Greece is a warning for the public.

Have you been watching Greece?

I don't care where you come down....if you're a prepper, if you're a person that believes that all is well, we can take one warning from the current crisis.

Banks can close their doors at anytime, for any reason and without warning.

It is imperative that everyone have a stash of cash.  ATM's aren't even reliable because the Greek example shows that they too will shut down.

Consider this another heads up!

Test Pilot says...“The F-35 was at a distinct energy disadvantage”

NO SPOILERS!

Read it here.

I will say this.

If it is ever proven that military leadership, or more specifically USMC leadership lied to the public about the F-35 then its over.  The USAF can play those reindeer games.  No one trusts or believes them anyway.  But for the Marine Corps, the mythology of a no bullshit, tell it like it is whether you like it or not is important.

That is one of the reasons why Amos failed as Commandant.  People didn't believe him.  He was seen as more a politician than a commander.

If the current leadership is walking down the same path then the damage done will be irreparable.

The F-35 is not worth the loss of institutional integrity.  Its just not.

Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) displayed a Norinco WMA301 Assaulter Tank Destroyer

via Janes.

The Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) displayed a single Norinco WMA301 Assaulter tank destroyer during the country's independence day parade on 27 June.
The Assaulter is comprised of the hull of a WZ551 6x6 armoured personnel carrier armoured with a 105 mm gun mounted in a three-person turret. It has similar firepower to a tank, but is more affordable and easier to maintain, albeit at the expense of armour protection.
The FAD does not currently have any tanks, but has Ratel-90 and AML-90 armoured vehicles that can be used in the fire-support role.
The Assaulter is already in service with Cameroon and Chad, both of which deployed them during operations against the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram.
The FAD also displayed M109 self-propelled howitzers and Cougar mine-resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles, both of which were seen for the first time in the 2014 parade.

Interesting.

If I'm not mistaken that is a new turret on that vehicle.  But what I find stunning is that the Chinese are making inroads with countries that we've had a head start in.  We had a once secret base in Djibouti and now they're parading Chinese vehicles?  Chad and Cameroon already has Chinese vehicles in service?

We're losing Africa and the SPMAGTF-CR, the Combatant Commanders In-extremis Force, and Regionally Aligned Army Brigades can't make up for a weak foreign policy.

Tanks are stylish again.

via Vice.

"In Europe, with the tension with Russia, there is a very growing fear that to tackle that you need top-end armored vehicles, and you see the Germans reacting to that with their Leopard 2 tanks by buying back from the industry what they sold a number of years ago and preparing for new tanks and buying new heavy infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers," Wezeman told VICE News. "You can't go in there with a light armored vehicle, light helicopters. You need big things, heavy things, well-protected things."
The US, Wezeman added, will not be left out. "Heavy armored vehicles, tanks, a successor to the M1, and certainly new infantry fighting vehicles are things we need to invest in, because what we have is just not good enough for potentially fighting against an enemy that is very heavily armed or at least is very strong and capable at tank weapons," he said.
And yet, the US doesn't currently have a new MBT planned; the upgraded M1A3 model of the Abrams tank, originally slated to be combat-ready by 2017, has been pushed back, with research and development now set to start sometime in the 2020s.

Story here.

Interesting...but lets rotate back to the Marine Corps.

Which way does it go?  Simply stay the course and keep the M1A1 in service until 2050?  Move to a Mobile Gun System based on the ACV?  Dump armor all together and move to a 101st from the Sea...depending on airpower to deal with enemy armor?

The word "risk" is currently fashionable in the Pentagon for anyone paying attention.  At what point does it become too risky to take on so much risk?

Exercise Southern Jackeroo 2015 (Australian Army, Japanese Ground Self Defense Force & US Marines)

All pics via Australian Army's 3rd BGE

Ukraine tries to upgrade ancient cast off British armor...

Thanks to Info Infantrie for the link.

Pics here.

This is so sad it almost makes me misty.  What did the British General say about this "donation"?  via Wikipedia...

The former chief commander of British land-forces, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said that supplying the vehicles to Ukraine was "immoral" as they were "useless".[4]

I have serious doubts about our policy regarding Ukraine.  I've looked at some of the people in the govt of Ukraine and I am far from impressed.

Additionally I believe that success for the West will mean a financial burden that will equal the cost of rebuilding West Germany after WW2...which means that even winning will be an economic burden.

But to give them these relics.

Yeah.  It is immoral.

SpaceX Rocket Just Exploded in Mid-Air

via Gizmodo.

Once again, SpaceX has audaciously attempted to land a rocket in the middle of the ocean, and once again, something went horribly wrong. Unlike the first two tries earlier this year, this one didn’t make it to the ground, not even close.
Rather, the rocket exploded quite spectacularly in mid-air, 2 minutes and 19 seconds after liftoff. Following 18 successful missions, this is the first Falcon 9 to have failed on its ascent.

We're reminded that space exploration/rocketry ain't easy.

This is the achilles heel of private enterprise and space.  Most companies won't take the risk or be able to absorb the financial burden of failed missions.

We'll see how this turns out but profitizing space flight is going to be difficult.

Thai Oplot Main Battle Tanks and BTRs on exercise.

Thanks to Info Infantrie for the link!

US has over invested in short range weapons....COIN Mafia's win is the nation's loss.

via Sputnik

The US military has over-invested into weapons which work well for launching attacks on countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria but are quite ineffective for countries like Russia and China, media outlet Flight Global reports.
The US military has over-invested in purchasing short- range direct attack bombs and has under-invested in the long-range, stealth and precision-guided weapons.
Due to that, the United States cannot overcome the defenses of such countries as Russia, China and Iran. This conclusion was reached by experts of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, reports media outlet Flight Global.

Story here.

I contend that this extends across the entire structure of the military as we see it today.

The COIN Mafia has won/is winning but the nation is losing.

Our enemies must be licking their chops.  Where once they feared engaging us in conventional warfare, they now see possibilities.

Something weird is going on with the Chinese Stock Market...

via CNBC..

China's Shanghai Composite index crashed more than 7 percent on Friday amid increasing worries that the country's bull run is running out of steam. Risk-off sentiment from the mainland also cast a shadow on regional bourses, which mostly ended in negative territory.
"Reasons for the slump in China stretch far and wide, including deleveraging, frothy valuations and extreme volatility causing nervousness. While some markets in the region seem to have ignored some of the wild swings in China for a while, it's now certainly casting a shadow on some key markets," IG's market strategist Stan Shamu wrote in a note.

Here.

Further reading?  Check this out.

Cramer: Icahn is right, the market's overheated

Why Chinese stocks could slide 50 percent

Forget Greece—it's time to worry about China

Something weird is going on with China...Greece is a known basket case...Russia is suffering under sanctions...American's are convinced that we're headed toward a crash this fall....

Yeah.  This is feeling like those months before the Great Recession hit...the same breathless warnings...the same behind the scenes moves by the big players....and the average investor looking slack eyed and silly with his thumb in his mouth.