General Dunford arrives at Incirlik AFB Turkey. Why?

via Sputnik.

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford arrived at the Turkish southern Incirlik airbase on Monday, local private broadcaster NTV reported.
ANKARA (Sputnik) — According to the Turkish broadcaster, Dunford is expected to meet US troops and hold talks with Turkish high-profile military officials in Ankara.
It comes a day after media reported that the Turkish army stepped up security at Incirlik military base amid unconfirmed reports on a new coup attempt.
Incirlik military base is used by the United States and shelters combat planes of the US-led coalition launching airstrikes in Syria and Iraq against Daesh outlawed in many countries, including Russia.
After a faction in Turkish armed forcesattempted a coup on July 15 which was thwarted later in the day, Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, former commander of Incirlik airbase, was arrested due to alleged involvement in the plot.
On July 25, Dunford dubbed Turkish media reports on US involvement in the Turkish attempted coup "absurd."

This is a crazy move in my opinion.  The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is going to insert himself in the middle of this situation in the hopes that he can defuse it?

What could he be thinking?

The Turkish Commander of that base was arrested for being a participant in the coup attempt, the Turks have accused a US General of being involved, they're requesting we extradite an immigrant to the US back to Turkey for participation/inciting the coup and he thinks that talks to senior Turkish military counterparts might help?

I don't understand the plan.

Are the Turks about to take over Incilrik?

via RT

Some 7,000 armed police in heavy vehicles surrounded the Incirlik air base used by NATO forces in Adana in what a Turkish minister called a “security check.” With no official explanation, speculations have arisen about a new coup attempt or VIP visit.
Hurriyet reported earlier that Adana police had been tipped off about a new coup attempt, and forces were immediately alerted. The entrance to the base was closed off.
Security forces armed with rifles and armored TOMA vehicles used by Turkish riot police could be seen at the site in photos taken by witnesses.

This story has been brewing for a couple of days and I thought it was just the usual posturing of a madman.

Then they moved in protesters and I think its getting serious.

How do you over run a NATO base?  You send in a mob basically daring US servicemen to fire.  Its a catch 22.  If they defend themselves then diplomatic relations are dead right there and if they don't then the personnel are dead right there.

This might get dangerous and goofy.  I just hope they got the nukes out.

Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) @ RimPac.

Note:  SecNav can (yeah I'm repeating but I despise that bastard) shove his rebranding, ship naming, political correctness up his ass.  This ship will always be known to me as a Mobile Landing Platform, not the Expeditionary yada yada that he came up with.

Question:  Does the MLP carry its own LCACs or are they borrowed from an LPD that's in the area?

USMC F-18 Hornet broke apart in flight? The USMC is creating its own tragedy...

Thanks to Moebius for the link!

via Washington Post.

According to a Marine who witnessed the crash, the F/A-18 was in a dive preparing to drop ordnance on a simulated target when the aircraft broke apart in midair and erupted into a fireball. The base’s civilian air rescue immediately responded to the crash site — a strip of canyon roughly 10 miles south of I-40 called Gay’s Pass, said the Marine, who requested anonymity because of his active duty status.

I need to express my sympathy to the Marines family and my hope that he is able to rest in piece.  Next check out this passage from Breaking Defense.

“We’ve been on that track now for two years to get all of our pilots in every type model series the hours they need,” Davis said. “Last year the only guys that got their hours, and the only T-1 unit I have right now, is the F-35s.” He added: “They’re ready for everything.”
Davis said the Corps was on its way to meeting its readiness goals because, “ We’ve had great allies in Congress. They’ve actually helped us out.”

Do you get the implication there?

The only full up fighter attack squadron that we have is with a unit that isn't slated to be sent to war anytime soon!  We have guys that will be sent to combat but the Deputy Commandant for Aviation is bragging that a showpiece unit is the only one that is T-1!

If that isn't enough we saw it coming from a March article of this year  via Marine Corps Times.

Mission-capable rates for all but one of the Marine Corps' 12 fixed-wing, rotary and tiltrotor airframes have fallen since the end of fiscal 2009, according to data obtained by Marine Corps Times via Freedom of Information Act request. While officials stress that the number of flyable aircraft fluctuates daily, the downward trends have alarmed Marine leaders and members of Congress.
Of the Marine Corps' 276 F/A-18 Hornets, only 87 are currently flyable, Marine Corps officials said on April 20. That is less than one-third of all the service's F/A-18A-D variants that can be used to strike the Islamic State group, provide close-air support or fly reconnaissance missions.

But we had a plan to properly mitigate the risk of delays with the F-35...via Telegraph 2011.

The US Navy and Marine Corps is in the final stages of negotiations to purchase all 74 of the planes, which have been permanently grounded since last year’s Strategic Defence Review.

The sale is likely to raise further questions over the wisdom of axing the Harrier as US defence chiefs suggested they were getting a bargain by buying the recently upgraded aircraft.

Rear Admiral Mark Heinrich, chief of the US navy's supply corps, said buying the Harriers made sense because many of the jets had recently undergone a refit, and the US already had pilots who could fly them.

"We're taking advantage of all the money the Brits have spent on them," he told the US newspaper Navy Times.

"It's like we're buying a car with maybe 15,000 miles on it. These are very good platforms. And we've already got trained pilots."

Then this from Defense Tech 2012.

Yup, you read that correctly. With the help of spare parts scavenged from Britain’s old GR9 Harriers that the Marine Corps just bought from the UK, the Marines could keep their AV-8B Harrier jump jets flying until 2030. Yes, the Harriers could serve alongside, F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, and whatever jet is selected as the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier-Launched Surveillance and Strike jet. Remember, the F-35B short-takeoff and vertical landing version of the JSF was originally supposed to start replacing the Marines’ Harriers and F/A-18 Hornets by oh about now. You all know what’s happened to that plan. The AV-8B entered service with the Marines in the mid-1980s.
Naval Air Systems Command has done a structural analysis of the Harriers’ airframes and concluded that the jets will be good, with plenty of maintenance, to fly through 2030, said Rear Adm. Donald Gaddis, the Navy’s program executive officer for tactical aviation during the Navy League’s annual Sea, Air, Space conference in National Harbor, Md.

What is my point with all these links?

Its really quite simple.

HQMC had a solid plan to mitigate risk to the fleet and preserve the airwing.  The answer was a buy of British Harriers and to use them to hold the line till the F-35 came online.  The elderly Hornets which we don't have parts to (remember officers going to a museum to scavenge parts?) would be retired post haste and the Harriers which we DID have parts to would soldier on.

That all changed and the Harrier would be retired early and the Hornet would soldier on.

Why?

My suspicion?

Leadership wanted to ensure the F-35 purchase.  The old idea of saying that the plane is perfect and then "fixing it after we get it" made a come back.

The problem?

Now Marines are dying.  Marines are being overworked.  Planes are breaking up mid air.

Now I ask.  What does it take to get a Marine Corps Deputy Commandant fired?  One dead Marine in a F-18 Hornet that breaks apart in midair?  12 in the back of a CH-53E off the coast of Hawaii?  How about 6 Marines in a UH-1Y in Nepal?

Even if you think Davis is blameless then you can't deny the facts.  The USMC is creating its own tragedy.  This can be fixed but its gonna take some balls and its gonna take putting Marines ahead of an airplane.

Dump the bumper stickers..

Wow.

I've always heard that criminals go "shopping" based on bumper stickers but never considered that they could profile you so completely based on the info on the back of your car.

Dump the bumper stickers!

Brazilian Marines to get upgraded light tanks...

via Janes.

The Brazilian Navy is considering upgrades for its SK-105A2S Kürassier light tanks, and to purchase 4x4 and 6x6 armoured vehicles for its Marine Corps (CFN), a navy spokesperson told IHS Jane's .
Projects to modernise the tanks and to obtain wheeled armoured vehicles are currently undergoing a study phase and a concept and budget feasibility analysis, the spokesperson said.
Those projects integrate the service's multi-phase Strategic Project for Consolidation of the Marines Amphibious Brigade Program (PROBANF), which is to add to marines' firepower, expeditionary, mobility, and protection capabilities.

Wow.  Impressive.  Compact firepower that fills the role of mobile gun system.  While I'd personally think that basing it on the VBTR Guarani would make more sense, this is a reasonable solution.

It also points to something that the US Army is facing.  Building a Light Tank isn't hard.  Building an AIRBORNE LIGHT TANK isn't hard as long as you accept the limitations.  If its gonna be C-130 (optimum) or C-17 (sub optimal) transportable then any thoughts of it shaking off tank fire is a dream.  Same can probably be said of large caliber cannon fire.

Mobility, situational awareness and firepower trumps armor protection in the age we're living in.  The Army could sole source contract this out to General Dynamics or BAE and get the design work done in a year, get it in production in two and probably fill out the 82nd by the third.  Its just a matter of will and discipline...the discipline not to stick every bell and whistle on the thing that is!

Retired General Political Fight.

Thanks to Pete for the link!

via FoxNews.

“General Allen as a retired officer was in charge of our current strategy for well over a year … and during that period of time the rise of radical Islamism and ISIS, you know, it exponentially grew,” he said. “The strategy that John Allen was in charge of … it’s a failed strategy.”

Here. 

You're seeing something ominous here.  Military leadership has always played the politics thing but now?  During this time of max division in the country they're doing it so out in the open?

From my view of things this all began with the Bush Administration and is only getting worse.  Why do I say the Bush Admin?  Remember General Pace?  He was the first hand picked "yes man" that ignored military advice given the JCS and shilled for an administration dabbling in military matters.

He was the face of a policy that the rest of the JCS didn't agree with.  He put a military stamp on things.

Years later we saw the same with Allen and the ISIS strategy.

But back to the politics.  This is terrible news for the military.  Want to see a volunteer force evaporate before your eyes?  Do what's being done.  Want to see the public no longer care about the services?  Divide them between Republicans and Democrats!  The General Officers Club should have reigned these guys in.  Too late now though.  This will come back to haunt the nation....I guarantee it.

Israeli opinion on the F-35? We should not take them. We should walk away.

Many thanks to Gil for the link!

via Jerusalem Post.

Given the obvious problems with the aid program currently being proposed by the Obama administration, there’s little wonder that until now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly stated that if necessary, Israel is ready to wait for the next administration. Some argue that Netanyahu’s apparent newfound interest in concluding negotiations on Obama’s terms owes to his fear that this is the best offer Israel is likely to get. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump for various reasons, it is argued, will be less likely to offer significant increases in US military assistance.
Assuming this is accurate, the question becomes whether Israel has an interest in the assistance at all.
And so we come to the F-35.
For Israel, to a significant degree, the aid package on offer is about the F-35, the US’s fifth generation fighter, otherwise known as the Joint Strike Fighter.
Last month Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and IAF Chief of Staff Brig.-Gen Tal Kelman flew to Texas to ceremonially “take possession” of Israel’s first two F-35s. Both aircraft are set to be delivered to Israel in December.
To date, the IAF has purchased 33 F-35s – all with US aid money. The IAF wants to purchase a total of 75 F-35s, which are supposed to replace the F-16s and the F-15s that the IAF currently fields.
As Liberman made clear during his visit, whether Israel purchases them or not is entirely dependent on the aid deal.
We should not take them. We should walk away.

Here. 

Wow.  This whole aid package thing with Israel is becoming "game of thrones-ish".

From watching the Israeli debate it seems like a large portion of that country is willing to walk away from the table.  Have things gotten that bad between our two countries?  Ordinarily I'd gloat and chest thump at the idea of the F-35 losing a customer BUT we're talking about the survival of the only democracy in the Middle East.

Even worse?  I'm conflicted on the issue.  To demand that US weapons aid is used to purchase US weapons doesn't seem outrageous.

We live in interesting times.  I'm a huge supporter of Israel but don't know who's right and wrong on this one.  This is another one of those issues to keep an eye on.

Super Sukhoi?

via Defense Aerospace.

According to him, FGFA and 'Super Sukhoi' will be different aircraft. "FGFA has several advantages over the upgraded Su-30MKI, namely, improved stealth capabilities, internal weapon bays, integrated electronic warfare (EW) suite, state-of-the art engines, and an advanced software. 'Super Sukhoi' cannot be rebuilt into a fully stealth aircraft. Yes, we are planning to enhance the plane`s stealth. However, you should not delude into thinking that the upgraded Su-30MKI would be an almost invisible aircraft. It is a "Super Sukhoi', not a 'Super Stealth' aircraft.

“Such basic components as the airframe will retain their structure, be sure. India has demanded that Russia save the Su-30MKI`s legendary reliability, let alone high combat performance. I see the future of the IAF`s combat aircraft fleet as a mixture of the FGFA stealth planes and the 'Super Sukhoi' multirole fighters. You should consider that Moscow and India have committed to the FGFA program, having earmarked billions of dollars in order to support it. At the same time, the contract for "Super Sukhoi' planes has yet to be signed by both sides. Hence, the IAF is intending to get both planes," the source said.

The 'Super Sukhoi' aircraft is supposed to receive an advanced glass cockpit, long-range guided weapons, a state-of-the-art avionics, and a radar with an active electronically scanned array (AESA), the source pointed out. "The IAF is planning to integrate the air-launched variant of the BrahMos cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India with the 'Super Sukhoi' aircraft. The plane is supposed to get long-range air-launched missiles with an infrared guidance system interfaced with an advanced software. India is planning to power the jet with top-performing engines to reduce the number of potential failures," he added.

Here. 

I've been waiting for this.  After Boeing came out with their stunning proposals to radically modernize the F-15 and F-18, I've been waiting for the same treatment to come to the Typhoon, Rafale, Gripen and Russian aircraft.

Modernized/Stealthified Super Hornet!

Looks like its finally happening.

Got word of this a couple of days ago but it was just fan boy art that didn't give the details behind the story.  Now?  Now we have it and it sounds
impressive.  It seems like every major air force except our own (well the Marines and Air Force seem lost in the sauce, but the Navy is working the problem) understands that the expense of stealth aircraft doesn't stop with their purchase but continues with outrages maintenance costs.  So the Indian Air Force plan of radically modernized legacy jets with a small fleet of Stealth Fighters seems like something we should be doing.

What will really be interesting is to see how many of Boeing's ideas end up in the Super Sukhoi.  If they can work the low observable pods to be large enough to carry their long range anti-air missiles then they'll have an adhoc version of the "missile truck" idea (that's disappeared and isn't talked about anymore) available for these heavy weight fighters.  Even worse?  China is watching so you can expect them to copy the concept.

Australia's Land 400 Project. Why didn't the Terrex 3 make the cut?

Forgive me but I'm a fanboy for the Terrex 3.  It was the most advanced offering, it had unsurpassed networking, had the required gun and protection levels and I'd bet body parts that I highly value that it was one of the, if not THE most mobile platform in the contest.

So why didn't the Terrex 3 make the cut?

I don't like to run to the "bias" card but we need to be honest here.  European and especially GERMAN armor is considered the best in the world.  I believe its a hangover from World War 2 when the allies got their throats punched by Tigers, Panthers, Elephants etc....that heavy German armor made an impression.

So that explains the Boxer entry into the final roundup but what about the Patria AMV?

I think the same factors are in play.  Its European, has a fantastic reputation on that continent and it won fame by performing well in Afghanistan.  I know what you're asking...if that's the case then the General Dynamics 6.0 should have been in the running too right?  Wrong!  General Dynamics made the tragic mistake of listening to defense analyst (which I agreed with) of going for incremental improvements to proven designs.  Their vehicle would probably be the easiest on the Australian supply chain, easiest to train future troops on and is known to the ADF.  During normal times that would be good enough.  Today?  Not so much.

But back to the Terrex 3.  I fear that Singapore Kinetics is about to become the BAE.  Remember the SEP later named Alligator?  When it was built it was the finest armored vehicle on the planet.  It had everything ground forces said they wanted and then some.  It was a world beater.

No one bought it.

I see the same possibility for the Terrex 3.  Its a world beating vehicle but because its new and doesn't have a "rep" no one will buy it. Remember the BAE SEP and the Terrex 3 the next time people talk about the lack of innovation when it comes to ground vehicles.  Industry is doing work, the military just won't buy.

Australia chose badly.  The sad reality is that they're about to select vehicles that will be obsolete before they enter service.

Note:  The Patria is already working on an updated AMV and the German's are doing the same with the Boxer.  Patria AMV development started in 1996, the Boxer in 2001.  They're not exactly "elderly" but they're not exactly fresh either.

Breaking! Patria AMV and Boxer make Australia's Land 400 shortlist!

Hey all. THIS IS HUGE!  Below is the press release.

Companies shortlisted for Army’s Mounted Combat Reconnaissance Capability

The Department of Defence today announced the selection of two tenderers to participate in the next stage of evaluation for LAND 400 Phase 2, Army’s Mounted Combat Reconnaissance capability.
Deputy Secretary Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), Mr Kim Gillis, said both BAE Systems Australia Limited and Rheinmetall Landsysteme Gmbh have been assessed as offering competitive solutions with designs based on capabilities already in service with other nations.
“When introduced into service Army will have a capability which represents a quantum leap in protection for our soldiers while providing enhanced sensors and weapon systems for the crew,” Mr Gillis said.
“Today’s announcement follows an extension to the Request for Tender (RFT) evaluation period to conduct a review of the Australian industry involvement elements of the LAND 400 Phase 2 Risk Mitigation Activity (RMA) to ensure Australian industry involvement can be optimised.
“The review undertaken by Deloitte Australia found clear alignment between the LAND 400 Phase 2 tender evaluation process and the policy direction and priorities of the 2016 Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS),” he said.
The decision to conduct the Review has resulted in an improved understanding of industry, demonstrated clear alignment between the DIPS and the proposed RMA activities, and helped reinforce the importance of industry as a fundamental input to capability.

I can't reveal the name of my tipster but MANY thanks to him for the news!

About that DNC hack. How did it go from stealing "opposition research" to influencing the election?

Have you been keeping up with the spin coming from the Democrats on the hack of their servers?  If not then let me get you up to speed.  The Dems are saying that the Russians gave WikiLeaks documents so that it would influence the election in favor of Trump.

I find that interesting.

Do you remember the story when this first was announced?  The DNC stated that they stole opposition research on Trump.  I wrote about my theories of the hack...

http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-russian-hack-of-dnc-is-about.html

http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-dirty-little-secret-hacked-e-mails.html

http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.com/2016/06/are-russians-about-to-do-dept-of.html

http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.com/2016/06/apparently-russia-has-declared-war-on.html

But back to the opposition research meme that the DNC first pushed before switching to the idea that this was designed to influence our election.  What was that?  You don't remember those stories?  Check out these links...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russian-government-hackers-penetrated-dnc-stole-opposition-research-on-trump/2016/06/14/cf006cb4-316e-11e6-8ff7-7b6c1998b7a0_story.html

http://gawker.com/this-looks-like-the-dncs-hacked-trump-oppo-file-1782040426

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/dnc/20160614_Reuters_L1N19612D_UPDATE_5_Russians_steal_research_on_Trump_in_hack_of_U_S__Democratic_Party.html

 Everyone is pointing at the Russians.  What if it isn't?  Who would be interested in killing the Clinton coronation?

Marine General Allen endorses Hillary...a bad move for the Corps but not for the reason you think.

via Marine Corps Times

Cancian, a retired Marine colonel who served with Allen in Iraq, has some concerns about the endorsement, though. While he has tremendous respect for Allen, Cancian said he worries that having retired general officers involved in political causes may prompt the White House to exclude top military leaders from the decision-making process, he said.
“In the White House, everything is political,” Cancian said. “If they worry that deliberations might be leaked or people might go to work for the political opposition, then they just won’t invite those people and they’ll stick with the political appointees that they’re comfortable with.”
In some countries, general and flag officers are promoted based on their political leanings, he said.
One expert on civil-military relations fears that by endorsing Clinton, Allen could give the appearance that he is speaking for current senior military leaders.
“A man of his prominence and his rank can be interpreted to speak for the whole military community, retired and active duty,” said Richard Kohn, who teaches military history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Kohn said he does not believe any retired military officer should ever endorse political candidates.
“They are in effect declaring themselves partisans and leaving the non-partisanship of the military profession and that’s a different thing,” he said.
Allen is the latest retired general officer to endorse a candidate this election cycle. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn spoke in favor of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at last week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

First!  Make sure you read the entire article, just not the little blurb that I copied here.  Next, I know what you're thinking.  SNAFU! you had no problem with Flynn speaking at the RNC and you're absolutely right.  He's Army.  They can discuss the ramifications of his actions on an Army blog.

I'm worried about what Allen's move does to the Marine Corps.

There are tons of Democrats in the Marine Corps.  There are publications that claim to speak for the Marine Corps or to serve as "incubators of thought" on Marine Corps issues that have a left wing tilt to them (USNI Blog)....long story short, the Marine Corps is infested with Democrats!

I consider that an annoyance but not a problem (not yet but we're getting close)...the problem for the Marine Corps is that its once again risking its reputation.

Half the country hates Hillary.

If Allen's move is believed to indicate how the "new" Marine Corps thinks then the recruiting crisis will turn into an emergency.  Even worse you could see that "special relationship" that the Marine Corps has with the American people sour.

There is an issue for the General Officer club too.  Hillary is viewed as an interventionist/Neo-Con.  The American public has tired of the war, no one believes that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been fought effectively and many suspect that senior military leadership is embarked on a strategy to ensure generational conflict with victory nowhere to be seen.

This move by a retired Marine Corps General during a time when the country is more divided than ever could not come at a worse time.  In essence Allen and by extension the Marine Corps is taking sides.  Even if Allen wins, the Marine Corps could lose big.

Doctor shot by gunman in Germany

Thanks to Joey Joe-Joe Junior Shabadoo for the link!

via Metro.uk

A doctor is critically ill after being shot by a patient at a hospital in Berlin this afternoon.
German media reported that the doctor had been shot dead, but police in Germany said that he was actually critically ill after the shooting at the University Hospital in Steglitz, Berlin.
Anti-terrorist police have been seen at the Benjamin Franlkin Campus.
Police said they were called to the building at 11am today. They confirmed that the gunman was a patient and that he had shot himself.
A spokeswoman for the Benjamin Franklin campus of the Charite university hospital had no immediate comment.
The incident follows four other attacks in Germany since July 18 that left 10 people dead and dozens injured.

IF, and it is a big IF, this is connected to terrorism then the idea that these lone actors are uncoordinated has to go out the window.

I've called it the ISIS Offensive in Europe, but that little click bait title might be hitting closer to the mark than I thought.  The attacks are becoming more horrific by the day.  Running down families in Nice?  Attacking a Priest in his church?  A suicide bombing?  Someone is definitely calling the shots.

Catholic Priest attacked in his church by terrorists? UPDATED! THE ANIMALS BEHEADED A PRIEST!

Robert sent me a note saying that news from France is that a Catholic Priest was attacked in his church by a man suspected of being an Islamic terrorists.

I've talked about how christian churches have failed the people by pressing for increased immigration (all faiths here in the US, most notably the catholic church in Europe) and if it is as suspected you can consider this another nail in the coffin of modern Christianity in people's lives.

But back on task.  This.  This is the kind of outrage that will set people off.

Europe going up in flames is proceeding on schedule.

UPDATE.  Thanks to Dimas for the link!  One thing.  News reports are saying that the Priest had his throat cut.  Question.  When have you ever seen terrorist cut a throat and not remove the head?  Answer?  They don't.  If they go to knives then you're gonna be beheaded and this Priest was.  They might not go public with the details but bet your last dollar that this was a gruesome scene.  One other thing.  As much as I don't like it, these Security Forces are going to have to start taking prisoners so that they can develop intel.  Guantanamo in Europe isn't a bad idea along with enhanced interrogation.

Fitness Talk. Pro-hormones cause male lactation?

Jesus Boston!  I thought you were wild but to even tell that story!!!!  Green shit coming out of your nipples?

Just plain wow.  This one....this is the best anti-prohormone vid ever.  Still I gotta give the guy credit.  He puts it all out there.  The good, the bad and the plain gross!

Singapore conducts international maritime counter-terrorism exercise

Singapore is holding an international maritime counter terrorism exercise (read about it here).

Quite honestly the biggest bang for the buck that terrorist can get short of a nuclear weapon is probably the maritime route.  Most Coast Guards are not equipped to handle it, the civilian maritime sector doesn't take it as seriously as they should and the cargo carried can easily be weaponized.  You've all read about the mud rolling that the anti-terror guys do when it comes to a hijacked LNG tanker rolling up into a port somewhere and the terrorist detonating it (supposedly it would take out half of a good sized city).

Could the next major attack in the Western world that causes casualties in the thousands arrive by ship?  I wouldn't bet against it.  Just remember those three letters.  L. N. G.

China drilling Anti-Tactical Recovery of Aircraft/Personnel (TRAP) teams. via China Defence Blog.

via CDB

Here is a series of photos depicting a 10-man PLAAF Airborne SpOps team's search for a downed enemy pilot while CAS teams of JH-7s and Q5s providing support by cleaning out a retrieval path.
I am sure they only wanted to provide medical aid to the poor soul and nothing else.... yeah yeah, that's the ticket.

This is ominous.  I've read about enemy forces flexing into the mission of capturing American pilots.  That's been going on since WW2.

I've never heard about capturing downed pilots being a mission set of a special ops unit.  Let me repeat that for a second so you get the force of connection....a special ops unit drilling to capture enemy pilots?  Interesting.

BTR-82A used in drills for the first time?

via Sputnik

Russian troops used the BTR-82As armored personnel carriers for the first time during drills in Tajikistan, an aid to the commander of Russia's Central Military District said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — There is a number of significant differences between the new BTR-82As and their predecessors, the commander noted. The armored vehicles’ firepower has been increased due to a 30-mm aircraft cannon being installed, while high angle barrel lifting allows for a more efficient attacks in mountainous areas.

“Soldiers stationed in Tajikistan as part of the 201st Military Base used the new BTR-82As for the first time during maneuvers in the foothills of the Eastern Pamirs,” Col. Yaroslav Roschupkin told reporters.
The motorized infantry troops managed to strike targets at a distance of 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) and 1.7 kilometers on complex terrain, Roschupkin added.

Sputnik must have been needing to fill space on their website.  This vehicle is one of the "winners" of the Russian involvement in the Syrian war.  They deployed this vehicle early and from the outside looking in, they must have
gotten it right.  While we've seen modifications of their attack helicopters, these armored vehicles remain unchanged and are getting sent out to their troops. It will be interesting to see how quickly they get their new wheeled IFVs into service when the legacy models seem to be performing well.

Reservist and active duty Marine tankers train together. Photos by Pvt. Matthew Callahan

Note:  Still no discussion or path laid out for the future of Tanks in the Marine Corps.  Quite honestly I'm surprised they still exist.  The biggest factor in all this is probably the F-35.  Sustainment costs of that airplane and the promise that it will provide the same kind of firepower (in a different way) will probably see Tanks die in the near future.  We really should have paid attention when Amos and his little buddy Davis told us that the F-35 would change the way we do things.  Armor is out.  We'll be lucky to keep it in the Reserves.