Afghanistan. The only real solution.

Thanks for the link Tom!

Terrible news strikes again and to be honest I'm beyond tired of the bullshit that is Afghanistan.  Its time to call a spade a spade.  The people are primitive, backwards by Western standards and have a social dynamic that completely befuddles us.  We are caught in a civil war where the only thing that both sides can agree on is that we shouldn't be there.

Either we get out or we nuke the entire place and be done with it.  But Afghanistan isn't worth another drop of US or Western allied blood.

If women lose their rights and aren't allowed to go to school or vote.  To bad.  Sorry for ya.  If they have a full fledged civil war.  We did too and survived.  If they turn into a staging base for terrorist then cool, we turn the country into a parking lot.

But Afghanistan isn't worth the effort, money or most importantly the lives of our people.

Not by a long shot.

If you're wondering what has me pissed this morning then check this out from the Long Wars Journal.

ISAF reports that three of its soldiers were killed today by "an individual wearing an Afghan National Civil Order Police uniform" in the south:

An individual wearing an Afghan National Civil Order Police uniform turned his weapon against International Security Assistance Force servicemembers in southern Afghanistan today, killing three service members.

The incident is under investigation.

It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.

The British Ministry of Defence later released a statement on their website confirming that three of their soldiers from a Police Advisory Team were killed in Helmand province:

Two soldiers serving with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and one serving with the Royal Corps of Signals were killed in an incident at Checkpoint Kamparack Pul in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.

The soldiers were part of a Police Advisory Team which had been to the checkpoint to conduct a shura. On leaving, they were engaged by small arms fire from a man wearing an Afghan Police uniform. During this exchange of fire the three soldiers were wounded and, despite receiving first aid at the scene, they died of their injuries.

Afghan security forces personnel have now killed 27 ISAF soldiers in 2012. The last "green-on-blue" attack that resulted in the death of an ISAF soldier took place on June 18, when three Afghan Local Police members killed an ISAF soldier in the south.

Read it all but the idea that the number of wounded service member by these renegade soldiers is classified is beyond a disgrace.  Its BULLSHIT.

Marines prep for fictitious battle against Aussies

The Ferengi of the defense industry.

Check this out from Shepard.

The company is offering its AS350 and AS355 Ecureuil family of aircraft for the programme and the company sees the deal as a highly important first step to breaking into the Russian military market.
The deal is, however, subject to the outcome of an evaluation of the aircraft. In recent weeks, Eurocopter has delivered five Ecureuils to an undisclosed Russian operator. These include three single-engined AS350 B3s and a pair of twin AS355NPs. The company will evaluate the aircraft before a decision to order is taken, which is expected by the end of the year.
'There are no small helicopters being produced by Russian companies with the exception of the piston-engined Mi-34, so there are a lot of missions being performed with big helicopters. They want a helicopter for training and possibly for light utility missions,' explained Olivier Michalon, Eurocopter sales and customer relations vice-president for Europe and central Asia.
'It is potentially a very important order – we believe the requirement could for as many as 200 helicopters.'

Read the whole thing but this is amazing.  They will sell to anyone at anytime for any reason.

I wonder if any thought is being given to possible contracts with the US military.  It can't be a feather in their hat to have the Russian military flying aircraft that they're trying to pitch to the US military.  Is this a short term move or part of a larger plan?

And considering the fact that I don't see Westland or Bell or Sikorsky running to Moscow to try and win this deal.  I think that says everything that needs to be said about the wisdom behind EADS' move and the business ethics displayed by that company.

EADS.  Modern day Ferengi.

The dangers of going on patrol in the Philippines.

You're patrolling the jungles in the Philippines...the brush rustles, you turn and you're face to face with a 20ft long crocodile that weighs over a ton.

What do you do?

If you're in US Army Special Forces or a US Marine you better start working up some answers because they exist.  The record has been set and recognized.

Oh and for my boys down in Australia, don't feel too good.  The former record holder was found down under at a paultry 17 ft.

Experts believe that bigger examples exist in the wild.

HAPPY PATROLLING!

Conflicted Air Space.

If you look carefully at the photo above you can see a rocket passing underneath a Puma Helicopter.

That is the ultimate in conflicted airspace.

I remember talking to a pilot years couple years ago and I asked what's he most worried about when it came to supporting us and he told me (paraphrasing)....

I'm not worried about the bad guys...we train to fight them...if we have a general location we can beat them or avoid them...what we're worried about is what you guys are doing.  Have you called in artillery...are you firing mortars?  

In retrospect, and I really didn't catch it the time, but he was basically saying that golden bb's coming from the blue force could be a bigger concern than enemy action.

All this has me wondering.  Have we lost helos in a conflicted battlespace?

Buffel. The original MRAP...more S. African armor.

The Buffel is considered by many to be the first true MRAP.  This description from FlickR seems best...

The Buffel is a mine-protected APC used by the South African Army during the South African Border War. It was certainly not the most comfortable vehicle, but it offered the necessary protection against mine attack. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role. It has been replaced by the Mamba in South Africa, but remains in use elsewhere, notably Sri Lanka.

Many view these vehicles as ugly but I disagree.  The minimalist design approach appeals.

The Saga of Biorn. Sunday Funny.

6x6 Patria AMV....plus bonus pics of the Guarani undergoing blast testing.

This isn't exactly earth shattering but I was unaware of a 6x6 version of the Patria AMV.  Quite honestly I'm surprised it hasn't been successful.  It can use larger tires giving it a higher ride height, helping to defeat IED's (well at least ground buried ones) and it has one less set of drive gear to do maintenance on.  If wheeled vehicles continue on in service and this isn't just a "fad" then I would bet that wheeled armored vehicles will evolve toward fewer sets of wheels.  Brazil might be on to something.

Speaking of which.  Bonus coverage.  The Guarani undergoing blast testing...Compare that vehicle to the 6x6 Patria AMV.

UPDATE:
I've almost reached the conclusion that the Marine Corps should buy both designs and mix/match the best qualities of each and then have companies bid to produce the hybrid design.  An example would be that we end up with the hull design of the Patria, the automotive components of the SuperAv and the electronics from the Tennix.  Pie in the sky but the Govt once bought designs and had companies produce them.  The old jeep is an example and the F6F is another.  I wonder how much money that approach could save!