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: Don't Worry. Be the Worry
In case you missed it on Substack: Navy in a Box
In case you missed it on Substack: Is Ukraine Proving Tanks are Less Important?
In case you missed it on Substack: War Plan Orange 2.0
The VP confirmed "the Trump Administration's consistent position that the United States will no longer directly fund the Ukrainian military effort, but that Europe can continue to buy weapons from US manufacturers for Ukraine and Europe's own defensive needs." Note the "directly" modifier.
Good: "The Navy plans to build a new dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard that can accommodate its largest aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines into the 22nd century."
This isn't the first time Western leaders have believed giving territory to Jew-hating monsters will provide peace for our time: "Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday that his country will recognize a Palestinian state in September, joining a growing list of Western allies ... "
Unlike the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, the Chinese have ships to spare: "A China Coast Guard vessel was chasing a Philippine ship when it hit one of Beijing's destroyers."
Massing four carriers is a photo-op and not a demonstration of Distributed Maritime Operations.
Subliminal offensive: "A flotilla of three Chinese cutters was spotted near the waters of Manila’s northernmost island chain, prompting the Philippine Coast Guard to track their movements in the Luzon Strait. "
Via Instapundit, how humanitarian aid feeds war. Add that to the Well, Duh files.
As long as humans fly them, that should be our advantage: "China has a lot of impressive new warplanes entering service. The men, and a few women, who pilot these aircraft are a problem."
Good: "The United States is restoring a World War II-era airfield on Tinian, a tiny, strategically important Pacific island in its territory in the Northern Mariana Islands[.]" I've mentioned this before. So take your time, eh?
The U.S. nuclear deterrent isn't vulnerable to a command-and-control decapitation strike.
One aspect of North Korea's decision to send troops to fight for Putin is that they are trusted, quality light infantry. I had assumed North Korea would send ill-trained cannon fodder he'd be happy to see die in the war in exchange for Russian payment.
Was Iran too focused on nuclear warhead production to appreciate all that they need for a nuclear deterrent? Interesting question if Iran wants a nuclear deterrent and not simply enough nuclear warheads to detonate one in Tel Aviv.
Trump ordered the National Guard to Washington, D.C. to free up police to control crime: "Between 100-200 soldiers at any given time will be supporting law enforcement with administrative tasks, logistics and physical presence, according to the Army." Will this last longer than 30 days?
Supply UGVs seem like they have real potential.
Is Guam too crowded for Singapore to train on? "The Department of the Air Force has scrapped a plan to base a dozen Singapore air force F-15SG Eagle fighters on Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, according to a recent decision."
Interesting: "some American special operations forces (SOF) will begin fielding new wearable tech designed to keep a real-time eye on their vitals as well as integrate with systems designed to warn command posts should the operator be exposed to dangerous gases or chemicals[.]"
The president of the Philippines said his country would be dragged "kicking and screaming" into any war over Taiwan because of proximity and Filipinos working in Taiwan. America needs the proximity.
Wargaming in the military. For learning or validating what you want? To be fair, if memory serves me, one major wargame intended to test command, control, and logistics was hijacked into an OPFOR-style ambush.
The Army observes how Russia fights a war. Good timing for that group. I've mentioned their recent report to comment on the risk of long wars. But I have not yet actually read it. Bad TDR.
There has been a lot of commentary on the Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin. I have no idea what to expect so won't speculate. And the summit will be over by the time this publishes. So what would be the point?
The Iranians think they get the bad end of security deals with Russia.
Getting fired from Navy command. Long and way outside my lanes. But you may find it interesting.
Small fighter drones join the Navy. As foretold by the prophecy. I mentioned the new systems but doubt they provide enough volume.
Did America hand China the tools to dominate Artificial Intelligence? Sometimes I wonder if we are just trying to lure China down a technology dead end. AI has uses for speeding processes, but I'm not ready to fling panties at AI.
Huh: "Russian officials are sounding increasingly alarmed and even paranoid in their public statements about the future of their country. ... Lavrov claimed in September of last year that Western governments have assembled a coalition of at least fifty countries in order to dismember Russia." It's self-inflicted.
Hi! "Three U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers arrived in Norway on Aug. 9, 2025, to begin Ally-led training operations as part of the latest Bomber Task Force Europe 25-4B." While Putin is in Alaska he'll be thinking about the Kola Peninsula.
Via Instapundit, one reason I don't fret about civil war today is that I'm old enough to remember leftist violence in the 1970s. Social media fanatics may be annoying but they can't Tweet a bomb.
There is bipartisan support in Congress to keep the AUKUS pact.
A possible large German purchase of 30mm anti-aircraft guns for drone defense is reviving interest in the old air defense weapon. Precisely aimed auto-cannons are necessary if electronic warfare or microwave weapons can't put a bubble over targets.
The U.S. tested a small drone mounting a Claymore mine for anti-drone work. It could also strike ground targets. The article doesn't mention if the drone firing the Claymore survives firing.
Helicopters must be wary when near the front line because of the many threats to them. As I said, terrain is now "armor" for helicopters.
This is a training agreement and not an alliance: "A defense pact between Manila and Tokyo will go into effect next month, furthering a new phase of security cooperation aimed at enhancing military-to-military training on Philippine soil."
The European Union is a new Soviet Union. Preaching to the TDR choir, he is.
No self-respecting air force should have them: "Next month India will retire the last of its Russian-designed MiG-21 fighters."
The collateral damage of NGOs--many funded by America--keeps wars going. Development and social programs rather than food, medical care, and other aid to respond to a crisis led them astray.
Hopefully this sentiment exists in Russia, too--especially in leadership: "Most Ukrainians now favor ending the war with Russia through negotiations, as support for fighting until victory has dropped sharply since the early days of the conflict." But what price are Ukrainians willing to pay?
There is "famine" in Gaza because the UN-affiliated group that determines that loosened its definition. I always say to check the Definitions Section, don't I? Also, Hamas generates the data. And again, if Hamas didn't steal or stop humanitarian aid, the problem would be much less.
CRS report to Congress on hypersonic weapons.
The segregationist background of the Posse Comitatus Act. I don't think it taints it today. But it is humorous given who is insisting on interpreting its limits more broadly. But there are lawful roles. I had riot control training when I was in the Army National Guard.
Huh: "The United States is disputing China’s claim that it chased away an American warship conducting a freedom of navigation operation near Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday." Comrade Walter Mitty was clearly available for comment.
Can Space Force make part-time Guardians work in a weird blend of active component and reserve component? Do they get active or reservist benefits? I'm skeptical. And I think Space Force reservists should be in the Reserves and not National Guard.
South Korea is working on an air-launched ballistic missile.
When I read that basic training "stress cards" in the past are "a bit of a myth" I interpret that as "not a myth." Tell me that barracks lawyers didn't use "stress control cards" exactly like that. Close enough for government work, I say. Not saying this was broad. I suspect it happened and surely symbolized laxity.
It seems to me that the Early Bird Brief by Defense News is noticeably infected with left-wing bias. You really need to sift the chaff from the wheat. I use it and find it useful. But I don't know what happened to it. Is the sponsor Lockheed Martin cool with this? I hesitate to complain ... .
Should America use its military against the drug cartels? No. Cartel money and ruthlessness mean a cartel defense is corrupting or intimidating our military in a lengthy campaign. Our military must remain untainted to defeat foreign threats. The China/cartel drug threat is real. But find or make another tool.
Using AI for propaganda and disinformation purposes. You might want to be careful about obeying odd orders just because you recognize the voice of your commander who you've known since West Point. AI is being used to conduct cyber-war on us. Is it safe to unleash AI within our systems to defeat those attacks?
The Thailand-Cambodia border dispute and Thai internal fissures.
The Russian Mediterranean naval squadron was NATO target practice before Russia's Black Sea losses and the loss of naval facilities in Syria stretched it thin.
Can mercenaries defeat gangs and stabilize Haiti? "[Vectus Global has] reached a 10-year agreement with the Haitian government to fight the country's criminal gangs and set up a tax collection system." The UN has failed. Mercenaries could have a role. Fingers crossed. Depends on whether the media pounces.
From September 12-16, Russia and Belarus in "Zapad-2025, ... will simulate air defense and ground combat scenarios." The Anschluss continues. Which provides access for attacking NATO. Stay on alert in the Suwalki Corridor, eh? Ukraine should pay attention, too.
The notion that the U.S. military should have refused to follow lawful orders despite the orders being "credibly perceived as an ominous" act by one particular political faction is frightening. Shame on those authors.[LINK FIXED]
A big reason to stop throwing panties at small FPV drones: "Ukraine is still taking heavy casualties and slowly losing ground to Russian assaults despite being a world leader in developing, using and innovating with military UAS." Not a silver bullet.
National Guard troops are essentially manning guard posts in Washington, D.C.
Good: "The Space Force will assume control of all space missions currently handled by Air National Guard units by Oct. 1, a consolidation move that bypasses years of lobbying for a separate Space National Guard."
CRS: "The size and composition of U.S. naval forces reflect the position of the United States as a Western Hemisphere power with a traditional goal since the 1940s of preventing the emergence of regional hegemons (and otherwise defending and promoting U.S. interests) in Eurasia." Indeed.
Homeland defense: "The U.S. Army will soon assume a broader mission in defending the U.S. homeland, expanding from a focus on countering intercontinental ballistic missiles to address a much wider variety of threats, from drones to cruise missiles to hypersonic weapons[.]" CONUS is no longer a sanctuary.
The Marines are serious about being a third navy as they practice anti-submarine warfare with their Ospreys on a big-deck amphibious warship. It's an expeditionary strike group rather than an amphibious ready group.
Russia learns: "A surge in Russian use of ballistic missiles with enhanced maneuvering capabilities has cut into the effectiveness of Ukraine’s Patriot surface-to-air missile systems[.]"
This is disturbing: "Taiwan’s armed forces have developed a launch system for AGM-114 Hellfire missiles concealed inside what otherwise looks to be a civilian truck." The rules of war require making military forces distinct from civilians. China has an excuse to shoot up every civilian truck in a war.
The defense zone will be 30 miles deep: "Lithuania has announced that it is establishing a multi-layered defensive line composed in part of anti-tank obstacles, drainage ditches, minefields and more to fortify its borders." And man it. Latvia and Estonia should do the same or Lithuania's defenses will be outflanked.
The sainted international community only cares if it can blame Israel: "Over 150,000 African deaths are attributed to Islamic terrorist groups in the past ten years."
So near to China. So far from America: "Myanmar, a nation of 56 million people located in Southeast Asia between Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand, has got lots of problems."
China: If it can chase a ball and kick it, it can chase a dissident and kick it.
Anti-access/area denial isn't just for PLA missiles: "The United States is discussing the possible deployment of more missile launchers to the Philippines[.]"
I assumed we would if Europeans stepped up: "European leaders have praised President Donald Trump for agreeing to allow U.S. military support for a force they are mustering to police any future peace in Ukraine [.]" People panic too easily.
Hezbollah to Lebanon: Nice little state you've got there. It would be a shame if anything was to happen to it.
Europeans are supplying Ukraine with military aid. We need a way to get American stuff there in quantity through this or other innovative means that aren't "aid", as I noted in a Wednesday update in this post.
The Silent Eagle design led to the F-15EX. Ah. I had wondered if the F-15EX was just a rebranded F-15SE.
That was waaay outside the intelligence agencies lanes. We must clean that rot out.
I'm guessing those two words for DDG(X) will be "too expensive" if Navy warship design and construction history is a guide. Also, that's approaching battlecruiser tonnage. It's at least a heavy cruiser. Do ship classes mean nothing any more?
Enemies attack what they can: "A vast undersea infrastructure, spanning the world in the form of telecommunications cables and resource pipelines, for the most part lies unmonitored and unprotected on the ocean floor. Increasingly, these assets are coming under attack." Tip to Instapundit.
How will Putin's ability to wage war on Ukraine cope with heavy Russian casualties combined with the inability to fully control information about the war.
The "new pragmatism" of Syria's Islamist rulers "reshaping" Syria? Or ... the old Islamist lying to Infidels to defend your gains. And to be fair, the author recognizes the problem.
"'The world is deaf' — the life of Afghanistan’s forgotten women[.]" This never gets old:
Four years later, the defeat in Afghanistan still stings. And now the Taliban have a fellow jihadi government in Syria to keep them company. And parts of Britain, of course.
Israel is attacking Gaza City. Good luck.
Problems beneath the shiny hulls of China's new and expanding fleet. But is it still good enough for government party work?
With the backing of the West, Ukraine has the economic power to resist Russia. And Russia's population advantage is being put to the test by very heavy troop casualties. Maybe Russia is fine and can lose troops forever. Or maybe it will break suddenly. I don't think Ukraine is as vulnerable to this, but who knows?
