Thursday, April 19, 2018

Open Comment Post. 4/19/18


China flexing its military muscle...jams US Navy aircraft...


via Sputnik.
When the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier cruised through the South China Sea last week, one US Navy pilot encountered Chinese jamming technology interfering with his plane’s equipment, according to a report.

"The mere fact that some of your equipment is not working is already an indication that someone is trying to jam you," an EA-18G Growler pilot told GMA News on April 14, adding that "we have an answer to that." The Growler is a carrier-based, electronic warfare variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

According to Omar Lamrani, a defense analyst at consulting company Stratfor, however, "this is not something that the US will look kindly on," Business Insider reported Wednesday. While the manned Growler plane is unlikely to be significantly impacted by jammers, Lamrani said, drones are more susceptible to electronic jamming threats.
Story here. 

This behavior is expected.  It's almost directly out of their playbook.  The goal? To placate American political and business leadership into believing that cooperation is possible just long enough to achieve military superiority.

The problem?

The plan is working.

But make no mistake.  China is testing us.  Flexing its muscle and will continue to push until they meet real resistance.

This is why all the A2/AD talk annoys the hell outta me.  We aren't facing "Anti-Access"!  We're already in their backyard. 

WE SHOULD BE TALKING CONTAINMENT!

What annoys further is that the A2/AD talk instead of the more properly named containment concept won't change one bit of procurement we're working on.  IT WILL HOWEVER properly orient our forces!  Scattered bases around the region just won't do.  Additionally this fight will be mostly Navy and Air Force.  The Marines will have a part to play and so will select Army units but make no mistake this is a USN/USAF affair.

Acknowledge the threat.  Attempt to contain the threat.  If that fails then confront the threat.  That is the mindset we need with China.

26th MEU (ACE) trains with SPMAGTF aboard USS New York...pics by Cpl. Juan A. Soto-Delgado







Tank Platoon enhances marksmanship skills during live-fire training...pics by Staff Sgt. Dengrier Baez









Israel withdraws its F-15's from upcoming Red Flag Exercise....are they closer to a fight with Iran than we thought?


via Haaretz.
The Israeli air force has cancelled the participation of its F-15 planes in a joint exercise with the U.S. air force due to rising tensions in the north of Israel. This is the first time the air force was to have participated in the Red Flag exercises. The air force may send some representatives, but no planes will participate.

The “Red Flag” exercise is scheduled to be held in Alaska, along with U.S. warplanes. The exercise is to be a unique one, meant to practice operating in scenarios of snow, ice and harsh weather.

On Tuesday, a commander in the Syrian army told Reuters that the action of aerial defense systems in Syria the previous night was the result of a cyberattack by the U.S. and Israel. The commander, who remained anonymous, said that this was an “electronic attack” on Syrian radar systems. He said that this conclusion was reached by Russian experts who had investigated the issue.

With the activation of these systems, the official Syrian news agency reported they had intercepted missiles launched at the al-Shayrat air base near Homs. Following the publication of these reports, the Pentagon announced there had been no U.S. army activity in the area.

Last week Russia and Syria announced that Israel had attacked the Syrian T4 air base near Homs. The Russian army announcement said that two Israeli air force jets had fired eight missiles at the base from Lebanese air space. Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that the attack on the Syrian base was a dangerous development. Israel did not respond to these claims.
Story here. 

Israel should have a care.  Support remains but if they're found to be instigating another fight then that support could easily fall away. 

This prolonged fight in Syria is doing as all prolonged fights do...they're spiraling from low and simmering to hot and deadly.

The longer the US is involved in this mess the closer we get to that regional war that all have been predicting.

Unfortunately I'm beginning to believe that Israeli actions, a country that I support, might be making matters worse.

Russian AN-124 have stopped hauling NATO gear...

H/T to Alert 5


via Kommersant.RU
According to the French media, the Russian group of companies (GC) Volga-Dnepr has announced to Western partners that from January 1 next year it will no longer provide NATO services for oversized air transport on An-124-100 transport aircraft Ruslan. According to Kommersant, Volga-Dnepr does not really intend to extend the corresponding contract with the French party for 2019 - because of the sanctions policy of Western countries against a number of Russian companies.

"Putin cuts off the wings of the French Air Force" - this begins the material of the French edition of Challenges, which, citing its own sources, says: the Russian GC "Volga-Dnepr" informed NATO that after 2018 it will not provide AN-124 transport aircraft to the alliance countries -100. Instead, the company intends to focus on civilian transportation. The same information with reference to a letter sent by the Russian side to the members of the managing board of the SALIS program (Strategic Airlift Interim Solution) on April 12, is also reported by Ouest-France . As noted in Challenges, such a decision will increase the cost and significantly complicate the logistics of French military operations abroad.
Story here. 

Considering sanctions that the US and its European allies have slapped on Russia this is not only expected but the question can be asked what took them so long to put this into place.

My guess.

They still held out hope that relations could improve but have come to the realization that it won't happen under current leadership.

Pity.

This was a nice symbiotic relationship and yielded benefits to all involved.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

JSOW-ER...the real future for carrier strike...



Dave over at National Interest MUST be trying to place nice with the F-35 program cause the article that he wrote has VERY little to do with that plane even though he tried to give it top billing.

Check what he was really writing out, the JSOW-ER, below...
Given the increasing premium on range, last year in June the Navy award Raytheon a contract to fund testing on a new extended range jet-powered version of the JSOW that the company had developed using its own money. The extended range JSOW-ER has been tested out ranges as great as 264 nautical miles, which is nearly four times the range of the conventional JSOW-C. The testing was supposed to have been completed by this March, however, it is not clear that the Navy has completed those tests.

The addition of the JSOW-ER—should the Navy chose to eventually buy and field that weapon—would be extremely useful for the carrier air wing. With a 300 nautical mile range standoff range, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet—which will make up the bulk of the carrier air wing into the 2040s—equipped with the JSOW-ER would be able to engage targets protected by advanced air defenses such as the Russian-built S-300V4 or S-400. Both of those enemy weapons have ranges beyond 250 nautical miles.

Thus, standoff weapons such as the JSOW-ER could be what keeps the carrier air wing relevant into the future as advanced air defenses proliferate around the world. Indeed, such weapons might be the key to keeping non-stealthy fourth generation fighters relevant for all of the world’s air forces.
Story here. 

Interesting isn't it.

The US Navy has never come off the battle cry of it's former CNO.  Payloads OVER platforms.

The emphasis on the range of strike weapons just reinforces that notion.  To think that the F-35 because its stealthy will be able to do work against advanced air defenses is silly.  No man or woman with half a brain cell working will send a manned airplane within 70 miles of an active and integrated air defense system!

They'll use UAVs with glide bombs or missiles.  They'll use cruise missiles but they won't use manned aircraft till those sites are degraded.

The US military needs to rationalize its formula for success in the future.  The very notion of flying a plane, even a stealth one, close to enemy defenses is a waste of resources and time because it will not be done.

They're still trying mightily to stop the death spiral but between budgets, other procurement priorities and common sense, its the only path left for the F-35.


Iranian-Backed ‘Sleeper Cell’ Militants Hibernating in U.S., Positioned for Attack???

via Daily Caller.
Iranian-backed militants are operating across the United States mostly unfettered, raising concerns in Congress and among regional experts that these "sleeper cell" agents are poised to launch a large-scale attack on the American homeland, according to testimony before lawmakers.

Iranian agents tied to the terror group Hezbollah have already been discovered in the United States plotting attacks, giving rise to fears that Tehran could order a strike inside America should tensions between the Trump administration and Islamic Republic reach a boiling point.

Intelligence officials and former White House officials confirmed to Congress on Tuesday that such an attack is not only plausible, but relatively easy for Iran to carry out at a time when the Trump administration is considering abandoning the landmark nuclear deal and reapplying sanctions on Tehran.
Story here. 

Someone somewhere has lost their God Damn Mind!

So first I hear stories that Israel is poised for a direct attack from Iran because they struck in Syria, and now we're hearing this?

Oh and check out the source!

Why isn't this a fucking scandal?

Why isn't the FBI and every other alphabet soup intel agency in the US TO INCLUDE SOCOM, not on the streets hunting these bastards down!!!!!

Why aren't the American people TO INCLUDE Democrats raging at Obama since these sleeper cells arrived during his watch BECAUSE FORMER WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS WOULD HAVE NO VISIBILITY ON ANYTHING DURING TRUMP'S TERM!!

This is for one of two things.

1.  They're desperate to maintain the Iranian nuke deal or...

2.  They're setting us up for a new war with Iran at the behest of our allies Israel, Saudi Arabia and the GCC.

Don't get it twisted.

I have absolutely NO LOVE for the Iranian govt.  But this is a bit too obvious.  This just don't smell right at all.

Something is WAAAAAAY off with this reporting or else its time to grab AR's and march on Washington.

Israel is preparing for a direct attack from Iran (Warning Rant!)

via Daily Mail.
Israel is preparing for a revenge attack from Iran after the bombing of an air base in Syria last week, which killed seven Iranian soldiers.

Israel has officially neither confirmed nor denied the attack, but an Israeli Defence Force source told the New York Times they were responsible for the raid on April 9.

Now, Israel is bracing itself for an attack directly from Iran, launched by the country's Revolutionary Guard Corps, to avenge the seven dead soldiers.
Story here.

I'm a supporter of Israel but they're dancing on my last nerve.  This ain't a fucking game and if they think they can provoke a war with Iran in the hopes that people like me will automatically support them they're fucking wrong.

This is more Syrian war goofiness and more hidden agendas.  Much of it from my own govt but Israel definitely trying their hand at the idiocy.

Fuck around and start a regional war I'm sure I'll come around but DAMN IT stop it. 

America is past tired of these endless wars in the Middle East.  If you want a strong ally then give us the space to rest and retool.

Keep pushing this Iran vs. Saudi Arabia/GCC with Israel taking shots too and I think the whole region will be pissed when they start learning Persian because we've run out of fucks to give.

RANT OVER.

Tyler has a great write up on the LHA-8 over at The Drive!


Story here.

I've noticed that its become fashionable to "criticize" individuals for not knowing everything under the sun just because certain people have decided to follow that particular subject closely.

I find that shit distasteful, stupid and pretty fucking arrogant.  It's a big ass world and to expect anyone to know everything while they're trying to make things happen in their real life, not just on the net is beyond me.

Having said that I have to ask.

Why are the islands so big on our LHA/LHD?  That has always puzzled me.  Additionally if you're gonna say to make up for engineering space then again I say bullshit!  Our first LPH didn't have a huge island (didn't have a well deck either but that's a different story) and carried more 5 in guns AND a comparable number of aircraft (slightly fewer and they were definitely smaller but the point is made).

Why can't we simply glob onto the "steel is cheap" idea, move some of the spaces that are contained in the island below deck by stretching and rearranging a few things, putting 5in guns on the corners of the deck on sponsons (like the original Tarawa LHD class) and the anti-air systems ontop of the bridge as they're now proposing?

In my minds eye the only thing you need above deck as far as superstructure is concerned is ship steering/navigation and probably air traffic control, everything else below decks and properly armored.

Last but not least.  Do you know who produced probably the most efficient carrier design of the last 100 years but we haven't seen it since?

The Japanese during WW2.  Every inch of deck was used for flight ops.  Nothing wasted.  Ultra minimal island, smokestacks below decks turned down and nothing but planes on deck.


We should try for the same.