US And Russia Quietly End Diplomatic Tailspin

via Buzzfeed.

After months of angry statements, diplomatic expulsions, and shuttered consulates, US and Russian officials have quietly put an end to the tit-for-tat retaliations between the two sides, and US officials are now considering reviving parts of a Russian proposal from March to strengthen military-to-military contacts.

The improvement in relations follows talks between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week.

For weeks, US officials had braced for Moscow to take retaliatory measures against US facilities in Russia in response to Washington’s closure of a Russian consulate in San Francisco in late August. But following last week’s meetings, Moscow is signaling an end to the feud, and US officials are expressing cautious optimism about the two diplomats’ conversations.

“They were able to exchange and operate with candor and make progress,” Tillerson aide R.C. Hammond told BuzzFeed News. “We’re encouraged about that.”

Story here. 

You want to know the real difference between us (the readers of SNAFU! or the vast majority anyway) and the inside the Beltway idiots?

We operate on common sense.  They operate on the emotion of the day or the "hot" opinion of the moment.

It was/is a no brainer to develop better relations with Russia.  It was/is a no brainer to forge military to military contacts and to partner in regions that are of interest to both countries.

Will we agree on all things?

No, but we will agree on a surprisingly large number of them if we can keep the Neo-Cons and Globalists in check.

We're finally seeing some good news out of the State Dept.  Tillerson isn't a "rock star" SecState but he is putting his back into the work and getting shit done behind the scenes.

Well done!

Open Comment Post. Sep 27, 2017

Israeli lawmakers approve F-35's bought but want to examine alternatives before buying more

Thanks to Moebius 2249 for the link!

via Defense News.

While lawmakers endorsed the government’s recent actions to acquire another 17 aircraft and thereby ensure two full stealth squadrons for the Air Force, they insisted follow-on purchases must be assessed in terms of how they contribute to national defense policy relative to alternatives.

Israel finalized last month an agreement with the U.S. government and F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin for another 17 planes. It was the third tranche of F-35 contracts, following an order for 19 aircraft in 2010 and another 14 F-35s in 2015.

“This does not detract from the vast professionalism of the Israel Air Force, but we cannot ignore the need to meticulously assess the face of the future, especially with regard to air combat platforms, which are so expensive, critical and [subject to] rapidly changing technologies,” subcommittee authors wrote.

Lawmakers said they intended to exercise their oversight role through a series of hearings on air-power alternatives aimed at influencing the IDF’s next five-year plan following the current plan, “Gideon,” which ends in 2020.

“The Committee will assess in depth ... the issue of Israeli rocket capabilities, and the potential for realistic and significant alternatives to the aerial option. The committee reasons that despite the proven capability of the Israel Air Force, it must seriously assess alternatives given future challenges and threats to the Air Force‘s ability to operate in any theater and under any conditions.”

Story here. 

Hmm.  Wonder who's whispering in the ear of Israeli lawmakers.  This is totally unexpected and I wonder if the IDF isn't looking for an off ramp with the F-35.

One thing about this airplane that hasn't been talked about with the IDF is this.  Who pays for the needed upgrades?  I don't know the block they bought or what structural and software upgrades will be needed to make the airplanes fully combat capable, but they're buying early...real early.

Are they gonna do like the US and simply park those airplanes and buy newer ones later or do they pay to upgrade?

Additionally this statement indicates that there is some doubt about the ability to penetrate enemy air defenses into the future.

Did the S-400 just make the IDF blink?  Do they have intel that makes them believe it might be better to transport a Long Range MLRS to a vacant part of the desert and let the rockets penetrate enemy airspace?

This is a good read but leaves me with more questions than answers.

We definitely need to watch this carefully.

South Korea K808/K806 8X8/6X6 Armoured Wheeled Vehicles Production Testing

2nd LAR conducts armored recon & security ops @ Ft. Pickett...pics by Lance Cpl. Abrey Liggins

How pathetic is the relief mission in Puerto Rico? A reader blasts the metrics!

Remember this post from earlier today? via Defense News.

To date, the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge and dock landing ship Oak Hill have “conducted eight medical evacuations, 148 airlifts and delivered 44,177 [pounds] of relief supplies and cargo to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” U.S. Northern Command said in a statement.

U.S. forces have also restored a mobile communications tower at St. Thomas International Airport to enable the airport to receive additional aircraft to evacuate residents.

The amphibious assault ship Wasp has been conducting similar rescues in Dominica, but that ship will be departing the region to head to the Pacific, where it will eventually relieve the Bonhomme Richard, a Navy official said.

Approximately 2,600 U.S. military personnel and National Guard members are currently involved in Hurricane Maria relief efforts, the Pentagon said.

Do you get the force of connection?  I didn't, the only thing I knew was that the effort seemed kinda small.  Exactly how small?  Thanks to my experienced and eagle eyed readers we get an idea.  Check out what Charley A said...

 To give you an idea of what 44K pounds is, that about the max payload for a single C-130, and slightly more than a single Class 8 tractor trailer combo...

I would not publish those numbers - they are not impressive.

Unimpressive doesn't even begin to describe it.  That's why I love my community.  So much military experience from so many fields that there is little that we can't puzzle together.

And thanks to one of them we get a pretty good description of the relief effort.

It's pathetic, and woefully insufficient.  Earlier I stated that the NorthCom Commander was in over her head and should be fired.

Let me raise the stakes a bit.  She should be fired, reduced in grade and then forced to retire.

This is totally unsat. 

Dagger Brigade executes first demonstration in Poland...pics by Sgt. Shiloh Capers

I wonder what the Poles think when they see our "demonstrations"?  When it comes to our land forces I just don't think our armor continues to impress. Don't get me wrong.  I think our gear is fine and I like the upgrade paths that are being talked about for both the Army and Marine Corps but its no longer top of the line.  Competitive yes.  Top of the line, world beating?  I don't think so.

When the Strykers showed up I'm sure the Poles said hmm, we have a better ride in the Rosomak (Patria AMV).  Bet the Germans said the same thing with the Boxer.  You know the Italians weren't impressed at all when they have the Centauro MGS/IFV.  Spain has its Piranha III's that are stablemates so they're not impressed either.

When it comes to tracked armor, the Poles have the BMPs they're still riding but they're looking to upgrade soon, the Germans have the Puma etc..

I won't even touch on what the Russians are thinking, and I won't make a dash across the Pacific to look at things either.

Long story short?  The armor race is on and we're stuck in the blocks fapping to networking when the iron triangle still reigns supreme.

What has happened to Marine Infantry Officers? Now they're begging for a drone & think information warfare will win the day!

via War on the Rocks.

Let’s take the Clausewitzian imagery of two wrestlers further. Imagine that one has been fighting blind. Fighting without sight is possible, when thorough training negates the expectation to rely on sight. The other senses compensate: Kinesthetic awareness is heightened, a premium is placed on sound, smell matters, and the taste of fear pervades. Now imagine the blind fighter is provided sight in the midst of the skirmish. The sensory overload would be disorienting. But once the senses recalibrate, the fighter could find untapped potential. The Marine Corps is currently the scrappy, blind fighter eager to open its eyes. The forthcoming integration of organic medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft systems, or, what, for the purposes of this article, we shall call “GuardianAngel” drones, will soon enable the service to transform into a substantively more capable 21st century Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). What will this future look like?

The Vision

In addition to its emphasis on embracing “Guardian Angel” drones, the Marine Corps Operating Concept underscores that the service needs to continuously strive to be at once naval, expeditionary, agile, and lethal. All four characteristics are essential, particularly in the context of the 21st century. With unprecedented advances in drone capabilities, the Corps is at a defining moment for MAGTF and naval force integration. This transformation is essential to achieving the Marine Corps Operating Concept’s envisioned 21st century MAGTF:

The 21st century MAGTF conducts maneuver warfare in the physical and cognitive dimensions of conflict to generate and exploit psychological, technological, temporal, and spatial advantages over the adversary. The 21st century MAGTF executes maneuver warfare through a combined arms approach that embraces information warfare as indispensable for achieving complementary effects across five domains – air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace…The 21st century MAGTF operates and fights at sea, from the sea, and ashore as an integrated part of the Naval force and the larger Combined/Joint force.

To achieve the vision though, the current MAGTF design must be reoriented with eyes open to a better and different future. A recent congressional hearing on “Amphibious Warfare in a Contested Environment” highlighted the military potential of unmanned systems for the Marine Corps: Rep. Colleen Hanabusa succinctly noted, “policy is set by acquisition.” And the opportunity to create the desired 21st century MAGTF comes with this policy change. Simply put, the 21st century MAGTF will be realized when “Guardian Angel” drones are structurally integrated into it and the naval force is able to leverage the remote sensing, communications, and fires that payload capacity with persistent presence brings.

Story here. 

Read the whole thing for yourself.  Personally I felt ill less than 1/4 thru the thing.

Since when did Marine Corps Officers speak "Pentagon-ese"?  Since when did they bath in "Think Tank Wording" to explain concepts they were pushing?

It's quite obvious that the stink of Amos and Davis still lingers.  That's the danger of letting the wrong people into important positions.  They develop acolytes that will continue to infect the organization.

This "Guardian Angel" is just the tilt rotor drone they're pushing for.

Let me hit you with something.  What happens if this concept is followed and the bad guys simply shoot them down, target them for precision jamming or does something else that renders them moot?

How will the new, technologically advanced, networked Marine Corps perform on the battlefield if this node is removed?

We're building a force where intense enemy focus on disrupting this information network will in essence put all of our units on their own personal Guadalcanal on the battlefield.  Cut off, no help coming and facing an enemy that is able to mass/destroy them in place at the time of their choosing.

Single points of failure are being designed into our force at every level.  The F-35/F-22/B-21/B-2 all focus on stealth to win the fight.  What happens if that stealth is suddenly not valid?  The same single point is being brought to the Marine Corps by people that should know better.

I am not impressed but I'd bet my last dollar those Infantry Officers are on the promotions list because of this idiocy.

Russians construct heavy bridge in Syria...forget Zapad 17, they're getting real world combat experience!

via TASS

Russian road service military experts have erected a bridge across the Euphrates River, a few kilometers away from Deir ez-Zor in northeastern Syria. It will be used to deploy military equipment and troops to the eastern river bank.

The MARM small motorway panel bridge was erected in less than two days under continuous shelling, Head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Road Service Vladimir Burovtsev told reporters.
"Unmanned aerial vehicles were used. Explosive substances and grenades were falling on us from the air during the installation work. However, we have no losses. No injured or affected. Everything was erected in the set terms," he specified.

Story here. 

Forget Zapad 17.  That was a controversial exercise only because the media and the Western military decided to make it so.

That exercise was a sideshow.  At best it could be called the Russian "Reforger" but a prelude to an invasion?  Someone was smoking crack.

This however, should concern you.

Russian Combat Engineers are getting real world combat experience in a demanding environment against terrorist forces that are equipped with nation state weaponry.

They're getting the job done too.

Want to know how difficult bridging operations can be?  Do a quick study of the Marine Corps assault into Iraq in Gulf War 2.  As far as land forces are concerned an opposed river crossing ranks near the top of complex military operations.

Zapad 17 was a joke.  This is serious and they're getting hard, they're getting fast and they're getting even more capable.

Questions asked about relief efforts in Puerto Rico...just as predicted...

via Defense News.

Two U.S. Navy ships, National Guard, Air National Guard, Reserve troops and Army helicopters are providing aid to Puerto Rico. But questions are mounting over whether the U.S. is doing enough for its territory and people, who are American citizens.

To date, the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge and dock landing ship Oak Hill have “conducted eight medical evacuations, 148 airlifts and delivered 44,177 [pounds] of relief supplies and cargo to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” U.S. Northern Command said in a statement.

U.S. forces have also restored a mobile communications tower at St. Thomas International Airport to enable the airport to receive additional aircraft to evacuate residents.

The amphibious assault ship Wasp has been conducting similar rescues in Dominica, but that ship will be departing the region to head to the Pacific, where it will eventually relieve the Bonhomme Richard, a Navy official said.

Approximately 2,600 U.S. military personnel and National Guard members are currently involved in Hurricane Maria relief efforts, the Pentagon said.

Story here.

Predictable as hell.  I told you that the Marine Corps was pushing its "aviation centric" concept in this disaster relief effort and I told you that it would come up short.

Consider this exhibit number one.

Additionally it must be pointed out that I stated that the NorthCom Commander was in over her head.

Consider this exhibit number two.

Long short?

The efforts in Texas and Florida was bolstered by citizens stepping up.  In Puerto Rico?  Not so much. The other factors involved here can't be overlooked either.  That govt is a basket case of corruption, undisciplined spending and financial chaos in general all mixed with crushing poverty.

That will be the talking point that is used to excuse the poor reaction by our military to this emergency.

But make no mistake about it.  NorthCom failed.  The Marine Corps concept failed.  It's past time to make some course corrections.  In the case of NorthCom just fire the lady.  She had one job and she screwed it up.

In the case of the Marine Corps?  Dump this aviation centric nonsense and return to a balanced force.  Even in the relatively benign realm of disaster response the limited manning and focus on aviation has shown itself to be wanting...or you can stay the course and see the military continue to fail.