Starving survivors of Auschwitz Concentration Camp, January 1945.

Pic via Red Army Air Force Tumblr Page.

Blast from the past....Tito–Stalin split

Pic via USS Steele Tumblr Page.

via Wikipedia.

Unlike other new communist states in east-central Europe, Yugoslavia liberated itself from Axis domination with limited direct support from the Red Army. Tito's leading role in liberating Yugoslavia not only greatly strengthened his position in his party and among the Yugoslav people, but also caused him to be more insistent that Yugoslavia had more room to follow its own interests than other Bloc leaders who had more reasons (and pressures) to recognize Soviet efforts in helping them liberate their own countries from Axis control. Although Tito was formally an ally of Stalin after World War II, the Soviets had set up a spy ring in the Yugoslav party as early as 1945, giving way to an uneasy alliance.[citation needed]

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, there occurred several armed incidents between Yugoslavia and the Western Allies. Following the war, Yugoslavia acquired the Italian territory of Istria as well as the cities of Zadar and Rijeka. Yugoslav leadership was looking to incorporate Trieste into the country as well, which was opposed by the Western Allies. This led to several armed incidents, notably attacks by Yugoslav fighter planes on US transport aircraft, causing bitter criticism from the west. From 1945 to 1948, at least four US aircraft were shot down.[citation needed] Stalin was opposed to these provocations, as he felt the USSR unready to face the West in open war so soon after the losses of World War II and at the time when US had operational nuclear weapons whereas USSR had yet to conduct its first test. In addition, Tito was openly supportive of the Communist side in the Greek Civil War, while Stalin kept his distance, having agreed with Churchill not to pursue Soviet interests there, although he did support the Greek communist struggle politically, as demonstrated in several assemblies of the UN Security Council. In 1948, motivated by the desire to create a strong independent economy, Tito modeled his economic development plan independently from Moscow, which resulted in a diplomatic escalation followed by a bitter exchange of letters in which Tito wrote that "We study and take as an example the Soviet system," but develop it a different form.[citation needed]

The Soviet answer on 4 May admonished Tito and the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) for failing to admit and correct its mistakes, and went on to accuse them of being too proud of their successes against the Germans, maintaining that the Red Army had saved them from destruction. Tito's response on 17 May suggested that the matter be settled at the meeting of the Cominform to be held that June. However, Tito did not attend the second meeting of the Cominform, fearing that Yugoslavia was to be openly attacked. In 1949 the crisis nearly escalated into an armed conflict, as Hungarian and Soviet forces were massing on the northern Yugoslav frontier.[130] On 28 June, the other member countries expelled Yugoslavia, citing "nationalist elements" that had "managed in the course of the past five or six months to reach a dominant position in the leadership" of the CPY. The assumption in Moscow was that once it was known that he had lost Soviet approval, Tito would collapse; 'I will shake my little finger and there will be no more Tito,' Stalin remarked.[131] The expulsion effectively banished Yugoslavia from the international association of socialist states, while other socialist states of Eastern Europe subsequently underwent purges of alleged "Titoists". Stalin took the matter personally and arranged several assassination attempts on Tito, none of which succeeded. In a correspondence between the two leaders, Tito openly wrote:

Stop sending people to kill me. We've already captured five of them, one of them with a bomb and another with a rifle. (...) If you don't stop sending killers, I'll send one to Moscow, and I won't have to send a second.

— Josip Broz Tito[132]

One significant consequence of the tension arising between Yugoslavia and Soviet Union, was Tito's decision to begin a large scale repression against any real or alleged opponent of his own view of Yugoslavia. This repression was not limited to known and alleged Stalinists, but included also members of the Communist Party or anyone exhibiting sympathy towards Soviet Union. Prominent partisans, such as Vlado Dapčević and Dragoljub Mićunović were victims of this period of strong repression which lasted until 1956 and was marked by significant violations of human rights.[133][134] Tens of thousands of political opponents served in forced labour camps, such as Goli Otok[135] and hundreds died.

Interesting isn't it?

Open Comment Post. Jan 29, 2017

Well Twitter is useless now.  I have a tight list of people I follow and its about military matters.  What do I see?  Nothing but the travel ban.

There are what 12 people affected (actually being detained) and the left is going this bat shit crazy?  The guy has been in office a week and Dem leaders think that they can maintain this type of "enthusiasm" for another two years to change the balance of power during the mid terms?

Stupid strategy.

Something will happen (I don't know what it will be...hopefully not a terror attack) and everyone's attention will switch to the new hot thing.  Until then Twitter is not on the list of websites I visit.

What's on your mind.

BYU honor code and the ROTC Commander..

via Salt Lake City Tribune.

The Air Force ROTC program at Brigham Young University might take flight — to Orem.
Discussions are underway about moving the program from the Provo school to state-run Utah Valley University after an Air Force colonel's refusal to follow BYU's Honor Code.
BYU is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Students and faculty are required to adhere to prohibitions against alcohol, drugs, coffee, premarital sex and other activities contrary to the beliefs of the faith. The U.S. military assigns instructors to ROTC programs.
Col. Timothy Hogan, commander of Detachment 855 of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at BYU, is not LDS. Hogan told BYU's student newspaper that his unwillingness to sign the Honor Code is forcing the program to move to UVU.
"I told the (university) president in an interview that I would happily abide by the Honor Code on campus, in uniform and on duty, but if I wanted to have a cup of coffee at my house, they said, 'No, that's not acceptable,' " Hogan told the The Daily Universe in an article it published online Thursday.
Hogan is on a three-year assignment from the Air Force, and BYU did not approve a request to waive the Honor Code requirements, he said.
BYU "didn't recognize me as a professor," Hogan told the paper. "They wouldn't allow me to instruct, and that's one of the requirements for me as the commander."
On Friday, Hogan confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune his statements to the student paper. Defense Department spokesman Lt. Col. Myles Caggins told The Tribune via email that the schools and the department are reviewing "all available options in order to reach a mutually beneficial agreement."
Layton Shumway, a spokesman for UVU, said there has been "informal discussion" about moving the detachment to UVU — 4 miles from the BYU campus.
"The issue rests primarily with the Department of Defense," Shumway said.
BYU and UVU already share the Air Force ROTC program. The detachment has 29 UVU students and 121 from BYU.
Such arrangements are common among colleges and universities in proximity to one another. The University of Utah and private Westminster College, for example, share an Army ROTC program, with Westminster students driving up 1300 East in Salt Lake City to attend classes and training at the U.
It was unclear Friday whether only Hogan and his offices would move or if firearms and other training equipment belonging to the detachment could also shift to UVU.
Hogan arrived at BYU in the summer. According to biographies online, he is an Air Force Academy graduate whose service record includes 20 years flying the ground-attack A-10 jet, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

I knew Mormons were bible knockers (and Book of Mormon) but they don't drink coffee?  The prohibition against drugs has to be "illegal" drugs right?

I wonder how this will play out.

A temp refugee ban from certain countries and travel restrictions bring tears?

I'm watching MSNBC and the tears are delicious!

They're upset because of a temporary refugee ban (so that they can be more carefully screened) and travel restrictions from the terror watch list and it causes fear and loathing?

Yeah.  I'm loving this.

Trump has some peculiar traits in my mind.  He definitely tweets too much and his responding to every criticism while President irks, but this son of a bitch is delivering on his campaign promises.  That's awesome.

GaN-based AESA radar has killed stealth as we know it.

via Defense Systems.
The Navy’s new SPY-6 is 35-times more powerful than existing ship-based radar.
Compared to the legacy SPY-1 radar, Air and Missile Defense Radar will be able to see an airborne object half as big and twice as far and testing is proceeding apace at Pacific Missile Range Facility, where we have radiated at full power and cycle, Boxall added.
Boxall added that all new construction DDG Flight IIA ships, beginning with DDG-113, will be delivered with Aegis Baseline 9C.
This includes "identification Friend or Foe Mode 5, Close-In Weapons System Block 1B, Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block II, and the SQQ-89A (V) 15 Integrated Undersea Warfare Combat System Suite. Delivery of these capabilities will extend into the mid-term (2020-2030) and beyond," Boxall said.

via USNI News
The Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye maybe the U.S. Navy’s secret weapon against the emerging threat of enemy fifth-generation stealth fighters and cruise missiles.
The key to that capability is the aircraft’s powerful UHF-band hybrid mechanical/electronically-scanned AN/APY-9 radar built by Lockheed Martin. Both friend and foe alike have touted UHF radars as an effective countermeasure to stealth technology.
One example of that is a paper prepared by Arend Westra that appeared in the National Defense University’s Joint Forces Quarterly academic journal in the 4th quarter issue of 2009.
“It is the physics of longer wavelength and resonance that enables VHF and UHF radar to detect stealth aircraft,” Westra wrote in his article titled Radar vs. Stealth.
UHF-band radars operate at frequencies between 300MHz and 1GHz, which results in wavelengths that are between 10centimeters and one meter long.
Typically, due to the physical characteristics of fighter-sized stealth aircraft, they must be optimized to defeat higher frequencies in the Ka, Ku, X, C and parts of the S-bands.
There is a resonance effect that occurs when a feature on an aircraft—such as a tail-fin tip— is less than eight times the size of a particular frequency wavelength. That omni-directional resonance effect produces a “step change” in an aircraft’s radar cross-section.
Effectively what that means is that small stealth aircraft that do not have the size or weight allowances for two feet or more of radar absorbent material coatings on every surface are forced to make trades as to which frequency bands they are optimized for.
That would include aircraft like the Chengdu J-20, Shenyang J-31, Sukhoi PAK-FA and indeed the United States’ own Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and tri-service F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Only very large stealth aircraft without protruding empennage surfaces — like the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit or the forthcoming Long Range Strike-Bomber — can meet the requirement for geometrical optics regime scattering.

via Raytheon website
The Future of Air and Missile Defense
Global Patriot has a defined growth path that will ensure the system remains in service through 2048 and beyond. Recent enhancements include:
GaN-based AESA radar technology to increase detection range, power and enable 360 degree coverage
Common Command and Control to allow seamless operation with partner and allied systems
Ability to fire multiple missile types, matching the right missile to the threat
Solutions Based Approach
Raytheon's customers require a solutions based approach to defense – featuring next-generation systems designed with open architecture and tailored to their specific needs. Solutions that are co-developed and co-produced by a network of more than 2,800 global suppliers, using the latest innovations in technology and manufacturing.
Ready and reliable, Global Patriot Solutions are interoperable and can be integrated into existing systems to become part of a larger integrated air and missile defense architecture.

Everyone believes that stealth is the new boogie man in aerial combat.  If you ask F-35 proponents (fanboys) then they'll tell you that there is no way the Super Hornet can match their favorite because its not full stealth (ignoring the fact that the F-35 isn't "full stealth" either) and it has such advanced sensors.

Admittedly the Super Hornet isn't full stealth, but the planes sensors are BETTER than you'll find on the F-35.  Even worse for the fan club?

Stealth as we know it is dead.

We don't talk much about radar on these pages but I do like to monitor the current situation.  What you see above is just the tip of the iceberg.  GaN-based AESA radar technology is changing the equation when it comes to detecting stealth aircraft.  Additionally its not confined to just the Army and Navy (although they appear to have a big lead), the G/ATOR radar being bought by the USMC could easily receive the same upgrades to make it capable of detecting stealth missiles and aircraft.

All this brings me back to my point.  When discussing the F-35 take cost off the table and stop harping on it!  The program office, Lockheed Martin and the services will make sure that the pencil pushers will be able to come up with a scheme to make the plane appear cheaper than a Super Hornet.

Of course it'll be a lie but that's not the point!

The point is we need to start talking about capabilities.  The Super Hornet and especially its Growler version is the way forward.  You wanted to know who was right, the USAF pursuing stealth or the US Navy pushing a "payload over platforms"concept?  Long short the Navy.  The F-35 is truly obsolete in every way before its even entered REAL service.

Talk capabilities!

Want a kick in the pants?  The Marine Corps will soon give up on the stealth idea and probably hang Growler pods off the airframe in the near future.  I'm also betting that instead of emphasizing deep strikes and sensor nodes, we're gonna see UAVs doing that job while being quarterbacked by E-2D's and the paint on the F-35 allowed to go the way of the dinosaurs so that they can turn it into a bomb truck.

If the race is between hardware and software/computing power then never bet on the computer overlords.

F-35C review ordered by Mattis...the Navy gets its backdoor out!

via DoD Buzz

In two memorandums signed and effective immediately, Mattis said Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work will “oversee a review that compares the F-35C and F/A-18E/F operational capabilities and assess the extent that the F/A-18E/F improvements [an advanced Super Hornet] can be made in order to provide a competitive, cost effective fighter aircraft alternative,” according to a statement from Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.
For the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program, known as Air Force One, Mattis said Work’s review should “identify specific areas where costs can be lowered,” such as “autonomous operations, aircraft power generation, environmental conditioning [cooling], survivability, and military [and] civilian communication capabilities,” the memo said.
The memos didn’t specify if the review will reduce the planned number of aircraft.
“This is a prudent step to incorporate additional information into the budget preparation process and to inform the secretary’s recommendations to the president regarding critical military capabilities,” Davis said in an email statement.


“This action is also consistent with the president’s guidance to provide the strongest and most efficient military possible for our nation’s defense, and it aligns with the secretary’s priority to increase military readiness while gaining full value from every taxpayer dollar spent on defense,” he said.

Consider the F-35C dead.

There is no real role on the carrier for it when the Navy is pursuing stealthy UAVs that will act in the surveillance role.  All the talk about the F-35 acting as a sensor node has seriously backfired. The Navy will have one unmanned airplane, the E-2D, the P-8 and then networked fires (which in essence means networked surveillance) to protect the fleet.

What will be interesting will be what the Marine Corps does.  They're all in on the F-35B but if the Navy dumps the "C" then does that mean the Marine Corps gives up the Carrier mission or does it swallow hard and buy Super Hornets?

This is about to get good!

Remember this concept? The Bourdeau Industries Mk3!

Another fantastic concept that didn't see the light of day.  I don't know if we were being trolled or if they actually were working on a twin engine setup that would put out 80, 000 lbs of thrust but if that's real then that alone would make them billions!

Open Comment Post. Jan 27, 2017

art is by Cody Williams @ www.codywilliams.design

What's on my mind?

Has anyone noticed the number of "unnamed source" reports that the mainstream news media is reporting on the Trump administration?

I don't go for most conspiracy theories but Wikileaks indicated that many journalists were using Democrat Party talking points, attended meetings and parties put on by the Democrat National Committee and one respected publication stated that they were taking off their journalist hat and working to defeat Trump.

I don't think that has stopped.

I also think that reporting these "unnamed sources" and then applying the cleansing statement that they have not "verified" the report isn't good enough.

What has me puzzled is why those brainiacs closest to Trump aren't jumping all over it.  I can't explain his behavior except to think that he tweets so much because he feels a need to defend himself, his administration and his policies and he has no one in his cabinet willing to do it.

One last thing.  If he keeps going at this pace he won't last two years in office.  He'll burn himself out and have to resign for medical reasons.

That's on my mind.  What's on yours.

A whole bunch of Royal Netherlands Army CV90's...

pics via Main Battle Tank Tumblr Page.

I wonder how big that unit is.  Its got to be at least Brigade sized, if not bigger.

UK Defense Minister calls Russian aircraft carrier a "ship of shame"

via CNN

Russia's Defense Ministry on Thursday slammed comments by UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon calling Russia's flagship aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov "a ship of shame." Fallon's remarks were made Wednesday as UK warships and warplanes tracked Russia's only aircraft carrier through the English Channel.  The carrier and its escort, the guided missile cruiser Petr Velikiy, are on their way back to Russia after participating in airstrikes in Syria. 

They left the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month.

"We are keeping a close eye on the Admiral Kuznetsov as it skulks back to Russia, a ship of shame whose mission has only extended the suffering of the Syrian people," Fallon said.  The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement it had "paid attention" to Fallon's remarks on the carrier group.
"The Russian combat ships do not need escort services," the statement said. "They know the fairway and the course."  The ministry also suggested Fallon should be "paying more attention to the British fleet."

Wow.  First its obvious that the UK Defense Minister is parroting Neo-Con talking points (will someone give me a legit reason why we should be odds with Russia instead of working together on points of joint interest like killing ISIS, Space Travel and even negotiating a solution to the Ukraine problem?) with regard to the situation in Syria.

With the Brit Prime Minister due to meet with Trump this week, it'll be interesting if the UK doesn't start to sing a different tune to better align themselves with the thinking of the new administration.

Second is the burn that the Russian Defense Minister shot across the bow of the Royal Navy.  "Fallon should be paying more attention to the British fleet"????

That was savage!

This is a meaningless little dustup but its sure fun to watch.  

The Southern India famine of 1876–78

A starving family during The Great Famine of 1876–78 (aka, The Southern India famine of 1876–78 or the Madras famine of 1877)

John Wick: Chapter 2

A suit and tie to go to your favorite gunshop and ordering from the menu?  I could see it!

Can't wait to see this movie!

The future of Marine Corps Armor..

Thanks to George for the link!

via Marine Gazette by Capt Brent Goddard II

The Marine Corps has limits; it cannot walk or air assault everywhere on the battlefield. Walking leaves friendly forces vulnerable and lacks speed/tempo. Vertical envelopment, while effective to reach an objective, leaves forces exposed, lacks direct firepower, and lacks high-speed ground lift support. Whether it be a high-end kinetic fight or humanitarian operation, the Marine Corps needs a form of high-speed cross country mobility that is survivable, provides squad-sized lift, and delivers direct firepower and shock effect.

The solution to the issues of contemporary enemy armor, modern ATGMs proliferation, and the continued requirement for high-speed survivable lift is to develop FOVs from the ACV and to influence the Army when they develop a new main battle tank. An ACV FOV gives the Marine Corps options to accomplish the mission. As the Nation’s scalable middle-weight force, the Marine Corps needs armor options that can accomplish the mission at hand.

ACV 1.1, currently in prototype testing as an 8-wheeled personnel carrier,8 should replace the now 30-year-old legacy LAV-25. The Marine Corps should develop and equip the ACV 1.1 as an infantry fighting vehicle with an automatic cannon in the 30mm to 100mm caliber range. This size will enable ammunition with air burst capability against dismounted infantry formations and retain kinetic and chemical energy armor-piercing rounds. This ACV will provide the lift required with the speed and security for the infantry forces.

The ACV 1.2 is planned to be the Marine Corps’ swim variant.9 As a ship-to-shore connector, it will provide high-speed squad-sized lift and assume the missions of the current AAV. This variant can be the Marine Corps swim/lift choice employed during amphibious operations or when landbased mechanized operations are necessary.
Similar to the LAV mortar and anti-tank (AT) variants, ACV mortar and AT variants should be developed. The ACV-M should be large enough to embark the 120mm expeditionary fire support and its ammunition. This will provide fast, responsive, and organic indirect fires to a mechanized force. The ACV-AT variant should be able to fire four TOW missiles without reloading and provide long-range AT missile support to mechanized forces. This FOV will provide the Marine Corps with its swim and medium armor options.

The heavy armor option will remain the M1A1 MBT for the Marine Corps. The M1A1 life cycle has been extended to the year 2050. In the meantime, the Marine Corps needs to continue upgrading its tank ammo; fire control system; lighten its logistical footprint; and its sights, survivability, and communications suite to remain relevant on the modern battlefield. The U.S. Army leadership is discussing the possibly of developing a light tank to exponentially increase the effectiveness of infantry formations. BG Scott McKean, USA, Chief of Armor/Commandant, stated,

The Army should also innovate with direct energy, a new infantry fighting vehicle, and a future tank with autonomous capabilities ... I saw firsthand the impact a light tank brings to an infantry force and how it exponentially increases the formation’s effectiveness ... 10

It is essential that the Marine Corps begin to influence and show interest in investing in the development of such a tank

Story here. 

A very nicely done article.

It does raise some interesting points though.  I also wonder...it was said that 1/3rd of the force will land by helo and 2/3rds by surface.  Has this changed by the move toward an aviation centric force?

Next thing is the Captain doesn't list a timetable on when this should be done.  I'd like to think that a sense of urgency is gripping HQMC around the neck and that they'll push forward on this buy as soon as possible.

As fars as teaming with the Army on their proposed light tanks?  Absolutely awesome thinking.

This guy is channeling my thoughts.  Hopefully someone with stars is listening.

CH-146 Griffon helicopter from 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron @ Operation IMPACT

A CH-146 Griffon helicopter from 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron takes off in Northern Iraq during Operation IMPACT, December, 2016.

Romania orders more Piranha armored vehicles

via UPI

Romania has ordered additional Piranha III wheeled armored vehicles from General Dynamics European Land Systems.
The order is the fifth by Romania and is part of the Romanian army's vehicle modernization program.
The Piranha PIII is an 8x8 wheeled vehicle with a top speed of 62 miles per hour and a range of 780 miles. It carries a crew of three and five passengers.
GDELS, formerly MOWAG of Switzerland, said Piranha vehicles have been in service with the Romanian military since 2006.

I'm numb to this purchase.  I don't think its terrible and yet it doesn't excite.

2d Cavalry Regiment Soldier peers thru a Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System on a Stryker Combat Vehicle

Modern day REFORGER...

Do you remember REFORGER exercises from back in the day?  If you don't then this is the Wikipedia entry...

Exercise Reforger (from return of forces to Germany) was an annual exercise conducted, during the Cold War, by NATO. The exercise was intended to ensure that NATO had the ability to quickly deploy forces to West Germany in the event of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact. Although most troops deployed were from the United States, the operation also involved a substantial number of troops from other NATO nations including Canada and the United Kingdom.

The Reforger exercise itself was first conceived in 1967. The Johnson administration announced plans to withdraw approximately two divisions from Europe during 1968. As a demonstration of its continuing commitment to the defense of NATO and to illustrate its capability of rapid reinforcement, a large scale force deployment was planned that would deploy a division or more to West Germany in a regular annual exercise. The first such exercise was conducted beginning on 6 January 1969. These exercises continued annually past the end of the Cold War, except for the year 1989, until 1993. Reforger 1975 marked the operational presence of the United States Marine Corps in Europe for the first time since World War I when the 2nd Marine Division's 32nd Marine Amphibious Unit (32nd MAU) was deployed from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as part of that exercise. Reforger 1988 was billed as the largest European ground maneuver since the end of World War II as 125,000 troops were deployed.[1]

Reforger was not merely a show of force—in the event of a conflict, it would be the actual plan to strengthen the NATO presence in Europe. In that instance, it would have been referred to as Operation Reforger. Important components in Reforger included the Military Airlift Command, the Military Sealift Command, and the Civil Reserve Air Fleet.

The US Army also increased its rapid-reinforcement capability by prepositioning huge stocks of equipment and supplies in Europe at POMCUS sites. The maintenance of this equipment has provided extensive on-the-job training to reserve-component support units.

What we're seeing with the Army's movement of an Armored Brigade Combat Team is a "baby" Reforger.

While I don't believe Russia is a threat, I do believe that this provides us with an opportunity.  Forward basing is a terrible idea in an age of long range precision missiles.  We can bring the troops home from the frontier knowing that we can quickly sortie them to a trouble spot if the need arises.

A few Reforger exercise per year, along with perfecting the sea base will mean that forward basing should be a thing of the past...which means that we can finally slay the ops tempo monster that is gobbling up the force.

Did the Pentagon take a swipe at Trump by sharing this inspiring story of a Muslim refugee-turned-Marine?

via Raw Story

It’s not known whether the DoD’s social media manager sent out this particular story on Wednesday to tweak the president, although the timing is interesting given Trump’s expected new policy on Muslim refugees that would have barred Mohammed from ever entering the United States in the first place.

Story here. 

Wow.

Would the Marine Corps really challenge the President like this?

Open Comment Post. Jan 25, 2016.

I found a website you guys might want to check out.  Its the BAE Systems Heritage site and its pretty cool.  You can see it here.

Having said that, what's on your mind?