Hosts and guests of the U.S. AFRICOM C4ISR Senior Leader Conference tour a winery in the hills above Vicenza, Italy, Feb. 3, 2011.

 

U.S. Army Africa photo by David Ruderman

 

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosted its second annual C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference Feb. 2-4 at Caserma Ederle, headquarters of U.S. Army Africa, in Vicenza, Italy.

 

The communications and intelligence community event, hosted by Brig. Gen. Robert Ferrell, AFRICOM C4 director, drew approximately 80 senior leaders from diverse U.S. military and government branches and agencies, as well as representatives of African nations and the African Union.

 

The conference is a combination of our U.S. AFRICOM C4 systems and intel directorate,” said Ferrell. “We come together annually to bring the team together to work on common goals to work on throughout the year. The team consists of our coalition partners as well as our inter-agency partners, as well as our components and U.S. AFRICOM staff.”

 

The conference focused on updates from participants, and on assessing the present state and goals of coalition partners in Africa, he said.

 

“The theme for our conference is ‘Delivering Capabilities to a Joint Information Environment,’ and we see it as a joint and combined team ... working together, side by side, to promote peace and stability there on the African continent,” Ferrell said.

 

Three goals of this year’s conference were to strengthen the team, assess priorities across the board, and get a better fix on the impact that the establishment of the U.S. Cyber Command will have on all members’ efforts in the future, he said.

 

“With the stand-up of U.S. Cyber Command, it brings a lot of unique challenges that we as a team need to talk through to ensure that our information is protected at all times,” Ferrell said.

 

African Union (AU) representatives from four broad geographic regions of Africa attended, which generated a holistic perspective on needs and requirements from across the continent, he said.

 

“We have members from the African Union headquarters that is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; we have members that are from Uganda; from Zambia; from Ghana; and also from the Congo. What are the gaps, what are the things that we kind of need to assist with as we move forward on our engagements on the African continent?” Ferrell said.

 

U.S. Army Africa Commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, welcomed participants as the conference got under way.

 

“We’re absolutely delighted to be the host for this conference, and we hope that this week you get a whole lot out of it,” said Hogg.

 

He took the opportunity to address the participants not only as their host, but from the perspective of a customer whose missions depend on the results of their efforts to support commanders in the field.

 

“When we’re talking about this group of folks that are here — from the joint side, from our African partners, from State, all those folks — it’s about partnership and interoperability. And every commander who’s ever had to fight in a combined environment understands that interoperability is the thing that absolutely slaps you upside the head,” Hogg said.

 

“We’re in the early stages of the process here of working with the African Union and the other partners, and you have an opportunity to design this from the end state, versus just building a bunch of ‘gunkulators.’ And so, the message is: think about what the end state is supposed to look like and construct the strategy to support the end state.

 

“Look at where we want to be at and design it that way,” Hogg said.

 

He also admonished participants to consider the second- and third-order effects of their choices in designing networks.

 

“With that said, over the next four days, I hope this conference works very well for you. If there’s anything we can do to make your stay better, please let us know,” Hogg said.

 

Over the following three days, participants engaged in a steady stream of briefings and presentations focused on systems, missions and updates from the field.

 

Col. Joseph W. Angyal, director of U.S. Army Africa G-6, gave an overview of operations and issues that focused on fundamentals, the emergence of regional accords as a way forward, and the evolution of a joint network enterprise that would serve all interested parties.

 

“What we’re trying to do is to work regionally. That’s frankly a challenge, but as we stand up the capability, really for the U.S. government, and work through that, we hope to become more regionally focused,” he said.

 

He referred to Africa Endeavor, an annual, multi-nation communications exercise, as a test bed for the current state of affairs on the continent, and an aid in itself to future development.

 

“In order to conduct those exercises, to conduct those security and cooperation events, and to meet contingency missions, we really, from the C4ISR perspective, have five big challenges,” Angyal said.

 

“You heard General Hogg this morning talk about ‘think about the customer’ — you’ve got to allow me to be able to get access to our data; I’ve got to be able to get to the data where and when I need it; you’ve got to be able to protect it; I have to be able to share it; and then finally, the systems have to be able to work together in order to build that coalition.

 

“One of the reasons General Ferrell is setting up this joint information enterprise, this joint network enterprise . . . it’s almost like trying to bring together disparate companies or corporations: everyone has their own system, they’ve paid for their own infrastructure, and they have their own policy, even though they support the same major company.

 

“Now multiply that when you bring in different services, multiply that when you bring in different U.S. government agencies, and then put a layer on top of that with the international partners, and there are lots of policies that are standing in our way.”

 

The main issue is not a question of technology, he said.

 

“The boxes are the same — a Cisco router is a Cisco router; Microsoft Exchange server is the same all over the world — but it’s the way that we employ them, and it’s the policies that we apply to it, that really stops us from interoperating, and that’s the challenge we hope to work through with the joint network enterprise.

 

“And I think that through things like Africa Endeavor and through the joint enterprise network, we’re looking at knocking down some of those policy walls, but at the end of the day they are ours to knock down. Bill Gates did not design a system to work only for the Army or for the Navy — it works for everyone,” Angyal said.

 

Brig. Gen. Joseph Searyoh, director general of Defense Information Communication Systems, General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces, agreed that coordinating policy is fundamental to improving communications with all its implications for a host of operations and missions.

 

“One would expect that in these modern times there is some kind of mutual engagement, and to build that engagement to be strong, there must be some kind of element of trust. … We have to build some kind of trust to be able to move forward,” said Searyoh.

 

“Some people may be living in silos of the past, but in the current engagement we need to tell people that we are there with no hidden agenda, no negative hidden agenda, but for the common good of all of us.

 

“We say that we are in the information age, and I’ve been saying something: that our response should not be optional, but it must be a must, because if you don’t join now, you are going to be left behind.

 

“So what do we do? We have to get our house in order.

 

“Why do I say so? We used to operate like this before the information age; now in the information age, how do we operate?

 

“So, we have to get our house in order and see whether we are aligning ourselves with way things should work now. So, our challenge is to come up with a strategy, see how best we can reorganize our structures, to be able to deliver communications-information systems support for the Ghana Armed Forces,” he said.

 

Searyoh related that his organization has already accomplished one part of erecting the necessary foundation by establishing an appropriate policy structure.

 

“What is required now is the implementing level. Currently we have communications on one side, and computers on one side. The lines are blurred — you cannot operate like that, you’ve got to bring them together,” he said.

 

Building that merged entity to support deployed forces is what he sees as the primary challenge at present.

 

“Once you get that done you can talk about equipment, you can talk about resources,” Searyoh said. “I look at the current collaboration between the U.S. and the coalition partners taking a new level.”

 

“The immediate challenges that we have is the interoperability, which I think is one of the things we are also discussing here, interoperability and integration,” said Lt. Col. Kelvin Silomba, African Union-Zambia, Information Technology expert for the Africa Stand-by Force.

 

“You know that we’ve got five regions in Africa. All these regions, we need to integrate them and bring them together, so the challenge of interoperability in terms of equipment, you know, different tactical equipment that we use, and also in terms of the language barrier — you know, all these regions in Africa you find that they speak different languages — so to bring them together we need to come up with one standard that will make everybody on board and make everybody able to talk to each other,” he said.

 

“So we have all these challenges. Other than that also, stemming from the background of these African countries, based on the colonization: some of them were French colonized, some of them were British colonized and so on, so you find that when they come up now we’ve adopted some of the procedures based on our former colonial masters, so that is another challenge that is coming on board.”

 

The partnership with brother African states, with the U.S. government and its military branches, and with other interested collaborators has had a positive influence, said Silomba.

 

“Oh, it’s great. From the time that I got engaged with U.S. AFRICOM — I started with Africa Endeavor, before I even came to the AU — it is my experience that it is something very, very good.

 

“I would encourage — I know that there are some member states — I would encourage that all those member states they come on board, all of these regional organizations, that they come on board and support the AFRICOM lead. It is something that is very, very good.

 

“As for example, the African Union has a lot of support that’s been coming in, technical as well as in terms of knowledge and equipment. So it’s great; it’s good and it’s great,” said Salimba.

 

Other participant responses to the conference were positive as well.

 

“The feedback I’ve gotten from every member is that they now know what the red carpet treatment looks like, because USARAF has gone over and above board to make sure the environment, the atmosphere and the actual engagements … are executed to perfection,” said Ferrell. “It’s been very good from a team-building aspect.

 

“We’ve had very good discussions from members of the African Union, who gave us a very good understanding of the operations that are taking place in the area of Somalia, the challenges with communications, and laid out the gaps and desires of where they see that the U.S. and other coalition partners can kind of improve the capacity there in that area of responsibility.

 

“We also talked about the AU, as they are expanding their reach to all of the five regions, of how can they have that interoperability and connectivity to each of the regions,” Ferrell said.

 

“(It’s been) a wealth of knowledge and experts that are here to share in terms of how we can move forward with building capacities and capabilities. Not only for U.S. interests, but more importantly from my perspective, in building capacities and capabilities for our African partners beginning with the Commission at the African Union itself,” said Kevin Warthon, U.S. State Department, peace and security adviser to the African Union.

 

“I think that General Ferrell has done an absolutely wonderful thing by inviting key African partners to participate in this event so they can share their personal experience from a national, regional and continental perspective,” he said.

 

Warthon related from his personal experience a vignette of African trust in Providence that he believed carries a pertinent metaphor and message to everyone attending the conference.

 

“We are not sure what we are going to do tomorrow, but the one thing that I am sure of is that we are able to do something. Don’t know when, don’t know how, but as long as our focus is on our ability to assist and to help to progress a people, that’s really what counts more than anything else,” he said.

 

“Don’t worry about the timetable; just focus on your ability to make a difference and that’s what that really is all about.

 

“I see venues such as this as opportunities to make what seems to be the impossible become possible. … This is what this kind of venue does for our African partners.

 

“We’re doing a wonderful job at building relationships, because that’s where it begins — we have to build relationships to establish trust. That’s why this is so important: building trust through relationships so that we can move forward in the future,” Warthon said.

 

Conference members took a cultural tour of Venice and visited a traditional winery in the hills above Vicenza before adjourning.

 

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PRESS BRIEFING BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS Via Conference Call. 2:05 A.M. AFT.

 

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us here -- or there; we're here. This is on background -- senior administration officials. Once we're completed with the briefing, there's no embargo so you can use it from there. I'll turn it over to my colleague.

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great. Thanks, everybody, for getting on the call. We're happy to talk to you here from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan where the President was just able to visit with some troops. I'll just say a few words about the purpose of our visit and the President's speech, and then my colleague will discuss some of the elements of the Strategic Partnership Agreement that we signed earlier today.

   

President Obama traveled to Afghanistan today to sign an historic Strategic Partnership Agreement between the United States and Afghanistan, as well as to visit with our troops and to thank them for their service. He'll also shortly address the American people about the five elements of his policy to responsibly end the war in Afghanistan while achieving our objective of defeating al Qaeda and denying it a safe haven.

   

Again, I'll wait for my colleagues here to brief on the SPA. What I will say is that the Strategic Partnership Agreement that we reached today was something that we negotiated for 20 months with the Afghans. President Obama and President Karzai both had a goal of signing this agreement before the Chicago NATO summit later this month, and we had a goal of signing this agreement on Afghan soil to demonstrate our commitment to Afghan sovereignty and this new chapter in our relationship.

   

The SPA provides a long-term framework for the relationship between our two countries after the drawdown of U.S. forces. It details how our partnership will be normalized as the war comes to a responsible end. And just as we did in Iraq, we're focused on building an enduring partnership with Afghanistan that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability and prosperity while advancing, of course, our shared goals of defeating al Qaeda and contributing to the security of this region.

   

I think it's important to note that this agreement comes at a time when we have made significant progress toward achieving our core goal in Afghanistan, which of course is to defeat al Qaeda and deny the safe haven. It is also of course the one-year anniversary of the day that Osama bin Laden was taken out -- of course, a terrorist who had brought much suffering to Afghanistan and launched the 9/11 attacks against the United States from within this country. We believe, again, that we have put al Qaeda on a path to defeat, and the effort that we're doing today helps ensure the long-term security of Afghanistan and the region.

   

The SPA is one component of the strategy that the President will discuss later this evening about how he will responsibly end the war in Afghanistan. That strategy has five elements: Transitioning to an Afghan lead by 2014; training Afghan security forces so that they can provide for the security of Afghanistan, building an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, pursuing reconciliation within Afghanistan, and promoting regional stability.

   

So first, we have begun the responsible transition to the Afghans, who are moving into the lead for security here in Afghanistan. Already, I’d note nearly half the Afghan people live in areas where Afghan security forces are moving into the lead.

   

At the Chicago summit, our coalition will set a goal for Afghan forces to be in the lead for combat operations across the country next year. International troops will continue to train, advise and assist the Afghans, and fight alongside them when needed, but we will be shifting into a support role as the Afghans move into the lead.

   

And then of course we will complete that transition with Afghans taking full responsibility for the security of their country in 2014. In that context, we’ve removed 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan last year. Another 23,000 troops will leave by the end of the summer. And as the President has said, steady reduction will continue after the end of the summer.

   

The second component of our strategy is training Afghan security forces to get the job done, and as our troops are drawn down, (inaudible) Afghan forces surge in their size and capability. And this year, those forces will peak ahead of schedule at 352,000 Afghan troops and the Afghans will sustain that level for a number of years. In Chicago, we will come together to determine what proposals to support for a long-term security force of Afghan soldiers and police that, again, can provide for the security of their own country into the future.

   

The third element of our strategy, of course, is the enduring partnership with Afghanistan. And, again, my colleague will address the SPA here shortly. It send a very powerful message that as the Afghans stand up, they will continue to have the support of the United States and our allies.

   

I would just note within that framework, we will continue to work with the Afghans to determine our levels of support for their security forces and for their effort to pursue greater peace and prosperity here in Afghanistan.

   

Fourth, we are pursuing Afghan-led reconciliation. As you know, we’ve been coordinating with the Afghan government and making it clear to the Taliban that they can be a part of Afghanistan in the future if they break with al Qaeda, renounce violence and abide by Afghan law.

   

We believe that many members of the Taliban -- from soldiers in the field to leaders of the Taliban -- have demonstrated an interest in pursuing that reconciliation process. But they who refuse to pursue that reconciliation process now know that they will have to contend with both strong Afghan security forces backed by the United States and our allies, and again an Afghan government that is engaged in the long-term partnership with the United States.

   

And fifth and finally, we are building an international consensus to support peace and stability in South Asia. Within that context, we believe Pakistan can be an equal partner if they are -- can be an equal partner, and we believe that that can be done in a way that respects Pakistan’s sovereignty interest in democratic institution. What we’ve made clear here in Afghanistan and to the Pakistanis is that the United States has no design beyond, of course, an end to al Qaeda safe havens and respect for Afghan sovereignty.

   

I would just note again that we’re essentially pursuing several phases of our effort to responsibly end the war. We’ve already begun a phase of transition where Afghans take over parts of the country. Next year, they will be fully in the lead across the country. In 2013, we will be in a support role when we cross that milestone. And then, in 2014, this process will be complete -- the Afghans will have total responsibility for the security of their country.

   

And the enduring commitment to the United States on the security side beyond 2014 will be focused on two very narrow missions: continued counterterrorism efforts if we need to target al Qaeda and their affiliates in this part of the world, and continued training of Afghan security forces on Afghan facilities here in the country -- so an entirely different set of missions and presence for the United States.

   

With that, I’ll turn it over to my colleague. I’ll just say before I do that, of course, another critical part of this visit is thanking our troops. The President, I know, is always energized and inspired to see our men and women in uniform, and that is certainly the case here today. And so I think it’s an important opportunity for all Americans to recognize the sacrifices that they and their families are making.

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Good, thanks a lot. So I want to just go in depth on one of the lines of effort that my colleague talked about -- mainly partnership.

   

Back in May 2010, President Obama and President Karzai committed our two countries to negotiate and conclude a strategic partnership that would provide a framework for future relations, not just on security issues, but on a wide range of regional, economic, government and development issues. The two Presidents signed the agreement about an hour and a half ago down at the palace in Kabul.

   

The agreement details how the partnership between the United States and Afghanistan -- two sovereign powers -- will be normalized as the war comes to an end. Similar to what we did in Iraq, we are seeking an enduring partnership with Afghanistan that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability and prosperity, and that contributes to our shared goal of defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies.

   

Importantly, the Strategic Partnership Agreement comes on the heels of two very important memoranda of understanding that were negotiated and signed by Ambassador Crocker and his counterpart, and General Allen and his counterpart, here in Kabul over the course of the last two months -- one on detention operation and the other on night operations or special operations -- both designed to put Afghans in the lead on those two crucial issues.

   

In 1989, the international community abandoned Afghanistan to years of civil war followed by Taliban rule. That’s a mistake that President Obama is determined to not repeat. This agreement will make clear to the Taliban, al Qaeda and other international terrorist groups that they cannot wait us out. The SPA is not only a signal of long-term commitment by the United States, but a document that enshrines commitments by both countries to each other and with common purpose.

   

Our commitment to support Afghanistan’s social and economic development, security, institutions and regional cooperation is matched by Afghan commitment to us to strengthen accountability, transparency, oversight, and to protect the human rights of all Afghans, men and women.

   

The SPA is also a crucial component to bring the war to an end responsibly. It does not do that on its own. There are still challenges ahead. And we must continue pursuing the other pillars of our strategy that my colleague has laid out. But the SPA complements and strengthens each of those efforts.

   

A framework for our long-term partnership is necessary to make credible the sufficiency and sustainability of the Afghan National Security Forces. It is essential to our plans to transition to Afghan security lead, that bolsters our efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, where they can talk about the future of Afghanistan with the Afghan government, and publicly outlining plans for our future presence, will help reduce anxiety in the region about our intentions and provide Afghanistan’s neighbors with the assurances they need to take their own steps critical to supporting long-term Afghan peace and stability.

   

When it comes to an enduring U.S. presence, President Obama has been clear -- we do not seek permanent military bases in Afghanistan. Instead, the Strategic Partnership Agreement commits Afghanistan to provide U.S. personnel access to and use of Afghan facilities through 2014 and beyond. The SPA provides for the possibility of U.S. forces in Afghanistan after 2014 for the purposes of two clear and cavined missions: training Afghan forces and targeting the remnants of al Qaeda.

   

The agreement commits the United States and Afghanistan to initiate negotiations on a bilateral security agreement, to supersede our current status of forces agreement. To be clear, the strategic partnership itself does not commit the United States to any specific troop level or levels of funding in the future, as those are decisions that will be made in consultation with the U.S. Congress. It does, however, commit the United States to seek funding from Congress on an annual basis to support the training, equipping, advising and sustaining of Afghan National Security Forces, as well as for social and economic development assistance.

   

President Obama intends to maintain the downward trajectory of our troop numbers as he has announced. He will not make specific decisions on further drawdowns before the current drawdown is complete in September in 2012. But you’ve also all heard him say that reduction will continue at a steady pace. When he makes these decisions, he will do so based on our national interest, taking into account the advice of our military and in consultation with Afghan and ISAF partners.

   

So let me just, in closing, list the six sections that encompass the Strategic Partnership Agreement, which if it is not yet made public, it will be made public shortly, so you’ll be able to see these for yourself: Protecting and promoting democratic values; achieving long-term security; reinforcing regional security and cooperation; social and economic development; strengthening Afghan institutions and government; and finally, a section on implementing arrangements and mechanisms.

   

Importantly, the agreement creates a United States-Afghanistan bilateral commission that will be chaired by foreign ministers on both sides that will meet semi-annually and that will oversee implementation of this agreement and other agreements with the Afghans.

   

So with that lay-down on the SPA, why don’t we open it to questions.

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great. Operator, we’ll be happy to take some questions.

   

Q Thank you very much for taking the time to do the call and thank you for your service. I’d like to ask a question about the reconciliation piece you mentioned. You didn’t talk at all about the month-long effort by the administration to negotiate directly with the Taliban a deal that would involve the Taliban opening up a representative office in Qatar and the potential release of five Taliban commanders from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay. Could you please tell us what’s the status of those negotiation? Are you still in direct contact with the Taliban and are your discussions with the Taliban part of the conversations that you’re having with the Afghan government today in Kabul? Thank you.

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks for the question. As related to reconciliation, it is one of the five lines of effort that my colleague laid down. It’s a critical piece of the puzzle. We do, obviously, continue to remain in contact with various Taliban leaders that we have several indications of intense interest in the reconciliation process.

   

As it relates to the one strand of reconciliation that you referred to, for reasons that appear to have to do with internal political turbulence among the Taliban, those efforts have been basically put on hold for the time being. The Taliban understands very well what needs to happen in that channel for those talks to re-continue and I think to restart and we’ll see what they do with that knowledge. But it’s quite clear to us that there’s a range of interest among Taliban in reconciliation and there’s quite a bit of internal political turbulence within the Taliban on that score.

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: And I’ve got one or two quick points. First of all, as these reconciliation discussions have been ongoing, Afghan-led reconciliation discussions, we’ve see continued progress at the integration of certain lower-level fighters who have sought to leave the Taliban insurgency and become a part of Afghanistan’s future. So that line of effort continues as well.

   

And then just secondly, with the Strategic Partnership Agreement that we’re reaching today, coupled with the Afghan security forces that we’re building and garnering international support for going forward, there’s a clear message to the Taliban that those who pursue a path to peace can be a part of a better future in Afghanistan. Those that do not will have to contend with a very strong Afghan National Security Force that has the backing of the United States, NATO and the international community.

   

We’ll take the next question.

   

Q Hi, two things. First, I guess this will be answered when we see the specific language of the agreement, which we haven't yet, but can you just tell me whether it does indeed cover the 10 years that had been planned for it to cover earlier? We haven't seen any specific reference to the expiration date yet. And more generally, aren't you opening yourselves to charges of fairly craven politics here by doing this on the anniversary of the bin Laden raid? Thank you.

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I'll take your second question first. I think that what could not be clearer is that for 20 months, the United States and Afghanistan have been negotiating a Strategic Partnership Agreement. The negotiations were completed in recent weeks, and the documents of the Strategic Partnership Agreement went to the Presidents for their review. The two Presidents had set a clear goal for the agreement to be signed for the summit in Chicago. So we had a window of time here of a number of weeks to sign this agreement. It was the President's preference to sign that agreement on Afghan soil. It was President Karzai's preference to invite President Obama to sign that agreement on Afghan soil, because it's an indication of the progress that we have made together and the future that we are building together here in Afghanistan.

   

Given that window of time, it is certainly a resonant day for both of our countries given the anniversary of the bin Laden operation. Osama bin Laden set up his safe haven for al Qaeda here in Afghanistan, and frankly, his actions brought great suffering to the Afghan people over many years. Of course, his attacks on 9/11 also began our involvement in Afghanistan and the war that we are seeking to responsibly end today.

   

So the bin Laden operation, of course, is a part of our core objective here in Afghanistan, which is to destroy al Qaeda and to deny them safe haven going forward. And the Strategic Partnership Agreement that we're signing, the very important piece of business that we accomplished today, is a part of that effort.

   

I'd also just add that it was already the President's intention to spend this anniversary with our troops because, of course, it was an extraordinarily capable group of U.S. servicemembers who carried out that operation. What better place to spend time with the troops than with those here in Afghanistan who are in harm's way? So I think this was a unique opportunity to achieve a core objective of our policy in Afghanistan -- to sign this agreement, to do it on Afghan soil, to visit with our troops, and again, to do so as we mark a point in time that put al Qaeda on the path to defeat, and again, helps open the door to a better future for both Afghanistan and the United States.

   

And I'll turn it over to my colleague on your other question.

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yes, Anne, on the question of whether the 10-year agreement -- it is a 10-year agreement.

   

Q Hi. I wonder if you can talk a little bit more about the long-term troop presence. Is there any discussion between President Obama and President Karzai today on how many troops you've outlined, what those missions would be? Do we have any greater clarity of what the post-2014 troop strength will be?

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yes, thanks for the question. It was a very good bilat that the Presidents had. They did not discuss numbers of troops. As you understand, I think the agreement itself allows for a troop presence after 2014, as was agreed in the Lisbon summit by the ISAF countries and by NATO, obviously. But it does not commit it to any particular level.

   

The bottom line is that that kind of decision will be made on a national basis, and as I said, in consultation with ISAF and the Afghan country. But the purpose of that goes back to our core goal, which is to dismantle and ultimately strategically defeat al Qaeda, and to deny them safe haven in Afghanistan. So any decisions about post-2014 presence will be guided by that fact and by our efforts to train Afghan National Security Forces to ensure that this does not become a safe haven again for al Qaeda.

   

Q Thanks very much. You guys have lots of positive language about responsibility, social development, enduring partnerships, ending the war. But in strict military terms, the U.S. is withdrawing while the Taliban think they're winning the war, and the Afghans are reorganizing their politics in expectation of a Taliban greater power. So, frankly, are you simply spiking the ball and walking away from the fight with the Taliban?

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The short answer to your question is no. The longer answer to your question is that every indication is that the Taliban as well as other actors in the region recognize that a Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Afghan government and the United States, as well as the Strategic Partnership Agreement that the Afghans have signed now with five or six other countries are indications that they -- nefarious actors cannot wait out the international community; that the Afghans will continue to have partnerships across the international community, including with the United States. And we'll continue to make sure that we are providing them the resources, for example, to train and equip the very capable Afghan National Security Forces who have performed exceedingly well in light of a series of very significant challenges over the course of the last several months.

   

So we’re very realistic about the challenges that we face here. The Presidents were very realistic about the challenges we face when they had the discussion in their bilateral meeting today. But the bottom line is this agreement, like the memoranda of understanding that has been signed over the course of the last two months, are indications that we have the pieces in place to successfully execute on our core national security prerogative in Afghanistan, which is to dismantle and ultimately strategically defeat al Qaeda and to ensure that it can never come back here to a safe haven.

   

Q Hi, there. Thank you all for doing the call. Two questions. If we could go back to the troops, again, who could potentially remain beyond 2014, is there a way to say, definitively, whether or not this might include combat forces? And then secondly, can you talk a little bit about how much the recent incidents -- the burning of the Korans and the killing spree that left a number of Afghans dead -- how much did those incidents complicate the efforts to finalize the Strategic Partnership Agreement?

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, just on your second question, I think the clear point is that they did not complicate that progress. In fact, we were able to negotiate very complex issues like the transfer of detention facilities to the Afghans and the transition of special forces operations to the Afghans in the context of those very difficult and tragic circumstances, and then close out the Strategic Partnership Agreement. So I think it shows that the United States and Afghanistan, even given the tragic incidents of war, are able to work together on very difficult issues.

   

On your first question, I think what’s clear is we are going to be dramatically reducing the number of U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan as we move forward with our transition to 2014. We’ll be down to 68,000 by the end of the summer. There will be steady reductions after that. Our missions will change as we move into a support role and the Afghans are in the lead next year. And then of course, the Afghans will be fully responsible for security.

   

If we do have any presence here after 2014, it would be on Afghan facilities. We will not be building any permanent bases in this country. We will not be patrolling Afghanistan cities and mountains. That will be Afghan security forces who will carry out those functions.

   

The only missions that we are contemplating and discussing with the Afghans involves counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda, which we would need to carry out to ensure that al Qaeda cannot reestablish a safe haven in Afghanistan, and then continued training of Afghan forces. But again, these would be dramatically reduced number of U.S. troops focused on a very narrow set of missions that would be entirely different from the type of combat that we’ve been engaged in over the course of the last decade. This would be counterterrorism and training of Afghan security forces who will have the responsibility for carrying out combat operations.

   

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Okay, guys, we’re going to have to wrap this up. I want to thank you for your participation. Thank you all very much. Have a good night.

 

END 2:34 A.M. AFT

----------------

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

May 2, 2012

    

PHILIPPINE SEA (Oct. 7, 2020) Fire Controlman 2nd Class Steven Shoemate, from Lansing, Kan., left, fires a .50-caliber machine gun and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Cameron Howard, from Houston, maintains communication with the bridge during a Small Craft Action Team (SCAT) live-fire exercise aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42). Germantown, part of Expeditionary Strike Group 7, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, 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 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)

International Monetary Fund Division Chief Anna Ilyina (L), Deputy Director Fabio Natalucci (C) and Senior Communications Officer Randa Elnagar (R) hold a press conference on the Global Financial Stability Report at the IMF Headquarters during the 2019 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. IMF Staff Photograph/Stephen Jaffe

Fortunately the weight is low enough to provide an adequate stability.

Chassis n° 2071GT

Engine n° 2071GT

 

Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Estimated : € 1.200.000 - 1.600.000

 

Zoute Grand Prix 2019

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2019

 

By the early 1960s, road car production had ceased to be a sideline for Ferrari and was seen as vitally important to the company's future stability. Thus the 250, Ferrari's first volume-produced model, can be seen as critically important, though production of the first of the line - the 250 Europa, built from 1953 to '54 - amounted to fewer than 20. Before the advent of the Europa, Ferrari had built road-going coupés and convertibles in small numbers, usually to special customer order using a sports-racing chassis as the basis. Ghia and Vignale of Turin and Touring of Milan were responsible for bodying many of these but there was no attempt at standardisation for series production and no two cars were alike.

 

The introduction of the 250 Europa heralded a significant change in Ferrari's preferred coachbuilder; whereas previously Vignale had been the most popular carrozzeria among Maranello's customers, from now on Pinin Farina (later 'Pininfarina') would be Ferrari's number one choice, bodying no fewer than 48 out of the 53 Europa/Europa GTs built. Pinin Farina's experiments eventually crystallised in a new Ferrari 250 GT road car that was first displayed publicly at the Geneva Salon in March 1956. However, the Torinese Carrozzeria was not yet in a position to cope with the increased workload, resulting in production being entrusted to Carrozzeria Boano after Pinin Farina had completed a handful of prototypes.

 

The 250 GT featured the lighter and more compact Colombo-designed 3.0-litre V12 in place of its predecessor's bulkier Lampredi unit. Power output of the single-overhead-camshaft all-aluminium engine was 220bhp at 7,000rpm. Shorter in the wheelbase (by 200mm) than that of the Europa, the 250 GT chassis followed Ferrari's established practice, being a multi-tubular frame tied together by oval main tubes, though the independent front suspension now employed coil springs instead of the previous transverse leaf type. A four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox transmitted power to the live rear axle, while braking was looked after by hydraulic drums all round.

 

True series production began with the arrival of Pininfarina's 'notch back' Coupé on the 250 GT chassis, some 353 of which were built between 1958 and 1960 within the sequence '0841' to '2081'. However, the relatively small scale of production meant that cars could still be ordered with subtle variations according to customer choice, as well as enabling a handful of show cars and 'specials' to be constructed on the 250 GT chassis.

 

A number of prominent European coachbuilders offered a variety of body styles on the 250 GT chassis, with Scaglietti and Pininfarina producing elegant open-top spyder and cabriolet models. Exhibited at the 1957 Geneva Salon, the latter's first 250 GT Cabriolet, which, unusually, featured a Vintage-style cut-down driver's door, was snapped up by Ferrari works driver Peter Collins, who later had the car converted to disc brakes. After a handful of alternative versions had been built, series production began in July 1957, around 40 Series I Pininfarina Cabriolets being completed before the introduction of the Series II in 1959. Effectively an open-top version of the Pininfarina-built 250 GT Coupé, whose chassis and mechanicals it shared, the Cabriolet was built alongside its closed cousin until 1962. Overall design followed that of the Coupé, with short nose and long rear overhang, while a more-vertical windscreen provided greater headroom in the generously sized cockpit. As well as the aforementioned improvements to brakes and transmission, the Series II cars benefited from the latest, 240bhp V12 with outside sparkplugs, coil valve springs, and 12-port cylinder heads. The 250 GT was the most successful Ferrari of its time, production of all types exceeding 900 units, of which 200 were Series II Cabriolets like that offered here.

 

A number of important developments occurred during 250 GT production: the original 128C 3.0-litre engine being superseded by the twin-distributor 128D, which in turn was supplanted in 1960 by the outside-plug 128F engine which did away with its predecessor's Siamesed inlets in favour of six separate ports. On the chassis side, four-wheel disc brakes arrived late in 1959 and a four-speeds-plus-overdrive gearbox the following year, the former at last providing the 250 GT with stopping power to match its speed. More refined and practical than any previous road-going Ferrari, yet retaining the sporting heritage of its predecessors, the 250 GT is a landmark model of immense historical significance. Despite this, original survivors are relatively few, as many have been modified and converted into replicas of more exotic Ferraris such as the 250 GTO, Testarossa, etc.

 

According to the accompanying Massini Report, chassis number '2071' is the 66th of the 200 units built, and as a Series II car has the added advantage of disc brakes all round. Originally finished in the handsome combination of Grigio Argento with Nero interior, the Ferrari was sold new in 1960 via Jacques Swaters' Garage Francorchamps, the official Ferrari importer for Belgium, to its first owner, Jean Blaton. A wealthy Belgian industrialist, Ferrari aficionado and gentleman racing driver, who raced under the name 'Beurlys', Jean Blaton had an excellent taste and was a personal friend of Jacques Swaters, from whom he bought numerous Ferraris over the years.

 

Blaton is best remembered for his daring exploits in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in which he drove a succession of Ferraris over a 10-year period between 1958 and 1967, finishing on the podium on nearly every outing. On many occasions he drove his own Ferraris, including a 250 GT MM, 250 GT Testarossa, 250 GT LWB Tour de France, 250 GT SWB, 250 GTO, 250 LM, and 330 P3/P4. He secured his best result at Le Mans in 1963 when he finished 2nd overall with co-driver Langlois van Ophen at the wheel of a Ferrari 250 GTO, winning the GT Class for Swaters' racing team, Écurie Francorchamps.

 

Jean Blaton was also a friend of Enzo Ferrari, who was only too happy to accommodate his highly regarded customer's special requests. In the case of his 250 GT Cabriolet, Blaton specified that the car should have large side vents in the front wings, similar to those of the Series III 410 Superamerica, which were incorporated by Pinin Farina on Mr Ferrari's instruction. These vents not only make the car appear more sporting, they also serve to break up its lengthy flanks to good effect. Blaton's car, with its special features, was prominently displayed in Ferrari's 1960 yearbook.

 

In 1964, Blaton sold '2071' to Luigi Chinetti, another gentleman racing driver and sole importer of Ferraris into the USA. The car was then sold to a Mr Gilbertson from Vista, California. Following Mr Gilbertson's death, the Ferrari was acquired from his widow in 1978 by Mr Ken Gerber of San Diego, California, who kept it for the next 32 years. A member of the Ferrari Owners' Club, Mr Gerber enjoyed the car throughout the 1980s, attending various events.

 

During Mr Gerber's ownership (in 1992-1994) a fastidious restoration was carried out, the precision machining work on the engine and mechanical systems being entrusted to recognised specialist Bob Wallace of Phoenix, Arizona. Original parts were retained wherever possible and the few that were not saveable were either replaced with originals or perfect reproductions. The car was refinished in Rosso Rubino and completed in time for the 1994 International Ferrari Concours in Monterey.

 

Ken Gerber sold the Ferrari in 2010 and the following year the car moved to the UK having been bought by DK Engineering. The car was sold to Belgium in 2012, since when it has belonged to the current lady owner. Carrying the very suitable registration, '250 – GTS', the car has been enjoyed by its owner on numerous occasions and at prestigious events including the Zoute Rally. Now presented in excellent condition after recent cosmetic re-commissioning, it affords the prospect of comfortable open-top cruising in unparalleled style. Possessing links to Belgian and excellent provenance, this unique Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet is worthy of the closest inspection.

PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 13, 2019) Logistics Specialist Seaman Ivan Rojas, from Dallas, hauls cargo to storage aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) during a replenishment-at-sea. McCampbell is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaac Maxwell/Released)

Cut the purple wire with the light blue stripe. Strip the insulation off so you can see the copper for about half an inch. Get a SPST (Single Pole Single Throw) switch. This switch should have two wires coming off of it, or if it doesn't, you'll have to figure out a way to get two wires coming off of it (soldering, or getting those wire twisting connectors, which is what I did). What gauge of wire should you use? Beats me, electricity is magic. But bigger is always better, right? So I used 14 gauge. Connect your wires to each exposed piece of the wire that you cut. In this picture, one of the wires to my switch is connected, and the other one isn't.

 

If you just leave the wire cut, and put some electrical tape over it, you'll never have stability control again. That might be ok for vehicles that are not street legal and always used off-road. However, to pass inspection, you'll need to be able to make the warning lights on the dash go off. Also, when driving in rain and snow at high speeds, it's best to keep the stability control on.

The ISIL Threat: a Global Challenge

 

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has dramatically undermined stability in Iraq, Syria and the broader Middle East, and poses a threat to international peace and security. ISIL continues to commit gross, systematic abuses of human rights and violations of international law, including indiscriminate killing and deliberate targeting of civilians, mass executions and extrajudicial killings, persecution of individuals and entire communities on the basis of their identity, kidnapping of civilians, forced displacement of Shia communities and minority groups, killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence, along with numerous other atrocities. ISIL presents a global terrorist threat: it has recruited thousands of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria from across the globe and leveraged technology to spread its violent extremist ideology and for incitement to commit terrorist acts. As noted in UN Security Council Resolution 2170, terrorism can only be defeated by a sustained and comprehensive approach involving the active participation and collaboration of all states.

 

U.S. Response

 

Following ISIL’s initial advances in January, the United States ramped up its military assistance to Iraq and fast tracked the delivery of Hellfire missiles to the Iraqi Security Forces. Since the ISIL offensive in Mosul in early June, the United States rapidly expanded its already robust military and counterterrorism partnership with Iraq. These efforts included a surge in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; establishment of joint operation centers in Baghdad and Erbil; and a field assessment of Iraqi and Kurdish forces. These steps established a baseline to ensure that any additional U.S. measures would be taken with precision and effectiveness.

 

In parallel, the United States, consistent with our commitments under the Strategic Framework Agreement with Iraq, encouraged Iraqi leaders to unite against ISIL and form a government on the timeline set forth in the Iraqi constitution. On September 8, this process culminated with the approval of Haider al-Abadi as the new Prime Minister of Iraq, together with an inclusive cabinet that committed to implement a national program aimed at addressing longstanding political grievances that have divided Iraqi communities. This peaceful and democratic transition of power to a more broadly supported government was another essential building block for effectively taking the fight to ISIL, pursuant to the President’s comprehensive and long-term approach.

 

As this political process advanced, the President authorized limited missions against ISIL along two lines of effort: to protect U.S. personnel and to prevent humanitarian catastrophes. These missions protected American personnel and facilities, eliminated ISIL fighters, destroyed weapons, and enabled Iraqi and Kurdish forces, fighting alongside one another in unprecedented fashion, to reclaim key territory. They also helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

 

On September 10, 2014, the President announced the United States would assemble an international coalition to degrade and destroy ISIL. The President authorized U.S. airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Iraq and Syria to deny ISIL safe haven and clear the way for Iraqi forces to go on the offense. In coordination with our international partners, we will also redouble efforts to cut off ISIL’s funding; enhance intelligence collection; strengthen our defenses; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into its ranks. Additionally, the President committed to working with our international partners to continue providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organization. The United States will also continue to work to help prevent mass atrocities, particularly against vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities.

 

Airstrikes by the U.S. and international partners over time also will help Syria’s opposition go on the offensive against ISIL inside of Syria. As part of our efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL, Congress this week authorized a program that will allow the U.S. Department of Defense to train and equip vetted elements of Syria’s opposition. This program will be hosted outside of Syria, in partnership with regional countries. This will help the Syrian opposition defend themselves against, and ultimately push back on, ISIL forces in Syria, while creating the conditions for the political solution necessary to solve Syria’s crisis once and for all.

 

International Response

 

We have not acted alone. Over 50 countries and organizations have already contributed in various capacities to the effort to combat ISIL in Iraq, the region and beyond. In August, United States, United Kingdom and Italian aircraft airdropped life-saving aid to civilians trapped by ISIL on Sinjar Mountain. Later, the mission to break ISIL’s siege of the Iraqi town of Amerli and deliver emergency humanitarian assistance to its residents was conducted with military forces from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and France. Contributions of humanitarian assistance to Iraqis displaced by ISIL’s violence have been equally important, including a critical contribution of $500 million by Saudi Arabia.

 

More than a Military Effort

 

More than a dozen countries have contributed to the military effort, either by providing arms, equipment, training, or advising. Countries in Europe and in the Middle East region have offered to contribute to the air campaign against ISIL targets. International contributions, however, are not – and should not be – solely or even primarily military contributions. To the contrary, the effort to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL will require reinforcing efforts across multiple lines. On September 5, at the NATO Summit, Secretary Kerry and Secretary Hagel set forth five mutually reinforcing lines of effort at a meeting with counterparts from the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Poland, and Denmark.

 

These lines of effort included:

1. Military support to our Iraqi partners;

2. Stopping the flow of foreign fighters;

3. Countering ISIL's financing and funding;

4. Addressing humanitarian crises; and

5. De-legitimizing ISIL's ideology.

 

All the countries agreed to return to their capitals and develop specific proposals in one or more of the strategic areas.

 

The NATO Summit was followed by a historic meeting in Jeddah, convening the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Lebanon. The warm welcome Iraq received marked a positive development and a sign of the broader cooperation that will be needed to combat ISIL. In the Jeddah Communique issued after the meeting, participants “agreed to do their share in the comprehensive fight against ISIL, including: stopping the flow of foreign fighters through neighboring countries, countering financing of ISIL and other violent extremists, repudiating their hateful ideology, ending impunity and bringing perpetrators to justice, contributing to humanitarian relief efforts, assisting with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of communities brutalized by ISIL, supporting states that face the most acute ISIL threat, and, as appropriate, joining in the many aspects of a coordinated military campaign against ISIL.”

 

Additional countries joined the discussion at a conference in Paris on September 15, bringing together 26 countries, the Arab League, United Nations, and European Union in a common cause to support the new Iraqi government and confront ISIL. More than 40 countries have joined to participate in today’s UNSC Ministerial Debate, which will discuss the important work that has been done to date. This session, chaired by Secretary Kerry, will demonstrate unified international support for the new Iraqi government, including for its fight against ISIL, its commitments to govern in the interests of all of Iraq’s communities, and its efforts to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

 

A Global Effort to Support Iraq and to Defeat ISIL

 

The breadth and diversity of countries and organizations making contributions across one or more of the lines of effort demonstrate the global and unified nature of this fight. Below are some of the partners that have made contributions and commitments to date. This is an ongoing effort, and we expect the number of countries to grow.

  

Albania

 

Andorra

 

Arab League

 

Australia

 

Austria

 

Bahrain

 

Belgium

 

Bosnia

 

Bulgaria

 

Canada

 

Croatia

 

Cyprus

 

Czech Republic

 

Denmark

 

Egypt

 

Estonia

 

The European Union

 

Finland

 

France

 

Germany

 

Greece

 

Hungary

 

Ireland

 

Italy

 

Iraq

 

Japan

 

Jordan

 

Kosovo

 

Kuwait

 

Lebanon

 

Lithuania

 

Luxembourg

 

Macedonia

 

Malta

 

Montenegro

 

Moldova

 

Morocco

 

NATO

 

The Netherlands

 

New Zealand

 

Norway

 

Oman

 

Poland

 

Portugal

 

Qatar

 

Republic of Korea

 

Romania

 

Saudi Arabia

 

Serbia

 

Slovakia

 

Slovenia

 

Spain

 

Sweden

 

Turkey

 

Ukraine

 

United Arab Emirates

 

United Kingdom

  

Just the Beginning

 

This is only the beginning. ISIL poses a global challenge and the international community must form a united front to counter this threat. On September 12, the President appointed retired General John Allen as Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. General Allen will work closely with our partners to coordinate international efforts over the coming days and weeks, traveling to capitals to discuss specific contributions along our multiple lines of effort. We hope to engage in wide ranging discussions with countries that are not traditional U.S. partners about the shared threat from ISIL, while emphasizing that any activities from contributing countries – including all of those countries and organizations listed in this statement – should be consistent with international law and with full resect for Iraqi sovereignty.

******************

 

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

September 19, 2014

Stability.

Stabiliteit van het evenwicht.

 

Construction material in the line of the forces.

 

Constructie materiaal in de lijn van de krachten.

 

Stable sailing is a building skill.

 

Spailboat levert zijn energie, ammoniak, en / of waterstof, LH2, af aan tankers die het naar havens brengen.

 

Men moet olie gebruiken om ermee te bouwen.

 

Spailboat is een naam. Er zit speed spailing in, uit het Engels, terwijl er ook spelevaren in zit. Spelevaren is een denigrerende term voor rijke lui die uit verveling niets anders kunnen doen dan doelloos varen, op hun omslaande jachten. De echte verwijzing is echter de letterlijke. Spelen. Toevallig ook met ai, de klank van Sail. Dus, de naam voor het nieuwe type zeilboot, respectievelijk, windsurfboot, of, kitesurfboot, is Speelboot, respectievelijk, Spailboat.

 

Een Spailboat, speed-sail-boat, is zeilboot die de lift normaal behandelt. Alle gewone -niet normaal- langsgetuigde zeilboten slaan om. Het is eigenlijk ongelofelijk maar, alle zeilboten zijn instabiel, ofwel, labiel, ofwel in mensentermen, een wankel gebeuren. En, levensgevaarlijk. Dus, een Speelboot is wel een zeilende boot, maar, het mag geen zeilboot heten, omdat zeilboot al bezet is door de gangbare. Maar kitesurfen is ook zeilen, maar toch geen zeilboot. Speelboot is een kitesurfboot, met de monoliete behandeling van een windsurfer.

 

Omdat speelboten niet omslaan. Sterker, speelboten gaan vliegen. De massa, echter, is veel te groot om te gaan vliegen, desalniettemin wil de tuigage het geheel dat deze vasthoudt, opliften. Dus, een speelboot lijkt op een kitesurfer. Want, een kite staat eigenlijk zoals speelbootzeilen staan opgesteld. Een nadere kijk leert ons namelijk dat vleugels die als kite staan, de behandelaars van die vleugels in staat stellen de overbrenging tussen de lift en de blokkade hierop te normaliseren. Ofwel, alleen en slechts dan als de vleugel staat opgesteld als een kite, maar ook windsurferzeil, werkt de lift opwaarts.

 

Logisch, als men bedenkt dat andere bekende vleugels, aan vogels of vliegtuigen, de lift ook omhoog werken. Heel onlogisch dus dat zeilboten eigenlijk van vliegende naar duikende evolueerden. Vikingschepen, Latijnse zeilboten, de eerste brikken en barken, de latere windjammers (volschepen, barken, brikken) hielden hun zeilen in feit ook al op als kite. Zeilen was aanvankelijk windsurfen. Toen kwamen er rond 1800 AD langsgetuigde zeilboten, en nu kon er wel hoger aan de wind worden gelopen.

 

Om energie op te wekken hoeven we nergens heen, zodat de "aan de windse koers" waardeloos wordt > weinig snelheid. We kunnen weer vliegen. Dus, een speelboot is geen windsurfer, omdat de zeilen ver weg staan. Wel lijkt een speelboot in alles op een windsurfer. Werkelijk, een speelboot is in feite een windsurfer. De zeilen worden volledig gemanipuleerd met als enige doelen de snelheid en, het vliegen. Dus, een speelboot lijkt het meeste op een kitesurfer, heeft de eigenschappen van een windsurfer, en valt onder de noemer: zeilboten. Maar, een speelboot lijkt in feite nergens op. Het is, zoals gezegd, geen zeilboot, terwijl het wel zeker een zeilboot is. Maar natuurlijk. Kort gezegd komt het erop neer dat een speelboot iets nieuws is.

 

Een speelboot vaart, net als windsurfers en kitesurfers, half wind en voor de wind, maar, een speelboot kan ook wel degelijk hoogte winnen. Een speelboot kan alles, als het komt tot zeilen. Windsurfen is eigenlijk super zeilen. Een windsurfer zeilt ook, en een kiter zeilt ook. Toch heet kitesurfen geen zeilen, maar kiten. Een windsurfer surft, terwijl surfen toch echt oorspronkelijk zonder zeil gebeurde. Een Spailboat spailt. Ofwel, een speelboot speelt. De link terug naar de actualiteit is spelen van de jeugd. Het leukste spel van allemaal is kiten. Als de jeugd heet voor het zeggen had, dan zouden ze altijd zeilen, als het waait. En dat noem ik spelen.

 

Een Spailboat is een robot die kan windsurfen. Massa, M, in kg, dat kan windsurfen. Windsurfen kenmerkt zich door de snelheid, v, in m/s en het surfen met de korte windgolven. Het surfen is het mooiste wat er is op aarde. We nemen een groot stuk water. We blazen er wind overheen. Er ontstaan golven. De golven lopen haaks op de wind. De half windse koers loopt parallel aan de golven.

  

We need stable wind surf machines with turbines.

 

The new riggings lead to stable sailing compositions. The already mentioned windsurfing, SB, is the wave riding version of the stable sailing compositions and; meant for usage at the windy waters near the both poles, in fact just outside the cargo shipping routes. Also the edges of overcoming hurricanes, especially the periodic appearing ones like, the ones in the Mexican Gulf during the so-called hurricane season, are goals. On both working grounds is room enough for a very large fleet. A “million” super sized, SB, can provide the worlds' hunger for energy, by means of the *provision of hydrogen and electricity. Imagine then an entering of an imaginary million super sized, SB: a tiny significant amount of energy will be sucked out of the hurricane, causing the hurricane to loose a bit of its ferocious strength and so, causing lesser devastating power when hitting land! The mentioned working grounds are characterized by high winds, making beautiful “water mountain chains”, or swell, and in between two “stretched hills” are long “valleys”. These valleys -tubes- can be considered as speedways, which make the ocean in high winds like an endlessly wide freeway, making enough room to spare for the earlier mentioned absurd sounding amount super sized, SB. Gaining maximum speed out of windsurfing is done perpendicular to the wind so that, the mentioned freeways are always windsurfed parallel with the wind front. Because, the wind sweeps the waves. The wave fronts on open sea run perfectly perpendicular to the wind because, here is no diffraction or, refraction of the waves!

 

In the fact of the matter happens now the coincidence that, both surfing the swell and the usage of the wind alone are done most economically in the same direction; parallel with the wave fronts, perpendicular to the wind. So, the both directions, in where for the two maximum speeds are reached, are the very same. It is therefor that the both speeds reinforce each other, leading towards better sail positions.

 

The hydrogen, LH2, can be stored on board in special tanks, with Indium.

 

Cavitation, air bubbles around the water appendages beacause of the high speed. So, SB has luxury problems in high winds, by means of the potential to go faster than the water can take without creating air bubbles around the swords, the water appendages. Windsurfers call this cavitation phenomena: “spin out”. It is therefor no wonder that the needed speed tempering force on the windsurfing, SB, in high winds is, logically, to be used to make passive working paddle wheels, or scoops, spin, in order to drive for instance a continuous current dynamo. There is, however, a major down side in keeping the speed down. More speed means more overall lift and more overall lift means more compulsion and more vertical lifting force. SB, definitely wants to get airborne in order to get rid of the water resistance on the hulls. Without the hulls dragging though water opens way to put the sails in a more economic way, flatter to the wind. This rotatory mechanism, in which the increasing speed then at some point leads towards the possible clear lifting of the windsurfing SB, out off the water -because of more lift and better sail positions-, is now suddenly stopped because of the spin outs, cavitation, around the through water dragging swords! In this rotatory mechanism, one must be aware that by doubling the speed, the lift force increases by a factor four, in other words, the speed and the lift are quadratically related! After all, for getting air born we only need the rotatory speed making boat lifting mechanism to go on for just a bit longer. If we walk around dragging problems in general, then we encounter, at some point of the walk, the replacement of slides by wheels, by firstly the Egyptians. Digging further into the context, in where dragging and cutting are combinations, we encounter the successful replacements of the slide-like dragging cutters, by cutting wheels; in for instance glass cutters and can openers. These cutting wheels spin, during the cutting, causing less cutting resistance. Even a side force can be taken by the cutting wheels, during the cut making! In fact, besides the lower cutting resistance, cutting wheels have the same characteristics as cutting knives. If we translate this cutting information back towards the drag related cavitation problems in the water, then we find that the air bubbles around the water appendages, might not necessary occur, when replacing the former used swords by spinning sword wheels. By dragging spinning wheels with the cutting edges through water, the speed of the windsurfing, SB, now differs from the dragging speed of the cutting edges of the cutting wheels through the water. In other words, the water now “feels” a lower dragging speed, allowing the water to keep its original form, because no cavitation is caused. By controlling the circular speed of the spinning sword wheels, by means of a gear box, the cavitation can be avoided at all times. But off course, cutting water differs from cutting glass and in order to create side ways blocking force on spinning sword wheels in water, these sword wheels must slip! The side ways blocking force in water is also quadratic related with the dragging speed. In order to let the sword wheels slip, for creating -more- side ways blocking force, there is a certain amount of resistance needed! Once again the gear box can regulate the resistance, and so, the spinning speed and once again the tempering force is, logically, to be used for making continuous current and with the surplus, hydrogen. Using sword wheels means most of all that the speed of the hull may now over top the former cavitation speed barrier. More speed implies, notably quadratically, more lift, clearing the way to allow the,SB, to get air born; now leading at once towards lesser water resistance, which now, also at once, speeds up the SB, importantly, resulting once more in better sail positions, et cetera. In other words, the earlier mentioned rotatory mechanism is with usage of swords wheels back in action. In facto, the, as the result of the mentioned rotatory mechanism, reachable speeds over water now have to be tempered for safety reasons, making it once again appropriate to use the speed tempering force on the spinning wheels for generating continuous current! For an optimum energy conversion, we need to solve a so-called differential equation, in where all the parameters are related to one and other. The versions of the composition, SB, for over land ride, or over asphalt, or over non-hardened ground -with then very big wheels under, SB-, or over a special track, rails. The last mentioned version of, SB, the so-called Spailtrains over a special track, might possibly reach speeds running up towards, 400km/hr; because these under carriers clamp their wheels around the rails, like the carriers on roller coaster tracks, increasing the massive control over the sails importantly. And again, these possibly reachable high speeds need to be tempered for safety reasons, making it obvious that again the tempering forces are used to drive continuous current dynamos. The continuous current might now directly be led towards the electricity network. Special tracks for Spailtrains are favorably moored on places where windmills are active, because the electricity transportation cables towards the main electricity networks are already installed. Also one may assume that windmills are placed in windy places on land, where the wind is blowing most of the time from one particular direction. The Spailtrains can be used next to the windmills, at the same time, and, in case the wind is over topping the maximum wind mill operating wind force, clearly additionally, and by doing so, widening the wind force window from, eight bfr, towards, ten, or even twelve bfr. SB, compositions operate, just like windmills, flat on the winds direction, for maximum benefit of the given sail areas. The ends of wind mill blades move, at maximum speed in wind force, eight bfr, up to, 250km/hr. The blade, towards the end, is indeed positioned almost perfectly flat, respectively perpendicular, on the wind. If only wind mills did not vibrate and if the positions at the ends of the blades should be hold in a stable and firm way, then the speed at the ends of the blades, in wind force, twelve bfr, might easily run towards the, 800km/hr, though circular. Steady in position hold transversally moving blades do not have the problem of vibrating caused by the turning motion. In other words, a transversal moving blade could reach, 800km/hr, without shaking to pieces. Spailtrains, clamping their selves around rails, are able to position wings in a stable way, making theoretical speeds of, 800km/hr, possible. SB, in general, widens the operating window of the wind force and, as a consequence, the working ground. Antarctica.

 

Because of the normalization of the lift transfer, SB can be made strong enough! The fact of the matter is that all stable constructions can be forced to the limit, in where the heaviest loaded parts of the structure firstly collapse. Stabilized towers out of rock, like pyramids or, church towers, are only limited in their heights by the strength of the rocks at the very bottoms. Within, SB, the lift transfer is normalized, making composition, SB, stable constructions, which therefor can be made strong enough and perfectly suitable to get sized -, respectively scaled, up. And then, next to the overall stability of the composition, SB, each mast in, SB, is also almost normally used itself; because the lift force, vector, 10, works only slightly outside the mast line. There are, in certain variations of the composition, SB, periods of time noticeable in where the masts are stressed out perfectly through the center of the so-called core of the mast cross section! In this case of pure stress on the mast, the maximum stress load, to be taken by the mast, is nothing more the product of material strength and the area of cross section. In this very case, we can use a massive mast, as well as a rope! However, SB, is not a kite surfer, it is a wind surfer, in where each towards the wings running mast take care of the first condition for the eventual monolith kind of control, the so-called massive trim, over the wings, 6. On, SB, the masts work the cumulated lift force, vector, 10, slightly outside the mast lines, in order to direct the lift at all times in a straight line towards the blocking force, in water created by the water appendages. SB, masts are mainly stressed out and at the same time loaded with bending forces. In this very case it is wise to use hollow masts; lesser material, same bending strength. Presume now a square hollow mast cross section, of twenty, by, twenty meters, with skin thickness, 1000mm, loaded with a, around a parallel with two sides of the square, working couple, respectively torque. Now, one side of the square cross section is stressed out towards the limit. If the used materials are of highly strong composite materials, which can withstand, 1000N, approximately 100Kg, per square mm, and if the torque then put, 25%, on top of the stress load, then follows for maximum amount of stress force in this mast cross section, approximately: average tension in the cross section, sigma, times the working area of the cross section, A, or: sigma = 0.25 x ((1 x 0.6) + (2 x 0.8)) x 10^3N/mm^2 = 0.8 x 10^3N/mm^2 , A = (10^3mm x 2 x 2 x 10^4mm + 10^3mm x 2 x 1.8 x 10^4mm) = 7.6 x 10^7mm^2. Maximum lift force, vector, 10 = sigma x A = 0.8 x 10^3 N/mm^2 x 7.6 x 10^7mm^2 = 6.08 x 10^10N. One square meter sail area, in 100km/hr, generates, approximately, 300N = 3 x 10^2N, so, on this mast might hang, 2.026 x 10^8m^2, sail area! The common maximum wing on three supporting points, is, 300m x 20m, or, about twice the width and the length of an Airbus380 wing. At a mast of, 300m, length, might, roughly, hang twenty wings, running from the size, 300m x 20m, towards, 50m x 10m. The total sail area the leads, to, approximately: 0.6 x 20 x 300m x 20m = 7.2 x 10^5m^2 = way below, factor, 400, the theoretical maximum applicable sail area. In reality there are dynamic forces working on, and in, the mast, leading,towards maximum mast lengths of, 200m, for safety reasons. In, 315km/hr, the lift per, m^2, is approximately, 3000N. 3 x 10^3N, times the maximum theoretical total sail area, at masts of, 200m; 7.2 x 10^5m^2, provides lift force: 2.26 x 10^9N is smaller than 6.08 x 10^10N, and in this extreme case, even a mast of 200m, length can be made strong enough! Round and oval mast are even better. Well, 200m, mast length, that is something else than regular masts on conventional capsizing sailboats. SB, with four masts, can be made up to a kilometer long! If such, SB, move along with, 100km/hr, over water, or, 300km/hr, over special tracks, it is easy to understand that there is a lot of kinetic energy, ready to be converted into continuous current and after, into hydrogen. Once in race course, the sail positions are not moving too much, with respect to each other and with respect to the under carrier, so that the hydraulic motors and jacks won't take a lot of continuous current; leading to an enormous surplus to drive the hydrogen reactors, in order to make hydrogen. Holding positions of the with respect to each other movable parts, is done by break mechanisms, which might only take from the continuous current during installation. Off course, making nuance differences takes off of the continuous current, but after all, once in race, SB, compositions are almost static compositions,. At the end of the song, SB, are to be considered as mass, M, running from an endlessly long hill, which then only need to steer occasionally. Ekin = 1/2 M v^2, with M as mass in kg and v as velocity in m/s. Super positioning leads towards the conclusion that Spailboat is a peace machine because, any nation in the world can build them; in order to provide them selves with hydrogen and fresh water. With the deliverance of shear endless amounts of clean energy ( hydrogen ), the need for making war over oil can be put to the past. Also nuclear power can be put back. Drinking water can be made and, transported, without any down sides. Even ecosystems can be purified. SB hits the ground running.

 

Why this picture and the ones after? Imagine wind, storm, and one side of the church will go. The flying butres hangs in there on the pulling side, that is incredible.

 

BOOK BOEK

vervolg hoofdstuk 9

intussen al twee jaar van voorbij. In dat opzicht is dat verlies. In mijn beleving mocht alles zo blijven zoals het was in, 1990. Zeker in het begin was het een zeldzaamheid, als een plectrum gericht naar iemand toe werd geschoten. Ronnie, kan het beter en dit zinde, Keith, niet. Op een gegeven moment leek het wel een wedstrijd tussen, Keith, en, Ronnie; wie het beste de plectrums naar de bestemde persoon kon schieten. Zoals kleine veranderingen tijdens en na een concert is dit er een van. Feitelijk hebben, Harry, David, Libgart, Ken, Dirk en ik een nieuwe manier van leven geïntroduceerd. David, vraagt vandaag de dag nog steeds hoe het gaat met mijn, “Trail of Terror”. Een leven dat een spoor van vernieling achterlaat, ja dat is mijn leven. Alle schepen heb ik verbrand, terwijl ik nieuwe schepen met succes enterde. Ik haalde mijn universiteit diploma in een werkelijk zeer turbulente tijd, en sleepte het diploma letterlijk uit het vuur. In het verbranden van schepen ben ik altijd goed geweest en, net als, Harry, woon ik nu in een andere stad. Van, Zaandam, ben ik verhuisd naar Delft. En nu woon ik sinds kort in, Den Haag. Als ik nu door de stad fiets, bekruipt me altijd het gevoel van vakantie. De sfeer van een grote stad is toch wel euforisch te noemen. Het doet me kortsluiting maken naar de ervaringen tijdens de Stones-tournee’s langs de wereldsteden van, Europa, en, Amerika. Ik kon bij wijze van spreken naakt op de fiets door het centrum van, Delft, rijden zonder dat mijn familie het te weten komt. Het verbrande schip heette, Zaandam, en door mijn wilde leven hoef ik nergens meer aan te kloppen. Ze hebben allemaal een beetje een hekel aan me gekregen. Ik denk omdat ik altijd blijf volhouden waar ik mee bezig ben en ook nog succes verhaal. Mensen zien niet graag de zweetdruppels, maar veroordelen me snel als ik weer eens naar Amerika ga, want dat valt dan wel in het oog. Je ziet de mensen denken: “Wat doet-ie nu?” Dat is ongehoord. Is ie wel wijs? Mijn leven speelde zich voornamelijk af in de, “frontrow”. Een leven vooraan tijdens een Stones show, waar dan ook ter wereld. In het begin krijg je geen respons van de band, omdat alles, ook voor de Stones zelf, in veel opzichten nieuw was en, vooral Keith had het veel te druk had met zijn nummers en de sound. Aan het einde van de Urban Jungle Tour herkenden ze met gemak Ken, mijn persoon, Libgart, Harry, David en Dirk. We waren er altijd en altijd op hetzelfde plekje aan de barrier. Later, tijdens de, Bridges To Babylon Tour, en verder werd het publiek dat de, Stones, overal volgde, groter en voor mij raakte de jus er een beetje af, omdat mensen hetzelfde trucje herhaalden van wat wij al eerder hadden gedaan. De eerste plectrum van, Keith, was een mijlpaal en een zeldzaam gebeuren. In, 2003, is het altijd hetzelfde vooraan en iedereen heeft wel een plectrum. Maar toen was een, door, Keith Richards, zelf, aangereikte plectrum, een schaars goed, en voor mij was duidelijk dat de, Stones, in, 1997, een gemeenschapsgoed was geworden, omdat er veel plectrums worden verschoten per show. Soms wel tien tussen de nummers door. Iedereen had alles. Het publiek is verwend en steevast nukkig en weinig inspirerend. Ze leven echt voor die ene glimp van Keith en dat is triest. Als de nieuwe helden, doorgezakte veertigers en vijftigers met geld als drek, dan van, Libgart, horen dat wij het al deden in, 1990, deinzen ze terug. Wij gingen het avontuur aan. Zonder veel geld en met veel inventiviteit. Zo stelde, Harry, zijn hagel-nieuwe motor ter beschikking aan, Dan Reed, die het voorprogramma verzorgde tijdens het tweede deel van de, Urban Jungle Tour. In ruil kreeg hij dan backstage-passes. Wij waren vaak ‘s middags al in het stadion. Deze generatie oude zakken koopt alles. Maar ze kunnen toch nooit de rehearsals zien, daar steken de, Stones, wel een stokje voor. Ze staan vooraan, a la, alles geregeld, maar kopen voor grof geld deze plaatsen, daar waar wij vroeger al, door geldgebrek, allerlei listen nodig hadden om telkens maar weer vooraan te kunnen staan. Er waren journalisten die ons volgden om ons verhaal te horen. In ruil kregen we dit en dat. Het spel rondom het stadion was een deel van ons leven geworden. En we werden dan ook steeds beter in het bereiken van ons doel. De eerste rij en backstage passes. Wij baarden in, 1990, nog opzien door overal op te duiken. Het felbegeerde zogenaamde, “all-access-laminate”, maakte en drukte Harry op een gegeven moment zelfs zelf in, 1994, en, 1995. Harry, is een art-director en geniaal op het gebied van ontwerpen en logo’s. Het namaken van de stickers resulteerde zelfs in het veranderen van rond naar ovale stickers, omdat, Harry, zijn stickers verkocht. Had ik al verteld dat hij ook joods bloed had. Zelfs de hologrammen waren niet van echt te onderscheiden. We kregen wel op ons kop van de, Stones, maar ze vonden het prachtig. Jaloezie tussen Stones-fans onderling is immer aanwezig en zo gemoedelijk als het was in, 1990, zou het niet meer worden. In de latere jaren van de jaren negentig en in, 2003, was er veel geld te verspillen voor complete stelletjes en idioten. Maar telkens denk ik dan: ”Waar waren jullie tijdens de Urban Jungle Tour?” Toen ze echt goed waren en snel speelden en het weer opnieuw ontdekten om de, Stones, te zijn. In, 2003, werden complete reizen gearrangeerd voor rijke Canadezen en Amerikanen, die vroegtijdig in het stadion werden binnen gelaten en zo zonder moeite vooraan konden staan. Dat is geen sport meer. Dit is vervlakking van het Stones-publiek. Als ik dan met veel moeite, door steeds weer andere manieren, aan het front kom wordt dat zelfs opgevat als, “vals spelen”, terwijl ik juist uit geldgebrek inventief ben. Vals spelen is wel degelijk een verhaal. Want met, “vals spelen”, kun je de sound-checks zien en in de keuken kijken van de, Stones. Ze zijn dan nog normaal. En ik heb veel sound-checks gezien en altijd is het een belevenis, want, sound-checken doen ze niet vaak. Eigenlijk zouden mensen dit moeten kunnen zien. Want de geadoreerde helden proberen net zoals iedereen een mooi kunstwerkje af te leveren. Net zoals de overdreven aandacht voor een gepoetste auto op zondagmiddag, zo wordt door de Stones de laatste hand gelegd aan een intermezzo of intro. Mensenwerk en burgerlijkheid tot in den treuren. Meerdere malen is het voor gekomen dat ik de helpende hand toesteek aan timmer werkzaamheden en het opruimen van het veld. Eenmaal binnen gedraag ik me als een werknemer, een zogenaamde rodie en omdat niemand, behalve, J.C, een compleet overzicht heeft over de genen op de vloer is het mogelijk de hele dag binnen in het stadion te blijven, zonder dat iemand vragen stelt. Een beetje opruimen hier en een beetje timmeren daar en de middag is zo om. Als dan de poorten opengaan is het chaos en in die chaos begeef ik me naar het front aan de barrière en sta dan weer vooraan. Intussen kostte het me een hele dag werken in het stadion. Zoals gezegd varieert dat van opruimen tot aan timmeren, en de helpende hand toesteken, waar maar kan, of is gewenst. Gratis naar binnen heeft een consequentie en die is dat je moet werken, anders wordt je gepakt en het stadion uit gegooid. Het schijnt heel moeilijk te zijn voor de moderne mens om zich te schikken in een knechtenrol waar je dan uiteindelijk zelf beter van wordt. Als ik met iemand anders in het stadion ben, en komt het erop aan, dan kijken ze vertwijfeld naar me en willen eigenlijk niet werken. Ze willen niet meehelpen en niet werken, maar juist dan val je op en word je eruit gegooid. Het is blijkbaar moeilijk voor nieuwste generatie in te zien dat de kost voor de baat uit gaat. Lang leve, Amsterdam. Op die manier lukt het me steeds weer opnieuw binnen te blijven. De laatste jaren is het steeds raak. In verhouding veel meer sound-checks ten opzichte van gevolgde concerten. In, 1990, was dat nog een op twintig nu loopt het op tot een op vier. Van de afgelopen concerten, vanaf, 1997, heb ik weinig sound-checks gemist. Een keer was ik een paar platen aan het zagen, vlakbij het mindden-podium, voor een paar hekken in de toren. Plotseling voelde ik ogen in me priemen en ik voelde een raar soort spanning. Niemand was meer op het veld, behalve de andere timmerman en ik. Ik voelde dat ik door moest zagen. Het was, Charlie, die met bewondering naar me stond te kijken, en wachtte totdat ik klaar was, want de sound-check ving aan. Dit was kenmerkend, omdat ik druk aan het werk was. Ik ben immers timmerman in hart en ziel. Mijn handigheid met timmergereedschap komt me dan goed uit. Met dank aan de werkplaats van mijn oom, waar ik ben opgeleid tot timmerman, meubelmaker. Het voordeel van binnen zijn is dat je de sound-checks mag meemaken, en daar is het me natuurlijk allemaal om te doen. Menigmaal verstopte ik me ergens in een kast of onder de tribune om niet op te vallen en rustig te genieten van de sound-check. sound-checks zijn de ultieme beloning voor een dag zweten om in het stadion te komen. De sound-checks vormen de basis van dit script. Niemand ziet dit namelijk. Het best bewaarde geheim van de, Stones, wordt hier geopenbaard.

Het resultaat van de rechtszaak volgde de volgende dag. Het vonnis was hard voor de hooligans. Het gerechtshof stuurde de hooligans naar de gevangenis en de vergoeding voor mij was tienduizend gulden. De rechtszaak zelf was een farce maar succesvol. De rechtzaak en het verblijf, destijds in, Engeland, bij, Harry, was een toppunt van het einde. Harry, was naar de klote door drugs, werk en, Mel, zijn beoogde vriendin. Bovendien was die periode voor, Harry, een bewogen tijd, omdat hij toen veel, zo niet al zijn schepen in Engeland, aan het verbranden was. Hij was duidelijk zoekende en zocht een weg om te emigreren naar Amerika; iets waar hij een paar maanden ook toe leek gedwongen, door de uitzichtloze situatie. In Amerika zal hij het wel gaan maken, en verdraaid, twaalf jaar later heeft hij het daar ook gemaakt! Ja, zijn, Rock ‘N Roll-leven, is hard. Feitelijk leeft, Harry, een veel te zwaar leven. Anders dan mijn gestel is zijn gestel van staal. Maar hij gaat elke dag over de schreef en predikt dan, dat dat nu juist de vrijheid is, om te doen waar je zin in hebt. En vrijheid biedt altijd de kans te schijnen. Harry, is en kunstenaar en laat zich niet sturen. Hij voelt zich waarschijnlijk als een strijder. Zijn kunst wordt gevormd door zijn talent en door de keuzes die hij maakt. Hij heeft een feilloos gevoel voor kleuren en zijn werk bestaat voor een groot deel uit inkleuren van voornamelijk mensen. De vlezige huidskleur van mensen op zwart-wit prentjes, moeten worden gevonden op het zogenaamde pallet, en Harry is daar een meester in. Hij heeft bovendien een gave om zich te kunnen uiten met behulp van computers. Naar eigen zeggen is de computer zijn enige echte vriend. Opdrachten volbrengt hij altijd binnen een paar dagen, om vervolgens een week bij te komen. Hij werkt achter elkaar door, als er een opdracht binnenkomt en verdient dan een paar duizend dollar per dag! Zijn inspiratie komt van reizen, motorrijden op zijn Harley Davidson, science-fiction-films en muziek. Zijn concurrenten bedienen zich van veel administratie en weinig talent. Hier is, Harry, door gegriefd. Hij weet dat hij op eenzame hoogte staat, maar de huidige maatschappij is vastgeroest en biedt weinig plaats voor kunstenaars. De reden, aangegrepen voor vertrek uit Engeland, herhaalt zich in Amerika en dat doet hem verdriet. Samen met een vriend, Colin, startten zij een bedrijf en investeerden in een drukkerij. Colin, is leider van de motorbende, maar een ongelooflijke aardige jongen. Hij heeft ook nog eens gestudeerd. Daarnaast is hij, Kunfu-Master, en werkelijk elke dag had hij een andere vriendin. Bende-leider zijn heeft zo zijn voordelen! Eenmaal geïnvesteerd en geïnstalleerd als grafisch bedrijf in, L.A., volgde toen precies de computerrace en hun aanschaf bleek binnen een paar jaar ouderwets en achterhaald. Ze konden niet meer concurreren met grotere bedrijven, die de vernieuwingsrace wel konden volhouden en het bedrijf heeft drie jaar bestaan en toen was het op. Intussen is zijn compagnon werkzaam bij een bouwbedrijf en, Harry, werkt thuis aan zijn ontwerpen en logo’s. Nu is hij dus letterlijk de eenzame strijder. Het onheil heeft hij over zichzelf afgeroepen, maar hij blijft vechten voor zijn bestaan. Het enige dat hem staande houdt is zijn geloof. Hij onderscheidt zich door prachtige ontwerpen, maar die worden verkocht in een commerciële markt en worden niet als kunst erkend, maar als een vervulling van een opdracht. Zijn opdrachten hielden hem lange tijd staande, maar ook, Harry, moest op zoek naar ander werk. Hij vond dit in de vorm van een muziek-bedrijf, MOD, Music On Demand, en is daar eindredacteur, niet slecht. Tussen al de troebelheden van de maatschappij biedt de, Rock ‘N Roll, voor het individu vertrouwen. Harry, laat zich nooit ontmoedigen en gelukkig voor hem leefde zijn muziek helemaal op in de jaren negentig. AC/DC, is zijn favoriete band en juist die deden het voorprogramma van de Stones. Intussen gaan de geruchten over, AC/DC, dat zanger, Brion Johnson, in, Moskou, gaat optreden, met het Russisch filharmonisch orkest. Harry regelt dit bijvoorbeeld. Harry, is een moderne zwerver, met altijd geld! In iedere donkere periode schijnt altijd het licht van de verwondering. De kanonnen, die altijd gepaard gaan met een optreden van concert van, AC/DC, worden vervangen door de echte kanonnen van het Russische leger. Tot zover de laatste geruchten in, April, 2005. Ik heb er weinig van gemerkt. Volgens mij is dit optereden nooit doorgegaan. Maar, Harry, was destijds zeer enthousiast. Hij ziet licht, in het pikkedonker. Ook zal, J.C., inmiddels zijn ontslagen door de, Stones, omdat hij kaartjes zou hebben verkocht. Voor, Harry, en mij betekent dit slecht nieuws. En inderdaad, na 2003, was het betalen om naar binnen te komen. Trouwens, na vier tournee's was mijn geld toch echt op. In, 2006, en, 2007, Bigger Bang Tour, stopte ik met het volgen van alle optredens. Harry, en ik, beseften heel goed dat onze tijd voorbij was. Harry is aan de grond, ging terug naar Engeland en ging zich nestelen. Het laatse wat ik van hem zag, voor mijn voordeur, was hoe hij op zijn motor stapte, met een grote tas op de tank, en me die blik gaf. Dit was goodbye, farewell. Harry, en ik hebben altijd al weinig woorden nodig gehad om punten duidelijk te maken. Harry ging naar huis, na zeventien jaar in L.A. te hebben gewoond. Ik wist het. Voelde het. Dit is het einde van een periode. Juni 2009, het einde, en een nieuw begin. Mijn vriendin heeft toen nog vier jaar met alle mogelijkheden geprobeerd mijn leven te bederven, en het lukte haar ook nog aardig. Harry maakte ook haar duidelijk dat ik niets waard was. Ja, ik heb slaapproblemen, en ben een wrak. In 2014 heeft ze een ander en ik vraag daarom af: hoelang heeft ze al een ander? U moet weten dat ik geen twee minuten weg mocht. Zij had besloten dat ik vreemd ging. En nu moest ik boeten. Harry woonde destijds bij me in, en vond dit helemaal prachtig. En dan ineens kwam er mailtje; kom je nog naar Hyde Park? Ik zei: Nee. Ik peins er niet over. Do you want to melt down on the field, I replied. En dat was het dan. De kunst is om de lichtpunten te zien en, Rock ‘N Roll, is een lichtpunt. Rock ‘N Roll, maakt je blij. Het laat mij zingen. Zomaar. Vooral als de omgeving zo somber is. Het biedt gewoon houvast, dat juist voor gitaristen, die door en door naar de klote zijn, toch nog hun talent de kans geven. De klank van een akoestische gitaar is vergelijkbaar mooi als de klank van een harp. Hun talent om de gitaar te spelen, zullen ze nooit verliezen. Een gitaar klinkt altijd, moe of niet. Zo moet ook, Harry, gedacht hebben. De heldere klanken van inspiratie klinken door en je vergeet de rest. Harry, wist dus zijn droom vast te houden. Ik zal dit van hem overnemen, als levensles. Achteraf is dit de les van de, Stones: “Nooit opgeven en altijd vertrouwen in jezelf houden. Er is op deze aarde ruimte genoeg voor ook jouw persoontje.” Als, Keith, inderdaad te weinig talent zou hebben, is dit nog meer waar.

In de periode van de rechtzaak was ik ook al gecrashed en woonde weer bij mijn ouders in, samen met mijn vriendin, Moniwi en dat ging ook helemaal niet goed. De trip naar, Engeland, bleek de relatie met, Moniwi, te breken, omdat ze niet mee mocht van mij en dus een week alleen bij mijn ouders woonde. Bij terugkomst begreep ik niets van de apathische liefde van, Moniwi, en op het vliegveld in, Amsterdam, vloog ze om mijn nek van blijdschap. Doordat ik niet in staat was dit te filteren, in wat voor, Moniwi, een laatste poging was, om toch nog iets van onze relatie te maken, heeft ze waarschijnlijk een keuze gemaakt. Ongelukkiger kon ze moeilijk worden; ik was weg en ze woonde bij mijn ouders in. Bij terugkomst was ik zo versleten, dat ik niets anders wilde dan met rust gelaten te worden. Stom rund, denk ik wel eens. Maar ja. Had ik maar van haar gehouden zoals ik nu van haar houd! Mmm, trouwens, niet getreurd, de aanspraak van mooie meisjes begint weer te komen. De ergste tijd van depressiviteit is voorbij! Het is niet voor niets, 2014, en de ellende ligt achter me, vandaar de kracht om dit op te schrijven. Daags voor de rechtzaak kwam ik aan in, Engeland. In, Londen, haalde, Harry, me op en we gingen naar zijn nieuwe flat. Wat een puinhoop, die flat met twee verdiepingen en grote kamers, maar donker en zeer groot. Ik kreeg een tablet in mijn mond geduwd, was nog niet eens binnen, en stapte toen over de drempel zijn flat binnen en werd linea recta naar de televisiekamer, met een tweepersoons bed, geleid. Harry, gaf me zijn kamer. Hij, en, Mel, waren overal door het huis. Het licht mocht niet aan van, Mel. Zijn kamer was zeer goed aangekleed voor verblijf. Perfect eigenlijk, met super-films als, Black Adder, en, David Bowie, en, Monty Pytons, “Quest for the Holy Grale”. U weet wel, die film die zich afspeelde ten tijde van, Koning Arthur, en ridders van de ronde tafel, die op zoek gaan naar de heilige graal. Ineens stond daar een politie korps, met wapenstok, de invasie van de ridders te verijdelen, en betekende hiermee het einde van de film. Verwoed zocht ik naar de oorzaak van het plotseling stoppen van de film. De video werkte wel. Na een poos ging ik, Harry, halen en die lachte het uit: ”Dat is juist de bedoeling van, John Cleese, dat je denkt dat de film doorgaat, maar door een paar agenten wordt, Koning Arthur, ingerekend en zodoende is de zoektocht naar de heilige graal afgebroken.” Jammer vond ik dat. Het begon net leuk te worden. Black Adder volgde, lang voordat hij werd ontdekt in Nederland en ik kon gewoon niet begrijpen dat er zulke goede humor bestaat. Black Adder, is, Rowan Atkinson, en belichaamt Britse humor. Niet te vertellen en dat probeer ik ook niet eens. En, Black Adder, is anderhalf uur achter elkaar proesten van het lachen. De volgende dag moesten we nog eventjes naar, Oxford, voor de rechtzaak, maar, na een paar uur voor de video, trippend en wel, maakte dat allemaal niets meer uit. Lachen. De dag zelf zou minder leuk worden, al was het resultaat van rechtzaak ongelooflijk.

De winter na de tournee van, 1990, dus de winter van, 1990 / 1991, was een ommekeer in mijn leven, Moniwi kwam terug. Niet in de laatste plaats omdat ik haar beste vriendinnen had gebruikt om haar jaloers te maken, en dat werkte. In, 1989, had Moniwi het uitgemaakt, nadat ze in de zomer in Spanje een Spaanse jongen ontmoette. Moniwi maakte het na de zomer uit en ik was zielsverloren. De naweeën ervan bestonden uit drugsgebruik en veel stappen, uitgaan dus, en zuipen. Hij, de Spaanse jongen, verlegen, mooi en perfect eigenlijk, stond voor de deur en ik liet, Moniwi, en hij een avond alleen. Urban Jungle-concerten. Dan krijg je tenminste wat je wilt en vergeet je even de realiteit. Mooier kan toch niet? Niets dan. Al het touren zou volgen. Bovendien trok ik tijdens de, Steel Wheels Tour, bij mijn oom en tante in, na de zomer van, 1989. De eerste paar maanden voelde de vrijheid goed aan. Vrijheid in doen en laten, uitslapen bijvoorbeeld. Thuis blijven, bij mijn vader en moeder bleek niet te kunnen. Mijn hoofd spookte en ik sliep niet. Ik voelde me teugelloos en moest weg. Bij mijn oom en tante sliep ik nog steeds slecht, maar omdat ze des morgens weggingen, kon ik toch overdag bij slapen en voelde me redelijk. Ik kon mijn eigen ritme gaan bepalen. Op een gegeven moment kreeg mijn oom in de gaten dat ik vooral overdag sliep en alleen leefde voor het voetbal. Op dat moment droomde ik nog van idealen, zoals het worden van een goede voetballer. Talent had ik, maar mijn lichamelijke gesteldheid werkte niet mee om door te breken. Zo kwam de marihuana van mijn oom en tante, langzaam in mijn leven als slaapmiddel, maar drank en drugs waren gelukkig, ook voor mijn oom en tante taboe. Want drank en drugs maakten je kapot. Weed niet? Nee, volgens hen kon weed geen kwaad. Want dan sliep ik lekker en was ik niet tot last. In de winter van, 1991, in, Februari, ging mijn opa dood en net voor die tijd werd ik het huis uitgezet, geplaatst in een kleine flat. Mijn oom en tante hadden deze flat geregeld, en ik kon mooi daar wonen. In die zes maanden tijdens mijn verblijf aldaar was ik verwend, letterlijk gedrogeerd en mijn baantje kwijt bij de catamaran-importeur, omdat ik voor mijn oom ging werken. Op school ging het slecht en ik bleef ook zitten dat jaar. Ik hunkerde naar weed en seks. Allebei was het op mij flatje in overvloed voorhanden. Moniwi, had altijd zin, en ik ook. Bovendien werkte ik toen voor een klein aannemertje die me grof betaalde. Geld was er gelukkig genoeg om de levensstijl te handhaven, voor een tijdje. Niemand kon werkelijk iets doen. Mijn grootste passie, voetballen ging ook niet meer en ik verspeelde mijn plaats in de selectie en ik moest nu gaan ploeteren in de zogenaamde B-selectie. We werden dat jaar wel kampioen, en het jaar daarop ook en ik heb gelukkig mooie wedstrijden gespeeld en bovendien kwam ik na een jaar in de, B-selectie, weer in aanmerking voor de, A-selectie. Direct tijdens de eerste training van de A-selectie ging het niet. Ik moest afwerken op doel. Mijn enkel was verrekt, mijn bovenbeenspieren waren verrekt, maar dat verzweeg ik natuurlijk. Ik leerde de regels van de straat. Ik moest vechten voor mijn vriendinnetje, ik moest vechten om de school te halen, ik moest vechten op mijn werk. Ik moest een huis bouwen en blijven functioneren. Kortom, ik was naar de klote, en dat voor iemand van, 21 jaar! Ik voelde me tachtig of nog veel ouder. Ik kon, tijdens die selectie-training niet aanzetten en niet schieten en precies die training ging het om felle sprints gevolgd door afwerken op doel. Ik was niet explosief en kon niet voluit schieten, kortom, raakte geen bal en de trainer keek me vertwijfeld aan. Ik kon goed voetballen, passeerde verdedigers met alle gemak, maar in deze training ging het niet om een mannetje te passeren, maar het kwam aan op kracht. De trainer was een Amsterdammer en had veel meegemaakt met zijn pupillen en spelers, maar hoe ik erbij liep was klaarblijkelijk voor hem zelfs deerniswekkend. Met spijt in zijn stem en handelen zei hij niet te begrijpen waarom juist de meest getalenteerde speler, linksbuiten nog wel, zo gebukt gaat onder spanningen. Het waren niet alleen spanningen trainer. De reden dat ik letterlijk steeds door mijn benen zakte was meer, plus het gevoel onbegrepen te zijn en zoals ik later begreep, geluk dat ik ontbeerde, daar waar ik zo gewend aanraakte in de Jaren Tachtig. Mijn bovendijbeen was gescheurd, maar ik zei dit niet. En, we moesten toen precies, natuurlijk, schieten van afstand, afwerken vanaf de tweede lijn, 20 meter van de goal. En bovendien kreeg ik in de grote partij, aan het einde, gewoonweg de bal niet toegespeeld, hoe vrij ik ook stond. Ik werd, “even”, door de, A-selectie, genegeerd en zo ontnamen ze me mijn kans iemand te passeren en een opening te vinden. Ook de plekjes in de kleedkamer zijn voor de grote jongens. Toen vond ik het opzienbarend en kinderachtig en vooral stom om zo opzichtig met de aanvoerders-band te lopen, alsof er nooit een andere zal komen. Werkelijk hilarisch wordt het toneel in de kleedkamer voor de wedstrijd of training als ze blijven staan en grapjes maken, en jou wegkijken, en ik me inderdaad zo gespannen voelde en ergens anders ging zitten. En ik vond dat niet erg. Met inderdaad spot verliet ik dan mijn stelling en zocht een andere kapstok uit, ver weg van de verwarming. De aanvoerder van het elftal was goed en had een perfect atletisch, halfbloedig en dus een aanstekelijk lijf voor de oudere heren, kon de bal goed raken, maar had tijd nodig in de aanname. Hij was ook een goede kickbokser en hier pronkte hij mee door middel van zijn hardheid. Maar met alleen een bal, dus zonder de lange bal, had hij geen kans in het korte spel. Als het eerste speelde, op zondag middag, liep de aanvoerder meer in de rondte als een lust-object, dan als een goede voetballer. Als ik maar eens de kans kreeg om te voetballen in het eerste en als ze me maar de bal toeschoven. Mijn moeder wilde dat ik op atletiek of een andere individuele sport ging, om zo maar niet afhankelijk te zijn van, “klootzakken”. Tijd gaf ik de aanvoerder niet en ik zou hem wel even laten zien wat er gebeurt in de kleine ruimte. Het korte spel en de bal slechts een keer raken en versnellen en hem passeren gebeurde niet in werkelijkheid, slechts in mijn dromen. Om in een eerste elftal te mogen spelen is een ieder afhankelijk van de wensen van de club. Klasse justitie, de zonen van de voorzitter en zo mogen wel meespelen en krijgen kans op kans. Mijn enige kans werd door die ene training vergooid; iets waarvoor ik leefde! De club stelde vervolgens vast, dat het wel plezierig was dat de B-selectie telkens kampioen werd. Voornamelijk door mijn doelpunten en assists. Het zat me wel en niet mee in die tijd op het voetbalveld. Toch heb ik mooie herinneringen, want ik speelde goed. Zo goed dat altijd iedereen bleef staan om me te zien spelen. Het nadeel van de, B-selectie, is dat je zondag om tien uur moet spelen. Voor iemand met slaap-problemen is dat niet een beetje vroeg, maar zeg maar gerust onmogelijk vroeg. Daarna zuipen in de kantine en verplicht naar het eerste kijken en daarna thuis aan de dope. Maandag kon ik niet naar school, punt. Dat was een ding dat zeker was. Dinsdag, donderdag en zaterdagmiddag trainen, alle energie naar het voetballen, terwijl ik die luttele energie nodig had om orde op zaken te stellen, in mijn gewone leven. Waarom zat mijn vader niet in het bestuur? En waarom deed mijn oom, die wel het een en ander te zeggen binnen de club, niet een goed woordje voor me. Oh ja, dat was natuurlijk omdat hij en mijn vader een levenslange ruzie met elkaar hadden, dat was ik even in mijn naïviteit vergeten. Maar voor mij onbegrijpelijk dat werkelijk middelmatige voetballers zich staande hielden in het eerste. Triviaal en kenmerkend voor de grootste club uit de, Zaanstreek, was het absurde lage niveau van het eerste. Ik wist intussen wel hoe dat kwam. Het leek wel een club uit het, Midden Oosten, waar de sheiks het voor het zeggen hebben en per definitie neefjes opstelden in het eerste en niet mijn persoontje, klein en mager maar toch echt wel een talent, de kans gaven om te groeien. Deze ontkenning van mijn voetbal-capaciteiten heeft mij zeer aangegrepen. Mijn neef, die bij een andere club speelde kreeg wel die kans en werd doodleuk uitgenodigd door een prof-club uit de regio, Volendam. Hij speelde daar met, Johan Steur. Helaas voor mijn neef; hij brak zijn enkel. Weg carrière. We voetbalden vaak samen en leerden elkaar trucjes en passeerbewegingen en we waren gewoon echt goede voetballers. Maar hij kreeg de kans en ik niet. Oververmoeid en letterlijk met een waas voor ramde ik steeds vaker zomaar, Moniwi, in elkaar. Steeds vaker uitte mijn agressie zich en op een gegeven moment leek ik gek te worden. Ook in het uitgaansleven heb ik veel ruzies uitgelokt. Mijn broer zal vaak zijn geramd en een enkele keer hard ook. Excuses, Bernard. Toen ik in 1994, zoals dat heet, op een blauwe maandag, nog eenmaal ging voetballen stond ik wel direct in het eerste. Ik was toch sterker en groter geworden en evenwichtiger en nu kon niemand meer om me heen. Maar de, Voodoo Lounge Tour, van, 1994, begon tegelijkertijd met het voetbalseizoen en na een paar weken zegde ik mijn lidmaatschap op en vertrok in, Oktober, naar, Amerika. Het was heel zoet om toch nog een keer in het eerste te spelen. Nog geen maand na de verhuizing, van mijn oom en tante naar de kleine flat, stond Moniwi met een grote koffer op de stoep en ze vroeg of ze bij me mocht wonen. Dit was een droom, maar die verstoorde ik dus zelf. Natuurlijk! De omstandigheden de komende vier jaar waren ook ongunstig. We verhuisden naar een oud huis waarvan zelfs de fundering en de gevels opnieuw opgetrokken dienden te worden. Niet echt een plek om rustig aan een relatie te bouwen. Toen had ik alles op alles moeten zetten om een gewoon leven te gaan leiden en niet domweg blind aan het huis werken om het daarna te verkopen, om Stones-concerten te zien, om maar niet de realiteit van het leven te hoeven zien. Sterker, ik overtuigde, Moniwi, dat het volgen van een Stones-tour geweldig is. En ik dacht echt dat de, Stones, niet meer gingen touren, na het geweldige succes van de, Steel Wheels -, en, Urban Jungle Tour. Dat konden ze onmogelijk overtoppen. Bovendien was het acht jaar stil geweest en ik verwachtte weer zo’n stilte. Dus ik kon makkelijk zoiets suggereren. Ik leefde met de dag. Het ongelooflijke nieuws van de, Voodoo Lounge Tour, deed me letterlijk verblinden. Ja, toen dacht ik echt dat ze nog een keer zouden gaan touren. In, 1994, was het huis klaar en ik zou naar, Amerika, gaan voor de, Voodoo Lounge Tour. Nogmaals, ik was ervan overtuigd dat dit de laatste keer zou worden. Ik vond het toen al gewaagd van de, Stones, om, in, 1994, al T-shirts te drukken met doodleuk de vermelding: 1994/1995 World Tour. Ik moest eerst nog zien dat ze, 1994, volmaakten. 1995, was nog zover weg. Maar ik was dom om te denken dat, Moniwi, altijd aan mijn zijde bleef. Ik heb daar geen minuut meer aan getwijfeld, hoewel, Moniwi, er toch anders over ging denken. Ze hield echt van me, dat bewees ze eigenlijk elke dag, maar op een gegeven moment heeft ze het opgegeven. Ik was gefocusseerd op alles, met name op de verrichtingen van de, Stones, en de voortgang van het huis, behalve op, Moniwi. Nu besef ik dat de ideale situatie er een is die je dagelijks moet onderhouden. Of te wel: ”Er moet gewerkt worden aan relaties, net zoals er gewerkt moet worden aan een huis.” En toch maakte de schoonheid van, Moniwi, me niet gelukkig. Ik was alleen maar met mezelf bezig, en vond de gevoelens van, Moniwi, ondergeschikt. Dit zou ze me terugbetalen, en letterlijk heb ik er tien jaar last van gehad. Mijn deel was verdriet en ongelukkigheid. Ik besloot te gaan studeren in, 1995, omdat ik bang was dat ik dood zou gaan van verdriet. Ik moest een doel hebben om te leven. Stones-concerten waren het enige dat me verroerde en, “over bewust”, lette ik thuis op de uitvoeringen van nummers en diepte ze uit tot in den treuren. Ik had niets beters te doen, lijkt wel. Maar bedenk dat ik geen televisie had gedurende de jaren 90 en altijd aan het werk of studeren was en muziek was mijn rustpunt. Nummers die mijn gehele jeugd hebben bepaald. Mijn steun en toeverlaat. Ik snapte werkelijk niets van de manier van spelen. Waarom zijn de Stones anders dan alle andere bands? Ik kon dan ook de veranderingen van de shows goed meemaken. Hoe is het mogelijk dat de band, in de, Jaren Negentig, dezelfde kleur en emoties kan oproepen als van, de Jaren Zestig. Geen andere band heeft die kleurechtheid. Under My Thumb, Let’s Spend The Night Together, Shattered, en, 19th Nervous Breakdown, klonken tijdens de, Voodoo Lounge Tour, ongehoord echt. Ongelooflijk vond ik dat. Bij het horen van de intro’s voel je dat ze de juiste snaar weten te raken en dat ze terugkeren naar vervlogen tijden. Mijn moeder zei altijd dat de, Beatles, en, Stones, tijdloos waren. En nu begrijp ik dit. Tijdens de, Bridges to Babylon Tour, 1997, en, 1998, en de, No Security Tour, van, 1999, waren de, Stones, weer ouderwets op elkaar ingespeeld en speelden, op verzoek, nummers. Een keer werd, Waiting on a Friend, aangevraagd, via voorkeurstemmen op de internet-site. Bill Gates, sponsorde die tournee en als tegenprestatie kon het publiek voorkeurstemmen uitbrengen, via de website. Ik heb al veel gehoord, maar toen, Waiting on a Friend, out of the blue werd ingezet, was het overduidelijk dat, Waiting on a Friend, en feitelijk alle andere nummers symfonietjes zijn. Nummers van, Keith, kunnen perfect worden geconserveerd. De lijnen en contouren bestaan uit basiselementen. Waarschijnlijk omdat elk Stones-nummer en zeker ook die van de, Beatles, bestaan uit losse elementen, is de kleur-echtheid gegarandeerd. Anders dan het gerommel en gehark en gegraaf, met als gevolg dat de muziek een brei wordt van bandjes die proberen, Rock’ N Roll, te spelen, speelt, Keith, sober en schoon en ontvouwt stalen brug waarop, Waiting on a Friend, leunt. En ook, 19th Nervous Breakdown, werd bijvoorbeeld gedragen door, Keith. De lijnen en de bas-loopjes zijn uitgekristalliseerd. Mijn voorlopige conclusie is dat een nummer eerst zijn vorm aanneemt als de bas-loop is uitgelegd. Om minimaal te spelen, zoals de, Stones, doen, moet de basis helder zijn. Omdat elk nummer bestaat uit basis-lijnen is het zaak te weten wat deze zijn. En omdat, Keith, de nummers zelf schrijft is het triviaal te vermelden, dat hij die gene is, die precies weet wat die basis elementen van zijn nummers zijn. Doordat het onmogelijk is om te spelen als, Keith, is het simpelweg onmogelijk voor bands om dit te kopiëren. En doordat de, Stones, zichzelf, tijdens de jaren negentig, in een levensecht oefenterrein begeven, is het niet verwonderlijk, dat met het verstrijken van de jaren, de klassieke nummers een voor een, klakkeloos, werden afgestoft. Verreweg hoogtepunten waren de versies van, When The Whip Comes Down, Some Girls, You Got The Silver, Sister Morphine, met een toen, uniek voor een Stones-concert, tweede toegift, tijdens de, No Security Tour: You Can’t Always Get What You Want, werd plotseling ingezet, als extra toegift, door, Keith, en volgens mij was dit niet gepland. Voor de liefhebber: Eerste show in, Houston, Februari, 1999. Tijdens de, No Security Tour, van, 1999, was, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, inmiddels uit het repertoire geschrapt, want de, No Security Tour, had een veel harder karakter dan alle voorgaande tournee’s. Mick had pijn. Er knaagde bovendien iets aan zijn geweten en werd zich bewust van zijn bovenmenselijke status, vergelijkbaar met Caesar of Alexander De Grote. Marianne Faithfull, vergelijkt hem met de Zonne-koning, Louis XIV. De grote, Mick Jagger, werd, naar mijn mening, voor het eerst in zijn leven aan de kant geschoven door een vrouw; Jerry Hall. Toen, Keith, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, inzette stond daar een duidelijk geëmotioneerde, Mick Jagger. Je kon het hoopje verdriet opvegen. Ik stond toen, in, Houston, in de, Compaq Centre, direct aan het podium en zag hoe, Keith, plotseling weer naar het midden van het podium liep en achteloos het nummer inzette. Eerder werd die avond ook al, Sister Morphine, op schrijnende wijze vertolkt. Mick, had pijn, dat was duidelijk en, Keith, hielp hem daar overheen. Net zoals bij de tweede toegift liep, Keith, gedurfd, tijdens de intro, naar de rand van het podium en was op dat moment de bliksemafleider. Natuurlijk is het normaal als, Mick, de show steelt, maar toen kon dat even niet. Mick, was een hoopje verdriet. Keith, nam de honeurs waar als voorman en, Mick, kon, na zichzelf weer te hebben hervonden, op hartverscheurende wijze, Sister Morphine, brengen. Inclusief de gebroken stem die precies bij het nummer past. De, No Security Tour, was geen doorsnee tour. De geluidsinstallatie had veel te veel vermogen en was bestemd voor stadions. En de, No Security Tour, had in, Amerika, plaats, in, kleine arena’s. Toen, Some Girls, op verbluffende wijze, authentiek, werd gebracht, met een werkelijk spectaculaire staande intro, waarbij binnen de seconde, alle instrumenten zich perfect mengden, was het duidelijk: Mick, moest weer zingen, iets anders zou hij niet kunnen op dat moment. Hij zou in het dagelijks leven worden uitgehold door verdriet en onmacht, ten gevolge van zijn scheiding. Anders zou hij sterven van verdriet. Wie nu nog durft te zeggen dat de, Stones, slechts voor het geld spelen is niet goed bij zijn hoofd. Die tournee van, 1999, was niet voor het geld. Die was er, om, Mick, te laten te overleven. Om hem zijn verdriet te laten uiten. En, wat is er beter, dan uiting door middel van muziek. Mijn broer was mee naar, Amerika, en zag het ook. Nog steeds verhaalt hij met ontzag de impact van de, Stones, als ze kwaad zijn. Hij vertelde dat de stoere Amerikaanse yuppies, met allemaal een prachtige vriendin aan hun zijde, inclusief een vlotte zonnebril, letterlijk verbleekten toen, Keith, en, Ronnie, bij wijze van hoge uitzondering, over gingen op, Trash Rock. Nogmaals, When the Whip Comes Down, Midnight Rambler, en, Star Fucker, gespeeld op het midden podium in de kleine arena’s, begin, 1999, in, Amerika, waren een zegen voor de diehard fans, maar een regelrechte kwelling voor mensen, die dachten, dat ze het hadden gemaakt in hun leven. Al hun zekerheden konden de prullenbak in. Hun vriendinnen vonden het plotseling geweldig, en vonden, Mick, en, Keith, nu ineens zeer aantrekkelijke beesten. De yuppies en de jetset, zo moet u zich voorstellen, kochten voor honderden dollars een plekje vooraan en probeerde natuurlijk indruk te maken met die plaatsen, op hun veel te mooie, “gekochte”, vriendinnen. De Amerikanen verwachten weer een, Stones-concert, zoals ze die kenden van de, Voodoo Lounge, en, Bridges to Babylon. Zo kenden ze de, Stones, niet, en zo zijn de, Stones, ook helemaal niet aardig voor hun publiek. Letterlijk niet wetende waar te zoeken en te kijken, om zich nog enigszins te profileren als vlotte veertiger, volgde vooral de vrouwelijke, en veel jongere aanhang, de wulpse bewegingen van, Mick. De jetset werd getrakteerd op primitieve omgangs-normen, waar zij dus zogenaamd ver boven dient te staan en er nu met hun neus werden ingewreven. De meisjes vonden dat prachtig en hadden plotseling geen oog meer, en zeker geen interesse voor hun welgemanierde partners. Ze wilden bruut worden aangerand en worden verkracht en als oud vuil worden behandeld. Ze wilden ook die primitieve manier van leven ondervinden. Ze wilden ook wel eens gillend en schreeuwend klaarkomen! Keith, en, Ronnie, gooiden het ene spervuur na het andere de zaal in. Met de veel te grote geluidsinstallatie in de kleine zalen, was het een ware geseling voor de genen, die nog niet uit de zaal waren gevlucht. In het oog van de orkaan stond daar plotseling weer een herboren, Mick Jagger, die zichtbaar opluchtte tijdens de storm. Mick, kwam tot rust en, Keith, lachte liefkozend naar hem. Alsjeblieft, maatje, hier heb je je verdriet, verwerk het maar lekker. Alles komt goed. Wat een band! Sentiment komt wel erg hard aan, maar dat is het leven! Ik sta altijd vooraan en was waar de, Stones, waren. Maniakaal volgde ik ze door heel, Europa, en later, in, 1994, en verder door de, USA. Tot mijn verbazing zag ik van dichtbij de oogcontacten tussen de bandleden en zag dat de, Stones, konden temporiseren en pieken, wanneer ze maar wilden. Zo waren ze instaat een menigte van honderdduizend man in slaap te sussen om ze daarna meedogenloos wakker te schudden. Als ze zin hadden in experimenten werd een gehele set aangepast om de experimenten in te kleden, met als vangnet opsluiting door gepaste nummers. Na bijvoorbeeld probeersels als, Factory Girl, en, I Just Want to Make Love to You, kwam een klassieker, een nummer met een voortstuwende kracht, als, Satisfaction. Dus al zou het experiment mislukken, de menigte zal dit snel vergeten. Klassieke Rock-nummers om de experimentele nummers maskeerden dit, bij voorbaat. De boodschap van dit alles is dat iedereen een kans moet krijgen om te schijnen. De Stones hebben zelf de regie in handen. Ze maken tijd en ruimte voor probeersels, om zo het spectrum op te rekken. Omdat ze omringd worden door zekerheden, de nummers, het stadion en de enorme geluidsinstallatie, mislukken experimenten niet! Het heeft even geduurd, maar toevallig geluk moet je afdwingen.

De Stones, hebben zich een weg gebaand door de tijd en steeds goed opgelet wat mogelijk is voor de tijd. En bekend is dat in deze tijd alles mogelijk is. De, Stones, hebben de tijd met glans naar hun hand gezet. Ik voelde me sterk verbonden met de kracht van de muziek van de, Stones, maar was verloren en zocht ongewild grip in de goede muziek en de entourage van de Stones-karavaan en kwam verder en zo kwam ik in contact met, Alan Dunn, eerst in, Birmingham, USA!, via de telefoon, via, Arend Jan van der Marel in, Amsterdam!, en later in levende lijve bij aanvang van het concert in, 1995, in, Wembley. Alan Dunn, grijnsde. Ik maakte zo goed als deel uit van het Stones-circus en werd zelfs herkend door fans, die me hadden gezien tijdens de, Stones-film, van, 1990, in het, IMAX-theater. Alan Dunn, en meerdere leden van de vaste kern van de Stones-administratie kenden me en in, Londen, in, 1995, zei, Alan Dunn, dat hij wel een vermoeden had, waarom ze elke keer beter gingen spelen en dat dit voor betrokkenen een eindeloze rit is geworden. De crew en de die-hard fans zitten gevangen en worden verblind door de voortgang van de grootste, Rock ‘N Roll-band, aller tijden. Zij worden beter en de fans, die het volgen, gaan langzaam stuk. Het wordt altijd beter, dus de mensen die het laatste goede concert hebben gezien weten net zoveel als de mensen die alle concerten volgen. De groep vaste bezoekers van de eerste rij werd zodoende steeds groter en eind jaren negentig, en tijdens de laatste, Licks Tour, namen zij met honderden mijn plaats in op de eerste rijen en ik distantieerde me ervan. Noodzakelijk, door geldgebrek. Maar ook omdat ik nu zeker wist dat de Stones zo groot zijn geworden door het afdwingen van inspanningen van anderen en als de lachende derde er van door te gaan, met de opgedane kennis. Kijk naar, bijvoorbeeld, Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, Billy Preston. Ik wist dat de, Stones, niet of nauwelijks acht slaan op mensen die hun eigen leven vergooien om, Rock ‘N Roll, te spelen en te zien. Weten ze wat ik weet? Zoeken ze wat? Billy Preston, weet nu dat zijn muziek is samengevat in een nummer, niet van hem zelf, maar van, Jagger / Richards, en heet, Hot Stuff. In dit nummer is de alle franje en tierelantijn afgeschud en wat overblijft is definiërende muziek. Uitgedroogd en sober, als een overblijfsel of relikwie van de muziek van, Preston, is de beat van, Hot Stuff, een belichaming van wat eens zijn muziek was. De, Stones, hebben in alle rust van dichtbij het kunstje afgekeken van, Billy. Hij verzorgde tijdens de, tour van, 1975, en, 1976, het voorprogramma en deed twee nummers tijdens het Stones-optreden. De, Stones, verloren destijds in rap tempo terrein aan met name, Led Zeppelin. De funky muziek van, Billy, was een uitgelezen mogelijkheid voor de, Stones, om zich aan te passen aan de tijd. Led Zeppelin, was onaantastbaar. De kracht waarmee, Led Zeppelin, de jaren zeventig binnen kwam zeilen was ontzagwekkend. De gitarist, Jimmie Page, was in topvorm en de zanger, Robert Plant was de nieuwe belichaming geworden van, Rock ‘N Roll. Voor zowel Jagger als Richards werd, Exile on Main Street, pijnlijk bewaarheid. Ze werden van de weg gereden door, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, en door de nieuwe funk muziek en wat later door de, Punk. Iggy Pop, voorop.

  

De jaren zestig waren definitief verleden tijd, halverwege de jaren zeventig. Er stonden nu al weer nieuwe soldaten aan het front. De episode met, Mick Taylor, die de band nog steeds en, steeds meer, voorzag van muzikale impulsen, tijdens de begin Jaren Zeventig, liep plotseling af. Hoewel, Mick Taylor, was verworden tot oud vuil leunden de, Stones, op hem; dit oude vuil. Mick Taylor, verliet de band, om de afgang van zijn lichaam te voorkomen. De situatie van de Stones was niets meer dan een stelletje zielepoten, die net hun kip met de gouden eieren, Mick Taylor, zagen verdwijnen. Terug aan de grond in, 1975. Het enige wat overeind bleef waren de geweldige nummers. Zo blijkt, Gimme Shelter, echt een heel goed nummer, dat juist in die periode helemaal werd gearrangeerd en tot in de puntjes werd uitgekauwd. Happy, het solo-nummer van, Keith, bleek zich ook uitstekend modern en vooruitstrevend te gedragen tijdens live-optredens. De tour van, 1975, gaat gepaard met verwoede pogingen van de, Stones, zich te revancheren, op volgens mij met name, Led Zeppelin. Op het podium komen de gebruikelijke bovennatuurlijke krachten nog steeds moeiteloos los. En dat is bij beide bands zo. Duidelijk is alleen dat, op het gebied van pure rock, de, Stones, de meerdere moeten erkennen in, Led Zeppelin, vergelijkbaar zoals de, Who, de, Stones, in, 1968, naar huis speelde.

 

Gezegend met, zoals hij zelf zegt een antenne heeft, Keith, de teloorgang van zijn band aangekeken. De massieve knetterende drum van, Led Zeppelin, was niet normaal en inderdaad, de drummer overleed in, 1980. Net als overigens de super-drummer van de, Who, Keith Moon, die, in, 1978, overleed. Pink Floyd, pakte de muziek weer anders aan en toverde het ene na het andere sublieme album uit de hoge hoed. Toch, eerlijk is eerlijk, live on stage, kon, Keith, zich nog steeds meten met de nieuwe orde. Keith, heeft gelukkig heel zijn leven geluisterd, hij moest wel. Een gouden kans voor jonge, Mister Richards. Eerst ontspon hij de, Blues, op een manier die de, Beatles, bijkans deed verbleken. Hij deed dit overigens niet alleen, want een zekere, Brian Jones, was toen zijn maatje, zelfs toen, Keith, nog een tiener was. Hij kwam samen met, Brian, tot een synthese van twee gitaren, die klonken als een eenheid. Met name de manier van spelen van, Keith, dwingend, bepalende en ruig vereiste een drummer die niet probeerde die gitaar, de zogenaamde rythem gitaar, te overstemmen. En feitelijk

SEA OF JAPAN (Aug. 13, 2020) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Brian Bickmeier, from Upland, Calif., directs the landing of an AH-1Z Viper helicopter from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 on the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). New Orleans, part of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)

On Tuesday, the Greek Prime Minister focused on the need to broaden and deepen the EU while addressing MEPs during the fifth “This is Europe” debate.

 

At the beginning of his speech, Prime Minister Mitsotakis stated that his country suffered more than any other in the past few years, but was ultimately able to overcome the political and economic challenges that almost led to its exit from the euro. Now, in addition to being among the top growing economies in Europe, Greece is on the front line of fighting for the future of the EU - in the EU’s response to the pandemic, as well as in protecting the external border from Turkey’s instrumentalisation of migrants and its aggression against Greece and Cyprus.

 

Read more: www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220701IPR3436...

 

This photo is free to use under Creative Commons license CC-BY-4.0 and must be credited: "CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2022– Source: EP". (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) No model release form if applicable. For bigger HR files please contact: webcom-flickr(AT)europarl.europa.eu

On Tuesday, the Greek Prime Minister focused on the need to broaden and deepen the EU while addressing MEPs during the fifth “This is Europe” debate.

 

At the beginning of his speech, Prime Minister Mitsotakis stated that his country suffered more than any other in the past few years, but was ultimately able to overcome the political and economic challenges that almost led to its exit from the euro. Now, in addition to being among the top growing economies in Europe, Greece is on the front line of fighting for the future of the EU - in the EU’s response to the pandemic, as well as in protecting the external border from Turkey’s instrumentalisation of migrants and its aggression against Greece and Cyprus.

 

Read more: www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220701IPR3436...

 

This photo is free to use under Creative Commons license CC-BY-4.0 and must be credited: "CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2022– Source: EP". (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) No model release form if applicable. For bigger HR files please contact: webcom-flickr(AT)europarl.europa.eu

Carrie Williams and Heather Olson are placed on doll stands for stability, and placed next to their separately sold counterparts (who are on the outside in this photo). Here I discover that the ''Deluxe'' in the box didn't only mean that all six of the PNK sorority sisters were represented, but that their sweaters now had glitter, and had rhinestones in their collars. They were definitely better looking with the iridescent glitter in their sweaters, and I was happy that they were an upgrade from the original dolls. Otherwise, the dolls were identical to their originals. The new Carrie had hair and eyelashes that was a bit messy, but nothing too bad. Deluxe Heather was almost perfect. The glitter does shed, but I don't mind it when their outfits look so spiffy.

 

The MU Deluxe Fashion Dolls have been fully deboxed, and are laid down on a counter, in the same order that they were in the box. Then after I had identified who was who, I switch the places of Carrie and Crystal, so they would match the image on the back of the box, and be with their natural partners. Then they were stood up, leaning up against a wall for support. They can free stand on their hooves, but are not especially stable as they are top heavy.

 

First the Monsters University Deluxe Fashion Doll Set is removed from the box by sliding out the backing tray out of the box, after breaking the seals on the top lid. I wanted to identify all the dolls, but was confused at first by the dolls not matching the photo of the animated characters in the back of the box. They are in reverse order of the dolls in the box, but also I figured out that Carrie had been switched with Crystal in the box, compared to the box image. I verified that by comparing the boxed Carrie with my deboxed separately bought Carrie doll. I also looked at the image on the Disney Store website, and saw that my dolls were packaged identically to the stock image. It would have been nice if Carrie was next to Heather in the original packaging, and Crystal next to Taylor, as they are always pictured together in other Disney images, Carrie and Heather were the original dolls released by Disney. Carrie and Crystal look almost identical, except for the color of their skin. Carrie has pink skin, while Crystal has purple skin.

 

My first look at the 6 doll Monsters University Deluxe Fashion Doll Set. It is currently part of the 40% off MU sale. I just received them last night (October 30, 2013) and will photograph them boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed. I will also pose them with other comparable dolls.

 

Monsters University - Deluxe Fashion Doll Set

US Disney Store

Released October 21, 2013

now $47.97

reg $79.95, you save: 40%

Item No. 6171040901272P

 

Snake charmers

 

Putting the fear in cheer, six members of Python Nu Kappa sorority join together in this Deluxe Fashion Doll Set. The Monsters University students certainly have an eye for style. In fact they have three each.

 

Magic in the details...

 

•Set Includes: Carrie Williams, Heather Olson, Taylor Holbrook, Crystal Du Bois, Naomi Jackson, Britney Davis

•Poseable 11'' fashion dolls

•Rooted and styled hair

•Knit Python Nu Kappa sweaters

•Faux fur tutu and leg warmers

 

The bare necessities

 

•Ages 3+

•Plastic / polyester

•11'' H

•Imported

 

International Monetary Fund Financial Economic Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department Tobias Adrian speaks at a press conference on the Global Financial Stability Report at the IMF Headquarters during the 2019 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. IMF Staff Photograph/Stephen Jaffe

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Sweden required a strong air defense, utilizing the newly developed jet propulsion technology. The original concept had been designed around a mostly straight wing, but after Swedish engineers had obtained German research data on swept-wing designs, the prototype was altered to incorporate a 25° sweep. In order to make the wing as thin as possible, Saab elected to locate the retractable undercarriage in the aircraft's fuselage rather than into the wings.

 

Extensive wind tunnel testing had also influenced aspects of the aircraft's aerodynamics, such as stability and trim across the aircraft's speed range. In order to test the design of the swept wing further and avoid any surprises, it was decided to modify a Saab Safir. It received the designation Saab 201 and a full-scale swept wing for a series of flight tests. The first 'final' sketches of the aircraft, incorporating the new information, were drawn in January 1946.

 

The originally envisioned powerplant for the new fighter type was the de Havilland Goblin turbojet engine. However, in December 1945, information on the newer and more powerful de Havilland Ghost engine became available. The new engine was deemed to be ideal for Saab's in-development aircraft, as not only did the Ghost engine had provisions for the use of a central circular air intake, the overall diameter of the engine was favorable for the planned fuselage dimensions, too. Thus, following negotiations between de Havilland and Saab, the Ghost engine was selected to power the type and built in license as the RM 2.

 

By February 1946 the main outline of the proposed aircraft had been clearly defined. In autumn 1946, following the resolution of all major questions of principal and the completion of the project specification, the Swedish Air Force formally ordered the completion of the design and that three prototype aircraft be produced, giving the proposed type the designation J 29. After a thorough test program, production of the type commenced in 1948 and, in May 1951, the first deliveries of operational production aircraft were received by F 13 Norrköping. The J 29 proved to be very successful and several variants and updates of the Tunnan were produced, including a dedicated reconnaissance variant, a two seat trainer and an all-weather fighter with an onboard radar

 

However, Sweden foresaw that there would soon be a need for a jet fighter that could intercept bombers at high altitude and also successfully engage fighters. During September 1949, the Swedish Air Force, via the Swedish Defence Material Administration, released a requirement for a cutting-edge interceptor aircraft that was envisioned to be capable of attacking hostile bomber aircraft in the transonic speed range. As released, this requirement specified a top speed of Mach speed 1.4 to 1.5. (1956, the specified speed was revised and raised to Mach 1.7-1.8, and eventually led to the Saab 35 Draken). With the barely supersonic Saab 32 Lansen just under development, and intended for different roles than being a nimble day fighter, the company searched for a way to either achieve supersonic flight through modifications of an existing type or at least gather sufficient data and develop and try the new technologies necessary to meet the 1949 requirements.

 

Since Sweden did not have a truly supersonic aircraft in its inventory (not even an experimental type), Saab decided to convert the Saab 29 into a supersonic testbed, with the outlook to develop an interim day fighter that could replace the various Tunnan fighter versions and support the new Lansen fleet until a fully capable Mach 1.5+ interceptor was ready for service. Even though the type was regarded as a pure experimental aircraft, the designation remained close to the J29 nomenclature in order to secure military funding for the project and to confuse eventual spies. Consequently, the P29 was initially presented as a new J29 version (hence the “G” suffix).

 

The P29G was based on a heavily modified production J29B airframe, which was built in two versions and only in two specimens. Work on the first airframe started in 1952, just when the first Saab 32 prototype made its maiden flight. The initial challenge consisted of integrating two relatively compact axial flow jet engines with afterburners into the fuselage, since the J29’s original RM2, even in its late afterburner variant, was not able to safely deliver the necessary thrust for the intended supersonic flight program. After long negotiations, Saab was able to procure a small number of Westinghouse J34-WE-42 turbojets from the USA, which delivered as a pair 40% more thrust than the original RM2B. The engines were only delivered under the restriction that they would exclusively be used in connection with the supersonic research program.

 

Through a thorough re-construction, the Saab team was able to mount the new engines into the lower rear fuselage, and, internally, the air intake duct had to be modified and forked behind the landing gear wells. Due to the significantly widened rear fuselage, the P29G became quickly nicknamed “Kurviga Tunnan” (= “Curvy Barrel”). Even though the widened rear fuselage increased the aircraft’s frontal cross section, the modified shape had the (unintended) effect of area ruling, a welcome side benefit which became apparent during the flight test and which largely promoted the P29G’s gain of top speed.

 

Another special and unique feature of the P29G was a special wing attachment system. It consisted of two strengthened, open box spars in the fuselage with additional attachment points along the wing roots, which allowed different wings to be switched with relatively little effort. However, due to this modification, the wing tanks (with a total capacity of 900l inside of the J29s standard wings) were lost and only 2.150l in the Saab 29’s standard fuselage tanks could be carried – but this was, for a research aircraft, not regarded as a major weakness, and compensated for the wing attachment system’s additional weight. The original wing-mounted pitots were replaced by a single, massive sensor boom attached to the aircraft’s nose above the air intake, slightly set-off to starboard in order to give the pilot an unobstructed view.

 

The first P29G's maiden flight, marked “Gul Urban” (Yellow U), took place in July 1955. The aircraft behaved normally, even though the center of gravity had markedly shifted backwards and the overall gain of weight made the aircraft slightly unstable along the longitudinal axis. During the initial, careful attempts to break the sound barrier, it soon became apparent that both the original wings as well as the original air intake shape limited the P29G's potential. In its original form, the P29G could only barely pass Mach 1 in level flight.

 

As a consequence, the second P29G, which had been under conversion from another J29B airframe since mid-1954, received more thorough modifications. The air intake was lengthened and widened, and in order to make it more effective at supersonic speed it received a sharp lip. Wind tunnel tests with the first machine led to a modified tail, too: the fin was now taller and further swept back, the stabilizer was moved to a higher position, resulting in a cruciform layout. The original single-piece stabilizer was furthermore replaced by a two-piece, all-moving construction with a 45° sweep and a thinner profile. This not only improved the aerodynamics at high speed, it also suppressed the longitudinal instability problem, even though this was never really cured.

 

Due to the even higher all-up weight of the new aircraft, the landing gear was reinforced and the 2nd P29G received an experimental suspension system on its main legs with higher spring travel, which was designed for operations on semi-prepared airfields. This system had actually been designed for the updated J29 fighters (esp. the A32B attack variant), but it was not introduced into series production or the Saab 29E/F conversion program. Despite these massive changes, the P29G designation was retained, and the second machine, carrying the tactical code “Röd Urban” (Red U), was quickly nicknamed “Karpen” (“Carp”), due to its characteristic new intake shape, the long fin and its stocky shape.

 

The second P29G was ready for flight tests in August 1956, just in time to support the Saab 35’s ongoing development – the aircraft, which was eventually built to meet (and exceed) the Swedish Air Force’s 1949 supersonic interceptor requirement. The modifications proved to be successful and the P29G was, fitted with a 60° sweep wing and in clean configuration, able to achieve a maximum speed of 1.367 km/h (849 mph) in level flight, a formidable achievement (vs. the 1,060 km/h (660 mph) of the late J29F and the 1200 km/h (745 mph) of the J32B interceptor) for the post WWII design.

Several wing shapes and profiles were tested, including sweep angles from 25° to 63° as well as different shapes and profiles. Even though the machines carried provisions for the J29’s standard armament, the 20 mm cannons were normally not mounted and replaced with sensors and recording equipment. However, both machines were temporarily fitted with one or two guns in order to analyze the effects of firing the weapons at supersonic speed. Underwing ordnance was also almost never carried. In some tests, though, light bombs or unguided missiles were carried and deployed, or podded cine cameras were carried.

 

While the second P29G was used for high speed trials, the first machine remained in its original guise and took over low speed handling tests. Thanks to the unique wing switch mechanism, the supersonic research program could be held within a very tight schedule and lasted until late 1959. Thereafter, the P29Gs’ potential was of little use anymore, and the engine use agreement with the USA put an end to further use of the two aircraft, so that both P29Gs were retired from service in 1960. The 1st machine, outfitted with standard J29F wings and stripped off of its engines, remained in use as an instructional air at Malmslätt air base 1969, while the second machine was mothballed. However, both airframes were eventually scrapped in 1970.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 11.66 m (38 ft 2 in) fuselage only,

13,97 m (45 ft 9 in) with pitot boom

Wingspan: varied*; 11.0 m (36 ft 1 in) with standard 25° sweep wings,

10.00 m (32 ft 9 ¾ in) with experimental 45° wings

Height: 4.54m (14 ft 10 ½ in)

Wing area: varied*; 24.15 m² (260.0 ft²) with standard 25° sweep wings

22.5 m² (242.2 ft²) with experimental 45° wings

Empty weight: 5,220 kg (11,500 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 8,510 kg (18,744 lb)

 

Powerplant:

2× Westinghouse J34-WE-42 turbojets, each rated at 3,400 lbf (15 kN) dry thrust

and 4,200 lbf (19 kN) with full afterburner

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1.367 km/h (849 mph) were achieved*

Range: 790 km (490 mi)

Service ceiling: up to 17,250 m (56,500 ft)*

Rate of climb: up to 45 m/s (8,850 ft/min)*

 

*Varying figures due to different tested wing configurations

 

Armament:

None installed; provisions for 4x 20mm Hispano Mark V autocannon in the lower front fuselage.

Depending on the mounted wing type, various external loads could be carried, including a wide range of light bombs, 75 mm (3 in) air-to-air rockets, 145 mm (5.8 in) anti-armor rockets, 150 mm (6 in) HE (high-explosive) rockets or 180 mm (7.2 in) HE anti-ship rockets. Due to the lack of complex wiring or fuel plumbing, no guided weapons or drop tanks could be mounted, though.

  

The kit and its assembly:

Sweden is a prolific whiffing territory, and the Saab 29 offers some interesting options. This highly modified Tunnan, which is actually rather a kitbashing than a mere model kit modification, is/was a submission to the “More or less engines” group build at whatifmodelers.com in summer 2019.

I actually had the idea of a two-engine J29 in the back of my mind for a long time, spawned by a resin conversion set for the Hasegawa B-47 Stratojet kit that came with new intakes and exhaust sections for the four engine pods. The single engine pod parts had been spent a long time ago, but the twin engine parts were still waiting for a good use. Could the exhaust fit under/into a Tunnan…?

I even had a Matchbox J29 stashed away for this experiment long ago, as well as some donor parts like the wings, and the GB eventually offered the right motivation to put those things together that no one would expect to work.

 

So I pulled out all the stuff and started – a rather straightforward affair. Work started with the fuselage, which was, together with the (very nice) cockpit assembled OOB at first, the nose filled with as much lead as possible and with the lower rear section cut away, so the B-47 resin jet nozzles would end up at the same position as the original RM2B exhaust. Due to the pen nib fairing between them, though, the profile of the modified tail became (visually) more massive, and I had to fill some gaps under the tail boom (with styrene sheet and putty). The twin engines also turned out to be wider than expected – I had hoped for straight flanks, but the fuselage shape ended up with considerable bulges behind the landing gear wells. These were created with parts from drop tank halves and blended into the rest of the lower hill with PSR work. In the same wake the area under the fin was sculpted and re-created, too.

 

At that point it became clear that I had to do more on the fuselage, esp. the front end, in order to keep the aircraft visually balance. A convenient solution became an F-100 air intake, which I grafted onto the nose instead of the original circular and round-lipped orifice – with its sharp lip the Super Sabre piece was even a plausible change! The fuselage shapes and diameters differed considerably, though, more PSR became necessary.

 

Next came the wings: I had already set apart a pair of trapezoid wings with a 45° sweep angle – these were left over from a PM Model Ta 183 conversion some time ago. With their odd shape and size they were a perfect match for my project, even more so due to the fact that I could keep the original J29 wing attachment points, I just had to shorten and modify the trailing edge area on the fuselage. The result was very conclusive.

 

With the new nose and the wings in place, the overall proportions became clearer: still tail-heavy, but not unpleasant. At this time I was also certain that I had to modify the tail surfaces. The fin was too small and did not have enough sweep for the overall look, and the stabilizer, with its thick profile, rounded edges and the single, continuous rudder did not look supersonic at all. What followed was a long search in the donor banks for suitable replacements, and I eventually came up with a MiG-15 fin (Hobby Boss) which was later clipped at the top for a less recognizable profile. The stabilizers were more challenging, though. My solution eventually became a pair of modified stabilizers from a Matchbox Buccaneer(!), attached to the MiG-15 fin.

 

The design problems did not stop here, though: the landing gear caused some more headaches. I wanted to keep the OOB parts, but especially the main legs would leave the aircraft with a very goofy look through a short wheelbase and a rear axis position too much forward. In an attempt to save the situation I attached swing arms to the OOB struts, moving the axis maybe 5mm backwards and widening the track by 2mm at the same time. Not much in total, but it helped (a little, even though the aircraft is still very tail-heavy)

 

As a final addition – since the original, wing-mounted pitots of the J29 were gone now and would not go well with the wing-switching idea – I gave the P29G a large, nose-mounted pitot and sensor boom, placed on top of the nose. This part come, like the air intake, from an F-100.

  

Painting and markings:

I tend to be conservative when it comes to liveries for what-if models, and the P29G is no exception. At first, I thought that this build could become an operational supersonic daylight interceptor (the J29G), so that I could give the model full military markings and maybe a camouflage paint scheme. However, this idea would not work: the potential real life window for such an aircraft, based on the Saab 29, would be very narrow. And aircraft development in the late Fifties made quantum leaps within a very short period of time: While the J29A entered service, work on the Mach 2 Saab 35 was already underway – nobody would have accepted (or needed) a Mach 1 fighter, based on late Forties technology, at that time anymore, and there was the all-weather Saab J32B around, too. The update program with new wings and a more powerful afterburner engine was all that could be done to exploit the Tunnan’s potential, resulting in the (real world’s) J29E and F variants.

 

I eventually decided that the J29G would only be a prototype/research aircraft, consequently called P29G, and through this decision I became more or less settled upon a NMF finish with some colorful markings. Consequently, the model was painted with various shades of metal colors, primarily Polished Aluminum Metallizer from Humbrol, but also with Humbrol 191 and Matt Aluminum Metallizer as well as ModelMaster Steel Metallizer. Around the exhaust section, I also used Revell 91 (Iron) and ModelMaster Exhaust Metallizer. Some single panels and details were painted with Revell 99 (Aluminum), and I also used generic decal material in silver to simulate some smaller access panels. Grey decal sheet was used to simulate covers for the cannon nozzles.

 

The cockpit interior was painted, according to Saab 29 standard, in a dark greenish-grey (Revell 67), and bluish grey was used inside of the landing gear wells (Revell 57). The pitot boom received black and white stripes.

 

For markings I let myself get inspired from the real world Saab 29 and 32 prototypes, which were all marked with a colored “U” tactical code on the fin and also on the front fuselage, simply meaning “Utverding” (= “Test”). I found four red decals, and I also gave the aircraft a yellow cheatline, lent from an Airfix F-86D decal sheet. The Swedish roundels come from a generic aftermarket sheet, most stencils were taken from the Revell OOB sheet and a Printscale J29 sheet.

 

Before the model was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic varnish from Italeri, some grinded graphite was rubbed onto the rear fuselage, adding a metallic shine and simulating exhaust stains.

 

A thorough conversion – this has rather evolved into a kitbashing than just a kit conversion: not much from the original Matchbox J29 has been left over. But I like the outcome, even though things developed gradually from the simple idea of changing the number of engines on the Tunnan. One thing led to another. The resulting aircraft looks quite plausible, even though I am not totally happy with the landing gear, which appears to be rather far forward, despite surgical measures to mend the situation. The Ta 183 wings are a very good match, though, and I cannot help but recognize a certain French look, maybe due to the cruciform tail and the oval air intake? The P29G could also, with Argentinian marking, have become a revised version of the FMA Pulqui II?

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

BEWARE: nothing you see here is real, even though many conversions and their respective background stories were built upon historical facts.

 

The Messerschmitt Me 510 was a further development of the Me 410 Hornisse ("Hornet"), a German heavy fighter and Schnellbomber used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. The 410 itself had a troubled start, because it essentially had only been a straightforward modification of the Me 210, which had suffered from serious stability flaws and had a bad reputation among its crews.

 

The 410 handled better but did not show much improvement in performance, though. Me 410 deliveries began in January 1943, two years later than the original plan had called for, and continued until September 1944, by which point a total of 1.160 of all versions had been produced by Messerschmitt Augsburg and Dornier München. When it arrived, it was liked by its crews, even though its performance was not enough to protect it from the swarms of high performance allied fighters they faced.

 

Still not giving up on the original construction (and with the jigs and tools still available), Messerschmitt started in early 1944 with research into further means of improving the Me 410's performance. One direction was the addition of one or two jets under the fuselage as boosters for combat situations.

Another design path, which eventually led to the Me 510, was the development of turboprop and compound engines as propulsion options, which were based on the respective pure jet engines but offered much better performance and fuel economy than the pure jets. It would also be the more efficient solution compared to added turbojets for pure piston planes, since no dead weight had to be carried, and the overall system was less complex than a mixed powerplant system.

 

This turboprop concept, as best compromise between performance and short-term readiness for service, was chosen and the modified aircraft, called Messerschmitt Me 510, came to be. The design target was to outperform the Me 410 with as little change to the overall construction as possible, so that old tooling could be used for new aircraft cells. Alternatively, old aircraft should potentially be converted to the improved standard.

 

Core of the new development was the compact HeS 021 turboprop, a PTL development of the HeS 011 jet engine which was also planned for Focke Wulfs FW P.0310226-127 fighter (a turboprop version of the light 'Flitzer' day fighter). This engine was theoretically to deliver up to 3.300hp (2.426 kw) shaft output, plus 1.100kg (2.424 lb) additional thrust, even though serial types would produce less power under the aspect of reliability.

 

In order to incorporate this engine into the modified Me 410 a new main wing with laminar profile and new engine nacelles had to be designed. The HeS 021sat in the front part of the engine nacelles above the wings, driving four-bladed propellers. The landing gear retracted into the nacelle's lower section, rotating 90°, much like the Me 410, with the exhaust running above the landing gear wells.

 

In order to improve directional stability further, the tail surfaces were slightly enlarged, receiving characteristic, square tips. The fuselage was more or less taken from the original Me 410, since it offered a very good field of view and appropriate aerodynamics. With this package, the idea of retrofitting former Me 410 cells was kept, even though later flight tests showed that some more detail modifications had to be made. Most of these concerned the internal structures, the most obvious external change was the nose section, where the original glazing had to be reinforced and finally replaced by solid material – an experience similar to the modification from Douglas’ piston-driven XB-42 to the faster, jet-driven XB-43 of the same era.

 

Maiden flight of the first prototype took place in Augsburg on 6th of May 1945, with little problems. As benchmark, the Me 410's maximum speed was 625 km/h (388 mph), a cruise speed of 579 km/h (360 mph) and a combat range of 2.300 km (1,400 mi) with up to 1.000 kg (2,204 lbs) of disposable stores carried in- and externally.

 

The overall flying characteristics of the Me 410 did not change much, but rate of climb and top speed were considerably improved. In level flight, the third prototype Me 510 V3 reached a top speed of 812 km/h (504 mph), and even the serial version with added armament and equipment easily reached 750 km/h (465 mph) top speed and a cruising speed with no external stores of 650 km/h (405 mph). At its time, the Me 510, which quickly received the rather inofficial nickname "Bremse" (Horsefly), was superior to its pure piston engine and turbojet rivals, even though it was clear that the turboprop was only a preliminary solution.

 

Due to its high speed and under the pressure of Allied bomber raids, the Me 510 was primarily used as a Zerstörer against daylight bombers. Many aircraft received additional weapons, both directly incorporated at the factory but also as field accessories. Popular modifications included two extra 30mm guns (MK 108 or 103) in the bomb bay, or provisions for guided and unguided air to air missiles. A camera equipment package (Rüstsatz 'U3') allowed the fast aircraft to be used for daylight reconnaissance.

 

Many equipment packages from the earlier Me 410 could be fitted, too, including the massive 50mm BK 5 auto cannon against allied bomber groups. Initially, this package (‘U4’ Rüstsatz) comprised the original autocannon which fired at 45 RPM, with 21 shells in a drum magazine.

 

This weapon soon was replaced by the even more effective MK 214 B gun of 55mm caliber (Rüstsatz 'U5'). The BK 214 B fired at 180 RPM and proved to be a highly effective weapon at long ranges, outside of the bombers’ defensive armament range. As a drawback the heavy system (the gun plus the ammunition belt with 96 shells weighed 1.124 kg/2.475 lb) filled the whole internal bomb bay and precluded heavy external stores. Therefore, the 13mm machine guns in the nose were frequently removed in order to save weight, sometimes the weapons in the side barbettes, too. But: a single hit with one of the 1.54kg (3.4 lb) shells was enough to bring down a four-engined bomber, so that the fast Me 510 with this weapon became a serious threat in the course of late 1946.

  

510 general characteristics:

Crew: 2

Length: 42 ft (12,60 m)

Wingspan: 49 ft (14.69 m)

Height: 13 ft 1½ in (4.0 m)

Wing area: 480.11 ft² (44.78m²)

Empty weight: 10.665 lb (4.842 kg)

Loaded weight: 14.405 lb (6.540 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 18.678 lb (8.480 kg)

 

Maximum speed: 790 km/h (490 mph) at 7.200m (23.500 ft)

Range: 1.400 mi (2.300 km ) with full combat TOW

Service ceiling: 40.900 ft (12.500 m)

Rate of climb: 4.635 ft/min (23,6 m/s)

Wing loading: 29.8 lb/ft² (121.9 kg/m²)

Power/mass: 0.24 hp/lb (0.39 kW/kg)

 

Engine:

2× Heinkel-Hirth HeS 021 turboprop engines, 1.438 kW (2.500 hp) plus 980 kp (2.158 lb) residual thrust each

 

Armament: Varied, but typical basic equipment was:

2× 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons with 350 rpg, fixed in the nose

2× 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg in the nose flanks

2× 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg, each firing rearward from FDSL 131/1B remote-operated turret, one per side;

Up to 1.200 kg (2.643 lb) of disposable stores in- and externally

 

In the field, many modifications were made and several additional weapon packages with guns, guided and unguided missiles or special weapons were available (so-called ‘Rüstsätze’).

  

The kit and its assembly:

I am not certain when inspiration struck me for this fantasy aircraft - I guess it was when I tinkered together the Hü 324 whif, which was itself based on a 1:72 scale Il-28 bomber. When I browsed for a respective donation kit I also came across the 1:100 scale kit of the Soviet light bomber from Tamiya, and that stirred something: The Il-28's vintage contours would perfectly suit a Luft '46 aircraft, and with some calculations it was clear that the 1:100 wings would be suitable for something in the class of a 1:72 DH Mosquito or Bf 110. Then, the ill-fated Me 410 came to the scene as a potential late war basis aircraft, and from this starting point the idea of an evolutionary next step of the type, the Messerschmitt Me 510, was born.

 

Basically this model is a kitbashing of a Tamiya Il-28 in 1:100 (wings & engine nacelles) and the fuselage of a Matchbox Me 410. The IL-28's wings were turned upside down, so that the nacelles would now ride on the wings' top.

This not only looks cool and 'different', it's also plausible because the landing gear could retract into the wings under the nacelles (with the main landing gear doors closed, just like the original Me 410), it would also reduce the angle of the aircraft on the ground to a sensible degree - with the engines under the wings plus the landing gear would have been much to steep!

 

Fitting the wings to the fuselage was pretty easy, even though the original Me 410 wing profile was much thicker than the slender Il-28 wings. Cleaning and blending the wing root areas was a bit tricky, but the parts get together well.

 

As a design twist and for a uniform look I also replaced the whole tail section, matching the angular look of the thin new main wings. The horizontal stabilizers are wing tips from a Matchbox Me 262, the vertical fin is a modified outer wing part from a Matchbox Grumman Panther.

 

The engine nacelles were taken OOB. I just filled the Il-28's landing gear wells and their covers with putty, since they'd end on top of the new engines.

 

The propellers come from Matchbox P-51 Mustangs, outfitted with pointed spinners and held by a metal pin in a polystyrene tube which runs through the original intake splitter. Looks pretty martial, even though the nacelles ended up a bit close to the fuselage. The overall look reminds of the Short Sturgeon, but is not inplausible. A compact aircraft!

 

The cockpit received some side panels, news seats and some equipment, since the original Matchbox kit features almost nothing beyond a floor plate, two broad benches as seats and pilot figures. I also opened the cockpit hatches, since the aircraft would be built for ground display, with the landing gear extended.

 

From the original kit the BK 5 cannon installation was taken over, but I added a scratch-built, bigger muzzle brake. Since the aircraft was to become a high speed interceptor/Zerstörer for daylight operations, I did not add any further external ordnance.

  

Painting and markings:

I pondered about a potential livery for a long time. Almost any Me 410 was delivered in RLM 74/75/76 livery, and some at the Western front in France were operated in RLM 70/71/65, with a low waterline. But I found this pretty... boring. So I made up a fantasy livery which I found suitable for high altitude operations and based on my knowledge of late Luftwaffe paint scheme - pretty complex:

 

The aircraft was to be light in color, primarily camouflaged for aerial combat. I ended up with something that was planned as something that could have almost been called 'low-viz': all lower surfaces received a basic tone of RLM 76 (from Testors), with a raised waterline on all flanks. This light blue-grey would blend into a slightly darker FS 36320 on the higher flanks, almost up to the upper surfaces.

 

But in the end, the flanks received more spots than intended, and I ended up with a rather conservative livery - but it ain't bad at all. But so it goes...

 

The upper wing surfaces received a wavy scheme in RLM 71 (Drak Green) and 75 (Middel Grey). These are not typical late war colors, I rather used them due to the lighter shades. On the fuselage, just the fuselage crest was painted with more or less dense blotches of these tones, blending into more patches of RLM 02 on the flanks.

 

To add some more unconventional detail, the fuselage sides and undersides also received large, cloudy patches of RLM 77 - a very light grey. This detail was featured on some late-war He 177 bombers, but you can hardly tell these extra blotches because they have only little contrast to the RLM 76.

 

The tail fin was painted all white - a formation sign for a squadron leader, typical for German late WWII fighters. The black and white fuselage stripe is the ID of Jagdgeschwader 26 (which operated Fw 190D-9 from airfields in northern Germany, Flensburg was one of them), the red number abd the "+" code identify the machine as being part of the eighth Staffel.

 

In the end, a very subtle whif. The new engines are most obvious, and they change the look of the Me 410 dramatically. But only on second glance you recognize the other changes. The new wings/stabilizers with their square-shaped tips create a very slender and elegant look, the aircraft just looks fast and agile like a true heavy fighter should. Mission accomplished!

This is a static version of this interactive map:

www.futureatlas.com/Issues/Stability/Stability.htm

 

The map is color-coded:

-- dark blue: most stable

-- light blue: stable

-- yellow: borderline

-- orange: in danger

-- red: critical

 

Data sources

· “Failed States Index Scores 2009,” Fund for Peace.

· “Failed States Index,” ForeignPolicy.com, June 22, 2009.

 

Usable with attribution and link to: www.futureatlas.com

Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Logo of the Austrian National Bank

Headquarters Vienna, Austria

Central Bank of Austria

Currency€

To ISO 4217 EUR

website

www.oenb.at/

Previous Austro- Hungarian Bank

List of Central Banks

Oesterreichische Nationalbank, at Otto-Wagner -Platz No. 3, Vienna

The Austrian National Bank (OeNB), Austria's central bank as an integral part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the Eurosystem. It is instrumental in the design of the economic development in Austria and in the euro area. Legally, the OeNB is a public limited company.. However, it is also subject to further enshrined in the National Bank Act regulations resulting from its separate position as a central bank. In the framework of the Eurosystem, the OeNB contributes to a stability-oriented monetary policy. At the national level, it cares about the preservation of financial stability and the money supply and manage foreign exchange reserves to hedge against the euro in times of crisis. The guideline values in terms of the tasks of the Austrian National Bank are "security, stability and trust".

Contents

1 History

1.1 1816 to 1818

1.2 1818 to 1878

1.3 1878 to 1922

1.4 1922 to 1938

1.5 1938 to 1945

1.6 1945 to 1998

1.7 From 1999

2 The OeNB as a modern central bank

3 Legal form and organs

3.1 Legal framework

3.2 organs

3.2.1 General

3.2.2 General

3.2.3 Board of Directors

4 Tasks

4.1 Monetary policy strategies and monetary policy decision-making process

4.1.1 Economic analysis

4.1.2 Production of statistical information

4.1.3 Contribute to international organizations

4.2 Implementation of monetary policy

4.2.1 use of monetary policy instruments

4.2.2 Reserve Management

4.2.3 Money Supply

4.3 Communication of monetary policy

4.4 ensure financial stability

4.4.1 Financial Stability

4.4.2 Payment System Stability and payments

5 The OeNB in the European System of National Banks

6 President / Governors

7 See also

8 Literature

9 links

10 Notes and references

History

1816-1818

As long as 50 years before the founding of the National Bank the Habsburgs carried out first experiments with securities in the form of paper money. Finally, in the 18th Century the issue of banknotes transferred to a state independent institution, while the issue of paper money called "Banco notes," founded in 1705 by the "Vienna City Bank" took place in 1762.

In wartime governance took back control of the money issue, so there was an inflation of Banco-Zettel 1796-1810. The state ordered the forced acceptance of paper money in private transport, which led to a fast-growing discount on bills in the market. 1799 was therefore one for 100 guilders paper money only 92 guilders in silver coins, and at the end of 1810 the value of the paper florin had fallen to 15 % of the nominal value of the Banco-Zettel. Later, the Habsburgs declared a devaluation of the Banco-Zettel in the ratio of 5:1. This act was considered by the business community as a sovereign default, which the paper money experienced a rapid devaluation.

At the end of the Napoleonic wars the Habsburg multinational state ( → Habsburg Monarchy) faced a new challenge: the restoration of a European balance. Church, the nobility, the army and the bureaucracy as elements in the Ancien Régime were not sufficient to solve this problem, a well -founded economic situation was needed. Moreover, one could not ignore readily the laws of supply and demand.

In this regard, were the first June 1816 by Emperor Francis I two patents issued (later to distinguish the "main patent" or "bank patent"), the "privileged Austrian National Bank", conceived as a public company, had to constitute itself as soon a possible, propose the emperor three of its directors for selection of the governor and take up their activity provisionally on 1 July 1816.

The National Bank had henceforth a monopoly on the issuance of paper money, which led to a slowdown in the Austrian monetary system and an increase in the value of paper money. The economy was again a solid source of money keeping constant the value of money regardless of the spending plans of the State. The equity of the Bank justified this by share issues.

Initially comprised the activities of the bank - under temporary management - the redemption of paper money and the issuance of shares. The full effectiveness attained the National Bank until after the issue of 1,000 shares and the associated possibility of shareholders to set the management themselves.

1818-1878

On 15 July 1817 recieved the National Bank as the "first Bankprivilegium" the exclusive right to unrestricted issue of banknotes and in this context a special position in terms of Rediskontgeschäfts (rediscount business). Beginning of 1818 the definitive bank management was ready. Part of it were among leading figures of Viennese society, including the banker Johann Heinrich von Geymüller and Bernard of Eskeles. From 1830 to 1837 the Office of the Governor was held by Adrian Nicholas Baron Barbier.

In the countries of the Habsburg Monarchy, which were characterized in large part by an agricultural oriented activity pattern, some regions showed a lively commercial-industrial growth. The goal now was to create a system of economic exchange between these areas. Successively established the National Bank branch network and thus guaranteed a uniform money and credit supply. From its headquarters in Vienna this network extended over early industrial areas and commercial centers in Eastern and Central Europe to the northern Mediterranean.

Trade bills and coins were preferred assets of the National Bank, less the supply of money to the state. With the exchange transactions, the National Bank supported the economic growth of the monarchy and secured at the same time the supply of silver coins in the event that the need for these increases in exchange for bank notes, contrary to expectations. 1818 was the National Bank, however, by increasing public debt, due to high spending in times of crisis, not spared to make an increase in the government debt positions on the asset side of its balance sheet.

The patent provisions of the founding of the National Bank not sufficiently secured against the autonomy of governance. At the center of the struggle for independence, this was the question of the extent to which the issue of banknotes must be made on the basis of government bonds. In 1841, a renewal of Bankprivilegiums got a weakening of the independence by pushing back the influence of the shareholders in favor of the state administration. During the revolution of 1848/49 followers of constitutional goals received great support from senior figures in the National Bank. For about a hundred years, the Austrian branch of the Rothschild bank (from which from 1855, the "Royal Privileged Austrian Credit-Institute for Commerce and Industry", the later Creditanstalt, was born) was playing a leading role in the banking center of Vienna. Salomon Mayer von Rothschild was involved during the pre-March in all major transactions of the National Bank for the rehabilitation of the state budget.

Special focus the National Bank was putting on the development of the premium that was payable at the exchange of banknotes into silver money in business dealings. The increase, which corresponded to a depreciation of the notes issued by the Bank should be prevented. From an overall state perspective, the increase of the silver premium means a deterioration in terms of the exchange ratio towards foreign countries, influencing the price competitiveness of the Austrian foreign trade adversely. The stabilization of the premium were set some limits. Although the height of the emission activitiy was depending on the Bank, but also the price of silver and the potential effects of increased government debt materially affected the silver premium. Especially the 1848 revolution and conflicts in the following years caused an increasement of the silver premium.

Mid-century, the private banking and wholesale houses were no longer able to cope with the rapidly growing financial intermediation of the Habsburg monarchy. New forms of capital formation were required. From an initiative of the House of Rothschild, the first by the government approved and private joint-stock bank was created. This formation was followed in 1863 and 1864 by two other joint-stock banks, whose major shareholders included important personalities of the aristocracy, who possessed large liquid funds. Overall, grew with these banks the money creation potential of the "financial center of Vienna".

The central bank faced another difficult task: with its limited resources it had to secure sufficient liquidity on the one hand and on the other hand prevent the inflationary expansion of the money supply. Through close contacts with the shareholders of Vienna was a financial center (informal) ballot, especially in times of crisis, easily dealt out. In contrast, it gave differences of opinion in the Fed Board, which required enforcement of decisions.

In 1861, Friedrich Schey Koromla became director of the National Bank. On 27 December 1862 experienced the Bankprivilegium another innovation. The independence of the National Bank of the State was restored and anchored. Furthermore, was introduced the direct allocation of banknotes in circulation by the system of "Peel'schen Bank Act", which states that the fixed budget of 200 million guilders exceeding circulation of banknotes must be covered by silver coins. In 1866, when the German war ended in defeat for Austria, the compliance of the system was no longer met. The state felt itself forced to pay compensation for breach of privilege. This balance was supported by a law of 1872, after the National Bank may issue notes up to a maximum of 200 million guilders and each additional payment must be fully backed by gold or silver.

1873 the economic boom of the Habsburg monarchy was represented in a long-lasting rise in the share price. A now to be expecting break could by the behavior of the Vienna Stock not be intercepted, so it came to the "Great Crash of 1873". The in 1872 fixed restrictions of the circulation of notes for a short time have been suspended. Contrary to expectations, the money supply in crisis peak but only outgrew by nearly 1% the prescribed limit in the bank acts. The banks and the industrial and commercial companies survived the crash without major losses, although the share prices significantly lay below the initial level.

The years with high growth were followed by a period of stagnation.

1878-1922

As part of the compensation negotiations between Austria and Hungary in 1867, the National Bank was able to exercise fully their Privilegialrechte, the Kingdom of Hungary but now had the certified right, every ten years exercisable, to found an own central bank (bank note). As resulted from the first 10 -year period that furthermore none of the two parts of the monarchy wanted to build an independent money-issuing bank (Zettelbank), was built on 28 June 1878, initially to 31 December 1887 limited, an Austro-Hungarian Bank, and equipped with the Fed privilege. The first privilege of the new bank was a compromise in which on the one hand, regulations on liability for national debts as well as regulations limiting the influence of the government on banking businesses were included. 1878 Gustav Leonhardt was Secretary of the Bank.

The General Assembly and the General Council formed the unit of the bank management. Two directorates and major institutions - in Vienna and Budapest - represented the dual nature of the bank. 1892-1900 followed a long discussion finally the currency conversion from guilders (silver currency) to the crown (gold standard) with "Gold Crown" said coins.

Since the new banknotes were very popular in the public, now many gold coins piled up in the vaults of the Austro-Hungarian Bank. This period was characterized by a balanced combination of price growth and damping, the "per capita national product" grew while prices remained mostly stable. Against this background, it was easy for the Fed to encourage a new wave of industrialization.

With a third privilege in 1899 conditions were established under which the bank could be put into the financial services of the two countries, on the other hand there have been important innovations that paved a good exchange policy. By 1914, the exchange ratio of the Austro-Hungarian currency was unchanged with only minor fluctuations. In contrast, was the by conflicts marked political development.

The expansive foreign policy quickly led to high costs from which had to be shouldered by the central bank a significant part. The stability of the currency was in danger. Shortly after the beginning of World War I in 1914, laid down the Military Command to indemnify any seized property with double the price. There was an increasing scarcity of goods, connected with an ongoing expansion of the money supply and finally the increase in the price level on the 16-fold.

The resulting cost of the war of the Dual Monarchy were covered to 40% on central bank loans and 60% through war bonds. Over the duration of the war, the power force built up in recent decades has been frozen at the end of the conflict in 1918, the real income of the workers had fallen to one-fifth of the last year of peace.

With the end of the war the end for the old order had come, too. The decay of Cisleithania and Transleithania caused in several successor states, despite the efforts of the central bank to maintain the order, a currency separation (see Crown Currency in the decay of the monarchy, successor states). First, a separate "Austrian management" of the bank was introduced. It was encouraged to shoulder the shortcomings of the state budget of the Republic of Austria founded in 1918.

The new South Slav state began in January 1919 stamping its crown banknotes. The newly founded Czechoslovak Republic retained the crown currency (to date), but their printed banknotes in circulation as of February 1919 with indications that now these ar Czechoslovak crowns. (The country could an inflation as experienced by Austria avoide.) In March 1919, German Austria began to stamp its crown banknotes.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye of 10 September 1919, by Austria on 25 October 1919 ratified and which on 16 July 1920 came into force, determined the cancellation and replacement of all crown banknotes of all successor states of Austria-Hungary as well as the complete liquidation of the Austro-Hungarian Bank under the supervision of the war winners. The last meetings of the Bank took place mid 1921 and at the end of 1922.

After a period of overvaluation of the crown the dollar rate rose from 1919 again. 1921, had to be paid over 5,000 Austrian crowns per dollar. In addition to the significant drop in the external value existed in Austria rising inflation. End of 1922 was ultimately a rehabilitation program with foreign assistance - the "Geneva Protocol" - passed which slowed down the inflation.

1922-1938

With Federal Law of 24 July 1922 the Minister of Finance was commissioned to build a central bank, which had to take over the entire note circulation plus current liabilities of the Austrian management of the Austro-Hungarian Bank. With Federal Law of 14 November 1922, certain provisions of the law were amended and promulgated the statutes of the Austrian National Bank. By order of the Federal Government Seipel I 29 December 1922, the Board of the Austrian Austro-Hungarian Bank issued authorization for the central bank union activity with 1 January 1923 have been declared extinct and was made ​​known the commencement of operations of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank this day.

The statutes of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) secured the independence from the state, the independence of the Bank under exclusion of external influences and the corresponding equity. First, the stabilization of the Austrian currency was at the forefront. With the Schilling Act of 20 December 1924 was the schilling currency (First Republic) with 1 Introduced in March 1925, it replaced the crown currency. For 10,000 crowns now you got a shilling.

As an important personality in terms of the order of the state budget, Dr. Victor Kienböck has to be mentioned. He was in the time from 1922 to 1924 and from 1926 to 1929 finance minister of the First Republic and from 1932 to 1938 President of the Austrian National Bank. Through his work remained the Austrian Schilling, also beyound the global economy crisis, stable. Under this condition, the Fed was able to cope with the large number of bank failures of the past.

1938-1945

According to the on 13th March issued Anschlussgesetz (annexation law) , the Reichsmark with order of the Fuehrer and Chancellor of 17 was March 1938 introduced in the country Austria and determines the course: A Reichsmark is equal to one shilling fifty pence. On the same day, the Chancellor ordered that the management of the to be liquidated National Bank was transferred to the Reichsbank.

With regulation of three ministers of the German Reich of 23 April 1938, the National Bank was established as a property of the Reichsbank and its banknotes the quality as legal tender by 25 April 1938 withdrawn; public funds had Schilling banknotes until 15th of may in 1938 to accept. All the gold and foreign exchange reserves were transferred to Berlin.

The Second World War weakened the Austrian economy to a great extent, the production force after the war corresponded to only 40% of that of 1937 (see also air raids on Austria). To finance the war, the Reichsbank brought to a high degree banknotes in circulation, which only a great victory of the kingdom (Reich) actual values ​​would have been opposable. Since prices were strictly regulated, inflation virtually could be "banned" during the war.

1945-1998

In occupied postwar Austria about 10 billion shillings by Allied military occupying powers were initially printed, which contributed to significant price increases.

With the re-establishment of the Republic of Austria by the Austrian declaration of independence of 27 April 1945, it came to the resumption of activities of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. By the "Fed Transition Act" of July 1945 preliminary legal regulations for the operations of the Bank have been established. The restoration of the Austrian currency was their first big job. The goal was the summary of all currencies, which at the time were in circulation, and their secondment to a new Austrian currency. The "Schilling Act" of November 1945, the basis for the re-introduction of the Schilling (Second Republic) as legal tender in Austria. The next step was to reduce excess liquidity to make necessary funds for new business investment available and to make the external value of the shilling for the development of the economy competitive. First, however, less changed the inflationary situation and also the shilling was still significantly undervalued in relation to other currencies.

The "Currency Protection Act" of 1947 brought a significant change in the monetary overhang. Some deposits have been deleted without replacement, others converted into claims against the Federal Treasury. The following exchange operations also significantly reduced the amount of cash: banknotes from 1945 were canceled and exchanged for new schilling notes in the ratio 1:3. Only 150 shillings per person could go 1-1.

To control inflation, the social partners came to the foreground. The associations of employers and employees set in 1947 prices for supplies, wages were also raised. This was the first of the five "wage-price agreements" of the social partners. In 1952, inflation was held back by limiting the use of monetary policy instruments by the National Bank. Also, the external sector slowly relaxed after the end of the Korean War.

In 1955, the Austrian National Bank was re-established by the new National Bank Act as a corporation and the by the National Bank Transition of Authorities Act (Nationalbank-Überleitungsgesetz) established provisional arragement abolished. The National Bank Act stipulated that each half of the capital should be situated at the federal government and private shareholders. In addition to the independence of bank loans of the state, the new National Bank Act also contained an order that the central bank must watch within their monetary and credit policies on the economic policies of the federal government. From now on also included within the instruments of the National Bank were the areas open market and minimum reserve policy.

The Austrian economy increasingly stabilized, through good fiscal and monetary policy a high growth could be attained, with low inflation and long-term maintenance of external equilibrium.

1960, Austria joined the European Free Trade Association and participated in the European integration.

In the sixties came the international monetary system based on gold-dollar convertibility into currency fluctuations and political reforms were necessary. First, the loosening of exchange rate adjustments between several states was an option. However, U.S. balance of payments problems brought with it restrictions on capital movements, and then the Euro-Dollar market was born. In 1971, the convertibility of the U.S. dollar was lifted.

1975 interrupted a recession increasing growth time. International unbalanced ayments caused very extensive foreign exchange movements, whereby the intervention force of Austrian monetary policy has been strongly challenged. Their task now was to control the effect of foreign exchange on domestic economic activities to stabilize the shilling in the context of constantly shifting exchange rates and to control the price rise appropriately. Since the inflow of foreign funds reached to high proportions, so that the economic stability has been compromised, the policy went the way of the independent course design in a pool of selected European currencies.

The collapse of the economy forced the policy makers to a new course with active mutual credit control, subdued wage growth, financial impulses in supply and demand, and interest rates are kept low. This system of regulation, however, kept back the need for structural change, so it had to be given up in 1979. In the same year a fire destroyed large parts of the main building of the Austrian National Bank in Vienna. The repairs lasted until 1985.

Target in the eighties was to strengthen the economic performance using a competitive power comparison. The findings from the seventies stimulated the Austrian monetary policy to align the Schilling course at the Deutsche Mark to ensure price stability in the country. In addition, the structural change was initiated by inclusion in a large area. Stable, if not necessarily comfortable environment of monetary policy was a prerequisite, to secure the companies long-term productivity gains and thus safeguard their position in the economy.

Initially, this development stood a high level of unemployment in the way. Growth until the second half of the decade increased, at the same time increased the competitiveness and current accounts could be kept in balance.

In the nineties, the annexation of Austria took place in the European Community. 1995 Austria became a member of the European Union (EU) and joined the exchange rate mechanism of the European Monetary System. In 1998, the Central Banks (ESCB) have established the independence of institutions or bodies of the European Community and the governments of the EU Member States through an amendment to the National Bank Act of the Austrian National Bank to implement the goals and tasks of the European System. Thus, the legal basis for the participation of Austria in the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) was created in 1999.

As of 1999

The Austrian National Bank, and other national central banks including the European Central Bank ( ECB), belongs to the European System of Central Banks.

On 1 January 1999 was introduced in the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union in Austria and ten other EU Member States, the euro as a common currency. The European Central Bank is henceforth responsible for monetary and currency policy, decisions in this regard will be taken in accordance with the Council of the European Central Bank.

Since May 2010, the OeNB is in full possession of the Republic of Austria, after originally lobbies, banks and insurance companies were involved with 50 % of the share capital in it. In 2011, the National Bank Act was adapted by an amendment (Federal Law Gazette I No. 50 /2011) in this circumstance, a renewed privatization is thus excluded by law.

The OeNB as a modern central bank

With the withdrawal from the retail business in the sixties as well as the first major internationalization and implementation of a strategic management in the seventies, the OeNB went on the way to a future-oriented central bank. Another major reform of banking began at the end of the eighties.

In terms of global development, the OeNB established in 1988 as a service company and expanded its guiding values ​​- "security, stability and trust" - to the principles of " fficiency" and "cost-consciousness". The business center was optimized and strategic business experienced through targeted improvements a reinforcement. Be mentioned as examples are intensifying domestic cooperation in the area of ​​payments by encouraging the creation of the Society for the Study co-payments (STUZZA), the liberalization of capital movements, the professional management of foreign exchange reserves, the improvement of the supply of money through the construction of the money center and the internationalization of business activities through the establishment of representative offices in Brussels (European Union), Paris (OECD) and the financial center of New York.

After Austria's accession to the EU in 1995, the OeNB participated in the European Monetary System (EMS ) and its Exchange Rate Mechanism. The integration in the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) was the next step towards further development of policy stability. Since the conclusion of the Maastricht Treaty, the Austrian National Bank has very fully considered its role in the ESCB and created a basis for inclusion in the community. The profound economic and monetary policy of Austria was also a reference that qualified the OeNB to actively participate in the monetary future of Europe, a greater harmonization of the statistical framework and monetary policy instruments with a view to the euro system, the preparation of the issue of European banknotes, and the establishment of operational processes and organizational integration of business processes within the ESCB being specific objectives of the OeNB.

In the following, it came, inter alia, to the establishement of an economic study department, of an education or training initiative and to strengthen the position of payment transactions through the TARGET system.

A in 1996 created "OeNB master plan" provided important points for the upcoming transition to the euro.

In May 1998, a new pension system came into force, by which new employees were incorporated into a two-pillar model.

1999, Austria's participation in the third stage of EMU was manifest. The Austrian National Bank - as part of the ESCB - became the owner of the European Central Bank and received new powers in this context in the sense of participation in the monetary policy decision-making at the level of the European Community. With the introduction of the euro, monetary policy functions of the General Council have been transferred to the Governing Council. However, the implementation remains the responsibility of national central banks.

Activities of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank were or are, for example, the further professionalization of asset management, the expansion of the network of representative offices by opening a representative office in the financial center of London, preparation of the smooth introduction of euro cash in 2002 and the participation of the OeNB on the creation of the "A-SIT" (Center for secure Information Technology Center - Austria) and the "A-Trust" (society of electronic security systems in traffic GmbH ) in order to promote security in information technology.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oesterreichische_Nationalbank

www.usaraf.army.mil

 

U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia

 

By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa

 

BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.

 

In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.

 

“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”

 

Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.

 

The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.

 

“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.

 

Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.

 

“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.

 

In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.

 

In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.

 

Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.

 

“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”

 

Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.

 

“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”

 

The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.

 

“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”

 

Cleared for public release.

 

Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa

 

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

 

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

 

Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica

 

PHILIPPINE SEA (August 02, 2019) Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Taliana Canales, from Winterhaven, Fla., left, directs Damage Controlman 3rd Class Alexa Castillo, from Albuquerque, N.M., center and Culinary Specialist Seaman Claude Miquale, from Emporia, Va., as they run with chock and chains on flight deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85). McCampbell is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaac Maxwell/Released)

Must attribute with link to: www.ptpioneer.com

Stability ball plank Exercise

Before I tried to take this picture I thought I might have stability issues...

I now KNOW I have stability issues!

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The idea for this MOC was a POWER Miners vertical drill, that not only drills vertically but the entire structure travels that way.

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POWER as in Power Fuctions, if you flip the switch all 11 drill heads spin.

4 PM bidirectional drills (orange/grey/black)

6 Bionicle Weapon Drill on axle with pin hole (black)

1 Custom Laser-tipped drill (orange)

 

Sections

1 Command Tower at the top

1 Storage area just below, holds tools, food, crystal, etc..

(underneath that the motor, gear box)

4 large legs, each leg has an Engineer's seat

1 Mega multi-headed Drill

 

Work:

1. Redesign the "hip" section of the legs; remove Technic Rotation Joint Liftarms and replace with an undetermined technic liftarm.Done!

2. Complete the Engineer's seats

......a.) add a water blaster to one of the seats

......b.) add a flamethrower to one of the seats

......c.) add a claw arm to one of the seats

......d.) move the crane and combine with one of the seats

3. Complete overall detailing

4. Possibly redesign each foot

5. Possibly extend the top section of the leg

Grizzly Giant - A Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) - Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

 

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There has been much concern regarding the stability of the Grizzly Giant ever since the State Highway Commissioner made a statement to the press in 1904 that the Grizzly Giant leaned 18 feet from its center axis and was doomed unless immediate steps were taken to prevent its fall. In answer to suggestions that cables be installed to help support the Grizzly Giant, Superintendent W. B. Lewis stated that the tree had an approximate weight of 3700 tons and that there was little man could do in propping such a weight. According to the most recent report of the park engineer, the tree has a natural lean in the form of a uniform curve extending from the base to the top, where it leans south 17.5 feet and west 5.5 feet. This lean, together with the largest of the limbs which are on the south side, causes the only hazard to the tree’s long continued life. The center of gravity, determined by volume, neglecting limbs and foliage, is at an elevation of 59 feet, where the lean is 4 feet, throwing it without the middle third line of stability as determined from the average base measurement . Overturning is prevented by two small, irregular sections of the trunk extending in such a manner as to retain the center of gravity within the stability limit counterbalanced by limbs and foliage on the opposite side and by the extensive root spread in all directions.

 

Damage by fires which occur more than once each century and lightning strikes perhaps account for the dead branches in the top and the great fire scars in its trunk. In one storm in 1942 lightning was observed to strike the Grizzly Giant six times, wreaking great havoc and leaving on the ground mounds of cones and branches several feet deep. Still the branches of the Grizzly Giant bear each year many thousands of cones in which are a million tiny seeds. Having weathered a thousand storms through the centuries, the Grizzly Giant shows no evidence of giving up the struggle for existence. www.yosemite.ca.us/library/sequoias_of_yosemite/tour.html

 

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image by Photo George

©2009/2017 GCheatle

all rights reserved

 

locator: CAL_8693 B

Must attribute with link to: www.ptpioneer.com

Girl performing back rows with elastic bands on a stability ball.

United States Army Africa

 

Senior U.S. Africa Command NCO offers guidance

 

By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa Public Affairs

 

VICENZA, Italy – Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Ripka’s wisdom, based upon extensive travel through Africa and more than three decades in uniform, offered insight to U.S. Army Africa NCOs preparing for upcoming assignments on the continent.

 

Ripka, U.S. Africa Command’s senior enlisted Soldier, offered practical advice to NCOs during discussions recently at Caserma Ederle.

 

“He gave us an inside look at how their systems were established and how we can best proceed to assist Africans in building their capacity,” said Master Sgt. Mason Bryant. “It was extremely beneficial.”

 

During his visit, Ripka met with Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, and senior U.S. Army Africa staff. Ripka also toured the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU), an Italian Carabinieri post in downtown Vicenza that mentors international police to improve their capability to operate in peacekeeping missions.

 

During 2009 – the U.S. Army Year of the NCO – enlisted leaders at U.S. Army Africa face new challenges. Ripka’s talks resonated through the command.

 

One session, held at the Hall of Heroes, was like a 101 college course on Africa. Ripka spoke frankly to Soldiers, stressing that U.S. Army NCOs must first educate themselves outside of the American perspective, to see the world as those in other countries do. That will help as they undertake new assignments in Africa, he said.

 

“It’s a different kind of environment. It’s not like Iraq or Afghanistan,” Ripka said. ““It takes a different kind of mentality. Everything we do in Africa rests under an ambassador’s strategic plan.”

 

U.S. Africa Command is looking to build and maintain relationships in Africa. U.S. Army Africa NCOs can help by doing what they do best – building NCO capacity, he said.

 

Ripka spends a lot of time travelling through Africa, meeting with senior military leaders in dozens of African nations. He offered NCOs a few pointers, from the differences in ranks to the subtleties of language.

 

“Keep this in mind – your words and actions will affect things long after you are gone,” Ripka said.

 

African military ranks are often based on British or other European country that previously colonized their area, Ripka said. For example a first sergeant might not have the same responsibilities of his American counterpart. A warrant officer in Africa is likely the senior enlisted equivalent of a U.S. Army sergeant major.

 

The high-tech briefing technology known to U.S. Soldiers can be cast aside in Africa, Ripka said. Trade the computer slides for a block of butcher paper, give up the laser pointer for a thick black marker, he said. Handing an African counterpart a disk of computer slides is not as useful to an African NCO as a reference card they can keep in their pocket.

 

“Give them something they can take with them, even notes on a piece of paper,” Ripka said. “They call them tactical aid memoirs.”

 

In fact, Ripka himself used little more than a dry-erase marker and a white board to make his point. He explained his thoughts on building NCO capacity using a mathematical formula of his own devise called “A way.”

 

It defined the multiplication of three figures; ways, means and three times the will. For capacity building to succeed, a nation’s military must have all three, Ripka said.

 

“The U.S. way is simply a data point Africans can use to combine with other ideas to develop their own doctrine,” Ripka said. “It must be their way.”

 

Ripka’s advice enlightened many Soldiers, to include some senior NCOs with their own overseas experiences.

 

“I took away a lot from these discussions,” said Master Sgt. Michael Toolin. “His knowledge on Africa was well received.”

 

U.S. Army photo by Rick Scavetta

United States Army Africa, Public Affairs

 

These images are cleared for release and are considered in the public domain. Request credit be given the US Army and individual photographer.

 

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ADULT SEA OTTERS: MONTEREY BAY

 

The southern, or California, sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. It belongs to the order Carnivora and the family Mustelidae. Two other otter subspecies are also recognized – E. lutris kenyoni, which is found from Oregon to Alaska, and E. lutris lutris, which inhabits parts of Russia and northern Japan. Sea otters are highly specialized marine mammals capable of living their entire lives without ever having to leave the ocean, have the densest fur of any mammal and are one of the few marine species to use tools. Sea otters are an apex predator of the near shore ecosystem. The species is considered a keystone species because of their critical importance to the health and stability of the near shore marine ecosystem. They are also considered a sentinel species because their health reflects that of California’s coastal oceans. The southern sea otter population has exhibited high levels of mortality in recent years. Scientists attribute up to 40 percent of southern sea otter mortality to infectious diseases alone, many of which are known to have anthropogenic causes and land-sea linkages. The single greatest threat to the sea otter is an oil spill. One large oil spill in central California could be catastrophic, with the potential of driving the entire southern sea otter population into extinction.

 

Description

The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammals, but one of the largest members of the family Mustelidae, a group that includes skunks and weasels among others. Adult males reach an average length of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) with a typical weight between 50 and 100 lbs. (23 to 45 kg), while adult females reach an average length of 4 feet (1.2 m) and typically weigh 45 lbs. (20 kg). It has a highly buoyant, elongated body, blunt snout and small, wide head. Sea otters have an acute sense of smell and taste and have good vision both above and below the water surface. They also rely heavily on their sense of touch.

 

Sea otters exhibit numerous adaptations, which help them survive in their challenging marine environment. Long whiskers help them to detect vibrations in murky waters and sensitive forepaws, with retractable claws, help them to groom, locate and capture prey underwater, and use tools. When underwater, they can close their nostrils and small ears. The sea otter’s hind feet are webbed and flipper-like, and are used in conjunction with its lower body to propel the animal through the water. It has a long, flattened tail, which they use as a rudder and for added propulsion. Hearing is one sense that is not yet fully understood, although studies suggest they are particularly sensitive to high-frequency sounds. Their teeth are unique for a mammal in that they are blunt and designed for crushing, rather than being sharp for tearing like most marine mammals are equipped with.

With the exception of its nose and pads of its paws, the sea otter’s body is covered in dense fur. The fur consists of two layers. The short, brown under fur can be as dense as 1 million hairs per square inch, making its fur the densest of any mammal. By comparison, we only have about 100,000 hairs in total on our heads. A top layer of long, waterproof guard hairs helps to keep the under fur layer dry by keeping cold water away from the skin. The pelage is typically deep brown in color with silver-gray highlights, with the coloration of the head and neck being lighter than the body. Unlike other marine mammals, such as seals and sea lions, sea otters do not have any blubber, so they depend on this exceptionally thick, water-resistant fur to stay warm in the cold, coastal Pacific.

 

Range & Habitat

Historically, southern sea otters were present in coastal marine habitats from northern California to Baja California in Mexico. This range decreased significantly during the fur trade during the 18th and 19th centuries, with excessive hunting nearly driving the species into extinction by the early 1900s. The current range extends along the California coast from Half Moon Bay in the north to Santa Barbara in the south, though individuals are occasionally seen outside these limits. A small population of sea otters lives at San Nicolas Island as a result of translocation efforts initiated in 1987.

 

Sea otters are found in a variety of coastal marine habitats, including rocky shores and sea-bottoms, sandy sea-bottoms, as well as coastal wetlands. Sea otters naturally inhabit offshore areas with an abundance of food and kelp canopy. They tend to live in ocean depths shallower than 130 feet (40 m) with water temperatures ranging between 35°F and 60°F.

 

Behavior

Most of a sea otter’s life is spent at sea, though they do occasionally haul out on land, where they appear clumsy and walk with a rather awkward gait. They eat, sleep, mate and give birth in the water. Sea otters spend most of their time floating on their backs at the surface grooming, eating, resting, and diving for food on the seafloor. Sea otters are relatively slow swimmers, generally traveling at 3-5 mph (5-8 km/h). They typically swim belly-up on their backs, propelling themselves through the water using their webbed hind feet. If a faster speed is required, for instance when a male is patrolling it’s territory for competing males or when in hot pursuit of a sexually receptive female, it turns over onto its stomach and in addition to using its webbed hind feet, it undulates its entire body for greater propulsion and acceleration.

 

Sea otters groom themselves almost continuously while at the surface, a practice critical for maintaining the insulating and water repellant properties of their fur. Its pliable skeleton and loosely fitted skin allow the animal the flexibility to reach any part of its body. During a grooming bout, which generally occurs directly after a foraging bout (a period of time in which diving and eating takes place) or resting bout, the animal can be seen somersaulting, twisting and turning, and meticulously rubbing its fur at the water surface. This behavior not only cleans the fur, but also traps air bubbles against the skin within the millions of hairs of its pelage. This layer of entrapped air creates an insulating barrier (similar to that of a double-paned window), which prevents water from reaching the skin. Constant grooming is absolutely critical for their survival. If cold ocean water reaches their skin, it will immediately begin to draw heat out of the animal, which disrupts the animal’s ability to thermo regulate and will ultimately lead to hypothermia and death.

Sea otters often rest together in single-sex groups called rafts. They are known to wrap themselves up in kelp to keep from drifting out to sea. While resting at the surface, a sea otter will often times hold its forepaws above the water surface and fold its hind feet up onto to its torso to help conserve heat.

 

With the exception of territorial males, who have the privilege of living among females, males and females tend to live in separate groups. The center of the sea otter range is predominately occupied by females (of all ages) and territorial males, as well as some dependent pups and recently weaned juvenile males. The northern and southern edges of the range are largely male dominated areas; consisting of juvenile, sub adult and adult males. Numbers in these male areas tend to increase in winter and spring because there are fewer mating opportunities with sexually receptive females during this time of the year.

 

Females generally have small home territories while many adult males hold larger aquatic territories consisting of several adult females. Bachelor males (animals who are either to young or too old to defend their own territories) reside in the large male-only groups at either end of the range. Males travel much greater distances throughout the range than females, typically making seasonal treks of up to 200 miles between the months of June and November when the highest proportion of females are in estrous. On any given day though, males tend to remain in the same general location, moving only a mile or two along the coastline. Females, on the other hand, are sedentary by nature, generally staying within 10 – 20 miles of their home ranges. Their home ranges are smaller because they have higher metabolic costs while pregnant and raising their pup.

 

Sea otters are equally active both night and day. A foraging bout occurs for several hours in the morning, typically starting just before sunrise. A second foraging bout begins in the afternoon, usually lasting for several hours until sunset. A grooming bout occurs before and after each foraging bout and resting bout follows at midday, followed again by another grooming and resting bout. A third foraging bout may also occur around midnight.

 

Although difficult to hear from shore, sea otters exhibit a variety of vocal behaviors. Pups are the most vocal. A pup can be heard squealing when its mother leaves it to dive for food and often times when a male approaches. Their cry is similar to that of a gull. Other vocalizations include: coos and grunts, which occur when an animal is eating or when content, as in the case of a pair-bonded couple during courtship; whines occur when an animal is frustrated, as in the case of an older pup wanting to suckle or an adult male attempting to mate with an uninterested female; growls, snarls, whistles and hisses can be heard when an animal is frightened or distressed, as in the case of a captured otter.

  

Food & Foraging

An otter must consume approximately 25% of its bodyweight in prey each day just to stay alive! A 75-pound otter can eat up to 1,500 sea urchins a day, or about 25 pounds of seafood (for a 75 pound kid, that would amount to eating 75 quarter pound hamburgers every day!). To meet its high energetic and thermoregulation demands, a sea otter’s metabolic rate is 2 to 3 times that of comparatively sized mammals. Sea otters consume a wide variety of benthic invertebrates. Prey items include sea urchins, abalone, crabs, mussels, clams, marine snails, marine worms, sea stars, and squid. In total, otters eat at least 50 species of benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates, although individuals tend to specialize on only a few main prey types. Prey specialization and feeding preferences are passed on from mother to pup.

 

The strong forelegs paws are used to locate and capture prey. Pockets of loose skin under each foreleg are used to store prey it has gathered on the seafloor for the ascent to the surface. Rocks are often used as tools to dislodge prey on the sea floor and to break open the hard outer shells of some prey items upon returning to the surface. Floating belly-up in the water, they place rocks on their chests and repeatedly pound hard-shelled prey against them to gain access the meat inside. While eating, an otter will roll repeatedly in the water to wash away food scraps from its chest. Unlike most other marine mammals, sea otters commonly drink seawater. Although most of the animal’s water needs are met through the consumption of prey, its large kidneys allow it to extract fresh water from seawater.

 

Sea otters generally forage close to shore in depths shallower than 60 feet (18 m) but are capable of diving to depths of 300 feet (90 m) or more. With a relatively large lung capacity for it’s size, an otter can hold its breath for 5 minutes, but most dives are two minutes or less in duration. Source: www.seaotters.com

 

U.S. Army Africa photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Davis

 

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosted its second annual C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference Feb. 2-4 at Caserma Ederle, headquarters of U.S. Army Africa, in Vicenza, Italy.

 

The communications and intelligence community event, hosted by Brig. Gen. Robert Ferrell, AFRICOM C4 director, drew approximately 80 senior leaders from diverse U.S. military and government branches and agencies, as well as representatives of African nations and the African Union.

 

“The conference is a combination of our U.S. AFRICOM C4 systems and intel directorate,” said Ferrell. “We come together annually to bring the team together to work on common goals to work on throughout the year. The team consists of our coalition partners as well as our inter-agency partners, as well as our components and U.S. AFRICOM staff.”

 

The conference focused on updates from participants, and on assessing the present state and goals of coalition partners in Africa, he said.

 

“The theme for our conference is ‘Delivering Capabilities to a Joint Information Environment,’ and we see it as a joint and combined team ... working together, side by side, to promote peace and stability there on the African continent,” Ferrell said.

 

Three goals of this year’s conference were to strengthen the team, assess priorities across the board, and get a better fix on the impact that the establishment of the U.S. Cyber Command will have on all members’ efforts in the future, he said.

 

“With the stand-up of U.S. Cyber Command, it brings a lot of unique challenges that we as a team need to talk through to ensure that our information is protected at all times,” Ferrell said.

 

African Union (AU) representatives from four broad geographic regions of Africa attended, which generated a holistic perspective on needs and requirements from across the continent, he said.

 

“We have members from the African Union headquarters that is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; we have members that are from Uganda; from Zambia; from Ghana; and also from the Congo. What are the gaps, what are the things that we kind of need to assist with as we move forward on our engagements on the African continent?” Ferrell said.

 

U.S. Army Africa Commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, welcomed participants as the conference got under way.

 

“We’re absolutely delighted to be the host for this conference, and we hope that this week you get a whole lot out of it,” said Hogg.

 

He took the opportunity to address the participants not only as their host, but from the perspective of a customer whose missions depend on the results of their efforts to support commanders in the field.

 

“When we’re talking about this group of folks that are here — from the joint side, from our African partners, from State, all those folks — it’s about partnership and interoperability. And every commander who’s ever had to fight in a combined environment understands that interoperability is the thing that absolutely slaps you upside the head,” Hogg said.

 

“We’re in the early stages of the process here of working with the African Union and the other partners, and you have an opportunity to design this from the end state, versus just building a bunch of ‘gunkulators.’ And so, the message is: think about what the end state is supposed to look like and construct the strategy to support the end state.

 

“Look at where we want to be at and design it that way,” Hogg said.

 

He also admonished participants to consider the second- and third-order effects of their choices in designing networks.

 

“With that said, over the next four days, I hope this conference works very well for you. If there’s anything we can do to make your stay better, please let us know,” Hogg said.

 

Over the following three days, participants engaged in a steady stream of briefings and presentations focused on systems, missions and updates from the field.

 

Col. Joseph W. Angyal, director of U.S. Army Africa G-6, gave an overview of operations and issues that focused on fundamentals, the emergence of regional accords as a way forward, and the evolution of a joint network enterprise that would serve all interested parties.

 

“What we’re trying to do is to work regionally. That’s frankly a challenge, but as we stand up the capability, really for the U.S. government, and work through that, we hope to become more regionally focused,” he said.

 

He referred to Africa Endeavor, an annual, multi-nation communications exercise, as a test bed for the current state of affairs on the continent, and an aid in itself to future development.

 

“In order to conduct those exercises, to conduct those security and cooperation events, and to meet contingency missions, we really, from the C4ISR perspective, have five big challenges,” Angyal said.

 

“You heard General Hogg this morning talk about ‘think about the customer’ — you’ve got to allow me to be able to get access to our data; I’ve got to be able to get to the data where and when I need it; you’ve got to be able to protect it; I have to be able to share it; and then finally, the systems have to be able to work together in order to build that coalition.

 

“One of the reasons General Ferrell is setting up this joint information enterprise, this joint network enterprise . . . it’s almost like trying to bring together disparate companies or corporations: everyone has their own system, they’ve paid for their own infrastructure, and they have their own policy, even though they support the same major company.

 

“Now multiply that when you bring in different services, multiply that when you bring in different U.S. government agencies, and then put a layer on top of that with the international partners, and there are lots of policies that are standing in our way.”

 

The main issue is not a question of technology, he said.

 

“The boxes are the same — a Cisco router is a Cisco router; Microsoft Exchange server is the same all over the world — but it’s the way that we employ them, and it’s the policies that we apply to it, that really stops us from interoperating, and that’s the challenge we hope to work through with the joint network enterprise.

 

“And I think that through things like Africa Endeavor and through the joint enterprise network, we’re looking at knocking down some of those policy walls, but at the end of the day they are ours to knock down. Bill Gates did not design a system to work only for the Army or for the Navy — it works for everyone,” Angyal said.

 

Brig. Gen. Joseph Searyoh, director general of Defense Information Communication Systems, General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces, agreed that coordinating policy is fundamental to improving communications with all its implications for a host of operations and missions.

 

“One would expect that in these modern times there is some kind of mutual engagement, and to build that engagement to be strong, there must be some kind of element of trust. … We have to build some kind of trust to be able to move forward,” said Searyoh.

 

“Some people may be living in silos of the past, but in the current engagement we need to tell people that we are there with no hidden agenda, no negative hidden agenda, but for the common good of all of us.

 

“We say that we are in the information age, and I’ve been saying something: that our response should not be optional, but it must be a must, because if you don’t join now, you are going to be left behind.

 

“So what do we do? We have to get our house in order.

 

“Why do I say so? We used to operate like this before the information age; now in the information age, how do we operate?

 

“So, we have to get our house in order and see whether we are aligning ourselves with way things should work now. So, our challenge is to come up with a strategy, see how best we can reorganize our structures, to be able to deliver communications-information systems support for the Ghana Armed Forces,” he said.

 

Searyoh related that his organization has already accomplished one part of erecting the necessary foundation by establishing an appropriate policy structure.

 

“What is required now is the implementing level. Currently we have communications on one side, and computers on one side. The lines are blurred — you cannot operate like that, you’ve got to bring them together,” he said.

 

Building that merged entity to support deployed forces is what he sees as the primary challenge at present.

 

“Once you get that done you can talk about equipment, you can talk about resources,” Searyoh said. “I look at the current collaboration between the U.S. and the coalition partners taking a new level.”

 

“The immediate challenges that we have is the interoperability, which I think is one of the things we are also discussing here, interoperability and integration,” said Lt. Col. Kelvin Silomba, African Union-Zambia, Information Technology expert for the Africa Stand-by Force.

 

“You know that we’ve got five regions in Africa. All these regions, we need to integrate them and bring them together, so the challenge of interoperability in terms of equipment, you know, different tactical equipment that we use, and also in terms of the language barrier — you know, all these regions in Africa you find that they speak different languages — so to bring them together we need to come up with one standard that will make everybody on board and make everybody able to talk to each other,” he said.

 

“So we have all these challenges. Other than that also, stemming from the background of these African countries, based on the colonization: some of them were French colonized, some of them were British colonized and so on, so you find that when they come up now we’ve adopted some of the procedures based on our former colonial masters, so that is another challenge that is coming on board.”

 

The partnership with brother African states, with the U.S. government and its military branches, and with other interested collaborators has had a positive influence, said Silomba.

 

“Oh, it’s great. From the time that I got engaged with U.S. AFRICOM — I started with Africa Endeavor, before I even came to the AU — it is my experience that it is something very, very good.

 

“I would encourage — I know that there are some member states — I would encourage that all those member states they come on board, all of these regional organizations, that they come on board and support the AFRICOM lead. It is something that is very, very good.

 

“As for example, the African Union has a lot of support that’s been coming in, technical as well as in terms of knowledge and equipment. So it’s great; it’s good and it’s great,” said Salimba.

 

Other participant responses to the conference were positive as well.

 

“The feedback I’ve gotten from every member is that they now know what the red carpet treatment looks like, because USARAF has gone over and above board to make sure the environment, the atmosphere and the actual engagements … are executed to perfection,” said Ferrell. “It’s been very good from a team-building aspect.

 

“We’ve had very good discussions from members of the African Union, who gave us a very good understanding of the operations that are taking place in the area of Somalia, the challenges with communications, and laid out the gaps and desires of where they see that the U.S. and other coalition partners can kind of improve the capacity there in that area of responsibility.

 

“We also talked about the AU, as they are expanding their reach to all of the five regions, of how can they have that interoperability and connectivity to each of the regions,” Ferrell said.

 

“(It’s been) a wealth of knowledge and experts that are here to share in terms of how we can move forward with building capacities and capabilities. Not only for U.S. interests, but more importantly from my perspective, in building capacities and capabilities for our African partners beginning with the Commission at the African Union itself,” said Kevin Warthon, U.S. State Department, peace and security adviser to the African Union.

 

“I think that General Ferrell has done an absolutely wonderful thing by inviting key African partners to participate in this event so they can share their personal experience from a national, regional and continental perspective,” he said.

 

Warthon related from his personal experience a vignette of African trust in Providence that he believed carries a pertinent metaphor and message to everyone attending the conference.

 

“We are not sure what we are going to do tomorrow, but the one thing that I am sure of is that we are able to do something. Don’t know when, don’t know how, but as long as our focus is on our ability to assist and to help to progress a people, that’s really what counts more than anything else,” he said.

 

“Don’t worry about the timetable; just focus on your ability to make a difference and that’s what that really is all about.

 

“I see venues such as this as opportunities to make what seems to be the impossible become possible. … This is what this kind of venue does for our African partners.

 

“We’re doing a wonderful job at building relationships, because that’s where it begins — we have to build relationships to establish trust. That’s why this is so important: building trust through relationships so that we can move forward in the future,” Warthon said.

 

Conference members took a cultural tour of Venice and visited a traditional winery in the hills above Vicenza before adjourning.

 

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

 

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

 

Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica

 

OKINAWA, Japan (Aug. 27, 2020) Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Matthew Michela, from Santa Clarita, Calif., assigned to Naval Beach Unit 7, tucks the air cushion under the bow ramp of Landing Craft, Air Cushion 30 after it arrives on White Beach from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42). Germantown, part of America Expeditionary Strike Group, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit team, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves 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 Taylor DiMartino)

IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton (center), moderates a panel including Miguel Castilla (left to right), Former Minister of Economy and Finance, Peru, Joaquin Levy, Minister of Finance, Brazil, Nathan Sheets, Treasury Under Secretary, United States and Carmen Reinhart, Harvard University at the 2015 High Level Conference on Latin America - Rising Challenges to Growth and Stability in a Shifting Global Environment on Monday, June 1 at IMF Headquarters in Washington, D.C. IMF Photo/Ryan Rayburn

International Monetary Fund Financial Economic Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department Tobias Adrian (L) and Deputy Director Fabio Natalucci (R) hold a press conference on the Global Financial Stability Report at the IMF Headquarters during the 2019 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. IMF Staff Photograph/Stephen Jaffe

For more information about my craft, please visit my profile page.

 

SEASCAPE is a 160 carat handcrafted Ammonite pendant that I created swirling and shaping silver plate wire by hand, adding Tiger Eye chips and black agate beads to enhance the natural beauty and shape of the stone. This stone has shades of brown and gold and quartz-like crystals and is an incredible jewel of nature. The elegant swirl wire-wrapped setting, together with the earthy ammonite agate create a beatiful and dramatic pendant that can be worn with formal attire or casual with your favorite jeans. It would look great with your favorite tropical beach outfit. Stylish Care More pendants are sure to add a touch of natural drama to your fashion wardrobe.

  

It measures 1 3/4" across and 2 1/2" top to tip including the bail.

 

The bail is designed to be large enough to accommodate your favorite chain, choker or cord. A 17" silver plate chain is included.

All purchases are nicely packaged in a gift box.

 

Ammonite's healing effects:

Aids in seeing 'the whole picture'. A protective stone used to create stability and structure in your life. Transforms the negative energies in your life into a positive flow. It promotes harmony and a sense of beauty. It releases mental obsessions and aids in relaxation especially in the birthing process. Good for treatment of lungs and limbs.

Astrological sign: Aquarius

Aston Martin DBS is a 6.0-litre V12 powered, race-bred, two-seater shaped by the aerodynamic demands of high performance, with an exquisite interior that marries beautifully hand-finished materials with the very latest in performance technology. Race-derived materials and components and Aston Martin’s unrivalled hand-build expertise makes the DBS a luxury sports car without equal.

 

Aston Martin DBS Specifications:

 

Body:

- Two-door coupe body style with 2+0 seating

- Bonded aluminium VH structure

- Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body

- Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams

- High Intensity Discharge headlamps (dipped beam)

- Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)

- LED rear lamps and side repeaters

 

Engine:

- All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935 cc V12. Compression ratio 10.9:1

- Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive

- Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves

 

Projected Performance figures:

- Maximum power: 380 kW (510 bhp/517 PS) @ 6500 rpm

- Maximum torque: 570 Nm (420 lb ft) @ 5750 rpm

- Maximum speed: 307 km/h (191 mph)

- Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.3 seconds

 

Transmission:

- Rear-mid mounted, six-speed manual gearbox

- Alloy torque tube with carbon-fibre propeller shaft

- Limited-slip differential

- Final-drive ratio 3.71:1

 

Steering:

- Rack and pinion

- Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering

- 3.0 turns lock-to-lock

- Column tilt and reach adjustment

 

Wheels & Tyres

Wheels:

- Front: 8.5" x 20"

- Rear: 11" x 20"

 

Tyres:

Pirelli P Zero

- Front: 245/35

- Rear: 295/30

 

Suspension:

Front:

- Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry

- Coil springs

- Anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers

Rear:

- Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry

- Coil springs

- Anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers

 

Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Track mode

 

Brakes:

Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston calipers

Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360 mm diameter with four-piston calipers

 

Dynamic Stability control (DSC) with Track mode, including anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), emergency brake assist (EBA) and traction control.

 

Dimensions:

Length: 4721 mm

Width: 1905 mm excluding door mirrors, 2060 mm including door mirrors

Height: 1280 mm

Wheelbase: 2740 mm

Fuel tank capacity: 78 litres

Weight: 1695 kg

 

Interior:

- Semi-aniline leather and Alcantara interior

- Matrix alloy facia trim and Iridium Silver centre console finish

- Carbon-fibre door trims and door pulls

- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror & garage door opener (USA and Canada only)

- Sports seats with ten-way electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar adjustment

- Memory seats & exterior mirrors (three positions)

- Dual-stage driver/passenger front airbags

- Side airbags (sports seats only)

- Heated seats (sports seats only)

- Heated rear screen

- Automatic temperature control

- Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays

- Trip computer

- Cruise control

- Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system*1,2

- Bluetooth telephone preparation*1

- Powerfold exterior mirrors

- Front and rear parking sensors

- Tyre-pressure monitoring*1

- Alarm and immobiliser

- Remote-control central door locking and boot release

- Battery disconnect switch

- Battery conditioner

- Tracking device (UK only)

- Boot-mounted umbrella

 

*1 Not available in all markets

*2 Includes Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) in Continental Europe

 

In-car entertainment:

- Aston Martin 700 W premium audio system with Dolby® Pro Logic II®

- MP3 player connectivity

 

Optional Equipment:

- Lightweight seats with six-way adjustment, including front and rear height adjust (Does not include side airbags or heated seats feature. Not available in USA or Canada)

- 20" alloy wheels with graphite finish

- Satellite radio system (USA only)

- Piano Black facia trim and centre console finish

- Leather storage saddle

- Personalised sill plaques

- Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror*1

- Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)

- Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)

- Tracking device*3

- First-aid kit

- Ashtray and cigar lighter

 

*1 Not available in all markets

*3 Complies with UK Thatcham Category 5 requirements. Excludes subscription. Standard in UK.

Senior U.S. Africa Command Noncommissioned Officer arrives in Vicenza, Italy, to share guidance on NCO leadership with leaders and Soldiers of U.S. Army Africa.

 

U.S. Army photo by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa Public Affairs

 

VICENZA, Italy – Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Ripka’s wisdom, based upon extensive travel through Africa and more than three decades in uniform, offered insight to U.S. Army Africa NCOs preparing for upcoming assignments on the continent.

 

Ripka, U.S. Africa Command’s senior enlisted Soldier, offered practical advice to NCOs during discussions recently at Caserma Ederle.

 

“He gave us an inside look at how their systems were established and how we can best proceed to assist Africans in building their capacity,” said Master Sgt. Mason Bryant. “It was extremely beneficial.”

 

During his visit, Ripka met with Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, and senior U.S. Army Africa staff. Ripka also toured the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU), an Italian Carabinieri post in downtown Vicenza that mentors international police to improve their capability to operate in peacekeeping missions.

 

During 2009 – the U.S. Army Year of the NCO – enlisted leaders at U.S. Army Africa face new challenges. Ripka’s talks resonated through the command.

 

One session, held at the Hall of Heroes, was like a 101 college course on Africa. Ripka spoke frankly to Soldiers, stressing that U.S. Army NCOs must first educate themselves outside of the American perspective, to see the world as those in other countries do. That will help as they undertake new assignments in Africa, he said.

 

“It’s a different kind of environment. It’s not like Iraq or Afghanistan,” Ripka said. ““It takes a different kind of mentality. Everything we do in Africa rests under an ambassador’s strategic plan.”

 

U.S. Africa Command is looking to build and maintain relationships in Africa. U.S. Army Africa NCOs can help by doing what they do best – building NCO capacity, he said.

 

Ripka spends a lot of time travelling through Africa, meeting with senior military leaders in dozens of African nations. He offered NCOs a few pointers, from the differences in ranks to the subtleties of language.

 

“Keep this in mind – your words and actions will affect things long after you are gone,” Ripka said.

 

African military ranks are often based on British or other European country that previously colonized their area, Ripka said. For example a first sergeant might not have the same responsibilities of his American counterpart. A warrant officer in Africa is likely the senior enlisted equivalent of a U.S. Army sergeant major.

 

The high-tech briefing technology known to U.S. Soldiers can be cast aside in Africa, Ripka said. Trade the computer slides for a block of butcher paper, give up the laser pointer for a thick black marker, he said. Handing an African counterpart a disk of computer slides is not as useful to an African NCO as a reference card they can keep in their pocket.

 

“Give them something they can take with them, even notes on a piece of paper,” Ripka said. “They call them tactical aid memoirs.”

 

In fact, Ripka himself used little more than a dry-erase marker and a white board to make his point. He explained his thoughts on building NCO capacity using a mathematical formula of his own devise called “A way.”

 

It defined the multiplication of three figures; ways, means and three times the will. For capacity building to succeed, a nation’s military must have all three, Ripka said.

 

“The U.S. way is simply a data point Africans can use to combine with other ideas to develop their own doctrine,” Ripka said. “It must be their way.”

 

Ripka’s advice enlightened many Soldiers, to include some senior NCOs with their own overseas experiences.

 

“I took away a lot from these discussions,” said Master Sgt. Michael Toolin. “His knowledge on Africa was well received.”

 

These images are cleared for release and are considered in the public domain. Request credit be given the U.S. Army and individual photographer.

 

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

 

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

 

Official Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica

 

SOUTH CHINA SEA (June 12, 2019) Fire Controlman 3rd Class Anthony Jones, from Franklin, Ga., shoots a shot line from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) to the USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194) during a replenishment-at-sea. McCampbell is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaac Maxwell/Released)

The tail provides additional stability

Closeup. I love it! The chunky Lego tire reminds me of my childhood, and symbolizes that this switch is to be used for off-roading.

 

When you flip the switch off, the stability warning and ABS warning lights will come on on the dash. They will stay on until you restart the vehicle, even if you flip the switch back to on. The computer basically gives up on things when you cut the connection like that, and won't try to set it up again until you restart.

 

But you will be free to do donuts, just like in the old days before the Safety Nazis came for us.

 

In the old days, people crashed and died a lot, too. So be careful.

International Monetary Fund Financial Economic Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department Tobias Adrian (C), Deputy Division Chief Evan Papageorgiou (L), Division Chief Anna Ilyina (2nd L), Deputy Director Fabio Natalucci,(2nd R) and Senior Communications Officer Randa Elnagar (R) hold a press conference on the Global Financial Stability Report at the IMF Headquarters during the 2019 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. IMF Staff Photograph/Stephen Jaffe

International Monetary Fund Financial Economic Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department Tobias Adrian (C), Deputy Division Chief Evan Papageorgiou (L), Division Chief Anna Ilyina (2nd L), Deputy Director Fabio Natalucci,(2nd R) and Senior Communications Officer Randa Elnagar (R) hold a press conference on the Global Financial Stability Report at the IMF Headquarters during the 2019 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. IMF Staff Photograph/Stephen Jaffe

Magnum boots give you more stability.

Hosts and guests of the U.S. AFRICOM C4ISR Senior Leader Conference tour a winery in the hills above Vicenza, Italy, Feb. 3, 2011.

 

U.S. Army Africa photo by David Ruderman

 

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosted its second annual C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference Feb. 2-4 at Caserma Ederle, headquarters of U.S. Army Africa, in Vicenza, Italy.

 

The communications and intelligence community event, hosted by Brig. Gen. Robert Ferrell, AFRICOM C4 director, drew approximately 80 senior leaders from diverse U.S. military and government branches and agencies, as well as representatives of African nations and the African Union.

 

The conference is a combination of our U.S. AFRICOM C4 systems and intel directorate,” said Ferrell. “We come together annually to bring the team together to work on common goals to work on throughout the year. The team consists of our coalition partners as well as our inter-agency partners, as well as our components and U.S. AFRICOM staff.”

 

The conference focused on updates from participants, and on assessing the present state and goals of coalition partners in Africa, he said.

 

“The theme for our conference is ‘Delivering Capabilities to a Joint Information Environment,’ and we see it as a joint and combined team ... working together, side by side, to promote peace and stability there on the African continent,” Ferrell said.

 

Three goals of this year’s conference were to strengthen the team, assess priorities across the board, and get a better fix on the impact that the establishment of the U.S. Cyber Command will have on all members’ efforts in the future, he said.

 

“With the stand-up of U.S. Cyber Command, it brings a lot of unique challenges that we as a team need to talk through to ensure that our information is protected at all times,” Ferrell said.

 

African Union (AU) representatives from four broad geographic regions of Africa attended, which generated a holistic perspective on needs and requirements from across the continent, he said.

 

“We have members from the African Union headquarters that is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; we have members that are from Uganda; from Zambia; from Ghana; and also from the Congo. What are the gaps, what are the things that we kind of need to assist with as we move forward on our engagements on the African continent?” Ferrell said.

 

U.S. Army Africa Commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, welcomed participants as the conference got under way.

 

“We’re absolutely delighted to be the host for this conference, and we hope that this week you get a whole lot out of it,” said Hogg.

 

He took the opportunity to address the participants not only as their host, but from the perspective of a customer whose missions depend on the results of their efforts to support commanders in the field.

 

“When we’re talking about this group of folks that are here — from the joint side, from our African partners, from State, all those folks — it’s about partnership and interoperability. And every commander who’s ever had to fight in a combined environment understands that interoperability is the thing that absolutely slaps you upside the head,” Hogg said.

 

“We’re in the early stages of the process here of working with the African Union and the other partners, and you have an opportunity to design this from the end state, versus just building a bunch of ‘gunkulators.’ And so, the message is: think about what the end state is supposed to look like and construct the strategy to support the end state.

 

“Look at where we want to be at and design it that way,” Hogg said.

 

He also admonished participants to consider the second- and third-order effects of their choices in designing networks.

 

“With that said, over the next four days, I hope this conference works very well for you. If there’s anything we can do to make your stay better, please let us know,” Hogg said.

 

Over the following three days, participants engaged in a steady stream of briefings and presentations focused on systems, missions and updates from the field.

 

Col. Joseph W. Angyal, director of U.S. Army Africa G-6, gave an overview of operations and issues that focused on fundamentals, the emergence of regional accords as a way forward, and the evolution of a joint network enterprise that would serve all interested parties.

 

“What we’re trying to do is to work regionally. That’s frankly a challenge, but as we stand up the capability, really for the U.S. government, and work through that, we hope to become more regionally focused,” he said.

 

He referred to Africa Endeavor, an annual, multi-nation communications exercise, as a test bed for the current state of affairs on the continent, and an aid in itself to future development.

 

“In order to conduct those exercises, to conduct those security and cooperation events, and to meet contingency missions, we really, from the C4ISR perspective, have five big challenges,” Angyal said.

 

“You heard General Hogg this morning talk about ‘think about the customer’ — you’ve got to allow me to be able to get access to our data; I’ve got to be able to get to the data where and when I need it; you’ve got to be able to protect it; I have to be able to share it; and then finally, the systems have to be able to work together in order to build that coalition.

 

“One of the reasons General Ferrell is setting up this joint information enterprise, this joint network enterprise . . . it’s almost like trying to bring together disparate companies or corporations: everyone has their own system, they’ve paid for their own infrastructure, and they have their own policy, even though they support the same major company.

 

“Now multiply that when you bring in different services, multiply that when you bring in different U.S. government agencies, and then put a layer on top of that with the international partners, and there are lots of policies that are standing in our way.”

 

The main issue is not a question of technology, he said.

 

“The boxes are the same — a Cisco router is a Cisco router; Microsoft Exchange server is the same all over the world — but it’s the way that we employ them, and it’s the policies that we apply to it, that really stops us from interoperating, and that’s the challenge we hope to work through with the joint network enterprise.

 

“And I think that through things like Africa Endeavor and through the joint enterprise network, we’re looking at knocking down some of those policy walls, but at the end of the day they are ours to knock down. Bill Gates did not design a system to work only for the Army or for the Navy — it works for everyone,” Angyal said.

 

Brig. Gen. Joseph Searyoh, director general of Defense Information Communication Systems, General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces, agreed that coordinating policy is fundamental to improving communications with all its implications for a host of operations and missions.

 

“One would expect that in these modern times there is some kind of mutual engagement, and to build that engagement to be strong, there must be some kind of element of trust. … We have to build some kind of trust to be able to move forward,” said Searyoh.

 

“Some people may be living in silos of the past, but in the current engagement we need to tell people that we are there with no hidden agenda, no negative hidden agenda, but for the common good of all of us.

 

“We say that we are in the information age, and I’ve been saying something: that our response should not be optional, but it must be a must, because if you don’t join now, you are going to be left behind.

 

“So what do we do? We have to get our house in order.

 

“Why do I say so? We used to operate like this before the information age; now in the information age, how do we operate?

 

“So, we have to get our house in order and see whether we are aligning ourselves with way things should work now. So, our challenge is to come up with a strategy, see how best we can reorganize our structures, to be able to deliver communications-information systems support for the Ghana Armed Forces,” he said.

 

Searyoh related that his organization has already accomplished one part of erecting the necessary foundation by establishing an appropriate policy structure.

 

“What is required now is the implementing level. Currently we have communications on one side, and computers on one side. The lines are blurred — you cannot operate like that, you’ve got to bring them together,” he said.

 

Building that merged entity to support deployed forces is what he sees as the primary challenge at present.

 

“Once you get that done you can talk about equipment, you can talk about resources,” Searyoh said. “I look at the current collaboration between the U.S. and the coalition partners taking a new level.”

 

“The immediate challenges that we have is the interoperability, which I think is one of the things we are also discussing here, interoperability and integration,” said Lt. Col. Kelvin Silomba, African Union-Zambia, Information Technology expert for the Africa Stand-by Force.

 

“You know that we’ve got five regions in Africa. All these regions, we need to integrate them and bring them together, so the challenge of interoperability in terms of equipment, you know, different tactical equipment that we use, and also in terms of the language barrier — you know, all these regions in Africa you find that they speak different languages — so to bring them together we need to come up with one standard that will make everybody on board and make everybody able to talk to each other,” he said.

 

“So we have all these challenges. Other than that also, stemming from the background of these African countries, based on the colonization: some of them were French colonized, some of them were British colonized and so on, so you find that when they come up now we’ve adopted some of the procedures based on our former colonial masters, so that is another challenge that is coming on board.”

 

The partnership with brother African states, with the U.S. government and its military branches, and with other interested collaborators has had a positive influence, said Silomba.

 

“Oh, it’s great. From the time that I got engaged with U.S. AFRICOM — I started with Africa Endeavor, before I even came to the AU — it is my experience that it is something very, very good.

 

“I would encourage — I know that there are some member states — I would encourage that all those member states they come on board, all of these regional organizations, that they come on board and support the AFRICOM lead. It is something that is very, very good.

 

“As for example, the African Union has a lot of support that’s been coming in, technical as well as in terms of knowledge and equipment. So it’s great; it’s good and it’s great,” said Salimba.

 

Other participant responses to the conference were positive as well.

 

“The feedback I’ve gotten from every member is that they now know what the red carpet treatment looks like, because USARAF has gone over and above board to make sure the environment, the atmosphere and the actual engagements … are executed to perfection,” said Ferrell. “It’s been very good from a team-building aspect.

 

“We’ve had very good discussions from members of the African Union, who gave us a very good understanding of the operations that are taking place in the area of Somalia, the challenges with communications, and laid out the gaps and desires of where they see that the U.S. and other coalition partners can kind of improve the capacity there in that area of responsibility.

 

“We also talked about the AU, as they are expanding their reach to all of the five regions, of how can they have that interoperability and connectivity to each of the regions,” Ferrell said.

 

“(It’s been) a wealth of knowledge and experts that are here to share in terms of how we can move forward with building capacities and capabilities. Not only for U.S. interests, but more importantly from my perspective, in building capacities and capabilities for our African partners beginning with the Commission at the African Union itself,” said Kevin Warthon, U.S. State Department, peace and security adviser to the African Union.

 

“I think that General Ferrell has done an absolutely wonderful thing by inviting key African partners to participate in this event so they can share their personal experience from a national, regional and continental perspective,” he said.

 

Warthon related from his personal experience a vignette of African trust in Providence that he believed carries a pertinent metaphor and message to everyone attending the conference.

 

“We are not sure what we are going to do tomorrow, but the one thing that I am sure of is that we are able to do something. Don’t know when, don’t know how, but as long as our focus is on our ability to assist and to help to progress a people, that’s really what counts more than anything else,” he said.

 

“Don’t worry about the timetable; just focus on your ability to make a difference and that’s what that really is all about.

 

“I see venues such as this as opportunities to make what seems to be the impossible become possible. … This is what this kind of venue does for our African partners.

 

“We’re doing a wonderful job at building relationships, because that’s where it begins — we have to build relationships to establish trust. That’s why this is so important: building trust through relationships so that we can move forward in the future,” Warthon said.

 

Conference members took a cultural tour of Venice and visited a traditional winery in the hills above Vicenza before adjourning.

 

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

 

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

 

Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica

  

Schwarzspanierstraße/Alfred-Grünfeld-Gasse

Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Logo of the Austrian National Bank

Headquarters Vienna, Austria

Central Bank of Austria

Currency€

To ISO 4217 EUR

website

www.oenb.at/

Previous Austro- Hungarian Bank

List of Central Banks

Oesterreichische Nationalbank, at Otto-Wagner -Platz No. 3, Vienna

The Austrian National Bank (OeNB), Austria's central bank as an integral part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the Eurosystem. It is instrumental in the design of the economic development in Austria and in the euro area. Legally, the OeNB is a public limited company.. However, it is also subject to further enshrined in the National Bank Act regulations resulting from its separate position as a central bank. In the framework of the Eurosystem, the OeNB contributes to a stability-oriented monetary policy. At the national level, it cares about the preservation of financial stability and the money supply and manage foreign exchange reserves to hedge against the euro in times of crisis. The guideline values in terms of the tasks of the Austrian National Bank are "security, stability and trust".

Contents

1 History

1.1 1816 to 1818

1.2 1818 to 1878

1.3 1878 to 1922

1.4 1922 to 1938

1.5 1938 to 1945

1.6 1945 to 1998

1.7 From 1999

2 The OeNB as a modern central bank

3 Legal form and organs

3.1 Legal framework

3.2 organs

3.2.1 General

3.2.2 General

3.2.3 Board of Directors

4 Tasks

4.1 Monetary policy strategies and monetary policy decision-making process

4.1.1 Economic analysis

4.1.2 Production of statistical information

4.1.3 Contribute to international organizations

4.2 Implementation of monetary policy

4.2.1 use of monetary policy instruments

4.2.2 Reserve Management

4.2.3 Money Supply

4.3 Communication of monetary policy

4.4 ensure financial stability

4.4.1 Financial Stability

4.4.2 Payment System Stability and payments

5 The OeNB in the European System of National Banks

6 President / Governors

7 See also

8 Literature

9 links

10 Notes and references

History

1816-1818

As long as 50 years before the founding of the National Bank the Habsburgs carried out first experiments with securities in the form of paper money. Finally, in the 18th Century the issue of banknotes transferred to a state independent institution, while the issue of paper money called "Banco notes," founded in 1705 by the "Vienna City Bank" took place in 1762.

In wartime governance took back control of the money issue, so there was an inflation of Banco-Zettel 1796-1810. The state ordered the forced acceptance of paper money in private transport, which led to a fast-growing discount on bills in the market. 1799 was therefore one for 100 guilders paper money only 92 guilders in silver coins, and at the end of 1810 the value of the paper florin had fallen to 15 % of the nominal value of the Banco-Zettel. Later, the Habsburgs declared a devaluation of the Banco-Zettel in the ratio of 5:1. This act was considered by the business community as a sovereign default, which the paper money experienced a rapid devaluation.

At the end of the Napoleonic wars the Habsburg multinational state ( → Habsburg Monarchy) faced a new challenge: the restoration of a European balance. Church, the nobility, the army and the bureaucracy as elements in the Ancien Régime were not sufficient to solve this problem, a well -founded economic situation was needed. Moreover, one could not ignore readily the laws of supply and demand.

In this regard, were the first June 1816 by Emperor Francis I two patents issued (later to distinguish the "main patent" or "bank patent"), the "privileged Austrian National Bank", conceived as a public company, had to constitute itself as soon a possible, propose the emperor three of its directors for selection of the governor and take up their activity provisionally on 1 July 1816.

The National Bank had henceforth a monopoly on the issuance of paper money, which led to a slowdown in the Austrian monetary system and an increase in the value of paper money. The economy was again a solid source of money keeping constant the value of money regardless of the spending plans of the State. The equity of the Bank justified this by share issues.

Initially comprised the activities of the bank - under temporary management - the redemption of paper money and the issuance of shares. The full effectiveness attained the National Bank until after the issue of 1,000 shares and the associated possibility of shareholders to set the management themselves.

1818-1878

On 15 July 1817 recieved the National Bank as the "first Bankprivilegium" the exclusive right to unrestricted issue of banknotes and in this context a special position in terms of Rediskontgeschäfts (rediscount business). Beginning of 1818 the definitive bank management was ready. Part of it were among leading figures of Viennese society, including the banker Johann Heinrich von Geymüller and Bernard of Eskeles. From 1830 to 1837 the Office of the Governor was held by Adrian Nicholas Baron Barbier.

In the countries of the Habsburg Monarchy, which were characterized in large part by an agricultural oriented activity pattern, some regions showed a lively commercial-industrial growth. The goal now was to create a system of economic exchange between these areas. Successively established the National Bank branch network and thus guaranteed a uniform money and credit supply. From its headquarters in Vienna this network extended over early industrial areas and commercial centers in Eastern and Central Europe to the northern Mediterranean.

Trade bills and coins were preferred assets of the National Bank, less the supply of money to the state. With the exchange transactions, the National Bank supported the economic growth of the monarchy and secured at the same time the supply of silver coins in the event that the need for these increases in exchange for bank notes, contrary to expectations. 1818 was the National Bank, however, by increasing public debt, due to high spending in times of crisis, not spared to make an increase in the government debt positions on the asset side of its balance sheet.

The patent provisions of the founding of the National Bank not sufficiently secured against the autonomy of governance. At the center of the struggle for independence, this was the question of the extent to which the issue of banknotes must be made on the basis of government bonds. In 1841, a renewal of Bankprivilegiums got a weakening of the independence by pushing back the influence of the shareholders in favor of the state administration. During the revolution of 1848/49 followers of constitutional goals received great support from senior figures in the National Bank. For about a hundred years, the Austrian branch of the Rothschild bank (from which from 1855, the "Royal Privileged Austrian Credit-Institute for Commerce and Industry", the later Creditanstalt, was born) was playing a leading role in the banking center of Vienna. Salomon Mayer von Rothschild was involved during the pre-March in all major transactions of the National Bank for the rehabilitation of the state budget.

Special focus the National Bank was putting on the development of the premium that was payable at the exchange of banknotes into silver money in business dealings. The increase, which corresponded to a depreciation of the notes issued by the Bank should be prevented. From an overall state perspective, the increase of the silver premium means a deterioration in terms of the exchange ratio towards foreign countries, influencing the price competitiveness of the Austrian foreign trade adversely. The stabilization of the premium were set some limits. Although the height of the emission activitiy was depending on the Bank, but also the price of silver and the potential effects of increased government debt materially affected the silver premium. Especially the 1848 revolution and conflicts in the following years caused an increasement of the silver premium.

Mid-century, the private banking and wholesale houses were no longer able to cope with the rapidly growing financial intermediation of the Habsburg monarchy. New forms of capital formation were required. From an initiative of the House of Rothschild, the first by the government approved and private joint-stock bank was created. This formation was followed in 1863 and 1864 by two other joint-stock banks, whose major shareholders included important personalities of the aristocracy, who possessed large liquid funds. Overall, grew with these banks the money creation potential of the "financial center of Vienna".

The central bank faced another difficult task: with its limited resources it had to secure sufficient liquidity on the one hand and on the other hand prevent the inflationary expansion of the money supply. Through close contacts with the shareholders of Vienna was a financial center (informal) ballot, especially in times of crisis, easily dealt out. In contrast, it gave differences of opinion in the Fed Board, which required enforcement of decisions.

In 1861, Friedrich Schey Koromla became director of the National Bank. On 27 December 1862 experienced the Bankprivilegium another innovation. The independence of the National Bank of the State was restored and anchored. Furthermore, was introduced the direct allocation of banknotes in circulation by the system of "Peel'schen Bank Act", which states that the fixed budget of 200 million guilders exceeding circulation of banknotes must be covered by silver coins. In 1866, when the German war ended in defeat for Austria, the compliance of the system was no longer met. The state felt itself forced to pay compensation for breach of privilege. This balance was supported by a law of 1872, after the National Bank may issue notes up to a maximum of 200 million guilders and each additional payment must be fully backed by gold or silver.

1873 the economic boom of the Habsburg monarchy was represented in a long-lasting rise in the share price. A now to be expecting break could by the behavior of the Vienna Stock not be intercepted, so it came to the "Great Crash of 1873". The in 1872 fixed restrictions of the circulation of notes for a short time have been suspended. Contrary to expectations, the money supply in crisis peak but only outgrew by nearly 1% the prescribed limit in the bank acts. The banks and the industrial and commercial companies survived the crash without major losses, although the share prices significantly lay below the initial level.

The years with high growth were followed by a period of stagnation.

1878-1922

As part of the compensation negotiations between Austria and Hungary in 1867, the National Bank was able to exercise fully their Privilegialrechte, the Kingdom of Hungary but now had the certified right, every ten years exercisable, to found an own central bank (bank note). As resulted from the first 10 -year period that furthermore none of the two parts of the monarchy wanted to build an independent money-issuing bank (Zettelbank), was built on 28 June 1878, initially to 31 December 1887 limited, an Austro-Hungarian Bank, and equipped with the Fed privilege. The first privilege of the new bank was a compromise in which on the one hand, regulations on liability for national debts as well as regulations limiting the influence of the government on banking businesses were included. 1878 Gustav Leonhardt was Secretary of the Bank.

The General Assembly and the General Council formed the unit of the bank management. Two directorates and major institutions - in Vienna and Budapest - represented the dual nature of the bank. 1892-1900 followed a long discussion finally the currency conversion from guilders (silver currency) to the crown (gold standard) with "Gold Crown" said coins.

Since the new banknotes were very popular in the public, now many gold coins piled up in the vaults of the Austro-Hungarian Bank. This period was characterized by a balanced combination of price growth and damping, the "per capita national product" grew while prices remained mostly stable. Against this background, it was easy for the Fed to encourage a new wave of industrialization.

With a third privilege in 1899 conditions were established under which the bank could be put into the financial services of the two countries, on the other hand there have been important innovations that paved a good exchange policy. By 1914, the exchange ratio of the Austro-Hungarian currency was unchanged with only minor fluctuations. In contrast, was the by conflicts marked political development.

The expansive foreign policy quickly led to high costs from which had to be shouldered by the central bank a significant part. The stability of the currency was in danger. Shortly after the beginning of World War I in 1914, laid down the Military Command to indemnify any seized property with double the price. There was an increasing scarcity of goods, connected with an ongoing expansion of the money supply and finally the increase in the price level on the 16-fold.

The resulting cost of the war of the Dual Monarchy were covered to 40% on central bank loans and 60% through war bonds. Over the duration of the war, the power force built up in recent decades has been frozen at the end of the conflict in 1918, the real income of the workers had fallen to one-fifth of the last year of peace.

With the end of the war the end for the old order had come, too. The decay of Cisleithania and Transleithania caused in several successor states, despite the efforts of the central bank to maintain the order, a currency separation (see Crown Currency in the decay of the monarchy, successor states). First, a separate "Austrian management" of the bank was introduced. It was encouraged to shoulder the shortcomings of the state budget of the Republic of Austria founded in 1918.

The new South Slav state began in January 1919 stamping its crown banknotes. The newly founded Czechoslovak Republic retained the crown currency (to date), but their printed banknotes in circulation as of February 1919 with indications that now these ar Czechoslovak crowns. (The country could an inflation as experienced by Austria avoide.) In March 1919, German Austria began to stamp its crown banknotes.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye of 10 September 1919, by Austria on 25 October 1919 ratified and which on 16 July 1920 came into force, determined the cancellation and replacement of all crown banknotes of all successor states of Austria-Hungary as well as the complete liquidation of the Austro-Hungarian Bank under the supervision of the war winners. The last meetings of the Bank took place mid 1921 and at the end of 1922.

After a period of overvaluation of the crown the dollar rate rose from 1919 again. 1921, had to be paid over 5,000 Austrian crowns per dollar. In addition to the significant drop in the external value existed in Austria rising inflation. End of 1922 was ultimately a rehabilitation program with foreign assistance - the "Geneva Protocol" - passed which slowed down the inflation.

1922-1938

With Federal Law of 24 July 1922 the Minister of Finance was commissioned to build a central bank, which had to take over the entire note circulation plus current liabilities of the Austrian management of the Austro-Hungarian Bank. With Federal Law of 14 November 1922, certain provisions of the law were amended and promulgated the statutes of the Austrian National Bank. By order of the Federal Government Seipel I 29 December 1922, the Board of the Austrian Austro-Hungarian Bank issued authorization for the central bank union activity with 1 January 1923 have been declared extinct and was made ​​known the commencement of operations of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank this day.

The statutes of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) secured the independence from the state, the independence of the Bank under exclusion of external influences and the corresponding equity. First, the stabilization of the Austrian currency was at the forefront. With the Schilling Act of 20 December 1924 was the schilling currency (First Republic) with 1 Introduced in March 1925, it replaced the crown currency. For 10,000 crowns now you got a shilling.

As an important personality in terms of the order of the state budget, Dr. Victor Kienböck has to be mentioned. He was in the time from 1922 to 1924 and from 1926 to 1929 finance minister of the First Republic and from 1932 to 1938 President of the Austrian National Bank. Through his work remained the Austrian Schilling, also beyound the global economy crisis, stable. Under this condition, the Fed was able to cope with the large number of bank failures of the past.

1938-1945

According to the on 13th March issued Anschlussgesetz (annexation law) , the Reichsmark with order of the Fuehrer and Chancellor of 17 was March 1938 introduced in the country Austria and determines the course: A Reichsmark is equal to one shilling fifty pence. On the same day, the Chancellor ordered that the management of the to be liquidated National Bank was transferred to the Reichsbank.

With regulation of three ministers of the German Reich of 23 April 1938, the National Bank was established as a property of the Reichsbank and its banknotes the quality as legal tender by 25 April 1938 withdrawn; public funds had Schilling banknotes until 15th of may in 1938 to accept. All the gold and foreign exchange reserves were transferred to Berlin.

The Second World War weakened the Austrian economy to a great extent, the production force after the war corresponded to only 40% of that of 1937 (see also air raids on Austria). To finance the war, the Reichsbank brought to a high degree banknotes in circulation, which only a great victory of the kingdom (Reich) actual values ​​would have been opposable. Since prices were strictly regulated, inflation virtually could be "banned" during the war.

1945-1998

In occupied postwar Austria about 10 billion shillings by Allied military occupying powers were initially printed, which contributed to significant price increases.

With the re-establishment of the Republic of Austria by the Austrian declaration of independence of 27 April 1945, it came to the resumption of activities of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. By the "Fed Transition Act" of July 1945 preliminary legal regulations for the operations of the Bank have been established. The restoration of the Austrian currency was their first big job. The goal was the summary of all currencies, which at the time were in circulation, and their secondment to a new Austrian currency. The "Schilling Act" of November 1945, the basis for the re-introduction of the Schilling (Second Republic) as legal tender in Austria. The next step was to reduce excess liquidity to make necessary funds for new business investment available and to make the external value of the shilling for the development of the economy competitive. First, however, less changed the inflationary situation and also the shilling was still significantly undervalued in relation to other currencies.

The "Currency Protection Act" of 1947 brought a significant change in the monetary overhang. Some deposits have been deleted without replacement, others converted into claims against the Federal Treasury. The following exchange operations also significantly reduced the amount of cash: banknotes from 1945 were canceled and exchanged for new schilling notes in the ratio 1:3. Only 150 shillings per person could go 1-1.

To control inflation, the social partners came to the foreground. The associations of employers and employees set in 1947 prices for supplies, wages were also raised. This was the first of the five "wage-price agreements" of the social partners. In 1952, inflation was held back by limiting the use of monetary policy instruments by the National Bank. Also, the external sector slowly relaxed after the end of the Korean War.

In 1955, the Austrian National Bank was re-established by the new National Bank Act as a corporation and the by the National Bank Transition of Authorities Act (Nationalbank-Überleitungsgesetz) established provisional arragement abolished. The National Bank Act stipulated that each half of the capital should be situated at the federal government and private shareholders. In addition to the independence of bank loans of the state, the new National Bank Act also contained an order that the central bank must watch within their monetary and credit policies on the economic policies of the federal government. From now on also included within the instruments of the National Bank were the areas open market and minimum reserve policy.

The Austrian economy increasingly stabilized, through good fiscal and monetary policy a high growth could be attained, with low inflation and long-term maintenance of external equilibrium.

1960, Austria joined the European Free Trade Association and participated in the European integration.

In the sixties came the international monetary system based on gold-dollar convertibility into currency fluctuations and political reforms were necessary. First, the loosening of exchange rate adjustments between several states was an option. However, U.S. balance of payments problems brought with it restrictions on capital movements, and then the Euro-Dollar market was born. In 1971, the convertibility of the U.S. dollar was lifted.

1975 interrupted a recession increasing growth time. International unbalanced ayments caused very extensive foreign exchange movements, whereby the intervention force of Austrian monetary policy has been strongly challenged. Their task now was to control the effect of foreign exchange on domestic economic activities to stabilize the shilling in the context of constantly shifting exchange rates and to control the price rise appropriately. Since the inflow of foreign funds reached to high proportions, so that the economic stability has been compromised, the policy went the way of the independent course design in a pool of selected European currencies.

The collapse of the economy forced the policy makers to a new course with active mutual credit control, subdued wage growth, financial impulses in supply and demand, and interest rates are kept low. This system of regulation, however, kept back the need for structural change, so it had to be given up in 1979. In the same year a fire destroyed large parts of the main building of the Austrian National Bank in Vienna. The repairs lasted until 1985.

Target in the eighties was to strengthen the economic performance using a competitive power comparison. The findings from the seventies stimulated the Austrian monetary policy to align the Schilling course at the Deutsche Mark to ensure price stability in the country. In addition, the structural change was initiated by inclusion in a large area. Stable, if not necessarily comfortable environment of monetary policy was a prerequisite, to secure the companies long-term productivity gains and thus safeguard their position in the economy.

Initially, this development stood a high level of unemployment in the way. Growth until the second half of the decade increased, at the same time increased the competitiveness and current accounts could be kept in balance.

In the nineties, the annexation of Austria took place in the European Community. 1995 Austria became a member of the European Union (EU) and joined the exchange rate mechanism of the European Monetary System. In 1998, the Central Banks (ESCB) have established the independence of institutions or bodies of the European Community and the governments of the EU Member States through an amendment to the National Bank Act of the Austrian National Bank to implement the goals and tasks of the European System. Thus, the legal basis for the participation of Austria in the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) was created in 1999.

As of 1999

The Austrian National Bank, and other national central banks including the European Central Bank ( ECB), belongs to the European System of Central Banks.

On 1 January 1999 was introduced in the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union in Austria and ten other EU Member States, the euro as a common currency. The European Central Bank is henceforth responsible for monetary and currency policy, decisions in this regard will be taken in accordance with the Council of the European Central Bank.

Since May 2010, the OeNB is in full possession of the Republic of Austria, after originally lobbies, banks and insurance companies were involved with 50 % of the share capital in it. In 2011, the National Bank Act was adapted by an amendment (Federal Law Gazette I No. 50 /2011) in this circumstance, a renewed privatization is thus excluded by law.

The OeNB as a modern central bank

With the withdrawal from the retail business in the sixties as well as the first major internationalization and implementation of a strategic management in the seventies, the OeNB went on the way to a future-oriented central bank. Another major reform of banking began at the end of the eighties.

In terms of global development, the OeNB established in 1988 as a service company and expanded its guiding values ​​- "security, stability and trust" - to the principles of " fficiency" and "cost-consciousness". The business center was optimized and strategic business experienced through targeted improvements a reinforcement. Be mentioned as examples are intensifying domestic cooperation in the area of ​​payments by encouraging the creation of the Society for the Study co-payments (STUZZA), the liberalization of capital movements, the professional management of foreign exchange reserves, the improvement of the supply of money through the construction of the money center and the internationalization of business activities through the establishment of representative offices in Brussels (European Union), Paris (OECD) and the financial center of New York.

After Austria's accession to the EU in 1995, the OeNB participated in the European Monetary System (EMS ) and its Exchange Rate Mechanism. The integration in the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) was the next step towards further development of policy stability. Since the conclusion of the Maastricht Treaty, the Austrian National Bank has very fully considered its role in the ESCB and created a basis for inclusion in the community. The profound economic and monetary policy of Austria was also a reference that qualified the OeNB to actively participate in the monetary future of Europe, a greater harmonization of the statistical framework and monetary policy instruments with a view to the euro system, the preparation of the issue of European banknotes, and the establishment of operational processes and organizational integration of business processes within the ESCB being specific objectives of the OeNB.

In the following, it came, inter alia, to the establishement of an economic study department, of an education or training initiative and to strengthen the position of payment transactions through the TARGET system.

A in 1996 created "OeNB master plan" provided important points for the upcoming transition to the euro.

In May 1998, a new pension system came into force, by which new employees were incorporated into a two-pillar model.

1999, Austria's participation in the third stage of EMU was manifest. The Austrian National Bank - as part of the ESCB - became the owner of the European Central Bank and received new powers in this context in the sense of participation in the monetary policy decision-making at the level of the European Community. With the introduction of the euro, monetary policy functions of the General Council have been transferred to the Governing Council. However, the implementation remains the responsibility of national central banks.

Activities of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank were or are, for example, the further professionalization of asset management, the expansion of the network of representative offices by opening a representative office in the financial center of London, preparation of the smooth introduction of euro cash in 2002 and the participation of the OeNB on the creation of the "A-SIT" (Center for secure Information Technology Center - Austria) and the "A-Trust" (society of electronic security systems in traffic GmbH ) in order to promote security in information technology.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oesterreichische_Nationalbank

The last part of the stage was the most difficult: a descent on sand with an altitude change of over 1100 meters. Thanks to the stability of his Powerstar, De Rooy achieved second place: learn more about Iveco.

U.S. Army Africa photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Davis

 

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosted its second annual C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference Feb. 2-4 at Caserma Ederle, headquarters of U.S. Army Africa, in Vicenza, Italy.

 

The communications and intelligence community event, hosted by Brig. Gen. Robert Ferrell, AFRICOM C4 director, drew approximately 80 senior leaders from diverse U.S. military and government branches and agencies, as well as representatives of African nations and the African Union.

 

“The conference is a combination of our U.S. AFRICOM C4 systems and intel directorate,” said Ferrell. “We come together annually to bring the team together to work on common goals to work on throughout the year. The team consists of our coalition partners as well as our inter-agency partners, as well as our components and U.S. AFRICOM staff.”

 

The conference focused on updates from participants, and on assessing the present state and goals of coalition partners in Africa, he said.

 

“The theme for our conference is ‘Delivering Capabilities to a Joint Information Environment,’ and we see it as a joint and combined team ... working together, side by side, to promote peace and stability there on the African continent,” Ferrell said.

 

Three goals of this year’s conference were to strengthen the team, assess priorities across the board, and get a better fix on the impact that the establishment of the U.S. Cyber Command will have on all members’ efforts in the future, he said.

 

“With the stand-up of U.S. Cyber Command, it brings a lot of unique challenges that we as a team need to talk through to ensure that our information is protected at all times,” Ferrell said.

 

African Union (AU) representatives from four broad geographic regions of Africa attended, which generated a holistic perspective on needs and requirements from across the continent, he said.

 

“We have members from the African Union headquarters that is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; we have members that are from Uganda; from Zambia; from Ghana; and also from the Congo. What are the gaps, what are the things that we kind of need to assist with as we move forward on our engagements on the African continent?” Ferrell said.

 

U.S. Army Africa Commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, welcomed participants as the conference got under way.

 

“We’re absolutely delighted to be the host for this conference, and we hope that this week you get a whole lot out of it,” said Hogg.

 

He took the opportunity to address the participants not only as their host, but from the perspective of a customer whose missions depend on the results of their efforts to support commanders in the field.

 

“When we’re talking about this group of folks that are here — from the joint side, from our African partners, from State, all those folks — it’s about partnership and interoperability. And every commander who’s ever had to fight in a combined environment understands that interoperability is the thing that absolutely slaps you upside the head,” Hogg said.

 

“We’re in the early stages of the process here of working with the African Union and the other partners, and you have an opportunity to design this from the end state, versus just building a bunch of ‘gunkulators.’ And so, the message is: think about what the end state is supposed to look like and construct the strategy to support the end state.

 

“Look at where we want to be at and design it that way,” Hogg said.

 

He also admonished participants to consider the second- and third-order effects of their choices in designing networks.

 

“With that said, over the next four days, I hope this conference works very well for you. If there’s anything we can do to make your stay better, please let us know,” Hogg said.

 

Over the following three days, participants engaged in a steady stream of briefings and presentations focused on systems, missions and updates from the field.

 

Col. Joseph W. Angyal, director of U.S. Army Africa G-6, gave an overview of operations and issues that focused on fundamentals, the emergence of regional accords as a way forward, and the evolution of a joint network enterprise that would serve all interested parties.

 

“What we’re trying to do is to work regionally. That’s frankly a challenge, but as we stand up the capability, really for the U.S. government, and work through that, we hope to become more regionally focused,” he said.

 

He referred to Africa Endeavor, an annual, multi-nation communications exercise, as a test bed for the current state of affairs on the continent, and an aid in itself to future development.

 

“In order to conduct those exercises, to conduct those security and cooperation events, and to meet contingency missions, we really, from the C4ISR perspective, have five big challenges,” Angyal said.

 

“You heard General Hogg this morning talk about ‘think about the customer’ — you’ve got to allow me to be able to get access to our data; I’ve got to be able to get to the data where and when I need it; you’ve got to be able to protect it; I have to be able to share it; and then finally, the systems have to be able to work together in order to build that coalition.

 

“One of the reasons General Ferrell is setting up this joint information enterprise, this joint network enterprise . . . it’s almost like trying to bring together disparate companies or corporations: everyone has their own system, they’ve paid for their own infrastructure, and they have their own policy, even though they support the same major company.

 

“Now multiply that when you bring in different services, multiply that when you bring in different U.S. government agencies, and then put a layer on top of that with the international partners, and there are lots of policies that are standing in our way.”

 

The main issue is not a question of technology, he said.

 

“The boxes are the same — a Cisco router is a Cisco router; Microsoft Exchange server is the same all over the world — but it’s the way that we employ them, and it’s the policies that we apply to it, that really stops us from interoperating, and that’s the challenge we hope to work through with the joint network enterprise.

 

“And I think that through things like Africa Endeavor and through the joint enterprise network, we’re looking at knocking down some of those policy walls, but at the end of the day they are ours to knock down. Bill Gates did not design a system to work only for the Army or for the Navy — it works for everyone,” Angyal said.

 

Brig. Gen. Joseph Searyoh, director general of Defense Information Communication Systems, General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces, agreed that coordinating policy is fundamental to improving communications with all its implications for a host of operations and missions.

 

“One would expect that in these modern times there is some kind of mutual engagement, and to build that engagement to be strong, there must be some kind of element of trust. … We have to build some kind of trust to be able to move forward,” said Searyoh.

 

“Some people may be living in silos of the past, but in the current engagement we need to tell people that we are there with no hidden agenda, no negative hidden agenda, but for the common good of all of us.

 

“We say that we are in the information age, and I’ve been saying something: that our response should not be optional, but it must be a must, because if you don’t join now, you are going to be left behind.

 

“So what do we do? We have to get our house in order.

 

“Why do I say so? We used to operate like this before the information age; now in the information age, how do we operate?

 

“So, we have to get our house in order and see whether we are aligning ourselves with way things should work now. So, our challenge is to come up with a strategy, see how best we can reorganize our structures, to be able to deliver communications-information systems support for the Ghana Armed Forces,” he said.

 

Searyoh related that his organization has already accomplished one part of erecting the necessary foundation by establishing an appropriate policy structure.

 

“What is required now is the implementing level. Currently we have communications on one side, and computers on one side. The lines are blurred — you cannot operate like that, you’ve got to bring them together,” he said.

 

Building that merged entity to support deployed forces is what he sees as the primary challenge at present.

 

“Once you get that done you can talk about equipment, you can talk about resources,” Searyoh said. “I look at the current collaboration between the U.S. and the coalition partners taking a new level.”

 

“The immediate challenges that we have is the interoperability, which I think is one of the things we are also discussing here, interoperability and integration,” said Lt. Col. Kelvin Silomba, African Union-Zambia, Information Technology expert for the Africa Stand-by Force.

 

“You know that we’ve got five regions in Africa. All these regions, we need to integrate them and bring them together, so the challenge of interoperability in terms of equipment, you know, different tactical equipment that we use, and also in terms of the language barrier — you know, all these regions in Africa you find that they speak different languages — so to bring them together we need to come up with one standard that will make everybody on board and make everybody able to talk to each other,” he said.

 

“So we have all these challenges. Other than that also, stemming from the background of these African countries, based on the colonization: some of them were French colonized, some of them were British colonized and so on, so you find that when they come up now we’ve adopted some of the procedures based on our former colonial masters, so that is another challenge that is coming on board.”

 

The partnership with brother African states, with the U.S. government and its military branches, and with other interested collaborators has had a positive influence, said Silomba.

 

“Oh, it’s great. From the time that I got engaged with U.S. AFRICOM — I started with Africa Endeavor, before I even came to the AU — it is my experience that it is something very, very good.

 

“I would encourage — I know that there are some member states — I would encourage that all those member states they come on board, all of these regional organizations, that they come on board and support the AFRICOM lead. It is something that is very, very good.

 

“As for example, the African Union has a lot of support that’s been coming in, technical as well as in terms of knowledge and equipment. So it’s great; it’s good and it’s great,” said Salimba.

 

Other participant responses to the conference were positive as well.

 

“The feedback I’ve gotten from every member is that they now know what the red carpet treatment looks like, because USARAF has gone over and above board to make sure the environment, the atmosphere and the actual engagements … are executed to perfection,” said Ferrell. “It’s been very good from a team-building aspect.

 

“We’ve had very good discussions from members of the African Union, who gave us a very good understanding of the operations that are taking place in the area of Somalia, the challenges with communications, and laid out the gaps and desires of where they see that the U.S. and other coalition partners can kind of improve the capacity there in that area of responsibility.

 

“We also talked about the AU, as they are expanding their reach to all of the five regions, of how can they have that interoperability and connectivity to each of the regions,” Ferrell said.

 

“(It’s been) a wealth of knowledge and experts that are here to share in terms of how we can move forward with building capacities and capabilities. Not only for U.S. interests, but more importantly from my perspective, in building capacities and capabilities for our African partners beginning with the Commission at the African Union itself,” said Kevin Warthon, U.S. State Department, peace and security adviser to the African Union.

 

“I think that General Ferrell has done an absolutely wonderful thing by inviting key African partners to participate in this event so they can share their personal experience from a national, regional and continental perspective,” he said.

 

Warthon related from his personal experience a vignette of African trust in Providence that he believed carries a pertinent metaphor and message to everyone attending the conference.

 

“We are not sure what we are going to do tomorrow, but the one thing that I am sure of is that we are able to do something. Don’t know when, don’t know how, but as long as our focus is on our ability to assist and to help to progress a people, that’s really what counts more than anything else,” he said.

 

“Don’t worry about the timetable; just focus on your ability to make a difference and that’s what that really is all about.

 

“I see venues such as this as opportunities to make what seems to be the impossible become possible. … This is what this kind of venue does for our African partners.

 

“We’re doing a wonderful job at building relationships, because that’s where it begins — we have to build relationships to establish trust. That’s why this is so important: building trust through relationships so that we can move forward in the future,” Warthon said.

 

Conference members took a cultural tour of Venice and visited a traditional winery in the hills above Vicenza before adjourning.

 

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

 

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

 

Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica

 

Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, speaks during the bank's financial stability report news conference at the Bank of England in London, U.K., on Thursday, June 26, 2014. Carney waded into Britain's property market today, limiting the number of riskier mortgages to prevent an unsustainable buildup of consumer debt derailing the economic recovery. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Mark C

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Girl performing dumbbell military press with dumbbells on a stability ball.

International Monetary Fund Financial Economic Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department Tobias Adrian (C), Deputy Division Chief Evan Papageorgiou (L), Division Chief Anna Ilyina (2nd L), Deputy Director Fabio Natalucci,(2nd R) and Senior Communications Officer Randa Elnagar (R) hold a press conference on the Global Financial Stability Report at the IMF Headquarters during the 2019 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. IMF Staff Photograph/Stephen Jaffe

[Jemal Oumar] Political stability and economic development can only take place with the respect of human rights, according to Bamariam Baba Koita.

 

لا يمكن تحقيق الاستقرار السياسي والتنمية الاقتصادية بدون احترام حقوق الإنسان، وفقا لباماريام بابا كويتا

 

La stabilité politique et le développement économique ne pourront être mis en place que dans le respect des droits de l'Homme, selon Bamariam Baba Koita.

 

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