Tag Archives: DoD

Unknown mystery balloon floats over Hawaii

Revelations 6:3-4 “when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Important Takeaways:

  • Another One? U.S. Military Tracking New Mystery Balloon Near Hawaii
  • The U.S. Department of (DoD) confirmed Monday it is following the path of a mystery high-altitude balloon crossing over American territory.
  • Just who owns it and where it is destined remains a mystery.
  • The DoD and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first detected and tracked the unmanned balloon off the coast of Hawaii on April 28.
  • It was floating at about 36,000 feet, a DoD spokesman said.
  • When the balloon crossed into U.S. airspace over Hawaii, it did not transit over critical infrastructure used for defense or any other U.S. government sensitive sites, the spokesman said, nor did it pose a threat to the military or those on the ground.
  • “Although it was flying at an altitude used by civil aviation, it posed no threat to civil aviation over Hawaii,” the spokesman said. “Based on these observations, the Secretary of Defense concurred with the recommendation of his military commanders that no action need be taken against the balloon.”

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DOD spokesperson says more US Troops heading to Taiwan

Taiwan Military

Revelations 6:3-4 “when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Important Takeaways:

  • US sending up to 200 more troops to Taiwan as China tensions grow
  • Only 30 American troops were in Taiwan a year ago, report says
  • This number will expand a much smaller training program which has included the National Guard, Special Ops, and U.S. Marines in the past.
  • The Michigan National Guard will also train a contingent of the Taiwanese Army, including some training as part of larger exercises, on U.S. soil.
  • The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, cited U.S. officials as saying only around 30 American troops were stationed in Taiwan about a year ago.
  • “We don’t have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but I would highlight that our support for, and defense relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China,” Lt. Col. Marty Meiners, a Defense Department spokesperson

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DOD report: China’s effort to usurp US as Superpower. There needs to be a sense of urgency from our officials

Revelations 6:3-4 “when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Important Takeaways:

  • China ‘Sprinting’ to Usurp US Superpower Status, Military Escalation Seen as Prelude to Taiwan Takeover
  • A recent Pentagon report is shedding light on a military build-up in the country considered to be the greatest national security threat to the United States.
  • China is conducting the largest military modernization effort in the country’s history. It’s a move that the U.S. Department of Defense believes is not only in the preparation for taking Taiwan but also for displacing the U.S. as the world’s leading superpower.
  • DOD report on China’s military strength includes some significant findings. Among them: In 2021, Beijing tested 135 ballistic missiles, more than the rest of the world combined. Their nuclear stockpile sits at around 400 warheads but is expected to grow to about 1,500 by 2035.
  • The PRC is stealing technology from the United States and sending it directly to its military, they have strategic partnerships with Iran and Russia, and they’re looking to build new military bases around the world.
  • Bowman believes the U.S. has what it takes to deter Chinese aggression, but warns that there needs to be more of a sense of urgency coming from Washington. He says that would involve immediate funding to ramp up our own military modernization efforts, and to start acquiring the weapons needed to defend democracy worldwide.

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U.S. plans to distribute COVID-19 vaccine immediately after regulators authorize it

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. government on Wednesday said it will start distributing a COVID-19 vaccine within one day of regulatory authorization as it plans for the possibility that a limited number of vaccine doses may be available at the end of the year.

Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense on Wednesday held a call with reporters and then released documents on the distribution plans that it is sending to the states and local public health officials.

The federal government will allocate vaccines for each state based on the critical populations recommended first for vaccination by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That group is expected to include essential healthcare workers.

The document, called the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook, said that “limited COVID-19 vaccine doses may be available by early November 2020 if a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized or licensed by FDA by that time, but COVID-19 vaccine supply may increase substantially in 2021.”

Officials also said they were working to make sure there was no cost to patients for the vaccine.

(Reporting by Michael Erman and Caroline Humer in New York and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

U.S. to pay Pfizer, BioNTech $1.95 bln for millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses

By Ankur Banerjee and Michael Erman

(Reuters) – The U.S. government will pay $1.95 billion to buy 100 million doses of Pfizer Inc and German biotech firm BioNTech SE’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate if they are able to successfully develop one, the companies said on Wednesday.

Pfizer said they will not receive any money from the government unless the vaccine is deemed to be safe and effective and is successfully manufactured.

The agreement allows the U.S. government to acquire an additional 500 million doses, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense said.

HHS said the vaccine will be made available to Americans at no cost, although their health insurance may be charged.

In clinical trials, Pfizer and BioNTech have been testing vaccines that require two injections. That means a supply of 100 million doses would likely vaccinate 50 million Americans.

The Trump administration has agreed to spend billions of dollars for the development and procurement of potential vaccines. The administration launched Operation Warp Speed — a joint HHS and Department of Defense program — to accelerate the development of coronavirus vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.

More than 150 coronavirus vaccines using a variety of technologies are in development globally, with some two dozen already in human trials. Governments have signed deals with drugmakers to secure the supply of various vaccine candidates.

Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine candidate is among those that are set to be tested in a large trial. The vaccine has shown promise in early-stage small studies in humans.

Pfizer will deliver the doses if the product receives emergency use authorization or licensing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, after demonstrating safety and efficacy in a large Phase 3 clinical trial.

The companies said they expect to be ready to seek some form of regulatory approval as early as October if the ongoing studies are successful.

Pfizer and BioNTech currently expect to manufacture up to 100 million doses globally by the end of 2020, and potentially more than 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021, subject to final dose selection from their clinical trial.

(Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)