#LNA forces targeting a #Turkish Vessel that was offloading weapons and equipment to the #terrorist #militias of the #GNA .— M.LNA (@LNA2019M) February 18, 2020
Zero tolerance!!
pic.twitter.com/qiJC2FhXcB
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Bad times in Syria for Turkey and now bad times in Libya for them too...
Russian/Syrian forces create a "road of death" for terrorist forces West of Aleppo...
Footage from new ANNA video shows large numbers of rebel armoured vehicles destroyed by Syrian loyalists/Russia in recent days. An entire rebel armoured column was obliterated during a 'counterattack' on the Miznaz axis in W. Aleppo CS days ago https://t.co/ryGJkpHJ9i pic.twitter.com/4Vspi0X1ZZ— Hugo Kaaman (@HKaaman) February 18, 2020
ARES, the AJAX variant, demonstrated with a deployable bridging system....
Did you see #ARES, the #AJAX variant, demonstrated with a deployable bridging system, during #DSEI2019? Here's a #FlashbackFriday to it in action... #GDatDSEI pic.twitter.com/ee9WQCarCj— General Dynamics UK (@gduknews) February 18, 2020
On this day in history...Marines stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima...
On this day in 1945, US Marines storm the Japanese-controlled island of Iwo Jima. The five-week campaign that follows will see some of the most savage fighting of the Pacific War. 6,800 Americans will be killed; 18,000 Japanese. pic.twitter.com/Om5KyIskyj— Military History Now (@MilHistNow) February 18, 2020
First Japan's economy was hit and now it's S. Korea's turn. The impact of the Coronavirus on the world economy has begun...
South Korea's president calls for 'all possible measures' to help virus-hit economy https://t.co/hC5uxuD5OK pic.twitter.com/omywjilDTd— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2020
Interesting. I've had a number of readers here state that the Coronavirus wouldn't affect the global economy. Now we see this. The dominoes are falling. First Japan, now S. Korea. We can expect to see Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, The Phillipines and others affected soon.
What should be concerning for many is that stuff like this has ripple effects. From the potential for instability in less developed nations to changing the outcome of elections in the first world (like the presidential election in the US).
Indonesia central bank may cut key rate as coronavirus hits economy: Reuters poll https://t.co/oWJNB8y2J8 pic.twitter.com/5tWYd9SEsS— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2020
Singapore builders seek force majeure advice as coronavirus causes labor crunch https://t.co/EOIUsFUq02 pic.twitter.com/NRVGmt7RPv— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2020
Thai government measures, budget bill to help economy amid coronavirus: central bank chief https://t.co/FqIM32Cqre pic.twitter.com/3a95WGW5Ea— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2020
Oil prices slip as coronavirus concerns linger https://t.co/kFj8VcdPCJ pic.twitter.com/bEvIqGNa84— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2020
'Every scenario on the table' in China virus outbreak: WHO's Tedros https://t.co/bsBCffbKHP pic.twitter.com/po3qo9S79J— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2020
White House does not trust info coming out of China with regard to Coronavirus...
“The @WhiteHouse said this week it does ‘not have high confidence in the information coming out of #China’ regarding the count of #coronavirus cases, a senior administration official told @CNBC.” https://t.co/yAeNxfNDN0— Andrew Erickson 艾立信 (@AndrewSErickson) February 18, 2020
Hmm.
We know that China likes to put lipstick on pigs.
What if things are much worse than we're being told? What if the numbers that are being released are only the tip of the iceberg?
This should be another datapoint to consider when we think about this thing.
Monday, February 17, 2020
1st active duty Russian soldier dies in Libya...
According to local Orenburg news site, Orengrad, 27-year-old Gleb Mostov was killed this month fighting in Libya, which would make him the 1st active duty Russian servicemen to die there. He was reportedly a sniper, and fought in Libya under a fake name.https://t.co/HmQs79zyYz pic.twitter.com/JCO25jIPsq— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 18, 2020
First the IMF and now APPLE warns about the business side of the Coronavirus...
Apple warns revenue earnings set to be lower than expected due coronavirus outbreak https://t.co/ljdL3b7oVu— Solomon (@SnafuBlogspot) February 17, 2020
Ok. Now its happening. Now shit is about to get real with regard to this virus. Chinese citizens dying because their govt messed up? No big deal to the media. APPLE warning about earnings? This should get their attention.
Death toll from coronavirus in China's Hubei province reaches 1,789
#URGENT | Death toll from coronavirus in China's Hubei province reaches 1,789 https://t.co/pfkybm5FAi#SputnikUrgent pic.twitter.com/j2IiSW7qL1— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) February 17, 2020
Yeah. Call this tinfoil hat but I'm beginning to think this was a weapon that got loose. Why the low death count? First a virus like this that was targeted at say the US would (at a time of the attackers choice) cause critical damage...especially if it could be aimed at targets like bases or industry.
Next is the fact that viruses mutate. That's what no one is talking about. What if this thing goes Incredible Hulk? Hubei is getting hammered but I don't think the rest of us should be resting easy yet.
Turkey is going all in on Idlib...deadline set...
#Idlib— QalQal (@Qalamaat) February 17, 2020
Countdown for when #Turkey will use militairy force on Assad to withdraw behind the Turkish observation points in Idlib.
Assad has 13 days left to comply before #Erdogan acts on his words https://t.co/t5Ax1GbOvp pic.twitter.com/06P2YWf10w
This almost smacks of desperation. What am I missing with this? One thing is certain. The Syrian Army has the terrorist on the run...the front is crumbling and this thing is teetering on the edge of turning into a rout.
Canada’s Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) Standard Military Pattern (SMP) programme
via Shepard Media.
Mack Defense has completed the final truck for Canada’s Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) Standard Military Pattern (SMP) programme.I can understand mission specific gear but I have to wonder why Canada just doesn't glob onto what the Europe, Australia or the US Army and/or Marine Corps is doing when it comes to items like logistics vehicles.
This 1587th truck rolled off the assembly line in Saint Nicolas, Quebec, on 13 February.
Mack Defense, part of the Volvo Group, leveraged the group’s large industrial footprint and global capabilities to engineer and produce the MSVS SMP trucks. Before final production took place at a Prevost facility in Saint Nicolas, additional work was completed at facilities located in Bourg-en-Bresse, Marolles, Blainville and Limoges, France.
Canadian partners Dumur Industries, EODC, Marshall, Craig Manufacturing and Link Suspensions of Canada also contributed to the project.
Mack Defense received the contracts to deliver more than 1,500 8x8 MSVS SMP trucks, including variants such as cargo, material handling cranes, load handling systems and mobile repair trucks, in 2015.
Don't get me wrong. I think this will be a fine vehicle and will meet their requirements. My issue is the scale of the work. Any of the above listed partners could lower the cost of this purchase. The entire Canadian Army is smaller than the USMC. Piggybacking on someone's purchase would seem like a no brainer considering their size.
Lithuania's Vilkas IFV (pics)
 |
|
ULTRAK Amphibious Fighting Vehicle.....concept art by Doug Didia
Note. This is for a certain few that just love to poke holes, negative Nancy and basically shit on anything posted here. This is CONCEPT ART. Enjoy it. Don't slam it. It's simply a flight of fancy and doesn't have to be practical or tactical. Sometimes just being cool is enough. That's the secret with CONCEPT ART. It's art and art is to be enjoyed.
To the Artist. Awesome work! I enjoy your stuff and will be posting more (with credit to you of course!). Keep doing what you do.
You can see his stuff here.
To the Artist. Awesome work! I enjoy your stuff and will be posting more (with credit to you of course!). Keep doing what you do.
You can see his stuff here.
The Chinese President called for control over society in response to the Coronavirus..the result is 760 million people under lock down!
To stop the spread of the coronavirus much of China has effectively shut down. What’s not been fully appreciated is how extensive the closures are. By our calculations 760 million are living under some kind of residential lockdown. https://t.co/ZuO31QVi6g— Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) February 15, 2020
Simply amazing.
This situation deserves study. For better or worse, EVERY govt will be faced with the prospect of having to shutdown a mega city within their borders.
The Chinese experience can be instructive.
If you doubt my thinking then consider what most Western forces are gearing up for. Fighting in a mega city. If it isn't for civil defense purposes then we should be studying this clusterfuck from hell for warfighting.
Interesting doesn't begin to describe the situation in China.
It’s one of the largest social control experiments ever anywhere, even in China. To do it, Beijing is relying on local party officials, police, and busybodies known as grid workers. They’ve effectively closed down many cities to outsiders. This is a station at a closed city: Yiwu pic.twitter.com/9x27uDjxHI— Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) February 15, 2020
The Damen's OPV 1900 (Yarmook-class) for Pakistan's Navy will actually be a corvette.
 |
|
This makes too much sense. I've always been curious about the actual role and need for "Offshore Patrol Vessels" and always thought that Corvettes filled the same role only better because they actually have a combat capability.
What say you?
Former Royal Navy First Sea Lord calls ship numbers an embarrassment and disgrace...the RN is in trouble
via The Sun.co.uk
Former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West dubbed the shortfall “a national embarrassment and disgrace”.Story here.
The peer had been repeatedly assured by defence ministers that the Type 31s would be delivered on time.
Lord West told The Sun: “Just 15 major service ships will put us into the second tier of the world’s navies
“Fifteen surface ships means only five on task, as a third will be in maintenance and a third will be training.
“For a great nation like ours, just five frigates on task is a national embarrassment and disgrace.”
The revelation will hike tensions further between the MoD and No10 ahead of this summer’s defence and security review, which forces chiefs already plan to use it to plea for more money.
Just 10 days ago at the Sun’s Millies awards, PM Boris Johnson boasted that the number of frigates in increasing.
Last Autumn, the MoD faced international embarrassment when it was unable to protect British flagged merchant ships from being hijacked by Iran in the Straits of Hormuz.
You think what I highlighted above isn't bad enough? Then check out this tidbit from the same article.
In comparison, France has 22 frigates and destroyers, and even Italy has 17.Gonna be hard for the UK to keep up global commitments with such a small naval force. By necessity they're gonna have to rely more on the Royal Air Force and maybe even the British Army to act as a deterrent.
In a letter to the Commons Public Accounts Committee last month, MoD Permanent Secretary Stephen Lovegrove let slip that five new Type 31 frigates won’t now come into service until May 2027, four years late.
At the same time, the ageing generation of Type 23 frigates are still to be paid off from 2023, leaving the major shortfall.
The number of frigates is set to fall from 13 to nine by 2027, while the number of Type 45 destroyers remains at six.
Question. Can the Royal Navy even float a credible carrier task force with such a small force? If they can will that strip them of independent ship operations elsewhere?
It might be worthy of a giggle if our own Navy/Marine Corps wasn't headed down the same road.
With the exception of China (at least right now...still waiting to see how the Coronavirus affects them), everyone seems to be following the lead of the Germans.
Smaller and potentially less effective.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)