CIA using secret base in Pakistan for drones

The Times reports that the CIA is using a secret base in Pakistan to launch drone missions inside the country. I particularly liked this quote:

“No. No. No. No. No. We unequivocally and emphatically can tell you that there is no basing of US troops in Pakistan,” he said. “There is no basing of US Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army, none, on the record and emphatically. I want that to be very clear. And that is the answer any way you want to put it. There is no base here, no troops billeted. We do not operate here.”

He said that he could not comment on CIA operations.

Followup: The Times has another article about Google Maps providing pictures of the base.

CF hunt IEDS from the air

The Canadian Press has an article on new Canadian Forces operations that use helicopters at night to locate IEDs planted on the roads in Afghanistan.

Forward Air Controllers

The BBC has an article about the training of British Forward Air Controllers.

Spitfire for sale

The Times has a short article about an air worthy Spitfire that comes up for auction soon. It is expected to sell for GBP 1.5 million.

US shipping pirates to Kenya

The Hampton Roads Pilot has an article about US Navy anti-piracy operations off Somalia. the interesting thing is this paragraph:

Under a new agreement with the U.S. military, the suspects will be turned over to the Ken­yan government for prosecution, Murdoch said.

New US Navy Uniforms

The Hampton-Roads Pilot has an interactive feature on the new US Navy uniforms. The new working uniforms are a sort of blue camouflage which seems a bit strange on a ship but they explain that the camouflage pattern is to hide stains and dirt on the uniform rather than the wearer.

USAF UAVs

NetworkWorld reports that the US Air Force will be acquiring more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft in 2009.

via slashdot

Blackwater renames itself

The New York Times reports that security contractor Blackwater has renamed itself Xe. I always find corporate rebranding a bit amusing but in this case maybe they have a point.

Pentagon PR

Danger Room reports that the US Military has 27,000 people working in recruiting and PR. The entire Canadian Forces comprise 62,000 members (plus 25,000 reservists).

SEAL extraction video

This Youtube video shows some US Navy SEALS being extracted by helicopter. The amazing thing is that the helicopter basically lands in the water and the SEALS drive their small boat right up into the back.

CF considering laser eye surgery

The National Post reports that the Canadian Forces is considering offering laser eye surgery for members. I believe that this is already the case in the US and other countries.

Austalia awards first Victoria Cross

The Herald Sun reports that Australian SAS trooper Mark Donaldson has been awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia for actions in Afghanistan. He is the first person to receive the award since it was split off from the British Victoria Cross in 1975.

CF: Changes at the top

The Torch has a blog post about a series of recent changes at the top of the Canadian Forces.

That means new heads for two of the three services, and three of the four "commands" around which the CF is now organized

CF Howitzers Clear the Way

The Lookout has an article about Canadian Forces artillery clearing avalanches from passes in the Rocky Mountains.

For 50 years, the soldiers from CFB Shilo, Manitoba’s 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RCHA) have rotated through the winter months, securing 105mm Howitzer guns to platforms and shooting into the mountains to stimulate an avalanche.

US Small Boat Sailors

The Virginian Pilot has an article about the US Navy's Special Warfare Combatant Craft units, or SWCCs. These are the small boat sailors who deliver SEALS to their targets.

The article has an interesting picture of a small craft being hooked to the underneath of a helicopter.

Obit: Colonel David Smiley

The Telegraph has the obituary of Colonel David Smiley. Smiley was a British Army officer who worked in special forces and intelligence from the Second World War onwards.

During WWII he served behind enemy lines in Albania, Greece, Abyssinia and Japanese-controlled eastern Thailand. After the war he ran operations in Albania and Poland then moved to the Middle East where he worked in Oman and Yemen.

He also found time to command the Royal Horse Guards and rode beside the Queen as the commander of her escort at her coronation.

Followup: The Independent also has his obituary.

USS Freedom

Danger Room has some articles (links below) about the new American littoral combat ship USS Freedom.

One, which has a picture of some of the workstations on the bridge, talks about how empty the ship seems. Another talks about the "hybrid sailors" that make of the crew - each is trained in multiple trades.

The Hampton Roads Pilot also has an article about the ship (with a small slide show of pictures). The article discusses the ships capabilities:

Combined with a semi-planed monohull and a mere 14-foot draft, which drops to 8 feet at higher speeds, the ship can practically fly across the water, as it did Monday on its way south. A black burp of diesel fumes wafted overhead, the Bay churning gray and white behind it. Top speed for the day: 47.2 knots.

Mentions the empty space:

On board, roughly 40 percent of the 379-foot ship is empty space, designed to accommodate myriad "modules" in a plug-and-play system. These modules vary by mission - for enemies on the surface, in the air or under water - and can live on the ship's flight deck or water-line deck.

And discusses the crew responsibilities:

With such a small crew, everyone has multiple jobs.

Lt. Rob Briggs, for example, is the ship's main propulsion assistant. He's also trained as a navigator and helps drive the ship. And he helps clean it and he does his own dishes after he eats, just like everyone from the commanding officer on down.

CF adds global supply bases

The Toronto Star has an article about the Canadian Forces opening a series of bases around the world to support future operations. The first base will be in Germany and negotiations are underway with other countries.

Dinner in Afghanistan

The Calgary Herald has an article about food preparation at Canadian bases in Afghanistan over the Christmas period.

Snipers

The Register has an overview article about modern day snipers. You'll have to overlook the snarky tone but some of the information, especially about the British side of things, is interesting.

New US Special Ops Robotic Helicopter

Danger Rooms has an article, with a picture, about a new unmanned helicopter to be bought by American special operations forces.

The Hummingbird is designed to fly 2,500 nautical miles with endurance in excess of 24 hours and a payload of more than 300 pounds. The autonomously-flown A160 is 35 feet long with a 36-foot rotor diameter," according to Hummingbird-maker Boeing's rather brief entry on the craft. "It will fly at an estimated top speed of 140 knots at ceilings up to 30,000 feet, which is about 10,000 feet higher than conventional helicopters can fly today.

Chinese Hospital Ship

Danger Room reports that the Chinese Navy have commissioned a hospital ship and then wonders what it is really for.

US Special Op Forces in Somalia

Danger Room is reporting that American Special Operational Forces have been operating in Somalia.

CF Deploys Anthropologists

Danger Room reports that the Canadian Forces have deployed anthropologists in Afghanistan. This is a similar idea to the American Human Terrain Project.

New Hovering Drones for US Military

The Register has an article, with a picture, of a new hovering drone being purchased by the US.

Portable Anti-sniper Device

The Telegraph has an article about a new palm sized device that can determine the location of a sniper as soon as they open fire.

The device, which costs around £2,500, works by isolating the crack of the sniper rifle thanks to four microphones, a GPS system and a powerful microprocessor.

It takes less than a tenth of a second and provides the results in audio and visual formats. It can even send a grid reference via radio to supporting artillery and aircraft.

Australian Navy gets 62 day Christmas break

The Guardian reports that the Royal Australian Navy (except for deployed units) will get two months off for Christmas.

Commanders have ordered all ships not on overseas operations to return to port over the holiday, while docked vessels would have only a skeleton crew to maintain on-board security.

Royal Navy in Firefight with Pirates

The Times reports that a Royal Navy boarding party has traded small arms fire with Somali pirates. No RN personnel were injured and the pirate vessel was subsequently boarded.

In the ensuing gunfight, two Somali pirates in a Yemeni-registered fishing dhow were killed, and a third pirate, believed to be a Yemeni, suffered injuries and subsequently died. It was the first time the Royal Navy had been engaged in a fatal shoot-out on the high seas in living memory.

Naval Reserve benefits from current economy

The Windsor Star has an article about how the Canadian Naval Reserve is hoping for an increase in recruits given the current state of the economy.

Combat Deafness

The Times has an article about how increasing numbers of British servicemen are being effected by deafness after tours in combat.

Nearly one in ten soldiers serving with one regiment have hearing defects that could bar them from further frontline service and affect their civilian job prospects, The Times has learnt.

Old Canadian subs to be scrapped

The Chronicle-Herald reports that three old Canadian submarines are to be scrapped. The submarines, which date from the 1960s have been tied up at a dock for the past seven years.

Canadian Bomb Disposal Team in Afghanistan

Canoe.ca has an article about Canadian bomb disposal teams in Afghanistan.

Different regions of Afghanistan favour different types of bombs. If it's a region he's not familiar with, he'll ask local Afghan police or army officials for information. Remote means are used to gather as much information as possible on the bomb.

Autonomous Helicopter Lands on Ship

Aviation Week reports that a robotic helicopter has successfully landed on a French warship.

SAS in Northern Ireland

The Washington Post has a column that mentions several operations run by the SAS against the IRA.  The one involving the laundry sounds plausible but I'm not sure about the car bugging.

US Marines don't like MRAPs

Danger Room reports that US Marines in Afghanistan do not like the MRAP mine resistant vehicle.

Obituary: Don Blakeslee, American fighter pilot

The Telegraph has the obituary of Colonel Don Blakeslee who was a Second World War fighter pilot who served with the RCAF, the RAF and the USAAF.

His greatest asset was his outstanding ability as a leader in the air. One eminent aviation historian wrote: “He was everywhere in the battle, twisting and climbing, bellowing and blaspheming, warning and exhorting. His ability to keep things taped in a fight with 50 planes flying at 400mph was a source of wonder.” One of his pilots described Blakeslee as “George S Patton Jr in a P-51 Mustang”.

New US Air Force ground combat uniform

The Air Force Times has an article about the US Air Force's new ground combat uniform.

Canadian Reservist returns to Afghanistan as civilian

The Canadian Press has the story of Luc Saint-Jean a Canadian Army reservist who completed a tour in Afghanistan then returned as a civilian aid worker to continue to help Afghans.

Roleplaying Iraq

The Times has an article about an American training base where actors play the parts of everyday Iraqi's and insurgents.

What happens over the course of the 14-day training period depends on how a unit behaves from day to day.

If US troops storm a calm village, kicking down doors and shooting on sight, for instance, they’ll face snipers and IEDs the next time they visit. If they hire an interpreter (using real dinars shipped over from Iraq) and respect local customs, though, they might just learn about an Al-Qaeda cell shipping guns into the area.

US Navy to stay away from shore

Danger Room reports that the US Navy has decided not to go closer than 25 miles to the coast when putting US Marines ashore.

Comparing the Canadian and US Armies

Stars and Stripes has a short article which anecdotally compares the Canadian and US armies.

For example, the Canadians assume that they must be observing a route for it to be "clear" whereas the Americans consider it clear once it has been checked for roadside bombs.

And the armies have different caveats constraining the way they operate downrange. Americans allow any soldier to question a person who has been detained, whereas the Canadians have trained personnel charged with questioning detainees, Callis said.

Man locates father's rifle

The Associated Press has an article about a man who, while looking for a birthday present for his father, found the rifle that the father had used in the Korean War.

French troops retake yacht captured by pirates

The International Herald Tribune has an article about French troops storming a yacht that had been captured by pirates off Somalia.

Reservists go north

The Kingston Whig-Standard has an article about local reservists taking part in an exercise in the Arctic. A dozen members of Princess of Wales' Own Regiment were part of a 100-strong army reserve contribution to Operation Nanook.

Unlike most exercises, the lack of roads and uncertain air support meant the reservists in platoons were working autonomously in a way unlike anywhere else in the country, making their way on foot and in small boats and cramped Twin Otters rather than the more familiar heavier equipment.

US Navy on humanitarian mission to Latin America

The Washington Times has an article about a recent US Navy humanitarian mission.  The navy used the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship which usually carries US Marines, to transport medical workers to various points in Latin America.

Life at Kandahar Air Field

The CBC has an article about the amenities on the base in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The Telegraph-Journal has an article about working at the Tim Horton's in Kandahar.

The Sacrifice Medal

The Torch has a post about the new Sacrifice Medal. Similar to the American Purple Heart it is awarded for injuries or death in combat and replaces the Wound Stripe.

Sea Bases

Information Dissemintation has a blog post about the idea of using the sea as a base.

Kajaki Overview

A blog post from famed blogger and foreign correspondent Michael Yon describes, with some nice pictures, the operation to move the new generator turbines to Kajaki dam.

Halifax Rifles to be reformed

The Chronicle-Herald reports that the Halifax Rifles are being reformed after 40 years of inactivity. They also have an editorial on the same topic.

David Pugiliese has a blog post on the topic.

CF Statistics

Statistics Canada has a statistical profile of the Canadian Forces. It is a PDF but isn't very long.

via The Torch

New turbine delivered to Afghan dam

The Times has a story about a success in Afghanistan that has been under reported here in Canada (even though Canadian troops were involved). A mostly British convoy has delivered a massive turbine to the Kajaki dam. The operation involved thousands of NATO troops and included a number of historic firsts.

Follow up: The CBC do have an article about the operation.

CF pilots retraining on drones

The Chronicle-Herald has a story about Canadian Forces Aurora patrol plane pilots retraining to fly drones.

New armoured vests for USMC

Defensetech reports that the US Marine Corps will be issuing a new lighter type of armoured vest.

A Canadian Doctor in Afghanistan

The Sudbury Star has a series of articles written by a Canadian Forces doctor who recently served in Afghanistan. Lots of interesting information.

Canadian Police ammo shortage

According to the CBC, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the consequent demand for ammunition in the US has lead to a shortage of ammunition for Canadian police.

CF sends ship to Somalia

Information Dissemination has a post where he praises the Canadian Navy for moving against pirates off Somalia.

CF rethinking fitness tests

The Chronicle-Herald reports that the Canadian Forces are rethinking their fitness standards and tests.

"Our current fitness standard is 20 years old, and with changes in technology, changes in the nature of warfare, changes in operations, there’s probably a need to give (it) a facelift."

He’s planning to develop different fitness standards for the army, navy and air force by 2010.

Map of violence in Afghanistan

The Torch has a post with a map of violent incidents in Afghanistan by province.

US Army pays big bonuses for Arabic speakers

The Christian Science Monitor reports that the US Army is increasing the bonuses paid to native speakers of Arabic. The reenlistment bonuses will be up to $150,000 the same as is paid to Special Forces soldiers.

Canada to buy blinding lasers

Danger Room reports that the Canadian Forces will be buying blinding lasers for use in Afghanistan.

Torpedo Video

The blog The Stupid Shall be Punished has a post with a video of a retired American warship being sunk by a torpedo fired from an Australian submarine.

More on CF high tech soldier equipment

Danger Room has an article about the Canadian Forces' plans to buy high tech gear for soldiers.

MP tries a sailor's life

The Lookout has an article about Canadian Member of Parliament Mark Holland who lived aboard HMCS Winnipeg for several weeks. Holland wrote about the experience on his blog.

RIMPAC wrapup

The Torch has a nice writeup of the recent RIMPAC exercise.

The Lookout Newspaper also has an article which includes a picture of a Harpoon missile being fired.

The US Army at the Olympics

The New York Times has an article abut the US Army sharpshooting unit that trains to participate in the Olympics.

The unit, established in 1956 to serve as a symbol of America’s military prowess during the cold war, continues today as a public-relations and recruiting tool. Its members have won 21 Olympic medals.

Advances in MREs

The Christian Science Monitor has an article about the effort that goes into developing new Meal-Ready to Eat (the US military's rations).

Meals can't just taste good; they've got to last ... for three years stored at 80 degrees F., be capable of withstanding chemical or biological attacks, and survive a 10-story free fall (when packed in a crate of 12).

CF to do live firing at RIMPAC

Canada.com has an article about the Canadian Forces involvement in the RIMPAC exercise which is held every other year off Hawaii.

Canada has sent frigates HMCS Regina and HMCS Ottawa, along with 150 soldiers, six CF-18 jets, two Aurora patrol planes, a refuelling tanker and a Sea King helicopter to the exercise.

A big feature of the exercise will be live firing of weapons.

For some of Canada's newest CF-18 Hornet fighter pilots, it means their first chance to fire live missiles and fly in skies with more than 50 to 60 other airplanes at a time.

"Being able to shoot a missile is a big deal," said Canadian air force Brig.-Gen. Yvan Blondin, who will be deputy force air commander of the exercise, and who is Deputy Commander Force Generation at 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg.

US removes last of its nuclear weapons from UK

The Telegraph reports that the US has removed the last of their nuclear weapons from British soil. Interestingly there was no public announcement.

Rules for riding in a LAV

The CBC has a story from one of their reporters in Afghanistan with some observations about the various issues involved in living there. I like the rules for riding in a LAV:

Here's the "To Take" checklist: shatterproof glasses ($50 US at the American PX), a long-sleeved shirt (preferably cotton, which is less likely than other fabrics to melt into your skin if there's an explosion), leather gloves (fire-resistant), earplugs (in case of a loud blast), and of course helmet and flack-jacket. If you don't have any of the above, you're not getting on. No exceptions. Water is also a good idea, albeit technically optional.

CF members march in Toronto Gay Pride Parade

The Toronto Star reports that for the first time members of the Canadian Forces will be allowed to march in the Toronto Gay Pride Parade in uniform.

There were also articles in the CBC and the CTV websites.

High tech gear for CF soldiers

The Canadian Press has an article about efforts to improve the equipment used by Canadian soldiers.

The average Canadian foot soldier on patrol in Afghanistan today is toting more than two-dozen extra batteries on his already overloaded body to power all the electronics he must carry.

During Operation Medusa in the fall of 2006, an offensive against the Taliban, one infantry company alone burned through 17,500 AA batteries in two weeks.

CF works out bugs for Arctic Warfare

The Chronicle-Herald has an article about some issues that were raised after a recent Canadian Forces exercise in the arctic.

Snowmobiles were drained of gas on the flight up to save weight. But that allowed condensation to form inside the gas tanks, which caused the machines to repeatedly stall as water in their fuel lines froze in Resolute’s -60 C temperatures.

US Military burns trash to generate power in Baghdad

Danger Room reports that the US Military is experimenting with burning trash to generate power at a base in Iraq.

About 50 percent of the diesel that the military burns in Iraq is devoted to transporting more fuel. And about half of that gets poured into generators and stoves.

Last Austro-Hungarian WWI Veteran has died

The Times reports that the last First World War veteran who fought for the Austro-Hungarian Empire has died.

B-2 Bomber crash video

Danger Room has a post with video of the crash in February of a B-2 bomber in Guam.

Nuke launch area found in China from comercial photos

The Federation of American Scientists has an article explaining how a deployment area for Chinese nuclear missiles has been found using commercially available satellite images.

Brits fight largest Afghan battle in two years

The Telegraph has an article about British Paras and a battle they recently fought in Qarat-e-Hazrat in Zabul Province, Afghanistan.

Iron man and the US Army

The Brookings Institution has an article about the future of technology in the US Army. The article is quite interesting even though it tries to tie in to the recent Iron Man movie.

Congested airspace

The Associated Press has a story about the problems faced by US aircraft in the Middle East because of increasing civilian air traffic.

Terry O'Reilly on CF recruitment ads

Canada.com has an article by famous ad man Terry O'Reilly that review recent Canadian Forces (and other countries') recruitment ads.

US Army recruits admitted despite bad conduct get promoted faster

The Associated Press reports that recruits who needed a waiver in order to join the US Army tend to be promoted faster than ones who didn't. Also:

The statistics show that recruits with criminal records or other drug and alcohol issues have more discipline problems than those without records. Those recruits also are a bit more likely to drop out of the Army because of alcohol.

On the brighter side, those with waivers earn more medals for valor and tend to stay in the Army longer.

USMC to target female recruits

The New York Times has an article about the US Marine Corps' efforts to recruit females.

In the latest campaign, a print ad shows a female marine striking a martial arts pose in front of a crowd of men who are looking up to her as their leader. The tag line: “There are no female marines. Only marines.”

How not to build a warship

The New York Times has an article about some of the problems encountered during the construction of the new prototype littoral combat ship.

As Representative Gene Taylor, the Mississippi Democrat who leads the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, put it, “Thinking these ships could be built to commercial specs was a dumb move.”

WWI casualties in Britian

Air Minded has an interesting blog post about casualties in Britain during the first world war. The surprising thing to me was the large number of people killed by naval bombardment.

Nepal to stop Ghurka recruiting

The Toronto Star reports that Nepal's new Maoist government intends to stop foreign governments recruiting Ghurka soldiers. The British have recruited Ghurkas for 200 years and last year 17,500 applicants competed for 230 positions.

Canadian soldiers to go high-tech

The Toronto Star has an article about some new gadgets the Canadian Forces may be issuing to soldiers.

51 year old is oldest British serviceman to die in Iraq

The Times reports the death of Gary Thompson who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Thompson, who was 51, is the oldest British serviceman to be killed in Afghanistan. He was an RAF reservist who enlisted at the age of 48. He had served full-time in the RAF in his twenties.

Canadian pilots training on Chinooks

The Canadian Press has an article about preparations underway for the arrival of the Canadian Forces' Chinook helicopters. Pilots have already started training in the US in expectation of delivery in the fall.

A comeback for prop-planes

Danger Room reports that US commanders in Iraq would like to get some propeller driven aircraft to provide support to troops on the ground. It seems that Air Force commanders aren't interested as they prefer fast jets.

Royal Navy ordered not to arrest pirates

According to this article in The Times, the British Foreign Office has told the Royal Navy not to arrest pirates. The concern is that this may violate the pirates' human rights and that they may be able to claim asylum in the UK.

Fake parts on US planes

Danger room has an article about counterfeit parts ending up on US Air Force and Navy aircraft.

Navy ship assists burning freighter mid-Atlantic

The Toronto Star reports that HMCS Toronto assisted a burning cargo ship 1900 kilometers east of Cape Cod.

CF takes delivery of last C-17

The Torch has a blog post reporting that the Canadian Forces have taken delivery of their fourth and last C-17 cargo plane.

They also have a post profiling some of the pilots of the new aircraft.

CF has new super-trucks

Canada.com has an article about new trucks being used by the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. The armoured trucks have been nicknamed "Transformers" by the troops.

Inside the Halifax Detention Barracks

The Lookout has an article about the Halifax Detention Barracks.

Cold steel bars, bright lights, spotless floors, bright orange coveralls, red lines and boxes on the floor are only some of the sights you can expect to see when the door slams shut on the outside world and the corrective measures of the Canadian Forces take over your life.

Royal Marine nominated for Victoria Cross

The Times has the story of Royal Marine Lance Corporal Matt Croucher who threw himself on a grenade to save his squad mates. Croucher, who is a reservist, was uninjured except for a nosebleed as his backpack took the force of the blast.

Related followup: The Washington Post reports that a US Navy SEAL has been awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for performing a similar act in Iraq.

Female Gunners in Afghanistan

The CBC has an article about the experiences of female gunners serving with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Afghanistan.

US to allow married troops to live together in Iraq

The Associated Press reports the the Pentagon is going to allow married US troops who are serving together in Iraq to share living quarters. Public displays of affection will still not be allowed.

High Tech US Infantry project still lives

Danger Room has a blog post about how the US Army's high tech soldier project, was supposed to have been killed last year, is still continuing in a limited form.

Money had already been spent to equip a single Iraq-bound battalion with the gear, however. So, despite some pretty horrendous reviews from the troops, the Army let the 4/9th Infantry take Land Warrior with them to war.

And then, something rather odd and unexpected happened. The 4/9 -- known since the early 1900's as the "Manchus," for their fighting in China -- stripped Land Warrior down, made the gear more functional, and discovered the equipment could actually be pretty useful in combat.