I started regular The Dignified Rant: Evolved posting on August 1, 2024. I will continue Weekend Data Dump and Winter War of 2022 posts, as well as shorter posts on the other days here on TDR. Please clap.
I think we have too much nostalgia for that era: "In effect, the Golden Age of Carrier Battles lasted from May to October 1942. Five months. Four battles." Let's think about this, eh?
The West is sending interest from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. If Ukraine is unwilling to fight and die to liberate territory, the West could use the actual assets to pay for whatever territory Ukraine hasn't liberated, eh? And giving up claims to Russian-occupied territory opens NATO membership to Ukraine.
Ukraine's extended reach: "The drone hit the Tu-22M3 bomber parked at the Olenya airfield on the Kola Peninsula near the Finnish border, 1,100 miles from Ukraine in a coordinated attack against Russian air bases."
FFS: "Only six Ukrainian pilots have reportedly been trained by European Nato members to fly F-16 fighter jets due to be delivered to Kyiv next month." There was another path. But we chose Resolve Theater.
Lebanon fears Israel will go to war with Hezbollah? Well, maybe if Lebanon didn't remain passive as Iran-backed Hezbollah set up a state-within-a-state that wages war on Israel while Hezbollah uses Lebanon's people and UN seat as shields to stop Israel, then Israel wouldn't need to wage war on Lebanon's land.
Things weren't on the up-and-up: "Both Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his political opponent claimed victory in the country’s election on Monday, a vote that was marked by accusations of fraud and counting irregularities." Yeah, that sucks.
Trump's belief he can charm the nukes off Kim Jong-Un is as delusional as Democratic hopes to make Iran a friend, it seems: "A North Korean military intelligence operative has been indicted in a conspiracy to hack into American health care providers, NASA, U.S. military bases and international entities[.]"
"Faster than ever" doesn't mean "fast enough": "The soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division are getting their hands on new technology faster than ever and learning lessons about the risks and rewards of drone warfare under a new Army fielding program, the division’s commander said."
Yeah: "Signing an agreement with Russia to stop the war with Ukraine would amount to signing a deal with the devil, a top adviser to ... Zelenskyy said[.]" Claims we sabotaged a peace deal early in the war ignore that fear of imminent defeat--we offered Zelensky a ride out--made a deal the least bad option.
Red Sea Regatta: "Off the Yemen Red Sea Coast, the Yemen Houthi rebel group continues to attack passing ships headed north to the Suez Canal. Using various weapons supplied by Iran, the Houthis have launched attacks on more than 70 ships since late 2023." Iran helps with targeting data. We flail.
Hopefully their problems are worse than our different problems: "Chinese leader Xi Jinping is troubled by the growing number of problems in the military and is openly complaining about corruption, poor work habits and lack of discipline. Xi ordered a purge of military personnel responsible for these problems[.]"
Iran already knows we have B-52s! "A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber flew from Europe across the Middle East on July 25, making a 32-hour flight as U.S. troops came under attack in Iraq and Syria on July 25 and July 26[.]" Send missiles--not messages.
Report to Congress on the Navy's planned medium landing ship. I'm not impressed--even after the new name. God help the Marines at the ass end of nowhere.
Election deniers! Assemble! "Political tensions in Venezuela soared anew after President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of Sunday’s election and the opposition, rejecting that claim, called on the military to enforce what it said was the will of the people." I await clarification on whose side we're on.
Houston, we have a problem: "With two NASA astronauts still stranded in space for weeks, officials at the space agency have insisted that the troubled Boeing Starliner, plagued with technical issues, can take the two explorers back to Earth." Sure, "can." Tip to Instapundit.
Homeland Insecurity: "The Department of Homeland Security has refused to follow a law mandating it take DNA samples from illegal immigrants taken into custody, which would identify violent criminals and child traffickers, employees told the U.S. Senate this week." Tip to Instapundit.
Somebody is waging war on France: "The French government says multiple telecommunications lines have been hit by acts of vandalism, affecting fiber lines and fixed and mobile phone lines as cities around France are hosting events for the 2024 Paris Olympics."
More protection: "Ukraine has developed new shields for its US-made Bradley armored vehicles amid drone threats."
Please be home between the hours of 0800 and 1200 for the service call: "The Space Force wants to deploy repair kits to space to keep satellites from going down, as it prepares for a potential conflict with China, the Air Force undersecretary said Monday."
Allies: "Washington’s top diplomat and defense chief announced $500 million in new military funding Tuesday to boost the Philippines’ external defense and progress on a proposed military intelligence-sharing pact as both allies renewed their concerns over China’s continuing aggressive actions[.]"
Aren't we being time-centric believing that this era is the crisis point. The Cold War felt serious as a heart attack. Still, check your pucker factor: "America’s odds of fighting a major war are the highest in 80 years, and its military isn’t prepared for one." Certainly the highest in 33 years.
This hurts Russian morale: "The use of drones in Ukraine has introduced a new and unexpected feature
of modern warfare by causing most of the infantry’s casualties, as
opposed to artillery during the past 110 years." The reason could be Ukraine's shell shortage rather than a drone edge. I'll hold off judgment.
Yeah: "The U.S. Air Force needs to rethink how small, low-cost drones could
change the definition of air superiority, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James
C. Slife said on July 29." I did that in 2018 when I discussed in Army winning the "brown skies" over the battlefield while the Air Force fights for the high "blue skies."
Huh: "According to Netanyahu’s vision, the USA and Israel would establish a regional security alliance, standing together to counter the threat posed by Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies across the Middle East." Arab countries would have reason to join. Still, there's a lacuna in that core of a security alliance.
Can China absorb Taiwan by means other than an invasion? Sure, it's possible. But I reject assumption four. China may think more rubble means less trouble from the locals. The authors don't claim these are silver bullets. Just possibilities. That's fair. Especially linked to actual invasion. By plan or opportunity.
I've long felt that after screwing the pooch in 2006 that the next time Hezbollah and Israel go to war that Israel will go big and deep into Lebanon. After, don't rely on the UN to hold the win.
Cherish our peaceful elections: "Security forces in Venezuela have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at people protesting Sunday’s disputed election result." Giving hope to people that their votes count is more destabilizing than just denying them a say. Maximize Voter confidence in election honesty.
New American military aid to Ukraine. I still don't see armored combat vehicles on the lists. Making up for ammo shortages is certainly an immediate need. But if Ukraine is to have hope of defeating the Russian army it needs equipment, too.
For too many, the real problem is always the potential backlash rather than the actual lash. No lash is enough for some to worry about. Even after another at a Taylor Swift-theme dance party. The war on terror isn't over. Not even for us.
I reject the notion that the National Guard shouldn't protect the border because it hurts training. So, hear, hear: "Hokanson and Neller are confused. Deploying to the Southern border isn’t training — it’s what military training is for." Deploying--the reason for a military--always interrupts training.
Nice little island you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it: "Several Chinese and Russian ships and a Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle operated around Japan on Sunday and Monday, according to the Japanese Joint Staff Office."
Grand Haven, Michigan: "Thousands of people welcomed United States Coast Guard vessels into port at 'Coast Guard City USA' for the 100th anniversary of the festival."
Setting up a light brigade combat team: "Soldiers out of Hawaii are building a new, agile type of unit that could be the future when it comes to how the Army fields ground combat forces in far-flung West Pacific battlefields." They can't slug it out in land combat. I guess they'll do--and not do?--what Marines aim for.
Agreed: "Ships traveling north in the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal have been under attack by the Houthis since late 2023. ... The U.S. Navy has sent a carrier task force to launch perfunctory air strikes on Houthi targets with predictable minor effects." Our mission is a mystery.
Israel killed a Hamas murderer and sent a message to Iranian leadership more personal than their air strikes in April after Iran's failed missile barrage: "Ismail Haniyeh, one of the most senior Hamas leaders, was assassinated in Iran, the country’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and Hamas said on Wednesday[.]"
Iraq is 100% responsible for keeping those scum from attacking our troops helping to defend Iraq: "Iraq has condemned a 'blatant aggression' by coalition forces after US
strikes in Iraq killed several members of the Iranian-allied militia
which works alongside government forces." We aren't the strong horse, I guess.
Day of reckoning? "Saturday’s rocket strike on a football pitch in the Golan Heights killed 12 Druze Israelis, all aged between 10 and 20. In response, the Israeli security cabinet has given authorisation to [Netanyahu and the defense minister] to decide when and how Israel will retaliate." What will Israel do?
Did the Houthi get their dream of war with Israel? If so, give it to them good and hard.
Well sure, Chinese overseas bases aren't a real threat now. Anything China bases overseas will lead a short but exciting life in a war. But give China time to build more and attract allies and they could be. But for now, China's focus for war is much closer to home. And for now, they are useful for peacetime influence.
That's so cute! "The Russian military on Wednesday began a third round of drills with tactical nuclear weapons, part of the Kremlin's messaging intended to force the West to limit its support for Ukraine." Does anyone think Russia maintains their nukes better than the rest of its military?
Ouch: "In the name of all that is holy. There is nothing more worn out in natsec discussions coming from the Imperial City than all elements of national power.' The 'whole of government' mating with the 'interagency.'" No worries. "Integrated deterrence" will keep disputes from escalating to fisticuffs!
Long-range anti-ship missiles still rule the waves: "We are not yet at a paradigm-shifting moment in the role of autonomous or robotic systems at sea." Even in the Black Sea, the author notes, missiles account for about half of Ukraine's ship kills. Singing to the TDR choir.
They aren't Gazans, so the sainted international community doesn't care: "In the next four months, two and a half million Sudanese could die of hunger-related causes." And a lot of outside players are pouring fire on the problem without any demand they provide humanitarian relief. Go figure.
They should have been executed long ago: "The US has reached a plea deal with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants accused of plotting the 2001 terror attacks, according to the Defense Department." To be fair, they did defeat us.
Take your time. No rush: "The Pentagon’s joint program office for the missile defense of Guam is waiting on fiscal 2024 funding to be reprogrammed from elsewhere in the budget to help pay for its efforts to build an architecture to defend the key U.S. territory in the Pacific."
This isn't war. It's target practice: "U.S. forces took down dozens of Iran-backed Houthi drones in the Red Sea and in Yemen this month, as Houthi rebels continue to target civilian and commercial vessels in the region." With our Resolve Theater, eventually our ships and sailors will be the targets.
Fingers crossed: "The Marine Corps for the first time has deployed a state-of-the-art radar system during training this week on Japan’s westernmost island." Because I think we need luck with the path the Marines are on. It makes sense to help the Navy. But I'm concerned with how that is to be done.
The bridge to SSNs: "The Australian government signed a $2.2 billion four-year contract with national submarine builder ASC last week to keep Canberra’s existing Collins-class submarines in service through the 2030s."
Tale of two Koreas: "One is a failure and the other is a success. A classic example of the impact of a socialist police state versus free market democracy is North Korea. This is one of the most corrupt nations in the world while South Korea is one the ten largest economies in the world." Do the same for Gaza.
Thousands love a mass murderer: "Thousands have turned out for the funeral procession in Iran of the Hamas political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a strike in Tehran on Wednesday."
Buh bye: "Hezbollah has confirmed one of its senior military commanders was killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon." Fuad Shukr played a key role in the 1983 Marine barracks suicide bombing in Beirut. Iran has been waging war on America for a long time. Stop pretending otherwise.
Sure: "Compared to China, the United States comes in behind in terms of its industrial basis, annual manufacturing output, and industrial export. ...This is why the United States needs allies[.]" Sadly, we also need credible national power to attract and keep allies. If we're chicken, there are no eggs.
Iran's backing makes it existential: "The threat from Hezbollah is existential for Israel[.]" If it is, Israel needs to go big and deep--even if only for a finite time. Because Iron Dome is not up to the task of defense for long. But Israel had best take less time than Gaza is taking.
Looking for Mister Good Drone.
If Iran escalates tensions with Israel to again directly attack Israel, Israel could say it warned Iran about what happens if it goes beyond supporting proxies. And then launch the big campaign to take down Iran's nuclear infrastructure. It may not end the threat. But it delays Iran's final solution, no? Unless it's too late.
Why wouldn't Iran fight Israel to the last dead Arab? "Iran's president said the government is even more resolute in its support for Hamas after the assassination of the Palestinian militant group's leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran."
Good for these hostages: "A major prisoner exchange between Russia, the US and four European
countries is under way in Ankara, the Turkish presidency has confirmed." But our people were kidnapped while Russia's were spies or criminals. So other Americans will be kidnapped. I miss the old days.
A 2-pound Ukrainian drone was apparently used to shoot down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter: "According to the post, the helicopter was hit right after taking off." That's when I thought aircraft would be most vulnerable to such drones.
If a wider war in the Middle East breaks out, one cause will be the failure to help/let Israel win the war against Hamas quickly. The longer a war drags out the higher the chance of something larger developing.
Alright, Canada: "A Canadian warship passed through the Taiwan Strait in what Ottawa called a commitment to an open Indo-Pacific, drawing a rebuke from China that the naval exercise on July 31 undermined peace."
Feeding the phalanx: "The Army tested artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for the first time at an annual experimentation to understand unknown signals on the battlefield." The phalanx.
Completely different than supplying Ukraine: "The U.S. will purchase approximately $19.6 million worth of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors, or PAC-3 missiles, the Japanese Defense Ministry’s agency for acquisition, technology and logistics said in a Sunday news release."
Why "trust but verify" is not obsolete: "The Russian government sees NATO as a western plot to surround and
smother Russia. NATO members consider that delusional but for the
Russians such delusions are a way of life and part of their culture." With an emphasis on the latter, obviously.
Putin keeps digging in Ukraine: "Russia is weakening and rather obviously looking for a way out. Russian leader Vladimir Putin refuses, so far, to implement the simplest solution and withdraw all Russian forces from Ukraine, including Crimea and portions of those two eastern provinces." Leaving is the way out.
Via Instapundit, are we on the cusp of a private space station era as the ISS is looking at winding down? If so, why do we have to safely de-orbit ISS? Why can't we break it up for parts? Sure, SpaceX is reducing the cost of sending mass into orbit. But we have a lot of mass already there in ISS. Can't it be sold?
I'd rather have joint coast guard patrols: "U.S. and Philippine warships rendezvoused near a disputed South China Sea feature [Leslie Banks] to conduct a joint maritime patrol on Wednesday."
Because of Israel's experience, "the US is now set to enhance its Integrated Air and Missile Defense
(IAMD) systems by integrating AI technology for more advanced detection
of aerial threats." Is AI in detection enough or must AI pull the trigger, too? Then we're talking Rules Programs of Engagement.
So what's up? "U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has informed Israel about current and future changes to U.S. forces in the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Wednesday[.]"
China is working on joint navy-coast guard coordination: "The exercise demonstrated the PRC’s commitment to employing gray zone tactics, which involve coercive actions that remain below the threshold of armed conflict."
Russia's space program is declining to one that only lets them deny space to others.
FFS, why?? "The two illegal Jordanian migrants who are charged with trying to breach Marine Corps Base Quantico in May posted thousands of dollars in bail and were allowed to leave federal custody[.]" Unless we injected tracking devices into them, this is inconceivable. Tip to Instapundit.
Huh. Austin cancelled the plea deals with the Islamist terrorists recently announced. Not all of our government is willing to bend the knee.
What threat or bribe worked? "Russia was preparing to deliver missiles and other military equipment to the Houthi rebels in Yemen late last month but pulled back at the last minute amid a flurry of behind-the-scenes efforts by the United States and Saudi Arabia to stop it[.]"
This can't possibly be right. Right? "Britain’s nuclear submarine engineers use software that was designed in Russia and Belarus, in contravention of Ministry of Defence rules, The Telegraph can reveal." Oh, who am I kidding? A broader review is necessary to prevent self-targeting.
Undermining an ally. Tip to Instapundit.
Yeah: "But NATO’s message and Russia’s implicit code to China seem to indicate one thing: Beijing’s fence-sitting days are numbered, and it needs to choose a side. Unfortunately for Russia, China may be forced to pick the West." It could get much worse for Russia.
The enemy within. Tip to Instapundit.
I don't assume Israel killed the Hamas terror leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran via infiltration to plant a bomb. If I was Israel, I'd want Iran's leaders to get paranoid wondering who is planting bombs. That's more useful than Iran thinking a stealthy air attack popped Haniyeh with a small smart bomb.
The subliminal war on Woody Island: "China has opened a hardware store on a disputed South China Sea island, according to the local government, as Beijing ramps up efforts to expand civilian facilities and cement claims in the strategically important waterway." The store sells cement and air defense missiles.
Ukraine also claims to have knocked out four S-400 air defense systems there: "Ukraine's military says it attacked and destroyed a Russian submarine while it was anchored at a port in the occupied Crimean peninsula." This is barely newsworthy because it was destroyed with missiles and not suicide USVs.
I'm sure the Taliban consider it the tribute of the defeated: "The U.S. government has inadvertently sent at least $239 million to the Taliban in development assistance since 2021, according to a new report." Our government spends so much money that it didn't even notice as it shoveled it out the door. Via Instapundit.
So, apparently the U.S., Britain, and Russia have urged their citizens to get out of Lebanon.
Ukraine has used A-22 ultralight planes with sharpshooters to shoot down Russian drones. Wouldn't it be better to mount a forward-firing light machine gun on a small Yak-52 that has been used like the A-22? And eventually, fighter drones.
