Larry On Pagers...

 ... for Hezbollah.  

At this point, we do not know if the explosion was caused by an overheated lithium battery or if the devices had all been modified with an explosive charge planted inside each one. Steve explores both possibilities in his article. I believe the explosion was the result of the pagers being modified with a small explosive charge. This much we know, Israeli intelligence penetrated the manufacturer of the devices and was able to either insert code into each that would trigger overheating or convinced the manufacturer — allegedly based in Taiwan — to produce lethal pagers. None of these pagers appeared to be on fire from an overheated battery. All I saw were explosions. This attack, while incredibly creative, also reflects desperation on the part of the Israelis. It is one thing to produce one phone or pager that explodes. That could be attributed to poor production quality or a targeted assassination with a rigged device. It would not immediately raise questions about the provenance, i.e., the manufacturer. At a minimum, the Lebanese killed and wounded by these devices will have grounds for a class action lawsuit against the producer.

I will not be surprised that Israelis have been able to penetrate Taiwanese manufacturer. Taiwan took a staunchly pro-Israeli stance, plus both have long-lasting military technological cooperation. In other words, Israelis may not have had a tough time "changing" pagers into small explosive devices. I agree with Larry, though, this will only stiffen Hezbollah's resolve and that means escalation.

Apti Alautdinov...

 ... explains some realities of this whole Kursk NATO FUBAR. 

Last figure I saw was 14, 200--a full blown US division with three BCT (Brigade Combat Teams) gone. I stress, Russians are extremely conservative in their VSU losses count. Now we have a cauldron forming, and Sumy and surroundings are without electricity and newly arriving reserves of VSU are being pulverized even before they reach the border. 

And then, there is a rather interesting article about fates of the United States by Russian thinker (he has a graduate degree in Physics, if anybody wonders) Timofei Sergeitsev with a shocking title: Russia Will Have To Take Away US Nuclear Weapons. One may debate merits of this piece, but Sergeitsev, paradoxically, makes an interesting case of WHY the US Armed Forces will not save the US, unlike it happened with Russia in 2000. Remarkably, very similar idea was floated by Colonel Larry Wilkerson (you can find this video of his on You Tube). 

Военные — те, кто воюет и умирает на поле боя, а не просто числится военнослужащим в мирное время — единственная каста, которая может править. Такова древняя традиция, но такова и современная ситуация, поскольку власть требует неограниченной ответственности, когда в залог отдается жизнь, а не уставный капитал. США — общество, где власть узурпировали торговцы. А они в принципе избегают ответственности, даже ограниченной, стремятся к перенесению максимума рисков, убытков и издержек на других. В СССР власть в ХХ веке присвоили священнослужители безбожной религии — веры в коммунизм. Этот перекос политической системы привел ее к разрушению. Перекос политической системы США также ведет их внутренний кризис к точке невозврата. Военное сообщество США развращено притоком внешних ресурсов, логикой грабежа. Строить государство — систему воспроизводства власти с опорой на внутренний, собственный ресурс — оно не готово. Два века торговое сообщество США покупало услуги собственных военных, фактически сделав из них наемников. Но на это внутреннее наемничество остается все меньше средств. А также наемники не имеют и не могут иметь политической квалификации.

Translation: The military — those who fight and die on the battlefield, and are not simply listed as military personnel in peacetime — are the only caste that can rule. This is an ancient tradition, but this is also the modern situation, since power requires unlimited responsibility, when life is pledged as collateral, not authorized capital. The United States is a society where traders have usurped power. And they, in principle, avoid responsibility, even limited, and strive to transfer the maximum risks, losses, and costs to others. In the USSR, power in the twentieth century was appropriated by the clergy of a godless religion — the faith in communism. This imbalance of the political system led to its destruction. The imbalance of the US political system is also leading its internal crisis to the point of no return. The US military community is corrupted by the influx of external resources, the logic of robbery. It is not ready to build a state — a system for reproducing power based on internal, its own resource. For two centuries, the US trading community bought the services of its own military, essentially turning them into mercenaries. But there are fewer and fewer resources left for this internal mercenary activity. And mercenaries do not have and cannot have political qualifications.

The fact that this piece was published by Ria is telling. I meanwhile simply beg--get me into this "what could have been" for a day. Let me marvel and rest.

I need a full-length movie about this world;)) Amazing.

Admiral Moiseev Speaks...

 ... about decision which has been made already at the highest political level, while this comical "comparison" of KM-SAM, which is a shorter range hybrid of S-350 and S-400 to Patriot reveals a gigantic depth of a complex of inferiority which was brought to the surface by the events of first Syria and now--SMO. Russia, looks like, foresees a complete breakdown of law and political system in the US. Realistically--we are within this process. Well, ukrainiazation of the United States is nearly complete. So, why spend five 3M22 Zircons when one can spend only one armed with a good yield warhead. What is remarkable, NATO has no answer to it...

Okean-24 Concludes...

 ... this coincides with Admiral Moiseev's revealing piece in Voennaya Mysl (Military Thought) of which I will be talking about in my new video which is coming up shortly. 

Very little doubt that Russia and China are getting ready for any contingency, especially against the background of a complete political breakdown in the US which is on the brink of a national calamity.

About Payload...

 ... yes, it is military and it is... several military satellites, as Ria reports (in Russian). 

Highly likely, these are recon-targeting sats and it is a routine expansion of Russian ISR constellation. We will know more later depending on the orbits, but judging by the reports, these are LEO stas.They are already on station and on-line. Could they be also satellites-inspectors (a euphemism for killers)? Who knows.

OK, I Am Sure...

 ... this will have a positive effect on acoustic signature (and other physical fields) and maneuvering qualities of this newest SSN. 

The ceremony culminated a years-long process for commissioning the New Jersey, the third U.S. Navy ship named after the state of New Jersey, the most recent being the decorated battleship BB-62 which saw action during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. New Jersey’s commanding officer Cmdr. Steve Halle called the event “a truly historic moment” during his speech, praising all the distinguished guests, shipbuilders, and supporting organizations before addressing his crew.

“To the crew, the plank owners, this ceremony… is about you. You operate the most complex platform on the planet and you continuously strive for excellence. I’m amazed and humbled at what we have accomplished. Our superior professionalism is enhanced by our crew integration and our diversity. We have exceeded expectations at every turn and overcome every obstacle set before us.”

Halle also spoke to the people of New Jersey stating “I know that the legacy we have inherited from the state of New Jersey and BB-62 will carry forward in our pursuit of greatness.”

Wow. Yes, she is a very diverse sub, if you know what I mean. But then again, what do I know--integration and diversity are strength, they say. 

The New Jersey is the 23rd Virginia-class submarine, but it is the first of its kind — designed from the keel up with specific modifications for gender integration. “The submarine community is a fully gender-integrated warfighting force,” said Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, commander of Submarine Forces Atlantic. Modifications included obvious ones — more doors and washrooms to create separate sleeping and bathing areas — and some that are more subtle — lowering some overhead valves and making them easier to turn and installing steps in front of the triple-high bunk beds and stacked laundry machines. The design changes were made to accommodate the growing female force of submariners. In the past five years, the Navy has seen the number of officers and enlisted sailors in the submarine force who are women double and triple, respectively, Gaucher said.

OK!

Tactical Mistake...

As you can see yourself, to catch a Ukie draft-dodger (good for him, he will stay alive for a while longer), you must know how to run interference. But these guys from TTzK (Center for Registration and Formation of VSU)--they are amateurs. And, as a result--the prey escapes.