Thursday, July 18, 2019
US preparing to send hundreds of troops to Saudi Arabia amid Iran tensions
via CNN
The Trump administration is reinforcing its controversial military relationship with Saudi Arabia by preparing to send hundreds of troops to the country amid increasing tensions with Iran.Story here.
Five-hundred troops are expected to go to the Prince Sultan Air Base, located in a desert area east of the Saudi capital of Riyadh, according to US two defense officials. A small number of troops and support personnel are already on site with initial preparations being made for a Patriot missile defense battery as well as runway and airfield improvements, the officials said.
The US has wanted to base troops there for some time because security assessments have shown Iranian missiles would have a difficult time targeting the remote area.
I'm.
Not.
Buying.
It.
It might be the Iran threat from a big picture but if you get a bit closer to the issue I believe this is all about the Houthis hitting Riyadh and one of the GCC coalition partners pulling out.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/houthi-missile-strike-hits-saudi-airport-injuring-26/2019/06/12/55cb5032-8d0c-11e9-b162-8f6f41ec3c04_story.html
I could be wrong but this is my gut reaction.
The Future of China's Amphibious Assault Fleet via The Diplomat...
via The Diplomat.
The PLAN amphibious assault fleet is likely to enjoy further expansion between now and the mid 2020s. Key projects to watch include the 075 LHD family, whether the 071 LPD family will be further expanded or not, and whether the PLAA landing ship fleet will be further sustained and recapitalized.Story here.
I started with the end. READ THIS ARTICLE! I follow Rick Joe on Twitter and you should too. He gives some of the best info on the Chinese military/weapon systems that I've read on the web.
How good is he? He's on my Twitter List as a "must read" everyday.
Off topic. I'm watching the Chinese build their Marine Corps (attempting) up to USMC standards. What's missing? A STOVL airplane.
Why wouldn't they pursue such a thing?
This is mere speculation on my part and a sore spot for some, but I think they've probably looked at the calculus and decided that a STOVL airplane just wasn't worth the effort.
Question.
What would the USMC look like if we did away with fast movers off our LHD/LHAs and instead teamed with the Navy and had all our planes operating off carriers?
Would we see a reduction in the utility of our MEUs?
Is this an exquisite capability that just isn't worth it historically? I'm not sure. Can you think of an operation where the 6 or so Harriers (looking at the past) could have made a difference? Can you think of a time when an MEU went into even light combat without the support of a carrier?
I can't.
USMC historians step up and correct me where I'm wrong. USMC tacticians/conceptualist step up and tell me why we're so wedded to this idea.
Just because we've had a capability since the 1960's (or around that time frame) doesn't mean that it makes sense moving forward.
The Chinese for all intents in purposes don't see the utility. I'd like to know if they're onto something or if we're buying an EXPENSIVE capability with little practicality.
I'm just asking the question...don't shoot the messenger!
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Annoyed by loud music, man uses drone to shoot fireworks at neighbors. Civilian drone warfare.
Annoyed by loud music, man uses drone to shoot fireworks at neighbors. Civilian drone warfare. @ScottAdamsSays @Cernovich— Me (@CaptainSkyhawk1) July 15, 2019
Credit u/profeta via Reddit pic.twitter.com/5nq98fDOGp
Wow. Kinda makes that ole' cadence come to life don't it...well sorta..."I hear the choppers hovering, they're hovering overhead...they've come to get our wounded, they've come to get our dead...we're at war ooo oh ooo, men at war....late at night when you're sleeping Charlie company comes a creepin"
Talisman Sabre 2019 Picture Thread (1 of 3)...
Talisman Sabre 2019 is currently going on in Australia. Thanks to the work of the Australian Defense Combat Camera Corps, we're being provided with some stunning visuals. This thread is broken down into 3 parts cause it's just that big...and just that good!
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Talisman Sabre 2019 - Amphibious Assault
The small fishing town of Stanage Bay has been transformed into a war zone in one of the biggest battles of Exercise Talisman Sabre. @haydennelson #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/oKmdumuhx0— 7NEWS Central Queensland (@7NewsCQ) July 16, 2019
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