Monday, July 06, 2020

Chinese city sounds alert for bubonic plague



Jesus!  If we're not careful China is gonna kill us all...
Posted by at 0 comments

The hits keep coming for the UK's Armed Forces (except their Navy & Air Force)...Fury at plans to 'cut British Army by 20,000

via Express.co.uk
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds said reported plans to “gut” army manpower from 74,000 to 55,000 would “diminish” the UK’s “standing on the world stage” and “jeopardise” Britain’s place in NATO. Ms Dodds accused the Prime Minister of “planning huge cuts in the shadows” after The Sunday Times published a report at the weekend.

Security and defence bosses are said to be considering scrapping RAF air bases and a fleet of Hercules planes and Puma helicopters in a bid to save cash, according to the article.

Ms Dodds said: “If these reports are true, then the Conservatives have a lot to answer for.

“Just 8 months ago they were promising to protect our armed forces, now they are planning to gut them.
Here. 

I have plenty of Brit readers so they can fill you in on the details of this story...I'm just touching on the response to the news from what we would call "liberals" in the US.

I'd also chest thump a bit and talk shit...except I strongly suspect we're one, maybe two years max from massive cuts hitting our own forces (but we do tend to use our military in some ways as a social program so by the grace of God we MIGHT be able to dodge some of it).

Regardless this is bad news and the British Army is gonna be eviscerated.  Unfortunately they've suffered the same indecisiveness in weapons procurement that our forces have (or worse just made terrible decisions) so procurement of weapon systems that should have been completed long ago might suffer the craziness of being only partially completed.

The manpower cuts are disgusting, infuriating and dangerous.

The British Army will be a non-factor.  At best they'll be able to provide a full strength Brigade to any action.

In essence they'll be a support force, not an actual warfighting organization.

We are seeing a once mighty nation and Army being rendered irrelevant.  The Royal Marines will be only capable of raids...and light ones at that.  The UK's armed forces are officially retreating from the world stage.
Posted by at 0 comments

What's your take on Russia paying a bounty to the Taliban to kill US troops?



I've been watching this story percolate for a few days now and I'm of mixed opinion on it.

Quite honestly I don't know how "excited" I can get by the news.  The Taliban were attacking and trying to kill our troops for the longest time now.  I BELIEVE they would have attacked and tried to kill our troops without or without bounties by the Russians.

I also believe in big boy games.  We played them when the Russians were in Afghanistan and the Russians, Iranians, Chinese, Pakistan and others are playing them now that we're in that country.

I also have extreme difficulty in thinking that CENTCOM, SOCOM, the CIA, DIA and others weren't trying to run all involved to ground...behind the scenes maybe but everyone involved in these bounties I'm sure were probably targeted with quite a few Ninja Hellfires.

Lastly I'm a bit miffed with the National Security Council.  That place is leaking more than a busted pipe on a 100 year old building.

So yeah.  I'm not exactly excited or perturbed by this news. 

I could be wrong.

Tell me why.
Posted by at 0 comments

Indian Army DRDO WhAP during high altitude test, off road mobility test and floatation test.




If I led Indian Army acquisitions I would look around the world and see what's being produced in the 8x8 market and simply get some great tech transfer agreement and get something now instead of another struggle with development.

Since they're obviously looking at an amphibious requirement that knocks out everyone's favorite (apparently), the Boxer.  If swimming wasn't necessary I wouldn't even bother with that expensive piece of gear and would instead approach the Israelis to see what could happen with the EITAN.

But swim is a requirement so I'd talk to the S. Koreans about the Tigon (?), and ESPECIALLY Patria about their AMV and even Singapore about their 8x8 rig.

I'm not so sure about the USMC's ACV.  Our vehicle might be biased a bit more toward the swim requirement than they're looking for.
Posted by at 0 comments

Open Comment Post. 6 July 2020


Posted by at 0 comments

Synthetic Brigade of the 81st Army of the Central Theater Army?

Note.  Wonder what the definition of a "synthetic brigade" is for the Chinese Army?  I also note that the Chinese Army is REAL BIG on parades.  That's telling but quite put my finger on why.

unrelated pic to this discussion but I saw it recently on Twitter and was wondering if anyone knew anything about these MRAP/Utility vehicles...





Posted by at 0 comments

Saturday, July 04, 2020

We're about to seize Iranian Tankers headed to Venezuela?

Wow.

2020 is the year that just keeps on giving!  Why now?  There is an oil glut currently, Iran and Venezuela are practically isolated internationally and both countries are hurting badly.

The current dynamics of the situation seem quite favorable so why risk this type of escalation?

Curious as hell the calculus behind this thing.  Hate to follow the old chestnut of following the money but this would raise oil prices globally in an instant if we did this and Saudi Arabia (as well as Russia, US oil etc...) would benefit greatly.
Posted by at 0 comments

Operator from the Norwegian Special Operation Command (Forsvarets Spesialkommando, FSK) with their Taiga winter uniform/apparel


The gear looks right.  Maybe we should just piggyback off the Norwegian work on winter uniforms and just adopt their ensemble.  I mean they are subject matter experts in fighting up North.
Posted by at 0 comments

St Louis couple vs protesters...should they have stood their ground or bugged out? (Video)



Still digesting this thing.  I thought the video could start a discussion on the event.

Knowing many in my audience I have little hope that it will constructive (some of you are rigid and don't consider circumstances, tactics etc...just ideological to the extreme), but many others will add useful thoughts so I'll take the chance.

One thing pops for me though.

Unless you're in a complete breakdown of social order then any action will be fraught with legal danger.  I agree with the author of the video.  Removing yourself from major population centers (work wherever but avoid living in big cities) is probably your first defense.
Posted by at 0 comments

Happy 4th!

God Bless America...

Posted by at 0 comments

This could have ended so badly...

Trying to decide if this is gutsy, or just plain stupid.  This could have ended so badly...
Posted by at 0 comments

Polish Rosomak 8x8 wheeled APC in #Afghanistan got hit by a RPG-7




Posted by at 0 comments
Subscribe to: Comments ( Atom )