The Mighty Royal Air Force isn't as Mighty as we thought...

via Defense Aerospace from the Financial Times...

The admission by the UK government that it would not increase the small number of combat aircraft committed to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) in Iraq should it get a mandate to launch strikes in Syria reflects the reality that the Royal Air Force would struggle to muster much extra firepower.

After five years of relentless defence cuts, the armed forces are struggling to sustain the current level of commitments after more than a decade of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Under strategic planning assumptions, which were defined by the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, the RAF is required to have 40 combat aircraft available for operations at various states of readiness.

“A lot of people in the RAF will tell you that number is far too low,” said Justin Bronk, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute.

Put in context, there are eight Tornadoes deployed to Cyprus, which is enough to allow two of the strike aircraft to fly every day. The ageing Tornado, which entered service in 1980, is the RAF’s most capable ground attack aircraft, following the retirement of the entire Harrier fleet. (end of excerpt)

The rest is behind a paywall and I'm sure a defence official talked about how this was an acceptable amount of RISK that the UK Defense Ministry was taking on but WOW!

40 aircraft?

The Royal Air Force is smaller than the Marine Air?

The Mighty have fallen.  But it gets worse.  If the USMC is any example then the infrastructure costs to put the F-35 into service will shrink that number even more.

My prediction?

In five years time this will be the good old days.  The RAF will be lucky to be able to put half that number of planes into the air.

China's experiment in capitalism...is it about to end badly?

Bayou Renaissance Man has an excellent writeup on this here.

What you should know?  The Chinese stock market just lost 2.36 trillion dollars in value.

What was the Chinese govt's response?  They told their people that all is well and that they should hold onto stocks till the last penny because it was the "patriotic" thing to do.  More ominously?  They told their people that they should use their homes as collateral!

The Chinese people are extremely pragmatic.  They're also savers.  My question is that after all this turmoil in their markets.....Is the Chinese experiment with capitalism about to end badly?

Dutch Special Ops buying 300BLK Carbines!~

via IHS Janes.

The Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Force (NL-MARSOF) are planning to purchase a new carbine chambered in the non-NATO standard 7.62x35 mm (300 BLK), with a formal tender being launched by the Netherlands' Defence Material Organisation.

Story here. 

I personally think that the 300BLK is the ultimate caliber for most citizens.  5.56 is great for what it does but for the ranges at which most civilians shoot and the ability to take down man sized game, the 300BLK is perfect.

Now it seems that Special Ops across the water is rethinking their CQB and getting a quick and easy upgrade.

They're thinking...I like it!

F-35 not suppose to be as maneuverable as an F-16? That's not what they said originally!

via AOL.

The official version of those opinions was issued by the F-35’s Joint Program Office:
“The F-35’s technology is designed to engage, shoot, and kill its enemy from long distances, not necessarily in visual “dogfighting” situations. There have been numerous occasions where a four-ship of F-35s has engaged a four-ship of F-16s in simulated combat scenarios and the F-35s won each of those encounters because of its sensors, weapons, and stealth technology.”

Really?

Seriously?

That's not what Col. Gary Cooper II, F-35 combined test director said in 2009.  via Airman Magazine...

"We expect the F-35 to be operationally capable by 2013," said Col. Gary Cooper II, F-35 combined test director.

Developed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, the F-35 is single-engine fighter designed to be an affordable, state-of-the-art replacement for air-to-ground aircraft such as the Navy's F/A-18 Hornet, A-10 Thunderbolt II and the F-16C Fighting Falcon.

It has improved combat maneuverability over present fighters, it has increased range and the heads-up display is not viewed in the cockpit but inside the pilot's helmet visor.

And then this from the same article...

"Overall, I was impressed by how well the entire first flight came together," said Jon Beesley, Lockheed Martin's chief test pilot for the F-35. "The test team told me I taxied out to the end of the runway much faster than I did for any of the taxi tests. But I was ready to go and so was the airplane. And it was a thrill to fly."

Much of this is due to the fighter's advanced avionics, advances that give the F-35 greater agility and the ability to outperform opposing forces with unmatched aerial maneuvering.

What does this all mean?

It means the Program Office is once again "spinning" the facts.  Naw, lets be real....they're lying their asses off.

We were promised eye watering maneuverability and now they're trying to back off the promise with the help of friends in the media.

Consider this a service to those who want a clear eyed view of things....excuses work for 5 year olds, not multi-million billion, damn near a billion trillion dollar defense projects.

Sidenote:  2009 too far back for your taste?  Well Jokuvaan found this 2014 Breaking Defense quote from General Hostage...

The F-35, he says, has “at least” the maneuverability and thrust and weight of the F-16.

Read more of what the good General had to say here..

I hate to rant but can I ask everyone one simple question.  Leadership has been so wrong about so much lately why would you believe a single word they have to say?  The only really surprising thing is that they're able to do it (lie) with such conviction!

Chinese Aviation Parade...

Thanks to Info Infantrie!  

More pics here....

I would seriously camp out at Live Journal but the navigation and translation is a serious pain...good stuff over there though.

Sidenote.  Does anyone know if the Russians or Chinese are working on long range infra-red missiles?    Seems like if you can get spotty details on a stealth planes location and have the ability to launch many dozen at distance then you might be able to close to dogfighting distance to do the deed.  Just curious.

Drone Captures Video of Russian Base Inside Ukraine

Free Beacon has the story here.  A tidbit...

Newly released drone footage appears to show a large military buildup at a Russian base inside Ukraine.
Dnipro-1, a pro-government volunteer regiment in Ukraine, released two sets of drone footage on Tuesday that was filmed two weeks apart.

I don't even know anymore.

How are they determining a Russian, from a pro Russian outfit?

All kinds of info flowing and its as confusing as the stock market...a bit more honest but just as confusing.

IDF Carefully Monitoring Events in Sinai Amid Concerns ISIS May Advance

via Yeshiva World.

The situation in Israel regarding Sinai changed radically on Wednesday 14 Tammuz following the major ISIS assault against Egyptian forces. In addition, ISIS has released a clear message that it plans to oust Hamas from Gaza and take over to impose Muslim rule. Such a reality is cause for concern for Israeli political and military officials, who continue monitoring events carefully. While Hamas is far from an ally, ISIS would be significantly worse.
On Wednesday Defense Ministry officials announced the Kerem Shalom and Nitzana Crossings were closed in response to the Sinai attacks and farmers in border communities were banned from working their fields.

Story here.

Nightmare scenario.

ISIS captures a Jewish citizen, or even a soldier.

The Jericho Directive may or may not exist.  Lets hope it does.  Better to die by an artillery barrage than be subjected to what ISIS will do to a captured servicemember.

Saudi Arabia is getting its ass kicked in Yemen.

Thanks to Info Infantrie for the link!



Modern America is easily distracted.  With the always simmering domestic issues its easy to take eyes off international incidents of note.

One of those (besides the ISIS attack in the Sinai against Egyptian forces) is the continued fighting in Yemen.

Info is sparse...understandable since any journalist would be literally placing his head on the chopping block to cover the story...but it seems that either the rebels are becoming expert at information warfare or the Saudi's are getting their asses kicked.

I present the above video as exhibit number one.  Why in God's name would you skyline your vehicle like that is beyond me, but a more important question is WHERE ARE THE REBELS GETTING WIRE GUIDED ANTI-TANK MISSILES FROM?

If its Iran as I suspect then that's another reason to walk away from the negotiating table.

ISIS strikes Egypt in the Sinai...so much for being degraded...

via CNN

In a dramatic demonstration of its expanding reach, ISIS apparently launched simultaneous attacks Wednesday on five Egyptian military checkpoints, reportedly killing 17 Egyptian soldiers and injuring 30 others.
As of Wednesday night, the Egyptian military is "100% in control" of the situation in the northern Sinai, an Egyptian armed forces spokesman told state-run news agency MENA.
At least 17 security forces, including four police officers, were killed in the attacks, the Egptian military said on its Facebook page.
The spokesman for the Egyptian military said 100 terrorists had been killed.
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was known exclusively for its activities in those two war-torn countries until recently.

Here. 

ISIS isn't being degraded, is on a rampage and is threatening to destabilize more nations.  Add the ISIS issue to the Turkey and Jordan "buffer zones"...mix it with the Iran negotiations, consider the setbacks that Saudi Arabia is suffering in Yemen (yeah you forgot about that little conflict huh?  Info Infantrie has been sending me vids that I haven't posted about Saudi AMX-30's being destroyed and captured by rebels)...

Then consider the latest round of saber rattling by Russia, and a China that must be watched and the obvious becomes crystal clear.

Our strategy isn't working.

Russia is about to make the Baltic States nervous!

Thanks to Paralus for the link!

via Yahoo.

Russia is going to review whether or not it was legal for the Soviet Union to recognize the Baltic states as independent nearly 25 years ago, according to a report by Interfax.
A "source familiar with the situation" told Interfax on Tuesday that the Russian Prosecutor General's office began checking the legality of the recognition of the independence of the Baltics.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were Soviet republics until the dissolution of the USSR back in 1991.
The report comes one week after the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 — back when Nikita Khrushchev was in power — was declared unconstitutional.
The source stated that the investigation was launched following requests from two parliamentary deputies, adding that there would be no legal consequences if the recognition of the three Baltic states was to be found illegal.

Lithuania's foreign minister Linas Linkevicius called the investigation an "absurd provocation," according to the BBC.

Uh...wow.

Everytime I reach a point where I think this thing might calm down, one side or the other ramps it back up.

I shouldn't be surprised though.  The actions of the US in Europe haven't had a calming influence and if you're gonna saber rattle then you can expect it right back.

The problem?

You're starting to see large formations of troops operating across a narrow border.  You're seeing increased air interceptions and actions at sea.

When the inevitable happens and there is an accident who will have the common sense to keep it from escalating?  Right now I would bet on rapid escalation, reinforcement and then an accidental clash that will scare everyone.

This business will get out of hand...It will get out of hand and we'll be lucky to survive....