Famous Christmas time battles.

via Military History Now.

Mussolini’s Yuletide Surprise

Italy’s three-month old Abyssinian War was already bogging down when a 200,000-man Ethiopian army launched a December 1935 counter attack known as the Christmas Offensive. The objective of the campaign was to scatter the Italian forces as they sputtered on towards the capital of Addis Ababa from Eretria in the north. The Ethiopians caught Mussolini’s forces off guard precipitating a phase of the war known in Italy as the “Black Period”. With casualties topping 3,000, Il Duce appealed to citizens at home to donate their own money to help the flagging war effort. Millions of ordinary Italians gave up gold jewelry and wedding rigs in response. The patriotic outpouring had very little effect militarily; Italy eventually stemmed the Ethiopian advance with mustard gas the day after Christmas.

More here.

Everyone likes to push the meme of both sides taking a break for Christmas but unless you have two Christian nations fighting (and its usually a fight they shouldn't be involved in) then Christmas is just another day.

With that being said I find it interesting that I know so little about the Italian adventure in Africa during WW2.  The fact that the Ethiopian Army held off the Italians and that they had to resort to using mustard gas is fascinating.  I definitely need to read more about it.

Ft Worth police acting badly.

via Dallas Observer

While making the arrest, the officer put a stun gun to Craig's back, who is now, along with Hymond, in Mansfield's jail, facing charges of resisting arrest and failing to identify herself to a police officer.
Everything else has a long way to go before being resolved. In the profanity-laced video, posted to Facebook by Porsha Craver, Craig's niece, Craig tells the officer that a man choked her son after the son refused to pick up a piece of paper. When she asks the officer what gave the man the right to touch her son, the officer asks her, "Why didn't you teach your son not to litter?" Craig says that, whether or not her son littered, her neighbor, who is white, doesn't have the right to put his hands on her son. The officer replies, "Why not?"
Understandably, this upsets Craig, who grows more confrontational with the officer, who's also white.
"You don't know what I teach him," she said. "Whatever you teach your kids don't mean they go by your rules when they're not in your sight."
After Craig tells the officer she's pissed off, he responds that "If you keep yelling at me, you're going to piss me off."
Craig's daughter Hymond then tries to get between Craig and the officer, while bystanders repeatedly call the cop a bitch and tell him they are filming everything he does.

This story has been circling for days and I've held off posting about it trying to wait for the response from the Chief.  We got it here via Dallas Morning News.

Fort Worth officials said Friday at a news conference that the behavior of a white officer who was captured on video wrestling a black woman to the ground before detaining her and her two daughters was shocking, rude and unacceptable — but not representative of the department.

"I was disappointed with the video," police Chief Joel Fitzgerald said. "I was disappointed with some of the things I've heard and saw. We have been very, very forward and honest about the way we handle things here, and this is not the way we do things."

The video in question shows an officer, whose name has yet to be released, get into an argument with Jacqueline Craig, who had called police Wednesday to report that her neighbor choked her 7-year-old son to get him to pick up trash.

The Chief is black.  And wrong.  But I guess racism is in the eye of the beholder and this guy has blinders on.  If that had happened to a person of a different color I bet the outrage would be zooming around the internet.

But it didn't and we have what we have.

You can find the video of the incident all over the internet (which is why I didn't bother to post it).  Its gone viral.  What I can't wait to hear are the police defenders.  How do you defend this? One thing I've read from them is that the lady should have shut up.  Really?  Fucking seriously?  This guy is blowing off a call of a juvenile being assaulted by an adult and you don't expect the parent to be upset?  What happened to verbal judo and de-escalation techniques?

Anyway defenders, hit me with your best shot.  Justify this.

Russian Airborne soon to have an "Airborne Armored Assault Regiment"

via TASS

MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. Russian Airborne Troops will receive a battalion set of modern infantry fighting vehicles (BMDs), the Russian Defense Ministry's press service said on Saturday.
"A battalion set of modern BMD-4M will be solemnly handed in the city of Ryazan to a military unit of Russian Airborne Troops based in the Tula Region. Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, Russian Airborne Troops commander, will take part in the event," the press service said.
"After receiving 30 military vehicles, the Airborne Troops will have an assault regiment armed with BMD-4M military vehicles and Rakuska BTR-MD (armored personner carriers)," the defense ministry noted.

This is a bit concerning.  Not because the Russians are improving their airborne vehicles.  That's to be expected.  They've been at this for decades.

 What I find troubling is that we're no closer to fielding a comparable vehicle after doing away with the Sheridan Airborne Tank so many years ago.

I understand the need to embrace the possible now and to build on it but the Polaris MRZR is a poor substitute for armored transport.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't expect a war with Russia (in my opinion we should still be seeking to work with them where we can) its still a capability that I desire the 82nd had.  

What level of combat these vehicles are capable of taking part in is beyond me but its certainly more capable than having paratroopers running around in modified civilian ATVs.

Trade war with China? Icahn indicates its possible.

via Yahoo.

Billionaire Carl Icahn shared his views in a wide-ranging interview Thursday with CNBC's Scott Wapner on topics such as government regulation, the economy, ETFs and his new Donald Trump administration advisory role on regulation.
But the most important thing may not be what the investor said explicitly, but what he implied about the market risk of a trade war with China under Trump.
"If you have a trade war with China, by definition, I remember the days something like that would really knock the hell out of the market, but maybe if you're going to do it, you should get it over with, right? So that's a consideration, you have to just make up your mind, if that's what you're going to do, you go do it," Icahn said.
Most telling is how Icahn ended the interview, unprompted.
"If you're asking me am I concerned about the market on the short term. Yeah I'm concerned about it," he said. "You can look at so many factors here that you have to worry about. Obviously, if you get into a trade war with China, sooner or later, I think we're going to have to come to grips with that, maybe it's better to do it sooner, but that's not my decision at all. I don't get involved with that."

Icahn is a Trump adviser.  Additionally the American people are crying out to recover our lost manufacturing and jobs.

A trade war is the only way to do that.

China has been fed.  Its war machine has been nourished by US/Western consumerism.

This.  This is how you stop feeding the beast.

The flip side is that the current order of globalization will die.  I say good.  It was a fictitious economic plan that was/is unsustainable.

China talking about lower economic growth being acceptable isn't big news.  This is.  Saddle up boys and girls.  All those throw away widgets that you're used to buying from China are about to go WAAAAAY up.

Terrorist wanted in the Berlin attack shot dead in Milan!

via Yahoo

Anis Amri, a suspect in the terror attack on a Berlin Christmas market that killed 12 and injured 48, including two Americans, has been killed in a shootout with police in Milan, the Italian Interior Ministry said on Friday.
Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti confirmed at a Friday morning press conference that the person shot dead by Italian Police is “beyond any shadow of a doubt,” Anis Amri.
Minniti said that police stopped Amri near a train station in the Sesto san Giovani area of Milan in a routine check. Amri shot at and wounded at least one of the officers when he was asked for his documents. Police returned fire, killing him, Minniti said.

Good.  Tango down.  How many more to go?

Friday Funny....

US Army releases plan for modernization thru 2050...

Story is here via WAAYTV.com.  The highlights are below.

Ground Vehicles

From 2018 to 2022, the Army plans to improve the mobility and lethality of it's vehicles. They'll do that by fielding the Ground Mobility Vehicle, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle as an interim Light Reconnaissance vehicle and introducing the Armored Multipurpose Vehicle to replace the "obsolete" M113 armored personnel carrier. The service will also add 30mm cannon to their Europe-based Stryker unit, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. That's because the unit is outgunned by their Russian counterparts.
In addition, development will be done on the Future Fighting Vehicle, which will replace the Bradley. The Army also wants to develop next generation power trains.

2023-2027: The service wants to improve Stryker lethality through weapons and optics upgrades, continue development of the FFV and introduce autonomous ground recon systems.
2028-2050: The focus will be on the Army's armored forces. New direct fire systems will be introduced, such as a new main battle tank, which would replace the legendary M1A2 Abrams. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle will also be replaced by the Future Fighting Vehicle.

Then...

Aviation

2018-2022: Several things are planned for this time frame. One, complete the Aviation Restructuring Initiative, which pairs AH-64 Apaches with unmanned systems to replace the OH-58 Kiowas. Two, continue modernization of the AH-64 fleet to the E-model Apache Guardian variant, the UH-60 fleet to the M and V model variant, and improve the CH-47F heavy lift chopper.
It also plans to complete the demonstrator phase of the Future Vertical Lift program, which is the future of Army aviation. Boeing/Sikorsky and Bell Helicopters are competing there with the SB-1 Defiant and V-280 Valor, respectively.
2023-2027: The Army plans to begin the fielding of the CH-47F Chinook Block II, complete the AH-46E and UH-60M/V fielding, integrate the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), improve surviability and visibility, field a runway-independent unmanned aerial system (UAS) and develop the Capability Set 2 and 3 of Future Vertical Lift. Set 2 is similar to the Navy's SH-60 Sea Hawk and Set 3 is the UH-60 Black Hawk replacement.

2028-2050: The Army hopes to field the FVL Capability Sets 2 and 3 aircraft and the CH-47 Block III.

Why do I seriously get the feeling that the US Army of the near future will be virtually identical to the force we have today?  I don't mean that as a bad thing but I'm seeing more of an upgrade path going on than some type of revolutionary development scheme being cooked up.

As a sidenote, the UH-60V?  Never heard of it.  Time to Google!

Indonesian Leopard 2RI MBTs during Combined Arms Exercise in Natuna 2016:

Thanks to Dwi for the link!!!

I wonder why the gay community doesn't celebrate this guy instead of Madonna?

via Anti Semitic Tumblr Page

Willem Arondeus was a Dutch resistance fighter who gave his life trying to protect his Jewish countrymen from the Nazis. 

Born in Amsterdam in 1895, Willem was one of six children. From a young age, he was a talented artist and his parents encouraged his creativity, until he came out as homosexual at age 17. 

In a time when nearly all gay people were in the closet, Willem’s parents could not accept his choice to live openly. Their rejection led Willem to run away from home.

On his own, Willem took odd jobs and eventually became a successful visual artist and writer. He was commissioned to paint a mural for Rotterdam’s town hall, in a style that combined modern abstract painting with a traditional Dutch motif. Willem was a well-respected author who published a popular biography of Dutch painter and political activist Matthijs Maris.

In 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands. Willem immediately joined the resistance movement, and urged his fellow artists to fight against the Nazi occupation. WIllem published illegal anti-Nazi pamphlets calling for mass resistance against the Germans. 

Willem was especially committed to saving Amsterdam’s Jewish community. Bringing in others to the cause, Willem arranged for Dutch Jews to be hidden in people’s homes. He used his artistic skills to create false identity papers. 

In 1943, Willem hatched a brazen plan. Dressed as a German Army captain, and with 15 men behind him, Willem boldly marched into the Public Record Office, where lists identifying people as Jews were kept. Willem drugged the guards and planted a firebomb. The resulting blaze destroyed tens of thousands of documents, and delayed or prevented many Jews from being identified by the Nazis.

Unfortunately, Willem was captured by the Germans and sentenced to death. Willem’s last words before being executed in July, 1943 were, “Let it be known that homosexuals are not cowards.”

In 1986 Yad Vashem recognized Arondeus as Righteous Among the Nations. 

Because of his sexual orientation, Willem’s story was omitted from Dutch history books. Only in the last 20 years has his courage become widely known.

Interesting.

Never heard of this guy but the gay community should be celebrating this guys courage, bravery and sacrifice instead of propping up Madonna and Lady Gaga's flagging careers.  An account of his life is listed on this Wikipedia page.

Trump is taking aim and playing hardball with the F-35!

Thanks to Karl for the link!!!!

Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2016

Way to fucking go Trump!

Keep this up you glorious son of a bitch and you'll win re-election easily!

More on the Turkish bad day...

Thanks to Drinas for the link!

Ok.  We have the answer to the best tank in the West.  They're all good if employed properly and they all suck donkey dick if not.  I find it surprising (I shouldn't but I do) that with all the support and training we've seen such terrible tactics from nations in that region (outside of Israel).  The Saudis, Kuwaitis and now the Turks show that when it comes to mechanized warfare against insurgent forces that they're totally inept.  But back on task.  More pics of this terrible day for Turkish forces here.

Trump promises to cut costs of F-35 program 'beautifully'

via The Hill

Donald Trump promised Wednesday that he would cut the costs of the Air Force's F-35 program, underlining a message that he will seek to reduce government's costs.

"It's a program that's very, very expensive," the president-elect said to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

"It's a dance. It's a little bit of a dance, but we're gonna get the cost down, and we're gonna get it down beautifully."

He added: "I think were looking to cut a tremendous amount of money."
Trump met with Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement to Time, Hewson called the meeting "productive."

"I appreciated the opportunity to discuss the importance of the F-35 program and the progress we’ve made in bringing the costs down," she said. "The F-35 is a critical program to our national security and I conveyed our continued commitment to delivering an affordable aircraft to our U.S. military and our allies.”

When you have the head of LM show up to talk to the incoming President you know exactly how nervous those people are.  I'm a little miffed that the talk has gone from cancelation to bringing costs down but it is a dance and this is all leading to a MUCH smaller buy.

I hope they're ready to fix alot of mistake jets cause they might not get many more!!!

Even better news?  The National Interest posted this...

On Dec. 12, 2016, president-elect Donald Trump asserted that F-35 unit cost was “out of control” through his preferred medium Twitter. On Dec. 19, 2016, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, in charge of the Joint Strike Fighter project, gave the press his version of things.
Multiple media outlets passed along the officer’s comments, but with no analysis of the completeness and accuracy of Bogdan’s assertions. The reports offered no context or alternative views on the stealth fighter’s actual cost per plane.
The general said each one of the Air Force’s F-35A would cost $102.1 million, while both the U.S. Marine Corps’ F-35Bs and and U.S. Navy’s F-35Cs would set the taxpayer back 132 million each. Those costs average to approximately $122 million for a “generic” F-35.
Bogdan got these numbers from the funds Congress set aside in the 2015 defense budget for what the Pentagon called “Lot 9,” just one of a number of planned F-35 purchases. In November 2016, the U.S. military was still negotiating the final deal with plane-maker Lockheed Martin.
Needless to say, the unit costs Bogdan gave the media were incomplete. They involve only the Pentagon’s existing contracts with Lockheed and engine-maker Pratt & Whitney to build the airframes and jet motors.
The numbers do not, for example, include the cost to buy maintenance equipment and other necessary support elements. They do not include money the Pentagon will spend to fix design errors discovered in testing now and in the future.
These figures are not the “sticker price.”
One could calculate a far more complete price from the appropriations that Bogdan told Congress he needed to buy functioning airplanes. The difference between what he is telling the press now and what he told Congress in 2015 is significant — it is also the difference between a factory simply putting together a airplane and delivering an airplane that can actually fly and operate.
For the 2015 fiscal year, the F-35 project chief petitioned Congress for $6.4 billion to produce 34 F-35s for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. This amount did not included separate funds for research and development and other costs that the Pentagon asked for in budget request.
With the production data, we can calculate a F-35A has a price tag of $157 million, not $102 million. It’s $265 million for a F-35B and $355 million for a F-35C, not $132 million for either variant.
On average, these F-35s cost $188 million apiece, not $122 million.
More basically, Bogdan says the F-35’s price has been coming down, and indeed it has. The $188 million generic price in 2015 was less than the $250 million the Pentagon quoted in 2001.
For the 2017 fiscal year, Congressional appropriations showed us that the total costs came down again to $128 million for a generic F-35. That’s $113 million for an F-35A, $142 million for an F-35B and $241 million for a F-35C.However, an old Congressional Research Service report on the F-35 tells us that in 1994 the Pentagon was promising F-35As for $31 million, F-35Bs for $31 to $38 million and F-35Cs for between $30 and 35 million. In 2017 dollars, those costs would be $53 million per F-35A, $53 million to $65 million for each F-35B and $51 million to $60 million for a single F-35C.
Put another way, in 2017, a F-35A costs about twice what the Pentagon promised Congress more than two decades earlier. Compared to this initial estimate, the F-35B costs more than twice as much now, while an F-35C is about four times more expensive.

The truth is getting out there...FINALLY!  When the history of this program is written it will be the best example of waste, fraud and abuse in military history....and no one will go to jail for it.