Page 2 - Aerotech News and Review, July 20 2018

Briefs
U.S. service member killed in Afghani- stan; 2nd in 6 days
One American service member was killed in combat in eastern Afghanistan on July 12, the U.S. military said.
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Andrew Celiz, 32, of Summerville, S.C., died of wounds from enemy small arms fire.
Celiz was based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga.
In addition to their support for Afghan forces fighting the Taliban, U.S. forces are combatting extremist groups in eastern Afghanistan, mainly the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate in the province of Nangarhar.
The U.S. military said one Afghan security force member also was killed and several were wounded in Thursday’s incident.
It was the second U.S. military death in Af- ghanistan in less than one week. On July 7, Army Cpl. Joseph Maciel, of South Gate, California, was killed by what the U.S. is investigating as a possible attack by a member of the Afghan mili- tary.
The July 12 death marked the fourth American service member to be killed in Afghanistan this year. On Jan. 1, Army Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Go- lin, 34, of Fort Lee, N.J., was killed in fighting in Nangarhar province, and on April 30, Army Spec. Gabriel D. Conde, 22, of Loveland, Colo., was killed in Kapisa province.
The U.S. has about 15,000 troops in Afghani- stan. AP
Mexico’s president-elect says he’ll stop U.S. copter purchase
Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says he will cancel the pending purchase by Mexico’s navy of eight armed Lockheed Mar- tin MH-60R helicopters from the United States government.
Lopez Obrador mentioned nixing the planned $1.2 billion deal July 11 as an example of exten- sive cost-cutting measures his government will undertake.
In April, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of the helicopters, saying it would im- prove the security of a strategic regional partner. In its statement then, it said the helicopters would help Mexico fight criminal organizations.
The State Department’s Bureau of Political Military Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of the pro- posed sale.
Lopez Obrador won Mexico’s July 1 election in a landslide. He is to take office Dec. 1. AP
Canada offers to lead new NATO opera- tion in Iraq
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his country is offering to lead NATO’s new mili- tary training mission in Iraq for the first year and stands ready to provide 250 troops plus helicop- ters for the effort.
Trudeau said July 11 that it is important to help build the conflict-ravaged country’s resilience against the Islamic State group.
Speaking at a German Marshall Fund event on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels, Trudeau said that “we have to build that democra- cy and strengthen it,” and doing so “is something that we believe in deeply.”
NATO leaders are expected to announce later Wednesday that the alliance is stepping up its troop training and military academy building ef- fort in Iraq, with hundreds of trainers operating out of the capital, Baghdad. AP
French military helicopter crashes in Ivory Coast; one dead
France’s army says a French military helicopter has crashed in Ivory Coast during a training mis- sion, killing the pilot and injuring another crew
2
member.
The army says the 25-year-old officer died the
evening of July 10 of injuries sustained when his Gazelle helicopter crashed about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Abidjan earlier in the day.
The army says the helicopter had been involved in a joint training exercise with Ivory Coast forc- es. The circumstances of the crash are being in- vestigated.
France has a supply point in Abidjan for its Operation Barkhane, which combats growing extremism in West Africa.
In October a cargo plane chartered by the French military crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on its approach to Abidjan, killing four crew mem- bers from Moldova and injuring six others from Moldova and France. AP
Slovakia approves purchase of F-16 fighter jets from U.S.
Slovakia’s government has approved a Defense Ministry plan to purchase F-16 military jets from the United States.
The 14 fighter jets are meant to replace the ob- solete Soviet-made MiG-29 jets that Slovakia’s air forces have used.
The ministry preferred the U.S. offer of F-16 Block 70/72 jets over a competing Swedish offer of JAS-39 C/D Gripen aircraft.
Defense Minister Peter Gajdos says the U.S. offer was better “in all aspects,” calling it “the best possible solution.”
It’s not immediately clear when the jets can be delivered. Gajdos says the U.S. government is ready to sign a deal with Slovakia.
Prime Minister Peter said Wednesday his government will pay 1.589 billion euros ($1.86 billion) for the aircraft, ammunition, training of pilots and logistics services for two years. AP
China paper denounces U.S. Navy ships’ Taiwan Strait passage
A ruling Chinese Communist Party newspaper is denouncing the passage of a pair of U.S. Navy ships through the Taiwan Strait as a “psychologi- cal game,” as the two sides square up over trade and relations with self-governing Taiwan.
The Global Times said in an editorial July 9 that the U.S. was adding to tensions by sailing the Japan-based guided missile destroyers USS Mus- tin and USS Benfold through the 160-kilometer (100-mile)-wide strait that divides Taiwan from mainland China.
Though such missions are not uncommon, both Taiwan and the U.S. made unusual public confir- mations of the ships’ passage over the weekend.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory to be conquered by force if necessary, has criti- cized recent U.S. moves to strengthen relations with the administration of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. AP
New Zealand to buy four Boeing military planes from U.S.
New Zealand is buying four Boeing maritime patrol planes from the U.S. to replace aging air- craft, Defense Minister Ron Mark said July 9.
The planes will cost 2.35 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.6 billion), including training systems, infrastructure and other associated costs, he said.
It will take delivery of the planes and begin operations from 2023 and will pay for the planes and infrastructure over a number of years.
“Maintaining a maritime patrol capability is essential for New Zealand, for national security and for our ability to contribute to global security efforts,” Mark said.
The P8-A Poseidon planes will replace six ag- ing Orion patrol planes operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Mark said the purchase allowed New Zealand to tap into the billions of dollars in research that had been poured into the planes, and that fly-
ing the same aircraft as military counterparts in Canada, the U.S. and Australia would be a huge advantage.
Boeing says the planes are designed for long- range anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
New Zealand is part of the “Five Eyes” intelli- gence-sharing alliance that also includes the U.S., Canada, Australia and Britain.
Mark said one operation the planes could help carry out would be to gather high-quality images and intelligence on illegal fishing that takes place in the Southern Ocean. He said New Zealand could use the information to help prosecute of- fenders in international courts.
The purchase comes at a time that New Zea- land has expressed concerns about China acting more confidently and assertively in pursuing its interests in Asia.
In a strategic defense policy statement released by Mark last week, New Zealand said China was modernizing its military and growing its capa- bilities in a reflection of the nation’s economic might and growing leadership ambitions. It said that New Zealand faced “compounding challenges of a scope and magnitude not previously seen in our neighborhood.” AP
U.S. to keep Persian Gulf waterway open despite Iran threats
The U.S. military is reiterating a promise to keep Persian Gulf waterways open to oil tankers as Iran renewed threats to close off the region.
Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the U.S. military’s Central Command, told The Associated Press July 4 that American sailors and its regional allies “stand ready to ensure the freedom of navi- gation and the free flow of commerce wherever international law allows.”
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on July 3 suggested Iran could halt regional exports if it is stopped from exporting oil after America pulled out of the nuclear deal with world powers.
Meanwhile, Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani reportedly sent a letter to Rouhani applauding his stance.
Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, said his forces were “ready for any policy.” AP
Polish Air Force MiG-29 jet crashes in field, killing pilot
A MiG-29 military jet crashed during a night flight in the country’s north and the Polish Air Force pilot was killed despite ejecting before the crash, Poland’s defense officials said July 6.
The Defense Ministry said the jet crashed at 1:57 a.m. in fields near the town of Paslek dur- ing an interception exercise. Video from private broadcaster TVN showed the wreckage lying in a grain field, covered with firefighting foam. The body of the 33-year-old pilot, whose name was not released, was found a few hundred meters (yards) away.
The jet was stationed at the 22nd Tactical Air Base in the town of Malbork and the experienced pilot had some 800 hours of flight time.
Air Force authorities have ordered all of the Soviet-made MiG-29 jets grounded pending an investigation.
In December, a pilot was injured when another MiG-29 crashed in central Poland.
Poland has some 30 MiG-29 fighter jets which have been in service for almost 30 years, but is gradually replacing them with U.S.-made F-16 aircraft. AP
Plane built to rescue Iran hostages goes to New York museum
A rocket-boosted military transport plane built to rescue 52 American hostages in Iran is making
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