BEN/PAP.

This is coolbert:

Chinese paramilitary in Cuba? Chinese?

"paramilitary - -  adj:. Of, relating to, or being a group of civilians organized in a military fashion, especially to operate in place of or assist regular army troops. n. A group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion, but which do not represent the formal forces of a sovereign power"

From Breitbart and thanks to same.

"Report: Chinese Paramilitary Trained Cuban ‘Black Beret’ Repressive Force"

"The independent outlet ADN Cuba published photos late Thursday reportedly showing members of Cuba’s 'black beret' repressive forces training alongside the Chinese People’s Armed Police (PAP), a paramilitary force deployed to repress Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Hong Kong protesters."

BEN THE CUBAN ELITE PARAMILITARY HEAD-KNOCKER UNIT! AS TRAINED BY THE CHINESE ANALOG PAP..

Normally any sort of foreign military activity [even if paramilitary] frowned on by USA!

"Fotos obtenidas por ADN Cuba evidencian que la Brigada Especial Nacional (BEN), entrenada para reprimir a la ciudadanía, recibió preparación del grupo paramilitar Fuerza de Policía Armada del Pueblo Chino (PAP), involucrado en las protestas de Hong Kong."

"Photos obtained by ADN Cuba show that the National Special Brigade (BEN), trained to repress citizens, received training from the paramilitary group Chinese People's Armed Police Force (PAP), involved in the Hong Kong protests."

Yet one more image of BEN/PAP personnel together. Look a the SVD sniper rifle those two Cubanos carrying? For SWAT type of action presumably. SVD weapon considered to be so deadly import to the USA forbidden.

We might be hearing more about this?

coolbert.

Orlov.

This is coolbert:

Current [2021] Russian military ground/naval/air activity in the Levant is decidedly not unique. 

"The Levant . . . is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia."

All thanks to the Russian Internet web site "Russia Beyond" and BORIS EGOROV.

All this an previously unknown to me. A demonstration of Imperial Russian naval prowess. The Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 and a foray of the Russian into foreign waters successful, Admiral Orlov in command.

1. "The GREATEST victory in the history of the Russian Navy"

"The Destruction of the Turkish Fleet in the Bay of Chesme"

“'The water, mixed with blood and ash, had a foul appearance. Burned corpses floated on the waves, so many that it was difficult to sail through the port,'” 

2. "When the Russians conquered Beirut"

"The first Russian military bases in the Middle East could have been built as far back as the 18th century."

"On September 29, 1773, Russian forces first entered Beirut. For the first time in many centuries, one of the oldest cities of the Levant (once used to describe a large area of the Eastern Mediterranean) saw European boots marching through it. But what took Russian soldiers so far from home?"

GREATEST NAVAL VICTORY? RUSSSIAN NAVAL STRENGTH USUALLY PERCEIVED AS PROBLEMATIC, GEOGRAPHIC AND CLIMATIC CONDITIONS NORMALLY CONSTRICTING AND CONFINING OPERATIONS.

War water ports too and the desire for same always cited by Russian/Soviet experts as a possible cause for Russian/Soviet territorial expansion at all times in history since Peter the Great.

coolbert.

Niccolo.

This is coolbert:

And what would Niccolo say?

From the Internet web site Small Wars Journal and thanks to same. The article by Chad M. Pillai.

"Machiavelli and our Wars in the Middle East"

"Fundamental principles" as enunciated by Machiavelli hardly should hardly be confined to the wars of the Middle East. Are eternal "fundamental principles" and should be understood fully well as being so.

Several paragraphs as extracted in entirety, verbatim:

"To avoid hubris, senior political and military leaders should have read closely Niccolò Machiavelli book 'The Prince' on what a ruler should expect when conquering foreign land. In chapters four and five, Machiavelli lays out the fundamental principles a ruler needed to understand before embarking on conquest by highlighting the differences between the Kingdom of France and the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. To briefly paraphrase Machiavelli's advice in chapter four, he wrote that states that are hard to conquer are easy to rule while states that are easy to conquer are hard to rule."  

"In chapter five [The Prince], Machiavelli providers further advice on what to expect when conquering another with the following words:"

"When a state accustomed to live in freedom under its own laws is acquired, there are three ways of keeping it:  the first is to destroy it, the second is to go to live there in person; the third is to let it continue to live under its own laws, taking tribute from it, and setting up a government composed of a few men who will keep it friendly to you.  Such a government, being the creature of the prince, will be aware that it cannot survive without his friendship and support, and it will do everything to maintain his authority.  A city which is used to freedom is more easily controlled by means of its own citizens than by any other, provided one chooses not to destroy it."

EASY TO CONQUER, HARD TO RULE. HARD TO CONQUER, EASY TO RULE?

My instantaneous thought was Japan and German in the post-WW2 era. American success story in both cases?

coolbert.

Thousands.

This is coolbert:

Alarmist and unjustified??

From Forbes and the article by David Axe.

"Thousands Of Ships, Millions Of Troops: China Is Assembling a Huge Fleet For War With Taiwan"

"To have any chance of conquering Taiwan, China might need to transport as many as two million troops across the rough 100 miles of the Taiwan Strait and land them under fire at the island’s 14 potential invasion beaches or 10 major ports. That’s a lot of people—far, far more than the People’s Liberation Army Navy can haul in its 11 new amphibious ships. To transport the bulk of the invasion force, Beijing almost certainly would take up into naval service thousands of civilian ships. To that end, the Chinese Communist Party has created a legal and bureaucratic framework for taking over control of commercial shipping."

Headline by itself might make readers think the "huge fleet" assembling right now, invasion of Taiwan imminent? 

See previous blog entries several appreciations the difficulties the Chinese would have if the go-ahead given to invade Taiwan:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/11/invasion-roc-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/07/invasion-roc.html

Within perspective: Husky [invasion of Sicily WW2] about three-thousand ships required. Overlord [invasion of Normandy WW2] about five-thousand ships required.

And don't forget Pluto [undersea pipeline for fuel] or Mulberry [artificial harbor] as was also needed for the Normandy Invasion in the aftermath of troop landings and secure beaches.

Lieutenants think tactics. Generals think logistics.

Normandy was no picnic for the allies and we can easily assume Taiwan will not be a picnic for the Chinese either.

coolbert.

Cuber II.

This is coolbert:

As extracted from the A. Boot Internet web site and as germane to the previous blog entry.

Cuban general officers a whole bushel full of them die suddenly from unknown causes. 

And before the Cubans Soviet/Russian and Warsaw Pact military commanders too?

"Russian generals are dying to reveal a secret"

"Before I [A. Boot] tell you about an interesting current discovery, it’s not only Russian generals who tend to die in mysterious ways, defying every conceivable statistical pattern. In the past at least, their Eastern European colleagues used to join the fun."

"For example, the last two months of 1984 saw the demise of the Defense Ministers of five (5) Warsaw Pact countries, including the Soviet Union. The generals all died of cardiac arrest."

Read the whole article for yourselves.

Senior military commanders "fit as fiddle" as they say all expiring in such a short period of time ALL FROM THE SAME CAUSE surely an omen that something much bigger is transpiring of which is being kept a secret.

Hardly can such a perspective be seen as being unreasonable.

coolbert.

Cuber.

This is coolbert:

Nothing to this! Right?

From the Breitbart Internet web site and thanks to same.

1. "Third Cuban General Mysteriously Dies Since Protests Began"

"Reserve Division General Rubén Martínez Puente on Sunday became the third Cuban general on the island to die since the July 11 protests. Like his predecessors, the communist regime did not specify a cause of death."

"Martínez’s death followed that of Reserve Brigade General Marcelo Verdecia last week and the head of the Eastern Army of Cuba, Division General Agustín Peña, a weekend ago. The short time frame in which three high-ranking members of the Cuban military, which controls both the security apparatus and the economy of the island, have passed since nationwide protests erupted in mid-July has raised concerns about the stability of the regime and, potentially, the impact of the nation’s ongoing battle with Chinese coronavirus."

2. "Fifth Cuban General Dead Since Protests Began"

"Cuban Brigade General Armando Choy Rodríguez died on Monday night, the fifth general on the island to do so since ongoing protests began against the communist regime nationwide on July 11. He was the second Cuban general declared dead on Monday."

"The advanced age of the dying generals may suggest pandemic woes, as the elderly are one of the highest-risk demographics for coronavirus infections. Prior to Choy’s death, communist state media announced the death of Reserve Brigade General Manuel Eduardo Lastres Pacheco, another veteran of the 1950s Revolution, on Monday. Reserve Division General Rubén Martínez Puente, 79, reportedly died on Sunday. Last Tuesday, official media reported the death of Reserve Brigade General Marcelo Verdecia, believed to be about 80 years old. The weekend before that, Cuban outlets confirmed the death of the head of the Eastern Army of Cuba, Division General Agustín Peña."

Elderly military commanders their deaths the cause of which not announced. Must be the Covid virus and nothing else! Right? Mere coincidence? But so many, all at once? Hmmmmm!

coolbert.

Defender.

This is coolbert:

AND TO ALL THIS HORATIO NELSON WOULD SAY?

Courtesy the Internet web site "Anti-War".

"Great Britain Has a Total of 6 Destroyers. 5 Are Out of Action."

"The 'mighty' naval power that is currently sending China a 'message' off the Chinese coast"

"When HMS Defender sailed into Russian territorial waters last month that was 50 percent of Britain’s operational destroyer strength (now 100 percent)"

"Five of the Royal Navy’s [RN] Type 45 destroyers are unavailable for deployment, leaving just one warship in the class capable of operations, defense procurement minister Jeremy Quin acknowledged this week."

"Four of the Type 45s currently unavailable are in various stages of maintenance or upgrade. The remaining warship out of action, HMS Diamond, ran into technical problems earlier this month while escorting a Royal Navy–led carrier strike group on a deployment to the Indo-Pacific region."

OF SIX DESTROYERS IN THE RN, ONLY ONE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR DUTY AT THIS EXACT INSTANT!

Admiral Nelson and the Chinese both I fear are hardly going to be impressed by the current RN show of force in the Pacific region.

coolbert.

BLOCKER.

This is coolbert:

Finland has them! Estonia does also?

Naval sea mines the cost effectiveness of this naval warfare weapon cannot be exaggerated.

From CORPORAL FRISK and than thanks to same.

"My Mines and those of My Brother"

"Naval mines have a tendency to stay largely out of sight, until they suddenly pop up to remind everyone about their existence. This goes both for the weapons themselves, as for their role in the grand scheme of things. The Baltic Sea, always a favorable battlefield for mines, has seen a number of interesting development during the last few weeks"

From 1917 and the era of the Great War as planned naval mines a rather insignificant number able to control the entrance/exit to the Gulf of Finland or the Gulf or Riga. Baltic Sea.

Same area Gulf or Finland and Gulf of Riga showing geographic context.

These Finnish sea mines evidently of the BLOCKER variety:

"BLOCKER

A MODERN COST-EFFECTIVE INFLUENCE MINE

'influence mine [′in‚flü·əns ‚mīn]

(ordnance)

A mine that is detonated by methods that are different than target contact.'

Modern Influence Mine with devastating performance. Cost-effective system with long shelf life and minimal maintenance during the life cycle. Acoustic-, pressure- and magnetic sensors. Optional underwater electrical potential sensors. NEQ equivalent to over 1000 kg [2,000 pounds] of TNT."

See the various prior blog entries the efficacy of naval sea mines unquestioned:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/04/dolphin.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/04/port-arthur.html

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

coolbert.

Sikorsky.

This is coolbert:

Courtesy here the Ron Unz Internet web site and the article by ANATOLY KARLIN •

"Bolshevik Aristocide: the Fate of Sikorsky's Engineers"

Bolshevik purging/liquidation [killing or imprisoning] entire categories of persons in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and the imposition of communism destructive of the intelligentsia and those most fruitful and skilled in technological advancement. Even to include the field of military aeronautical engineering!

THE DESIGN BUREUA OF IGOR SIKORSKY INCLUDED.

Consider these major achievements of the Sikorsky design bureau during World War One and beyond:

"Igor Sikorsky was a giant of aviation history. He designed the world’s first heavy bomber (Ilya Muromets), the world’s first mass produced helicopter (Vought-Sikorsky VS-300), and founded a multi-billion worth aviation company that continues making helicopters to this day."

Aftermath of the Russian Revolution the Bolshevik secret services however liquidating all those by criteria who posed a potential threat to the new regime. To include engineers and intellectuals of any sort.

"75 leading Russian aviation specialists who worked with Sikorsky, including at the Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory which manufactured the Ilya Muromets*. Here are the shocking statistics – out of Sikorsky’s 75 engineers:

* 1 died during World War I before 1917.

* 25 died between 1917 and 1924.

* 32 emigrated

* Of the 17 who remained in the USSR, a further 8 were subsequently repressed."

DIED AS LIQUIDATED! KILLED.

Soviet secret services their listing of potential enemies of the state the intelligentsia figuring rather high:

"5) The technical intelligentsia, and the intelligentsia in general"

Consider the Russian [Soviet] loss to be American gain. For over one hundred years now and ongoing.

coolbert.

Tsuji M.

This is coolbert: 

As extracted from and with considerable editing from the much prior Military Thoughts blog entry.

"This particular blog entry is devoted to Colonel Masonobu Tsuji. The famous/infamous Japanese military officer whose life before, during, and after World War Two [WW2] could easily be the history of Japan during the same period . . . Where ever Japan WAS at this period in time WAS also the place where Tsuji WAS. China, Manchuria, Mongolia, Malaya, Philippines, South Pacific, Burma, Indo-China, Japan, and back to Indo-China."

Much can be said of Colonel Tsuji. Here with an in-the-nutshell recapitulation:

Tsuji was a man of promise from an early age?? 

Tsuji was a man with contacts at the highest level of Japanese society. 

 Tsuji was a man who engaged in intrigue against his brother officers. 

 Tsuji also intrigued at the international and Japanese governmental level. 

 Tsuji was a man whose appearance epitomized the "yellow peril". 

 Tsuji was a hard-core military man, forsaking familial responsibilities. 

 Tsuji was an operational planner of extraordinary ability. 

 Tsuji was the chief of operations for the Malayan campaign.

 Tsuji was a war criminal. 

 Tsuji was a courageous military man. 

 Tsuji was a homosexual?? 

 Tsuji was a man who eschewed and hated the fleshpots. 

 Tsuji was a cannibal. 

Tsuji was a spy master. 

 Tsuji was a politician. 

 Tsuji was a man of strong opinions. 

 Tsuji was a prolific author. 

 Tsuji was an inspirational figure! 

 Tsuji was a CIA operative?? 

 Tsuji was a Viet Cong/NVA commander?? 

 Tsuji was a man who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Nor can we forget the rating scheme of Colonel Tsuji his appreciation of "fighting spirit" of the various combatants in the Pacific theater World War Two:

# 1 Japanese # 2 Chinese #3 Russians #4 Ghurkha # 5 American # 6 Australian # 7 British Indian army # 8 British. Fighting spirit that term not properly defined.

Without question Tsuji an amazing figure it can be suggested without peer or parallel. For better or worse.

coolbert.

Lessons.

This is coolbert:

As extracted from a Strategy Page Internet article paragraphs as copied in entirety.

"Naval Air: An Earth Shattering Disaster"

A CONCISE SUMMARY, DIFFICULTIES THE USS FORD AIRCRAFT CARRIER:

"A ship, especially a warship that has a lot of problems, is often referred to as a cursed ship. The USS Ford, the first of the class, has become a major disaster rather than a more effective new ship design. The number and severity of problems are certainly cursed at often enough by those who built or now serve on the Ford. It was not supposed to be that way."

"Several innovative new technologies were supposed to have made the Fords more effective and cheaper to operate than the previous Nimitz class. Two of those new technologies; EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System) catapults and other landing equipment, as well as the high-speed electromagnetic ammunition elevators for getting explosive items to the deck more quickly, failed multiple times. There are lesser problems with the nuclear propulsion system, the new dual (X and S) band radar and several other systems have all combined to make the Ford unable to do the job it was designed for."

"The Ford flaws also caused some unexpected modifications to the new F-35C stealth fighter. This made it possible for the F-35C, the model designed for carrier operations on the existing Nimitz class CVNs, to survive using the cranky landing equipment unique to the Fords. Eventually the navy compiled a list of 60,000 'lessons learned' while building and trying to get the Ford ready for service. So far that has put Ford more than three years behind schedule".

FORD CLASS WARSHIP IT SEEMS IN A CLASS BY ITSELF BUT NOT IN A GOOD WAY!

See prior blog entries the topic the USS Ford aircraft carrier:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/01/kaput-ii.html

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

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

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

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2018/11/cvn-78.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/04/emals.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/01/urinals.html

coolbert.

Quiet.

This is coolbert:

"low-observable technology isn't limited just to cutting an aircraft's radar signature and can involve other factors, such reducing aircraft's infrared or visual profiles or cutting how much noise it makes in flight."

Stealth warplane but not radar-evading. Looked for cannot be seen. Listened for cannot be heard.

A legacy of the Vietnam War that never was totally discarded. Far from it.

"The U.S. Coast Guard May Be Flying a Unique Stealthy Spy Plane"

"The service's Manned Covert Surveillance Aircraft project has connections to decades of secretive work on 'quiet aircraft.'"

From The Drive and the article BY JOSEPH TREVITHICK.

Stealth "quiet" warplane YQ-3A in Vietnam a qualified success. But never enough of them and too late to make a real difference. Too bad!

That most recent "quiet" aircraft the American Coast Guard Manned Covert Surveillance Aircraft (MCSA). Varieties of MCSA type aircraft been in the inventory for since Vietnam and have apparently done yeoman service. Amazing.

Silenced and "quiet" aircraft having a military or quasi-military mission to include but I might suggest hardly limited to:

* HO-3. 

* QT-2PC.

* RG-8A.  

* RU-38A. 

* RU-38B.  

Army requirements spurred initial research and development into "quiet' stealth warplanes. U.S. Army please recall at one time had more aircraft than the Air Force and more boats than the Navy!

coolbert.

Permanent.

This is coolbert:

East of Singapore? British military forces a permanent Pacific presence. Would have been out of the question just a few years ago. 

From the Internet web site "Breitbart" and thanks to same.

"Britain ‘Tilts’ East: Will Deploy Warships in Asia Permanently, Challenge Chinese Territory Claims"

"The United Kingdom has the right to sail its latest aircraft carrier anywhere in the world international law permits and will do so, the country has said just weeks before it is due to travel through the contested South China Sea."

This is all obviously a response to the tension currently existing in the South China Sea. Chinese claims to the area as sovereign territorial waters problematic.

The current voyage of the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth in part the mission FONOP. Freedom of Navigation Operation. Freedom of the seas as a concept at question here and in conflict with Chinese claims to the South China Sea. A conflict that cannot be ignored.

I guess many in the Royal Navy [RN] now are also scratching their heads and wondering where exactly are more ships to be found to execute FONOP and Freedom of the Seas missions.

"Troops. Where do I get more troops?" "Ships. Where do I get more ships?"

coolbert.

Ceasefire.

This is coolbert:

Once more Afghan stuff. The battle continues. The Taliban are not yet triumphant? The "done" deal is hardly a done deal?

First from the Russian Internet media outlet Sputnik and thanks to same.

1. "Scores of Taliban Fighters Flee to Pakistan After Afghan Forces Claim To Have Retaken Spin Boldak"

THE TOWN OF SPIN BOLDAK ONCE MORE UNDER CONTROL OF THE MILITARY FORCES [ANSF] OF THE AFGHAN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN KABUL.

"The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) on Friday regained control of the border town of Spin Boldak from the Taliban, Afghan government sources confirmed to Sputnik."

Someone in the ANSF has a lot of gumption and is showing guts and resilience in the face of potential defeat? The outcome is far from certain?

Additionally also from Sputnik:

2. "Taliban Vows to Slash Military Ops in Exchange for Prisoner Release, Removal From UN Blacklist"

"The Taliban* has been defeating Afghan forces across the country since the American-led forces began to withdraw from the country on 1 May. It now claims to control nearly 85 percent of Afghanistan."

"The Taliban movement has proposed limiting military operations in Afghanistan and not a ceasefire, the group's spokesman Mohammad Naeem told Sputnik on Thursday."

"Earlier in the day, Afghanistan's 1TV News reported that the Taliban had pledged to declare a three-month ceasefire if the Afghan government releases 7,000 prisoners and the movement is removed from the United Nations' terrorism blacklist."

Normally you might expect the Taliban to be far less than conciliatory toward the Afghan central government. A willingness to limit combat activities and even negotiations [?] with the adversary indicates some sort of weakness hardly can we perceive? Strange?

coolbert.

AAF.

This is coolbert:

HEY! I thought it was a done deal. The Taliban in Afghan have prevailed. Central government forces routed, the insurgents just short of long-sought-after victory!

Such thoughts are premature? Afghan air force [AAF] to the rescue?

First from the Internet web site SouthFront and thanks to same.

1. "AFGHAN GOVERNMENT FORCES RECAPTURED FOUR DISTRICTS FROM TALIBAN IN TWO DAYS (VIDEOS)"

SEE THE MANY EMBEDDED VIDEO.

"Afghan government forces recaptured four districts in three different provinces from the Taliban over the last few days."

"On July 16, Afghan National Defense and Security Forces recaptured the districts of Saighan and Kahmard in the central province of Bamyan from the Taliban."

"Government forces expelled Taliban fighters from the Chakhansur district in the southwestern province of Nimruz on the same day."

ADDITIONALLY:

2. "If you can't fight the weapons, kill their operators"

Pilots of the AAF iu great peril from assassination. Thanks here to Bayou Renaissance Man.

"This is a tactic that's been used throughout the world by allegedly overmatched forces (usually guerrillas or terrorists) against their allegedly more capable opponents (usually government or establishment forces).  It's playing out again in Afghanistan right now."

"At least seven Afghan pilots … have been assassinated off base in recent months"

AAF flying the Super Turcano COIN [counter-insurgency] warplane? Planes easier to replace than trained and skilled pilots. That is for sure.

coolbert.

KZN.

This is coolbert:

KZN = KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa.

Civil turmoil requiring a military response.

From ZeroHedge and the article by TYLER DURDEN

Reserve units activated.

"South African Army 'Activates' All Reserve Members Amid Worsening Social Unrest"

"Update (1810ET): As social unrest nears the 7th day in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, the South African Army Reserve has ordered 'all Reserve Members' for duty on Thursday morning [15 July]." 

See the various embedded video. Reminds me of USA 2020.

Police agencies no longer able to contain or suppress rioting and looting. A more robust security force needed.

And as reported by the Internet web site "War is Boring" ammunition stockpiles [at least for the civilian sector] LOW.

Additionally from an acknowledged African hand familiar with the situation:

* South African National Defense Force when activating reservists: "they’ll be scraping the bottom of the barrel".

* Reservists when activated lacking: "strict discipline and good leadership on the ground".

The die is cast, the outcome far from clear.

ZeroHedge in some quarters referred to as a far-right wing web site but I disagree!

coolbert.

RCN.

This is coolbert:

An aging fleet of an aging fleet! Replacement needed?

Submarine force Canadian style!

From  "The Canadian Press and the article by  Lee Berthiaume.

"Royal Canadian Navy [RCN] to start process of replacing aging submarine fleet"

CANADA HAVING PURCHASED SECOND-HAND SUBMARINES FROM THE ROYAL NAVY [BRITISH] BUT FINDING THE VESSELS TO BE LESS THAN COMBAT READY AND ABLE WARSHIPS.

"questions about the costs and benefits of submarines have circulated since Canada bought four second-hand vessels from Britain in 1998. The government at that time argued it was getting a bargain by paying only $750 million for the four Victoria-class vessels."

"Yet the vessels have since spent more time in dock for repairs and maintenance than at sea, with Ottawa sinking billions of dollars into the fleet over the past 20-plus years to address a series of problems and incidents including fires and faulty welding"

FIRES AND FAULTY WELDING. HOT WORK AS DEEMED IT SEEMS AN ENDLESS SOURCE OF DIFFICULTY.

Submarines it seems very fickle. A high tempo of sustained operations necessary for sea-worthy combat duty hard to obtain.

That question quite valid too can be suggested if Canada even NEEDS a submarine force? Understandable from the aspect of defending the Canadian arctic regions but ONLY with vessels able to operate under the ice for a protracted period.

And let us not ignore cost. Brand new boats not cheap!

coolbert.

Rwanda.

This is coolbert:

Rwanda to the rescue? Rwanda?

From the VOA and the article by Edward Rwema.

"Rwanda Sends 1,000 Soldiers, Police to Fight Mozambique Militants"

"Rwanda says it is sending 1,000 security personnel to Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique to help fight Islamist militants who have terrorized the region. In a statement issued Friday on the government's website, Rwanda said the deployment would start immediately and was being done at the request of the Mozambican government."

That government of Mozambique quite reticent about allowing outside forces to assist in the war against the Islamic insurgents. NOW this?

I cannot think that 1,000 Rwanda troops are going to make much of a difference in the anti-insurgency campaign.

Combat service support duty a possible. Free Mozambique military personnel for combat arms duty?

Stand by with this one!

See previous blog entries [with embedded additional entrie4s the Mozambique situation:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/06/swahili.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/06/marinha-mm.html

coolbert.

Stalked!

This is coolbert:

Consider this not to be: 1. A goodwill voyage. 2. A show-the-flag exercise. 3. A shake-down cruise. Hardly confined to any of that.

Queen Elizabeth II the first operational sailing. And YES does involve combat and cat-and-mouse.. From Freeper and thanks to same.

"UK Scrambled Sub-Hunting Aircraft As Russian Submarine ‘Stalked’ Carrier In Mediterranean"

"UK media on Friday revealed another major military close encounter with a Russian vessel following the June 23 Black Sea warning shot incident – but this time in the Mediterranean where a Russian submarine was said to be 'stalking' the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group in the waters."

See from the Aviationist an article the topic F-35B from the QE II a combat mission as flown against Islamic State combatants.

"F-35B Jets From HMS Queen Elizabeth Have Joined The Fight Against Daesh"

"UK Carrier Strike Group launching F-35B missions in support of Operation Shader from the eastern Mediterranean Sea."

See all previous blog entries the topic the first operational voyage of the Queen Elizabeth II:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/06/force-21.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/05/elizabeth-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/04/britannia-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/04/britannia.html

coolbert.

MS200.

This is coolbert:

Midget submarines. Chinese PLAN style. Undersea force multiplier.

As it was Pearl Harbor [1941 so can it be too San Diego 2021??

Midget submarine attack as a prelude to war. 

Courtesy the H.I. Sutton Internet web site see the article "CSIC_MS200Z"

"China reveals new midget submarine design: MS200"

Thanks again to H.I. Sutton the specifications of the MS200:

"MS200 Specification

Displacement: 200 tons surfaced

Length: 30 m

Width: 3.6 m hull diameter

Height: 4.4 m

Crew: 6 + 8 PAX [PAX = passengers?]

Range: 1,500nm, with 120 nm on batteries

Endurance: 15 days

Speed: 8 kt max

Operating depth: TBC [to be confirmed]

Armament: 2 x 533mm torpedoes"

That RANGE severely limits of the MS200 for sneak attack on Pearl Harbor or San Diego. MS would have to be carried by a much larger submarine to the scene of the action, as were the Japanese midget submarines at Pearl Harbor, 1941.

Those two torpedoes probably better replaced by smart naval sea mines? Passengers consisting of naval commando combat swimmers equipped with limpet mines a possible.

For wealthy dot.com billionaires I imagine a midget submarine would make an unusual pleasure craft.

coolbert.

San Diego.

This is coolbert:

I would have to think this observation has something to do with issues as raised by a previous recent blog entry?

From Townhall and thanks to same.

"Protecting a Critical US Navy Base from the Rising Threat of China"

AS IT WAS FOR THE U.S. NAVY IN 1941 SO IS IT TOO IN 2021?

Click on all images to see an enlarged view.

"The United States Naval base in San Diego is one of the largest and most important in the world, especially with respect to facing the rising threat of China.  And, yet, the Secretary of the Navy has long left this base in the vulnerable position of having only one exit point for its massive flotilla of warships."

U.S. naval base Pearl Harbor. Only one point of ingress/egress. Ships in harbor at a crucial moment their ability to sortie greatly hampered by constriction for which there is no apparent amelioration.

U.S naval base San Diego. Only point of ingress/egress. Ships in harbor at a crucial moment their ability to sortie greatly hampered by constriction for which there is no apparent amelioration.

Consider both Pearl Harbor and San Diego vulnerable to pre-emptive attack. Blocking the ingress/egress can and will in a time of war cause major if not insurmountable problems for the ?American Pacific Fleet.

AND HARDLY CAN WE DISMISS OR PRECLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF NAVAL COMMANDO ATTACK ON PEARL OR SAN DIEGO OR THE USE OF MIDGET SUBMARINES DURING A TIME OF CRISIS OR WAR WITH CHINA.

coolbert.

TuAF.

This is coolbert:

The Sultan in Angora continues to destroy his own air force? Enough damage previously done, but now this. 

From the Internet web site of the Gatestone Institute and the article by Burak Bekdil

Russian Su-57 to Turkey??

"How Erdoğan's Miscalculation Crippled Turkey's Aerial Firepower"

Stick it in the eye of NATO and the Americans. Buy top-of-the-line Russian stealth warplane rather than the USA F-35 Lightning.

Problems that will manifest themselves however will outweigh gain?

"Turkish Air Force generals know too well that switching from NATO-standard aircraft to Russian ones after 70 years is not like changing your American car in favor of a Japanese one. Building a new operational structure, modifying air bases, new repair, service and maintenance systems will be too costly, time consuming and technologically difficult."

PLUS THE TuAF NOT HAVING ENOUGH QUALIFIED AND SKILLED PILOTS TO FLY THE Su-57? THEY ALL HAVE BEEN PURGED?

See previous blog entries the topic the purging and "gutting" of the Turkish Air Force:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2018/03/f-16-turkey.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2018/06/doomed.html

coolbert.

BB-64 WI.

This is coolbert:

Here images with commentary. Surprising! Never seen these before. Context important.

"4th of July shipposting: USS Wisconsin- aka 'Wisky'"

Thanks to the gallery of imgun.com. Click on the images to see an enlarged view.

"USS Wisconsin is tied up outboard of the hull of Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard on 11 November 1944. Note the great difference in the length of the two battleships." USS Oklahoma capsized at Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941. Late righted but did not subsequently see combat action during the  war [WW2]

"In a floating drydock off Guam in 1952. One of my favorite photos because see that drifting hulk ahead of the Wisconsin? That's the 1896 vintage USS Oregon BB-3, which was turned into an ammo barge for the invasion of Guam in WW2 and just kinda... sat there.. for a while"

Island of Guam in the background. In the center BB-64 Wisconsin in a  floating drydock. Forward of the bow of the Wisconsin the Spanish-American War battleship USS Oregon BB-3. Warship [Oregon] top-of-the-line in 1898 observe once more the comparison of size!! Oregon during WW2 an ammunition barge. 

SIZE MATTERS? 

Comparisons sometimes awesome.

coolbert.

Onslaught.

This is coolbert:

Consider this to be a war warning??

First courtesy the South China Morning Post.

1. "Mainland Chinese magazine outlines how surprise attack on Taiwan could occur"

"Article and video detailing how the island could be prepared for PLA landing coincide with Communist Party centenary celebrations"

"Publication does not explore possible counter-attacks or responses from other key players in its scenario"

Other key players referring to but necessarily limited to the United States and Japan. Massive onslaught on Taiwan by mainland Chinese military forces on a biblical scale.

See further from the Internet web site the Scholar's Stage.

2. "FEAR THE FIRST STRIKE"

FIRST STRIKE IN THIS CASE PEARL HARBOR II. CHINESE MILITARY FORCES WITH THE SNEAK ATTACK  ON U.S. MILITARY ASSETS THE WESTERN PACIFIC AND VICINITY SOUTH CHINA SEA, AS FAR EAST AS GUAM!!

American military forces in the region so badly decimated that a response to a mainland Chinses attack on Taiwan not possible or very difficult at best.

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come". - - Matthew 24:6.

coolbert.

GSE.

This is coolbert:

GSE = Giunio Santi Engineering.

From the Internet web site Naval News and the commentary by H.I. Sutton.

"Italy’s Secretive Submarine Deal With Qatar: New Intelligence"

"Government hearings are sometimes a source of information on sensitive defense deals. Even ones of some magnitude, like the export of submarines. A slide shown to the Italian Parliament's hearing on Defense and Technology Research may give a fresh clue to a secret submarine project."

"The world of Italian midget submarine construction is famously secretive. Deals are not talked about in the same way that larger submarine purchases inevitably are. Currently an Italian boatyard is building two small submarines for the Qatari Emiri Navy. That much can be treated as fact, yet few other details are available through traditional reporting. In the absence of details, speculation has been rife."

A midget submarine having apparently a multiplicity of missions and capabilities. Including carrying two torpedoes.

See previous blog entries Italian midget submarine research and development:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/06/comsubin-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/06/comsubin-i.html

"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 . . . achievements, especially in the sphere of aviation, submarines and high-speed launches, were really amazing . . . the Italians were the unrecognized geniuses of military and naval technology"

La tradizione continua. 

coolbert.

F-16 DACT.

This is coolbert:

More PMC [private military contractor] DACT stuff.

DACT = Dissimilar air combat training.

Tip to the Aviationist.

"Dutch Government Agrees To Sell 12 F-16s To Draken International For Use In Adversary Role In The U.S."

"Dutch F-16s to Draken"

"Draken International is about to expand its fleet of fighter jets already used for Combat Air Force/Contracted Air Support (CAF/CAS) program in the U.S with ex-RNlAF F-16s."

Always I am impressed by the number of these PMC private concerns a business devoted to DACT. And flying an impressive number of combat warplanes even IF NOT the latest and greatest versions. Some of these PMC even having a greater number of warplanes in their inventory than medium-sized nations such as Great Britain or France.

See all previous blog entries the topic DACT PMC:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/05/dact-pmc.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/10/mirage-f1.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2021/05/aggressor-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/03/air-usa.html

coolbert.