US Navy cost-cutting: All 5 expeditionary electronic attack squadrons to be eliminated by FY25.

So I guess those brand new pods they developed will go on that new refueling UAV the Navy will soon put on carriers around that time.

US Navy cost-cutting: All 5 expeditionary electronic attack squadrons to be eliminated by FY25. These are usually land-based EA-18G #Growlers supporting joint requirements. Squadrons: VAQs 131, 132, 134, 135 & 138, all based at NAS Whidbey Isld WA https://t.co/1C86UbbUFh pic.twitter.com/hSdi25olDX

— Chris Cavas (@CavasShips) April 21, 2022

PLA's second Type 075 LHD Guangxi (32) was officially unveiled

PLA's second Type 075 LHD Guangxi (32) was officially unveiled🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/GOGCW4UN1Q

— 彩云香江 (@louischeung_hk) April 21, 2022

The Chinese are building the Old Marine Corps into their force. They will hunt down and destroy those Marine Littoral Regiments with quickness. Why? Because the whole concept is built of straw. First its gonna be so low signature that it will be difficult to find? Why? We can assume that the Chinese will have equal ISR capabilities. Second its gonna be mobile and make use of allied territory? Outside of Australia and Japan, the rest of the Pacific will sit this thing out AS SOON AS they detect rising tensions between the US and China. No one will let us use their territory to attack Chinese ships! So the geography will be compressed....DRAMATICALLY! Next, the anti-ship missiles will make the MLR too important to ignore? They won't. They will find, fix and destroy them at their leisure. I can already see those anti-ship ballistic missiles being repurposed to UTTERLY destroy an EABO/FARP. The first time an F-35 lands they're gonna light up the refuelers and perimeter security formerly known as Marine Infantry.

Open Comment Post. 21 Apr 22

1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion Aerial Gunnery Qualification And Medical Evacuation Training

Maritime Raid Force (MRF), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), conducting Helicopter Rope Suspension Technique (HRST) training

I'm running red dots on all three of my Glocks. Why hasn't the Marine Corps gotten them for Force Recon? If you're worried about water ops then they make dive capable holsters. A couple of dudes on the dept dive team have them. You won't deploy quick from them but when you transition to land you're good to go. At longer (what I consider useful ranges) they're a god send. For these guys I guess they'll have to work hold over and all that jazz but they even have reticles that help with that on some of the new enclosed optics.

 

Russian forces have captured a large amount of western supplied anti-tank weapons.

Russian forces have captured a large amount of western supplied anti-tank weapons. #Ukraine️ #Russia pic.twitter.com/RS42rrsPZw

— Instant Reporter (@InstantReporter) April 20, 2022

India acts to safeguard its economy....I believe a global recession is all but guaranteed

India is doubling down on Russian crude oil purchases despite warnings from the U.S., snapping up every major grade from the OPEC+ producer as its war in Ukraine nears a third month https://t.co/D9jn9dQSPG

— Bloomberg (@business) April 20, 2022

With the world in turmoil and the US/EU headed toward recession I wonder how long the sanctions can remain in place. I contend that the powers that be reached for an economic punishment that will sink all involved and lead to a protracted war.

Worldwide economic pain will end the sanctions before years end.

Then we will see the worst of all possible outcomes.

A shattered and broken Ukraine, an extremely deep recession bordering on depression, and worldwide small wars/internal conflict/mass migration.

Knock on effects....Israel's central bank adds the Chinese yuan and three other currencies to its $206 billion reserves, reducing the allocation for the dollar and the euro.

Monetarily, the US & EU are acting as rogue states in the financial sphere (my opinion) with the actions against Russia. Compare the actions against what we've seen happen against China and its human rights violations, Iran in its sponsorship of terrorism, the Saudis in their attacks in Yemen, etc...the list goes on. I predicted nations would act to insulate themselves from future actions of this type and since the Israelis are particularly vulnerable due to the Palestinian issue, they acted OPENLY, first.

Maybe not the end of the petrodollar but probably the beginning of the end.

 

NEW - Israel's central bank adds the Chinese yuan and three other currencies to its $206 billion reserves, reducing the allocation for the dollar and the euro.https://t.co/XaT3bTvaOJ

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) April 20, 2022

Germany has reached the limit of what it can supply to Ukraine...

 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's statements following talks with Western leaders:

📍#NATO will not directly intervene in the conflict in Ukraine

📍Germany has reached limit on what it can supply Ukraine from its own Armed Forces reserves

📍No way to let #Russia win in #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/YIXgr1uPPj

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 19, 2022

The reality?

So has the US and most of the other Western powers.  We (and they) are now assuming more than a bit of risk.

Mark my words.  The global financial hit from this conflict will hit the world hard by summer.  China might not make a dash at Taiwan but we will see conflicts burn hot in other parts of the world.

Some of those places will be of interest to us for our OWN national security.

2021 sucked.  2022 will be worse.

Open Comment Post. 20 Apr 22

 

The USMC's "new" Assault Breacher Vehicle surrogate looks kinda wimpy....maybe just ask the Army to help with these tasks too?

 

U.S. Marines with Mobile Assault Company, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion (1st CEB), 1st Marine Division, test new capabilities with a Tractor, Rubber-Tired, Articulated Steering, Multi-Purpose (TRAM) vehicle during the Engineer Support Company Field Exercise on Camp Pendleton, California, March 30, 2022. During the training evolution, Marines from 1st CEB used the blade from their Assault Breacher Vehicle in conjunction with the TRAM to facilitate new capabilities for the unit.

This dude....Just wow...

 

Nance: The more I saw of the war going on, the more I thought I’m done talking… So about a month ago I joined the international legion here in Ukraine… pic.twitter.com/zviTHUm2a0

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 18, 2022

I’m DONE talking. #JoinTheLegion #StopRussia #SlavaUkraini pic.twitter.com/ob3gL1cZ7P

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) April 19, 2022

I've been watching this dude for a minute. He's a contributor for MSNBC and just a day or so ago he was in Kyiv doing a news report on what was going on over there.

Now?

Now dude is kitted out looking to get into the fight.

I just don't know.

I mean yeah.  If you want to drop bodies I get it.  Scratch that itch.  But dude!  At least spend a little time to harden up first.  It's like he went from living soft to trying to live hard at the drop of a hat.

I don't get that thinking.  Almost seems like he's setting himself up for failure.

I've had another thought.

It could be a stunt so that he can further his career doing seminars and perhaps bolster his public view.

I almost hope its a stunt.  If he's actually gonna hook and jab I hope he's mentally strong as superman, cause if he ain't its gonna be rough ride...both physically and mentally.

And that's if the Russians don't grab him.  

If they do then I hope God is with him cause its gonna get nasty.

Aiden and another UK national are alive...a little bruised but alive. UK says they will not assist with a hostage swap.

via CNN

The United Kingdom is not looking to help Moscow with the prospect of a prisoner swap that would trade pro-Russian oligarch and Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk for two British fighters captured in Ukraine by Russian forces, a government minister said Tuesday.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis would not confirm to Sky News if his government is working to return the fighters to the UK, saying he would not comment on “what are effectively national security issues.”

Here 

Interesting.

I wonder what the US position will be if an American fighter is captured.

China now has a SHIP launched anti-ship ballistic missile? UPDATED! HI Sutton is saying this is real!

 

This appears to be a Ship Launched Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile

Fired from the rear set of VLS silos on a Type-055 Destroyer

If true, this would be the first step towards a major advancement in naval warfare, where the Aircraft Carrier is no longer the sole center of the fleet pic.twitter.com/9buHY57lQH

— Zhao Dashuai 无条件爱国 🇨🇳 (@obsidianstatue1) April 19, 2022

Oh I need some nerd from the DIA to get me the unclassified scoop on this! If DIA is too busy then how about Navy Intel! If true then this is kinda big.

**BREAKING** -> https://t.co/uUuAXli7ge#China's New Hypersonic Missile on Type-055 Cruiser For First Time

Likely YJ-21 anti-ship ballistic missile. A theory of what it is related to

Now Chinese Navy cruisers are arguably the most heavily armed surface combatants in the world pic.twitter.com/8qPyXsFd1s

— H I Sutton (@CovertShores) April 19, 2022

ACV Operations with Embarked Infantry

I wonder how hard it is to evacuate one of these vehicles if they sink. Gotta be harder with those blast seat than it was with the flat bench of the AAV.

Reading pre-attack cues isn't hard....you just have to look for it AND believe what you're seeing!

 

Dude telegraphed this "attack" from a mile away. Luckily the big guy saw it coming and luckily he was effective in blunting it. I am however seeing more and more stories of people seeing an attacker, failing to make note of cues and then being savagely beaten. BELIEVE WHAT YOUR EYES ARE TELLING YOU! Then use the training that you've acquired (if you don't have it then get it...if you have it then practice it!) to defend yourself! If you get really good then you can evade the attack before the distance is closed.

Late Open Comment Post. 19 Apr 22

Some of the third world nations know about food preservation that we might need to hook into...

 

BLM has been hijacked.

 

At an unlawful #BLM protest in Wilkinsburg, Pittsburgh yesterday, protesters ignored police orders to get off the road. As black cops tried to make arrests, some of them tried to prevent that & put their hands on the cops, leading one to punch & arrest one.pic.twitter.com/6vw08oyeF6

— Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) April 17, 2022

De-escalation doesn't work for this group. Shows of force doesn't work for this group. Additionally they use shills to push violence and then they scurry off while LEOs have to deal with the rest of the group that has been led astray (and amped up but don't know why!).

The original cause was just.  But now?  Now the movement has been hijacked. 

I'm not even gonna mention the fraud and corruption by the leadership.

This is a huge swing for me.  I once supported the group when the protests were peaceful and the goals clear.

They've gone off the rails long ago.

My conclusion.

Time to crush this group or the summer of riots will seem like the good ole days. 

Electric vehicles are gonna bring a whole new set of challenges for 1st Responders...check out this electric bus fire!

Are you seeing this? Now imagine this going on in downtown New York, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta or Los Angeles! A single vehicle fire could easily spread to wrecking at least a couple of other vehicles/buildings.

Look like the battery fire 🔥 in an electric bus😰😱@BatteryFires pic.twitter.com/8RvdaBaw6P

— Xinyan (@Xinyan_Huang) April 17, 2022