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

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

And I shall post the thread on India's wheeled armoured vehicles at 11:30. Stay tuned.#IndianArmy pic.twitter.com/5YM1r1Id3H

— Vinod DX9 (@VinodDX9) July 6, 2020

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.

Open Comment Post. 6 July 2020

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...

【战车入列，猛虎添新翼】近日，中部战区陆军第81集团军某合成旅在驻训场组织授装仪式，一批新战车加入战斗序列。它们是战士的第二生命，是官兵最亲密的无言战友 pic.twitter.com/rzQwPFLrJ7

— 马日天 (@z5J6NWig6ByNnsC) July 6, 2020

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

#US preparing military seizure of tankers with #Iranian fuel for #Venezuela

US filed a lawsuit to arrest 4 tankers going to Venezuela with gasoline. As Mehr expects, US authorities located off coast of this South America, will try to seize ships of Luna, Pandi, Bella and Bering. pic.twitter.com/POnWSR8UMj

— Sukhoi Su-57 Felon 🇷🇺🇮🇳 (@I30mki) July 4, 2020

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.

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.

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.

Happy 4th!

God Bless America...

This could have ended so badly...

Meanwhile in Turkey pic.twitter.com/1Dx5RbMhXv

— Russian Market (@russian_market) July 3, 2020

Trying to decide if this is gutsy, or just plain stupid.  This could have ended so badly...

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

#Polish Rosomak 8x8 wheeled APC in #Afghanistan got hit by a RPG-7. The projectile is stuck in the armor and possibly might have not penetrated the thick add-on armor and the hull. Nevertheless the slat armorcage could have done a better job if not mounted too narrow to the hull. pic.twitter.com/H9AJfESjs8

— Sukhoi Su-57 Felon 🇷🇺🇮🇳 (@I30mki) July 1, 2020

Unrealized replacement of the Tu-142. Visualization of the appearance of the An-171

Found on Reddit's Weird Wings.

The comments are interesting.  I'm not an aviation guy so I don't know if they're right or wrong but it's a compelling discussion.  Reddit isn't all trash.  You should check out some of the military/gun/fitness related forums.

Open Comment Post. 4 July 2020

Royal Saudi Air Force is waging an unnoticed war against Iranian made IED drones...

#RSAF🇸🇦 F-15 pilots keep scoring more A/A kills against the #Iranian made IED-drones. Here’s a video showing 3 of the 8 drones shot down last Monday over #SaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/ywJolELjq1

— محمد بن خالد (@MbKS15) July 2, 2020

My theory.

The more Iran is squeezed the more likely the low grade fight turns high grade.

We've been looking for nation state warfare to breakout?  I think it'll be between either Saudi Arabia vs Iran or Turkey vs Egypt...with Saudi Arabia vs Iran being more likely.

RAF A400M Atlas conducts Natural Surface Operations

🎥Watch as our A400M Atlas conducts Natural Surface Operations, who can guess which beach we used today?
The A400M is the @RoyalAirForce newest aircraft to join the Air Mobility Force at RAF Brize Norton, providing tactical airlift and strategic oversize lift capabilities. ✈️ pic.twitter.com/DoTVJ4xDwH

— RAF Brize Norton (@RAFBrizeNorton) July 2, 2020

Who are these guys? YJA Star e's forces targeted two Turk tanks

#YJA Star e forces carrying out two military actions against Turkish soldiers in Hakkari on June 2 and 3. After YJA Star e's forces targeted two tanks for #Turkish occupation soldiers at Zeyt and Zevîkê base
Resulting in the destruction of the two tanks. pic.twitter.com/RVmjrfLO0x

— Yekîneyên Servanên Efrînê (@Servanenefrine) July 2, 2020

Had to be a base that got hit.  Wonder why they don't have security out? Weird war.  Seems like its almost laid back till people start dying.  So many different forces operating in such close quarters and we're not seeing the type of intensity I'd expect.

Anyone ever hear of this group before?  I haven't.  Is it an old player that got renamed?

This is a strange game.  The bad part of the gamesmanship?  People are dying and those that don't die are having their lives turned upside down.

One thing is certain.

Victory on the battlefield is not the objective.

EOS Australia wins accelerated contract with the Australian Army...

Today’s announcement of the acceleration of the contract signing between @DeptDefence and Electro Optic Systems will provide us with 251 new generation Remote Weapons Stations for our protected vehicles. Read more via https://t.co/7pYeLY24Qr. pic.twitter.com/qRQyFYY2pn

— Australian Army (@AustralianArmy) July 2, 2020

The Hawkei might deserve another look.  Shaping up to be an unusual but capable vehicle (I think).

Modified Bradley Fighting Vehicle known as Mission Enabling Technologies Demonstrator (MET-D)

Modified Bradley Fighting Vehicles known as Mission Enabling Technologies Demonstrators (MET-D) and modified M113 tracked armored personnel carriers, known as Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCVs) are being utilized in a soldier operation experimentation at Ft. Carson, Col., from June 15 – Aug. 14, 2020...pic by Kimberly Derryberry

USAF 352nd Special Operations Group conducts deck landing qualifications aboard the USS Bataan...

Note.  With the concepts being pushed by the Commandant I think I'd be happier if we saw Army Aviation and Armor making its way toward ship. 

Open Comment Post. 2 July 2020.

US Navy’s first 4 littoral combat ships to leave the fleet in 9 months

Thanks to Fillippo for the link!

via Defense News.

The Navy’s first four littoral combat ships will be headed into mothballs next March, according to a June 20 message from the chief of naval operations.

The littoral combat ships Freedom, Independence, Fort Worth and Coronado will all be inactivated on March 31, 2021, with Coronado being commissioned just six years ago.

The Navy decided to cut the ships to save money on modernization efforts as it faces a mountain of shipbuilding bills and upgrade costs.

The ships were supposed to be used as test vessels for the continued standing up of the LCS class, but LCS 1 through 4 have just about reached the end of their usefulness as test vessels and are no longer worth a deeper financial investment, according to a February briefing by Rear Adm. Randy Crites, the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget.

Story here. 

A modest proposal.  I'm not at all convinced that slow moving tramp steamer like ships will be of benefit to the Marine Corps..the new Corps...under Berger's concept.

So how about we play with the old idea of putting mission modules for amphibious warfare on these speed boats and see if they have some utility as fast intertheater transports?

Remember the idea of adding a ramp to the Expeditionary Fast Transport so that they could do instream launches of AAVs, handle aircraft etc?

Let's see what we could do with a properly modified LCS!  Just an idea. 

Tümosan Pusat 4x4