From Oklahoma bombing to the Sandy, Aurora, Orlando and Las Vegas shootings...we're building up to something evil...

Do you know what's so stunning about all the incidents listed above (except for one)?  All of them are certifiably cases of domestic terror/mass homicide.

I included the Orlando shooting because of the circumstances surrounding that attack.  A crowded nightclub.

They all have several things in common that I'll leave to crime analysts to comb over.  What I want to focus in on is the evolution we're seeing here.

The weapons haven't evolved all that much.  What we're seeing is an evolution in the tactics employed by the killers.  I personally thank God that no prior military/vet/retiree has put his brain to work devising an attack on fellow Americans.

That would be a truly horrific affair.

But if past is prologue then we can expect the next attack to be even more deadly than this one.

So what does the future hold?

A reader talked about it and I agree.  We're evolving to eventually seeing the fight that will test a local SWAT team to the limit.

We're gonna see a fire team of shooters.

If they're trained, have experience and practice/rehearse the attack then it will be beyond bloody.  It will be hell on earth for whatever city is targeted.  Think about it like this.  Let's say someone decide to target a medium size city in the heartland that might be viewed as vulnerable.  Let's take Little Rock as our example.  You have four people running around targeting first the movie theater.  The block all exits and sweep the building till nothing is left alive.  They have a time on target of 5 min then they exit, make to their rendezvous point and move on to the next target.  This time they hit a shopping center. Same action on objective.  Finally they hit a rally point, disperse into different vehicles and take a drive to Shreveport.  Once there they continue the attack using the same tactics.

Lets assume they're fanatical in this mission so if one is captured the rest continue.

They could be on a cross country shooting spree that would leave authorities stunned and behind the power curve.

The country would be traumatized.  An attack of the kind I'm describing could essentially freeze the economy.

I wonder if the Power That Be would declare martial law just to calm the public and perhaps enhance their ability to track and capture these guys?

It really doesn't matter.

An attack of this magnitude would be a nation changing event...and I think something like it is coming.

Rezvani TANK | Military Inspired, Built To Take On Anything

Egyptian Navy Elfteh First Stealth Gowind 2500 Corvette

Egypt is building a powerful navy for that part of the world.  I wonder what their final goal is?  Think about it.  They have a couple of Mistral class LHDs with a powerful component of attack helicopters to go aboard them, and now they're procuring some very capable frigates.

I don't know the current state of Egyptian seamanship but on paper they already have a pretty capable force and could be said to be the most powerful Middle Eastern naval power.

Royal Navy and Royal Marines train alongside partner naval forces...pics by PO(Phot) Si Ethell

General pay is good. It pays better after retirement...

via GovConExecutive.

Jon Davis, a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general and former USMC deputy commandant for aviation, has joined the board of directors at Rolls-Royce‘s North American subsidiary.

The company said Friday Davis was appointed to the Rolls-Royce North America board alongside Beverly Goulet, former executive vice president and chief integration officer at American Airlines.

Both appointees will provide oversight and governance of the company’s U.S. based operations as well as help address a requirement under a special security agreement between the company and Defense Department.

Hmm.  Must be nice.  Step out of the Marine Corps and right onto the board of directors?

Not saying its wrong, just saying this is interesting and definitely doesn't look right.

Bump stocks? Only the idiots install them!

The news media is going crazy about the possibility that the shooter in Las Vegas used bump stocks.

The second I see a bump stock on an AR, my opinion of the shooter goes down..way down.

In my opinion only an idiot would modify the handling and ergonomics of his weapon by modifying the stock with a contraption that messes with his aim because it freaking moves.

What would a real gun guy do to his weapon if he wanted increased weight of fire?  How would he mod his gun legally (not gonna touch the illegal methods...they're well known but I don't need the boys from the other side of Quantico bouncing around my house like bunny rabbits)?

He would put in a trigger job.

Check out the vid above.  There are MANY different triggers that will help you put more bullets downrange without fucking up the ergonomics of your rifle.

The news media is chasing low hanging fruit.  I don't know why, cause I assume they have knowledgeable people informing of the truth but it is what it is.

Bump stocks?

If the Vegas shooter used one then he's not only a clown, but also a rookie when it comes to firearms.  He might have been wealthy, educated and acquired several dozen weapons but his knowledge was lacking.  Imagine if he was better informed.  Kinda makes your skin crawl huh?

Open Comment Post. Oct 3, 2017

Thinking about the Las Vegas domestic terror attack...

Just a few thoughts on the domestic terror attack in Las Vegas...

What is an arsenal of weapons?

Watching the news coverage the common talking point is that this guy was found to have an arsenal of weapons in his hotel room.  After they visited his properties they found even more.  In his room we've been told that they found various ARs.  10 is the most common number bandied about.  My question is how many weapons does it take for a gun collector to be considered to have an arsenal of weapons?  Is it 1, 2, or 22?

Combat First Responders are a thing now.

Many won't like it.  Hell I'm not thrilled about it but it is the reality.  Combat first responders are a thing.  A necessary evil if you will.  Many have recoiled at the idea of police arming up, putting on helmets and kevlar and heading out to face the threat.  I can't imagine the shock of Fire and EMT doing the same.  Not out of glory seeking but out of necessity.  The reality is that they're expected to rush into fire swept areas and render aid, retrieve the wounded.  Now they're wearing helmets and kevlar.  Soon?  I can see the day when they're actually equipped with at least sidearms.  Its not just mass shootings that will prompt this move either.  It will be the reality of responding to "less than desirable" areas to render aid.

Candle Light Vigil after an attack?

Its gonna happen mark my words.  Everyone reacts the same after these events.  You see "pray for" and fill in the blank memes posted on the internet. What you will also see is candle light vigils to symbolically unite.  One day someone is going to light up one of those vigils because its a target rich environment.  Humans are herd animals...especially city dwellers.  They're like moths to a flame when it comes to crowds.  I can't explain it but I can see the vulnerability that these situations present.  One day a cunning individual will attack these vigils and we're gonna see a vigil for a vigil.

Summary.

There is alot to learn from this incident.  Most of the lessons learned will be ignored.  From my seat this is being seen as an aberration.  I see it as a taste of things to come.  We will see what we will see but I'm not expecting anything good to come of this.  I would like to see enhanced security for these type events and security standards being raised for all mass events but that would be expensive.  The expense of added security will not trump the desire to make a buck.  In short lives are cheap.

Be a crowd monkey if you like.  Keep being attracted to every mass gathering if that turns you on but be warned.  You're putting yourself in danger every time you do.  Maybe not from a terrorist but certainly from the criminal element.

Snippet of interoffice communication on Las Vegas shooting...

I got this from a little birdy and its a rather compelling piece of information. I've ran this pic thru filters to make sure no watermarks are visible and cropped it even more than sent to make sure that tracks are clean but the story speaks for itself.

If true then this is beyond interesting. 

Australian Think Tank makes a pitch for LRASM and/or TLAM....

via The Australian.

Developing a conventional deterrent capability would also contribute directly to burden- sharing with the US in a much more unpredictable and contested Indo-Pacific region.

Deterrence seeks to prevent an adversary from acting in ways inimical to a nation’s interests, by making the cost unacceptably high to the adversary.

Given the nature of the emerging security outlook, that requirement implies long-range power projection and strike capabilities for the ADF which it lacks in planned force structure, at least in the short term.

The future submarines certainly will do long-range deterrence tasks, but won’t arrive until the early 2030s, and Australia won’t have a credible force of future submarines until the mid-2040s. The future frigates won’t start appearing until the late 2020s, and they’ll face much more potent anti-ship threats at that point. In particular, Chinese anti-access and area denial is steadily pushing out further into the western Pacific, making shorter range platforms and weapons less credible as options.

The air force is already investigating Kongsberg’s Joint Strike Missile for internal carriage on the F-35, but that has only a 280-kilometre range. The F-35, along with the F/A-18F Super Hornet, could also carry the Lockheed Martin long-range anti-ship missile (LRASM) which has a dual-role anti-ship and land attack capability and offers a substantial 926km range.

All air-delivered options are constrained by the range of the launching platform. The F-35 depends either on forward basing in host nations (which may not be available in a crisis) or forward tanker support for undertaking long-range strike, even with standoff weapons such as LRASM. China’s counter-air doctrine targets combat enabler platforms like Wedgetail and airborne refuellers, making getting within range of vital targets difficult for even a stealthy but short-range F-35.

A better option may lie with naval-based land-attack cruise missiles for the Hobart-class AWDs and potentially the Collins-class submarines. This option should be designed for minimal cost and risk through acquiring weapons via US foreign military sales (FMS) with the weapon of choice being mature and preferably in operational service.

The obvious candidate would have to be the 1852km range Tomahawk land-attack missile (TLAM), which is due to remain in the US inventory through to the 2040s, and is being upgraded to Block IV status, which will offer more flexibility in targeting, and a long-range anti-ship capability.

Story here. 

They make a compelling case for both missiles but I have one question.

What is Australia trying to do and how do they view their force/military posture?

Do they see themselves as being tied at the hip to the US?  If so then acquiring complementary capabilities is a no brainer.  Do they view themselves as first and foremost a defense force to ensure Australian sovereignty?  If so then they're building a weird force to accomplish that mission.

I can't make a reasoned determination about how they're doing till I know what they're trying to accomplish.

The disturbing thing?

I don't think they really know.  I sense but can't prove that they're trying to take a fuzzy middle road that will leave both options unfulfilled.

This is interesting. Iranian tanks move to the Iraqi border to enforce embargo of Kurds...

via War Zone.

Iran has moved tanks and artillery up to the border with Iraqi Kurdistan, close enough to the boundary that they are visible from the other side. The move is the latest in a string of increasingly threatening responses to the semi-autonomous region’s decision to vote in favor of independence, which has drawn widespread condemnation from national governments in the region and failed to win unequivocal support from many of the Kurd’s powerful western allies, including the United States.

Story here. 

Wow.  The Kurds are inches away from being in a serious hurt locker.  What I still don't understand is why the Israelis would encourage this move.  It's almost like they were setting the Kurds up for failure.

The sad thing.

The Kurds are about to get curb stomped and the US will leave them dangling in the wind and this is after they've been the most effective ground force in the "coalition" against ISIS.

YOU need a Monday funny to take the edge off. Check this out from HARDEN UP! Instagram Page...

Now I need to spend the next 5 min cleaning my computer screen.  A much needed bit of funny on a pretty jacked up day.