SNAFU!

U.S. announces additional $1.7 billion in aid to Ukraine....we're not just funding the war, we're funding Ukraine's entire economy!

NOW - U.S. announces additional $1.7 billion in aid to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/gy3a3HjnMh
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) July 12, 2022

A reader made the statement and I noted it but kept moving, that the US wasn't just funding Ukraine's war effort but also their entire economy. He went on to talk about how they have no functioning industry, and have to fund public services, military etc.

In other words Ukraine is now a failed state being propped up mainly by the US but also a bit by the EU (if the war stopped right now it would be decades of re-building and monitoring by the EU/US). But what happens when the American people start looking at the pain at home? What happens when the MSM can't play the rah-rah Ukraine mode anymore because people are looking at the money being sent overseas (ONCE AGAIN) instead of invested at much needed projects at home? What happens when the new inflation data comes out Weds?

This strategy is unsustainable.

Sadly the Ukrainians don't get it but I think I do.

We're not fighting to support the Ukrainian nation. It's already dead.

This is a fight for resources and location.

Natural resources and a port on the sea. That's what this about.

If Zelensky was smart he'd step off the hawkish thing asap and try and save what he can of his country. A few more months and this thing is over except for the powers that be picking over the scraps of his nation.

Quite honestly (and I don't know this...just sense it), he'll be lucky to make it out of this mess alive. I'm catching the glint of long knives reaching for him.

Task Force 61/2: Enhancing Maritime Awareness

Note. I see NO indication that the US Navy is onboard with the Marine Corps concept. Additionally I can make a case that they're going in an entirely different direction (and so are the Chinese). Just as in WW2 I foresee (assuming there is even a conventional fight...the more I dig into that the less likely I believe it to be) a blue water fight and not one in the littoral zone. Those islands and land masses that the Marine Corps is trying to use will be bypassed and ignored (at best), quickly eradicated with long distance fires if necessary.

We're putting people where we should be sending drones. The Chinese have bodies to spare and they'll still use drones to find these forces.

This concept is dead.

Worse?

They are taking it Marine Corps wide.

The entire Marine Corps dedicated to being a recon/counter recon force?

YOU THINK THE MARINE CORPS WILL BE VIABLE WITH THIS AS ITS REASON FOR BEING?

Stop smoking crack.

ROK Marines are still about that life! Conduct AAV operations at RIMPAC

Interesting isn't it. If an amphibious assault is necessary in the Pacific then it would have to be led by the ROK Marines. They are now the most capable and flexible Marine force in that theater....with the most staying power against a peer opponent.

UK's 16th Air Assault Brigade trains with US Army 101st Air Assault

Ex Eagle Overlord was the first of hopefully many more exercises to be conducted at Ft. Campbell Kentucky home of the @101stAASLTDIV and 5th SFG. 15 soldiers from across @3para and @16AirAssltBCT were on the exercise. Jumping from CH47 and UH60. #readyforanything pic.twitter.com/rJUKPk0izD
— 3 PARA (@3PARA) July 12, 2022

I'm seeing more and more of this and I'm looking at British Army design which convinces me that they're building themselves in such a way as to seamlessly slot into US Army formations. This teaming (assuming I'm correct) is just another nugget of information proving me correct.

Latest photos of Bell's 360 Invictus prototype for the Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competition.

Here are the latest photos of Bell's 360 Invictus prototype for the Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competition. The prototype aircraft is ~90% complete now, according to Bell pic.twitter.com/96hFBrNpkF
— Matt Beinart (@MBeinart22) July 12, 2022

Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct live fire on Camp Schwab, Okinawa

Note. Marine Infantry is still doing Marine Infantry shit but the mission is just so ... confusing that it defies understanding. Stand-In-Force? Going Marine Corps wide and not just the Pacific? How does a modern Defense Battalion concept apply worldwide? China is the pacing threat but its a big world! How does the SIF make sense anywhere else but the Pacific? Spare me the talk about "if it works against the Chinese it'll work eveywhere". Even worse. How do you message the Stand-In-Force to the Congress, to potential recruits and to the force? It might (I say that in jest) be the right concept but they MUST get the messaging on it together. Right now its just word salad and a concept that smacks of legacy building instead of warfighting. Everyone wants to be the next Ellis but no one knows how!

Sidenote. Why are we calling them BLTs when they won't do BLT shit in the future?

China PLA amphibious infantry fighting vehicles and an air cushion landing craft march on the sea during an exercise

China PLA amphibious infantry fighting vehicles and an air cushion landing craft march on the sea during an exercise jointly organized by a brigade and an aviation brigade on June 16. Location unknown. pic.twitter.com/x5vaYKfHZS
— Ryan Chan 陳家翹 (@ryankakiuchan) July 10, 2022

D-3 EnDirect rehearsals on the Brétigny base

Don't ask me what that is. I took the translation from the French Army twitter and ran with it. No time to look it up I'm already late for my gym session!

J-3️⃣🇫🇷 #EnDirect des répétitions sur la base de Brétigny !

Vous l'avez sûrement déjà aperçu sur nos véhicules : le nouvel habillage brun terre de France, qui devient le fond unique et la base du nouveau camouflage de l’armée de Terre 🎨#14Juillet #SoldatsDeFrance pic.twitter.com/X2xycwzHiw
— Armée de Terre (@armeedeterre) July 11, 2022

The Ukraine/Russia war has turned into a battle of logistics...or rather destroying the logistics capability of your opponent.

Russia hits Ukrainian hangars storing U.S.-made artillery weapons https://t.co/SHCwTOygdN pic.twitter.com/D45JXikrvo
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 10, 2022

Interesting.

The frontlines be damned now. You have troops on both sides living in the mud and muck, many of them miserable out of their minds but no one is looking at that anymore.

Everyone is focused on the deep strikes.

Just a decade ago those strikes would have been carried out by strike fighters.

Today?

Missiles.

Its the same just a different tool being used. The weird thing is that I can see a modified civilian storage management system being brought forward to deal with these issues (which will add just another failure point to the whole thing).

Just in time resupply.

No forward supply areas. Dispersed supply points hundreds of miles behind the lines with a fleet of trucks and aircraft sent out "just in time" for fire missions to be conducted.

The amount of coordination involved will be massive. Many fire missions probably will fail due to lack of ammo.

It'll take years for both sides to perfect it and God help the artillery commander that isn't able to conduct a mission if the unit he's supporting is in heavy contact....but that's how it'll be.

The worst thing?

The US/NATO is setting this up to be a 10 year conflict. Ukraine's economy is on life support (thanks to my readers for pointing that out to me) and is being propped up by the US/EU.

Attrition warfare is a losing concept and will only bleed the Ukrainian forces and US taxpayer.