It has been a while since I posted anything and there have been plenty of new developments in this crazy world of ours.
Lets start with one of the most recent: The Baltimore riots from yesterday and last night. All this riot showed me was that the Baltimore police department was not even remotely equipped to deal with a riot that size. They showed remarkable amounts of restraint when it came to dealing with the rioters. From watching the news coverage it was clear why all their lines only had around two ranks in them or less there were simply not enough officers to have sustained a clash with the rioters. The lines of the officers would have been broken and the individual officers now fending for themselves would have been mobbed. The Baltimore police were just not equipped to deal with these riots and it led to them being forced to just try and contain the riot as opposed to breaking it up.
What I think this will mean: You will see big city police departments get increasingly militarized. If they can't have enough officers they will make it so that what officers they have can have a bigger impact. I think you can look forward to police rolling around in MRAPs while dealing with riots. My fear is that if the police get increasingly militarized the rioters will get even more violent and we might not be far off from rioters using guns, molotovs, IEDs, and EFPs in response to and increasingly militarized police.
Next thing is the 2015 Victory Day Parade in Red Square celebrating 70 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany. This year the Russians will be showcasing the first truly new armored vehicle designs since the 1960s. The T-14 Main Battle Tank, T-15 Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Krugnets-25 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the Bumerang APC and others. At the same time a report has just come out of Germany saying that the Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot Rounds used by the German Army is completely ineffective against the last incarnation of Russian Cold War Tank designs the T-90.
What I think this means: The arms race which never ended is now once again very visible.
Finally something I think most people have not heard of a new agreement has just been signed by the US and the Philippines. It was an agreement to open 8 US military bases in the Philippines.
What I think this means: I think it means the beginning of US involvement with the Philippine government in fighting MILF.
Tell me what you think!
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Why is Common Sense so Hard to Find in the US Military?
I have been stunned recently while reading about how the US military is running its procurement programs. Here is an example:
The SCTV vs the JLTV
The SCTV was a great idea put forward by the marine corps. The idea was to take the current fleet of HMMWVs and upgrade them to have better engines, better armor, better IED protection and to essentially fulfill all requirements that the DOD put forward for the JLTV. However recently the program was cancelled. The excuse that was given was budget constraints. The odd thing is the SCTV program was cheaper than the JLTV. So if budget constraints are so bad why would they cancel the cheaper project? Like I said a startling lack of common sense.
JLTV
SCTV
The SCTV vs the JLTV
The SCTV was a great idea put forward by the marine corps. The idea was to take the current fleet of HMMWVs and upgrade them to have better engines, better armor, better IED protection and to essentially fulfill all requirements that the DOD put forward for the JLTV. However recently the program was cancelled. The excuse that was given was budget constraints. The odd thing is the SCTV program was cheaper than the JLTV. So if budget constraints are so bad why would they cancel the cheaper project? Like I said a startling lack of common sense.
JLTV
SCTV
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
On The 100 Year Marathon
If I have any regular readers my apologies for not posting anything new for a while. I have been very busy lately.
Ok onto the topic at hand: the 100 year marathon. For those of you who do not know what this is let me put it plainly. It is a plan put into motion in 1949 by the People's Republic of China. The goal of this plan is to pass up the United States as the Hegemon of the world.
This post is not going to go into great detail about it. If you want to know more I suggest you read the book The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Super Power by Michael Pillsbury. The purpose of this this post is to be a wake-up call to my readers in the west and to be a message to my readers in the east that if the US doesn't change its doctrines quickly the Chinese will succeed in their goal.
To understand how the Chinese are executing their plan you need to think of some basic lessons from the warring states period of Chinese history:
1. Deceive your enemy. In order to succeed in beating your enemy they must think you are the enemy until it is too late. The proverb going "Do not ask the weight of the emperor's cauldrons". Do not let the enemy know of your ambitions.
2. Similarly make the enemy think you are week.
3. Manipulate the balance of power. While keeping secrecy use effect the change of the balances in power to the point where they are in your favor. The principle is best summed up in the mandarin phrase Shi.
4. Steal your opponents technology because it is the best way to quickly close a gap in technology. The Chinese have been doing this since the Reagan administration with the US. The worst part is we have actually been giving some of the technology to them.
5. Patience. The Chinese have been pursuing the goal of become the World's only superpower for almost 66 years and they are getting closer and closer to being able to overtake the US as the Hegemon of the world.
To my western readers wake up! See what is happening! It is not too late! We can still beat the Chinese. If we can just acknowledge what is going on that would be a fantastic first step.
Ok onto the topic at hand: the 100 year marathon. For those of you who do not know what this is let me put it plainly. It is a plan put into motion in 1949 by the People's Republic of China. The goal of this plan is to pass up the United States as the Hegemon of the world.
This post is not going to go into great detail about it. If you want to know more I suggest you read the book The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Super Power by Michael Pillsbury. The purpose of this this post is to be a wake-up call to my readers in the west and to be a message to my readers in the east that if the US doesn't change its doctrines quickly the Chinese will succeed in their goal.
To understand how the Chinese are executing their plan you need to think of some basic lessons from the warring states period of Chinese history:
1. Deceive your enemy. In order to succeed in beating your enemy they must think you are the enemy until it is too late. The proverb going "Do not ask the weight of the emperor's cauldrons". Do not let the enemy know of your ambitions.
2. Similarly make the enemy think you are week.
3. Manipulate the balance of power. While keeping secrecy use effect the change of the balances in power to the point where they are in your favor. The principle is best summed up in the mandarin phrase Shi.
4. Steal your opponents technology because it is the best way to quickly close a gap in technology. The Chinese have been doing this since the Reagan administration with the US. The worst part is we have actually been giving some of the technology to them.
5. Patience. The Chinese have been pursuing the goal of become the World's only superpower for almost 66 years and they are getting closer and closer to being able to overtake the US as the Hegemon of the world.
To my western readers wake up! See what is happening! It is not too late! We can still beat the Chinese. If we can just acknowledge what is going on that would be a fantastic first step.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
ISIS Has Executed the Jordanian Pilot by Burning Him Alive.
Words cannot express the rage I feel because of this. The Execution of the US citizens was horrific, the execution of the Japanese prisoners equally so but now this. I am shaking with rage as I type this. ISIS has been allowed to get away with too much. In my opinion all radical terrorist organizations have been allowed to get away with too much.
During the presidency of Mr. Obama terrorism has found a second wind and has been expanding. Examples of this is the rise of ISIS, the attacks in France, terrorist cells being uncovered throughout Europe and the continued destabilization in Afghanistan.
After the events of the past year I feel inclined to beg Mr. Obama on my hands and knees to end his policy of restrained warfare. These terrorist organizations are a cancer that is infesting our world and they must be exterminated. We must find where they are and use all means at our disposal to eradicate them.
We cannot tolerate them anymore. ISIS and the rest must be shown the true might of the United States and its allies. I say there must be an immediate escalation of the current conflict. Dedicate ground troops give them open rules of engagement. Have them take no prisoners. Victory will be when all terrorist held territory is liberated and all of those dogs lie dead. There will be no paradise for them.
During the presidency of Mr. Obama terrorism has found a second wind and has been expanding. Examples of this is the rise of ISIS, the attacks in France, terrorist cells being uncovered throughout Europe and the continued destabilization in Afghanistan.
After the events of the past year I feel inclined to beg Mr. Obama on my hands and knees to end his policy of restrained warfare. These terrorist organizations are a cancer that is infesting our world and they must be exterminated. We must find where they are and use all means at our disposal to eradicate them.
We cannot tolerate them anymore. ISIS and the rest must be shown the true might of the United States and its allies. I say there must be an immediate escalation of the current conflict. Dedicate ground troops give them open rules of engagement. Have them take no prisoners. Victory will be when all terrorist held territory is liberated and all of those dogs lie dead. There will be no paradise for them.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
The MV-22 a Waste of Potential
Until recently I never understood why some people hated the MV-22 Osprey so much. Well several people who do not like it have informed me as to why. One dislikes it because he thinks it is a half baked concept that is simply a deathtrap. Granted he has a point more Ospreys have crashed due to malfunctions than there has been UH-60s shot down. Its true the MV-22 has had 14 crashes due to malfunctions that has resulted in 72 deaths since 1991. There have only been 4 UH-60s shot down since it entered service in 1979 2 in desert storm and 2 at the battle of Mogadishu.
Another a (blogger Solomon check out is blog SNAFU!) when asked why he didn't like it he said: because they're not delivering what was promised. we thought we would be getting an airplane that is in every phase of flight superior to the CH-46 but that isn't the case. additionally the thing puts out so much heat on deck that its changing the way we operate, its ungainly and takes up more room, its slow in the landing phase and its just not as versatile as the helicopter it replaces. Additionally all this branding is starting to piss me off. a tilt rotor enabled ground force? really? its a fucking modified helicopter that flies to fast for escort, can't sling load to save its fucking life and is more vulnerable than the old birds. i hate it and i hate the fact that USMC leadership is acting like its the second coming.
My personal opinion on the MV-22 is that it is a colossal waste of potential. Where they could have made a family of tiltrotor aircraft to support the MV-22 like a Gunship variant for escorting it in and a heavy lift variant for carrying the heavier loads such as vehicles they just made the MV-22 and did a hash of the job neglecting to give it anything to defend itself. No flares, armor, nose gun, missiles or rockets just a ramp gun. Also it apparently gives off a hell of a heat signature. It is a huge glowing target in the sky that carries 24 troops and has nothing to defend itself but its speed.
Also the Marines are not the service that should be using it. The Marines need an aircraft that can be easily stored on their amphibious warfare ships. The MV-22 is really not that. It is too big. The Marines were probably better off with the CH-46 or maybe a variant of the UH-60. The Service that should be using tiltrotors and specifically a family of tiltrotors in utility, attack, transport and heavy lift roles its the Army.
The Army would be able to make such better use of the MV-22 for air assault. If the Army's main air assault unit the 101st airborne division operated it they could send almost twice as many men into the combat zone that they can now operating the UH-60.
So far the only thing the marines are doing right with the MV-22 right now is they want to put a nose gun on it and give it the capability to use air to surface weapons anything from hellfire missiles to 250lbs bombs. they want to turn it into a troop transport with teeth. I think they should possibly even slap some armor on that bitch to make it a little more resilient to ground fire.
Another a (blogger Solomon check out is blog SNAFU!) when asked why he didn't like it he said: because they're not delivering what was promised. we thought we would be getting an airplane that is in every phase of flight superior to the CH-46 but that isn't the case. additionally the thing puts out so much heat on deck that its changing the way we operate, its ungainly and takes up more room, its slow in the landing phase and its just not as versatile as the helicopter it replaces. Additionally all this branding is starting to piss me off. a tilt rotor enabled ground force? really? its a fucking modified helicopter that flies to fast for escort, can't sling load to save its fucking life and is more vulnerable than the old birds. i hate it and i hate the fact that USMC leadership is acting like its the second coming.
My personal opinion on the MV-22 is that it is a colossal waste of potential. Where they could have made a family of tiltrotor aircraft to support the MV-22 like a Gunship variant for escorting it in and a heavy lift variant for carrying the heavier loads such as vehicles they just made the MV-22 and did a hash of the job neglecting to give it anything to defend itself. No flares, armor, nose gun, missiles or rockets just a ramp gun. Also it apparently gives off a hell of a heat signature. It is a huge glowing target in the sky that carries 24 troops and has nothing to defend itself but its speed.
Also the Marines are not the service that should be using it. The Marines need an aircraft that can be easily stored on their amphibious warfare ships. The MV-22 is really not that. It is too big. The Marines were probably better off with the CH-46 or maybe a variant of the UH-60. The Service that should be using tiltrotors and specifically a family of tiltrotors in utility, attack, transport and heavy lift roles its the Army.
The Army would be able to make such better use of the MV-22 for air assault. If the Army's main air assault unit the 101st airborne division operated it they could send almost twice as many men into the combat zone that they can now operating the UH-60.
So far the only thing the marines are doing right with the MV-22 right now is they want to put a nose gun on it and give it the capability to use air to surface weapons anything from hellfire missiles to 250lbs bombs. they want to turn it into a troop transport with teeth. I think they should possibly even slap some armor on that bitch to make it a little more resilient to ground fire.
Friday, January 23, 2015
The Problem with the Modern US Military
Currently the military is having many problems with research, development and procurement. I think I know why they are having all these problems. Other than the ever shrinking budget. They are trying too hard to get all in one weapons systems. These programs are proving to be too ambitious, are having budget overruns, are taking longer than expected to complete and are producing sub par systems.
Example 1: The F-35
Named the Joint Strike Fighter it is meant to do all things air superiority, close air support and strike missions while also being supposed to be able to to carrier take off and landing, STOVL and to work off of conventional airfields. It was supposed to do all of this while at the same time being stealthy.
However the program is now being predicted to cost over a trillion dollars in total. The cost per plane that was originally supposed to be around 60 million dollars per plane is closer to 185 million dollars per plane. The F-35 was supposed to be in full operation by 2012 it is still not supposed to be in full operation until July of this year for the Marines and the Navy aren't going to put theirs in service until 2019. Also lets look at the fact that studies have proved that it's stealth isn't that great. Also that it will be less effective than any of the aircraft its replacing in any of the roles it is supposed to be able to do.
Example 2: The Littoral Combat Ship(LCS)
The LCS is replacing the Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigates. However in an effort to make it an all in one vessel the Navy decided to only give it a bare bones weapons compliment of a few guns and surface to air missiles saying that they can add other weapons if the need arises for a specific mission. Also the LCS has been discovered to have decreased survivability from the Oliver Hazard Perry Frigates. Also as its name suggests it is meant to conduct operations in littoral areas so it will not be effective as say a carrier or MEU escort as the frigates they are replacing have done in the past. In summary the LCS is an under equipped vessel with decreased survivability and cannot do any of the jobs it is supposed to do really well.
Example 3 ACV 1.1
This program comes from the Marines. The USMC was going to replace their aging AAVs with the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle(EFV). However the EFV was cancelled due to costs. The USMC was going to replace their LAV-25s with the Marine Personnel Carrier(MPC). That program was cancelled due to costs. So the HQMC decided lets combine the two projects and call it the ACV 1.1. The idea behind it being an amphibious wheeled armored personnel carrier. So now we have gone from two programs that were originally supposed to have already replaced the AAV and LAV-25 and gone to one program where all of the proposed designs are sub par and it isn't supposed to even start replacing AAVs until 2019 and even then it won't replace the whole AAV fleet. Another all in one project that is proving to be too difficult and is failing.
These three examples should give you guys good examples of how the US military s screwing itself over. I want to hear what the people who read this blog think so please comment. This blog is called defense discussion and so far it has been pretty one sided.
Example 1: The F-35
Named the Joint Strike Fighter it is meant to do all things air superiority, close air support and strike missions while also being supposed to be able to to carrier take off and landing, STOVL and to work off of conventional airfields. It was supposed to do all of this while at the same time being stealthy.
However the program is now being predicted to cost over a trillion dollars in total. The cost per plane that was originally supposed to be around 60 million dollars per plane is closer to 185 million dollars per plane. The F-35 was supposed to be in full operation by 2012 it is still not supposed to be in full operation until July of this year for the Marines and the Navy aren't going to put theirs in service until 2019. Also lets look at the fact that studies have proved that it's stealth isn't that great. Also that it will be less effective than any of the aircraft its replacing in any of the roles it is supposed to be able to do.
Example 2: The Littoral Combat Ship(LCS)
The LCS is replacing the Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigates. However in an effort to make it an all in one vessel the Navy decided to only give it a bare bones weapons compliment of a few guns and surface to air missiles saying that they can add other weapons if the need arises for a specific mission. Also the LCS has been discovered to have decreased survivability from the Oliver Hazard Perry Frigates. Also as its name suggests it is meant to conduct operations in littoral areas so it will not be effective as say a carrier or MEU escort as the frigates they are replacing have done in the past. In summary the LCS is an under equipped vessel with decreased survivability and cannot do any of the jobs it is supposed to do really well.
Example 3 ACV 1.1
This program comes from the Marines. The USMC was going to replace their aging AAVs with the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle(EFV). However the EFV was cancelled due to costs. The USMC was going to replace their LAV-25s with the Marine Personnel Carrier(MPC). That program was cancelled due to costs. So the HQMC decided lets combine the two projects and call it the ACV 1.1. The idea behind it being an amphibious wheeled armored personnel carrier. So now we have gone from two programs that were originally supposed to have already replaced the AAV and LAV-25 and gone to one program where all of the proposed designs are sub par and it isn't supposed to even start replacing AAVs until 2019 and even then it won't replace the whole AAV fleet. Another all in one project that is proving to be too difficult and is failing.
These three examples should give you guys good examples of how the US military s screwing itself over. I want to hear what the people who read this blog think so please comment. This blog is called defense discussion and so far it has been pretty one sided.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
ISIS is Threatening to Execute Two Japanese Citizens
All the information that I have on this right now is that ISIS has captured 2 Japanese citizens and in a video starring the same Jihadist who famously executed US citizens in the past demanded a ransom of 100 million dollars per hostage from the Japanese Government.
At the same time the Japanese Prime Minister is visiting Israel.
Update: ISIS has given the Japanese Government 72 hours.
At the same time the Japanese Prime Minister is visiting Israel.
Update: ISIS has given the Japanese Government 72 hours.
Should the US Military Ressurect an Old Concept?
 |
| F-14 Fires a Phoenix Missile |
What the US should do is instead of depending on stealth to win the BVR fight is to go back to the concept behind the F-14 and the Phoenix missile. That is to have a not stealthy capable dogfighter for if things do go bad you can engage in a within visual range fight but also to have a long range air to air missile that can accurately hit the enemy while the plane firing the missile is still out of radar detection range of the enemy fighter.
It is this that has me convinced that in their time the F-14/Phoenix Missile combo were the best in class for BVR combat. Hell even for today the phoenix has longer range than the meteor by 90 Kilometers, it out ranges the AMRAAM by 120 Kilometers, it out ranges the Vympel R-77M by 30 Kilometers and it has a longer range than the PL-12 by 90 Kilometers. It also travels at a much quicker speed than any of those missiles by nearly 1200mph.
By the way the specs on the AIM-54 Phoenix is it has a range of 190 Kilometers and flys at a speed of Mach 5 or 3308 mph.
Also let us not forget that the AIM-120 and meteor the main BVR missiles fro the west are classified as medium range missiles. Simply based off of that using them as the main BVR weapons is unwise.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
F-35 alternatives
Now what any aviation freak has been waiting for a F-35 opinion piece.
I personally hold the opinion that the F-35 is a overpriced missile magnet. It is no longer even recognized as a stealth aircraft. It is being called semi-stealth. not to mention the projected over all program cost is 1.5 Trillion dollars!
That is unbelievable! This isn't even going into the fact that it can't maneuver is too slow with a top speed of only MACH 1.6 which makes it substantially slower than any other fighter currently used by the US. Also there is its tiny payload at maximum it can only hold about 4 air to air missiles in its "stealth" layout. If it wants to carry anymore weapons it has to sacrifice what little stealth it has. I say this program needs to be killed.
But hey if this program is killed there are no better options. Actually no there are several aircraft that have the same capabilities as the F-35 for substantially less.
So lets lay this out with the specs, starting with those of the F-35 then the alternatives
F-35 Lightning II
Top Speed: Mach 1.6
Combat Radius: 613 Nautical Miles
Weapons: 4 missiles, or 2 missiles and 2 bombs internally. Other weapons can be carried on the wings
Other Notable equipment: AESA radar
Stealth ability: Semi-Stealthy
Cost: A variant: 114 million dollars per plane, B variant: 142 million dollars per plane,C variant: 132 million dollars per plane
F-18 Advanced Super Hornet
Top Speed: Mach 1.8
Combat Radius:650 Nautical Miles
Weapons: 4 missiles, or 2 missiles and 2 bombs in center line weapons pod. Other weapons can be carried on the wings.
Other Notable equipment: AESA radar
Stealth ability: Semi-Stealth
Cost: 55 million dollars per plane
F-15SE Stealth Eagle
Top Speed: Mach 2.5
Combat Radius: 800 Nautical Miles
Weapons: 4 internally carried missiles. other than that same load out as the F-15E Strike Eagle
Other Notable equipment: AESA radar
Stealth Ability: Semi-Stealth
Cost: 100 million dollars per plane
(Note: Although the F-15SE is almost as expensive as the F-35 it is based on a a proven jet with the best air to air record in History during the 1st Gulf War 34 enemy kills with no losses.)
Don't agree with me? Great! Tell me in the comments.
I personally hold the opinion that the F-35 is a overpriced missile magnet. It is no longer even recognized as a stealth aircraft. It is being called semi-stealth. not to mention the projected over all program cost is 1.5 Trillion dollars!
That is unbelievable! This isn't even going into the fact that it can't maneuver is too slow with a top speed of only MACH 1.6 which makes it substantially slower than any other fighter currently used by the US. Also there is its tiny payload at maximum it can only hold about 4 air to air missiles in its "stealth" layout. If it wants to carry anymore weapons it has to sacrifice what little stealth it has. I say this program needs to be killed.
But hey if this program is killed there are no better options. Actually no there are several aircraft that have the same capabilities as the F-35 for substantially less.
So lets lay this out with the specs, starting with those of the F-35 then the alternatives
F-35 Lightning II
Top Speed: Mach 1.6
Combat Radius: 613 Nautical Miles
Weapons: 4 missiles, or 2 missiles and 2 bombs internally. Other weapons can be carried on the wings
Other Notable equipment: AESA radar
Stealth ability: Semi-Stealthy
Cost: A variant: 114 million dollars per plane, B variant: 142 million dollars per plane,C variant: 132 million dollars per plane
Top Speed: Mach 1.8
Combat Radius:650 Nautical Miles
Weapons: 4 missiles, or 2 missiles and 2 bombs in center line weapons pod. Other weapons can be carried on the wings.
Other Notable equipment: AESA radar
Stealth ability: Semi-Stealth
F-15SE Stealth Eagle
Top Speed: Mach 2.5
Combat Radius: 800 Nautical Miles
Weapons: 4 internally carried missiles. other than that same load out as the F-15E Strike Eagle
Other Notable equipment: AESA radar
Stealth Ability: Semi-Stealth
Cost: 100 million dollars per plane
(Note: Although the F-15SE is almost as expensive as the F-35 it is based on a a proven jet with the best air to air record in History during the 1st Gulf War 34 enemy kills with no losses.)
Don't agree with me? Great! Tell me in the comments.
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