Tuesday, May 02, 2023

173rd Airborne Brigade and Italian Army Paratroopers assigned to Folgore Brigade, conduct a water airborne operation

Special Tactics Airmen jump from a Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules

For the professionals in the audience...Defining Distributed Maritime Operations and the Future of Naval Warfare (CIMSEC.org)

It's a whole twitter thread of think tank thoughts so give it a look if you're interested in this type of thing.

Turkey's KAAN multi-role fighter is bigger than I thought..

 

Now we might have bases in Finland? The tilt to Europe is weakening us worldwide

Mark my words. This tilt towards Europe which never seems to lessen will have dramatic consequences for us worldwide. We only have so many forces and to have SO MANY dedicated to Europe is a mistake. Name hotspots. Ukraine is the only one in Europe. To be honest and to piss off the haters, that conflict is contained. It's dragging on too long just like all the wars we participate in during the modern era but its contained. Russia ain't about to attack NATO! The rest of the world? Big issues. LIMITED RESCOURCES REQUIRES PRIORITIZATION! The forward deployed concept is a loser. Everyone claims to be expeditionary but everytime you look up you see forces locked into one geographic location. Time to bring back REFORGER for Europe and the rapid deployment force for the rest of the world!

Open Comment Post. 2 May 23

HMLA-367 is supporting 75th Ranger Regiment and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) @ NTC

Hmm. This is busy work. The 160th don't need USMC gunships to provide cover. One AC-130 or a few UAVs flying support will work for them. I guess the move now is to become an enabling force for SOCOM? Don't see much future in that. Another mission that Army assets can perform...especially when the fight moves further from the sea under FD2030. SOCOM is much in love with the 160th. If this is the move then they'd do better to try and support AF Special Ops CV-22s. Tie that into the Pacific fight with longer distances involved that the little bird can't handle. But that leads back to the issue of being a ONE theater force that is useless everywhere else. Remember Belleau Wood. Marines go where the nation needs, not where they planned for the next fight. There is no wiggle room in this concept. Berger went native when he was in the Pacific and he's trying to drag the Marines along with him.

Monday, May 01, 2023

These Coast Guard pilots were seconds away from a very bad day

 

Possible microburst almost downs USCG HH60-Jayhawk
by u/Low_n_slow4805 in Helicopters

Wagner sniper team in Bakhmut with a MTs-566 sniper rifle (all pics from Rob Lee's Twitter thread)

Kinda insane. The USMC killed off snipers and have embraced the idea of designated marksmen. But the Russians and Ukrainians are using them to good effect in their war. Does this mean that the USMC doesn't see itself engaged in urban combat once Force Design 2030 is fully implemented? It's the only thing that makes sense. A stand off force cannot close with the enemy and FD2030 makes the USMC a stand off force.

Open Comment Post. 1 May 23