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: War is Hell and Hellishly Long
In case you missed it on Substack: Who is China Keeping Busy?
In case you missed it on Substack: America in Strategic Overwatch
In case you missed it on Substack: The Marine Corps Should Be the Marine Corps
Data flow is the biggest challenge for Golden Dome. Also, what is its scope? North America or the globe? Tip to Instapundit.
Pentagon signs largest deal thus far for AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.
GAO: "The U.S. defense industrial base and all branches of the U.S. military depend heavily on materials produced by China to make and use critical weapon systems, creating national security risks[.]"
Standing Maritime Group 1: "NATO has deployed a maritime task group made up of Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, and German vessels to boost its maritime presence in the Arctic and High North."
I concluded this early on: "The 2020 House Intelligence Committee report had concluded that Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s 'principal motivations in these operations were to undermine faith in the US democratic process' and that he didn’t necessarily prioritize propping up one candidate over the other."
China needs Iranian oil: "Last month Iran received Chinese HQ9B air defense systems. These restored the Iranian losses to recent Israeli airstrikes that wiped out most of their air defenses."
Hmmm: "Ukrainian robotic vehicles induced several Russian soldiers to surrender without any Ukrainian troops present." In 1991, Iraqi troops tried to surrender to an American UAV. Ukrainian drones should drop "surrender kits" to Russians trying to infiltrate Ukraine's thin front line.
Is the Left-Islamist alliance in Britain going to collapse? Being "goodlife" only makes the Left a later Islamist target for killing. But I'm skeptical the Left will recoil from their suicidal path.
The Brazilian supreme court has turned into a dictatorial committee to sustain the elites.
The Army needs the AbramsX? But that vehicle is not a prototype--it's a demonstration model of various technologies that could be used to update the Abrams.
I remain conflicted about whether crappy looking ships reflect poor capabilities or whether hull rust is separate from readiness to fight.
So no air defense system wouldn't have a worse health and housing market effect on Guam? FFS.
Killing hypersonic missiles is fun and easy.
Ukraine is increasingly using drones to destroy incoming attacking drones. All is proceeding according to the prophecy.
Recruiting: "A disproportionate number of recruits come from the southern and Rocky Mountain states. The northeast, upper Midwest, and west coast are much more difficult to recruit from and the recruits are not as good because of less education, overweight, and bad attitudes."
Maybe: "The United States has finally caught on to need to stockpile and train troops to use drones. The appearance of drone warfare in Ukraine was one of those infrequent revolutions in how wars are fought using new weapons and tactics." Or perhaps an evolution.
Israel is poised to fully occupy Gaza. Are Gazans exhausted and bloodied enough from serving as Hamas human shields to turn against Hamas when Israeli troops are around?
I'm not against exploiting drones. But the drone capabilities described to restore movement to the battlefield are not unique to drones. I'd rather focus on providing the capabilities regardless of whether they are drones. Let's not get fixated on a particular weapon round of ammunition at this moment in time.
More Patriots battalions plus some for Guam's defensive suite.
Hmmm. Has China pushed AI because it counted on it to overcome problems teaching the PLA to fight jointly?
The U.S. Army tested the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile with a Multi-Domain Task Force in Australia. It is intended to kill Chinese A2/AD assets.
Australia will base its next primary surface warship on Japan's Mogami-class frigate.
Was China premature in cutting us off? "The US is scrambling to get hold of the rare earth metals needed to make weapons after China slashed its supply to American defence firms."
Huh: "Ukraine said that it stole troves of classified information on Russia's newest nuclear missile submarine during a recent operation, including data that points to the vessel's vulnerabilities." Those SSBNs are vital to Russia.
Iran has plenty of nuclear scientists ... so far.
I thought Brexit was a huge deal for Britain to escape continental EU autocracy. I've worried the empire might come back. I failed to appreciate just how much Britain's own elites internalized the continental autocratic impulse. How do the British exit from that? And again, Vance was so off base, eh?
Ukraine's new "Mongoose interceptor drone has a jet engine and an automatic homing system, which allows the drone to approach an enemy drone, fire a projectile into a drone’s engine or propeller, and then continue its mission or return for refueling." As the prophecy foretold.
The Army is planning to release its air and missile defense strategy in October.
Stop panicking. Canceling U.S. participation a long-planned defense forum in Australia has nothing to do with downgrading American-Australian defense ties. Things will be fine. It isn't canceled--it's postponed.
The Army gets closer to having autonomous mobile rocket launchers. Huh.
I've noted this before, but dummy assets are another practice to reduce the effectiveness of persistent battlefield surveillance.
I respect the admiral's writing. But he really needs to get a grip. I seriously doubt any subs changed planned movements. And maybe Putin learned that waving his nukes around isn't cost free.
A man hides behind his military record to spread Hamas propaganda. Yes, every bit of suffering in Gaza is the fault of Hamas, which hides behind human shields. Aguilar is just "goodlife", really.
The private security industry for Brazil's top 1%. "The Brazilian armed forces are, by Latin American standards, well trained and equipped." Spending just 1.1% of GDP on defense makes sense for the giant of South America with no real military threat to it. And corruption would lose a lot of it anyway.
Who actually hates Gazans? "Peace talks between Israel and Islamic terrorist group Hamas continue to not happen. Hamas has been interfering with Israeli and foreign efforts to deliver food in Gaza, plus the UN claims the sole right to distribute it but won’t actually do that. So the food just sits there in piles."
Eighty years ago, using nukes on Japan saved a lot of lives--Americans, Japanese, and others who would have died with a war dragging on with fighting and blockades. But then America had a monopoly--and no more ready to go--so escalation to general nuclear war was not a threat. Today the threat is real.
Sounds like an aerial helicopter insertion followed by a Thunder Run back to friendly lines on foot: "Ukrainian special forces on Tuesday claimed to have killed more than 330 Russian troops in a dawn raid behind enemy lines."
Communist Cuba is poor. But don't imagine that the elites don't have the money.
Ethiopia refused to lease civilian passenger planes to Russia.
Will the U.S. halve its planned F-35 fighter buy to pursue the F-47 6th generation fighter? It seems like the F-35 is a good plane that pilots like. Are we judging the existing F-35 against the idealized future F-47 wonder plane? I'm skeptical.
Egypt didn't let Gazan refugees into Egypt through their border; let Hamas smuggle across that border; and didn't even want Gaza back when it had the chance. So they can shove their criticisms of the West over Gaza.
North Korea lost 4,000 KIA of their initial 12,000 contingent sent to fight for Russia. North Korea will send 30,000 more, including support troops. Their troops are expected to fight inside Ukraine. Russia is paying with nuclear weapons technology.
How the U.S.-India trade deal unexpectedly collapsed. For now, I assume.
An overdue refusal to fling panties at drones. They aren't a silver bullet. But they can be part of a complete breakfast.
CSIS on Midnight Hammer: "We determined that the U.S. and Israeli strikes inflicted significant damage on Iran’s nuclear program by destroying key infrastructure and human capital."
Oh? "'As two tigers are fighting ferociously in the valley, a sage monkey is sitting on top of the mountain, looking down and waiting to see how it will end.' Beijing sees itself as the wise monkey, waiting patiently as Moscow and Washington erode their respective combat arsenals." Not quite. China's happy with Putin?
Forty years of the military embracing joint warfare hasn't worked. Egad. Yet we've trained flag and general officers in jointness to the point of not being proficient in their home service? While top leadership must integrate services, synergy comes from each service winning their domain in a joint effort.
An articulated Hellfire warhead. Interesting evolution of precision. Although I suppose top-attack ATGM warheads were the first stab at that.
Hmmm: "The US Army is working on a new space policy to serve as the “umbrella” for a new Army space strategy and doctrine, as well as the foundation for future requirements and acquisitions[.]"
What's the true size of Russia's nuclear force? Hell, what's the true state of that force?
Can Lebanon disarm Hezbollah and end its state-within-a-state status?
Honored to be part of the Hamas propaganda war. Tip to Instapundit.
National defense: "Canadian defense officials have strongly made the case that Ottawa should stick to a plan to buy 88 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets rather than splitting the order[.]"
The Russians are learning to use their drones: "Russian UAV adaptations are likely achieving some effects of battlefield air interdiction (BAI): The use of airpower to strike targets in the near rear of the frontline to impact battlefield operations in the near term." It's an anti-access/area denial system behind enemy lines.
The British collaborator. You thought I was joking that Starmer bends the knee to the Cheese Throne?
WTAF?! "A string of previously undisclosed break-ins at Tennessee National Guard armories last fall marks the latest in a growing series of security breaches at military facilities across the United States, raising fresh concerns about the vulnerability of US armories to theft and intrusion."
Violence continues in Mali with Russia replacing France as the major foreign force.
We still fund that murder??!! "Earlier this year the United States threatened to halt $336 million is aid to the Palestinian Authority/PA if the Palestinians did not halt their Pay for Slay program."
Big, if true. It's basically ratifying Azerbaijan's battlefield victory and hoping Armenia can hold what it still has. Tip to Instapundit.
No! Way! I continue to hold the unfashionable opinion that dead jihadis have a zero recidivism rate. Tip to Instapundit.
India has "paused" arms purchases from America after America imposed high tariffs on Indian exports because India purchases Russian oil, helping Russia fund its invasion of Ukraine. Other security ties remain unaffected.
The China-backed government of Myanmar is losing the civil war. Nothing much seems to change, really: "Myanmar has been mired in chaos for centuries and is considered a failed state."
The European Union is no super power. Well, sure. But the proto-imperial EU will be satisfied to eliminate the annoying prefix and rule Europe. All it needs is authority. Anything beyond that horizon is bonus territory. Does Trump loathe the EU? Everyone should.
Oh? "China is believed to have developed a plan to eliminate or greatly reduce Western interests in the Middle East and allow China to step in as the new foreign influence." A plan? LOL. Have fun storming the castle!
Hamas goes to Plan B: "Having unleashed a genocidal terrorist attack on Israel two years ago, and still holding Israeli hostages, Hamas is now doing the same to Gaza." Hamas is responsible for Gazan deaths and suffering.
If true, don't save them to "achieve" a deal: "Iran’s government is in big trouble."
Small drones are useful in land warfare. But don't fling panties at them.
Via Instapundit, Japan is embracing peace through military strength. Discussing even nukes is no longer forbidden. Bravo, China.
The M1E3 tank will be "under 60 tons so the tank can use more bridges. E3 has a modular design making it easier to replace broken components or install upgraded or new components. E3 has an improved fire control system, upgraded sensors and upgraded protection." South Korea is going to a 130mm gun.
