ISIS now threatens to kill 2 Japanese citizens in 72 hours.

via Jerusalem Online.

The murderous terror organization Islamic State threatens to execute two Japanese hostages while the Japanese Prime Minister visits Israel. In another chilling video clip that Islamic State published this morning, John the Jihadist, who is known from previous video clips holding a knife in his hands, appears and beside him are the two Japanese hostages on their knees. According to him, if $200 million won’t be transferred to the terror organization within 72 hours, they will be executed.
“Mr. Japanese Prime Minister, despite the fact that you are located over 8,000 kilometers from Islamic State, you are part of this crusade,” John the Jihadist stated in the video. “You donated $100 million in order to help kill women and children, as well as to destroy the homes of Muslims. Therefore, for the life of one of these hostages, you will raise $100 million.”
“In order to prevent Islamic State from spreading, you will donate $100 million more. Therefore, the life of the other hostage is worth a similar sum,” he threatened while turning to the Japanese people, demanding them to pressure their government to pay the ransom within 72 hours or the two would be executed.

I don't know whether to be pissed off, amazed or both.

Why are Western govt's not declaring this entire region off limits to civilian travel?  Why is ISIS still being able to lay its hands on our nationals, not by subterfuge but because some "world citizen" and humanitarian types decide that they want to travel to the region to change the world?

Fantasy trumping reality is a theme that is gaining traction with me and its infuriating.

I will be saddened when these two men are murdered.  I will also think they brought it on themselves.  You don't head into a danger zone and not expect bad things to happen to you.

What will be interesting is the Japanese public reaction to this atrocity.  Will it strengthen their resolve or will they wilt.  Culturally, beheadings are nothing new for them (at least in ancient times).  This will bear watching.

NOTE:  The Western govts have all expressed concern about citizens going to Syria to fight with or for ISIS.  They haven't said a word about nationals that go to the region to help with refugees or to distribute humanitarian supplies.  Law abiding citizens should be the main concern.  If you tell citizens that travel to these areas are restricted then a law abiding citizen will not go and ISIS will not have victims to behead on YouTube.  That's where I'm coming from.

Finally adult leadership reappears in the Corps. Infantry Battalions spared.

FINALLY!  Adult leadership is returning to the Marine Corps!  The "Thundering Third" is saved from deactivation as are other storied Marine Corps units.  via Marine Corps Times...

...spokesman for Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Maj. Anton Semelroth, said this adjustment will leave the service with 24 infantry battalions. It saves 8th Marine Regiment, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, along with 1st Battalion, 4th Marines; 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines; and 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines.
Officials changed course, Semelroth said, due to the demand for Marines to support commanders overseeing military activity throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The decision was made last summer, he added.
These specialized units are known as special purpose Marine air-ground task forces, or SPMAGTFs. Plans call for building them around a rotating headquarters element composed of Marine expeditionary unit and regimental headquarters.

One problem though.

The Marine Corps is still having issues with the command and control of the MEU and SPMAGTF-CR.  Even without that bastardized unit (SPMAGTF-CR) their would still be manpower issues.

By my math you will have infantry Marines deployed on an almost 1 for 1 basis between deployment and home unless there is either a bigger plus up in Marines or a reduction in deployed units. 

As things currently stand the SPMAGTF-CR's are a solution in search of a problem.  The right move is to enhance the Marine Expeditionary Units by adding a Mobile Landing Platform configured as a Afloat Forward Staging Base.

Unfortunately HQMC is not listening.

Ultra Light Combat Vehicle moving forward.

Thanks for the link Jonathan!

via DefenseNews.

The Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) at Fort Benning, Georgia, is seeking the approval of senior Army acquisition officials for a plan to choose from readily available vehicles and field some 300 of them to the service's global response force (GRF), under the 18th Airborne Corps. Once the program is established, a vendor could be selected and a vehicle fielded in 2016, they say.
"Industry is saying, 'I can build this right now for you, I just need someone to say go,' " said Carl Pignato, a light combat vehicle analyst at the MCoE's mounted requirements division.
Senior Army leaders have been calling for such a capability, including Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Daniel Allyn and Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, director of the Army Capabilities and Integration Center. Allyn years earlier, as chief of the 18th Airborne Corps, signed off on an operational-needs request for the capability.
"We know that we need a middleweight, mobile, protected firepower platform to allow early entry forces to seize and exploit the initiative," Allyn told reporters in October. "Our tanks and our Bradleys are the finest fighting platforms in the world, but they're heavy. You've got to seize a major airfield to get them in [to the fight]. You'll see, in the future, some equipment that's not quite so heavy, but enables us to have tactical mobility."

Read it all here.

Cross pollination with a competition for roles and missions.

Note the wording of General McMasters.  A middleweight force.  Mobile.  Protected firepower.  Designed for early entry forces.

That should chill the heart of every Marine.

The US Army, and in particular the 18th Airborne Corps is coming after us with a vengeance.  Where we have basically emasculated the MEU into a small bastardized SPMAGTF-CR, the 18th Airborne Corps is about to scoop up all those legacy Marine Expeditionary Unit missions.

Instead of the 82nd flying in to augment the MEU and falling under our control, we have flipped the script ourselves and now the SPMAGTF-CR will fly in to augment the Global Response Force Ready Company, Brigade or Battalion and fall under their command & control.

Keep an eye on the US Army.  Those sneaky little bastards are getting stuff done.  They're not drinking our milkshake...yet.  But they have their straw out.

The enemy as ‘savages and despicably evil.’ I fail to see the problem. Updated!

via Daily Caller.

Here is Schultz’s show monologue about “American Sniper”:

“It humanized the struggle of soldiers returning from combat with post-traumatic stress disorder. It also serves as a harsh reminder that soldiers were sent to war under false pretense — at least, that’s how I took it.
The movie’s success might suggest that Americans are hungry for a hero in the never-ending fighting in the Middle East.
However the real Chris Kyle was far more complicated than the hero portrayed in Eastwood’s movie.
In his autobiography, Kyle described the enemy as ‘savages and despicably evil.’

Kyle said his ‘only regret is that he didn’t kill more.’ Kyle even described killing as ‘fun’ and something he ‘loved’ to do. Simply put: Kyle’s version of the Iraq war was black and white.
There was no room for humanizing Iraqis when he had his finger on the trigger.
To Kyle, if they weren’t Americans, they were the enemy. Unfortunately some of those feelings have spread into our culture.
The public reaction to the movie “American Sniper” also highlights some of the most disturbing consequences of this war: the normalization of Islamophobia and being one of them.

Go here to read the entire article and to see Schultz's monologue.

Personally I don't see a problem with Kyle's assessment of the enemy.  I don't see any issue with the idea that sometimes you have to take a life to SAVE LIVES!

This is a perfect example of how the liberal elite fail to accept the reality of the world we live in.

Islamo-fascists....terrorists...or whatever you want to call them are bent on killing every American they meet.  It doesn't care what your race, sex, religion or heritage happens to be.  If you're an American they want you dead.

This type of thinking also explains why we have failed to achieve success in the Middle East.  Fantasy trumps reality.

Sidenote:  Is it just me or is this morphing from a movie critique into an assault on the character of a man who laid it on the line to defend this country.  I'll be following this carefully.  I'm leaning toward this being an assault on Chris, but I'll hold fire until I'm sure.

UPDATE:  Seems that Moore is walking back some of his comments.  Read what the arrogant, fat bastard, lying son of a bitch, dick sucking clown, shit eating mongrel has to say here.

American Sniper divides Hollywood via GruntWorks

I am amazed at how the political elites and Hollywood are having such a hard time dealing with the success that is the movie American Sniper.

Even more puzzling is that I view  it more as a macho love story...a romance story for guys more than an absolute war flick.

Having said all that I'm paying attention.  The actors that support it.  The "elites" (Michael Moore you fat bastard...I'm talking about you) that come out against it...and all the sheeple in between that attempt to throw rocks at the story of a real deal stud.

If you haven't gone to the movie then add it to your "to do" list.

SNAFU! Blog rating?  10 out of 10!

Ukraine restarts T64 Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle development.

Thanks for the link Jonathan!

via Janes.

Ukraine has renewed development of heavy infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) based on the T-64 main battle tank (MBT), Ukroboronprom has announced.
The Kharkov Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau had previously created prototypes of a new IFV based on the T-64 but work is understood to have ceased some years ago.
Now the firm has resumed development of the heavy IFV in order to ready the designs for serial production. According to Ukroboronprom, this work could be completed in time to allow for mass production to begin before the end of the year.
The heavy IFV is based on a heavily modified T-64 chassis and hull with its turret removed and the upper portion of the hull significantly raised in order to increase its internal volume and allow for the relocation of the engine forward. These changes allow the IFV, known variously as the BMP-64, BMT-64 and BMPT-64, to accommodate 10-12 dismounts in the rear of the vehicle as well as a crew of three.
Instead of the 125 mm armed main turret of the T-64, a new IFV turret has been added to the vehicle. Boasting an impressive amount of firepower, the original prototype features a turret armed with a ZTM-1 30 mm automatic cannon and a 7.62 mm machine gun. Two anti-tank missiles are mounted on the left-hand side of the turret, while two banks of three grenade launchers are attached to the front of the turret. In addition, the commander's hatch on the roof of the turret features a cupola armed with a twin GSh-23 mm cannon and a 30 mm automatic grenade launcher.
The T-64 IFVs armour protection has also been increased with the incorporation of Nozh ('Knife') advanced dynamic protection system (explosive reactive armour - ERA), although a defensive aid suite (DAS) was not known to have been installed on the original prototype.
According to Ukroboronprom part of the resumption of development of the vehicle will include efforts with specialists from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to improve the design of the T-64 IFV. This will include improvements to the vehicle's weapon systems and the installation of "more modern dynamic protection". The latter possibly refers to the Zaslon hard-kill active protection system, which has previously been installed on some T-64BM Bulat MBTs.

Interesting isn't it?  Nations that are involved in action against even moderately capable foes are going for heavy APCs (Israel, Ukraine) while those that aren't or have been involved in nation building or are aiming at expeditionary warfare are opting for wheeled APCs.

Form follows function.  Lets hope that the USMC faces only small dirt wars and is able to hand the torch to the US Army if faced with a fully mechanized, networked and lethal opponent.

Argentina just moved into the Chinese sphere of influence.

via Defesanet.

The agreement, according to Müller, meets the criteria of Chinese investment in vulnerable economies, in exchange for raw materials and market. This is the same model adopted by China in agreements with Angola and Nigeria. In such cases, China has brought all that was needed to lift the works, including manpower. "In financial difficulty, Argentina became the big China's gateway to South America. Brazil could have avoided, and now must act immediately," said the director of Abimaq.
The president of the Foreign Trade Association of Brazil (AEB), José Augusto de Castro, deplores the fact that the Brazilian government has not included this issue in the last meetings of Mercosur. "If there is tax exemption for imports of Chinese products to these works, Mercosur will be mortally wounded."

Wow.

Alarm bells should be ringing in the US State Dept, Pentagon and particularly in the UK.

Raw materials in exchange for products.

With the Argentine govt desperate to rebuild its military you can bet that the J-31, armored vehicles and even ships will be flowing to S. America.

Argentina is the gateway?  No.  Its simply one in a series of countries that are coming under Chinese influence.  While the Pentagon is fooling itself with partnership missions, the Chinese are using soft power in the classic sense. They're not seeking to spread their ideology, improve conditions for women and girls or seek to spread democracy...they only seek to increase their influence via the old fashioned barter system (not some fraudulent "gloablization scheme").

What an adult way of dealing with other nations. 

F-35 News. Sensor Fusion is now what makes a 5th gen fighter?

via SLDInfo.

People focus on stealth as the determining factor or delineator of the fifth generation, it isn’t, it’s fusion. Fusion is what makes that platform so fundamentally different than anything else. And that’s why if anybody tries to tell you hey, I got a 4.5 airplane, a 4.8 airplane, don’t believe them. All that they’re talking about is RCS (Radar Cross Section).
Fusion is the fundamental delineator.

And you’re not going to put fusion into a fourth gen airplane because their avionic suites are not set up to be a fused platform. And fusion changes how you use the platform.
What I figured out is I would tell my Raptors, I don’t want a single airplane firing a single piece of ordinance until every other fourth gen airplane is Winchester. Because the SA right now that the fifth gen has is such a leveraging capability that I want my tactics set up to where my fourth gen expend their ordinance using the SA that the fifth gen provides, the fifth gen could then mop up, and then protect everybody coming in the next wave.

Just plain wow.

I don't know air combat but that really sounds like you're attempting to give a fighter plane the AWACS mission.  Additionally notice how the definition of 5th generation is changing...via Wikipedia...

The exact characteristics of fifth-generation jet fighters are controversial and vague, with Lockheed Martin defining them as having all-aspect stealth even when armed, Low Probability of Intercept Radar (LPIR), high-performance air frames, advanced avionics features, and highly integrated computer systems capable of networking with other elements within the theatre of war for situational awareness.[1]

There is no doubt that 4.5 gen airplanes have advanced avionics...as a matter of fact according to the latest reports they carry superior avionics to those that will enter service with the F-35.

So they're attempting to move the goalposts and influence the uninformed.  The pressure from the PAK-FA, J-20 and J-31 are already pushing the Pentagon to look toward the 6th gen fighter but the damage to our nations defense caused by the F-35 are already stark and growing.

The whole thing is going from the criminal to the insane and now to the "what the fuck" right before our eyes.

Fact.  The Pentagon has sacrificed modernization of its ground forces to put into service an airplane that is already obsolete, is in many ways inferior to the planes its due to replace and is expensive beyond all reason.  We won't even compare it to Russian and Chinese stealth jets...the Japanese and Koreans know this.  That's why they're beginning work on their own jets.

Fact.  The messaging for this airplane has spiraled out of control.  More and more mainstream news outlets are asking questions...not simply repeating the talking points from the program office.

Fact.  The President is pushing so many social programs that in order to keep from putting the US deeper into a financial hole, the Republican defense hawks will be lucky to draw the line at current spending.  With the dynamic of attempting to increase defense spending while holding the line on social spending the politics will be plain awful.

Result.  Sequestration will continue.  The plane will either be cut or the numbers ordered reduced.

This year will be telling.  Even if they can somehow get it into service the issue is already settled.  This program is a failure.

Composite Armored Vehicles. What happened?

Think Defense took a break from talking about shipping containers (just kidding...sort of...) and has an excellent piece on a composite armored vehicle project that's definitely worth a read.

Check it out here.

Givati Brigade Simulates Combat on the Northern Border

Is the SPMAGTF-CR actually a relatively old US Army idea?

While watching Seattle get slobber knocked by Green Bay (3rd quarter, its 16-0) I ran across this paper by LtCol's Richard C. Halbleib and Mark M. Earley.  It was presented in 1998 but it sounds like it was a power point presentation for Amos and that's how we got the SPMAGTF-CR.  Read it below but check out this tidbit...

Elevating US forces into the third (vertical) dimension will yield certain tangible benefits and ensure those forces remain viable and uncontested into the twenty-first century and beyond:
• increased maneuverability, survivability and lethality.
• rapid deployment/redeployment.
• increased sustainability of maneuver forces.
• reduced signature produced by a maneuver element.
• possible reduction in the size of tactical forces needed to accomplish the mission and economies in logistics to support the force. 

Doesn't that sound like everything the former Commandant wanted to accomplish with the SPMAGTF-CR?   Additionally doesn't that sound like what the Company Landing Team Concept is attempting do?

A whole lot of cross pollination goes on.  This is more proof of it.

  TRANSITION TO THE VERTICAL DIMENSION: ADVANCED AIRFIGHTING VEHICLES

Iranians are operating US M1Abrams in Iraq?

Many thanks to Svetek for sending me this.

Ok.  I need a Russian speaker to unwrap this one for me.  Svetek found the above pic with the caption Iranians are operating US M1's in Iraq here.  What I would like help with is tracking down the face book page that is posting this stuff to see how reliable they are.

If this is true then our Iraq/Syria policy is even more jacked up than I believe it to be.

Air Rescue in Southeast Asia "The Pilot was rescued by Helicopter" (1967)

Blast from the past. WZ-1224 via War Machine Facebook Page.

This tank never made it into service but is interesting none-the-less.  Read about it here.

The Next Generation Bomber? Just revive the FB-22.

photo via Air Power Australia

The USAF is already trying to get the public relations terrain set for the fight for the Next Generation Bomber.

It could end up being the next budget killer and the reality of that means that not only will the USAF be stuck with the F-35, but because of the tremendous cost, it will also be saddled with the B-52, B-1, and B-2 until possibly 2060 or later.

That is unsat.

Instead of taking joy in the problem that Air Force leadership placed on their own plate, I instead have a modest proposal.

Revive the FB-22 Concept.

The benefits?  The tooling for the F-22 were saved.  A stretched version will be comparatively easy to design, it will have a bit of stealth, but it will be ready for service long before a clean sheet NGB.

It will not be a deep strike fighter bomber, it will not be able to do penetration missions and our nuclear triad will become two legged.  But a bit of honesty.  Its been two legged for a long time now anyway.  This will simply codify what everyone knows to be the truth.

What do ground power advocates get?  Since air power is no longer going to be provided at knife edge distance by the likes of the AV-8B, F-16, F-15, F-18 and especially the A-10 (talking fast movers not helos...attack helicopter boys will still get down low and bring the pain) it will give us something not as good but adequate.  A high flying, extremely fast, persistent bomb truck over the battlefield that will be able to drop ordinance on the designated target.  If Afghanistan is the example then 3 high flying FB-22's could probably cover the entire country, with tanker support could remain airborne for hours and depending on the type of support needed could probably attack multiple targets per flight.  One or two FB-22 squadrons could take the place of a whole slew of current fighters trying to do the job.

In my opinion it makes sense, will save money and will enshrine the fact that land and sea based ballistic missiles are the real guardians of our nuclear deterrent.

Oh and since the Pentagon is so enamored of rebranding, how about we rename the FB-22, the B-5 Medium Bomber.  We haven't had medium bombers in name (the A-6 and A-7 were actually medium and light bombers) since Vietnam.  It sings.  The USAF should get on it.  If they need to save money its time to get realistic now.

Advanced Staff Sergeant Major in MAGAV via Military Photos.

Just wow.  US style combat kit is now the world standard.  Its like this guy went to the website of every gucci gear site in the states and said "take my money".  From the gloves to the belt to even the goggles this must be making air soft players wet their pants.

Should the USMC take the A-10 off the USAF scrap heap?

If I am correct.  If the F-35 is not able to provide close air support to the same level as the A-10 (and there is no reason to believe that it can) and if an endless war is indeed the future, then the AH-1Z and AH-64 will become the new masters of close air support.

These guys do good work so the desire to put steel on target isn't the question.  The question is if they can do it in a moderate threat environment?  How many helicopters have we lost to enemy ground fire?  How many have been knocked down due to RPG hits?

I've pushed back on the idea but maybe it needs to be seriously considered. Is it time for the USMC to consider a light strike platform?  Is it time for either a Super Tucano or an armed version of the Navy's T-45 Goshawk or perhaps most radically an offer to the USAF to take the A-10 off their hands?

F-35 News. The plane is raping the USAF too.

I thought the F-35 was putting the aerodynamic weeny only to the USMC, US Army and our allies.  I didn't think it was doing the same to the USAF.  I was wrong.  Check this out via DoD Buzz...

“For the Air Force … it’s a sequestration-driven decision,” Welsh said, referring to automatic, across-the-board budget cuts Congress and the White House agreed to in 2011 as part of deficit-reduction legislation. The cuts are slated to return with greater effect in fiscal 2016 unless lawmakers agree on an alternative plan.
“We don’t have enough money to fund all the things that we currently have in our force structure,” Welsh said.

And then this...

“And we are then going to have some kind of nebulous idea of a replacement with an airplane that costs at least 10 times as much — and the cost is still growing — with the F-35?” McCain said

Just wow.  The most hawkish Republican says this about the most expensive project going and many believe that the project is here to stay?  To that I say bullshit.  This plane is inching its way toward the chopping block and I couldn't be happier.

Swiss dump the Euro.

via IBT.

The euro has been abandoned by Switzerland.
Switzerland is of course not a member of the single currency but the Swiss National Bank's (SNB) decision yesterday (15 January) to remove the enforced ceiling of 1.20 Swiss franc per euro essentially demonstrated the tax haven country's complete loss of faith in the currency that it has been pegged to for the last three years.
The Swiss franc has risen to around 15% in value against the euro since the SNB move that shocked markets globally.
In the world of foreign exchange, a 2% rise in a single day is seen as a massive jump, to put the 15% rise into context.
What's the cause?
The most pressing and unspoken reason for the SNB's decision is that in order to maintain a low Swiss franc against the euro, the SNB had to sell its franc reserves and buy euros.
This led to large increases on the euro reserves they held. As any individual might have done, the SNB decided to cut its losses on the euro and abandon what they undoubtedly see as a sinking ship.

OK.  My buddy is on vacation in Argentina or else I'd be blowing up his inbox for his take on things.

Since he isn't here I'll pass along what I've read...

1.  The Swiss dumped the Euro because the EU Federal Reserve (or whatever they call it) is about to do American style quantitative easing.

2.  Currency traders are taking a beating.  One watched stock is down 88% and they halted trading on it.

3.  Many speculate that the US will have to do another round of QE because the US dollar is getting TOO strong!  Ordinarily I'd cheer a strong dollar but it works against this globalization scheme that has been hoisted on us and will have our shores flooded with a new wave of cheap Chinese products as they keep there dollar low.

4.  Commodities are taking a beating.  Employment figures are being manufactured out of whole cloth.  The US consumer is supposedly enthused about the future but layoffs in the oil industry are coming which means that a recession is coming with a quickness.

I'm still waiting to see (meaning trying to figure out) what all this means.  I know its another danger sign on top of tons of danger signs out there.

More to come I'm sure.

Romanian Dacia Combat Car via GunsnGear Blog.

Can one of my European readers tell me if this is real?  Do the Romanian forces actually use the Dacia with RWS as a combat car?