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U.S. Army conducts large-scale air assault training exercise

U.S. Army 25th Combat Aviation Brigade completed the large-scale air assault training exercise, according to a recent service news release.

Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy lines.

For air assault exercise, Soldiers waves loaded onto twenty CH-47 Chinook UH-60 Blackhawks helicopters to provided troop lift capability to air assault the Gimlets of 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division from Wheeler Army Airfield to Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) on Big Island of Hawaii, Nov. 12.

CH-47 Chinook helicopters assigned to the Hillclimbers of 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment along with UH-60 Blackhawks assigned to 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment traveled 200 miles in the execution of this large muscle movement to move Soldiers and equipment intra-island for the upcoming exercise.

Air assault should not be confused with air attack, air strike, or air raid, which all refer to attack using solely aircraft (for example bombing, strafing, etc.).

Moreover, air assault should not be confused with an airborne assault, which occurs when paratroopers, and their weapons and supplies, are dropped by parachute from transport aircraft, often as part of a strategic offensive operation.


source : defence-blog

Hong Kong readies for more chaos as violence spreads citywide

Hong Kong prepared for more clashes on Wednesday as anti-government protesters paralysed parts of the Asian financial hub for a third day, with some transport links, schools and many businesses closing after an escalation of violence.

Protesters and police battled through the night at university campuses and other locations only hours after a senior police officer said the Chinese-ruled city had been pushed to the "brink of a total breakdown".

Police fired tear gas at protesters overnight in multiple locations as activists blocked roads, torched several vehicles, hurled petrol bombs at a police station and metro train and smashed up part of a shopping mall.

The flare ups come after police on Monday shot an unarmed protester at close range and a man was doused with petrol and set on fire in some of the worst violence since protests began more than five months ago.

Thousands of commuters were queuing at metro stations across the city early on Wednesday after some railway services were suspended and roads closed.

Riot police were deployed at stations, while protesters set up roadblocks and barricades on major thoroughfares.

Protesters are angry about what they see as police brutality and meddling by Beijing in the freedoms guaranteed under the "one country, two systems" formula put in place when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

China denies interfering and has blamed Western countries, including Britain and the United States, for stirring up trouble.

Protesters were planning demonstrations in areas including the Central business district, home to some of the world's most expensive real estate and luxury shops, across the Kowloon peninsula and in the outlying New Territories.

"We just want to affect the Hong Kong economy to let the government know we are serious about our demands," said a 21- year-old student named Lee, who had spent the night making petrol bombs at City University.

"Every day, everywhere, people are getting hurt."

Hundreds of masked protesters, many of them students, hurled rocks and bricks, some launched with catapults, during Tuesday's protests.

There were chaotic scenes through the night at the prestigious Chinese University, with explosions, plumes of smoke, yelling and sustained gunfire during which scores were injured. Hong Kong's Hospital Authority said 81 people had been injured since Monday, with two in serious condition.

The youngest was 10 months old but the cause of the infant's injuries was not known.

Many schools and universities cancelled classes on Wednesday after the Education Bureau announced that parents could decide whether to send their children to school and urged them not participate in "unlawful activities".

'Return to normal'

Dozens of commuters scrambling to get to work tried to stop a rural metro station in the eastern part of the city from shutting after the metro operator, MTR Corp announced it was stopping services there.

Several train lines, stations and bus routes were shut because of damaged facilities, the operator said, adding that its whole train network would shut more than two hours early, by 10 p.m.

"It is very painful to watch my city turn into this. Look at everyone, how angry they are," said Alexandra, a 42-year-old insurance executive who had been trying to get to work.

"We all want to return to normal, but how can the government do that if they don't listen to what Hong Kongers have been asking for."

Outside Baptist University campus, on the Kowloon peninsula, police rammed barricades with buses to clear them. At least two people were arrested before police made a quick retreat.

Hong Kong's stock market dropped 2% to a three-week low in early trade, outpacing falls elsewhere in Asia. The drop came after the city's embattled leader, Carrie Lam, said protesters trying to paralyse the city were being "extremely selfish".

Chinese state media condemned the violence with the China Daily newspaper stating that young protesters were revelling in a "hormone-fuelled 'rebellion'".

"It is foolish and naive to believe that Hong Kong would be better off by eliminating all mainland factors. Particularly, since the mainland is the main source of fresh water, electricity and the largest supplier of food to the city."

source : france24

Stormy Daniels Trolls POTUS, Joins Rapper YG on Stage to Sing ‘F*ck Donald Trump’

Adult film star Stormy Daniels claims to have received hush money from Donald Trump after she had a sexual encounter with him more than a decade ago; however, the US President vehemently denies the affair.

California rapper YG invited Stormy Daniels on stage to join him in singing his song “F**k Donald Trump” during an appearance at a Los Angeles music festival over the weekend.

U.S. Army mysterious combat vehicle spotted during shipping to Alaska

A hull of the U.S. Army’s mysterious combat vehicle was spotted during shipping to Alaska, according to Nathan White.

“Like a tank/afv chassis with crash test stickers on it. We are shipping it to Alaska,” Jim Atkinson wrote in his Twitter account.

The hull of newest combat vehicle perhaps will be delivery to the United States Army Cold Regions Test Center, at Fort Greely, Alaska.

Another Twitter user wrote that this is one of two prototypes of aluminum armored-vehicle hulls, fabricated by Concurrent Technologies Corp. using its unique friction-stir welding capability.

In mid-September, 2017, Concurrent Technologies Corp. (CTC) has received a contract, “Friction Stir Welded Hull Manufacturing Prototype,” under which it collaborating with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), Warren, Mich., to conduct fatigue, ballistic, and other qualification testing on welds. The period of performance runs from September 28, 2017 through September 27, 2022.

Earlier, CTC’s manager of advanced technologies PJ McMullen, said that the company has unique capabilities in fabricating lightweight vehicles with high survivability. One of those is a machine that’s capable of friction-stir-welding an entire vehicle hull.

“The machine offers 26 feet of longitudinal stir-head travel and can move 13 feet vertically,” he said. “It can weld high-strength 2000-series aluminum plate, up to 3¼-inches thick, in a single pass.”

Recent underbody blast tests of CTC’s two prototype hulls showed no blast intrusion—and no measured fatalities.

Also added that while friction stir welding has been determined to be the best method to join the lightweight, high-strength aluminum alloys on the HFBC hull prototype, the assessments performed under this contract will help determine what modifications need to be made to improve performance and manufacturability in support of the final Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) hull design.

The U.S. Army plans to replace Bradley Fighting Vehicle that is destined to be a part of history before long. In its place will be a member of the NGCV family, a work in progress at the top of the list for the Army’s high-priority, multipart combat vehicle modernization initiative.


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source : defence-blog

Zimbabwe bans South Africa livestock import over disease fears

Zimbabwe has suspended imports of livestock and meat from South Africa for the second time this year after an outbreak of foot and mouth in the north of its neighbouring country.

In a statement on Friday, the agriculture ministry called the move "a precautionary measure designed to prevent the spread of the infection into Zimbabwe".

More:

In January, Zimbabwe joined Botswana and the Kingdom of eSwatini, formerly Swaziland, in suspending meat imports from South Africa while following the outbreak of the highly contagious foot and mouth disease.

Foot and mouth disease does not affect humans but poses a threat to cattle, goats and sheep.

The agriculture ministry said it had been notified by South African veterinary services that the latest outbreak had been identified at a farm in Limpopo province, close to the border with Zimbabwe.

Importation of live cattle, goats, sheep and pigs and related products had been suspended as authorities seek to identify the virus strain and extent of the outbreak, the ministry said.

Zimbabwe imports livestock from South Africa for breeding as well as meat products.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES