Safawi.

This is coolbert:

Some additional background information.

(WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

ISIL combatants in their propaganda video as seen at the Internet web site PJTV referring to their adversary as the Safawi Army.

As defined by the Urban Dictionary:  "Safawi"

"A pejorative term for Shi'a Muslims, specifically Iranian ones, used by Arab Sunni or Salafi Muslim extremists."

"The word comes from Safavi, being the dynasty that ruled over Iran beginning in the 16th century. The first Safavid monarch Shah Ismail forcefully converted the majority of the Iranian population to Shi'a Islam beginning in 1501 AD. He was a descendant of the leaders of a mystic Shi'a order called Safawiyya."

"The term Safawi is used as a derogatory term to describe Shi'as as being misguided from the propaganda of this dynasty, which left a great divide in the Middle East. It is usually accompanied by other terms like Rafida and Majoosi."

"It can be applied to Arab Shi'as to portray them as being a fifth column and having more allegiance to Iran than to their native countries."

ISIL fighting to settle scores from the Sixteenth Century and even perhaps way before that!!

"pejorative - - adjective 1. having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force"

Within the historical context Tannenberg from the era of the Great War seen by some as payback and retribution for the Teutonic defeat at Grunewald five hundred years prior! Among certain nations and people memories last a very long time!

coolbert.

Kobani Massacre.

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The situation as was noted in that prior blog entry more dire than originally reported.

"A large Islamist force disguised in Kurdish uniforms stormed Kobani on the Turkish border and regained parts of the town lost to the Kurds last October."

Gratuitous slaughter and massacre evidently the goal, a primary consideration if not the exclusive consideration.

TERROR FOR THE SAKE OF TERROR!

1. "Islamic State kills at least 145 civilians in Syria's Kobani"

"Islamic State fighters [ISIL] killed at least 145 civilians in an attack on the Syrian town of Kobani and a nearby village, in what a monitoring group described on Friday as one of the worst massacres carried out by the hardline group in Syria."

AND as noted by the English pundit Patrick Cockburn:

2. "Isis in Kobani: Why we ignore the worst of the massacres"

"World View: The Syrian Kurdish town witnessed the deaths of 164 civilians this week"

"The purpose of terror is to terrorize!" - - V. I. Lenin.

coolbert.

Lynch-mob.

This is coolbert:

Thanks to DEBKAfile everything about the Druze you wanted to know:

1. "Syrian Druze gain non-belligerence commitment from rebels under joint US-Jordanian guarantee"

20 June.

 "Jabal Druze and southern Syrian Druze leaders have reached a mutual non-belligerence understanding with the Syrian rebel militias fighting in the region, including Al Qaeda's arm, the Nusra Front . . . Jordan opened a corridor for military assistance and supplies to Druze mountain villages. The southern Druze promised not to allow the eight Druze militias loyal to Bashar Assad to operate from their territory."

Apparently there ARE Druze militia beholden to the despot Assad and fighting on the side of the ruler in Damascus.

2. "Golan Druze lynch two injured Syrian rebels carried in IDF ambulances to hospital"

22 June.

"In the first attack from the Druze Galilee village of Hurfesh, a mob pelted rocks at the ambulance carrying two Syrian rebels from the Golan border to hospital. In the second, in the Druze Golan village of Majd El Shamis, a mob attacked two injured Syrian rebel troops in an ambulance. One died later in hospital."

3. "Netanyahu appeals to Druze leaders to restore calm"

23 June.

"Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu early Tuesday denounced as 'extremely grave' Druze mob attacks Monday on two IDF ambulances transporting injured Syrian rebel fighters to hospital. He warned that no one would be allowed to take the law into his own hands or interfere with the IDF's duties. The perpetrators would be brought to justice, he said, and called on Druze leaders to act expeditiously to calm tempers." 

4. "Police arrests Druze lynch suspects in Galilee and Golan"

24 June.

"Police arrest 10 suspects in the attacks on two IDF ambulances carrying injured Syrian rebel fighters from the Golan border to hospital. Jordan has quietly informed Druze leaders in Syria and Lebanon that [Jordan] cannot admit any more refugees from Syria."

Those "Five S" of POW control to include: 1. Search. 2. Silence. 3. Segregate. 4. Speed. 5. Safeguard. Get the enemy POW to the rear as quick as possible and do not let the locals to abuse them.

coolbert.

Law-fare.

This is coolbert:

Law-fare not war-fare. But getting close. More on the Falklands/Malvinas and what seems to be escalating tensions in the area of the South Atlantic:

Thanks to Martin through Harry:

"An Argentine judge Saturday ordered the seizure of $156 million and other assets from British and US oil companies looking for crude in waters off the disputed Falkland Islands. Judge Lilian Herraez, based in the Tierra del Fuego region of southern Argentina, also ordered the firms to stop their exploration activities. Argentina claims sovereignty over the British-controlled islands in the South Atlantic and the two countries went to war over them in 1982. Animosity between Britain and Argentina over the islands has escalated sharply in recent years with the discovery of significant oil deposits offshore. Herraez said the companies are operating in Argentine territorial waters, but it was not clear how Argentina would enforce the order seeking to seize the money and oil exploration equipment such as ships and a floating dike."

"The companies named in the suit are Rockhopper Exploration plc, Premier Oil plc, Falkland Oil and Gas Limited -- all British -- and the US firms Noble Energy Inc. and Edison International Sp."

See previous blog entries regarding the Falklands/Malvinas:

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/06/fifty-peso.html

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/06/argentina.html

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/12/fencer-fernandez.html

coolbert.

Counter-Offensives.

This is coolbert:

ISIL fights back! Kobani all over again!

ISIL hardly down and out. As noted by DEBKAfile

"ISIS recovers from Syrian Kurdish assaults, fights to recapture Kobani"

25 June.

"The Islamic State Thursday stalled the Syrian Kurdish YPG's advance 50 km short of the ISIS capital of Raqqa and launched two counter-offensives to reverse a series of Kurdish successes:  A large Islamist force disguised in Kurdish uniforms stormed Kobani on the Turkish border and regained parts of the town lost to the Kurds last October. A second force attacked Syrian and Kurdish forces defending the second largest Kurdish Syrian town of Hasaka"

Efforts to combat ISIL not a cake-walk AND NEVER WILL BE!  ISIL is resilient, resourceful and RUTHLESS!!.

coolbert.

Kurds & Druze.

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From Strategy Page an article and extract, clarification of some previous topics:

A. The Kurds move south in pursuit of ISIL and the ramifications thereof.

B. That Israeli/Druze relationship.

"Syria: The Devilishly Clever Kurds March South"

Further as extracted from the Strategy Page:

"Israel has sent more troops to their Syrian border. Al Nusra rebels control most of the border adjacent to Israel. This creates problems with the Israeli Druze who fear for the safely of the 500,000 Syrian Druze. Al Qaeda affiliate al Nusra is temporarily allied with ISIL and both these groups, especially ISIL, are very hostile to Druze . . . Over a hundred Druze have already been murdered by Islamic terrorists in Syria and there is a sense of desperation. Al Nusra apologized for the twenty Druze their men killed recently but ISIL is unapologetic. The 130,000 Israeli Druze have been pressuring Israel for over a year to rescue or help protect Druze living across the border in Syria. Israel has agreed to help but the details have not been made public. The solution could be either allowing Syrian Druze into Israel and provide refuge or moving into the border areas where the Syrian Druze live and establishing a 'safe zone.' This would preserve the lands of Syrian Druze and not turn them into refugees, but would also be more expensive (in cash and lives) for Israel by establishing a new border."

"Israel (from senior leaders down to the average soldier) is willing to do something for the Syrian Druze because the Israeli Druze are the only Arab Israeli s subject to conscription and most of those serving in the Israeli military agree that Israel should help the Syrian Druze living near the Israeli border. Despite their small numbers (less than two percent of the population) Druze serve as career military and in elite combat units more frequently than Jewish Israelis. Thus the Druze are considered 'blood brothers' because of their military service (and casualties in combat) and that means Israel feels obliged to help."

That special affinity and relationship between the Israeli Jew and the Druze does exist and is being honored. Obligation being kept.

coolbert.

leFH & StG 44.

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Surprisingly so, we have instances of German World War Two weaponry being put to good use by those Syrian rebels as opposed to the dictator Assad. Thanks to YouTube in all cases.

Blasts from the past indeed!!

1. "German World War II Era Wehrmacht Howitzer Used By Syrian Rebels On The Battlefield In Idlib"

"Blast from the past. Video footage surfaced showing Syrian rebels using a German World War II - Era Wehrmacht Howitzer on the battlefield in Idlib. The howitzer appears to be a 10.5 cm leFH 18, a 105 mm light howitzer that entered service with Nazi Germany's armed forces in 1935. The Syrian Army was known to operate limited numbers of the 10,5 cm leFH 18M howitzer, as well as the 7,5cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. It is likely that the howitzer shown was captured from a Syrian Army base or museum."

2. "Syrian Civil War - German World War 2 Era STG 44 Rifle Used By Syrian Rebels In Firefight"

Video footage resurfaced showing Syrian rebels using the German Made STG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44) or also called MP 44 in fighting and firefights on the battlefield in Syria.

3. "5,000 StG44's Captured By Syrian Rebels In The City Of Aleppo"

5,000 StG44's Captured By Syrian Rebels In The City Of Aleppo

In August 2012, the Syrian Al-Tawhid Brigade posted a video clip on their YouTube channel showing a cache of Sturmgewehrs in their possession, which they claim to have captured amongst 5,000 rifles and various ammunition.

NOT only individual weapons but apparently an entire arsenal captured intact. The StG themselves, ammunition, the total package.

That StG 44 generally thought to be the first assault weapon as term generally, commonly, and ordinarily understood. Pistol grip stock, selective fire [semi-automatic or full automatic], high capacity magazine, firing an  intermediate round.

coolbert.

Q & A.

This is coolbert:

Some questions and answers regarding prior blog entries. 

1. From that blog entry regarding Gallipoli:

"WHAT EXACT CAMPAIGN OF THE GREAT WAR WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS WENT ACCORDING TO PLAN! Most of the time events degenerated into the proverbial "senseless carve-up" without amelioration.

Those exceptions to include:

* Riga.
* Caparetto.
* Romania.

Riga and Caparetto decisive battlefield victories [a campaign consisting of series of battles as defined] but not resulting in a climactic end to hostilities against Russia and Italy respectively.

That Romanian campaign the only instance during the Great War where the calculations and plans of a General Staff [German] went as expected and hoped for. Those military forces of Romania thoroughly routed and annihilated.

2. As stated in the blog entry Waterloo QJM:

"It is reasonable to ask if the QJM method of calculation and analysis for combat as fought during the black powder warfare Napoleonic Era is a valid technique. In the opinion of Dupuy QJM legitimate at least from the time of the American Civil War onward!"

And here we have the answer. From "Lost Battles" by Philip Sabin.

"Dupuy has pushed his own quantitative analysis [QJM deriving from that analysis of the  data] of historical combat even further back to include data from the Napoleonic and American Civil"

During that period of the Napoleonic Era and the American Civil War NO use of indirect fire or automatic weapons. The two biggest killers during both World Wars being artillery [indirect fire primarily] and automatic weapons.

To the extent that QJM established from data of combat during both World Wars questioning QJM as is applicable to prior generations of warfare not out of the question?

As to Trevor Dupuy himself we have this interesting tidbit:

"Dupuy----the descendant of a French Huguenot who emigrated to Prussia after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The grandson of this emigre accompanied von Steuben to America during the revolution and stayed here when the war was over."

There are questions to be asked and now we have the answers. And are the better for it too.

coolbert.

Tel Abyad & Ain Issa.

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The Kurds move south!

First Kobani. Then Tel Abyad. Now Ain Issa.

Further battlefield victories for the YPG Kurdish militia. Further towns as liberated from the forces of ISIL.

Raqqa described as the "de facto" capital of ISIL and only thirty miles [fifty kilometers] from Ain Issa. Akcakale across the border into Turkey.

BUT NOT EVERYONE IS SO HAPPY!

From a variety of sources.

1. "Syrian Kurds victory over ISIL could stir up problems"


2. "Syria's Kurdish forces retake town from ISIL"


3. "Syria: Jubilant scenes as YPG Kurdish fighters pincer Isis inside Tel Abyad"


YPG THE FIGHTING ARM OF THE KURDISH PKK COMMUNIST PARTY. IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE AMERICANS AND COMMUNISTS IN LEAGUE AND TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER!!

To what extent YPG ground units receiving close-air-support [CAS] from American warplanes if any this is not mentioned or made clear. At Kobani there was widespread and continuous CAS that was decisive.

Those not pleased with events even with liberation those Syrian Arabic speakers not Kurdish. Uncertainty distressing as you might imagine. That factionalism of the Syrian Civil War not an easy subject to deal with!

coolbert.

Gallipoli.

 This is coolbert:

 Also from the April 2015 edition of BBC History magazine.

"THE MYTHS OF GALLIPOLI"

Those myths to include:

1. "The campaign was a good idea let down by poor execution."

2. "The fighting at Gallipoli was mainly an Anzac affair."

3. "The fiasco turned Australia from a British colony into a nation."

4. "The August Offensive nearly succeeded in breaking the deadlock on the peninsula."

5. "It was a heroic-romantic campaign."

NO to all!

Also NO mention of: A. Liman von Sanders. B. That 1807 British Expeditionary force.

Liman von Sanders the German general officer in operational control of those Turkish forces in opposition to the allied invasion of Gallipoli. It was not so much that allied planning and execution was so poor and flawed as was Turkish resistance as directed by the German von Sanders was so good?

"THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN THE CONCEPT NOT WITHOUT MERIT, WORTHY OF THE ATTEMPT AND TO AN EXTENT BASED ON A PRIOR COMBAT ACTION FROM OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS PRIOR!"

It can be reasoned also THAT WHAT EXACT CAMPAIGN OF THE GREAT WAR WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS WENT ACCORDING TO PLAN! Most of the time events degenerated into the proverbial "senseless carve-up" without amelioration. And Gallipoli was NO exception.

coolbert.

Cyborg.

This is coolbert:

From an Internet technology web site we have the story of the cyborg. Combination organic animal species and micro-electronic machine!

"Cyborg. Cybernetic organism. A person [an insect] whose physiological functioning is aided by or dependent upon a mechanical or electronic device."

And as a weapon of WAR!

"10 Futuristic Weapons That Will Change Modern Warfare"

"Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) . . . has developed a part insect, part machine that they call the Hybrid Insect Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems program. Basically, DARPA take an insect at the metamorphosis stage of development and then insert a controlling mechanical device. This allows them to fly the developed insect into tightly controlled spaces for surveillance purposes. This literally allows them to bug the enemy. It’s kind of spooky when you start to think about the domestic 'big brother' applications."

EVEN BETTER WOULD BE TO BREED THESE BEETLES [IF POSSIBLE] TO THE SIZE OF A LARGE DOG. CREATE A COMBAT SOLDIER YOU COULD PROLIFERATE THE BATTLEFIELD WITH, TERRIFYING JUST BY THE THOUGHT ALONE!!

Insect species not possessing brains as that word brain commonly, ordinarily and generally understood. Responding to chemical stimuli and that alone for all functions. That "mechanical device" [microelectronic solid-state circuitry I might assume] also complete with nano-factories for producing needed and desired stimuli chemicals on demand.

WITHIN THE REALM OF THE ANIMAL SPECIES ANTS BEING THE ONLY OTHER ORGANISM OTHER THAN MAN THAT WAGES WAR! BEWARE!

coolbert.

Saladin.

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From that April 2015 edition of BBC History magazine:

"HOW TO LEAD LIKE SALADIN"

Sultan and highly respected Islamic leader in opposition to the Crusaders. Dante and others of the early Renaissance period having the highest degree of admiration for Saladin.

"WHEN THE FIRST MANUAL OF CHIVALRY WAS WRITTEN, WITH EUROPEAN KNIGHTS IN MIND, SALADIN WAS THE ARCHETYPE OF THE CHIVALROUS WARRIOR!!! SUCH WAS THE IMPRESSION THIS MAN MADE UPON THE CRUSADER AND EUROPEAN KNIGHT!!"

See my prior Military Thoughts blog entry concerning Saladin and his chivalrous behavior.

Those leadership traits of Saladin to include:

1. "Learn from the best."

2. "Show no mercy."

3. "Have a cause worth fighting for."

4. "Be prepared to negotiate."

5. "Put your life on the line."

6. "Live a simple, austere life."

7. "Keep your promises."

8. "Extend the hand of friendship."

Saladin could be hard when he needed to be hard, magnanimous when he could be magnanimous.

Saladin also functioning as a generalissimo as I understand that meaning of the word. Wielding both political power and in command of the army on the battlefield at the same time.

coolbert.

Napoleon.

This is coolbert:

From Professor Al Nofi at Strategy Page his CIC # 445 very well worth reading I recommend highly without qualification or reservation.

1.  "Marking the Bicentennial of the Battle of Waterloo"

And from the public broadcast television series "Globe Trekker" more on Napoleon in the AFTERMATH of Waterloo.

2. "Isolated Islands: Saint Helena"

Napoleon having been exiled to St. Helena in the South Atlantic to live out his final days. With large entourage and living a comfortable but not palatial lifestyle until his terminating this existence. NOT ABUSED, MISTREATED OR POISONED!

"St Helena’s most famous resident was Napoleon, who was exiled here following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, until his death in 1821.  Zay visits the beautifully preserved Longwood House, where Napoleon was detained under house arrest, and the tomb where he was buried."

Longwood House as done by a sketch artist of the time.

His residence of Longwood House however perhaps contributing to an early demise. Longwood House located in an area of St. Helena possessing a micro-climate of wind, fog, cold, DAMP. NOT a healthy place to live [Napoleon at that stage of his life not in the most robust of health] LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS BUT NOT DONE INTENTIONALLY CRUEL.

"Longwood House was the residence of Napoleon Bonaparte, during his exile on the island of Saint Helena, from 10 December 1815 until his death on 5 May 1821. It lies on a windswept plain some 6 km (3.7 mi) from Jamestown."

Even there exists a certain nostalgia for things Napoleon? Seems so!

coolbert.

Druze.

This is coolbert:

Yet more from Ynet. Another religious minority group imperiled by the fighting in Syria.

The Druze. As it has been for the Assyrian Christians and the Yazidi now it is for the Druze.

"Nusra Front fighters kill 20 Druze in Syrian village"

"During confrontation with Druze villagers, jihadists from al-Qaeda's Syrian offshoot kill elderly people and at least one child, according to monitor group."

 "BEIRUT - Members of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front Sunni militant group have killed 20 Druze villagers in northwestern Syria, a group monitoring the war reported on Thursday."

"The Druze faith is an offshoot of Islam viewed as heretical by the puritanical school of Sunni Islam espoused by al-Qaeda."

NOT much known about the Druze. Often described as a religion that is enigmatic and esoteric.

Incorporating the beliefs, doctrines and ritual of a whole host of other religions. But then again, enigmatic. Seen as nominally Muslim but not Sunni!!

Al Nusra Front indeed an "off-shoot" of Al Qaeda AND CURRENTLY AFFILIATED WITH THE ARMY OF CONQUEST.

The Israeli having a long-standing, special and amicable relationship with the Druze. ISRAEL WILL NOT STAND BY AND ALLOW THE DRUZE TO BE MASSACRED?

coolbert.

Fifty Peso.

This is coolbert

Thanks to the tip from Peter through Harry:

"Argentina has just released their new 50 Peso note with a map of the Malvinas on it to remind citizens that these islands belong to Argentina"

And is a story as carried by the Daily Mail much to the outrage of some Englishmen:

 "Argentina unveils new bank note which has a picture of the Falklands on one side – and anti-British propaganda on the other"

    * "Map of disputed islands will appear on one side of the 50 peso note"
    * "Back is Argentine folk hero who led 19th century uprising against British"
    * "Aim is to give 'unwavering claim' over Falklands a daily use"

Here it is. Fifty peso for Sister Sarah and as a constant reminder to all Argentinean too.

We have heard of controversial stamps and maps as a declaration of sovereignty and also television weather broadcast insets. NOW we have currency demonstrative of will and resolve and also "as a declaration of sovereignty".

See previous blog entries regarding Argentina and the renewed sense of hostility in the South Atlantic.

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/06/argentina.html

 http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/12/fencer-fernandez.html

coolbert.

Beaufort Castle.

This is coolbert:

See the Ynet article and interview with some Israeli army officers who were responsible for the evacuation and destruction of Beaufort Castle.

Beaufort since at least Crusader times [possibly before that too] dominant terrain with fortification at the apex. Historically whoever controls the heights and Beaufort controls that area of the Levant [Israel and Lebanon].

Denying that dominant terrain and the fortification high on the Israeli agenda during the pullback from Lebanon.
 
"Military memories: How the IDF withdrew from the symbol of the Lebanon security zone"

"15 years on, IDF troops recall using six tons of explosives to decimate their outpost. 'We didn't want to see Hezbollah waving anything with an IDF logo.'"

An Israeli sapper wiring what appear to be anti-tank mines for demolition. Within some sort of housing NOT part of the original Crusader castle. Six tons to explosive power ready to blow!

"It was the last night [for] the Beaufort officers [Israeli]: Exactly 15 years after the IDF's withdrawal from South Lebanon, Ynet met the last three officers of the Alei Taher mountain range in what was the Israeli security zone, for a unique conversation."

The embedded fifteen minute video very good!

Destruction in the case of ISRAELI MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE AS BUILT FOR THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION FROM 1982 ONWARD. TO WHAT EXTENT THE ORIGINAL STONE CASTLE DAMAGED IT IS NOT SAID.

See my previous blog entry regarding  Beaufort Castle.

coolbert.

Dowsing Rod.

This is coolbert:

Dowsing rods that military dimension.

From that previous blog entry and as was written about in a 1967 edition of the Telegraph:

"Marines Using Coat-Hanger Dowsers To Detect Cong's Tunnels and Traps"

"Camp Pendleton, Calif - - Coat-hanger dowsers, or diving rods, are being used by Marine Corps engineers here and in Vietnam to detect, tunnels, mines and booby traps."

"The traditional willow-wand dowser, . . . has been replaced in combat use by ordinary wire coat hangers or welding rods of steel, brass or other metal."

The caption for this image says: "Dowsing with the Fourth Army, Vietnam."

"Some Marines here, including returned Veterans, say they have had excellent results with the improvised detecting device."

The famous magician and professional skeptic Amazing Randi has debunked the entire aspect of the dowsing rod. His scientifically designed test to determine if a dowsing rod could locate a cavity underground or the flow of water seemed to be pretty convincing. IT DOES NOT WORK!

OR DOES IT? ISIL beware!!

coolbert.

Jaysh Hermon.

This is coolbert:

Yet one more faction in the Syrian Civil War that not been heard of before.

This is Jaysh Hermon! Also from DEBKAfile:

17 June.

"Syrian rebel coalition launches offensive near Golan to clear path to south Damascus. Israel acts to protect Druze"

"Jaysh Hermon (the Army of Hermon) Wednesday, June 17, launched a broad offensive on Syrian army forces in the Quneitra and Hermon sectors bordering on Israel. Its objective is to capture the Syrian army's 68th Brigade headquarters Khan al-Shih which commands the main Quneitra-Damascus highway, DEBKAfile reports. This would clear their path to the southern suburbs of Damascus and enable them to encircle the government troops defending the capital."

Combat occurring very close to the border between Israel and Syria. I am sure [?] the Israeli military commanders are nervously biting their nails. Anticipating that participants in the Syrian civil war might encroach or try to encroach on Israeli occupied territory.

Jaysh Hermon seems also to be associated with the Free Syrian Army [FSA]. Those in opposition to the despot Assad, FSA looked upon with favor in Washington. Like I said, you have to have a scorecard to tell the participants and that list of factions changes from day to day!

And as for the Druze people we will have more later.

coolbert.

Tunnels ISIL.

This is coolbert:

As it was in Vietnam so it is now in Syria and Iraq.

Tunnel warfare.

As reported by DEBKAfile:

15 June

"ISIS goes underground for guerrilla warfare against new US 'lily pad' strategy in Iraq"

"Following the US plan deploy American advisers in 'lily pad' bases to work with Iraqi troops near the front lines, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has adopted a new strategy. DEBKAfile reports exclusively that ISIS is turning to tunnel warfare in pursuit of guerrilla tactics on all its active fronts in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egyptian Sinai and the Palestinian Gaza Strip"

Tunnel warfare serving both a DEFENSIVE and OFFENSIVE purpose. Hide from American air strikes and also allow when attacking for combatants to appear out of no-where.

Bring out the dowsing rods!!

coolbert.

Forensics.

This is coolbert:

On this occasion the F-15 successful. Mission Libya completed!

American F-15 flying out of Lakenheath and their previous combat mission observed did not get the intended target the first time and had to go back?

From DEBKAfile:

June 15.

"US air strike in Libya targets planner of 2013 Algeria attack"

"United States F-15E fighter jets carried out an air strike in Libya early Sunday targeting the terrorist leader, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, mastermind of the 2013 terrorist seizure of an Algerian gas plant that left 38 foreign hostages dead. The Libyan government stated Sunday night that the air strikes killed 'a number' of other Libyan terrorists in the eastern part of the country. US officials expressed caution about Belmokhtar's fate pending forensic proof."

Forensic proof now a mainstay of counter-insurgency and counter-terror operations. You want to absolutely prove the man you were after is the one you got. DNA, fingerprints, dental records, etc.

AND YES, YOU ARE GOING TO BE FOLLOWED TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH FOREVER AND EVER.

coolbert.

ISU-152.

This is coolbert:

That latest and greatest Russian tank the T-14 Armata equipped with a smooth-bore 125 mm gun. Capable of firing a SABOT, HEAT, fragmentation and ATGM round.

The ATGM [anti-tank-guided-missile] also having a capacity to engage at long range a low-flying and hovering helicopter.

AT SOME POINT THAT 125 MM GUN TO BE REPLACED WITH A 152 MM GUN!

NO SUCH BIG-BORE WEAPON OF THAT DIAMETER USED IN AN ALL-PURPOSE/MULTI-ROLE ARMORED VEHICLE SINCE THE TIME OF WORLD WAR TWO [WW2].

A 152 mm gun as carried by the Soviet ISU-152 assault gun.

"ISU-152 was a Soviet multirole fully enclosed and armored assault gun or armored self-propelled gun, also capable of serving as a heavy tank destroyer developed and used during World War II, with a subsequent use, mainly in the Soviet military, until the 1970s."

A monster of a combat vehicle. That child as included next to the exhibit giving us some sense of the scale.

Crew positions within the ISU-152. 1. Driver. 2. commander. 3. Gunner. 4. Breech operator. 5. Loader.

ISU-152 basically a howitzer mounted in an armored and tracked chassis. NOT possessing a turret and NOT a tank as the word tank commonly, ordinarily and generally understood. There existing a degree of traverse and elevation for that gun but not excessively so.

The ISU-152 able to satisfy a variety of roles. To include:

* Assault gun. Accompany the infantry during an offensive operation and provide direct fire support.

* Anti-tank role.

* Conventional artillery indirect fire.

That assault gun now a weapons system considered passe' and having been so for some time now.

See here and here some outstanding You Tube videos regarding the ISU-152.

coolbert.

Buck-and-Ball.

This is coolbert:

As was listed at a previous blog entry those events as transpiring on the third day at Gettysburg yet one more instance of effective shock and awe!

* Gettysburg. Pickett's Charge. 5,000 Confederate casualties in thirty minutes, Confederate troops subjected to repeated volley from the Union defender, in particular the weapons fire from the Fourth New Jersey most effective. Even a military force as superb as the Army of Northern Virginia unable to overcome such resistance, that rate of casualty well beyond norm, disorderly withdrawal the only option.

From a conversation with a combat veteran and weapons expert this comment regarding
Gettysburg:

"There was at least one unit (think it was a New Jersey volunteer militia called up for Federal service in the Army of the Potomac) during the Civil War that kept their smooth bore muskets when offered rifles.  They liked using the buck-and-ball loads:  one .69 cal ball loaded under three or four buckshot."

"At Gettysburg, when Pickett's charge hit the Union line at the Corner, that NJ unit was just to the right (from the Union side of things), slightly off the angle of attack. They quickly lined up perpendicular to the Union line facing the Confederate units trying to get over the small wall, about 30-40 yards from the penetration point, and opened fire with their buck and ball loads--volley after volley. It was said to be quite devastating.  Like having a unit armed entirely with shotguns."

"Right weapon, right time!!"

And as duly noted in the Al Nofi CIC # 443:

• "In the years before the Civil War, the training of West Point cadets included instruction in the making of rockets, priming tubes, canister shot, quick and slow match, and various types of cartridges, including blanks, ball, buckshot, and buck-and-ball."

Buck-and-ball, load em' cocked and ready! Indeed!

coolbert.

Waterloo QJM.

This is coolbert:

"Why Waterloo still fascinates us" by Andrew Roberts

"Indeed, without the Prussians, Wellington would not have fought the battle -- and probably could not have won it if he had."

NOT SO FAST Mr. Roberts.

As was the subject of a Military Thoughts blog entry from a long time ago now we subject the Waterloo battlefield to the calculations and analysis as might have been done by Trevor Dupuy using his Quantitative Judgment Model. QJM!

That English/German/Dutch/Belgian coalition army commanded by Wellington numbering about 69,000 troops. The French army as commanded by Napoleon about 72,000 men. These figures generally accepted as correct.

Multiply that number of coalition troops using the QJM equation:

69,000 X 1.3 X 1.1 = 99,000.

1.3 that value for a military force assuming a hasty defensive posture. 1.1 that value the advantage gained by the defender as per the terrain of the Low Countries.

That army of the French under Napoleon consisting of about 72,000 troops having NO CHANCE to defeat the coalition army unless their combat effectiveness value [CEV] = 1.4. Meaning that the French soldiers as a collective on the battlefield would have had to be forty percent [%] more effective in combat than the troops as commanded by Wellington.

Given that: Wellington fought strictly a defensive battle [he did], Napoleon and the French had NO CHANCE of winning at Waterloo regardless of whether the Prussian had arrived on the scene or not.

NAPOLEON DID DETAIL A SEGMENT OF HIS ARMY [THE YOUNG GUARD] AS RESERVES IN ANTICIPATION OF THE PRUSSIAN ARRIVAL ON THE BATTLEFIELD. THESE RESERVES INITIALLY HORS DE COMBAT BUT COMMITTED TO COMBAT AND OCCUPIED FROM THE AFTERNOON OF THE BATTLE ONWARDS.

That Prussian force however arriving in a piece-meal fashion and NOT as a concerted and concentrated force.

It is reasonable to ask if the QJM method of calculation and analysis for combat as fought during the  black powder warfare Napoleonic Era is a valid technique. In the opinion of Dupuy QJM legitimate at least from the time of the American Civil War onward!

As to Waterloo, you the devoted reader to the blog must decide for yourself.

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Waterloo!

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Two hundred years ago on this date occurred Waterloo. Those consequences of the British victory as described in the extracts from the CNN article.

 "Why Waterloo still fascinates us" by Andrew Roberts

"The Vienna Treaty that followed Waterloo gave Britain Cape Colony, Trinidad, Ceylon and various African and Asian possessions, the nodal points for what was swiftly to become a huge oceanic empire."

"With the Union Jack flying over the castle at Cape Town, the Royal Navy would always be able to keep the trade routes to British India open. After Waterloo, France was returned to much her same borders as before the Revolution and was later in the century only permitted to occupy minor and tangential colonies, often with more sand than raw materials."

"With low birthrates, lackluster industrialization vis a vis Britain, small navies, generally unproductive colonies, endemic political crises (often prompted by people with Napoleonic fantasies) and regular military defeats -- most spectacularly in 1870-71, 1940 and 1954 -- France was set on a downward trajectory ever since Napoleon's Imperial Guard broke at Waterloo"

. . . .

"The Prussian contribution to the destruction of Napoleon soon entered the mythology of the Prussian state and . . . it became an integral part of the foundation myth of Otto von Bismarck's mighty new German empire after 1870."

"For the Prussians, the battle fomented dreams of continental domination that it took two world wars to eviscerate. For the French, it extinguished those same dreams, never to be rekindled."

Consequences of Waterloo in the nutshell being:

1. Britain the unquestioned dominant world power and was to be so for the next one hundred years. Pax Britannica and no general European war for that entire period.

2. A general and slow spiral downward of French power and interest in the world. NOT ever to recover.

3. Prussia and subsequently the German Empire a continental power to be reckoned with for all that meant in the Twentieth Century!!

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Borderline.

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The trans-national nature of the Houthi rebellion undeniable. And based on historical grievance as is mentioned in this Strategy Page article:

"Yemen: Fantasies Crumble And Turn To Dust"

"The Saudis also know that this border area has been the scene of Sunni Shia conflict for a long time and so far the Shia have resisted conquest by being so tough that the cost (in lives and cash) was never worth the Sunni effort to crush Shia power down here. The western border area has been occupied by Shia tribes for centuries. The current border was only established, by force, in 1934 when the Saud family created Saudi Arabia. This was done with a largely Sunni tribal coalition organized and led by the Sauds. Some of those tribes were Shia and are just across the border from similar Shia tribes in Yemen. The Sauds have treated their Shia tribes well and the Saudi Shia obviously live better than their Yemeni cousins. That is largely why there has been no unrest from the Saudi Shia tribes. But the Yemeni Shia have always believed that the way the Sauds drew the border 80 years ago unfairly took  land belonging to the Yemeni Shia and now these long simmering disputes have added to the animosity between Saudis and many Yemenis."

Thanks to StratFor we have this map of the Arabian Peninsula showing those areas Shia and Sunni. Judge for yourself that serious nature of any threat as posed to the Saudi by a restive and cantankerous Shia population.

NOT ONLY THE EUROPEAN COLONIAL POWERS HAVING DRAWN BORDERS ON A MAP REGARDLESS OF TRIBAL, ETHNIC, OR NATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS. THE SAUDI ALSO HAVE DONE SO AND IN A MANNER IRRESPECTIVE OF RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS AND THIS NOT FORGOTTEN!!

Historical grievance the amelioration of which is next to impossible even negotiated and amicable settlement now out of the question?

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English Civil War.

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As was the question asked from a standardized test as taken during my secondary education days fifty years ago!

Which of these civil wars was the LEAST bloodiest?

A. Russian Civil War.
B. American Civil War.
C. Spanish Civil War.
D. English Civil War.

The correct answer of course is D. English Civil War.

The English Civil War a conflict - - the King and "rule by divine right" or the Parliament and "the rule of law". Such is the perception.

From the May 2015 issue of the BBC "History" magazine.

"Myths of the Civil War"

1. "War broke out by accident."

2. "Cavaliers were aristocrats Roundheads were yeoman."

3. "The 1641 massacres in Ireland were a one-sided affair."

4. "Large numbers of people were unaffected."

5. "It was a restrained and gentlemanly conflict."

6. "Cromwell won the war for parliament."

7. "Only British people fought."

8. "For parliamentarians, it was a war of religion."

9. "Wales was against the king."

10. "Parliament wanted union with Scotland."

These "myths" all deemed by modern historians as NO!

Oliver Cromwell functioning almost in the manner of a generalissimo as I understand the meaning of that word. A man exercising at the same time political power and also as a military commander. A talented and intuitive military amateur able to outfox and defeat on the battlefield those professional soldiers as might have been in opposition to him. A fighting senior military officer, a cavalry officer whose reputation, combat prowess and courage unchallenged.

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Maoists & Dacians II.

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Dacians! Conclusion.

Yet once more from the April 2015 edition of the National Geographic.

Trajan's Column. If this is not one of the wonders of the ancient world it ought to be so.

"Trajan's Amazing Column"

"AT 126 FEET [forty meters] TALL, CUT FROM MARBLE, ADORNED WITH A SPIRAL FRIEZE INTRICATELY CARVED WITH 155 SCENES . . . IS A WAR  DIARY THAT SOARS OVER ROME. ITS TALE: HOW THE EMPEROR VANQUISHED A FIERCE BUT NOBLE ENEMY."

"To honor the Roman emperor who had conquered the Dacians, the senate commissioned a novel monument. The 126-foot [forty meters] column, dedicated to Trajan in A.D. 113, was an architectural feat. The carved frieze tells the story of the back-to-back wars, spiraling 23 times from bottom to top."

That nation and area of Europe we call ROMANIA in ancient times referred to as DACIA! The wrath of Rome in the form of the legions unleashed the spoils of war including gold, silver, lands valuable as tilled "fields of grain".

Gold and silver as required to mint coinage NOT MADE OF BASE METAL.

"Historians agree that some of the Roman military campaigns were motivated by the need to find and control ore reserves required for coinage. Monetary payments were made for a while using un-coined bronze called aes rude and cast bronze ingots called aes signatum."

. . . .
 
"It was thus of great importance for Rome to find new gold and silver reserves in order to feed the need for precious ore to mint coins for the Roman Empire."
 
 
"Following two years of Dacians Wars after Trajan’s 101 A.D. invasion of Dacia and a negotiated peace which the Dacians immediately broke, the Romans attacked again in 105 A.D., crushed them with tens of thousands of troops, and returned victorious to Rome, bringing back a half million pounds of Dacian gold and one million pounds of Dacian silver, including a very fertile new province with massive fields of grain necessary to feed an imperial army."

Still after nineteen hundred years the column still a popular tourist attraction. The Romans built things to last!!

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Maoists & Dacians I.

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Maoists!

From the April 2015 edition of the National Geographic magazine two articles worth reading. Each having a military context and dimension. Issues both contemporary and ancient.

"How Coal Fuels India's Insurgency"

"In mineral-rich jungles Maoists militants find a foothold through violence and extortion.":

The Red Maoist forest guerrillas of India. Naxalites! The war the government of India doesn't want you to know about. And a subject matter this blog has not touched upon in some time now!

Maoist inspired insurrection, the forest guerrillas of India waging war for a period of at least four decades. Often referred to as Naxalites.

A war financed in large measure by the illegal sale of elephant tusks, sandalwood, AND EXTORTION AS PRACTICED AGAINST THE COAL MINE OPERATORS OF INDIA!

As promised by the newly elected Prime Minister Modi, total and complete electrification of India to proceed with all due speed. About three hundred million [300 million] Indians either without electricity or only being connected to the electrical grid and fed current in a sporadic manner.
NEW power plants to be constructed in abundance to remedy the problem, COAL FIRED POWER PLANTS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SOLUTION!

Also providing on demand electricity to Bangladesh.

LOTS OF POWER PLANTS TO BE BUILT AND LOTS OF COAL TO BE DUG. THE MASSIVE COAL FIELDS OF INDIA RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT AREA CONTESTED BETWEEN THE INSURGENTS AND THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN NEW DELHI!!

The more coal mined from the rather substantial coal fields of India THAT MUCH MORE TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE MAOIST INSURRECTIONISTS!!

Insurgents for some time now their recruiting base among the Tribal groups of India, specifically the Adivasis. Maoists able to exploit grievance a primary source of which is land expropriated for coal field development.

Among those three normally accepted criteria as needed for a successful insurgency a sanctuary, within the context of the Naxalite insurrection that "forest of Dandakaranya which loosely translates from Sanskrit as Jungle of Punishment".

Naxalites active for forty years now and running with no end in sight. Some sort of settlement can be negotiated? So far that answer is no.

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India & Burma.

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More regarding the recent incursion of Indian troops into Burma [Myanmar]. Cross-border military operations.

Retaliation for the attack and killing of Indian security personnel as described in a prior blog entry.

THESE ACTIONS NOT WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

Indeed, accords and protocol having been agreed upon in advance by the various authorities in India and Burma [Myanmar].

From several sources:

"In Myanmar, the Indian Army has staged large scale cross-border operations in 1999 and 2006"

"under a 2010 agreement, Indian security forces are allowed to enter Myanmar while chasing insurgents, the Myanmarese government and its army were informed about the possible operation without specifying time and date."

This particular incident, the Manipur massacre, seems to have been perpetrated by Assamese Nagaland insurgents, THE NAGA UNTIL RELATIVELY RECENTLY HEADHUNTERS!

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Army of Conquest.

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According to DEBKAfile that Syrian Army of Conquest now a force to be reckoned with it addition to the forces of the Islamic State [ISIL].

 "The Army of Conquest . . .  is a military operations room in the Syrian Civil War that consists of numerous Syrian Islamist rebel factions mainly active in the Idlib Governorate, with some factions active in the Hama and Latakia Governorates. It declared its formation on 24 March 2015."

Army of Conquest consisting of numerous factions to include but probably not limited to::

* Ahrar ash-Sham.
* al-Nusra Front.
* Liwa al-Haqq.
* Sham Legion.
* Jund al-Aqsa.
* Jaysh al-Sunna.
* Ajnad al-Sham.

You need A SCORECARD TO KEEP TRACK OF THE PLAYERS AND THAT SCORECARD CHANGING ON A DAILY BASIS!

Exclusively so [??] a coalition of  Sunni. Opposed to Assad but also in conflict with ISIL, Hezbollah, Iranian elements.

NO FREE SYRIAN ARMY LISTED!! Those in opposition to the despot and looked upon with favor in Washington not even in the game!! CHAOTIC INSURGENCIES SUCH AS OCCURRING IN SYRIA OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY EXTREME FACTIONALISM AND DISSIPATED ENERGY!

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Crescendo.

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That situation in Iraq and Syria is building to a crescendo. The Syrian civil war attracts foreign elements NOW IN NUMBERS!

As reported by DEBKAfile:

5 June.

1. "Tehran expected to invoke defense pact with Damascus for large-scale troop deployment to Syria"

"Reliable sources in Tehran expect the government to invoke the 2006 Iranian-Syrian mutual defense pact 'in the coming hours' for an urgent airlift of substantial numbers of Iranian troops to Syria to save Bashar Assad's regime and his army from collapse. Syrian army divisions are breaking up under the ISIS assault on the northern Kurdish town of Hasakeh, and the onslaught by the Syrian opposition Army of Conquest on the southern town of Deraa. Troops are fleeing the front lines of both embattled cities."

10 June.

2. "Thousands of US paratroops head for Iraq. Tehran braces for onset of ISIS terror attacks on cities"
   
"The United States this week began transferring to Iraq and Gulf bases elite units of the US 82nd Airborne Division . . . The first batch of 500 officers and men will be deployed in Baghdad and the Kurdish republic's capital of Irbil, followed by another 500 in July and 250 in December. Operating out of Anbar, elite US troops will step up raids on ISIS commanders, bases and moving columns, modeled on the successful DELTA operation of May 16."

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Proxies.

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From DEBKAfile an update those Scud missiles fired from Yemen into Saudi the Houthi having aid and assistance.

6 June.

"Hizballah helps Yemeni rebels fire Scuds at Saudi air base."

"Yemeni Houthi Scud missiles were was shot down by two Patriot missiles when they were fired at the biggest Saudi air base at Khamis al-Mushait - the first such missile the Yemeni rebels had fired into the oil kingdom and the first interception by a Saudi air defense system . . . The Patriots were manned by American teams - the first direct US intervention on the Saudi side of the Yemen conflict - to defend the air base from which Saudi warplanes take off for strikes in Yemen. Our military sources also reveal that Hizballah officers instructed the rebels in the firing of Scuds into Saudi Arabia."

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Argentina.

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Within the context of Russian Su-24 Fencer having sold to Argentina consider this:

"SOUTH AMERICAN SPARKS FLYING - Argentina President Christina Kirschner condemns David Cameron after PM tells Argentina Foreign Minister to stop 'threatening' residents on South Atlantic islands'.  This report states that David Cameron has accused Argentina of threatening the people of the Falkland Islands in a furious row at a Brussels dinner.  The Prime Minister ordered Hector Timerman, the Argentine Foreign Minister, to respect the fact that the islands are British after he made a fresh claim on the islands and claimed oil ventures are illegal."

"According to this release, President Christina Kirschner said that the Prime Minister's response was 'irate, almost ill-mannered.'"

The Russian conducting oil exploration in the area and HAVING BUILT AN AIRFIELD THAT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR DUAL CIVILIAN/MILITARY USE BUT IS NOW CONFINED TO MILITARY USE ONLY. GENEROUS LOANS AS GIVEN BY THE RUSSIAN TO THE ARGENTINEAN A FURTHER INDICATION OF RUSSIAN MEDDLING IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO THE TYPE OF BEHAVIOR AS SEEN DURING THE COLD WAR!

Those Falkland Islands during the time of Admiral Jackie Fisher deemed as vital to the British Empire and control of the oceans, guarding access to Cape Horn IN THOSE DAYS PRIOR TO THE PANAMA CANAL.

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Lighthouse.

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One lighthouse, two lighthouse, three lighthouse more!!

The South China Sea that one place in the world where "arguably" a conflict between major world powers will occur!!

1. "The Lighthouse as a Sovereignty Symbol"

"In the early days of exploration a flag of ownership was placed upon new-found-lands to claim ownership, even though on the other side of the island, or bay there may have been another flag from a different country. One problem with a flag – it doesn’t last very long. But build a lighthouse and claim ownership and that light is visible to all peoples for years into the future. Build it high enough and it is visible for 360 degrees. Put some men on it and it becomes your property. Hmmm!"

Just from hot off the presses.

2. "China breaks ground on lighthouse project in South China Sea"

"China hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the building of two lighthouses in the disputed South China Sea, state media said on Tuesday, a move that is likely to escalate tensions in a region already jittery about Beijing's maritime ambitions."

"China's Ministry of Transport hosted the ceremony for the construction of two multi-functional lighthouses on Huayang Reef and Chigua Reef on the disputed Spratly islands"

"Small countries 'must not ceaselessly and willfully make trouble.'” 

AND ALL OBEY TREMBLE-ING-LY!! AND QUICKLY TOO!! EMPEROR HAS SPOKEN!!

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Tu-95MS Bear.

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Also yet one more flash message from MARCONI through Harry:

"TU 95 crash . . . Russia has suspended Tu-95 Bear flights after a tragic accident at Ukrainka on the 8th June, 2015.  One person is dead and as many as five more injured after a military plane crashed in the Russian Far East.  The Tu-95MS strategic bomber had been taking off when it skidded off the runway at the Ukrainka airfield, in the Amur region, at 11pm on Monday.  Eyewitnesses said the aircraft was completely destroyed, with officials saying the accident was caused by a fire in one of the engines. Only the tail section has been left intact.  According to the press service of the Defence Ministry several crew members were injured and taken to hospital. Sources say three people are being treated in Belogorsk, with the crew commander suffering severe burns covering 75 per cent of his body."

Regarding this version of the Tu-95: [many variant exist]

 "Tu-95MS/Tu-95MS6/Tu-95MS16 . . . This variant became the launch platform of the Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile and put into serial production in 1981. Known to NATO as the Bear H"

 * "Russian Air Force: 63 Tu-95MS strategic bombers. As of 2012, 55 of them are combat-ready."

Bear H a stand-off missile firing warplane!!

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Coot & Curl.

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RAF over the Baltic.

Flash message! From MARCONI through Harry:

"RAF Typhoons have intercepted and shadowed two Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea, it has been disclosed.  The jets were scrambled from Amari Air base in Estonia yesterday after the planes approached Baltic airspace without sharing a flight plan.  They initially identified and shadowed an Il-20M 'Coot' A surveillance aircraft, before checking out an An-26 'Curl' transport plane flying north from Kaliningrad."

"Four Typhoons were deployed to Amari on May 1, and are working with Norwegian aircraft to patrol Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania . . . [this is] the Baltic Air Policing detachment"

ARTICLE 5 OF THE NATO CHARTER. RUSSIAN MACHINATIONS IN THE BALTIC STATES THWARTED SO FAR. NO ACTION BY RUSSIAN AGAINST THE BALTIC NATIONS OR YOU INCUR THE WRATH OF NATO!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

 An An-26. Very nice looking aircraft. NATO code name "Curl".

 

 Those versions of the An-26 most applicable to the intelligence and reconnaissance mission to include:

* An-26RR

Alternative unit designation of the 'An-26RT' ELINT (ELectronic INTelligence) aircraft.

* An-26RT

"Curl-B": (First use of the designation) A basic designation for a series of ELINT aircraft fitted with a wide range of electro-magnetic surveillance equipment.

* An-26RTR

Alternative unit designation of the 'An-26RT' ELINT aircraft.

"We are watching you!!"

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Manipur.

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Thanks to Freeper.

"Indian Army crosses Myanmar border in rare attack to avenge Manipur massacre"

"The Indian Army on Tuesday conducted a cross-border revenge attack in Myanmar by killing nearly a dozen militants said to be involved in the massacre of 18 soldiers last week in Manipur's Chandel district"

"Reports said the strike was done in coordination with the Myanmar regime after the clearance to conduct the surgical strikes were given at the highest level in the government"

Cross-border raid from India into Burma [Myanmar]. That hunt for those responsible of the killings of eighteen soldiers done WITH THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT.

Exactly what group is responsible is not stated or perhaps not even understood. Manipur awash with terrorist and insurgent factions.

And from the South Asia Terrorism Portal read an account of the entire ambush and massacre. The security forces in Indian perhaps # 1 in the world in having experience and able to deal with insurgency.

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Super-Cavitation.

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Here more on cavitation and super-cavitation.

From Freeper:

"Shanghai to San Francisco in 100 minutes by Chinese supersonic submarine"

"Chinese eye 'supercavitation' technology as future of underwater travel"

"China has moved a step closer to creating a supersonic submarine that could travel from Shanghai to San Francisco in less than two hours."

"New technology developed by a team of scientists at Harbin Institute of Technology's Complex Flow and Heat Transfer Lab has made it easier for a submarine, or torpedo, to travel at extremely high speeds underwater."

. . . .

"However, during the cold war, the Soviet military developed a technology calledsupercavitation, which involves enveloping a submerged vessel inside an air bubble to avoid problems caused by water drag."

"A Soviet supercavitation torpedo called Shakval was able to reach a speed of 370km/h or more-much faster than any other conventional torpedoes."

That Shakval ONLY good at close range and is designed to deliver an atomic warhead. AND according to American submariners easy to avoid.

Pie in the sky stuff the feasibility and utility thereof very questionable. At least for now.

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Walrus.

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Cavitation and super-cavitation we have not spoken about in a long time. Here with an inspired use of cavitation.

An underwater projectile by velocity and shape able to overcome for a considerable distance the inherent resistance of the water.

"Firearms Of Frogmen – Part I of II"

"Underwater Pistols Used By Combat Divers Around The World"

Of particular interest the Soviet/Russian B-VI-307! A handgun as used by Soviet/Russian naval commando personnel during close quarters combat.

"the B-VI-307, a simple four-barrelled hinged-break pistol that fired a flechette, or tiny arrow, rocket-assisted 7.62mm round. These rounds stabilized in water byusing a cavitation bubble. This bubble was generated around the front of theflechette by the specially designed shape of the nose."

269th Naval Spetsnaz [Russian] their emblem the walrus. It is reasonable to assume that the 269th works in the polar regions?: Assigned to the Northern or Pacific fleet. The walrus a dangerous animal when provoked even a polar bear keeping a respectful distance from adult walrus.

German anti-shipping glide-bombs of the Second World War [WW2] and the Soviet/Russian atomic warhead rocket-propelled torpedo both making use of cavitation and super-cavitation.

Part II of the article to deal with long "guns" and the use of such for underwater warfare by naval commando units. We keenly await.

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RCOH.

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From Danger Room and Wired:

Some observations regarding the process by which modern nuclear powered naval vessels undergo a refit and overhaul.

"The Massive Work That Goes Into Remodeling an Old Aircraft Carrier"

“During USS Abraham Lincoln’s 44-month RCOH, virtually every space will be touched as the crew, contractors, and the shipyard together pour more than 25 million man hours into our ship,”

THAT COST IN DOLLARS FOR THE LINCOLN RCOH MUST BE EXCEPTIONAL!! THOSE SHIPYARD WORKERS HIGHLY SKILLED AND PAID TRADE UNIONISTS AND ARTISANS MAKING BIG UNION WAGES. MINIMUM OF A BILLION DOLLARS [$$] IN WAGES ALONE FOR SUCH A RCOH I WOULD EXPECT!!

"In the United States Navy, Refueling and Overhaul (ROH) refers to a lengthy process or procedure performed on nuclear-powered Naval ships, which involves replacement of expended nuclear fuel with new fuel and a general maintenance fix-up, renovation, and often modernization of the entire ship . . . A ROH usually takes one to two years for submarines and up to almost three years for an aircraft carrier, to perform at a Naval shipyard. Time periods between ROHs on a ship have varied historically from about 5–20 years (for submarines) to up to 25 years (for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers) . . . .  A particularly lengthy refueling, maintenance, and modernization process for a nuclear aircraft carrier can last up to almost three years and be referred to as a Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH)."

A Kilo class Russian diesel/electric submarine taking nine years for refit we should then expect not to be so unusual. EVEN WITH THE OLDER AMERICAN SKIPJACK CLASS OF NUCLEAR POWERED SUBMARINE A HOLE HAVING TO CUT IN THE PRESSURE HULL TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE ATOMIC REACTOR, ALLOWING FOR THE REFUELING PROCESS TO OCCUR!!

Nobody ever said any of this was easy! Or cheap either!

coolbert.

Drones!

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Drones over Lebanon. Qualamoun to be exact.

As described in a previous blog entry, American and Iranian made drones now active at the same time in the same air space.

Little spies in the sky doing yeoman duty.

1. Aerosonde Mark 4.7 and G.

"The Mark 4.7 carries interchangable daytime color and night time FLIR video cameras and a laser pointer."

A pointer [laser] that can be used for terminal guidance of precision munitions of the Paveway variety?

A Mark 4.7. NO landing gear. Takes off from a catapult and captured on return in a net. Sense of scale is not so apparent but that appears to be a Predator in the background.

2. Iranian media identifies Ababil-3 UAV.

The Iranian Ababil-3. About the same size as the Mark 4.7.

American and Iranian drones in the same skies at the same time watching presumably the same targets this NOT BEING WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

And expect UAV from other nations and warring parties to be active at the same time in the same areas watching the same targets. That also! Even to be expected!

coolbert.

SCUD.

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As is reported in the Chicago Tribune today:

"Saudis report shooting down rebel-fired missile"

A ballistic missile of the SCUD variety.

"SANAA, Yemen - - In the first such attack of the 10-week old conflict, in Yemen, Shiite Muslim rebels early Saturday launched three Scud missiles toward a large Saudi air base, the insurgents reported. The Saudis acknowledged the firing of one missile, which they said was shot down."

* These rebels the Houthi. Insurgents whose primary weapon just a few weeks ago was the AK or PKM now possess and are able to use Scud long-range missiles.

* Scud designed to deliver on target a warhead of major proportions. Chemical, biological, nuclear, or one massive conventional explosion.

* Apparently this Scud as destroyed engaged by a missile from a Saudi Patriot battery.

* Houthi no longer merely primitive tribesmen. Troops as shown now having uniforms, a standard battle kit, etc. A force to be reckoned with. AND a trans-national movement posing a threat to the geographic integrity of the Saudi Kingdom.

* Houthi resilient in the extreme. Repeated efforts to destroy their insurgency unsuccessful. The chickens have now come home to roost and the chickens descend from the sky in the form of a Scud.

coolbert.

USS Indianapolis.

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That sinking of the USS Indianapolis at the very end of the Second World War [WW2] almost a thing of legend. Especially with regard to shark attack.

American cruiser having just delivered the components of the atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima while on further mission torpedoed and sent to the bottom in twelve minutes.

Of that crew of about eleven hundred men it is estimated that two hundred killed outright, the rest taking to the water.

Five days later ONLY about three hundred rescued. Two-thirds having perished from a combination of previous wounding, exposure, shark attack.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, A DISTRESS MESSAGE AS ISSUED BY THE INDIANAPOLIS WAS SENT AND RECEIVED. RESCUE VESSELS PROMPTLY DISPATCHED, BUT THEN WITHDRAWN!!

From the book "In Harm's Way" by Doug Stanton:

"XRAY VICTOR MIKE LOVE . . . WE HAVE BEEN HIT BY TORPEDOES, NEED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE."

Rescue efforts initiated but then withdrawn. AND NO MORE EFFORT TO CONFIRM OR DENY THE ORIGINAL DISTRESS CALL!! And WHY??

"The prevailing protocol within naval command was that messages that couldn't be confirmed by a reply were to be disregarded as pranks. Such responses were more or less pro forma at this point in the war. The Japanese forces, hoping to confuse U.S. intelligence and draw out search vessels, had made a habit of broadcasting bogus distress signals. Earlier in the war, such a message might have been investigated, but tonight it was written off as a potentially deadly move in the war game."

There it is in the nutshell. An American military prankster sending a false message for "fun" OR the Japanese attempting to entice American naval rescue shipping into an ambush. Such was the thought and not without good reason.

coolbert.

Anti-tank.

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The suggestion of Colonel Austin Bay having been ignored, the Pentagon having devised a different solution to the problem.

From DEBKAfile:

2 June.

"Some 2,000 US AT-4 anti-tank weapons consigned for Iraq"

"A Pentagon official reported that of the 2,000 AT-4 anti-tank weapons destined for Iraq, 1,000 were delivered directly to the government in Baghdad. The other half will be held by the US-led coalition for training Iraqi troops and future contingencies. The official said the AT-4s would serve as defense against approaching explosives-vehicles driven by suicide bombers, such as ISIS used in the capture of Ramadi last month."

This supposes personnel skilled in the use of the AT-4 and willing to stand fast as the truck bomb approaches. Those truck bombs can take out an entire city block in one fell swoop. You need to combat the truck bomb from a long distance.

I think even the most casual of observers has an intuitive sense that high-tech weaponry is NOT the remedy to the Iraq situation. The moral is to the physical as three is to one. How to provide that degree of resoluteness and will power? That is the question.

Or are my pronouncements and instance of: "those furthest from the scene of the action often have the loudest voices!"

coolbert.

Negev & Tavor.

This is coolbert:

From the image as seen at the previous blog entry some weapons as carried by the ladies the identity of which was unknown to me.

At least until now.

Some sort of light machine gun or squad automatic weapon I might assume.

And here it is. The IMI Negev. Squad automatic weapon. A light machine gun.

"The Negev is an Israeli 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm light machine gun, developed by Israel Military Industries Ltd. . . . In 2012, IMI introduced the new Negev NG7, in 7.62mm calibre, to become the standard issue for the IDF."

This young woman is described as an Israeli weapons instructor and is not a member of Caracal or Lions of Jordan. To me the IMI Negev bears a resemblance to the American M-249.

This weapon too as carried by the woman soldier unknown to me.

Obviously the Israeli bullpup assault rifle TAR-21.

The TAR-21 (or simply Tavor) is an Israeli bullpup assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition with a selective fire system, selecting between semi-automatic mode and full automatic fire mode.

A TAR-21 as wielded by a troop. Is that a man or a woman? Appears to be a woman. But hard to tell. And a member of the Caracal battalion as described. You are not supposed to be able to determine the gender. Caracal has features of both men and women. Androgynous.

That Israeli light machine gun and the bullpup assault can fire the same round. To me that is a big plus. Others may disagree and favor the heavier 7.62 X 51 NATO round for the machine gun. Personally I favor the ammunition commonality factor.

coolbert.