Sexual Assault is the reason why the SEALs were kicked out of theater???

Thanks to FormerDirtDart for the link!

Big update here: As widely suspected, there was more to the story about SEALs getting kicked out of Iraq.

Officials now say their drinking was exposed by a reported sex assault. SEALs wouldn't cooperate w/ investigation, as reported by @David_Philipps.https://t.co/nAseUP5Yg2

— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) July 26, 2019

A few idiot Marines out at Camp Pendleton knocked the issue of Navy SEALs out of the headlines but this will see them HAMMERED by the media.

This is bad juju.

I fully expect for not only heads to roll but for the good times to be over.

How bad do I think it'll get?

I'm betting that down the line we're gonna see more than a couple of SEAL Teams go away.

They expanded and now the downsizing is gonna hit real hard and fast.

That Trident is sought after...but like we used to say...in this circumstance better them that the Marine Corps.  The dummies at Pendleton will get hammered.  The SEALs are about to get micro fragmented.

Army testing new tracks/suspension on the Bradley. Same suspension will be tested on the Abrams as well.

Thanks to PitchBlackUniverse for the pics!

I got no time.  Will someone please rundown the full story on this!  Love to see if they're looking for performance improvements or just easier maintenance.  Regardless it looks BEAST!

The 3 Miler from X Range looks kinda painful...

The 3 Miler from X Range takes mental resilience and combat endurance to conquer. @RiflesRegiment JNCOs need both to lead Riflemen. #rifles #swiftandbold #RTT pic.twitter.com/VzMzncCtrc

— Terry Rafferty MC (@OC_Rifles_TrgTm) July 25, 2019

I know many will say I'm weak, but I'm looking at these guys and all I see is pain.

Who is leading this thing?  Dude looks like he actually accelerated!  Is this one of those fabled PT Leaders or whatever the Brits call them?

US Navy SEALs are crashing against the rocks...

SEAL team ordered back to San Diego from Iraq due to “perceived deterioration of good order and discipline during non-operational periods” pic.twitter.com/YuEZW5iV0a

— Howard Altman (@haltman) July 24, 2019

I have ideas on why we got to this point but I'll leave that to my readers to hash out.

One thing Special Forces has said that makes a ton of sense and something that the USMC will have to grapple with come to the fore.

Special Ops cannot be created overnight, and quality must be maintained.

The Navy SEALs obviously have an issue.  So will the USMC.  How do you maintain Marine Special Operations Battalions, Force Recon, Recon, Snipers, Anglico and Radio Recon when your force shrinks to 150K?

How do you maintain numbers AND staffing all those units when the overall force gets smaller?

In short, how do you prevent what happened to the SEALs being repeated by one of these USMC units?

Sidenote.  This wasn't a minor incident that caused this either.  I don't know what it was but for the CENTCOM commander to lose faith/confidence in the discipline of a unit like the Navy SEALs means that something big happened.

Ejército de Tierra (Spanish Army) displays its new Pizarro Engineer Vehicle...

Open Comment Post. 25 July 2019

AJAX undertakes live firing trials...

Hitler's monster tanks...

Interesting and light reading here (along with some awesome illustrations).

Number of noncombatants in Chinese military almost halved...highlights of their new Defense White Paper...

via China Daily.

Nearly half the noncombatant jobs in the military have been abolished and about 25 percent of office posts at military units above the regiment level have been shed.

Military organizations involved in artistic performance, sports, news services, publication, and medical and research bodies have been dismantled or simplified, the white paper said.

The military had fulfilled its goal of reducing its troops by 300,000, and now maintained an active force of 2 million troops, the white paper said.

Story here. 

Wow.  We've bitched and moaned about the "fluff" in our military and the Chinese aren't talking but instead acting.

It's piecemeal but we've seen moves over the course of about 5 years to actually make the Chinese military more lethal...more ready for the fight.

The Chinese are getting ready for the big fight.

The threat of Remote Controlled Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (RC-VBIEDs)...

Coming soon: An in-depth article about the "threat" of remote-controlled VBIED (RC-VBIED) use by non-state actors in Syria and abroad, as well as the strategic reasoning behind groups choosing to use them or not. In the meantime, here's a wavy video teaser on the topic pic.twitter.com/SDR0RZFS4Q

— Hugo Kaaman (@HKaaman) July 23, 2019

Just awesome.  I knew it was coming just thought we had more time.  From this tweet it appears like it's already a thing in Syria.  I missed that news.

I've called the fight in Syria, the most chaotic we've seen in awhile and if these are becoming widespread then it truly is.

But a bigger question looms.

What happens when we take fights to megacities and you see convoys of these devices used to take down skyscrapers?

Is Law Enforcement ready to deal with these being used by fringe/hate groups?  What about narco traffickers that decide to use them as a means to get their ships to shore and suddenly we see Coast Guard Cutters hit by their sea going equivalent?

This stuff is getting much more lethal.  I hope they're studying this at the head sheds of first thru third MEFs.

Turkish Aerospace introduces its Advanced Supersonic 5th Generation Trainer and Light Combat Aircraft.

Thanks to Alpay Osmanoglu for the pics & link!

BAE Alligator 8x8..Hybrid Diesel - Electric Drive...an IFV available 20 years ago...

BAE Systems, Alligator 8x8 Teaser from Loveframe on Vimeo.



via Military-Today.com

The SEP 8x8 armored personnel carrier evolved from the tracked and wheeled modular armored vehicle programme. It is an innovative and advanced design. Vehicle was developed by the BAE Systems Hagglunds to meet Swedish Army requirement. The SEP studies started in 1994. Demonstrators were produced in 2000 (tracked) and 2003 (6x6). Sweden's original requirement was for 600 vehicles in 10 variants. However in 2008 Swedish MoD announced that it would not purse the next-generation SEP programme due to dramatic budget cuts. The new armored vehicle was too expensive. At that time the SEP was at the final stage of development. Its prototype has been tested in UK. However in 2007 UK Ministry of Defense decided not to include SEP for its Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) armored vehicle competition. Despite that the SEP programme continued. Swedish defensive administration reissued reduced requirement for 200-300 wheeled vehicles. Production contract was to be awarded in 2009 and initial deliveries were expected in 2011. However it did not follow. At the time no other country was considering the SEP.

   The SEP 8x8 vehicle is designed for 40 modifications. All SEP versions are 6.1 m long and 2.8 m wide. It can be fitted with interchangeable specialized mission modules. This feature provides multirole flexibility makes vehicle upgradeable and reduces life-cycle costs. SEPs versatility enables it to replace a wide range of armored vehicles.

   The SEP armored vehicle is available with various armament fits. It can support remotely controlled weapon stations with 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun, or 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. Turret options range from 25 mm to 120 mm gun turrets. Vehicle can also carry 81 mm or 120 mm mortars.

   The SEP offers high level of protection. Vehicle can be loaded with add-on armor against heavy machine gun fire, artillery shell splinters and landmines. During a live-firing demonstration two RPG-7 rockets were fired, but no serious damage was caused due to the explosive active protection system. It is worth mentioning that the SEP features advanced stealth technology. Automatic fire extinguishing system is fitted as standard, however NBC protection system is offered as an option.

   Vehicle has a hybrid diesel-electric drive. It is fitted with two Steyr diesel engines, developing 270 hp each. The SEP 8x8 armored personnel carrier has a battery power option, which enabled the vehicle to run in silent mode. Vehicle has a hydropeumatic suspension. The SEP had a pivot steering and could turn on its own axis. Central tyre inflation system is optional. The SEP 8x8 APC is airportable by the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft,  however add-on armor protection has to be removed.

Story here.

When looking at the Turk AKREP IIe, I've talked about how I believed it to be an awesome concept and one that we should have taken advantage of long ago.

Some readers said that the technology wasn't developed enough for us to have headed in that direction.  This post is to prove them wrong.

I want to reintroduce you to the BAE Alligator 8x8. 

In my view a dynamic vehicle that held much promise but for some reason wasn't adapted by the military forces of the Western World.  If it was still around I think it would still be competitive (although it would probably need to be plus sized) and I still believe it to be a world beater.

Even more importantly?

It had tech that would have lessened the logistics train that follows our maneuver forces and would provide for some outstanding mobility coupled with lower acoustics signature when arriving on objective.

This is the type of vehicle tech that I'd like see applied to the ACV.  Maybe it can happen in future models.