404 Wants To Double ...

... casualties. Russia will oblige. But keep in mind, former 404 Defense Minister Reznikov's idea about drafting women is not really his. This idea originated in the deep recesses of two-bit minds of NATO military planners who are not good at war, but are really good at killing people. Own people. 

Granted, for an average American general khohol is nothing more than subhuman Slavic cannon fodder. So they can throw wave after wave of them to die from Russian fire. 

That's how they think. Zapp Branningan' Academy of General Staff of NATO.  

Danny and Me.

Live in 30 minutes. 

This Is What Happens ...

... when your qualifications are "honed" around military whose understanding of air defense is rather ... from the last century. Starting with this drivel author's CV. 

Do you get my drift? The guy, evidently, is Canadian or started in Canada and by his own admission is: Scholar / Academic leader / Think Tank member / Educator / Opinion columnist / Novelist / Bridging the worlds of academia, media and policy in the international security space. Because he has degree in non-existent science he decided to wet dream the dream about 404 ballistic missiles.

Vladimir Putin’s greatest vulnerability in Moscow was never the building everyone is watching. A Ukrainian weapon striking the Kremlin, even by accident, would be the most dramatic image this war has produced. It would not be the most dangerous one, and that distinction matters more now than it did a month ago, because Ukraine just told the world it is building a weapon that would leave Moscow far less time to figure out what was actually happening.

Latham's excitement oozes from his deep military thoughts and he doesn't understand that he merely confirms what I speak about for years--NATO's wars are primarily about PR and image, not about real war and here is what betrays in him a sheer amateur. 

A ballistic missile compresses the warning window to minutes, compared with the extended tracking and engagement window even a large drone raid gives Russian air defense.

This is because he wasted his life on all kinds of pseudo-scientific and fraudulent academic endeavors and doesn't know this simple fact that this imaginary 404 ballistic missile represents no bigger threat than drones and, in fact, is EASIER target not because of the "warning window" but because of a ballistic trajectory and its visibility for early warning systems of Russia, ranging from space-based Kupol controlling Northern Hemisphere 24/7 in visible, infrared and UV diapasons to a networked anti-missile early warning system such as Container and Resonance which, depending on what in Latham's phantasy world passes for the "ballistic missile", can detect the launch OVER and beyond horizon and have track shared with such things like S-500, S-300V4 and other funny Russia AD systems which are designed specifically for dealing with such ballistic targets. 

Should Latham have learned from real professionals he would have learned that overwhelming majority of the 404 ballistic systems, starting from notorious Tochka-U to ATACMS have been intercepted not even by those fancy Russian Anti-missile systems, but even by such rather common AD systems as Buk-M2 and Tor-M2. But, of course, Latham wants the strike on Kremlin so badly that he forgets that:

1. 404 has to produce such a missile in the first place. 

2. In case of highly unlikely, but let's say for the sake of argument, successful hit on Kremlin by this non-existent missile, Kiev will cease to exist. While in the process, most of "elites" in Europe will soil themselves. 

So, what's left? Well, how about Mr. Latham goes back to school (high school) and learns basics of Earth curvature and, for example, why even fairly sophisticated Trident II D-5 SLBM had to be armed with a new trigger, because even for these highly evolved missiles launching at suppressed trajectories (to shorten the flight time) reduces their counter-force accuracy tremendously. Even when carrying nuclear MIRVs--they simply lose destructive effect.  

The rest of his mangled word salad of a military amateur is merely a wet dream by a guy who senses that NATO is utterly defeated; he is a sore loser who cannot accept the fact of NATO being a backward military paper tiger incapable of serious combined arms operations (it doesn't have TOE, sustainment capability and is operationally and strategically illiterate), which also lost the arms race by being knocked out of the ring. So, he listens to 404 and Pentagon fairy tales and publishes a kindergarten level "military" fantasies. His elaborations on Russia's nuclear triad and 404 "operations" ... well, that is why the US loses its wars. 

I Am Not A French Speaker ...

 ... but according to the accompanying comments Jean-Luc Melenchon says that those will be Muslims who will build socialism in France. 

Correct, and after they built "socialism", they will continue building Sharia society and khanate. The first to be beaten in utter Souimission will be exactly French so called "socialists" and other lefty fanatics, while French continue to lose any remnants of the sense of national pride and culture. 

Mainland Spain now begins to experience "cultural enrichment" on a good scale. 

Yes, girls in the bikinis, run--and better start contemplating moving elsewhere, because you too will be "culturally enriched". I have a solution, however--wear burka. Safe and very en vogue. 

Angry Birds.

 A minute of military aviation porn. 

With UMPK items (FAB--500s) 

Good Ol' Rooks (Grachi) SU-25 SMs doing what Rooks do. 

Close Air Support. 

Always Learning ...

 ... the wrong lessons. That is not learning at all.

 

Nima and Me ...

 ... live in 10 minutes. 

T-72B3 That Could.

15 (Fifteen strikes) by 404 drones, next day--did start just fine and rolled back to the repair base in the rear. 

I want to remind people that this kind of news is nothing new, really. 

MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. The crew of one of the T-90M "Breakthrough" tanks in the special operation zone survived after 26 enemy attack drones hit the turret of the vehicle. This was announced by a representative of Uralvagonzavod, who takes part in the restoration of tanks.

On one occasion recently T-90M Proryv took 47 hits. Stopped only after hitting anti-tank mine. Later was pulled back to the rear repair base. So, don't be surprised with increasing pile of BS being generated in the Western media. They need to cope hard 24/7. 

They Are Waking Up.

Many have been awake (and not in a "woke" kind of way) for a long time now. 

The messages on the wing of the airplane have not been accidental. The guys know. 

Meanwhile, scumbags and war criminals from British media now try to figure out this: Four ways Russia could hit back at Britain. They are delusional.  

When Vladimir Putin launched his onslaught against Ukraine in February 2022, he threatened any country daring to “stand in our way” with “consequences [that] will be such as you have never seen in your entire history”. Even before he uttered those words, Britain had stood in his path by openly supplying Ukraine with 2,000 anti-tank missiles. Once the invasion began, most of Europe was soon defying Putin by arming and funding Ukraine’s struggle. Britain led the way in providing steadily more advanced weaponry, progressing from AS90 self-propelled artillery to Challenger 2 tanks and Storm Shadow cruise missiles – and allowing Ukraine to use this firepower against targets in Russian territory. Now Britain is supplying many of the drones that Ukraine is launching at vital installations deep within Russia.

Well, without the US (and even with it) UK is a military and economic chihuahua capable of "supplying" some of the obsolete weaponry such as Challengers and Storm Shadows and then lie that they somehow have some impact. Yes, they do--they confirm that UK military is a backward obsolete joke. I am not using hyperbole here, we are looking at a collection of pompous morons capable only of terrorism and now facing some interesting dynamics with Lavrov stating that UK may become a direct party to the war. And while the two clowns from The Telegraph try to rationalize "four ways", they forget some critical things--Russia likely will choke off UK's shipping in Asia and if the UK would want to escalate (whatever that means--more terrorism I guess) here is what these cretins do not understand when they mention this "option":  Attack British facilities in Ukraine. 

Russia IS attacking "British facilities in Ukraine" and will continue to do so as well as hunting down British "advisers" and kill them. That's the reality of SMO to which UK as a nation is not prepared and fairy tales British propaganda tells its population cannot hide the fact that this is a peep-squeak of a country nowadays which desperately tries to relive halcyon days of its imperial grandeur. Well, judging by the latest events with Cambridge "professor" who was universally admired but turned out to be a fraud and then suicided himself--that's in a nutshell what British elites are. 

In related news. Russian Navy takes the latest project 09851 Khabarovsk nuclear sub, the carrier of Poseidon, to sea trials. 

To those who still cannot wrap their brains around it--Russia simultaneously builds several types of submarines: pr. 955A (Borei-class) SSBN, pr. 885M (Yasen-class) SSGN, pr. 09851 nuclear Poseidon carriers, pr. 677 Lada-class SSK. Plus modernization of other subs. And, the start by 2030 of the new class of advanced Laika (Husky) subs. Now ask yourself a question: can the US do this? Right. Meanwhile, Royal Navy cannot put to sea a single Astute-class sub. But yes, let them delude themselves. 

Garland and Yours Truly ...

 ... live in 30 minutes. 

If Anyone Wonders ...

 ... about consequences of arrival of Russian stand-off weapons to ArcerolMittal foundry in Krivoy Rog. Here are some "insights". 

You can see in the second video the portion of damaged furnace assembly (or however it is called--I am not a metallurgist).  

Something tells me that the arrivals will continue until the whole damn thing ceases to operate in any possible way. This is by far the largest steel production facility in 404 and it is not 404's, it is really a Soviet one. Communists built it and maintained. So, decommunization is in order. As you might understand, you cannot wage war without steel. Steel is in the foundation of modern civilization--this is the fact that boys from Palantir don't get. But then again, they, as well as Pentagon or CIA reside in the virtual world of computer code, gizmos and gadgets whose utility is at best questionable. Just look at the US armed forces with all those concepts in SMO and Iran.   

Scott Ritter penned a good piece today on this AI fad. Strongly recommend you to read it. 

AI represents the greatest danger to the practitioner of modern warfare. It makes the user intellectually weak, as it encourages mental subordination to an algorithm, and as such a lack of flexibility when it comes to dropping existing mental models in favor of newly developed models. The OODA loop is most effective when wielded by a well-trained human mind capable of discerning patterns based upon adequate orientation to the task at hand. While one might believe that AI would be able to perform a similar function, this simply is not the case.

Elimination of the enemy's manufacturing base and personnel of its armed forces is the stepping stone in achieving political objectives of the war. Simple as ... 

Little Engines ...

 ... which will not be able to. 

The End Of ...

 ... ArcelorMittal Krivoy Rog--404's main metallurgical (foundry) plant. 

For now they merely "paused" production. Russia likely will make this pause permanent. A reminder about some guy saying this: "we haven't started anything yet." 

Well, It Is Not Wrong.

 And it is a cold hard truth. 

And if that hasn't been enough, get this from Bild)))

NATO is preparing for a possible attack by Russia in the Baltic States with a new land war concept. There are detailed plans on how to stop rocket fire, stop Putin's troops at the border and weaken supply routes deep in Russia. Drones, autonomous combat zones and special forces operations play a key role in this.

Here is a gist of those strategies. 

According to the publication, the plan to counter Russia consists of three main strategies. It is noted that Major Andrew Pingree of the U.S. Army played a leading role in developing the concept. 

▪️ According to the first point, NATO intends to stop Russian missile strikes. To achieve this, NATO's fighter jets, missiles, and drones will need to destroy Russian missile complexes. One of the targets will be Kaliningrad, where a large number of air defense systems are located.

▪️ According to the second point, an "autonomous zone" is planned to be created along the borders with Russia and Belarus, which should serve as a protective barrier. Within this zone, only drones and unmanned military vehicles will operate against Russian forces. No NATO personnel are planned to be stationed there.

▪️ In the third phase, NATO intends to strike targets within Russia itself. To do this, special forces will need to destroy important military and logistical facilities. These include airfields, defense industry enterprises, bridges, and railways used by Russia to transport troops and equipment to the front.

The publication also notes that NATO intends to try to destabilize the situation directly within Russia.

This is a fucking circus. And don't give me this shit that Bild is a tabloid, every mainstream media in the West is tabloid. 

Joe Kent Doesn't Understand ...

... the subject matter--expected from a guy whose "knowledge" of Russia is that of, indeed, warrant officer who never saw anything beyond counterinsurgency (yes, he tragically lost his wife to suicide bomber) and degree in "strategic studies and defense analysis" ONLINE from Norwich University, that is the degree mill for NCO level guys from special forces. 

The gap becomes immediately obvious. Same one-liners, same platitudes which distinguish US military-intel personnel whose ideas about war and warfare are that of the expeditionary force whose main task is regime change in third world shitholes. You cannot bridge this gap, especially when clueless Joe Kent speaks about "Putin". 

Ian and Me.

Last week, about the fate of Europe (and the West in general) and about how Russians view Europe.

Russians, Of Course, "Cannot Fly Formation"(c)/s

Senator and astronaut Kelly, of course, never understood what he was dealing with, when he uttered this, now a meme, idiocy.   

Here, four SU-57s are just maneuvering for Egorov and his TV Zvezda show "Military Acceptance". 

In related news. We all know that Victor David Hanson is a credentialed cretin (as is Pierce Morgan). Here is how this "warfare expert" knows shit about world outside. 

West's media continue the rotation of the same morons like VDH non-stop, and for some reason expect to learn something of substance. No, it is all to create a low-brow show. These all are the signs of decomposition of Western societies and a complete enshittification and uglification of what passes for culture today in the West. 

Yes, one has to be "confident". Being normal and competent? No. 

Why US MIC ...

 ... is helpless. That's what privatization of strategic assets gets you. 

Open Thread.

Have to do some necessary chores. New video should be up shortly. Have fun. 

Larry and Me ...

 ... couple of days ago. 

After That ...

 ... he will declare himself Lord God and will rule over the universe. 

I leave it here without comments. In related news, after the "war is over" I will declare myself a billionaire and will go to Disney Land. 

Oldie But Goldie ...

 ... they are playing the Aviation March which is an official march of Russian Air Force. 

It Is Already ...

... happening and the only issue are purely operational and even tactical details. Russia will destroy Western support for Kiev’s war machine – Lavrov: 

The minister said Moscow would not resort to the same tactics, but warned that its response would become increasingly severe. “We will not sink to their level. Instead, we will adopt much harsher methods to destroy everything that enables the West to fuel Kiev’s war machine. We are already doing this, and they are already moaning.” he said. The minister also reiterated that Ukrainian and Western proposals to freeze the conflict along the current front line are unacceptable. He argued that doing so under present conditions would amount to betraying both the Soviet victory over the Axis powers in World War II and the broader history of Russian statehood.

Russia doesn't do terrorism, West does. Some elaboration on semantics is due, though. "Kiev's war machine" is NOT Kiev's, in general it is NATO's "machine" which has been severely damaged during SMO and now that Odessa and Nikolaev are isolated--the work continues to make the Black Sea a Russian lake--the choking of the railroad network is also in progress. The bridge in Mayaky is now being pummeled for three nights in a row and it will be destroyed. 

Here it is in a larger scheme of things. 

So, Odessa is going to be strangled. Here are some visuals from Kiev's, a capital no less, a grocery store. 

This all is the result of what Russia is doing in terms of final strangulation of West's beloved Nazis and at some point, which in near, Russians will repeat an old English saying to Irish--we hate you for what you made us do to you. 

Lavrov also reiterated the warning, saying the Russian Navy could begin “focusing on the ships serving countries which have made pillaging and piracy their official policy.” In case of French or British, or Dutch commercial traffic which Russian Navy will choke off in the Pacific, this saying will not be used--Russians hate the West simply because of what it is. But yes, they can really make Europe miserable and then, maybe, send couple of Il-76s with humanitarian aid. Just to show that Russia "cares" if you know what I mean. 

Jack Keane ...

 ... has no concept of a modern war. He is old and he has no idea what modern warfare is because his experiences as a general officer are limited to a FUBAR of "surge" and witnessing the US bombing with impunity of "enemies" the size of New York city at best. His Vietnam experiences as a tactical level officer with ROTC commission are irrelevant, but he surely knows how to talk tough. 

Retired Gen. Jack Keane forecasted Thursday that Iran’s military would ramp up its campaign against the U.S. approaching the November elections — a move he said would be a miscalculation. “I think as we get closer to the midterms, it’s likely they will,” he told Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney. “And the reason for that is because they believe in their head now that they have something of an upper hand here, Stuart, because we went through the ceasefire over oil and gas prices and the impact of the midterms and as we get closer to the midterms, they think the less likelihood that President Trump react very consequentially in terms of military operations,” he continued. Keane, who has advised Trump on foreign policy, warned Iran against that strategy. The retired general said the Iranian military has misjudged the president “time and time again.”

Correct, Iranian military, as well as Russian one, misjudged "the president" and a coterie of his sycophants, both military and political, for competent people. Keane is a classic example of a delusional US general who knows only how to navigate D.C. political swamp. How to fight war? Nope. Here is a hint from WiKi.

Keane attended Bishop Dubois High School and Fordham University, where he participated in the Pershing Rifles. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1966 after studying at the university's Gabelli School of Business, and received his commission as an Infantry officer via the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. He then attended Western Kentucky University and graduated with an Master of Arts degree in philosophy. He later graduated from the US Army Command and General Staff College and the US Army War College. 

I continue to state my case non-stop. By the time the US Army figured it out, Russians have been doing this for more than half-a-century. 

Since the 1980s, America’s world ranking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has declined, placing our once unquestioned supremacy in technological innovation and application on par with or behind those of our economic and military adversaries. A recent warning from the Office of the Secretary of Defense Acquisition and Sustainment Industrial Policy declared the paucity of STEM-educated Americans may lead to a “permanent national security deficit.” The lack of STEM education extends to Army officers. In 2018, the Army Strategy assessed the strategic environment to include partners, allies, and adversaries leveraging “advanced capabilities” such as cyber, counter space, electronic warfare, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). This assessment has proven true in the Russia-Ukraine War, an artillery-heavy war interwoven with the burgeoning development and implementation of new and evolving technologies that demand innovative thinking, alliances, and strategy informed by STEM+Management (STEM+M).  

I will repeat again--if you don't have Ph.D. in military science and graduate degree in STEM--shut up and go teach history in high school. And then they wonder why the US loses wars. How about because US doesn't know how to fight them and the US officer corps reflects it through clowns like Jack Keane, who still lives in WW II, not to mention smearing himself with working for genocidal Kagans' clan. 

I Wish, I Really Do ...

... that Roger and David with Nick could do the same--I know it is impossible. But Deep Purple did. 

John Lord was smiling down from heaven. The only young kid there is Pacey--he is merely 78 years old)) Seeing Ian and Ritchie hugging and Ian's "I see you in the bar"--gratifying beyond description. Never thought I would see Deep Purple's legendary lineup in 2026. Paicey? I am tired listening to praises of Bonham--Paicey is 78 years young and his drumming ... boy!

She Is The First ...

 ... serial. A flag-ship for Aeroflot where she is going.  

Some people may not even grasp the scale of accomplishment, but it is massive--from engines, to electronics, to avionics, to materials, all of it is domestic, all Russian-made. 18 new ships are coming. 

Meanwhile ...

Yep. "Russian cannot fly formation"(c)

Yes, Putin Will ...

 ... "follow through", you bunch of media cretins and whores. 

Nima and Me ...

 ... live at noon PDT.

Total Eclipse ...

 ... of the sun today was seen not only in Europe and Asia. That's not true, Americans have been able to observe it also. 

Very impressive) 

Not Again!

Please. This constant reference to the Gulf War 1.0 is nauseating. It is Al Bandy's four touchdowns in the game for his Polk High school. 

It is not just strategy, however important it is, it is a combination of many factors, including foundational ones, the cultural DNA of the US confabulated military history turned into mythology based primarily on a very cautious choice of weak enemies. Here is a reminder from Atkinson about US major hero, who was nothing more than an average army commander. 

The creeping arrogance, the hubris, which would cost the American Army so dearly in Vietnam. Summing up the achievements of his troops in crushing the German counterattack of December 1944, Patton with pardonable pride claims to have “moved farther and faster and engaged more divisions in less time than any other army in the history of the United States—possibly in the history of the world... No country can stand against such an Army.” These memoirs are valuable not least in showing, however unwittingly, that a disastrous presumption of invincibility took root in the ranks of officers who led the American military after World War II. 

Nothing changed since then, period. In fact, things got worse, much worse. Especially in educational level of the US officer corps and very low level of operational planning and execution. The problem is manifold and it is vertical in nature--from lowest tactical level way up to the political top and, in the end, technological obsolescence of the US military, especially when compared to Russia. But Mearsheimer knows very little about it. 

Here Is Commander Of ...

... Russia's Pacific Fleet, Victor Liina (Estonian, BTW) reports to Supreme Commander, President Vladimir Putin (in Russian) that ...

... Pacific Fleet is ready to start raiding commercial marine traffic of unfriendly states in the Pacific. And who are those unfriendly states? Right. We all know who they are. Do barely afloat Royal Navy or Marine Nationale, not to speak of other Eurochihuahuas, want to meet Russian Navy on the high seas, not to speak about littorals of many countries which are constantly monitored by all kinds of ISR means. E.g. Liana. Russia didn't start it, she is finishing it. Just to explain--a single pr. 885M (Yasen-M) SSGN can sink all of surface fleet of Marine Nationale, including its only aircraft carrier, in a single go. Of course Russian Pacific Fleet has about 8 active nuclear attack subs--all carriers of such things as Kalibrs, Zircons and Onyxes. Plus another 6 (six) pr. 636 SSKs, also Kalibr carriers, and another older Kilo-class SSK. I omit here, of course, five state-of-the-art strategic missile subs, but they are not part of this equation. Calculations are very simple here--and I didn't even mention Pacific Fleet's surface component. 

Marshal Shaposhnikov or ...

These are 3M22 Zircon carriers. So, you get my drift, right? Let the hunt begin. The green light was given. 

Obsolete ...

 ... and utterly defeated. How could this be? Long explanation is coming. 

This Is Who ...

 ... combined West supports. And that is why there is nothing to discuss with it. 

The fact that the US supports them and turns the blind eye to it, merely shows the nature of modern Washington D.C. and why the US debased itself and continues to do so while proclaiming lofty goals. But then again. Nobody in Russia believes the West. In fact, Russian hatred of the West is now in the open and, as I repeat ad nauseam, Russians are very wrong people to fuck with. 

Now working on this new title:

Even when summarizing in the first chapters delusions of the military grandeur by the US and especially as it constantly tries to parallel itself to ancient Rome--audacity born out of ignorance--one has to diagnose the US "intellectual" elite as uncultured, primitive and incompetent. Alexis de Tocqueville was right when describing American "garrulous patriotism" which today turned into caricature. Jason Arday, while nominally British, is an Exhibit A and a logical conclusion of this class' degeneracy. 

Practically Whole Western "Humanities" Field ...

... including Cambridge University and the rest of the "prestigious" universities in the US are academic frauds and degree mills. Cambridge always had only one thing which was admirable--physics and math department. The rest of it, especially in the last 30 or so years is a catastrophe. 

Modern Western so called "academe" is primarily a collection of brainwashed ideologues--Michael McFaul (McFail) is an exhibit A of a credentialed academic fraud--whose only task is to sublimate their idiotic views about the world outside and complexes with traumas into pseudo academic courses which require no intellect nor serious academic background. This is the international community of useless people with skills which would take a person with IQ above room temperature and a free time about a month of rigorous internet search and visiting some university library to get ready to write Ph.D. thesis. These are precisely the types of people who contributed mightily to a complete decomposition of the combined West--intellectual, moral, scientific, military and industrial. 

Ah, more))

Open Thread.

 Go at it. 

Macabre Dreams ...

 ... scratch a German ... well, you know. Scratch a European ...

US "Intelligence" Community ...

 ... distinguished itself primarily with creation of fairy tales (aka narratives) and utter military incompetency. 

Russia plans to inflict maximum damage on Kyiv's energy sector by August 24 without waiting for autumn, Ukrainian media reported, citing the US intelligence community. It is reported that the Russian Army can even use a strategic reserve of ballistic missiles for strikes in order to achieve the maximum effect by the celebration of Independence Day.

This is a hallmark of the US military "intel" which is built around US military psyche like trying to tie some operations by Russian military to some "significant" date--a post traumatic addiction to Soviet dissidents' BS about Red Army doing things (like liberation of Kiev in 1943). This all is a result of historic and operational-strategic illiteracy, like applying fairy tales from WW II to modern warfare. 

Secondly, most of them will not understand a) what strategic reserves are, b) that Russia produces the number of long-range (stand-off) weapons of ALL kinds, INCLUDING quasi-ballistic Iskanders, in volumes which are order (now orders) of magnitude larger than what the US can produce, c) that in terms of latest iterations of UAVs of a long-range class such as Geraniums and Banderols (this is in effect a light cruise missile) reaching one thousand daily (like in 24 hours)--these numbers are beyond their grasp. I mean it literally--no US military and intel professional ever dealt with such production and casualties numbers ever, insofar as the last half-a-century goes. 

In fact, Russia's real military and intel professionals when making operational and strategic level assessments of the US war-making and war-fighting capability smile ironically. 

In the end, it was Pentagon and collection of its chihuahuas from UK, Germany, France et al who managed to kill almost 3 million of 404 males and resorted, naturally, to terrorism and war crimes. We are observing a train wreck in progress. 

Meanwhile, Russian Army liberated Western part of Malaya Tockmachka. 

The storm of Orekhov has commenced. 

You can see yourself where it is all going. 

In related news, they are correct ...

Nobody will be able to do anything about it. Nobody will even try. 

Well, It Is Not ...

 ... for off-ramp for Trump or the US, it is for off-ramp for Pentagon geniuses who now are soiling themselves trying to calculate the probability of the wrecking ball of the blame for the FUBAR everywhere, from 404 to Iran, hitting them on their heads, with the proverbial rolling after that. 

Over the last few weeks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine has privately made clear to other top Trump advisers that the US needs to find an off-ramp from the war with Iran — because the military options on the table to escalate the conflict could backfire and airpower alone is unlikely to achieve President Donald Trump’s stated objectives, according to three sources familiar with the matter. “Caine is looking for an off ramp,” one of the sources said bluntly. Caine is not alone in his view that the war has reached a crossroads. He has discussed concerns about the military options for escalating the conflict and raised the prospect of finding an off-ramp from the war with other key Cabinet officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, two of the sources said. The top US general has recently side-barred with some of those key, like-minded Trump advisers in an effort to facilitate interagency coordination and ensure they are on the same page ahead of meetings with the president. The aim has been to make clear the limitations and pitfalls of the available military options, including those that do not involve putting US boots on the ground, the sources said. “I think it is just his way of protecting the military,” one of the sources told CNN, referring to Caine’s discussions with other top national security officials within Trump’s cabinet about the Iran war.

They are protecting their behinds because none of them had courage and integrity to resign in protest to the insanity Trump and his Israeli handlers planned. And, of course, we all recall how Trump promised to end the war in 404 "in 24 hours". It is all about who is going to be left holding the bag with excrement. Bunch of losers and war criminals. 

Plans For the Weekend ...

 ... no, really)) 

For military porn--here is SU-35 doing what SU-35 does. 

Never forget, Russian Air Force performed dismally and is grounded)) 

"Tactical" Nukes ...

... are not going to help. All of it is an admission of being a weak conventional force. Russia went through it in 1990s but she always had mechanism for recovery, the US does not. Colby got the whiff of that--too bad he will not understand, neither will Pentagon generals, what real war is. 

US Lack of "Intel" ...

 ... and their "assessments" are done only for the propaganda reasons. Same as Pentagon's. That is why the US is no good at real war. So, here we have a new pile of bovine excrement.

Recent US intelligence assessments indicate Russian President Vladimir Putin could try to test NATO’s resolve by launching a limited attack on an allied country within the next few years, according to three sources familiar with those reports. The intelligence assessments outline several possible scenarios for Russian escalation, ranging from a cyberattack to a small-scale incursion intended to challenge NATO’s unity and commitment to Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all, without necessarily crossing the threshold for an allied response, the sources said. While how and when Putin might do so remains an open question, one of the sources said he is most likely to escalate in some way by targeting the Baltics or Poland. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the recent assessments. US and NATO officials believe Putin may choose to escalate against NATO if he is unable to secure a face-saving off-ramp to the war with Ukraine, the sources added, noting the Russian president’s window for choosing his next course of action spans between now and the next few years.

Yes, defeating NATO is now called securing "a face-saving-off-ramp". Keep in mind that not only NATO is a paper tiger, but it is a collection of military-intel mediocrities who also happened to be sore losers. The decline is so dramatic, not just in TOE terms, US Armed Forces is a force from 1990s, that is utterly obsolete, that there is no even moral metric left anymore. US Army is being turned into Israeli Army and that's about the level at which it will reside. Per "attack" on NATO "country". Well, Europe will die out on its own--let it rot. "Small-scale incursion"--if this will come, those amateurs in the US "intel" should know that it will become a very large-scale immediately and Brussels, Rammstein and Berlin will cease to exist. But you cannot explain it to them. 

Air-to-Air ...

 ... which is air defense. 

This is to remind you that drone warfare evolves and I posted numbers before--despite some dramatic videos, the actual success rate of 404 UAVs is about 4%. It declined since. Drone against drone is now a normal occurrence and Russia is the first and so far the only country which introduced a new service--Troops of the Unmanned Systems--and established military 5 year academy specifically for educating officer corps for this type of the warfare. Obviously, Russian Navy will have a say on that, because they will argue (justifiably) that surface and underwater drones are a whole other thing altogether. They are. 

Meanwhile, artillery and air force remain the most productive means of fire delivery. 

And same applies to tanks. 

If True, This Is A Decomposition ...

... of the force. I want to introduce a caveat immediately--there are occasions when officer mess hall eats differently from the rest of the crew. Special occasions, such as officers' birthdays, visits by important guests--the galley may cook a special meal--and something special officers bring onboard bought with their own money. The rest of the time--officers eat same food as their subordinates. Here is what Larry reports: 

During a conversation with the Marine’s mother, I mentioned the emails I had received from the sailor’s mom. The Marine mother, who does not know the lady who had sent me the emails, told me her son had the same experience, i.e., lousy chow and big weight loss. Pete Hegseth is calling these parents liars.

According to Ms. Mayes-Osterman: Both the Navy and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth denied reports of food problems. “My team confirmed the logistics stats for the Lincoln & Tripoli,” Hegseth said in a post on X. “Both have 30+ days of Class I supplies (food) on board. NavCent monitors this everyday, for every ship. Our sailors deserve — and receive — the best.” 

The only liar is Hegseth. He reportedly visited one of the ships and had a splendid meal in the Officer’s Mess. He did not eat in the dining facility for the enlisted personnel. That is a failure of leadership. My dogs eat better than these sailors and Marines. This is not just a problem on the USS Tripoli and USS Boxer. Similar complaints came from sailors posted to the USS Abraham Lincoln. The officers on board these ships have a duty and obligation to ensure their troops are properly fed. In theory, officers are supposed to eat last. But that is not the reality on board the ships conducting war missions off the coast of Iran.

Evidently Pete Hegseth thinks that his tour in Afghanistan and career of media personality make him a very special guest who can bypass galley realities of the ships on station and accept his great meal as a confirmation of everything being rosy with feeding the personnel. Of course, any deployment does have an effect on the weight, but if it is the "big weight loss"--this is more than just bad food or effects of protracted deployment, this means NOT ENOUGH food. 

Evidently the problem with feeding the personnel on these deployed ships persists. 

Well, deodorant should be the least of the concerns there. Food, water for showers and laundry, and functioning toilets should be. That's fundamental for deployment and the morale. What we observe, however, is a sheer incompetence on part of Trump Administration (no surprise here) and US military. This is a third world. This is also inadmissible. It has two layers to it, the first one, of course, is that the US shouldn't be there in the first place, the second--who allows these conditions to persist? As Stalin used to say--each problem always has a name. 

Larry Wilkerson Talked ...

 ... to the right person in Pentagon. 

He talks about this visit in June 2024. 

Obviously USNI headline is somewhat misleading.  

Russian Nuclear Sub, Frigate with Long Range Land Attack Missiles Operating Off East Coast

These are not just land attack missiles which, of course, matter. These are 3M22 Zircons which are carried by Gorshkov-class frigates which matter the most. Of course, they are capable of land attack too. Here is a reminder what Zircon is.

But these are anti-shipping missiles which can penetrate any even super-pooper AD, which the US Navy doesn't have. Actually Zircon's is up to M=10 and the range of 1,500 km. At least somebody understands in Pentagon. 

Nima and Me ...

 ... live in 1 hr. 20 minutes. 

Yes, Now It Is Too Much ...

 ... winning and turning the tables. 

The intelligence-sharing relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine has bounced back to previous highs, according to long-time Ukraine watchers — a welcome boost during a critical window of opportunity for the Ukrainian war effort. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the intelligence committee’s ranking member and a longtime proponent of more U.S. assistance to Ukraine, told POLITICO he sees evidence of an improved intel-sharing agreement — and believes it’s helped Kyiv gain an advantage in Moscow’s four-year-long war.

Moreover, the advantage is so huge, that ...

Republican Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), another member of the intel committee, and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, agreed that intel-sharing between the U.S. and Ukraine has increased at a moment of strategic importance. “It sure seems like that,” Cornyn said. “Everybody loves a winner and looks like Ukraine has turned the tide.”

Fact is, these operations should be taught in the US Army War College, because that's the cutting edge of war fighting known only to US military and US senators.  Keep in mind, there are still people in the US who strongly believe that the US was triumphant in Vietnam and Afghanistan. It also defeated Third Reich single-handedly.