Friday, July 17, 2015
Alien concept art...
I don't quite get this. Its cool, don't get me wrong, but are they working on a prequel and sequel to the series at the same time????
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| Artistic license I get but this is a step too far. To rig up Ripley in a suicide vest is a bit more than distasteful, to a Western audience it should be an automatic "don't do". I am probably jumping to conclusions but is the writer equating the extremist fight to what his fictional Colonial Marines are facing against the Xenomorphs? |
Chest rigs are slowly but surely migrating back to the old LBE...
via Soldier Systems.
During this week’s Friday Focus, we are sharing a new FirstSpear product, just released during Warrior East. Designed primarily for jungle operations, the JOKER is a patrol rig intended specifically to work in conjunction with the FS MIKE Force Pack. Although the intended use was initially jungle, JOKER would make a great primary load carriage rig across the board. It offers a great deal of adjustment and can be worn alone, or over low bulk armor carriers like Slick, Deceptor NOC or similar from other manufacturers.Story and more pics here.
FirstSpear is one of those companies that is usually ahead of where the rest of the industry is going, which makes this interesting.
They can call it a chest rig all they want but my eyes are seeing a migration back to an LBE type setup. Its a 21st century LBE, but that design has more in common with it than with what we know as a chest rig these days.
Which begs the question why?
My belief is that chest rigs might work well for rebels/insurgents that carry little gear but US infantry...even light infantry...isn't light.
Expect to see more "21st century LBE's" to be hitting the market soon. Chest rigs MIGHT have been an evolutionary dead end.
Impressive police response to the TN massacre.
We all have heard news about the 4 Marines that were murdered in cold blood in TN yesterday.
What might have gone unnoticed is the police response.
It was impressive (at least from my armchair).
Consider how it would have been handled in the past. At the first location police would have set up a perimeter. Called in SWAT/Emergency Response and waited. No effort would have been made to determine whether the madman was still inside and people would have been told to simply barricade themselves and wait for help.
Now?
Patrol Officers charged right in. THEY RAN TO THE SOUNDS OF FIRE and did not hesitate. They were able to quickly run this bastard to ground and although his rampage continued until stopped by the good guys, he was stopped before he could continue on to a third and possibly fourth target.
We'll never know if he had a Mall or school or Veterans Center in his sights but its because of the police response.
Law Enforcement has evolved to deal with this threat.
Patrol is the key, not SWAT.
Which brings me to my final point. Don't get this twisted. I am beyond impressed with the response but I must again question where we're spending our resources. Should we focus on the big money SWAT teams that do raids every once and awhile (sorry guys gonna piss you off but I'm talking about real raids against guys that would fight back...not against mom and pop that got sideways with the law) or should we pump money into the patrol guys that will be the first to meet the homegrown or NATURALIZED terrorists?
What might have gone unnoticed is the police response.
It was impressive (at least from my armchair).
Consider how it would have been handled in the past. At the first location police would have set up a perimeter. Called in SWAT/Emergency Response and waited. No effort would have been made to determine whether the madman was still inside and people would have been told to simply barricade themselves and wait for help.
Now?
Patrol Officers charged right in. THEY RAN TO THE SOUNDS OF FIRE and did not hesitate. They were able to quickly run this bastard to ground and although his rampage continued until stopped by the good guys, he was stopped before he could continue on to a third and possibly fourth target.
We'll never know if he had a Mall or school or Veterans Center in his sights but its because of the police response.
Law Enforcement has evolved to deal with this threat.
Patrol is the key, not SWAT.
Which brings me to my final point. Don't get this twisted. I am beyond impressed with the response but I must again question where we're spending our resources. Should we focus on the big money SWAT teams that do raids every once and awhile (sorry guys gonna piss you off but I'm talking about real raids against guys that would fight back...not against mom and pop that got sideways with the law) or should we pump money into the patrol guys that will be the first to meet the homegrown or NATURALIZED terrorists?
Defense Debacle: Should Conservatives Cut Military Spending?
Thanks to Dain for the vid!
Bill Whittle is hitting the tip of the iceberg with the relationship between conservatives and the military. He focused on the F-35 but it should extend to other issues as well.
Jade Helm is a wake up call for the powers that be. Mocking the conspiracy theorist might be fun (they have yet to explain why with all the federal land available, SOCOM needs to crowd into US cities that look nothing like foreign ones) but the heartland---Red State America---the South---the parts of the country that were most supportive of the military are beginning to soften.
Recruiting is already taking a hit and its going to get worse. Retention is already suffering and its going to get worse (its being masked by the personnel cuts).
If conservatives decide that the Pentagon is being wasteful then all bets are off. You know that liberals would love cuts in defense and combined with a general view on the right that govt spending is out of control could lead to a strange alliance.
Conservatives and Liberals uniting to cut spending across the board...and this time making it stick.
Bill Whittle is hitting the tip of the iceberg with the relationship between conservatives and the military. He focused on the F-35 but it should extend to other issues as well.
Jade Helm is a wake up call for the powers that be. Mocking the conspiracy theorist might be fun (they have yet to explain why with all the federal land available, SOCOM needs to crowd into US cities that look nothing like foreign ones) but the heartland---Red State America---the South---the parts of the country that were most supportive of the military are beginning to soften.
Recruiting is already taking a hit and its going to get worse. Retention is already suffering and its going to get worse (its being masked by the personnel cuts).
If conservatives decide that the Pentagon is being wasteful then all bets are off. You know that liberals would love cuts in defense and combined with a general view on the right that govt spending is out of control could lead to a strange alliance.
Conservatives and Liberals uniting to cut spending across the board...and this time making it stick.
Operation Continuing Promise in S. America isn't as safe as you believe.
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| U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Giovanni Rivera, right, a civil affairs specialist assigned to 4th Civil Affairs Group, speaks with a Colombian Marine assigned to the Infanteria de Marina de Colombia during Operation Continuing Promise in Buenaventura, Colombia, July 12, 2015. Operation Continuing Promise is a mission to countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean, where the U.S. Military and its partnering nations work with host nations and a variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies in civil-military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. James R. Skelton/Released) |
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| U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Jason K. Wetherington, a civil affairs team leader assigned to 4th Civil Affairs Group collects information in support of Operation Continuing Promise in Buenaventura, Colombia, July 12, 2015. Operation Continuing Promise is a mission to countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean, where the U.S. Military and its partnering nations work with host nations and a variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies in civil-military operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. James R. Skelton/Released) |
I totally disagree.
Colombia is a prime example. They're currently engaged in fighting with FARC rebels (one of its helicopters was recently destroyed when it landed in a minefield) and the presence of US Marines on the ground operating with Colombian Naval Infantry (one FARCs biggest enemies) is going to put our forces into harms way in a place where many American's won't see it coming.
Operation Continuing Promise might seem easy, but it could easily go sideways if they're not careful. S. America is a dangerous place. You heard it here first.
Rafales in Egyptian Air Force markings...
via Defens-Aero.com
Dassault is moving fast on getting these jets out.
A late market surge by the Rafale to get a bit of market share? I wonder how low they're willing to go to make a sale now?
The fighter market war is far from a "done deal".
Dassault is moving fast on getting these jets out.
A late market surge by the Rafale to get a bit of market share? I wonder how low they're willing to go to make a sale now?
The fighter market war is far from a "done deal".
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Breaking! Hostage situation in Perth, Australia. Are we seeing a coordinated worldwide terrorist attack?
via Breaking News.com
I have to ask the question.
Are we seeing a coordinated worldwide terrorist attack?
First the attack on the Egyptian ship, then the rampage in TN, and now the issue in Australia?
The FBI is already involved in TN, but if you remember correctly, USMC bases in the Pacific were on full alert the summer before the 9/11 attack. The intelligence agencies got the message of planning for an attack but whiffed on the target.
Could we be seeing the same here?
Additionally if ISIS takes credit for all these incidents (and they've taken credit for two...TN and Egypt) then what does that tell us about that organization?
HOSTAGE SITUATION IN BUNBURY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
I have to ask the question.
Are we seeing a coordinated worldwide terrorist attack?
First the attack on the Egyptian ship, then the rampage in TN, and now the issue in Australia?
The FBI is already involved in TN, but if you remember correctly, USMC bases in the Pacific were on full alert the summer before the 9/11 attack. The intelligence agencies got the message of planning for an attack but whiffed on the target.
Could we be seeing the same here?
Additionally if ISIS takes credit for all these incidents (and they've taken credit for two...TN and Egypt) then what does that tell us about that organization?
4 Marines murdered in TN.
Terrible day.
Marines on the recruiting trail died because of the actions of a madman. It should be obvious to all that Marines need to have the ability to defend themselves especially when you consider where they have to travel in order to find recruits and because of the lunatics that are mixed in with the general population here in the US.
Putting that aside.
My heart goes out to the families of the victims.
Marines on the recruiting trail died because of the actions of a madman. It should be obvious to all that Marines need to have the ability to defend themselves especially when you consider where they have to travel in order to find recruits and because of the lunatics that are mixed in with the general population here in the US.
Putting that aside.
My heart goes out to the families of the victims.
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