Spain to "trial" Piranha V 8x8's.

Thanks to Alexander Clarke @ AC_Naval History for the link!

via Janes

While a definitive purchase is still to be agreed, industry sources have told IHS Jane'sthat preparing the vehicle for a test package makes the Piranha "now almost certain" to be the final choice.
It is understood that five vehicles will be used for tests as part of a programme that will run through 2017. The following year the MoD is expected to give its final decision on a planned acquisition of between 300 and 400 vehicles. Besides GD, the project also involves SAPA, for the motors, and Indra for the command and control and missions systems.
Neither the company nor the ministry has commented yet on the technological trial contract, but the source says it was signed on 4 December.
Earlier this year the Spanish government allotted EUR89 million (USD97 million) for the 8x8 development programme for what it calls the Vehículo de Combate sobre Ruedas (VCR): a project that is being financed by the Ministry of Industry.
Once a purchase is agreed, initial orders are expected to focus on troop carriers and scouting and command versions before following up with more specialist versions in later orders.

I wish someone at General Dynamics could explain the Piranha line.  From my count they have at least 5 different 8x8's in production right now.  They all are different weight classes, but appear to fill the same roles.

As far as Spain's decision to "lock in" on the Piranha V?  To each his own.  They know their requirements, but of note is the fact that the trend toward procuring and then developing a family of vehicles from it, is picking up speed.

Some in Korean leadership call to exit the F-35 program and start the KF-X.

Thanks to Charley A. for the link!

via KoreaTimes

The government is facing growing calls to restart its problematic fighter jet development program from square one ― and cancel a deal with Lockheed Martin to purchase F-35 stealth fighters, if necessary.
Some politicians and critics say it seems almost impossible for the nation to develop its own fighter jet by the designated year of 2025 due to growing uncertainties over technology transfers from Washington.
"It is not an easy decision to cancel the F-35 deal, but the idea is well worth considering if it is hard for Korea to acquire the U.S. technology through the deal," said Rep. Kim Kwang-jin of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) to The Korea Times.
Kim noted that the government appeared to have already considered cancellation, citing that the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has estimated expenses that the nation must pay as a cancellation charge if the F-35 deal is canceled.

I'm betting that this is a negotiating tactic to try and worm out prized tech but I think they're misplaying their hand.

The S. Koreans pullout and the program collapses on its own weight.  It will knock everyone else out of the deal....but it will give us the perfect excuse to shut it down and start again.

I don't think the S. Koreans know how many inside the Pentagon, Marine Corps and Congress want to do exactly that!

Let's talk Law Enforcement vs. Knife wielding suspects.

I stand ready to be corrected where I am wrong, but every self defense/unarmed combat course I've been to has said the following:  If you engage with someone even moderately trained with a knife and you are unarmed, you should expect to be cut.  If you engage with a person that is even moderately trained and you're armed and the suspect is within 21 feet, they can cover that distance before you can draw and shoot.  If you engage with a person that is even moderately trained and do not employ deadly force you're a fool.

Why do I bring this up?

Because of the insanity in London (I guess Chicago too but I don't want to wade into those waters).  Unless modern unarmed combat changes and unless a change is made to the force continuum, then to attempt to subdue a person armed with a knife-- with a Taser is not only crazy (in my opinion) but it's also sloppy police work.

Yeah.  It's worked in the past and it worked in London, but it's still poor police work.

Why?

Because it places false expectations on Law Enforcement.  Would you use a spinning kick to knock a knife out of the hands of an attacker?  No?  It's the same foolishness as expecting a Taser to accomplish the job.

What I'm telling you isn't popular but it's the truth.  That's why it takes so much nuance to know if what you're seeing is excessive police force or spot on.  Until Law Enforcement takes the time to educate the public on these issues I expect the confusion...and the unreasonable expectations to remain.

The reaction to the President's speech is in...its not good.

Watching the enemy this morning (Morning Joe) and the consensus view is that the President's speech fell flat.  Even last night I heard from the guy that got a tingle down his leg when he heard the President speak during the election (Chris Matthews), that the White House evoked "false drama" by scheduling a primetime speech on Sunday.

So where does this leave us?

Exactly where I said.  The guy is phoning it in during his last year in office. If there is any good news it's this.  This is turning into a foreign policy/terrorism election.  The bad news?  It's turning into a foreign policy/terrorism election.  If the John McCain/Lindsey Graham wing of the party holds sway then I can tell you now I'm sitting this one out.  If we can get something more along the lines of Paul then I'll climb back in.  I'm not sure where Trump is, but I still don't think he'll be around at the end.

The amazing thing?  We are a country of almost 400 million people and we have such a weak field of candidates.  I expect the downward spiral to continue.  Economically we're in a hurt locker and on the battlefield we're facing defeat from a group of primitives in Toyota pickup trucks.

Wahhabi Islam is the real threat to the West. Look at Riyadh instead of Raqqa to kill ISIS!

Thanks to Dacroix for the link!

Thank to MicMac for finding this image...I think it says everything, except that we need an alliance of all modern countries (the West, BRIC, etc...) to fight first ISIS and then kill the root...yeah, we're gonna need to burn Saudi Arabia to the ground.

via DW.com

In an interview with the German newspaper "Bild am Sonntag," Gabriel said that Saudi Arabia needed "to solve the regional conflicts," but added that it was also necessary to "make clear that the time to look away is past."
"Wahhabi mosques are financed all over the world by Saudi Arabia. In Germany, many dangerous Islamists come from these communities," Gabriel said.
Saudi Arabia follows the ultra-conservative Wahhabi form of Islam and is regarded by some outsiders as a cause of the international jihadist threat.

Time to get real.  Islam has a violent, out of control and lethal strain that is widespread, highly funded and  pushed by a so called ally.

I'm talking about Wahhabism.

Don't be fooled.  If this sect of Islam did not exist,  the ruling family in Saudi Arabia would have to invent it.  The need is to keep young men studious (learning the aspects of the religion), to get them focused and then to have them leave the country to spread its tenets.

The difference between it and other religious sects?  It is violent and is aimed at the West.

Islam has been hijacked?  No.  A sect of it has been aimed away from its natural target and toward the West.  Its really that simple.  If it was nurtured it would be a minor player in the religion.  That's not the case so now we need to deal with.  If you really want to kill ISIS then look at Riyadh instead of Raqqa. 

The son of a bitch is calling for more gun control...

Wow.  I was so wrong.  This is a big bunch of nothing speech.  He's talking about banning people from buying guns on the no fly list?  Obviously he doesn't know that it has more than 40% false positives!  There is almost no way to get your name OFF the list if you've been falsely accused and the criteria to get on it is getting looser everyday.

He talks about the Visa Waiver program.  Well guess what!  Its gonna no longer matter.  More people are coming in on refugee and immigration programs.

Oh and last.  This bastard is talking about the backlash against Muslims.  This is turning out to the be the highlight of his speech.  Not talking about what he's gonna do to safeguard the homeland.  Nope.  The main part of this speech is "the backlash".  Simply fucking amazing.

The same talking points we've heard since the shootings being spouted from the Oval Office.

I don't know why I expected better but I did.  He disappoints again.

Iraq is talking about asking Russia for help following Turkish "invasion"

via Sputnik

The head of Iraq's parliamentary committee on security and defense, Hakim al-Zamili, in an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, said that Baghdad could turn to Moscow for help after Turkey had allegedly breached Iraq’s sovereignty.
Numerous reports suggest that on Friday Turkey sent approximately 130 soldiers to norther Iraq. Turkish forces, deployed near the city of Mosul, are allegedly tasked with training Peshmerga, which has been involved in the fight against Daesh, also known as ISIL.
On Saturday, Baghdad described the move as "a serious violation of Iraqi sovereignty," since it had not been authorized by Iraqi authorities.
"We may soon ask Russia for direct military intervention in Iraq in response to the Turkish invasion and the violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Iraqi lawmaker al-Zamili said.

I wonder if this is a direct shot toward NATO?  Supposedly Iraq also said that US forces weren't welcome and yet we have several thousand on their soil and several hundred running ops.

Now Turkey is playing games.

Just wondering aloud.  Why are all these countries pushing so hard for a confrontation between the US/NATO and Russia.

F-35 decision again delayed by Denmark

via DefenseNews.

This Danish government is set to announce a selection in the first quarter of 2016.
The PDC had specifically sought answers from Christensen regarding technical issues raised about the F-35’s capabilities in the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation Office (DOT&E) report for the US secretary of defense.
Christensen’s decision not to address any questions directly relating to the F-35 did not go down well with many PDC members.
"I find it strange and disturbing that the defense minister, so close to the end of the aircraft type selection process, will not address the critical assessments of the fighter plane that is regarded as the favorite in this competition. I had expected that the minister would have more to say about the F-35 and its technical issues," said Eva Flyvholm, the Red-Green Alliance party member on the PDC.
Denmark has contributed an estimated $291 million to the Joint Strike Fighter development program.
The three competitors have submitted bids for 24, 30 and 36 aircraft to the MoD's Project Office. Denmark had originally sought bids for up to 48 aircraft to replace the Danish Air Force’s aging F-16s.
However, economic uncertainty and tougher public spending cuts have reduced Denmark’s appetite for higher budgets and lowered its ambitions regarding the number of aircraft to be acquired.

More bad news for the F-35 program.

It keeps coming back to costs and the costs are out of control.  Additionally they can't push down the cost curve because the plane is so expensive, so people will buy less which means that the reduced number of aircraft to be bought pushes the price up...which....well you get the idea.

The F-35 is caught in the death spiral, which is turning into a flat spin with the plane headed out to sea.

President Obama to address the nation tonight at 8 pm ET...why not wait till Mon for a news conference?

via White House.

On Sunday, December 6, at 8:00 pm ET, President Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office about the steps our government is taking to fulfill his highest priority: Keeping the American people safe.
He will provide an update on the ongoing investigation into the tragic attack in San Bernardino. He will also discuss the broader threat of terrorism -- including the nature of the threat, how it has evolved, and how we will defeat it.

He will reiterate his firm conviction that ISIL will be destroyed and that the United States must draw upon our values -- our unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and freedom -- to prevail over terrorist groups that use violence to advance a destructive ideology.

This is short fused.  Why rush a "talk to the nation" on Sunday night, instead of waiting till Monday? Do they have intel that another attack is imminent?

Terror attack in London..

Thanks to Galileo for the link!

via BNO

It happened at about 7:06 p.m. local time on Saturday when police were called to reports of a stabbing at the Leytonstone underground station in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. One of the officers responding to the incident fired his taser at the suspect, after which he was taken into custody.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Service said three people were injured in the attack, including one man who suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was taken to an east London police station where he remained in custody late on Saturday.
"We are treating this as a terrorist incident. I would urge the public to remain calm, but alert and vigilant," said Commander Richard Walton, who leads the Metropolitan Police Service's Counter Terrorism Command. "The threat from terrorism remains at severe, which means that a terrorist attack is highly likely.

A taser vs. a knife.  They seriously need to equip their law enforcement better.