Marine helicopter hits power line before landing near Sunset Beach - Charles D'Alberto

Charles D’Alberto U.S. Marines prepare to refuel a UH-1Y Venom during an aircraft delivered ground refueling training event as part of the Rim of the Pacific exercise on July 25.

A U.S. Marine helicopter struck a power line and made an emergency landing on the North Shore Tuesday night. There were no injuries to the flight crew or civilians.

The UH-1Y, belonging to the III Marine Expeditionary Force, was flying in an authorized training area when it struck the line about 7:45 p.m., according to Capt. Tim Irish, spokesman for the Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The aircraft was conducting a scheduled flight in the area.

The Honolulu Police Department said officers responded to Comsat Road, which is mauka of Sunset Beach, to assist with traffic management.

Irish said the helicopter is still on site but does not know if or when it will be moved. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

According to the Hawaiian Electric Co., there was a report of damage to a line, but there were no power outages.

Joanna Perez said she and her family heard sirens and saw at least six emergency vehicles drive up Comsat Road between 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Perez, who is staying with her son at his house on Comsat Road, said when her family left around 8:30 a.m. today, police were blocking access to Comsat Road. She said residents had to provide officers with their addresses to get in.

#Marines #Helicopter #Crash #Perla_Group #Charles_Dalberto #Aviation

Posted By Charles D'Alberto

 

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U.S. Marine Corps K-9 amputee awarded highest award for animals - Charles D'Alberto

An American Marine who lost her leg while locating explosives in Afghanistan received a prestigious award last Tuesday — and she’s wagging her tail about it.

Lucca, a retired German Shepherd who served with the US Marine Corps, lost her leg while hunting for IEDs on one of the 400 missions she went on in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Almost half a decade after her wound, British animal charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) has awarded the 12-year-old German Shepherd with the Dickin Medal, considered the military animal equivalent to the Victoria Cross.

 

“Lucca is very intelligent, loyal and had an amazing drive for work as a search dog,” said Gunnery Sergeant Chris Willingham, Lucca’s owner. “She is the only reason I made it home to my family and I am fortunate to have served with her.”

Lucca was tasked with sniffing out explosives on over 400 missions, maintaining a near-perfect safety record. Despite being wounded herself, no human casualty ever occurred while she was on patrol.

The K-9 was wounded in 2012 while on patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, under the care of her other handler, CPL Juan Rodriguez. She lost a leg and suffered severe burns all over her body.

“The explosion was huge and I immediately feared the worst for Lucca,” Rodriguez said in the PDSA’s statement. “I ran to her and saw her struggling to get up. I picked her up and ran to the shelter of a nearby tree line, applied a tourniquet to her injured leg and called the medics to collect us.”

Lucca was sent to Germany with Rodriguez by her side, eventually making their way to Camp Pendleton. Eventually, Lucca recovered.

“She had saved my life on so many occasions — I had to make sure that I was there for her when she needed me,” Rodriguez said.

Lucca’s Dickin Medal is one of uncommon valor in the UK. Since 1943, only 30 other dogs have received the award. Other animals have received the medal as well, including 32 messenger pigeons, three horses, and a cat.

Now retired, Lucca lives a happy life in California with her former handler, Chris Willingham and his family.

“Today, I do my best to keep her spoiled in her well-deserved retirement,” Willingham said.

F-35 fighter jet’s capabilities far outweigh deficiencies: US Marines - Charles D'Alberto

 Lieutenant-General John Davis, deputy commandant for aviation at the US Marine Corps, with a mockup of a F-35 fighter jet. (Photo: Ngau Kai Yan)

SINGAPORE: Despite heavy criticism over its design, the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet is combat-ready, insisted Lieutenant-General John Davis, deputy commandant for aviation at the US Marine Corps, on Wednesday (Feb 17) at the Singapore Airshow.

The F-35B model was declared operationally capable by the US Marine Corps in July last year, and manufacturer Lockheed Martin told Channel NewsAsia that it expects the US to do the same for the F-35A model in August this year.

The F-35 has been beset by a slew of technical issues ranging from unreliable software to defective ejector seats, since production first started in 2006. Early in February, the Pentagon released a report flagging numerous deficiencies in the jet.

“There's a lot of stuff in the press, but even reading that (Pentagon) report, I don't think I'm making a mistake,” said Lt-Gen Davis.

“Its operational capabilities far outweigh any deficiencies … And deficiencies in a fifth-generation aircraft still make it vastly superior to a fourth-generation one.”

He added that the US Marines are planning to add 420 more F-35s to its fleet.

A mock-up of the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet. (Photo: Ngau Kai Yan)

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 director of business development Steve Over said the company was continually working to iron out any deficiencies in the jet's development programme. He also touted the F-35 as a cost-effective alternative.

“We know that every country buying airplanes wants to get their best value for dollar, so allow me to quote Lieutenant-General Christopher Bogdan, head of the US F-35 programme: ‘In 2019, we are going to have the F-35, with all its remarkable capabilities, be available for less than or equal to the cost of other fourth-generation airplane’,” said Mr Over.

The jet will be priced from US$80 million to US$85 million, he added, noting that Lockheed Martin has “taken innovative steps to get there”, and will work to drive the cost down even more.

‘OMNISCIENT’ WEAPON

The cockpit of the fifth-generation F-35 (Photo: Ngau Kai Yan)

Touted by Lockheed Martin as the most versatile and lethal fighter of all time, the supersonic stealth F-35 is equipped to handle “today’s developing advanced threat systems” which fourth-generation airplanes - still in use by the likes of the US and Singapore air forces - may not be able to deal with, said Mr Over.

This is due to features such as stealth-covered weaponry, advanced sensors for a pack of F-35s to do battle together, as well as an automated cockpit "that gives the pilot an almost omniscient perspective of the battlespace around him,” said Mr Over.

Lt-Gen Davis, meanwhile, described the F-35 as "not like any system out there”.

“Our captains and majors flying the airplane are very pleased with what they’ve got, and we are doing with four airplanes what other guys would have to do with 13,” he added. “If my son goes into combat, I’d want him in an F-35.”

A mockup of the F-35 is on display at the Airshow, which runs till Sunday Feb 21. There is also a flight simulator, albeit for trade days only (till Feb 19).

Singapore officially announced its interest in procuring F-35 jets in 2013, but has yet to place an order.

“Singapore has been a great client and a great customer,” said Mr Over. “As a Security Cooperative Participant since 2004, they have had a front row seat at the table as we’ve been developing the airplane, and they’ve been able to carefully study the plane and decide when and or if the plane makes sense for them in the future.”

Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in December last year that the nation was still evaluating its interest and “in no hurry” to decide, with the army’s current capabilities serving its needs.

The bulk of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s fleet is made up of fourth-generation F-16s - sixty of which Lockheed Martin has also been commissioned to upgrade to the tune of over S$1 billion. It was announced in December last year that the American defence contractor is expected to complete work on the F-16s by mid-2023. 

Posted By Charles D'Alberto

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