Monday, March 11, 2019
ISIS timeline via Forces.net
via Forces
Read the entire article. While I agree with the "big points" there are a few details they point out that I totally disagree with.
The point to the first beheading as a "reason" why they grew. I disagree. I feel comfortable in saying that instead of publicizing the group this hardened my thinking toward them and pushed me toward wanting their eradication...not capture.
Additionally they gloss over the atrocities committed against Christians in Libya, Iraq and Syria by this group. I consider that govt agencies attempting to downplay the savagery of the group so that they could still be used for the real goal of removing Assad.
One thing they got right.
At no time did they really have "great numbers" of fighters. I remember hearing an analyst saying that they had around 100K fighters. Today? I think that was highly doubtful. My guess is around half that number. Additionally when Trump stated that ISIS was defeated late last year he was right.
If you look at the Wiki page on this group you'll see that more than 20 countries, 20 state sponsored fighting groups etc...were all aligned against a force that could GENEROUSLY number only 100K fighters?
Historians will not be kind.
This war was fought STUPIDLY!
It was never about ISIS. It was a cluster and the news media helped feed disinformation about the reality of things.
It will cause some here pain but the reality is this. It was about kicking out Assad. It was about a pipeline from the Middle East to Europe.
It was about money.
Not terrorism.
We've all been played. We should all be ashamed.
A concise timelineStory here.
- 2004 - IS emerges from a fraction of al-Qaeda in Iraq
- 2011 - Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi leads attacks in Iraq and Syria
- 2013 - Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) breaks from al-Qaeda
- May 2014 - IS carry out an attack at the Jewish Museum in Belgium
- Jun 2014 - IS seize Falluja, Raqqa and Mosul
- Sep 2014 - US military coalition and strikes against IS
- Jan 2015 - IS carry out an attack against French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo
- May 2015 - IS seize Palmyra
- Jun 2016 - Fallujah is taken back by Iraq.
- Aug 2016 - the Kurdish YPG takes back Manbij in Syria
- 2017 - attacks carried out in the UK (Manchester Arena bombing, Westminster attack, London Bridge attack)
- 2017 - IS suffers defeats and loses control of Mosul and Raqqa
- 2018 - IS continues to suffer losses and US say they will withdraw troops
- 2019 - US to leave 400 troops in Syria and say most territory has been regained
- 2019 - IS currently besieged in Baghouz, their last enclave
Read the entire article. While I agree with the "big points" there are a few details they point out that I totally disagree with.
The point to the first beheading as a "reason" why they grew. I disagree. I feel comfortable in saying that instead of publicizing the group this hardened my thinking toward them and pushed me toward wanting their eradication...not capture.
Additionally they gloss over the atrocities committed against Christians in Libya, Iraq and Syria by this group. I consider that govt agencies attempting to downplay the savagery of the group so that they could still be used for the real goal of removing Assad.
One thing they got right.
At no time did they really have "great numbers" of fighters. I remember hearing an analyst saying that they had around 100K fighters. Today? I think that was highly doubtful. My guess is around half that number. Additionally when Trump stated that ISIS was defeated late last year he was right.
If you look at the Wiki page on this group you'll see that more than 20 countries, 20 state sponsored fighting groups etc...were all aligned against a force that could GENEROUSLY number only 100K fighters?
Historians will not be kind.
This war was fought STUPIDLY!
It was never about ISIS. It was a cluster and the news media helped feed disinformation about the reality of things.
It will cause some here pain but the reality is this. It was about kicking out Assad. It was about a pipeline from the Middle East to Europe.
It was about money.
Not terrorism.
We've all been played. We should all be ashamed.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
You missed the play the US Army is making with the AMPV...it's their tracked ride going into the future!
I'm a bit surprised and amused that my readers (who are usually far ahead of the curve on things) have missed the US Army's play with regard to the AMPV.
It's their tracked ride going into the future.
The Bradley? Done. It's reached the end of practical development. Adding any new upgrades will require essentially a brand new vehicle. We're talking about suspension, engine, electronics, fire control, weapons etc...It's just not practical.
The Next Generation Fighting Vehicle? It would be real nice. My thinking is that budget reality is gonna make that a hard sell. Congress might not go for it (although the Pennsylvania legislators will push hard). Additionally the bird they have in hand now (the AMPV) will be pointed out as covering much of the same ground.
That leaves the AMPV.
Now look at Army development. The M-113 is the Army's legacy ride. It served several roles and continues to today. The Bradley came along to make up for a perceived deficit in Europe and performed well in our desert campaigns but its gotten old.
The M-113 is the standard.
The Bradley never did replace it. Instead it filled a niche capability.
The AMPV is slated to do what the Bradley couldn't with the added benefit of having growth potential into the future.
But what is the real give away?
The solicitation for information on a new unmanned turret mounting a 30mm cannon. As many of you pointed out that will make it an instant upgrade over the Bradley.
But what of the Stryker?
If my theory is correct and the AMPV turns into a surrogate Bradley, quintessential M-113 replacement then what happens to Strykers? I think we're gonna see them flex into many of the roles that the M-113 fills. There are already a huge family of vehicles out there.
The Army gets to neck down to the AMPV and Stryker as its "combat transport" for infantry and the cheaper to operate, wheeled Stryker takes on the M-113's vital but rear area roles in the high end fight.
That's what I'm thinking now tell me why I'm wrong...but before you do think about that AMPV with the 30mm turret and wonder why that's even a consideration for a vehicle that is ONLY suppose to replace the M-113....
Spanish Mortars at Exercise Dynamic Front in Latvia...
How many of you knew that Exercise Dynamic Front was going on in Latvia? This is an example of how we're being unnecessarily provocative against Russia in my opinion. Think about it. If the USSR was still around, had an alliance with several Central American nations and was running back to back exercises constantly then we would be up in arms. The anger would be palatable and the public would be crying out for action. The fact that NATO is essentially doing that on Russia's borders and we can't understand the outrage shows a lack of maturity with regard to international affairs and how our actions can precipitate a crisis.
If you believe that these exercises increase readiness then ok, but I have my doubts.
I think its about showing that NATO is pulling its weight. In essence its a public relations exercise for the American public but especially policy makers. The Army is proving that its doing work and they're doing so by increasing the ops-tempo for not only our forces but the forces of our allies.
EDR Magazine on ISSU...worth a look-see!
New issue (43) of EDR Magazine is available here : https://t.co/2KFk3ZVUFp— EDR Magazine (@edrmagasine) March 7, 2019
These are the bubbas that had the Bronco 3 coverage while it was undergoing testing in Northern Europe. Much to my surprise and pleasure they have it online on ISSU.
Check it out. I think it's worth a look-see...
USS John P. Murtha Flight Ops...pics by Lance Cpl. Israel Chincio (plus a question for aviation guys..)
Quick question for aviation guys. The UH-1Y and AH-1Z I know are legacy designs, but why haven't they been given wheels for ease of shipboard movement?
A know that there was a massive upgrade proposal for the AH-64 for Marine Corps use that didn't include skids...so why didn't this ever make it over to the upgrade for the UH-1Y and AH-1Z. I know its a little thing but its noticeably different from every other navalized helicopter and a throwback to the birth of these helicopters that I thought would have been
RGW90 from Dynamit Nobel Defence via Army Recognition...
via AR
RGW90 system encompasses different effectors for anti-tank, anti-vehicle, antistructure and anti-personnel uses. The ammunition mix also includes smoke, illumination and practice effectors to give infantrymen a complete toolbox of weapons to choose from.Story here.
RGW90 HEAT/HESH is a dual mode mono shaped charge anti-tank effector, and a popular choice out of the product family. For many years, armies and services worldwide have been relying on its ability to defeat tanks, armored fighting vehicles and wall structures. With a solid steel target penetration and the ability to create openings in brick and concrete walls, it proved to be a versatile option on the battlefield.
Now, Dynamit Nobel Defence is presenting RGW90 HEAT/HESH A2, a significant performance and ergonomic upgrade to this effector: By overhauling the launch tube design and improving the manufacturing process of the warhead, DND is able to lower the overall system weight to 8,0kg (down from 8,7kg) while improving the steel target penetration capability to nearly 600mm of RHA (Rolled Homogenous Armor, up from 500mm RHA).
Other key features and characteristics of the system remain unchanged and at the highest standards: effective range between 20m and 500m, excellent accuracy and first hit probability, temperature range between -46°C and +71°C, low signature, fire-from-enclosures capability (room size of at least 15m³), easy adaptable night and thermal sights, and full NATO qualification of the product.
How do you know we've been fighting in the desert for too long? When you see few weapons that have these characteristics. Especially being able to fire from enclosures. Want to know when we're getting serious about urban combat? When you see these kind of weapons being handed out like candy...pocket bunker busters are gonna be a must for that kind of fight...
Major twist in the 57mm story...Russia is about to induct it as a replacement for the ZSU-23-4....
I did not see this coming. Check this out via TASS.
State tests of the promising anti-aircraft artillery complex "Derivation-Air Defense" will be held in 2019, they are planned to be completed in November. This was reported to journalists on Friday in the department of information and mass communications of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
"To equip the tactical subdivisions of the army air defense of the ground forces, the development of the 57-mm anti-aircraft artillery anti-aircraft complex is being completed," the report says.
The Russian Defense Ministry recalled that the complex was designed to fight cruise and aircraft missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, tactical and army aircraft and helicopters, single rocket launchers of rocket launchers, as well as ground and surface lightly armored targets. The complex includes a combat vehicle with a cannon of high ballistics and ammunition rounds, a transport-loading vehicle and a maintenance vehicle.
“It is planned to complete state tests of the complex in November of this year,” the Defense Ministry added.
"Derivation-Air Defense" was first demonstrated at the forum "Army-2018" in August last year. The self-propelled anti-aircraft gun was created on the chassis of the infantry fighting vehicle BMP-3 and is equipped with a module with an automatic gun of 57 mm caliber.
UK Battle Group @ Exercise Khanjar Oman
Pics via Royal Tank Regiment Twitter Page!
Wow. The Brits might only have a platoon of tanks left but they're working the hell outta them! Just joking! Relax ya bloody wankers.
Seriously though. They're earning the name "Desert Rats" aren't they. By my count this is like the 3rd exercise in the last few month...
Wow. The Brits might only have a platoon of tanks left but they're working the hell outta them! Just joking! Relax ya bloody wankers.
Seriously though. They're earning the name "Desert Rats" aren't they. By my count this is like the 3rd exercise in the last few month...
Russian Mi-26T2 helicopter with the number 06823, signed by the Royal Jordanian Air Force
Pics via Nashab_32 Twitter Page!
I've always wondered why this helicopter hasn't sold better. I know the niche for heavy lift is small but nothing can match it's payload and for nations looking to buy cheaper, but robust aircraft this one can't be beat. If you're a regional power with no designs for expeditionary work then a fleet of these beasts instead of C-130s makes sense to me.
I've always wondered why this helicopter hasn't sold better. I know the niche for heavy lift is small but nothing can match it's payload and for nations looking to buy cheaper, but robust aircraft this one can't be beat. If you're a regional power with no designs for expeditionary work then a fleet of these beasts instead of C-130s makes sense to me.
Saturday, March 09, 2019
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