Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Open Comment Post. 17 Dec 25

 


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JB MDL- Aerial Live Fire, Marines HMLA 773, HMH 772

Mission complete! two CH-53 Stallions from HMH 772 head home in the sunset Dec. 12 after engaging all targets at range 59C at U.S. Army Support Activity - Fort Dix for daytime firing and to prepare to return for nighttime firing. (US Army Images provided by the USASA Fort Dix Training Division / Steven Roussel)

 

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Israeli army warns of ‘mass personnel exodus’ amid surge in resignations: The MASSIVE FALLOUT from continued and unnecessary operations in Gaza are coming home to roost

 via Middle East Monitor

The Israeli army warned of “mass personnel exodus” amid a surge in resignation requests by officers and soldiers, local media said Tuesday, Anadolu reports.

The Israeli army is suffering from a “mass exodus of officers and non-commissioned officers after they submitted resignation requests,” the daily Yedioth Ahronoth said.

“So far, there have been 500 requests from officers and NCOs in the regular forces seeking to be relieved of their positions in the army,” the paper said, without specifying when these requests were submitted.

The army is “warning of a steady rise in resignation requests, indicating a real manpower crisis affecting all age groups and military ranks, which has now reached a boiling point.”

The Israeli army expects more resignation requests from permanent personnel serving in the regular forces, the daily said.

Here 

Operations for the sake of operations is a fool's errand.

The Israeli Govt conducted a just fight and allowed it to turn into something else. I'm not calling it genocide but it became...I just don't know.

The civilian govt allowed the Israeli economy to suffer and has broken its armed forces.

Meanwhile every nation in the region with the exception of Syria, Libya and Iraq are arming to the hilt and modernizing while doing it.

An opportunity was wasted and Israel will suffer for it.

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31st MEU | MV-22B Osprey

U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 (Rein.), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, demonstrate capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, Dec. 16, 2025. The 31st MEU’s MV-22B Osprey provides unique range, speed, and carrying capacity capabilities. Whether supporting Marines ashore, enhancing naval operations at sea, or strengthening joint interoperability, the MV-22B Osprey expands the MEU’s ability to fight distributed operations with speed and flexibility. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premiere crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Sgt. Alora Finigan)


 
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Monday, December 15, 2025

Germany orders 20 additional Airbus H145M helicopters

via press release 
Donauwörth, Germany, 15 December 2025 – Germany has decided to exercise the option for 20 more H145M light combat helicopters (Leichter Kampfhubschrauber or LKH for short) that were part of a contract signed in December 2023, bringing the total number to 82 helicopters. 

“We are honoured and proud that Germany has decided to order 20 additional H145M LKH helicopters. This further commitment by one of our home countries is a powerful sign of trust in the H145M's exceptional performance and multi-role capabilities,” said Stefan Thomé, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Germany.  

The first H145M LKH helicopter was delivered to Germany, less than a year after the contract signature, in November 2024 and additional helicopters have since been delivered. The helicopter's missions include training, reconnaissance, special forces operations and light attack. The German Army will receive 72 helicopters, while the Luftwaffe's special forces will receive ten. 

The H145M is a multi-role military helicopter that provides a broad range of mission capabilities. Within minutes, the helicopter can be reconfigured from a light attack role with axial ballistic and guided weapons and a state-of-the-art self-protection system into a special operations version with fast rappelling equipment. The comprehensive mission packages include hoisting and external cargo capabilities. 

The H145M is the military version of the tried-and-tested, light twin-engine H145 helicopter. The global fleet of the H145 family has accumulated more than eight million flight hours. It is used by armed and law enforcement forces around the world for the most demanding missions. The Bundeswehr already operates H145 helicopters for special forces operations and search and rescue missions. The US Army employs almost 500 helicopters from the H145 family under the name of UH-72 Lakota, which have clocked more than 1.5 million flight hours. Other military operators of the H145 family are Hungary, Serbia, Luxembourg, Thailand, Ecuador, Honduras and Cyprus. Recent orders include Belgium signing for 17, Brunei for six and Ireland for four H145Ms.

Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145M is fitted with a full authority digital engine control (FADEC). In addition, the helicopter is equipped with the Helionix digital avionics suite which, alongside innovative flight data management, includes a high-performance 4-axis autopilot, reducing pilot workload during missions. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145M the quietest helicopter in its class.
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Sunday, December 14, 2025

Jesus! I didn't know that some Americans want the fight in Venezuela...

Damn! I hope to God this is just a psyop against the American people and that there aren't Americans that want the fight. I can just visualize all the unintended consequences along with a massive rebuilding effort there. Maduro has been signalling that he wants negotiations. Lets try that before we go in and fuck shit up and ourselves in the process. Just cause you can do something don't mean you should.
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Prayers for Australia.

Rest in peace for the fallen. God bless those they left behind. I hope the perpertrators are fucked with a cactus and die a slow painful death. I thought Australia was gun free. How did terrorist get ahold of weapons when the average Australian can't?
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Sunday Funny #2

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If watching this makes you happy & sad then you're old as fuck...

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You need a Sunday Funny in this crazy world...

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Peru is modernizing with S. Korean Armor

S. America is interesting. Most Americans (myself included) know more about the Middle East, Europe and states in the Pacific than we do about our neighbors in the region. I haven't been as attentive as I need to be but it appears that MANY nations are gearing up down there. Wonder why that is? Oh and its about more than battling narcotics networks too. These nations are gearing up for conventional battle.
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Chinese State Media OFFICIALLY REVEALS Next Generation Main Battle Tank —— The Type 99B

 

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AVIC “JiuTian” Drone Mothership Maiden flight video

 

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The Stryker failed to climb a 20° inclination. Wheeled vehicle fail. Dumping tracks was/is a mistake

Dudes follow on tweet links to a video that is touting the Stryker over the WhAP.

I could care less about that.

Back to the real issue in my mind.

A 20 degree slope uncrossable?  That's madness!  How long have we been told that wheeled vehicles have advanced, that the tech has advanced enough for them to be a mobile cross country as tracks?

Yet we see this.  Not on muddy ground.  Not in snow or ice.  But on a simple trail with a minor slope.

Dumping tracks was/is a mistake.  
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Open Comment Post. 14 Dec 25

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The days of fearing drone swarms is coming to an end. Microwaves, not lasers are the future...

 

You do realize that eventually this will be upscaled to deal with aircraft don't you? I'm actually surprised that this system hasn't been trialed in aircraft. Imagine an EA-18G or a F-15EX fitted with pods to fry enemy aircraft. Hell lets do it on the cheap and put it on a G600 with a huge array on its spine!
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Interesting Take. "China's Air Force is built to bluff, not battle"

 

From his tweet... 

Meanwhile, China has all the support gear of a garage band trying to headline Coachella. A couple dozen refuelers. A handful of AWACS planes. A strategic airlift capacity that couldn't support a decent summer camp, let alone a cross-strait invasion. Want to seize Taiwan? Great. Just make sure your jets are back in time for lunch. 

And let’s not ignore the rot inside. 

Corruption is so baked into China’s military-industrial complex, you could cut it into slices and serve it at a banquet. Defense ministers have been purged. Rocket fuel’s been swapped for water. (No, really.) And generals get promoted less for tactical brilliance and more for clapping loudest during Xi Jinping's speeches. So what’s all this shiny junk actually for? Intimidation. 

China built a war machine it doesn’t expect to use. It’s the geopolitical version of flexing in the mirror before a bar fight and hoping nobody calls your bluff. The J-20 looks scary from a distance. The bombers look big on satellite images. But if the shooting starts, that illusion burns up faster than their engines do.

Hmm.  If we leave out the new shiny toys they've just introduced I wonder if we have to give him credit?

When it comes to aerial warfare I get it but is he looking at this from a regional perspective or globally?

That's what has me spinning when it comes to a fight with China over Taiwan.  If we're talking about taking all our gear and putting it in the Pacific to wage war against them then I'm onboard.

But it ain't like that.

We're operating globally.  They're just worried about their backyard and in particular, what they consider a breakaway province around 90 miles from their mainland.

I truly believe in a mythical war between the US and China, S. Korea will sit it out. Australia is too far away and has too small an Air Force or Navy to be of much help.  Japan will jump in but is it enough to make up for our numerical disadvantage?

Another thing that concerns is how far ahead are we really?  I was shocked to see the Rafale get smashed so hard by the Pakistani Air Force.  

We're assuming superiority but a proxy fight revealed a narrow fight if not an outright draw.

Have to chew on this one a bit. 

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Saturday, December 13, 2025

Royal Thai Army mechanized force massing along the Thai-Cambodian border ahead of a planned offensive.

 Thanks to Duke 7 for the link.

Does anyone know what kicked off the fighting here? I thought it was just border clashes but it looks like the Thai Army is going full tilt boogie now.

Between this, the RSF and Burko whatever in Africa running wild, to even ISIS attacking our guys in Syria and of course Ukraine/Russia plus China continuing to push things against Taiwan that we could easily be in a multi-front war in the next few years.

Have to wonder how that'll workout.

I know the US will, or at least want to , prioritize Taiwan.  The Europeans have made noise (well actually just the UK and sometimes France) about supporting us there but I seriously doubt it.

Ukraine doesn't seem to want an end to the fighting so that will rage and no one seems to give a damn about the persecution of Christians in Africa by the Muslim horde and everyone (with sense) wants to wash their hands of the Syria mess.

I think it'll break down like the latest security assessment called for.  Until they cross the line Ukraine will prioritized at the expense of all else.  SOCOM will have a playground in Africa and Syria (but they will need MASSIVE conventional support).  The Navy will continue to play the flex role of supporting SOCOM more and more in Africa and Syria, along with the USAF.  The 82nd and 101st will probably be tasked with helping SOCOM too.

Drawdown of Army forces in Europe will be delayed (cause everyone in power was once a Russia expert and that's the fight they WANT) with the USAF getting stretched to support a mission there.

China will see their chance and make a move on Taiwan before the next presidential election and that will change the world.  WE MIGHT hold onto it by our fingernails but we'll see the destruction of many ships, a few MLRs and a multitude of aircraft.

I think things are lining up for shit to get nasty in the next few years.  Oh and notice that while the Thailand/Cambodia thing rages it wasn't even listed?  That leaves out another flair up between Pakistan/India, China/India, Pakistan/Iran and of course Israel and damn near the entire Middle East.
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WILD CLAIM. Russia claims to have captured members of the British SAS

 

I watch the war in Ukraine and you know who would be perfect there and are the only Special Ops Outfit that does the work? US Army Special Forces. They're force multipliers capable of organizing and leading (wink wink) allied or factional forces against outside threats or internal threats to nations friendly to us.

Having said all that I'm glad (hoping) they're not there.

What has me spinning is why would the UK waste their force in the type of warfare happening right now.  I always viewed the SAS as a type of raid force, operating like a downsized US Army Ranger type outfit.

Conventional warfare is NOT where they shine.  So why put them in this type of fight?
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Skyranger 30 Short Range Air Defence Systems mounted on FFG's ACSV

 

The Netherlands has awarded a contract to Rheinmetall for the provision of Skyranger 30 Short Range Air Defence Systems mounted on FFG's ACSV and in stationary configuration. Deliveries start in 2028 and are to be completed by the end of 2029. The contract is valued in the three-digit million euro range.
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