J36 & J50 animation

J36 & J50 pic.twitter.com/AVyEOCDXEm

— 彩云香江 (@louischeung_hk) April 10, 2025

Illegal marijuana farms REQUIRE a militarized police response.

CA: #EXCLUSIVE multiple arrests made as three illegal marijuana grow operations are dismantled in Riverside County—Agents, officers and soldiers went in 500 strong to thwart the illegal activity which included the employment of illegal immigrants.

Deputy Special Agent in… pic.twitter.com/sOqLksqhsz

— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) June 18, 2025

Looks like a military operation don't it. Yeah I know but its necessary. Google the defenses that these operations have and you'll be amazed. It's like fighting an insurgency INSIDE the USA.

PLAGF Armoured unit from the 82nd Group Army (Central Theater Command) during a live firing exercise with their Type 99A tanks via Jesus Roman X-page

1/2 🇨🇳PLAGF Armoured unit from the 82nd Group Army (Central Theater Command) during a live firing exercise with their Type 99A tanks pic.twitter.com/S855VYOzlt

— Jesus Roman (@jesusfroman) July 2, 2025

 

Blast from the past. Commander Lists Needs for Future Marine Weapons circa 1997

 via DVIDS

The Marine Corps needs new weapons and equipment despite its high state of combat readiness, according to the senior Marine in the Pacific.

"Our trucks, amphibious vehicles and aircraft are the same ones we used in Desert Storm," said Lt. Gen. Jefferson Howell Jr., commanding officer of Marine Corps Forces Pacific. "We need to replace them, because it takes more and more man-hours to keep them up."

While Howell said the Marines would be happy for now with newer versions of the same equipment, they ultimately need different weapon systems that take advantage of technological advancements. At the top of his shopping list is the V-22 Osprey, a fixed-wing, tilt-rotor aircraft.

"The V-22 will revolutionize maneuver warfare," he said. "When you think about a machine that can carry two dozen combat Marines 500 miles at 300 knots airspeed, land vertically and scoot back out of there, it's remarkable." The Marines project the Osprey to replace Vietnam-era CH-46 helicopters, Howell said.

A new advanced amphibious assault vehicle developed by the Marines will replace aging vehicles that can achieve only 5-8 knots in the water and 25 knots on land. The new vehicle, Howell said, will nearly double the water and land speeds, enabling it to keep up with air-cushioned landing craft and, on ground, the powerful M-1A1 tanks.

Besides landing craft, Howell said, the Marines need more amphibious ships to move troops, their weapons and equipment to war zones. "During the World War II battle of Okinawa 1,300 U.S. ships surrounded the island. Of those, 365 were amphibious ships," the general noted. "Right now, there are only 37 amphibious ships in the entire Navy. We cannot be a viable naval force unless we have enough 'amphibs' to carry our Marines and provide presence."

Howell said he also wants to reconfigure and upgrade Marine tactical air. "For every different kind of airplane, we have to train our Marines at different schools," he said. The Marines currently fly F-18 Hornets, AV-8B II Harriers and EA-6B Prowlers. "If we could replace the Hornet and Harrier with something that could do both of their jobs, we'd have a winner," Howell said. "That's why we want to go with the Joint Strike Fighter. It will really enhance our ability."

Training Marines on one aircraft system instead of two would save time and money, as would replacing CH-46s with V-22s, then replacing older model HH-53 helicopters with newer models with heavier lift capabilities, Howell said. "And someday," he added, "we'd like a smaller variant of the V-22 to replace our smaller tactical and utility helicopters." Finally, he said, the Corps needs newer models of the reliable but aging KC-130 air refueling tanker.

As for the Marines' basic weapons, rifles and sidearms, Howell said he doesn't see any immediate need for replacements. "We're always looking at the latest developments, where maybe we could get a lighter weapon that's more lethal and more accurate," he said. "But the M-16 [rifle] and 9 mm [pistol] are good, reliable weapons."

This look back at the past shows only one thing.

The Marine Corps has been stuck in a rut for a long time.  Solutions provided are half baked at best and at worst cost inefficient/performance insufficient. 

Which leads to Force Design 2030.

Its not an upgrade of Marine Corps capabilities.

Its a planned downgrade coupled with mission abandonment.

Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade

 

 

Article here

Happy 4th of July!

 

Open Comment Post. 4 July 25

 

Russia has an army of "Space Stalkers" ready to ambush our sats...

 via National Interest

While Putin might not attack US or NATO satellites, he most certainly is quietly preparing the battlefield for whenever he may want to.

A co-orbital satellite is a nasty little machine. Nicknamed “Space Stalkers” (with good reason), a co-orbital satellite is tiny and fast. It closely follows sensitive satellites belonging to other countries, such as the United States, with intent to damage or destroy those systems when commanded to by the ground operators of the Space Stalkers. 

These systems are dual-use in nature. During peacetime, they can be classified as “repair” satellites or simply surveillance satellites. In wartime, though, these co-orbital systems can do extreme amounts of damage.

One system in particular is giving the strategic planners at the Pentagon a high degree of indigestion. That’s Russia’s newest satellite in its low-Earth orbit (LEO) Cosmos series, which is now orbiting dangerously near a covert US government satellite. As a result, the US defense community fears that the Russians are preparing to use this Cosmos co-orbital Space Stalker in what would amount to a space “Pearl Harbor.”

Story here 

Additional info here

Ok.  This is crazy.  I can only hope that with awareness we're developing countermeasures.  Additionally I hope that we have our own systems capable of taking out threat or recon systems.

Lastly it makes me wonder.  The USAF canceled the E-7 Wedgetail in favor of space based systems.  I'm assuming they did this with knowledge of this threat.

Would kinda suck if we were engaged in a war with China and suddenly every communications, recon and intel sat were knocked off line.

Marines are headed to Florida (with additional Marines headed to locations in Louisiana & Texas)

 

Marines are being sent to Florida to assist ICE...#USMC #ICE #marines #FloridaMan pic.twitter.com/0IR0t6dZVJ

— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) July 3, 2025

Wow.

I guess we're finally getting serious about securing the Homeland.

Latvia to Deliver 42 Patria 6×6 Armoured Personnel Carriers to Ukraine

 

via Technology.org

Latvia has now pledged to donate 42 Patria 6×6 armoured personnel carriers, as well as some parts and ammo for them. The first news that this could happen was announced several months ago, and now it seems that these vehicles are about to be delivered.

Interestingly, it appears that these Patria 6×6 armoured personnel carriers were actually assembled in Latvia. Back in 2020, Finland, Estonia and Latvia agreed on a joint development programme for Common Armoured Vehicle Systems based on Patria 6×6. As a part of that agreement, Latvia established the manufacturing of these vehicles at Valmiera. Of course, the origins of the Patria 6×6 are in Finland.

The Patria 6×6 is a wheeled armoured personnel carrier, weighing between 15.5 and 24 tonnes depending on the configuration and the suspension (vehicles with hydropneumatic suspensions weigh more). It is amphibious, capable of reaching a speed of 8 km/h in water. On the road, the Patria 6×6 is comfortably rolling at 100 km/h. And high speed is important, because in Ukraine, it helps avoid drone strikes, even if the speed is not an absolute solution. The Patria 6×6 is much faster than tracked armoured personnel carriers and very stable on the road.

I don't know if I agree with much faster than tracked APCs, well if you're talking cross country that is.

Ya know this almost appears to be a shell game.  I imagine that this was funded by the EU in some way.  These are BRAND NEW VEHICLES!  To be blunt Latvia needs them for their own defense and to just "donate" 40+ to Ukraine seems rather extravagant for such a small country. 

Regardless they're arriving just in time for the summer fighting season.  They have about 4 months till General Winter shows up and has these vehicles on roads only.

Open Comment Post. 3 July 25

 

Ukraine arms freeze part of wider military aid review

 via Defense News

A day after the White House confirmed that the U.S. has suspended some military aid to Ukraine, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson said the decision stemmed from a larger review of America’s military support for countries around the world.

“We can’t give weapons to everybody all around the world. We have to look out for America and defending our homeland,” Sean Parnell said in his first standalone briefing Wednesday.

About fucking time.  Oh and for the people that say fight them now or they'll invade other European countries?

The EU has a larger GDP than the US.  Has a larger population.  Has as large a manufacturing base.  Has not lived up to its responsibilities to properly fund NATO. 

Assisting in the defense of others is one thing.  Being called upon to do it solo isn't gonna fly anymore.

Ukraine was one of the most corrupt nations on the planet before the war.  I don't think its improved after the fighting has started.

No more free stuff.  No more open ended guarantees.

America first.

The Russian army is claiming complete control of Luhansk Oblast

 via National Interest

Russia is claiming complete control of Luhansk Oblast. If true, control of the region would mark the first time that an entire Ukrainian region had fallen to Moscow since the war began in February 2022. The claim has not yet been independently verified, and Ukraine has not yet confirmed the loss of all remaining territory in the region. 

The fall of Luhansk would be strategically and symbolically significant for Russia. Luhansk is one of the four regions that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed in September 2022. Complete control of the region would allow Russia to consolidate logistics while pushing westward and potentially redeploying forces to pressure Donetsk and Kharkiv. 

Moscow has also announced the capture of Dachnoye, a small village in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. If true, the capture would represent Russia’s first known foothold in the region, marking a southern extension of the Russian frontline. While the strategic value of Dachnoye itself is limited, its capture may indicate that Russian forces are now testing Ukrainian defenses further south, perhaps angling to stretch Kyiv’s lines or open a new pressure axis. 

Here

THIS IS INTERESTING.

I've been watching the map and have hesitated to post videos that highlight Russian gains (from credible sources...at least sources that haven't been disputed on this blog).

If this is true (and yeah...its true) then we have to look at Ukrainian strategy and how they've conducted this war.

My point?

Ukraine has been concentrating on the strategic.  Public relations (which they've won with the support of mass media), Western govt groveling (which most European nations have willing engaged in) and attacking deep into Russia.

They've ignored the more important thing.  The tactical situation on the ground.

They've happily engaged in a war of attrition with a larger nation, they've conducted foolhardy offensive and they've taken a stance of "no negotiation" even though the outcome on the ground is definitely turning against them.

Ukraine has suffered from a lack of leadership in this war and I don't believe its at the general level.  Zelensky has become so enamored with his own words, viewpoints and beliefs that he can see no other arguments except his own.

Recent decisions by the US to FINALLY protect our own warstocks will hasten a conclusion to this war. 

Huge Changes to USMC Light Armored Recon (FD2030)

A Choreographed Space Dance: How NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Docks in Space

Note. Were NASA engineers so good in the 1960s that we have APPARENTLY made no strides when it comes to putting men on the moon? Lockheed is highlighting maneuvers/updated systems that were conducted/used over 50 years ago! How is it possible that in this one area mankind has made such little progress?

Gripen E operating from short runways

Naval Strike Missile successfully fired from MARS 3

 

Open Comment Post. 2 July 25

 

What do ya'll think of the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill"???

 

Multiple firefighters shot while responding to wildfire in north Idaho...my guess? poor bastards stumbled into a cartel weed farm...

BREAKING: Multiple firefighters shot while responding to wildfire in north Idaho. - Citizen/NIN/HW pic.twitter.com/qMdaY7VvxC

— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) June 29, 2025

Kinda surprised we haven't seen more of this. Been following sheriff's depts in california and the no go zones are kinda plentiful. Why? Because of all the weed farms operated by the cartel. Everyone is complaining about militarized police but the real issue is you're gonna see militarized firefighters and paramedics soon. Open borders has exacerbated a terrible problem all around. America is becoming a battlefield but no one outside of emergency services is seeing it.