Interoperability: German Lynx conducting deck landing training on HMS OCEAN during TJ15, with RN Fleet Air Arm Merlin Mk2 in foreground. 25 Oct 15

A Norwegian F-35 Lightning II closes the gap for a mid-air refueling from a Maine Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker above the Arctic Circle, May 29, 2023. The crews are participating in a live fly exercise that serves to advance arctic security initiatives and enhance interoperability in the increasingly dynamic and contested region. (Photo by Master Sgt. Andrew Sinclair)

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 17, 2021) An MV-22B Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) takes off from the flight deck of forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) during a long-range raid exercise. America, flagship of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, along with the 31st MEU, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Thomas B. Contant)

CAMP PENDLETON, California (Feb. 11, 2022) - Japan Ground Self-Defense Force () soldiers with 2nd Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regiment prepare to conduct combat engagement and ground maneuver training during exercise Iron Fist 2022 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 11, 2022. For almost two decades, the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, and JGSDF have conducted exercise Iron Fist, training together in amphibious operations and affirming the U.S. commitment to our allies. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Aidan Hekker) 220211-M-HP224-1024

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ANCON, Peru (Sept. 29, 2021) A Navy landing craft, air cushion currently attached to Special Marine Air-Ground Task Force - UNITAS lands on Miramar beach during UNITAS LXII. UNITAS is the world’s longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise that focuses on enhancing interoperability among multiple nations and joint forces during littoral, amphibious and Amazonian operations in order to build on existing regional partnerships and create new enduring relationships that promote peace, stability and prosperity in the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Hannah Hall)

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 17, 2021) An MV-22B Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) takes off from the flight deck of forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) during a long-range raid exercise. America, flagship of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, along with the 31st MEU, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Thomas B. Contant)

Children in Accra, Ghana, play while observing closing ceremonies of Africa Endeavor 2010.

Photo by U.S. Army Africa

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

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Africa Endeavor 2010 came to a close Aug. 20 with a ceremony held at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College parade grounds in Accra, Ghana.

AE 2010 is a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored initiative intended to enhance interoperability and information exchange among African nations via communication networks and subsequent collaborative links with the United States, African Union and other African partners that share common goals of stability, security and sustainment.

"Future operations in Africa depend on the combined multinational militaries of the nations represented here today in order to effectively communicate amongst themselves," said Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, U.S. Army Africa commanding general.

During the annual two-week communications exercise, participants from 36 African nations, the AU, the Economic Community of Western African States, the Economic Community of Central African States, the United States and several European partners worked together to develop standard tactics, techniques and procedures to be used in future humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and peace support missions.

New areas of expertise addressed in Africa Endeavor 2010 included the first radio call to a vessel at sea from an AE event site. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk sailing off the coast of Africa ran the test, allowing AE participants to challenge themselves in establishing land-to-sea communications. After a couple attempts, the land-to-sea radio call was a success, proving that African nations could maintain communication between inland locations and their maritime forces.

"We are fighting for unity and interoperability with our partners to establish high levels of efficiency," said Lt. Gen. Peter Blay, Chief, Defense Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. "The outcome of AE 2010 has given assurance that we are on track to achieve the ultimate goal of interoperability between our forces."

Another incorporated training event was a satellite call conducted from the AE site in Accra to the AU Peace Support Operations Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The demonstration showed AE participants how useful reliable communication between the nations and the AU is during times of disaster relief.

"The newly incorporated signal techniques will be planned for and incorporated in future exercises," said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Britt Talbert, AE 2010 exercise director.

Through newly incorporated training and careful planning, AE 2010 proved to achieve its goal of taking a step forward in improving interoperability and creating new ties between African nations.

"By taking part in this event we have demonstrated a commitment to harness the power of communication technology for ensuring the long-term peace, stability, and prosperity of the African continent," said Hogg.

“Africa Endeavor is a great opportunity to meet people and it gives us an opportunity to check interoperability communications for all military personnel,” said Maj. Bachirou Farta of Burkina-Faso.

“Here we have the opportunity to know another country, and this is very important because of the many different cultures in Africa. When I go back to my country, I will teach my people many things from my good experiences here for the military,” he said.

African nations participating in AE 2010 included Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, The Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Southern Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.

The first AE was held in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2006. Subsequent exercises took place in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2008 and in Libreville, Gabon, in 2009.

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

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

Did the U.S. Army photo of the year come from Rapid Trident 2011? See for yourself! 'Like' and voye now! www.army.mil/yearinphotos/2011/july.html#photo8

Staff Sgt. Travis Surber, a native of Franklin County, VA and a paratrooper with the 173rd Brigade Combat Team’s Battle Company of the 2nd Battalion 503rd Infantry Regiment parachutes out of a C-130 Hercules Transport Aircraft and into the Ukraine sky. This marks the first time the “Sky Soldiers” of the 173rd have jumped in Ukraine and they’ll be training and conducting multinational airborne operations, a situational training exercise and a field training exercise here from through 5 Aug. as part of Rapid Trident 2011.

Rapid Trident 2011 is a U.S. Army Europe led, multi-national exercise taking place at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Yavoriv, Ukraine. It is designed to promote regional stability and security, strengthen international military partnering and foster trust while improving interoperability between participating nations.

Rapid Trident 2011 involves approximately 1,600 personnel. In addition to the U.S. Army Europe and Ukraine, participants include: Latvia, Belarus, Moldova, Slovenia, Canada, Poland, Serbia, the UK, Lithuania, Estonia, California and Utah National Guard and U.S. Air Force Europe.

Rapid Trident supports interoperability among Ukraine, the United States, NATO and Partnership for Peace member nations. This exercise will help prepare participants to operate successfully in a joint, multinational, integrated environment with host- nation support from civil and governmental agencies.

Rapid Trident is a part of U.S. European Command’s Joint Training and Exercise Program, designed to enhance joint combined interoperability with allied and partner nations.

The exercise also supports Ukraine’s Annual National Program to achieve interoperability with NATO and commitments made in the annual NATO-Ukraine work plan.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team is one of the U.S. Army’s most highly decorated units having particularly distinguished itself during the Vietnam War and having produced fifteen Congressional Medal of Honor recipients including Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.

A Luxembourg Army soldier stands guard next to a armored infantry mobility vehicle during exercise Saber Junction 15 at the U.S. Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 23, 2015. Saber Junction 15 prepares NATO and partner nation forces for offensive, defensive, and stability operations and promotes interoperability among participants. Saber Junction 15 has more than 4,700 participants from 17 countries, to include: Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/Released)

PHILIPPINE SEA (Oct. 11, 2018) Marines assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) suspend from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the "Island Knights" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 above the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during a special patrol insertion/extraction (SPIE) exercise. Wasp, flagship of Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Molina)

PTC interoperability continues to give us something other than orange to look at out here in the Southwest. Today's take has a 2 month old rebuilt NS AC44C6M leading the Z-AUGSBD7-11A across the Transcon with a BNSF Tier 4 and an older ES44. The 4405 was rebuilt from the NS 9203 at Wabtec in Ft. Worth and released in January 2021.

Also of interest in this shot is the ATS inductor still in place for M2. I did a shot of an eastbound train passing the other one on M1 about 5 weeks ago. Today I noticed that its been removed.

U.S. Army Spc. Artemio Veneracion, a native of North Hills, Calif., a sniper with Eagle Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, stationed out of Vilseck, Germany, looks through the scope of an M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS), during a combined squad training exercise with the Finnish Soldiers of the Armoured Reconnaissance Platoon at the Tapa Training Area, Estonia, June 15, 2016. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Steven M. Colvin)

A German Army Leopard II tank, assigned to 104th Panzer Battalion, moves through the Joint Multinational Readiness Center during Saber Junction 2012 in Hohenfels, Germany, Oct. 25. The U.S. Army Europe's exercise Saber Junction trains U.S. personnel and 1800 multinational partners from 18 nations ensuring multinational interoperability and an agile, ready coalition force.

(U.S. Army Europe photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/released)

PHILIPPINE SEA (March 18, 2022) Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9) as Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits alongside. Abraham Lincoln Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Taylor Crenshaw)

PHILIPPINE SEA (March 15, 2022) Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76), foreground, conducts routine underway operations with Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Dewey (DDG 105) and USS Milius (DDG 69). Higgins is assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Arthur Rosen)

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Aug. 28, 2021) Yard Tug Puyallup (YT-806), attached to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka's (CFAY) port operations department, guides Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), to CFAY's Berth 12 for a scheduled port visit. Carl Vinson, homeported in San Diego, and the accompanying Carrier Strike Group (CSG 1), are deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zenaida Roth)

Lance Cpl. Mina S. Gadelkarim, left, spots targets for 1st Lt. Jacob A. Zalewski as he engages targets with his M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System as part of an unknown distance qualification range August 18 at Bradshaw Field Training Area, Northern Territory, Australia, during Exercise Koolendong 14. The range focused on increasing scout sniper's long range precision firing capabilities. The Marines challenged themselves with the M40 A5, M110 SASS and the M107 SASR. Marines are with Scout Sniper Platoon, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and are currently deployed in part of the Marine Rotational Force Darwin. The rotational deployment of U.S. Marines affords an unprecedented combined training opportunity with their Australian allies, and improves interoperability with their forces. Zalewski, a Phoneix, Arizona native, is the Scout Sniper Platoon commander. Gadelkarim, a Campbell, Texas native, is a rifleman assigned with the platoon. (Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Joey S. Holeman, Jr./ Released)

A soldier from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force observes his target while conducting a stalk exercise with 1st Marine Division Schools during Exercise Iron Fist 2014 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 11, 2014. Iron Fist is an amphibious exercise that brings together Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, other I Marine Expeditionary Force units, and soldiers from the JGSDF, to promote military interoperability and hone individual and small-unit skills through challenging, complex and realistic training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos/Released)

PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 26, 2021) - Two F-35B Lightning II from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, embarked on the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08); and two F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fight Squadron (VFA) 147, an EA-18G Growler, assigned to U.S. Navy Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136, and an F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 192, embarked on aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), conduct mid-air refueling in support of joint interoperability flights between Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (VINCSG) and U.K. Carrier Strike Group (CSG-21). Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is on deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners to serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Bart Crowder) 210826-N-NO250-1015

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LNER Class 801/1 No.801112 and Class 800/2 No.800210 speed past Holme Green crossing on 19th March 2022, operating as a 10-car formation on the 1S08 07:30 London King's Cross-Edinburgh service. This is probably the first time I've reliably captured both bi-mode and electric examples of the 5-car Azuma sub-fleets working in multiple.

PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 3, 2021) Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) pulls alongside Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11) for a vertical replenishment-at-sea. Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Megan Alexander)

U.S. Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force practice visit, board, search, and seizure techniques during maritime interoperability training in San Diego Bay Jan. 10, 2015. MIT prepares the MRF for their upcoming deployment by enhancing their combat skills and teaching them techniques for boarding vessels. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jamean Berry/Released)

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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan (Nov. 19, 2021) Lt. Cmdr. Avery Wilson, navigator aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), conducts a tour of the ship’s pilot house for local and regional civic and military leadership during a port visit. America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, is operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Berlier)

PACIFIC OCEAN (May 29, 2021) Aviation Machinist Mate Airman Dillan Hall, from Janesnille, Wis., assigned to the Archangels of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25, withdraws a fuel sample from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter on the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America’s (LHA 6) flight deck. America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Walter Estrada)

Marines with Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 311 perform post-flight maintenance checks on McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B "Harrier II's" during Exercise Northern Lightning at Volk Field Counterland Training Center, Camp Douglas, Wis., Aug. 13. Exercise Northern Lightning 2018 allows the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy to strengthen interoperability between services and gives the different branches a greater understanding of aviation capabilities within a joint fighting force.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier Jump Jet family. Capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL), the aircraft was designed in the late 1970s as an Anglo-American development of the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational V/STOL aircraft. The aircraft is primarily employed on light attack or multi-role missions, ranging from close air support of ground troops to armed reconnaissance. The AV-8B is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the Spanish Navy, and the Italian Navy. A variant of the AV-8B, the British Aerospace Harrier II, was developed for the British military, while another, the TAV-8B, is a dedicated two-seat trainer.

The project that eventually led to the AV-8Bs creation started in the early 1970s as a cooperative effort between the United States and United Kingdom (UK), aimed at addressing the operational inadequacies of the first-generation Harrier. Early efforts centered on a larger, more powerful Pegasus engine to dramatically improve the capabilities of the Harrier. Due to budgetary constraints, the UK abandoned the project in 1975.

Following the withdrawal of the UK, McDonnell Douglas extensively redesigned the earlier AV-8A Harrier to create the AV-8B. While retaining the general layout of its predecessor, the aircraft incorporates a new wing, an elevated cockpit, a redesigned fuselage, one extra hardpoint per wing, and other structural and aerodynamic refinements. The aircraft is powered by an upgraded version of the Pegasus, which gives the aircraft its V/STOL ability. The AV-8B made its maiden flight in November 1981 and entered service with the USMC in January 1985. Later upgrades added a night-attack capability and radar, resulting in the AV-8B(NA) and AV-8B Harrier II Plus, respectively. An enlarged version named Harrier III was also studied, but not pursued. The UK, through British Aerospace, re-joined the improved Harrier project as a partner in 1981, giving it a significant work-share in the project. After corporate mergers in the 1990s, Boeing and BAE Systems have jointly supported the program. Approximately 340 aircraft were produced in a 22-year production program that ended in 2003.

Typically operated from small aircraft carriers, large amphibious assault ships and simple forward operating bases, AV-8Bs have participated in numerous military and humanitarian operations, proving themselves versatile assets. U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf named the USMC Harrier II as one of several important weapons in the Gulf War. The aircraft took part in combat during the Iraq War beginning in 2003. The Harrier II has served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan since 2001, and was used in Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya in 2011. Italian and Spanish Harrier IIs have taken part in overseas conflicts in conjunction with NATO coalitions. During its service history, the AV-8B has had a high accident rate, related to the percentage of time spent in critical take-off and landing phases. USMC and Italian Navy AV-8Bs are to be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, with the former expected to operate its Harriers until 2025.

Development

Origins

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the first-generation Harriers entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Marine Corps (USMC), but were handicapped in range and payload. In short takeoff and landing configuration, the AV-8A (American designation for the Harrier) carried less than half the 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) payload of the smaller Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, over a more limited radius. To address this issue, Hawker Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas began joint development of a more capable version of the Harrier in 1973. Early efforts concentrated on an improved Pegasus engine, designated the Pegasus 15, which was being tested by Bristol Siddeley. Although more powerful, the engine's diameter was too large by 2.75 in (70 mm) to fit into the Harrier easily.

In December 1973, a joint American and British team completed a project document defining an Advanced Harrier powered by the Pegasus 15 engine. The Advanced Harrier was intended to replace the original RAF and USMC Harriers, as well as the USMC's A-4. The aim of the Advanced Harrier was to double the AV-8's payload and range, and was therefore unofficially named AV-16. The British government pulled out of the project in March 1975 owing to decreased defense funding, rising costs, and the RAF's insufficient 60-aircraft requirement. With development costs estimated to be around £180–200 million (1974 British pounds), the United States was unwilling to fund development by itself, and ended the project later that year.

Despite the project's termination, the two companies continued to take different paths toward an enhanced Harrier. Hawker Siddeley focused on a new larger wing that could be retrofitted to existing operational aircraft, while McDonnell Douglas independently pursued a less ambitious, though still expensive, project catering to the needs of the US military. Using knowledge gleaned from the AV-16 effort, though dropping some items—such as the larger Pegasus engine—McDonnell Douglas kept the basic structure and engine for an aircraft tailored for the USMC.

Designing and testing

As the USMC wanted a substantially improved Harrier without the development of a new engine, the plan for Harrier II development was authorized by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) in 1976. The United States Navy (USN), which had traditionally procured military aircraft for the USMC, insisted that the new design be verified with flight testing. McDonnell Douglas modified two AV-8As with new wings, revised intakes, redesigned exhaust nozzles, and other aerodynamic changes; the modified forward fuselage and cockpit found on all subsequent aircraft were not incorporated on these prototypes. Designated YAV-8B, the first converted aircraft flew on 9 November 1978, at the hands of Charles Plummer. The aircraft performed three vertical take-offs and hovered for seven minutes at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. The second aircraft followed on 19 February 1979, but crashed that November due to engine flameout; the pilot ejected safely. Flight testing of these modified AV-8s continued into 1979. The results showed greater than expected drag, hampering the aircraft's maximum speed. Further refinements to the aerodynamic profile yielded little improvement. Positive test results in other areas, including payload, range, and V/STOL performance, led to the award of a development contract in 1979. The contract stipulated a procurement of 12 aircraft initially, followed by a further 324.

Between 1978 and 1980, the DoD and USN repeatedly attempted to terminate the AV-8B program. There had previously been conflict between the USMC and USN over budgetary issues. At the time, the USN wanted to procure A-18s for its ground attack force and, to cut costs, pressured the USMC to adopt the similarly-designed F-18 fighter instead of the AV-8B to fulfill the role of close air support (both designs were eventually amalgamated to create the multirole F/A-18 Hornet). Despite these bureaucratic obstacles, in 1981, the DoD included the Harrier II in its annual budget and five-year defense plan. The USN declined to participate in the procurement, citing the limited range and payload compared with conventional aircraft.

In August 1981 the program received a boost when British Aerospace (BAe) and McDonnell Douglas signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), marking the UK's re-entry into the program. The British government was enticed by the lower cost of acquiring Harriers promised by a large production run, and the fact that the US was shouldering the expense of development. Under the agreement BAe was relegated to the position of a subcontractor, instead of the full partner status that would have been the case had the UK not left the program. Consequently, the company received, in man-hours, 40 percent of the airframe work-share. Aircraft production took place at McDonnell Douglas' facilities in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, and manufacturing by BAe at its Kingston and Dunsfold facilities in Surrey, England. Meanwhile, 75 percent work-share for the engine went to Rolls-Royce, which had previously absorbed Bristol Siddeley, with the remaining 25 percent assigned to Pratt & Whitney. The two companies planned to manufacture 400 Harrier IIs, with the USMC expected to procure 336 aircraft and the RAF, 60.

Four full-scale development (FSD) aircraft were constructed. The first of these (BuNo 161396), used mainly for testing performance and handling qualities, made its maiden flight on 5 November 1981, piloted by Plummer. The second and third FSD aircraft, which introduced wing leading-edge root extensions and revised engine intakes, first flew in April the following year; the fourth followed in January 1984. The first production AV-8B was delivered to the Marine Attack Training Squadron 203 (VMAT-203) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (MCAS Cherry Point) on 12 December 1983, and officially handed over one month later. The last of the initial batch of 12 was delivered in January 1985 to the front-line Marine Attack Squadron 331 (VMA-331). The engine used for these aircraft was the F402-RR-404A, with 21,450 lb (95.4 kN) of thrust; aircraft from 1990 onwards received upgraded engines.

A young Moldovan boy smiles and waves as he sits inside a U.S. Army M1132 Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle during a static display in Chisinau, Moldova, May 8, 2016. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steven M. Colvin)

PACIFIC OCEAN (March 5, 2022) An MH-60S Sea Hawk, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25, launches from the flight deck of forward-deployed amphibious assault USS America (LHA 6). America, lead ship of America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, operate in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Thomas B. Contant)

PHILIPPINE SEA (March 9, 2022) An F-35C Lightning II, assigned to the "Black Knights" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, launches from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abraham Lincoln Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Javier Reyes)

Three Norwegian F-35s wait in formation as the rest of their team receives fuel from a MAINEiac KC-135 Stratotanker above the Arctic Circle, May 29, 2023. The crews are taking part in Arctic Challenge Exercise 2023, a live fly exercise that serves to advance arctic security initiatives and enhance interoperability in the increasingly dynamic and contested region. (Photo by Master Sgt. Andrew Sinclair)

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (May 19, 2023) – A U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 147 (VFA-147) receives fuel from a Royal Air Force KC-30 Voyager during Northern Edge 23-1 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 19, 2023. NE 23-1 provides an opportunity for joint, multinational and multi-domain operations designed to implement high-end, realistic war fighter training, develop and improve joint interoperability, and enhance the combat readiness of participating forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Shelimar Rivera Rosado) 230519-F-YB356-1259

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PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 24, 2021) Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08) sails in formation with forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and ships from the U.S. Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force during a formation exercise. America, flagship of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, 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 Vincent E. Zline)

PHILIPPINE SEA (Jan. 16, 2023) Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) conducts interoperability exercises with USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) and Japanese Asahi-class destroyer JS Ashigara (DDG 178) in the Philippine Sea, Jan. 16. Shiloh is forward-deployed to U.S. 7th Fleet in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Santiago Navarro)

A Norwegian F-35 Lightning II closes the gap for a mid-air refueling from a Maine Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker above the Arctic Circle, May 29, 2023. The crews are participating in a live fly exercise that serves to advance arctic security initiatives and enhance interoperability in the increasingly dynamic and contested region. (Photo by Master Sgt. Andrew Sinclair)

PHILIPPINE SEA (Jan. 16, 2023) Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) conducts interoperability exercises with USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) and Japanese Asahi-class destroyer JS Ashigara (DDG 178), in the Philippine Sea, Jan. 16. Shiloh is forward-deployed to 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 Santiago Navarro)

PHILIPPINE SEA (Nov. 12, 2014) The guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97), left, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) tank landing ship JS Shimokita (LST 4002) steam together in formation during Keen Sword, a bilateral field training exercise held biennially since 1986. The exercise is designed to increase the interoperability of U.S. Forces and the Japan Self-Defense Force to effectively and mutually provide for the defense of Japan, or respond to a regional crisis or contingency situation in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Patrick Dionne/Released)

1st Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles being re-fuelled from an Oshkosh Wheeled Tanker during NATO Exercise Allied Spirit 8.

Approximately 200 soldiers from 1st Battalion Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (1PWRR) were among 4,000 soldiers from 10 different NATO countries participating in Exercise Allied Spirit 8 in Southern Germany.

The NATO assurance measurement exercise is designed to develop relationships and promote interoperability and integration with NATO, Allied and Coalition partners.

During the exercise 1PWRR have been under the command of a Polish Mechanised Brigade delivering the Armoured Infantry element along with a company of Danish Armoured Infantry.

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© Crown Copyright 2014

Photographer: Mr Dominic King

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EAST CHINA SEA (Feb. 3, 2022) Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Electrical) 3rd Class Alyssa Bruce, left, from Powhatan, Virginia, Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 2nd Class Jamari Hobbs, from Barstow, California, and Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Mateo Mosquera, from Tampa, Florida, man the helm in the pilot house aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) during a replenishment-at-sea with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ship JS Mashu (AOE 425). Dewey is assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and is underway supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific. CTF 71/DESRON 15 is the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Benjamin A. Lewis)

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. James McFarland (left), Royal Thai air force Group Capt. Supijjarn Thamwatharsaree (center) and Republic of Singapore air force Col. Chan Ching Hao, exercise directors for "Exercise Cope Tiger 17" (CT17), walk past a row of U.S. Air Force F-15s during CT17 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, March 28, 2017. The annual multilateral exercise, which involves a combined total of 76 aircraft and 43 air defense assets, is aimed at improving combined combat readiness and interoperability between the Republic of Singapore air force, Royal Thai air force, and U.S. Air Force, while concurrently enhancing the three nations' military relations.

A Slovakian soldier shoots an M2 .50 Caliber machine gun mounted on an Outlaw Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker, an eight wheeled armored fighting vehicle, during Slovak Shield 2016 live-fire training Oct. 4, 2016. Understanding weapons of NATO allies is vital to the interoperability of U.S. and allied troops during training or a NATO mission..

(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke, 24th Press Camp/Released) www.dvidshub.net

McEntire Joint National Guard Base, home of the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing, co-hosts nighttime arming and refueling training during Exercise Agile Lion, Jan. 14, 2020. Multi-functional Airmen and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., execute integrated combat turns during the exercise. This training simulates mobile command and control which enables joint interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Stephen Hudson, 169th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)

Marines with Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 311 perform post-flight maintenance checks on McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B "Harrier II's" during Exercise Northern Lightning at Volk Field Counterland Training Center, Camp Douglas, Wis., Aug. 13. Exercise Northern Lightning 2018 allows the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy to strengthen interoperability between services and gives the different branches a greater understanding of aviation capabilities within a joint fighting force.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier Jump Jet family. Capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL), the aircraft was designed in the late 1970s as an Anglo-American development of the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational V/STOL aircraft. The aircraft is primarily employed on light attack or multi-role missions, ranging from close air support of ground troops to armed reconnaissance. The AV-8B is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the Spanish Navy, and the Italian Navy. A variant of the AV-8B, the British Aerospace Harrier II, was developed for the British military, while another, the TAV-8B, is a dedicated two-seat trainer.

The project that eventually led to the AV-8Bs creation started in the early 1970s as a cooperative effort between the United States and United Kingdom (UK), aimed at addressing the operational inadequacies of the first-generation Harrier. Early efforts centered on a larger, more powerful Pegasus engine to dramatically improve the capabilities of the Harrier. Due to budgetary constraints, the UK abandoned the project in 1975.

Following the withdrawal of the UK, McDonnell Douglas extensively redesigned the earlier AV-8A Harrier to create the AV-8B. While retaining the general layout of its predecessor, the aircraft incorporates a new wing, an elevated cockpit, a redesigned fuselage, one extra hardpoint per wing, and other structural and aerodynamic refinements. The aircraft is powered by an upgraded version of the Pegasus, which gives the aircraft its V/STOL ability. The AV-8B made its maiden flight in November 1981 and entered service with the USMC in January 1985. Later upgrades added a night-attack capability and radar, resulting in the AV-8B(NA) and AV-8B Harrier II Plus, respectively. An enlarged version named Harrier III was also studied, but not pursued. The UK, through British Aerospace, re-joined the improved Harrier project as a partner in 1981, giving it a significant work-share in the project. After corporate mergers in the 1990s, Boeing and BAE Systems have jointly supported the program. Approximately 340 aircraft were produced in a 22-year production program that ended in 2003.

Typically operated from small aircraft carriers, large amphibious assault ships and simple forward operating bases, AV-8Bs have participated in numerous military and humanitarian operations, proving themselves versatile assets. U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf named the USMC Harrier II as one of several important weapons in the Gulf War. The aircraft took part in combat during the Iraq War beginning in 2003. The Harrier II has served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan since 2001, and was used in Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya in 2011. Italian and Spanish Harrier IIs have taken part in overseas conflicts in conjunction with NATO coalitions. During its service history, the AV-8B has had a high accident rate, related to the percentage of time spent in critical take-off and landing phases. USMC and Italian Navy AV-8Bs are to be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, with the former expected to operate its Harriers until 2025.

Development

Origins

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the first-generation Harriers entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Marine Corps (USMC), but were handicapped in range and payload. In short takeoff and landing configuration, the AV-8A (American designation for the Harrier) carried less than half the 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) payload of the smaller Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, over a more limited radius. To address this issue, Hawker Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas began joint development of a more capable version of the Harrier in 1973. Early efforts concentrated on an improved Pegasus engine, designated the Pegasus 15, which was being tested by Bristol Siddeley. Although more powerful, the engine's diameter was too large by 2.75 in (70 mm) to fit into the Harrier easily.

In December 1973, a joint American and British team completed a project document defining an Advanced Harrier powered by the Pegasus 15 engine. The Advanced Harrier was intended to replace the original RAF and USMC Harriers, as well as the USMC's A-4. The aim of the Advanced Harrier was to double the AV-8's payload and range, and was therefore unofficially named AV-16. The British government pulled out of the project in March 1975 owing to decreased defense funding, rising costs, and the RAF's insufficient 60-aircraft requirement. With development costs estimated to be around £180–200 million (1974 British pounds), the United States was unwilling to fund development by itself, and ended the project later that year.

Despite the project's termination, the two companies continued to take different paths toward an enhanced Harrier. Hawker Siddeley focused on a new larger wing that could be retrofitted to existing operational aircraft, while McDonnell Douglas independently pursued a less ambitious, though still expensive, project catering to the needs of the US military. Using knowledge gleaned from the AV-16 effort, though dropping some items—such as the larger Pegasus engine—McDonnell Douglas kept the basic structure and engine for an aircraft tailored for the USMC.

Designing and testing

As the USMC wanted a substantially improved Harrier without the development of a new engine, the plan for Harrier II development was authorized by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) in 1976. The United States Navy (USN), which had traditionally procured military aircraft for the USMC, insisted that the new design be verified with flight testing. McDonnell Douglas modified two AV-8As with new wings, revised intakes, redesigned exhaust nozzles, and other aerodynamic changes; the modified forward fuselage and cockpit found on all subsequent aircraft were not incorporated on these prototypes. Designated YAV-8B, the first converted aircraft flew on 9 November 1978, at the hands of Charles Plummer. The aircraft performed three vertical take-offs and hovered for seven minutes at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. The second aircraft followed on 19 February 1979, but crashed that November due to engine flameout; the pilot ejected safely. Flight testing of these modified AV-8s continued into 1979. The results showed greater than expected drag, hampering the aircraft's maximum speed. Further refinements to the aerodynamic profile yielded little improvement. Positive test results in other areas, including payload, range, and V/STOL performance, led to the award of a development contract in 1979. The contract stipulated a procurement of 12 aircraft initially, followed by a further 324.

Between 1978 and 1980, the DoD and USN repeatedly attempted to terminate the AV-8B program. There had previously been conflict between the USMC and USN over budgetary issues. At the time, the USN wanted to procure A-18s for its ground attack force and, to cut costs, pressured the USMC to adopt the similarly-designed F-18 fighter instead of the AV-8B to fulfill the role of close air support (both designs were eventually amalgamated to create the multirole F/A-18 Hornet). Despite these bureaucratic obstacles, in 1981, the DoD included the Harrier II in its annual budget and five-year defense plan. The USN declined to participate in the procurement, citing the limited range and payload compared with conventional aircraft.

In August 1981 the program received a boost when British Aerospace (BAe) and McDonnell Douglas signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), marking the UK's re-entry into the program. The British government was enticed by the lower cost of acquiring Harriers promised by a large production run, and the fact that the US was shouldering the expense of development. Under the agreement BAe was relegated to the position of a subcontractor, instead of the full partner status that would have been the case had the UK not left the program. Consequently, the company received, in man-hours, 40 percent of the airframe work-share. Aircraft production took place at McDonnell Douglas' facilities in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, and manufacturing by BAe at its Kingston and Dunsfold facilities in Surrey, England. Meanwhile, 75 percent work-share for the engine went to Rolls-Royce, which had previously absorbed Bristol Siddeley, with the remaining 25 percent assigned to Pratt & Whitney. The two companies planned to manufacture 400 Harrier IIs, with the USMC expected to procure 336 aircraft and the RAF, 60.

Four full-scale development (FSD) aircraft were constructed. The first of these (BuNo 161396), used mainly for testing performance and handling qualities, made its maiden flight on 5 November 1981, piloted by Plummer. The second and third FSD aircraft, which introduced wing leading-edge root extensions and revised engine intakes, first flew in April the following year; the fourth followed in January 1984. The first production AV-8B was delivered to the Marine Attack Training Squadron 203 (VMAT-203) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (MCAS Cherry Point) on 12 December 1983, and officially handed over one month later. The last of the initial batch of 12 was delivered in January 1985 to the front-line Marine Attack Squadron 331 (VMA-331). The engine used for these aircraft was the F402-RR-404A, with 21,450 lb (95.4 kN) of thrust; aircraft from 1990 onwards received upgraded engines.

U.S. Air Force 320th Special Tactics Squadron combat controllers and Marine Corps 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion operators gather together following their extraction July 13, 2017, from Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia. The tactical level exchanges and realistic scenario-based missions executed during Talisman Saber 2017 increased interoperability and partner capacity with between the U.S Air Force and Marine Corps. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Jessica Tait) www.dvidshub.net

Net Zero (The Great Leap Forward: starvation and death) is a net of deception that will end with mass death and destruction. Reduce CO2 emissions! Less plants and oxygen, less life…woohoo! You are the CO2 they want to reduce. The unwanted carbon they most want to get rid of is you…the earth is overpopulated you know. Say no to cow farts…eating meat: bad; eating bugs: good! No driving or flying…yay! Green energy is unsustainable and so are you…buhahaha! Reduce nitrogen emissions (nitrogen fertilizer)! Less fertilizer and food, less life…woohoo! In the end you will not be allowed to collect rain water, grow a garden or raise animals. Scarcity = dependency = control. Sustainability means depopulation. If you haven’t figured it out yet: the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is an agenda to implement global communism—to centralize, control, and depopulate. It’s about the famous communist religious doctrine of “redistribution of wealth”. They will make the west poorer, yet they will allow China to be exempt, thus elevating China. It’s nothing but a communist redistribution scheme…equality for all! Stakeholder Capitalism (Stakeholder Communism) anyone? Communism rebranded…woohoo! Human rights: a repackaging of socialism. Let’s repackage and rename the latest version of the revolution: wokeism—“Tyranny of the minority.” Then the masses will consume the latest greatest neo-communist dialectic fad.

1970s: Global Cooling

1980s: Greenhouse Gas

1990s: Ozone Depletion

2000s: Global Warming

2010s: Climate Change

2020s: Global Boiling

“These, Health and Climate, are the twin tools of oppression being slatheringly adopted by all Politian’s and aspiring dictators.” They never let a crisis go to waste, even if they have to invent one—covid and climate fascism. The Nazi’s used medicine and science too. Why is it that Canada’s euthanasia laws remind me of Nazi Germany? Yet useful idiots will defend such laws. So where is the public debate on all this stuff? When talking about the Medical-Industrial Complex or the Scientific-Industrial Complex we get met by the Censorship-Industrial Complex. Hands off the Patent-for-profit Government-Medical-Pharmaceutical Axis! Governments and corporations working hand in hand: fascism. That’s odd…who would’ve thought!?! That’s why the United Nations loves its Public-Private Partnerships. Indeed, Google wasn't meant for searching anything but the user! Can anyone say: data mining!?! Data will be used to control you. Ah…the beautiful smell of the Beast Technostructure System—a techno-driven data enslavement system. 666: the sweet smelling system of tyranny. Woohoo…the future smells like death and destruction, like hell on earth! Authoritarianism at its finest! The utopian dream of sustainability!

Build Back Beter: you must destroy (tear down) in order to rebuild (Lahaina; Lytton). In order for them to rebuild, they will first tear down society. We must destroy democracy by adopting global environmental data standards, so that we can address the triple planetary crisis. We must pool data and digital infrastructure across all United Nations member states, building flagship data sets and standards for interoperability, so that we can bring together data and AI expertise to build insights and applications for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

To be a good global citizen you will need to follow (live by) the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. These Sustainable Development Goals will be enforced through a global Social Credit Score System. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals is the Hegelian Dialectic that is taking us into the New World Order—Build Back Better. Will we get to vote on all this? No! “Sustainability is the tyranny of the 21st century.”

The perfect global citizen is one who lacks purpose, one who is apathetic and cowardly, one who will not stand up for what is right and true. These people feel like they live empty and meaningless lives. They are bored, socially alienated and lonely (social media ring a bell?). Such people will more readily fall for spoon fed ideology through propaganda, indoctrination and peer pressure. Then, with faithful devotion, they will religiously adhere to their new doctrine of wokeism. They lack understand concerning freedom; they lack understand concerning their responsibility to maintain freedom. They lack critical thinking skills and are willfully ignorant. They don’t want to take responsibility for themselves but want someone else (big daddy government) to look after them. So when a One World Totalitarian Socialist Governance System presents itself, the masses will be compliant. Welcome to the New (dark) Age of enlightenment (unreason). Welcome to the cyber-zombie apocalypse. Paradigm blindness: they will gladly accept a digital pseudo-reality—the metaverse synthetic multiverse effect. These global citizens will outsource their thinking to the Beast hive mind system. They will be willing and blissful slaves. “They will own nothing and be happy.” Global citizens will embrace the false utopianism of the New World Order when it presents itself. They will take the smart-tattoo-chip to the hand or forehead, and they will plead allegiance to the new tyrant. This up coming regime will be worse than the other communist and fascist regimes, and it will have a worse leader. It will cause more starvation and death, and it will have more control of the people. Let’s repackage and rename this latest version of the techno-revolution: antichristism. Welcome to the digital 666 gulags, where billions will die! Welcome to the digital prison planet Beast system. They will tear down humanity, in order to replace it with transhumanity. You will not be able to live in a digital world and keep your individuality, freedom and autonomy. Even worse, you will not be able to live in a digital Trans-666-humanist world and keep your soul. Which christ will you follow? You cannot serve two masters!

Matthew 24:28 “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”

U.S. Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin work as a unit to overtake objectives Aug. 21, 2014, during a live-fire exercise as part of Koolendong 2014 at the Bradshaw Field Training Area in Northern Territory, Australia. Koolendong is an amphibious and live-fire exercise designed to increase interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps and Australian Defense Force. (DoD photo by Cpl. Scott Reel, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)

This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:

www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-12

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS: Improved Procurement of Land Mobile Radios Could Enhance Interoperability and Cut Costs

Note: The dots in the figure represent the 57 agencies that responded to our survey, plus the FBI. The gray lines connect pairs of agencies whereby only one agency within the pair identified the need to be interoperable with the other agency, and the black lines connect pairs of agencies whereby both agencies within the pair mutually and independently identified the need to be interoperable with one another.

A soldier from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force low crawls his way through vegetation while conducting a stalk exercise with 1st Marine Division Schools during Exercise Iron Fist 2014 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 11, 2014. Iron Fist is an amphibious exercise that brings together Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, other I Marine Expeditionary Force units, and soldiers from the JGSDF, to promote military interoperability and hone individual and small-unit skills through challenging, complex and realistic training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos/Released)

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Battle Group Poland conduct air assault training with 10th Combat Aviation Brigade's CH-47 and UH-60 helicopters at Rostki Helipad near the Bemowo Piskie Training Area during Saber Strike 17 June 6, 2017. Saber Strike 17 is a U.S. Army Europe-led multinational combined forces exercise conducted annually to enhance the NATO alliance throughout the Baltic region and Poland. This year’s exercise includes integrated and synchronized deterrence-oriented training designed to improve interoperability and readiness of the 20 participating nations’ militaries. (U.S. Army photo by Georgios Moumoulidis)

www.dvidshub.net

PACIFIC OCEAN (March 1, 2022) U.S. Marine Capt. Austin Branch, left, from Coronado, California, and U.S. Navy Lt. Dillon Duke, from Edmond, Oklahoma, both assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Fifth Air Naval Gun Liaison Company (5th ANGLICO), conduct Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) communication drills with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) in the Combat Information Center aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) while participating in bilateral advanced warfare training (BAWT). BAWT is an annual bilateral training exercise that improves the partnership between U.S. and Japanese Forces. This year’s exercise focused on enhancing readiness and interoperability of coalition forces from the U.S. and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Benjamin Lewis)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 16, 2010) The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) cruises through the Pacific Ocean during Rim of Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010 exercises. RIMPAC is a biennial, multinational exercise designed to strengthen regional partnerships and improve interoperability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy M. Starr/Released)

A Luxembourg Army soldier stands guard during exercise Saber Junction 15 at the U.S. Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 23, 2015. Saber Junction 15 prepares NATO and partner nation forces for offensive, defensive, and stability operations and promotes interoperability among participants. Saber Junction 15 has more than 4,700 participants from 17 countries, to include: Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/Released)