Open Comment Post. Aug 18, 2017

31st MEU conducts airfield seizure exercise...Photos by Lance Cpl. Breanna Weisenberger

Grainy pics of night ops is just par for the course.  But ignore the pic quality, we have a different kettle of fish to fry.

Want to know where US forces will be ambushed next?

Yeah.  Trying to seize an airfield.

You don't even need to do any spying, espionage or search open sources hard. It's in your face and absolutely EVERY service and most units practice it.

SOCOM?  You bet your ass.  Rangers?  Stole the mission from the 82nd.  MARSOC? Stole it from the MEU.  Special Forces?  They claim to be able to do everything.  SEALs?  You can bet your ass that they won't be left out of any "en vogue" capability!

But what about our conventional forces?

MEU?  Yep.  Supposedly to hold it for follow on forces.  82nd ABN?  As part of their forcible entry mission.  101st AASLT? Ditto.  25th ID?  Yep.  2nd ID?  Yep. 173 ABCT? You bet your ass...they're mini-82nd.  The list goes on and include practically every combat unit in the US military.

What about PORT SEIZURE?

I can't find it but Neller talked about the USMC having to do port seizure and I cheered.  Unfortunately it was a one time thing.  But it is an essential part of the Marine Corps mission.  It is one of our reasons for being.  Check this out via USMC.mil.

CAPABILITIES

• Amphibious Operations

• Amphibious Assault

• Amphibious Raid

• Amphibious Demonstration

• Amphibious Withdrawal

• Maritime Special Operations:

•    Direct Action

•       Seizure/Recovery of Offshore Energy Facilities (GOPLAT)

•        Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure Operations (VBSS)

•    Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP)

• Military Operations Other Than War:

•     Peace Operations

•     Peacekeeping

•     Peace Enforcement

•     Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO)

•     Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief

• Supporting Operations:

•     Rapid Response Planning

•     Terminal Guidance Operations

•     Enhanced Urban Operations

• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

•       Reconnaissance and Surveillance

•       Counter Intelligence

•       Signals Intelligence

• Fire Support Planning, Coordination, Control in a Joint/Combined Environment

• Provide Command, Control, Communications, Computers

• Airfield/Port Seizure

• Limited Expeditionary Airfield Operations

• Security Operations

• Enabling Operations

• Joint Task Force Enabler

• Chemical Biological Assessment

• Maritime Preposition Force Enabler

• Follow-on-Force Enabler

• Special Operations Force Enabler

• Employ Non-lethal Weapons

• Tactical Deception

• Information Operations

• Electronic Warfare

• Anti-terrorism

Above is a list of mission sets assigned to the Marine Expeditionary Unit. It's an impressive list and the Special Operations Capable label that they once carried is still applicable today (even though SOCOM would have a cow).

But back on task.

Notice that airfield and port seizure are listed as equal capabilities?  Riddle me this.  I've asked it before but I'll ask again.  For all the operations that we've seen in cities why have we never seen an operation at a major port so that the Marine Corps can practice this?

Conducting exercises in the middle of major cities is unexplainable.  We have combat towns that can simulate those conditions and if not then we need to build a joint mega city on Ft Hood, 29 Palms, or hell in the middle of federal land in a desert somewhere to practice the skills necessary if leadership really wants to chase that rabbit down the hole.

But by my reckoning we haven't done a live exercise with the goal of seizing a major port in the past 30 years.  Why?  We are the service that is tasked with that mission.  It is unique to the Marine Corps but we don't do it!  Why?

We're seeing something that affects weight lifters and causes unbalanced physiques.  You'll see guys banging away curling but never doing core exercise, failing to build a base of strength by dead lifting, failing to activate their nervous systems by blasting their legs.  The same can be said of the Marine Corps.

Training to do the "cool missions" is well and good.  It's fun.  The planning might be unrealistic but its easy.  It's been done a million times so the play book is down pat.  But what about the nasty, hard but necessary stuff?  An expeditionary force in readiness should be able to execute across the board. Even in missions that it doesn't like.

Besides.  If Marine Corps leadership is serious about fighting in Mega Cities then seizing a port should be child's play.

Photographic evidence that knife attacks are dangerous! Mildly graphic....

via Guns and Tactics Tumblr.

Yeah.  Knives are vicious and they're the tool of choice for many criminals now.  Knives, clubs, bludgeons, quarters in socks, padded gloves, steel toe boots, etc...  Improvised weapons used against you can be defended in court.  You see a clown in gear with his "clan" then you put the dog down.  Shoot first, defend yourself in court later.

Oh and remember this.  If you "see stars" or lose consciousness then you are at the mercy of your attacker.  The moment they lay hands on you and you can't properly disengage and resume your attack is the moment you've given your life to someone that DOES NOT value it.

Carry!  Carry! Carry!  Your sidearm is suppose to be comforting, not comfortable.

US forces in Syria for decades?

via Reuters.

Washington's main Syrian ally in the fight against Islamic State says the U.S. military will remain in northern Syria long after the jihadists are defeated, predicting enduring ties with the Kurdish-dominated region.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of militias dominated by the Kurdish YPG, believes the United States has a "strategic interest" in staying on, SDF spokesman Talal Silo told Reuters.

"They have a strategy policy for decades to come. There will be military, economic and political agreements in the long term between the leadership of the northern areas (of Syria) ... and the U.S. administration," Silo said.

Story here.

Wow.  Fucking really?  Seriously?  So we're gonna put what?  A Stryker Brigade in N. Syria so they can be speed bumps for Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran and every sandal wearing terrorist in the region?

Who thinks this stuff up?

The stark reality. Increased defense spending is now off the table.

via Defense News.

With the fiscal year set to expire at the end of September, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis is warning that a stopgap funding measure would have a serious impact on a Pentagon attempting to modernize its capabilities.

Operating under a continuing resolution, or CR, would be “about as unwise as can be,” Mattis told reporters this week at the Pentagon.

It is a tradition that all those serving as secretary of defense have grown used to over the past five years: sounding the alarm about what a CR will do to readiness and modernization, publicly begging Congress to fix the problem and then getting on with life when the budget is inevitably passed toward the end of the year.

There are indications that Congress will follow that pattern this year, with the expectation of a CR to keep things working after September before a final budget is arranged around Christmas. But until that situation sorts itself out, Mattis will most likely follow the script laid out by Ash Carter, Chuck Hagel and Leon Panetta — sounding the alarm about the impact of a CR, which freezes funding at levels from the previous year while preventing new start programs from launching.

Story here.

I can't believe I'm having to say this, but recent events compel me to.

Because of Donald Trump's erratic behavior, his idiotic tweeting and his alienation of almost every conservative except those that belong to the Neo-Nazis, KKK, White Supremacists or their supporters.....

You can stick a fork in increased defense spending for the balance of his next few years in office.

The amazing thing?

Dude really had a chance.  He had a chance to do everything he said he wanted to do.  Increase defense spending, revamp trade, redo our relationship with Russia, balance the ledger with China, get the fuck outta the Middle East etc....

Check out what Senator Corker had to say.

Open Comment Post. Aug 17, 2017

Video from the latest Chinese "armor" show!

Thanks to Costas TT for the link!



Wow.  Great find!  Drink it in boys.  These are the people that we will be hookin' and jabbin' with...and it will be an "all hands on deck" situation.  Too old for service?  Maybe not if its as I think...a fight for national survival!

Bonus! Hirez pics of Chinese VT5 Light Tank.

Thanks again to Skylancer for the link!

I posted this for two reasons.  First I think it's a neat design.  Second is because it tells us something.

Think about it!

The Chinese have several IFVs sporting large caliber cannons but still developed a dedicated Light Tank.  What does that tell us?  Did they do an analysis of the Mobile Gun System and decide that while attractive it didn't provide enough "umph" to be worth pursuing?  What did they find out in their study of the issue that the Italians with the Centuro and the Japanese with their version didn't?

Who's right and who's wrong?

More hirez pics of the new Chinese VN17 IFV.

Thanks to Skylancer for the pics.

Geez.  This things looks like a Marder/Puma hybrid!  Additionally that fucking turret is unmanned.

The Chinese are making strides boys.  1st and 3rd MarDiv better get ready.  Sooner or later this fight is coming!

Chinese APS demonstrated

Thanks to Koxinga for the pic!

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

I told you people that China would soon be making next gen fighting systems and here they are being rolled out.

Thanks to my readers you're getting a first look at these systems thru open sources.  This shit isn't secret.  They're basically spitting in our face telling us that they can take us in a straight up fight.

Between new armored systems coming online, new APS that might be able to defeat our short ranged anti-tank weapons and an ability to produce on a scale that we can't, it's obvious what the Chinese are doing.

They're on the verge of fighting the perfect war.

They're on the verge of winning without having to fight.  Sun Tzu would be proud.


Side note:  Now do you get the force of connection?  Forward basing US forces around the world has made us weaker, not increased stability!  We're wasting strength in Europe trying to "surround" Russia while the real threat goes unchallenged in the Pacific.  Additionally we have too many forces in the second island chain that are now VULNERABLE to a Chinese first strike.  A few dozen missiles lobbed at Guam and Okinawa and suddenly we're lost almost a third of Marine Corps forces in the minutes that it takes to fly from mainland China and a few artificial islands (talking non-nuclear ballistic missiles).  Russia is not the threat!  China is!

Pics of the new Chinese IFV designated VN17

Thanks to Costas TT for the pic!

A gunner and commander optic setup for efficient targeting and killing of enemy material, two anti-tank missiles on turret sides, additional armor on the sides and front (have no idea of the type but its reminiscent of the AJAX Scout setup) and finally a large caliber cannon (unknown what size).

Don't see any secondary weapons, not even coax for the main gun.

How are the Chinese viewing this vehicle I wonder.  I'm guessing that they're gonna build a dedicated APC version with multiple machineguns to provide support for dismounted infantry while these vehicles tangle with enemy IFVs and fortifications.  This could be more tankette than IFV.

JESUS! China is converting old Type 59 MBTs into IFVs

Thanks to Donno for the link!

Donno has been finding the good stuff lately and this is huge (in my opinion).  China has come up with a modification to their old Type 59 MBTs to turn them into a pretty credible looking and modern IFV.

I can't get much detail from the pic but that appears to be larger than a 12.7mm in the turret and its difficult to make out more detail.

One thing is apparent.  The engine seems to have been moved.  I can't tell if its to the front or side (guessing side by the exhaust) and they've built a raised troop compartment in back.

Let me shout this from the rooftops.

RUSSIA IS NOT THE THREAT!  The EU can solve any issue they have with Russia by themselves.  The country that is a threat to the existence of the United States is CHINA!!!!  We should orient to face this threat on a mental, military and economic basis.