Buh bye: "The pier built by the U.S. military to bring aid to Gaza has been removed due to weather to protect it, and the U.S. is considering not reinstalling it unless the aid begins flowing out into the population again, U.S. officials said Friday."
Maybe Russia needs a buffer zone inside Ukraine to protect Russians from their own air force: "The powerful glide-bombs that Russia has used to such great effect to pound Ukrainian cities into rubble have also been falling on its own territory, an internal Russian document has revealed."
Crap: "A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter and a KC-46 Pegasus tanker were involved in an aerial refueling incident off the coast of the Netherlands on June 27, service officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine." But it's hard to do and that's why we practice.
Good: "Initial construction is beginning on a new fleet of warships for the
Royal Canadian Navy, with the vessels expected to be operational by
2035, service and government officials said." The last ships will arrive in 2050. Fingers crossed.
Are Russia's nuclear red lines serious? "As the famed military and nuclear strategist Bernard Brodie explained, countries usually do not usually bluff when they make threats." But nuclear bluster for conventional threats are orders of magnitude greater. The Russians have a history of empty nuclear bluffs.
Huh: "Multiple U.S. military bases in Europe are under a heightened state of alert for a terrorist attack against U.S. military personnel or facilities, multiple media outlets reported Sunday." Odd. Terrorists usually like to slaughter civilians. Just who is the terrorist threat?
I'm against using our SSBNs to visibly send messages. Their message should be "We have lots of nuclear warheads and you don't know where we are."
Unless has nukes, this is not that credible: "Iran has threatened an 'obliterating war' if Israel launches a full-scale attack in Lebanon[.]" Iran doesn't already have nukes, right?
Is there much to celebrate on NATO's 75th anniversary? Seriously? When NATO formed, the Red Army sat on the Elbe River in the middle of Germany. Western Europe was exhausted. Now, Russia is bleeding out in the Donbas and NATO is rearming with new members committed to stopping Russia. Celebrate!
Cuban commies gotta commie: "Images captured from space show the growth of Cuba’s electronic eavesdropping stations that are believed to be linked to China, including new construction at a previously unreported site about 70 miles from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, according to a new report."
Hell no, Putin won't go: "Donald Trump has said repeatedly he could settle the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day if he’s elected president again. Russia’s United Nations ambassador says he can’t." The key is Trump says he'll end the war--not lose it. If Russia won't end it, Ukraine has to win it.
But not the murderers and rapists Russia sent to kill: "Ukraine is expanding the draft to cope with acute battlefield shortages more than two years into fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion. And its recruiting efforts have turned, for the first time, to the country’s prison population."
White hull line in the sea: "The Coast Guard is slated to continue solidifying its Pacific footprint
with new funds from Congress as the service plays an increasingly
prominent role in Washington’s regional strategy."
Still playing defense: "U.S. Central Command reported U.S. forces in the Red Sea in a “self-defense engagement” destroyed three Houthi unmanned surface vehicles Sunday." America's Red Sea production of Resolve Theater will end in tragedy for the Navy if only the Houthi are trying to win.
Kick out the jams: "In Ukraine, Russia took the lead in developing electronic jamming technology and Ukraine, the United States and its NATO allies are hustling to catch up."
I sure hope Nigerians aren't Islamophobic: "In northeast Borno States female Boko Haram suicide bombers, set off their explosives at a wedding and then a funeral, leaving 32 dead and 42 wounded." This is more rare now. Sadly tribal violence is making up for the decline in Islamist violence.
Macron is free to destroy his own career, but: "Is France heading to a civil war? Yes — if one is to believe the far-left activists, who keep saying that 'they will not allow the far right to rule,' even if they win the coming general election democratically." Their Left will destroy notre to save it. Via Instapundit.
Who blinked? "China and the Philippines held a crucial meeting Tuesday to try to ease escalating tensions following their worst confrontation in the disputed South China Sea that sparked fears of a wider conflict that could involve Manila’s ally the United States."
Oh? "A new report from the Center for New American Security calls for push for a low-cost drones that would provide an autonomous, lethal shield against an amphibious invasion of Taiwan[.]" Stop looking for cheap silver bullets. Never trust the Center for No American Security. But sure, they coined a scary name.
One could do some damage. But ultimately the Kilo sub would lead a short but exciting life: "Russian submarines twice conducted unprecedented missions in the Irish Sea after Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, it has emerged."
Is this instead of terrestrial war or in addition to that? "A new RAND report
emphasizes China’s rising risk tolerance and growing strategic
maneuvers in space, an aggressive push forged to challenge US dominance
in the domain." That's the difference between avoiding war and winning war. Via Instapundit.
Interesting: "China’s leaders view the US as a dominant but declining power"; and America sees China as peaking and beginning a decline. I guess the risk of war due to a Thucydides Trap power transition is now zero. I've doubted the relevance of that trap for America and China.
Is Canada stepping up to defend the Arctic and Europe?
Escalation: "Taiwan said the Chinese coast guard boarded a Taiwanese fishing boat Tuesday before steering it to a port in mainland China, and demanded that Beijing release the vessel." Taiwan blinked.
NATO established a quick reaction force, the Allied Response Force, in Italy: "'The ARF can deliver forces, fires and effects within 10 days to either strengthen deterrence or provide strategic dilemma to adversaries,' SHAPE said." Let's hope its bite is worse than its bark.
Good: "Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria have activated a naval task force dedicated to countering mine warfare in the Black Sea."
Reflections on the battle at Wanat by soldiers involved: "On Monday, two paratroopers who fought in the July 13, 2008, battle shared their recollections as part of discussions designed to keep the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s history fresh for current 'sky soldiers.'"
Outlasting Russia: " NATO allies have agreed to fund military aid for Ukraine with 40 billion euros ($43.05 billion) next year, a Western European diplomat told Reuters on Wednesday, one week before the alliance's leaders are set to meet in Washington."
Hmmm: "Ukrainian officials said Monday that they thwarted an attempted coup, arresting individuals who had conspired to allegedly stage a riot in Kyiv." If Russia backed this, Russian confidence in their ability to sacrifice unlimited Russian troops to achieve victory might not be as solid as they portray.
Keeping Ukraine in the fight: "the U.S. will soon announce an additional $2.3 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, to include anti-tank weapons, interceptors and munitions for Patriot and other air defense systems."
And now for something completely different:
Nobody has done this, so please grant me clemency for what I hope is more clever than political.
Sigh: "All told, June was a hectic month for the sea service, which has not seen this much sustained combat since World War II." It seems like only the Houthi and their Iranian sponsors are trying to win.
Putin is NATO's best recruiter: "NATO continues to support Ukraine because that was what NATO was established in 1949 to do. The threat then was the aggressive Soviet Union, which never attacked. [Now Russia is] led by men who wanted to rebuild the Soviet empire and decided in 2021 to start with Ukraine."
The counter-battery duel in Ukraine.
All your sea are belong to us: "China sailed its aircraft carrier CNS Shandong (17) into the South China Sea, as close as 230 miles from the Philippine main island of Luzon. Meanwhile, PLAN ships have been operating around Japan over the past few days, according to Japan Joint Staff Office releases."
Across the Atlantic, and through Norway and Sweden: "You’re going to have 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, a storied brigade, a storied division, fighting underneath the NATO banner underneath a Finnish land component." That was in the Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise.
Rim of the Pacific exercises wrap up with a SINKEX: "This year it will be an unusually substantial target: the former USS Tarawa, a full-size amphibious assault vessel." Huh. Are we worried our big ships are vulnerable (they are) or are we thinking about how to sink big PLAN ships?
Via Instapundit, the Marianas Islands: "There is a largely unknown U.S. territory that Chinese citizens can enter legally without a visa. China expert Cleo Paskal argues it’s an 'open backdoor into the United States' that the Chinese communist regime can exploit." My belief that we can't be that stupid is tested.
Did not expect that: "The frontline of the Russo-Ukrainian war now extends into Africa and the Middle East, where Ukrainian special forces have been hunting Russian forces to erode Moscow’s economic resources and influence." Should have.
Raping and slaughtering over a thousand Israelis will do that to Israeli opinion: "When it comes to the Palestinians, the survey found, almost everyone is a right-winger now." Well, not everyone.
Turkey is a mediator? "Turkey has now intervened diplomatically - bringing Ethiopian and Somali delegates together for talks in its capital, Ankara." You'll recall the Ethiopia-Puntland port agreement. You may also recall Turkey's imperial ambitions in the region. Turkey's impartiality is suspect.
No! Way! "China is [replacing Russian influence by] building car plants and power stations in Ukbekistan and Kazakhstan, brokering surveillance software deals, and expanding its direct railway line into Kazakhstan, to further strengthen trade links." Is Putin having fun yet with his "partner" with no limits?
An additional American military aid package for Ukraine to provide additional air defense systems plus various ammunition and other equipment. So far no additional armored fighting vehicles are being provided. Is this because Ukrainian offensive operations aren't anticipated until 2025?
Sure, the claims are right: "With a single decision, Macron exposed himself as everything his political opponents have claimed he is—arrogant, aloof, and grossly naïve about what ordinary French want." But maybe Macron wants to fail upward to his dream job by showing he will fight the "right," no matter what.
European citizens may actually want their own countries to endure--reflecting their own countries' values. Shocking, no?
I think we're still at the first of the chance, coincidence, enemy action count: "An explosion at a defense weapons plant in Arkansas injured at least two
people Wednesday and left another missing, the facility’s operators
said." Tip to Instapundit.
Trying--and failing--to build a first-rate army.
It's China's best weapon: "Indians are mystified at the inability of India, the most populous nation in the world with over a billion people, as well as a current GDP of $3.7 trillion, to have adequate weapons for its military."
An admiral defends carriers. I think he does not distinguish enough between power projection and sea control. The idea that mobility makes carriers defensible is laughable. Carriers were found and sunk in World War II with Mark I eyeball surveillance. Carriers aren't the apex predator.
En garde: "Philippine forces will defend themselves with 'the same level of force' if they come under assault again from China’s coast guard in the disputed South China Sea, where Chinese personnel armed with machetes and spears injured Filipino navy personnel and damaged two of their boats [in June.]
Yeah: "Ukraine is addressing its manpower challenges and is forming several new brigades, but delayed and insufficient Western weapons deliveries will likely prevent Ukraine from equipping all these new brigades." And Ukraine needs more ammo, too.
There should be consequences: "Russia and China are working together to produce a version of Iran’s Shahed drone that could be used on the battlefields of Ukraine, European intelligence sources have said." Free fire zone in Russia, sanctions on China's economy, and treat mullah-run Iran like the enemy it is.
The Marine Commandant, discussing operating inside China's A2/AD envelope, counts on joint forces: "'You don’t want to fight alone' as the Marine had to do at Guadalcanal, Smith said." I respectfully contest that description. The Navy skedaddled sometimes, as I recounted in this LWP, but it was a joint fight.
Switching to European gauge railways would be self defense, too: "If its European aspirations hinge on [Ukraine's] ability to connect itself with its neighbors to the west, then the railway gauge difference will be a significant obstacle to this future." Are you paying attention Baltic States, with your Russian gauge?
Oh, hogwash. "American diversity is a national security asset[.]" Diversity is not inherently something that strengthens or weakens us. If it tribalizes us, it weakens America. If it provides perspective within an American melting pot, it strengthens us.
Huh: "A union that represents Michigan corrections officers asked Gov.
Gretchen Whitmer Wednesday to deploy the National Guard to help
understaffed prisons."
The Deep Mosque arranges for a new figurehead.
Good: "The CIA continues to aid Ukraine and HUR, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency by providing them with information the CIA has obtained on Russian operations as well as real-time video of Russian military operations in Ukraine." And what I assumed.
The Tories were crushed in Britain's snap election. As much as they deserved a thrashing, I wouldn't want to inflict Labour on my worst enemy. Lord, it's just the fever talking about reversing Brexit, right?
Is Russia developing an IFV based on the T-72? The idea makes sense to me.
A Europeanized NATO? "It is time for Europeans to approach defence much more strategically, invest in defence in the long term, and actively prepare to accept more responsibilities for the defence of Europe." All part of the EU plan. With less America it isn't NATO. That's bad for Europe, too. Why promote this?
We have a border open to jihadis, anti-Semites running amok, and citizen dissent suppressed. Screw DHS: "[Divisive rhetoric] leads to extreme political views, some of which gain footing among military and veteran communities, and increases the chance [of domestic violent extremism by such people]."
Good: "Germany has delivered a third Patriot air-defence system to Ukraine, authorities said on Friday."
Japan and South Korea sanction North Korea for supplying Russia's war machine.
Against alert defenders, Ukraine's now-not-suicide USVs would still be suicide missions.
They will hold a net wall beneath them: "Russia plans to build a network of barrage balloons inspired by the First and Second World Wars to thwart Ukraine’s daring drone attacks[.]" I assume Ukraine will escort strike drones with incendiary suicide drones designed to ram a balloon to clear a corridor.
In isolation, this is BS: "Hamas is more than just a military, it is an ideology – and you cannot defeat a hateful ideology on the military front alone." We destroyed Nazism by crushing their military and prosecuting leaders. Only ineffective use of force recruits jihadis. That said, I have a next-day plan.
Adapting to counter-measures that disable precision munitions. I suppose self-maneuvering rockets and shells with cameras that go after programmed targets wouldn't need more than precision-ish aiming based on ISR that finds what is in a particular area. It's a measure-countermeasure race.
Welp, we're getting out of another country before an anniversary of 9/11: "The U.S. will remove all its forces and equipment from a small base in Niger this weekend and fewer than 500 remaining troops will leave a critical drone base in the West African country in August[.]"
If we help Israel crush Hamas they'd cower: "The State Department’s top intelligence official [warned the Gaza war] is bolstering recruitment among terrorist organizations and providing 'inspiration for lone actors' furious over the United States’ staunch support for Israel." Getting away with 10/7 inspires jihadis.
Iraqi unemployment is high because of immigrant labor. Yet the economy expands. And Iran is losing influence in Iraq: "Few Iraqis want to emulate Iran and this now includes Iraqi members of pro-Iran militias." Iran's troubles grow at home both economically and politically.
Red alert: "NATO is depending more on locally developed weapons and munitions rather than obtaining them from the United States. The war in Ukraine has encouraged this trend because European nations now realize that they have a very real threat next door with Russia." Germany builds cruiser-size "frigates."
Putin's regime continues to "shield" Russians from what it considers "misinformation" and "disinformation": "Russian federal censor Rozkomnadzor announced on July 4 that it recently blocked Russians from accessing 25 mobile virtual private network (VPN) services."
I will repeat that Gazans would stop dying and suffering if Hamas stopped using the people as human shields and simply surrendered. I refuse to care more about Gazans than Hamas does.
Tip to Instapundit: "Starting from 2022, Russia has been moving everything west, stripping the Far East naked. So, the Russian-Chinese border is getting effectively demilitarised, for the first time in >50 years[.]" When his war against Ukraine ends, will China let Putin remilitarize Russia's side of the border?
Big foot: "The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Saturday that China's largest coastguard vessel has anchored in Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, and is meant to intimidate its smaller Asian neighbour."
I'm kind of a big deal, you know: "The message to NATO from President Vladimir Putin was simple and stark: Don't go too far in providing military support for Ukraine, or you'll risk a conflict with Russia that could quickly turn nuclear." Will any of Russia's nukes explode?
