Open Comment Post. Nov 27, 2017 and a few agenda items!

I love those Jeep Comanche pickups.  The new hotness is to find one that's rusting in a junk yard or to grab one that's been sitting in a barn unused and bring it back to life like you see above.

Jeep is talking about building a "Jeep Truck" based on using the front end of a Wrangler...sorta like the AEV conversions.  I think they're screwing up.  They should have gone back to the future and just modernized these jewels.

Having said that I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Hope you didn't make a glutton out of yourself (God knows I didn't....an ill timed bout of sickness saw to that) and I hope you're back on the grind of staying in shape.

I was told that no matter what you should do three things everyday.  Hygiene like you're about to be inspected.  Work like you're making a million dollars that day.  And finally workout because you only get one body and you've got to task it, challenge it and rip it (muscles...don't be an ass, you know what I mean) to make it last.

Last thing I need to say is that I'm traveling back today from the holiday hangout so posting is gonna be LIGHT.  Still, I have ONE PRIORITY!  I have a book review to post this afternoon and I was lucky enough to get a give away for an item that I'm gonna recommend for the Commandant's Reading List.

Stand by for that to drop later today.

Oh and just a reminder gents.  We're in the Christmas season and for some reason my fellow Americans seem to get more stressed out and do more stupid shit during this time of year than the rest (well with the exception of summertime months in certain locations....if you don't understand than I recommend you talk to law enforcement).

Stay safe boys.  I told you about the talk I had with a Sheriff's Deputy in the emergency room while getting shots of antibiotics and later I heard that a DPS Trooper in Texas had been shot and killed in a freaking traffic accident.

I can't imagine.  Pulling some idiot over and ready to write him a ticket and send him on his way and end up in a gunfight from hell?  Many times at the time and place of his choosing (assuming he knows the area well and most people are remarkably "close to home" in their driving habits).

Terrible stuff.

Don't be a victim.  Don't be paranoid but keep your head on a swivel.  You might like to think it couldn't happen to you but it happens to someone everyday...so enjoy the holidays but protect yourself and your family.

SNAFU out!

Another Marine Legend passes away. Colonel Wesley Fox....

Col. Wesley L. Fox, who earned the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War, passed away. 
He served 43 years in the Corps and was a true Marine’s Marine. 
Semper Fidelis, Col. Fox.

I unfortunately met him at a critical time with an unfortunate outcome but he was the real deal.  Respect.

Open Comment Post. Nov 26, 2017

Russian Zircon Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile is ready now???

via Naval News Instagram Page.

RUSSIA has confirmed its hypersonic missle that can destroy the warships in a single strike are ready "as of today". Vladimir Putin's defence boss reportedly confirmed the weapons, which can travel up to six times the speed of sound at 4,600 mph and reportedly more than 600 miles, were ready for war.

The lethal Zircon missile can travel at speeds of Mach 5–Mach 6 (3,806–4,567 mph; 6,125–7,350 km/h; 1,701.5–2,041.7 m/s). Such high speeds have led to concerns that it could penetrate existing naval defense systems; the Royal Navy's Sea Ceptor surface-to-air missile is only capable of intercepting targets flying up to Mach 3.  In April 2017, it was revealed that the Zircon had reached a speed of Mach 8 (6,090 mph; 9,800 km/h; 2,722.3 m/s) during a test.

Moscow tested the weapon back in June and the Zircon – also known as Tsirkon – has been in development for over 20 years.

Don't have time and I'm too tired to check tonight but this can't be true!  If it is then we need new anti-missile defense systems like yesterday.

We saw what happened when the kinetic energy of a destroyed anti-ship missile struck a British ship and they were subsonic.  The speed alone of this type missile will mean that a warhead is irrelevant.  Energy transfer alone will totally wreck the thing.

What I don't know is how a battleship would fare against this type of weapon.  The Iowa Class Battleships were designed to withstand the firepower of 18in guns of the Japanese battlewagons so perhaps (and I'm just throwing this out there...I have no idea just spitballing) they could handle the threat.

If we can't do that then I've heard/read don't remember the idea of using supertankers loaded with sand to act as missile magnets and have them emit the way that aircraft carriers do to protect them.

Doesn't matter though.  We need to find out if this is real first.  Once that's confirmed then we can start on solving this problem.

Sidenote.  How did the Russians get the lead on us in this field?  I thought we were ahead of everyone in the field of hypersonics, rail guns and laser warfare! 

If this don't give you feels then you need to check yourself

A WWII soldier was found after 70 years and returned to the US for burial. His wife waited for him all this time. @legends.of.glory

Just plain wow.  If this story is even halfway true then I'm floored.  To wait 70 years for your fallen husband?  Knowing for more years than you want to count that he's probably dead but you wait anyway?

Feels man.  Pure feels.

Japanese militarization...we play with forces we don't understand. Read about Yukio Mishima.

pics via fujisan-ni-noboru-hinode tumblr page.

The above Tumblr Page has me on a new mission after reading a bit about Yukio Mishima.

First I must learn more about this guy.

Second I must rethink my views about how to contain China.  To put things plainly I have to wonder if US participation isn't making things a bit easier for China in the Pacific.

I speak often about China's militarism.  I warn about the things that I've read on Chinese boards and how they have a martial spirit that should have us on almost a war footing and getting ready for a fight.

I've talked about how the S. Koreans view Japan as a greater threat than China and how the Chinese worry more about the Japanese than they do the US.

But I've never put it all together.

Then I read just a snippet about this guy.  I recall some of the stuff that I've read on Japanese boards and I realized something.

Japan has a martial spirit that scares the entire region.

If the US were to simply step out the way.  Stop acting as big brother and attempting to "guide" the region as it always has I have to wonder if we wouldn't have a better outcome.  Don't get me wrong.  We would probably see a bigger uptick in incidents between countries we consider allies.  The Japanese and S. Koreans would definitely become engaged in naval skirmishes, Vietnam would lose their shit, and Singapore would undoubtedly become alarmed at the rapid militarization that we would see.

But at the same time we could see China's activities virtually halted in light of a resurgent Japan and we could better allocate our forces and marshall our strength toward actively ASSISTING their efforts against our common foe and referee fights between our allies.

Our relations with the Japanese, S. Koreans and others in the region would be more adult like.  Instead of playing massive power we would instead fall into the roll of partnership...real partnerships instead of shouldering the whole load ourselves.

Yukio Mishima had the wrong idea when it came to putting a new emperor in charge of Japan, but a greater role for Japan in defense of itself?  I think he might have been onto something.

South Korea K2 Black Panther Main Battle Tanks South Han River Fording

Warhammer News. Massive show of force using stealth aircraft planned off N. Korea. Is this real or too early?

via Business Insider.

The US and South Korean militaries will join together for a final military exercise to close out a heated 2017 with F-22 and F-35 stealth jets training right off North Korea's borders.

The exercise, called "Vigilant Ace," will run from December 4-8 and involve 12,000 military personnel between the US and South Korea, as well as 230 aircraft, a defense official told the Wall Street Journal.

It will also be the first time six F-22 Raptors will visit South Korea, and it will focus on enemy infiltration and precision airstrikes, according to Yonhap news.

Story here. 

Wow.

I don't know the script on this exercise but as much as I've pounded on the F-35, if I was a supporter this is how I'd lay it out.

F-22's and F-35's going after whatever high value air defense systems the N. Koreans have with B-1's and B-52's lobbing cruise missiles to take down identified anti-air guns when located, and then have a series of B-2 raids along with the rest of the unassigned B-1's going after the nuke sites.

What gives me pause and makes me think that this is another "show" and not the real thing is the F-35.  The USMC has what...maybe 20 odd aircraft in the region?  The USAF has maybe 12?

And we know that Davis said before he retired that "he still had to buy pylons" for the bird makes me wonder.  What I don't know is if they've tested JSSAM for internal carriage but even if they have I have to wonder if they have enough aircraft to take out all targets and even if the F-35 can designate its targets (although they will probably try and get around that problem by doing that "quarterback for the force bullshit they thrill the fanboys with).

My guess is that this is more a two-fer and not an actual move (at this time) against the North.

One part is to sell the idea to the N. Koreans that they will be facing unimaginable firepower unless they get their minds right and the second is that this is a passion play to Congress and the F-35 supporters to stay the course and to believe the fantasy that the F-35 is good and ready to go.

Even saying all that, this is an unbelievably provocative act.  Supoposedly China is working to help solve this crisis and they've already expressed their displeasure with the US redeclaring N. Korea a sponsor of terrorism.  How they will react to this move is anyone's guess but they're not the worry.

China will act responsibly.  They're gonna be a great enemy.  They're smart and tough and they should bring out our best if we're willing to meet the challenge.

The problem will be the N. Koreans.  Little fat boy will probably shit his pants when one of his generals (I'd love to see how they draw straws to see who delivers the news) enters the room to tell him that the Americans have launched aircraft, they're coming his way and there is nothing they can do to stop them (well...maybe use their cyber unit if ALIS is running!).  That's when a miscalculation can occur and I doubt the Chinese can talk him down from the ledge if he truly believes this is the night that we come to put his head on a pike for display outside Trump's white house.

This shouldn't be the kickoff of festivities to mark the beginning of Korea War 2...but we've seen world wars start on less.

Jesus! The FC-31 is looking like a beast!

FC-31V2 expands the application area of composite material skin compared to V1. pic.twitter.com/FTBfV7qTi9

— dafeng cao (@xinfengcao) November 24, 2017

Back off cowboy.  I know what I've said about the F-35.  I stand by every word too!  If the plane had come in on time and on budget then all would be roses in Marine land (not to mention the other services and our allies), but it didn't so I body slam the plane every chance I get.

Now turning to the FC-31.

Let make you a bet.  I bet the plane is not saddled with the weight problems that the F-35 has.  I bet the plane isn't going thru fucking purgatory trying to get it's "sensor fusion" together.

I bet the Chinese aren't letting the manufacturer bleed them dry for a few more dollars.

Later I'll try and find some articles on what the aviation experts are saying about the plane but to my eye it looks like a beast.

PLA Marines conducted live fire training in Djibouti national range on 23 Nov

Thanks to FormerDirtDart for the pics!

Just plain wow.  These pics serve two, maybe three purposes.  The first one I read loud and clear.  The Chinese have landed and they're gonna be a force to be reckoned with worldwide.  Leadership might be focused on Russia, but I've got my fangs out, nailed them into the floorboard and I'm focused like a laser on the China threat.

The second purpose is a message to the African continent.  They're there in force.  They're not just doing the Special Ops things with the crazy "raid dynamic".  If the Chinese decide to make a move on someone it will be with a fully mechanized force that is rolling hard, kicking ass and taking names.  They will be fast, they will hit hard (especially for the region they're in) and they will bring overwhelming firepower to whoever they decide to bring the pain to.

The last message is to the Chinese people.  This is an overt declaration that they are no longer just a regional power.  This is a show to their citizens that they have global aspirations.  In a more disciplined time the US would show the determination to rally round the flag and to do whatever is required to support that effort.  The US no longer lives in those times.  The Chinese do. This is (at least in my mind) a call to do what it takes to ensure China's rise.

I'll be monitoring Chinese message boards when I get up and going again to see what they're talking about, how they're viewing this and to see what the nationalistic minions are thinking the next step will be.

Make no mistake about it boys and girls.  Russia isn't the threat.  China is the clear and present danger to the very existence of the United States.