Israeli, Serbian, And Swedish Self-Propelled Howitzers Are to participate in the U.S. Army new Howitzer Competition

 

SELF-PROPELLED HOWITZER DESIGNS FROM ISRAEL, SERBIA, AND SWEDEN, AS WELL AS AMERICAN MODELS, WILL TAKE PART IN A U.S. ARMY SHOOT-OFF AT YUMA PROVING GROUND IN ARIZONA EARLY NEXT YEAR. THE SERVICE IS LOOKING FOR NEW MOBILE ARTILLERY PIECE FOR ITS BRIGADES EQUIPPED WITH STRYKER WHEELED ARMORED VEHICLES, WHICH ARE PRESENTLY EQUIPPED WITH TOWED 155MM M777 HOWITZERS.

The Army wants a wheeled howitzer that can keep up with its Stryker units, so the Israeli firm is shipping its 8x8 ATMOS gun to Yuma, where it’ll fire “hundreds of rounds.”

US Army soldiers will get to fire their Israeli counterparts’ newest howitzer early next year, when the Elbit ATMOS participates in a shoot off alongside rival guns. The weapon is already in service with the Israeli Defense Force and other nations; this will be its American debut.

All the competitors are 155mm howitzers mounted on trucks – typically six or eight-wheeled – and it’s an increasingly crowded field. While the Army isn’t announcing which companies have won contracts to come to the shoot off, there are reports of at least three other Army-approved competitors:

• AM General, maker of the iconic Humvee, is offering the Brutus  boasting a unique recoil-reduction system (built by Mandus Group) that lets them mount the gun on a relatively lightweight truck. (They already put a lighter  is a brand-new system not in service with any army.

• BAE Systems, which builds the M2 Bradley and other heavy armored vehicles, is offering the Archer, built by its Swedish branch and already in service with the Swedish army.

• Global Military Products is offering a Serbian gun, the Yugoimport NORA. We frankly don’t know much about this one.

• And now there’s the Israeli ATMOS. Elbit, an up-and-coming company in Israel, is specifically bringing the same 8×8 configuration used by the Israeli Defense Force, nicknamed “Iron Sabre.”

Why so many foreign systems? Well, a wheeled self-propelled howitzer is something a lot of other armies use, but the US military hasn’t wanted until now. Many other nations – Russia, France, and Israel itself come to mind – rely heavily on wheeled armored fighting vehicles, which are generally much cheaper to buy and maintain than tracked ones.

The US Army’s heavy armored units, however, have long disdained wheeled armor and equipped themselves exclusively with tracked ones, even in supporting roles, because tracked machines can carry much more weight – especially armor – and move better over rough terrain. The Army is currently both modernizing its M109 Paladin howitzers and testing a next-generation Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) system, both heavy tracked machines built by BAE.

 It is  unclear how many more current and former intelligence agents ended up on the list to boost its "weight" without even knowing they were a part of it. The list includes the names of two former CIA chiefs and an ex-head of national intelligence, all of whom repeatedly accused Russia in the past of meddling without providing any evidence.

At least one spook included on the list of former and current US intelligence agents denouncing a scandal purportedly linked  into as Biden  cludedwithout his consent, the National Review reported.

The media outlet tried to reach out to all 51 names on the list to ask them if they had changed their mind after learning about the official probe into Hunter Biden. However, it turned out that one of them - former chairman of the National Intelligence Council Gregory Treverton – had never even heard about the list, let alone signed it. The National Review stated it could not determine whether the remaining 50 signatures on the list, including those of two former CIA chiefs and an ex-head of national intelligence, had been put there without the respective intelligence officials' consent.

The 51 spooks presumably signed a letter back in October in which they claimed the scandal around Hunter Biden's ties to Ukrainian and Chinese businesses, and his father, Joe Biden's, purported involvement in it, was nothing more than a Russian disinformation campaign. The intelligence officers ostensibly saw "the classic earmarks" of Moscow's involvement in the scandal, while admitting to having zero proof except their hunch. Joe Biden later used the letter to fight off corruption accusations from Donald Trump during one of their election debates.

While Treverton too had zero evidence to prove Russia's alleged involvement in the Hunter Biden scandal, he still said he would have signed the letter. He added that his decision would not change if he had known about the federal probe into the president-elect's son, while admitting he had not seen what the investigation was about.

'Laptop From Hell' and New Probe Into Hunter Biden

In December, Hunter Biden admitted that he's being investigated by the US Attorney’s Office in Delaware over his taxes, but didn't delve into any details. Media reports in Politico and The New York Times, however, suggested that Joe Biden's son might be the subject of several simultaneous probes, namely run by the Southern District of New York and the FBI, who are allegedly looking into his ties to foreign businesses and purportedly suspect Hunter of taking part in money laundering schemes.port has not been officially confirmed.

Hunter's father, President-elect Joe Biden stood behind his son expressing "great confidence" in his son and his integrity, while calling the accusations against him  a "kind of foul play".

Joe Biden on ongoing Federal Investigations into Hunter:

"It's used to get to me. I think it's kind of foul play, but, look it is what it is. And he's a grown man. He is the smartest man I know. I mean, from a pure intellectual capacity and as long as he's good , we're good." pic.twitter.com/DCEdztIOaG

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) December 18, 2020

It is unclear whether Joe Biden was referring to the purported FBI probe or to earlier accusations, specifically peddled by President Trump and his campaign, in light of a bombshell investigation published in the New York Post in October, and which the letter, presumably signed by the 51 intelligence officers, dismissed as Russian meddle.

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The NYP obtained emails from a computer that purportedly belonged to Hunter Biden (also known as the "laptop from hell"), suggesting he had engaged in dubious schemes with a Chinese company and tried to get his father involved in his business dealings in China and Ukraine. One of the emails even hinted at Hunter arranging a meeting with Joe Biden for his colleague from the Ukrainian gas firm Burisma. While the authenticity of the emails has not been properly verified, they cast a shadow on Joe Biden's claims of non-involvement in his son's foreign business affairs.

outgoing president Mohamed Farmaajo has sensationally claimed Kenya is massing up forces to attack Somalia

   In yet another political gimmick to whip up public opinion for re-election and deflect attention from the disastrous bomb attack that killed 14 people Friday, outgoing president Mohamed Farmaajo has sensationally claimed Kenya is massing up forces to attack Somalia.

The Ministry of Information said  this Saturday the government had obtained information that Kenya was mobilizing troops and militias in the border town of Mandera with the intention of cross border attacks.

“The Federal Government of Somalia has learned that Kenyan forces have deployed weapons and militias in Mandera to raid Belet Haawo and the Somali National Army bases in the area,” the statement which adds to several others from Mogadishu directed at Kenya reads in part.

The statement came out the same day 14 people were killed in Galkaayo when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at Abdullahi Isse stadium hours before Prime Minister Mohamed Roble arrived. He was scheduled to address a rally at the stadium.

The statements by the Federal Government have been variously dismissed by opposition groups as attempts by Farmaajo to influence public opinion in his favour as he seeks to be re-elected in February. However, protests have sprung up in recent weeks against his administration over claims of attempts to rig the elections.

Farmaajo administration announced last week it was cutting diplomatic ties with Kenya in one of the latest political moves by Villa Somalia which also sent a protest note to the regional bloc IGAD.

Farmaajo is expected to fly to Djibouti tomorrow for the heads of states and governments summit in Djibouti where he is set to prosecute his accusations against Kenya.

At least 14 people among them senior military officials were killed Friday in a suicide bomb attack at a stadium in Galkaayo, central Somalia

  At least 14 people among them senior military officials were killed Friday in a suicide bomb attack at a stadium in Galkaayo, central Somalia. More than 10 others were injured.

Among those confirmed dead are General Abdiaziz Qooje the commander of the 21st Division of Somali National Army in Galmudug, Major Mukhtar Abdi Aden the Danab Special Forces 10th Brigade commander and his deputy Ahmed Barafe. Former north Galkaayo governor Mohamud Tumey among other officials was also killed.

The attack happened shortly ahead of the arrival of Prime Minister Mohamed Roble who was to address a rally at Abdullahi Isse stadium.

Leaders across the political divide and the international community have condemned the attack which was claimed by the militant group Al-Shabaab.

Meanwhile, major parts of Mogadishu are today on lockdown ahead of the burial of some of the victims of the attack. Major roads are sealed off with very minimal traffic in most parts of the city.

 The Ethiopian government has announced it will pay a 10 million birr ($260,000) reward for information on the whereabouts of fugitive Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) leaders. The news was announced on state-run broadcaster EBC and later confirmed by the government's crisis task force on Twitter.

TPLF officers have allegedly been hiding in the mountains since Mekelle, the capital of the region, was captured by federal forces.

This year, the local authorities refused to follow a federal order to postpone elections amid the coronavirus pandemic. The region held the vote, but the results were never recognised by Addis Ababa.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced a military operation in Tigray on 4 November, after an attack on a federal military base in the region, which he blamed on the TPLF.

Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix visited the village of Pinga, in the territory of Walikala on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.

 Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix visited the village of Pinga, in the territory of Walikala on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. He was accompanied by the governor of North Kivu, Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, a few hours after his landing in Goma .

On the spot, the number two of the UN and the provincial authority exchanged with the local security committee, notability, civil society and humanitarian actors present in this region, where crises caused by the activism of armed groups including the rebellion of the Nduma Defense of Congo, led by Guidon Mwissa Shimiray, caused the displacement of local populations.

“Pinga is the symbol of joint work between local and national authorities, both civil and military, and then MONUSCO. The population welcomed us warmly and testified to us in this way that they were grateful to us for the efforts made which brought back security and which created better conditions for there to be more progress, ”declared Jean-Pierre. The cross.

On the spot, the latter said he had identified the consolidation of security and the rehabilitation of roads that could facilitate access to this village in particular and to the entire Walikale territory, as priorities listed by the local layers.

A few months ago, the NDC-R militia split following the dismissal of Guidon Shimiray who was followed by some elements who have remained loyal to him. The clashes between the two parties have caused several loss of human life and villages deserted by their inhabitants.

nflatable K1A1 and M1A1 at ADEX 2017

 

The five futures that makes Sukhoi's SU-57 an excellent fifth generation war plane.

Despite being assigned to the same generation of fighters as America's F-35, Russia's Su-57 is made with a focus not on stealth, but on excelling in air superiority and other combat scenarios, the media noted.

Russia's first fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Sukhoi Su-57 has finally entered mass production and will soon be inducted into the country's Air Force, as well as hitting world arms market some time later. Their introduction into the Russian military is apparently not good news for NATO, since the jet "can credibly threaten" its assets due to its exceptional capabilities in several areas, the magazine The National Interest noted in a recent article.

The outlet pinpointed five key features contributing to the jet's supreme performance. According to the National Interest, the Su-57 was designed and built as a "class-leading" air superiority platform that excels in dogfighting scenarios and can outperform even the much-touted F-35 – America's fifth-generation jet expected to become NATO's main fighter in the future.

"The Su-57 can more than give Lockheed Martin's F-35 a run for its money in pure aerodynamics, boasting a speed of up to 2 Mach without the use of afterburners and subsonic range of up to 3,500 km", NI said.

In addition, the jet boasts an outstanding integrated avionics package that includes electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and other systems that aid a pilot's situational awareness, the journal said. According to the outlet, the Su-57's design traded its stealth capabilities to focus on another aspect – finding, tracking, and destroying stealth targets. The 101KS Infrared Search and Track system on the aircraft serves the first two purposes, while its exceptional aerodynamic properties allow it to down revealed targets "with brutal efficiency", the media outlet explained.

Armed and Dangerous

The Su-57's armaments are important, although not the only ace in the hole in determining its threat level to NATO assets, according to the outlet. The jet was designed to carry a whole array of weapons for different purposes – from short-range aerial engagements to striking ground targets as far as 150 kilometres away. In addition to this, the Russian jet can carry the upcoming Vympel R-37M hypersonic missile and already introduced nuclear-capable Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile, NI stressed.

Another distinctive feature of the Russian fighter is the innovative Okhotnik-B drone. The latter can follow the Su-57 anywhere and be used for both forward recon operations and even limited strike missions. The magazine suggested the drone might be utilised by Su-57 pilots to venture into territories deemed too dangerous for the fifth-generation jet itself.

 with all of these advanced capabilities, the Su-57 still has one last advantage over its competitors – its price, The National Interest said. According to the latest estimates, a single Russian fighter will cost around $42 million, just a bit more than its predecessor, the Su-35, but almost two times less than the cheapest variant of the F-35, its closest competitor. The price tag for the American fighter starts at a whopping $78 million per jet. This last advantage might eventually make the Su-57 a more desirable fifth-generation jet for foreign buyers on the global arms market, the outlet suggested.

Kenyan national Cholo Abdi Abdullah is expected to appear in a New York court this Wednesday and charged with concocting a 9/11-style terror plot involving flying a hijacked airliner into a skyscraper in a major US city.

 terror suspect is reported to be affiliated with al Shabaab, a Salafi Wahhabist jihadist group based in East Africa with direct links to al-Qaeda.

Kenyan national Cholo Abdi Abdullah is expected to appear in a New York court Wednesday and charged with concocting a 9/11-style terror plot involving flying a hijacked airliner into a skyscraper in a major US city.

Abdullah, 30, faces six counts of terrorism-related offenses, including conspiring to provide material support to a designated terrorist group, conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, conspiring to kill US nationals, conspiring to destroy aircraft, and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism across national boundaries. Each individual charge carries with it a penalty of between 20 years and life in prison.

In a statement released Wednesday, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York indicated that Mr. Abdullah was arrested in the Philippines in July 2019, and transfered to US custody on December 15, 2020.

While in the Philippines, Abdullah was said to have obtained pilot training, and to have researched the means to hijack a commercial jetliner, as well as information about the tallest building in a major US city, and the procedure for obtaining a US visa.

Three ADF rebels killed

 

Three ADF rebels lost their lives on the night of Tuesday 15 to Wednesday 16 December 2020 in Beni territory in North Kivu. The announcement comes from the spokesperson of the FARDC in the operational sector Sokola 1.

Lieutenant Antony Mwalushayi explains that it was a military patrol team that came into contact with the enemy near the Semuliki and Taliya rivers, on the southern operational axis. The military spokesman also claims that 2 weapons that were recovered by the armed forces.

"3 terrorists fell on fire from the FARDC. During their combat patrol operations on the night of December 15 to 16, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo neutralized 3 ADF / MTM terrorists and recovered 2 weapons of war type AK47, "he wrote.

Despite rebel reprisals, Antony Mwalushayi continues to reassure the determination of the FARDC to secure the region.

Last weekend, around ten civilians were killed in Nzenga, in the same territory of Beni.

To challenge the Congolese leaders and to sympathize with the families of the victims of these atrocities, the living forces decreed Tuesday December 15 and Wednesday December 16, days of mourning throughout the area of Rwenzori