They burned the Jordanian Pilot alive.

Thanks to William for the horrible news.  via Peiter Nanniga Twitter Feed.

Go here to see his feed.

There are no words to express my hatred for these people.

Council on Foreign Relations Blog questions arming Ukraine.

via CFR Blog...

But will the death of a few more separatists and destruction of Russian equipment achieve the political objective—changing the calculus of Putin’s thinking in order to compel him to endorse a genuine settlement. This is improbable, and there are two more troubling and foreseeable pathways that could unfold: it demonstrates that Ukraine is actually not that important to the transatlantic alliance, and this limited capability is the maximum of what the United States and NATO will do (this seems most likely); or, it triggers Putin to double-down on his support for separatist forces and non-uniformed Russian security forces in Ukraine to firmly establish facts on the ground before those capabilities are fully integrated into Ukrainian security forces, which could take nine to twelve months (this escalation concern seems less likely).

Read it all here.

On this one...I JUST DON'T KNOW.  This is one of those issues where the general public just doesn't have enough information to make an informed decision.

KC390 flies! via aereo.jor.br

Thanks to Bruno for the link!

Read it here.

Retired Navy Capt. James E. Fanell, the modern day Capt. Ellis M. Zacharias of WW2 fame.

Capt. Ellis M. Zacharias (Papers of Ellis M. Zacharias)

via achives.gov

Ellis Zacharias sipped on his dry martini as he matched poker skills with a group that included a young naval attaché with the Japanese embassy.
Zacharias, a naval intelligence officer posted in Washington in the 1920s, was not only playing poker but also trying to get the espionage-minded Japanese officer to let slip some information about his country's plans in the Pacific. He restricted himself to just the one martini in order to maintain his edge. This probing for information was a mutual exercise, usually involving shrewd questioning by both men as they played each hand.
Revealing only enough information to keep the conversation going, Zacharias could absorb what he heard over time while maintaining his friendship with the young Japanese officer, who had a reputation as a gambler.
Some years later, Zacharias would use information gathered this way to warn his superiors that Japan, by then on the march across the Pacific Rim, would launch a surprise attack on the United States in the Pacific—on a Sunday morning.
The Navy ignored his warnings. But early on December 7, 1941—a Sunday morning—Japan suddenly attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was an operation planned by Zacharias's old poker-playing partner, Isoroku Yamamoto, by then commander in chief of the Japanese fleet.
Zacharias's prediction of the Pearl Harbor attack was a product of his interest in intelligence, primarily in Japanese affairs, an area that was not held in the highest regard at the time. His 25 years in intelligence (out of 38 in the Navy) made him a colorful and controversial figure and were punctuated by clashes with superiors, unwelcome assignments, and failure to gain recognition that his record merited.

Read the whole thing here (short but worth a deeper dig by anyone interested in military history). 

Fast forward to 2015 and what do we have?

Another Naval Officer that is warning of a rising, aggressive power, and he's being pushed to the side...not given the recognition that his work deserves...he suffered the pain of stating the unvarnished truth and being removed from his position....and I suspect forced into retirement when men such as he need to rise in rank.

Check this out from The Free Beacon...

“The challenge, as I have seen it, is for intelligence professionals to make the case, to tell the truth, and to convince national decision and policy makers to realize that China’s rise, if left unchecked or undeterred, will necessarily disrupt the peace and stability of our friends, partners, and allies,” he said.
“We should not have to wait for an actual shooting war to start before we acknowledge there is a problem and before we start taking serious action,” Fanell said.
The Communist Party of China has plans that “stand in direct contrast to espoused U.S. national security objectives of freedom of navigation and free access to markets for all of Asia,” he added.
In particular, the Chinese navy, Fanell said, is taking steps to achieve strategic objectives that include the restoration of what Beijing says is “sovereign maritime territory,” specifically thousands of square miles of water inside the so-called first island chain—a string of western Pacific islands near China’s coasts stretching from Northeast Asia through the South China Sea.

Yeah.

Decades later.  A different nation.  The same ambition.

And the US Govt in general, and the Naval Services in particular are again not paying attention.  Lets hope it doesn't take a shooting war for people to wake up to the threat.

173rd Airborne conduct drop in Pordenone, Italy

What is the verdict on the T-11 so far?  I know they moved to it because paratrooper loads were increasing to the point where the T-10B was no longer effective but in its short career I've already heard of at least two paratroopers being killed because of malfunctioning equipment and you saw the pic of the guy with a tangled(?) chute in an earlier post.

E-10 Hertzer via The Tank Maker.Blogspot

If the Germans in WW2 had a better leader or even the same leader and just a couple more years then things would be totally different today.  They were on the verge of standardizing war production across all manufacturers and the results would have been impressive...even with round the clock bombing.

Kurdish Special Forces punishes ISIS...watch for the acrobatics!

FNSS Design Competition Winners!

This Is Awesome!

FNSS ran a design competition for professionals and students and below are a few of the designs that placed.  You can check out the video and gallery here. Its well worth your time.

China's Z-10 Attack & Anti-Air Helicopter. via Alert 5.

Fast forward to the 2:50 mark.  The Z-10 is shown taking out an aerial target.  The Russians and USMC have played with the concept.  It remains to be seen how far the Chinese go.  

Engagement/Partnership Missions? The new "cool"..

via American Mercenary...

One of the lessons taken away from my recent two week trip to train is that the "Engagement" war fighting function is currently being trained as a euphemism for "stability operations."
The Army doesn't have a doctrinal reference for "engagement" at this time, just a TRADOC pamphlet describing in very broad terms the things that make up engagement. Foreign Internal Defence, Foreign Security Assistance, Civil Military Assistance, joint military training, etc.
If it sounds a lot like all the crap we've done before, well that is because it is. Just now we are doing it as part of the "Elements of Combat Power" if you follow the doctrine.
The problem with "stability" is that it is always going to be the bastard stepchild of "offence" and "defence" in the trinity of "unified land operations." The forces that are tailored to conduct stability operations such as Civil Affairs, Military Information Support Operations, Public Affairs, Foreign Area Officers, and the like are in short supply in the formations actually conducting "unified land operations."

Yeah.

They rebranded Counter Insurgency, put it in a sparkling new package and its the same old brew....SOCOM, element of the US Army & Marine Corps...in other words the COIN Mafia has won.  Considering the news in Ukraine and the thoughts about arming their forces we can expect "Engagement" to be a word tossed around to justify increased involvement.

Nation building forever (we should call it what it is...not small wars but nation building).

Read AM's take here. 

Sidenote:  Another word should grab everyone's attention now that I think about it.  "Shaping".  I don't know when psychology rose to prominence in the halls of the Pentagon but influencing behavior and thoughts seem to be more important to some than winning on the battlefield.  Its a fools errand though.  You can't make perpetual war popular unless you can show that its in a nations interests.  That is the problem with the US way of war lately.  We're fighting for others...not for ourselves.

Chinese Marine Amphibious Assault Ship Concept Art.

Thanks to Duke for the link.

Just concept art people!  Don't get it twisted....although we do know that the Chinese are working on a 50,000 ton LHD...and it appears they are working on some type of VTOL airplane to fly from it.

Question.  Has anyone heard anything about the Chinese V-22 they're suppose to be working on?

Republic of Korea Army, 11th Mechanized Infantry Division on maneuver (pics)

US considering arming Ukraine.

via Houston Chronicle

Fueling the broader debate over policy is an independent report to be issued Monday by eight former senior U.S. officials, who are to urge the United States to send $3 billion in defensive arms and equipment to Ukraine, including anti-armor missiles, reconnaissance drones, armored Humvees and radars that can determine the location of enemy rocket and artillery fire.

Why does this seem so much like the buildup to the war in Vietnam?

Still think this won't spiral?  Still think that the power that be actually have a plan to deal with this?

The world is burning and leadership doesn't have a clue.

Sidenote:  What will be the Russian counter?  How will they respond?  I still get the impression that we're behind them in the decision making loop.

Winslow Wheeler is retiring. Things are about to get a bit boring.

via Politico...

And in the middle of it all was a man whose last day at work at the Project on Government Oversight, a non-profit determined to root out government waste, coincided with news that the Pentagon would ask for an increase of 19 F-35s in next year’s budget at $100 million or more apiece.
But Winslow Wheeler was not in a despairing mood. Emotional, yes, but still feisty.
Spinney and Sprey, he said, “have gotten me into lots of trouble — but no trouble I didn’t enjoy.” And he took several parting shots at the F-35 program.
“It keeps embarrassing itself,” he said. “At some point, the weight and momentum of all those problems and all those costs are going to pass a threshold in our political system.”

Love him or hate him, Wheeler made it fun and sparked debate.  And for that alone he should be missed by all.

Read the entire article here.

Slip bro! & This is gonna hurt! via Round Canopy Rigging Facebook Page.

That dude is in a world of hurt.

Chinese Marines conducting winter training.

Thanks to info-infanterie for the link...

I don't know the terrain, but does China have high altitude "plains"?  Of interest to me is how far afield the Chinese Marines are using their armor.  If this is near the Chinese-India Border then in the future we might get to see high altitude tank/IFV battles.  That would be something.

China developing J-18 Stealth VTOL Fighter.

Thanks to Pietro_nurra for the link

via Janes (read the entire article!).

The aircraft in the photo is China's J-18 VTOL stealth fighter jet.
Japanese and US media have lots of speculation about China’s third fourth-generation stealth fighter jet J-18 in addition to the J-20 and J-31 already widely known,
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun was the first to publish a report on the successful test flight of J-18 at the beginning of 2013. It said that China began to develop its own catapult for the aircraft carrier it planed to build but lacked key technology to make such catapult; therefore, China scrapped its original plan for a carrier for horizontal taking off of aircrafts and began instead to develop VTOL aircrafts.
Soon afterwards, US Defense News weekly published an article that believed that China was developing short-distance vertical taking-off and landing stealth fighter jet, i.e. J-18 Red Eagle VTOL fighter jet, with superb stealth function and installed with laser active phased array radar, internal weapon bays and two vector engines with great thrust.
The Japanese and American reports, though sensational in nature and supplemented by later reports, are but speculation. There had been no evidence on the existence of J-18 whatever until now when Britain’s Jane’s Defense Review published a report on the fighter containing a recent photo copied from a post at a Chinese military forum on the Internet.
Judging by the photo given by Jane’s, J-18 looks almost the same as J-31 except its canard structure. This gives people the impression that it is a VTOL version of J-31. It sounds reasonable as developing a VTOL version saves money than the development of an aircraft from nothing. This is also the case with US F-35 stealth fighter jet. It has three versions including a VTOL version.
However, J-31 is developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation who has no experience in developing canard aircrafts. It is suspected that the aircraft is a national project participated by Shenyang and other aircraft manufacturers.

One thing is becoming increasingly clear.  China has its sights set on challenging the US militarily...and on equal footing.

NOTE:  Yes the article is from last year but I've only heard it speculated, never confirmed that China is building a VTOL fighter.  The fact that the Pentagon hasn't referred to this airplane is telling.

China's L-15 Jet Trainer. via 人民解放軍 画像bot

Poland launches civilian military training.

Thanks to John for the info!

via RT

Poland plans to allow civilians to sign up for military training. With anti-Russian hysteria spreading like wildfire, Warsaw has rushed to step up its defense systems amid fears over the ongoing military conflict in neighboring eastern Ukraine.
"All citizens interested in taking part in military exercises will be able to sign up starting March 1" at regional recruitment centers, Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told reporters on Thursday.
Although Poland, Central Europe's largest country, ended conscription in 2008, Siemoniak said that some 38,000 reservists would be called up to take part in exercises in 2016, compared to the 12,000 this year. The ministry also plans to involve paramilitary groups in its new defense policy, AFP reported.
Since the crisis broke out in eastern Ukraine, Poland, a NATO member state, has been busy revamping its armed forces. Warsaw plans to spend 33 billion euros ($37 billion) over a decade on the overhaul.

"The chances of a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis are increasingly slim. Russia’s obvious goal is to block Ukraine's path toward Europe," Siemoniak said, adding that Russia's use of "military means" poses "a long-term threat to Europe."

Make no mistake about it.

This is a baby step toward civilian militarization.  Its voluntary now, but we all need to keep our ear to the ground for word that suddenly all men between the ages of 18 to 65 are required to report for physicals...or training.  Not necessarily induction into the military.

Why do I believe that?

Because while Russia can play the card of acting to protect its nationals in Ukraine, Poland can too.  What is the play here?  Is this a signal to the populace regarding a more active role in the fighting in Ukraine?  Will the support they're giving turn from being "humanitarian" to one involving sending combat units to fight?  Is this why the US Army moved to send trainers and advisors to Ukraine in order to prevent the Poles from doing so?

This thing in Ukraine can get worse.  It could spill over borders and infect all of Europe.  This crisis needs to be walked back with a quickness. 

Ukraine War takes an insane turn. Russia is sending T-34 (WW2 era) tanks to the front? UPDATED!

Thanks for the vid Info-Infantrie



If this is true then two things are happening.  The first is that Russia is going from covertly to overtly supplying the Rebels.  That alone is ominous.  The second is that this is crazy in a handbag.  Who would think that Russia would have that many serviceable T-34 tanks in inventory!  But the thought that WW2 level armor protection is a sought after commodity in a modern conflict should be stunning.

Never ignore the value of armor protection and shock value.

UPDATED:  One of the readers pointed out that Putin proposed the following via USOSCE website.

President Putin proposed a cease-fire and a withdrawal of weapons exceeding 100 mm in caliber from a defined area.

The largest gun mounted on the T-34 was, if I remember correctly, a 85mm gun.  These tanks would fall in line with his proposal.  The people that posted this video and the Russians who commented on it believe that these tanks are headed to Ukraine.  I agree with them.  As crazy as it might sound, these vehicles are in line with Putin's plan.  Funny.  The "crazy" Russian seems to have a game plan while the US and EU are lost in the woods.

Think Defense Blog slams RAF Operations against ISIS.

via TD...

Just shy of a months worth of operations and the RAF has expended;

• Hellfire; 20

• Brimstone; 5

• Paveway IV; 12

The target descriptions are equally interesting, a truck, a heavy machine gun position, an armoured personnel carrier and excavator. These targets fall definitely into the ‘tactical’ column rather than attacking ‘strategic’ targets.
What conclusions can we draw (if any) from the number of targets, types of target, launch platform and weapons expended?

• Reaper is doing just as much of the heavy lifting as Tornado without the massive logistic effort involved with refuelling Tornado?

• Paveway IV seems to be the referred option for those sorties flown by Tornado?

• How many Reapers can we buy for a single F35?

• The effect delivered (destroying an excavator or trucks in singles) are insignificant compared to the cost?

• Air power used in this manner satisfies the ‘something must be done’ brigade but not much else?

• Any others?

Now you know why the effort against ISIS is .... a joke.

The US, UK and our allies are all involved in tank plinking.  This air campaign is NOT designed to provide a decisive outcome to the war.  Its just a political game being played with peoples lives.  Why commit a pilot to combat if you're not serious about winning the war?

An interesting sidenote for me is the use of Hellfire vs. Brimstone.  Hellfire is much more popular it seems.

My guess for the ISIS conflict?  Someone in leadership is hoping that they burn themselves out and then attempt a political resolution.

790 pound hog? Yeah...and they captured it alive.

Something strange is going on with wild pigs in this nation.

They're getting big.

Real big.

And no, the one-off Hogzilla's that people run into every now and then don't concern me.  They're too massive to pose a real danger to anyone and generally stay real deep in the woods...places no one goes much.  Its whats happening down the line that's disturbing.  We're seeing 300 pound hogs in my neck of the woods with a bit of regularity now and they're fast, fierce, fear nothing and will eat practically anything.

I don't know the answer to controlling them but read the story of how some good ole' boys captured a 790 pound boar...alive...here.

31st MEU Flight Ops. Photos by Unknown.

509th Airborne does the winter package at Bridgeport...Photo by Sgt. Sean Callahan

BRIDGEPORT, Calif (Jan. 26, 2015) - Paratroopers assigned to Able Company, 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry execute high-altitude mountain mobility operations at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. The joint training opportunity is part of U.S. Army Alaska's initiative to enhance partnered high altitude cold regions training.

Ukraine News. Ukrainian North Operations Command reports 6 armored vehicles destroyed.

via Mil.Gov.UA

Friday, January 30, DONBAS — According to the press center of the North Operations Command, the terrorists make attempts of break-through in Schastya, Krymske.
Military equipment is moved from RF in Lugansk direction and the illegal armed forces increase their forces. The combat tactics of the rebels: multiple rocket launcher attacks, shelling attacks, armor groups supported by infantry.
Artillery units of the North Operations Command accomplished 12 tasks in order to destroy the rebels’ fire emplacement and inflict losses. In the last 24 hours they have destroyed 6 armored vehicles.
The rebels have completed 24 attacks against the sector positions. The rebels traditionally mount their weapons in communities.

This news is from the Ukrainian military website.  How accurate is it?  Again, I don't know.  But it is another source of info.  Click the above link to go to the site.

F-35 News. The USAF tries to control the message.

via Breaking Defense.

“This organizational change will help ensure a unified voice for operational integration of the F-35 across the Air Force as we collectively work towards bringing this remarkable new aircraft into our combat inventory.” Harrigian said in a statement.
Harrigian is the Air Force’s assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements. He replaces Col. Carl Schaefer, who heads to Edwards Air Force Base in March to command the 412th Test Wing in March.
Perhaps the most important but obscure bit of this change is that the Air Force’s voting authority in the JPO moves from Air Combat Command to the F-35 Integration Office. That gives the service’s senior leadership a tighter rein on the program. As the statement notes, “all senior leader communication within the Air Force will flow through the integration office.”
“Assigning a general officer on the Air Staff will ensure we have a single point of contact with the Joint Program office empowered to speak on behalf of the Air Force for any aspect of the F-35 program,” Gen. Mark Welsh, Air Force Chief of Staff, said in the statement.

Wow.

Air Combat Command has been booted as the voting authority?

There is now a single point of contact for the USAF on this program?

I fully expect all news to be even more sanitized than it has been.  We will hear nothing but sunshine, rainbows and unicorns are being produced.  They will lie in an attempt to blunt criticism of this airplane.

I thought it was in trouble before.

Now I'm convinced.

Blast from the recent past. General Dynamics ACV contender.

General Dynamics ACV prototype.

I was doing my morning sweep thru the internet and tried to find the latest and greatest on the ACV contest.

All I could find is a rehashed story from National Defense that once again promises that the ACV contest is about to heat up after Request for Proposal are received after Feb.

We talked about sequestration and the F-35.  I think the same can be applied to the Marine Personnel Carrier program.

The point though is that of all the competitors, the General Dynamics version has been the most elusive...until Defense Daily published the above pic.  More info here and here.

While reading the comments from my previous blog post, something I said earlier still haunts....

so what you're telling me is that our new ACV is now barely more capable than the AAV in the water, probably less mobile than a legacy AAV over broken terrain but the plus side is that its more heavily protected?
do you get what you're saying?
we canned a high speed EFV that was (according to HQMC) only suffering from reliability problems...they said that it had attained MRAP type levels of protection before it was canceled. we declined to buy a non-planning version of that same vehicle because we said that high speed in the water was important. we not only threw away all the work that was done on the EFV but then we turned around, wasted 4 years debating this issue and in the end we're going to rely on a vehicle, the Marine Personnel Carrier that was intended from the start to be a surrogate vehicle to the EFV.
we invest over 15 years of work...waste millions of dollars and in the end we're getting a vehicle that only equals (at best) what we have now?
sorry. i want to be fired up, but this just makes me want to choke someone in leadership. don't piss on my back and tell me its sunshine. additionally lets be real. we'll actually be lucky to have these vehicles in service by 2025. so again. tell me why i should be happy?

One thing the USMC must NOT do is fool itself.

Its currently operating an obsolete Amphibious Assault Vehicle and the ACV 1.1 will at best MATCH, not exceed the combat capabilities of threat vehicles...especially Chinese and Russian IFV/APCs.

We're playing catch up and if more delays occur then we might be in the uncomfortable position of having to retain the AAV (or give it up entirely because its so old and having our boys ride into combat in that other threatened program, the JLTV) until possibly 2040 or later.

I want to be optimistic but I just can't.  Not after so much failure.

Another Marine has died because an LAV-25 seat malfunctioned???

via FAYObserver

Lance Cpl. Steven J. Szymanski reached over the front seat of a light armored vehicle to grab his helmet.
In doing so, the lever that raises the seat was accidentally triggered and Szymanski was trapped with his neck between the back of the driver's seat and the ceiling of the vehicle.
At least 15 minutes passed before a fellow Marine found Szymanski and pulled him out. By then, according to officials, it was too late.
A 147-page report obtained Thursday by the Observer details the Marine's accidental death on Fort Bragg last year and shows that at least 11 other Marines from his unit had experienced similar seat malfunctions.
The malfunctions, however, were never reported to the appropriate personnel.
Szymanski, 24, of Midland, Michigan, was training on Fort Bragg with his unit, the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division out of Camp Lejeune, when he was killed on Oct. 21.
A light-armored vehicle crewman, Szymanski was conducting post-operation checks from inside the LAV when he reached to grab his helmet.
According to the command investigation, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the LAV seat was not locked into place because the locking pin, which would have prevented the seat from moving up or down, was rusted and seized in the open position.
The Marine investigator ruled Szymanski's death, most likely caused by traumatic asphyxiation, an accident.

JESUS!

You have got to be fucking me!  Another young Marine has died, a family is in mourning and a life of promise ended because a fucking seat malfunctioned?

The fact that this isn't a scandal should shock us all.

Death in combat is one thing.

Even a training accident can be accepted (won't like it but shit happens and the job is dangerous)...but to die because of a malfunctioning seat?

HQMC and the LAV Community need to fix this post haste.  

Taiwan C-11 "Brave Tiger" Tanks get Explosive Reactive Armor...

via Janes from TANK & AFV NEWS Blog.

Recent photographs have confirmed that at least part of the Republic of China Army (RoCA) fleet of CM11 main battle banks (MBT) have been upgraded with the installation of explosive reactive armour (ERA).
The CM11 MBT is essentially a brand new US-supplied General Dynamics Land Systems M60 hull fitted with a modified turret from the older M48 MBT. The CM11 is also referred to as the M48H 'Brave Tiger'.
The ERA, shown in photographs taken during exercises earlier in January, is fitted on the glacis plate as well as the front and turret sides to provide a higher level of protection against weapons fitted with a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead.
This ERA is not normally fitted during peacetime training as there is no threat.
The exact origins of the ERA fitted to the CM11 MBT has not been confirmed, but it is very similar to that developed by France some years ago rather than the Blazer ERA fielded by the Israel Defense Forces.

The analysis at the end of the Janes' article does raise a question.

Why haven't we given the Republic some of our used M1 Tanks?  Of course China would object but it would be a simple show of solidarity, would disrupt the balance of power in the region and would provide added firepower to the RoC's effort to stop them on the beach strategy.

Sidenote:  If you're into armor then you really should check out TANK & AFV NEWS Blog...they cover it all from tanks, AFVs, IFVs, APCs etc....both modern and historical.  Additionally they keep track of new armor books and even models.  Definitely worth a look see.

Lost Dog...

If this don't touch a heart string then you don't have one...

F-35 News. This is why the proposed production increase is nuts....

via Military.com

The Pentagon's base budget is currently $496 billion, plus another $64 billion for overseas missions. Obama's increases would allow for new next-generation F-35 fighters, ships and submarines and long-range Air Force tankers. Military leaders have also said the earlier cuts forced reductions in flying hours, training and equipment maintenance.
On the domestic side, Obama has proposed offering two free years of community college and creating new or expanded tax credits for child care and spouses who both work. He's called for raising the top capital gains rate on some wealthy couples and consolidating education tax breaks, although some of those ideas have already faced intense opposition.
"Until he gets serious about solving our long-term spending problem, it's hard to take him seriously," said Cory Fritz, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner.
Still, the president's budget proposal is just that - a proposal- and will not become law.

And there you have it.

Defense Hawks are going to get stymied by Domestic Welfare Zealots and they're both gonna get steam rolled by the Deficit Warriors.

So all those news reports of Lockheed Martin stock rising on increased orders for the F-35 are simply people being taken to the bank and swindled.  To properly understand defense procurement you must watch the defense corporations and the Pentagon but also politics.

Sorry F-35 fanboys.  The Program Office and the Pentagon are trying mightily to save the F-35 from the death spiral by upping production.

It ain't gonna happen.

The window of opportunity closed and IF it had remained on schedule then the full buy would have occurred.  It didn't and now it won't.

You think China's modernization is no big deal? Kendall disagrees.

via The Free Beacon

“The intelligence estimates were correct,” he said, of China. “And I became, I think it’s fair to say, alarmed as soon as I started seeing technical intelligence reports on China’s modernization programs.”
“And I can say the same with Russia’s modernization programs as well,” he added.
The U.S. military was dominant following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, he said, and the U.S. action in the Persian Gulf war demonstrated the nation’s conventional force prowess.
But beginning in 2001 the military has focused on counterinsurgency and counterterrorism campaigns against a very different kind of threat.
“No one observed more carefully the dominance that we demonstrated in 1991 than the Chinese,” Kendall said, referring to U.S. precision arms capabilities, stealth forces, and ability to conduct wide area surveillance.
“And what I’m seeing [now] in foreign modernization, again, particularly China’s, is a suite of capabilities that are intended, clearly to me, at least, to defeat the American way of doing power projection, [the] American way of warfare when we fight in an expeditionary manner far from the United States,” Kendall said.

I've been beating this drum for awhile now.

China is doing its best to match us.

If you don't believe me then believe Kendall.  They're trying to drink our milkshake.

US bases in the Philippines? We're walking into another insurgency.

Image via Bantay Spratly showing the remains of the 44 Police Officers ambushed by terrorist forces.

If your focus is solely on China and its dealings with its neighbors then US bases in the Philippines makes perfect sense.

If you're paying attention to the issues inside that country (economic, social and political) and then add that governments fight against the MILF (no, not mothers you'd like to fuck...I'm talking about a group of hardcore terrorists) then it makes you wonder if anyone has addressed force protection issues for our people there.

Why is this a concern?

Because it was reported on Monday that 44 Elite Police Officers walked into an ambush that had MILF participation...even though the government signed a treaty allowing that terrorist group to establish a state within the Philippines that would be governed by Islamic law.

The Philippines that the old skool Marines knew is gone.

When our bases there are up and running all we'll be doing is walking out of one insurgency into another.

Read about the ambush here and here.

Air Power Australia's Zhuhai 2014 Air Show Photo Essay...

Check it out here.

Brazilian Police find two M-41 Walker Bulldogs in a car "chop" house!

via Latin Post.

Brazilian police in the city of São Paulo made an unexpected discovery when they stumbled upon two old military tanks inside a warehouse. The armored vehicles were stashed away along with stolen items and the police are currently investigating how they ended up there.
On Monday the military police of Sao Paulo state stumbled upon the two engineless tanks inside a warehouse in the Sacoma, a low-income neighborhood in São Paulo, according to the Guardian.
In a statement posted on their Facebook page, the police recount how an inquiry into the theft of car led them to the very unusual discovery. Police discovered a warehouse that contained various stolen products, the statement said.
"The warehouse is located in Vila Carioca, near Tamanduateí train station, and inside it [police] found a truck with a container, loaded with approximately 500 42-inch LED televisions," the police statement said. "Beyond that container, they found a semi-trailer truck, various automotive parts and two armored tanks of the armed forces, without any identification. [Police] located the owner of the warehouse; he said he rents it for an individual and was unaware of its use."

I've never explored it but have heard that the black market in the US is truly a sight to behold.  Supposedly you can buy everything from prohibited firearms (talking real deal automatic weapons) to drugs and everything inbetween.

Now fast forward that theory of the US black market to what can be found in places like Brazil, or Italy or Japan or Saudi Arabia (just examples don't go high and to the right) and it must be truly mind boggling.

But two M-41 Walker Bulldogs?  That's just awesome...I bet the "owner" is crying!

Thai trials CMI 90mm turret on their BTR-3E1

Thanks to Info-infanterie for the link.

via Live Journal.

I know that would be happen ! Just like rumours I've heard ,the MGS for mechanized infantry regiment(s) has been tested . I don't know whether It has been chosen or not but This is another confirmation of the MGS requirement. The Army has sought for establishing the "SBCT wanna be " regiment(s) **(A.K.A. mechanized infantry regiment) for a long time ,the oldest record I have is 20+ years ago (and the winner was Piranha or LAV ,If my memory served me right) but the economic crisis in '97 struck down all military programs (e.g. RTAF- F-18C/D ,RTN -subs and RTA -AFVs) . And 3 years ago ,the dream to mechanized the infantry came true . The BTR-3E1 project fulfilled the wish of highly mobile infantry with reasonable firepower but there are some missing puzzles ,the MGS ,which will provide the heavy punches for this (these) regiment(s),IMO,this 90 mm is more than enough firepower to support the infantry (but 105 should do some jobs better,i.e. tank hunting .)

But there're still some problems with the SBCT wanna be regiment(s) such as the artillery that is not Self propelled , the Ukraine's problem which still plagues the delivery of 2nd phase BTRs and other future shortcomings,e.g. The indigenous 8x8 program which will be denied common logistics with BTR equipped regiment , the Ukraine's political problems which will lead to logistical problem of all Ukrainian's equipments .

Just like Buddha said "You shouldn't chase after the past or place expectations on the future." I just love this MGS !
Photos Credit : Army Eastern Command .(Burapha Command )

It keeps happening but the USMC seems to be ignoring the development.

The fight in the Pacific will not be infantry vs. infantry.  It will not be dominated by air power in the jungle canopy or in the dense urban centers that dot the landscape.

The nations of that region are armoring up!  Everywhere you look all you see is either armor in development or serious upgrade programs that aim to make them more lethal.

The current focus on "Company Landing Teams"..."Distributed Operations from the sea"....and "Dispersed Amphibious Ready Groups" will lead to our forces being deployed in a piecemeal fashion and then found, fixed and destroyed by the enemy at their leisure. 

The focus is all wrong.  We never left the sea...but we ARE having a time leaving the counter insurgency war in the desert!

F-35 News. Failure is confirmed by the budget.

Thanks to Slowman for the link.

Among other topics, the research effort will work closely on what 6th–generation fighter aircraft technologies will be needed to build an aircraft to succeed the 5th–generation F-35...DoD Buzz

via Yahoo

The Pentagon said on Wednesday its fiscal 2016 budget proposal will fund early technology development and prototyping of a "next-generation X-plane" that would eventually succeed the F-35 fighter jet being developed and built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
Defense Undersecretary Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's chief arms buyer, said the funding would be part of a new "aerospace innovation initiative" aimed at ensuring that the U.S. military continued to dominate the skies despite development of so-called fifth-generation stealth fighters by China and others.
He told the House Armed Services Committee the initiative would be headed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, with help from the Air Force and the Navy.
Speaking with reporters during a break in the hearing, Kendall declined to give details on the amount of funding involved in the new initiative since the Pentagon's budget will not be delivered to Congress until Monday.

Don't listen to the talking points.

Watch the budget.

And what does this budget request tell us?  It says that the F-35 is a complete and utter failure.  It says that it will not deliver as promised and that the services will make it work...at least for awhile, but that a replacement needs to be worked on now.

Have you noticed something else?  We don't hear talk about the F-35 serving until 2050 anymore.  Also consider this.  Before this airplane has made it into service the replacement is being planned.

Armed Chinese Drone downed in Nigeria!

Thanks to Tom for the link.

Read the story here.

Typhoon in the vertical.

RAF Typhoon Aircraft from 29(R) Sqn

A Royal Air Force Typhoon jet in a vertical climb over RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.The aircraft is sporting its newly painted tail depicting 29 Reserve Squadron (29(R)Sqn).

One of the roles of the Typhoon is to protect our national airspace by securing our skies, to do this they maintain a constant Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) force around the clock.

The RAF’s Typhoons are also providing support to NATO by carrying out the Baltic Air Policing role.

5 Separatist Tactical Battle Groups (with Russian Airborne) operating near Debaltseve bridgehead, Ukraine.

via Chapter 97.

Over the recent days the Russian-terrorist troops continued to accumulate forces and resources in the area of the Debaltseve bridgehead.
This is stated by Dmytro Tymchuk on his Facebook page citing the operational data of the Information Resistance, Censor.NET reports.
According to the group's data, at the moment five battalion tactical groups (BTG) of the enemy (at least one of them includes Russian airborne troops) and three composite artillery groups are fighting in different parts of the bridgehead. In addition, there are numerous small formations of the terrorists in the area, which are armed with individual samples of heavy infantry weapons.
"The total number of the Russian-terrorist troops engaged in fighting for Debaltseve foothold is about 2,500 people, up to 35 tanks, about 50 armored combat vehicles, 50 cannon artillery units (including SP guns), as well as at least 22 MLRS units," Tymchuk said.
In addition, he noted that in the area of Debaltseve after an unsuccessful attempt to storm through Troitske to Svetlodarsk, the enemy retreated to their original positions and is restoring the level of combat readiness.
"There is movement of militants' reinforcements through Stakhanov (up to 12 vehicles, mostly covered military trucks, and about 18 armored vehicles). In the area of Vuhlehirsk and in the direction of Svetlodarsk reservoir the enemy continues to accumulate additional tactical reserves, thus preserving significant strike potential of its units," Tymchuk said.

True?  False?  Propaganda?  Real deal info?

I just don't know.

Argentina seeking to buy Chinese VN-1 Wheeled IFVs. via Defesanet News Agency

The minister of defense of argentina, agustin rossi received a delegation of the people's republic of china, on the day 23 january, to treat on topics related to the production for defence, on the eve of the visit We will hold president kirchner to the asian country in february.
The ministry of defence, through the argentine minister agustin rossi, claims that one of the negotiations in progress is That comes from the purchase of a figure has not specified of tanks, but that can reach the hundreds . the model that is being evaluated is vn - 1 ( name of export zbl - 09 ), That was recently acquired by the naval infantry of venezuela.

Slowly but surely....despite economic problems...Argentina is rearming thanks to China's largesse.

The direction they take with fighter planes will be telling.  The delegation to visit China will be with hat in hand and a list of arms to be "loaned"....I wonder if they'll petition for the J-31?

Scheduled NATO Exercise comes at interesting time. Photo by Spc. Tyler Kingsbury

A U.S. Army Stryker armored vehicle of Pale Horse Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment provides security while conducting an overwatch during exercise Allied Spirit at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Jan. 25, 2015. Exercise Allied Spirit includes more than 2,000 participants from Canada, Hungary, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the U.S. Allied Spirit is exercising tactical interoperability and testing secure communications within alliance members

Exercise Allied Spirit was scheduled well in advance of current events in Europe but it comes at an interesting time.

According to the Army's Green Book it was to host approx 3000 soldiers with 22 participating nations.  They might have hit that mark but aren't releasing all the names of the nations attending for .... diplomatic....reasons.

Russia's response to this exercise, the stationing of a US Army Heavy Brigade near their border and US attempts to woo India into our circle should be a point of interest for anyone covering military affairs.

What's that old saying about not poking the bear?

News that will change your life. Greece is about to default.

Major Hat Tip to Bayou Man Blog.






The below is taken from Bayou Man's Blog from the above video.

Q. You owe the ECB 6 million dollars are you not going to pay?

A: Well, if you look at the existing agreement, the existing agreement recognizes that, ah, we can't pay. And it imposes upon us the very strange notion that as a bankrupt state, we must borrow money from our partners - even more money than they've already given us - to repay a central bank which is in the process of printing one trillion Euros. Now, you only have to state this to realize that this is not a God-given, Divine imperative which Europe shouldn't be discussing.

This is going to shake the financial markets to the core.

I know I'm sounding like chicken little but do yourself and your family a favor.  Prepare for drama.  Work while the sun is shining because this could be the first of many indicators of global storms coming.  Make no mistake about it.  A Greek default (even if they try a little word judo to make it sound like something different) will change your life.

NOTE:  The danger here isn't the amount of money involved in the Greek economy.  The danger revolves around a European country seeing default as the answer to its economic problems...along with the idea that in doing so it could have to move away from the Euro.  That could have knock on effects.  What happens if this spreads like a contagion to other countries in economic trouble?  This isn't a threat to the EU.  This is a threat to the enter house of cards that is the global economic system.

15th MEU conducts heliborne extraction training. Photos by Cpl. Steve H. Lopez

Note:  According to the caption on these photos, the Combat Logistics Element was doing "external extraction" training.  I don't know what that is.  If anyone knows, feel free to get me up to speed.  My Google skills let me down and I don't know if this is some kind of fancy vehicle recovery or what!

The military took a hobby and made it "bad"...

If you're a guy of a certain age then you're familiar with remote control aircraft.  For hobbyist they've gotten bigger, certainly more advanced but thats to be expected with the march of time.

What is unexpected is that any remote control airplane, helicopter or even tank (yeah there are some fantastic remote control armored vehicles...some quite large) that you mount a Go-Pro camera on suddenly becomes a drone!

But this is the part that has me concerned...

Obama said drones have the potential to empower people in ways that were unimaginable a decade ago, but the federal government is trying to catch up with the technology’s progression in order to enact laws that ensure safety and privacy. He said a goal in his final years as president "is seeing if we can start providing some sort of framework that ensures that we get the good and minimize the bad.”

Just wow.

A worldwide hobby is going to probably bite the dust because it was militarized and then regulated out of existence.

I believe in a strong defense but joys are being crushed in order to keep nuts, perverts and fools from abusing something that has brought joy to many.

And that sucks.

Falcon Heavy | Flight Animation

Canadian Forces - Exercise RAFALE BLANCHE 2015

Bombogenesis? Bombo-idiocy!

This is from NBC News...yesterday....

While millions of Americans gear up for likely historic snowfall this week, they should also prepare for a blizzard of the latest meteorological buzzword: bombogenesis. In simple terms, bombogenesis is the equivalent of a "meteorological bomb," according to The Weather Channel's Kevin Roth. It occurs when a storm's area of lowest pressure experiences a rapid drop of more than 24 milibars in 24 hours. "This turns a routine storm into an intense storm very quickly," Roth told NBC News.
While not uncommon for this time of year, a period of bombogenesis between midday Monday and midday Tuesday could trigger record snow. More than two feet of snow is expected to bring "paralyzing, crippling" conditions for a 250-mile stretch from Philadelphia, through New York and Boston to northern New England. "This storm has a bundle of energy," Roth said. When bombogenesis starts to happen, coupled with the cold air over the U.S. hitting the warm Gulf Stream, "that's when the show will really begin," he added.

Conspiracy hat on.

I TRULY BELIEVE that they were going to slingshot from this "historic" snow storm straight into a push for a carbon tax and intensified talk of global warming...oh wait, they call it climate change now.

Bombogenesis?  Bombo-idiocy!  Someone, somewhere tell me where that term came from!  I'm fairly well informed and never heard it before this storm.

This was a made for TV event for some agenda and it fell flat.  I LOVE IT.

Thought for the day via Grunt Works.

General Butler's Wikipedia page is here.

The latest from China Defense Blog...

China Defense Blog has a couple of must reads up.  The first covers cold weather training that Chinese Marines are undertaking...read it here.

The next covers a top attack projectile designed to destroy heavy armor.  Isn't it time we deployed TROPHY on our vehicles?

Drink it in.  The Chinese are making moves.