Notes/News/One To watch.

In China’s troop movements in Ladakh’s depth areas, a hint about its real plan…

With the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deploying close to 50,000 troops in Aksai Chin, the Indian Army for the first time has deployed a squadron (12) T-90 missile firing tanks, armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and a full troop brigade (4,000 men) at Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) to prevent any Chinese aggression from the Shaksgam-Karakoram pass axis, according to top military commanders familiar with the matter.

India’s last outpost at Daulet Beg Oldi DBO lies at a height of 16,000 feet just south of Karakoram pass and on banks of Chip-Chap river, north of the Galwan-Shyok confluence.

As some bridges on the Darbuk-Shyok-DBO road cannot handle the weight of a 46 ton T-90 tank, the Indian Army commanders sent the T-90 tanks after the June 15 Galwan flare-up by fording the rivers and rivulets using specialized equipment. The armoured personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry combat vehicles , M 777 155mm howitzers, and 130 mm guns had already been sent to DBO after Chinese aggression at patrolling points 14, 15, 16 , 17 and the Pangong Tso finger features.

While India and China have decided to first totally disengage and then de-escalate from the area, the Indian Army is not only matching troop strength but also keenly watching the PLA deployment of tanks, air defence radars and surface to air missiles in Aksai Chin.

The disengagement is work-in-progress with each side verifying the movements of the other, the commanders, who asked not to be identified said.

While the Indian military has also decided to black-top the advance landing ground at DBO, the main reason for deploying tanks in the area is to prevent any sudden Chinese move from the north, they added.

Already China has built some 36 kilometres of road in the Shaksgam Valley (5163 square kilometres were illegally ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963), and Indian military planners fear that PLA will link the G-219 (Lhasa-Kashgar) highway to Karakoram pass through the Shaksgam pass.

Even though this will require tunnelling under the permafrost of Shaksgam glacier, the Chinese have the technical ability to complete the job.

Also Read: Twin naval exercises with US supercarriers signal QUAD has arrived

The fear is that once the link is completed, the PLA will put pressure on DBO from the north as it needs a buffer to prevent the Indian Army from targeting the road.

According to the military commanders, the main purpose of PLA aggression this summer was to clear all the friction points with the Indian Army along the 1147 km long line of actual control (LAC) in East Ladakh and impose the 1960 map claim. However, this attempt was forcefully repelled by the men of 16 Bihar who took on the 3 Mechanized Infantry of Xinjiang Military district on June 15 at Galwan.

This plan dovetailed into a larger plan of linking the G219 highway to G314 (Kashgar-Islamabad Karakoram highway) via Karakoram-Shaksgam pass axis in order to save not only time but distance.

A fruition of this plan would have made Indian army positions untenable not only at DBO but also at Siachen as the outpost is linked to Sansoma (crucial base on Nubra river before Siachen) via Saser la-Murgo axis.

In many ways, Pervez Musharraf‘s plan to interdict Srinagar-Kargil highway and starve Indian positions at Siachen during the 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan has a parallel in China’s Xi Jinping’s attempt to interdict the DSDBO road to cut off DBO 21 years later.

This situation needs watching. As Iron Mike Pompeo anon has been warning us, this is more proof of C'na's expansion and war footing intent.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-moves-squadron-of-missile-firing-t-90-tanks-to-last-post-near-karakoram-pass/story-h4LtB6PZXtiYpMadupySlK.html

SpaceNews..Mars.

Northrop Grumman Provides Navigation System for NASA’s Awesome Perseverance Mars Rover Mission

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) will once again be the provider of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to support an expedition to Mars when NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Perseverance Mars Rover launches between July 30 and August 15. It will land at Mars’ Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. The mission’s four major scientific objectives include studying the planet’s habitability, seeking biosignatures of past life, collecting core samples of the surface, and testing oxygen production in the planet’s atmosphere.

Northrop Grumman’s LN-200S IMU will be mounted deep inside the Rover, providing data during the ground mission. The LN-200S is a reliable, low cost, lightweight IMU featuring three fiber optic gyroscopes and three silicon Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometers.

“The success of this incredible mission of scientific exploration is directly linked to the proven reliability of Northrop Grumman’s inertial navigation solutions,” said Brandon White, vice president, navigation and positioning systems, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems sector. “NASA/JPL came to us for its historic Mars missions because of the extended performance capabilities of our LN-200S. We will be anxiously awaiting to see what the Perseverance discovers, as will the rest of the world.”

As the Perseverance Mars Rover traverses the surface of Mars, the LN-200S will provide the attitude and acceleration information used by the Rover’s computer for guidance. The LN-200S has been used on all previous Mars Rover missions including 2003’s Spirit and Opportunity, and 2012’s Curiosity, which is still operating almost eight years beyond its initial two-year mission.

The LN-200S underwent vigorous testing to validate its extended life capability for the Perseverance Mars Rover mission, which is expected to last 1.5 Mars years, or about 1,071 Earth days. Previous NASA/JPL Mars missions lasted far beyond their initial design requirements, and the LN-200S had to prove its reliability to make it on board. The Opportunity, for example, operated for almost 15 Earth years (8 Mars years) – far beyond its scheduled 90-day mission – and the LN-200S continuously operated throughout the full span of that Rover’s journey.

Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.

https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-provides-navigation-system-for-nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-mission

Army.

Locate, Close With, and Destroy the Enemy!

Blazing sun, humidity, and the sounds of Marines training fill the mornings from July 8 until July 31, 2020 as Marines with 2d Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment (V22), 2d Marine Division (MARDIV) conduct a deployment for training (DFT) in preparation for combat to ensure the battalion’s combat effectiveness as the Forward Deployed Battalion in support of Major Combat Operations around the globe.

“The DFT allows the Marines to get out of their home station and away from some distractions,” said 1st Lt. Alec Barrowcliff, the executive officer with Company E. “It gives them the chance to focus on infantry related tasks preparing them for an extended deployment.”

The month long exercise started with an individual skills phase during a battle sight zero and grenade range, progressing into a squad phase consisting of unsupported-fire and supported-fire attacks, a land navigation phase that will move into unsupported-fire and supported-fire night attacks.

“Coming out to A.P. Hill, the Marines are learning a lot faster than they would in Camp Lejeune,” said Sgt. Anthony Olcott, a squad leader with Company E. “The training they are getting out here is more beneficial and realistic for them than buddy rushing for 20 meters outside their barracks.”

As the Marines conduct the DFT they are experiencing new and different terrain than what they are familiar with, Olcott said. A.P. Hill offers a different set of ranges the Marines have not seen before, giving them an opportunity to expand their combat mindset and creativity.

The DFT is a preparation for exercise Deep Water where the Marines with V22 will be air-inserted into Camp Lejeune conducting squad and platoon attacks, Barrowcliff said. “This will allow the Marines to get into the mindset of a large-scale assault.”

No wonder these Marines are so bad ass!!

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/374650/locate-close-with-and-destroy-enemy

Navy

Eisenhower Strike Group Exercises with Hellenic Navy.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) participated in surface exercises with the Hellenic Navy in the Mediterranean Sea, July 24-28, 2020.

The exercises included formation steaming, tactical maneuvers, communications drills, and allowed participating forces to test and refine command and control between the two navies.

“Exercises like this enhance our professional relationships and improves overall coordination with allies and partner militaries during times of crisis,” said Capt. Zoah Scheneman, commander, Destroyer Squadron 26. “This opportunity flexed our ability to be postured with our NATO partners to be ready with credible force to assure, deter, and defend our interests in an increasingly complex security environment.”

Hellenic Navy frigate HN Aegean (FFGH 460) was assigned as an air defense unit, locating and identifying air contacts around the CSG and serving as a horizon reference unit for the CSG’s aircraft as they landed. As helicopter aircraft control unit, the ship checked aircraft in and out of the carrier’s air space.

"The Hellenic Navy has outstanding naval capabilities,” said Capt. Edward Crossman, commanding officer of Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56). “We look forward to any chance to work with them as an opportunity to learn and fine-tune our tactics and procedures. It's an absolute win for San Jacinto’s ‘Gunslingers’ to operate with our NATO partners. This training makes us stronger as an allied force, dedicated to maintaining regional stability, and sustaining freedom of the seas."

Participating units were Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), San Jacinto, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and Aegean.

“Our presence in Europe and the relationships built over the past 70 years provides the U.S. strategic access critical to meet our NATO commitments and respond to threats against our allies and partners,” said Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, commander, Carrier Strike Group Ten. “Our NATO allies and partners stand together to ensure Europe remains free and at peace.”

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is conducting operations in U.S. 6th fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operation, often in concert with allied and inter-agency partners, in order to advance U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/374647/eisenhower-strike-group-exercises-with-hellenic-navy

The Ship; The Back Channel. Q 28 Mar 2020 & 12 Mar 2019

The Great Awakening (''FREEDOM OF THOUGHT'), was designed and created not only as a BACK-CHANNEL to the public (away from the longstanding ‘mind’ control of the corrupt & heavily biased media) to endure future events through transparency and regeneration of individual thought (breaking the chains of ‘group-think’), but, more importantly, aid in the construction of a vehicle (A SHIP) that provides the scattered (FREE THINKERS) with a ‘starter’ new social-networking platform which allows for freedom of thought, expression, and patriotism or national pride (the feeling of love, devotion and sense of attachment to a homeland and alliance with other citizens who share the same sentiment).

When ‘non-dogmatic’ information becomes FREE & TRANSPARENT it becomes a threat to those who attempt to control the narrative and/or the stable.

When you are AWAKE, you stand on the outside of the stable (‘group-think’ collective), and have ‘FREE THOUGHT’.