Fargo & Feather.

 This is coolbert:

From a comment to the blog from Steiner:
  
"The Mig-9, not the -15, was a copy of the Ta-183. The Mig-9 never showed up in combat against the West, so it has been forgotten. Both the -9 and the Yak-15, the other early Soviet effort at a jet air frame, used reverse engineered jet engines from BMW and Junkers respectively."

As usual, Steiner is correct!!

1. MiG-9.

"The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 . . . NATO reporting name: Fargo was the first turbojet fighter developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich in the years immediately after World War II. It used reverse-engineered German BMW 003 engines. Categorized as a first generation jet fighter, it was moderately successful, but suffered from persistent problems with engine flameouts when firing its guns at high altitudes due to gun gas ingestion. A number of different armament configurations were tested, but nothing solved the problem."

Fargo possessing the same armaments as the subsequent MiG-15:

* "1 × 37 mm Nudelman N-37 cannon"
* "2 × 23 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 cannon"

2. Yak-15.

"The Yakovlev Yak-15 . . . NATO reporting name: Feather . . . was a first-generation Soviet turbojet fighter developed by the Yakovlev design bureau (OKB) immediately after World War II. It used a reverse-engineered German Junkers Jumo 004 engine"

Feather less well armed than the MiG-15;

* "Guns: 2× 23 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 cannon with 60 rounds each"

In both cases warplanes using reversed engineered German jet engines. Also wings not swept. A First Generation jet fighter what it is called. MiG-15 a Second Generation fighter with the swept wing design.

coolbert.

20 Quotes.

This is coolbert:

Very interesting devoted readers to the blog please read this article from an Internet web site.

Attitudes of the German [civilian and military both] toward American soldiers in the aftermath of the Great War!

"20 Quotes From Germans About American Troops After World War I"

"You might be surprised to read some of things defeated German soldiers had to say about American troops after World War I…"

"The year was 1919, following the allies defeat of Germany, when the U.S commissioned a report regarding German attitudes to their American counterparts, albeit enemies, during the war. The surprising thing was that after compiling everything from interrogation reports to interview transcripts to intercepted letters from Germany, the Americans were more than just a little shocked at the German’s attitude to them."

As associated with quotation # 8 this image not from the era of the Great War. General Eisenhower in the center with his most senior commanders subsequent to German defeat in World War Two. 

That report as based on information from a variety of sources, open and frank, very revealing and probably more true than false.

Opinions of the German toward the American soldier in the main favorable, some ambivalent, a few negative, but not so excessively so.

American occupation of Germany post-war [both WW1 and WW2] generally rather benevolent and progressive!! Not harsh, brutal and cruel!

coolbert.

Dunford.

This is coolbert:

Seems those assertions of the DEBKAfile as seen in a previous blog entry were correct.

From Freeper that type of conflict between the senior military commander and the elected Commander-in-Chief comes to a head. NOT since the Korean War has such a thing occurred!!

"Joint Chiefs Chairman Rejects Obama Plan to Share Syria Intel with Russia"

"Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford has just gone where no JCS chairman has ever gone before!"

. . . .

"Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on September 22, Dunford made clear the military would refuse to execute what was the central element of Obama’s new Syria policy, i.e., intelligence-sharing with Russia-despite the president’s order it be done."

Intelligence sharing with Russia vis-a-vis the Syrian conflict at the moment ONLY A PLAN or is it an agreed upon DONE-DEAL that must be implemented!

If the latter, then Dunford must obey the direct order of the elected Commander-in-Chief. Failure to obey means either a forced resignation or courts martial and being instantly cashiered from the military if the General is found to have disobeyed.

DEBKAfile right on the money after all? The noted blogger Spengler rated DEBKA as unreliable under all circumstance. I am not so sure.

coolbert.

M-60 Turk.

This is coolbert:

See my previous blog entry regarding the Turkish M-60T tank.

Then read thanks to War is Boring from that tip as seen at Freeper::

"Turkish Tanks Take a Pounding in Syria" by SEBASTIEN ROBLIN

"Rebels armed with guided missiles punish Ankara’s tank force"

Those Turkish tanks that have crossed the border into Syria having seen combat and not always fared so well. Can be picked off by the Russian Kornet anti-tank guided-missile [ATGM]. AND ARE!

"it [Turkey] also maintains an enormous tank force — more than 2,400 all told, greater than the tank forces of France, Germany and the United Kingdom combined".[!!!]

"But only Turkey’s 354 German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks are modern designs, and even those date back to 1985".

That EMBEDDED VIDEO showing what appears to be a Turkish M-60T [?] being destroyed by an ATGM is a classical case of a lack of combined arms. That tank stationary, sitting in the open an obvious and tempting target!!

Poor tactics in this specific case rather than inferior armor the culprit in this case.

coolbert.

Demands!

This is coolbert:

The French army during the Great War [WW1] having suffered about 1 million casualties and in the aftermath of the failed Nivelle Offensive MUTINIED!

Troops en masse refusing further orders for any offensive action. "Going over the top" as it was called by the British. NO more advancing across no-mans land and being mowed down by machine gun fire.

French soldiers willing to fight but only in a defensive manner and not harming junior officers.

FRENCH TROOPS RELEASING A LIST OF DEMANDS!

Mutiny of the French army suppressed when the top commanders replaced, several dozen mutineers executed, a kindler and gentler strategic posture assumed by the French! It is reputed that number of "several dozen" far too low.

But the damage was done!!

That French general staff having made preparations for a short and intense war, NOT for long, protracted and stalemated war. Considerations regarding the morale of the troops in the long-term nil at best. Food bad, pay poor, leave when given REQUIRING ENLISTED SOLDIERS TO TAKE A CIVILIAN PART-TIME JOB TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.

Dynamic change as necessitating adjustment by the French general staff to deplorable and unsustainable conditions not forthcoming.

NO WONDER A BREAK DOWN OCCURRED!

"Lions led by donkeys!!"

coolbert.

Euro Force.

This is coolbert:

As seen at Freeper:

"EU presses ahead with military plans, UK opposes any EU army"

"European Union nations pressed ahead Tuesday with plans to boost military cooperation as Britain vowed to oppose the creation of an EU army or headquarters."

"With Britain leaving the EU, France and Germany have been spearheading moves to boost Europe’s capacity to run its own security operations. […]"

NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, ENGLAND AND MAYBE CANADA!!

THIS WILL BE THE RESULT/

Can it pass muster and have and act as a reasonable deterrent against external aggression from whatever source?

ALSO HAVING AN ORGANIC ATOMIC CAPABILITY [FRANCE] WITH THE ADDITION OF WHO ELSE [GERMANY]?

THE ENGLISH LOOK WEST RATHER THAN EAST?

See previous blog entries the topic of which was a consolidate European army:

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2016/05/eu-army.html

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2016/05/eu-2nd.html

coolbert.

Raider.

This is coolbert:

Monikers!

From the War is Boring Internet web site we have an interesting article and thanks to the tip from Sputnik and Jeff:

"Here Are the Names the Air Force Didn’t Pick For the B-21 Raider" by JOSEPH TREVITHICK.

"Bomber McBombface didn’t make it"

. . . .

"Four months earlier, the Air Force made the unusual decision to let service members submit possible monikers for the bomber over the Internet. Officials ultimately chose Raider from more than 4,600 submissions in total, with more than 2,100 being unique at least in structure and spelling."

"In May, the Air Force said it had whittled these down to a short list of 15 choices. Cole made the much awaited Raider announcement at the Air Force Association’s annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Maryland."

"The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is a heavy bomber aircraft under development by Northrop Grumman. As part of the Long Range Strike Bomber program (LRS-B), it is to be a long-range strategic bomber for the United States Air Force, intended to be a heavy-payload stealth aircraft capable of carrying thermonuclear weapons."

Comments:

* Never until just today did I even imagine that the B-21 even existed.

* Will cost about half-a-billion dollars American per copy.

* Expect the bomber if built to come on line and be operational by 2030.

* This is a manned aircraft and NOT a drone!

Abaddon/Aber on Finisher/Abolisher/ABRAM/Ace King/Ace of Spades/Achendra/Active Duty/Adroit Bomber/Aegis/Aeolus/Aerial Freedom among those many "monkers" not making the final fifteen and taken out of consideration!

coolbert.

Jamming.

This is coolbert:

From the Internet web site Space Review and interesting article.

During that era of the Vietnam War the proverbial intelligence goldmine from an unexpected source and under unprecedented circumstances.

"The wizard war in orbit (part 4)" by Dwayne A. Day

"In August 1968, Soviet forces invaded their captive ally Czechoslovakia. The invasion began with an intense electronic warfare campaign against the Czech air defense network . . .  'Jamming apparently was not targeted in the radio frequency range of NATO radars; the locations of chaff seeding suggests that it was not intended to screen Soviet air operations from Western observers.'”

. . . .

"some of the jamming might have been directed at the SA-2 surface-to-air missile fusing system—a subject of considerable interest to the American military because SA-2 missiles had been blowing American combat aircraft out of the sky in Vietnam. Other jamming might have been intended for land-based guided missile systems that could have been fired at invading Soviet forces. The electronic warfare effort was successful, the Soviet invasion took place without a hitch"

"this would have been an intelligence bonanza for the United States military, because the Soviets understood best how to jam their own equipment, and monitoring what they were doing in Czechoslovakia could have provided information that the American military could use against similar weapons systems in Vietnam."

The "proverbial intelligence goldmine", the "intelligence bonanza" AND AS ESSENTIAL TO THE AMERICAN AERIAL BOMBARDMENT OF NORTH VIETNAM!

WE HAVE TO BE 100 % CRYSTAL CLEAR ABOUT THIS! THE SOVIET JAMMING THEIR OWN SYSTEMS AS SUPPLIED TO THE CZECH. AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE ABLE TO MONITOR THIS EFFORT THAT KNOWLEDGE AS GAINED PROVIDING VALUABLE INSIGHT "THE AMERICAN MILITARY COULD USE AGAINST SIMILAR WEAPONS SYSTEMS IN VIETNAM"!

Who would have thought it?

coolbert.

Golan Heights.

This is coolbert:

Also from the latest edition of the DEBKAfile newsletter

"Syrian buildup with Druze OC for major Golan op"

22 September..

"A series of steps by the Assad regime in the last few days, reported by DEBKAfile's military sources, point to preparations for a massive Syrian army offensive, backed by Hizballah, pro-Iranian Shiite militias and Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers, for clearing the strong rebel presence out of the Syrian Golan. These include the arrival in the Quneitra area of the armored brigades of Syria's 4th Division, including advanced Russian T-90 tanks, as well as Hizballah's elite fighting unit, the Radwan Force, and pro-Iranian Shiite militia forces. Syrian President Assad also took the unusual step of appointing a senior Druze officer, Brig. Gen. Osama Zhar a-din, as the Golan front's new commander. Our sources add that Iran, Hizballah and Syria will henceforth hit back at any Israeli air or artillery strikes against a Syrian target on the Golan. This was decided in high-level three-way consultations in Damascus on Sept. 15"

A THREAT NOW EXISTS ON THE BORDER BETWEEN SYRIA AND ISRAEL [GOLAN HEIGHTS], AN IMMINENT DANGER OF SERIOUS COMBAT WHERE NO SUCH POTENTIALITY HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR OVER FORTY YEARS?

THAT DECISION TO ENGAGE ISRAELI TARGETS HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE AND WILL PROMULGATED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMANDER ON THE SCENE?

The situation goes from bad to worse!!

coolbert.

Rage.

This is coolbert:

From the latest edition of the DEBKAfile newsletter it is alleged that the American military leadership to INCLUDE the Secretary of Defense is not fully compliant with the expressed intentions and wishes of President Obama and Secretary Kerry!!

"Rockets on Golan, Pentagon flouts Obama, no truce"

17 September.

"The Pentagon and US army are not following the orders of their Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama in the execution of the military cooperation accord in Syria concluded by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Sept. 12. Five days after the truce they agreed would go into effect Monday, fighting was still raging Saturday, Sept. 17. DEBKAfile was the only Western publication to foresee this eventuality in an article published on July 18. It was already evident then that any military cooperation agreement between the two powers would be contingent on America exposing its intelligence-gathering methods to Russia - not just in Syria but worldwide. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Chairman of the US Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford will never on any account admit that, in the execution of military collaboration with Russia in the Syrian conflict, they are not exactly carrying out the president's precise instructions".

SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT AS MADE WITH THE RUSSIANS WILL NEGATE AMERICAN "INTELLIGENCE GATHERING METHODS" WORLDWIDE!

COMMAND AT THE HIGHEST ECHELONS OF THE AMERICAN DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENT MILITARY AND CIVILIAN ARE FLOUTING ORDERS AS ISSUED BY DULY CONSTITUTED LEGAL AUTHORITY?

coolbert.

Moorfield Storey.

This is coolbert:

"by patriotic man I do not mean him who measures his country's greatness by the extent of her territory, the size of her armies, the strength of her fleets, or even by the insolence with which she tramples upon her weaker neighbors, but him who knows that the true greatness of a nation, as of a man, depends upon its character, its sense of justice, its self-restraint, its magnanimity, in a word upon its possession of those qualities which distinguish George Washington from the prize-fighter — the highest type of man from the highest type of beast." - - Moorfield Storey.

Before there was Vietnam there was the Philippine Insurrection.

And before anti-war protests of the Vietnam War era there were the anti-war protests of the Philippine Insurrection era.

"The Anti-Imperialist League and the Battle Against Empire"

""In April 1898 the United States went to war with Spain for the stated purpose of liberating Cuba from Spanish control. Several months later, when the war had ended, Cuba had been transformed into an American protectorate, and Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines had become American possessions."

"When the US government decided not to grant independence to the Philippines, Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo determined to resist American occupying forces. The result was a brutal guerrilla war that stretched on for years. Some 200,000 Filipinos lost their lives, either directly from the fighting or as a result of a cholera epidemic traceable to the war."

Read it all. Very good stuff!

MOORFIELD STOREY IT SHOULD BE NOTED A PACIFIST/ABOLITIONIST/CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE AND AS DESCENDED FROM THAT ORIGINAL GROUP OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING WHITE SETTLERS TO BRITISH NORTH AMERICA!

AND WHAT EXACTLY WOULD BE THE RESPONSE OF MR. STOREY TO THE CURRENT THREAT AS POSED BY THE ISLAMIC STATE?

coolbert.

Oto Melara.

This is coolbert:

From Sputnik and the story by Georgiy Zimarev and thanks to the tip from Freeper the Russian Navy goes Italian.

"Watch Out, NATO: New Russian Warship Gun Second to None"

"With a sophisticated gun due to be put into service by the Russian Navy in the near future, its warships will have an advantage over NATO vessels, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia."

"The Russian Navy has decided to equip all of its small missile ships and boats with a unique high-precision digital 76 mm automatic gun, the Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted a Russian navy source as saying. Designed to contain NATO warships equipped with Italian-made Oto Melara guns, the АК-176МА is equipped with an all-weather electro-optical system which shares its characteristics with a sniper rifle, according to the source."

And concerning all things military AND Italian at the same time we rely on the comments of the Soviet era defector Suvorov:

"There may be some people who underestimate Italy as a country of great thinker, but not the GRU. The GRU know that the Italians have very good brains, the brains of great inventors. Few people realize that before the Second World War Italy's technology was at an incredibly high level. The Italians were not especially brilliant in battle, and that obscured the extent of Italian achievement in military technology."

As it was seventy years ago as it is now and presumably always will be!

coolbert.

Escalation Syria III.

This is coolbert:

Conclusion!

Even far worse we have this item courtesy of the Iranian Far News Agency.

It all comes hot and heavy and one bad news item right after another.

"30 Israeli, Foreign Intelligence Officers Killed in Russia's Caliber Missile Attack in Aleppo"

"TEHRAN (FNA) - The Russian warships stationed in Syria's coastal waters targeted and destroyed a foreign military operations room, killing over two dozen Israeli and western intelligence officers"

"The Russian warships fired three Caliber missiles at the foreign officers' coordination operations room in Dar Ezza region in the Western part of Aleppo near Sam'an mountain, killing 30 Israeli and western officers," the Arabic-language service of Russia's Sputnik news agency quoted battlefield source in Aleppo as saying on Wednesday."

. . . .

"Several US, Turkish, Saudi, Qatari and British officers were also killed along with the Israeli officers. The foreign officers who were killed in the Aleppo operations room were directing the terrorists' attacks in Aleppo and Idlib".

Such an attack can be considered to be deliberate, calculating, malicious and down-right evil? If it indeed all be so and as reported. Some sort of misplaced and counter-productive Russian revenge that does no one any good at all!!

coolbert.

Escalation Syria II.

This is coolbert:

Please don't let it be even if we know it to be so.

As reported with much graphic images by the Daily Mail:

"Moscow claims drone footage shows Syrian 'militants' travelling with UN aid convoy as cover moments before trucks exploded as it denies claims they carried out air strike"

* "Lorries packed with medicine and food went up in a giant fireball close to Aleppo province on Monday"

* "A US-led coalition official has suggested that Russia was directly involved in the attack on the aid convoy"

* "They added the attack was carried out in revenge for an earlier airstrike that had killed 60 Syrian soldiers"

* "But Russia has released drone footage they claim show militants seeking cover behind the aid convoy"

Russia has done this in a malicious manner seeking revenge for "an earlier airstrike" that killed Syrian troops in an ACCIDENTAL MANNER? Pray it is not so!

coolbert.

Escalation Syria I.

This is coolbert:

Please don't let it be so, even if we know it is so.

From the New York Times:

"U.S. Admits Airstrike in Syria, Meant to Hit ISIS, Killed Syrian Troops"

"BEIRUT, Lebanon — The United States acknowledged on Saturday that its warplanes had carried out an airstrike in Syria that resulted in the deaths of Syrian government troops. American military officials said the pilots in the attack, in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, believed they were targeting the Islamic State."

"Russia’s defense ministry said the United States attack had killed 62 Syrian troops, wounded 100 more and opened the way for an Islamic State offensive."

NO WHERE is it mentioned that the Syrian troops as bombed were in CIVILIAN DRESS, BEING HELD AS PRISONER-OF-WAR, AND HUDDLED AMONG VEHICLES THOUGHT TO BE HEAVY MACHINE GUN EQUIPPED ISIL TECHNICALS!

Those pilots of the American warplanes reasonably thought they had Islamic State combatants in their sights and carried out the aerial raid in good faith? Pray that it is so!

coolbert.

Fortress Gotland.

This is coolbert:

Sverige för alltid.

From several Russian sources more Swedish stuff:

1. "Sweden puts permanent troops on strategic island near Russia"

"The Swedish military has announced that troops training on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, not far from Russia, will remain there permanently. Officials said 'external factors' prompted the order for some 150 soldiers to stay on the island."

“'The armed forces [now] … have joint permanent groups and troops on Gotland. Gotland is one of our military strategic areas in Sweden … Gotland needs … to increase their operational capacity, and allow troops to practice and work in the field,' the Swedish Armed Forces cited Supreme Commander Micael Byden as saying on its website."

"Byden later told Swedish broadcaster SVT that 'external factors in the world have deteriorated over time and it means I have made a decision about a permanent presence and that we put the battle group here earlier.'”

"Some 150 soldiers currently training on Gotland received orders . . . to remain on the island."

2. "Almost 70% of Swedes Support Return of Compulsory Military Service"

"MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Most people who voiced support for the reintroduction of conscription were old, while the majority of polled young people also backed the idea, the Swedish news portal "News 55" said. According to the survey, the return to compulsory recruitment was supported more by men than by women. . . . Mandatory military service was introduced in Sweden in 1901 and was officially abolished in 2010".

Gotland Swedish territory in the Baltic and two-hundred miles [320 kilometers] from Russian Kaliningrad. NOT really "near" as that word "near" normally, commonly, and ordinarily understood!!

coolbert.

UAV Sweden.

This is coolbert:

From the Russian Sputnik Internet web site we have a description of some sort of reconnaissance UAV observing a recent Swedish and NATO military exercise in the Baltic.

"What Was That? Unidentified Drone Stuns Swedish Military"

More correctly stated as: WHO ARE YOU?

"[an] unidentified drone disturbed the US-led BALTOPS exercise in Sweden . . . The US-led NATO exercise, in which Finnish and Swedish soldiers drilled landing operations with their colleagues from the US, Britain and Germany, reportedly received unwelcome visitors from above in mid-June. During the joint landing on the Swedish island of Utö in the Stockholm archipelago, unidentified remote-controlled aircraft flew into the restricted area . . . the drone that was detected over Utö was not part of the exercise and therefore baffled the Swedish Army. At present, the incident is being investigated by the Swedish military. Since the drones flew at a relatively high altitude of over 1,000 meters and did it at night, foreign surveillance was suspected to be behind the flight. . . . this is not the first time a drone has perplexed the Swedish military. Last year, a similar incident occurred in southern Sweden, as a media company used a drone for making pictures without permission during last year's edition of BALTOPS"

OCCURENCES OF THIS SORT NOT EXISTING IN A VACUUM? RECALL THOSE UAV FLIGHTS RECENTLY AS DETECTED DETECTED OVER IMPORTANT FRENCH NUCLEAR AND MILITARY FACILITIES:

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/03/seine-port.html

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/02/drone-hysteria.html

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/02/journalists.html

coolbert.

Spy Probe?

This is coolbert:

As seen in the Chicago Tribune today the front page headlines of 7 June 1942.

From the Tribune article "Papers on WWII spy probe of Tribune could go public":

"JAP FLEET SMASHED BY U.S. 2 CARRIERS SUNK AT MIDWAY"

"DRAFT DODGERS IN U.S. JOBS HIT BY SENATE QUIZ"

"SUMMARY OF WAR NEWS"

"NAVY HAD WORD OF JAP PLAN TO STRIKE AT SEA"

"13 TO 15 NIPPON SHIPS HIT; PACIFIC BATTLE RAGES ON"

"ADM. NIMITZ'S OWN STORY"

Additionally that "spy probe" what it is called also from the Tribune ONLY AFTER SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS THE GRAND JURY DELIBERATIONS OF THE TRIBUNE  HAVING REPORTED "NAVY HAD WORD OF JAP PLAN TO STRIKE AT SEA" TO BE MADE PUBLIC.

That importance of the American naval victory at Midway as touched upon in a prior blog entry:

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2016/04/midway.html

coolbert.

Bernsteinzimmer.

This is coolbert:

From Harry at Sharkhunters an update.

THE AMBER ROOM NOT FOUND!

"Does it ever end?  Last year there was a train filled with 'Nazi' gold in Poland.  The year before another train filled with 'Nazi' gold in Poland.  One of these, according to the guys looking for the trains, also contained the famed 'Bernsteinzimmer' . . . NO trains full of 'Nazi' gold in either case and no 'Bernsteinzimmer' either."

"Now, according to a news release . . . another guy is absolutely certain he knows the location of the elusive 'Bernsteinzimmer', this time in Thuringia Province of Germany."

BUT THE BEAT GOES ON AND THE HUNT CONTINUES! WORLD WAR TWO MISSING AND STOLEN TREASURE SOUGHT FOR BUT NEVER FOUND.

Good luck everyone. The get-rich-quick scheme and the search for the long-lost-treasure never seems to have a successful and happy ending.

coolbert.

Duterte.

This is coolbert:

Rodrigo needs a history lesson!

President of the Philippines that is!

From that previous blog entry:

"In opposing the U.S. military presence in the southern Mindanao region, Duterte cited the killing of Muslims during a U.S. pacification campaign in the early 1900s, which he said was at the root of the long restiveness of minority Muslims in the largely Catholic nation's south"

Mr. President Duterte of the Philippines please most kindly;

First from the Bangsamoro Internet web site view the embedded You tube video:

"BRIEF HISTORY OF BANGSAMORO STRUGGLE"

Second Mr. President go to the Moro National Liberation Front Internet web site and read carefully the following:

“HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE THE MINDANAO WAR?”

“DON’T FORGET BANGSAMORO NATION!”
 --DAVAO MNLF CHAIRMAN OLAMIT TO DUTERTE GOVERNMENT

“WHEN WILL FILIPINO COLONIZERS END INJUSTICE
 AND GENOCIDE WAR AGAINST THE OPPRESSED
BANGSAMORO PEOPLE?” – REVEREND ABSALOM CERVEZA

UNDERSTAND FULLY WELL BEFORE THERE WAS AN AMERICAN PRESENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR 333 YEARS THE SPANIARD WAGED A COUNTER-INSURGENCY AGAINST THE REBELLIOUS MORO!!

Tensions in those southern most provinces of the Philippines exacerbated beginning in 1953 when large numbers of Filipino peasants of the Christian faith obtaining land and settling in the region traditionally within the cultural domain of the Moro..

Understand also Mr. President those Moro as defeated by the U.S. Army at Bud Dajo and Bud Bagsak REBELS AND OUTLAWS AND CONSIDERED SO EVEN BY THEIR OWN MORO PEOPLE!

Mr. President Duterte, you have now had your history less and are the much better for it too. And so are also all devoted readers to the blog.

coolbert.

Rodrigo.

This is coolbert:

The Philippine President have made inflammatory statements that could not have come at a worse time.

1."Duterte of the Philippines: 'I'm Not a Fan of Americans'"

"Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told American special forces to leave Mindanao, blaming their presence in the southern region for the continuing conflict, while signalling his desire to 'reorient' the country's foreign policy vis-a-vis the United States. Just days after declaring that the Philippines 'will pursue an independent foreign policy', Duterte said on Monday in a rambling speech from the presidential palace."

2. "Philippine leader rejects joint patrols, eyes China weapons"

"Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he won’t allow government forces to conduct joint patrols [with American military forces]  of disputed waters near the South China Sea with foreign powers, apparently scrapping a deal his predecessor reached with the U.S. military earlier this year. Duterte also said he was considering acquiring defense equipment from Russia and China."

3. "Philippine President Wants US Forces out of Restive South"

"Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he wants U.S. forces out of his country's south and blamed America for inflaming Muslim insurgencies in the region, in his first public statement opposing the presence of American troops."

. . . .

"In opposing the U.S. military presence in the southern Mindanao region, Duterte cited the killing of Muslims during a U.S. pacification campaign in the early 1900s, which he said was at the root of the long restiveness of minority Muslims in the largely Catholic nation's south."

Tensions in the South China Sea already at a fever pitch. The United States and the Philippines having a bilateral mutual defense treaty. Offending that nation that the Filipino must rely upon in case "push comes to shove" in the region not a good idea..

coolbert.

Manslaughter.

This is coolbert:

NOTHING HAS BEEN AS SUCH IN THE LAST SIXTY YEARS? AT LEAST TO MY KNOWLEDGE!

Relentless and undeserved hazing and abuse of U.S. Marine Corps recruits that appears to be habitual and have a religious nature.

"Marine drill instructor accused of running a clothes dryer with a Muslim recruit inside"

"A Muslim Marine said he was called a terrorist and ordered into an industrial clothes dryer multiple times by a drill instructor who then turned it on, burning him, according to investigative documents that provide new details about the alleged abuse of recruits at the service’s training center at Parris Island, S.C."

. . . .

"The issue of hazing and abuse at Parris Island surfaced March 18, when a 20-year-old recruit with Pakistani roots — Raheel Siddiqui of Taylor, Mich. — died after leaping from a stairwell landing that was nearly 40 feet high while running away from the same drill instructor who used the dryer."

To the ever lasting shame of the U.S. Marine Corps ill treatment of recruits not confined to this most recent event. Previously there was RIBBON CREEK! [1956]

"Ribbon Creek tragedy still ripples through time"

"Though the waters of Ribbon Creek now run still, Parris Island still feels the ripples from April 8, 1956."

"That night, the fervent splashes of six recruits would rock the Marine Corps when they drowned in Ribbon Creek after their drill instructor, SSgt. Matthew McKeon, led them on an ill-fated disciplinary night hike into the swamp."

Manslaughter usually defined as unwarranted action taken that resulted in the death of another person.

This drill instructor as accused in the latest "incident" had better get himself a good lawyer and pronto!

coolbert.

240 mm III.

This is coolbert:

Conclusion!

Yet more from that Strategy Page article, in this particular instance the CHINA CONNECTION!

240 MM BLACK DRAGON!

Quemoy and Matsu I have heard of. But not the Kinmens! Until now!

"Artillery: 240mm Shells Forever"

"There is only one other tube (as opposed to rocket) 240mm artillery weapon still in use and that is the American M1 240mm howitzer. Taiwan still has four American made 240mm howitzers stationed on the Kinmen islands off the China coast. These four heavy guns are based in bunkers built into mountains and are rolled out to fire."

"Taiwan . . . has kept four M1s (which it calls 'Black Dragon) operational ever since. The M1 requires a crew of 14, has a maximum range of 23 kilometers and fires up to thirty 163 kg (360 pound) high-explosive shells an hour. The Black Dragons have always been stationed on the Kinmens, a chain of small islands (some only two kilometers from the coast). These islands were last heavily fought over (with artillery) in 1958."

Mainland China in the background. One of the Kinmen Islands in the foreground.

The Kinmen Islands part of parcel of what was called the Second Taiwan Straits Crisis. From almost sixty years ago now. During that period there was a fear that World War Three [WW3] might actually be initiated by conflict over these itty-bitty islands. 

Conflict as feared never did transpire, but the anxiety was that it might have! 

240 mm forever!

coolbert.

240 mm II.

This is coolbert:

Regarding the Soviet era 240 mm mortar we have the comments of the GRU defector Suvorov:

"I have actually seen 12 240 mm mortars in action together. These fire . . . 100 kilogramme bombs [about 220 pounds]. Within twenty minutes, each mortar fired 15 bombs. This represented, as I later calculated, a total of 18 tons of explosives and cast-iron splinters. I found the noise absolutely staggering. it was amazing that men could retain their sanity in the midst of it. While the firing was in progress, one had the impression that thousands of tons of explosive were going off each second and the whole process seemed to last an age. The astonishing destructive power of these mortars makes up for any inaccuracy in aiming or in dispersion."

FURTHERMORE ACCORDING TO SUVOROV THAT BIG-BORE [240 mm] CONSTITUTES AN ADVANTAGE WHEN DELIVERING A NUCLEAR MUNITION ON THE TACTICAL BATTLEFIELD!!

"The outstanding simplicity, reliability and case of maintenance of the 240 mm mortar are vital qualities, and they played a decisive role when the moment came to decide which should be the first artillery weapon to fire nuclear projectiles. it was an obvious choice and it is now many years since it was selected for this role. it was also a good choice, being comparatively small,, maneuverable and easier to conceal than a gun. At the same time, it has a huge caliber, which solves several technical problems. Its muzzle velocity is considerably lower than that of a gun or a howitzer. the is there fore no danger that the bomb will explode as it is fired or that it will detonate accidentally."

AN ATOMIC MUNITION FIRED FROM A MORTAR NOT SUBJECTED TO CONVENTIONAL TUBE ARTILLERY PROJECTILE "FORCES" OF VELOCITY AND SPIN THAT MIGHT DAMAGE THE INTERNAL DETONATING MECHANISM OF THE NUCLEAR WEAPON!!

EVEN WITH A SMOOTH-BORE MORTAR AN ATOMIC DETONATION NOT NEEDING A WHOLE LOT OF ACCURACY PIN-POINT!

coolbert.

240 mm I.

This is coolbert:

Surely such weapons no longer have a versatility or do they? That 240 mm big-bore breach-loaded mortar of the Soviet era still being used in combat. The Syrian despot Assad finding such weapons to his liking.

Thanks to yet one more article from Strategy Page:

 "Artillery: 240mm Shells Forever"

"September 10, 2016: Another Cold War era weapon is showing it is still useful. The Syrian Army is using Russian made 240mm towed mortars, a design first seen during World War II as the M240. This is a four ton towed mortar that . . . Syria and several other East European nations obtained M240s during the Cold War. Some of those Cold War era exports are and still used. Syria used the M240 unsuccessfully against Israeli fortifications during the 1973 war and again in 1989 against anti-Syrian factions in the Lebanese Civil War. In 2011 Syria again brought out its M240s and 2S4s for the civil war but use has been limited, until 2016, by ammunition shortages."

"This Russian 240mm mortar remains useful despite short range (about 9,700 meters) because it is accurate and effective at that range, especially if firing at fortifications or in urban areas . . . what has kept the 240mm mortar in use is the anti-fortification shell can go through several meters of earth and concrete to destroy an underground bunker or troops firing from the basement of a multi-story building."

AT LEAST TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE LAST TIME SUCH WEAPONRY WAS USED IN THE URBAN SETTING WAS DURING THE BATTLE OF WARSAW? 1944. ENTIRE CITY BLOCKS DEMOLISHED WITH A SINGLE ROUND AS FIRED BY THE GERMAN SIEGE MORTAR "ZIU".

Those breach-loaded mortars of the Soviet era smooth-bore cast iron and firing a cast iron mortar bomb [Americans call the projectile as fired by a mortar a "round", the rest of the world calls it a "bomb". You can more mortars and "bombs" quicker and cheaper, proliferate the battlefield with same of both.

"Quantity has a quality of it's own!!"

coolbert.

Internet.

This is coolbert:

From a Strategy Page article place this one in the strange but true category. The Royal Navy not even having enough ships on occasion to maintain a constant patrol of home waters NOT EVEN NOW having an adequate number of volunteers to man those ships that are available?

Bring back the press-gang!!

"Morale: How The Internet Cripples SSBN Operations"

"September 10, 2016: In Britain the Royal Navy has found it impossible to attract enough qualified sailors to operate all its nuclear submarines, especially the SSBNs (nuclear powered subs carrying ballistic missiles). The reason is that SSBNs stay at sea for 90 days at a time wanting for a brief message to fire its missiles at pre-arranged targets. The problem is that too many otherwise qualified sailors and officers are not willing to spend 90 days without Internet access. This shortage has already reduced the number of days British SSBNs can spend at sea."

"This problem is not easy to fix because submarines are so effective because they are difficult to find and attack. For that reason they rarely use two-way communications while submerged and something like the Internet requires sending and receiving a lot of data constantly."

AND THESE SUBMARINERS CANNOT GO 90 DAYS WITHOUT THE INTERNET? MAYBE TO EXCHANGE A LOT OF E-MAILS WITH THEIR GIRL FRIENDS OR WIVES?

THEY ARE ALREADY GOING 90 DAYS WITHOUT SEX OR ALCOHOL!

Part and parcel of the military ethic is that you might have to go without food or water, be sleepless and tired, be hot or cold, stand in one position for a prolonged period of time without using the toilet. EVEN LOSE YOUR LIFE!

BUT 90 DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET AND FORGET IT? I UNDERSTAND TIMES CHANGE, BUT I AM OUT OF HERE?

coolbert.

Red & Blue.

This is coolbert:

Within the context of war games as that term understood: Blue = Friendly. Red = Aggressor.

And as extracted from a previous blog entry:

"War games as conducted by the German General Staff under the command of von Schlieffen were 'manipulated' and 'doctored' in the worse sense of those words?"

From a conversation with an acknowledged authority in such matters as war games we have some observations:

"This is true of most war games. The Red Forces (the enemy) have to lose in order to boost morale of the side creating the war games, as well as to train the officers in the local army to deal with the tactics and plans for their war.  It is almost never designed to be an equal contest--Red HAS to lose."

"It is never really a 'game in the normal win-lose style thought of in real games; Red is supposed to lose, period."

"A significant point about the Blue v. Red war gaming is that when there is a unique confluence of open minded and confident leadership in the command portion of that army, coupled with the maverick officers in the Red Forces who reveal real weaknesses in strategies or tactics, then indeed the war games may lead to major changes in either or both strategy and tactics.  The US military has fortunately been able to have that confluence a few times, but not often."

"A few times, but not often." And I imagine for everyone else it has been and is now the same way, even with von Schlieffen.

coolbert.

War Games.

This is coolbert:

“Schlieffen usually altered now and then the General Staff rides and war games . . . he often deliberately put difficulties before one commander, while he made the situation easier for the other.” - - Hermann von Kuhl.

Thanks here to the Al Nofi CIC article # 455 and as is germane to a previous blog entry:

"In 1905 Schlieffen ran his last war games. Several scenarios were played, in at least one of which the French were only played by a couple of junior staff officers, hardly a fair match against more seasoned and senior officers."

. . . .

"There is a good deal of evidence that, when designing war games, Schlieffen manipulated the combat outcomes to favor the offensive for the Germans, while downplaying French offensive capabilities." 

THE GREAT GENERAL VON SCHLIEFFEN CHEATED?

War games as conducted by the German General Staff under the command of von Schlieffen were "manipulated" and "doctored" in the worse sense of those words?

PRODUCING A RESULT AS AGREEABLE TO VON SCHLIEFFEN HIGH ON THE AGENDA AND A MEASURE OF DUPLICITY TAKEN TO ENSURE SAME?

This is all too much!!

coolbert.

KS-19.

This is coolbert:

From the latest edition of the DEBKAfile news letter and as reported the light infantry [best light infantry in the world by one estimate] of Hezbollah now having an enhanced and most dangerous capability. OLD TECHNOLOGY [nonetheless deadly] and ON THE GOLAN BORDER WITH ISRAEL!

"Hizballah units regroup on Israel's Golan border"

7 September.

"A large Hizballah force, backed by the Syrian army and pro-Iranian Shiite militias, is building up outside Quneitra, just 2km [slightly over one mile] from Israel's Golan border. The Lebanese Shiite fighters, under the command of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, are streaming into southern Syria, armed with tanks and artillery . . .  Seen for the first time in the Queneitra sector were heavy, self-propelled KS-19 artillery batteries, which are Russian anti-air guns adapted to ground warfare. They have a range of 21km [13 miles] and a firing capacity of 15 shells per minute."

As to the specifics of the KS-19:

"The KS-19 is a heavy towed anti aircraft gun" Large-bore anti-aircraft-artillery [AAA] in this case to be used in the ground-role. Fires a mix of ammunition to include:

"Anti Aircraft ammunition includes high explosive, high explosive fragmentation and fragmentation types."

"KS-19 . . . also has some utility in the ground role especially against armored targets. As a result of this two armor piecing rounds were produced: the AP-T (Armour Piercing-Tracer) and APC-T (Armour Piercing Capped-Tracer) with the AP-T round reportedly able to penetrate 185 mm of armor at 1000 m."

Think from that era of the Second World War the famous German 88 mm gun. Dual use, AAA and also very good as an anti-tank weapon. WW2 deja-vu all over again but this time on the Golan Heights?

coolbert.

Old & New.

This is coolbert:

Old and new! From Sputnik and as described concerns about atomic attack of some sort not abated in the aftermath of the Cold War.

Radiation detectors, one sophisticated and one very unsophisticated! That latter from the era of the 1950's, field-expedient but still effective?

"DARPA Unveils Smart Phone-Sized Radiation Detector to Hunt ‘Dirty’ Bombs"

"US scientists have manufactured a new generation of low-cost radiation detectors the size of smart phones to detect radiation from 'dirty' bombs and other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)"

A Smart Phone sized radiation detector presumably that can be linked by cellular!

And from sixty years ago: "Nuclear War Survival Skills"

The home-made fall-out meter KFM! Field-expedient!

"A Homemade Fallout Meter, the KFM"

"The complete KFM instructions include patterns to be cut out and used to construct the fallout meter. At the end of the instructions are extra patterns on 4 unnumbered pages. The reader is urged to use these extra patterns to make KFM's in normal peacetime and to keep the complete instructions intact for use during a recognized crisis period."

NO battery or other external power source required! Electro-static charge powers the unit via the "charging wire" and an unwound length of scotch-type tape about a foot long [30 centimeters], the latter passed in close proximity to the "spark" gap end of the charging wire.

Passing the tape in close proximity but not touching enough charge the KFM unit. Electro-static power that can be done repeatedly as needed. Who would have thought it?

Just remember to unwind that tape quickly!

coolbert.

Ta-183 & MiG-15.

This is coolbert:

From a comment to the blog from Steiner:

 "Steiner said...
Soviet combat aviation suffered from its reliance upon captured designs after WW2, espionage thereafter and outright imitation throughout. But it was one thing to imitate an airframe, another to figure out Western avionics and engine design."

In particular, it has often been alleged that the design of the MiG-15 was more or less a copy [or a reasonable facsimile thereof] of the German WW2 Focke-Wulf jet design Ta-183.

That Ta-183 never more than even a prototype, only a warplane existing almost exclusively on paper, never proceeding beyond: "a 1:10 scale free-flight model of the Ta 183" and "a wind tunnel model".

THE SOVIET HOWEVER CLAIMING THE MiG-15 MORE OR LESS AN INSTANCE OF INDIGENOUS AND PARALLEL DEVELOPMENT. MiG-15 NOT MERELY A CLONE OF THE Ta-183!

"A detailed design history of the MiG-15 was published by Russian aviation historian Yefim Gordon refuting any connection between the Ta 183 and the MiG-15. According to the designers, the MiG-15 was an indigenous design,"

Airframe as noted by Steiner not the total package. Engine and avionics must also be taken into account when evaluating a warplane.

In addition, at least to me that wind tunnel model of the Ta-183 does appear to be of a superior design. Keep in mind I know next to nothing about aircraft design. I go with what intuition tells me. That is all I have.

coolbert.

Far East.

This is coolbert:

Russia is a Pacific ocean power!

Without doubt this item from Sputnik somewhat alarmist  AND IS SO IN A DELIBERATE MANNER?

"Symmetrical Response: Russia Will Get Division of Troops 85 KM Off US Border"

"Last week, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed that the Russian military plans to establish a coastal defense division in Chukotka, eastern Russia by 2018."

TO ME THIS IS ALL PREPOSTEROUS! A "SYMMETRICAL" RESPONSE TO A THREAT MORE OR LESS PERCEIVED BUT NOT EXISTING IN REALITY?

"The only similar force is based in Crimea – consisting of the 126th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet"

A "division" of coastal Defense forces to consist of that combination of:

* Coastal artillery of the tube variety.

* Anti-ship missiles ground launched.

* Naval infantry. [marines]

* Some sort of air defense?

Exact size and composition of such a "division" not stated.

Russian troops ready to defend that Russian border [with Alaska] only fifty miles from American soil where the threat is about a ZERO!

The photo accompanying this blog entry showing Soviet era Marines. Known for their battle prowess during the Second World War.

coolbert.

Abysmal.

This is coolbert:

Very discouraging and depressing!

As seen at Freeper:

"US Navy Drops LCS Plans, Concept After Latest Failures"

"PARIS --- After spending billions of dollars, the US Navy has finally abandoned the Littoral Combat Ship [LCS] concept, saying it will turn the first four LCSs into training ships and that all future vessels will be equipped for a single combat mission. Although deliberately worded to minimize its import, the US Navy statement below is a clear acknowledgement that the LCS concept has been an abysmal failure."

The U.S. Navy was going to build fifty of these warships but will end up with only four. The U.S. Navy wanted twenty-seven of the DDX destroyers and has to be content with three! The beat goes on!

FUTURE ships as meaning not FUTURE LCS but any subsequent American surface naval warship?

And I guess the question must be asked by the Chief, Naval Operations [CNO], where do we go from here?

Devoted readers to the blog have an answer? Let me hear from you.

That entire concept of the LCS that could perform as task-tailored a variety of missions ON PAPER has merit but did not come to fruition. 

coolbert.

WW3.

This is coolbert:

“Basically none of us know what is going to happen but we are in a more dangerous, chaotic and unpredictable time than any other in my 50 years in the force." - -  Britain’s Admiral Lord West .

More fear mongering of the worse possible sort? From the English tabloid Sun:

"WW3 WARNING Planet closer to catastrophic World War III than at any time for SIXTY years, experts warn… and it doesn’t look good for Britain or America if it does kick off"

"Several flashpoints could erupt into a global conflict involving the US, China and Russia, it is claimed"

FLASHPOINTS to include as identified but I might think not hardly limited to:

1. "RUSSIA AND THE BALTIC STATES".

2. "CLASHES OVER SYRIA".

3. "THE COLLAPSE OF NUCLEAR PAKISTAN".

See a previous blog entry the topic of which was the relative military impotence of the Russian military except with regard to atomic weapons:

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2016/09/badass.html

coolbert.

Submarine Canada.

This is coolbert:

“As Canadians, I think we want to know who’s operating on, above and below our water from a sovereignty perspective” - - Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd.

"Canadian navy will lose submarine fleet in next few years without billions in upgrades"

Used submarines purchased from the English and in not a good state of repair to begin with NOW even in more need of "upgrades" and further work. CHEAPLY OBTAINED WARSHIPS INDEED CHEAP!

"Upgrades" and work if not done and Canada will lose a submarine capability. Cheap now NOT SO CHEAP!

An ability to patrol that island archipelago of the far north essential to the Canadian, the land and waters contiguous vital to the sovereignty issue.

INTRUSIONS OF CANADIAN WATERS BY BOTH SOVIET/RUSSIAN AND AMERICAN SUBMARINES FOR SOME TIME INVOLVED IN THE FOX AND HOUNDS TYPE OF UNDERWATER CHASE AND HUNT OCCURRING IN THE PAST AND EVEN TO THIS VERY DAY?

As it was reported in 1951:

"A navy spokesman said yesterday that there was good reason to believe that two foreign submarines had been in Canadian waters last summer. He said that there was nothing to indicate that the submarines carried out complete studies of Canada's coastal waters."
 
"The statement followed an announcement that the forth coming issue of 'Maclean's' magazine would state that Russian submarines last summer completed a careful reconnaissance of Canada's eastern coastline and penetrated well within the three-mile limit"

coolbert.

DSEA & ATEA.

This is coolbert:

Those American tank crews manning the Sherman DD tank as attempting swim ashore 6 June 1944 equipped with and "escape apparatus".

Tankers finding their "swimming" tank foundering and in an almost instantaneous manner rapidly sinking to the bottom that crew in a very confined space without a whole lot of egress available at least equipped with a breathing device that might sustain them underwater for a short period.

"The Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus (also referred to as DSEA), was an early type of oxygen rebreather . . . While intended primarily as an emergency escape apparatus for submarine crews, it was soon also used for diving, being a handy shallow water diving apparatus with a thirty minute endurance, and as an industrial breathing set."

"A small version of the DSEA, the Amphibious Tank Escape Apparatus (ATEA) was produced for use by the crews of amphibious DD tanks such as those used during the Normandy landings"

I can well imagine those Sherman DD tanks foundering and settling to the bottom in extremely rapid fashion. Crews attempting egress EVEN equipped with an ATEA at great risk from drowning. Anyone have an idea of what percentage of those crews in that DD tank battalion at Normandy perishing from the sinking of their tanks?

coolbert.

Swim & Wade.

This is coolbert:

Here with images of American WW2 armor, amphibious and what was termed deep-wader. Click on all images to see an enlarged view.

A Sherman duplex drive [DD] tank. That skirt inflatable and allowing the tank to swim. Able to "swim" ONLY under the most suitable and ideal of circumstances. At Normandy the conditions far less than ideal, almost all of the DD tanks being swamped and sunk!! An entire battalion of such tanks attempted to "swim" ashore at Omaha beach, only five tanks of thirty-two able to do so successfully, and three of those landed directly at the beach.

A Sherman deep wading tank. has the two manifolds. One for air intake and one for exhaust. That tank can wade in water hull-deep up to the bottom of the turret. NOT a "swimmer" but a "wader".

One of those deep wading Sherman tanks. Made it ashore but became stuck in the mud

A deep fording Sherman tank  has made it ashore at Tinian. A tank belonging to a Marine unit in the Pacific theater.

That Sherman DD the idea sound but ONLY DURING THAT MOST IDEAL OF CONDITIONS?

IDEAL conditions as being non-existent at Normandy, 6 June 1944.

coolbert.

Open Letter.

This is coolbert:

Eighty-eight for Trump!

Eighty-eight flag officers from the various military services signatories to an "Open Letter" what it is called.

Flag officers either a general or an admiral.

From the New York Times article and as covered by the national news broadcast media:

"Donald Trump Earns Backing of Nearly 90 Military Figures"

"Donald J. Trump’s campaign will release an open letter on Tuesday from about 90 retired generals and military officials endorsing his presidential campaign, urging a 'long overdue course correction in our national security posture.'”

"General Kellogg declined to evaluate past remarks from the military figures, saying they had served their country and had earned their right to speak." - - Keith Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who is advising Mr. Trump on national security.

Comments:

* Military personnel while ON ACTIVE DUTY restrained from criticism of either the President or members of Congress.

* At least for the Army flag officers carried on the Rolls of the Army for their entire natural existence. Such is my understanding.

* Prior to the Second World War by Gentlemen's Agreement military career officers did not vote nor had declared party affiliation!

See also this You Tube interview with Gen. Remo Butler a signatory to the "open letter". Courtesy of Fox News.

coolbert.

Water Afghan.

This is coolbert:

As is pertinent to a most recent blog entry some figures of interest.

Water historically either the absence of  or the consumption of fouled and polluted water a major killer of soldiers in wartime.

As it was in the time of the ancients so was it to even in relatively modern times!

Soviet casualties during the decade long sojourn of Red Army troops in Afghanistan producing some startling figures as generally accepted.

* 5,000 killed in action [KIA].
* 15,000 wounded in action [WIA].
* 300,000 non-battlefield casualties.

That latter figure most astounding.

Casualties [non-battlefield] predominantly if more or less exclusively so from hepatitis as gotten from drinking bad water? CANNOT CONFIRM BUT IS A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION!

Soviet military not in the habit of practicing a whole lot of battlefield medical prophylaxis? NOT taking remedial measures to ensure the health of the troops. Prevention of illness and disease BEFORE sickness strikes most important if you want to keep your manpower roster near 100 % or as close to as possible.

WaterGen Spring and Lifesaver are an answer to the age-old problem of providing clean water to the troops in the field?

coolbert.

HIMARS II.

This is coolbert:

Conclusion!
 
Regarding the guidance and accuracy of HIMARS we have an answer. Thanks to the article by Ethan Fields. The image accompanying this blog entry showing the inside of a HIMARS cab. The resemblance to a video game unmistakable?

"HIMARS is Great, but it's no Miracle Weapon"

"From scanning newspaper coverage of the US deployment of rocket artillery systems to combat ISIS one might believe the HIMARS rocket system will collapse ISIS on its own."

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT. HIMARS GOING A LONG WAY AS THE PANACEA TO THE ISIL PROBLEM. DEATH FROM ABOVE AND ON THE CHEAP.

"the GMLRS series of rockets are programmable to a GPS coordinate and continue to correct their flight path via an inertial guidance package and canards on the nose of the rocket. The result is nearly 200 lb warhead that can be fired from up to 70km away and hit a target with smart bomb accuracy"

That combination of "smart bomb accuracy" with the EXTREME DESTRUCTIVE POWER of 160,000 tungsten rods flying all over the place CANNOT BE BEAT!

YOU NEED THAT COMBINATION OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND AND DRONES IN THE SKY PROVIDING TARGET INFORMATION AND ALLOW HIMARS TO DO THE REST?

THIS IS ALL WE NEED? GRANTED, NO WEAPON [OTHER THAN THE ATOMIC BOMB] A "MIRACLE WEAPON" BUT HIMARS MEETS SOME CRITERIA AS TO WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A "MIRACLE"?

coolbert.

HIMARS I.

This is coolbert:

From the Sputnik article thanks to the tip from Jeff a weapons system I was unfamiliar with now in action the target the Islamic State [Daesh] combatant units. NOT the first time however this weapons system has been used agaist ISIL [Daesh]. NOR will it be the last.

"US Fires HIMARS Rockets at Daesh Targets in Syria From Across Turkish Border"

"US forces hit Daesh targets near the Turkish border in northern Syria overnight using its newly deployed high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS), the special envoy of the US president for the anti-Daesh coalition said Saturday."

HIMARS! Not at all familiar unto this moment with HIMARS. Rocket artillery of extraordinary capacity. Again, HAS BEEN used before and hardly will this be the last time the weapon fired at an enemy .

Launchers located as reported so far in Iraq, Jordan and now possibly Turkey BUT firing at targets in Syria!!

"In November 2015, the United States Army revealed they had deployed the HIMARS to Iraq, firing at least 400 rockets at the Islamic State since the beginning of summer. HIMARS detachments were sent to Al Asad Airbase and Al-Taqaddum Air Base in Anbar province. On 4 March 2016, Army HIMARS systems fired rockets into Syria in support of Syrian rebels fighting ISIL for the first time, with the launchers based in neighboring Jordan."

THAT RANGE OF HIMARS EXTRAORDINARY. NEARLY TWO-HUNDRED MILES [320 kilometers] and SUPER-DEADLY. Accuracy I am in question about. "Maximum firing range 2–300 kilometres (1.2–186.4 mi)"

HIMARS not having a cluster-munitions warhead an alternative-warhead [AW] of hardly less destructiveness rather used!

"In April 2012, Lockheed Martin received a $79.4 million contract to develop a GMLRS incorporating an . . . alternative warhead to replace DPICM cluster warheads . . . The AW warhead is a large airburst fragmentation warhead that explodes 30 ft (9.1 m) over a target area to disperse penetrating projectiles . . . from a 90 kg (200 lb) warhead containing approximately 160,000 preformed tungsten fragments."

GO HIMARS! Photo accompanying this blog entry courtesy of the Pentagon.

coolbert.

Richard Johnson VP.

This is coolbert:

Until only today this man I was not even aware of. Thanks to tip from Steve. Image accompanying this blog by Nathaniel Currier.

Richard Mentor Johnson.

"Richard Mentor Johnson . . . was the ninth Vice President of the United States, serving in the administration of Martin Van Buren (1837–41). He is the only vice president ever elected by the United States Senate under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment . . . At the outset of the War of 1812, Johnson was commissioned a colonel in the Kentucky Militia and commanded a regiment of mounted volunteers from 1812 to 1813. He and his brother James served under William Henry Harrison in Upper Canada. Johnson participated in the Battle of the Thames. Some reported that he personally killed the Shawnee chief Tecumseh"

BATTLEFIELD DUELS OF THAT SORT DON'T EVER OCCUR ANY MORE, SENIOR COMMANDER VERSUS SENIOR COMMANDER!

That ninth Vice President of the United States his military and combat record outstanding.

* Johnson an intuitive, innovative and apparently very talented military commander.

* Johnson wounded five times in battle, as a commander comporting himself well in the thick of the fray.

* Engaged in a battlefield duel with the famous American Indian war chief Tecumseh, the latter killed by Johnson.

During that early American period military service an important consideration for those seeking high electoral position? Think William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor and add to that list Richard Johnson.

coolbert.