I post at The Dignified Rant: Evolved on Substack. Help me out by subscribing and by liking and sharing posts. I also post here on TDR seven days a week, including Weekend Data Dump and Winter War of 2022. I occasionally post short data dump-type items on my Substack "Notes" section.
In case you missed it on Substack: The Army's Multi-Domain Task Force
In case you missed it on Substack: Will Russia Reconstitute Its Strategic Myopia?
In case you missed it on Substack: The Charge of the CCP Brigade
In case you missed it on Substack: Drones Are Cheap Wonder Weapons
Say what you will about what I write, but I'm amazingly consistent across administrations, eh? You may enjoy agreeing with what you read. But isn't it good to know I don't blow with the prevailing winds?
Putin doesn't want peace in Ukraine, notwithstanding Russia's unpopularity: "Except for Crimea, no other former part of the Soviet Union wants to rejoin the Union." Putin will keep killing until he can't. Russians need a good whack with the Clue Bat.
Russia is building the infrastructure to mass produce aerial drones.
It was thrilling and sad to see the Hong Kong democracy protesters before China unleashed Covid on the world. The biggest pro-democracy party is disbanding under pressure of the CCP boot. Hong Kong will have to wait for the next collapse of the Chinese Empire.
I'd show more concern for American information operations reductions if so much of what we had seemed to enrich Americans at home who don't seem to like America much while undermining America's enduring values messaging abroad.
Good: "A new report by Taiwan’s government pledges to refocus military training
on realistic threat scenarios, as the island nation contends with fresh
Chinese saber-rattling close to home." I worry that Taiwanese troops would be shaky if the PLA gets ashore in force.
Good: "Dutch F-35 stealth fighters have, for the first time in Europe, used a data exchange system to transmit targeting coordinates to rocket artillery." Options expand when sensors and shooters are separate.
America is testing small USVs in the Red Sea. One worry is preventing enemies from seizing them. I'd say have self-destruct devices, but then enemies will send little kids to board them first.
Yeah: "the public image of the PT boat speeding along, dodging enemy shellfire to sink an enemy warship several times its size, was, in fact, the exception to the rule." The modern successor, the USV, rides on that image.
Would Israel decide it needs some more aerial refueling capacity?
Europeans pledge more military aid for Ukraine.
Parachuting into water on purpose.
"A military where officers feel free to undermine their chain of command is not a military[.]" Ultimately, "There are worse things than having a lousy commander-in-chief. Like having an officer corps that feels free to advocate its own policies against the will of civilian leadership." Tip to Instapundit.
Russia's imperial mindset hasn't changed. The same can be said of the EU and its crisis du jour. And there's another empire wannabe.
German Leopard II tanks in Ukrainian service have proven to be overly complex (shades of World War II), vulnerable to top attack (as are all tanks), and too few (a common European problem).
If Ukraine is lucky, Europeans provide Ukraine with more aid than Europe provides Russia via energy purchases even three years after Russia invaded Ukraine. FFS.
To be fair, Leftists can only torch Teslas here on the ground.
The Bradley can launch from its TOW launcher small drones for "surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and signal relay missions, and as a kamikaze drone[.]"
Abandoning NATO: "Several thousand U.S. soldiers are headed to Europe for large-scale combat drills that will stretch from the Arctic to the Mediterranean region[.]"
"The Navy’s forward-deployed European and African sea base is back in the U.S. after almost five years and set for a maintenance period[.]" The base does the job I had wanted The AFRICOM Queen to do.
The Army wants to dramatically and quickly upgrade the Abrams tank to the M1E3.
Gulp: "The navy has long had a growing problem with developing new ships and technology and the Ford is the worst example to date." I had thoughts on Ford's usefulness in the emerging networked world when it was still a blueprint. Also, "to date". Constellation has ambitions.
Trump is "ending US involvement in international organizations seeking to impose senseless carbon-based restrictions." Tip to Instapundit.
The Army is getting land along the Mexico border for a base--that it can protect even from illegal immigrants. Tip to Instapundit.
Via Instapundit, China experts seem to like China more than America. I've long complained that "understanding" an enemy too often slides into siding with that enemy.
Propping up a barely concealed jihadi government in Syria that doesn't control more than the western core--minus the coast, increasingly--is insane. Don't trust "tame" jihadis. And don't try to put Humpty Dumpty together again under their tender mercies.
Is civil war coming to Europe? Probably But please define. Will governments side with Islamists against indigenous people? Will it be an Islamist insurrection? Will it be the EU versus still-functioning nations?
Defeat Hezbollah (and Hamas) by defeating their financing. Better late than never.
It may seem odd that Europe is reaching out to China to counter America until you realize "Europe" hates America much more than China.
This article on North Korean-Russian arms and technology exchanges is great in putting everything together, but nothing seems new. What I'd like to know is whether the closer ties will be turned against China.
Deconflicting commercial airline and commercial space launch traffic. Tip to Instapundit.
Why Afghanistan can't have nice things.
"Russia continues to have problems with local or foreign hackers committing major crimes."
The MLRS can now fire 240 miles with the Precision Strike Missile.
The U.S. is reviewing the need for its bases in Europe. We need them to reach our enemies, too.
Uh oh: "Taiwan’s military remains a profoundly unserious organization. It is not ready to wage war. And the Taiwanese people know it." Willingness to fight when the going gets tough has long been my worry.
How Israel has won. Well, setting their objective as defeating the enemy on the battlefield rather than on formulating an "exit strategy" is probably explanation enough. But sure, call it "tenacity."
Commanding and controlling in large-scale combat operations.
India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan were unavailable for comment: "Taiwan absorbs Chinese power of persuasion and coercion that won’t be directed elsewhere while the island remains free."
Former Soviet republics in Central Asia don't side with Ukraine and buy into Moscow's spin that Russia is needed to counter the West. I imagine they also want to balance China which is making inroads. Note too that Russia has "accommodated" China's rising influence. Winning!
My first impression is that if Australia buys B-2 bombers it won't have money for any other military assets.
Israel has no deadline for removing its troops from Gaza, Lebanon, or Syria.
The U.S. rotated a small number of B-1 bombers into Japan for a while.
Well sure, the B-2s are saving the MOPs for Iran.
Europe increases its military aid to Ukraine. But Europeans are slow to build up their defense industry. Would Europeans buy American weapons for Ukraine?
China's defense budget is much larger than you think it is. This has long been true. It has also long been true that China is much closer to the war should they start it. Tip to Instapundit.
Turkey ethnically and religiously cleanses the portion of Cyprus it captured over fifty years ago.
Europe seeks influence in Central Asia.
Russia threatens Poland and the Baltic States. Bold poo to fling when Russia is embarrassing itself in Ukraine.
The U.S. will withdraw half of its 2,000 troops in Syria. The number is so low that a thousand could easily rotate in for specific missions. Also, Europe?
Huh: "Yemeni militias are planning a ground offensive against the Houthis in an attempt to take advantage of a U.S. bombing campaign[.]" Like I said.
Space launch based on decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBM.
Defining the scope of Golden Dome. Critical military, defense industry, and logistics infrastructure are priorities. But if Israel's experience with Iron Dome is any indicator, pressure to protect civilians will expand the original scope. And cost.
Is the Trump effort to split Russia from China futile and based on misconceptions about the strength of the 2001 treaty of friendship between the two? I think that treaty is Russian appeasement of China. And I think there are territorial fissures to split open. But sure, Russia could keep being stupid.
I'm just happy Space Force doesn't see itself as a uniformed NASA. Tip to Instapundit.
A German-Italian consortium will offer submarines to the Philippines.
Can Turkey get back into the F-35 program? Well, this was always an Erdogan problem and not a S-400 problem.
Could containerized missiles fill gaps in Australia's strike and air defense capabilities? Every day more systems are developed that are appropriate for my old Modularized Auxiliary Cruiser concept.
You're damn right it was the Wuhan Flu! Tip to Instapundit.
Strengthening the Panama-United States security relationship.
Sh*t got real: U.S. destroys key Houthi oil terminal.
Can "Europe" prevent another Ethiopia-Eritrea war? LOL. The EU only wants the power to negotiate a deal. A war is ideal from that perspective.
Friggin' air-to-air lasers on drones.
A containerized 40mm last-ditch air defense gun. Another system appropriate for my old Modularized Auxiliary Cruiser concept.
Win a short war against China or lose a long war? Nice work if you can get it. Accepting that logic requires America to launch a first strike. Even if we reject that, China will assume we embrace it. Having fun yet?
Say, maybe Taiwan would like American nuclear missiles: "A Chinese government-linked satellite company provided intelligence to the Houthis, according to US officials[.]"
Huh: "People’s Republic of China (PRC) military officers have visited Russian-held territory in Ukraine and toured the frontlines [to learn lessons from the war.]" Or ... to judge how bad Russia's troops are now. Just saying.
Iran's proxy on the Red Sea, the Houthi.
Should the Philippines buy American military power by granting America natural resource concessions in the South China Sea? Hmmm. Chinese power enough to chase of the Philippines would face a harder task against America.
Aiding Ukraine costs America money. But how do you value what America is learning about how its weapons function in combat against Russian weapons? And that's on top of the value of blunting Russia's threat to Europe.
"China is upset over how neighboring North Korea has turned to Russia as an ally and now ignores traditional patron China." How far will that new relationship go?
Japan has a turret-mounted electromagnetic rail gun on its test ship JS Asuka. If it can be made workable, I think it will provide networked mass fires at sea.
NATO beefs up its ability to control the Baltic Sea.
Trump could recognize Russian control of Crimea if it is part of ending the Winter War of 2022. There are ways this could benefit Ukraine if structured right.
Can the democratic resistance repel the pro-Russia governing party's growing repression?
Pentagon statement on reducing troops in Syria while continuing to fight Islamist terrorists.
Sure, Central Asia is on Putin's Reclaim the Soviet Empire tour. But re-conquering it seems out of reach. And if Russia does turn on Central Asia, it exposes the lie of the NATO threat poised to invade Russia.
Is it really military reform? "[China's] latest reform included three parts: eliminating the Strategic Support Force (SSF), establishing a new Information Support Force (ISF) responsible for network defense and communications support, and placing the ISF and three other support forces under Xi’s direct control."
That's bad: "Iran proposed a three-stage nuclear deal proposal that caps Iranian uranium enrichment but would leave the necessary infrastructure in place to enable Iran to rapidly rebuild its nuclear program if the deal collapsed." It exploits a red herring using purchased nukes to defend rapid nuclear expansion.
Can any of the North Koreans sent to Russia go home again? I've long believed seeing the outside world "contaminated" them too much to risk "infecting" people in Kim's paradise.
Eric's defense of the Iraq War cited one of my Substack posts, so I'll link my Substack note linking his recent update citing one of my posts.
It's a shame we can't salvage the mass of the ISS sent into orbit at great cost. But it's a multinational orbiting wreck figuratively up on cinder blocks. Tip to Instapundit.
Israel launched more air strikes against jihadis in Gaza. If Hamas fighters won't surrender, they have to be killed. Arguing otherwise is supporting a Hamas victory.
