Military History

From Army Times

Dedicated to clarify many fake myths on B-58, created and maintained by an ex B-58 pilot, Colonel George Holt Jr, USAF, retired: https://b58facts.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/first-blog-post/ And ever worth of remembering, B-58 and many more aircrafts official Standard Aircraft Characteristics here: http://www.alternatewars.com/SAC/SAC.htm

I've recently got this from Amazon; pretty good from my first impressions. I never knew about the 'Second Captain' system, for one thing.

From Code One, Third Quarter 2008 Nighthawk Memories Compiled By Jeff Rhodes Surprise, Surprise The US Air Force announced Thursday the existence of an operational stealth fighter aircraft, officially known as the F-117A. The single-seat, dual engine aircraft is built by Lockheed Corporation in California. The F-117A first flew in June 1981. The F-117A has been operational since October 1983, and is assigned to the 4450th Tactical Group at Nellis AFB, Nevada. The aircraft is based at the Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada. A total of fifty-nine aircraft are being procured. Fifty-two have already been delivered to the Air Force, and seven more are in productio…

Aside the problems with the disastrous SH-2 Seasprite adquisition programme (none helicopter adquired, but a lot of money spended), previously the Royal Australian Navy Adelaide-class (FFG-7) frigates between 1980-1991 were devoid of any ASW/combat helicopter capabilities, as I did discover a few days ago researching about WestPac scenarios settled circa 1988. The Australian FFG-7 frigates were not equipped with any helicopters between 1980-1984, with three Bell 206B-1 Kiowa liaison/general purpose helicopters from 1984, and with six AS 350B Squirrel (Fennec) liaison/general purpose helicopters between 1985-1991. Only from 1991 the SH-60B were operational and employed f…

From Air Force Times NORAD marks 50th anniversary By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer Posted : Tuesday May 13, 2008 8:24:44 EDT The thought that Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers could fly over the Arctic Circle loaded down with nukes was a pretty scary idea in 1958. So scary, in fact, that American and Canadian politicians came together to set up what’s now known as the North American Aerospace Defense Command. NORAD turned 50 on Monday, marking its anniversary with a Golden Jubilee Ball at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. The celebration also includes the opening of the new NORAD-U.S. Northern Command Command Center at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., …

From Defence Talk Protecting North Americans for half a century: NORAD turns 50 Canadian Department of National Defence | Sep 14, 2007 Yesterday marked 50 years since Canada and the United States decided to form a new command responsible for protecting North America and its citizens. Our two nations made the decision to activate the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) command on September 12, 1958, while a more formal agreement was signed on May 12, 1958. Because the stand-up of NORAD has two dates attached to its formation, military personnel at NORAD Headquarters in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, Colorado plan a year-long celebration between now…

Evocative images and interesting text in this site: http://starfighter.no/web/life331.html

Old missile sites hold Cold War mystique By Jeff Martin - USA Today Posted : Thursday Dec 4, 2008 6:43:24 EST Merle Paaverud was raised on a farm near a nuclear missile site outside Finley, N.D. He remembers how missile sites in the area were “shrouded in mystery.” “Here we were farming around them, raising kids and going to school, and we were sitting in one of the most powerful areas in the world as far as nuclear weapons,” Paaverud, 59, says. “We never really knew what was going on, but it was life and death, part of the chess game that was going on in the world.” Today, Paaverud is the director of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Next…

From Army Times [excerpt]

From BBC News 11 March 1985: Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader There is a new man in charge at the Kremlin - Mikhail Gorbachev has taken over following the death of Konstantin Chernenko. Chernenko, 73, died yesterday after a long illness - but his death was only announced to the Soviet people this morning. Sombre music preceded the news on radio and television and scheduled programmes were cancelled. The speed of naming of his successor - at 54 the youngest man to take over as general secretary of the Soviet communist party - has taken people by surprise. In another break with tradition, Mr Gorbachev has announced arms talks with the Americans in Genev…

From BBC News 17 April 1961: Exiles invade Cuba at Bay of Pigs Reports from Cuba say the island has been invaded by counter-revolutionary forces trying to overthrow the country's leader, Fidel Castro. The only news coming out of Cuba is broadcast by the government-run radio station. All other communications with the island have been cut. THe first landing is reported to have taken place in the early hours of this morning. Broadcasts from Cuban government radio appealing for medical help indicate that the raiders have successfully penetrated 25 miles (40km) inland. They appear to have come ashore on an area of the coast known as the Bahía de Cochino…

From BBC News "... one of the most potent symbols of Cold War division of Germany and of Europe."

From BBC News 1 March 1954: US tests hydrogen bomb in Bikini The US has produced the biggest ever man-made explosion so far in the Pacific archipelago of Bikini, part of the Marshall Islands. It is believed the hydrogen bomb was up to 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. It was so violent that it overwhelmed the measuring instruments, indicating that the bomb was much more powerful than scientists had anticipated. The bomb was the equivalent of 20m tons of TNT. One of the atolls has been totally vaporised, disappearing into a gigantic mushroom cloud that spread at least 100 miles wide and dropping back to the sea…

From BBC News 15 February 1989: Soviet troops pull out of Afghanistan Soviet troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan, nine years after they swept into the country. A convoy of Soviet armoured vehicles travelled the 260-mile (418km) journey to the USSR border while other soldiers left aboard an Ilyushin 76 transport aircraft. Earlier, the Soviet government had announced the departure of the last troops although snow had delayed a five-day airlift from the Afghan capital Kabul. The journey is especially dangerous on the Salang Pass through the Hindu Kush Mountains, where more than 10,000 mujahideen operate. The mujahideen - Afghan Islamic fighters - …

From BBC News 11 March 1985: Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader There is a new man in charge at the Kremlin - Mikhail Gorbachev has taken over following the death of Konstantin Chernenko. Chernenko, 73, died yesterday after a long illness - but his death was only announced to the Soviet people this morning. Sombre music preceded the news on radio and television and scheduled programmes were cancelled. The speed of naming of his successor - at 54 the youngest man to take over as general secretary of the Soviet communist party - has taken people by surprise. More here

From BBC News 1998: India explodes nuclear controversy The Indian government has announced it has carried out a series of underground nuclear tests. It is the first time India has carried out such tests since 1974. The experiments took place without any warning to the international community, and there has been widespread outrage and concern over the move. The test site, in Pokhran in the northern desert state of Rajasthan, is only about 150km (93 miles) from the border with Pakistan. The two countries have fought three wars since independence with Britain in 1947, mainly over the disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and there are fears the tests could e…

From BBC News 26 March 1979: Israel and Egypt have ended 30 years of war with an historic peace treaty brokered by the United States. The ceremony on the White House lawn in Washington was broadcast live on television. The two leaders sealed the deal with a firm handshake, watched by a smiling President Jimmy Carter. More here

From BBC News 25 September 1950: Seoul in UN hands United Nations forces have taken control of the South Korean capital Seoul, three months after it fell to North Korea, the US Army has announced. The US 7th Infantry Division and South Korean 17th Regiment have crossed the Han river and captured the North Korean stronghold on South Mountain, the spokesman said. US Marines have also reached Duk Soo palace in the centre of the city and are within 600m (1,969ft) of the main railway station. North Koreans strongly resisted the UN advance near the station and American and South Korean units suffered many casualties, but opposition in other areas is reported…

Operation Source: The British Midget Submarine Attack on the Tirpitz (Defense Media Network)