Sunday, November 29, 2020

The USS Wasp HAS TO BE an experimental test bed...

This ship HAS TO BE an experimental test bed.  For what?  Don't have a clue but this thing is constantly in the shop and the CNO and Commandant aren't batting an eye about it.

Sustain its warfighting capability?

Don't buy it for one second.

Anyone have any ideas? 

Remote controlled machineguns used in the attack on the Iranian nuke director?

Wow.

Iran WILL release more details of this attack and I'm sure it will be intriguing, a bit horrifying and denounced as propaganda all at the same time.

We're living in the land of mirrors.  

Is this our new normal?

Never to know the real truth? To be searching blindly for nuggets of truth and having to piece it together ourselves?

Unfortunately I think so.

This incident is exhibit 1. 

Battle of Chosin Reservoir Begins

Emergency flotation system for British WAH-64 attack chopper

 Note.  I just found this interesting.  I've never seen this before...Caesar always finds good stuff!



Bradley IFV's leave for a patrol in Syria (pics)...

 I will never understand this war.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  No one seems to be fighting to win.  Everyone seems to be fighting to be fighting.  Military Operations for the sake of military operations...






South Korea Tiger 4.0 programme: Rafael proposes its NGCV-

 


Story here.

Rafael is proposing a pretty impressive package to the South Koreans.  I find it extremely compelling.

The Brits are expanding the number of helo spots on the Queen Elizabeth...

 


I have no idea what they're doing or where they're going with this.  If I were to guess it would be that they want to be able to flex one of their carriers into a big LHA for another Falklands type situation or maybe to support allied operations.

Or.

They could simply want to be able to flex their carriers more and play with the complement of aircraft on deck.

Who knows?

Regardless they can fit many more helos on that deck ... this is just a progress shot and I'd bet they can get at least 30 up there not even counting what they could have parked below deck.

Even with helos this will be a high value target. 

Type 726 putting infantry and Type 96A MBT on the beach.

 *The USMC might be out of the "amphibious assault" mission but the Chinese Navy/Marines are fully embracing the forcible entry mission. Please note that the United States Of America now only has ONE VIABLE form of forcible entry.  Airborne Assault. The 82nd Airborne will exist for another 100 years or until we develop drop ship troopers and since the Marines won't be around they'll probably be all Army!  The Romans once put up forts on the wilderness to keep their enemies at bay.  Rome still fell. Is this new strategy the first real whiff of a dying empire? Think about it before you slam me!





There was once a time when we could do this!

Gazelle Helicopter...

 





Italy is getting smashed by floods...

Jesus!  If you're uninitiated then let me tell ya.  Flash floods are no joke.  I've seen a few but never with water moving this fast.  An inch of water moving like this would sweep a car away much less a person.  An inch!

Prayers up for the people of this island. 

Italian F-35 "Beast Mode"...





 I'm still a critic of this program...

*  ALIS doesn't work and the work around is still getting fleshed together.

*  Critical systems have been either downgraded or workarounds established with no visibility on their solution.

*  The variety of munitions carried is still pitifully small...many weapon systems that should be available STILL aren't.

*  Full rate production decision has been pushed into 2021...this puppy should be getting cranked out if all was well!

*  Allies ARE BUYING THE THING...but they're also developing their own stealth fighters at the same time.  Even the USAF is buying F-15EX's and the Navy has started a crash program for it's next gen fighter that the USAF is globbing onto.

Yeah I'm still a critic but its a slow defense news day....