TSA cuts 40 jobs; longer lines at Guam airport possible

HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — If you’ve seen the long, crowded lines to the Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at the island’s airport, expect the wait to possibly get worse.

A TSA official has recently informed the A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport Authority that the agency has lost 40 full-time employees as a result of personnel downsizing, and the reduced staff could make the wait for the TSA screening process take even longer — if the airport’s configuration doesn’t improve.

This concern was expressed to Guam airport officials in a recent email to the Guam airport agency.

Robert Cothran, deputy assistant federal security director for TSA in Guam, wrote to express concern because the agency has yet to see the designs for GIAA’s checkpoint expansion project at the international airport terminal.

“We have asked the airport authority for the checkpoint design numerous times,” Cothran wrote.

Japan hosts TPP Pacific Rim trade pact talks, minus the US

TOKYO

Japan will be holding talks on a Pacific Rim trade initiative rejected by U.S. President Donald Trump beginning Wednesday in the mountain resort town of Hakone, west of Tokyo.

The three-day meeting with other envoys to the Trans-Pacific Partnership follows a breakthrough on an agreement with the European Union last week that was seen as a repudiation of the U.S. moves to pull back from such trade deals.

Last week, Japan named a new chief negotiator for talks among the remaining 11 members seeking to salvage the TPP after Trump pulled out of the pact soon after taking office.

North Korea missile may not have re-entered atmosphere, report says

North Korea has not been able to fully develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, and it's unknown whether last week's launch successfully re-entered the atmosphere, the Yonhap news agency in South Korea reported Tuesday.

The missile launched July 4 had the distance to reach the U.S. mainland — and marked the latest escalation of the North's nuclear program. 

North Korea said it developed an ICBM that could ferry a large nuclear warhead, but it may have been an unsubstantiated boast, Rep. Yi Wan-young of the Liberty Korea Party said after a meeting with officials from the National Intelligence Service, according to Yonhap.

Yi also said North Korea is capable of conducting a nuclear test at its Punggye-Ri site at any time, but there was no signs of an immediate detonation, the news agency reported.

Japan to Relocate US Warplanes After Decades of Noise Pollution Complaints

At least 120 planes operating on US Navy aircraft carriers patrolling the Western Pacific are slated for relocation to Iwakuni, in Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture, after being stationed in Kanagawa Prefecture. Locals have protested for decades that the jets were causing undue noise pollution.

Mayor Yoshihikio Fukuda of Iwakuni and Yamaguchi Governor Tsumasa Muraoka informed Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga of their joint agreement to transfer the aircraft closer to the East China Sea, the Japan Times reported Tuesday.

Suga expressed willingness to cooperate with the officials. Tokyo "will make efforts to meet the requests from the local community,” he told the news agency.

US Strategic Bombers Conduct Provocative Drill Near North Korea

eatured image: A B-1B Lancer with wings swept full forward (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

In a menacing move as leaders gathered at the G20 summit in Germany, the US Air Force flew two B1-B strategic bombers over the Korean Peninsula on Friday and unleashed inert bombs as part of a joint military exercise involving US and South Korean fighter aircraft.

US Air Force commander in the Pacific, General Terrence O’Shaughnessy, branded North Korea as a threat to the US and its allies.

“If called upon we are trained, equipped and ready to unleash the full lethal capability of our allied air forces,” he warned.

General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy is Commander, Pacific Air Forces; Air Component Commander for U.S. Pacific Command (Source: U.S. Air Force)

The US bombers then flew with Japanese fighters over the East China Sea before returning to Guam. Just the day before, two US B1-B bombers provocatively flew over the South China Sea in a so-called freedom of navigation operation to challenge Chinese territorial claims in the disputed waters.

Why is Okinawa blocking plans to build an American military base?

ON FRIDAY the assembly of Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost territory, is set to approve a new lawsuit to block construction of an American military base on the territory’s main island. Takeshi Onaga, the governor of Okinawa, accuses the Japanese government, which is building the base, of “barging forward recklessly” and wrecking the pristine environment of the quiet fishing village of Henoko on Okinawa’s main island. It is the latest salvo in a battle that has occupied Japan’s parliament and courts for two decades. The outcome could torpedo plans to build the offshore facility, set to be the greatest concentration of military power in East Asia.

Congressional delegation at odds with experts on defending Hawaii

by: William Cole | .

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser | .

published: July 11, 2017

HONOLULU (Tribune News Service) — Hawaii is now within reach of North Korean intercontinental ballistic missiles after the rogue nation’s successful test launch on July 3, some experts maintain. So what should be done to better protect the state?

Hawaii’s congressional delegation continues to place faith in 36 ground-based interceptor missiles, mainly in Alaska but also in California, to shoot down an incoming North Korean missile. The number of ground interceptors is expected to increase to 44 by the end of the year.

U.S. Army commander defends THAAD battery in South Korea

July 11 (UPI) -- The commander of the U.S. 8th Army in South Korea defended the deployment of the U.S. THAAD battery on the Korean peninsula.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal told reporters at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, THAAD is needed in central South Korea for strategic reasons, local news service EDaily reported.

The field army, which completed its move from its former base in Yongsan, Seoul, to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday, is "ready to fight tonight," Vandal said at the press conference, according to Stars and Stripes. 

Securing US Bases in the Pacific: A New Era of Instability?

The United States and China may be entering a new era of instability in the Pacific.

By Robert Farley

July 11, 2017  

How vulnerable are U.S. bases in the Pacific? A new report by Commander Thomas Shugart and Commander Javier Gonzalez at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) suggests that the constellation of U.S. bases in the region has become deeply vulnerable to attack by Chinese ballistic missiles.

While the threat of anti-ship ballistic missiles has captured many of the headlines regarding the changing balance of power in the Pacific, the authors of the report argue that land-based installations are just as tenuous, if not more so. China’s PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) enjoys a degree of independence that has no useful counterpart in the American system. The report suggests that China currently deploys upwards of 1,600 conventionally armed ballistic missiles of various ranges. These missiles can carry a variety of payloads, including submunitions designed to severely damage above-ground military installations. Ground launched cruise missiles, flying on pre-determined courses at low altitude, can also inflict considerable damage with little warning.

U.S. MILITARY TRAINS WITH JAPAN AND INDIA, WHILE CHINA COURTS PAKISTAN

The U.S. has begun a series of what has been described as the most complex war games with Asian allies India and Japan. All three are engaged in regional power struggles with rival nations.

The maritime drills, known this year as "Malabar 2017," kicked off Monday in India's Chennai and the Bay of Bengal, and mark the first time the three forces have deployed carriers to participate in regional military maneuvers. In addition to focusing on anti-submarine warfare, the U.S., India and Japan will engage in training on land involving "professional and expert exchanges" in various types of warfare and special operations. This is the second year that Japan officially joins the annual exercises, which come amid growing tensions between India and China, the latter of which has also challenged the interests of the U.S. and Japan in the Asia-Pacific and grown closer to India's greatest foe, Pakistan, an estranged U.S. ally. The Navy said the trilateral drills would strengthen naval bonds between the U.S., India and Japan.

US Navy’s Largest Ever Amphibious Assault Ship Deploys to the Asia-Pacific

The lead vessel of the U.S. Navy’s newest class of amphibious assault ships, the USS America, designated Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) 6, departed San Diego on July 7 for its first regularly scheduled deployment to the Pacific, Middle East, and the Horn of Africa, the U.S. Navy reports.

The new America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) consisting of the USS America, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS San Diego, and the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor, along with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), an expeditionary quick reaction force, comprise around 1,800 sailors and 2,600 marines.

The America ARG and its MEU will conduct maritime security operations, crisis response capability, and theater security cooperation with allied navies, as well as contribute to the U.S. Navy’s overall forward naval presence. The ARG’s first destination will be the Western Pacific. “We are looking forward to conducting persistent forward naval engagement and being always prepared to respond as the nation’s force in readiness,” Colonel Joseph Clearfield, the commander of the MEU said.

DOD Press Release: East China Sea Mission Marks New B-1B Bomber Milestone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

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JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, July 10, 2017 — U.S. Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force units sharpened their combat skills July 6 during a bilateral mission over the East China Sea.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, takes off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to fly a bilateral mission with Japanese fighter jets over the East China Sea, July 6, 2017. The mission marked the first time U.S. Pacific Command B-1B Lancers have conducted combined training with Japanese fighters at night. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jacob Skovo

Using Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as a power-projection platform, two B-1B Lancers assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, flew a mission over the East China Sea with their Japanese counterparts.

China and US step up co-operation over North Korean nuclear crisis

China’s president Xi Jinping and US president Donald Trump vowed to step up security co-operation between their two countries to tackle the North Korean nuclear crisis, and Mr Xi has ordered China’s navy to take part in US-led military exercises in the Pacific Rim next year.

Mr Xi held a 1½-hour meeting with Mr Trump on the fringes of the G20 in Hamburg, and news of military and security co-operation comes as a surprise after the relationship between the world’s two biggest economies appeared strained by a series of aggressive remarks by the US leader. Just days before the G20, Mr Trump tweeted that China was not doing enough to restrain North Korea.

While ordering the navy to take part in the “Rimpac” manoeuvres and proposing military co-operation with the US, Mr Xi restated the North Korean nuclear standoff could be resolved only through dialogue.

Theory: The United States Knew About North Korea's Latest ICBM Ahead of Time

By A.J. BURSICK, Associate Editor, Money Morning • July 12, 2017

The U.S. military knew about North Korea's latest missile launch before it happened, according to Asia-Pacific media outlet The Diplomat.

The theory goes that U.S. forces were within striking distance of the launch site of North Korea's ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) on July 4 – the day the long-range missile launch rattled Americans from the midst of holiday festivities.

In fact, according to the UK's Business Insider, the United States even had a "kill shot" on Kim Jong Un. But the military forces didn't stop the launch or shoot Pyongyang's leader for one key reason:

They wanted to send him a message.

Military flight mishaps must lead to tighter safety standards

We join in grief and prayers with the families of the 15 Marines and Navy corpsman who perished when a KC-130 refueling plane exploded and crashed in Mississippi Tuesday.

The flight took off from a Marine Corps air station at Cherry Point, North Carolina, and was en route to transport personnel and equipment to Naval Air Field in El Centro, California, when it burst into flames and crashed to the ground in pieces.

These brave Marines and corpsman, including special operations Marines, didn't stand a chance of surviving such a catastrophic flight failure.

Bevacqua: Never too late to reframe Guam legacies

Last month, a noted figure for peace and demilitarization in the Asia-Pacific region, former governor of Okinawa Masahide Ota passed away. He was 92 years old.

Ota was governor of the Okinawan islands in 1995 when the community’s long-held resentment over U.S. military bases exploded following the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen. Close to 100,000 people demonstrated to show their outrage.

As governor and later as a private citizen, Ota undertook a number of activities aimed at promoting peace and facilitating the demilitarization of Okinawa, which to this day has nearly 20 percent of its land occupied by U.S. military bases and training areas.

Missile test intercepts target over Pacific

An Alaska-based missile interceptor similar to the system based in Guam successfully intercepted a simulated target yesterday over the Pacific Ocean, the military announced.

This was the 14th successful intercept in 14 attempts for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, weapon system, according to the Missile Defense Agency.

The THAAD system provides a capability to intercept ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during their final, or terminal, phase of flight.

Executive Office for the Governor of Okinawa states U.S. military will not be allowed use of Naha Airport as a condition for Futenma return

July 6, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

In regard to the fact that the United States military predicates the return of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma on the ability to use a civilian airport in case of emergencies, Kiichi Jahana, head of the Executive Office for the Governor of Okinawa, said at a meeting of the Prefectural Assembly on July 5 that he supposes the civilian airport the U.S. government has in mind is likely Naha Airport. He emphasized, “We will absolutely not permit use of Naha Airport [by the U.S. military].” It was the first time a prefectural official made reference to a specific civilian airport that might be used.

US successfully tests Thaad anti-missile system in Pacific

The US military has said its controversial Thaad missile defence system successfully shot down a target during a test over the Pacific Ocean.

Thaad, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, halted a simulated, ballistic intermediate-range missile like the ones being developed by North Korea.

The test was planned months ago, but comes amid rising tension with North Korea over its weapons programme.

Pyongyang claimed it has tested a series of missiles in recent weeks.

Commander: US, allies training to unleash ‘full lethal capability’

Two B-1B supersonic bomber aircraft launched from Andersen Air Force Base on July 7 and flew alongside South Korean and Japanese fighter jets in a show of force following North Korea’s latest missile test.

The B-1Bs that took off from Andersen conducted a 10-hour sequenced mission “as part of the continuing demonstration of the ironclad U.S. commitment to our allies agains the growing threat from North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs,” according to the U.S. Pacific Air Force Command.