Guyana.

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Troops are massing. Troops are always massing!

"Guyana’s president says his country is preparing to defend itself from Venezuela over disputed area"

From https://apnews.com | BY DÁNICA COTO | December 6, 2023.

"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Guyana’s president told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his country is taking every necessary step to protect itself from Venezuela, which has ordered its state-owned companies to explore and exploit oil and minerals in the vast Essequibo region, which Guyana considers" its own."

"When asked if he has requested military assistance, President Irfaan Ali said his government is reaching out to allies and regional partners, some of which Guyana has defense agreements with, to protect Essequibo. The region makes up two-thirds of the country."

The gauntlet has been thrown. The challenge has been accepted?

coolbert.

Press-gang.

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Illegal aliens Russia en route to Finland intercepted and subjected to the military press-gang!

"Karelian enlistment officers recruited illegal migrants to the war in Ukraine"

Thanks to The Barents Observer.

"People who ended up in a special detention center after an unsuccessful attempt to reach the Finnish border were offered to save themselves from deportation by signing a contract with the Russian Armed Forces."

"Illegal migrants from southern countries were exempted from deportation to their homeland through a contract with the Armed Forces. To do this, enlistment officers asked the court to overturn the verdict, after which the migrants were sent to Ukraine."

The old adage applies here. From the frying pan to the fire.

coolbert,

USA & UK.

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 American and British naval contingents engage Hootie Jones vicinity the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb.  The critical chokepoint endangered now being guarded in protected by multinational naval assets.

“15 attack drones launched from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen shot down by U.S. & U.K. warships, officials say” 

 "U.S. and British warships on Saturday shot down 15 suspected attack drones over the Red Seas launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, fending off the latest onslaught by the Iranian-controlled group in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war threatened to spread."

Thanks to NY Post.

 "The USS Carney, an American destroyer, intercepted 14 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. They 'were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,' U.S. Central Command said."

Yeoman duty all hands. crews and nationalities.

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CH-47.

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"Lieutenant Colonel Hsieh was asked to fly the helicopter at low altitude along the coastline to the Chinese Communist carrier which would be staging drills close to the waters 24 nautical miles [44km] off [Taiwan]."

STOP THIEF!

"Chinese Spies Offer Pilot $15 Million To Steal US-Made Chinook Helicopter And Land On PLA Carrier"

 From https://www.zerohedge.com  | article by TYLER DURDEN | DEC 12, 2023. 

"Chinese intelligence officials offered a Taiwanese army pilot millions of [USD] dollars to steal a US-made transport helicopter and land on a Chinese aircraft carrier." 

"The South China Morning Post reported Lieutenant Colonel 'Hsieh' was offered $15 million by Chinese spies to steal a Boeing CH-47 Chinook and land on a People's Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier during a military drill near the self-ruled island."

"The plan to steal the Chinook came to an abrupt end when Taiwanese authorities arrested Hsieh in August for allegedly spying for Beijing." 

Photo op with images very favorable to the Red Chinese. But theft thwarted mid-stream. That amount of money too quite a princely sum well beyond normal! Big poke in the eye to the disadvantage the Taiwanese obvious the intent!

"A photo op (sometimes written as photo opp), short for photograph opportunity (or photo opportunity), is an arranged opportunity to take a photograph of a politician, a celebrity, or an event."

coolbert.

Exoatmospheric.

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"'This test demonstrates that the US ballistic missile defense system is operational, reliable, and ready to protect the country,' . . . 'Raytheon kill vehicles have now successfully completed nearly 50 space intercepts, which underscores our expertise and ability to design and develop these systems to defeat the evolving threat.'" - Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon.

ONLY good for ballistic missiles of the intermediate range? The bullet can hit a bullet?

"Raytheon's Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle Defeats Ballistic Missile in Test Over Pacific"

From https://www.zerohedge.com | the article by TYLER DURDEN | DEC 11, 2023.

"Raytheon has successfully tested its 'Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle,' designed to defend the US by intercepting and neutralizing long-range ballistic missiles in low-Earth orbit."

"The kinetic-force weapon successfully destroyed an intermediate-range ballistic missile during a test in the Pacific region by the US Missile Defense Agency and the US Northern Command on Monday."

American interceptor able to counter and destroy hypersonic or intercontinental-ballistic missiles as well?

That remains to be seen!

coolbert.

Borrell EU.

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As has been previously noted!

"'catastrophic, apocalyptic' . . . 'an incredible number of civilian casualties' . . .'more or less or even greater' . . . 'one of the most intense' . . .  'comparable, if not higher'"

"EU’s Top Diplomat: Destruction in Gaza May Be Worse Than Germany in WWII"

 From https://news.antiwar.com | article by Dave DeCamp | December 11, 2023.

"Israeli officials have invoked the allied strategic bombing campaigns of World War II to justify its mass slaughter in Gaza"

"Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, said Monday that the destruction in Gaza as a result of the Israeli bombing campaign could be 'even greater' than the damage to German cities during World War II, AFP reported."

See these most recent blog entries as applicable the topic:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/11/unabated.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/10/kilotons.html

Additionally also this prior blog entry with attention to the embedded image:

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

German cities during WW2 such as Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and others flattened at least 50 % or greater, severe damage!

Optics the world community this represents a perfect example the perception of the strong beating up the weak.

coolbert.

Delusional.

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"Israeli press: 10-20% of frontline fighters wounded already…"

The Gaza War. Israeli combat casualties in the thousands?

From the tweet of CatGirl Kulak.

* CatGirl Kulak 😻😿 (Anarchonomicon)

@FromKulak

"'You're insane Kulak, they're the best army on earth'

I was considered a delusional pro-terror loon for thinking they'd have 2000-3000 wounded by now! 

This is what Urban warfare, traps, tunnels, and defense in depth does

Their young are becoming a generation of cripples

5k out of 170k regular force, and 300k called up reserves.

Remember militaries are  80-90% logistics, backend, admin, technicians. The US army is only 4 PERCENT infantry. 20-25k out of 485k."

Assuming the percentage of combat infantry the Israeli army consistent with the U.S. Army standard, that number of "frontline fighters" as casualties and as reported by the "Israeli press" pretty much spot on.

The Israeli military and press I think quite hesitant to announce any sort of casualty figures up-to-date from the Gaza War until mission accomplished. 

coolbert.