Hailstorm.

This is coolbert:

“We need every rocket we can get.”

Captured, not stolen?

North Korean 122 mm Grad rocket in use by the Ukrainian Armed Forces [UAF]. North Korean?

1. "‘Need Every Rocket We Can Get’ — Ukraine Using North Korean-Made Missiles Against Russian Forces"

From https://www.breitbart.com | JUNE 27 | via the Financial Times.

"The Ukrainian armed forces have been using missiles [rockets] made in North Korea to fire against the Russians despite their notorious unreliability, a report from the Financial Times has claimed."

UNRELIABLE WITH A HIGH DUD RATE HOWEVER! ROCKETS RATHER THAN MISSILES.

2. "Ukraine set to enter Crimea ‘soon’ after stealing North Korean rockets: reports"

From The New York Post ^ | July 29, 2023 | story Jacob Geanous.

"Ukrainian forces are planning to enter Russian-occupied Crimea 'soon' and have been spotted with North Korean rockets they reportedly seized from Moscow’s forces, according to reports."

Grad 122 mm rockets of North Korean manufacture in use by the Ukrainian! Purchased or captured on the battlefield. Russian having their own ordnance used against them. Injury added to insult!

According to the wiki approximately the militaries of no less than seventy nations or non-governmental militia style forces possess in their weapons inventory the Grad 122 mm rocket. Normally fired from the BM-21 Cold War era weapons system.

An entire battalion of Grad [18 firing pieces] "able to deliver 720 rockets in a single volley". 18 X 40 =720. An entire grid square of 1000 meters on a side destroyed in a matter of mere seconds.

More than likely these North Korean rockets Grad 122 mm captured on the battlefield! But who know for sure? And the Ukrainian surely not clarifying.

coolbert.

Yeremenko.

This is coolbert:

Here another iconic war photograph. Soviet army officer World War Two leading Red Army troops into battle.

 A photo not staged and not a fake as been attributed to the "Falling Soldier" image of the Spanish Civil War.

"The TRUE story behind the iconic WW2 photo of a battalion commander"

JUNE 23 2023 RUSSIA BEYOND

Image thanks to Max Alpert/Sputnik | public domain.

"Max Alpert’s ‘Battalion Commander’ is one of the most famous photographs of the Great Patriotic War. However, for the longest time, that fame didn’t spread to the person depicted in it."

"War correspondent Max Alpert’s photo 'Kombat’ ('Battalion Commander') shows a commander calling his troops into battle."

"Alpert captured the figure of the man on July 12, 1942, on the Southern Front, during the battle under Voroshylovgrad (modern-day Lugansk) and decided that he must have been a battalion commander, giving the photograph its name. The man’s actual story became known only in the 1970s."

Killed-in-action [KIA] the Red Army commissar Aleksey Yeremenko his identify firmly established but only twenty-three years after the fact.

Consider too what I believe will be an iconic image of the Ukraine Conflict. The teen girl fleeing with pets, one under each arm, attempting to reach safety.

EVERY single war produces at least a few iconic images. The Ukraine Conflict will not be an exception.

coolbert.

Doubtful.

This is coolbert:

Settlement through negotiation the Ukraine Conflict? Think rather the War in Donbass?

"There is no neutral party that really is playing the role of trying to end the conflict"

Ukrainian Conflict that is! Neither side able to prevail.

 From https://www.isegoria.net | July 29th, 2023.

"William Arkin is afraid that the Biden administration has squandered the possibility of being a third actor in the Ukraine-Russia war"

"The United States has aligned itself 100% with Ukraine. And as a result of that, I [Arkin] don’t see much movement or much interest even on the part of the U.S. government in Washington to be a third party, to actually be a negotiator, to find a peaceful resolution. So, really, no one is playing that role. The United Nations is not playing that role. Sweden is not playing that role anymore, now that it aspires to be a member of NATO. There is no neutral party that really is playing the role of trying to end the conflict between the two parties, who are essentially stalled right now in combat, where there’s not really much movement on either side, but the killing continues."

Devoted readers to the blog are invited to read the remainder of the isegoria.net article.

NO where is their a nation neutral/disinterested party/non-aligned that can provide good offices as is needed for a negotiated cease fire and agreed upon solution to the ongoing Ukraine Conflict. It seems not! Stalemated situation without end not acceptable.

"good offices: noun plural - Services done for another, especially when done as a mediator."

"In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the relative power vacuum on the immediate aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and was the beginning act of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War."

Read further the War in Donbass. Stalemated trench-warfare conflict for a period eight years beginning in 2014. The current Ukrainian Conflict can reasonably be seen as extension of Donbass. Albeit writ large!

"The war in Donbass, or Donbass war, was an armed conflict in the Donbass region of Ukraine, part of the broader Russo-Ukrainian War. The war began in April 2014 when armed Russian-backed separatists seized government buildings and the Ukrainian military launched an operation against them. It continued until it was subsumed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022."

Personally I see no reasonable end to the war given the prevailing conditions. A cease-fire [with forces on both sides remaining in place] to be followed by sincere negotiations possible but I think the chances at this exact moment poor.

coolbert.

Beseech.

This coolbert:

Trials/reverses/anguish/suffering!

Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy issues a proclamation calling for a day of "fasting, humiliation and prayer".

July 29, 1863 as reported by the New York Times. Thanks to the archives of the Times via reported the headline news of the day the tip from Freeper.

"LATE FROM RICHMOND: Jeff. Davis’ Proclamation Appointing Another Fast Day; His Acknowledgment of Trials and Reverses (7/29/1863)"

We [New York Times] have received the Richmond Whig and Sentinel of the 27th inst., from which we make the following interesting extracts:

"Again do I call upon the people of the Confederacy -- a people who believe that the Lord reigneth, and that His overruling Providence ordereth all things -- to unite in prayer and humble submission under His chastening hand, and to beseech His favor on our suffering country.

It is meet that when trials and reverses befall us we should seek to take home to our hearts and consciences the lessons which they teach, and profit by the self-examination for which they prepare us. Had not our success on land and sea made us self-confident and forgetful of our reliance on Him? Had not the love of lucre [money] eaten like a gangrene into the very heart of the land, converting too many of us into worshippers of gain and rendering them unmindful of their duty to their country, to their fellow-men, and to their God? Who, then, will presume to complain that we have been chastened, or to despair of our just cause and the protection of our Heavenly Father?

Let us rather receive in humble thankfulness the lesson which He has taught in our recent reverses, devoutly acknowledging that to Him, and not to our own feeble arms, are due the honor and the glory of victory; that from Him, in His paternal providence, come the anguish and sufferings of defeat, and that, whether in victory or defeat, our humble supplications are due to His footstool.

Now, therefore, I, JEFFERSON DAVIS, President of these Confederate States, do issue this, my Proclamation, setting apart Friday, the 21st day of August ensuing, as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer; and I do hereby invite the people."

Trials/reverses/anguish/suffering! All consequences of Confederate battlefield defeat Gettysburg and the surrender of the besieged garrison Vicksburg.

Confederate about-face those combined events 3 July [Gettysburg] and 4 July [Vicksburg] respectively causing traumatic shock from which the Confederate armies would not be able to recover for the duration of the war. The proverbial one-two punch.

The situation an appreciation of which was fully understood by the highest echelons Confederate command! Such a proclamation of J. Davis would not have been promulgated otherwise.

coolbert.

Unforgivable.

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"Wunder: miracle; mystery; prodigy of nature; natural wonder; wonder of nature"

American combat aviation warplane F-35 Lightning stay away from lightning?

 "The F-35 Lightning's Vulnerability To Lightning Is Both Ironic And Unforgivable"

Authored by Mike Fredenburg | The Epoch Times via https://www.zerohedge.com | TYLER DURDEN | JUL 28, 2023.

"That the F-35 Lightning II has been prohibited from flying anywhere near lightning is ironic. That the F-35 has been under development since 1994 and that the Pentagon 'doesn’t have a path forward' to fix the F-35 is unforgivable."

"That a plane that’s supposed to be the foundation of American air supremacy has an Achilles heel so easily exploitable is a glaring example of how our military procurement system wastes taxpayer dollars while failing to provide the weapon systems needed to meet our national security needs."

"Yes, the F-35, the aging 'wunder plane' that the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin have been assuring us for decades is just that one fix away from being ready for full-rate production, isn’t allowed to fly within 25 miles [forty kilometers] of a thunderstorm."

As to why exactly the F-35 "Lightning" cannot approach [or is warned not to] a thunderstorm the reason or reasons not specified. In this regard SPECULATION abounds.

Devoted readers to the blog will have to read the entire article for themselves and draw their own conclusions.

coolbert.

Hiel-1.

This is coolbert:

Vaguely I remember some publicity this North Korean weapon a knockoff of the Russian Poseidon nuclear-powered and nuclear-equipped underwater drone.

"knockoff: noun - An unauthorized copy or imitation"

"An explosion will blow away half of Japan: the DPRK showed a nuclear underwater drone 'Hiel-1'"

 From https://avia-pro.net  |  +2023-07-28.

"A nuclear-powered underwater drone called Hiel-1 was shown for the first time in a North Korean parade. This was a rather remarkable event in light of the ongoing nuclear tension on the Korean Peninsula."

Nuclear-powered underwater drone with ATOMIC warhead.

"In March of this year, according to the Yonhap news agency, North Korea successfully tested this underwater drone. According to the agency, Hiel-1 spent more than 40 hours underwater, which indicates its high technical characteristics and ability for long underwater missions."

"This nuclear-powered underwater drone [with atomic warhead] represents a major boost to North Korea's military capabilities and clearly demonstrates that the North Korean authorities continue to actively develop their nuclear and missile programs despite international sanctions and demands to stop these activities."

GREATLY DO I DOUBT THAT THIS WARHEAD OF THE HIEL-1 WILL "BLOW AWAY" HALF OF JAPAN. BUT IF COMRADE KIM WANTS TO THINK SO, I GUESS WE HAVE TO LET HIM.

I can only think such dire threats will only increase the Japanese resolve to increase their defense spending and perhaps even markedly so!

coolbert.

Malva.

This is coolbert:

Self-propelled wheeled, not tracked! Sorta like "shaken not stirred"?

"The Russian army is preparing to adopt the first wheeled howitzer 'Malva'"

From  https://avia-pro.net  |   +2023-07-28.

"In Russia, preparations are being completed for the commissioning of the country's first wheeled howitzer 'Malva'. This weapon will soon be transferred to the troops for use on the battlefield."

"The main difference of the 'Malva' howitzer is its high rate of fire, which reaches seven rounds per minute. This characteristic allows us to consider the new artillery mount one of the most effective in its class."

Malva self-propelled wheeled and not tracked. First Russian artillery piece of this type.

"'Malva' was created to perform various tasks on the battlefield. Its purpose is to defeat command posts, defensive structures, artillery, rocket and mortar batteries, air defense systems, columns of armored vehicles and enemy manpower. 

"The new wheeled howitzer 'Malva' is remarkable not only for its characteristics, but also for the fact that it became the first howitzer of this type in Russia."

See however the Russian self-propelled [wheeled] artillery gun Bereg-E. Bereg more correctly referred to as a gun and not a howitzer.

See other self-propelled wheeled tube artillery all the rage:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAESAR_self-propelled_howitzer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archer_Artillery_System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATMOS_2000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/155_mm_SpGH_Zuzana

coolbert.

Struggling.

This is coolbert:

Anyone ever say any of this was going to be easy?

"Ukraine war: Western armor struggles against Russian defenses"

"The general in charge of Ukraine's stuttering counter-offensive in the south has said Russian defenses are making it difficult for military equipment, including Western tanks and armored vehicles, to move forward."

From https://www.bbc.com | article by Jonathan Beale | Defense correspondent.

"Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskyi says his forces are struggling to overcome multi-layered minefields and fortified defensive lines."

[....]

"Latest unconfirmed reports from the US suggest the main thrust of the counter-offensive has begun. The Institute for the Study of War [ISW] says Ukrainian forces appear to have broken through 'certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions'."

Read here the ISW war assessment the Ukraine Conflict as dated 27 July 2023.

That Ukrainian counter-offensive proceeding at a pace both sluggish and ponderous? So is my perception. Gain too small as compared to losses? Valuable resources men and material not necessarily wasted but poorly used?

"ponderous: adjective - labored and dull"

Consider also: "Trevor N. Dupuy’s Timeless Verities of Combat"

2. "Defensive strength is greater than offensive strength."

6. "Defender’s chances of success are directly proportional to fortification strength."

With regard to # 2 and # 6 Russian strong as compared to the Ukrainian this being intuitive even to the most casual of observers!

coolbert.

Normandy.

This is coolbert:

Not a Normandy!

"Ukraine’s counteroffensive gambit tests Russia across the front"

"Zelensky’s war strategy draws comparisons to the Normandy landings"

From "The Times" | the story by Marc Bennetts & George Grylls | July 27 2023.

 "A Ukrainian push to break through heavily fortified Russian lines in the southeast of the country is likely to be the 'opening salvo' in a larger battle that has drawn comparisons to the Normandy landings."

"Fierce battles are under way in the Zaporizhzhia region, involving thousands of western-trained and equipped Ukrainian reinforcements in what appears to be the most significant phase so far of Kyiv’s counteroffensive."

"Despite having to overcome huge minefields, bunkers and tank traps, as well as blistering artillery and airstrikes, Ukrainian brigades have made some limited progress in a number of areas south of the town of Orikhiv, according to analysts and pro-war military bloggers in Moscow."

Not even hardly can the Ukrainian counter-offensive currently underway be compared to the Normandy landings and the subsequent Battle of France 1944.

Allied forces at Normandy having unmatched aerial supremacy. An abundance of combat warplanes of all types. Fighters/fighter-bombers/light & heavy bomber aircraft. Using all with varying degrees of success during the initial landings and that fighting that resulted in the eventual break-out from the Normandy beachhead.

Allied forces at Normandy too having overwhelming naval superiority not even challenged. Big-bore battleship naval gunfire able to support the troops ashore during the first days of combat and for WEEKS afterwards!

Allied forces at Normandy also aided and abetted by partisans of the French Resistance greatly impeding German reserve units from moving to the Normandy battlefield.

Hard too I might think most correctly for the Ukrainian to replace losses in hardware and manpower both! Allied forces Normandy able to replenish their forces almost at will, in an expeditious and admirable fashion.

coolbert.

Elderly.

This is coolbert:

Inexhaustible manpower the traditional Russian muzhik in time of war no longer a given?

"The term 'muzhik' . . . means 'Russian peasant'" 

"Putin Raises Elderly Army as Ex-Servicemen Up to 70 [years of age] Deemed Eligible"

From Newsweek ^ | July 22, 2023 | Brendan Cole the tip from Freeper.

"Russian lawmakers have passed legislation changing the age categories for those called up for the military potentially meaning that older troops could be sent to fight in Ukraine. With President Vladimir Putin's forces reportedly facing heavy losses in his invasion of Ukraine, Russia's parliament, the Duma, has this week passed a raft of measures to help with mobilization, including tougher fines for those who avoid the draft as well as extending upper age limits for reserves."

Men [age seventy or even greater] way too old to engage in physical mortal combat on the battlefield! Leave the fighting itself to the younger men.

Reservists and retired personnel with esoteric military expertise and those experienced in service & service support roles too can perform a vital function. This I must admit and readily do so.

"esoteric: adjective - * Intended for or understood by only a small group, especially one with specialized knowledge or interests: synonym: mysterious. * Relating to or being a small group with specialized knowledge or interests. * Not known by or suitable for the public; private."

Recall in addition that previous blog entry the American retired serviceman even beyond age sixty-five years can be recalled to active duty in a period of special circumstances.

coolbert.

Reed.

This is coolbert:

"If he is not officially associated with the US military, why is he being treated at a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl?" - Donaldo.

Released from captivity. But with many questions unanswered.

"Marine veteran Trevor Reed, released by Russia in prisoner swap, hurt while fighting in Ukraine"

Story NBC NEWS courtesy the AOL web site | JULIA JESTER/CORKY SIEMASZKO/PETER ALEXANDER/HAYLEY WALKER | July 25, 2023. 

"WASHINGTON — Marine veteran Trevor Reed, who was wrongfully detained in Russia for three years before he was released as part of a prisoner exchange last year, was injured while fighting in Ukraine, the State Department confirmed Tuesday."

Comments:

* YES. Strange story. He was escorted by two masked and armed guards as he boarded the airplane to return home.

* Those guards do not appear to be ordinary uniformed American military personnel. Might be USAF Phoenix Ravens? Cadre their mission guard and escort SAM's flights. Special Air Missions.

* Reed is not cuffed but is going to be evaluated for psychological measures the Russians used against him and possible torture?

Further concerning Reed:

* "Reed enlisted in the Marines as an infantryman in 2011. During the Obama administration, he was a member of a Marine unit that provides presidential support."

* "Among other things, Reed protected then-Vice President Joe Biden at Camp David, Maryland, according to his family. He was discharged from the Marines in 2016"

Reed did have access to some high-level stuff to which Russian intelligence services would undoubtedly be very interested in!

coolbert.

Listen.

This is coolbert:

"Canada has also increased its [defense] spending significantly in recent years, by about 40 per cent between 2014 and 2021, with another 40 per cent increase projected over the next four years, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office. But that would still leave the country far short of the NATO target, at 1.59 per cent, in 2026-2027."

The topic once again Canadian military expenditures. Or rather the lack thereof.

"'I hope the Canadians are watching': U.S. senator tees off on Canada's military spending"

From https://www.cbc.ca  |  the story by Alexander Panetta | Jul 27, 2023.

"Exchange came up during confirmation hearing for next leader of North America's defense command"

EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS NORTH AMERICAN AIR DEFENSE [NORAD] A JOINT AMERICAN-CANADIAN VENTURE? A SENIOR CANADIAN MIITARY OFFICER THE SECOND-IN-COMMAND.

"A senior U.S. military figure has agreed to have tough conversations with Canada about defence spending when he takes over a binational military body."

"Lt.-Gen. Gregory Guillot was speaking during a U.S. Senate hearing Wednesday to confirm his nomination as the next head of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)."

"His comments came after a Republican senator chastised, at length, what he called Canada's insufficient military spending and said he hoped there were Canadians watching the hearing."

Canada, no offense, but you have been admonished!

See most recent previous blog entry as applicable:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/07/pledges.html

coolbert.

Bowe.

This is coolbert:

Guilty plea has been overturned on appeal. I am not sure how such a thing can be. 

"JUDGE VACATES DESERTION CONVICTION FOR FORMER US SOLDIER CAPTURED IN AFGHANISTAN"

 From the AP | MATTHEW BARAKAT | July 26, 2023 with thanks to the webzine "Coffee or Die".            

"FALLS CHURCH, Va. — A federal judge on Tuesday vacated the military conviction of Bowe Bergdahl, a former U.S. Army soldier who pleaded guilty to desertion after he left his post and was captured in Afghanistan and tortured by the Taliban."

"The ruling from U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington says that military judge Jeffrey Nance, who presided over the court-martial, failed to disclose that he had applied to the executive branch for a job as an immigration judge, creating a potential conflict of interest."

"Walton noted that former President Donald Trump had strongly criticized Bergdahl during the 2016 presidential campaign. Bergdahl's lawyers argued that Trump's comments placed undue command influence on Nance."

Comment:

* Nothing more here than on appeal the presiding judge who accepted the guilty plea found to have a conflict of interest. Again, I am not sure how a person can APPEAL such a conviction in the first place.

Bergdahl left his post in 2009 and only in 2023 does the case seem to be finally resolved? Sure takes a long time for a final decision to be made. If indeed it is final.

 coolbert.

Refusal.

This is coolbert:

Voluntary duty, not compulsory. Israeli military servicemen their pronouncements bordering on mutiny?

"Air Force [IAF] dismayed by 1,142 air crew reservists’ threat to balk duty in protest over judicial overhaul"

"balk: intransitive verb - To stop short and refuse to go on. To refuse obstinately or abruptly."

From https://www.debka.com  |  Jul 21, 2023.

"Israel’s air force was rocked back on Friday, July 21, by a letter signed by 1,142 reservist airmen backing to the hilt the protest movement raging against the government’s disputed judicial reforms. This group announced their refusal[al] to turn up for voluntary duty if the reforms are not abandoned. The signatories are fighter jet and helicopter pilots, drone operation crews, air traffic control officers, elite search and rescue personnel and Shaldag commandos."

As with Sayeret Maktal the Shaldag commando unit an elite of an elite. Refusal of such highly-motivated/trained/experienced personnel to perform duty if and when called upon cannot be taken lightly. 

See previous blog entries relevant to topic:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/07/elite.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/03/shocking.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/03/hell.html

coolbert.

Waterloo.

This is coolbert:

"Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won." - His Grace the Duke of Wellington.

"How war veterans helped to uncover one of the Battle of Waterloo’s greatest finds"

"The recent discovery in a Belgian field by archaeologists and former soldiers might be the first mass grave ever found from the conflict"

From the archive of the "Telegraph" the article by Danielle Sheridan | DEFENCE EDITOR | 25 July 2023 • 

"When Clement Boland, a former private with 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment, saw a 50-metre wide depression in the ground where the first shots of the Battle of Waterloo were fired, the first thing he felt was 'sadness'."

British Afghan combat veteran helping with an archaeological dig the Waterloo battlefield experiencing a catharsis?

"catharsis: noun - A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, described by Aristotle as an effect of tragic drama on its audience.

A release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that restores or refreshes the spirit."

Devoted readers to the blog are HIGHLY encouraged to read the entire article.

I guess the best I can say is that unless you have actually engaged in mortal combat you just cannot fully appreciate.

coolbert.

Gleiwitz II.

This is coolbert:

False flag the Ukraine Conflict? As it was Poland 1939 now again it will be in Poland 2023?

1. "Putin warns Poland against ‘unleashing aggression’ against Belarus"

Thanks to the "Guardian" | the article by Andrew Roth | 21 Jul 2023.

"Russian president reacts angrily after Polish defense minister sends troops to guard eastern border"

"Vladimir Putin has said Russia will use 'all means at its disposal' to defend Belarus after Poland and other EU countries voiced concerns about the deployment of Russian paramilitaries near their borders."

2. "Putin warns Poland: ‘An attack on Belarus is an attack on Russia’"

From https://uk.news.yahoo.com | the article by James Kilner | 21 July 2023. 

"Vladimir Putin has warned Poland that he will consider any attack on Belarus as an attack on Russia after Warsaw rushed extra soldiers to its border."

"Without citing any evidence, the Russian president said Poland dreamt of capturing parts of Ukraine and Belarus that have previously been under its domain."

Vlad Putin making ready with preparations for an expanded war in Eastern Europe to involve a constituent member of NATO? Using a "false flag" type of event reminiscent of the Gleiwitz Incident 1939?

"False flags are political or military actions carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it."

"The Gleiwitz incident is the best-known action of Operation Himmler, a series of special operations [false flag] undertaken by the Schutzstaffel (SS) to serve German propaganda at the outbreak of war. The operation was intended to create the appearance of a Polish aggression against Germany to justify the invasion of Poland."

The Poles are attacking us. We have no recourse but to defend ourselves!

It is not so much that I don't believe it. It is more than I don't want to believe it.

coolbert.

Pledges.

This is coolbert:

Pledge, pledge, pledge. Everywhere a pledge!

Action, not pledge!

"Canada Pledged To Spend 2% Of GDP On Its Military. Would That Transform It? Is It Affordable?"

 From "Blazingcatfur" | July 24, 2023.

"For years, Canada and other NATO member countries have faced criticism for falling short of allocating two per cent of their GDP on military spending, a target set in 2014 by the military alliance."

"Canada was among the allies who signed on in 2014 to aspire toward that target but has consistently failed to reach it."

NATO allies in 2014 agreeing to spend a MINIMUM of 2 % of GDP [Gross Domestic Product] on defense spending. An agreement confirmed additionally on a later date. NOW the allies agree once more to meet the MINIMUM spending.

"However, earlier this month, NATO member leaders pledged to boost spending on national defense, agreeing to make the existing target of two per cent of GDP the minimum spent each year, with one-fifth of that going toward major equipment and research and development."

Once more the pledge made! Increase military spending but prodded to do so ONLY in response to the Ukraine Conflict. Increased monetary allocations will need to be made and FAST. 

See the acerbic comments from a prior blog entry the American rabbi and his take:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2019/11/negotiate.html

coolbert.

Kursk II.

This is coolbert:

Russian fortifications, the Ukraine Conflict.

I strongly suggest devoted readers to the blog to read the entire isegoria.net Internet article without qualification or reservation. YES, this is Kursk II, 2023. 

"These engineering works include concrete-lined trenches, barbed wire, dragon’s teeth, anti-tank ditches, and plenty of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines"

From https://www.isegoria.netd | July 24th, 2023.

"During World War II, German soldiers marveled at how skillfully Red Army troops used a shovel, and Russian engineers seem to have lost none of their skill"

“'Russian constructions follow traditional military plans for entrenchment, largely unchanged since the Second World War,' British military intelligence said in a December statement about Russian activity in Luhansk."

Read additionally the comments of an American soldier of some expertise his comments on the Russian ability to fortify and consolidate captured territory.

"Former Special Forces engineer says Russian minefields are unlike anything he has ever seen and battling these hidden death traps is 'exhausting'"

See previous blog entries as applicable:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/06/btm-3.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/06/pak.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/06/minelayers-ii.html

coolbert.

Prone III.

This is coolbert:

Concluding combat aviation curiosity and oddity concluding. Another forlorn German effort of the concerted and determined attempt to counter what was deemed by the Nazi as the four-engine bomber problem.

BV 40 combat interceptor glider WW2.

"The Blohm & Voss BV 40 was a German glider fighter designed to attack Allied bomber formations during the time of the bombing raids over Nazi Germany."

"The BV 40 was the smallest glider that could accommodate an armored cockpit and two cannon [30 mm] with limited ammunition. By eliminating the engine and lying the pilot in a prone position (i.e. on his front), the cross-sectional area of the fuselage was much reduced, making the BV 40 harder for bomber gunners to hit."

"The plane was designed to use non-strategic materials and to be built in as short a time as possible by non-skilled workers. The fuselage was constructed almost entirely of wood."

BV 40 tiny indeed. Good image of a full-size mockup. Two-wheeled dolly used for take-off, "dropped once the glider was airborne. A skid under the nose was lowered for landing."

BV 40 towed by a German conventional fighter warplane [Bf 109] to an altitude above the bomber stream. Released, diving and attacking during a single-pass an allied bomber with the twin organic 30 mm cannon. Quite reminiscent if not almost identical to the attack profile of the rocket plane Me-163. Bv 40 then gliding to earth and safety.

"The BV 40 on paper had a number of positive characteristics; it was easy to make, could be available in large numbers, was cheap, well-armed and it did not need skilled pilots. But in reality, the poor performance, lack of a power plant, low ammunition count, and its vulnerability to Allied escort fighters showed that this was a flawed concept"

Bv 40 another one of many German wartime oddball aviation concepts during WW2. See the Internet web site Luft46 for details.

coolbert.

Prone II.

This is coolbert:

Yet one more curiosity and oddity from the field of military aviation. Pilot in the prone position not sitting erect as in the normal posture.

German DFS 228 high-altitude rocket-powered reconnaissance glider WW2.

German (DFS): "had proposed a design for a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft early in the war years. A glider design would have the advantage of being silent from the ground, of having a low ground speed for good photography and potentially the ability to loiter over target."

"The DFS design, in common with many proposals which first saw the light of day in the early stages of the war was cancelled, only to be later resurrected. However, with insufficient time, the project was not completed by the war's end. Designed for cruising at altitudes of 80,000 feet [25,000 meters], the pilot was protected by a sophisticated pressurized cabin . . . a prone pilot position was adopted, with a simple, forward, armored cabin window and oblique side windows fixed into the cockpit walls."

"Taken up to launch height on the back of another aircraft, the DFS.228 would climb to high altitude for approach to target and then in common with other gliders, return to land on its ventral skid. With its rocket motor"

After launch from the mother-ship the glider able to achieve super-high altitude using the organic rocket motor. 

"the DFS.228's mission profile was to use power to climb, then glide down through its operating altitude, re-light the rocket motor to climb back again to height, glide down once more until starting the motor again, and in this manner operate a . . . flight pattern giving maximum range and maximum target"

Glide ratio of the DFS 228 not to be found anywhere on the Internet. A devoted reader to the blog who can speak with authority has a handle on this?

coolbert.

Prone I.

This is coolbert:

Place this one in the curiosity and oddity category!

"wonky: adjective - (1) US | preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field"

Never heard of this before. Experimentation the military jet in the aftermath of WW2. The goal to reduce G-strain on pilots. This all prior to the advent of the G-suit.

See this article describing the phenomenon of G-force and how it pertains to military combat aviators.

"This plane required pilots to lay down in the cockpit to fight"

From https://www.wearethemighty.com | article by Logan Nye |  Jul 17, 2023.

The Gloster Meteor: "the only Allied jet fighter of World War II. Because Britain couldn't risk the jets falling into enemy hands, they served only on the home front and mostly defended against flying bombs. But the British worked to get ahead of the rest of the world in the jet age, so they experimented with designs."

"One wonky design, aimed at reducing G forces on pilots and friction on the plane, called for pilots to fight from their bellies in fast-moving jets."

Experimental warplane two cockpits!

"The Allies experimented after the war, and the Royal Air Force made their elongated Meteor in 1954. The WK935 had two cockpits. Basically, it was a normal Meteor with an additional cockpit and controls welded onto the front. So a prone pilot laid in the nose, and another pilot sat in the normal cockpit to back him up in case there were issues."

One pilot in the rear cockpit sitting erect as is the common accepted method. Pilot in the front prone. G-forces much reduced.

Entire problem of G-forced eliminated with the development and widespread adoption of the G-suit.

coolbert.

Defector.

This is coolbert:

The defector is defective!

American soldier Korea have crossed the border into North Korea. A very rare occurance! First time in forty years!

Hardly in can easily be surmised not a ideological defection however.

"About that US serviceman who 'defected' to North Korea..."

As seen at the Internet web site https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com | July 21, 2023.

"Legal sources here said Thursday that King, 23, received a 5 million-won ($3,955) fine from a court in Seoul on Feb. 8 on charges of inflicting damage on a police patrol vehicle."

"King, however, did not pay the fine and was eventually detained in a prison workshop for 48 days in line with a court ruling that he be held for one day for each unpaid 100,000 won, the sources said."

"He was accused of repeatedly kicking the back door of a police patrol vehicle in Seoul's Mapo district in the wee hours of Oct. 8 and inflicting damage that required 584,000-won worth of repairs."

The soldier King have done time in a South Korean prison for damage done to a police car and in the process of being returned to the USA decides to defect to the North Koreans. The soldier King merely a common criminal knowing he was going to face military trial USA and perhaps additional imprisonment for his bad actions Korea.

The man foolishly ran and now his fate unknown. Nothing to get excited about here! Just move along folks.

coolbert.

Viagra.

This is coolbert:

To war with sex drug?

Not quite so.

"Congresswoman calls out military’s $41 million Viagra budget per year"

From https://americanmilitarynews.com | JULY 14, 2023 article by TIMOTHY FRUDD.

"Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) called out the military’s annual multi-million dollar Viagra budget during a congressional hearing with the Department of Defense’s director of contracting Thursday."

"During Thursday’s Oversight Hearing on Defense Spending, Lee asked Department of Defense Contracting Director John Tenaglia about the military’s expensive Viagra annual budget. Viagra which is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and can also be used to treat high blood pressure in the lungs."

"Asked how much the military spends annually on Viagra, Tenaglia said he did not have the figure with him. In response, Lee said the military spends roughly $41.5 million per year on Viagra."

And now for the rest of the story:

"According to BBC News, the majority of Viagra prescriptions are for older military retirees, not for active duty personnel. A previous study indicated that only 10% of Viagra prescriptions are filled for active members of the military."

For the old guys retired and not for the young guys on active duty! Predominantly so! We should all be so relieved now.

coolbert.

Deceptive.

This is coolbert:

Indeed, I was deceived! Not necessarily dazzle however.

"Russian Navy's New Deceptive Camouflage To Protect Kalibr-Armed Warships"

   From http://www.hisutton.com | H. I. Sutton Internet web site.

I had to look at the image for a short while and read the entire H. I. Sutton article before I fully understood  the deception. Bow and stern alone painted, the remaining paint scheme of the vessel left intact. A "deceptive camouflage scheme because it doesn't try to hide the ship completely, instead it tries to deceive the viewer into misidentifying it."

"The Russian Navy has continued to apply deceptive camouflage to key ships in the Black Sea. The new camo was first reported on June 22 when the frigate Admiral Essen was observed in Sevastopol. Since then at least 6 (scroll down for latest list) more warships have been painted in a similar way."

"The two Pr.11356R Admiral Grigorovich class frigates and two (update: 3) Pr.21631 Buyan-M class corvettes, are Kalibr carriers. This is unlikely to be a coincidence."

"The camouflage involves black (or very dark) paint applied to bow sand stern of the ship. This makes the ship appear shorter in some conditions. It can be considered a deceptive camouflage scheme because it doesn't try to hide the ship completely, instead it tries to deceive the viewer into misidentifying it."

Conventional dazzle-type painting as used to confuse enemy warship here in this instance a Russian Bora- class missile firing corvette warship.

See previous blog entries the topic dazzle painting of warships:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2018/12/dazzle.html

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

https://tinyurl.com/2ze42h9c

coolbert.

Enforcement.

This is coolbert:

Russian naval blockade the Black Sea now being implemented? 

"Ways Russia Could Attack Merchant Ships If Black Sea Grain Initiative [BSGI] Ends"

(Alternative Title: How Russia Could Torpedo The Grain Deal)

From http://www.hisutton.com "Covert Shores" Internet web site and thanks to same.

"From the first day of its 2022 invasion, Russia enforced a blockade of Ukrainian ports. Several merchant ships were attacked, likely by Russian forces. This was accompanied by a warning (read ‘threat’) to shipping that Russia could not guarantee the safety in the northern Black Sea. The blockade was never legally established but was, in practice, absolute."

[....]

"Starting in July 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) allows the export of grain from the Black Sea. This is important to the world, and to the economies of Ukraine and Russia. The latest iteration of the deal is set to expire on July 18."

"Whether the deal will be renewed is subject of speculation. It is a complex political topic which I will leave to others. However, one question which comes up is what Russia could do to reduce or prevent grain shipments from Ukraine if the deal collapses?"

Devoted readers to the blog are invited to read the rest of the H. I. Sutton article. Various means and methods fair and foul can be resorted to by the Russian that grain deal as it stands right now can rightfully be seen as "dead in the water".

coolbert.

Carriers.

This is coolbert:

It doesn't get anymore blunt than this. All a result of another attack on the Kerch Strait bridge by the Ukrainian!

"Wheat Prices Soar As Russia Considers Ships Heading To Ukraine As 'Carriers Of Military Cargo'"

From https://www.zerohedge.com | article by TYLER DURDEN | JUL 19, 2023.

"Wheat futures jumped Wednesday morning after Russia's defense ministry released a memo on Telegram indicating all vessels sailing to Ukraine ports in the waters of the Black Sea will be 'regarded as potential carriers of military cargo' beginning on Thursday."

Going to be panic in world markets I am afraid.

"'In connection with the cessation of the functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the сlosing of the maritime humanitarian corridor, from 00.00 Moscow time on 20 July 2023, all vessels sailing in the waters of the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports will be regarded as potential carriers of military cargo,' the defense ministry said."

The ministry [Russian MoD] continued: 

* Accordingly, the countries of such vessels will be considered to be involved in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of the Kiev regime.

* In addition, a number of sea areas in the north-western and south-eastern parts of the international waters of the Black Sea have been declared temporarily dangerous for navigation. Corresponding information warnings on the withdrawal of safety guarantees to mariners have been issued in accordance with the established procedure.

Danger I suppose from naval sea mines.

Agricultural exports Ukraine absolutely essential to world food supply. See an analysis of those countries many already in crisis their vulnerability to interrupted flow of food very great

coolbert.

HMS Jersey.

This is coolbert:

Prison hulks. Ships, often naval vessels, seaworthiness questionable but still useful as a prison ship.

A practice of yore, the housing of convicts on moored ships an anachronism but perhaps not entirely so.

See this tweet as applicable:

Not necessarily housing for condemned convicts but providing in this case housing for illegal aliens [immigrants] having gained entry to Great Britain by less that normal means. Bibby a barge actually a floating hotel.

My instantaneous response was that the Bibby greatly resembling that ancient and venerable but now anachronistic practice of the prison ship. See however the example of the HM_Prison_Weare from much more modern times. The British greatly fond of the old ways.

"Prison hulks were decommissioned ships that authorities used as floating prisons in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were extensively used in England. The term 'prison hulk' is not synonymous with the related term convict ship. A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea, whereas convict ships are seaworthy vessels that transport convicted felons from their place of conviction to their place of banishment."

Read from this Internet article the experience of  "soldiers, sailors and private citizens they [British] had captured in battle or arrested on land or at sea" during the American Revolutionary War.

Atrocity and war crime! I doubt those illegal aliens aboard the Bibby will fare worse if indeed in a negative manner at all! USA also in the modern context accused of employing naval vessels asea to hold suspects as part of the Global War on Terror.

coolbert.

CB/CM.

This is coolbert:

CB/CM = Counter-battery/counter-mortar.

In a war that has become artillery-centric radars that function in the CB/CM mode of operation critical. 

A lack of such CB/CM systems a significant problem for the Russian? Battlefield attrition to blame?

"Russian forces are running out of the critical radars they need to defeat Ukraine's artillery, UK intel says"

* "Both Ukraine and Russia rely on counter-battery radars to strike each other's artillery."

* "But Moscow's troops face a shortage of critical radars that has only worsened during the war."

* "Britain's defense ministry said Russian forces likely only have a few key systems remaining."

"Relentless and brutal artillery battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces are a key feature of ongoing fighting, leaving both sides dependent on counter-battery detection to find and attack enemy fire."

Anti-radiation [radar]American missiles of the Shrike variety have indeed taken a toll of Russian CB/CM radars. Ability of the Russian to locate Ukrainian firing batteries restricted?

Russians in addition to CB/CM radars also have the electronic sound-ranging system AZK-7M apparatus. Sound-ranging as a means of locating enemy artillery a legacy of the Great War [WW1] but with greatly enhanced technology.

See previous applicable blog entries:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/09/f-f.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/08/arm-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/08/arm.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/04/azk-7m.html fire

coolbert.

Elite.

This is coolbert:

When the most elite of the elite complain you should understand fully well you have a problem. 

"Reservists from elite unit threaten: We won't volunteer if judicial reform moves forward"

From Arutz Sheva ^ | 14/7/23 that tip from Freeper.

"Reservists from the elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit on Friday informed their commander that they intend to stop volunteering for reserve duty, as early as next week, in protest against the legislation of the government’s judicial reform, Channel 12 News reported. The reservists also presented a letter that has already been signed by 170 soldiers in active reserve service, and said that they intend to reach 250 signatures"

Ongoing protests in Israel a source for discontent within the military and the electorate generally as a whole.

"A series of changes to the judicial system and the balance of powers in Israel was proposed in January 2023 . . . It seeks to curb the judiciary's influence over lawmaking and public policy by limiting the Supreme Court's power to exercise judicial review"

Sayeret Matkal elite Israeli ranger/command unit the personnel of which hardly alone in their opposition to the proposed reform!

See previous blog entries as germane:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/03/shocking.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/03/hell.html

coolbert.

Makeover.

This is coolbert:

"The UK does not have the capacity to currently replace a whole series of weapons and equipment which have been given to Ukraine from its limited stocks; which were rather run down as it was," - Matthew Gordon-Banks.

Consider Mr. Gordon-Banks a man in the know his insights rather accurate!

"UK Attempts Defense Makeover Amid Lack of Ammo"

THAT BRITISH MILITARY RESOURCES ACROSS THE BOARD DEPLETED!

"London's support to Ukraine has resulted in depleted weapons stock amid a period of financial struggles, noted Matthew Gordon-Banks, a former British Conservative MP and senior research fellow at the UK Defense Academy."

And where exactly is the money to be coming from?

"Britain plans to disclose a roadmap to enhance its armed forces' combat readiness, containing a proposal to spend £2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) on restocking its munitions and stockpiles severely diminished by the Ukraine conflict."

"Another huge challenge threatening the army is the inadequate industrial capacity to expedite production."

Even if the will and resources available to replace depleted ammunition stockpiles that military industrial complex falling short in capacity to meet demand?

"Gordon-Banks told Sputnik his concerns about the substantial financial burden imposed on the United Kingdom due to its support for NATO's proxy war in Ukraine . . . Rebuilding these vital [war-making bang stuff] stocks will demand a considerable investment of time and effort."

See the comments of General Rupert Jones as the British unpreparedness for war!

TIME, MONEY AND STAYING POWER TO STAY THE COURSE! 

coolbert.

Confidence.

This is coolbert:

Courtesy here the tip from Lorenzo. 

What does this say? Not good I am afraid. Remedial measures will not come to fruition until 2025?

"Germany lacks a single combat-ready division – "

From https://www.voiceofeurope.com | Reuters | 17.07.2023.

"Currently, Berlin does not have a single combat-ready division which typically consists of over 20,000 troops, according Reuters. However, Germany plans to have the first of three divisions operational by 2025, with the second following in 2027."

"In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the evolving geopolitical landscape, Germany is making significant strides to bolster its military capabilities. Army Chief Alfons Mais has expressed confidence that Germany will possess the best equipped army division among its European NATO allies by 2025."

More is needed and now! Must it even be said! 

Comments:

* A division usually the largest unit in an army with a fixed standard structure. 20,000 troops per division sounds to be too large but perhaps considering current combat doctrine of a modern army it is not.

* To have "the best equipped army division" means a lot of money going to have to be spent. The current military industrial complex Germany will not be able to keep pace with demand? And that only for one division. Total of three such divisions ideal and the situation more precarious.

* Across the board all the NATO nations will have to proceed with rearming and fast. Goes against the current trend for no conscription, increased taxes and a diminution of social welfare programs for which the European nations are so proud of. 

And to all this General Rommel would say?

coolbert.

Mali.

This is coolbert:

"typo: noun - A typographical error."

"Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali"

From BBC News, Washington | article by Bernd Debusmann Jr.

"A spokesperson said the defense department was aware of the issue and it was being taken seriously"

WE ARE WORKING ON IT!

"Millions of US military emails have been mistakenly sent to Mali, a Russian ally, because of a minor typing error."

"Emails intended for the US military's '.mil' domain have, for years, been sent to the west African country which ends with the ".ml" suffix."

"Some of the emails reportedly contained sensitive information such as passwords, medical records and the itineraries of top officers."

"The Pentagon said it had taken steps to address the issue."

STEPS AND MEASURES HAVING BEEN TAKEN FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS! TOTAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM YET TO HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED

Merely knowing the "itineraries of top officers" from my perspective might well constitute the "gold mine" for any adversary or potential adversary.

WE ARE WORKING ON IT!

coolbert.

Retired.

This is coolbert.

From the input by Colonel Craig USMC and thanks to same.

Consider within context of the most recent activation of U.S. military reserve personnel as a response to the Atlantic Resolve mission. 

 As headlined is applicable to Navy and Marine personnel retired with continuing pension only?

"RETIRED NAVY AND MARINE CORPS - BECOMING 'UNRETIRED:' RECALL TO ACTIVE DUTY"

"You can be recalled to active duty anytime the service wants you. For this reason, military officials often refer to military retirement/retainer pay as 'reduced pay for reduced services.'”

"Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 1352.1 places retirees into one of three categories, with Category I the most likely to be recalled during times of war, national emergency, or 'needs of the service'”

Category I: Nondisabled military retirees under age 60 who have been retired less than five years.

Category II: Nondisabled military retirees under age 60 who have been retired five years or more.

Category III: Military retirees, age 60 or older, and those retired for disability.

I would have assume and expect the activation of retired military personnel under Directive 1352.1 would commence under only the most extreme of circumstances. Individuals will a very special skill, background, experience always in demand.

Shirking and refusing to go not on the table. You must go!

coolbert.

Roger.

This is coolbert:

Never of this man before! Roger of Lauria. Naval combat commander his record worthy of comparison to a Nelson or Ushakov.

"The Battle of Malta: A Naval Genius Emerges"

From https://www.usni.org/magazines | the article by Eric Mills |  August 2023.

Battle of Malta [1283] not to be confused with the Siege of Malta [1565] or events as transpired Malta, the Second World War.

"The annals of medieval warfare record a conflict of especial interest to those who love sea history—for every important clash in this war was a naval battle. And from it, there arose a figure who stands out as the greatest naval commander of the High Middle Ages, a seemingly natural-born tactician who never suffered a defeat and whom some historians speak of in the same breath as the likes of Nelson and Lysander."

"And if Roger of Lauria is less of a household name than those other titans, it is because the war in which he blazed such a victorious course is shrouded in the mists of the byzantine medieval Mediterranean power-politics of a long-gone century."

[....]

"That aftermath of the Battle of Malta: "Fourteen of the 19 Angevin galleys had been destroyed; more than 3,500 Angevins were killed and 1,000 captured. Roger’s casualties were under 300, and he lost none of his 18 galleys."

Roger his illustrious naval career continuing without defeat after Malta:

"And after Malta—at Castellammare in 1284, at Les Formigues and the Col de Panissars in 1285, at the Battle of the Counts in 1287, at Cape Orlando in 1299, at Ponza in 1300"

Victory in all circumstances. Roger unrecognized as one the few unbeaten military commanders in history. In the entire history of naval warfare Roger of Luria does comport himself favorably to a Nelson or Ushakov.

Roger a master of the feigned retreat. Also using tactics that in modern parlance would be referred to as Rope-a-dope: "Rope-a-dope: is a boxing fighting technique that involves one contender leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring and drawing non-injuring offensive punches, letting the opponent tire himself out."

coolbert.

Norge.

This is coolbert:

NM = Nautical miles. Nautical miles are slightly longer than a mile on land, equaling 1.1508 land-measured miles.

NOTAM = Notice to Airmen.

Thanks both articles | https://thebarentsobserver.com | author Thomas Nilsen. Slightly dated but no excessively so.

1. "Russia warns of artillery shooting 5 NM [about three miles] from Norway's Grense Jakobselv"

May 29, 2023.

"Norwegian soldiers at the observation outpost will have panorama view when the powerful Northern Fleet sets off artillery shooting in the Varanger fjord later this week."

Russia has issued warnings [NOTAM] to both seafarers and pilots to stay away from waters close to the coast between Pechenga fjord and Grense Jakobselv. At the nearest, the area announced for live shootings is only three to four nautical miles from Norwegian territorial waters and about five nautical miles from the shores where the Russian-Norwegian land border meets the Varanger fjord."

"The Notice to Airmen says airspace is closed from early morning June 1 to 15.00 on June 2."

2. "What is Russia trying to tell? Second maritime artillery shooting in June next to Norway border"

June 28, 2023.

"The powerful Northern Fleet conducts artillery shooting next to the maritime border with Norway in the Varanger fjord on June 28 and 29."

"Russia has again issued warnings to both seafarers and pilots to stay away from a large area just east of Grense Jakobselv and the maritime delimitation border between the two countries in the Varanger fjord."

[....]

"It is unclear if the shooting will come from shore or by warships sailing in the area. The Sredny Peninsula is a well-known training area for coastal forces of the Northern Fleet. Pechenga is home to both the 200. Motorized Rifle Brigade and the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade."

Live-fire exercise the Russian Northern Fleet, TWICE in one month! How common is that? And very close to the border between Russian and Norway. Intimidation the goal?

coolbert.

Purge.

This is coolbert:

Purge! Sounds like something from the Stalinist era!

Think many [?] more senior Russian commanders other than Surovikin and Popov cashiered or banished. All a result of the Wagner Mutiny?

"Putin's purge: 13 key military chiefs axed in brutal culling after Wagner Group mutiny"

From https://www.express.co.uk | article by TOM WATLING | Fri, Jul 14, 2023.

"The Kremlin has been systematically weeding out military officials it believes are either involved in mutinous activity or disrupting their attempts at misinforming the Russian public regarding the state of their 'special military operation' in Ukraine."

"weed out: in British English | VERB - to separate out, remove, or eliminate (anything unwanted)"

"Vladimir Putin has ordered the arrest of at least 13 high-ranking Russian military officers over the past three weeks as the Kremlin continues to crack down on those who supported the Wagner Group mutiny last month, people familiar with the situation have said."

I would suspect that these high-ranking military officers had more than a passing knowledge of the mutiny BEFORE it occurred. Perhaps were not participants but rather in tacit agreement or grudging approval of the actions taken by Yevgeniyy and Wagner group.

coolbert.

Resolve.

This is coolbert:

"'President Biden just called up 3,000 reservists to augment U.S. troops in Europe as part of  'Operation Atlantic Resolve,' . . . 'I want people to understand what this troop mobilization is about,' . . . 'It's about preparing for a ground war with Russia.'" - RFK Jr.

Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. 

"RFK Jr claims Biden troop mobilization is prep for ‘ground war with Russia’"

From Fox News via Yahoo ^ | July 14th, 2023 | Houston Keene that tip from Freeper.

"Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. claimed that President Biden's mobilization of troops to support Operation Atlantic Resolve is preparation for a 'ground war with Russia.' Kennedy reacted to Biden's decision to call up thousands of military reservists to bolster U.S. troops in Europe as part of the 2014 operation.'"

Operation Atlantic Resolve = "refers to military activities in response to Russian operations in Ukraine, mainly the War in Donbass."

The War in Donbass having been fought in 2014. Atlantic Resolve an ongoing operation for a long time now!

I should like to know the military occupation specialty [MOS] of these reservists as now activated.

Even if RFK Jr. incorrect the Russian from their perspective more than likely will interpret this call-up of reservists as a prelude to a NATO ground war with Russia. Even if 100 % incorrect that is what the Russian viewpoint will be. 

Dangerous waters Mr. President Biden and be well aware of it Sir!

coolbert.

Pimped.

This is coolbert:

More the American military man behaving badly!

Arrested but innocent until found guilty in a court of law!

Pimping and pandering? Underage statutory rape? Mentally disabled? Grave violation of military base security regulations? Can it get worse?

"pimp: a criminal who is associated with, usually exerts control over, and lives off the earnings of one or more prostitutes"

"pandering: intransitive verb - especially |to provide gratification for others' desires"

"Marine accused of having 14 year old sex slave inside Camp Pendleton"

From https://national-conservative.com | July 14, 2023.

"A 14-year-old mentally disabled girl was allegedly being kept inside the barracks by a US Marine. So far, he has not been charged with a crime, but the military and the state of California are investigating it."

"Family members of girl insist she was trafficked for sex and was being raped. She had been missing for three weeks."

See the embedded video for extra details. As noted in the video SECURITY PROTOCOLS VIOLATED in an egregious manner.

I would have to assume that this action of the Marine also constitutes kidnapping. Aggravated offenses all over the place! Like I said, it hardly get worse!

See previous blog entries as relevant:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/04/blockrats.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/06/consensual.html

coolbert.

Derivation.

This is coolbert:

Herewith everything you need to know about the Russian Derivation AAA system.

Main gun firing the old-fashioned 57 mm Soviet era caliber AAA round. But much more than that.

"'Promising and interesting development': the Russian artillery complex 'Derivation' will receive guided shells"

 From https://www.tellerreport.com | Teller Report | 1/30/2021.

"The new Russian anti-aircraft artillery complex 'Derivation-Air Defense' will be equipped with multifunctional, armor-piercing sub-caliber and guided shells . . . "

"'Derivation-PVO' is a self-propelled gun mounted on the chassis of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, which is equipped with a combat module with an automatic 57 mm cannon. According to experts, an anti-aircraft complex armed with such projectiles will significantly enhance the air defense capabilities of the front edge of hostilities."

"The newest Russian artillery complex 'Derivation-Air Defense' will be equipped with multifunctional, sub-caliber armor-piercing and guided shells."

One of those rounds to be fired from Derivation AAA the drone capturing net as was the subject of the most prior blog entry!

Devoted readers to the blog and those of you perusing the blog in a much more casual manner will want to read the entire article.

Derivation not needing any sort of radar guidance and much more stealthy on the battlefield as a consequence. Relying on electro-optical for target acquisition and fire control.

coolbert.