Open Comment Post. April 14, 2018

Strike on Syrian Chemical Facilities/Command & Control...was it worth it?

Was the strike on Syrian Chemical Facilities/Command & Control sites worth it?

From my chair it comes down to two opposing views....

1.  The use of chemical weapons, even if not verified, is a global norm that MUST NOT BE ALLOWED!  Full stop, nothing further.

2.  These strikes were simply another tool used to blunt Assad from securing his country which is being torn apart due to a civil war.  The timing of the accusations of chemical use always happens at times when the Syrian Army is on the move against terrorist forces.  It's beyond obvious that we're looking at false flag operations to involve us further in that conflict.

Simplistic?

Yes.

Fortunately life isn't really that hard if you break shit down to its basic components (which is why I'm such a fan of Thoreau).

So the question is on the table.

The US and its allies (French and the UK) expended several million dollars worth of munitions to destroy sites in Syria.

Was it worth it or is it as I stated yesterday just a huge dog and pony show in the desert?

Huge explosions noted in Damascus. Did we turn this into a decapitation attack?

They're reporting huge explosions in Damascus.  Explosion size is always relative.  If you're standing a few feet from a 120mm mortar landing that that's huge.  If you're a mile away its an ok hit.

Having said that if they're reporting this then did this thing turn into a decapitation strike as well as trying to hit chemical facilities?

This thing is just warming up so stay tuned.

Trump just stated that military ops are underway against Syria....

Here we go. Trump to make statement on Syria in a few minutes.

This should be interesting.

Trump is about to make a statement on Syria in a few minutes and YOU KNOW I'll be watching every second of it.

How will he justify a strike?

What is his rationale for risking a military confrontation with Syria?

Will he finally get us out of the Syria quagmire?

We can only hope those few questions are answered.  As soon as this drama play is over we'll be back to talk about this batshit crazy foreign policy/warfare decision being made in our names.

China shows off its Naval Power...via China Defense Blog.

Click on that pic to enlarge it.

Then identify the ships and drink in the reality.

The Chinese are catching up (if they haven't caught up) with us.  Maybe not on a global level but certainly regionally.

I just had a cold realization.

The "hot thing" is to think about how we penetrate their A2/AD.  Maybe we should understand that we're already there and we don't need to penetrate a thing.

Maybe we should be more concerned with repulsing an attack that aims to KICK US OUT of the region.

Yeah.

It ain't fun to think about and everyone likes to be on the offense but I'm starting to believe that we need to adjust and start thinking about defensive operations against a numerically superior and technologically capable foe.

The weapons we're currently buying would work, its just the mindset that will have to change.

The Drive Blog explains the idiocy of declaring F-35 testing over...

via The DRIVE.

One would imagine that all of this would be cause for celebration from both the F-35’s supporters and critics. This is an important development for a program with such a troubled developmental history and would appear to be a demonstration of actual and significant progress after years of delays and other issues.

But as always seems to be the case with regards to the F-35, the announcement is already mired in controversy. Most immediately, this announcement was originally supposed to have come in January 2018.

In an annual review of the program it released in January 2018, the Pentagon’s Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, which oversees all such activities across the U.S. military, had said that timetable was optimistic. This office, commonly referred to simply as DOT&E, expected the last SDD flight tests to likely come later in the second quarter of the 2018 fiscal year.

That quarter ended on March 30, 2018. And this is to say nothing of previous delays, as well as the Pentagon’s decision to “re-baseline” the program entirely, effectively shifting the goal posts dramatically, in 2011. The full-rate production decision is already five years behind schedule, at least according to the schedule as it existed in 2009.

Story here. 

I LUV THIS GUY'S WRITING ON THE F-35!~

He breaks down the complex F-35, pushes away the bullshit and explains it donkey style so that everyone can understand it (especially me).  None of the deep dive into weeds that lead to lies, misstatements and outright deceit you find on F-16.net.

Just facts about what its doing right and wrong.

I'm repeating myself but I love his writing!

Back on task.

We labored so long that this program has broken our procurement across all services, will end up costing more than it should and has left every branch in every service in shit shape.

Plus we get the benefit of having a plane that has degraded requirements so they could get it across the finish line and even with those lessened requirements was late!

Read the article then get back to me.  If you don't agree that Western airpower has been screwed beyond recognition by leadership AND Lockheed Martin then I don't know what to tell ya.

IDF to Modernize its Infantry Brigade with Hundreds of Eitan 8×8 APCs

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

via Defense Update.

While 8×8 APCs are a familiar view with military forces worldwide, the IDF realized the need for such armored carrier after several clashes in Gaza that exposed the vulnerability and potential high casualty rate for infantry transported in some of the armored mobility platforms to relatively simple threats. The M-113 is known for the inadequacy of its protection, and armies throughout the world consider either phasing it out of service or carry out comprehensive modification of the basic vehicle with better protection, heftier belly protection and more powerful propulsion system and suspensions.

The IDF examined some of the foreign vehicles but preferred a locally developed design that could better balance between mobility, firepower, and protection to address the unique Israeli requirements. Weighing less than 35-ton gross vehicle weight (GVW), Eitan uses a combined passive and active armor to achieve the high level of protection required for the mission. What made this possible was the mature level of the Trophy Active Protection System (APS) used with IDF Merkava MBT and Namer AIFV. The Eitan design could rely on this innovative capability retaining a level of base armor to provide ballistic protection from small arms and the residual effects of threats intercepted by the APS. Higher threat levels would be taken by the APS. With this approach a relatively large armored capsule provides large protected space, enough to carry the crew and an infantry squad, saving many tons of weight, making the use of a wheeled platform feasible.

For mobility, Eitan adopts a 750 hp engine, off-the-shelf drive train, independent suspension, four of the eight wheels are steerable, enabling the vehicle to take tight turns and move on the road at a speed of 90km/h, and maneuver in narrow roads of urban areas and offroad. Compared to Namer and the current M-113, Eitan will be able to move freely on roads, It will be more useful on roads for long distances, without requiring heavy transporters, thus enabling more agile movements across the country. They will also be more maneuverable in urban terrain, where heavy vehicles cannot easily maneuver.

The prototypes used for testing carry one remotely operated weapon station but production models will integrate an unmanned overhead turret armed with 12.7mm heavy machine gun or 30mm automatic cannon (upgradable to 40mm), an integrated active protection system (APS), smoke dischargers and integral 60mm mortar, providing indirect fire capability, that includes high explosives, illumination, and smoke effects.

Additional capabilities including guided Spike missiles are also considered. The vehicle is equipped with modern electronic architecture that supports crew stations and large screens for the crew and troops, enabling effective situational awareness depicted by multiple cameras mounted at different spots around the vehicle. The vehicle will be equipped with firepower, protection, power generation and distribution and command, control and communications to provide protected mobility, fire, power, and communications support to the infantry squad.

The basic turreted Eitan platform is likely to be used for APC, command and scout roles, while the turretless variant used to support role specific configurations including weapon carriers (mortars etc.), combat engineering, recovery, casualty evacuation vehicles and more, similar to the roles the M-113 provided, although other protected wheeled platforms, such as the smaller and lighter Sandcat, that could assume some of the roles.

Prototypes of Eitan APCs are already produced and deployed with the Nahal infantry brigade for tests. The brigade, one of the IDF regular infantry brigades, will be the first to equip with the new vehicle Eitan enters serial production of hundreds of vehicles, recently approved by the government under the IDF current multiyear program (2016-2020). Other regular infantry brigades are already equipped with Namer APCs and are expected to enable the brigade elements to move cross country, in formation with tanks.

Compared to Namer, Eitan is expected to deliver increased firepower (utilizing the 30mm cannon) thus enabling the vehicle to support its dismounted squad and take a more substantial part in the land battle, performing as an Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV).

While Israel depends on foreign nations for the supply of combat aircraft and surface vessels and submarines, the land force has relied on local development and manufacturing of its main platforms. Merkava MBT, Namer heavy APC, the future self-propelled artillery and future tracked combat vehicle (Carmel) are all based on local design. However, fielding of those platforms in large numbers will be a challenge, since the U.S. military support will not allow for local spending as it used to do in the past. This will require moving an increased volume of production to the USA, as was done with the Namer, Iron Dome, and many other locally developed systems. As Eitan enters production, it is likely that U.S. manufacturers will receive the lion’s share of this program, to enable the IDF to meet the tight schedules and lower costs the project requires.

Story here. 

Ogden won't like it.  Neither will other fans of the Boxer or my European bros that love the Patria AMV (I like that vehicle too by the way), but I think the Eitan is the finest 8x8 on the market today.

It checks all the boxes, with its 30mm turret will be a more than capable IFV and has the speed, toughness and bite to take the fight to the enemy.

The Israelis have done it again.

They've raised the bar on armored warfare...this time in the 8x8 class.

 

Another reason why the F-35 death spiral is inevitable. Congressman warns Mattis of "lean" future defense budgets...

via Defense News.

The Pentagon’s two-year budget boost may be as good as it’s going to get for the military, the House Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat warned Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

The comments come amid new government estimates that the U.S. budget deficit will exceed $1 trillion in two years, as tax cuts and spending increases signed by President Donald Trump do little to boost long-term economic growth.

As Mattis testified on the administration’s 2019 budget request, HASC Ranking Member Adam Smith, D-Wash., pointed to the downward pressure that growing deficits and budget caps could create in 2020 and beyond.

“While 2018 and 2019 are great, I hope you are also planning for a lean future, because we are looking at a trillion-dollar deficit this year,” Smith said, adding that the US national debt is approaching $22 trillion.

CBO pegs the 2019 deficit at $981 billion and at more than $1 trillion each year thereafter, for a total of $12.4 trillion through 2028.

Without “big picture” budget action from Congress, the nation faces an “enormous problem” fueled by its $1 trillion per year deficit spending habits, Smith said.

“We’re going to be right back in the uncertainty a year from now if we don’t come up with some comprehensive way to address our budget challenge,” he said.

Story here. 

The problem?  Defense Hawks don't care about budget deficits and neither do Democrats.

The stark reality?  The US can no longer ignore domestic concerns while some are pursuing global ambitions. 

From my seat balance was lost during the Bush Admin and hasn't been reasserted.  Even Obama went wild on foreign affairs (with a few exceptions for other BIG ticket items domestically) that continued the imbalance of ignoring the homeland while focusing on "shaping" the world.

That is about to come to a crashing halt.

What does this mean for the military?

They're in a hurt locker.

They labored too long on the F-35 at the expense of other needs and now we've arrived at a time when upgrades to other parts of our defense enterprise can no longer be ignored.

The USMC is in particular trouble.  What's coming up?  Finish buying MV-22 AND pay to reset the fleet to a common standard.  Buy KC-130s.  Buy whatever they're calling that "super" UAV.  Buy ACVs and then a follow up vehicle so that the AAV can finally be retired.  Make a decision on which way to go with the M1 Abrams.  Equip our other parts of the ground force from Artillery, to Grunts to even buying JLTVs.

And of course buying and bringing the F-35's we already have up to a combat capable standard.

Even if the F-35 was a perfect airplane we couldn't afford to buy the number allocated.

A death spiral is inevitable because it took too long, the good times budget is over and the battle between bread and bullets has already been lost because the Pentagon had fallen in love with continuous operations instead of victory and the American people are fed up with generational war after being at it for the last 20 years.

Side note;  Add the failed wars in the Middle East as a factor for the decline of the US.  What genius thought that a nation could be at war for over two decades and not want to look inward was smoking crack laced with fentanyl!

You heard it here first and the fanboys will go ape shit but the F-35 death spiral is here.

AH-1W Super Cobra with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 launches rockets and deploys flares during a tactical demonstration

An AH-1W Super Cobra with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 launches rockets and deploys flares during a tactical demonstration in support of Weapons and Tactics Instructor course 2-18 at Yodaville, Yuma, Arizona, on April 4. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley McLaughlin)