Geez! This Soldier burned into the ground fast roping in a demonstration at the start of a game...never seen anything like this in real life. What happened?

A U.S. Army officer falls to the field at high speed during a fast rope demonstration gone wrong during the Navy vs UTSA pregame tonight. The officer was attended to on the field and taken to the hospital on a stretcher. There has been no update on his condition but we pray that he was not seriously injured. https://t.co/Q4nOKhhNjn

— U.S Military Clips (@usmilihist) October 18, 2026

Rheinmetall Boxer 8×8 armored vehicles, in the Lance 2 turret configuration, armed with the 30 mm MK30-2/ABM

 

Viaturas blindadas Rheinmetall Boxer 8×8, em configuração com torre Lance 2, armada com MK30-2/ABM de 30 mm, em acção de formação ministrada pelo fabricante alemão aos militares do "Jägerbataillon 413" do Exército Alemão, em Bergen, na Baixa Saxónia, Alemanha, a 2 de Setembro de 2026. O fabricante alemão Rheinmetall prestou aqui formação, ao longo de cerca de 2 meses, com oito unidades da sua viatura blindada Boxer 8×8 aos militares do "Jägerbataillon 413" do Exército Alemão. Estas oito viaturas correspondem aos primeiros exemplares disponibilizados para a introdução deste sistema de armas no Exército Alemão, tendo sido inicialmente empregues nesta fase de formação ministrada pelo fabricante. Numa das fotos podemos observar a dispersão das cargas fumígenas (de cor branca) projectadas pelos sistemas de protecção Rheinmetall ROSY-L ("Rapid Obscuring System - Land"), com quatro lançadores instalados na torre Lance 2, dois de cada lado, cada um equipado com cinco cargas de 40×280 mm, num total de 20 cargas, que permitem a criação de cortinas de fumo multi-espectro, com interrupção da linha de vista e componentes de barramento de infra-vermelho e laser (contra sistemas electro-ópticos e armas guiadas). Esta versão tem 8,9 metros de comprimento, 3 metros de largura e 3,6 metros de altura, com um peso de combate de 38,5 toneladas. É guarnecida por três elementos (comandante, condutor e apontador) e equipada com motor de 530 kW (710 hp), atingindo 100 km/h. A torre Lance 2, tripulada, integra como armamento principal a peça automática MK30-2/ABM de 30 mm, com alcance eficaz até 3 000 metros, complementada por uma metralhadora de 7,62 mm e pelo sistema de mísseis anticarro MELLS ("Mehrrollenfähiges Leichtes Lenkflugkörpersystem"), a designação alemã do sistema Spike LR, com alcance até 4 000 metros. Transporta 252 munições de 30 × 173 mm prontas a disparar, alimentadas por sistema de dupla fita, permitindo o emprego alternado de dois tipos de munição, incluindo munições perfurantes APFSDS-T e munições programáveis KETF/ABM de "air burst". As Forças Armadas Alemãs ("Bundeswehr") contrataram o fornecimento de 123 unidades desta versão "Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie" (lit. "Viatura Pesada Porta-Armas de Infantaria") do blindado Boxer, num contrato no valor global de 2,7 mil milhões de euros, compreendendo serviços e manutenção, assinado a 21 de Março de 2024. Está prevista a conclusão das entregas até 2030. Embora se trate de uma encomenda alemã da Rheinmetall, esta versão deriva do Boxer CRV ("Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle") desenvolvido para o Exército Australiano, sendo as primeiras 20 viaturas produzidas na Alemanha e as restantes 103 fabricadas na Austrália pela Rheinmetall Defence Australia, em Redbank, Queensland. No conjunto, a Alemanha tem actualmente 549 viaturas Boxer contratadas em sete variantes. O modelo está ao serviço desde 2009, inicialmente nas configurações de transporte de pessoal, comando, ambulância protegida e instrução de condução, às quais se juntam actualmente novas versões especializadas, entre elas este "Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie" bem como o Boxer Skyranger 30 de defesa antiaérea. Para além das novas versões agora contratadas, a "Bundeswehr" dispõe já de 403 Boxer ao serviço, entregues entre 2009 e 2021 - correspondentes a 256 na configuração de transporte de pessoal, 65 de comando, 72 ambulâncias blindadas e 10 viaturas de instrução de condução. O campo militar de Bergen, a cerca de 60 km a Sul de Hamburgo, foi estabelecido em 1935. Situado na região de Lüneburger Heide, entre Bergen e Fallingbostel, tem uma área de cerca de 28 400 hectares, sendo o maior campo de treino militar da Alemanha e da Europa Ocidental. É utilizado não só pelas forças alemãs, mas também por unidades aliadas, nomeadamente holandesas, britânicas e belgas. Fotos por Jana Neumann | Forças Armadas Alemãs ("Bundeswehr")

— Espada & Escudo (@EE_EspadaEscudo) October 10, 2026

Pentagon Doubles Down on Pacific Area Denial, Need for High-end Munitions

 

via USNI News

The Pentagon doubled down on its plans to establish a forward-deployed area denial, anti-access network along the First Island Chain to deter China in the 2026 National Defense Security update.

In a Sept. 22 report to the Senate Armed Services Committee on the 2026 NDS, Defense Under Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby highlighted the department’s efforts to establish a “deterrence by denial” posture in the Indo-Pacific against China. The move is the culmination of attempts within the last decade to prepare American forces for a potential conflict against China, one that would require expansive logistics and missile volleys over the vast distances of the Pacific.

“We are also doing so through force development, as shown in our budget requests to Congress, which increasingly focuses on the kinds of conventional capabilities required to sustain deterrence by denial along the [First Island Chain],” reads Colby’s report.

The report said Colby wants to achieve the second-most important policy of the NDS, which aims to “Deter China in the Indo-Pacific Through Strength, Not Confrontation,” through similar methods via a first island chain denial plan.

Capabilities such as ground-based mobile missile launchers, stand-in forces, naval mines and sustainable aerial forces were emphasized in Colby’s statement. These contrast a previous reliance on large scale naval forces and reflect the Pentagon’s new approach to countering Chinese forces.

Here 

Well that answers a question.

Still don't know the tick tock of this thing but the Marine Corps has gotten the Defense Dept to buy into this weird ass first island chain defense scheme.

Cool.

I stand by contention that not only has China already broken out of this mythical line but that, just like the USSR, we'll never cross swords with them directly.

In my mind this applies double to China.  We've become to dependent on all the little useless widgets we buy from them.  We're far too intertwined to make direct confrontation possible.

We'll fight them thru proxies and might have scrapes on far off lands, I'm still betting on Africa rather than the Middle East...but never heads up.

With all that being said it leaves me with TWO big questions.

1.  Why is the Marine Corps sticking with NMESIS when that system is already obsolete?  The HIMARS does what it does cheaper, better and with a bigger weapons load.

2.  Why is the Marine Corps so focused on this sea denial mission and ignoring 200 years of land combat?  Why is the focus so hard on becoming a totally defensive outfit when its most famous battles and the history its won was found fighting wherever the nation needed...MOSTLY on the ground against enemy land forces?

Anyone know?

Yeah Ukraine pissed off the S. Koreans too. No one is talking about that though

No i Proszę Państwa stało się... Obrażona Korea wycofuje ambasadora z Ukrainy. Seul decyduje sie na radykalny (skandaliczny i niepojęty z polskiego punktu widzenia) krok po sporze z władzami Ukrainy dotyczącego dwóch północnokoreańskich jeńców wojennych. Żołnierze ci zostali schwytani walcząc po stronie Rosji, a następnie przekazani do Korei Południowej. Problem pojawił się, gdy Wołodymyr Zełenski publicznie to ujawnił podczas wystąpienia na forum ONZ. Seul twierdził, że obie strony uzgodniły zachowanie poufności, natomiast Kijów temu zaprzeczył. Gdy zdenerwowani Koreańczycy zażadali wyjaśnień i przeprosin, Ukraina zadeklarowała jedynie chęć rozwiązania sporu, później jednak rzeczywiście składając oficjalne przeprosiny. To jednak nie wystarczyło Koreańczykom i pomimo wspólnego przeciwnika w postaci współpracującej Rosji i Korei Północnej, Seul zareagował ostro o zdecydowanie i wycofał swojejo ambasadora z Kijowa. Ukraina obecność północnokoreańskich żołnierzy na froncie przedstawia jako dowód na internacjonalizację rosyjskiej agresji i ważny argument w rozmowach o wsparciu krajów demokratycznych. Dla Seulu sprawa jest bardziej złożona. Korea Północna to nie tylko państwo wspierające Rosję, ale przede wszystkim bezpośredni przeciwnik militarny, posiadający broń jądrową i ogromną armię przy granicy. Los północnokoreańskich żołnierzy, którzy trafili na Południe, ma więc znaczenie dla bezpieczeństwa ich rodzin, polityki wobec uciekinierów i relacji z Pjongjangiem. Wbicie klina między Kijów, a Seul to oczywiście sukces Moskwy. Niewykluczone, że Korea Pd wykorzysta kryzys do ograniczenia wsparcia Ukrainy. Chyba, że sprawę uda się jeszcze załagodzić...

— Radek Pyffel (@RadekPyffel) October 8, 2026

European troops deployed into Ukraine will be interesting to see

I can't help but wonder how the people at home (in each country) will view this development when it comes to pass. Even if its a peacekeeping force you can expect all sorts of sectarian violence afterwards. Mines, guerillas for both sides, treaty violations...I can't understand why anyone would want any parts of this. Like I said it will be interesting to watch the EUROPEANS do this. America should keep its troops very far away from this. It has quagmire written all over it, not to mention another 20 year effort ALONG WITH massive financial aid to rebuild.

⚡️ European armies prepare for possible troop deployment to Ukraine — major military drills set to begin in Poland At least 1,500 military personnel, including troops from the UK, France and Germany, will travel to Poland next month for exercises aimed at preparing for a peacekeeping mission after the war ends. According to The Times, the troops will rehearse deploying forces and delivering supplies, including fuel and food. The newspaper notes that these will be the first exercises of their kind to simulate the presence of European troops in Ukraine as a deterrent against future aggression after the war. Photo for illustrative purposes only.

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) October 17, 2026

Finally alarm is being raised over the greatly diminished UK's armed forces...

I really have to wonder how things got this bad for the UK. The only thing I can point to was BREXIT. Attention was turned inward and focus was lost. Whatever the case it wasn't well managed and I just wonder how long, if ever, it'll take them to recover. Honestly hope is not high.

👇More voices calling for upgrading our defence posture- but will Government listen? 👉During the Cold War: we could field 5 Divisions, over 50 war ships and 36 air squadrons. 👉Today : We could just muster 1 division, a dozen warships and just 6 air squadrons. To compound matters - we have little homeland and greyzone resilience and have failed to keep up with the changing characteristics of warfare. As the threat picture deteriorates- when will we wake up?

— Tobias Ellwood (@Tobias_Ellwood) October 16, 2026

A bad day for Atlanta Swat..

Atlantic City SWAT officers came under fire after breaching a door, leaving two officers wounded, one critically. Sharing this video, not as criticism, but as a reminder to those active and/or who train others, to never stop learning, training, and improving. https://t.co/9shhzu5Orq

— Team South Florida (@TmSouthFlorida) October 15, 2026

Going home is the goal. Everyone going home the same is the wish. Beyond happy all members are alive and wish the wounded a good recovery and back to full health.

Hollywood should fear AI. They're making mini movies now and bigger ones later that are true to the vision...

When you see fiction, horror - scifi whatever you're thinking big. Big battles, impossible odds, big characters that actually perform like the vision taken off the pages and Hollywood just comes up short. AI doesn't. Hollywood should fear AI cause the little people who are actually invested in the source material are able to put on screen what they wished the big boys had. As awesome as Endgame was they neutered the HULK into a pussy. No way the source material would have had him melting the way the showed on screen. Anyway I enjoyed the little fiction below.

https://t.co/zlqOw5raI9

— Look at my shining eyes (@GothicOrnate) October 15, 2026

French Army’s EBRC Jaguar

You ever see a vehicle and you think...yeah that's cool. I have that reaction with the Jaguar. What I wonder about is whether or not its concept still fits. Armored recon? In an age of drones? Don't get me wrong. I still believe in the "Cav" concept. Screening, attacking flanks, fighting holding actions for the main force, that kinda thing. Its just the armored recon that I wonder about now. I haven't looked at the French way of doing things but a vehicle with a big magazine of drones that can peek ahead would seem the better option at the moment. Anti-drone warfare is advancing hard now so we might be back to the past. I guess we'll have to wait and see...

This time, Luxembourg troops were on the ground at Suippes 🇫🇷, to observe the French Army’s EBRC Jaguar in action during a series of dynamic tactical manoeuvres. Luxembourg has ordered 38 Jaguar AFVs and 16 Griffon APCs with a view to establishing a binational combat reconnaissance battalion with Belgium. 📸 by Lëtzbuerger Arméi 🇱🇺

— Tom Antonov (@Tom_Antonov) October 15, 2026

 

Been a terrible week. Hopefully back on track...

You ever have a week from hell?  If so then welcome to my world.

Hopefully I'm back on track.  A little light blogging on stuff that's been saved from this week but I was too tired to put up on the blog.

So no more biting my tongue, just getting back to the fun stuff...

31st MEU | BLT 1/1 conducts ACV water integration training program

Rafale is superior to the J-16 in close combat? Gotta get there first!

🇫🇷🇪🇬🇨🇳 Egypte: Selon l’évaluation des pilotes de l’armée de l’air chinoise, le Rafale est supérieur aux J-16 en combat aérien rapproché (dogfight) pendant l'exercice "Eagles of Civilization 2026": "Ses capacités en combat rapproché sont effectivement supérieures, tout comme sa maniabilité. D’une part, on ne peut pas se permettre de sous-estimer cet écart en matière de performances au combat rapproché".

— Restitutor Orientis 🇱🇮 (@restitutorII) October 11, 2026

Don't know how much I believe this and even if we were to believe it does it matter? Close combat is quickly becoming a thing of the past. From my chair it looks like extended range combat when it comes to the air is gonna be all the rage. Getting close is gonna probably mean mutual death at best. There is a reason why everyone is going for longer and longer ranged air to air missiles. Toss in the next evolution, lasers - microwaves - whatever directed energy weapon you want, and its game over. Anyone remember that huge laser they tried on the 747? Single seat fighters are gonna be a thing of the past. BIG, FAST, B-1B type missile carriers are gonna be the future. Don't tell the Air Force or the Navy though. They'll both shit a brick. The fighter mafia is in for a change.

Wasn't too interested in this story but the killing of the former New Zealand special ops guy & this statement has me wondering...

It seems like M23 fighters are nolonger taking Western mercenaries as prisoners in Eastern DRC conflict. The DRC hired mercenaries known as Blackwater headed by American former US Nevy SEAL, Erik Prince are right now dying like insects. https://t.co/zmuMvqzHbn

— Athousand Brains 𓃵 🇵🇸 (@AthousandBrains) October 9, 2026

What does this guy know that we don't? He's giving the impression that the former New Zealand Special Ops guy was captured and then killed by the rebels. If that's true then its a whole new story. Another thing that has me spinning is that an undercover full effort is happening in Africa right now. Don't believe that all we have operating there is Erik Prince's boys. SOCOM is running ops all over the continent. France is going whole hog there too. Not sure but the Danes also have interests there and might be running ops. The Middle East is the attention grabber but things are brewing on the African continent.

The UK has fallen. Should they still consider themselves as having a "special" relationship?

The Pentagon has pulled all B-1B bombers from RAF Fairford after suspicious activity and fresh Iran-related security concerns, sending at least a dozen aircraft back to the U.S. https://t.co/qzWXtMx89m

— Military Mechanics (@MilitaryMechs) October 11, 2026

Can you imagine this happening 20 years ago? How about 10? The UK has fallen. I won't go into why I think that is but you should be able to EASILY figure that out. But it goes deeper. Should we still involve them in intel sharing? Are they still reliable? Should we be looking at other locations for operations in the Middle East? My answer is that we MUST find alternatives and quickly. I'm thinking that there have to be other countries that can provide the same access with much greater security across the board...intel, force protection etc.. The days of UK being our rock and our special friend is over!

WTI 1-27: CH-53 Heavy Lift...Photos by Cpl. Richard PerezGarcia

Stop calling these bastards "kids". LSU's QB is a multimillionaire pro player!

. @LSUfootball Sam Leavitt postgame press conference following #LSU 35-34 overtime defeat at @UKFootball. https://t.co/siY43bKTl1

— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) October 11, 2026

This dude is a fucking pro. He's a multimillionaire. Yet despite all that he's failing to take accountability and sounding like a whipped puppy at his press conference. A decade or two ago I'd be good with this but when NIL was open this fucking was demanding a prince's ransom, we bought into it and this is the result? GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE YOU PATHETIC BUM.

Ukraine says fuck the world's oil problem...

🚨🇺🇦🇷🇺‼️ Ukraine will not unilaterally halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, President Volodymyr Zelensky has made clear, insisting that any energy ceasefire must involve reciprocal commitments from Moscow. Zelensky said Ukraine would be prepared to suspend attacks on Russian refineries if Russia stopped targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He emphasized that any meaningful de-escalation must be mutual and backed by credible guarantees, rather than requiring Ukraine alone to stop its operations. 🔥 Kyiv’s position draws a clear line in the debate over an energy ceasefire. Ukraine is signaling that it remains open to reducing attacks on energy facilities, but will not surrender its ability to pressure Russia while Ukrainian infrastructure continues to face strikes. See the latest updates with us: @NSTRIKE1231

— NSTRIKE (@NSTRIKE1231) October 11, 2026

This is so fucking humorous to me. Zelensky is HURTING his biggest advocates and doesn't seem to care. It's not hurting now but wait till winter hits hard and all those zealots in Europe and the US that view Russia as the devil start paying OUTRAGEOUS prices for heating and see what they have to say then. I personally can't wait.

Open Comment Post. 11 Oct 26

They go 5 wide, have a running QB and no one accounts for the son of a bitch????

 

KENTUCKY 2-PT CONVERSION TO DEFEAT NO. 10 LSU IN OT 😱🔥 FANS STARTED STORMING THE FIELD (via @UKFootball) https://t.co/OChXFmkXUK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 11, 2026

Lane I'm trying to be patient dude but what the fuck! That defense was pathetic. First play for them is a fucking 70 plus yard run? The defense is leaking like a shack in a hurricane? Leavitt back to playing hero ball? Get your house in order bro. Losses to Ole Miss and now Kentucky? Still have to deal with Alabama, Texas and a OU team that is showing signs of life? We're FUCKING LAST PLACE in the SEC??? DUDE!

The Russia/Ukraine War and the diesel fuel problem...

Right on schedule: Zelensky is now the scapegoat for diesel inflation a month before the midterms. "He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers with diesel fuel because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world. And we told them ‘Do whatever you want, but don’t hit the diesel fuel, because this is a big problem, a big shortage’. And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel." And from last night...

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) October 10, 2026

Quite honestly this was bound to happen.

Even I saw this coming and that's saying something.  Fact.  The US did plea with Zelensky to stop hitting Russian refineries.  Fact.  This issue isn't just hitting the US but also Europe and Asia.

Apparently Zelensky didn't give a fuck.

He kept hitting the facilities and that has put ever consumer on the planet behind an eight ball.  Whether the nature worshippers like it or not but our economy is built on oil and probably will be for the foreseeable future.

By targeting Russia's oil they have essentially targeted their supporters.

Supporters of Ukraine are gonna have a hard time squaring this circle when the facts are carefully debated.

This is happening at a critical time too.  Winter is coming and you can bet big money that Puting is getting ready to make a serious run at Ukraine's power facilities.  

Ukraine is entering a season where it will be extremely vulnerable while alienating at least one of its biggest supporters (not even gonna touch on how badly Zelensky handled the Korean POW situation).

The supported is acting as if they're the lead.  They're not.  Zelensky will realize this shortly.