Fewer Americans believe the US has the world's number 1 military.

via UPI

The number of Americans who regard the U.S. military as the world's strongest declined from 59 percent last year to 49 percent, a Gallup poll released Monday indicates.
Asked if the United States is the strongest in the world militarily, 49 percent of respondents said yes, and an identical number said no. The positive reading is the lowest in the 23 years Gallup has asked the question.
A separate question, asked of 1,021 random adults during the first week of February, asked if it is important that the U.S. military be the strongest in the world. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said it is important, a small decline from 68 percent in 2015. The number of those who believe the country should spend more on defense increased, while the number of those who advocate less spending, or that current spending is appropriate, decreased.
In the survey 37 percent of respondents said the United States spent too title on defense; 32 percent believed it spent too much; and 27 percent said the spending level was right.
"The 10-point drop in the percentage of Americans who believe the U.S. is the No. 1 military power in the world may reflect worries about international terrorism.... It may also reflect the discussion of the military and defense in the current presidential election campaign," the statement from Gallup said.
The survey was conducted of adults 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The margin of sampling error is plus-or-minus 4 percentage points.

Interesting.

I believe the authors are wrong in believing that this reflects worry about international terrorism.

I DO THINK that it has to do with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan however.  When the US military puts forward the idea that it will take 50 years to defeat barefoot savages in foreign lands then its natural for the public to believe that we're not as powerful as thought.

The US military laid the seeds for this lack of faith in their failed military policy and the failure to adjust so that victory could be achieved in a timely fashion.  Long story short?  The small wars/counterinsurgency/SOCOM mafias have spoiled the pot because they pushed a lousy war strategy.

Russia just flipped a "moderate" Rebel group...they're now fighting for Assad.

via Daily Beast.

Not long ago, U.S. jets and Shia militias worked together to battle ISIS. Today, those militias are trying to take down American proxies in Syria.

Iraqi militias who once fought ISIS with U.S. help are now working with Russian and Iranian forces to crush American-backed rebels in the strategic Syrian city of Aleppo, two defense officials have told The Daily Beast.

At least three Shia militias involved in successful battles against ISIS in Iraq—the Badr Brigade, Kata’ib Hezbollah, and the League of the Righteous—have acknowledged taking casualties in fighting in south and southeast Aleppo province. U.S. defense officials confirmed to The Daily Beast that they believe “at least one” unit of the Badr Brigade is fighting in southern Aleppo alongside other Iraqi militia groups. Those groups are backed by Russian airpower and Iranian troops—and all of whom are bolstering President Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian Arab Army.

Interesting.

So Russia/Assad have flipped a "moderate" Rebel group and now they're fighting for Syria.  Quite honestly if Turkey continues to pressure the Kurds, I can see them dumping the US, reaching an agreement with Iraq to have a totally autonomous homeland on the Turkish border and then they also turn on the "moderates" that they've been fighting beside.

We shouldn't be surprised.  It's common practice in the Middle East to "ride" the strong horse.

The Middle Eastern realignment is picking up speed...

Cobra Gold amphibious landing...pics by Lance Cpl. Eryn L. Edelman

What Marine unit is participating in Cobra Gold? I don't think its an MEU, and the focus of the exercise is disaster assistance/humanitarian assistance....it was once known as the "REFORGER of the Pacific....those days appear to be over.

And it begins...Turkey attacking Syrian Army...

Thanks to David for the link!

via RT.

Anatolia news agency reported that the Turkish military hit Syrian government forces on Saturday, adding that the shelling had been in response to fire inflicted on a Turkish military guard post in Turkey’s southern Hatay region.
Turkish artillery targeted Syrian forces again late on Saturday, according to a military source quoted by RIA Novosti. The attack targeted the town of Deir Jamal in the Aleppo Governorate.
The agency also cited details of an earlier attack on Syrian government army positions in northwestern Latakia.
“Turkey’s artillery opened fire on the positions of the Syrian Army in the vicinity of Aliya mountain in the northwestern part of the province of Latakia,” the source said.

Let's not mince words here.

Our so called allies (Turkey, Saudi Arabia & the rest of the GCC) have taken the measure of Obama and found him unimpressive, weak and passive.  Because of this they feel able to act in ways that are not in our best interest but even worse risk escalating a terrible conflict.

If you think Turkey gives a damn about ISIS then you need to be drug tested.  How will Russia respond?  What about Assad?  This will get much worse.   As bad as the ME was when Bush left (and it was terrible), its going to fail in comparison to what Obama leaves the next president.

History will record that the seeds of the 3rd World War were sown on his watch.

If the Republicans let Obama appoint a Justice then they lose the election.

You've heard the news by now and to give you an indication of the politics involved, the guy has't even been buried yet and the debate about his replacement is being blasted all around the internet.

That shows you how bad the discourse is.  No respect for the recently deceased.

I'll just say this.  If the Republicans let Obama appoint a Justice then they lose the election.  No if's and's or but's about it.  Additionally the Republicans have shown that they lack a spine and have been constantly getting rolled by the Dems.

I expect them to cave on this issue, just as they've caved on others.

Turks are shelling our Kurdish allies in Syria.

Thanks to Entulling for the link!

via Middle East Eye.

Turkish forces were on Saturday reported to have shelled an airbase in northwestern Syria seized earlier this week by Kurdish forces from the Nusra Front.
The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) said that the Menagh military air base, about six kilometres south of the town of Azaz in Syria’s north-western province of Aleppo, had been targeted by Turkish artillery forces.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, although local news sites said ambulances had been seen heading for the scene.
عاجل: المدفعية التركيا تقصف مواقع قوات الحماية الكوردية بمطار منغ العسكري. pic.twitter.com/aibMtXFbTa
— pyd rojava (@pyd_rojava) February 13, 2016

Translation: Breaking - Turkish artillery forces shell YPG site at the Menagh military airbase
The YPG seized the base from Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria which has been fighting alongside other rebel groups in northern Syria, on 10 February, following Russian air strikes in the area in support of pro-government Syrian forces.

So let me see if I have this straight.  The Russians conducted airstrikes against Nusra Front that we also view as an enemy.  The Kurds that we view as a friend took the opportunity to seize the base from the Nusra Front, which in essence means that the Russians provided air support to the Kurds, which are our friend.

Meanwhile, Turkey, who is also supposed to be our friend, shelled the Kurds, that are our friend.

But to add the last piece of this batshit crazy story/policy together we need to add that the Kurds, which are our friend, was fighting beside Nusra Front which is our enemy, against Assad which is our enemy but in the end, Russia/Assad, helped our friend the Kurds and then our supposed friend the Turks tried to kill them.

FUCK!  THIS SHIT IS INSANE!  

How did the USMC declare IOC for the F-35 if the USAF is talking about all these problems?

Thanks to Rami for the link!

via Investors Business Daily.

he Pentagon must mitigate key software issues in Lockheed Martin‘s (LMT) F-35 by late spring, or else the Air Force might have to delay declaring its variant combat-ready.
The plane needs to be rebooted once every four flight hours, Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, the F-35 program’s executive officer, said at a briefing late Wednesday. “Not a good metric.”
The team is working to bring it to once every eight or nine hours, as on legacy planes. He added that the F-35 is “a lot better” than where Lockheed’s earlier stealth fighter — the F-22 — was in its early days.
Of particular concern is how the software in the F-35’s sensors work with the main computer. If it isn’t improved by the end of May, the Air Force might have to push back the Aug. 1 target date for the F-35A’s initial operating capability (IOC).
“If you don’t get that right, the system just clogs,” Bogdan said.
The service has a window of August to December to declare the F-35 combat-ready, but Bogdan said that Aug. 1 was the only date in his mind.

So wait one fucking minute.

The USAF is talking about delaying IOC because the software is still tits up, and the plane needs to be rebooted once every four flight hours....but the USMC declared IOC last year????

You've heard me say that people need to go to jail over this airplane and I stand by that.  We're looking at criminal behavior...at the very least we're seeing the standards of the Marine Corps being trampled on and behavior unbecoming of a Marine Corps Officer(s)!

I expect better.  Clean your fucking house Neller.  I smell a terrible stench coming from HQMC when it comes to the F-35! 

AAV Splash Demo in Norway...Video by Sgt. Tatum Vayavananda

I've never been to Cold Response but it always looks like...fun mixed with a bunch of cold induced pain.  But forget the exercise.  The countryside looks fantastic and word has the people are beyond cool.  Those Marines are some lucky bastards...free trip to Norway, a chance to play in the snow and they get paid while doing it!  It almost sounds like a commercial.

This is why Trump or Sanders WILL win.

The establishment on both sides of the political isle have missed the reality of the current economy.  The above video is why either Trump or Sanders WILL win this year.

People are scared.  People are financially stressed.  People are on edge.  Meanwhile all we get is the same idiocy from both parties.

Most worrisome is that Wall Street, Congress, the President and the Rich still don't get it.  I've wondered about what happens to a society after decades of war.  We might soon find out what happens to one that's experienced almost a decade of declining incomes.

Israel wants F-15's not F-35's!!!!

Thanks to Bakatya for the link!

via CarolynGlick.com

This week Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told government ministers that he may wait for the next US president before signing a new military assistance deal with America. Israel’s current military assistance package is set to expire in 2018 and the new package is supposed to include supplemental aid to compensate Israel for President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. But to date, the administration has rejected Israel’s requests for additional systems it could use to defend against Iran attacks.
Last October, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon asked US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to provide Israel with a new squadron of F-15s that Israel would outfit with its own electronics systems. Carter reportedly rejected that request as well as one for bunker buster bombs.
Carter instead insisted that Israel use the supplemental aid to purchase more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, US-made missile defense systems, and the Osprey V-22 helicopter, which Ya’alon didn’t want.
The fact that the administration wants Israel to buy more F-35s instead of F-15s is alarming both for what it tells us about America’s commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative edge against Iran and for what it tells us about the F-35, which is set to become the IAF’s next generation combat fighter.

This entire article is worth the read.  Long story short.  The Israeli's are NOT supporters of the F-35.  They recognize its weaknesses and are startled by them.

The author is extremely critical of the ALIS system and suggests teaming with India to build a next gen LAVI fighter.

This bears watching.

NOTE:  I buried the lead.  The author of this article stated that the Israeli Prime Minister is considering waiting till the next President to sign the military assistance deal.  Could this be the reason why the deal for the next batch of F-35's have been delayed?  They were counting on the Israeli order to help push down the price but it isn't coming so the meme that the price is dropping is falling short?  Interesting.  This also shows the backroom maneuvering that is going on with the program.  DESPICABLE!

Houthis walk up to Saudi/GCC forces and shoot them in their FOB in broad daylight (vid..GRAPHIC..NSFW!)

Thanks to Info Infantry for the vid.




I have to ask.  Is it a cultural thing with the Arab armies?  No security when you're in bad guy land?  To let enemy forces walk up to your positions in broad daylight?  This is another mind blowing video...even taking it as propaganda it just looks bad for Saudi/GCC forces.  Don't get this twisted.  I am not ranting against the men who died.  I'm pissed at their leaders.  These men were not properly trained and because of it they died without firing a shot.

This is another video that should be shown at every professional development session (all levels) in the Marine Corps.

US Army considering Coastal Artillery and Air Defense capable Strykers? USAF no longer believed to guarantee air superiority.

via Breaking Defense.

The 155 mm howitzer is just one weapon being considered for “coastal artillery,” Rossi told me. Anti-ship projectiles could also be developed for the Multiple-Launch Rocket System (MLRS), which has a 43-mile range, or the Army Tactical Missile System(ATACMS), which ranges 185 miles.
What the Army is not studying, Rossi said, is buying anti-ship cruise missiles, which would be an entirely new weapons system rather than a modification of an existing one. That news will be a disappointment, if hardly unexpected, to legislators like House seapower chairman Randy Forbes and thinktanks like the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, which have advocated the US Army get into the shore-based cruise missile business to counter China’s growing navy.

And then this...

After the Cold War, “we took the ‘A’ out of ‘air and missile defense’ in many ways…and we focused on missile defense,” Rossi told the AUSA conference. The Army focused on shooting down ballistic missiles and assumed the Air Force would sweep the skies of enemy aircraft.  That assumption is no longer valid in the face of Russian and Chinese anti-access/area denial forces whose primary purpose is to keep American aircraft and ships at bay. The congressionally chartered National Commission on the Future of the US Army singled out short-range air defense (SHORAD) as a major Army weakness....One of the Army’s initiatives to counter Russia is upgunning its eight-wheel-drive Stryker with a 30 mm automatic cannon. The original intent was to destroy light armored vehicles like the Russian BMP — but that’s not the only application, argued Markowitz: “We start to get 30mm Stryker airburst munitions, that might have some air defense capability.”

This is good news.  The idea of Army Artillery being able to help in the littoral fight instead of pushing its aviation aboard Navy ships is a serious step in the right direction.

The idea of airburst munitions is a joke though.  Quite honestly I view that as more of a money play than a real plan to deal with shortfalls in air defense.  Considering the distance at which enemy attack helicopters will launch anti-tank missiles (not to mention attack fighters) the 30mm gun just doesn't give you enough reach.

What this does do is help push the idea that its possible which will allow them to get the upgrade across the entire fleet instead of just the Strykers in Europe.

The most interesting part of the story?  It is now assumed by all that the USAF will not achieve air superiority, much less air dominance.  The USA's primary ground force is now planning to fight under the threat of enemy air.

USAF concepts have been failed...and it would behoove the USMC Ground Combat Element to pay close attention to Army initiatives regarding air defense (not the Stryker push...the next move to adopt an anti-air missile/laser system).