Graphic showing all USMC aircraft. via Alert 5.

Finger pointing in Iraq..

via CNN.

"They were not outnumbered," Carter told CNN's Barbara Starr in an exclusive interview. "In fact, they vastly outnumbered the opposing force. And yet they failed to fight; they withdrew from the site."

See the video and read the article here.

This is Vietnam on steroids.  What good is it to spend all the treasure, take all the sacrifice in lives and broken bodies...if the Iraqis just don't seem to give a fuck?

The only real solution is to walk away from Iraq, see how this all plays out and then deal with the consequences.

This high level finger pointing by Ash Carter isn't something to cheer.  If people are honest then they know that the administration (and the previous one) lost the fight in Iraq long ago.  Not on the battlefield but in the planning.  Human Terrain and Counter Insurgency theory just can't deal with a tribal/religious sectarian conflict.  The concepts failed in the field.

Carter is just laying the groundwork for the defense of the administration's policies when he should be advising the President to tell the country that its time to walk away.  Past time.

SB-1 Defiant Video

Is this a new shooting stance?

The Marines YouTube Page has a video out this morning where Recon Marines did one of those all too common "challenge" activities that supposedly honors the fallen.  You can check it out below.  What caught my attention is the thumbnail photo.  Is that a new shooting stance?  Any info is appreciated.

An analysis of the Kornet-D.

Defense 24 has an analysis of the Kornet-D.  You can read it here but this part has me confused...

It is reported that the system is multifunctional as it can cause fire both for terrestrial and marine, and even air (objectives are to be in this case, helicopters and drone).
The time needed to move from position to position combat march is (theoretically) just 7 seconds and a response time of 4-6 seconds.

I get the part about it being multifunctional but the highlighted section just has me spinning.  Maybe my Google Translate let me down but I'm just not getting the meaning of this.

Regardless.  The Kornet-D is looking like a capable weapon system.  The decision to quad pack them on their high mobility vehicles is genius.  Add this to the headaches that future planners will have to deal with...not only do they have to grapple with highly mobile anti-tank teams but the realization that all the investment in UAVs is being threatened by a very prolific anti-tank system.

Grey Eagle pilots and staff planner should be worried...that networked, ISR network is being put under the gun...or should I say missile.

Increased police shooting are the symptoms of a return to 1919?

Know your history America.  via Wikipedia...

In late April 1919, at least 36 booby trap dynamite-filled bombs were mailed to a cross-section of prominent politicians and appointees, including theAttorney General of the United States, as well as justice officials, newspaper editors and businessmen, including John D. Rockefeller.[1] Among all the bombs addressed to high-level officials, one bomb was addressed to the home of a Department of Justice Bureau of Investigation (BOI) field agent once tasked with investigating the Galleanists, Rayme Weston Finch, who in 1918 had arrested two prominent Galleanists while leading a police raid on the offices of their publication Cronaca Sovversiva.[1]

And then this...

Fueled by labor unrest and the anarchist bombings, and then spurred on by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer's attempt to suppress radical and non-radical labor organizations, it was characterized by exaggerated rhetoric, illegal search and seizures, unwarranted arrests and detentions, and the deportation of several hundred suspected radicals and anarchists. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, twice targeted by anarchist bombs, organized the nationwide series of police actions, known as the Palmer raids, in November 1919 and January 1920. Under suspicion of violating the Espionage Act, the Sedition Act, and/or the Immigration Act of 1918,[11] approximately 10,000 people were arrested, of which 3,500 were held in detention.[12] Of those held in detention, 556 resident aliens were eventually deported.[11]

All of the above is from the 1919 Anarchist Bombing (Wiki entry is here). Consider this an online response to my debating partner, American Mercenary.  He did a post here that should be read to put this whole thing in context. 

My point?

The incident at the Bundy Ranch could have sparked something dark and deeply American if the government had chose to.  There have been numerous times throughout our history when the government has forcefully put down dissent.

The situation today is familiar to any student of history.  You're looking at (generally) both coasts against fly over country.  Liberal versus conservative generally established by where you live (with pockets of each viewpoint found in each area).  And there lies the danger.  You have a federal government that is Northeast corridor biased attempting to push its "beliefs" onto parts of the country that do not feel the same (the South and Midwest).

The only thing missing is a defining issue and we're looking at a semi-repeat of history.  Now do you get the force of connection?

China is building a Landing Ship Medium (LSM).

pics and article via China Defense Blog.

CDB says...

A newbuilt ship of an entirely new type for the PLA Ground Forces is currently running sea trials in the Sea of Bohai. It was launched at the Army’s Songliao Shipard at Dalian in August 2013.
Officially described as an Army Ro/Ro Transport, it is really a Landing Ship Medium (LSM), equipped with the with the typical kedging anchor of landing ships, even though the bulbous bow would preclude the ship from beaching.
The ship is equipped with both bow and stern ramps and a short helicopter platform aft. The armament consists of four twin 14.5 mm guns, two forward and two aft. Twin funnels indicate twin-screw propulsion; in addition, it has a bow thruster for improved maneuvrability.The lifting capacity is probably a mechanised infantry company.
The ship is a striking departure from the Type 271III YUWEI class Landing Craft Tank (LCT) that has been building for decades for the Army, and of which there currently are some 85 in service with the Army’s landing craft units. The dark grey colour, too, is a departure from the usual blue of Army vessels.
It is not known if the new ship will go into series production nor which unit will operate the new ship. In view of its experimental nature, a good possibility would be the Ship Squadron (Unit 73502) at Dongshandao, attached to the Nanjing MR Amphibious Training Base.
Songlia Shipyard built another unique ship in 2012, the training vessel AL201 belonging to the Training Squadron of the Army/Air Force Navigation School at Zhenjiang. That ship was based on the Sea Police’s Hai Jing 31101 PUDONG (Type 718).

JESUS!  Will someone at HQMC sit up and smell the coffee?

The Chinese are equipping to put a fully mechanized Chinese Marine Landing Force on foreign terrain.  They are equipping to take it, hold it and repel any assault that we launch!  You don't need this much lift to sustain an infantry heavy force...which means the USMC is gearing up to fight against a future foe in a way that is almost guaranteed to end badly.

Company Landing Teams in Internally Carried Vehicles, depending on air support, naval fires etc...that are far off shore and lack the capability to provide either sustained or prompt fires is asking to fill body bags.

Memorial Day Vid....watch it all and reflect....

MI-26T2 in serial production.

via Alert 5 from Russian Helicopter Press Release.

Russian Helicopters (part of State Corporation Rostec) has launched series production on the heavy Mi-26T2 helicopter at Rostvertol. The Mi-26T2 is a modernised version of the Mi-26T, equipped with the latest avionics, making it possible to cut the number of crew required and also to operate the helicopter during night-time.
“We announce the start of production on the modernised heavy Mi-26T2 helicopter,” said delegation head, deputy CEO of Russian Helicopters Andrey Shibitov. “Mi-26 helicopters are unparalleled in terms of their flight capabilities, and this modernisation significantly expands their potential operational use. I am confident that the Mi-26T2 will be popular in Russia and internationally.”

We can debate the CH-53K versus the CH-47F all day long...but we're really missing the point.  The Mi-26 is the real undisputed king.  A helicopter with the carry capacity of the C-130?  That's the dream of every Army planner and the Russians have had it for over a couple of decades...and now they're modernizing it.

Oh and for the naysayers remember this.  The C-130 has been upgraded since the 1950's and will probably serve until 2050...the CH-47 has also been upgraded since the 1960's and you would be hard pressed to tell the differences.

While we wait for a future "Joint Heavy Lift Platform" (of whatever style it takes...tilt, rotors, compound...) the Russians have the capability today.

Kinda makes me misty in a punch the wall kind of way.

What is going on with the Brazilian fighters?

Ok.  It might be time to get back into the UFC thing again.  I was checking out the results of last nights fights and wow...the Cormier victory was expected but I DID NOT SEE Chris Weidman taking apart Vitor Belfort.

I mean totally dismantling the guy.

Yeah.  Its time to check out some of the young guns that are finally making names as champions instead of contenders.

But as a sidenote.  What is going on with the Brazilian fighters?  Is it just my imagination or does it seem like they're no where as dominate as they once were?  I realize that everyone is studying Brazilian Ju Jitsu, but they're appearing extremely vulnerable to a solid wrestling foundation.  I definitely need to find someone that recorded this thing.  This was one I should have watched live.