Oriole Capital Group invests in AN-74 via Defense Aersopace

Oriole Capital Group, US-based investment fund, has agreed to inject $150 million to launch the production of the Antonov An-74 twin-jet transport aircraft, a variant of the An-72 originally developed in the 1980s. 

Just plain wow.  Oriole is getting a steal.  Everyone is looking at the Japanese and Brazilian offerings for a small jet transport to compete with the C-130 but they're forgetting about this puppy.

What has me a bit impressed and miffed?  The USAF had a requirement to replace the C-130 and Boeing came up with the (I think) awesome YC-14. Those engines above the wing?  Supposedly they provide OUTSTANDING short field takeoff performance and don't degrade normal flight performance.

We had a winner in the blocks ready to go but had the attention span of a gnat and now the Russians are picking up the ball and running with it.

Too bad.

The C-130 is good but its elderly and has its time in the sun.  We should have moved on long ago.  Looks the Russians are about to.

Turkey will buy HMS Ocean if Brazil backs out...via Naval News Instagram...

Story via Naval News.

According to a written question in UK Parliament asked by Mr Kevan Jones (North Durham) , to the Secretary of State for Defence; Government of Turkey is willing to buy HMS Ocean if it is not sold to Brazil.

The question is answered by Mr Tobias Ellwood on Nov 13, revealed that "The Ministry of Defence has received an expression of interest from the Government of Turkey about the potential sale of HMS OCEAN"
According to local media in Brazil, the U.K. Ministry of Defence have offered HMS Ocean for sale to the South American country on Mar 17.

HMS Ocean is the UK’s only helicopter carrier and the fleet flagship of the Royal Navy. She is designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force.

The helicopter carrier was constructed in the mid-1990s and commissioned in September 1998.

In November 2015, the MoD confirmed that HMS Ocean is to be decommissioned in 2018 with no like-for-like replacement.

This comes as the Brazilian Navy have decided to abandon the refit of the  aircraft carrier Sao Paulo and decommission the vessel after a series of technical issues and accidents.

Rectification costs are understood to be a major factor in this decision.

Jesus.

Turkey with a helicopter assault carrier?  Just plain awesome.  So now they'll be able to project power too?

Mark my words.  The nations inside and on the periphery of the Middle East aren't all arming up for giggles.  We're looking at a major regional war sometime soon.

This is why I think the deployment of 3 carriers to the Pacific for the current exercise is both awe inspiring and risky.  What if something kicks off and we have 6 carriers down for maintenance because someone decided that a massive show of force was necessary?  Oh and all those forward deployed Marines and Soldiers are dogmeat in our way of war if they can't get adequate air cover.

I hope to God I'm wrong....but Turkey with the HMS Ocean?  This just don't smell right to me.

9 Assault Squadron Royal Marines embarked on HMS Ocean conduct a winching exercise

Heads up tribe! This book is worth reading!

Hmm.  How can I say this without sounding like I'm chest thumping instead of simply telling my boys about a book that is blowing my socks off?

Forget the nonsense, let me get to it.

You'd be surprised how many times I've gotten "asks" to check out a book and if I like it to tell my readers about it.  I guess the world of military blogging is small because I've hit a few radars.

If you've been here more than a minute then you know that it's not often that I get on a hilltop and scream BUY THIS BOOK!

Well I'm doing that now.

The Author?  Never heard of him.  The subject matter?  The USMC way of war...in essence a primer on how we're going from "hey diddle diddle straight up the middle" to maneuver warfare.  Yeah. It touched all my hot spots.

So what do I think?

I got the book on Monday.  I've been reading it at my leisure and I'm halfway thru today.

I'm hooked like a crackhead and I can't wait to finish today's activities so I can climb back into it.

A full review is coming but like I said.  Halfway thru and I'm learning about the visionaries inside the Marine Corps that "transformed" (hate that word but in this instance it applies) the way we fight.

Trust me guys.  At this point it's a must buy.  Full review coming soon but unless it crashes and burns in the second half this is one for your personal library.

British Army climbs on the driverless logistics truck bandwagon.

A world-first in the US has seen British soldiers controlling 4x4s with Xbox-style controllers and a UK driverless truck leading American trucks in an unmanned convoy. This ‘autonomous resupply’ is a glimpse into the future of getting supplies to frontline troops. #tech #army #green #future #testing #British #troops #leading #new #soldiers #battlefield @usarmy

A post shared by British Army (@britisharmy) on Nov 15, 2017 at 12:38am PST

Bundy Ranch gang going to trial. If the Feds lose then anarchy will prevail...

via Reuters.

 Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his followers were defying the rule of law by threat of violence, rather than engaging in a legal protest, when they took up arms against federal agents who had seized his cattle, a U.S. prosecutor told jurors on Tuesday.

But Bundy’s lawyer countered that the government was at fault for escalating the conflict, and that supporters rallied to his cause because they saw him as the victim of intimidation and excess on the part of federal land managers.

“Why were they there? Because they’re Americans. Because it’s not illegal to help,” defense attorney Bret Whipple said in his opening presentation.

Bundy, two of his sons and a fourth defendant are accused of conspiracy, assault and other charges stemming from the 2014 armed standoff, which galvanized right-wing militia groups challenging U.S. government authority over vast tracts of public lands in the American West.

Story here. 

I've been waiting on this one and will watch it carefully.  There are some serious issues on the table and I don't think most people are taking them seriously.

What do I mean?

Remember the incident in Ferguson after the shooting death of the guy shoplifting?  The police showed up in riot gear.  Fast forward to the Bundy incident and the BLM Officers only carried sidearms while the "protesters" carried rifles and were outfitted in various forms of "tactical gear".

The precedent is already set.

But if the Feds lose and Bundy walks then its written in stone and every protest going forward becomes a different thing.

Additionally after the overreach (or accused overreach) that we saw in the Branch Davidian incident and another in Montana (can't remember but a sniper killed a mother running to help her son....some former Green Beret got famous defending them in the media...) this limited response has many wondering whether or not the Feds were intimidated or if they had a different standard for a different group of people.

More importantly though is this.

Many people were photographed committing assault on Federal Law Enforcement with the crime caught on tape, yet they haven't been dealt with in anyway from what I can tell.

Why is this important?

For all of the above.

Either we have "law" or we don't.  If we don't then cool, I just need to reorient to that reality.  If we don't then the Feds need to do work.

Side note.  One person went to this incident and I've looked hard but can't find one pic of him being involved in any of the craziness.  Who is that? James Yeager.  For better or worse the guy seems to have known the lines to cross when he rushed out to support the Bundy's.  Too bad others didn't follow his lead.

Father Emil Kapaun, a man of faith that you never heard of...

via War History Online.

He didn’t carry a weapon, he wasn’t there to fight, but that didn’t stop chaplain Emil Kapaun from earning the nation’s highest military honor for gallantry. When over 20,000 Chinese soldiers surprised a few thousand men of the 8th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Unsan, one of the worst military routs of the war was about to take place.

Casualties were high as bullets, mortars, and rockets tore through the air before the order for every able-bodied man to withdraw was given. Having already braved the heavy fire to offer services and first-aid to the wounded, this chaplain refused to leave.  The enemy broke through, and combat was hand-to-hand, and yet Kapaun continued to serve faithfully and his time as a POW wouldn’t be any different.

He continually encouraged the men and willingly gave up his own food and medicine on their behalf until he passed away from his own medical conditions.

Story here. 

No spoilers.  Follow the link and read about this amazing man. 

Coup feared in Zimbabwe. You want Africa then this is part of the mess!

via FoxNews.

Rising unease and tension appeared to reach a boiling point in Zimbabwe on Tuesday as armored personnel carriers and soldiers were seen heading toward an army barracks just outside the capital city amid rumors a military coup could soon begin.

Witnesses said they saw four armored vehicles head toward the Presidential Guard compound in a suburb called Dzivarasekwa on the outskirts of Harare.

“There were about four tanks and they turned right here, you can see markings on the road,” one witness on the Chinhoyi highway told Reuters.

Story here. 

Have you looked at US military activity in Africa?  I have and something dawned on me. 

They're mostly operating in Northern Africa. 

If you don't know then that terrain is EXTREMELY similar to what we've seen throughout the Middle East.  As a matter of fact from what I can tell the interactions between people in the region is so high that some even consider it a unique type area...not Africa, not the Middle East but a special blend of both.

The point I'm trying to make is that N. Africa is similar enough to the Middle East to make it a "comfortable" place for SOCOM to operate in.

But if you want to win Africa you have to deal with the whole of the continent. That means dealing with countries like Zimbabwe.  That means dealing with the goofiness we see here.

My plea remains the same.

Don't do it!  At least don't try and do it militarily!  This is a region where we MUST DEMAND that the State Dept takes the lead and not the Pentagon/SOCOM.

This could be the future of motorcycle law enforcement....

Police performance with peace-of-mind. With advanced safety systems, excellent performance and added features to get the job done. Discover the Can-Am Spyder F3-P! 🚔🚨 #OpenYourRoad #RideASpyder #CanAm #CanAmSpyder #F3P #CanAmPolice #Police

A post shared by Can-Am Spyder (@officialspyder) on Nov 13, 2017 at 4:44pm PST

Name one of the most hazardous jobs in any police dept.  If you didn't name motorcycle cop then you're not paying attention.  Unfortunately many die each year for the usual reasons involving motorcycles only on steroids.  Drivers don't see them, they're usually quicker than motorists so you have misjudgements by both parties and of course bad roads that cause spills, and if the officer is lucky and bad case of road rash.

A three wheel motorcycle that has all the performance but is still nimble/small enough  to go where cars can't should be a winner.

Can Am might have a winner with this.

Saab's Winter Mobile Camouflage System (MCS) pictured on a BV 410.

I don't know where it came from, but suddenly camo is all the rage again.  What's interesting is that Saab appears to have anticipated market need and got ahead of the competition by displaying an attract, neat and apparently affordable solution.

There is no way that they can keep the market all to themselves and I look forward to seeing what others come up with.

Open Comment Post. Nov 15, 2017

PLA 72nd Group Army on exercise (armor porn)...pics via english.Chinamil