Bradley IFV's leave for a patrol in Syria (pics)...

 I will never understand this war.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  No one seems to be fighting to win.  Everyone seems to be fighting to be fighting.  Military Operations for the sake of military operations...

US Bradley Fighting Vehicles leave for patrol in northeast Syria. The US redeployed the Bradleys in September to boost security amid tensions with Russia. Tensions have since decreased.

📸 @vvanwilgenburg pic.twitter.com/97fsxpE4oX

— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) November 28, 2020

South Korea Tiger 4.0 programme: Rafael proposes its NGCV-

 

Story here.

Rafael is proposing a pretty impressive package to the South Koreans.  I find it extremely compelling.

The Brits are expanding the number of helo spots on the Queen Elizabeth...

 

A recent and much more detailed image showing progression of work to expand the number of rotary wing spots on QUEEN ELIZABETH class. A first image was released in 2016, but this one has far greater detail and shows extra helo positions marked out in yellow paint on the deck. pic.twitter.com/FPmAZwSjOK

— Gabriele Molinelli (@Gabriel64869839) November 26, 2020

I have no idea what they're doing or where they're going with this.  If I were to guess it would be that they want to be able to flex one of their carriers into a big LHA for another Falklands type situation or maybe to support allied operations.

Or.

They could simply want to be able to flex their carriers more and play with the complement of aircraft on deck.

Who knows?

Regardless they can fit many more helos on that deck ... this is just a progress shot and I'd bet they can get at least 30 up there not even counting what they could have parked below deck.

Even with helos this will be a high value target. 

Type 726 putting infantry and Type 96A MBT on the beach.

 *The USMC might be out of the "amphibious assault" mission but the Chinese Navy/Marines are fully embracing the forcible entry mission. Please note that the United States Of America now only has ONE VIABLE form of forcible entry.  Airborne Assault. The 82nd Airborne will exist for another 100 years or until we develop drop ship troopers and since the Marines won't be around they'll probably be all Army!  The Romans once put up forts on the wilderness to keep their enemies at bay.  Rome still fell. Is this new strategy the first real whiff of a dying empire? Think about it before you slam me!

There was once a time when we could do this!

Gazelle Helicopter...

 

Gama Gazela🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/5XapwdK22N

— ZOKA (@200_zoka) November 28, 2020

Italy is getting smashed by floods...

Shocking! | At least 3 dead in Italy’s #Sardinia as island is hit by severe flooding

DETAILS: https://t.co/xgogZbHFTc pic.twitter.com/Tkhon9YxXQ

— RT (@RT_com) November 28, 2020

Jesus!  If you're uninitiated then let me tell ya.  Flash floods are no joke.  I've seen a few but never with water moving this fast.  An inch of water moving like this would sweep a car away much less a person.  An inch!

Prayers up for the people of this island. 

Italian F-35 "Beast Mode"...

Beast Mode 🇮🇹 💪

Check out these great photos, from our @ItalianAirForce partners, of an Italian #F35A and #F35B loaded and training together in their “Beast Mode” weapons configuration for the first time. #32Stormo pic.twitter.com/6woqT3MR1G

— F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office (@theF35JPO) November 27, 2020

 I'm still a critic of this program...

*  ALIS doesn't work and the work around is still getting fleshed together.

*  Critical systems have been either downgraded or workarounds established with no visibility on their solution.

*  The variety of munitions carried is still pitifully small...many weapon systems that should be available STILL aren't.

*  Full rate production decision has been pushed into 2021...this puppy should be getting cranked out if all was well!

*  Allies ARE BUYING THE THING...but they're also developing their own stealth fighters at the same time.  Even the USAF is buying F-15EX's and the Navy has started a crash program for it's next gen fighter that the USAF is globbing onto.

Yeah I'm still a critic but its a slow defense news day....

Exercise PATRICIA STRIKE

 

Open Comment Post. 28 Nov 2020

 

Our response to this virus will last for decades & will have implications going well into the future...

Why do some people insist that infection and subsequent recovery from this virus doesn’t leave most people with a high level of immunity?

Because as soon as you develop the immunity all of their reasons for stripping away your freedom go away.https://t.co/ahcJ5qXHIa

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 28, 2020

Gonna hit you with one of my old chestnuts.

A Russian warning was that they would have us "living in the land of mirrors"...that we wouldn't know up from down, the truth from a lie.

The Russians were right.

I'm getting so much conflicting info on this virus that I can't see straight.  Once infected you have a high level of immunity that could last years?  That's mind boggling.

The lockdowns have me pissed though.  The American people (in my opinion and I know I'm in a minority) have been placed on house arrest and the ability of so many to make a living has been stripped away.

The mask idiocy has me rolling.  We aren't suppose to wear N-95's (although I can get my hands on them due to the job) so we have people running around with various degrees of protection even IF THEY DECIDE to comply with the edict.  In other words they can be wearing something that does jack shit but they believe they do EVEN THOUGH a basic standard hasn't been established.

This whole thing is craziness!

At the end of the day I don't care which side of this issue you fall on.  Our response to this virus will be debated for decades and the implications for our country/society will last well into the future. 

LA County Scanner...Prayers Up on this one....

#BREAKING 998 #OIS #CHP - Officer Involved Shooting 5fwy at the 91fwy #BuenaPark PD Officer down. #Angel1 and #Duke Searching for the suspect

— LA County Scanner (@LACoScanner) November 28, 2020

Prayers up on this one. Side note. Why isn't LA County Comms encrypted? Anyone can listen in obviously which includes people YOU DON'T want listening in. I'm curious why this is going on....

Think Defence Twitter Page reveals in one pic thread just how old the Boxer IFV really is..

My favourite image, the three ages of Boxer as reflected by the sign at Telford, many opportunities missed, only to be grasped at the point BAE is a minority in a German owned joint venture. What a 20 year long travesty pic.twitter.com/3F42emqsIO

— Think Defence (@thinkdefence) September 26, 2020

 The Boxer program extends all the way back to when Alvis Vickers was a thing? For the uninitiated that was comparatively ages ago.  I think the Soviet Bear still roamed the world!