F-35 loses "stealth panel" over the Pacific

Interesting news, an F-35 losing a very expensive stealth panel over the Pacific. I couldn't help but notice the pilots of the F-35Cs (that landed at our local airport in November) were futzing with the panels. My video:

VIDEO (C) STEVE DOUGLASS 

On the morning of December 18, an F-35A Lightning II belonging to the US Air Force’s 356th Fighter Squadron touched down at the Japanese Kadena Air Base. In an unusual incident, it was discovered that a vital component of the stealth aircraft was missing when it landed.

After the incident came to light, a spokesperson of the Air Force said that the advanced stealth fighter that returned to its Okinawa base without a panel might have lost the part over the Pacific Ocean.

The spokesperson for the 18th Wing, which is the USAF’s hosting Wing at the Kadena air base, 1st Lt. Robert Dabbs, stated that the aircraft was missing a hexagonal side panel that measured 18 by 12 inches and weighed roughly two pounds. The panel is generally located on the aircraft’s right side, beneath the cockpit.

“Expectations are the panel departed the aircraft over water,” Dabbs was quoted saying. “We have not received reports of damage or injuries.”

The missing panel covers the external ports for electronic devices. Without the piece, the aircraft may no longer be able to disguise itself, thus eroding the aircraft’s stealth capabilities and making it an easy target for the enemy and its air defense systems.

READ MORE HERE 

Section 702 Bill battle brewing

TWO SURVEILLANCE BILLS are barreling their way through the US House of Representatives this week. Both claim to achieve roughly the same goal: Enact sweeping reforms and save a dying surveillance program beleaguered by “persistent and widespread” abuse.

Under this program, Section 702, the US government collects hundreds of millions of phone calls, emails, and text messages each year. An inestimable chunk belongs to American citizens, permanent residents, and others in the United States neither suspected nor accused of any crime.

While both bills would extend the program’s life, only one of them can credibly lay claim to the title of reform. Legislation introduced last week by Representative Andy Biggs in the House Judiciary Committee would require the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to obtain warrants before accessing the communications of Americans collected under Section 702. The second bill, introduced by the House Intelligence Committee, contains no equivalent protection.


The House Judiciary Committee’s Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act (PLEWSA, unfortunately) secures a glaring loophole in US law that helps police and intelligence agencies buy their way around the Fourth Amendment by paying US companies for information that they’d otherwise demand a warrant to disclose. The House Intelligence Committee’s bill—the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act, or FRRA—does nothing to address this privacy threat.

What the FRRA does appear to do, despite its name, is explode the number of companies the US government may compel to cooperate with wiretaps under Section 702. That was the assessment on Friday of Marc Zwillinger, amicus curiae to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review (FISCR). “These changes would vastly widen the scope of businesses, entities, and their affiliates who are eligible to be compelled to assist 702 surveillance,” Zwillinger wrote in an article with Steve Lane, a former Justice Department (DOJ) attorney.


Plus, it's been blatantly abused by the FBI to spy on American protesters and an unnamed US senator, among other elected officials.

Section 702 will expire at the end of the year unless it's renewed by US lawmakers.

A day after the Judiciary Committee advanced its proposal, on Thursday the House Intelligence Committee unanimously passed the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023 (HR 6611).

This proposal also renews Section 702 — but notably without a strict warrant requirement, similar to another bill to reauthorize Section 702 in the US Senate.

Instead, it seeks to end the FBI's abuse of the controversial snooping tool by limiting its powers to conduct Section 702 queries on people in the US. Specifically, it prohibits the FBI from conducting "evidence of a crime only" queries of information, and greatly reduces the number of agents authorized to approve legal queries.

It also requires the FBI to notify "appropriate congressional leadership" anytime it conducts some of these queries, including those that involve US elected officials and political candidates.

US Representative Mike Turner (R-OH), who chairs the House Intel Committee, blasted the rival Judiciary Committee bill in his opening remarks.

"Our bill is targeted to FBI abuses and I would have thought their bill would have also," Turner said. "However, their bill spends more time expanding the constitutional rights of foreigners who travel in and out of the US, it creates civil liability for telecommunications companies that work with our intelligence community voluntarily, and curiously it provides immunity from prosecution, for some horrific crimes if they are discovered under 702 foreign intelligence collection."

These crimes, according to Turner, include "child pornography, human trafficking, murder and even money laundering."

Both bills are expected to be voted on by the full House of Representatives as early as next week.
Guess which bill privacy advocates like best?

While we'd assume that the FBI prefers the House Intelligence Committee's plan to reform Section 702 of the two options approaching a House floor vote, civil liberties, and digital privacy advocates aren't fans.

Greg Nojeim, director of the Center for Democracy and Technology's (CDT) Security and Surveillance Project, called HR 6611 a "Trojan Horse" and warned it would actually expand surveillance powers.

"This Trojan Horse would take FISA 702 orders beyond the realm of communication services (like email and messaging providers) and pull in anyone who could access equipment on which communications might be sent or stored," Nojeim said on Friday.

"This could include data centers that merely rent out computer space, hotels and Airbnb owners, and even the local library or coffee shop. Including this provision would seriously impact American businesses far outside the communications and tech sector."




Two days before, CDT applauded the House Judiciary Committee vote to advance HR 6570.

The ACLU also supports the Judiciary Committee's proposal.

"With so much of our lives taking place online, it's more important than ever that we have the freedom to communicate without fear of government surveillance," said Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel at ACLU, in a statement.

"This bipartisan bill is Congress's best chance to ensure that Americans' Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizures are actually protected and to finally hold the government accountable for its constant abuse of Section 702," Hamadanchy continued.

And for those keeping a running tally: There's also the much broader Government Surveillance Reform Act that seeks to reform Section 702 introduced in both the House and the Senate last month, although that proposal — which also includes a warrant requirement for US persons queries — is still awaiting committee votes in both chambers. ®

SKUNKWORKS TEASES NGAD,SR-72 7 RQ-190 IN PROMO VIDEO

 

PHOTOS: NAVY F-35 DROPS INTO AMARILLO

A Navy F-35C Stealth Fighter unexpectedly landed this afternoon at Amarillo International /Rick Husband Airport. According to sources at the airport, the fifth-generation fighter was flying cross country and stopped at Signature Air Flight Service to refuel. 

This is the first and only time that an F-35 has landed in Amarillo. The F-35 is attached to the VFA-125 squadron "Flight Replacement Squadron" out of Naval Air Station, Lemoore California. 

The F-35C is the first and world’s only long-range stealth strike fighter designed and built explicitly for Navy carrier operations. 

ALL PHOTOS & VIDEO (C) STEVE DOUGLASS 

DHS and FBI raise concerns of terror attacks in light of Israel/HAMAS war

DHS and FBI Public Service Announcement Threat Environment The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are issuing this Public Service Announcement to highlight potential threats in the United States from a variety of actors in response to the HAMAS attacks on Israel on 7 October and subsequent activities in the region, including additional calls by foreign terrorist organizations to their supporters seeking to foment violence in the West. This is an update to the 10 October FBI and DHS Public Service Announcement and the 18 October FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and DHS Joint Intelligence Bulletin to law enforcement partners. 

This announcement reflects a fluid and evolving situation; the terrorism threat in the Homeland has remained heightened throughout 2023, but recent events have increased the possibility of potential attacks against individuals and institutions in response to developments in the Middle East. Since DHS and FBI issued the 10 October Public Service Announcement, the volume and frequency of threats to Americans, especially those in the Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities in the United States, have increased, raising our concern that violent extremists and lone offenders motivated by or reacting to ongoing events could target these communities. 

These threats have included hoax bomb threats targeting houses of worship and violent rhetoric online encouraging attacks against the Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities across the United States. Of note, on 14 October an individual in Illinois stabbed and killed a six-year-old Palestinian-American child and severely wounded his mother, an incident that is being investigated as an anti-Muslim hate crime. 

While we have no specific information that foreign adversaries are plotting attacks against the homeland, some are seeking to take advantage of the conflict, calling for violence in furtherance of their respective goals. On 13 October, al-Qaida media called for support to HAMAS through attacks against American bases, airports, battleships, and embassies in predominantly Muslim countries. On 19 October, an ISIS media posting urged followers to “target the Jewish presence all over the world…especially Jewish neighborhoods in America and Europe,” and specifically encouraged attacks on Jewish temples, nightclubs, and economic interests and against “Jewish and Crusader” embassies. Iranian media outlets have issued and/or amplified various types of mis- and dis-information online about the conflict in ways that risk deepening resentment and evoking strong emotional responses among English-speaking audiences. These outlets are utilizing verifiably doctored or mislabeled images and video footage, inaccurate translations, and misleading content about the conflict with the apparent intent to stoke passions, accelerate the process of radicalization, and lead individuals to engage in targeted violence. 

Tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territories have long been a source of calls for violence against Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities. This history, coupled with the current widespread sharing of graphic and disturbing content related to this conflict, increases the risk of incitement to violence in the United States. We therefore urge everyone to remain vigilant and to report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement. 25 October, 2023 2 Resources DHS and FBI are particularly attuned in this environment to the concerns of the Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities and will continue to engage directly with leaders in these communities to ensure that available resources are brought to bear. • To help mitigate potential risks in today’s dynamic and rapidly evolving threat environment, DHS has compiled several resources for communities and faith leaders, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) compendium of resources for securing mass gatherings and public spaces. 

Additionally, resources for law enforcement also are available to increase our nation’s ability to prevent acts of violence and increase our resilience to evolving threats. • To report any leads, threats, or suspected criminal activity, FBI and DHS urge the public to visit www.tips.fbi.gov or contact their local FBI Office: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/fieldoffices. For emergencies or an immediate threat to life, please call 911. • For tips on identifying concerning behavior which may be connected to violent extremism, the FBI, DHS, and the National Counterterrorism Center published an updated U.S. Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators booklet in 2021. • If You See Something, Say Something® - Report suspicious activity and threats of violence, including online threats, to local law enforcement, FBI Field Offices, or your local Fusion Center. Call 911 in case of emergency.

First photo of the B-21's backside- taxi tests begin

 This photo of the B-21 Raider undergoing slow-speed taxi tests broke the internet today, showing for the first time the highly-classified twin engine exhausts. The photo first appeared on Facebook in the "Plant 42 Palmdale Aircraft spotters group but was soon removed. it popped up again on Reddit and since then has propagated through Twitter and various social apps.

The photographer's name is unknown but it is stamped. "Mug of Fire." 

click to enlarge 

CNN: Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin passenger on a plane that just "crashed"

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russian mercenary group Wagner, was on the passenger list of a plane that crashed north of Moscow, according to Russian state media.

The official Russian news agency TASS said the Federal Air Transport Agency has launched an investigation into the crash of an Embraer aircraft, which occurred in the Tver region north-east of Moscow on Wednesday.

“An investigation has been launched into the crash of the Embraer aircraft, which occurred tonight in the Tver region. According to the list of passengers, among them is the name and surname of Yevgeny Prigozhin,” the department noted.

The private Embraer Legacy aircraft crashed while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg, coming down near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver region, according to Russian emergency services.

There were 10 people on board, including three crew members. According to preliminary information, all on board were killed, the agency said, adding that they “are conducting search operations.”

The bodies of four people have been found at the crash site, TASS reported, citing emergency services. It added that the plane “burned up” on impact after being in the air for about half-an-hour.

Flight data shows the Prigozhin-linked plane reached an altitude of some 26,000 feet, before data transmission stopped at around 6:13 p.m. local time.

The crash comes months after Prigozhin launched an abortive mutiny against Russia’s military leadership, posing an unprecedented challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority before it was suddenly called off in a deal that required Prigozhin and his fighters to relocate to Belarus.

Wagner forces were heavily involved in capturing the eastern Ukrainian cities of Soledar and Bakhmut following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Prigozhin then spent months criticizing Russian military leadership and the support it was giving his troops before he called for the armed rebellion.

Formations of UAPs over West Texas captured on video.

 AMARILLO TEXAS.  - Steve Douglass 

Storm chaser, aviation and astro-photographer Wesley Luginbyhl set up his camera in hopes of catching the Persieds meteor shower which happens every year in Mid August. Instead, what he captured has yet to be identified. He witnessed and photographed what looks like an hour long show of formation after formation of UAPs appearing suddenly and traveling across the northern sky.

It was perfect viewing weather with unlimited visibility on the High Plains of Northwest Texas. Luginbyhl who lives in Amarillo often goes out and photographs the night sky. The wide open Texas expanse provides excellent views because of the high-altitude (from east to west, the High Plains rise in elevation from around 1,800 to 7,000 ft. (550 to 2,130 m with Amarillo at over 3,000 feet in altitude) and with few obstructions, limited light pollution and crystal clear skies. It is not uncommon to be able to see high-altitude aircraft flying over southern Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma or Nebraska.   

On any given night, satellite passes such as STARLINK trains and  the ISS (among others) are easy to spot because they stand out in stark contrast with the stars because of their motion.  Military and civil aircraft are easy to see too and identify from their green and red blinking navigation lights or bright anti-collision strobes. 

But what Luginbyhl captured does not look like anything he had ever seen before. The formations of lights were loose, appeared suddenly and kept coming.  The video embedded below was taken between 2:30 and 3:30 AM CDT with the camera facing NE.

According to Luginbyhl, "Honestly I  think it was much further to the north, over KS or NE probably. It started around 2:30am and lasted until around 3:30am in the NNE sky. I have been doing photography at night for 2 decades and have never seen anything like it."

In an attempt to identify the lights this blogger pulled his digital recordings of the aviation radio traffic that took place during the period. 

With my scanning array it is not uncommon to hear aircraft, both civil and military communications from 400 miles away, dependent on altitude.  I record hundreds of aviation frequencies, including regional air traffic control centers. 

After going through the recordings I heard no mentions of the lights by air traffic controllers or from anyone else flying in the area at the time. Many civil aircraft checked in with both Albuquerque and Kansas Center such as coast-to-coast FEDEX flights and red eye passenger carriers but no mention of the lights were recorded nor were there any communications from military aircraft. 

Possible explanations could be a very high altitude military aircraft drooping parachute flares but they seemed to travel east and a fairly decent rate of speed. 

It's possible they were  but not probable they were satellites but they don't travel in staggered formations. Meteors can be ruled out because of their lasting duration. 

One other possibility is that it was a Space X flight or other satellite payload launch but because the lights were observed emanating from the same part of the sky for more than an hour, that can be ruled out too. The only satellites that can appear to be stationary are those in geosynchronous orbits but they are over the equator. 

Another local photographer, Blake Brown (also out shooting meteor photographs) captured them as well from the town of Panhandle, Texas NE of Amarillo. I will post a link to that video soon. 

You can view more of Wesley Luginbyhl's sky photography HERE!

Space Force activates anti-satellite squadron

SPACE.COM: The United States Space Force has activated its first and only unit dedicated to targeting other nations' satellites and the ground stations that support them.

The 75th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (ISRS) was activated on Aug. 11 at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado. This unit is part of Space Delta 7, an element of the U.S. Space Force tasked with providing intelligence on adversary space capabilities. It'll do things like analyze the capabilities of potential targets, locate and track these targets as well as participate in "target engagement," which presumably refers to destroying or disrupting adversary satellites, the ground stations that support them and transmissions sent between the two.

Lt. Col. Travis Anderson, who leads the squadron, said in a Space Force statement that the idea of a dedicated space targeting unit has been years in the making. "Today is a monumental time in the history of our service," Anderson said. "The idea of this unit began four years ago on paper and has probably been in the minds of several U.S. Air Force intelligence officers even longer."

The unit's patch was also unveiled at its activation ceremony, revealing it to be adorned with a grim reaper that has a delta shape for a nose. According to a Space Force statement, the delta represents "historic ties to the earliest days of the U.S. Air Force space community" as well as "all variations of space vehicles" that support the U.S. military.

Master Sgt. Desiree Cabrera, 75th ISRS operations superintendent, said the new unit will revolutionize the targeting capabilities of not just the Space Force, but also the entire U.S. military: "Not only are we standing up the sole targeting squadron in the U.S. Space Force, we are changing the way targeting is done across the joint community when it comes to space and electromagnetic warfare."

he 75th ISRS will also analyze adversary space capabilities including "counterspace force threats," according to the Space Force's statement. Counterspace forces refer to adversary systems aimed at preventing the U.S. from using its own satellites during a conflict.

These systems range from ground-based lasers that can blind optical sensors on satellites to devices that can jam signals or conduct cyberattacks to hack into adversary satellite systems. 

These aren't limited to America's adversaries; the U.S. Space Force has conducted multiple training exercises to practice its own "live fire" satellite jamming and "simulated on-orbit combat training."

As militaries worldwide become increasingly reliant on space-based assets like navigation and communication satellites, early warning missile tracking systems and targeting sensors, the Space Force's and other nations' militaries will no doubt be increasing their abilities to monitor both defensive and offensive adversary capabilities in Earth's orbit.

Air Force selects JetZero for the next phase of a blended wing body prototype aircraft

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) --

The Department of the Air Force selected JetZero for the next phase of a blended wing body prototype aircraft project Aug. 16.



Shown is a rendering of the blended wing body prototype aircraft. On Aug. 16, 2023, the Department of the Air Force selected JetZero for the BWB prototype aircraft project. The effort aims to mature BWB technology and demonstrate its capabilities, giving the department and commercial industry more options for future air platforms. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES

The effort aims to mature BWB technology and demonstrate its capabilities, giving the department and commercial industry more options for future air platforms.

With a design that differs from a traditional tube-and-wing aircraft, the BWB blends the aircraft body into its high-aspect-ratio wing, decreasing aerodynamic drag by at least 30% and providing additional lift. This increased efficiency will enable extended range, more loiter time, and increased payload delivery efficiencies, capabilities that are vital to mitigating logistics risks.

“Blended wing body aircraft have the potential to significantly reduce fuel demand and increase global reach,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. “Moving forces and cargo quickly, efficiently, and over long distance is a critical capability to enable national security strategy.”

Several military transport configurations are possible with the BWB. Together, these aircraft types account for approximately 60% of the Air Force’s total annual jet fuel consumption.

As outlined in the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of Defense plans to invest $235 million over the next four years to fast-track the development of this transformational dual-use technology, with additional private investment expected. The effort is the result of collaboration between the Department of the Air Force, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Defense Innovation Unit, with assistance from the DoD’s Office of Strategic Capital.

“It’s been a little over a hundred years since a few brave Airmen took to the skies and proved the first aerial refueling capability, extending the global reach of our Air Force. This announcement marks another game-changing milestone for the Air Force in our efforts to maintain the advantage of airpower effectiveness against any future competitors,” said Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment. A former C-17 Globemaster III pilot and engineer, Chaudhary is leading efforts to ensure efficiencies in operational energy to build greater agility for theater commanders.

While the BWB concept has been around for decades, more recent technology advancements in structural design, materials technology, manufacturing, and other areas have made large-scale production achievable.

The commercial industry, including passenger airlines and air freight companies, stand to benefit from development of this technology as well, increasing available cabin or cargo space while decreasing operational fuel costs.

The Air Force Operational Energy Office expects completion of initial flight testing as early as 2027.

Air Force reorganizing SOCOM units

The Air Force has formally chosen Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to host a new Special Operations Command Wing, launching a process that will replace the base's long-lived A-10 close air-support mission over the next five years.

The Air Force said Wednesday it selected D-M as the preferred location to host Air Force Special Operation Command's third "power projection" wing, the new 492nd Special Operations Wing.

The final decision will be made following completion of an environmental impact analysis process, which includes environmental studies and public comment, the Air Force said.

In a joint statement, Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema and Reps. Ruben Gallego and Juan Ciscomani said they welcomed the Air Force's announcement.

"With its year-round flying weather, extensive training range space, and proximity to other military bases, Southern Arizona is a natural choice to establish this Special Operations Wing in the Southwest," they said. "These flying missions are critical to our military's ability to outcompete our adversaries, and this decision is a positive step towards bringing them to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base that will enable the Air Force to proceed with the next set of site reviews to prepare the base for this transition."

Following up plans for the new wing at D-M unveiled in April, the Air Force also detailed the planned shift of existing units to the Tucson base, including the relocation of the current 492nd Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field in Florida and its transition from a support wing into a power projection wing.

As part of the changes, the 47th Fighter Squadron, which has 24 A-10s, the 354th Fighter Squadron (26 A-10s) and the 357th Fighter Squadron (28 A-10s) at Davis-Monthan will be inactivated and their respective A-10s will be retired, the Air Force said.

The 47th and 357th will continue A-10 formal training until inactivation, the Air Force said, without giving a timeline.

D-M hosts a range of other missions, including a major contingent of combat search-and-rescue units, the Air Force's only electronic combat squadron, the command headquarters of the 12th Air Force and the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, the nation's biggest "boneyard" for retired military aircraft.

But local government and business leaders have feared the loss of the A-10 mission would diminish D-M, an important economic engine for the region with about 11,000 personnel and an estimated annual economic impact of some $3 billion.

Jay Bickley, president of the local base support group the DM50, said the group continues to advocate for future flying missions.

"We believe the additional combat search and rescue assets as well as the (Special Operations) Power Projection Wing will be a tremendous addition to the base and the local community," Bickley said in a joint statement with the members of the congressional delegation.

"As our national defense posture evolves to a new region, this next mission ensures that Davis-Monthan — and all of Southern Arizona — continues to be critical to the testing, training, and operational readiness of our military," said Robert Medler, president of the Southern Arizona Defense Alliance.

Other moves planned over the next five years include:

The U-28 Draco reconnaissance plane fleets at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico and at Hurlburt Field will be replaced by the OA-1K Armed Overwatch, a light single-engine turboprop based on an Air Tractor crop duster.

One OA-1K Armed Overwatch squadron will relocate from Hurlburt to D-M.

An MC-130J Commando II squadron will relocate from Cannon to D-M to join the 492nd Special Operations Wing. Based on Lockheed's workhorse Super Hercules transport plane, the MC-130J is used for combat transport and support and aerial helicopter refueling.

An additional MC-130J squadron will activate at D-M.

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Army Airfield in North Carolina and the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, will relocate to D-M.

The 492nd Theater Air Operations Squadron will activate at Duke Field in Florida and transfer to Davis- Monthan.

The 34th Weapons Squadron and the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron will relocate to D-M from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, with five HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopters.

The Air Force said the transition of the 492nd Special Operations Wing to a power-projection wing will include all of the Special Operations Command's mission capabilities including strike, mobility, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and will allow the service to focus each power projection wing regionally.

"The transition will also allow AFSOC (the Air Force Special Operations Command) to further diversify its locations to protect against natural disasters by ensuring it can maintain its ability to respond to president-directed missions on very tight timelines," the Air Force said.

The additional location also will allow the Special Operations Command to take advantage of the Barry M. Goldwater Range, a sprawling military training range about 70 miles west of Tucson, the Air Force noted.

___

(c)2023 The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.)

TWO NAVY SAILORS INDICTED FOR SPYING FOR CHINA

CNN

Two US Navy sailors have been indicted and arrested for allegedly sending sensitive US military information to Chinese intelligence officers.

One of the sailors, Jinchao Wei, was arrested Wednesday as he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, according to a statement released Thursday by the US Attorney for the Southern District of California. The base is one of the largest Navy installations in the Pacific.

The other sailor who has been arrested, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme in California.

The indictment against Wei was unsealed Thursday and is separate from the charges against Zhao.

“The charges demonstrate the (People’s Republic of China’s) determination to obtain information that is critical to our national defense by any means, so it can be used to their advantage,” Matt Olson, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for national security, said at a news conference Thursday.

Prosecutors say that Wei, who served as a machinist’s mate on the USS Essex, allegedly entered into a “handler/asset” relationship with a Chinese intelligence officer beginning in February 2022. Machinist’s mates are a class of engineers, and are responsible for operating, maintaining and repairing ship equipment.

As part of that alleged arrangement, Wei sent photos and videos of the Essex and other Navy ships to the Chinese officer, the indictment says, as well as dozens of technical and mechanical manuals relating to the ships’ layouts and weapons systems. In return, Wei allegedly received thousands of dollars.

The indictment indicates that Wei received US citizenship during this period, with the Chinese intelligence officer allegedly congratulating Wei on receiving citizenship on May 18, 2022.

Much of the information Wei allegedly sent to the Chinese officer was stored on restricted-access Navy computer systems that Wei was able to access because he had a security clearance.




The indictment against Zhao, meanwhile, alleges that between August 2021 and May 2023, Zhao provided sensitive US military information – including operational plans for a major military exercise in the Indo-Pacific – to a person posing as a maritime economic researcher. That person was actually a Chinese intelligence officer, the indictment says.

Zhao, who was responsible for installing, repairing and servicing electrical equipment on US military installations, also had a security clearance, prosecutors say, and allegedly took photos of computer screens that displayed “operational orders of military training exercises” and provided them to the officer.

He also allegedly transmitted photos of blueprints and diagrams of a US radar system stationed on a military base in Okinawa, Japan, prosecutors say. Those documents were marked unclassified/for official use only, but prosecutors say that as part of his official duties Zhao “was required to protect controlled unclassified information, and information related to the Navy’s operational security.” He was also required to report suspicious incidents, the court filing states.

In exchange, Zhao received approximately $15,000 from the officer, prosecutors allege.

“The case against Mr. Zhao is part of a larger national strategy to combat criminal efforts from nation state actors to steal our nation’s sensitive military information,” Martin Estrada, the US attorney for the Central District of California, said during Thursday’s news conference. “The scheme alleged here is just one more example of the People’s Republic of China’s ongoing and brazen campaign to target US officials with access to sensitive military secrets.”

Taken together, the arrests mark at least the third time this year that US service members have been arrested and charged with espionage. Another US service member with a security clearance and access to classified national defense information, Jack Teixeira, was indicted for allegedly leaking classified intelligence that he obtained as part of his job in the Massachusetts Air National Guard to the social media platform Discord.

The arrests also come amid growing concerns by the US military that China is making strategic strides against the US – particularly the Chinese navy, which has now surpassed the US Navy’s fleet size, CNN has reported.

SPACE FORCE TO REMAIN IN COLORADO

CNN: President Joe Biden has decided that the headquarters of US Space Command will remain in Colorado and not move to Alabama, two US officials told CNN on Monday, reversing a decision by then-President Donald Trump.

US Space Command, which is a joint command and separate from the US Space Force military branch, is currently housed in Colorado Springs, but the Air Force recommended near the end of Trump’s presidency that the command be moved to Huntsville, Alabama.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall recently recommended to Biden that the headquarters be moved to Alabama in line with the initial Air Force recommendation, according to two US officials. Former Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett also chose Huntsville as the preferred location for SPACECOM headquarters in 2021.

But Biden ultimately followed the advice of the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that the headquarters should remain in Colorado because it will be fully operational in August and moving it now would jeopardize military readiness, one official said.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin did not make a recommendation, but presented Biden with both Kendall and Dickinson’s advice.

The move is sure to anger Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who is continuing a hold on senior military nominations that is now impacting more than 300 flag and general officers over the Pentagon’s abortion policy. Tuberville has been an outspoken proponent of moving SPACECOM to Alabama. But US officials have previously told CNN that they had concerns about Alabama’s reproductive health policies and what it would mean for servicemembers there if SPACECOM were moved to Huntsville.

The US official said that several issues factored into Biden’s decision, including “quality-of-life for servicemembers and families, including quality of schools and military housing.” But the official said “the most significant factor considered was impact to operational readiness to confront space-enabled threats during a critical time in this dynamic security environment.”

Huntsville is currently the home of the Army’s Redstone Arsenal, which includes the service’s Space and Missile Defense Command. Colorado Springs is home to Peterson Space Force Base, previously known as Peterson Air Force Base.

The Associated Press first reported the news Monday.

Explosion at Russian uranium enrichment plant cause radiation concerns.

An explosion at a uranium enrichment plant in Russia's Urals region on Friday prompted Russia's state nuclear corporation to publish a statement to ease fears.

At around 9 a.m. local time, a cylinder with depleted uranium hexafluoride "depressurized" in a workshop at the Ural Electrochemical Combine in Novouralsk, the statement from Rosatom, which owns the plant—the largest uranium enrichment plant in the world—said.

Uranium hexafluoride is a chemical used during the uranium enrichment process.
Russian media outlets often use euphemisms such as "loud bang" or "depressurized" instead of "blast" or "explosion," allegedly to avoid sowing panic and to maintain a "favorable information landscape.
Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti cited a source in emergency services as saying that one person had died and that radiation levels at the facility were normal.

"The workshop is being sanitized. The rest are operating normally," the company said. "Measurements of background radiation were carried out at the site. It amounted to 0.17 microsieverts, which corresponds to natural values."

One person, a 65-year-old "dedicated equipment maintenance technician" was killed in the "tragic incident" at the plant, Rosatom told Newsweek in a statement.

"The General Director of Ural Electrochemical Plant, Alexander Dudin, together with the entire plant collective and the State Corporation 'Rosatom,' express heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased for their devastating loss," it said.

More than 100 workers from the plant were being taken to a nearby hospital for examination and are likely not injured, according to the Russian news outlet E1, which added that doctors who were on vacation and not working were called in "urgently." 

Rosatom said workers present at the time of the incident "underwent medical examination at the Central Clinical Hospital No. 31 of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency of Russia in Novouralsk."

"We are relieved to report that most workers have been discharged after undergoing decontamination procedures, and their lives and health are not at risk," the statement said.

Rosatom said it has formed a "dedicated commission" to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

"Our priority is to identify the root causes and implement robust preventive measures to eliminate any chance of recurrence," it said.

Vyacheslav Tyumentsev, the head of Novouralsk, asked residents not to panic and said the situation "is under control," Russian media reported.

"There is no danger of any kind for residents of the city of Novouralsk or the staff of the plant," said the plant's deputy production manager, Yuri Mineyev, adding that the factory was working normally.

"Diverse organic matter" found on Mars by Nasa rover

 

THE INDEPENDENT: 

Diverse types of organic molecules have been found on Mars by a Nasa rover.

The material was detected by the Perseverance rover in the Jezero Crater on Mars, scientists said.

Researchers are unable to rule out that the materials have a “biotic” origin, or are the result of life on the planet. But they might also be formed in other ways, such as interactions between water and dust or having been dropped onto the planet by dust or meteors.

The findings suggest that Mars may have had a far more active past than we realised – and could have significant implications for the search for alien life.

According to the study, understanding more about Martian organic matter could shed light on the availability of carbon sources, with implications for the search for potential signs of life.

Cuba calls US nuclear submarine in Guantanamo Bay 'provocative escalation'

Cuba calls US nuclear submarine in Guantanamo Bay 'provocative escalation'
By Nelson AcostaJuly 11, 202312:21 PM CDTUpdated an hour ago

HAVANA, July 11 (Reuters) - Cuban authorities on Tuesday said the U.S. recently had a nuclear-powered submarine at its military base at Guantanamo Bay and called the action a "provocative escalation" of tensions weeks after Washington alleged that there was a Chinese spy base on the island.

"The presence of a nuclear submarine there at this moment makes it imperative to wonder what is the military reason behind this action in this peaceful region of the world," Cuba's foreign ministry said in a statement. Washington did not confirm that there was a submarine at the naval base.

The ministry did not specify whether the submarine was armed. It said it was at the base from July 5 to July 8.

The U.S. State Department declined to give information about movements of military assets. It said Cuba was looking to distract from the two-year anniversary of largest street protests seen in Cuba since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. On Monday, Cuba had accused the U.S. of inciting that unrest.

Overall this is an incident that is really a symptom of the fact that Cuba has once again become caught between superpowers in what appears to be the emergence of a new Cold War," he said.

Cuba has long called for the U.S. to close its 121-year-old naval base on the eastern part of the island, along with the military prison Washington established there in 2002.

Critics have said the Guantanamo Bay prison has been used for arbitrary detention and torture of people suspected of terrorism.

In June, Havana and Beijing rejected reports citing U.S. officials alleging that China was using Cuba as a spy base. The United States has presented no evidence of such a base.

Tuesday's ministry statement warned of the dangers of circulating nuclear submarines and armed forces across the Caribbean, adding that a history of U.S. military bases across the region threatened its peoples' sovereignty.

The ministry also reiterated calls for the United States to end its military presence on the island, saying this served only to "outrage Cuba's sovereign rights" and carry out acts of detention, torture and the systemic violation of human rights.

It added that U.S. military leaders have made public plans to use their "war capabilities" to realize U.S. ambitions over the region's natural resources.

Russian intelligence services threatened harm to the families of Wagner leaders/organizers will be brought to justice.

The leader of the Kremlin’s shadowy private army, the Wagner Group, rebelled against top military officials over the weekend after a Russian rocket attack killed dozens of his soldiers.

In a dramatic show of force against his own government, Yevgeny Prigozhin led his soldiers toward Moscow on a “march for justice” to remove what he labeled as Russia’s incompetent and corrupt senior military leadership.

Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Prigozhin’s “armed mutiny,” accusing him of “treason.” Hours later Prigozhin, just 125 miles from the capital, announced he was going to turn around. “Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our convoy around and going back to our base camps, according to the plan,” he declared in an apparent deal to end the insurrection.
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In a dramatic show of force against his own government, Yevgeny Prigozhin led his soldiers toward Moscow on a “march for justice” to remove what he labeled as Russia’s incompetent and corrupt senior military leadership.

Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Prigozhin’s “armed mutiny,” accusing him of “treason.” Hours later Prigozhin, just 125 miles from the capital, announced he was going to turn around. “Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our convoy around and going back to our base camps, according to the plan,” he declared in an apparent deal to end the insurrection.

British security forces told the Telegraph on Monday that Russian intelligence services had threatened harm to the families of Wagner leaders who were participating in the mutiny. This new information could be a potential explanation as to why Prigozhin called off the march to Moscow.

Insights from British intelligence also claim that Putin is now looking to absorb Wagner soldiers into the country’s military and dismiss all top Wagner commanders. The report cited a British intelligence assessment that about 8,500 Wagner fighters were involved in the mutiny, contradicting public reports that the number was closer to 25,000.


The leader of the Wagner mercenary group defended his short-lived insurrection in a boastful audio statement Monday as the Kremlin tried to project stability, with authorities releasing a video of Russia’s defense minister reviewing troops in Ukraine.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said he wasn’t seeking to stage a coup but was acting to prevent the destruction of Wagner, his private military company. “We started our march because of an injustice,” he said in an 11-minute statement, giving no details about where he was or what his plans were.

The feud between the Wagner Group leader and Russia’s military brass has festered throughout the war, erupting into a mutiny over the weekend when mercenaries left Ukraine to seize a military headquarters in a southern Russian city. They rolled seemingly unopposed for hundreds of miles toward Moscow before turning around after less than 24 hours on Saturday.


The Kremlin said it had made a deal for Prigozhin to move to Belarus and receive amnesty, along with his soldiers. There was no confirmation of his whereabouts Monday, although a popular Russian news channel on Telegram reported he was at a hotel in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

Prigozhin taunted Russia’s military on Monday, calling his march a “master class” on how it should have carried out the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He also mocked the military for failing to protect Russia, pointing out security breaches that allowed Wagner to march 780 kilometers (500 miles) toward Moscow without facing resistance.

The bullish statement made no clearer what would ultimately happen to Prigozhin and his forces under the deal purportedly brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Prigozhin said only that Lukashenko “proposed finding solutions for the Wagner private military company to continue its work in a lawful jurisdiction.” That suggested Prigozhin might keep his military force, although it wasn’t immediately clear which jurisdiction he was referring to.

The independent Russian news outlet Vyorstka claimed that construction of a field camp for up to 8,000 Wagner troops was underway in an area of Belarus about 200 kilometers (320 miles) north of the border with Ukraine.

The report couldn’t be independently verified. The Belarusian military monitoring group Belaruski Hajun said Monday on Telegram that it had seen no activity in that district consistent with construction of a facility, and had no indications of Wagner convoys in or moving towards Belarus.

Though the mutiny was brief, it was not bloodless. Russian media reported that several military helicopters and a communications plane were shot down by Wagner forces, killing at least 15. Prigozhin expressed regret for attacking the aircraft but said they were bombing his convoys.

Russian media reported that a criminal case against Prigozhin hasn’t been closed, despite earlier Kremlin statements, and some Russian lawmakers called for his head.

Andrei Gurulev, a retired general and current lawmaker who has had rows with the mercenary leader, said Prigozhin and his right-hand man Dmitry Utkin deserve “a bullet in the head.”

And Nikita Yurefev, a city council member in St. Petersburg, said he filed an official request with Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office and the Federal Security Service, or FSB, asking who would be punished for the rebellion, given that Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed in a Saturday morning address to punish those behind it.

It was unclear what resources Prigozhin can draw on, and how much of his substantial wealth he can access. Police searching his St. Petersburg office amid the rebellion found 4 billion rubles ($48 million) in trucks outside the building, according to Russian media reports confirmed by the Wagner boss. He said the money was intended to pay his soldiers’ families.

Russian media reported that Wagner offices in several Russian cities had reopened on Monday and the company had resumed enlisting recruits.

In a return to at least superficial normality, Moscow’s mayor announced an end to the “counterterrorism regime” imposed on the capital Saturday, when troops and armored vehicles set up checkpoints on the outskirts and authorities tore up roads leading into the city.

The Defense Ministry published video of defense chief Sergei Shoigu in a helicopter and then meeting with officers at a military headquarters in Ukraine. It was unclear when the video was shot. It came as Russian media speculated that Shoigu and other military leaders have lost Putin’s confidence and could be replaced.

Before the uprising, Prigozhin had blasted Shoigu and General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov with expletive-ridden insults for months, accusing them of failing to provide his troops with enough ammunition during the fight for the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, the war’s longest and bloodiest battle.

Prigozhin’s statement appeared to confirm analysts’ view that the revolt was a desperate move to save Wagner from being dismantled after an order that all private military companies sign contracts with the Defense Ministry by July 1.

Prigozhin said most of his fighters refused to come under the Defense Ministry’s command, and the force planned to hand over the military equipment it was using in Ukraine on June 30 after pulling out of Ukraine and gathering in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. He accused the Defense Ministry of attacking Wagner’s camp, prompting them to move sooner.

Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya said on Twitter that Prigozhin’s mutiny “wasn’t a bid for power or an attempt to overtake the Kremlin,” but a desperate move amid his escalating rift with the military leadership.

While Prigozhin could get out of the crisis alive, he doesn’t have a political future in Russia under Putin, Stanovaya said.

It was unclear what the fissures opened by the 24-hour rebellion would mean for the war in Ukraine, where Western officials say Russia’s troops suffer low morale. Wagner’s forces were key to Russia’s only land victory in months, in Bakhmut.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense said Monday that Ukraine had “gained impetus” in its push around Bakhmut, making progress north and south of the town. Ukrainian forces claimed to have retaken Rivnopil, a village in southeast Ukraine that has seen heavy fighting.

U.S. President Joe Biden and leaders of several of Ukraine’s European allies discussed the events in Russia over the weekend, but Western officials have been muted in their public comments.

Biden said Monday that the U.S. and NATO were not involved in the short-lived insurrection. Speaking at the White House, Biden explained that he was cautious about speaking publicly because he wanted to give “Putin no excuse to blame this on the West and blame this on NATO.”

“We made clear that we were not involved, we had nothing to do with it,” he said.

Biden said the U.S. was coordinating with allies to monitor the situation and maintain support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg concurred Monday that “the events over the weekend are an internal Russian matter.”

And Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy had contacted Russian representatives Saturday to stress that the U.S. was not involved in the mutiny.

The events show the war is “cracking Russia’s political system,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

“The monster that Putin created with Wagner, the monster is biting him now,” Borrell said. “The monster is acting against his creator.”


UPDATE; WASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday the organizers of an armed mutiny over the weekend will be “brought to justice” and that his military would have put down the rebellion anyway.

The Russian president’s comments were his first since hundreds of Wagner Group mercenaries, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, marched on Moscow over the weekend in what appeared to be an armed rebellion against Russia’s military leadership.


“This is criminal activity, which is aimed at weakening the country. This was a colossal threat,” said Putin in a televised address to the nation.

In exchange for his turning back, a criminal case against Prigozhin was dropped and he was permitted to leave Russia for Belarus. As of Monday afternoon, Prigozhin was believed to be staying in a hotel in Minsk that did not have any windows, according to Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The mutiny took the world by surprise, and catapulted a taboo question to center stage across Russia: Whether Putin’s grip on power might not be as ironclad internally as it looks from the outside.

On Monday, Putin said any “armed rebellion would have been put down anyway.”

After they took control of the southern city of Rostov on Saturday, Wagner fighters and hundreds of armored vehicles came within 200 miles of Moscow before Prigozhin ordered them to turn back.


In his speech Monday, Putin thanked those involved in the mutiny “who made the only right decision - they did not go to fratricidal bloodshed, they stopped at the last line.”

He then said Wagner Group soldiers would be permitted to join the Russian army, to leave the country for neighboring Belarus, as Prigozhin did, or simply “to return to your family and friends.”

Putin’s decision to grant unilateral clemency to the Wagner mercenaries seemed out of character to some Russia scholars, coming as it did from an autocratic ruler who regularly jails civilians for publicly criticizing his administration.

Prigozhin has said his goal was never to seize political control of the Kremlin and overthrow Putin, but rather to protest a planned dissolution of his Wagner Group, his private army.