Jens.

This is coolbert:

Is this good or is it bad? That is the question?

"More nations on track to meet NATO's 2% spending goal"

Thanks to UPI and the article by Allen Cone

"Feb. 13 (UPI) -- More than half of NATO members will reach a goal of spending two percent of gross domestic product [GDP] on defense by 2025, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday in Brussels."

"Stoltenberg said 15 of the 29 NATO allies are projected to pay their goal as determined at NATO's 2014 summit in Wales and urged last year by President Donald Trump. All members have increased their spending, he said."

GOAL AS DESCRIBED NOT TO BE MET UNTIL 2025. AND THEN ONLY BY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN HALF OF THE NATIONS AS CONSTITUTING THE NATO ALLIANCE.

Goal as my understanding of the word as normally, ordinarily and commonly understood something to work toward at the same time also understanding the goal may not be met!

Does any devoted reader to the blog doubt anyone this would have happened if the Trump administration had not made contributions to the alliance an issue? Europeans piqued in an unseemly way but perhaps grudgingly have to admit Don was right all alone?

I AM NOT IMPRESSED!!

coolbert.

Blind.

This is coolbert:

From Russian controlled [?] Internet media TASS and Russian Times [RT] more info on the TOP SECRET weaponry for which there is no known defense.

1. "Russian Navy gets new weapon to induce ‘hallucinations’ and ‘blind’ the enemy"

"A new weapon installed on Russian warships can make enemy soldiers miss targets by blinding them, while also causing hallucinations and making them want to vomit."

See from another Internet web site the World War Two history of such a dazzle and blind strobe light combat system.

"Two Russian frigates were fitted with the new non-lethal dazzler-type weapon, the 5P-42 Filin (eagle-owl) . . . The weapon is designed to temporarily blind the enemy."

2. "Poseidon to be able to autonomously avoid any enemy defense systems - source"

"MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. The unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) from the oceanic multi-purpose system Poseidon will be able to autonomously skirt any enemy defense systems, which will make it invulnerable with regard to its performance characteristics, a defense industry source told TASS"

See previous blog entry the topic of which was the Poseidon UUV.

3. "Russia starts developing land-based hypersonic missile with intermediate range, says Putin"

"MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin has announced the start of works to develop new weapons in Russia due to similar actions of the US, particularly to begin developing a land-based hypersonic missile with intermediate range."

First the land-based cruise missile in violation of the INF treaty. Then the nuclear-powered and unstoppable cruise missile. NOW the hypersonic cruise missile.

Never ending! Is this Russian scare-tactics or real threats? A mixture of both?

coolbert.

3G2 II.

This is coolbert:

Signs! Signs! Everywhere a sign!

Conclusion!

3G2 warfare Brazilian style! A threat the new President of Brazil will have to deal with. Street gangs having that correct combination of numbers, weapons, organization and money additionally possessing an incredible degree of ruthlessness! An internal security threat that cannot be ignored!

Courtesy the Internet web site Small Wars Journal and the article by John P. Sullivan, Robert J. Bunker and José de Arimatéia da Cruz.

Brazilian 3G2 gangs destroying or damaging critical infrastructure in an effort to intimidate governmental authority.

"Third Generation Gangs Strategic Note No. 12: Brazilian Prison Gangs Attack Civil Infrastructure in Fortaleza and Other Cities in Ceará State"

"This attack sequence once again not only demonstrates the willingness of criminal gangs individually to directly confront the state in order to maintain territorial control (both in prisons and on the streets) and retain freedom of movement but also collectively ally against it for their mutual benefit via a unified front. Such crime wars are representative of the pressure the liberal democratic order is actively facing from rampant criminality due to a lack of economic opportunities, wholesale disenfranchisement of youth, and corruption eroding state institutions. This dysfunctional mix is increasingly fueling the rise of populism and authoritarianism. Together these factors are a chilling proposition since the confluence of power and profit waged by these ‘third generation gangs (3 GEN Gangs)’ results in what amounts to a ‘criminal insurgency’ as these gangs marshal political and criminal power to wage ‘crime wars’ against the state."

"Don't mess with us. Let us control the prisons and do our work [drug dealing] or else! You are already seeing what can happen! Beware!"

The message from the gangs to the governmental authority crystal clear.

coolbert.

3G2 I.

This is coolbert:

According to the late Colonel David Hackworth the street gang the greatest internal threat to the USA. The street gangs USA having that proper combination of money, organization, weapons, number to pose a significant danger to peace, order and stability. An internal home-grown threat. I might add the street gang USA in addition having a well-deserved reputation for ruthlessness demonstrably so.

The modern street gang in some instances [and not confined strictly Io the USA] now having morphed into what is referred to as Third Generation Gang [3G2].

"morph - - undergo or cause to undergo a gradual process of transformation."

 "Third generation gangs (3G2) are one of the most frightening manifestations of globalization’s potential for 'collateral damage'. These groups go beyond exploiting the seams of state legitimacy and create under-governed spaces that they can then dominate. Existing at the intersection of insurgency and crime, 3G2 are empowered by the globalization’s networks and capable of carving out niche territories in which they stand in as an alternate government."

"INTERSECTION OF CRIMINALITY AND INSURGENCY!"

See an interesting slide show the issue and problem of 3G2 gang warfare discussed:

"3G2 - Third Generation Gangs"

Essential slides as defining the "generational" development and evolution of the street gang:

Third generation gangs [3G2] their concerns more of international reach with political goals and aspirations. Hardly gangs their activity limited to crass money-making concerns and protection of local turf from encroachment..

More to follow!

coolbert.

Eingreif.

This is coolbert:

Grabber!

ONLY in the most vague way was I aware of this phenomenon. Devoted readers to the blog the same?

German combat units as organized during the Great War at divisional-level the intent strictly [?] to be used for counter-attack. Eingreif!

"Eingreif division is a term for a type of German Army formation of World War I, which developed in 1917, which was responsible for engaging in immediate counter-attacks (Gegenstoße) against enemy troops who broke through a defensive position being held by a front-holding division (Stellungsdivision)."

"During the Battle of the Somme (1 July – 18 November 1916), the use of defensive lines began to evolve into the defence of the areas between them, using the local troops of the trench holding divisions and Ablösungsdivisionen (relief divisions), held back beyond the range of Franco-British artillery, to replace front line divisions as they became exhausted. In the winter of 1916–1917, the use of such divisions and the fortified zones between trench lines was codified and divisions trained in the new defensive tactics. Training was based on the experience of the defensive battles of 1916 and the new principles of fortification, to provide the infrastructure for the new system of defensive battle by Stellungsdivisionen and Eingreifdivisionen (counter-attack divisions)."

German combat units WW1 as institutionalized and having a mission strictly [?] of counter-attack. Defense is the stronger form of combat Stellungsdivision consisting of troops of less than stellar quality [?] but able to perform that defensive mission in an adequate manner, but COUNTER-ATTACK not required of them.

Eingreif consisting of troops of much more able quality beyond that of a front-holding unit? Such was the situation with positional warfare during that period.

coolbert.

Grumble.

This is coolbert:

The Syrian Civil War. Foreign interventionist versus foreign interventionist now predominant. With an expanding theater of operations.

From the latest edition of the DEBKAfile news letter an item as copied in entirety:

"Iran wants Russian air defense [AD] shield extended to Lebanon over Hizballah's precise [precision guided] missiles"

26 January.

"A senior Iranian lawmaker on Thursday, Jan. 24 accused the Russians of 'some sot of coordination with the Zionist regime' to explain why the S-300 air batteries in Syria failing [have failed] to down Israeli jets. Last week, Moscow announced that the Syrian crews for operating the advanced S-300 air defense missiles would be trained by March and the batteries would then become operational, albeit under Russian military command and control from the Khmeimim air base near Latakia and, even more importantly, [linked] to the Russian National Air Defense Command in Moscow. This dependence is also intended to deter the Israeli Air Force from destroying the S-300 batteries, which would be bad for the Russian air and arms industries' export business."

"In Syrian hands, these missiles will also bring IAF flights of Lebanon, the Golan and Galilee within range, protecting Hizballah and presenting Israel with a quandary between destroying them at the risk of another row with Moscow or somehow work around them."

Israeli warplanes in a stand-off mission mode able to fire precision-guided Delilah missiles at Iranian Revolutionary Guard targets.without needing to intrude into Syrian airspace. Rules of Engagement [RoE] agreed [?] by the Russian and Israeli preclude the Russian Grumble AD systems from engaging Israeli warplanes outside of Syrian airspace. AT THIS MOMENT.

The Iranian insisting the Russian AD "envelope" be extended to beyond Syrian airspace. A widening of hostilities as a consequence, the ramifications not predictable but potentially very severe.

Confrontation of an armed nature between the Russian and Israeli hardly desirable. Two atomic equipped military forces facing off mano-a-mano not what is needed!! I of course am assuming the Israeli is already nuclear ready which is probably the case. Consider also that the Israeli air strikes on Iranian targets must be causing a lot of damage. Otherwise the Iranian would not be complaining as they are.

Hold on to your hats people!

coolbert.

Dukedom.

This is coolbert:

The Last Gunfight. Operation Dukedom.

British warships of the Royal Navy [RN] versus the Japanese capital ship Imperial Japanese Navy [IJN] Haguro.

Naval warfare, a night action of the ancient and venerable type, AND the last such encounter in the entire history of naval warfare.

A battle, surface vessel versus surface vessel, sans naval aviation and submarines, naval gunfire and torpedoes versus other naval gunfire and torpedoes.

Battle of the Malacca Strait as it is deemed the type of naval warfare as you might have seen at Tsushima or Jutland. Read a full account of events from the British perspective.

See this impressive You Tube video of "The Last Gunfight". Very good graphics with outstanding sound track. Naval night combat actions a specialty of the IJN prior to Pearl Harbor. That advantage during a naval night engagement made moot by radar. Haguro formidably armed, the ship having extensive combat service. An experienced crew [?] with worthy commanders. Those British destroyers willing to take on such a dangerous opponent a gutsy move. Calculated audacity.

Modern naval surface warships possessing guns but those primarily secondary weaponry. Primary weapon of surface naval vessels missiles to be used in an over-the-horizon beyond-visual-range manner. NOT naval gunfire mano-a-mano naval gunfire.

 Sadly now Haguro being even as a war grave the steel from the ship being salvaged in an illegal [?] manner for "old steel" as it is deemed. See previous blog entry the topic salvage of "old steel" from sunken warships a dubious trade and business.

coolbert.