Kel-Tec KSG Shotgun in service with ROK Army 31st Infantry Division????

I was thumbing thru the Republic Of Korea Army's page, saw the above pic and did a full stop.

Is that a Kel-Tec KSG Shotgun?

Pprune takes apart the F35 in a very British way...

Thanks to ELP Blog for the passage from Pprune...

A thought experiment: a look at the F-35B Block 2B from the JFACC's viewpoint.

"Welcome to Al-Bungabunga AB, old boy. Nice new crates! Mind if I assign you to some DCA? We've got a bit of a Sukhoi threat and the odd civilian Johnny blundering through, so we need to get out there and check 'em out with the Mark One Eyeball before we let fly."
"Sir, yes Sir! We're super hot on DCA - just that if it's either Sheik Yabooti in his G650 or a Su, and they're above FL400, we can't get up there. But give us some notice and we'll be blasting out there at our full Mach 1.2."
"Pity. We do need some CAS up north..."
"Sir, yes Sir! We are Marines and unlike those milquetoast Chair Force ladies, we live to support the tip of the spear, within our operational and weapons limits. Our EO-DAS and EOTS can detect a mover, whether it's an armed Hi-Lux or the market bus, and if it's not moving too fast we can obliterate it with a 500-lb LGB, Sir! We carry two of those, but until we get drop tanks we can give you 10 minutes over target at 350 miles, but we'll make those count, Sir, and we have a cool workaround that's 10 per cent as effective as Rover when it comes to avoiding blue-on-blue."
"Keen as mustard, eh! Unfortunately the local chaps take a dim view of us blowing up their wives and goats, and the last time we put up a CAS sortie with Rover INOP, things got a bit pear-shaped and the next we knew we had this frightful bounder in the CAOC, wearing wings and a dagger and saying he would 'slot the ****ing lot of us' if we did it again. We'd better leave CAS to the A-10s and the Tornado mates with HDTV and Brimstone. How about some NTISR?"
"Absolutely, Sir. We'd be glad to go out and acquire medium-rez MWIR imagery! And we'll deliver it as soon as we land and the data has been sanitized in our SCIF. No more than eight hours throughput time, we guarantee, Sir!"
"Hate to say this, but I'm not sure that the intel shop will be too happy with that. Now, about the Emir's birthday fly-by..."

Typically British...dry humor at its best...with more than a dose of truth to it.

The F-35 will be pencil whipped into service....and it will underperform in comparison to legacy jets for--------ever.  I can't wait to see how the Assistant Commandant for Aviation explains to the entire world, because the entire world will be watching, why a plane that was just declared operational will be unable to perform real world missions for half a decade and after that only limited missions.

Talk about a new way of looking at warfare can only dazzle the stupid for so long.

Celebration in the Philippines over a Japanese decision?

I try (unsuccessfully) to monitor stuff going on around the world.  Of course the Pacific is of interest so keeping one eye on the Philippines with a focus on their relations with their neighbors and the insurgency is at the top of my blogging to do list.

Well the Philippine social networks are all fired up by a Japanese decision.

The ban on Japanese troops fighting overseas is ended.

The Philippine citizen response?  They're asking for Japan bases and troops!

Amazing.  Those cunning Japanese are swinging public opinion and look poised to become the head of an alliance that the US should be running.  They're galvanizing the region in opposition to the Chinese.

We need to get a better handle on things ricky tick quick.  The Japanese and Chinese are heading toward a serious fight.  They're moving sideways to each other now, but the end result is easily predicted.

These two will be hookin' and jabbin' whether by plan or accident real soon.

I can't wait for Germany to suffer a catastrophic terror attack...UPDATE & CLARIFICATION!

That headline was provocative wasn't it.

Let me explain before you go high and to the right.

I watched the vid and it seemed like a celebration of German military technological might.  I think it could actually be stated that the German Puma is the most advanced tracked infantry fighting vehicle in production.

Maybe even the best...meaning best balanced...fighting vehicle.

But the Germans have a problem.  They have an extremely passive foreign policy.  They have trouble selling military hardware to friends much less frenemies.

So what would happen if they suffered a catastrophic terrorist attack?  Would they awaken from their slumber?  Would the people demand blood for blood?

At some point political correctness will be rejected by the body politic of Europe..and since I see Germany as being the foundation of the weak response by Europe to Islamic radicalism, it begs the question.

Would a German 9/11 make them wake up and smell the Jihad?

UPDATE!!!!
I need to point something out.  NO!!!  I do not want to see the German people suffer.  I have no desire to see anyone killed or injured.  I do however view this "spate of terrorism" as more than that.  I think there are many leaders that view this as simply a minor flare up.  I see it differently.  I personally believe that this is a fight for the very survival of our nation.  Look at how much we've changed our society to make up for the lack of a strong, forceful response to the barbarity that is being pushed upon us.  NSA mass spying?  Air travel that is such a pain (and that isn't even talking about cattle car seating) that its to be avoided?  Cameras dotting every street? The terrorists are winning because we continue to take half measures to confront them.  It can't be the US alone in this fight.  We need our allies on board.  We need China and Russia on board!  This is a fight that should be uniting civil society against barbarians...instead we have the cultural elite telling us that we should be more understanding.

China's Anti-Access Complex is almost complete...

Wow.

I didn't see this coming but China's Anti-Access Complex is almost complete.  To be honest its probably capable of doing the job now, but the Chinese way of war means that they will continue to refine it until there is no doubt of victory and they will probably try and make it so formidable that we wouldn't even try and penetrate it.

What the Fuck am I talking about?  Check this out...first lets talk the YJ-12...via Wikipedia...

In February 2015, Li Li claimed the YJ-12 had a range of 400 km. and a speed of Mach 4 when launched at high altitude.[3]
A 2011 article in the United States Naval War College Review credited the "YJ-91/YJ-12" with a range of 400 km. and a 205 kg. high explosivewarhead.,[4] compared to the 130 km. range of a Harpoon anti-ship missile. Furthermore, an aircraft could launch the "YJ-91/YJ-12" while still 230 km. beyond the range of the SM-2 and Sparrow anti-air missiles, which had ranges of less than 170 km.[5] Following up in 2014, Robert Haddick postulated that a saturation attack by YJ-12's fired at long range would be viable against United States carrier strike groups, even if the latter was upgraded with Cooperative Engagement Capability.[6]
It has been test-launched from Xian H-6 bombers.[7] Reportedly, they may also be launched from the Su-30MKK, the J-11, and the J-16.[8]

Now lets talk DF-21...

The US Department of Defense stated in 2010 that China has developed and reached initial operating capability (IOC)[12] of a conventionally armed[13] high hypersonic[14] land-based anti-ship ballistic missile based on the DF-21. This would be its first ASBM and weapon system capable of targeting a moving aircraft carrier strike group from long-range, land-based mobile launchers.[15][16] [17] These would combine maneuverable reentry vehicles (MaRVs) with some kind of terminal guidance system. Such a missile may have been tested in 2005-6, and the launch of the Jianbing-5/YaoGan-1 and Jianbing-6/YaoGan-2 satellites would give the Chinese targeting information from SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and visual imaging respectively. The upgrades would greatly enhance China's ability to conduct sea-denial operations to prevent US carriers from intervening in the Taiwan Strait.[18]
United States Naval Institute in 2009 stated that such a warhead would be large enough to destroy an aircraft carrier in one hit and that there was "currently ... no defense against it" if it worked as theorized.[19

Lets talk about a missile that isn't getting much limelight...the YJ-100...

The “YJ-100″ is not a supersonic missile but has a long attack range. Li said that if the range of the “YJ-100″ can reach as long as 800 kilometers, it will strike aircraft carrier and large surface targets in a long distance that beyond visual range and the enemy can hardly response properly.
If the range can reach 2,500 kilometers as same as that of American air-launched cruise missiles, it will do a great damage to enemy’s large surface warships.
It is reported that the “YJ-12″ will be launched from the H-6 strategic bomber and a new type JH-7B fighter bomber of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). In addition, the type-055 guided missile destroyer will be equipped with the “YJ-100″ to promote its battle strength.

These are just the missiles.  I haven't even touched on the anti-stealth radar systems or the stealth aircraft they're working on.  Additionally we aren't including what's going on with the man made islands...or the ship building program they've embarked on.

Believe it or not I'm not worried about the carriers.

They're going to be held back...no way in hell the US would risk the loss of national prestige...or personnel with the sinking of a carrier that strayed too far afield.

I AM WORRIED about the Destroyers, LCS and Amphibs that are starting to do this "independent" ship operation jazz.  It will be child's play to launch a coordinated time on target against several dozen independent ships over several thousand square kilometers of ocean.

Our military is orienting to fight primitives when the Dragon is in the room.

The Chinese have straws out.  They're gonna drink our milkshake.

History repeats. A Sailor dies besides Marines in the TN incident...

Thanks to Coffee Joe Java for the heads up.

I (we) tease the Navy.  Its a Marine Corps thing and is understood, embraced and loved by all.  Squiddies give as good as they take and the relationship between the Navy/Marine Corps is the only truly joint service that works the way the futurist dream of.

The history is that Sailors have served beside and died with Marines since the birth of the Corps.

That sad history repeated itself in the TN incident.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer Randall Smith, father to three children, wounded in a shooting rampage in Tennessee, died early Saturday. He is the fifth American service member killed in the attack.

God bless the victims and their families....

Correction on SNAFU!'s coverage of the TN incident...

Pat (one of my readers) informed me that I had gotten an important part of the TN incident wrong.  I went with the idea that the slain Marines were on recruiting duty.  They were not.  These Marines were either on I&I duty or drilling reservists.

I appreciate the correction and wanted to set the record straight.  One thing I did get right though...we should do EVERYTHING in our power to prevent this from happening again.  Marines should not be placed in positions where they cannot defend themselves.  It is beyond obvious that the US has been infiltrated by terrorists due to our immigration laws and that these people are targeting the military.  With that being the case it is past time Recruiters and I&I personnel were armed.

ZBD04 an unsuccessful AFV?

Its widely agreed, and has become conventional wisdom that China is in the process of modernizing their forces.

I feel that the hope is they adopt the Western standard across the board which means that they seek to have the most high tech force possible...even if that means that they lack numbers.

If China Defense Blog is to be believed then they're seeking not only an advanced force but will not sacrifice numerical superiority while getting there...this little blurb from a recent post covering the 163rd Motorized Infantry Division is noteworthy... 

The thin-skinned ZBD04 pictured here is not successful by PLA standards, only 500 vehicles entered service when the heavier and larger ZBD05 became the new standard issue tracked APC for "swimming" units and the up-armored ZBD04A for others.

Yeah.

Drink that in.

First a BMP derivative is being chided for having thin skin!  In comparison to what?  The new standard in their forces the ZBD05!

I hope to God that US intel is working overtime to get info on that vehicle.  If this is reality and not propaganda then our open source assessments are off.

Second.

The Chinese can produce 500 vehicles then decide that they need to toss away the design and move on?  We were able to do that in the 1950's but those days are long over.

Again, this is instructive.  In the time that it has taken the USMC to get to a "down select" on the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, the Chinese have put into service the ZBD04, ZBD05 and two wheeled amphibious vehicles....additionally we have little visibility on the upgrades that they done to the vehicles they have in service.

If my prediction is correct.  If a war in the Pacific is characterized by motorized/armored warfare....and if the USMC continues on the road of Company Landing Teams as the primary fighting unit instead of MEU's then we're going to be in a hurt locker.

The only rapid deployable force that will be able to withstand an attack by armored forces is the Marine Expeditionary Unit fighting as a combined arms team.  Airborne, Air Assault and CLTs will be fixed and destroyed with little difficulty.

Since when do the "protectors" need protecting?

Gunny Slater had just finished PT, changed over and was starting his day.  He ran the Victorville, CA recruiting office and life was good.  He made mission, none of his recruiters had impregnated one of the female recruits and  the long hours, putting up with idiots that didn't have the balls to be Marines but still needed to be treated like they did and the crazy Mom's that were losing their minds because little Timmy finally wanted to be a man had paid off....he had been selected to be a 1st Sgt in his beloved Corps.

While drinking his morning brew, he observed a bearded man walk by his door several times...

No problem but noted.

Then the unthinkable happened.  The jackass actually walked to his truck, brought out an AK-47 and opened up.

Jimmy Jihad didn't realize...or maybe he did...that he was engaging a combat seasoned US Marine.  He thought that because recruiting offices didn't have firearms that he was safe to carry out this attack.

Jimmy Jihad was wrong.  Gunny Slater had been briefed by Recruiting Command on the latest to come down the pike.  Since the attack in TN, all recruiters were issued Colt SubCompact Weapons.

What was once a soft target was now a properly equipped US Marine Corps installation.

Jimmy never even got a chance to finish the Akbar in the Allahu Akbar war cry.

That is how this story should end every time from this moment on.  Instead we have US ARMY jackasses commenting on a Marine tragedy.  Check this out from NBC News.

Gen. Ray Odierno told reporters that the military will review security at those facilities. But he said that recruiters are not armed because of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prevents the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement.

Bullshit!

LET ME REPEAT BULLSHIT!

Self defense is not a law enforcement act, therefore it does not violate the Posse Comitatus Act!  Additionally if you can trust these men with millions of dollars of government equipment.  If you can trust them to pull the trigger overseas then you can trust them to defend themselves.

The facts are stark.

Homegrown terrorists, acting on behalf of ISIS (or other groups) are attacking our military members on home soil.

But this idea of providing SECURITY for trained warriors?  Protecting the protectors?  Really?  Seriously? At what point does it become the responsibility of trained individuals to protect themselves?

Are we really that big a nanny state now?

General Odierno is wrong, should stop parroting the administration line, stay in his fucking lane and let the USMC/Dept of the Navy speak on this subject.

Honor the Fallen

via Marines.mil

Honor the Fallen

Four U.S. Marines died July 16, 2015, in a shooting at the Navy Operational Support Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan

Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt

Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist

Lance Cpl. Squire K. Wells

"Please keep our fallen Marines in Tennessee and their families in your thoughts and prayers."
— Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.

Semper Fidelis, Marines.