Power plant blown up in Ukraine?

via English Russia

Meanwhile they report that a few hours ago a major power plant was destroyed in Lughansk, Ukraine leaving over one million people around it without power. There is no estimate yet given if there any chance for the power to be restored in near future. There were two versions of whats happened – some say it was shelled by the rocket systems others say there were mines set before and they were activated now. Anyways this is pretty disturbing.

Interesting.

I wonder what the motivation is behind this move? 

Question. Has the UN finally become irrelevant?

I ask you all this question.  Has the UN finally become irrelevant on the world stage?

Remember back when the UK and France were pushing for action against Libya and President Obama made his famous lead from behind remark?  The UK didn't, neither did France and certainly not this liberal administration ask for UN assistance or permission.

Remember the issues in Ukraine?  The UN was on the sidelines.

Today we're talking about taking action against ISIS.  Not once has the Obama administration talked about getting the UN's blessings....and just today I read where the UN is pulling out of the Golan Heights and no one is even batting an eye.

Have we all missed a very important development?  Has the UN been rendered irrelevant when it comes to dealing with the world's most important issues?  Is it now only a glorified Red Cross that agitates when a humanitarian crisis erupts?  Is it headed toward becoming a modern day League of Nations....as in soon to be kaput...and no one is noticing?

China adding another branch to their armed force...a Space Force!

via Military Tech.

Increasingly strong reports continue to circulate that China is in the process of creating a fifth service within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) structure – a force devoted to space operations. Unconfirmed reports, to be sure, but on the grounds there is rarely any smoke without fire it is worth examining the issue in more detail.
The PLA currently consists of ground, air and naval services as well as the curiously named Second Artillery service, which controls China’s ballistic missiles and nuclear arsenal. Reports now claim a fifth service dedicated to space operations is being created as a focus around which to integrate some of the partial initiatives taken in recent years. The latest report surfaced in Japan’s respected national newspaper Yomihuri Shimbun in August and, although the story has subsequently been deleted from the journal’s website, the claims that President Xi has ordered the action do seem credible.
In April, the English language paper China Daily reported a speech made by Xi to PLA Air Force officers, urging them “to speed up air and space integration and sharpen [their] offensive and defensive capabilities,” and to create “a new type of combat unit” to act as the platform in which to achieve the ambition. "The US has paid considerable attention and resources to the integration of capabilities in both air and space, and other powers have also moved progressively toward space militarization. Though China has stated that it sticks to the peaceful use of space, we must make sure that we have the ability to cope with others' operations in space,” he said.
Chinese academic literature also provides some food for thought. One recent report correlates the issues of space warfare and cyber warfare, making the statement that “space will surely be the main battlefield of cyber warfare.” Taken in conjunction with US claims that China has concentrated massive efforts on hacking into and stealing information from prominent companies in the US and European satellite and aerospace industries, it would certainly make sense that China is carefully managing the creation of an organisation to integrate and exploit its growing capabilities in this area.
Some of these capabilities include an already developed anti-satellite system, tested in 2007, 2013 and this year, which in Chinese eyes is an essential capacity that would help counter American GPS capabilities in the event of an open conflict. A US DoD report to Congress in 2013 observed that China’s space programme had produced 18 separate launches the previous year, many of which placed new space-based intelligence and communications satellites in orbit. The report also made the point that China is developing anti-satellite technologies.

Read it all here.

I've always known it but this seals the deal...this is aimed directly at the US. You talk stealth?  I talk sats.

If the Chinese can neutralize our satellites or destroy them outright then half the US military will be rendered ineffective.

We continue to waste money in the Middle East protecting Saudi Arabia, UAE and others while China is concentrating on defeating us on an inevitable future battlefield.

Ain't that grand. 

The crews didn't expect the area around the mission to be hot...

Thanks to the little birdy that sent me this link.

via Defense News.

In response to two of its CV-22 Ospreys being shot up over Juba, South Sudan, in December, critically injuring two service members, the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has added optional armor to the flooring of the aircraft and may also incorporate forward-firing weapons.
AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold told reporters on Monday that armor panels developed for the bird could add 800 pounds of weight if the full “blanket” is used, but crews have the option to use the armor sheeting or not.
The two CV-22s were so vulnerable in the attack because the crews didn’t expect the area around the mission to be “hot,” so were surprised by the 119 rounds fired at the aircraft.
The optional armor, which is being fielded now, can be put on in pieces to protect only certain parts of the aircraft, but any extra armor will create tradeoffs, Heithold said, either in how many troops can be carried or how far the aircraft can fly before refueling is necessary.
AFSOC is also working with industry to develop a forward-firing gun, he said.

Ignore the issue with the armoring and adding of forward firing guns to the CV-22.  Think about this passage...

The two CV-22s were so vulnerable in the attack because the crews didn’t expect the area around the mission to be “hot,” so were surprised by the 119 rounds fired at the aircraft.

We're not talking about the Air National Guard flying a refueling missions behind the forward edge of the battle space.

We're talking about USAF Special Operations transporting SEALs to a landing zone in a country where fighting is happening.

I FIND THAT ASTOUNDING!

What kind of mindset has developed where worse case planning isn't taking place and intel is trusted to be 100%?

But back to the CV-22/MV-22.

Marine Corps Aviation has been working on a forward firing gun for the thing for more than a decade.  General Jones was pissed that it didn't have one and said this in a Time article (he was retired at the time)...

Retired Gen. James Jones, former commandant of the Marine Corps, told Time he'd always wanted the Osprey to have a forward-mounted gun, a .50-cal. under the nose - something he never pulled off as the Corps' top Marine.
Jones believes all assault support aircraft should have forward-facing weaponry, according to the article. He described it to Time as a fundamental belief stemming from his Vietnam War experience: Biggest and baddest is best.

Yet it still hasn't happened.  I'm looking for the quote but one Commandant even said we weren't gonna get it unless it had a forward firing gun.

My guess?  Ten years from now they'll still be looking for a solution. 

Royal Marines practise amphibious skills on exercise Albanian Lion

The Scotland vote. I hope they break away!

I'm loving this Scottish independence vote.  I hope they're not blowing smoke and will actually break away from the UK.

Why?

Because I've noticed that every "world leader" is against their independence.

To me that's telling.

Additionally I see this as another sign that globalization is breaking down.  The EU is still stagnating economically.  The sanctions against Russia did nothing and will probably be blamed for a recession on that continent.  London is a major hub for this fraudulent world banking system...and it has the added benefit of throwing British defense plans into total chaos, thereby forcing the Brits to stop pretending that they're a world power and to finally deal with the social programs, immigration issues and weird defense spending that has been plaguing them for so long.

Last, a vote for independence will probably have knock on effects around the world.

I say bring on the pain!  Bring on the misery!  Pass the popcorn, if they separate from the UK this will be fun to watch.

RoK Marines commemorate the 64th anniversary of the Landing on Inchon

The reenactment of the situation in the coastal hechimyeo assault wave of Marines landed and armored frigates Cheongju also KAAV the 64 anniversary of Incheon Landing Operation tradition gotta events held in Incheon Wolmido 15.