So Sorry India & China Latest Video

Thanks to Rituraj for turning me on to these vids!




Wow!  I guess things are a bit more intense than I thought between China and India.  When you have populations getting involved in the mocking then you know they're paying attention and that they're ready to get to hookin' and jabbin'.

Well from a quick view of this series of videos it seems that the Indian people are indeed locked onto to the situation with China and feel no fear.

That's kind of ironic.  We have many quaking in their boots (with some justification...a miscalculation could be horrendous) about the possibility of war with N. Korea even though the final outcome is certain (IF WE'RE WILLING to escalate fast enough to render them impotent)...on the other hand you have India that shows no fear when it comes to possible conflict with China.

Is the missing ingredient for the US simply confidence?

Have we gotten to a point where we no longer believe we can do hard things?

This web post is getting away from me but look at our potential competitors...China, Russia, India...even Brazil and to a lesser extent Turkey and Iran could be lumped into that category (notice I make no distinction...these countries all aspire to be top dog in my opinion)...what do they have that we don't?

I think it's that they believe they can do the hard thing and are busting ass to get it done...by cheating if necessary, taking advantage of every trade rule if they can and by pushing ahead at home as hard as they are abroad.

Could it be that we've lost our mojo?  Could it be as simple as rebuilding American confidence to get it back?

2Sympleks Surgo Mountain Rescue Vehicle (pics)

Via High Consumption (here)

Russian BTR-80 Armored Personnel Carrier

JS Kaga DDH 184 2nd Izumo Class Helicopter Destroyer

Trump on Afghanistan. The Neo-Cons/Establishment/Military Industrial Complex have won...he is de-fanged and irrelevant.

Listening to the Trump speech on Afghanistan.  Long story short?  The Neo-Cons/Establishment/Military Industrial Complex have won.  Trump has been de-fanged and is now irrelevant.

The idea that another four years will result in victory after they haven't succeeded after 16 is comical.

I mean seriously how stupid can our military leadership be?  This is literally INSANE!

Trump has given in.  He has rolled over like a good little puppy, will get belly rubs from McCain, Graham, McMaster, Dunford and Mattis.

This was the moment to make a stand and to change the course of history. Trump failed the test and will continue to squander lives, and treasure in a God forsaken land.

I now expect the standard Republican playbook.  NAFTA?  Will probably remain unchanged.  TPP?  It might be reintroduced.  Iran nuke deal?  It's written in stone.  Tax reform?  More like tax cuts for the rich.

Trump is broken.  Nothing he ran on will be done.  Bannon was right.  The Trump presidency is over.

China blames India for border scuffle.

via Reuters.

China laid the blame at India's door on Monday for an altercation along their border in the western Himalayas involving soldiers from both of the Asian giants.

Both countries' troops have been embroiled in an eight-week-long standoff on the Doklam plateau in another part of the remote Himalayan region near their disputed frontier.

Last week, a source in New Delhi, who had been briefed on the military situation on the border, said soldiers foiled a bid by a group of Chinese troops to enter Indian territory in Ladakh, near Pangong lake.

Some of the Chinese soldiers carried iron rods and stones, and troops on both sides suffered minor injuries in the melee, the source said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that last Tuesday, Chinese border forces were carrying out "normal" patrols on the Chinese side of the actual line of control in the Pangong lake are.

"During this time they were obstructed by Indian border forces and the Indian side took fierce actions, colliding with the Chinese personnel and having contact with their bodies, injuring the Chinese border personnel," Hua told a daily news briefing.

Story here. 

Sounds like the Chinese are whining.  All bullies whine when they finally get what they deserve.  We see that here in the US and now we're seeing it play out on the international stage.

India has been outstanding in their stance and behavior in this situation.  You don't back down.  You stand your ground and fight.  You make them pay.

Well done India....we need more like you.

Why the M27 for the Marines.

200 ISIS terrorists killed in Russian airstrike...

Thanks to S300V4 for the link!

via Almanar

Russia’s Defense Ministry says its aircraft have eliminated more than 200 ISIL terrorists on their way to the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor.

The operation also destroyed around 20 SUVs laden with large-caliber weapons and mortars, as well as armored vehicles, including tanks, the Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The city contains relatively large concentrations of the Takfiri group’s terrorists and is subject to offensives by both the Syrian Army and its allies, and Russian warplanes.

The Ministry said the city was now witnessing “international terrorists…trying to regroup and equip their last base in Syria.”

“The defeat of ISIL in the Deir Ezzor region will be a strategic defeat for the international terrorist group in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the statement said.

Story here.

Apparently the Russians can do two things very well.  The first is to drink Vodka and the second is to kill terrorists.

I wonder.  We have all these expensive and capable ISR units in the region yet the Russians are able to put steel on target? It's almost like we don't actually want to defeat the terrorists...but that's just crazy talk right?

Classification of IDF Infantry...if true then the Co-Ed unit is a publicity stunt!

I did a post talking about the new Lions of the Valley Co-Ed IDF infantry unit. Admittedly I'm operating off nothing but looks.  But taking a gander at those pics and I get more Pepsi commercial than cold steely eyed killers.

I stated that it looked like some millennials got together for a camping trip and air soft was the entertainment.

As expected I got immediate push back.  A little birdy landed in my e-mail box and said this.

Israel created a special tier of infantry for border security and overwatch.  Their special operations units are trained to level 09, conventional infantry to 07, and coed "infantry" to 05.  These latter units have participated in neither the Gazan nor Lebanese campaigns, and never will (unless the other forces have been annihilated).

I know what you're saying.  The USMC is going thru the same thing so why is it a bigger deal for Israel.  Simple!  Israel is under threat for its very existence on an almost daily basis.  We (the US) operate far from home and for the past 50 plus years have gotten involved in wars of choice, not necessity.

I don't think we can afford to be politically correct when it comes to defense issues but if anyone can it's us.  The IDF and Israeli people can't.  But they started this crap so they should be the first to test it.  I wish them well but it's gonna be a terrible thing to see what's done to an Israeli Female Soldier that is captured by Hezbollah.  That's one YouTube video I'll pass on watching. Unfortunately they're lining up some little girl to face that fate.

Open Comment Post. Aug 21, 2017

Chinese VT-4 Main Battle Tank Overview (vid)

IDF's Lions of the Valley (a couple of pics)

IDF's Flickr Page lured me in with images of the Merkava, but the highlight of this photo stream is the Lions of the Valley "coed" infantry unit.  Why didn't I post the pics?  Because they look like a millennial camping trip with airsoft as the entertainment.

The pics I saw didn't inspire confidence and didn't make believe that these people could go toe to toe with Hezbollah and win.  As a matter of fact I would bet money that if they were to spearhead a push into Palestinian neighborhoods they would be sent back home with their legs between their tales.

Don't believe me?  Go to the IDF Flickr Page and take a look for yourself.  This is not the IDF that won for the Israeli people.  Quite honestly I fear for them. I can easily see the IDF getting defeated on the battlefield...by conventional means.

I am a supporter of Israel but the decisions being made fill me with dread. I wonder if they'll even exist in another 50 years unless they make some serious changes fast.