Royal Marines from Alpha Coy, 40 Cdo, continue with patrols across Tortola

Royal Marines from Alpha Coy, 40 Cdo, continue with patrols across Tortola to provide reassurance after the devastation caused by hurricane Irma.
Alpha Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines have deployed as part of the Lead Commando Group (LCG) to provide humanitarian assistance to British Overseas Territories.

Interesting.  They're on patrol and 1st/2nd line gear is almost non-existent? Brit Marines are either tougher than I thought or the reports of idiocy on those islands are overblown or they don't give a damn about force protection.

Hurricane Irma News. In rides the 101st Airborne (Air Assault)...

via Miami Herald.

Meantime, on the amphibious assault transport dock the USS New York — which was forged in part from steel salvaged from the World Trade Center — sailors took time out to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks near Florida while awaiting their assignment in post-Irma humanitarian relief efforts.

Separately, air assault soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division on Monday were moving about 370 troops, 40 vehicles and 35 aircraft to Alabama to be in position to provide search and rescue, medical evacuation and other services to Florida.

The aircraft included Black Hawk helicopters, some equipped to evacuate patients, others set up to move people and equipment, and Chinook, heavy-lift helicopters, Army Lt. Col. Martin L. O’Donnell said of the 101st at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Other U.S. military forces Northcom said were on standby for service — if Scott’s office asks FEMA to ask the Pentagon to provide it — included 76 fuel trucks from the Defense Logistics Agency at the Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and about 400 soldiers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with 100 high water vehicles that can be used to locate and rescue people who may be trapped in flooding.

Story here. 

Let me get this out the way.  I'm happy to see the affected region get the help it needs.

Having said this, it was so fucking predictable.  The USMC after being burned so badly with the response to Hurricane Harvey AGAIN miscalculated and instead of being on the frontlines of the response find themselves in the backwater of the Virgin Islands.

YES!  I KNOW!  Chaos has broken out and all kinds of idiocy is happening on those islands (I worry that will be another black eye...haven't seen much news about Marines putting forces ashore to stabilize the situation and restore security...maybe leaving the FREAKING BATTALION LANDING TEAM BEHIND WASN'T SUCH A GOOD FUCKING IDEA HUH????) but the mainshow will always be what happens on the continental US.

Think about it like this.

An aircraft carrier is a force multiplier and NORTHCOM (really starting to have a visceral hatred for that Commanding Officer...she seems so lost) could easily source forces from the many bases located in the Southern US if she wanted to handle this in the most efficient way possible.

But no.

Instead of requesting and getting a full MEU to go to the VI, and sending a Carrier to augment that force, we're seeing interservice politics at play (and yeah I'm bitching because I sense that the Marine Corps is losing badly) and the carrier is off the coast of Florida and now the Army is pushing thru one of its "storied" units to assist.

We're losing the visibility war in this crisis.

I only hope the people in the region are getting the help they need in a timely manner.

Note:  It happened with Harvey and it's happening with Irma.  The chest thumping and the bragging about the response is happening before the crisis is over.  

General Dynamics Land Systems-UK showcases PIRANHA 5 at DSEI

via General Dynamics Press Release.

LONDON, Sept. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ExCeL Exhibition Centre -- At Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI), General Dynamics Land Systems–UK and General Dynamics European Land Systems are showcasing PIRANHA 5, General Dynamics' 8x8 platform that is a candidate for the British Army's Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) Programme.

PIRANHA 5 is a highly mobile and protected platform with a payload of over 13 tonnes, providing significant growth potential throughout the life of the platform. It is modular by design and can be reconfigured quickly to accomplish a wide-range of mission objectives.

General Dynamics Land Systems–UK will demonstrate PIRANHA 5's innovations in electronic architectures, mobility and protection.  It has proven its success in competitive trials around the world, and has been selected by Denmark and Spain for the modernisation of their Armed Forces.  PIRANHA 5 is currently in production for the Danish Army.

Kevin Connell, vice president of General Dynamics Land Systems–UK, said: "The PIRANHA family of vehicles are highly reliable and in active service with Armed Forces worldwide.  We can deliver PIRANHA 5 vehicles quickly to the British Army to meet the planned Initial Operating Capability for the MIV programme from an existing production line, before transferring production to our Merthyr Tydfil facility in South Wales, creating significant employment right across our extensive UK supply chain.  PIRANHA 5 is the best-value-for-money solution to the British Army's MIV requirement, supporting British industry and jobs."

Local production.

More and more the key to a successful defense sale.

Open Comment Post. Sep 12, 2017

The Singaporean Army, the most technologically advanced in the region got a warning about being high tech.

via Senang Diri

On 27 July, it was reported that 300 drones failed to fly during a National Day Parade rehearsal the previous Saturday (22 Jul'17) due to a technical problem with the GPS guidance.

Also on 27 July, social media reported that an app linked to the SGSecure movement - which aims to raise the level of security awareness and national resilience among people in Singapore - had earned a dismal One Star rating (Five Stars reflect the best user experience). This was after citizen soldiers complained of being coerced into downloading an app which they found had little relevance or value.

That same day, Amazon Prime was launched in Singapore. Within 24 hours of its launch, a flurry of complaints marred the online shop as customers vent their frustrations that Amazon Prime failed to fulfil its promised two-hour delivery window.

A bruising week for technology in Singapore, no doubt.

Story here. 

In light of the recent natural disasters in the US and the rush by all US services to become even MORE tech heavy I think this serves as a warning to us all.

Tech makes our lives easier but it also makes us more vulnerable.  The same applies to warfare.  The search continues for push button, painless war. But I believe it is not to be.



 Robert A. Heinlein saw this coming and warned about it in a subtle way with Starship Troopers (the book, not the movie...the training in the book was brutal...we need a real deal movie adoption of the book!), Singapore got that warning in July.

Hopefully we'll get it in peacetime and not war.

NOTE: Senanag Diri gives a cleansing statement at the end of his article saying that this tech is necessary.  I agree to a certain point.  Past that point (and I don't know what it is) and the extra juice just leaves you open to enemy action...either cyber, kinetic or both.

Royal Australian Navy Blast from the Past - HMAS Melbourne with HMA Ships Vendetta and Voyager as aircraft operations are conducted

It is so easy to forget how powerful some of our allies navies were.  The Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy if they kept the same numbers as they did after WW2 into the 50's were powerhouses.

Thales Introduces the F90MBR Modular Assault Rifle

via Defense Update.

Thales is launching the F90MBR – a new assault rifle at DSEI 2017. The weapon represents a new generation of the F90 currently in service with the Australian Defence Force. The Modular Bullpup Rifle is NATO interoperable and is suited to support the modern integrated solider systems. At a total weight of 3.25 kg it is one of the lightest weapons of its class. NATO compatibility is supported by the tri-rail system and magazine compatibility, that ensures interoperability with existing NATO weapons and ammunition. It is fitted with ambidextrous controls to enable fast reaction times and rapid target engagement.

Story here. 

Bullpups.  Everyone is so hot about bullpups but outside of Personal Defensive Weapons for Aircrew, maybe Tankers and select other personnel they make no sense.  Even worse?  They're always bulkier than a normal battle rifle.

To each his own I guess but we know the real deal.  The Aussies are gonna probably go with that Canadian company that sells a M4 clone or HK that does the same.

For better or worse the M4/M-16 has won the rifle wars for at least the next 20 years.

NATO prepares to jump with both feet into the N. Korea fight.

via Reuters.

 North Korea’s “reckless behavior” is a global threat and requires a global response, the head of the NATO military alliance said on Sunday.

NATO has not been directly involved in the crisis, which saw Pyongyang carry out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test a week ago, but has repeatedly called on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

“The reckless behavior of North Korea is a global threat and requires a global response and that of course also includes NATO,” NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with BBC television.

Story here. 

Wow.

Talk about having a WTF moment!

So let me get this straight.  The US is defending S. Korea, even though the S. Koreans could handle N. Korea by themselves, but we're also defending Japan, even though Japan and S. Korea could totally obliterate N. Korea together...and now NATO is piling on to help the US defend S. Korea and Japan even though those two nations aren't part of NATO?

I guess when you call a fight today, everyone rushes to get a piece of the action.

Watching how NATO sells this to the Europeans will be a fascinating. My bet is that they will have it shoved down their throats no matter what. Whether they like it or not, NATO will participate.  Ya see NATO has to be seen as being relevant.  If NATO did not get a piece of a fight against N. Korea then people like me that yell about wasted exercises against a Russia that doesn't want a fight would hold sway.  If they get a piece of N. Korea then it'll be "see we told you that we were needed" and they think that will put us in cage.  They're wrong but I'm betting that's the thinking.

Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter Illustrations....

A GOOD Nurse and a BAD Cop - Part 2

Wow.  I didn't think Yeager would attack this issue so forcefully.  He's running straight up against a meme that I really can't understand.  You've seen it.  The back the blue flag stickers that are on the back of some trucks rolling
around.  I really believe it gained so much traction in light of the rash of police shootings and the protests that came about but I don't know for certain.  What I do know is that you see them everywhere and if you go to a few forums you'll see a back the blue attitude no matter what the incident.

The fact that he's taken such a strident position on this issue gives me hope. Maybe it might finally be turning from being a racial thing into more of a right or wrong thing.

We'll see what happens but this incident as terrible as it is for the truck driver (got more information on what happened....the police were involved in a bad chase, wrecked this guy, he got burns all over his body and its suspected they were looking to draw blood to cover themselves) and the mental trauma that the nurse faced (just doing her job, calls her supervisor and then gets rough handled by police) will get many to re-examine their position.

Do I back the police?

You bet your ass I do.

Do I think they're the second coming of Christ and can do no wrong?

Hell no.

Back the boys in blue but have a little perspective...and when you find some that are doing the right thing...like T in Houston (waiting for an update from him) or JD Strike in Georgia (the same...waiting on updates) you make sure you pat those guys on the back.

It's 9/11 and I'm conflicted...

I've watched a bit of the coverage of 9/11 memorials and to be honest I'm a bit conflicted.

This was a horrific terror attack against our nation but what came next is in my mind an even bigger tragedy.

It was used as an excuse to enter Afghanistan, and although Bin Laden was trapped, I feel like he was allowed to escape to push an even bigger war that has cost lives unnecessarily.  More than a decade later we're still there and no end is in sight.

Iraq is it's own special kind of stupid but it can be seen as an outgrowth of 9/11 too.  That country is and will remain a basket case for the foreseeable future.

In both countries we've expended more lives and treasure than the losses we suffered on that terrible day.

We reached for a military solution when an international law enforcement/special ops would have been a better option.

Yes.  I know.  That's hindsight.  Looking backwards you can see things with 20/20 vision.

But still.

9/11 confounds me.  It was a tragedy without a doubt.  But the greater tragedy continues to unfold.  That is what has me unsteady about this whole thing.  

Leadership is looking at this thing as a one day event.  I see it as the beginning of a decade of mistakes...one after another that we still allow to happen.

So forgive me if this day isn't memorialized on these pages.  You pause to remember after the tragedy is over.  In my mind it continues.

Open Comment Post. Sep 11, 2017

Warhammer News. ASEAN Blog put forward some worrying articles form a view of someone in the region.

Do you visit ASEAN Blog?

Its written by a bubba that resides in the Pacific and he can usually be counted on to find articles that focus on that region that hits on subjects from a different perspective than those found in the West or catches info that is not even covered here.  Below are several articles that caught my attention and raise the chances of combat in Korea from probable to it's gonna happen they just haven't told us.

Trump will urge UN to impose North Korean naval blockade and oil embargo

The US will embark on an aggressive effort to tighten North Korea’s isolation on Monday with a call for an oil embargo and a partial naval blockade.

A draft United Nations resolution seen by the Observer would also block textile exports and the hiring of North Korean labour by foreign countries. The American delegation has called for the UN security council to debate the draft, in an attempt to force decisive action following last Sunday’s massive nuclear test of a bomb, Pyongyang’s sixth.

The most striking language in the resolution authorises naval vessels of any UN member state to inspect North Korean ships suspected of carrying banned cargo and to use “all necessary measures to carry out such inspections”. The implications of such a resolution would be far-reaching. Any attempt to board or divert a North Korean vessel could trigger an exchange of fire.

Story here. 

The US military wants permission to start hunting down North Korean ships using ‘all necessary measures’

In the aftermath of Pyongyang’s ground-shakinghydrogen bomb test, the US has circulated a proposal around the UN Security Council that would grant its Navy unprecedented powers to use “all necessary measures” to hunt down North Korean ships at sea, the New York Times reports.

The resolution would let the US stop all shipments of crude oil, petroleum, and natural gas to North Korea, according to The Times.

Such a step would cause many in North Korea to freeze over the winter, which can hit harshly in much of the country.

The US Navy would have to intercept and board North Korean ships and inspect them, a process that would require cooperation from the belligerent nation and make it extremely likely that violence would break out between the countries.

Story here.

North Korea in 'DANGEROUS' threat to neighbour as nuclear war fears reach boiling point

Tomorrow the United Nations Security Council is due to vote on sanctions proposed by the US to punish North Korea.

Brazen dictator Kim launched another nuclear test last month.

The world is united in condemning the brutal regime.

These sanctions would include an oil embargo and freeze of Kim’s assets.

South Korea is a supporter of the sanctions and has grown increasingly worried of its northern neighbour’s aggression.

Now, the North has released a terrifying statement calling for President Moon Jae-in to denounce his allies Japan and the US.

A spokesman of Kim’s propaganda tool, the Consultative Council for National Reconciliation dismissed the South as “puppets”.

Story here.

Main takeaways?

War hammers are still beating in N. Korea.  It's no longer if but win.  Next is the US Navy and allied Navies ready to impose a rigorous blockade on the North?

If this is real and if it is approved then its a declaration of war.  A blockade IS the move of a belligerent against the affected nation.  For example.  If the Chinese Navy moved to blockade Japan it would trigger our mutual defense treaties.

I said hostilities would start in winter.  I guess someone is willing to move up the timetable.  When the first N. Korean ship tries to run the blockade and opens fire that will technically be the start of hostilities whether the Pentagon or White House plays wordsmith/lawyer with it or not.  I'm sure they'll try and push for it to be when the first missile or bomb is launched at a N. Korean target but the results will be the same.

War is coming.

 

N. Korean regime collapse/instability could see PLA forces at the Yalu River in 10 days?

Thanks to Ogden for the link!

Via China Defence Blog

Winter is here. In addition to cold political rhetoric, the world also witnessed the power of Little-phat Night King’s fully operational Intercontinental Ballistic Dragon (ICBD).  It is now up to the PLA to mount a possible offensive defense.

In the following weeks,  this blog will start posting more Northern China (especially on the Northern Theater Command) centric updates.   Hopefully it will feature insight into the military options available to the King in Beijing.   One thing's for certain, the PLA can expect no Lannister army marching shoulder-shoulder with them -- Cersei tweets loud-and big but all she ever wanted is to build a wall facing the south (too late, no?).  Joking aside, the 28,500 strong Lannister army can’t mount a “boots on the ground” across the DMZ without completing an prolonged air campaign first.

A note to the King in Beijing, A Lannister always pays his debts.  It stands at $1.15 trillion in Aug 2017 and counting.

RRU -- the King in Beijing can count on 2 brigades of PLAN Marine (the third brigade is far from battle-ready), up to 9 airborne brigades and dozens of SpOs units.  Given China's advanced transportation networks coupled with their high-readiness rate,  majority of those RRU could reach the Yalu River delta area within 10 days.  This rapid troop movement capacity has been demonstrated during rescue phase of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.9 years ago.  An assessment of PLA's response to the 2008 earthquake is here.   However, RRU are essentially light infantry units -- albeit well-trained -- with limited light direct and in-direct armor and fire support.  They also lack heavy artillery and engineering assets to overcome fortified defensive positions and mountainous terraindotted across the entire area-of-operations.  They should know, they were there during the 1950s.

Furthermore, unlike their Western counterparts, close tactical air support is still an luxury item few units have access to. Therefore, those RRU will not advance without support from local "heavies".   But if they do, they will be "all in". 

Story here. 

I do recognize the tongue in cheek part of this article.  I'm sure its funny as hell and I'm just missing the joke because I'm not properly socialized.

But ignoring the statements referring to (he used the pic from the Game Of Thrones...and "king" I assume refers to Chinese history) current TV shows and past history the readiness levels of the Chinese Marines and Airborne Forces is noteworthy.

I await more details, but it is apparent from this telling that the Chinese are at this time capable of taking Taiwan (if this is correct).

If this is true then the calculations have changed.  I thought we had till 2020 for the Chinese to be ready to make a move on Taiwan.  They're ahead of my estimates that are waaaay ahead of published estimates from our intel agencies.

This is...interesting.

Are we in worse trouble in the Pacific than I thought?

AAV Bn is once again the stars of Hurricane relief...the original intent of this vehicle is being realized again!

Thanks to Strider 40 for the link!

via Fox13 News.

The Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles, Humvees, and other vehicles turned heads as they were moved from their waterfront barracks near the Gandy Bridge.  They wanted to remain accessible and ready to go even after the Zone A evacuation order was issued.

The tracked vehicles – which can float if needed – were still drawing a crowd as they sat outside the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today.  Some were even posing for photos with the trucks.
“We had seen these here before, for another hurricane,” one neighbor offered.  “For us, it means we’ve got a lot of safety here just in case people need help or get trapped inside their house. I like to see these here.”

Story here and photos below from the same article.

Yeah I'm repeating myself.

Yeah I'm shouting.

The Marine Corps has a superstar in its midst.  The AAV...a weapon of war is going back to its roots of being a life saving device during hurricanes.

This is a piece of Marine Corps lore that people don't realize.  The Alligator, as Roebling called his invention, was originally meant to save people during hurricanes. Check out the history of the Alligator here. I'll try and find a better history of the machine but that's a too short summation.

The point remains.

When it comes to disaster relief the Marine Corps has a gem on its hands.

It does during combat too.

The Ground Combat Element and the MEU as a whole should NOT be thrown away to chase a future warfare concept that is so fatally flawed that I can punch holes in it from my chair.

The aviation centric Marine Corps has continued to fail at disaster relief and basing relief efforts around the MV-22 is a fools errand.

It's time to abandon this flight of fancy and do real work.  Get the AAV-SU into service post haste.  Stop artificially extending the testing of the ACV and make a selection and get it into service asap!

Oh and lets put a pin in this aviation centric nonsense and make our MEU's reinforced with the addition of a MLP to the current three ship ARG, plus up our arty and get ready for the fights of the future.

But back on task. The AAV does two things when it rolls into town.  It lets people know that help is on the way.  Second.  It waves the Marine Corps banner loud and proud.

Well done 4th AAV Bn! Let's hope HQMC is paying attention!

26th MEU Marines depart to establish Forward Coordinating Element on St. Croix

I predicted this.

The Marine Corps is so "jazzed" about proving concepts instead of proving relevance that its becoming a slow, sagging, after thought.

Think about it like this.

How would the old "MEU" have responded to this crisis?

You would see the entire BLT assembled and on board ship.  The entire Ground Combat Element (well arty and tanks would be left behind if this was a single mission and follow on deployments didn't take place) would be available and if not then you'd see additional AAVs, Humvees or MTVRs onloaded.

The air element would be as usual with the difference being that it would be much more robust than this travesty that we're seeing deployed to the Virgin Islands.

What do we see instead?

A bitched up weak force that is in my opinion trying to prove command and control instead of getting aid to people.

We're looking at a population of 100K plus and we're sending 700 Marines and a penny packet of aircraft to help?

Weak sauce.

The only saving grace is that the action is on the continental US.  The Navy is deploying an aircraft carrier that will serve as a lilypad to all types of first responder aircraft and an LHD is bringing along a few more Marines.

In other words?

The usual suspects will shine and the Marines will be seen as the service missing when ANOTHER regional tragedy strikes the American shore. Is there another C. Co. 4th AABn waiting in the wings to carry our banner proudly?

God I hope so!

Australia's experience with the LCM-1E is a warning about defense procurement...

I did a post yesterday (here) that talked about the Australian Navy and Army testing the LCM-1E for use transporting the M1A1 they have from ship to shore.

It failed and failed badly.

This part of the story needs to be emphasized for this discussion...

Concerns about the landing craft’s ability to carry the Abrams have already been raised both in a report by the Australian National Audit Office last year and in March in a Senate Defence Committee Estimates Hearing.

The ANAO last year reported that the landing craft had not reached Final Operational Capability (FOC) because trials needed to be done to confirm the ability to carry Australia’s M1A1 main battle tank.

It noted that subsequent trials conducted in May 2016 were unsuccessful. Carrying the M1A1 on the LHD landing craft required the operation of the craft in an overload state, it said.

It said significant issues needed to be addressed prior to project conclusion.

Do you get the force of connection here?

Do you understand what happened here?

I wish I could say this was a problem invented in Australia and only affects Australian Defence Procurement but that would be a lie.

We're seeing a naval rerun of the F-35 saga.  They rushed this program along, bought the vessels and now they're seeing that they're inadequate to the task.

Sounds like the warnings we've been giving about the F-35 huh?

The crazy, insane, makes you want to punch walls thing?  They tested the LCM-1E and found it failed the test.  The wording is that these were "subsequent trials" so that means its failed a series of tests!

I wish I could laugh at the Aussies but instead I find brotherhood with them. Manufacturers are apparently so far inside the tent of their Ministry of Defence that they can't make common sense buys.  The same is happening in the US.

If we are to win future wars we have to win in the testing/procurement regime. We must get better and we must do it with a quickness.  The time for leisure is over.  It's time for America to get back to work...we must be ready to do real work across the board and that includes defense.

Hurricane Irma News. Defense increase is gone...

Watching Hurricane Irma coverage and they got the track wrong...or rather the predicted track changed.  Instead of going up the center of Florida it's going up the West side of the state.

If they're right about storm surge then you're looking at devastation that will stretch from one side of the state to the other wiping out several billion dollars worth of real estate.  We haven't even begun to talk about the damage from wind and rain...that's just the thinking on the damage caused by storm surge.

Of course we haven't even tabulated lives lost...you can't put a price on that but one thing is certain.  Many Floridians are about to learn new respect for the power of Mother Nature.

But back on task.

There is no way you can have two regional disasters, tax reduction disguised as tax reform and somehow get that long hoped for defense spending increase.

You can call any increase in defense spending gone with the winds of Harvey and Irma.

All that talk from the Pentagon of assuming reasonable risk is just like the war plans in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Stupid on a plate.  The future budget wars will be stunning and a sight to behold.

Even inside the Marine Corps, a few members of the tribe are waking up to how badly managed Aviation has been and how they've stripped the rest of the force of funding to get the F-35 (a program I hate with every fiber of my body) across the finish line.

These storms are bad but don't endanger the future security of the country. The idiocy shown by military leadership with regard to defense spending is a different matter and historians/future Marines will curse us all for not raising the alarm bells.

French Army - Leclerc Main Battle Tanks (vid)

Open Comment Post. Sep 10, 2017