Blast from the past. 1943 Landing Craft Infographic

click image to enlarge.

Its almost like the Australian Army is trying to defend its Land 400 downselect.

Thanks to Sven for the link!

Australia's Army News has a two page spread on the Land 400 down selects and it reads almost like a defense of their actions.  Read it here.  My takeaway?  The Aussies have obviously been stung by the criticism that they're buying old vehicles.  They quickly make the point that they're both in service models AND that they can be modified for Australian use now and into the future.  The next takeaway is that they're pushing not only the recon mission but also the counter recon mission.  That kinda puts things into a little different perspective and helps justify the CRAZY protection package they're demanding...but only a little.

I can't wait to see who the ultimate winner is.  If the testing is only in the Northern Territories then its certainly gonna favor the Boxer.  But if their Ministry of Defence has even a sliver of integrity they'll remember the Timor op and take it into some slop to see how it does.  In that environment the Patria will shine.  No matter what happens this has gone from sunshine to shit in the blink of an eye.

Blast from the past. Crusader XM2001 Self Propelled Howitzer

U.S. Army Captain Robert Bacon leading a patrol in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. 1964. (pics)

Note:  Check out that environment.  That takes a special kind of tough to operate and in live in the jungle.  Fast forwarding to today, I don't think we're ready if we have to return to that.  I'm not a materials expert but I have doubts about Cordura holding up in the heat, humidity and wetness of the jungle.  I'd even bet current boots would literally rot off the feet of our Marines.  Even if the materials can withstand it, I wonder how much weight gain our guys would face due to the gear not being able to shed water.  The singular focus on desert fighting has left us vulnerable to combat in other climes.

Westmoreland getting in a photo op.  I'm still conflicted on his leadership.  Did he have it right but got blocked by the civilians he served or was he simply jacked up and tried to fight WW2/Korea all over again.

Blast from the past. AB-13 Ukrainian Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Hat Tip to bmashina Tumblr Page.

AB-13 — Ukrainian experienced heavy infantry fighting vehicle created on the chassis of the tank centurion.

ISIS claims responsibility for Mall attack.

Thanks to William for the link!

via CBS News.

An ISIS-run news agency claims the man who stabbed and wounded eight people at a mall in Minnesota​ before being shot dead by an off-duty police officer was a “soldier of the Islamic State.”

The ISIS-run Rasd news agency reported the claim on Sunday, saying the attacker had heeded calls from the extremist group for attacks in countries that are part of a U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition.

It was not immediately clear if the extremist group had planned the attack or even knew about it beforehand. ISIS has encouraged so-called “lone wolf” attacks. It has also claimed past attacks that are not believed to have been planned by its central leadership.

St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said the attacker, who has yet to be identified, was wearing a security uniform and was armed with a knife, reports CBS Minnesota. Anderson said the attacker made at least one reference to Allah and asked a victim if they were Muslim.
Police say they are not ready to call the attack an act of terrorism.
“We will be diligent and get to the bottom of this,” Anderson said. “We will be transparent.”
All eight victims from Saturday’s attack were treated at a hospital for wounds that weren’t life-threatening and all but one were later released.

Remember the "other" mass casualty event that happened in the heartland that NO ONE is talking about?  Where one person heard "Allah eats snack bars" while a madman decided he wanted to knife innocent people?

Well ISIS is claiming responsibility and mainstream news is downplaying it because it would adversely affect Hillary's campaign.

All that's irrelevant.  What is relevant is that terrorism is now backed into the fabric of American life.  Whether homegrown or foreign...whether motivated by criminal behavior or ideology...you must be physically and mentally prepared to protect you and yours.

Police will try.  Citizens that still have their heads on straight will try.  But in the end its up to each person to be prepared to do the hard thing.

USAF F-35A's. Combat ready in July, grounded in Sept.

via Breaking Defense.

The US Air Force and Norway announced the temporary suspension of flight operations for 15 F-35As today because of “peeling and crumbling insulation in avionics cooling lines inside the fuel tanks.”
The problem, caused by a supplier, was discovered during depot modification of an F-35A and affects a total of 57 aircraft, 42 of them still on the production line.

This would be funny if we weren't talking about the airplane that the West is counting on to form the backbone of its defense for the next 3 or 4 decades.

Some IDIOTS are applauding and saying that the maintenance crews are to be applauded for catching this.  Ok, but then Lockheed Martin and the Program Office deserve a hearty "what the fuck" for such sloppy overwatch.

One rogue supplier and 57 aircraft go down in one swoop?  Shoddy materials that were not to spec?

Yeah.  This program is the walking dead.  The fanboys just refuse to see the truth.  The reality is simple.  The USAF declared the F-35 combat ready in July and grounded them in Sept.

Open Comment Post. Sept 18, 2016. Burning issue? Terror attack in NY?

A burning issue this early Sunday morning?  The possible terror attack in NY.  It fits the box.  A pressure cooker with cell phone activation.  Placed in a trash bin.  Yeah.  This is Boston all over again with a slower response.

Another issue that the Democrats are well aware of (to include the Administration and the mainstream media) is that the trifecta is coming together for a Trump win.  Syria spinning out of control, terror attacks in the US and the missing piece is an economic meltdown....but we're halfway their and citizens are feeling it.  Did you hear about the possibility of gas shortages on the East coast due to a busted pipeline?

Yeah.  Who cares about Oct!  Sept is gonna be wild!

You believe the strike against the Syrian Army was a mistake? Remember this!

via FoxNews.

U.S. military pilots carrying out the air war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are voicing growing discontent over what they say are heavy-handed rules of engagement hindering them from striking targets.
They blame a bureaucracy that does not allow for quick decision-making. One Navy F-18 pilot who has flown missions against ISIS voiced his frustration to Fox News, saying: "There were times I had groups of ISIS fighters in my sights, but couldn't get clearance to engage.”
He added, “They probably killed innocent people and spread evil because of my inability to kill them. It was frustrating."
Sources close to the air war against ISIS told Fox News that strike missions take, on average, just under an hour, from a pilot requesting permission to strike an ISIS target to a weapon leaving the wing.
A spokesman for the U.S. Air Force’s Central Command pushed back: “We refute the idea that close air support strikes take 'an hour on average'. Depending on the how complex the target environment is, a strike could take place in less than 10 minutes or it could take much longer.
"As our leaders have said, this is a long-term fight, and we will not alienate civilians, the Iraqi government or our coalition partners by striking targets indiscriminately."
A former U.S. Air Force general who led air campaigns over Iraq and Afghanistan also said today's pilots are being "micromanaged," and the process for ordering strikes is slow -- squandering valuable minutes and making it possible for the enemy to escape.

Yeah.

So the same US military that has its pilots on such a short leash that it can up to an hour to get clearance to strike a target suddenly have loosened things up so much that Syrian forces can be struck by accident?

I don't buy it.

I don't know what's going on but the explanation that this was a mistake is pure bullshit.

Has the US military lost its mind? Are they trying to kill the ceasefire?

via RT (yeah...get over it...I get news from any source)

US-led coalition jets have bombed Syrian government forces’ positions near the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, killing 62 troops and "paving the way" for Islamic State militants, the Syrian Army General Command told the state television.

The bombing took place on al-Tharda Mountain in the region of Deir ez-Zor and caused casualties and destruction on the ground, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported on Saturday.
Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and over 100 injured in the airstrike by the US-led coalition, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said, citing information received from the Syrian General Command.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the aircraft which carried out the bombings had entered Syrian airspace from the territory of Iraq.

Four strikes against Syrian positions was performed by two F-16 jet fighters and two A-10 support aircraft, it added.

“If the airstrike was caused by the wrong coordinates of targets than it’s a direct consequence of the stubborn unwillingness of the American side to coordinate with Russia in its actions against terrorist groups in Syria,”Konashenkov stressed.
The Defense Ministry also confirmed a report by SANA that an Islamic State offensive began right after Syrian Army positions were hit from the air.
"Immediately after the airstrike by coalition planes, Islamic State militants launched their offensive. Fierce fighting with the terrorists is currently underway in the area of the airport where for a long a time humanitarian aid for civilians was parachuted,”Konashenkov said.
The Syrian General Command has called the bombing a “serious and blatant aggression” against Syrian forces, and said it was "conclusive evidence" that the US and its allies support IS militants.

Someone in our govt doesn't give a rats ass about killing ISIS.  The main focus remains on getting rid of Assad.

That is disturbing!  It indicates that the Neo-Cons have somehow penetrated the US military.  I really shouldn't be surprised.  The emphasis on forward basing of troops worldwide makes no sense and simply strains the force.  The crazy increase in exercises/training missions with allies is also suspect.

But to attack the Syrian Army?

That is risking an escalation that could easily spiral out of control.  Oh and did you notice that ISIS launched an offensive in CONJUNCTION with the strike on the Syrian Army?

This whole thing is suspect.  I'm looking forward to hear the lie that is told to explain this away.  The scary thing is Putin's reaction.  He MUST respond.  I would expect it from our president if they did this so its a given that he won't sit on his thumbs.

Are we getting a setup for an Oct surprise?

Africa Aerospace & Defence exhibition armored vehicles demonstration via Defense Web TV

Wow!  The S. Africans still use the Olifant (the ultimate Centurion tank that no one talks about), the Rooikat (the original mobile gun system that doesn't get enough credit and is still VERY competitive) and the Caspir MRAP (the first real MRAP...ironic really...if you notice the current systems they have so many storage boxes etc..hanging off the sides that they're part of the blast hazard and lack the plain common sense approach with this vehicle).  I like what the S. Africans are doing in a general sense but they seem to be "busying" up their vehicles and they're moving away from the plain aesthetic that I found appealing.  I also look forward to seeing how the Badger performs.

The unmitigated gall of the Joint Chiefs!

Breaking Defense printed a story that they titled "Four Service Chiefs Say They Can't Defend The US Under Sequestration".

Ok.  We've heard those claims for more than a year now.  We've heard the warnings and gnashing of teeth about the freeze in defense spending.

So since this is all well known then what has me punching walls?  Check out this portion!

The ultimate cost, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told the committee, will be that conflicts will last longer. That means, he said, “the butchers bill is paid with American lives.” Milley noted that Army weapons systems’ readiness already is “well below 90 percent, and that is great cause for concern.”

So the guys that have us involved in wars in the Middle East that have lasted more than 15 years, the people that tell us that it will take a decade to destroy an organization with 30K troops operating in the open desert now say that wars will last longer unless sequestration is lifted?

Forgive me if I think these bastards are lying their asses off.  If they can't get it done within the current budget then they should retire so we can get people who can.  The gall of these people.  Watch polls.  The military is about to lose its vaunted standing with the American people as a trusted institution.