New types of threats

One of the biggest military shifts in recent decades has been the increase of asymmetric warfare. This is frequently characterized as involving large organized forces against small paramilitary cells and remote-control unmanned assets. In these conflicts, the smaller paramilitary cells frequently use difficult local terrain to their advantage.

Without a doubt the most common modern weapon in this type of asymmetric warfare are so-called IEDs (improvised explosive devices). This category of weapon is increasingly widely used, largely due to their accessibility. Groups without large military budgets can easily source the component parts to build an IED. They also require non-expert rudimentary assembly to build. They can be deployed by enemies for roadside attacks without them having to risk direct confrontations with more highly trained, better armed forces.

Despite being relatively primitive weapons, IEDs can be deployed to devastating effect. IEDs can damage or destroy targeted vehicles, kill troops, disrupt traffic, or negatively impact lines of communication. In some cases, smaller IEDs are used to kill or injure anyone who tries to enter a premises. In other cases, large vehicle-based IEDs such as car or truck bombs can destroy entire installations. A review of international media reports from 2011 through 2015 revealed more than 6,300 recorded IED explosions. These resulted in over 105,000 casualties.

Fortunately, modern armored vehicles are rising to the challenge. One growing type of protection involves mine sweeping equipment (including robots) and detection software that can be used to eliminate IEDs and clear routes without putting humans at risk.

Rocket and mortar strikes

Another weapon frequently employed in modern battlefields, especially in asymmetric warfare, are hit-and-run mortar and rocket strikes. In these attacks, insurgents quickly fire off mortar rounds or rockets and escape before their location can be identified. In urban environments, heavily populated areas can be used to avoid counterfire, while insurgents in more rural areas will use cover such as trees for concealment.

The most proactive countermeasures against these attacks are active protection systems (APS). APS means rigging a tank or other armored vehicle with special sensors (most commonly millimetric wave radars) which detect incoming projectiles. When the anti-tank round has reached a certain distance, the APS launches an interceptor rocket designed to eliminate the incoming threat. Such active protection systems are both lightweight and effective, and more affordable than adding more armor to tanks. Modern ABS systems can react to missiles and rockets in under a second.

Armor is adapting as well

Proactive tools like mine-sweeping technology and active protection system are a game-changer. However, modern armored vehicles have also continued to innovate when it comes to the way that they protect themselves (and, more importantly, their inhabitants) against attacks. New types of camouflage are being created to not just confuse the human eye, but also to do things like reduce the infrared signature of vehicles. Since modern battlefields include smart technologies that gather situational awareness from far more than just visible enemies, these kinds of advances will be crucial.

But while camouflage and countermeasure technologies are crucial for avoiding vehicles sustaining damage, there have also been significant advances when it comes to developing new types of more protective armor. These innovations allow vehicles to sustain more direct hits, while not sacrificing (and even improving) on things like speed or the ability to travel across challenging terrains. With the rise of threats like IEDs, there is more focus than ever on protecting the underside of vehicles using armor. Examples of such innovation include blast protecting seats or floating floors which can be utilized in vehicle interior to minimize damage by isolating crew from vehicle floors. In the event of a blast, such additions form a buffer that’s designed to protect crew from blast impact.

New types of armor are, meanwhile, more able to absorb blast energy and stop high-velocity munition fragments. Breakthroughs in materials science make possible new ballistic protection solutions using materials such as special ceramics, new types of metal alloy, and high strength natural fibers. Combining these materials makes it possible to create new high-performance composite armors.

These technologies will continue to develop as new possibilities (and requirements) raise their head. Thanks to such advances, troops and vehicles can be better protected in environments that can be extremely dangerous. There’s no “one size fits all” solution to dealing with modern battlefield threats. But a combination of these approaches puts servicemen and women in the best possible position to safely eliminate threats wherever they occur.

“We’re concerned about intellectual property theft, but we don’t want the tariffs… We agree with the Administration that there’s a problem, but we don’t agree with the tool.” – Ed Brzytwa, Director for International Trade, American Chemistry Council

Each year, Petrochemical Update sponsors the Downstream Conference & Exhibition. Billed as the “World’s Largest” such conference, it brings together people from various aspects of petrochemicals production, from engineering and construction to supply chain and logistics, to discuss the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the industry.

One challenge facing the petrochemicals industry is the continuing – and escalating – trade wars initiated by United States President Donald J. Trump. The issue has been one of considerable concern in many industries, especially the heretofore booming US petrochemical sector. The topic has been featured significantly in discussions at various industry conferences as the imposed tariffs – and the retaliatory tariffs imposed by other nations, especially China – target and threaten the petrochemical renaissance in the United States that has been fueled by fracking and the resultant the shale gas boom.

Speaking on this subject at Downstream 2019 was Ed Brzytwa. A former government trade negotiator in the office of the United States Trade Representative under the George W. Bush and Barack Obama Administrations, Brzytwa is now advocating for improved trade conditions for the American Chemistry Council (ACC), an industry group that represents companies “engaged in the business of chemistry”.

While Article I, Section 8 gives Congress “the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises”, Brzytwa explained that Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorizes the President to “adjust the imports of an article and its derivatives” if they “threaten to impair the national security”. It is this national security authority that President Trump has been using as justification to unilaterally enact tariffs on imported goods, services, and raw materials from all over the world – even in areas where market penetration of imports in the US economy is small.

Brzytwa characterized the following as pillars of the Trump trade policy: the US, and particularly manufacturing, has been hurt by current trade agreements; bilateral agreements are preferable to multilateral; and that tariffs are both a tool for negotiation and a solution to his perceived ills.

US petrochemicals comprise a $533 billion industry. The aforementioned growth has resulted in $204B in announced capital investment (CAPEX) over the past 10 years in the sector, with 35% of that construction complete, 20% currently under construction, and the rest awaiting final investment decision (FID). Brzytwa noted that about $66 billion of the CAPEX investment is in plastics, an area which China has targeted for retaliatory tariffs that reduced American petrochemical and plastics exports to China by nearly ¼ in 2018 and that the ACC claims “threatens to cast a shadow over the wave of new chemical industry investment”, while disrupting global supply chains and threatening the American manufacturing sector that the President is claiming to try to protect.

The good news is that the President has negotiated the successor to NAFTA, the USMCA. While many of the aspects are a step backward, the American Chemistry Council and the petrochemical industry in general support its ratification. The USMCA modernizes Rules of Origin, facilitates digital trade, and continues a strong partnership with Canada and Mexico that is particularly beneficial to the industry: 32% of all US petrochemicals exports are to Canada and Mexico, while 8% go to China; however, much of the US growth is targeted towards China’s expanding economy. Unfortunately, none of the three signatories’ respective legislatures has yet ratified the agreement, and Brzytwa said that “failure to pass USMCA will cost billions”.

The other big trade issue on the horizon for petrochemicals is the Trump Administration’s proposed automobile tariffs. Recently delayed for 6 months, the tariffs would impact petrochemicals significantly, as automobile manufacturing is one of the largest end-users of chemical products: nearly $3,000 of the cost of every vehicle is related to chemistry, according to the ACC.

The American petrochemical industry has an uphill battle against the harmful trade wars, but they aren’t fighting alone: recently, over 600 American companies and trade associations – including the ACC as a signatory along with retail companies such as Walmart and Costco – sent a letter to President Trump asking for an end to the tariffs, claiming a cost of $2,000 to each American family and a loss in US GDP growth by 1.0%. The coming months will be important in the future of the American manufacturing industry – including petrochemicals manufacturing – and their ability to trade worldwide.

Born in the same county as Davy Crockett in East Tennessee, Dave found his way to Texas where he works in the petrochemical industry. He’s written and spoken about politics on various media outlets including Fox, ABC, and Townhall. He is a graduate of Tennessee Tech with a degree in chemical engineering. Make sure to check out Dave’s popular series, “Profiles in Liberty” at USA Daily Chronicles. Follow Dave on Twitter: @semperlibertas.

It’s that time of the year again where we celebrate millions of human tragedies of lost lives with picnics, ball games, flag waving, and other bizarre behavior that does not seem to logically coincide with the heaviness of the day.  We are talking about a “memorial day” for those who paid the ultimate price in protecting our country.  Very strange  indeed.

I remember going on picnics back home in Michigan on Memorial Day weekend. With winter weather just a few weeks past, it was a real celebration of being outside. But even then, as a little boy, I found it strange we remembered the loss of so many with a picnic. In fact, it was only after many years of celebrating the holiday that I realized there was a connection between these picnics and a national  tragedy.

The best way to honor the fallen, is to make sure there are fewer that fall in the  future.

About the tragedy, US Daily Review got a statement from Andrea Edney, President of the National Press Club, on the deaths of journalists today in Afghanistan.  “We were angered and saddened by the news from Afghanistan today that at least nine of our colleagues were killed in a bombing in Kabul. This is a tragic reminder of the real risks journalists take when they are working in the field. It is reported some journalists were drawn to the site to cover the first explosion and were injured in the second. Among the journalists killed were Shah Marai a photographer from AFP and Abdullah Hawazai, 28, from Radio Free Europe. In a separate incident in Kohst Province a BBC Reporter Ahmad Shah was shot and killed. It was a tragic day with the greatest loss of life among journalists since the U.S. became involved in the conflict. We mourn with their families and their  colleagues.”

There were over 20 killed. ISIS has claimed  responsibility.

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has more than 3,100 members worldwide representing nearly every major news organization and fights for press freedom  worldwide.

This is how it was covered by several  media.

 

Under Secretary Steve Goldstein confirmed that the Secretary was shocked and found out about his departure in the oddest of circumstances, saying in a  statement:

“The Secretary had every intention of staying because of the critical progress made in national security. He will miss his colleagues at the the [sic] Department of State and the foreign ministers he has worked with throughout the  world.

“The Secretary did not speak to the President and is unaware of the reason, but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve, and still believes strongly that public service is a noble  calling.

“We wish Secretary Designate Pompeo  well.”

Goldstein was also fired following the release of that  statement.

It is also being reported that Tillerson’s firing was communicated through a  Tweet.

Tillerson has plenty of support and was often seemed as one of the few “grown ups” in the Administration.  Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), who is one of the most senior members of Congress, said in a statement following the firing that “We can all be proud of Rex Tillerson and his steady, thoughtful leadership as Secretary of State… he represents our country with the diplomacy and strength of a true Texan and a great American. His service is so appreciated and I wish him and his wife, Renda, all the  best.”

Below is Tillerson’s statement.  Notably absent was a “thank you” to the  President.

Emaar’s ‘Light Up 2018’ also clinched the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS for the ‘largest light and sound show on a single building,’ staged on Burj Khalifa, spanning a surface area of 109,252 sq metres – more than double the earlier   record.

Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties, said: “The UAE and its leadership inspire the world through breakthrough achievements while creating opportunities for people and businesses to thrive. ‘Light Up 2018’ spectacle is our tribute to the nation, celebrating its accomplishments, and putting the UAE on the global map as a hub where inspiring minds meet and  connect.”

‘Light Up 2018’ required the installation of lights, beams and accessories weighing over 118.44 tonnes, and 28.7 km of cables. The show transformed Downtown Dubai into one of the world’s brightest spots, measuring 76.3 million lumens of brightness. Carefully choreographed lasers, certified as completely safe to human eyes, and energy-efficient LED bulbs were rigged using 25.3 km of ropes and supported by 20 tonnes of special customized-steel mounting  equipment.

Over 40 special outdoor lasers, 230 high power Xenon searchlights and 280 outdoor beam moving lights were deployed, underpinned by the highest searchlight and laser installations in the world at 828 metres – the height of Burj Khalifa. Over 300 professionals worked on-site including 100 rope-access experts; collectively they travelled over one million kilometres to join the  project.

Powerful laser beams and Burj Khalifa’s new LED panel of 1.1 million pixels came to life with inspiring motifs and patterns in myriad hues. The laser, light and fountain show paid tribute to the UAE and Dubai and featured abstract depictions of the elements of nature. A highlight was a visual salute to the UAE’s founding father, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to coincide with the nation commemorating 2018 as the ‘Year of Zayed’. The show also featured the free-flight of a falcon and a rendering of the upcoming icon by Emaar, the Dubai Creek Tower in Dubai Creek  Harbour.

Price recently interviewed Chemi Peres, the son of the late Israeli Prime Minister, President, and Defense Minister, Shimon Peres.  They discussed the father’s last book, No Room for Small Dreams.  From that  site:

“In this, his final work, finished only weeks before his passing, Peres offers a long-awaited examination of the crucial turning points in Israeli history through the prism of having been a decision maker and eyewitness. Told with the frankness of someone aware this would likely be his final statement, No Room for Small Dreams spans decades and events, but as much as it is about what happened, it is about why it happened. Examining pivotal moments in Israel’s rise, Peres explores what makes for a great leader, how to make hard choices in a climate of uncertainty and distress, the challenges of balancing principles with policies, and the liberating nature of imagination and unpredicted  innovation.

“In doing so, he not only charts a better path forward for his beloved country but provides deep and universal wisdom for younger generations who seek to lead—be it in politics, business, or the broader service of making our planet a safer, more peaceful, and just  place.”