Guilty!

This is coolbert:

"DeDolph allegedly surprised Melgar during his sleep and restrained him. Melgar unexpectedly died after DeDolph, a former professional mixed martial arts fighter, put him in a chokehold. According to testimony, Melgar stopped breathing within seconds."

Yet more American military man behaving badly. This story much more serious. Also courtesy the "Black Rifle Coffee" Internet web site the article by Nolan Peterson.

"SEAL SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS FOR GREEN BERET’S KILLING"

"A Navy SEAL convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the killing of an Army Special Forces soldier was sentenced to 10 years in prison over the weekend."

"Formerly a member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as SEAL Team 6, Chief Petty Officer Anthony DeDolph was formally charged in November 2018 for the death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Green Beret assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group who was deployed to Mali in 2017 as part of a multinational counterterrorism operation. DeDolph, who was busted down in rank to seaman, will also be dishonorably discharged from the Navy, according to the terms of his sentencing."

This story as originally reported that the U.S. Navy SEAL contingent had been accused of financial impropriety. Embezzlement of funds as allocated for special operations missions Africa. Theft that the deceased had become aware of. Melgar strangled as a consequence of his knowing too much.

Honestly, I am no legal expert but hardly does ten years punishment seem appropriate given the nature of the crime. Sounds more like pre-meditated murder with malice. A death penalty offense. Again, I am no legal expert.

coolbert.

Anti-freeze.

This is coolbert:

The American soldier behaving badly. The chickens coming home to roost. And in a bad way.

Thanks to the Coffee or Die Maggie BenZvi article from "Black Rifle Coffee" Internet web site.

"11 FORT BLISS SOLDIERS HOSPITALIZED FOR INGESTING ANTIFREEZE"

"Eleven soldiers from Fort Bliss were hospitalized Thursday after ingesting antifreeze at the conclusion of a 10-day field exercise at the McGregor Range Complex."

"One warrant officer, two noncommissioned officers, and eight enlisted members remained hospitalized"

CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE WHILE ON DUTY A SEVERE OFFENSE. AND REQUIRING HOSPITAL TREATMENT. DRINKING VEHICLE  ANTI-FREEZE CAN KILL YOU OR AT THE LEAST DAMAGE PERMANENTLY INTERNAL ORGANS. FOR SHAME!

Those hospitalized in addition MAY have to pay for the cost of the medical treatment! Drinking anti-freeze obviously not a routine injury as suffered while performing your duty.

coolbert.

Shaher.

This is coolbert:

Anti-material sniper rifle! Firing the Soviet era 14.5 mm. anti-tank machine gun round.

"Iran’s Shaher 14.5mm Sniper Rifle: A Killer At 2 Miles [3.2 kilometers] Away?" 

"It was almost a decade ago that Iran first unveiled its domestically-produced 14.5mm Shaher anti-material sniper rifle, but since its introduction, a lingering question has been whether it is actually up to the task. The Islamic Republic has faced an arms embargo for years, and it attempted to create its own domestic arms industry."

"The Shaher is not a lightweight weapon in any sense, and weighs in at a reported 22 kg (49 pounds), while it is an ungainly 1.85 meters (6.1 feet) long. Its anti-armor rounds can reportedly penetrate 50mm (two inches) of armor, and Iran also boasted that the rifle could be used to engage helicopters and other low-flying aircraft."

Surprisingly [?] so there is a slew of such big-bore [14.5 mm] anti-material sniper rifles on the market. See the listing thanks to the wiki. Anyone consider this to be odd?

Additionally with a comment from an acknowledged weapons expert:

"When your target is 2 miles [3.2 kilometers] away and important enough to drag a 50 pound [22kg.] gun from some undisclosed location, then take the time to set up with a very well trained specialist who has to compute wind direction, earth's rotation (true!), temperature, humidity, and exact range before taking a shot, maybe it is just time to call in an air strike."

I CONCUR 100 %.

coolbert.

Bundle.

This is coolbert:

The Germans had this figured out over one-hundred years ago! 

"Like Legos: Navy wants stackable grenades to create larger explosions"

"Several new types of grenades, including one that can be stacked to create a larger explosion, have garnered interest from the Department of the Navy."

Thanks to Stars and Stripes for the tip.

"The Crane, Ind.-based Naval Surface Warfare Center issued a request for information about the modular grenades last month, along with several other early-stage procurement notices about several flash-bang grenade variants. The Marine Corps also has expressed interest in the stacking grenades."

AS TO THE GERMAN USE OF "STACKED GRENADES" FROM THE WW1 ERA CONSIDER:

"Improvised 'bundle charge'". Stielhandgranate bundle."

"To counter the lack of effectiveness against hard targets such as tanks and buildings, a common solution was created in the form of an improvised 'bundle charge'. The charges of a number of M24 grenades – their handles and fuses removed – would be strapped around a complete grenade, usually with simple rope, cloth, or metal wire. These could be crafted with up to six additional charges, and in battle the most common styles to see were the addition of four or six. Unofficially, these improvised bundle grenades were known as Geballte Ladung " 

"As a result of this cost-effective and reliable solution, the standard infantryman of the Wehrmacht  [and the stormtrooper of the WW1 era before that] could quickly improvise a grenade with up to seven times the explosive power. However, the added weight made it more difficult to throw, and the increased size meant that it was not practical to carry with one hand and that far fewer could be carried. These factors meant that infantry squads, if faced with an armored enemy, would have to close to a reduced range if they wanted to use the bundle charges."

Just gotta be careful so some soldier does not create a bundled grenade of such size he blows himself up in the process upon detonation.

coolbert.

Apps.

This is coolbert:

Yet more spyware for your smart phone. You might be watched and not even know it.

A topic of which has been a popular topic for many blog entries. Malware surreptitiously installed on your smart phone allowing enemy intelligence agencies to spy on opponents.

1. "How the U.S. Military Buys Location Data from Ordinary Apps"

"A Muslim prayer app with over 98 million downloads is one of the apps connected to a wide-ranging supply chain that sends ordinary people's personal data to brokers, contractors, and the military."

"The U.S. military is buying the granular movement data of people around the world, harvested from innocuous-seeming apps . . . The most popular app . . . is a Muslim prayer and Quran app that has more than 98 million downloads worldwide."

2. "Military And Intelligence Personnel Can Be Tracked With The Untappd Beer App"

"Surprise! The beer-rating app Untappd can be used to track the location history of military personnel. The social network has over eight million mostly European and North American users, and its features allow researchers to uncover sensitive information about said users at military and intelligence locations around the world."

Intelligence agencies their target enemy military personnel prefer the app offering images of scantily clad young women. See a number of previous blog entries within context:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/12/whatsapp.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/05/barbie.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/02/rebound.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2019/06/honey.html

Beware boys! And don't be surprised if one day you find out you have been compromised.

coolbert.

Sentient.

This is coolbert:

Please believe me this is not Skynet. The military drone did not become sentient. Merely communications was lost between the drone and the operator station on the ground. 

"Latvian drone wrests control from human overlords and shuts down entire nation's skies"

"Please phone us if you see our missing 26kg [about fifty pounds] aircraft, say authorities"

Article by Gareth Corfield Mon 4 May 2020.

"Latvia’s skies have been closed to long distance flights because a military-grade drone is 'uncontrolled and lost' somewhere above the eastern European nation – and nobody knows where it has gone."

"Local news website Apollo reported over the weekend that a test flight went disastrously wrong when a Latvian drone firm lost control of one of their remote-controlled aircraft."

That concept of sentience complex [?] but generally defined as self-awareness with an ability to think for itself. A sentient drone [as controlled by onboard computer with AI programming] controlled by a ground station human operator perhaps according to science-fiction authors no longer obeying commands, operating in an uncontrolled manner. See here a discussion of how to determine if a computer [as might be found on a military drone] becomes sentient.

This particular UAV able to fly for ninety hours until power source is exhausted and the machine crashes to earth. Presumably this is what occurred. 

Skynet a way off but maybe not so long off!

coolbert.

Lawless.

This is coolbert:

Before there was Fort Sumter there was Pensacola. And before there was Pensacola there was the Dry Tortugas and Key West?

Combat actions of the American Civil War even beginning BEFORE secession of South Carolina in December of 1860?

"From 15 November [1860] . . . Lieutenant Craven in Mohawk, with the steamer Wyandotte, defended Forts Jefferson and Taylor at Key West, from actions of  'bands of lawless men', a farsighted action that enabled the Union to retain that vital Florida base, so valuable during the forthcoming naval operations in the American Civil War. Mohawk remained on guard at Key West until the end of January 1861 and then sailed for New York."

"BANDS OF LAWLESS MEN" THE IDENTITY NOT ELABORATED UPON. PIRATES? SLAVERS? CONFEDERATES?

See also this archived item from the New York Times as of March 15, 1863.

"Secretary Toucey's Treansonable [sic] Conduct at the Opening of the War."

ACTIONS OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY TOUCEY IN THOSE MONTHS PRIOR TO FORT SUMTER [APRIL 1861] SUSPECT AND OPEN TO QUESTION. READ THE ARCHIVE MATERIAL FOR YOURSELF.

From the New-Haven Journal:

"MESSRS. EDITORS: Having been charged with the construction and custody of Fort Taylor at Key West, during the period of danger when secession councils ruled our Government, I wish to say that your denunciation of the course of Ex-Secretary TOUCEY in regard to the Mohawk and Wyandotte, is every whit deserved. I so well remember the bitter, burning indignation with which that dastardly order was received by those who were straining every nerve to maintain the supremacy of the Government, as to loathe the attempted emergence of its author into a position of a public counselor."

"The Ex-Secretary has this alternative: either be understood the bearings of his own order, or he did not; if he did, he was a traitor; if he did not, he was a fool."

Toucey a traitor or a fool? Again take your pick?

coolbert.

Transmedium.

 This is coolbert:

More images of space alien interstellar/intergalactic space ships?

NOT Tic-Tak this time. From the Internet web site of Colonel Patrick.

"'We come in peace.' Really?"

"'Overwhelmingly, everyone The Debrief spoke with said the most striking feature of the recently released UAPTF intelligence position report was the inclusion of new and 'extremely clear' photograph of an unidentifiable triangular aircraft.'"

"The photograph, which is said to have also been taken from inside the cockpit of a military fighter jet, depicted an apparent aerospace vehicle described as a large equilateral triangle with rounded or 'blunted' edges and large, perfectly spherical white 'lights' in each corner. Officials who had seen it said the image was captured in 2019 by an F/A-18 fighter pilot."

See it? Upper right hand corner of the image? The triangle with the "lights" in each corner. See it? Photo-shopped? You decide if you can. In such instances the observation of the trained military  observer preferred.

"Two officials that received the report said the photo was taken after the triangular craft emerged from the ocean and began to ascend straight upwards at a 90-degree angle"

Transmedium as described able to emerge from the ocean and fly as would a conventional aircraft.

The Navy believes this is a secret Air Force project. The Air Force believes this is a secret Navy project. ONLY the aliens know for sure. Really!

coolbert.

Gudin.

This is coolbert:

After more than two-hundred years, repatriation at last. Charles-Étienne Gudin de La Sablonnière. A soldier of France.

"Researchers find one of Napoleon’s favorite generals buried in Russia under a dance floor"

"For over 200 years, General Charles Gudin has been buried somewhere in present-day Smolensk, Russia after dying on the battlefield in 1812 during Napoleon Bonaparte’s disastrous campaign there. Now, researchers believe they have finally found his remains."

. . . . 

"Most notably, Gudin personally knew Napoleon as they both attended school together in childhood. As such, he was one of Napoleon’s favorite commanders, which is why when a cannonball struck Gudin in the leg and killed him at the Battle of Valutino in 1812, his heart was cut from his body and transported back to Paris where it is interred in the chapel at Pere Lachaise cemetery."

The "home is where the heart is" the famous adage has a special meaning here. In this case finally the body and the heart to be re-united as one? Most gratifying. A feel-good story. It only took two-hundred years.

coolbert.

Pensacola.

This is coolbert:

Never heard of this before. 

Before there was Fort Sumter there was Pensacola? First combat action of the American Civil War?

Thanks to the tip from Freeper and the archives of the New York Times.

"THE NATIONAL TROUBLES: The Commander of the Pensacola Navy-Yard and Secretary Toucey; THE DISUNION CRISIS (1/24/1861)"

"WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Jan 23. THE LATE COMMANDER AT PENSACOLA. Capt. ARMSTRONG, late Commandant at the Pensacola Navy-yard, had a personal interview with Secretary TOUCEY to-day, and detailed the circumstances attending his surrender. Official judgment is suspended till a written report shall be made. He says he only had twenty-three instead of sixty men, to oppose five hundred and fifty assailants; so resistance was useless. Not mere than one-twentieth of those employed in the yard remained true to the Government."

CITIZENS OF FLORIDA SUBSEQUENT TO THE SECESSION OF SEVERAL STATES OF THE UNION ATTACKING FEDERAL MILITARY FACILITIES. WAY BEFORE THE ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER [APRIL OF THE SAME YEAR, 1861].

"Around midnight of January 8, 1861 the small garrison of Fort Barrancas repelled a group of local men intent on taking the fort. Some historians suggest that these were the first shots fired by United States forces in the Civil War."

Justification for suppression of the secessionist movement [deemed the American Civil War] the seizure of federal property and attacks on same by the military units of the rebellious states in Confederation. 

As at Fort Sumter. And before that Pensacola.

coolbert.

Visby.

This is coolbert:

FREMM class frigate to be adopted by the U.S. Navy as acknowledged not the most recent design [even if a proven class of warship]. Lacking in some respects with "capability" as military naval planners might most desire.

"Here’s a list of the capabilities that a new ship – any type of new warship – ought to have to fight a future war, based on the threats we can reasonably anticipate"

As to stealth:

* "Stealth – Extreme Visby-level stealth to include radar, acoustic, IR, and visible signature reductions.  With the proliferation of EO guided imaging missiles, visible signature reduction will be just as important as radar and IR signature reduction."

Regarding what is termed "Visby-level" stealth:

"The Visby class is the latest class of corvette to be adopted by the Swedish Navy after the Göteborg and Stockholm-class corvettes. The ship's design heavily emphasizes low visibility, radar cross-section and infrared signature. The first ship in the class is named after Visby . . . The class has received widespread international attention because of its capabilities as a stealth ship."

Visby stealth measures hardly confined to avoiding radar detection. Incorporates dazzle camouflage paint pattern. This particular image [not of the Visby] shows the same merchant vessel [era WW1] with [left] and without [right] the dazzle paint pattern as it would appear in the periscope of a German U-boat. Dazzle conceals [?] the direction the ship is headed?

The devoted reader to the blog might find confusion as would a German U-boat captain?

coolbert.

Dowry.

This is coolbert:

Courtesy the tip from the Internet web site Anti-War.com.

Place this one in the strange but true category?

The Taliban boys behaving badly?

"Taliban now discouraging fighters from taking multiple wives. The reason may surprise you"

"The leader of the Afghan Taliban has told members to avoid taking multiple wives so that the hardline Islamist militant group will not invite 'criticism from our enemies'."

"Mullah Hibatullah issued a decree warning Taliban members against the practice so 'they won't need to get involved in corrupt and illegal practices'"

The Taliban boys Islamic warriors evidently engaging in multiple marriages [allowed by Islamic Sharia law to four wives max] merely to obtain dowry from the family of the bride. Enriching themselves in a less than noble manner and against the puritanical beliefs and practices of the Taliban leadership as espoused.

MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL THEY SAY!

coolbert.

Burned.

This is coolbert:

With regard to a previous blog entry the U.S. Navy as an expedient measure to solve a perceived problem perhaps making things worse?

From the Internet web site "Anti-War" and thanks to same.

"Burned by Failed Futuristic Designs US Navy Now Building a Frigate That Will Be Obsolete From the Start"

As extracted:

"Well, consider this … the FREMM design dates back to the early 2000’s, making the design nearly two decades old by now [2021] and it will be three decades old, or older, by the time the first few US Navy frigates will enter actual service (scheduled delivery 2026, IOC around 2030 – and schedules always slip).  Can a 30+ year old ship design really be called a success?"

"Consider the issue of stealth.  When the FREMM was first designed, it may have been considered stealthy but by today’s standards, its appearance would suggest that it is only marginally stealthy, like the Burke.  Is a brand new ship that will become our front line surface combat ship as the Burkes are replaced by unmanned vessels, really a success if it’s only marginally stealthy?"

Burke = Burke class destroyer. Burke as a class of warship generally described as a success.

FREMM frigate class warship a stop-gap solution as a response to the failed LCS class American warship a more than half-measure, rather inferior?

See previous blog entries the topic FREMM:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/05/fremm-ffg-x.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/03/must.html

coolbert.

Kaput II.

This is coolbert:

EMALS bad! EMALS gone?

From the Internet web site "Politics That Matter" and the article by rbrooks.

"U.S. Navy to award contract for new electromagnetic aircraft catapult"

SOUNDS BAD! VERY BAD!

"General Atomics, a defense contractor that manufactures electromagnetic aircraft launch and recovery systems, will receive a contract for the procurement of supplies and services in support of new digital catapult systems of the Ford Class of Carriers."

Advanced electromagnetic aircraft carrier launch system not working to standard. Catapult kaput?  Bright shiny and new to be replaced by yet another bright, shiny and new?

See previous blog entries as relevant problems U.S. Navy hardly confined to EMALS::

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/01/cno.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/12/uss-ford.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/05/emals.html

coolbert.

Abbott.

This is coolbert:

More yet the National Guard troops present Wash D.C. for the swearing-in ceremony as was yesterday. National Guardsmen some degree of skepticism being voiced regarding reliability.

STRONG WORDS IN RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS.

"Gov. Abbott blasts vetting national guard members ahead of inauguration as offensive, disrespectful"

"Abbott criticized the review ahead of the Biden-Harris inauguration that later led to the removal of 12 U.S. Army National Guard members from their duties for the event."

"AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott used the words 'offensive' and 'disrespectful' in a tweet to describe the vetting of the 25,000 National Guard members on hand for the inauguration as U.S. defense officials attempt to erase any potential for an insider attack when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in Wednesday."

Strong words indeed!! My instantaneous reaction to all this being: "quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" - - "who can watch the watchmen?"

coolbert.

Daredevil.

This is coolbert:

Back in the saddle. New, bright, shiny, modernized.

Soviet/Russian 240 mm mortar.

"Russia modernizes batch of 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled 'nuclear' mortars"

Thanks to the Internet Defence-blog: NEWSARMY By Dylan Malyasov 

"Russia’s Uraltransmash company, a subsidiary of Uralvagonzavod, has showcased the 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar upgraded with the new onboard systems and communication complex

Previous incarnation of the 240 mm mortar the Soviet era M240. A towed breech-loaded mortar beast of a weapon POSSIBLY ABLE to fire an atomic round!!

2S4 now having a munition laser-guided to the target for destroying with pin-point accuracy fortifications. This is Daredevil!

Further as described by the Soviet era defector Suvorov:

"I have actually seen twelve 240mm mortars in action together . . . 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 explosives were going off each second  and the whole process seemed to last an age."

Whoa boy!!

coolbert.

Vācietis.

This is coolbert:

Within context of the most recent blog entry.

"How Latvians defended communism in Russia"

From the rbth.com/ HISTORY Internet web site and the article by BORIS EGOROV.

HEROES OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION/CIVIL WAR THAT MILITARY CONTINENT MOST DEDICATED TO THE COMMUNIST CAUSE.

Red Latvian Riflemen. Politically reliable beyond any measure.

"Excellent soldiers and brutal enforcers, Latvian troops did much to shore up Bolshevik power in Russia. Their reward, however, was not quite what they had in mind…"

"They were the most reliable and effective military force in the Bolshevik ranks. The Red Latvian Riflemen not only helped preserve Soviet power in the Russian Civil War, but even saved Lenin himself on more than one occasion."

MISSION TO GUARD THE KREMLIN AND THE  SUPREME LEADESHIP OF THE COMMUNIST RULING CLIQUE. LENIN AND OTHERS AT THE VERY TOP NOT TRUSTING THEIR ORDINARY RUN-OF-THE-MILL GREAT RUSSIAN TROOP.

Indeed! The first commander of the Red Army [RKKA] a Latvian who had previously been a professional soldier of the Imperial Russian Army. Jukums Vācietis.

"Jukums Vācietis . . . Ioakim Ioakimovich Vatsetis . . . was a Latvian Soviet military commander. He was a rare example of a notable Soviet leader who was not a member of the Communist Party (or of any other political party), until his own demise during the Great Terror."

[it is worthy to note that their also existed a White Latvian Riflemen contingent. Opposed to the communist regime desirous of a free and independent Latvia.]

Fate of the Red Latvian Riflemen eventually very grim. Most liquidated during the Soviet Great Terror of the late 1930's. A reward I would imagine the devoted Latvians hardly even thought would occur.

coolbert.

Vetting.

This is coolbert:

"Vetting- - Vetting is the process of performing a background check on someone before offering them employment . . . in intelligence gathering, assets are vetted to determine their usefulness."

Consider this in the context of the forthcoming oath-of-office taking of President-elect USA Joe Biden. Normally such material would not even be a consideration for a blog entry this time I make an extreme exception!!

TROOPS GUARDING THE CAPITAL AND THE SWEARING-IN CERMEMONY THEIR RELIABILITY QUESTIONED!

1. "FBI vetting Guard troops in DC amid fears of insider attack"

2. "Troops at Inauguration Pre-Screened for Extremism, Says DC Guard Commander"

3. "Steve Cohen feels 'overwhelming White' National Guard could be threat to Joe Biden as 'most did not vote for him'"

A government not willing to trust it's own military in serious trouble. In this case from the very onset.

MOST TROUBLING! MY INSTANTANEOUS RESPONSE WAS THE CASE OF THE RED LATIVAN RIFLEMEN. FROM THE TIME OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION. THE BOLSHEVIK HIERARCHY RULING CLIQUE NOT TRUSTING THE COMMON RUSSIAN SOLDIER OF THE RED ARMY. LATVIANS DEDICATED AND ACKNOWLEDGED COMMUNISTS BROUGHT TO MOSCOW WITH THE SPECIFIC MISSION OF GUARDING THE SUPREME COMMUNIST PARTY ELITE.

Is this what it has come to in the USA? I can only conclude it is so!!

coolbert.

Overrated?

This is coolbert:

An evolution and not a revolution?

One more thanks to the tip from the Internet web site Anti-War.com

"Hypersonic Superweapons Are a Mirage, New Analysis Says"

As extracted and as defined what exactly constitutes a hyper-sonic super-weapon:

"By definition, hypersonic vehicles fly at more than five times the speed of sound — or up to dozens of times faster than jetliners. The warheads rise into space atop a traditional long-range missile but then descend quickly into the atmosphere to bank, careen and otherwise maneuver. They’re basically stubby gliders. The curved upper surfaces of their wedge-shaped bodies give them some of the lifting power of an airplane wing"

Hypersonic having a poor LIFT-DRAG ratio? Size of warhead [conventional] will be rather itty-bitty? Hypersonic the threat not to be minimized but also should not be exaggerated?

coolbert.

CNO.

This is coolbert:

"'I don't mean to be dramatic,' . . . 'but I feel like if the Navy loses its head, if we go off course and we take our eyes off those things we need to focus on, I think we may not be able to recover in this century.'" - - [U.S.] Navy CNO Adm. Mike Gilday.

"CNO: Shipbuilding Mistakes Could Mean ‘We May Not Be Able To Recover In This Century’"

NO! The Admiral is being dramatic and with good reason. When the Chief of Naval Operations speaks we must all listen.

Thanks to the Internet web site "Breaking Defense" and the article by PAUL MCLEARY.

"WASHINGTON: The Navy will have to walk a tightrope in the coming decade,  balancing the divestment of older ships with the introduction of new designs  — and its dismal acquisition track record has left Congress frustrated and distrustful."

Mistakes such as the USS Ford aircraft carrier.

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/12/uss-ford.html

Mistakes such as the USS Zumwalt.

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/12/zumwalt-i.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/12/zumwalt-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/10/zumwalt-vls.html

Mistakes such as the Littoral Combat Ship.

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/05/fremm-ffg-x.html

Projects, programs, concepts when at-sea not performing to standard as envisioned too much time and money wasted. Calamity. NOT for a hundred years will the U.S. Navy be able to recover? 

coolbert.

Foreboding.

This is coolbert:

Normally, receiving an e-mail with relatively banal content would not raise an eyebrow. Within context as events as have recently transpired in the  USA some degree of concern might well be warranted? 

ONLY AS RECEIVED TODAY AN E-MAIL FROM THE AMATEUR RADIO RELAY LEAGUE [ARRL] TO ALL USA RADIO AMATEURS [HAMS].

"ARRL on the Purpose of Amateur Radio"

"For over 100 years amateur radio and ARRL — the National Association for Amateur Radio® — have stood for the development of the science and art of communications, public service, and the enhancement of international goodwill. Amateur Radio’s long history and service to the public has solidified the well-earned reputation that 'Amateur Radio saves lives.'”

"Amateur Radio Operators, due to their history of public service, their training, and the requirement that they be licensed by the FCC have earned their status as a component of critical communications infrastructure and as a reliable resource 'when all else fails.'"

"Amateur Radio is about development of communications and responsible public service. Its misuse is inconsistent with its history of service and its statutory charter. ARRL does not support its misuse for purposes inconsistent with these values and purposes."

[enlarged medium size text my emphasis. Pay particular heed to the use of that word misuse.]

American amateur radio operation organized to provided nation-wide communications during a time of crisis/national emergency/natural disaster/global thermonuclear war. And prepared to do so, even minus the nation-wide electrical grid. [many amateurs possess on-call portable generators]

Ham are an INDEPENDENT and AUTONOMOUS entity normally the dedication and law-abiding nature of hams beyond question. SO WHY ALL THIS NOW!

DEVOTED/CONCERNED/INTERESTED READERS TO THE BLOG YOU MAY TO PASS THIS PARTICULAR ENTRY ON TO ALL OTHER DEVOTED/CONCERNED/INTERESTED PARTIES.

I RECOMMEND SO AND NOW!

coolbert.

Wolves.

This is coolbert:

Training exercise. That is all this is? Right? Gone awry but yes, just an exercise. Right?

"Canadian Armed Forces Try Out Black Propaganda on Nova Scotians"

"Forged letter warning about wolves on the loose was part of Canadian forces propaganda campaign"

"Black propaganda: is a form of propaganda intended to create the impression that it was created by those it is supposed to discredit."

"A letter from the Nova Scotia government sent out to residents to warn about a pack of wolves on the loose in the province…was forged by Canadian military personnel as part of a propaganda training mission that went off the rails."

"The training also involved using a loudspeaker to generate wolf sounds, the Canadian Forces confirmed to this newspaper."

"The fake letter was part of new skills being tested by the military as it hones its expertise for launching propaganda missions at home and abroad. The letter was developed by information warfare specialists with the Halifax Rifles, a reserve unit."

TO WHAT EXTENT THE "EXERCISE" WAS SUCCESSFUL IS NOT MENTIONED. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE NOVA SCOTIA POPULATION DID  BELIEVE A PACK OF WOLVES WAS LOOSE IN THE PROVINCE MIGHT NEVER BE KNOWN WITH ANY DEGREE OF CERTAINTY.

Messing with the minds of the public even if in the context of a military training exercise is fraught with danger? 

coolbert.

Justum.

 

This is coolbert:

Once more from the  Internet web site abelard.org extracts regarding the concept  of "just war".

Personalities throughout the last two-thousand  years their  ruminations and pronouncements.

"The just war".

* "Cicero (106-43 BC) believed in universal standards, his view was that there was a 'society of mankind rather than of states'."

Cicero the famous Roman lawyer and noted orator BELIEVING that there MUST be some sort of universal standards of correct behavior that MUST be adhered to. EVEN in time of war. 

* "Augustine (354-430 AD) included duties of just treatment of prisoners and conquered peoples, saying that mercy should be shown to the vanquished, particularly if they are no longer a threat to peace."

"Augustine held that legitimate war must meet the test of just cause, must be 1. under competent authority, could be used 2. to establish peace and order, and that 3. the state (like the individual) has a right to self-defense against both internal and external enemies. He developed his theology from Roman legal concepts. Thus warfare was abhorrent but sometimes necessary."

* "Gregory VII (1015/1028-1085) [Pope] extended just war to the promotion of ‘right order’."

* "Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) developed the principles of ‘the just war’, in order to reconcile the moral imperatives which the Churches have traditionally upheld; with the realities of the statesmen who must deal with external threat to their citizens. Aquinas outlined his Just War theory in that section of his teachings which dealt with charity. The three tests for war suggested by Aquinas are"

1. Just cause;

2. Competent authority;

3. Right intention.

Augustine, Gregory, Aquinas addressing the topic of just war within the context of Christian theology. A war waged by Christians in self-defense and done so in a righteous manner to the greatest degree possible not in conflict with Christian teachings.

* "Grotius (1583-1645), from a secularist standpoint, says that a war is just if three basic criteria are met."

1. The danger faced by the nation is immediate.

2. The force used is necessary to adequately defend the nation's interests.

3. The use of force is proportionate to the threatened danger.

Grotius as mentioned the SECULARIST approach and appreciation of just war without religious or theological considerations.

MODERN COMPETENT AUTHORITIES THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF JUST WAR HARDLY EXCEEDING THAT OF THE ANCIENTS I FEAR.     

coolbert.

Preposterous.

This is coolbert:

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

I am almost ashamed to post this blog entry but here goes. 

Cloaking device Klingon Empire. Dyess AFB USA? Courtesy the English tabloid "Express" the tip from the reputable The National Interest.

"UFO sighting: Claim ’Alien tech’ spotted next to US Air Force B-1 Bomber on Google Earth"

"UFO hunters have excitedly shared a bizarre new Google Earth image they believe shows an alien craft at a US Air Base."

Excitedly so? Stupidly so?

"Ghost image of the cloaked B-1 bomber as indicated. A real B-1 bomber to the right. Captured space aliens having been interrogated by experts. Aliens divulging secrets of invisibility to the American military that has been put to good use. Click on image to see an enlarged view.

Whatever explanation could there possibly be??

coolbert.

HVMS 60.

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IMI and Oto Melara. HVMS 60. Direct-fire anti-tank gun. Towed carriage-mounted gun in the venerable manner but developed in the aftermath of the anti-tank guided-missile [ATGM]!

Consider this to be somewhat of a surprise to me. With the demonstrable efficacy of the ATGM during the 1973 war between the Israeli and the various Arab powers I would have thought weaponry such as the HVMS 60 so obsolescent as to be never again a consideration. Evidently that was not so.

There were advantages to the HVMS 60? Poorer nations seeking more modern weaponry might be in favor of such a weapon?

"Officially, the weapon is known as the 60 mm High-Velocity Medium Support (HVMS) Gun. It was a joint development started in the late 1970s between Israeli Military Industries (IMI) and OTO-Melara of Italy."

"The Towed HVMS 60 anti-tank gun is a towed version of the TAAS - Israel Industries 60 mm HyperVelocity Medium Support weapon (HVMS 60) designed for mounting in AFV turrets."

"Early prototypes of the 60 mm HVMS were mounted on converted ex-British six-pounder anti-tank gun carriages, but these mounts were for trials purposes only."

"The weapon was equipped with both High-Explosive (HE) and Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding-Sabot, Tracer (APFSDS-T) rounds. Both rounds were produced by OTO-Melara. In Israeli tests, the gun proved to be precise at over 2,500 m [1 1/2 miles]. The APFSDS projectile flew at an initial speed of 1,600 meters-per-second and was able to penetrate the side armor (15 – 79 mm thick) of two T-62’s [Soviet Cold War tanks], side-by-side, at 2,000 m."

"There may be some people who underestimate Italy as a country of great thinker, but not the GRU. The GRU [Soviet/Russian military intelligence] 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." - - Surorov, GRU intelligence officer and defector.

coolbert.

EMBT.

This is coolbert:

Eurotank? Never heard of it before. Enhanced main battle tank.

British keen on the Eurotank so it seems.

From 19fortyfive.com and the article by Caleb Larson

"Eurotank: The British Army’s New Main Battle Tank?"

"Despite leaving the EU, London may be source its next main battle tank from France and Germany. According to industry reports, the United Kingdom may be interested in the jointly developed Franco-German Eurotank project to replace their aging Challenger 2 main battle tank, which though not a particularly aged tank, will eventually need replacement."

Eurotank not a newly designed from the-ground-up machine. A combination of an existing German Leopard tank chassis and an existing French LeClerc tank turret. With possible gun upgrade at some point in the future. Enhanced yes!

Additionally consider this excerpt from Corporal Frisk with regard to the HESH [high-explosive squash-head] anti-tank round and street fighting in the urban environment as might be encountered during a NATO defense of the Baltic states:

"While the HESH isn’t really up to par with destroying modern armor, one of the places where it does outshine other kinds of tank rounds is for destroying buildings and fortifications. As such, putting the Challengers [current British main-battle-tank] to fight in an urban environment would be a classic example of playing to the strengths of an otherwise outdated technology."

coolbert.

Precision.

This is coolbert:

Came across this one quite by accident.

"E. ROOSEVELT HAILS PRECISION BOMBING; Rome Was Photographed Months Before Raid, He Says in Capital"

Elliot Roosevelt that is. Son of President Franklin Roosevelt.

From the archives of the New York Times and dated July 25, 1943.

"WASHINGTON, July 24 (AP) -- Col. Elliott Roosevelt, back from duty in North Africa as commander of an Allied photographic reconnaissance group, said today that precision bombing in his opinion was the answer to winning the war."

Precision bombing as that term during World War Two generally thought to be very ineffective. Given the climate of central Europe during the war long-range strategic daylight bombardment of critical targets the results very poor. Losses of the four-engine bombers in comparison to damage the debits outweighing the assets.

CONSIDER ALSO AS EXTRACTED FROM A PDF DOCUMENT AS WRITTEN IN 1943.

"DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, GERMAN-JAPANESE VILLAGE, GERMAN VILLAGE"

"The Dugway German Village was the primary American site for testing incendiary bombs prior to large scale attacks near the end of World War II against civilian targets such as Dresden, Germany."

Strategic planners of the U.S Army Airforce still espousing precision bombing while at the same time preparing for saturation bombardment of German cities with massive amounts of incendiary weapons. De-housing the goal.

Comments:

* Construction of the German village supervised by German refugee architects, predominantly if not wholly Jewish.

* That German village built with a remarkable and amazing attention to detail, fastidiously so it seems. Nothing left to chance. 

Consider even further this comment from an acknowledged aviation authority:

"That should prove that the mantra that the US daylight bombing raids were (1) precision and (2) not aimed at civilian areas, was in fact a lie. Why would they want to find out how to burn German civilian homes and towns if they weren't going to do it? (As for the Japanese, no pretense was made that the US wasn't aiming at burning cities to the ground, including the civilian inhabitants.)"

"mantra: noun - - a mystical formula of invocation . . . or incantation"

And to all this J. Robert Oppenheimer would have said?

coolbert.

Assassinate.

This is coolbert:

Yet one more You Tube video courtesy Mark Felton.

Assassinate the Kaiser! Wilhelm in actual command of German forces in the field, World War One.

Forward chateau command post [Western Front] of the German in 1918 where the Kaiser ensconced under Royal Air Force [RAF] attack. 

Attack futile. Bombs as dropped way off target, damage minimal to nil. 

The Kaiser not even present during the air raid. Intelligence poor.

Hear this National Public radio interview the topic the killing of a senior enemy military officer or a head-of-state discussed during a time of war discussed..

I recommend highly without qualification or reservation all the Mark Felton You Tube video as found on the Internet. Go watch!

coolbert.

Earthquake.

This is coolbert:

As seen at the Tulsa World 2002.

Search for the remains of the American military aviator James McGovern.

One of the two earliest USA combat deaths of the Indo-China Wars. First Indo-China War in this instance. American pilot deemed in some quarters as a "mercenary".

"Soldier of fortune: Search for 'Earthquake McGoon'"

Original story RICHARD BYLE Associated Press.

"McGovern's cargo plane was shot down May 6, 1954, on a last-ditch supply mission over Dien Bien Phu, in former Indochina, while working on a CIA-sponsored mission. Now, 48 years later [2002], the U.S. military is seeking his remains."

LARGER THAN LIFE FIGURE SERVING AS A MERCENARY [?] PILOT FOR THE AMERICAN CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. FLYING RE-SUPPLY MI8SSIONS TO THE SURROUNDED FRENCH GARRISON DIEN BIEN PHU.

As of 2006 the remains of James McGovern identified and repatriated to the USA for burial at Arlington cemetery.

Comments:

* McGovern as a mercenary paid $3,000 USD per month for his work. That amounts about to a yearly salary of $350,000 USD by current value. A tidy sum.

* McGovern his aircraft shot down during a re-supply mission to Dien Bien Phu. Anti-aircraft-artillery [AAA]. AAA DBP compared unfavorably to the level of AAA as experienced over Berlin during WW2, if not worse?

James McGovern RIP.

coolbert.

Pollyanna.

This is coolbert:

"Pollyanna - - noun: an excessively or blindly optimistic person."

An extract with comment from the Internet web site Strategy Page:

"Wars Update: Myths To Die For"

"The Great Nuclear Ceasefire [GNC] Stumbles On"

"Despite the growing military power of China, and the saber rattling from Russia, the major military powers continue the GNC (Great Nuclear Ceasefire) that began in the 1950s, when Russia got nuclear weapons, and suddenly realized they could not afford to use them without risking more destruction than past foes like the Nazis, French or Mongols inflicted. As more countries got nukes, the 'we can't afford to use them, but they're nice to have' attitude, and the unprecedented truce, persisted. There have been wars, but not between the big players who have the largest and most destructive conventional forces. Because of the GNC a historical record was broken in 1986, as there had never before, since the modern state system developed in the 16th century, been so long a period without a war between major powers. That is, the kind that could afford, these days, to get nukes. Since the Cold War ended in 1991 there have been fewer wars, at least in the traditional sense, and the GNC holds. Not only have there been fewer wars since the 1950s but there has been a lot less poverty, especially since the Cold War . . . ended in the 1990 . . . At the end of the Cold War (late 1980s) 40 percent of the world population lived in destitution (extreme poverty) but three decades later that poverty rate is down to ten percent [10 % ]."

"The down side there are a lot more low-level rebellions and civil wars, but overall a lot less death, destruction and extreme poverty. Most people are unaware of this situation, because the mass media never made a lot of the GNC as it was something that was just there and not worth reporting."

Comments:

* Without question [?] World War Three would have occurred a long time ago if nuclear weaponry did not exist. The experts all agree about this?

* Low-intensity rebellions and conflicts such as the First Congo War [and Second Congo War] deaths and destruction horrific and must be understood as so, even lacking heavy conventional military weaponry.

coolbert.

e.e. Cummings.

This is coolbert:

As seen at a previous blog entry:

"Abelard to a degree imitates the American poet e.e. Cummings. Deliberate distortion and breaking of the general rules of English as written but not so excessively so."

regarding the military service [?] of the famous American poet e.e. Cummings:

"in 1917, with the First World War ongoing in Europe, Cummings enlisted in the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps. On the boat to France, he met William Slater Brown and they would become friends. Due to an administrative error, Cummings and Brown did not receive an assignment for five weeks, a period they spent exploring Paris. Cummings fell in love with the city, to which he would return throughout his life."

e.e. serving in the same fashion as the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway. Ambulance driver.

"during their service in the ambulance corps, the two young writers sent letters home that drew the attention of the military censors. They were known to prefer the company of French soldiers over fellow ambulance drivers. The two openly expressed anti-war views; Cummings spoke of his lack of hatred for the Germans. On September 21, 1917, five months after starting his belated assignment, Cummings and William Slater Brown were arrested by the French military on suspicion of espionage and undesirable activities. They were held for three and a half months in a military detention camp at the Dépôt de Triage, in La Ferté-Macé, Orne, Normandy."

CUMMINGS HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE WAR CONSIDERED TO BE "UNDESIRABLE ACTIVITIES" HARDLY UNIQUE DURING THE GREAT WAR. PROBABLY MUCH MORE COMMON THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THOUGHT.

coolbert.

063 Russia.

This is coolbert:

Russian  aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov still a going concern? Hey, I thought the Kuznetsov was going to be decommissioned and scrapped. I guess that has all changed!

"No more smoke on the water from Russia's aircraft carrier"

"The Northern Fleet's aircraft carrier will embark on tests in the Barents Sea in 2022 with main boilers, diesel generators and main turbo-gear units replaced."

Kuznetsov looking like a warship from the time of the Dreadnought era. Coal-fired at the time and "belching" enormous clouds of black smoke. In the case of the Kuznetsov unburned fuel the culprit.

Various authorities have commented on the cloud of smoke as emitted from the Kuznetsov. Refurbishment work has been on-going for YEARS and even when done, the life expectancy of the ship will be extended for only five more YEARS!

See previous blog entries the topic the Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2019/12/kuznetsov.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2019/12/kuznetsov-ii.html

Is it all worth it?

coolbert.

Quiz IV.

This is coolbert:

In finality with one more quiz as extracted from the H.I. Sutton Internet web site "Covert Shores". 

1. World Submarines quiz.

2. Warship quiz.

3. Battle of Midway quiz.

4. Target quiz.

5. Cold War Recognition quiz.

Thanks yet one more time to H.I. Sutton. 

coolbert.

Quiz III.

This is coolbert:

Continuing one more quiz courtesy the H.I. Sutton Internet web site "Covert Shores". All thanks to H.I. Sutton.

SECRET projects so SECRET no one is supposed to know about them. 

1. NATO versus Russia quiz 1.

2. Secret Projects quiz 1.

Hard, aren't they? None of those are easy.

coolbert.

Quiz II.

This is coolbert:

Continuing with quizzes. Thanks once more to H.I. Sutton and his outstanding website.

Naval special operations quiz:

1. Unit Insignia quiz 1.

2. Special Forces Weapons quiz.

3. WW2 Midget Submarines quiz 1.

4. Combat Boats.

Combat boats as that term ordinarily understood often associated with naval special operations units.

coolbert.

Quiz I.

This is coolbert:

Here begins a series of quizzes as extracted from the H.I.
Sutton Internet web site "Covert Shores".

Believe me, these quizzes are difficult. Even difficult in the extreme.

Good luck everyone.

1. Assault Rifle Quiz 1.

2. Assault Rifle Quiz 2.

3. Assault Rifle Quiz 3.

coolbert.

GI Amok.

This is coolbert:

Thanks to the abelard.org Internet website.

Abelard to a degree imitates the American poet e.e. Cummings. Deliberate distortion and breaking of the general rules of English as written but not so excessively so.

"humans killing humans"

"From a useful but slack background item, not recommended to unsophisticated readers.:

“[...] the recipient of modern military conditioning is statistically no more likely to engage in violent crime than a nonveteran of the same age. The key safeguard in this process appears to be the deeply ingrained discipline that the combat soldier internalizes with his military training. However, with the advent of interactive 'point-and-shoot' arcade and video games, there is significant concern that society [civilian] is aping military conditioning, but without the vital safeguard of discipline [...]”

CORRECT! THE MILITARY WANTS YOU TO BE ABLE TO KILL BUT ONLY ON COMMAND!

Within context consider these very recent lurid news headlines:

1. "Illinois bowling-alley massacre suspect is Green Beret with possible PTSD"

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS-SYNDROME.

2. "Army colonel allegedly beat wife, threatens suicide in standoff with cops"

3. "Fort Bragg soldier kills pregnant wife, turns gun on himself"

In all three cases troops on active duty and special operations personnel. Highly trained soldiers for whatever reason gone out of control. The most highly disciplined of the disciplined amok.

"amok: 1: in a violently raging, wild, or uncontrolled manner"

coolbert.

PIO F-4.

This is coolbert:

More F-4 Phantom fighter-bomber stuff. In keeping with a recent previous blog entry. Courtesy "The Drive" Internet web site and the article by THOMAS NEWDICK.

"The Navy Got Its Hands On Its First Operational F-4 Phantom Sixty Years Ago Today"

"The service introduction of the mighty Phantom wasn’t without its problems."

THE FIRST "SAFE" JET WARPLANE NOT WITHOUT PROBLEMS. TEETHING AS THEY CALL IT.  "teething troubles/problems: small problems that happen when a business, project, system, etc., is first started or used"

PIO = Pilot induced oscillation.

"excessive pilot inputs on the flight controls led to the aircraft vibrating, effectively shaking itself apart."

"The Phantom itself was remarkably stable. Indeed, the stability of the design was a remarkable improvement over what we were flying then. But those who were ham-fisted would overcontrol the Phantom, or overcorrect if something went awry. The aircraft would then oscillate like mad. The best way to get out of this high-vibration problem is to remove your hands from the controls and just watch. At high altitude, you can recover easily. At low altitude, PIO is instant death." - - Commander Wilbur Norton.

"ham-fisted - -  not skillful in physical movement especially with the hands; clumsy; bungling"

Instant death! Doesn't sound so good!

coolbert.