China's internal terrorist strike again...

via NBC29...

BEIJING (AP) - Authorities called Sunday for anyone involved in terrorist activities in China's restive northwest to turn themselves in and promised leniency following a deadly bombing.
The announcement followed a security crackdown launched over the weekend in response to the Thursday attack at a morning street market, which killed at least 43 people and wounded dozens.
The official Xinhua News Agency said an anti-terrorism campaign in the northwest Xinjiang region will target religious extremist groups, underground gun workshops and "terrorist training camps." The report added that "terrorists and extremists will be hunted down and punished."
Police have revealed the names of five people blamed for the attack and said they were part of a "terrorist gang." Based on their names, all the suspects appeared to be Uighurs, the region's most populous Muslim minority. Police said that four of the assailants were killed in the bombing and that the fifth was captured Thursday night.

This is telling.

Chinese Muslims are continuing the fight against one of the most advanced nations on the planet.

Additionally, the Chinese govt appears unable to put down the insurrection.

It really is a shame that China is hellbent on subduing the entire Pacific region.  The dream of the Neo-Cons of a worldwide war on terrorism uniting Russia, China, the US and the rest of the free world could easily have been a reality.....as it stands that dream is in an alternate reality.

What I would love to know but can't find out is this.  How big a problem is "internal terrorism" for the Chinese.

Sidenote:  I wonder what leniency is when it comes to the Chinese justice system.  Does that mean life in prison instead of the death penalty?

Sootch00 does a AR Lower Build...

Note:  Most people in my circle know how to do this but for those that don't then this vid is a public service.  Every man should know how to build an AR Lower...gut a catfish...change his trucks oil...change a diaper...etc....specialization is for insects.

US Army Camo. This is the next step.

The US Army chose the Scorpion pattern as the camo for their next battle dress uniform.

Ok.  No need to argue it, its done.  But what does need to be discussed is how they proceed on their web gear.

Trying to do it all in Scorpion pattern will be unnecessarily expensive and will not add flexibility to their system.

What they need to do.  What they can do is to adopt Coyote Brown as the color for their web gear!  If nothing else it will bring standardization to the US military and save on cost.  Its really a no brainer.  

That Guy Just Learned an Important Lesson: Baseball Bats Don’t Always Win Fights

Missile Threat.com

Thanks Peter for the link!

This is why I appreciate my readers sending me tips.

AND IF I HADN'T SAID IT, I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY TIP...EVEN IF I DON'T USE IT!

But back on task.  You have got to check out Missile Threat.com.  It has the best catalog of current and even past missiles that I've seen on the web.

US Army selects Scorpion Camo for its Battle Dress Uniform.

Soldier Systems is reporting that the US Army has selected the Scorpion Camo for its BDUs.

Looks like multicam to me.

Ya know who's gonna be happiest about this move?  Not Soldiers but Airmen!  That awful tiger stripe monstrosity that they came up needs to be shit canned poste haste!  Oh and for those that are curious, no, the USMC will not be ditching digital...Congress can suggest but that will be fought like their is no tomorrow...especially since Amos is heading out the door (if he had another term then all bets would be off).

Rokestan. Turkish missile builder you should keep an eye on...

SOM-J

CIRIT

Read about these new missiles over at Military Technology Blog.  Personally I'm going to keep an eye on Rokestan.  Even if they can't penetrate Western Markets its a sure thing that their missiles will be turning up around the world...

Golf Company 2/7 Desert Scimitar 14...Vid by Lance Cpl. Jacob Smith

Royal Jordanian Air Force AS332 Super Puma ...Photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler McLain

Royal Jordanian Air Force AS332 Super Puma and AH-1 Cobra helicopters fly away after dropping off special operations forces service members during a demonstration as part of exercise Eager Tiger 2014 at an air base in northern Jordan May 14, 2014. The Eager Tiger Falcon Air Meet is an annual competition and training exercise for countries that fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

Now that's taking care of your men!

If you're a US Marine and you get arrested for public drunkenness by local authorities you better hold on and be strong.  

In South Africa?

They launch a military operation to bust you out!  Check this out from the Daily Mail.

The arrested soldiers - alleged to include at least one other officer - had been found by police at an illegal drinking den, where they were celebrating a change of command at the training base.
According to an official complaint filed by South Africa's military union, the senior officer - whom it did not name - mobilised his troops when he heard of his men's fate.
'A certain Army general who, whilst allegedly intoxicated, unlawfully mobilised armed soldiers and armoured infantry fighting vehicles in order to free a senior ranking officer and several other soldiers', it said.
According to local media, the troops surrounded Oudtshoorn's Bongolethu police station. The police locked their station door and armed themselves.
After negotiation, they agreed to release the arrested soldiers.

Of course this General's career is probably over but what a way to go out! 

MV-22 gunship.

The above photos are from Military Technology Blog.  What impressive is the timeframe in which they were developed.  2002!

This tells me one thing.

The capability has always been there, but for some reason it hasn't been pursued.  I don't know if it has something to do with the aircraft design...maybe its a center gravity issue....but one thing is certain.  Something about the MV/CV-22 is making putting a forward firing gun on it difficult.

A few other things CCW holders should do....

I talked earlier about some of the things that CCW holders NEED to do if they're going to carry responsibly.  Yeah.  That's right.  If you choose to carry a gun in public then you have a RESPONSIBILITY to do it the right way.

I hit on ideally having a retention holster, being skilled in weapon retention and that old standby of being sure of your target AND whats behind it.

There are a couple of other important issues that I think a citizen who decides to responsibly carry concealed needs to consider....

Alice Matos...fitness hottie!

Physical Fitness.

No I'm not telling everyone that you have to score a 1st Class PFT in order to carry concealed.  What I am saying is that if you're going to carry responsibly then you owe it to yourself and your family to have basic fitness (unless medically unable).  Why?  Quite simply because of your bodies to response to the fight, freeze, fawn or flee phenomena.  If you've ever seen the elephant then you know what I'm talking about.  To the uninitiated then you're going to be surprised by what your body does to you.  What happens to junior Marines during their first firefight?  They freeze.  It might last only a second.  It might last several minutes.  They could be totally fucked up and even try and flee (never have seen that, but I'm told its happened).

The bigger issue is for the older CCW carriers.  If your situational awareness is on point, and you recognize the danger then you're less subject to that part of the response.  The second response is where the danger comes in.  Your body is going to slam you with adrenalin.  Hearts rupture before the fight actually starts.  If you're in good physical condition you can better control your bodies response to impending danger.  I can't imagine anything more fucked up than a guy having spent his life preparing for a fight, but lets his fitness lapse and when the beast comes knocking his body lets him down because he didn't perform proper maintenance of it.

Know the law.

This is a given but I have to emphasize it.  Especially considering how mobile our society is.

I can't help but think about the Marine that is rotting in a Mexican jail.  Know the law and be extremely careful of committing even minor infractions if you have a weapon on your person or in your car.  Additionally it also applies to buildings where you can or cannot carry weapons.

I've heard many people say that they'll carry anywhere regardless of what the store says about concealed weapons.  That sounds macho but it will open you up to civil litigation if the worst happens.  YES!  I know its better to be judged than carried but why put yourself in that situation.  Better to avoid those places unless absolutely necessary than risk your life's work by being defiant.

So there ya go.  Things I consider important for a CCW holder if they're going to carry responsibly in public....a good retention holster, weapon retention training, being proficient with your firearm/knowing your target/whats behind it, physical fitness and knowing the law.

I love the gun community but I'm becoming a bit put off by how they're marketing to CCW holders.  Its a right AND A RESPONSIBILITY!  If you're not doing it right then you're as big a danger as that gang banger preying on society.

S. Korean warship involved in artillery duel with shore batteries...

via SOF Magazine.

Meanwhile, on the Korean Peninsula, North Korean forces fired artillery rounds at a South Korean warship about 8.7 miles southwest of the island of Yeonpyeong. The South Korean vessel returned fire, while South Korean forces helped civilians on the island reach shelter.
North Korea has launched a number of attacks on South Korean and American forces since the Korean War ended with a cease-fire in 1953. Notable attacks include the seizure of USS Pueblo in 1968, and the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan in 2010.

This is almost an expected occurrence in those waters.  What has me curious is the decision making loop.

Do S. Korean Naval Commanders have the authority to immediately return fire or is a flash message sent back to the Combatant Commander requesting permission? 

The MV-22 a modest proposal for adding firepower.

Thanks to Jed for reminding me of this!

Question.  Did you know that Commandant Conway pushed to not put the MV-22 into production until they solved the lack of firepower problem that continues to plague the platform to this very day?

Well it seems like Airbus Defense has come up with a rather elegant solution that could POSSIBLY be applied to the MV-22.

In their C-295 mini-gunship they've added forward sponsons to carry ordnance.  On the MV-22 they would be rather small and might only be able to carry two hellfires on one side and a pod mounted forward firing machine gun on the other but it should be investigated.

13 Soldiers dead in Ukraine from Rebel attack.

via PBS.

A man rides a bicycle past armored vehicles holding Ukrainian army soldiers in the eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha on Thursday. Photo by Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
Pro-Russian rebels attacked a military checkpoint in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing 13 Ukrainian soldiers, in one of the most violent incidents of the past few weeks as the country heads toward presidential elections this weekend.
The rebels fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at the checkpoint, hitting an ammunition stash in one of the vehicles, which exploded, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, reported theAssociated Press. The incident took place outside the town of Volnovakha near the restive eastern city of Donetsk.

European leaders are silent.

The US leader seems uninterested (probably with good reason...this is a European problem).

Everyone hides behind the NATO General Secretary...and that institution is useless.  It allows inactivity to be seen as activity.  They're literally doing nothing of substance.

I've said before and this reinforces that opinion.  

Ukraine is lost and before this is over we will cheer Russian soldiers rushing in to provide stability. 

SIDENOTE:  The world is losing its mind!  Ukraine is headed toward implosion, Thailand is in the midst of a coup, China is facing off against the Philippines and Vietnam, Russia vetoed potential resolution to the Syria crisis, Egypt is returning to a militarized police state (not necessarily a bad thing from a US perspective), Libya is headed to an outright civil war, Terrorist are running wild in Africa (check out Nigeria!) and that is just off the top of my head..

M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System in action. Photo by Cpl. Ismael E. Ortega

NOTE:  The USMC really needs to fully embrace the potential power of these systems.  From what I know (and I could be wrong), they're not a fixture on MEU's and thats a shame.  Their inherent advantage?  Extremely small crew size and the rocket system/prime mover is one vehicle.  Talk about saving cube space aboard ship!

Marines with Sierra Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, fire Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Sytems from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during Exercise DESERT SCIMITAR 2014 aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., May 18, 2014. Exercise DESERT SCIMITAR 2014 was a 1st Marine Division exercise held to test and refine its command and control capabilities by acting as the headquarters element for a forward deployed Marine Expeditionary Force simultaneously offering units the opportunity to hone their conventional war fighting skills.

The USMC buys more AH-1Z/UH-1Y...Where do they fit in proposed operating concepts?

via Rotor & Wing

Bell Helicopter has been granted a $337-million modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract for the manufacture and delivery of 12 Lot 11 UH-1Y build new aircraft and 12 Lot 11 AH-1Z build new aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps to a fixed-price-incentive for the aircraft and firm-fixed-price for the auxiliary fuel kits. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and Amarillo, Texas, and is expected to be completed in June 2017.

I've always been a fan of the Viper....less of the UH-1Y....that helicopter always seems to be in search of a mission.  But back on task.  Even if I ignore the need for the Ground Combat Element to get a replacement for the AAV.  Even if I ignore the way the Marine Corps is slow walking the upgrades for the AAV.

I'm still left with this one urgent question.

Where does the AH-1Z and the UH-1Y fit with these SPMAGTF-Crisis Response that HQMC is pushing?

They just don't have the legs or the aerial refueling capability to be useful in their premier concept for the future.

Is it about buying aircraft to fit concepts of operations or is it simply about buying aircraft? 

A few things for CCW holders...

If you're a gun guy and if you carry concealed in a civilian capacity then you have several basic responsibilities that goes with carrying a gun in public.

Below is a basic list of what you should have....

A retention holster.

If you're carrying concealed then you need to make sure that an out of the blue shoving match with a stranger doesn't automatically turn into a gunfight because you got jostled and now your weapon is on the deck.  For all the criticism that the Serpa Holster has received it did one important thing that got ignored.  It provided the average guy with a retention holder that was good enough for everyday carry.  I still think that the belt attachment is a bit flimsier than I would like but to each his own.  If you use one of those range holsters (thats what I call the average kydex holster...no retention just an adjustable screw...if you're lucky) as part of your everyday mix then I think you're wrong.

Weapon retention training.

The above photo shows a suspect attempting to take an officers gun.  Luckily he had friends there with him but did you notice something?  The officer that is the subject of the snatch attempt is trying to control the suspect and not the weapon.  That's not how the Marine Corps teaches it.  The suspect might leave you a bloody mess with punches about your head and shoulders but he won't be able to kill you with your own gun.

Additionally this is a rather feeble attempt.  I'll post a video of California inmates practicing disarming LEOs (another reason why open carry is a bad idea...criminals practice taking weapons from LEOs...imagine the field day with the open carry crowd!).  The way they practice it, its violent, extremely aggressive and they don't care if you give them black eyes and broken noses.  They go straight for the weapon without hesitation and with full force.  Civilian concealed carry holders must get weapon retention training or they're a threat to themselves and the public.

Practice.

If you're a concealed weapons carrier then you need to practice the skill of firing a firearm so that you hit what you intend to.  I'm not talking about the speed drills every 6 months but actually going to a range at least once a month and putting steel on target.  Yeah when the ammo shortage hit I bailed but since its over I'm back and its a no brainer.  I don't want to be responsible for hitting the innocent child, instead of the vicious perpetrator   that was attempting to harm me and mine.  If you want to see a shooting turn into a steaming pile then explain to the judge why you tried to shoot the guy menacing you but instead hit the little old lady minding her own business.

Carrying a weapon in public is serious business.  If you're going to take it upon yourself to carry then you owe it to the public to do it right.

China at the RIMPAC exercise. A Chinese intel bonanza!

via Breaking Defense.

Now, we’re accusing their military of criminal acts.” That includes an open-ended charge of “conspiracy” that could potentially entangle more senior Chinese officers and complicate high-level visits to the US.
That said, Cheng added, “note that the Chinese did not take the most obvious retaliatory path, which was to cancel high-level meetings…or participation in RimPac.” That’s not necessarily a good thing, he added: “This would suggest that the information the PLA will obtain from RimPac likely outweighs their diplomatic pique — and should raise questions about just what we’re choosing to show the Chinese.”

Its obvious.

Partnership missions are a threat to national security, expose our forces to espionage and does nothing to prevent future conflict.

This whole thing can be traced back to the Rummy time in the DoD.  The war in Afghanistan was an all SOCOM affair. Remember the term Special Ops Olympics?

SOCOM brought in any nation that wanted to train with them to battle Islamic terrorist.  The idea was that conventional warfare was a thing of the past, SOCOM would lead the way and that Special Ops needed to be on the same page so that they could all operate to crush this threat to the free world.

It didn't work out that way.

SOCOM couldn't get the job done and Conventional Forces were called in so that SOCOM could "go after high value targets" (I stand by that statement and a blog post is coming on the biggest unacknowledged failure of the war in Afghanistan--It should have been a Special Forces Olympics and the rest of SOCOM/Conventional Forces should have stayed out).

General Purpose Forces adopted the ideology and started training and training with questionable units....including the Chinese.

This concept should be dumped post haste....it doesn't work and has a clear track record of failure. 

Textron's Scorpion Jet headed to the Farnborough airshow

via Kansas.com

Textron AirLand’s new tactical jet, the Scorpion, is taking a short break from flight testing to undergo some significant modifications, including changes so it can fly over the ocean to the Farnborough International Airshow this summer.
The intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance strike aircraft has been flying for five months.
The program called for incremental improvements to be made in the test plane along the way.
But after Textron officials decided to exhibit the Scorpion at the Farnborough airshow in England in July, the schedule was revised, and the changes are being made now, said Dale Tutt, chief engineer on the program.
The Scorpion will fly about 4,700 nautical miles from Wichita to the show, which will be a good place to market it to potential customers, he said.

This is going to be good.

Industry sponsored aviation projects don't have a track record of success but I'm hoping Textron can buck the trend and win some orders.  To fly the airplane to Europe for an airshow this early in its development is a major win in my book.

We'll see.