The "Lightning Carrier" more effective than China's two super carriers? Commanders are still making huge bets on an "incomplete" F-35

via Yahoo

Because of that, the Tripoli's commanding officer refers to the configuration as an "assault carrier" rather than a lightning carrier, according to Thomas, whose command is responsible for US Navy operations in the western Pacific.

"One day you can have F-35Bs on the flight deck. The next day you can have MV-22s and you can be putting Marines at the shore, and so it just is a very versatile instrument," Thomas said of the lightning carrier.

The Navy is still experimenting with how to integrate the lightning carrier with "a full-size carrier" and its carrier strike group, which consists of a carrier, escort ships for defense and resupply, and at least one submarine. Thomas said the Navy had two of its nuclear-powered carriers operating with the Tripoli during the Valiant Shield exercise in June.

Thomas also said an amphibious assault ship, designated an LHA, in the lightning-carrier configuration was much more capable than China's two aircraft carriers in service.

...........

 "I will note that LHA with 14 F-35Bs is much more capable than either of the PRC's current carriers, both from a sortie-creation perspective as well as just a sheer capability," Thomas said.

The F-35B Lightning II is the short-takeoff and vertical-landing variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a fifth-generation fighter with advanced capabilities. The F-35B's array of sensors allow the STOVL jet to act as a battlefield hub, relaying information to friendly forces across a wide area.

"There is no comparison between a J-15 and an F-35B," Thomas said, referring to China's main carrier aircraft.

A lightning carrier also allows allies and partners "to see the capability you can bring with the F-35Bs on the flattop," Thomas said, pointing to the UK, which sent a carrier embarked with F-35Bs to the Pacific last year, and to Japan, which is converting two helicopter carriers to operate F-35Bs.

Here 

They keep reusing old talking points with regard to the F-35. "Its sensors make it more capable than its Chinese counterparts".

What are those sensors?

When the F-35 was under development AESA wasn't widely used. Now it is.  Even OLD fighters are being upgraded with the system.

GAN wasn't even imagined when the plane was being developed. Now its gaining widespread use and is rumored of being capable of detecting stealth aircraft.

Plus they haven't even started Block 4 Upgrades to make the plane capable of delivering on its promise of almost 20 years ago.

China is rapidly improving. 

I just don't see how the F-35 can be viewed (still viewed) as a game changer.

Besides.  The US is selling the F-35 all over.  When was the last time you saw the US selling its best tech to Bob, Joe Bob and Billy Bob?

UK Royal Navy/Marines Joint Personnel Recovery Infographic

The Royal Marines are following the USMC in developing Littoral Groups. What continues to mystify me is that while everything is bieng oriented toward the sea battle, you still have stuff like this. TRAP Ops are still configured and oriented toward recovering personnel on land. It makes no sense. I would think that saving personnel at sea, whether from boats/ships or aircraft (and I'm talking about dozens of people or more) would be where both services were pivoting to.

What is a Joint Personnel Recovery exercise?

This infographic helps to explain the multi-faceted approach required for delivering a successful recovery of downed aircrew and security of UK equipment.👇

Joint delivery from @RoyalNavy and @RoyalAirForce personnel. #CSG22 pic.twitter.com/tR02jMDwfi

— Commander UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) December 7, 2022

I gotta ask. WTF is going on Griner! Check out these pics...one has to wonder!

 

I'm just sayin'! Like are you fucking kidding me? Oh and we left a Marine behind for this dude?

Russian Neo-Nazis collect info to attack strategic facilities in European states?

#Russian neo-Nazis from the #Rusich Group collect information about strategic facilities in the #Baltic states. Probably for the purpose of committing terrorist attacks or sabotage in #NATO countries. pic.twitter.com/galLbhFRBg

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) December 11, 2022

A third party group, Neo-Nazis, attacking targets in Europe? Yeah this sounds plausible. Additionally its been stated (don't know if its true) that these Nazi groups have world wide connections so we could see a weird type of synergy going on. The Russian Nazis collect the info and then the home nation state Nazis are provided money and weapons to make the attacks.

In the US we just witnessed what ONE person could do to knock out power to an entire county (or damn near close).

I've warned about the weak infrastructure security we have, how vulnerable we are to attack and what would happen if we faced a determined foe.

Add all of the above to volatile energy markets, a restless public after the covid FIASCO and govts all over the place pushing citizens to their breaking point ALONG WITH general winter coming (one massive snow/ice storm accompanied with an attack on energy infrastructure could kill thousands) and you have a recipe for a pretty spicy near future.

Open Comment Post. 11 Dec 22

 

China-Russia natural gas pipeline has completed construction

 

The eastern route of the China-Russia natural gas pipeline has completed construction, which will allow natural gas from Russia to cross nine provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions to reach Shanghai, ensuring #energy supplies for eastern China. https://t.co/L6qbw71FOa

— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) December 11, 2022

Let me hit you with a what if.

A reader informed the blog that China has established the use of their currency to purchase oil from the Middle East.

China and Russia has completed their natural gas pipeline with more to come.

India and the rest of the non-Western allied world is still buying oil from Russia.

What if Russia takes care of its friends (China, India and a few other select countries) and takes it energy off the market?

No more sales at all to Europe.  No covert sales to the US.

Nothing at all to the West.

What if Opec sets up competing markets.  One outside the Western system and another established within the Chinese system.

What would that do to energy prices.  How much would we pay for gas during the summer driving season?  How high would fertilizer and other essential good cost then?

The audacity of white liberals is breathtaking...

I'm not white and what you said was dumb.

Telling someone that because of their race if they vote a particular way they are a boot licker is moronic and racist.

Who are you to tell me who I should vote for because I'm black? https://t.co/W1VgicDQmL pic.twitter.com/pjGVLBFC7D

— Adam B. Coleman, President of Aintblackistan (@wrong_speak) December 10, 2022

The sheer audacity of this is breathtaking.

This argument could easily be flipped with facts to back it up.

Did you know that when Blacks have a so called "ally" in the White House, our economic prosperity declines?

It did under Carter, Bush Jr (a Republican outlier), big time with Obama (remember the Black Professional that asked him why she was back to eating beans and franks with him being in the White House) and now with Biden.

Under Trump as a people we flourished.  Its also why you see back room discussions by working Black Folk that hate the current administration but won't say so publicly.

As far as what the Dems have delivered?  Pretty much nothing but social programs that you must become an expert in to navigate, increased prices across the board, crime that affects our community more and a general malaise that extends even to the classroom thanks to their policies.

An Uncle Tom if you vote Republican?  Naw, more like a stark raving madman if you vote Democrat.

Zelensky banning the Orthodox Church might be cheered by the elite but for Ukrainian Christians its heartbreaking. Watch this mother beg to keep the church till she can bury her son...

The mother of a Ukrainian soldier who was killed near Bakhmut begs a "OCU" representative not to seize her Ukrainian Orthodox church until Saturday, so she can have her son buried properly: "If you believe in God, I beg you on my knees to leave the church, let me bury my son!" pic.twitter.com/alC1m25OIg

— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) December 9, 2022

Heartbreaking.

Many on this blog cheered this.  But mark my words.  This will come back to haunt Zelensky.

To the more important part.

How would you like being a soldier and being ordered to do this?

Imagine you have a fellow countryman's mother begging you not to follow this order.  No.  This is more than begging.  She's pleading to bury her son in the church.

But ya know what?

US churches are quiet.  The news media is quiet. Christians in general are quiet.  The only people chirping about this are Zelensky's supporters.

You think you're free? You're NOT! We've just lived thru the biggest level of corruption/fraud in US history involving BIG TECH, the FBI, DHS, Dem Party and others!

You still believe in freedom? 

You still believe that the USA is the land of the free and home of the brave (well we might but the pussification of America is speeding up)? 

You still believe that your vote counts? You think you get the information you need to make informed decisions? 

BULLSHIT!

Twitter just proved that the intel agencies, FBI, DHS, BIG TECH and the Dem Party have been interfering with our elections!

NOT RUSSIA, but OUR OWN GOVT!!!!  

OH AND THAT INCLUDES WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE PREMIER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THE US!!!!

Read the entire Twitter thread and weep. 

The funny thing?  We should be seeing massive protests in the streets over this.  Congress should be getting mobbed.  Calls for the FBI and DHS to be disbanded should shut down news rooms yet we do nothing.

Many Americans like being sheep.  Like being told what to do and how.  Our rugged individualism is on its death bed.  People only sloganeer, not act.

Finally.

The Jan 6 protesters, as vile as they were, were onto something. There was nothing fair about our last couple of presidential AND congressional elections.  The Elite have been fucking with us.

20. This post about the Hunter Biden laptop situation shows that Roth not only met weekly with the FBI and DHS, but with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI): pic.twitter.com/s5IiUjQqIY

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 9, 2022

21. Roth’s report to FBI/DHS/DNI is almost farcical in its self-flagellating tone:
“We blocked the NYP story, then unblocked it (but said the opposite)… comms is angry, reporters think we’re idiots… in short, FML” (fuck my life). pic.twitter.com/sTaWglhaJt

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 9, 2022

24. Here, the FBI sends reports about a pair of tweets, the second of which involves a former Tippecanoe County, Indiana Councilor and Republican named @JohnBasham claiming “Between 2% and 25% of Ballots by Mail are Being Rejected for Errors.” pic.twitter.com/KtigHOiEwF

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 10, 2022

Where are with the Ukraine/Russia war? My opinion...

 So where are we at in the Ukraine/Russia war so far into Dec?

1.  Ukraine is off the chain and if they're gonna get continued support they'll either be reeled back in or lose support even more dramatically.

It isn't acknowledged but on the conservative side of our political spectrum (in the US...don't care how Europe sees things), Zelensky is viewed as arrogant, begging for money and basically a thug in presidential combat clothing.

The strikes deep inside Russia are concerning and retaliation can be expected.  It will be up to the US and NATO, not Ukraine, to keep a lid on this thing to keep it from escalating.

Additionally the Ukrainians are playing with fire.  Literal fire.  Striking that far into Russia could justifiably see them use tactical nuclear weapons against military, infrastructure that supports military efforts and govt buildings.

In other words power station, ports, airfields, Ukraine govt offices etc.  Yeah this thing could spiral easily.

2.  Many in the US are questioning the MILITARY aid.  We are giving the Ukes massive amounts of gear and putting our own security at risk.  I don't see how we can give much more but this Pentagon seems to accept risk the way a stripper accepts dollar bills.

3.  Russia continues to fight a weird war.  Russian Special Ops should be active.  FSB should be running assassination missions.  Sabotage by 5th columnist should be an ongoing issue.  But nothing.  I don't understand it. 

They are reinforcing their lines and they appear to be consolidating their positions to areas that can be more easily defended.  Outside of that I just don't understand what Russian military leadership is thinking.

4.  The drone war will continue.  Its apparent that expendable drones in numbers are the way to go (at least till energy weapons make a big appearance).  Russia launched 70 and the Ukes knocked down 60, but the damage was still impressive.

5.  Europe seems to be reaching their limit of supply the Ukrainians.  They're still supplying gear but I have to wonder if they'll be able to continue you it at pace.  Since last summer the amount has fallen dramatically.  I'm guessing it will fall even more.

When US citizens feel the full brunt of supporting this war in Europe while the Europeans sitting back trying to dictate the aid we give then you'll see Congress Critters getting an ear full.

I've read many articles saying we need to stay the course but the argument is weak and unconvincing.

6.  Lastly General Winter is coming but he ain't quite hit as hard as he's going to.  I expect pain and misery on that continent.  

It will be a sight to behold.

7.  The rub?  The longer this goes on the more potential for a dramatic mistake to happen, the US/NATO get pulled into direct conflict or for Ukraine to completely collapse once continued support is no longer possible.

When that happens Ukraine will be chopped up like a chicken.

Zelensky is so blood thirsty that he can't see past his fucking nose.