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 First Precision Bombs Wreaked Havoc Early in World War II.
In case you missed it on Substack: Whither Super Carriers?
In case you missed it on Substack: China Can Lay More Keels. But Can They Launch Them?
In case you missed it on Substack: Victory ... From the Sea.
Huh: "Iran, China and Turkey have built aircraft carriers for drones that may herald a new era of naval combat." That's the question, eh? They may just be escort carriers (CVE) with better marketing.
Are Army ground combat vehicles on the chopping block?
Raw defense spending isn't the entire story.
Rankings of military power; and then a long digression about how Russians are bastards.
Describing the emerging "latticework" versus America-dominated "hub and spoke" defense network in the western Pacific, which I discussed here. America still connects the sub-alliances.
Could China conduct a cyber-Pearl Harbor that shuts down critical American infrastructure to cripple the American military response long enough for China to achieve its war objective? Beats me. Sounds scary. So far Russia has done far more damage to Ukraine with old-fashioned exploding weapons.
The Navy may want more than twelve new Columbia-class SSBNs for our sea-based nuclear deterrent. Given that only four are likely to be on station at any one time, more seems prudent. I've also wondered it we might produce four more to replace our aging SSGNs.
Can the basic M-1 platform evolve to be an effective tank into the 2050s?
Making Russia great again! "[An] extremely low standard of living in Russia’s notoriously impoverished regions, including the Far East. The situation is even worse in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine[.]"
Could Canada join the EU? Why wouldn't a fully imperial EU want to expand? And if Canadians continue undermining rule of law and individual liberty, they will fit right in.
Sh*t got real: "Beijing has threatened to punish countries that 'appease' Donald Trump in trade deals while hurting China’s interests."
I can never make up my mind about whether China lukewarmly backs Russia in its invasion of Ukraine to spark a U.S.-Russia war or to drive Russia into chaos to invade its Pacific Far East.
Is Egypt hosting Chinese fighters in an exercise to get China's help to stop Houthi attacks interfering with Egypt's Suez Canal revenue? Would that involve buying Chinese planes? But if this fails, does Egypt go to Plan B?
The Air Force proposes Oregon as a site for over-the-horizon radars to detect incoming missiles.
The Navy wants more storage space in the Philippines.
More on North American air defense initiatives.
It really isn't an expansion of military authority to arrest. It's a new location where existing authority can be used along the border with Mexico. Border security doesn't need "comprehensive" immigration reform.
Ukraine wants a lot of robots to make up for manpower shortages. But these small robots are suited to static warfare, really. World War I tanks had to be long to cross trenches. Better models and a lot more integration are needed to restore maneuver.
America must pivot to the Arctic! There's always a "bigger" threat than the current one that we should really be addressing.
Even 18 months after Hamas launched its rape and murder invasion of Israel, most Moslem countries decline the invitation to join the jihad against Israel. The Arab "street" just doesn't care much about the Palestinians. Be the strong horse.
Turkey turning against Israel is nothing new. If Trump is refusing to address this problem, you have to recall Obama welcomed the "tame" Islamist Erdogan. And ignore Trump denied Erdogan the F-35 for his sins.
African and Latin American governments are learning that China's investment smile hides sharp teeth.
Unless "Europe" wants another faux crisis to exploit, Europe should welcome a working Golden Dome in America: "An American missile defense makes the United States’ 'extended' nuclear deterrent more credible."
New Patriot missile LTAMDS radar goes into low-rate initial production.
The Army and foreign users like the massively updated Apache attack helicopter. Huh.
But can Israel and those clans actually leverage increased public anger at Hamas? "Currently Israel and the Palestinian clans agree that Hamas is a threat to everyone and must be destroyed."
There is no Russian empire in Africa rising. What you have is Russia stirring trouble in countries always one bad event away from chaos. Add in lack of Western interest to do much about it. Voila, "empire."
I think it is grossly wrong to claim that Trump is seeking to carve up the world with Russia and China for spheres of interest. But if I'm wrong and he does try to achieve spheres of influence, that effort will fail to protect American interests.
Trump ordered additional forces to the Middle East to seriously strike the Houthi. And informed Congress of his actions, declaring his letter "consistent with" the War Powers Resolution. No president admits he is subject to that probably unconstitutional act.
As long as military leaders in the field are following the commander's intent, I want them to take action without waiting for permission from the White House. Just defend them if they make an honest mistake.
Can Lockheed Martin salvage 6th-generation technology from their losing bid for the next fighter by applying it to the F-22 and F-35? I own a small amount of its stock.
The Pentagon wants cargo spaceships? It's insane. And the insanity has backers who think bigger.
The Phantom Fleet command ship makes a port call in Libya--a first in half a century.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent America a FLASH OVERRIDE warning. Finally, the Army gets a new 155mm shell production facility.
NATO draws a line under the Baltic Sea.
Russia is scraping the bottom of the manpower barrel. Also: "About 40 percent of Russian casualties died compared to only 20 percent of Ukrainian casualties because the Russians in this war often get no battlefield medical treatment whatsoever." Or Putin could draft Moscow and St. Petersburg men. LOL.
CRS report to Congress on Yemen and the Red Sea fight.
Canada's election campaign still essentially assumes America will defend Canada.
Europe should not try to solve its defense worries by trying to replace the long-developed NATO role in securing Europe. Amen to that.
Allah works in mysterious predictable ways: "Multiple casualties are feared after assailants indiscriminately fired at tourists visiting a beauty spot in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said." Via PJ Media.
Germany, France, and the UK demand access to Gaza in order to return Israeli hostages to their families. Just kidding! They actually demanded access to provide Hamas with logistics support humanitarian aid.
America will get B-21 stealth bombers. I assume most won't be for the nuclear mission. On that, in the age of missiles I sometimes wonder if the only nukes we are reasonably confident will detonate are gravity bombs or those on slower cruise missiles. Just thinking out loud, here.
Can Trump's art of the deal get a good nuke deal? My old post on that original diplomatic disaster telegraphed the new talks, eh? We couldn't be that stupid again, could we?
China can't afford a long disruption of their exports. Fingers crossed.
Sh*t got real: India's initial response to the Pakistani-backed terrorist attack was to stop Indus River water from entering Pakistan and expel Pakistani nationals. These are both nuclear-armed states. After the Mumbai terror attack, I worried about war, too. But the jihadis' real target was actually Pakistan.
The Philippines is getting the second of three Brahmos high-speed anti-ship missile batteries purchased from India. Enjoy sailing close to the Philippines while you can.
Trump is finally pushing Europe to take charge of its defense? Please, it's the latest excuse to give the EU more power.
Britain has gotten the first prototypes of the Challenger 3 tank. Don't get too excited. Britain plans to build 148 of them.
The U.S. is applying more pressure to Iran's oil smuggling network.
France practiced deploying nuclear-capable Rafale fighters to Sweden. Medvedev was unavailable for comment.
Australia has its first enlisted personnel trained on crewing a SSN.
No justice, no peace: "A Salafi-jihadi group ideologically close to the Islamic State (IS) is conducting extrajudicial killings against Syrians perceived to be tied to the now-deposed Bashar al Assad regime." Jihadi victory was not the end to the Syria multi-war.
American F-16s exercised in the Philippines.
Jihadis kill 54 soldiers to punish Benin for overthrowing Saddam. Oh, wait. That was always a BS explanation for why jihadis hate us.
U.S. frustration with Canada centers on Canada's willful ... usefulness ... to China. It is more than just stinking militarily on ice.
Building Ukraine's air defenses.
Russia's struggle to maintain its artillery advantage.
Ending business-as-usual in the Pentagon.
I don't like early descriptions of Trump's plan for "peace" that recognize almost all Russian conquests. Assuming the reports are accurate, it is just a period for Putin to reload. Unless this is part of a Big Flip, good grief.
Jordan faces threats from the Islamic Brotherhood and even the PA thinks Hamas has gone too far.
Xi Jinping doesn't seem like he is in full control of his CCP Game of Thrones. Is Xi blocking aggressive subordinates or are subordinates restraining Xi's aggressive objectives?
Building a "reassurance" force of European troops in Ukraine. Good luck with reassuring Ukraine with a too-small force, too far back, and too constrained in rules of engagement. I imagine America would provide a "backstop" with key capabilities based on NATO territory.
Breathe, people. You're embarrassing yourselves.
U.S. says Iran must give up enrichment capability in any nuclear deal.
The U.S. is offering a big arms deal for Saudi Arabia, in bid to blunt China's influence--as the Saudis no doubt intended. Any yeah, the Saudis don't need F-35s to fight Iran.
Given that Russia should not have invaded and taken any Ukrainian territory, Trump is wrong to say Russia gives a concession by not taking all of Ukraine. I still think selling Crimea could be an option. Otherwise, recognize no losses of territory.
This is not shocking. Another reason reserve combat units should be a strategic reserve (in Army magazine) rather than an operational reserve, which I've long opposed.
From the "Well, Duh" files: "There are several areas where greater alignment between U.S. and NATO maritime forces could enhance warfighting readiness and crisis response." No less true, of course.
The Marines are working on autonomous USVs for logistics. Not exactly a vote of confidence in the Navy's ability to sustain Marine anti-ship outposts.
Still, add contested deployment and logistics: "Despite the passage of twenty-five years, the scope of the Desert Shield deployment offers lessons for today’s Army in the event of large-scale combat operations across its components[.]"
Iraq is responding to American pressure to reduce reliance on Iranian energy imports: "Iraq’s strategy seeks energy independence while navigating U.S.-Iran tensions, sanctions risks, and internal corruption."
I've long said Hamas could surrender to save the Gaza civilians Hamas hides behind. Gazans, reflecting broader rejection by the Arab Street, are increasingly protesting Hamas. Hopefully this is a joint Israel-Gaza clan effort.
Could China exploit this to invade? "Taiwan is facing growing political discord and uncertainty amid high-profile quarrels between the two most prominent political parties." Or would Taiwanese unite to fight the foreign threat?
The Baltic States cut off their reliance on Russian electricity to prepare to fight a Russian invasion. Good. Now convert their railroad gauges from the Russian type to the Western type.
The drone counter-measures race that Ukraine so far dominates--including fighter drones. As the prophecy foretold.
Building Constellation. But it has problems. And at 7,300 tons it is really a Burke Lite--and Burke is a capital ship!--rather than a true frigate to provide fleet numbers.
The European Union is concerned about Russian "hybrid" warfare. I'm calling BS on that. Oh, Russia is definitely attacking Europeans. But the EU only wants to exploit that problem to gain more power.
Teen in France who admires Hitler kills a student in school. Is this mental illness or hate from the right? Ddoes the lack of details on the killer mean this is an Islamist killer? I wish I could fully trust the news.
Keep Out: "The planned construction of the defence line along the eastern border Latvia shares with Russia and Belarus, set for completion by 2028, is progressing well[.]"
Huh: "Unknown actors assassinated the deputy head of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, in Balashikha, Moscow Oblast, on April 25."
Former Secretary of State Kerry got upset when it was pointed out Russia took Crimea on his watch. It's so much worse than that description.
Ukraine's Shaman commando force.
It is interesting to note this assessment regarding Red Sea operations that "the emergence of the European Union (EU) as a security actor in the maritime domain has weakened the U.S. grip on NATO’s naval strategy." Weakening that grip in general is the purpose of EU moves to be a security actor.
A missile-armed autonomous USV. The US company has essentially made a tiny LCS. Hopefully one that works.
China claims it has "implemented maritime control" over Tiexian Reef, implying that naval forces of some sort now interdict Philippine access to their South China Sea territory there.
Hmmm: "A massive explosion and fire rocked a port Saturday in southern Iran purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant, killing 25 people and injuring around 800 others."
Huh: "The secretive Russian satellite in space that U.S. officials believe is connected to a nuclear anti-satellite weapon program has appeared to be spinning uncontrollably[.]"
That's the risk of actually using your newest weapon in a small conflict. Could we bomb the intact StormBreaker? Or is it a fake, less-capable weapon intended to deceive enemies? Dunno.
