HG S2 (Intel Bot)

Some goob who I assume thinks he knows what he's talking about has decided, based on something he read in the Wall Street Journal, that the Medal of Honor has become "feminized". That's right - "feminized". We all know what that particular little code word means, don’t we? He couldn't just say, on the day Sal Giunta was awarded our nation's highest honor, "well done and well deserved". Oh, no. He had to make a point to try to cheapen the award by qualifying it somehow. Here's what he said: The Medal of Honor will be awarded this afternoon to Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta for his heroism in Afghanistan, and deservedly so. He took a bullet in his protective vest as he pulled one soldier to safety, and then rescued the sergeant who was walking point and had been taken captive by two Taliban, whom Sgt. Giunta shot to free his comrade-in-arms. This is just the eighth Medal of Honor awarded during our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Sgt. Giunta is the only one who lived long enough to receive his medal in person. But I have noticed a disturbing trend in the awarding of these medals, which few others seem to have recognized. We have feminized the Medal of Honor. According to Bill McGurn of the Wall Street Journal, every Medal of Honor awarded during these two conflicts has been awarded for saving life. Not one has been awarded for inflicting casualties on the enemy. Not one. Bullsquat you dope. Now being the nice fellow that I am and thinking this guy just isn't worth giving any visibility I decided to tactfully handle it locally. I.e. I'd leave a message on his blog demonstrating how out to lunch he (and apparently McGurn) were. Here's what I left: You are completely and utterly wrong as is McGurn. For instance – the first MOH in Iraq: Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on 4 April 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith’s extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division “Rock of the Marne,†and the United States Army. Don’t know about you, but the death of 50 enemy soldiers and the wounding of many more certainly speaks of “killing people and breaking things†so you can sleep safely at night. You ought to review Robert James Miller’s MOH as well. It was recently awarded. Instead of taking McGurn’s word for such things try reading the citations. The MOH is not something which has been “feminized†for heaven sake. Mission accomplished right. And while forceful, it was done nicely. When I left the blog at about 4:30 pm, my comment was "awaiting moderation". OK, cool. I've had my say and being the honest if mistaken guy that he is, he'll moderate it and post it. Wrong. It is now almost midnight. A comment that was entered after mine has been moderated and cleared. Mine? Still "awaiting moderation". Why? Because it completely destroys this yahoo’s premise, that's why. By the way have any of you ever read Audie Murphy's MOH citation? Take a look: Second Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy, 01692509, 15th Infantry, Army of the United States, on 26 January 1945, near Holtzwihr, France, commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Lieutenant Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him to his right one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. Lieutenant Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, Lieutenant Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer which was in danger of blowing up any instant and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to the German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate Lieutenant Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he personally killed or wounded about 50. Lieutenant Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective. So given this guy thinks we ought to put a skirt on Paul Ray Smith (because, you know, all the MOHs given in Iraq and Afghanistan have been feminized), tell me objectively what he did that was that much different than Audie Murphy did? Does Murphy deserve a skirt too? People like this guy simply burn me up. His claim is centered on the fact that most of those who’ve been awarded the MOH in the two wars were awarded the medal for “saving livesâ€, not “killing people and breaking thingsâ€. Tell it to the 50 hajis in the common grave SFC Smith put ‘em in, mister. Tell it to the 20 or so Taliban Robert James Miller sent to see Allah. He also objects to the MOH given to those who have fallen on hand grenades. Apparently the sacrifice of one’s life to save others doesn’t measure up in his book. And he apparently thinks that’s a fairly recent phenomenon. Well buy a clue, gomer – ever hear of Marine PFC Richard Anderson? Anderson fell on a grenade on Kwajalein in February of 1943. Yeah, a Marine – in WWII. And we all know they all wore skirts then, don’t we? There have been many, many others given since then for basically the same act. And this citation is sure to frost his cods: BARRETT, CARLTON W. Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France, 6 June 1944. Entered service at: Albany, N.Y. Birth: Fulton, N.Y. G.O. No.: 78, 2 October 1944. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, in the vicinity of St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France. On the morning of D-day Pvt. Barrett, landing in the face of extremely heavy enemy fire, was forced to wade ashore through neck-deep water. Disregarding the personal danger, he returned to the surf again and again to assist his floundering comrades and save them from drowning. Refusing to remain pinned down by the intense barrage of small-arms and mortar fire poured at the landing points, Pvt. Barrett, working with fierce determination, saved many lives by carrying casualties to an evacuation boat Iying offshore. In addition to his assigned mission as guide, he carried dispatches the length of the fire-swept beach; he assisted the wounded; he calmed the shocked; he arose as a leader in the stress of the occasion. His coolness and his dauntless daring courage while constantly risking his life during a period of many hours had an inestimable effect on his comrades and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army. Yeah, that's right Mr. "Feminized the MOH", the man was awarded the Medal of Honor and never killed a single Nazi. He saved countless lives and basically rose to the occasion, inspired those on the beach and all as a private soldier on D-Day. Why put a skirt on the bastard, right? Why do people who have absolutely no idea of what they’re talking about, obviously know nothing of the history of that on which they opine and frankly ought to keep their cake holes shut feel moved to write things like this? What was the point of this stupidity? Was it some attempt to support some off the wall notion that we’re feminizing society to the point we can’t function? Well keep your stupid social theories out of where they don’t belong. This is big boy territory. This is “for keeps†land. We don’t give MOHs to anyone but the bravest of the brave. And idiots who think the medal is being “feminized†need to do a bit of research before they go off half cocked and make freakin’ fools of themselves. And moderate my damn comment and post it – if you have an ounce of courage in your body. And yeah, I’m pissed off. View the full article

SSG Sal Giunta was awarded the Medal of Honor today. It has been since Vietnam that the medal has gone to a living recipient, and Sal Giunta was a perfect choice. He has been nothing but humble and self-effacing, pointing out that he was just one of many brave paratroopers that day. He is absolutely correct, but he is the one who charged the enemy and stopped them from capturing one of his compatriots. There was a reception held by the Bravo Bulls who represent the same company (Bravo/Battle) of the 2nd of the 503rd, 173rd Airborne since the Second World War. This unit has always been called on when we need to break glass in case of war and has always delivered. SSG Giunta is one of many who have made them one of the most decorated units in the war on terror. They held a punch bowl ceremony to honor those who had given their lives for the company and then turned things over to Sal. He spent about 90 seconds on a speech before asking his fellow paratroopers to do what they do best. I got to attend thanks to the TankerBabe and I was honored and humbled. Good people, great Americans and a brilliant reason to remember why we love this country. SSG Hijar, COL Bill Ostlund (Fmr CDR 2/503), SSG Giunta, The Tanker Babe View the full article

What is the view of the medium term future for the Navy? Join EagleOne and me on Sunday 14 NOV starting at 5pm EST as we discuss the way forward for the Navy in the coming decade with John Patch, CDR USN (Ret.), Associate Professor of Strategic Intelligence at the U.S. Army War College's Center for Strategic Leadership. We will touch on Counter-piracy vs. Antipiracy, the relevance of the Carrier, the Littoral Combat Ship, Naval Surface Fire Support, the relevance of Amphibious capability, and other topics that may come up. Join us live if you can, and pile in with the usual suspects in the chat room during the show where you can offer your own questions and observations to our guest. If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes. Listen to Midrats on Blog Talk Rad View the full article

A few days ago a warning went out regarding good weather over the next few days. Good weather in the region means piracy usually surges, and it is clear piracy has surged. This morning, another ship was hijacked - this time a Chinese vessel. Pirates hijacked a cargo ship with 29 Chinese sailors aboard in the Arabian Sea and told the shipping company they were taking it toward Somalia, Chinese officials and state media said Saturday. The attack came just two days after another 17 Chinese sailors returned home after being held by Somali pirates for four months. It also highlights the spread of piracy to areas outside the Gulf of Aden, a hijacking hot spot now patrolled by international forces. An official with the China Marine Rescue Center, surnamed Yang, said the Panama-flagged ship Yuan Xiang was attacked Friday night. The Ningbo Hongyuan Ship Management Company reported the pirate attack to the rescue center just before midnight and said the pirates were taking the ship toward Somalia, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. A man answering the phone Saturday at the company said they were still trying to contact the ship. Xinhua said the attack occurred in an area outside the region where China's navy is part of a multination force working together to patrol the Gulf of Aden — one of the world's busiest shipping lanes — and other waters off Somalia where pirates operate. Somali pirates currently hold more than 30 vessels and around 550 hostages. View the full article

Another hijacking. Pirates have seized a Panama-flagged chemical tanker with a crew of 31 off the coast of Somalia, the European Union Naval Force for Somalia (EU Navfor) said on Thursday. The anti-piracy taskforce EU Navfor said that the 24,105 tonne MV Hannibal II was taken while sailing to Suez from Malaysia ferrying vegetable oil. "The master of the vessel reported that he had been attacked and boarded by pirates in an area some 860 nautical miles East of The Horn of Africa which is considerably closer to India than it is to Somalia," EU Navfor said in a statement. The naval force said the ship's crew consisted of 23 Tunisians, four Filipinos, a Croat, a Georgian, a Russian and a Moroccan. Are the Indians paying attention, because this report should get someones attention. This is east of Longitude 65° and north of Latitude 15° putting this piracy activity placed very well to intercept traffic leaving Mumbai heading to the Suez. The map above is from NATO - the numbers on the map (click for very large version) correspond to the alert numbers in the message traffic listed below. In particular, look at alert numbers 472, 473, 474, and 475. 474 looks like the alert for the hijacking described in the article above. This message traffic is for the last two weeks as to demonstrate how active piracy is now that monsoon season is over. November 11 2010 WARNING INDIAN OCEAN Latitude: 00°50S Longitude: 049°32E Alert number 476 / 2010. At 1215 UTC a merchant vessel was attacked by a skiff (white hull 5-6 meters long) with 7 peoples on board armed with automatic weapon which tried to board the vessel in position 00°50S 049°32E - course 240, speed 17.5 knots. Vessel is safe. ---------------------------------------- November 2010 WARNING Indian Ocean Latitude: 11°26N Longitude: 066°05E Alert number 475 / 2010. At 0435 UTC 11 Nov a merchant vessel is currently under attack by pirates in position 11°26N 066°05E. --------------------------------------- November 2010 WARNING Indian Ocean Latitude: 17°13N Longitude: 065°01E AND Latitude: 17°12N Longitude: 065°33E Alert number 474 / 2010. At 0045 UTC on the 11 NOV a merchant vessel is currently under attack by pirates in position 17°13N 065°01E. At 0541 UTC on the 11 NOV a merchant vessel was attacked by pirates in position 17°12N 065°33N, this ship is SAFE. It is assessed that it is the same Pirate Action Group. --------------------------------------- November 10 2010 WARNING INDIAN OCEAN Latitude: 06°15N Longitude: 064°57E Alert number 473 / 2010. A suspicious approach was reported on 10 Nov 10 at 0558UTC by a merchant vessel in position 0615N 06474E. The suspicious approach is most probably connected with the attack on the 09 Nov 10 at 0834UTC, when a merchant vessel was reported under attack by pirates in position 06 03 N 065 00 E.(Alert 472) The assessment is that the Pirate action group is still in the area. -------------------------------------- November 09 2010 WARNING INDIAN OCEAN Latitude: 06°03N Longitude: 065°00E Alert Details: Alert number 472 / 2010. At 0834UTC a merchant vessel was reported under attack by pirates in position 06 03 N 065 00 E. 2 WHITE HULLS SKIFFS/MOTHER SKIFF VIEWED. SHOTS WERE FIRED. ***This vessel managed to evade hijack*** The Pirate action group is still in the area. -------------------------------------- November 09 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 01°05N Longitude: 053°10E Alert number 471/ 2010. At 0547 UTC a merchant vessel currently under attack by pirates in position 01°05 N 053°10 E. Two skiffs are currently attacking the MV. Weapons are being used and fired against the MV. --------------------------------- 08 November 2010 ---ALERT UPDATE--- Somali Basin Latitude: 06°43S Longitude: 051°15E Alert number 470 / 2010. Reference previous Alert number 469 / 2010 (which now is deactivated). At 1345 UTC a merchant vessel was reported under attack by pirates in position 06°43 S 051°15 E. WHITE HULLS SKIFF ***This vessel managed to evade hijack*** The Pirate action group is still in the area. --------------------------------- 08 November 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 06°43S Longitude: 051°15E Alert number 469 / 2010. At 1345 UTC a merchant vessel is currently under attack by pirates in position 06°43S 051°15E. ---------------------------------- 08 November 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 03°40 N Longitude: 047°36 E Alert number 468/ 2010. Reference previous Alert number 467 / 2010. On 08 Nov 10 at 0653 UTC one MV was reported in position 03°40 N 047°36 E with crs 045° at 12 kts and is the same MV reported in ALERT number 467. This MV is believed to be involved in Mother Ship operation. ----------------------------------- 06 November 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 07°34N Longitude: 060°16E Alert number 465/ 2010 On 6th Nov 10, At 1015 UTC one PIRATED DHOW was reported in position 07°34 N 060°16 E with CRS 086° at 5 KTS. This DHOW is believed to be involved in Mother Ship operation. ----------------------------------- 05 November 2010 ---ALERT UPDATE--- Somali Basin Latitude: 05°25 S Longitude: 040°42 E Alert number 464 / 2010. Reference previous Alert number 463 / 2010. At 1457 UTC a merchant vessel was reported under attack by pirates in position 05°25 S 040°42 E. The Pirate Action Group consists of one mother ship, earlier pirated MV IZUMI, and one skiff. During the attack weapons were fired including RPG. ---------------------------------- November 05 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 05°25S Longitude: 040°42E Alert number 463 / 2010. ***This vessel is under attack*** At 1457 UTC on 5 NOV a merchant vessel reported being under attack by pirates in position 05°25S 040°42E. -------------------------------- November 03 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 05°15 S Longitude: 043°39 E Alert number 462 / 2010. ***This vessel has been PIRATED*** A small merchant vessel was reported Hijacked by pirates in position 05°15 S 043°39 E. ------------------------------- November 03 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 03°45 S Longitude: 046°45 E Alert number 461/ 2010. At 0410 UTC one MV was reported in position 03°45 N 046°45 E. This MV is believed to be involved in Mother Ship operation. ------------------------------ November 02 2010 WARNING Gulf of Aden Latitude: 13°32N Longitude: 048°19E Alert number 460 / 2010. ***This vessel has been hijacked*** At 1237 UTC a fishing vessel has been hijacked by pirates in position 13°32 N 048°19 E. ------------------------------ November 02 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 03°58S Longitude: 043°49E Alert number 459 / 2010. At 0307 UTC 02 NOV a merchant vessel was under attack by pirates in position 03°58S 043°49E. ***This vessel managed to evade hijack*** The Pirate action group is still in the area. ------------------------------- October 31 2010 ALERT UPDATE Somali Basin Latitude: 09°57S Longitude: 042°19E. Alert number 458 / 2010. Reference previous Alert number 457/ 2010. At 0632 UTC 31 OCT a merchant vessel was reported under attack by pirates in position 09°57S 042°19E. ***This vessel managed to evade hijack*** The Pirate action group is still in the area. ---------------------- October 31 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 09°57S Longitude: 042°19 E. Alert number 457 / 2010. At 0632 UTC 31 OCT a merchant vessel is currently under attack by pirates in position 09°57S 042°19 E. ---------------------- October 30 2010 WARNING GULF OF ADEN ---ALERT UPDATE--- Latitude: 15°06N Longitude: 055°58E Alert number 456 / 2010. Reference previous Alert number 455/ 2010. At 0517 UTC 30 OCT a merchant vessel was reported under attack by pirates in position 15°06N 055°58E. ***This vessel managed to evade hijack*** !!!The Pirate action group is still in the area!!! ----------------------- October 30 2010 WARNING GULF OF ADEN Latitude: 15°06N Longitude: 055°58E Alert number 455 / 2010. At 0517 UTC on the 30 OCT a merchant vessel was pirated in position 15°06N 055°58E. ** This Vessel is Pirated ** -------------------------- October 30 2010 WARNING Indian Ocean Latitude: 12°12N Longitude: 064°53E Alert number 454 / 2010. At 0232 UTC on the 30 OCT a merchant vessel was attacked by 2 skiffs in position 12°12N 064°53E. ** This Vessel is Pirated ** ---------------------------- October 30 2010 WARNING Red Sea, Bab al Mandeb Latitude: 13°34N Longitude: 042°59E Alert number 453 / 2010. At 2201 UTC 29OCT a merchant vessel was reported on fire in position 13°34N 042°59E. All the crew have been rescued by a passing merchant vessel but the vessel remains on fire and is drifting. ---------------------------------- October 29 2010 WARNING Somali Basin ---ALERT UPDATE--- Latitude: 04°29S Longitude: 039°57E Alert number 452 / 2010. Reference previous Alert number 451 / 2010. At 1300 UTC 29OCT a merchant vessel was reported under attack by 2 skiffs in position 04°29S 039°57E. ***This vessel managed to evade hijack*** The Pirate action group is still in the area. ----------------------------- October 29 2010 WARNING Somali Basin Latitude: 04°29S Longitude: 039°57E Alert number 451 / 2010. At 1300 UTC on the 29 OCT a merchant vessel is currently under attack by 2 skiffs in position 04 29S 039 57E. ------------------------------ October 29 2010 Location: DENIS ISLAND, SEYCHELLES ---ALERT UPDATE--- Latitude: 03°39S Longitude: 055°40E Alert number 450 / 2010. Reference previous Alert number 448 / 2010. ***The ALERT HAS BEEN CANCELLED *** At 2011UTC 28 October two fishing vessels were reported as hijacked in the vicinity of Denis island, Seychelles. --------------------------------- October 28 2010 WARNING SOMALI BASIN, MOMBASSA Latitude: 04°10S Longitude: 039°56E Alert number 449 / 2010. At 2201UTC 28 October a merchant vessel was attacked by a skiff with 6 armed pirates, 12nm from Mombassa, Kenya. 04°10S 039°56E. Warning shots were fired and the vessel evaded the attack. --------------------------------- October 28 2010 WARNING DENIS ISLAND, SEYCHELLES Latitude: 03°49S Longitude: 055°40E Alert number 448 / 2010. At 2011UTC 28 October two fishing vessels were reported as hijacked in the vicinity of Denis island, Seychelles. ---------------------------------- October 28 2010 WARNING GULF OF ADEN Latitude: 12°08N Longitude: 054°25E Alert number 447 / 2010. A cargo Dhow has been hijacked in the vicinity of Socotra island. Her last known position was 12°08N 054°25E 1156UTC 28 October heading North East. She may be acting as a mother vessel in the Eastern area of the IRTC. ----------------------------- October 28 2010 WARNING GULF OF ADEN Latitude: 13°08N Longitude: 049°14E Alert number 446 / 2010. At 0539 UTC 28 October a Merchant Vessel in a National Convoy was fired upon by two small boats at 13°08N 049°14E. The escorting naval vessel and other military assets were on hand to provide immediate assistance. The vessel evaded the attack. ----------------------------- Welcome to the fall piracy season. As of today there are at least 30 vessels held by Somali pirates and around 540 hostages. View the full article

A South Korean politician has provided a small intel dump regarding the situation just prior to the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan. The Navy corvette Cheonan was warned on the morning it sank on March 26 that a salmon-class North Korean submarine and support ships had disappeared from their bases the day before, a lawmaker claims. Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Hak-yong on Monday said on the morning of the North's attack on the Cheonan, "warnings were given by the Second Fleet Command that a salmon-class North Korean submarine and support ships had been out to sea for unknown operations. Right before the Cheonan was attacked, all artillery guns on the nearby North Korean coasts were found to be combat-ready. But despite these rapid movements of the North Korean military, neither the Joint Chiefs of Staff nor the Second Fleet Command took appropriate measures." The article is a very interesting read. View the full article

Tejas LCA (click to view full) GE’s F414 turbofan engine will power Tejas Mk2. (Oct 1/10) India’s fighter strength has been declining in recent years, as the MiG-21s that form the largest component of its fleet are lost in crashes, or retired due to age and wear. Some MiG-21s are being modernized to MiG-21 ‘Bison’ configuration, while other current fighter types are undergoing modernization programs in order to maintain the fighter force until replacements can arrive. On which note, an ongoing tender has Russian, French, American, Swedish and European manufacturers dueling for the MMRCA, a multi-billion dollar, 126+ plane light-medium fighter sale. This still leaves India without a low-end solution to the twin problems besetting its overall fleet: numbers, and age. The MiG-21bis program adds years of life to those airframes, but that extended lifespan is still quite finite; by 2020, it is very unlikely that any MiG-21s will remain. MMRCA may replace some of India’s mid-range fighters, but that still leaves replacement of the MiG-21 fleet. Hence the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project’s importance to the Indian Air Force’s future prospects. Choices made in the LCA’s design will also affect the lightweight fighter’s export potential, which feeds back into the overall program’s lifetime costs and viability. As time presses, however, India’s rigid domestic-only policies are gradually being relaxed, in order to field an operational and competitive aircraft. [*] LCA Tejas: India’s Lightweight Fighter [*]LCA Tejas: Program Future and Prospects [*]Updates and Events [updated] [*]Appendix A: DID Analysis & Op/Ed (2006) [*]Appendix B: The Kaveri Engine: Keystone, or Killer? [*]Appendix C: Additional Readings & Sources (more…) View the full article

According to this source (in French), the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is deploying for 4 months to the Indian Ocean to support operations in Afghanistan. "Agapanthus 10," as the mission is called, was presented at a press briefing of the Ministry of Defense by Admiral Jean-Louis Kerignard. The carrier battlegroup will consist of the aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91), FS Forbin (D620), FS Tourville (D610), the naval auxiliary vessel FS Meuse (A 607), and the submarine FS Amethyst (S605). The air group on board the aircraft carrier will have 12 upgraded Super Etendard, 10 Rafale, 2 Hawkeyes, and helicopters. The operation is expected to begin in mid October and last until February. In any context, the contribution of an aircraft carrier in support of operations over Afghanistan is a significant coalition contribution by France. This will be the 5th deployment by the FS Charles de Gaulle (R91) in support of military operations in Afghanistan (the previous four were in 2001/2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007). View the full article

The war in Somalia is at a pivot point. If you read the latest Report of the Secretary-General on Somalia to the United Nations Security Council (PDF), you will find things do appear to be getting worse, not better. There are no territorial advances by the TFG, while security and humanitarian problems appear to be deteriorating within Somalia. Civilian casualties are up as are the use of IEDs, but fewer AU troops are being killed. Noteworthy the report explicitly claims "Mortars also impacted regularly near the United Nations common compound and the UNICEF compound," which is a new development over the period of the report suggesting perhaps territory is indeed being conceded to al-Shabab. The gist of the report is simple - we are losing, which is why the report notes more troops are being sent. But there are signs that more than just soldiers to boaster the TFG in Mogadishu are heading towards Somalia - indeed if you study events and trends unfolding it does appear that a new military force is emerging in Somalia. Mercenaries on Land Yesterday I briefly mentioned the 'mystery helicopter' attack in the southern Somali town of Merca. I have gone over every known warship in the region, and the only ship I could find that could have potentially carried out the operation was the Spanish amphibious vessel SPS Galicia (L51). Not likely. The event as described in multiple news stories suggests a single unmarked helicopter either green or gray made a single pass firing unguided rockets that missed the target house. The US and all European nations have denied it was them, and AMISOM does not have any helicopters in Somalia. I know many defense reporters in the Pentagon, and if it was us we would know by now. The same is true in Europe - this kind of thing doesn't stay secret. It only leaves one possibility - the TFG is now using private security firms. Bob Woodwards new book revealed that the CIA is operating a 3000 man secret army broken in to Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams, and when asked to respond to this the White House basically replied with an answer that suggested we - as Americans - should be proud of this development. For all the political rhetoric otherwise, the Obama administration has been remarkably aggressive in how they fight war - they support the use of CIA army's, they have expanded the use of drone strikes, and despite campaign rhetoric otherwise - the Obama folks love private mercenary firms. We are moving past the point of "probable" that private mercenary firms are heading to Somalia - indeed we have pictures they are already there. CEOs of private security companies don't hang out with the TFG for free - it is a solid bet that a deal has already been made. The African Union has been unable to field the 8,000 troops pledged - and more troops have to come from somewhere if the TFG is going to survive. To make things worse, the AMISOM is digging into defensive positions, meaning no one is actually out chasing al-Shabab around Somalia. The west isn't stupid, governments see the TFG is losing. The mercs are indeed coming (and have probably already arrived) - so expect a lot more 'mysterious' activities in Somalia beginning sooner rather than later. Mercenaries at Sea Private security firms aren't only going to Somalia on land - indeed they are getting boosts from just about everyone at sea. The biggest development is the announcement by Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT) that they intend to field private security forces to protect merchant ships against pirates. The article notes that insurance costs including damage and ransoms has now cost maritime insurance companies $300 million over the last 3 years. The article sensationalizes the development as a 'private naval force,' but I asked CDR James Kraska about it and he believes this is simply local security on ships with an extra capability of small boats to extend the defense ring around ships. Also worth noting is the newly formed Somali Navy, which is claiming it will attempt to make an impact against piracy as well. From a strategic perspective, if I was the United Nations I would be encouraging the newly formed Somali Navy to concentrate on illegal fishing vessels around Somalia - because the strategic communication benefits of that activity enhances the credibility of the TFG. That strategic communications tactic is successful in Puntland, for example. Mothership From Hell Have you heard the story of the MV Legula? Pirates were able to board the ship on September 25th, but the crew was able to secure themselves in the ships citadel, which also happened to be the main engineering space. By not being captured and by preventing the ship from moving, the pirates eventually abandoned the vessel. Chalk up another for Force Recon, because clearly those pirates knew what happened to pirates on a foreign ship without hostages or control of the ship. Interesting story - but so is the rest. Following the incident, multiple sources leaked that the pirates who attacked MV Legula used the South Korean supertanker SAMHO DREAM as the mothership for that operation. Today NATO appears to have validated those sources. In the northeast there are several mother ships operating east of 55E, including the MV SAMHO DREAM which may be operating in company with two unidentified fishing dhows which may correlate with media reports concerning the pirating of two Iranian dhows near 60 degrees. There is also activity at 60 degrees east probably linked to the last known location of the FV TAI YUAN 227. Pirates frequently force these pirated vessels and crew to be mother ships, thereby extend their range and increase their endurance. The area south of 3 degrees south off the Tanzanian coast is also very active with 3 recent incidents noted and the MV ASPHALT VENTURE pirated in this area today. This area is likely to remain active for some time due to the prevailing weather conditions. Masters should note that the Tai Yuan 227 is a white hulled fishing vessel, approximately 50 metres long, with the registration numbers BH3Z87 painted in large black letters on the hull. VLCC SAMHO DREAM is probably being used by pirates as a mother ship in operations near the shipping lanes, approximately 190 nm SE of Socotra Island. The SAMHO DREAM is a 319,000 dwt, crude oil tanker, approximately 333 metres long, with an orange hull and white superstructure. Pirates on these vessels represent an active threat to merchant shipping and any small boat observed in the open ocean more than 300Nm from the Somali coast should be considered to be a potential pirate vessel. I'd be very curious how Admiral Roughead would characterize NATO's alert of a 319,000 dwt supertanker carrying an estimated $190 million worth of crude being used as a mothership for pirate operations 900nm from the coast of Somalia in the context of the role and responsibility of the United States Navy. I'm just saying - I think there is an interesting question the CNO should be asked regarding this development. And while we are asking interesting questions to the CNO, I'd also like to hear his take of the latest hijacking. A maritime security alert has been issued for the Indian Ocean following the reported hijacking of a Panama-flagged vessel with 15 crew members on board. The 3,884 dwt MT Asphalt Venture is believed to have been traveling to Mombasa and is now en route to Xaradheere in northern Somalia, reports GAC Protective Solutions. NATO Shipping Center reports that at "282000 UTC a merchant vessel was reported pirated in position 07 07S 041 02E." It says that position is in the close proximity of a pirate action group sighted and reported in an earlier NATO report. Xarardheere? Interesting, because that is where the New York Times has reported that Al-Shabab has established their maritime organization. Apparently the al-Shabab navy just took their first prize on the high seas. So we have reached the dreaded crossroad where piracy intersects with terrorism. Will the vessel be used for terrorism operations, or will they seek a ransom payment? If the ransom is paid, it will be done knowingly that the payment is directly supporting al-Shabab, an organization listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organization. In other words, the insurance company that pays the ransom must violate US law to free the ship and crew... The hijacking of the MT Asphalt Venture is something new - something we haven't seen before (but suggested was coming only a few weeks ago). This hijacking represents the first time an organization listed by the State Department as a terrorist organization has participated in maritime piracy off Somalia. I think there is another interesting question the CNO should be asked regarding that development. While we are at it, what does the SecDef have to say about these things? How about members of Congress on the campaign trail? How about the President himself? Seems to me now that al-Shabab is pirating ships off Somalia, that might be news. View the full article

It is very easy to look at this technology and be dismissive... but that our weakness isn't it? We are a technology society and look at the specifics of technology to form the basis for our judgments. It a technology doesn't conform to our conceptual expectations regarding capability, then 'it doesn't pass the smell test' and is usually dismissed with sarcasm. I expect there is plenty of sarcasm to be easy shared upon examination of this little piece of tech being fielded by Iran. Iran's state TV says the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard has received its first three squadrons of radar-evading flying boats. The report says the domestically made craft can be used for surveillance and can carry guns and transmit data. Its production is part of Iran's effort to boost its arsenal and military capabilities despite international sanctions over the country's controversial nuclear program. Iran announced last year it had successfully tested the plane, dubbed the Bavar-2, or Confidence-2. A flying boat is a seaplane with a hull that allows it to land and travel on water. Radar-evading? Not likely. I'd also add that as a small sea plane this little thing almost certainly requires sea state 1 to land and take off in water - meaning it is highly dependent upon environmental conditions. Finally, as a machine of war I am skeptical how reliable its communications suite is, not to mention unimpressed with its token machine gun. See how easy it is to dismiss this stuff solely on the examination of technology? I'm being kind to some of the comments I have already seen from others... But as I observe Iranian military capabilities in the maritime domain, it isn't the specifics of the technology that concerns me - it is the commitment Iran is making at the tactical level to technologies that fit a certain capability set intended to exploit specific capabilities fielded by their opponents. The Iranians appear to believe that swarm tactics give them advantages over the capabilities of western naval powers (specifically the US) to which they define as their greatest threat. The question is: In the confined waters of the Persian Gulf, does quantity of small, agile forces leveraging swarm tactics offer a tactical advantage over the capabilities of high quality, larger but numerically inferior naval vessels of the US? Is the break point the number of assets or is it a capabilities based metric of combined arms that can be leveraged? When you start going down the road of what 20 small boats at 35+ knots attacking a destroyer looks like, the questions that come to my mind are - how many .50 cal machine guns do you have on your ship? How quickly can you get ammunition to those guns if they must sustain fire over long periods of time. How protected are those positions from incoming machine gun fire? The weakness of our Navy isn't air attack from a tactical fighter, nor is it the ASM attack from a fast attack missile craft - indeed fighting those capabilities are the strength of our ships. The weakness comes in the form of swarms - and mixing several of these flying boats with a couple dozen boghammers in a swarm attack will result in: CIWS ammunition being exhausted quickly SeaRAM ammunition being exhausted quickly Reliance on small arms to fight off the attack Are we ready for that? This isn't WWII where we still understood the value of small caliber on a battleship - this is the 21st century where missiles define our conceptual foundations for naval warfare - or the kind of naval warfare we would prefer to fight. 5" guns are great, but the enemy will fight inside your bubble. How will those doors work when a grenade goes off on top of your MK 41? I have seen folks laugh at the idea of the MK 46 30mm guns on the LCS - but I'd like to see these guns incorporated into all surface combatants, and specifically located in a way where they can decompress the angles and shoot targets very close in. I'm the first to admit I am completely unimpressed with the technologies fielded by the Iranian Navy and IRGC - but if deployed by tactically leveraging their numerical advantages with sound formations and dedicated trained personnel, our ships will find themselves in a world of trouble if we have to fight numerically superior swarms in confined shallow waters. The Navy talks about not wanting to fight fair, but the question is whether our Navy ships have enough weapons to combine combat power against an enemy - and at point blank range that can be problematic for ships designed specifically to fight at standoff ranges. And fighting at point blank range is exactly what all these fast, low signature platforms Iran is developing are intended to do. View the full article

If the name CDR E. A. Westfall, CDR, USCG sounds familiar, then you are a regular listener to Midrats. He joined us back on Episode 26 of Midrats to discuss the nature of Command, and is the Commanding Officer of the USCGC ESCANABA (WMEC 907). Well, our good Skipper has had an interesting day mid-month. From CNN: A U.S. Coast Guard cutter was fired upon by suspected drug traffickers during a pursuit off the coast of Nicaragua, a Coast Guard spokesman told CNN. No Coast Guard personnel were injured in the gunfight, said Lt. Cmdr. Chris O'Neil. The incident took place in the early morning of September 14, but information about the attack was not released until CNN inquired Friday about the incident. "While it is rare to have Coast Guard personnel fired upon, this incident serves to remind us of the ruthless nature of smugglers, the disregard they have for human life and the dangers our men and women face when enforcing laws and treaties on the high seas," said O'Neil, chief of media relations for the Coast Guard said. No shots hit the Coast Guard boat and there was no damage, O'Neil added. The shooting happened after a boarding team from the Cutter Escanaba pursued a go-fast vessel suspected of smuggling drugs in international waters. The suspects managed to escape after entering Nicaraguan waters, said O'Neil. The Coast Guard is still reviewing the event, he said. No time to second guess the CO - but boy howdy, a lot of questions come to mind. 1. ROE. 2. ROE. 3. ROE. Once you get the answer to the first three - then you can ask more questions. Shame the SOBs got away, but the important thing is that all our Coast Guardsmen are fine. UPDATE: Exchanged a few emails with the CO, and he wants to make sure everyone knows that, yes, the USCG did return fire. Hopefully, BigUSCG will put our more details as I think it is important for the taxpayer to know what the USCG is putting it all on the line to try to mitigate the poison coming across our borders. This is a story that needs to be told more View the full article

So I was at Arlington last week to lay wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns for Soldiers' Angels. With SA, on our way out, I told the group I needed some alone time to visit someone. You can see me (below) taking the photo in the reflection of the tombstone for COL Thompson, but you can't see the tears streaming down my face. Every time I go to Arlington, I visit a friend. Or in this case, a man who bears much responsibility for who I am today. He's in section 30, 611. If you went to Mary Lincoln's tomb, he's directly across from her on a nice little ridgeline. Over at This Ain't Hell, the manager of the Blackfive Farm Team, has a post about TroopRally needing people to help counter Fred Phelp's Westboro Church group that protests military funerals. Westboro jackwagons are there on Tuesday, October 5th, from 430-530pm. Go here to find out the details on how you can help. IMPORTANT: Remember that the Westboro lunatics really want someone to lose their cool and hit one of them so that they can sue the assaulting party. It's how they stay in business...it's their business model, rather than their belief in god, that drives them to this level of insanity. And none of my Fallen brothers would want you to end up in court over them, either. Defend them, certainly. But don't fall for the Phelps trap. Believe me, I would have a difficult time resisting the urge, but please take the high road here. View the full article

I am not sure if you have heard, but the Universal Pictures movie Battleship began filming last week in Hawaii. Based on the old board game Battleship, I admit I am skeptical. Noteworthy though, the movie has been given a budget of $200 million - which by any standard is an enormous amount of money for a movie. The other big entertainment news this week is that the Battle of Midway is heading back to the big screen too, this time in 3-D from the same folks who produced the recent award winning HBO mini-series "The Pacific." One of the themes on the blog has been the communication the Navy needs to have with the American people. How can people advocate for seapower? Well, when someone asks me this question I always return with the questions "What is your YouTube strategy? Who are you working with in Hollywood?" In Washington the Navy actually pays folks to produce a PDF/PPT with the answer. What a waste of taxpayer money - as if the answer is going to leap off the page and become something Americans download to read. For better or worse, these two movies have the potential of leaving a deeper lasting impression regarding what the Navy is about to the American people than anything an Admiral has said in years. Lets face it, the new US Navy uniform will have a much stronger association with the Navy because Rihanna wore it than it has to date - and if she tells Entertainment Tonight the US Navy uniform is uncomfortable for women - that has the potential of being a stronger complaint than the one already made by many women in the Navy who have said the same. Sad but potentially true. Battleship could turn out to be a $200 million mess. Battle of Midway? Well, it better not. The Battle of Midway is the single most important naval battle in American history. The one thing the Navy cannot afford to ever do is allow that battle to be screwed up in any way by Hollywood. ---- Finally in entertainment news, if you have the day off or if you have DVR, you need to be recording/watching Whale Wars on Animal Planet - as there is a Whale Wars marathon today. Whale Wars has everything, and if you haven't watched it you really need to - it is 21st century naval warfare as a reality TV show. Contested boardings, maneuvering for firing position, multi-vessel naval tactics, NGO warfare, strategic communications, etc. etc. etc... If you don't believe me, watch it. Whale Wars is modern naval warfare on TV, and is perhaps the best naval combat television show ever produced. View the full article

For a certain generation of officers, your host included, there was one foundation event for many of all designators that shaped the way they looked at leadership - both uniformed and civilian - for their entire career. They learned early that bravery in combat and cowardice in life are not mutually exclusive of each other, and can easily inhabit the same person. They learned that facts were of little importance in the face of a politically driven head wind. They learned that when the going gets tough - the top cover they hoped their senior leadership would provide for them - would fade as fast as the Romanian Army at Stalingrad. They learned not to trust - they learned that they were expendable for the right political price. Tailhook started in 05 SEP 91. Let's back up a bit and set the stage. SEPT 91. Look at your calendar. What had just happened? Of course, we had just come back from DESERT STORM. We came back from DESERT STORM with senior Enlisted and Officer leadership who were junior personnel in Vietnam. Those leaders lived through the smears and lean years of the '70s and early '80s when they were looked upon as damaged goods and their military broken. Though the Reagan buildup helped, the US military was still taking the blame for the '75 Democrat Congressional loss of South Vietnam - and all the cultural smearing that came out of Hollywierd and the press about their generation. They had just regained their honor. We JOs grew up on that reputation. At DESERT STORM, the US military earned back a level of respect not seen in a quarter century. Remember the parades? Remember the stories? I do. We were on top of the world, we had gained respect from our countrymen. ENS, LTJG, and LTs walked a little taller and were not shy about telling strangers their profession. We took pride in helping to bring back a little more honor for the senior personnel who carried the load in the starving years. There were some in the culture who couldn't stand that. They were looking, begging, hoping for any chance to humble those they despised. At the end of DESERT STORM, they also wanted the military's budget funds - and they had agendas to push with a reckless impatience. So, at Tailhook they had their chance. They took an ember we unknowingly gave them - and in a series of acts that would make any Commissar or Salem Judge proud - conducted a inquisition that would leave lives, careers, and a culture in shambles. Entire books have been written about Tailhook; the tale of cowardice and abandonment is still amazing to behold. By order, squadron patches were changed for even non-tailhook squadrons, Trader Johns became off limits - the CO of the Blue Angles fed to the wolves - Admiral Arthur thrown in the volcano, and even worse; scores of innocent junior officers were threatened, smeared, and had their careers destroyed. Never in my life did I ever see a case where " May a hundred innocent be killed to prevent one guilty from going free" became more an official policy by small men with great power and unchecked cowardice than I did in the immediate post Tailhook 91 Navy. Open and official hypocrisy became commonplace with the answer to, " If LT Man is in trouble for X, then why is LT Woman not getting in trouble for doing Y?" Answer, "Because she is a woman, and even if she was the aggressor and gibbernatched LT Z's ibbywidget in the elevator after she rubbed her nabblequash against his dobberdoddle at the pool - that is OK because she if a female. Now shut up." You had to be a JO to see the zoo like we did. I still look back in amazement how it all came down. All to serve a socio-political purpose - one that I supported at the time. To this day, it makes me ill knowing that so much damage was done just so something could happen a few years earlier than it would anyway - and it formed habits on evaluation and waivers that is still killing/endangering Sailors. Let's look at the IG report from the year after. The Tailhook Association is a private organization composed of active duty, retired, and reserve Navy and Marine Corps aviators. It also includes defense contractors and others associated with naval aviation. At the 1991 [*pg 1082] convention, more than five thousand members attended, including several senior leaders of the Navy. The Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations were present, as well as twenty-nine other active duty admirals, two active duty Marine Corps generals, three Navy Reserve admirals, and many other retired flag officers. Navy Lt. Paula Coughlin attended the convention, and she complained that she had been physically and sexually assaulted by a group of drunken aviators in a "gauntlet" formed in the hotel corridor. What followed included investigations -- and investigations of the investigations -- that concluded that the Armed Forces had overlooked the need to establish a clear criminal consequence for engaging in sexual harassment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In the end, no one was criminally charged for misconduct in the Tailhook events. 4. While many of the officers interviewed may be telling the truth, it is reasonable and logical to conclude that some have not told the truth, especially since the investigation specifically identified 25 victims. Your options with regard to this group of officers are limited by the lack of focus of the investigations in this area, as well as by the fundamental right against self-incrimination. The investigators were completely unable to identify any members of this group who lied regarding their involvement or recollection of events. It is my opinion that any further interviews or investigation of these individuals would be unproductive and lead to the same result. Interesting view and attitude towards your officers, no? Interesting assumption and spin, no? 8. In summary, it is important to note that the Naval Investigative Service expended over 22,000 manhours of effort and while the Inspector General spent a lesser amount, he also utilized a large portion of his assets to conduct what amounts to a very thorough, well-disciplined investigation. There was probably an element of reluctance on the part of some individuals to come forward with information relevant to the investigations for various reasons, including an effort to avoid self-incrimination. Because of this, further investigation by NIS an the IG is unlikely to be productive. There is enough information in the reports on a significant number of cases that have been sent to the chain of command for appropriate disciplinary or administrative action. Inquiries by the chain of command into these cases may well result in further leads for investigation at that level. Here is something that still sticks in my craw. This is the SECNAV at the time playing CYA. 5. At no time while I was at Tailhook 91 did I visit or spend any time in any of the various suites on the third floor of the hotel. The closest I came to any of the suites, to the best of my recollection, was on one occasion, shortly after I had arrived in the patio area, when I walked over to the poolside entrance to one of the suites which bordered on the patio area to get something to drink. At the poolside entrance to this suite was a large container of beverages. I took a can of beer from the container and immediately returned to the area on the patio where I had been. I do not recall speaking to anyone while I was in the area of the entrance to the suite, although I may have. 6. Neither during those few moments when I approached that one suite to obtain a drink, nor at any other time that evening, did I observe any inappropriate or offensive conduct. [signed] H. Lawrence Garrett, III I know Junior Officers who careers were destroyed for doing less. Funny - I wonder if Garrett was given the same assumption as we saw in para 4 quoted above? If you want to know what formed the attitude of some of your Gen X officers, you can start there. Sad thing is, it could have only happened that way pre-internet, pre-email, pre-cell phone cameras. Now days - the truth would have come out. The Left and the Media would not have had free range to misrepresent and smear without time-critical counter-fire. I wonder - those who did the IG and those who hid from hard questions pi55ing in their SDBs in the corner just so they might get another star - are they proud of what they did? Do they feel honor in their actions? Was the price right? Good people in hard times can make bad decisions. I shouldn't be that harsh on those in the DC storm that took place after Tailhook 91 - but I am going to let me words stand. For me, it's personal. It was a formative event for me. It was also a national disgrace what they did; what we did; who we did not stand up for. View the full article

I'll let you guess which three. More than half the women quizzed (54%) said failure to put the seat down was their man's most irritating trait. Leaving wet towels on the bed was the second most frustrating habit (23%), followed by a propensity to leave dirty laundry on the floor (15%). Other annoyances cited included snoring, doing a bad job at a household chore for the fear of being asked to do it again, not replacing toilet roll, leaving toenail clippings and loose change around the home, drinking straight from the milk bottle and refusing to ask for directions when lost. View the full article

First of all, I was hit with a huge surprise yesterday morning when I saw pictures of the 5th 054A from HP shipyard. Normally, we see a nice progression of photos of the ship being built, but this one was almost ready to be launched by the time we got the first photos. On top of that, I had expected PLAN to stop producing 054 ships for a while after the 2nd batch of 4 were completed. After more extended look and checking my sources, it does appear to be authentically the 5th 054A from HP shipyard. They did a really good job of hiding this ship behind a civilian ship, so we did not know it was being built all along. By the time this ship was in plain sight, it was already fitted with sensors. This ship appears to be a little different from the previous 4 from far out, so I'm eagerly waiting for more close up photos before it is launched. As we know, 054 ships normally get built in pairs with one in HP shipyard and one is HD shipyard. With the appearance of this one, we can assume a 5th one will also be built in HD. That indicates we would have at least 2 054s and 10 054As. A while ago, Richard Fisher did an interview with one of the diesel engine makers that said they expected PLAN to produce about 12 054/As based on the diesel engines they purchased. After that, they expected PLAN to move on to a design that also used gas turbines. From that, I would expect that they stop producing 054A designs after this pair and start producing a modified design that is a little larger after 2 to 3 years. A separate possibility is that they will produce a few more 054As to rotate to Gulf of Aden. Anyhow, here is the new ship. You can see that the 4th 054A from HP (No 548) has come back. Another interesting part is seeing a new MSA ship beside No 548. From following Chinese Maritime patrol ships, it appears that they are all either Haixun or Haijian. I could be totally off here, but Haixun ships seemed to be for the Chinese Ministry of Transportation and Haijian ships are for the State Oceanographic Administration. According to the State Oceanic Administration website, that MSA ship should be Haijian-75. It was launched on July 29th and will be delivered to south sea branch in the end of October. It is one of the 4 such 1000-ton class ships that HP shipyard is building for the south sea branch. They are also building 2 1500-ton class ships (Haijian-15 is the first one) and 1 3000-ton class ship (Haijian-50). This is all part of China's effort to increase patrols in the South China Sea (or as other countries see it, an effort to dominate South China Sea). Some of the ships currently in service: Haijian-20 Haijian-83 Haijian-27 View the full article

Just in case there was any doubt that head wanker Julian Assange was a self-promoting, narcissistic jackwagon, he is catching shite from people who should be allies. First a bunch of human rights groups said, "Hey dumbass, what part of stop getting civilians killed don't you understand?". Now he gets a letter from the head of Reporters without Borders calling him out for acting like a first rate bandito of ass. Dear Mr. Assange, Reporters Without Borders, an international press freedom organisation, regrets the incredible irresponsibility you showed when posting your article “Afghan War Diary 2004 - 2010†on the Wikileaks website on 25 July together with 92,000 leaked documents disclosing the names of Afghans who have provided information to the international military coalition that has been in Afghanistan since 2001. Incredible irresponsibility? But I thought he was a crusader for truth and freedom? Guess not, and I think we might have enough cover now to scarf the pathetic scumbag up. It is now a humanitarian mission. We must stop him before he gets folks killed. Watch your Ass-Ange. View the full article

As one who continuously observes naval deployments and patterns globally, I try to keep an eye out for news that seems odd, or doesn't add up. The news that Germany is basically stopping their contribution to Task Force 150 - the anti-terrorism international task force in the Gulf of Aden - seems very strange to me. There are plenty of perfectly legitimate reasons why the Germans would stop participation in CTF 150, but the specific reason given is not one of them. Germany is withdrawing early from a US-led operation that patrols the sea off the Horn of Africa because the terrorist threat in that area is small, Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said Wednesday. A German Navy reconnaissance plane and 90 military personnel will end their activity on June 30 instead of at the end of this year. 'The terrorist threat in the sea area off the Horn of Africa is limited,' said Guttenberg in Djibouti. The minister is overseeing a cost-saving review in Berlin of Germany's military budget. Either the German intelligence office is asleep, or there is another reason and this is simply an excuse - because the reason given appears contrary to the analysis of the terrorist threat everywhere else. The threat of maritime terrorism off the Horn of Africa and specifically the Bab-el-Mandeb strait is probably at the highest point it has been since 2001, when Task Force 150 was established. For example, back in March there was a special advisory made by the US Navy Office of Intelligence. ONI Special Advisory, 9 Mar 10. To ensure maximum dissemination to the maritime industry and/or community, ONI is bringing to your attention the following US DOT MARAD Advisory. Please note, this advisory is not piracy-specific. This advisory is regarding terrorism and is being disseminated in an effort to promote security for those operating within the maritime domain. US DOT MARAD Advisory : Information suggests that al-Qaida remains interested in maritime attacks in the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait, Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden along the coast of Yemen. Although it is unclear how they would proceed, it may be similar in nature to the attacks against the USS COLE in October 2000 and the M/V LIMBURG in October 2002 where a small to mid-size boat laden with explosives was detonated. Other more sophisticated methods of attack could include missiles or projectiles. Although the time and location of such an attack is unknown, ships in the Red Sea, Bab-al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden along the coast of Yemen are at the greatest risk of becoming targets of such an attack. All vessels transiting the waters in the vicinity of Yemen are urged to operate at a heightened state of readiness and should maintain strict 24-hour visual and radar watches, and regularly report their position, course, and speed to the UKMTO. Vessels are at greatest risk in areas of restricted maneuverability and while in/near port or at anchor. Merchant vessels are requested to report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO Dubai (ONI). That followed disturbing direct threats from Al Qaeda in Yemen to the US Navy from the end of last year. The Germans may have a legitimate reason to pull out of Task Force 150, but the suggestion that the reason is a reduced threat is ridiculous. National interest, economy, or a change in policy would all be valid reasons. It should be noted that the German Navy will continue to operate as part of EU NAVFOR to fight pirates off the Horn of Africa, so whatever the real reason is - the Germans are not retreating from the region. Something is very odd here. It doesn't make much sense to reduce presence in a volatile maritime region for a reason that appears to be in direct contradiction of the facts. It leaves the question whether the reduction of forces in the region is for a good reason - perhaps too good of a reason to mention to the public? View the full article

Facepalm. Just facepalm. Eight days ago, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state’s oil-soaked waters. Today, against the governor’s wishes, those barges sat idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore. “It’s the most frustrating thing,†the Republican governor said today in Buras, La. “Literally, yesterday morning we found out that they were halting all of these barges.â€â€¦ [T]he Coast Guard ordered the stoppage because of reasons that Jindal found frustrating. The Coast Guard needed to confirm that there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board, and then it had trouble contacting the people who built the barges … “They promised us they were going to get it done as quickly as possible,†[Jindal] said. But “every time you talk to someone different at the Coast Guard, you get a different answer.†Yep - I want the federal government have more control over my healthcare. More. View the full article

If you are a regular in the chat room during the live airing of Midrats or EagleOne's homeblog - then you know who Saturn 5 is. He even visits here now and then. Though most may not know it - he is also one of the few regular commenters from Turkey in the Navy milblogosphere. After my post earlier this week - I asked if he wanted to offer up a guest post here on the topic of Turkey today, Kemalism, and where things are headed - from the Turkish perspective. BZ to S5 - he dove right in with a quick response. Thanks S5! The rest of this post is from Saturn5.While the dust cloud around Israeli raid on Gaza flotilla last week is settling down, informed minds are turning their attention to Turkey. Sal had an excellent post on this blog where he had captured the dilemma of secular Turks very clearly. Sal is not the only one who is watching the waning of the influence of Mustafa Kemal in Turkey. Many Turkish people see diminishing Kemalist principles as a treat to their way of life as it is not much compatible with an Islamic vision of world. As I see it, the slide of Turkey to a more Islamist stance has economic roots. Just like the Americas Bible Belt, Turkey always had a strongly religious Anatolian heartland and middle class. Since 1980’s with the integration of Turkey into world markets, this religious heartland and middle class are progressing economically better than the secular, bourgeois and more or less Westerly oriented city people are doing. Turkey has been seamlessly integrated into world economy. With increasing wealth, the middle class’s political and social power is increasing too. ErdoÄŸan is from this social class. Currently the religious heartland seems to be winning its struggle to dominate the social and economic life in Turkey. It is yet to be seen how much or in which form this newly gained wealth and power will influence this class. Sal asked and interesting question “Who is lost Turkey? Has someone lost Turkey? Sal, like many of us, is searching for the old Turkey he (we) used to know. As Turkey is changing, the old Turkey we used to know and understand is fading away. We (secular Turks, Islamic Turks and rest of the world including Sal) must find a way to deal with this change. We must also accept the realities of the new emerging Turkey. One of these realities is religion. Since the creation of time, religion always played a pivotal role in this part of the world and it will continue to do so. By the way, personally I find it very amusing and interesting that all of the current commentators fail to mention about the ultra-orthodox political parties of Israel. They are small, but have great influence in the Knesset. I believe the struggle between the secular and religious Israelis is as important to our region as the struggle in Turkey. Yes, the new Turkey will appear more religious that we may wish. Another one of these realities is what seems to be a neo – Ottomanism. I personally do not think that Turkey has any imperial ambitions. I do not think that ErdoÄŸan is wishing to be the caliphate of all the Muslims. (He may be dreaming about it at night but he is too pragmatic to believe in it). The following countries have been wholly or partially been ruled by the Ottomans at one time: Albania, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Georgia, Israel (Incl. West Bank and Gaza), Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya Somaliland, Sudan, Tunisia. In all these countries Turkey has an interest. Last month Turkey created a task force of four frigates and one replenishment tanker and will send it to the Med for the next two months. This may hardly raise eyebrows in USA, where USN keeps dozens of task force active around world all the time, but this is the first Turkish task force created by Turkish Republic. It is a big deal here. Next year there will be another task force. Turkey plans to send that task force to the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas. Why does this task force matter? While it shows as that Turkey is learning to combine its emerging economic power with its newly formulated foreign policy via its military power. The burgeoning religious middle class is keen to do business with all these countries. They want to expand their influence in these regions. Therefore, Turkey is learning to be more assertive and is acting more proactive in foreign politics. This may be be perceived as a neo-Ottomanism but it is not. Can we get back to the old Turkey? Unfortunately it seems to be impossible. The secularist usually counted on the armed forces to maintain the balance. Many people both from abroad and from Turkey think that an intervention of armed forces is an irresistibility easy way to prevent Turkeys slide into Islamist state. But on the other hand these people tend to forget that every time the Turkish military interfered and took the helm of the country there was a back lash from the society and Islamist gained ground. The armed forces can never stand in the way of the social, economical and political change. A putsch by army is not and should not be an option. The solutions to the problems in the society must be found within the limits of our democracy. It may not the world’s best democracy but it is ours and it is the only one we have - and remember, Turkey is one of the two real democratic countries in this region. Somehow the two sides will eventually find and formulate a way of co exist. Kemalist principles are the anchor and the chain that keeps Turkey drifting into a more deeply religious stance. I wish to hope that these principles and the seeds that Kemal Atatürk has sown in this land will prevent Turkey to become a place like Iran. I am watching the struggle of power and the change in Turkey enthusiastically. For you it may be an academic interest about the affairs of a distant country, which you can (or cannot) find on a map, but for me it is about my future and about my survival. View the full article

View the full article

There has been a lot of talk about weapons carry status for our troops in Afghanistan and whether they are being told to carry in amber status i.e. no round in the chamber. I asked ISAF HQ and got the following response. Jim, Headquarters ISAF, the ISAF Joint Command and the Regional Commands have not issued guidance to units instructing them to conduct patrols without rounds chambered. Force protection levels are dictated by the local threats and determined by commanders at the lowest possible tactical level, so without knowing the specific unit from which this report came I can't verify with absolute certainty that verbal or written guidance has not been issued locally. But the intent to subordinate commanders should be clear. At no time do we remove our troops' inherent rights of self-defense, and we are confident that their training and discipline allows them to use force discriminately within the rules of engagement. We'd welcome information from anyone who has a problem with the way guidance is being implemented that they haven't been able to address with their immediate chain of command. So it is not policy for the theater and they are clear about the fact that our troops always have the ability to defend themselves. If it is happening it is being done at a tactical command level. I have not heard of any specific units that have done this. I think there would be a big difference between carrying in amber status while riding in up-armored vehicles v. carrying amber while on a foot patrol. I am OK with the first and vehemently opposed to the second. If anyone has word about something like that happening email me and I will pass it on to these folks. Next slide. Greyhawk has a fun piece about Patton and carry status. View the full article

This will be a wonderful capability some day, but when, and at what price? Without timely and accurate intelligence, regardless of source, an operator cannot maneuver his fleet or employ his weapons. Whether we want to find, fix, and finish terrorists from the sea, or engage in long range maritime scouting against a belligerent Navy, a sufficient quality and quantity of "multi-int" capable air platforms is essential. The SECDEF realized in 2008 that a shortage of airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms was hurting our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following some prodding, the Air Force finally shifted into gear and began to build, borrow, and contract dozens of new aircraft, which are being employed to good effect on those two battlefields and elsewhere today. As Navy and Marine units find themselves dispersed wider sea and littoral areas, a sufficient quantity of supporting ISR becomes even more important. A couple of decades ago, a typical carrier air wing had a number of organic platforms capable of collecting intelligence, including fast movers with TARPS and ES-3A Shadows for ELINT. These aircraft were supplemented by a robust ground-based P-3 fleet along with numerous FLIR and radar capable LAMPS on the small boys. Contrast this capability with today's much-reduced organic ISR capability and some long-in-the-tooth P-3s which are often being employed overland. Today's global naval missions require extraordinary amounts of ISR, but the resources just aren't adequate to source them properly. ISR seems to be getting short shrift in the Navy's ever-changing procurement plans. Outside of the naval special operations community, the energy and funding to increase the fleet's airborne ISR capabilities seems lacking. The Navy is slowly introducing rotary and fixed-wing UAVs such as Fire Scout and BAMs, but lacks more robust collection capabilities that could be provided by manned sea-based aircraft. The P-8 will eventually bring a capable P-3 replacement to the fleet, albeit a big, expensive, noisy, and manpower intensive one. But there are numerous smaller prop-driven aircraft in use over battlefields today that provide similar, and in some cases better capabilities than the P-3 or P-8, at a significantly lower price point. Is a Navy ISR "surge" in order to fill some of the current capability gaps in this area until more advanced programs are brought online? A major R&D or procurement effort is not necessarily required. Rather, the Navy should leverage the work of the Air Force and SOCOM to rapidly acquire both manned and unmanned platforms and adapt them for sea service. Is there a reason that an aircraft similar to the Air Force's "Project Liberty" MC-12W couldn't be retrofitted with stronger landing gear and tail hook for use from carriers or even large deck amphibs? This sort of platform would provide a number of tactical and operational advantages over our current ISR fleet, giving the Navy the ability to collect volumes of intelligence over land and water from sovereign US territory without a large expeditionary footprint ashore. The opinions and views expressed in this post are those of the author alone and are presented in his personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Department of Defense or any of its agencies. View the full article

Amazing sniper shots recorded in Afghanistan: A BRITISH Army sniper has set a new sharpshooting distance record by killing two Taliban machinegunners in Afghanistan from more than 1 miles away. Craig Harrison, a member of the Household Cavalry, killed the insurgents with consecutive shots — even though they were 3,000ft beyond the most effective range of his rifle. “The first round hit a machinegunner in the stomach and killed him outright,†said Harrison, a Corporal of Horse. “He went straight down and didn’t move. “The second insurgent grabbed the weapon and turned as my second shot hit him in the side. He went down, too. They were both dead.†The shooting — which took place while Harrison’s colleagues came under attack — was at such extreme range that the 8.59mm bullets took almost three seconds to reach their target after leaving the barrel of the rifle at almost three times the speed of sound. The distance to Harrison’s two targets was measured by a GPS system at 8,120ft, or 1.54 miles. The previous record for a sniper kill is 7,972ft, set by a Canadian soldier who shot dead an Al-Qaeda gunman in March 2002. The first shot was remarkable, but taking down two at that distance? Incredible. View the full article

If you have an interest in the history of Russian shipbuilding, you'll find this page remarkably interesting. View the full article