US warship sails close to Chinese island? Psyops against the American people...

Thanks to Super Rhino for the link!

via CNN

Washington (CNN)The United States sent a warship very close to one of China's artificial islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday, a potential challenge to Beijing's territorial claims in the contested waters.
A U.S. defense official told CNN that the destroyer USS Lassen "conducted a transit" within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands on Tuesday morning local time.
The operation put the ship within an area that would be considered Chinese sovereign territory if the U.S. recognized the manmade islands as being Chinese territory, the official added.

This was a made up drama!

Do you really believe that there was even a 1 in a million chance that the Chinese would react badly to this little made for TV drama?  Did you catch the talk by defense officials that they would possibly reschedule the time of this challenge because news had leaked?

This is a perfect example of the US military using psyops against the American people to help prop up the current administration.  How sure am I of this?  1000%.  First the Chinese have warships visiting our ports.  Next, the Defense Dept announced the intention to perform this little op.

You're being manipulated people.  The only real question is whether the idea for this passion play came from the Pentagon or whether they're acting on the orders of the White House.

Iranian casualties in the Syrian war...

Many thanks to Nico for the link!

The above is from uskowioniran.com and yes, it appears to be an Iranian military blog but from what I gather they're doing great work covering the fighting in Syria and have the potential to be a new source of information on their forces.

Am I asking you to believe it all?  No.  I am saying that we should use every open source available to piece together an INDEPENDENT picture of what's going on overseas.  Besides, if our intelligence services use open source material then why shouldn't we?

School Resource Officer attacks female student...

Yesterday I praised police for how they handled a guy with a knife, today I'm asking WHAT THE FUCK.

The Officer should go, the Principal, the Administrator and the Teacher....Oh and the child is ok, but I think its safe to say that she's a new multi-millionaire...or should be.

Blast from the past via Soldier Systems...

Pogues not Pogs...nuff said...

KF-X Stealth Fighter Simulation

Interesting isn't it?  The S. Koreans are going for partial stealth like the Russians and the Chinese instead of full stealth.  The world it seems has rendered its verdict.  Full stealth at the cost of fighter performance is not worth it!

What I found fascinating?  The growth pattern already outlined for the S. Korean jet!  A two seat two engine beast that can rule the skies?  They're on the right track!

Last.  F-35 supporters can stick a fork in the idea that their won't be airplanes competing with it for sale.  Did you check out the part where they compared costs?  I don't know where they're getting their figures but since they're inside the program they know the real numbers.  The figures they come up with are sobering.  The F-35 will not only cost more than the program office is telling us but it will continue to break the bank when it comes to ongoing maintenance/support.  The S. Koreans are bragging that their plane will be cheaper not only to purchase but also to fly.

LHA/LHDs acting as mini-aircraft carriers...why that's dangerous thinking!

I've watched as many F-35B advocates, to include many of the Marine Corps leaders (especially the Assistant Commandant for Aviation) talk about the F-35 acting as a mini-aircraft carrier with plans to put aboard 20 F-35's and leave the Ground Combat Element on the dock back in San Diego or Lejeune.

That's dangerous thinking, not only for the Carrier Navy but also for the Marine Corps itself.  The problem?  There is more...much more to carrier ops than being able to launch a certain number of strike/extremely marginal fighters.

First let's look at Carrier Strike Group mission...via Navy Fact Files (here)...

The Carrier Strike Group (CSG) could be employed in a variety of roles, all of which would involve the gaining and maintenance of sea control:
**Protection of economic and/or military shipping.
**Protection of a Marine amphibious force while enroute to, and upon arrival in, an amphibious objective area.
**Establishing a naval presence in support of national interests.

Yeah.  That's right.  We have 10 (and really need more) big deck carriers that are  on call to protect Marine Corps ass if we have to take a beach or conduct a raid.  Additionally if you look at the composition of a Carrier Strike Group, you'll see that it's well equipped to deal with most nations short of an assault against maybe China or Russia (and there you would see multiple carriers assigned as well as nothing short of a full Marine Expeditionary Force).

So with that being the case why would we even consider making mini-carriers and breaking up the world's best combined arms force?  Simple.  Because the zealots in and out of the Marine Corps are desperate to get the F-35 into service.  Fuck the fighting capability of the Navy and Marines.  Fuck the loss in combat power, everything must die so the F-35 can live...including a Navy Carrier if necessary.

So how did all this come into being?  Besides the zealots pushing the F-35 I believe that the Navy contributed to the issue by emasculating the carrier air wing.  A carrier does MUCH more than simply strike missions.  It was once the premier asset when it came to....

*Anti-ship strikes.

       *Maritime patrol.

*Anti-sub warfare.

*Deep strike from the sea.

*Fleet Air Defense.

*Combat Air Patrol.

*Electronic Attack.

Yeah the list is off the top of my head but understand where we came from.  The A-6E was the deep strike platform of choice...slower than a F-111 but long ranged and accurate.  The EA-6 was the electronic attack platform.  The A-7 was the light attack along with the A-4.  The F-14 provided fleet air defense and combat air patrol and finally the S-3 provided aerial refueling, electronic attack AND superb long distance anti-sub work.

The Navy "necked down" to a single fighter and the carrier air wing has suffered because of it.  The solution isn't to talk about mini-aircraft carriers that will destroy Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, the answer is to either make more specialized models of the F-18 and perhaps bring back the S-3/ES-3 to make the wing viable again or its to follow this foolishness and watch two great pieces of our combat power become castrated by the needs of the F-35.

Russian intervention in Syria inforgraphic

Thanks to Brody for the link!

Police shooting in New Hampshire (vid) via Tactical Clips Blog

Drink it in boys and girls.  That Tueller Drill is real!

15 ft.  A person can cross that distance before your mind registers to draw and shoot.  Thank God these guys had weapons out.

For my readers?  You better be aware.  Have you been paying attention to the knife attacks in Israel? They've been vile, come out of nowhere and take advantage of politically correct laws that prevent profiling (in my opinion).  If you're not aware of what I'm talking about just do a quick Google search.  The attackers have attacked suddenly and successfully killed many people before they're finally gunned down.

So what do you need to know about knife attacks?

You have to accept the fact that if you miss the signs or even if you pick up every clue there is a good chance that you'll be cut.  Hopefully you're at least moderately trained and know to give up your non-shooting arm to attempt to parry the blow and to protect vital organs.

But the main thing is to know that distance is your friend.  You also need to be able to "clock" someone that is carrying concealed...whether its a knife or gun...guides are on the internet and once you know the signs you're gonna be surprised by the number of people carrying.

The last thing is that you need to be in some type of shape.  Google fight physiology.  Not only do you get a massive adrenaline dump, but you also have to contend with a natural fight or flight impulse that will kick in so hard it'll knock you down.  Your blood pressure will rise and you'll zero in on that one threat that you can see....even though your mind is screaming that other threats may be lurking out of eyesight....just Google it...I'm not explaining this well.

Study this stuff people.  It could save your life.

Senior Military Officials are liars? via National Interest....

Thanks to Peter for the link!

via NI

Senior uniformed officials have an obligation to tell elected political leaders—and the public—the unvarnished truth about the country’s military capabilities. Further, those leaders should be able to tell the truth without fear for their careers—that was the central theme of an event hosted by the Hudson Institute.
“You will not make chief of naval operations in this country, you will not make First Sea Lord in the United Kingdom if you tell the truth, it’s as simple as that,” retired U.K. Royal Navy aviator Rear Adm. Chris Parry told an audience at the influential think-tank on Wednesday. But that’s not acceptable—senior officers must be able to speak candidly without fear for their careers or political retribution. “They should be able to say, short of resignation, ‘we can’t deal with this.’”

Just plain freaking wow.  Must read! 

Combat video from the raid to free 70 Prisoners of ISIS...

Thanks to Spook for the link!



No words except...Damn good job!

Sidenote:  A question because I'm curious and not to be taken as a criticism.  Why are they operating in the light like that?  They have NVGs but they seem to not be using them and they're lit up like crazy.  Is it an equipment issue or a change in tactics?  if its a tactical change can someone in the know explain the rationale.

Russia Pushes Syria on Power-Sharing Plan

Thanks to William for the link!

via Bloomberg.

(Bloomberg) -- Russia is pushing Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad to accept a limited power-sharing plan that would give
his opponents some role in a transitional administration while
ensuring internationally-recognized elections can take place
next year, advisers to the government in Moscow said.
The more than three-week-old Russian air campaign, which is
supporting a land offensive by Syrian forces and their Iranian
allies, aims to change the balance of power on the ground enough
to bring opposition representatives into the political process,
the advisers told Bloomberg News. Russia considers Assad, 50,
has every right to stay on and seek re-election, they said.
“Russia is already working on the political settlement,
without waiting for the results of its military operation,”
Lieutenant-General Leonid Reshetnikov, a long-time foreign
intelligence veteran who heads a Kremlin advisory group, said in
a phone interview from Moscow on Friday. “For such talks, we
need to get the Syrian leader on board, because without him we
can’t move forward.”

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!

You can say what you want about Putin but the guy is EASILY outsmarting our guys.

Consider too, that we could have been part of the solution by taking Russia up on their offer to team with them but instead our foreign policy zealots insisted on making Russia the boogeyman and demanding that Assad go NOW!

So what will happen?  Russia will push Assad.  Assad will agree (he has no choice).  Russia will send the proposal to the UN security council for approval and we'd be idiots to disagree......and then the alliance that we started joins with Russia to finish off ISIS so that the wave of immigrants to Europe stops.

Putin wins the peace prize for stabilizing the Middle East and they're the new kingmakers with new influence in the region.

Our Administration, State Dept and Pentagon got played like a fiddle. 

The F-35 Conundrum. The fighter you sold your soul for is a dog...what do you do?

via Washington Examiner...

"The F-35 is only the latest chapter in a long history that generally follow the rule of what I call 'two, two and a half,' " Adams said. "Everything the Pentagon buys costs twice as much as they originally estimated, takes twice as long [to build] and, at least initially, gives half of the capabilities you expected."

And then this...

The fact that there are no good alternatives is helping save the project. But depending entirely on the F-35 as the F-16s and F-15s retire would also pose problems if enemies find a chink in the F-35's armor, Wood said.
"If it were less expensive or there were more dollars, you could buy different kinds of platforms and have the ability to account for a discovered deficiency in the F-35," he said. "With the enemy discovering how it operates, they might find a weak spot to exploit. Once it's done, that would make your entire fleet vulnerable, because you won't have other options to default to."

Here.

This is the real issue facing F-35 supporters no matter how much they claim to love the program.

You can't get around the fact that the airplane costs too much, has poor performance and has taken far too long to get into service.

Add to all this is the reality of the situation.  Budget reality means that the death spiral is here.  Our military leaders sold their souls for this airplane and left not only our airpower in jeopardy but those of our allies as well.  They conspired to give the nation no choice but to go with the F-35 even after it was apparent several years ago that the plane wasn't good enough.

So what do we do now (after we put a few Generals and Corporate officials in jail on RICO charges)?

Al Qaeda militants fighting alongside pro-government forces...the MSM latches onto the truth in Yemen...

via Fox News.

Al Qaeda militants had been fighting alongside pro-government forces without revealing their affiliation, focusing on capturing and storing weapons during the clashes with the Houthis, a security official in Aden said. Security officials said Al Qaeda and other extremist Islamic groups in Aden obtained more than 55 armored vehicles, 22 tanks, anti-aircraft missiles and large amounts of other weapons during the fighting and hid them underground and in fields.

Here.

So let me get this straight.

The US is supporting Saudi/GCC forces by supplying intelligence and aiding in the blockade of Yemen...and the Saudi/GCC/Pro-Govt Yemen forces are being supported by Al Qaeda militants?

This is a shit sandwich of the highest order.

Additionally I guess many of my readers were right...and even worse for the Saudi/GCC coalition, the Main Stream Media is finally latching onto the story.  Not only that but the war in Yemen has netted them armored vehicles, MANPADS and large amounts of other weapons????

Fucking amazing.  Time to punch a wall.

Top Ten Narcotics in the Middle East...

via Scoop.

Tramadol

The Tramadol epidemic in Egypt has become uncontrollable. Another drug of choice amongst the working and labor class in Egypt, Tramadol is used to work long hours without feeling the effects of hard labor.

Some side effects are:

---Elated mood. Tramadol works in a similar way to many antidepressant medications in that it increases the levels of serotonin in your brain. This leads to feelings of euphoria and well-being. Some users become addicted to Tramadol because of these feelings.

---Anxiety reduction. Tramadol helps users feel relaxed and calm because of the way it changes brain chemistry.

---Lack of pain. Tramadol is a painkiller; it blocks the transmission of pain signals to the brain so that you don’t feel pain while you are taking it. This can be dangerous if you injure yourself because you won’t feel the pain while on Tramadol.

Here.

You might wonder what this is doing on a blog dedicated to military matters.  My thinking goes to wondering what over two decades of combat, revolution and general turmoil does to a society.

Part of it...that goes unreported is that they become drug addicts.

The sad part is that I've been focused on simply ending the wars in the region, but even if they stopped at 6am today, you'd still be looking at more than 20 years or more to get them back to anything resembling a functioning society.

There is no real way out of this.  The Middle East will probably be a cesspool for another 100 years...if not longer.  They're locked into a cycle that will inevitably lead to a war that cleanses the land (sorry for getting biblical but calling it like I see it).

Sidenote:  Marines should start learning to make shots to the Pelvic Girdle.  With body armor gaining widespread use and the prevalence of drugs like Tramadol in the Middle East, Pelvic Shots might be the only way to stop someone that's hopped up on drugs....if you can't shoot them in the face that is.

Arab-Israeli paraglides into Syria???

via CNN

An Arab-Israeli was spotted paragliding across the Golan Heights border into Syria by an Israeli Defense Force watchtower Saturday afternoon, according to a statement posted on an official IDF Twitter account.
The IDF statement says that its initial investigation suggests the person crossed intentionally.

Here.

I wonder what the real story is behind this.  Why would anyone in their right mind "paraglide" into Syria?

Trident Juncture pics (this is more like it!) via the 26th MEU Facebook Page.

Note:  The pics are from a variety of combat photographers...full disclosure.  I was a bit miffed when I saw the coverage of a humvee stuck on the beach, but this has convinced me to start trying to follow this exercise and find out the training objectives.  Stand by for more info soon.

Is physical fitness one of the keys to turning America around????

Thanks to Paralus for the link!



WATCH THE VID FIRST BEFORE READING THE REST!

Did you check that out?  Those kids were in PE class and it looked like Marine Corps Boot Camp!  Add to it the words of President Kennedy (he would be in the Republican party today) and I wonder.

If a person is physically fit then they're more emotionally stable, better able to deal with adversity and have demonstrated (as much as you can tell at a glance) that they have at least a measure of self discipline.

Then think about our culture today?

Is a national physical fitness drive, along with a HUGE dose of fat shaming the key or at least one of the elements to getting us back on track???

RussiaWorks latest vid...PURE PROPAGANDA!

Thanks to Robert for the link!



Ok.  Credit and then a facepalm.  First RussiaWorks is putting out some visually stunning videos of the fighting in Syria.  Next is the facepalm.  This is obviously aimed at Western audiences....that soundtrack playing....I can't place it but it comes from a video game I played long ago....

Putting all that aside, I wonder how they're getting this footage?

And on a rather cynical note, did you see that city?  The new jobs that are going to be flooding into the Middle East for construction work, and generally rebuilding these societies is gonna make a few people wealthy beyond measure.

I wonder if that's part of the calculation?  Naw...couldn't be....

Who is the most highly conditioned man and how did they get there?

Talking about workouts here and this might not be for everyone.  I was discussing workouts with a bud and the topic turned to who the most highly conditioned person we've ever heard of and how did they accomplish it.

It was kinda hard believe it or not.  We can point to people that are highly conditioned when it comes to a certain sport.  Supposedly Jerry Rice at his prime was one of the most highly conditioned football players in history (although you could probably add several other players and even then you might need to break it down by position).  If you look at basketball people rant about Kobe in his prime, and today they talk about Howard as being a conditioned beast.

But what if we take out the caveat of it being conditioned to perform a particular sport?  What if we talk about what we're interested in on this blog...either combat conditioning or just being in the best shape possible?

Who should we look to for an example and is it possible to follow their workout routine?

I contend that Bruce Lee was the best conditioned individual that I've ever heard of.  Supposedly for a man of his weight and age he was pound for pound the strongest man in the world (of course a lot of this is based on fandom but you can still see examples of him working out on the net).

How did he do it?  He emphasized early on simple bodyweight exercises that are familiar to anyone, anywhere.  Only later did he add weight training (Herschel Walker also made the pushup cool by stating that he did 1000 a day).

What does this have to do with anything?  Not much but it has me thinking.  Mr Olympia has been called a beauty pageant and not an actual sports competition...additionally too many of those people have been dying early of various ailments (definitely due to steroid abuse but that's a different story).  If we're actually talking about achieving ultimate fitness do we need to put down the weights and simply start doing planks, pushups, situps, crunches, pull ups and the rest of the menu on the bodyweight exercise tree?

I'm really beginning to think so.  If it's about LOOKING a certain way then yeah hit the weights (and that's a huge motivator if we're being honest), but if you want FUNCTIONAL fitness then there is a different way.

Russia and China to team for naval drills in the Pacific...

via Sputnik...

The Russian-Chinese "Joint Sea-2016" naval exercise will be hosted by China in the Far East, the Russian Navy chief of combat training said Saturday.
"Next year, the decision was already made by the Defense Ministry, we will continue to participate in these Joint Sea drills. This time China will be the host and at its invitation the Pacific Fleet will go to China," Rear Adm. Viktor Kochemazov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station.

The partnership between Russia and China deepens.

This is what I was talking about when I said that we should at least talk to Russia like adults instead of playing these fuck-fuck games.  First, the issue in Ukraine is far from clear, but even if we say that the Russians are guilty as hell it still should not preclude cooperation in other areas.

Additionally, Assad is not the number one villain in the Middle East and is not the entity destabilizing the region.  ISIS is.  Saudi Arabia is (by its invasion of Yemen) and Pakistan by allowing the Taliban safe haven (I'll ignore the part that the US played because I don't want that debate, its fuzzy as hell and the conversation has been had so often).

Its not too late if we had real leaders and real statesmen.

Best case scenario?  Kerry mans up and pushes for cooperation in the fight against ISIS, works out a power sharing and eventual replacement for Assad that takes place over a 5 year timespan (not hard to imagine considering the Iran nuke deal takes place over 15) and we huddle with the Europeans, Russians and Ukrainians and have a frank discussion about that situation.

In the meantime we toughen our stance with China, increase cooperation with Russia and break up this budding partnership.

Worst case?  We're fighting in the Pacific against China while Russia is fomenting trouble in another region and we're having to deal with it while having the smallest armed forces in the last 50 years.