und neue Entwicklungen im Bereich Speicher für KI, CSP, ...

Oroszország indította el a háborút, ezért neki is éreznie kell annak következményeit – jelentette ki Volodimir Zelenszkij ukrán elnök csütörtökön.

Erről az államfő esti videóüzenetében szólt, miközben az ukrán erők harmadik napja hajtanak végre katonai műveleteket az oroszországi Kurszki területen – írta az Ukrajinszka Pravda hírportál.

„Ma már három jelentés érkezett (Olekszandr) Szirszkij főparancsnoktól: pontosan olyanok, amelyekre államunknak most szüksége van” – mondta Zelenszkij. „Hálás vagyok minden harcosnak, minden katonának és parancsnoknak, aki biztosítja állásaink védelmét és védelmi feladataink teljesítését. Az ukránok tudják, hogyan érjék el céljaikat” – fogalmazott.

Az elnök leszögezte, hogy nem az ukránok választották céljaik eléréséhez a háborút. „Oroszország háborút hozott a földünkre, és éreznie kell a következményeit annak, amit tett” – mondta. Szavai szerint minél nagyobb nyomás nehezedik Oroszországra, annál hamarabb lesz béke. „Igazságos béke jogos erő alkalmazásával” – tette hozzá.

Zelenszkij tájékoztatott arról, hogy Rusztem Umerov védelmi miniszter jelentését is meghallgatta az ukrán hadsereg fegyver- és felszerelésellátásáról, valamint Vaszil Maljuk, az Ukrán Biztonsági Szolgálat (SZBU) főnöke is beszámolt neki a szolgálat munkatársainak az orosz szabotázsok és az országon belüli merényletkísérletek elleni fellépésükről.

Forrás: MTI

The post Zelenszkij: Oroszországnak is éreznie kell a háborút appeared first on Kárpátalja.ma.

Summary and Key Points: The F-16X, also known as the Falcon 2000, was a proposed evolution of the F-16 Fighting Falcon that incorporated advanced features inspired by the F-22 Raptor. It featured a tailless design, thrust-vectoring engines, and composite materials for enhanced stealth, maneuverability, and fuel efficiency.

-The F-16X was envisioned as a cost-effective, next-generation warplane with advanced avionics and longer range, potentially serving as an affordable alternative to the F-35 Lightning II.

-Despite its potential, the F-16X was never produced, leaving it as one of the most intriguing "what ifs" in U.S. Air Force history.

The F-16X Should Have Become the Primary Warplane for the USAF

The U.S. Air Force’s greatest warplane until the F-22 Raptor came along was the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Believe it or not, though, the F-16 could have been even greater. Over the decades, multiple proposals have forwarded some frankly wild variants of the F-16. 

One of those was the F-16X, otherwise known as the Falcon 2000.

The F-16X would have gone into production in 2010 had the Pentagon approved the proposal. It incorporated many designs inspired by the F-22 Raptor.

Newer composite materials were planned to be used in the construction of this warplane. The bird’s weight would thus have been greatly reduced, increasing the aircraft’s overall performance. The F-16X also included a new wing design inspired by the F-22. These new wings were more aerodynamically sound. They increased the plane’s life and reduced drag. The bird could go faster than its F-16 predecessor and had much better maneuverability. 

The F-16X was meant to be stealthier than the F-16. Between its composite skin and its tailless structure, the F-16X would have been difficult for enemies to track with their radar. Thus, an F-16X in combat would have considerable advantages over any enemy aircraft. 

The proposed F-16X was ahead of its time in other ways. 

Some Key Features 

One key design feature for the F-16X was that it was meant to be a tailless bird that used thrust-vectoring engines to direct the plane in flight. These capabilities were lightyears ahead of the original F-16.They were unlike anything the Air Force was operating other than its fifth-generation warplanes. 

The tailless design would also appear in the X-44 MANTA warplane proposed as a follow-on to the successful F-22 program. When the X-44 never made it off the drawing board, the dream of a tailless, vector-thrust-powered bird shifted into the plans for the Air Force’s sixth-generation warplane, the Next Generation Air Dominance.

The F-16X’s engines were meant to increase fuel efficiency and range while reducing the amount of aerial refueling needed for long-distance missions. According to F-16.net, the proposed F-16X, “would have twice the range of the F/A-18 E/F at two-thirds the cost.” 

According to Key Aero, the increased fuel efficiency and range of the F-16X would have allowed it to carry an even more incredible suite of armaments than its F-16 brother. 

This bird had an impressive array of new systems that would ultimately be incorporated into future variants of the F-16, as well as other Air Force planes. The F-16X had an improved cockpit layout, possessing a better ergonomic design and multiple advanced display systems.

The F-16X had a very advanced avionics package and sensor suite as well. It was built with state-of-the-art radar and electronic warfare capabilities, along with advanced targeting systems that allowed the F-16X to engage targets with more precision at greater distances. 

An Affordable F-35?

America’s F-16X was a tale of what could have been. A truly next-generation design for a fraction of what supposed next-generation warplanes cost, it probably would have been a better selection than even the F-35 Lightning II, which has become the U.S. military’s primary warplane in the last decade. The F-16X included next-generation capabilities at competitive prices.

They were also easier to build and maintain, since the supply chain was already primed for supporting the mission of the F-16. 

Alas, the government, in its infinite wisdom, opted instead to leave the F-16X on the drawing board in favor of the F-35. 

It is fun to speculate about what might have been. And the F-16X is one of the biggest “what ifs” out there.

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

From the Vault

Russia Freaked Out: Why the U.S. Navy 'Unretired' the Iowa-Class Battleships

Battleship vs. Battlecruiser: Iowa-Class vs. Russia's Kirov-Class (Who Wins?)

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.

L’ambassade de Russie en Algérie a annoncé ce jeudi 8 août une série de nouvelles mesures concernant ses services consulaires, y compris les demandes de […]

L’article Demandes de VISA : l’ambassade de Russie en Algérie impose de nouvelles règles strictes est apparu en premier sur .

Les acteurs du Projet de renforcement de la production du maïs et de la contractualisation (PROMAC) sont réunis à Bobo-Dioulasso, ce jeudi 8 août 2024, pour faire le bilan de leurs activités. La cérémonie d'ouverture des travaux a été présidée par le directeur des programmes d'OXFAM au Burkina Faso, Karim Séré, représentant son directeur pays.

893 producteurs des régions de la Boucle du Mouhoun et des Cascades mobilisés, 1 945 hectares engagés, 4 781 tonnes de production atteintes, 2 100 tonnes de maïs livrées. Ce sont là les statistiques clés du projet présentées par le représentant du directeur pays d'OXFAM Burkina, Karim Séré. Au-delà de ces statistiques, il a indiqué que ce projet a permis de renforcer la résilience des producteurs, à améliorer la sécurité alimentaire, à créer des opportunités économiques pour les producteurs et à favoriser le développement d'une agriculture plus durable.

Les participants présents à l'atelier bilan du projet

« Cet atelier est pour nous, l'occasion de dresser le bilan de nos réalisations, d'identifier les difficultés rencontrées et de définir les prochaines étapes », a-t-il éclairé. Avant de préciser qu'OXFAM, en tant qu'opérateur du projet, a permis de mettre en contact les producteurs et l'acheteur, d'œuvrer à ce que le projet se déroule dans de bonnes conditions sur le terrain. OXFAM a apporté également l'appui conseil technique, l'appui organisationnel et financier nécessaire pour la mise en œuvre du projet.

Karim Séré, représentant du directeur pays d'OXFAM Burkina, donnant les statistiques du projet

« Si déjà en début de campagne, vous avez un contrat en bonne et due forme, cela vous encourage à investir dans votre production afin d'augmenter le rendement, car on est sûr de pouvoir vendre et à un prix intéressant », a salué Karim Séré. A l'en croire, ce vaste programme est mis en place par le ministère en charge de l'agriculture, en collaboration avec l'Agence française de développement et l'Union européenne. Ce projet a débuté en 2020, pour une durée de quatre ans. Il a précisé que ce projet est un « projet pilote » qui consiste à tirer toutes les leçons et voir comment vulgariser l'agriculture contractuelle.

La photo de famille des participants à l'atelier

Et à cette étape du projet, il trouve que les résultats sont concluants malgré les difficultés rencontrées. Il se réjouit ainsi que des relations fiables et sérieuses soient tissées entre les producteurs et l'acheteur. Pour lui, la préoccupation actuelle c'est de pouvoir maintenir cette relation après la fin du projet.
Au nom des bénéficiaires, Laurent Domboué a exprimé sa satisfaction au regard des résultats du projet. Il reconnaît que grâce à ce projet, les producteurs ont eu des relations avec les acheteurs et ont pu écouler leurs productions.

« En début de campagne, on s'assoit avec les acheteurs, on discute pour arrêter un prix sur la tonne. Puis, nous producteurs, nous prenons l'engagement de fournir la quantité convenue avec les acheteurs », a-t-il expliqué.
Il a par ailleurs salué cette méthode qui, selon lui, encourage le producteur à travailler à dégager des excédents tout en sachant qu'il y'aura un marché rémunérateur. Il a ajouté que le projet a également permis de renforcer les capacités des producteurs sur la qualité des graines post-récolte qui, une fois ignorée, peut entraîner des pertes considérables pour le producteur.

Laurent Domboué a salué l'initiative du projet au nom des bénéficiaires

En outre, dit-il, « l'avènement du projet a occasionné la réduction du coût de production dans l'association du fumier organique avec l'engrais minéral ». Ainsi, les producteurs ayant constaté la réussite du projet souhaitent qu'il y'ait une autre phase à grande échelle, afin de toucher beaucoup de producteurs.

Romuald Dofini
Lefaso.net

Le Républicain a annoncé, ce jeudi, qu'il souhaitait débattre trois fois en septembre avec son adversaire démocrate. Une demande qui intervient alors Kamala Harris, monte en puissance dans les sondages.

Le recteur de l'Université des sciences de l'information et de la communication (UNISIC), Jean Kambayi Bwatshia am appelé, jeudi 8 août, les étudiants et l'ensemble du personnel à reprendre leurs activités.

Il a lancé cet appel un jour après la délégation syndicale de cet établissement universitaire a lancé un mouvement de grève.

Presidential candidates dread sudden reversals of fortune in a campaign’s final weeks. Modern-day “October Surprises” include Richard Nixon prematurely announcing a Vietnam peace agreement (1972), Iran refusing to release U.S. hostages until after Election Day (1980), and Mitt Romney taped belittling less-wealthy voters (2012). 

Yet, the biggest “surprise” for an incumbent president nearly took place in the fall of 1864 when Abraham Lincoln was in the White House. In going against George McClellan, the Democratic Party nominee, many in the GOP and Lincoln’s cabinet weren’t certain he could win again.

Despite the Union Army advancing to Richmond, the Civil War had already lasted nearly four years, resulting in more than 600,000 deaths. Many Americans were eager for peace—even if it meant allowing the Confederacy to become its own nation. Against that backdrop, rebel spies positioned themselves along our northern border with British Canada.

Their Northwest Conspiracy was led by Jacob Thompson, a former cabinet secretary under President James Buchanan and now a Southern sympathizer. Given $1 million in gold by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Thompson’s assignment was to direct a clandestine operation along the border. One of his first targets was the USS Michigan, which was the only Union warship left on the Great Lakes late in 1864. 

Anchored off Sandusky, Ohio, the iron-hulled steamer had a thirty-pound parrot rifle, a half-dozen howitzers, and additional firepower. In mid-September, rebel leader John Yates Beall led a raiding party from the Detroit area to seize the Michigan. A private in the “Stonewall Brigade” at the war’s onset, Beall had shifted to piracy and espionage.

By this point in the Civil War, British Canada had become a haven for rebel spies and their supporters. John Wilkes Booth, who would soon assassinate Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, was a visitor to Montreal. Julian Sher, author of The North Star: Canada and the Civil War Plots Against Lincoln, says the Catholic Church helped one of Booth’s accomplices hide out for months. Also, a leading financier in Montreal allowed Confederates to launder money through his bank.

In fact, when Booth was killed near Port Royal, Virginia, in late April 1865, less than two weeks after shooting Lincoln, a banknote from the Ontario Bank branch in Montreal was found in his pocket. It was signed by bank manager Henry Starnes, the former and future mayor of Montreal. 

Beall and Booth knew of each other and perhaps met at John Brown’s execution in Harper’s Ferry in 1859. Ironically, Brown’s son, John Jr., who lived on an island near Sandusky, nearly derailed the rebels’ plan in 1864 to take the Michigan. 

While Booth’s plots were haphazard, spurred by hatred for Lincoln, Beall’s raids, first on the Chesapeake Bay and then on Lake Erie, were backed by Confederate officials in Richmond.

Arriving by nightfall at Sandusky Harbor on September 19, 1864, Beall moved the steamship he had stolen into position near the Michigan. Everything went smoothly until a signal from the shore wasn’t posted. This was supposed to indicate that the warship’s officers and crew were incapacitated by spiked liquor at a party. When no flare was seen, Beall’s crew got cold feet, and the rebel leader had to flee back across Lake Erie.  

That’s how close the 1864 presidential election came to an “October Surprise.” If Beall had captured the Union warship, he planned to free Confederate prisoners on Johnson’s Island, outside of Sandusky Harbor and not far from where the Michigan was anchored. Approximately 3,000 rebels were imprisoned there, including twenty officers. From there, the Confederates could have bombarded Cleveland, Buffalo, and other targets along the southern shore of Lake Erie.

In the end, the 1864 presidential election was a landslide for the Republican Party. Lincoln won the Electoral College by 212-21 and 55 percent of the popular vote. But what’s rarely mentioned in history textbooks is how the Confederates nearly opened a new front in the Civil War only weeks before voters went to the polls.

Even after Lincoln was reelected, the rebels remained active in the Great Lakes. Beall wasn’t apprehended until December after he attempted to derail a train carrying Confederate prisoners and a load of gold south of Buffalo. A historical plaque near the Whirlpool Bridge in Niagara Falls, NY, now marks where authorities finally arrested him. Despite a petition signed by ninety-two members of Congress asking for Beall to be pardoned, he was hung on Governors Island in New York Harbor. 

All we can be sure of today is if the Confederates had seized the USS Michigan, it would have been an October Surprise and certainly made Beall & Co. more than a historical footnote. 

About the Author: 

Tim Wendel is the author of Rebel Falls. The historical novel details the Confederates’ spy network along the U.S.-Canadian border in 1864. Follow him on X: @Tim_Wendel. 

Image Credit: Shutterstock. 

Ukrajna külügyminisztere, Dmitro Kuleba és Maneesh Gobin mauritiusi külügyminiszter a két ország közötti kapcsolatokról tárgyalt augusztus 8-án Port Louisban – közölte az ukrán külügyminisztérium a Telegramon.

A közlemény szerint Ukrajna külügyminiszterének ez az első mauritiusi látogatása a két ország közötti kapcsolatok 1992-es fennállása óta.

A találkozón Maneesh Gobin biztosította Kulebát, hogy országa kész segíteni Ukrajnának abban, hogy több afrikai országot is bevonjanak a békeformulán alapuló igazságos és tartós béke helyreállításának folyamatába.

A tárgyalások végén a külügyminiszterek aláírták az Ukrajna és Mauritius közötti vízummentességről szóló megállapodást, amely megkönnyíti a mauritiusi befektetők utazását Ukrajnába, és a háború befejezése után növeli majd az ukrán turisták számát Mauritiuson – írta a külügyminisztérium.

Kárpátalja.ma

The post Mauritiuson tárgyalt az ukrán külügyminiszter appeared first on Kárpátalja.ma.

C'est un jour historique pour l'athlétisme au Botswana et pour toute l'Afrique. Letsile Tebogo, 21 ans, a remporté le titre olympique sur 200m, jeudi 8 août, au Stade de France à l'occasion des JO 2024. Le sprinteur a dominé ses adversaires dans cette finale, et notamment l'Américain Noah Lyles, avec un temps de 19''46, nouveau record d'Afrique. Il apporte au Botswana la première médaille d'or de son histoire.

Similarly to other weapons, the 250 kg AASM munition is carried by a custom made pylon under the MiG-29’s innermost wing attachment point. After images and videos earlier this year showed the French-made AASM Hammer [...]

The post First Close-Up Image of the French AASM Hammer Bomb on a Ukrainian MiG-29 appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Important Stuff: In February 2009, a shocking collision occurred between two nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, the UK's HMS Vanguard and France's Le Triomphant, in the Atlantic Ocean. The incident, later revealed by a Royal Navy whistleblower, highlighted significant failures in communication, equipment, and seamanship on the part of the British submarine.

-Despite the potential for a nuclear disaster, no injuries or radioactive leaks occurred. The collision underscored the need for improved coordination among allied navies to prevent future mishaps.

-The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in submarine operations, particularly in today's tense geopolitical climate.

The 2009 UK-France Submarine Incident

In February 2009, an unprecedented and nightmarish event occurred in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean: two nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines belonging to France and the United Kingdom collided with each other. The ships involved were the British Royal Navy’s HMS Vanguard and the French navy’s Le Triomphant.

The Collision

The collision happened in the early hours of 3 February 2009. The two subs were conducting routine patrols. At some point, in the mid-Atlantic, the two nuclear-powered submarines crossed paths and crashed into each other. 

This catastrophe was the result of a combination of factors, but the most damning one of all comes from a Royal Navy submariner, William McNeilly, who decided to become a whistleblower. According to this whistleblower, the accident was likely the result of the British submarine which had been subject to “massive equipment failures, crew errors, and lax standards” onboard the HMS Vanguard.

Indeed, the official account provided to the public by the British government (and backed up by the French government), according to McNeilly, was far less caustic than the event actually had been. In fact, according to the whistleblower testimony, the British nuclear submarine was mere moments away from exploding (which would have ignited the ship’s nuclear reactor, causing all kinds of problems for the world).

The whistleblower account details how the FNS Le Triomphant had bashed out a “massive chunk” from the HMS Vanguard after which the French sub “grazed down the side of” the Vanguard. From there, “compressed air bottle groups had been dislodged by the collision and ‘were hanging off and banging against the pressure hull.’ The submarine had to return to base slowly because ‘if one of the [High Pressure Air] bottle groups exploded it would’ve created a chain reaction and sent the submarine plummeting to the bottom.’”

A “massive cover-up of the incident” soon followed. 

According to McNeilly the Vanguard had become the poster child in the failing British Royal Navy (an issue about which this author has documented repeatedly in these pages) of mismanagement, lax discipline, and poor seamanship. 

Before its collision with the Le Triomphant, there was another cover-up involving the Vanguard pertaining to a “deep depth incident” in which the HMS Vanguard “dived far beyond a normal safe depth. A combination of high-water pressure and the submarine’s low speed made it difficult for the submarine’s hydroplanes [to] generate enough lift to raise the submarine, and ballast water could not be pumped out fast enough to allow the submarine to rise.” 

In essence, well before the 2009 collision, the Vanguard was almost lost due to poor seamanship. Yet, the Royal Navy, rather than address the problems, chose to cover it up and continue operating as though everything were normal.

Thankfully, the incident led to a review of submarine operations and safety protocols by both the British and French navies. It further highlighted the need for improved communication and coordination between allied nations operating in the same waters. 

Although, the presence of a “massive cover-up” being enacted immediately upon the Vanguard’s return to port is unacceptable and begs the question as to whether the Royal Navy and French Navy really learned the right lessons or if they just figured out how to downplay things better.

The Subs Involved

Britain’s HMS Vanguard was the lead boat in the Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarine. It displaced 16,000 tons when submerged. It registered a length of around 149.9 meters, or 492 feet. Its beam was 12.8 meters (42 feet).

More importantly, though, the Vanguard’s propulsion system consisted on of one nuclear reactor, two steam turbines, one shaft and 20,000 ship-based horsepower. With this engine alignment, the Vanguard could reach a top cruising speed of 25 knots (or 29 miles per hour) when submerged. She carried a crew of 135. 

As for armaments, this particular sub carried 16 Trident II D5 ballistic missiles and had four torpedo tubes for Spearfish torpedoes. 

On the other end of the collision was France’s Le Triomphant, the lead boat of the French navy’s Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarine. This boat displaced a total of 14,335 tons when submerged. She had a length of 138 meters (453 feet), a beam of 12.5 meters (41 feet), making her slightly smaller than the Vanguard.

Like her British counterpart, the Triomphant also relied upon a single nuclear reactor to power two steam turbines with one shaft, giving the boat 15,000 ship-based horsepower. So, she was slightly less powerful than the Vanguard. 

As for speed, she topped out at 25 knots—29 miles per hour—just like the British submarine did. 

The Triomphant carried 15 M45 ballistic missiles and had four torpedo tubes for F17 torpedoes.

This incident on the High Seas between two allied nations that simply were not aware that each other had submarines operating in the same Area of Responsibility (AOR) could have been far worse than it was. The two submarines, as you have read, were nuclear-powered. Thus, these boats could have become like Chernobyl under the waves. 

Thankfully, that fate was avoided. But this incident was a clear wake-up call.

Both Britain and France (and the rest of NATO) have all updated their policies for coordinating with allied foreign navies to ensure nothing like this incident occurs. 

Yet, there are plenty of other parts of the world where nuclear submarines belonging to navies that do not get along with each other operate frequently. 

Implications for Sino-American Interactions Beneath the Sea

Just recently, in fact, the USS Connecticut is believed to have crashed into an undersea mountain (seamount) in the crowded South China Sea while it was possibly conducting a covert surveillance mission of China’s secretive naval base at Hainan Island. 

It was a major source of embarrassment for the US Navy because, the incident not only revealed what the Connecticut was up to but it also put a dent in the Navy’s limited Seawolf-class fleet. 

The Connecticut will not return to service for another year. What’s more, it was quite a propaganda boon for China. Beijing rubbed salt in the wound by claiming—erroneously—that the Connecticut had created an unspecified “environmental disaster.” 

Shortly thereafter, rumors abounded that China lost a Type 093 Shang-class nuclear submarine in the Taiwan Strait. It was never confirmed but this came on the heels of the Connecticut incident. Just imagine the nightmare scenario of the Connecticut had collided with a Chinese nuclear-powered Shang-class submarine. It would have been radioactive nightmare fuel for the region.

Thus, the need for stealth is naval engagements should be well understood but it must also be stressed that, in the nuclear age, such secrecy could lead to truly devastating consequences unless some form of modus vivendi is crafted between Washington and Beijing to deescalate certain crises. 

This was done throughout the Cold War.

The Chinese, sadly, continue to rebuff American requests to create a reliable backchannel between the two superpowers. 

France and Britain are key allies and the incident involving their submarines in the Atlantic in 2009 was relatively isolated. No casualties were reported and the two crews could aid each other and then their governments could cordially assess what had happened. 

A Sino-American collision, which is likely to occur given the tension and interactions thus far between the two powers, could either lead to an environmental catastrophe. Or worse, it could lead to a world war. 

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock. 

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