UK Land Ceptor trials off the coast of Sweden (pics)...

Trials of the new British Army air defence missile, Land Ceptor took place close to the Baltic Sea on a Swedish test fire range. It is being developed to protect British troops on operations from aerial threats, including hostile combat aircraft and air-launched munitions. 

Now I've seen it all. A person captures, cleans and eats a skunk!

I didn't even know this was possible.

I didn't even think ANYONE, ANYWHERE had even considered it.

Considering all the available prey animals (including carnivores) for humans why would you want to consume this animal?

Label this one amazing, disgusting and eye opening.  But I'm also a bit curious.  Dude said the meat was sweet.  Was he trolling or is it possible that one of the tastiest meats in the animal kingdom is hidden behind a powerful scent gland?

Open Comment Post. May 30, 2018

17 foot python caught by guys in a 17 foot boat in the Everglades!

I am so past having fucks to give about this!

Not only No!  But FUCK NO! FUCK NO! FUCK NO!

God eradicated the dinosaurs with an asteroid millions of years ago, so how did he miss these big fuckers?

This is a sight from my most tortured dream. Imagine this jacked up scenario.  You crawl into your sleeping bag and then this monster decides to crawl in with ya!

I said it before but I don't think you get it.

FUCK NO! FUCK NO! FUCK NO!

Story here.

Aviasalon JSC - Favorite Flight Programs MAKS 2017

Blast from the past. When Irish Vets from the US Civil War invaded Canada...

Canadian militiamen stand over the body of a recently killed Irish soldier who was one of around 1000 Irish veterans from the American Civil war who invaded Canada in 1866 to attack British interests. Fort Erie, June 2nd 1866

History is a glorious thing.  The second you think you have even a BASIC grasp of things an unknown event is presented that shocks and amazes.

I never knew this happened.

Just plain wow.

Militarization of Police in the US (in my opinion) appears to be a big nothing burger...

Hmm.

I look at many police websites, instagram etc...and I see guys running around in Desert Multicam outfitted like a Marine about to storm Fallujah.

When I look at this chart assembled by Forbes and Statista I see a big nothing burger.

I mean just look at it!

MRAPs are the big item and those were gonna be thrown away.  They're being used by SWAT transports in most areas which saves them the cost of buying a brand new Lenco Bearcat or some other high dollar vehicle that would break many depts.

Next up are helicopters?  Until I see rocket launchers and gatling guns on them they're pure enablers, not attackers.  They're about as benign as it gets.

Comm, UAVs, Sights, utility trucks, rifles....not even a wisp of concern.

The more I look at the actual list the more I see that this is a problem that the police have foisted on themselves.  Policing by its very nature has militaristic elements.  Add in the fact that certain people have weapons and have been trained to effectively engage them and its natural that they would seek at least equivalent and hopefully for society's sake overmatching firepower.

So if its not the gear then what is the problem.

The cammies they wear point solidly at the issue.

They're dressed like Soldiers or Marines in a foreign nation conducting combat ops.  Only they're in the US doing this!  The people that are to serve and protect are decked out like they're waging war...and that means that they're prepared to engage society.

I know that's taking it to an absurd extreme but the force of connection is there.  This is an image problem.

They can easily fix it.  Toss the multicam away and pick a dark grey, sheriff green...anything but stuff the military wears and they'll go a long way to winning this image war.

But when it comes to the equipment its nothing.  Nothing at all.

The Next Big Future Blog takes aim at bloated procurement....especially the F-35..

via Next Big Future.

US General Milley tries to make the case that China matches the US military budget because US salaries are so much higher than China’s. China is catching up to US military technology.

The US military budget is bloated because of massive increase in procurement prices for each plane, submarine and other equipment. It is also rising because of increasing operating costs and maintenance costs for new gear that is tough to maintain. Tough to maintain stealth coating, other fragile parts and difficult software.

--------------

 New F16 Viper about $35 million each

The F-16C/D had a unit cost of US$18.8 million in 1998. About 10 years ago, Taiwan were sold F-16 at an average price of 25 million per piece. In 2009, Chile purchased 18 F-16 aircraft from the Netherlands in a contract worth $270 million. Jordon in 2007 signed an agreement with Belgium for the sale of 14 F-16s worth $90 million. The F-16V (Viper) costs about US$35 million in 2017.

The V configuration support AESA [active electronically scanned array radar] on a block 50/52 type airplane. The F-16V gets AESA radar, an upgraded mission computer and architecture, and an improved “glass” (digital) cockpit.

The United States could consider “new build” F-16s or F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as a lower-cost alternative to JSF. Not all, however, see the F-16V as the solution. “This is two and half tons heavier at empty weight than the F-16A model [of 1975],” said Pierre Sprey, the former Pentagon analyst who helped create the F-16 by arguing for a lightweight fighter. Sprey would prefer a stripped, lightweight, single-mission air-to-air version of the F-16 powered by the 32,000-pound thrust afterburning General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan that is used on the current F-16E/F block 60 for the United Arab Emirates. Sprey is a longtime critic of multi-role warplanes and of JSF.

This seems to show that a fighter jet alternative could be had for 4-5 times lower cost. It is not just the procurement cost but the operating costs. Upgraded F16 or F18 would have no stealth or far less stealth but the rise of better anti-stealth technology is removing the importance of stealth.

Story here. 

This is an argument that you will hear more and more often into the future.  The stuff that was said 10 years ago is finally gaining traction today.

Amazingly enough the tenets of the program..Affordable, Survivable, Supportable and Lethal are all under attack.  Affordable being false is made obvious in the article.  Survivable?  They touched on that when they talked about the rise of anti-stealth tech.  Supportable?  Have you read all the problems with ALIS?  Finally Lethal.  This one is being totally gamed.  Every bit of work that the Navy is doing on Net Fires is being claimed as an F-35 only feature when everything from Super Hornets to the AH-1Z will utilize elements of it.  Quite honestly the MQ-4 Triton will be a more capable sensor node at much longer range (where it will really count to make reaction time from 10's of seconds to possibly even a minute or longer if the crew is on the ball and the systems spun up).

The F-35 saga is far from over.

Think Defence is calling it a day....I ask him to reconsider.

Thanks to many people including The Other Chris for bringing this to my attention.

I've been monitoring the Think Defence website after news that they were calling it quits came out.

The roll call of bloggers and commenters (many of note) was long and all had a similar theme....They thanked him for what he did, they showed appreciation for his work and to a man they all said that he would be missed.

I agree with all of the above.

BUT!

I want to add this.

Reconsider TD. 

Life speeds up on us all.  There will be times when you just can't get it done despite your best efforts.

It happens and when it does your readership will contribute and pass around ideas.  Trust me on this! Once they get used to your new schedule if you miss past a certain time period you'll get notes of concern (I find that amazing, refreshing and inspiring that people I don't know will take the time to ask if I'm ok if I miss a day or two).

If you can't do that I understand but in that case I ask that you remain engaged.  You're too good a writer, too clear a thinker to depart the Military Blogging scene.

If your final answer to my plea is still no then I join everyone else in wishing all the best and thanking you for your contribution over the years.

The Murphy Challenge...are they serious?

The cause is awesome.  The meaning behind the challenge undeniable.

But are they serious?  All this with a weighted vest and you have some people claiming sub 30 minute completion times?

I hear (or rather read) that Murph was a PT stud and Hard To Kill Fitness (the guys behind the challenge) made a ball buster. 

Maybe next year they can emphasize a bit more honesty and a lot less bluster for the event roll out.

STILL!

It's an admirable thing they did. 

Maybe Marine Corps public relations bubbas can do something similar honoring fallen Marines next year...but with a more reasonable fitness test.