Saturday, May 04, 2019
Sat Funny. The UK has gone full tilt Loony Tunes!
Okay. Which bastard painted that? pic.twitter.com/apC05NimY8— Sandford Police (@Sandford_Police) May 3, 2019
This is the stuff our so called allies in Syria are doing?
Two #SAA soldiers #killed by #HTS /#FSA militants, are being dragged vehicle in a barbaric way. pic.twitter.com/V60bs5SnGo— NadieHarbieh (@HarbiehNadie) May 3, 2019
Maybe I'm a bit sensitive because of the connotations of what being dragged behind a truck represent in America but this is some foul shit.
What has become of our foreign policy. Supporting animals in Syria and Nazis in Ukraine.
Fucking disgusting.
Blast from the past....37 years ago today HMS Sheffield was hit
37 years ago today we lost 20 shipmates when @HMSSheffield was hit whilst protecting the sovereignty of our Falkland Islands 🇫🇰— HMS Queen Elizabeth (@HMSQNLZ) May 4, 2019
For those on eternal patrol in the shine that never dulls ⚓️🇬🇧@type42ass @FalklandsGov @falklands_utd pic.twitter.com/8psWm4HBnB
F-35 News. F-35’s cost per flying hour will flatten, and then increase as the aircraft age
via Defense Daily.
The Pentagon has made a “stretch goal” to reach $25,000 by FY’ 25, which is included in the department’s F-35 Lifecycle Sustainment Plan, he added. However, Robert Daigle, director of the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) Office in the department, told the subcommittee that his office “doesn’t see a path” to get to that number in that timeframe.Story here.
“That’s a target and it’s not our projections for where we’re actually going to be,” he said in response to a line of questioning from Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.), a colonel in the Army Reserves and subcommittee vice chair.
Daigle added that the CAPE office actually anticipates that after FY ’24, the F-35’s cost per flying hour will flatten, and then increase as the aircraft age and must be returned to the depot for maintenance.
Daigle told the subcommittee that CAPE currently projects that the F-15EX will operate at a cost-per-flying-hour of $29,000. By comparison, the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet operates at about $23,000 and the F-15E – as an older aircraft than the new EX model would be – operates at about $34,000 per flying hour.
Wow.
So the costs to operate the F-35 will flatten (presumably above the 25K hope) and then rise?
No way in hell the USAF can afford the programmed buy.
Turkish Army's M-60 MBT's have now been retrofitted with the Aselsan Active Protection Suite.
Thanks to Osmanoglu for the pic!!!
It's kinda strange to think it, but the M-60 is probably Turkey's most effective tank right now.
It's kinda strange to think it, but the M-60 is probably Turkey's most effective tank right now.
China Can’t Execute Major Amphibious Operations, Direct Assault on Taiwan
via USNI News.
The Chinese military is reorganizing its land forces, but its moves do not increase its ability to mount a large-scale beach assault across the Taiwan Strait, according to a new Department of Defense report.Story here.
Taiwan is the primary focus of amphibious assault and sea-based missile launch capability improvements made in 2018 by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the PLA Navy and PLA Marine Corps, according to the Pentagon’s Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China.
“Taiwan persistently remains the PLA’s main ‘strategic direction,’ one of the geographic areas the leadership identifies as having strategic importance,” the report states.
The Chinese communist party seeks to diplomatically isolate Taiwan by stripping it of its diplomatic allies, by meddling in democratic elections and by applying economic pressure through redirecting tourism and financial development away from the island, Randall Shriver, assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs, said during a Friday media briefing about the report.
“China has never renounced the use of military force and continues to conduct military exercises,” Shriver said.
However, China does not appear to be currently investing in the equipment likely required for a direct assault on Taiwan, such as large amphibious assault ships and medium landing craft necessary for a large beach assault, according to the report. The bulk of China’s recently created marine corps forces currently lack proper equipment or operational training.
Wow.
A couple of things.
How is China NOT investing in large amphibious assault ships? Do they not know about the LHD they're building? Do they not know about the LPD that's almost equivalent of the San Antonio Class?
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| Type 075 |
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| Type 071 |
Additionally why are they focused solely on an amphibious assault? Have they not heard of joint operations?
Chinese Airborne and Marine Forces could basically chop that country into bite sized pieces for a follow on effort by the Chinese Army!
I guess my point is that this report is lacking.
Taiwan is endangered NOW, not in the future. For all practical purposes we lost this decades ago when we failed to support that country. Consider Taiwan the new Hong Kong. It's not a matter of if but when. Taiwan will revert to Chinese mainland control.
That's the reality.
All we're doing is waiting on China to do the deed.
Trump's instincts on Venezuela is spot on...unfortunately he's surrounded by Neo-Cons that want war....
via CNN
After US expectations were dashed this week for a transition of power in Venezuela, President Donald Trump is urging caution among senior advisers moving forward and expressing frustration that some aides are more openly teasing military intervention, according to officials familiar with the matter.----------
After a phone call with President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Trump also downplayed Russia's involvement in Venezuela, contradicting claims from top Trump administration officials that Moscow continues to prop up the regime there.
It amounted to, at times, a picture of a President at odds with the officials who this week have called vociferously for a change in power in Caracas and have consistently declined to rule out a US military intervention.
Story here.
But Trump, who has until now given Bolton wide leeway to manage the situation in Venezuela, appeared more cautious this week, privately expressing concern over how solid Guaido's plans are to take power and win support from Venezuela's military.
Trump's instincts are serving him well. I just wonder how long he'll be able to hold out against the drumbeat for US action in that country.
If you've been monitoring this issue then you know that Brazil's President has expressed caution too and has stated that the call for change was a bit premature.
What we don't know is if the opposition leader was told by elements of our govt that now was the time to act.
I can't help but wonder if we have individuals pushing agendas and setting the conditions so that we have no choice but to intervene.
Look for some outrageous act this weekend or early next week. If we see a made for TV moment of something horrific then take a step back. The entire country (US) might be getting played by murky figures in the background.
Armor Porn....T-80BVM
Thanks to S300V4 for the pics!
Gonna ask again. How do you tell the difference at a glance between the T-90, T-80 and T-72?
I'm tempted to give writing the armor schoolhouses to get their tips and tricks on the thing.
Why is this important to me?
Because they assign certain tanks to certain forces and it would help identify which Russian unit is where.
Does anyone have a tip or trick they can toss my way for identification?
Gonna ask again. How do you tell the difference at a glance between the T-90, T-80 and T-72?
I'm tempted to give writing the armor schoolhouses to get their tips and tricks on the thing.
Why is this important to me?
Because they assign certain tanks to certain forces and it would help identify which Russian unit is where.
Does anyone have a tip or trick they can toss my way for identification?
Open Comment Post. 4 May 2019.
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| Quick explanation of this pic. According to the photographer the wild dogs took down an antelope and the hyenas came in to try and steal it. A fight ensued and the wild dogs were able to repulse the hyenas attack. In the confusion the hyena attacked the wild dog pup and they made off with it and devoured it. Nature is brutal. |
We deal in truth on this blog...truth ain't pretty but its the reality of things....
I a comment on a blog post here. It concerned what I considered ominous signs of an impending US action in Venezuela. While I had several readers walk me back from the ledge on the implications of the FAA banning flights over that country, one guy in particular decided that I was sending dog whistles. Below is my statement...
Ok.That statement ain't pretty at all is it? Kinda morbid and gross? Well you can bet if those units are getting warning orders then that's exactly whats going on!
We don't have visibility but I'd bet a few command elements from the 2nd MARDIV and 82nd Airborne are working this weekend awaiting a preparatory order to get ready for action.
If you're in one of those units and probably a couple others, you better drink, fuck and get stupid this weekend.
It might be your last for awhile.
The reader in question made this accusation...
Unapologetic Hero •I really don't see the cancer in that statement I made. Luckily another bubba (long time reader...thanks guy!) told him the facts of the thing but he still persisted and replied with this...
"If you're in one of those units and probably a couple others, you better drink, fuck and get stupid this weekend."
Ugh, cancerous comment.
Unapologetic HeroThis guy obviously hasn't been within 200 miles of a Marine or Army base that's about to head out to do the hard thing.
I'm responding to the bitch-made dog-whistle of "Let's get out boys feeling refreshed so that they can go attack another country." I'm done.
I'm not even pissed but a bit miffed and frustrated.
Human nature is human nature. You can't modify it to fit a cute picture of what you would like it to be. Additionally male behavior is a constant and hasn't changed for hundreds of years.
The moral of this story?
We deal in truth on this blog. Truth ain't pretty but its the reality of things. Hopefully (assuming the guy stays...don't care either way) he gets that but if he can't there are more "polite" blogs out there that will fit his worldview.
Exasperated, miffed and frustrated rant over!
Friday, May 03, 2019
FAA bans all US flights from Venezuelan airspace...This is ominous....
#NEWS: @FAANews issued an emergency order banning all US-registered aircraft from flying to/through #Venezuela airspace.— Enrique Perrella (@Enrique77W) May 3, 2019
This officially halts all charter ops handled by SwiftAir & World Atlantic for @laserairlines, @AviorAirlines, @EstelarLA.
Story: https://t.co/K3g2B75hwd pic.twitter.com/L5WY4VpQgx
Ok.
We don't have visibility but I'd bet a few command elements from the 2nd MARDIV and 82nd Airborne are working this weekend awaiting a preparatory order to get ready for action.
If you're in one of those units and probably a couple others, you better drink, fuck and get stupid this weekend.
It might be your last for awhile.
Thursday, May 02, 2019
CAPE director tells HASC that DOD does not view F-35A flying hour cost target of $25,000 by 2025 as achievable --
CAPE director tells HASC that DOD does not view F-35A flying hour cost target of $25,000 by 2025 as achievable -- says it's a target, but not a projection.— Courtney Albon (@calbon) May 2, 2019
Quick side issue.
These lady defense journalists are kicking ass lately. Firs the chic over at Shepard Media doing the hard thing covering armor (don't know why they didn't send her to IDEX 19, but their coverage of it is lacking because she's not there) and now this lady comes out of nowhere with this news.
Just plain wow. Impressive and well done ladies!
Back to this.
Projections that are NOT achievable. Well I guess that's improvement. We've gone from lies that are easily proved after the fact to deception that they admit to before the event.
The next question becomes this.
How many other projections aren't achievable? How many other projections are they hanging their hats on to the public that they know will fail?
Can you imagine the discussions happening in Singapore right now? Uh Sir, you know how you promised to evaluate the F-35 and buy it from the Americans? Well Sir that plane is a piece of shit! That's the honest assessment, now do you want us to waste money or buy a cost effective fighter that will defend our city state?
What about the UK? Hey Sir, the Royal Air Force is demanding more money cause the F-35 is going to cost a mint. The Royal Navy is saying the same. The British Army is threatening to storm Parliment because they've been bled dry and we have soldiers shouting bang on exercise because we can't afford blanks. Are you sure you want to buy the entire 138 we promised the Americans?
Finally in Turkey. Hey Erdogan, Sir. The Americans are still threatening to NOT sell us the F-35. I think we should fuss a bit but thank Allah that we aren't getting that bird!
Can you imagine the discussions happening in Singapore right now? Uh Sir, you know how you promised to evaluate the F-35 and buy it from the Americans? Well Sir that plane is a piece of shit! That's the honest assessment, now do you want us to waste money or buy a cost effective fighter that will defend our city state?
What about the UK? Hey Sir, the Royal Air Force is demanding more money cause the F-35 is going to cost a mint. The Royal Navy is saying the same. The British Army is threatening to storm Parliment because they've been bled dry and we have soldiers shouting bang on exercise because we can't afford blanks. Are you sure you want to buy the entire 138 we promised the Americans?
Finally in Turkey. Hey Erdogan, Sir. The Americans are still threatening to NOT sell us the F-35. I think we should fuss a bit but thank Allah that we aren't getting that bird!
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