Blessey Marine Services’ Post

🌊 Setting Sail into the Future: New Zealand's New Frigates New Zealand is charting a course for the future as it plans to replace its existing naval fleet in the coming decade. Among the pivotal decisions ahead lies the replacement of the ANZAC frigates, the Naval Combat Force. The who, what, where, and when of this transformation is still on the horizon. If your firm could provide valuable capabilities to the Royal New Zealand Navy, now is the time to engage. Contact Ross Browne or Tim Hurdle about how you can do so. 🕰️ A Glimpse into History: For a bit of historical context, we invite you to watch this 1962 film by New Zealand's National Film Unit, "A Ship Sails Home" (https://lnkd.in/gK8MwVUm ). The film chronicles the maiden voyage of HMNZS "OTAGO" the first ship built in the United Kingdom, specifically for the Royal New Zealand Navy. The voyage took them through the ports of the old Empire, including Malta, Suez, Colombo, and Singapore. 📚 Dive Deeper: For more details about the remarkable HMNZS "OTAGO," you can explore its history here: https://lnkd.in/gyuzubBw) As we sail into the future, we need to draw inspiration from our maritime heritage. Creating a stronger, more capable naval fleet will safeguard New Zealand's interests for generations to come. ⚓🇳🇿 #NavalRenewal #ANZACFrigates #NewZealandNavy #MaritimeHeritage #OpportunityKnocks #RoyalNavy #Frigates #NavalForces #NavyLife #NavalHistory #ShipBuilding #NavyModernization

20 Dec 06:50: The Times: (Online article; may include a paywall for some, sorry): US 🇺🇸🇮🇷👺🤮 draws up plans to strike Houthi rebels after Red Sea attacks: Britain joins US-led task force as militants threaten global oil crisis and demand full ceasefire in Gaza: Richard Spencer, Tel Aviv | David Charter, Washington Tues Dec 19 2023, 11.50pm, The Times: The United States is drawing up plans to strike back at the Houthis in Yemen after the Iran-backed group launched a series of attacks on naval and commercial ships in the Red Sea. Pentagon officials have outlined options for a missile attack on Houthi positions after an increase in raids on shipping that has led western nations to scramble warships to the area. The US has moved the Dwight D Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, as part of an international maritime task force to support a potential counterstrike, an official told Politico. The US military has also provided options to commanders to bomb Houthi positions, the official added. A British destroyer, HMS Diamond, has arrived in the region to help protect commercial shipping and shot down a Houthi drone at the weekend:

Today, Hawaiians across the globe observe the 131st anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. Since that time and amid an ongoing occupation, Hawaiians have fought hard to keep our language, culture, people, and land safe from foreign, colonial, and military powers that seek to exploit our islands for their personal agendas. If you’d like to learn more about the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, watch this quick 5 minute video. 👇

For people across America, our flag is a reminder of our Nation’s founding principle. It stands for the sacred idea that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. Our flag is also a reminder of our shared calling: to stand for the ideals our country was founded on — democracy, freedom, and justice for all. On Flag Day and during National Flag Week, we take pride in the promise and purpose represented by our Nation’s flag. Our country’s flag was created in 1777, when America was still a new idea. Americans flew it at their homes during the Revolutionary War as brave troops fought for our country’s independence from British rule — representing the resolve and resilience of our Nation’s 13 colonies with 13 stripes and stars. As our Nation evolved, so too did our flag — with every new star added to Old Glory, we were reminded that the work of forging a more perfect Union never ends. SOURCE: White House

Prior to the D-Day invasion, the last mission to France was at Dunkirk and troops became trapped; it was viewed a success only in that more troops were rescued than expected due to assistance from personal vessels aiding in the effort but it was, in fact, a rescue mission - Operation Dynamo. Knowing how Dunkirk turned out, the next move to make it onto French soil was critically important. Operation Overlord, a massive and ultimately successful effort for the allies to gain footing on mainland Europe, was being planned (the D-Day invasion) and it is believed it would have been a devastating endeavor to the allies if it weren't for many preemptive distractive efforts: -Operation Bodyguard (The idea to implement deceptions prior to D-Day) -Operation Starkey (a false allied amphibious invasion into the Boulogne area, in North France) -Operation Wadham (A false attack on Brest) -Operation Tindall (A false army believed to attack Norway) -Operation Fortitude (a fake army, when viewed from the sky, at Dover) ...as well as other subplan diversions, like Quicksilver. All of these were clever deceptive distractions and diversions. 5 days before the Normandy invasion, actors, a fake army (wood soldiers, inflatable tanks, etc), fake aerial attacks of the false invasion locations and false broadcasts (using intercepted German communications to their advantage) fooled the German leader, and his spies, into moving many troops from the Atlantic Wall at Normandy and mostly reinforcing Pas de Calais, and this was because they made Hitler believe General Patton would be handling the invasion at Pas de Calais from Dover. While there were losses at the beaches of Normandy, it is believed these would have been much worse if the German troops manning the area near Normandy remained and they were only relocated as a result of these clever schemes and diversions. Let's remember D-Day, most definitely, but let's also recall, remember and teach younger people about these many other efforts that made the D-Day invasions successful, and, this isn't all of them. #dday #normandyinvasion #operationoverlord #operationbodyguard #operationfortitude #operationstarkey #operationwadham #operationtindall #operationquicksilver #departmentofdefense #alliedtroops #military #june61944

Flying into Oahu, the Arizona Memorial is visible from above. Recently, while visiting with my daughter, she asked about it. It's a heavy conversation to have with a 7-year-old, especially since she is in a Japanese immersion program at school. Today, we lit a candle in remembrance of all those who were lost on that day. Take a moment to learn about or share the history and impact of Pearl Harbor with this informative story map: https://lnkd.in/gJA5cPY3

The Battle for the Black Sea Is Not Over Hudson Institute 16 Apr 2024 As Russia scores localized gains on land, Ukrainian forces have achieved major successes in the Black Sea Region (BSR). The Ukrainians have sunk or damaged some one-third of the Black Sea Fleet, forced Moscow to move naval assets away from occupied Crimea, and put Russia on the defensive. These successes challenge the narrative that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a stalemate and demonstrate Ukraine’s determination to preserve its identity, sovereignty, and independence. Ukraine’s gains are real and strategically significant, but the Battle for the Black Sea is not over. Major Russian land, sea, and air assets remain in Crimea and in the BSR, and Moscow is using them to continue its quest to subordinate Ukraine. The war will be won or lost on land and in the air. If Russia wins or ends the war on its terms, the interests of all Black Sea littoral states will be negatively affected. But so too will those of the United States, Europe, and the West more broadly. The US has a major interest in a free and open Black Sea and a peaceful, stable, and prosperous BSR. Join Hudson for an event to present the results of an in-depth study written by a US–Romanian–Ukrainian team: Hudson Senior Fellow Matt Boyse, New Strategy Center CEO George Scutaru, New Strategy Center Senior Fellow Dr. Antonia Colibasanu, and New Geopolitics Research Network Director Mykhailo Samus.

Happy National Flag Day!! If you are interested in knowing the origin of "Flag Day"? Please read my blog! Also, we are giving discounts to military personnel, veterans and their families when listing with D'Angelo Realty Group. Contact info within the blog!

The memory of the Shoah, concentration camps, extermination centers and other areas of the human tragedy of World War II is being created around the world in many places and by several people. The monthly magazine "Memoria" is meant to be a place to talk about our collective efforts and mission to preserve Memory. Check out the July issue here: https://bit.ly/3qaghbV

Happy Flag Day! This day celebrates the birthday of the United States flag, which was first adopted on June 14, 1777. Curious on the proper etiquette and rules for flying the American flag? We found this article helpful in answering those questions. https://loom.ly/OFFlr-Y