View allAll Photos Tagged Interoperability
SOUTH CHINA SEA (Aug. 30, 2022) Master-at-Arms 2nd Class John Aniolowski, from Belchertown, Mass., fires an M9 service pistol during a small arms qualification aboard amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7). Tripoli is operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Malcolm Kelley)
Lance Cpl. Mina S. Gadelkarim, left, spots targets for 1st Lt. Jacob A. Zalewski as he engages targets with his M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System as part of an unknown distance qualification range August 18 at Bradshaw Field Training Area, Northern Territory, Australia, during Exercise Koolendong 14. The range focused on increasing scout sniper's long range precision firing capabilities. The Marines challenged themselves with the M40 A5, M110 SASS and the M107 SASR. Marines are with Scout Sniper Platoon, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and are currently deployed in part of the Marine Rotational Force Darwin. The rotational deployment of U.S. Marines affords an unprecedented combined training opportunity with their Australian allies, and improves interoperability with their forces. Zalewski, a Phoneix, Arizona native, is the Scout Sniper Platoon commander. Gadelkarim, a Campbell, Texas native, is a rifleman assigned with the platoon. (Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Joey S. Holeman, Jr./ Released)
A German Army Leopard II tank, assigned to 104th Panzer Battalion, moves through the Joint Multinational Readiness Center during Saber Junction 2012 in Hohenfels, Germany, Oct. 25. The U.S. Army Europe's exercise Saber Junction trains U.S. personnel and 1800 multinational partners from 18 nations ensuring multinational interoperability and an agile, ready coalition force.
(U.S. Army Europe photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/released)
A soldier from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force observes his target while conducting a stalk exercise with 1st Marine Division Schools during Exercise Iron Fist 2014 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 11, 2014. Iron Fist is an amphibious exercise that brings together Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, other I Marine Expeditionary Force units, and soldiers from the JGSDF, to promote military interoperability and hone individual and small-unit skills through challenging, complex and realistic training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos/Released)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 17, 2021) An MV-22B Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) takes off from the flight deck of forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) during a long-range raid exercise. America, flagship of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, along with the 31st MEU, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Thomas B. Contant)
A U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15C "Eagle" from the 53rd Wing takes off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, during exercise Northern Edge, May 11, 2017. With participants and assets from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard, Northern Edge is Alaska’s premier joint-training exercise designed to practice operations and enhance interoperability among the services.
U.S. Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force practice visit, board, search, and seizure techniques during maritime interoperability training in San Diego Bay Jan. 10, 2015. MIT prepares the MRF for their upcoming deployment by enhancing their combat skills and teaching them techniques for boarding vessels. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jamean Berry/Released)
SOUTH CHINA SEA (Nov. 18, 2021) Information Technician 3rd Class Victoria Fountain, from Panama City, Florida, serves as signalman during replenishment-at-sea (RAS) between Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) and Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Yukon (T-AO-202). Jackson, part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, is on a rotational deployment in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Langholf)
Dutch soldiers conduct an assault in an urban environment during Exercise Allied Spirit I at the U.S. Army Joint Multinational Readiness Center's Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, Jan. 20, 2015. Exercise Allied Spirit includes more than 2,000 participants from Canada, Hungary, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States. Allied Spirit is exercising tactical interoperability and testing secure communications among Alliance members. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/released)
Net Zero (The Great Leap Forward: starvation and death) is a net of deception that will end with mass death and destruction. Reduce CO2 emissions! Less plants and oxygen, less life…woohoo! You are the CO2 they want to reduce. The unwanted carbon they most want to get rid of is you…the earth is overpopulated you know. Say no to cow farts…eating meat: bad; eating bugs: good! No driving or flying…yay! Green energy is unsustainable and so are you…buhahaha! Reduce nitrogen emissions (nitrogen fertilizer)! Less fertilizer and food, less life…woohoo! In the end you will not be allowed to collect rain water, grow a garden or raise animals. Scarcity = dependency = control. Sustainability means depopulation. If you haven’t figured it out yet: the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is an agenda to implement global communism—to centralize, control, and depopulate. It’s about the famous communist religious doctrine of “redistribution of wealth”. They will make the west poorer, yet they will allow China to be exempt, thus elevating China. It’s nothing but a communist redistribution scheme…equality for all! Stakeholder Capitalism (Stakeholder Communism) anyone? Communism rebranded…woohoo! Human rights: a repackaging of socialism. Let’s repackage and rename the latest version of the revolution: wokeism—“Tyranny of the minority.” Then the masses will consume the latest greatest neo-communist dialectic fad.
1970s: Global Cooling
1980s: Greenhouse Gas
1990s: Ozone Depletion
2000s: Global Warming
2010s: Climate Change
2020s: Global Boiling
“These, Health and Climate, are the twin tools of oppression being slatheringly adopted by all Politian’s and aspiring dictators.” They never let a crisis go to waste, even if they have to invent one—covid and climate fascism. The Nazi’s used medicine and science too. Why is it that Canada’s euthanasia laws remind me of Nazi Germany? Yet useful idiots will defend such laws. So where is the public debate on all this stuff? When talking about the Medical-Industrial Complex or the Scientific-Industrial Complex we get met by the Censorship-Industrial Complex. Hands off the Patent-for-profit Government-Medical-Pharmaceutical Axis! Governments and corporations working hand in hand: fascism. That’s odd…who would’ve thought!?! That’s why the United Nations loves its Public-Private Partnerships. Indeed, Google wasn't meant for searching anything but the user! Can anyone say: data mining!?! Data will be used to control you. Ah…the beautiful smell of the Beast Technostructure System—a techno-driven data enslavement system. 666: the sweet smelling system of tyranny. Woohoo…the future smells like death and destruction, like hell on earth! Authoritarianism at its finest! The utopian dream of sustainability!
Build Back Beter: you must destroy (tear down) in order to rebuild (Lahaina; Lytton). In order for them to rebuild, they will first tear down society. We must destroy democracy by adopting global environmental data standards, so that we can address the triple planetary crisis. We must pool data and digital infrastructure across all United Nations member states, building flagship data sets and standards for interoperability, so that we can bring together data and AI expertise to build insights and applications for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
To be a good global citizen you will need to follow (live by) the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. These Sustainable Development Goals will be enforced through a global Social Credit Score System. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals is the Hegelian Dialectic that is taking us into the New World Order—Build Back Better. Will we get to vote on all this? No! “Sustainability is the tyranny of the 21st century.”
The perfect global citizen is one who lacks purpose, one who is apathetic and cowardly, one who will not stand up for what is right and true. These people feel like they live empty and meaningless lives. They are bored, socially alienated and lonely (social media ring a bell?). Such people will more readily fall for spoon fed ideology through propaganda, indoctrination and peer pressure. Then, with faithful devotion, they will religiously adhere to their new doctrine of wokeism. They lack understand concerning freedom; they lack understand concerning their responsibility to maintain freedom. They lack critical thinking skills and are willfully ignorant. They don’t want to take responsibility for themselves but want someone else (big daddy government) to look after them. So when a One World Totalitarian Socialist Governance System presents itself, the masses will be compliant. Welcome to the New (dark) Age of enlightenment (unreason). Welcome to the cyber-zombie apocalypse. Paradigm blindness: they will gladly accept a digital pseudo-reality—the metaverse synthetic multiverse effect. These global citizens will outsource their thinking to the Beast hive mind system. They will be willing and blissful slaves. “They will own nothing and be happy.” Global citizens will embrace the false utopianism of the New World Order when it presents itself. They will take the smart-tattoo-chip to the hand or forehead, and they will plead allegiance to the new tyrant. This up coming regime will be worse than the other communist and fascist regimes, and it will have a worse leader. It will cause more starvation and death, and it will have more control of the people. Let’s repackage and rename this latest version of the techno-revolution: antichristism. Welcome to the digital 666 gulags, where billions will die! Welcome to the digital prison planet Beast system. They will tear down humanity, in order to replace it with transhumanity. You will not be able to live in a digital world and keep your individuality, freedom and autonomy. Even worse, you will not be able to live in a digital Trans-666-humanist world and keep your soul. Which christ will you follow? You cannot serve two masters!
Matthew 24:28 “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan (Nov. 19, 2021) Lt. Cmdr. Avery Wilson, navigator aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), conducts a tour of the ship’s pilot house for local and regional civic and military leadership during a port visit. America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, is operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Berlier)
PACIFIC OCEAN (May 29, 2021) Aviation Machinist Mate Airman Dillan Hall, from Janesnille, Wis., assigned to the Archangels of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25, withdraws a fuel sample from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter on the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America’s (LHA 6) flight deck. America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Walter Estrada)
SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 22, 2023) - F/A-18F Super Hornets from the “Mighty Shrikes” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 94, an E/A-18G Growler from the “Cougars” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139, a B-1B Lancer from the 34th Bomb Squadron, and a B-52 Stratofortress from the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron fly in formation during an all-domain joint exercise, demonstrating unique theater-wide multi-discipline high-end warfighting capability, maritime superiority, power projection, speed of maneuver and readiness. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft traveled from multiple directions to integrate, demonstrating the credibility of forces to address a global security environment that is more diverse and uncertain than at any other time in history. Interoperability of joint forces reassures allies and partners that U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific is ironclad. (U.S. Navy photo) 230422-N-NO803-2003
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan (Nov. 19, 2021) Capt. Ken Ward, commanding officer of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), leads a tour for local and regional civic and military leadership in the ship’s pilot house during a port visit. America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, is operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Berlier)
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. James McFarland (left), Royal Thai air force Group Capt. Supijjarn Thamwatharsaree (center) and Republic of Singapore air force Col. Chan Ching Hao, exercise directors for "Exercise Cope Tiger 17" (CT17), walk past a row of U.S. Air Force F-15s during CT17 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, March 28, 2017. The annual multilateral exercise, which involves a combined total of 76 aircraft and 43 air defense assets, is aimed at improving combined combat readiness and interoperability between the Republic of Singapore air force, Royal Thai air force, and U.S. Air Force, while concurrently enhancing the three nations' military relations.
1st Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles being re-fuelled from an Oshkosh Wheeled Tanker during NATO Exercise Allied Spirit 8.
Approximately 200 soldiers from 1st Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (1PWRR) were among 4,000 soldiers from 10 different NATO countries participating in Exercise Allied Spirit 8 in Southern Germany.
The NATO assurance measurement exercise is designed to develop relationships and promote interoperability and integration with NATO, Allied and Coalition partners.
During the exercise 1PWRR have been under the command of a Polish Mechanised Brigade delivering the Armoured Infantry element along with a company of Danish Armoured Infantry.
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© Crown Copyright 2014
Photographer: Mr Dominic King
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SOUTH CHINA SEA (June 15, 2017) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), Izumo-class helicopter destroyer, JS Izumo (DDH 183), and Takanami-class destroyer JS Sazanami (DDG 113), sail in formation during a combined Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and U.S. Navy exercise June 13-15, 2017. Participants included USS Ronald Reagan, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67), Carrier Air Wing 5, Destroyer Squadron 15, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Barry (DDG 52) and USS McCampbell (DDG 85), JS Izumo and JS Sazanami. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and U.S. Navy forces routinely train together to improve interoperability and readiness to provide stability and security for the Indo-Asia Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Burke / Released)
McEntire Joint National Guard Base, home of the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing, co-hosts nighttime arming and refueling training during Exercise Agile Lion, Jan. 14, 2020. Multi-functional Airmen and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., execute integrated combat turns during the exercise. This training simulates mobile command and control which enables joint interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Stephen Hudson, 169th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)
U.S. 7TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (April 15, 2023) - Philippine navy ship BRP Tarlac (FF 601) receives a shot line from amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) during a replenishment-at-sea rehearsal for Balikatan 23, April 15, 2023 in the Philippines territorial waters. Balikatan is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, comprised of Makin Island and amphibious transport docks USS Anchorage (LPD 23) and USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations with the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to enhance interoperability with Allies and partners and serve as a ready-response force to defend peace and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Minh-Thy Chu) 230415-N-YR119-1140
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CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines (March 14, 2023) - An F-22A Raptor assigned to the 525th Fighter Squadron flies with Philippine Air Force FA-50PH’s over the South China Sea, March 14, 2023. Integrating and training alongside the Philippine Air Force promotes interoperability, builds upon our strong alliance, and reaffirms the commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty and maintaining peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jessi Roth) 230314-F-PW483-1037
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PACIFIC OCEAN (March 1, 2022) U.S. Marine Capt. Austin Branch, left, from Coronado, California, and U.S. Navy Lt. Dillon Duke, from Edmond, Oklahoma, both assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Fifth Air Naval Gun Liaison Company (5th ANGLICO), conduct Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) communication drills with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) in the Combat Information Center aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) while participating in bilateral advanced warfare training (BAWT). BAWT is an annual bilateral training exercise that improves the partnership between U.S. and Japanese Forces. This year’s exercise focused on enhancing readiness and interoperability of coalition forces from the U.S. and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Benjamin Lewis)
PHILIPPINE SEA (Jan. 16, 2023) Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) conducts interoperability exercises with USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) and Japanese Asahi-class destroyer JS Ashigara (DDG 178) in the Philippine Sea, Jan. 16. Shiloh is forward-deployed to U.S. 7th Fleet in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Santiago Navarro)
U.S. Soldiers with the 91st Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, detonate a mine clearing line charge fired from their M1 assault breacher vehicle at the Camp Aachen training area, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Jan. 23, 2019. Ironhorse conducted Combined Resolve XI Phase II in support of Atlantic Resolve, an enduring exercise to improve the interoperability between U.S. forces, their NATO allies and partner nations. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Jacob Hester-Heard) www.dvidshub.net
A Belgium F-16 moves into position to receive more fuel mid-air from a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Arctic Circle, June 7th, 2023. The 101st ARW is taking part in Arctic Challenge Exercise 2023, a live fly exercise that serves to advance arctic security initiatives and enhance interoperability in the increasingly dynamic and contested region. (Photo by Master Sgt. Andrew Sinclair)
A Slovakian soldier shoots an M2 .50 Caliber machine gun mounted on an Outlaw Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker, an eight wheeled armored fighting vehicle, during Slovak Shield 2016 live-fire training Oct. 4, 2016. Understanding weapons of NATO allies is vital to the interoperability of U.S. and allied troops during training or a NATO mission..
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke, 24th Press Camp/Released) www.dvidshub.net
U.S. Air Force 320th Special Tactics Squadron combat controllers and Marine Corps 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion operators gather together following their extraction July 13, 2017, from Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia. The tactical level exchanges and realistic scenario-based missions executed during Talisman Saber 2017 increased interoperability and partner capacity with between the U.S Air Force and Marine Corps. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Jessica Tait) www.dvidshub.net
Latvian Army soldiers move to contact during exercise Saber Junction 15 at the U.S. Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 23, 2015. Saber Junction 15 prepares NATO and partner nation forces for offensive, defensive, and stability operations and promotes interoperability among participants. Saber Junction 15 has more than 4,700 participants from 17 countries, to include: Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/Released)
SOUTH CHINA SEA (Jan. 15, 2022) Sailors prepare to move an EA-18G Growler, assigned to the “Gauntlets” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136, left, and an F/A-18E Super Hornets, assigned to the “Stingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 113, on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (VINCSG) is on a scheduled deployment in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Derek Kelley)
1st Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment Soldiers, in their Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles during NATO Exercise Allied Spirit 8.
Approximately 200 soldiers from 1st Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (1PWRR) were among 4,000 soldiers from 10 different NATO countries participating in Exercise Allied Spirit 8 in Southern Germany.
The NATO assurance measurement exercise is designed to develop relationships and promote interoperability and integration with NATO, Allied and Coalition partners.
During the exercise 1PWRR have been under the command of a Polish Mechanised Brigade delivering the Armoured Infantry element along with a company of Danish Armoured Infantry.
-------------------------------------------------------
© Crown Copyright 2014
Photographer: Mr Dominic King
Image 45163769.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk
This image is available for high resolution download at www.defenceimagery.mod.uk subject to the terms and conditions of the Open Government License at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/. Search for image number 45163769.jpg
For latest news visit www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
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U.S. Soldiers assigned to Battle Group Poland conduct air assault training with 10th Combat Aviation Brigade's CH-47 and UH-60 helicopters at Rostki Helipad near the Bemowo Piskie Training Area during Saber Strike 17 June 6, 2017. Saber Strike 17 is a U.S. Army Europe-led multinational combined forces exercise conducted annually to enhance the NATO alliance throughout the Baltic region and Poland. This year’s exercise includes integrated and synchronized deterrence-oriented training designed to improve interoperability and readiness of the 20 participating nations’ militaries. (U.S. Army photo by Georgios Moumoulidis)
A soldier from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force low crawls his way through vegetation while conducting a stalk exercise with 1st Marine Division Schools during Exercise Iron Fist 2014 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 11, 2014. Iron Fist is an amphibious exercise that brings together Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, other I Marine Expeditionary Force units, and soldiers from the JGSDF, to promote military interoperability and hone individual and small-unit skills through challenging, complex and realistic training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos/Released)
A Luxembourg Army soldier stands guard during exercise Saber Junction 15 at the U.S. Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 23, 2015. Saber Junction 15 prepares NATO and partner nation forces for offensive, defensive, and stability operations and promotes interoperability among participants. Saber Junction 15 has more than 4,700 participants from 17 countries, to include: Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/Released)
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. James McFarland (left), Royal Thai air force Group Capt. Supijjarn Thamwatharsaree (center) and Republic of Singapore air force Col. Chan Ching Hao, exercise directors for "Exercise Cope Tiger 17" (CT17) walk along the flightline during CT17 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, March 28, 2017. The annual multilateral exercise, which involves a combined total of 76 aircraft and 43 air defense assets, is aimed at improving combined combat readiness and interoperability between the Republic of Singapore air force, Royal Thai air force, and U.S. Air Force, while concurrently enhancing the three nations' military relations.
U.S. Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin work as a unit to overtake objectives Aug. 21, 2014, during a live-fire exercise as part of Koolendong 2014 at the Bradshaw Field Training Area in Northern Territory, Australia. Koolendong is an amphibious and live-fire exercise designed to increase interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps and Australian Defense Force. (DoD photo by Cpl. Scott Reel, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)
A soldier from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force high crawls his way through vegetation while conducting a stalk exercise with 1st Marine Division Schools during Exercise Iron Fist 2014 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 11, 2014. Iron Fist is an amphibious exercise that brings together Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, other I Marine Expeditionary Force units, and soldiers from the JGSDF, to promote military interoperability and hone individual and small-unit skills through challenging, complex and realistic training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos/Released)
This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:
www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-12
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS: Improved Procurement of Land Mobile Radios Could Enhance Interoperability and Cut Costs
Note: The dots in the figure represent the 57 agencies that responded to our survey, plus the FBI. The gray lines connect pairs of agencies whereby only one agency within the pair identified the need to be interoperable with the other agency, and the black lines connect pairs of agencies whereby both agencies within the pair mutually and independently identified the need to be interoperable with one another.
McEntire Joint National Guard Base, home of the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing, co-hosts nighttime arming and refueling training during Exercise Agile Lion, Jan. 14, 2020. Multi-functional Airmen and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., execute integrated combat turns during the exercise. This training simulates mobile command and control which enables joint interoperability. A C-130J Hercules military transport aircraft from the 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., assists in the prepositioning of support personnel, equipment and fuel needed to support the fleet of F-15s participating in the exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Stephen Hudson, 169th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)
Soldiers with Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team conduct a live fire exercise in an M1A2 Abrams Tank during Exercise Saber Guardian 16 at the Romanian Land Force Combat Training Center (RLF-CTC) in Cincu, Romania, August 2. Saber Guardian is a multinational military exercise involving approximately 2,800 military personnel from ten nations including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the U.S. The exercise is designed to build multinational, regional and joint partnership capacity by enhancing military relationships, exchanging professional experiences, and improving interoperability between the land forces from the participating countries (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle J. Warner, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)
Pvt. Draven Pancake, infantryman of 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and native of Petersburg, Ind., fires an M320 grenade launcher at a range in the Estonian Army Training Area, Nov. 2. Despite windy conditions, all Soldiers managed to adjust and qualify, hitting targets ranging from 200 to 350 meters away. These activities are part of the U.S. Army Europe-led Operation Atlantic Resolve land force assurance training taking place across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to enhance multinational interoperability, strengthen relationships among allied partners, contribute to regional stability and demonstrate U.S. commitment to NATO allies.
Forces from U.S. Central Command components and the Israel Defense Forces participate in exercise Juniper Oak 23-2, Jan. 25, 2023, over the USCENTCOM area of responsibility. The bilateral military exercise is designed to enhance interoperability between the U.S. and Israel militaries. (Israel Defense Forces courtesy photo)
YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. (Sept. 3, 2014) - Soldiers with 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and their counterparts in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, came together in a ceremony marking the beginning of a month of interoperability training. Pictured here, a Type 74 tank from the 16th Regimental Combat Team, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force fires on a target during a live-fire exercise. (Photo by Sgt. Bryan Spradlin)
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Fairchild Republic A-10C "Thunderbolt IIs" (s/n's 78-0705, 78-0719, 78-0720, 79-0086) assigned to the 104th Fighter Squadron sit on the flightline after a training mission preparing for the start of 'Saber Strike' at Amari Air Base, Estonia on June 2, 2013. The Maryland Air National Guard pilots will provide training and mentoring to the Estonian Air Force with their close air support aircraft. 'Saber Strike 2013' is a multinational exercise involving approximately 2,000 personnel from 14 countries and is designed to improve NATO interoperability and strengthen the relationships between military forces of the U.S., Estonia and other participating nations.
Marines with Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 311 perform post-flight maintenance checks on McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B "Harrier II's" during Exercise Northern Lightning at Volk Field Counterland Training Center, Camp Douglas, Wis., Aug. 13. Exercise Northern Lightning 2018 allows the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy to strengthen interoperability between services and gives the different branches a greater understanding of aviation capabilities within a joint fighting force.
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The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier Jump Jet family. Capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL), the aircraft was designed in the late 1970s as an Anglo-American development of the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational V/STOL aircraft. The aircraft is primarily employed on light attack or multi-role missions, ranging from close air support of ground troops to armed reconnaissance. The AV-8B is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the Spanish Navy, and the Italian Navy. A variant of the AV-8B, the British Aerospace Harrier II, was developed for the British military, while another, the TAV-8B, is a dedicated two-seat trainer.
The project that eventually led to the AV-8Bs creation started in the early 1970s as a cooperative effort between the United States and United Kingdom (UK), aimed at addressing the operational inadequacies of the first-generation Harrier. Early efforts centered on a larger, more powerful Pegasus engine to dramatically improve the capabilities of the Harrier. Due to budgetary constraints, the UK abandoned the project in 1975.
Following the withdrawal of the UK, McDonnell Douglas extensively redesigned the earlier AV-8A Harrier to create the AV-8B. While retaining the general layout of its predecessor, the aircraft incorporates a new wing, an elevated cockpit, a redesigned fuselage, one extra hardpoint per wing, and other structural and aerodynamic refinements. The aircraft is powered by an upgraded version of the Pegasus, which gives the aircraft its V/STOL ability. The AV-8B made its maiden flight in November 1981 and entered service with the USMC in January 1985. Later upgrades added a night-attack capability and radar, resulting in the AV-8B(NA) and AV-8B Harrier II Plus, respectively. An enlarged version named Harrier III was also studied, but not pursued. The UK, through British Aerospace, re-joined the improved Harrier project as a partner in 1981, giving it a significant work-share in the project. After corporate mergers in the 1990s, Boeing and BAE Systems have jointly supported the program. Approximately 340 aircraft were produced in a 22-year production program that ended in 2003.
Typically operated from small aircraft carriers, large amphibious assault ships and simple forward operating bases, AV-8Bs have participated in numerous military and humanitarian operations, proving themselves versatile assets. U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf named the USMC Harrier II as one of several important weapons in the Gulf War. The aircraft took part in combat during the Iraq War beginning in 2003. The Harrier II has served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan since 2001, and was used in Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya in 2011. Italian and Spanish Harrier IIs have taken part in overseas conflicts in conjunction with NATO coalitions. During its service history, the AV-8B has had a high accident rate, related to the percentage of time spent in critical take-off and landing phases. USMC and Italian Navy AV-8Bs are to be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, with the former expected to operate its Harriers until 2025.
Development
Origins
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the first-generation Harriers entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Marine Corps (USMC), but were handicapped in range and payload. In short takeoff and landing configuration, the AV-8A (American designation for the Harrier) carried less than half the 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) payload of the smaller Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, over a more limited radius. To address this issue, Hawker Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas began joint development of a more capable version of the Harrier in 1973. Early efforts concentrated on an improved Pegasus engine, designated the Pegasus 15, which was being tested by Bristol Siddeley. Although more powerful, the engine's diameter was too large by 2.75 in (70 mm) to fit into the Harrier easily.
In December 1973, a joint American and British team completed a project document defining an Advanced Harrier powered by the Pegasus 15 engine. The Advanced Harrier was intended to replace the original RAF and USMC Harriers, as well as the USMC's A-4. The aim of the Advanced Harrier was to double the AV-8's payload and range, and was therefore unofficially named AV-16. The British government pulled out of the project in March 1975 owing to decreased defense funding, rising costs, and the RAF's insufficient 60-aircraft requirement. With development costs estimated to be around £180–200 million (1974 British pounds), the United States was unwilling to fund development by itself, and ended the project later that year.
Despite the project's termination, the two companies continued to take different paths toward an enhanced Harrier. Hawker Siddeley focused on a new larger wing that could be retrofitted to existing operational aircraft, while McDonnell Douglas independently pursued a less ambitious, though still expensive, project catering to the needs of the US military. Using knowledge gleaned from the AV-16 effort, though dropping some items—such as the larger Pegasus engine—McDonnell Douglas kept the basic structure and engine for an aircraft tailored for the USMC.
Designing and testing
As the USMC wanted a substantially improved Harrier without the development of a new engine, the plan for Harrier II development was authorized by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) in 1976. The United States Navy (USN), which had traditionally procured military aircraft for the USMC, insisted that the new design be verified with flight testing. McDonnell Douglas modified two AV-8As with new wings, revised intakes, redesigned exhaust nozzles, and other aerodynamic changes; the modified forward fuselage and cockpit found on all subsequent aircraft were not incorporated on these prototypes. Designated YAV-8B, the first converted aircraft flew on 9 November 1978, at the hands of Charles Plummer. The aircraft performed three vertical take-offs and hovered for seven minutes at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. The second aircraft followed on 19 February 1979, but crashed that November due to engine flameout; the pilot ejected safely. Flight testing of these modified AV-8s continued into 1979. The results showed greater than expected drag, hampering the aircraft's maximum speed. Further refinements to the aerodynamic profile yielded little improvement. Positive test results in other areas, including payload, range, and V/STOL performance, led to the award of a development contract in 1979. The contract stipulated a procurement of 12 aircraft initially, followed by a further 324.
Between 1978 and 1980, the DoD and USN repeatedly attempted to terminate the AV-8B program. There had previously been conflict between the USMC and USN over budgetary issues. At the time, the USN wanted to procure A-18s for its ground attack force and, to cut costs, pressured the USMC to adopt the similarly-designed F-18 fighter instead of the AV-8B to fulfill the role of close air support (both designs were eventually amalgamated to create the multirole F/A-18 Hornet). Despite these bureaucratic obstacles, in 1981, the DoD included the Harrier II in its annual budget and five-year defense plan. The USN declined to participate in the procurement, citing the limited range and payload compared with conventional aircraft.
In August 1981 the program received a boost when British Aerospace (BAe) and McDonnell Douglas signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), marking the UK's re-entry into the program. The British government was enticed by the lower cost of acquiring Harriers promised by a large production run, and the fact that the US was shouldering the expense of development. Under the agreement BAe was relegated to the position of a subcontractor, instead of the full partner status that would have been the case had the UK not left the program. Consequently, the company received, in man-hours, 40 percent of the airframe work-share. Aircraft production took place at McDonnell Douglas' facilities in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, and manufacturing by BAe at its Kingston and Dunsfold facilities in Surrey, England. Meanwhile, 75 percent work-share for the engine went to Rolls-Royce, which had previously absorbed Bristol Siddeley, with the remaining 25 percent assigned to Pratt & Whitney. The two companies planned to manufacture 400 Harrier IIs, with the USMC expected to procure 336 aircraft and the RAF, 60.
Four full-scale development (FSD) aircraft were constructed. The first of these (BuNo 161396), used mainly for testing performance and handling qualities, made its maiden flight on 5 November 1981, piloted by Plummer. The second and third FSD aircraft, which introduced wing leading-edge root extensions and revised engine intakes, first flew in April the following year; the fourth followed in January 1984. The first production AV-8B was delivered to the Marine Attack Training Squadron 203 (VMAT-203) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (MCAS Cherry Point) on 12 December 1983, and officially handed over one month later. The last of the initial batch of 12 was delivered in January 1985 to the front-line Marine Attack Squadron 331 (VMA-331). The engine used for these aircraft was the F402-RR-404A, with 21,450 lb (95.4 kN) of thrust; aircraft from 1990 onwards received upgraded engines.
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(U.S. Army Europe photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/released)
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A Latvian soldier takes cover during exercise Saber Junction 15 at the U.S. Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 23, 2015. Saber Junction 15 prepares NATO and partner nation forces for offensive, defensive, and stability operations and promotes interoperability among participants. Saber Junction 15 has more than 4,700 participants from 17 countries, to include: Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/Released)
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