What is this Chinese Self Propelled Gun?

China Defense Blog posted the above pic on their page today.  Check it out here.  What has me spinning is that I've never seen that vehicle before.  Is this real or are we getting played?

Ok Army. You've motorized the 82nd Airborne. Now how will you use them?

Ok Army.  You finally did the Mike Sparks thing and motorized the 82nd Airborne.  Congrats to Sparks and to your "reformers".

Now tell us all how you will use them, how this isn't a tremendous drag on a thousand mile supply line and how this new "mobility" will make you better.

I've looked at it and besides looking cool I see no benefit.

Tell me where I'm wrong.

SIDENOTE:  I need to inform everyone that this idea first originated with Mike Sparks waaay back when.  He even wrote a book with several other Army types that was called "Air-Mech Strike...Asymetric Maneuver Warfare for the 21st Century"....but again...the Army isn't doing what Sparks called for in his book or his website (Combat Reform is what he called it and if nothing else it has tons of historic information that all will find interesting).

What the fuck just happened in China? UPDATED!

via Foxtrot Alpha...

A massive explosion has rocked Tianjin, China. Some reports state that it may have been caused by a large gasoline facility detonating, although the accuracy of these reports remains questionable. Supposedly there are casualties and emergency response crews are trying to get to the scene now.
We will update you as more info becomes available.

He has a video over at his site.

China is running into a perfect storm.  Between the slowing economy, to the explosion, and onto an under reported Muslim terrorist problem they're getting their balls bashed.

Awesome.

UPDATE:  Spook linked me to this video...pretty damn spectacular....I don't know what they were making at this port but that reminds me of the scenario of an LNG ship going off when docked....

325th Airborne Infantry Regiment works out its Ultralight Combat Vehicles at NTC!...Photos by Staff Sgt. Jason Hull

Ultra-lightweight combat vehicles bearing Paratroopers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, speed across the Mojave Desert during a tactical movement toward an assault on an enemy-held urban environment at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., Aug.10, 2015. The 1st Bn. 325th AIR have been evaluating the vehicles throughout a variety of terrain and training exercises for more than a year to determine their ability to provide faster maneuverability and as small arms weapons platforms during joint forcible entry operations.

Combat Camera...from hate to love....

Hey guys.  Time to take time to give the boys over at Combat Camera a little love.

Its really kinda interesting.  I've been in the position of absoluting HATING them.  Phrasing like "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU SCRAWNY LITTLE BASTARD" have escaped my lips when those guys were around.  Many threats to grab one of them and beat their ass behind a sand berm have been issued.

I was wrong.

Not only are they a valuable source of info for the public, policy makers etc...but they also document operations for posterity.

They're an extremely important part of the Marine Corps that doesn't get enough love.

Sorry guys.  You do good work....keep it up....and ignore those that don't quite get it...they will eventually.

Only at the end does the Army Chief have the courage to speak truthfully...

via Sputnik...

"If we get small enough where some of these [world] leaders don't believe the Army can respond or deter them… that increases the threats and danger to the United States,” Odierno said in an interview published on Tuesday.
“I don't know what that level is, but I think we're getting dangerously close to that level now,” he stated.

Here.

How much ground combat power have we shredded, tossed away and now act as if all is well?

13 Brigade Combat Teams.

That boys and girls is at least a couple of divisions.  So in essence the US Army has almost tossed away the equivalent of the USMC (in size) from them.

Getting dangerously close?  We're already there.  The only real question is why aren't more people talking about this.

“Thunder without Lightning” (PDF)

  “Thunder without Lightning,” (PDF)

Why the F-35 Is Particularly Ill-Suited to Succeed in the Asia-Pacific via The Diplomat...

via The Diplomat...

A new report titled “Thunder without Lightning,” (PDF) authored by Bill French and Daniel Edgren for the National Security Network (NSN), argues that the United States’ fifth-generation fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), has major shortcomings that will leave it particularly ill-suited to project air power in the Asia-Pacific region. The F-35 has come under wide-ranging criticism, primarily for the considerable expansion of the costs associated with the program but also for its perceived operational shortcomings. The NSN report is the latest salvo against the United States’ flagship fighter program, the costs of which continue to balloon, inching toward half-a-trillion dollars.
In short, the F-35 just doesn’t have the right feature set to thrive in the geographically expansive war-fighting scenarios foreseen in the Asia-Pacific.
Specifically, the authors write that “The F-35’s short range means that it will be of limited use in geographically expansive theaters like the Asia-Pacific or against so-called anti-access threats whereby adversaries can target forward airbases.” In recent years, U.S. strategic thought has fixated on counter anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) challenges from possible adversaries in the Asia-Pacific. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Defense has planned for contingencies involving a potential war with China, which is heavily investing in these sorts of technologies to make intervention costly for U.S. conventional forces.

Read it all here. 

Yeah.  You thought this was over?  YOU WERE WRONG!  The F-35 must die so that the Marine Corps Ground Combat Element can live!

Tossing a few pimped out Humvees in the form of the JLTV will not suffice.  We'd do better by buying more MTVRs!  We need the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, we need a replacement rifle (and not the pathetic M4)....we need to recapitalize our ground vehicle fleet.  We can't do that with the F-35 sucking up every penny and the Wing demanding more boat spaces!

YJ-18 Anti-Ship Transport/Launch Vehicle?

Photo and story via SPUTNIK!

Pictures have surfaced of what is believed to be the largest ever Chinese military vehicle for transporting and launching missiles.
Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) vehicles are used to quickly transport and fire surface-to-air, cruise and ballistic missiles.
Chinese drivers have recently spotted a new version of the vehicle, which appears similar to the military's standard TEL, except that the latest model is "much, much larger," according to Popular Science.
"There's an extended section above the first and second axles, which would likely hold additional personnel and equipment for missile launch and flight corrections. Also, it has a satellite communications dome, suggesting that it requires higher bandwidth for datalinks necessary to operate a more sophisticated missile," Popular Science reported.
Most notable about the new TEL are its two giant mystery missiles. While the standard vehicle carried three missile canisters, the new TEL carries only two missile canisters, suggesting a much wider missile.
Also, even though the new TEL vehicle is longer, its missile canisters still extend to its rear bumper, showing that the new missile is wider and two to three meters longer, Popular Science reported.

How good is our intel on this new missile?  Wider and two to three meters longer?  That means it flies further than we thought, hits harder than we thought or both.

Forget the partnership stuff.

Its time to start taking China seriously!

3rd MarDiv in Operation Dawson River, Vietnam via Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections

Check out Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections Flickr Page here....

Marines Move Through Elephant Grass, 1969
"Tall Troubles: Leathernecks participating in Operation Dawson River found six-foot-tall elephant grass could present problems—especially when moving through the thick foliage. The Marines, members of the 9th Marine Regiment of the 3d Marine Division, conducted the sweep south of the Demilitarized Zone in search of enemy weapons and supply caches (official USMC photo by Lance Corporal Don Barr)."

Marines Move Through Elephant Grass, 1969
"Dawson River: Leathernecks of the 3d Marine Division participating in Operation Dawson River advance through thick, sharp elephant grass south of the Demilitarized Zone (official USMC photo by Lance Corporal Don Barr)."

Marine Lends a Helping Hand, 1969
"Lending a Hand: An outstretched hand from a Marine buddy helps lift this Leatherneck from a deep stream south of the Demilitarized Zone. The 9th Marine Regiment Leathernecks were participating in Operation Dawson River, west of Khe Sanh in the northernmost province of South Vietnam (official USMC photo by Lance Corporal Don Barr)."

Marines Move Through Elephant Grass, 1969
"Elephant Grass: Leathernecks of the 3d Marine Division advance through sharp, thick elephant grass west of Khe Sanh. The Marines are participating in Operation Dawson River, south of the Demilitarizing Zone, searching for the enemy, his fighting bunkers and supply caches. Marines shown are part of a weapons platoon, the Leatherneck at the left carrying a mortar tube (official USMC photo by Lance Corporal Don Barr)."

S. Hawkins and R.J. Thibault Prepare Defensive Positions, 1969
"Bottoms Up: Leatherneck Lance Corporal S. Hawkins (Rochester, New York) left, and Sergeant R. J. Thibault (Lewiston, Maine) prepare defensive positions west of Khe Sanh. Units of the 3d Marine Division are participating in Operation Dawson River, south of Demilitarized Zone. A Marine mortar is centered, foreground (official USMC photo by Lance Corporal Don Barr)."