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| Soldiers from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team conduct a night live-fire iteration of a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise during Exercise Decisive Strike 2019 at the Training Support Centre, Krivolak, North Macedonia, June 11, 2019. Combined training enables allies and partners to respond more effectively to regional crises and meet their own national defense goals. |
Monday, June 17, 2019
Pic of the day....56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team conduct a night live-fire @ Exercise Decisive Strike 2019, Macedonia...photo by Staff Sgt. Frances Ariele Tejada
A primer on Turk-US relations via Ahval News.
via AN
Turkey has already invested over $1 billion in the F-35 and Mr. Erdoğan keeps talking about this. What will happen to that money? Is a refund possible?Ahval News did a great job in this far ranging interview with our Defense Spokesman. They covered a number of important issues and highlighted many of the irritations that we have with the Turks and vice versa.
That is a discussion that our leaders will have at some point in the future. For now, we are taking the necessary slow, measured steps to remove Turkey from the F-35 programme, and protect the long-term safety and security of the F-35, but the issues you mentioned are not fully fleshed out yet, as far as I’m aware. Look, as I said, we haven’t given up yet on working out a solution that works for both countries.
The time frame is very soon…
We gave the deadline as July 31, but if Turkey deploys the S-400 sooner, then we will accelerate the removal procedure. It is Turkey's call, really.
The United States is increasing its partnerships with Greece. Is this a move to replace Turkey?
I do not want to get that far ahead. We hosted the Greek Defence Minister last Friday. We have discussed some expanded troop presence in Greece, some expanded cooperation bilaterally – I’m not sure if it is anything to do with Turkey. We always look to deepen partnerships in the region, especially considering the increasing Russian presence there.
How do you view the People’s Protection Units (YPG)?
Our partners in Syria are the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), which includes some Kurdish forces. Look, we are working with Turkey to resolve that situation as much as we can. We need to stay focused on the fact that we’ve defeated ISIS territorially, but they still stay as a clear and present threat.
We are working to alleviate Turkey's concerns. We have heard their complaints at all levels. We have obviously partnered with some forces that Turkey has displayed its displeasure about.
Now, what we do to maintain our relationship, is we talk to Turkey very often. It is one of our closest allies.
Phenomenal daily contact with Turkey is being conducted in this building. Last time we had such a major crisis was after the coup attempt in 2016, and some again are asking, as they did then, if this is the end of Turkey-U.S. relations. The answer from both sides was an unequivocal "no". We have one of the strongest military-military relationships with Turkey, out of all our partners.
We continue intensive discussions with Turkey on a security mechanism to address their legitimate security concerns along the Turkey-Syria border. These are bilateral discussions between the U.S. and Turkey. Our engagements to date have been positive and productive.
Can this relationship be repaired? I'm really not sure. I do believe its in no one's interest for this thing to turn sour but this is the hill that both sides decided was worth dying on.
Read the entire article here.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Houthi Forces are definitely a hybrid force...why are we supporting the Saudis in their Vietnam?
Thanks to S300V4 for the link!
The Houthis are operating SA-6 missile systems? Geez. When did they acquire those, why didn't we interdict them and why haven't the Saudis totally dismantled Houthi anti-air complexes?
Without a doubt the Houthi freedom/terrorist (depending on your perspective) have successfully morphed into a hybrid force.
This should be more than a bit troubling. Of course we've known that for awhile now. No group of simple terrorist can lay their hands on ballistic missiles, lob them over the border at airports and capitals and be considered a minor threat.
What has me spinning is how ill conceived this fight was.
How poorly planned the operation was.
How a minor fight has evolved into a potential threat to the Saudi Kingdom.
What's even more puzzling? As Commander Salamander would say...This. Isn't. Our. Fight! To be more precise. This ain't our business. We have enough on our plate...both at home and overseas.
The Houthis are operating SA-6 missile systems? Geez. When did they acquire those, why didn't we interdict them and why haven't the Saudis totally dismantled Houthi anti-air complexes?
Without a doubt the Houthi freedom/terrorist (depending on your perspective) have successfully morphed into a hybrid force.
This should be more than a bit troubling. Of course we've known that for awhile now. No group of simple terrorist can lay their hands on ballistic missiles, lob them over the border at airports and capitals and be considered a minor threat.
What has me spinning is how ill conceived this fight was.
How poorly planned the operation was.
How a minor fight has evolved into a potential threat to the Saudi Kingdom.
What's even more puzzling? As Commander Salamander would say...This. Isn't. Our. Fight! To be more precise. This ain't our business. We have enough on our plate...both at home and overseas.
Sunday protest in China even larger than last weeks...
I’ve never seen a protest this big in Hong Kong. This is definitely larger than last Sunday’s protest, which organisers said 1.03 million attended.— Venus Wu (@wu_venus) June 16, 2019
Crowd here chants “Hong Kongers, add oil!”
Add oil = keep it up in Cantonese#HongKong #Extraditionbill pic.twitter.com/F1sIUNqCAd
Interesting. This thing ain't dying down and the Hong Kong govt has suspended the extradition law.
What will be the next move of authorities.
Could we be looking at a Pacific "Yellow Vest" movement? I'm not sure but this is the biggest internal challenge to China in years.
Turkey presents a mockup of its new indigenous warplane TF-X at Paris Air Show....via Ali Özkök's Twitter Page...
Does form follow function or is this a copy of the F-35/F-22 on a smaller scale?
I just have to wonder how successful Turkey will be in development of a new fighter when they're so dependent on tech from the US and EU. If that's pulled away then they're in development trouble. Engines and avionics...especially with new tech coming online will see this project lagging. Even if they can overcome those obstacles it'll be behind the latest and greatest from the West.
John Onyemaechi, one of the most dangerous British prisoners, went full rampage, facing off against an entire riot police unit at HMP Full Sutton in East Yorkshire.
John Onyemaechi, one of the most dangerous British prisoners, went full rampage, facing off against an entire riot police unit at HMP Full Sutton in East Yorkshire. pic.twitter.com/FpkIQwrYqO— RT (@RT_com) June 16, 2019
Who is this dude!
F-35 News. When did Category 1-B become a thing?
via National Interest.
Lockheed eventually hopes to sell over 2,400 F-35s to the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and over a thousand more to foreign operators. Already, over four hundred F-35s have been delivered under so-called “Low Rate of Initial Production,” many lacking the fixes and improvements implemented in later models. Theoretically, full-rate production should only be authorized once all major deficiencies being resolved.Story here.
However, on June 12, 2019, Valerie Insinna, Aaron Mehta and David B. Larter of Defense News published a series of articles based on newly acquired documents detailing thirteen Category-1B deficiencies impacting the ability of the Pentagon’s brand-new F-35 to perform their missions.
These flaws, many of which had never been previously disclosed—were formerly described as Category-1 flaws (posing risk of aircraft or pilot loss), but after the articles’ publication, they were retroactively accorded a new, less-serious Category-1B status.
Two previously unrevealed deficiencies suggest that the F-35B and F-35C models operated by the Marine Corps and Navy exhibit flaws that substantially degrading their ability to perform demanding air combat maneuvers and maintain supersonic speeds at very high altitudes.
Simple question.
When did Category 1-B Deficiencies become a thing? I don't EVER recall that particular nomenclature before.
Is this new?
Are they now publicly pulling shit out their ass?
This is curious. Extremely curious.
Sidenote. They can call these deficiencies "1-B" but they can't escape the reality. These flaws pose a risk to pilots and aircraft, and they're about to put this thing into full rate production. That's criminal. That's procurement malpractice. That's a waste of resources when our nation can't afford it!
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