Yes, Share the "Evidence"))

Allow me to remind you--404 does not have any of the advanced ISR and is entirely dependent on the US for this and Command, Control and Communications. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday he will share evidence with the United States showing Russia is assisting Iran in targeting U.S. bases in the Middle East via satellite surveillance. "Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and U.S. military facilities located there," Zelenskyy said on X. "These images subsequently appear in Iran. At the same time, there is a clear correlation between Russia's satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes — both before the attacks, in preparation for them, and afterward, to assess the damage inflicted." Zelenskyy's accusations of Russia helping Iran target U.S. troops are not the first. Multiple sources, including a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge, told CBS News six days into the war that Russia was providing intelligence to Iran regarding U.S. positions in the Middle East. 

Yes, Zelensky will be sharing American intel with ... Americans. That, my friends, is called chutzpah. A special kind of chutzpah, I may add. But, as you all know, America's "friends" since Korean War are not exactly an admirable bunch. 404 (highly likely from Kazakhstan, maybe Azerbaijan) hit Iranian vessel in Caspian Sea--killed a crew member. Iran promised a delivery of a good payload to some targets in 404. Meanwhile The Economist sounds alarm. 

China is gaining troubling military know-how from Russia. It is learning how to improve its drones, nuclear subs and air defence. 

No shit, geniuses, you don't even know half of it, but judging by the "expertise" of Western journos and political "science" so called "strategists" they will not be able to grasp even basic realities of the modern warfare paradigm. It is a huge celebration in Russia today--Navy Day. Vladimir Putin already congratulated those serving and connected to the Navy. 

This Is Not ...

 ... how I imagined the fight between PLAN and Philippines' Navy, but this is tense but still funny. 

But reality, of course, is much more serious and the US will continue its, however useless, buildup in the area and use its vassals, I mean "allies", to provoke China. I am not going into the legal aspect of all those waters and all those Spratlys and all that, but here is a delusion on part of "intellectual" (I elaborate on this in my video today) Kazianis who lives in 1965 or maybe, indeed, in his 1945 outlet and never heard of antishipping missiles. 

China Is Building Toward Nine Aircraft Carriers. America Has Eleven — and Can’t Replace Them Fast Enough.  

Why China builds them is clear--it is symbolic because China has a monstrous shipbuilding industry which dwarfs that of the US and China leverages it, but also because she still copies very many views on war, in this case naval one, from the US. What many people still cannot grasp--China doesn't have strike weapon systems which guarantee sufficient number of leakers to stop US CBGs. Anybody who continues with a delusion of Chinese "hypersonic" weapons--I have news, China doesn't have them. Calling ballistic missiles which enter atmosphere at hypersonic speed a "hypersonic weapon" is the same as calling Packard autos the same generation as 2026 Honda Accord. 

This is the reality which very many people who do admire (I do it too) Chinese achievements (not least through first Soviet aid and then the US transplanting here manufacturing to China) cannot accept--in terms of naval warfare China is not in the same league because for all of its huge issues, including WW II based fighting doctrine of the US surface navy, China is nowhere near in terms of submarine component of the US or Russian Navies. Plus, the issue which many want to ignore but which Iran learned the hard way--Chinese AD turned out to be not what was promised. Russia warned Iran, but China outbid Russia. Well ... That's the reality and it is much more nuanced than merely proclaiming existing capability which is a much more inferior copy of original. Just to demonstrate:

I forestall many China fanboys who will rush to defend China while having no clue about realities of technological dimension of modern warfare. I repeat again, Russia "helped" (euphemism for built) Chinese missile attack early warning system. Get a hint and a clue. 

No Uncertain Terms.

Rick, it was Zelenograd. Scott gives a very good rundown and yes, China is aware of all proceedings. Rumor has it--there are China's military people who are embedded with Russian MoD. 

If You Wonder.

Yes, this is in China and yes, this is Ka-52M with Chinese markings. 

Is this a real photo or neural network creation? Well, you'll be the judge of that, but since 2021 China was mulling the idea of buying a ship's version of Ka-52 Katran. 

The possible contract was reported by the American magazine The National Interest. The publication notes that there is no official confirmation of this information by Beijing or Moscow yet, but the likelihood of concluding an agreement is "very high." The topic of a potential agreement is also actively discussed in the Chinese media. "Heavy attack helicopters are needed to equip the latest Chinese landing ships. After its own unsuccessful developments, China is asking for help from Russia. In addition, the agreement will demonstrate to the United States active cooperation between the PRC and the Russian Federation, which will reduce American aggression,"- quotes the words of researcher Zhou Chenming from the Defense University of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese newspaper South China Morning Post. Earlier, the American edition of Military Watch called the Ka-52 Alligator helicopter, the shipborne version of which is the Ka-52K, "the most dangerous attack helicopter in the world."

A lot has changed since then. Ka-52 proved itself (already proven in Syria) but in SMO as a premier combat helicopter. But then again, everybody have been guessing about Iranian Mi-28s until they have been spotted in the Iranian skies. Same goes for Algerian Su-57s. They are seen and not one or two anymore. 

Which brings us to morons from Stockholm SIPRI who still continue to pour BS of dollar-expressed world arms trade to all kinds of "analysts" as a viable data. Only complete cretins judge combat power in expenditure in US Dollars while not understanding the essence of this power as a combination of ADJUSTED expenditure, technological, doctrinal, industrial and operational factors--precisely the combination which NATO people are incapable to grasp. 

I want to remind you this dawning of realization on ... USMC officer, a revelation for him really:

We allow ourselves to look at our impressive defense budget and expensive systems and throw around hyperbole about the United States having the greatest military in the world. How, then, have we been bested by malnourished and undereducated men with antiquated and improvised weaponry whilst spending trillions of dollars in national treasure and costing the lives of thousands of servicemen and hundreds of thousands of civilians? Judging military capability by the metric of defense expenditures is a false equivalency. All that matters are raw, quantifiable capabilities and measures of effectiveness. For example: a multi-billion dollar aircraft carrier that can be bested by a few million dollars in the form of a swarming missile barrage or a small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capable of rendering its flight deck unusable does not retain its dollar value in real terms. Neither does the M1A1 tank, which is defeated by $20 worth of household items and scrap metal rendered into an explosively-formed projectile. The Joint Improvised Threat Defeat Organization has a library full of examples like these, and that is without touching the weaponized return on investment in terms of industrial output and capability development currently being employed by our conventional adversaries.

Yep, combat effectiveness calculated against serious enemy force and for high-intensity tactical and operational environment is the ONLY thing that matters. ATGMs Hermes or LMUR plugged into the profile of deployed force run by Battle Management System such as Andromeda, among others--they don't care how much your tank costs, they care only about where is this tank, or strong-point for that matter, and at what range they should blow those expensive toys to smithereens. Yes, Correlation of Forces and Means, like IDF discovered for itself (again) in Southern Lebanon. You know, those Hezbollah's pesky UAVs and, yes, Kornets again. 

I also have news for these "dreamers" who continue to defraud US taxpayers. 

The United States will struggle to defend itself against advanced missile systems developed by China and Russia, senior Pentagon officials told lawmakers as they called for funding for the proposed Golden Dome missile defense program.

I have news, it could be Golden, it could be Brilliant or any other name you find fit to stick to this Pentagon's another "big thing" but it is not going to stop shit--the US AD capabilities fell behind so bad that any mentioning of "anti-hypersonic" by any US military or policy-makers should be corrected immediately by asking the question how this Golden thing will be able to intercept something like 3M22 Zircon? Well, the US doesn't have hypersonic technology (after Russians, obviously, "stole" it from the US) to even initiate a test phase. If you think that computer simulation will do the trick--I have a bridge to sell you. You need a physical REAL hypersonic weapon (forget about having a variety of them, like Russia has) to conduct exhaustive life testing to gather data sets and test your whole damn thing--from detection (good luck detecting hypersonic weapons in flight. Launch? Maybe.) to tracking to developing firing solution by ... exactly--you need AD systems with missiles which are the next thing in energy capacity for maneuvering. The US doesn't have any. 

When I say that the US lost the arms race--this is not hyperbole or figure of speech, it literally did with a very few respectable capabilities remaining such as ISR, subs as platforms only, signal processing and ... PR. The rest--well, will say that it is very-very expensive. Ask Russians or ... Iran. 

How Broadsides ...

 ... sound. China's representative explains to the West its place. 

This place is not what the West thinks it is. As Larry defined it today:

Trump’s Schizophrenic Policy Towards Iran is Sabotaging Relations with China and Russia

Yes, it is legitimate to call it schizophrenia, especially against the background of Iran literally mocking and trolling Israel and the US. This place is a mental asylum. 

This Is What Happens ...

 ... when people with zero military and STEM background begin to bloviate on matters they have no gasp of whatsoever. 

For starters, for Mr. Hanson--the US HAS 12 CVNs and 11 CSGs, on paper, but this is not how fleets operate because the US will not be able to deploy all 11 of them simultaneously. Here is a reminder to Mr. Hanson WHAT the US Navy currently "operates". 

As "Prosperity Guardian" (Good Lord, who comes up with these titles?) operation has demonstrated--the old adage about Carrier Strike Groups is just that--old. Didn't work against Houthis, against the power operating supersonic anti-shipping missiles with ranges of not 60 miles but 600+, I have news for Mr. Hanson--it is going to be ugly, and here is a thingy. 

This is the photo of one of the US CVNs in the South China Sea. It is taken from orbit by one of many recon and targeting sats with good optronic and radar channels. This means one thing--the targeting is received and the firing solution for a salvo of supersonic (or hypersonic, wink, wink) missiles is always ready. After that--Salvo Model in place and off we go. The probability of hitting said CVN is described by classic models for missile salvos. 

But I am sure Mr. Hanson knows all of it--with his degree in classics and military "history", I am sure he can deduce all those parameters. I reiterate the issue--US Navy's CSGs are tracked constantly and they are not survivors in real war. What Hanson extolls as a virtue is, in fact, a huge vulnerability of the carrier-centric navy stuck in the WW II mindset. But what do I know? 

About Dubai Air Show.

As you may understand, the contracts signed on such kinds of shows are not really negotiated there--serious contracts for weapons are prepared usually much in advance, sometimes years after long and tedious negotiations. But here is the deal with modern Russian expositions--they present weapon systems which are unrivaled not only "on paper" but in actual combat performance in the REAL (emphasis on "real") war. 

These are not just combat aircraft, but air defense systems which simply dominate modern air defense field. So, a lot of butthurt, as you might expect, to go around in Western "military expert" (a euphemism for fanboys and gamers) field, while in reality, rumor has it, there is a line now for those who want to see Su-57E flying for their air forces, while Russian-made AD systems simply have no competition. Unless one calls blackmailing and arm-twisting by the West's arms dealers and politicians as such. 

Meanwhile, India has a bit of a tough time facing the fork in the road and caving (at least for now) to the US pressure (blackmail) in energy sector. Unlike China who can and does tell Trump to go suck ... I mean pound sand, India is not a genuine superpower and now India's Foreign Minister is in Russia ...

On November 17, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is in Moscow to attend a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government. The ministers discussed topical aspects of the bilateral and international agenda with an emphasis on preparations for the annual Russian-Indian summit, which will be held on the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Due attention was paid to practical steps to further develop trade and economic cooperation, including in the energy and financial spheres, as well as issues of military-technical and logistical cooperation.

Russia will accommodate India in whatever situation she will find herself trying to balance her Western and BRICS interests, but at some point of time India will have to choose between the two, not because of the pressure from Russia and China, but because of the logic of the economic and military circumstances in which combined Wests' circling the drain accelerates tremendously. 

The Chair of the China's State Council (Premier) Li Qiang arrived in Moscow today for SCO meeting.

As some observers noted: 

Premier Li’s trip comes at a pivotal moment. As the global landscape continues to undergo transformation marked by geopolitical uncertainty, sluggish economic recovery, and complex security challenges, the SCO stands out as a key platform for dialogue, collaboration, and regional solidarity. China’s participation, rooted in principles of mutual respect, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, reinforces its long-standing role as a stabilizer and growth engine across the vast Eurasian region. For example, SCO meetings serve as important confidence-building measures among member countries. Prime Minister Modi’s attendance at the Tianjin Summit this year could positively reshape China–India relations. Thus, member states can use this useful platform for good neighborhood, good understanding and better ties. Li Qiang’s all engagement and meetings with participants in Moscow may establish more good links with neighboring countries.

I cannot emphasize enough (nor can I list all of them) the scale of the developments within BRICS, especially Russia launching major Uranium and Rare Earth extraction projects in Yakutia, with SCO building a fortress of resources critical for future development and, in fact, cutting off EU from these resources. In my today's video I speak about Alexander Novak's statement on October 15th this year which sounded as the death sentence to EU and should have terrified morons who run it. 

People Still Lose The Sight ...

 ... of the issue. No, it doesn't have to be in the US Dollars. 

The ONLY dominating reason for the primacy of the US Dollar (aka Petrodollar) in the hydrocarbons trade was not some magical financial BS, albeit not without it, no--the main reason was a perception that the US CAN enforce the use of a US Dollar by means of its grossly exaggerated military power. Period, everything else was secondary. Now, suddenly, US has been exposed as a military paper tiger and the world took a note. Can US enforce anything with China? Of course not, not to mention the gargantuan scale and diversification of Chinese economy which dwarfs that of the US. Can the US enforce anything against Russia? Well, unlike US military academies and Pentagon, military people around the world actually DO study real military science and operations. They also study REAL military history and they know the score, especially against the background of SMO. Soooo .... ?

You get the picture, right? The US zenith as global economic power is over, if you doubt it--go to Walmart or COSTCO. The main issue now is how to preserve remaining American industrial capacity and expertise. Expansion? Seriously? Military-wise, you all know by now what it all turned out to be--a simulacrum, a projection by Hollywood primarily and by Wehrmacht. US military is obsessed with Wehrmacht as happens with impressionable and obsessive child who endows some adult person with qualities this child desperately wants to posses, not understanding that this adult is just average and lacks those qualities. It is called projection. Read it, read it attentively--it implicitly answers the question why Sarah Paine is "moron with Ph.D." and why the US military is primarily a figment of imagination of people like her. I speak about it in my video today and about how Epistemic Closure looks like. Here is a simpler explanation:

The term "epistemic closure" has been used in an unrelated sense in American political debate to refer to the claim that political belief systems can be closed systems of deduction, unaffected by empirical evidence. This use of the term was popularized by libertarian blogger and commentator Julian Sanchez in 2010 as an extreme form of confirmation bias.

Emphasis on empirical evidence. That is why the US lost all of its wars and lost its grossly exaggerated status as a preeminent global power. 

Foreign Ownership In The West ...

 ... means absolutely nothing. Russia learned it the hard way and will not make such a mistake again. China is learning it now. 

Dutch authorities took control of the Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia following significant pressure from Washington, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing newly released court documents. The Netherlands-based company was seized earlier this month. The news comes amid escalating trade tensions between the US and China, marked by disputes over tariffs, export controls, and technology transfers. The production of semiconductors remains a particularly sensitive area due to its critical role in global technology and security, as they have both civilian and military uses. Officials from the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry and representatives from a US agency responsible for protecting critical technology reportedly met in June to discuss the Dutch-based chipmaker, which is owned by the Chinese group Wingtech. During the meeting, US officials reportedly emphasized that the company’s CEO, Wingtech founder Zhang Xuezheng, must be removed in order to avoid US export controls.

Nothing is sacred in the US anymore. It lost its competitive edge and the only thing which it retains is blackmail and dirty games. This is the price of deindustrialization and of the predatory instincts of the American ruling class (oligarchy) who lost any ability to create. That also applies to US military-industrial complex which increasingly looks like a laundromat. 

Meanwhile, the village idiot continues to embarrass himself:

This is what happens when one has zero statesmanship qualities and thinks that the world is a TV show of NYC real estate sewer. 

On the technological front, however, news for NATO are not good, to put it mildly--the indicators are everywhere and no more so than in the military sphere. Sweden used to be known for good subs. Not so much signal processing because they demonstrated inability to distinguish herring farting from Soviet subs--a result of paranoia after a famous incident with Soviet diesel sub ending on the Swedish shores due to navigational error, with this sub promptly humorously being named Swedish Komsomolets in the Soviet Navy. Embarrassing fact, no doubt, but since then Swedes never stopped being hysterical. Now, suddenly (not really) they have issues, big ones ...

Sweden’s next-generation A26 Blekinge-class submarine programme has been hit by another major delay and soaring costs, pushing the first delivery to 2031 and raising total expenses to 25 billion SEK (2.3 billion EUR).  

This is one of those You Have Got To Be Fucking Kidding Me news, since they are talking about building ... two (two, Karl!) SSKs like this. 

Ah yes, so menacing, so scary that Russians should quake in their boots, but they do not, especially when one considers the fact that a single sub of this run-of-the-mill class will cost more than $1 billion (More than ONE BILLION, Karl!) for a rather average AIP sub with rather mediocre strike capability and as is reported: 

Part of the delay is argued to be related to the poor state of the Kockums submarine yard, which has not built a new submarine since the Gotland-class delivered in the mid-1990’s. As such, while know-how has been retained to some extent thanks to design work on the Australian Collins-class, the upgrade of the Västergötland-class to the new Södermanland-class and to the Singaporean Archer-class respectively, and the Gotland-class MLU, a certain amount of delays and struggles with restarting production of a new class was to be expected. Still, the delivery time has now slipped from seven to 15 years between contract signing and first delivery, while the budget has more than doubled. This last delay is particularly difficult to swallow, as the political guidelines from the powerful Swedish Defence Commission (Försvarsberedningen) in their report on the future of Swedish defence in April 2024 took a stern view that further delays and cost overruns were unacceptable as that would impact both the submarine force and other naval development programmes. 

Well, for comparison, Russia builds for the same money TWO of these:

Carriers of Kalibr family, or one of these:

Carriers of everything else. Including hypersonic Zircons. Or one of these:

As you might understand, it goes to demonstrate that combined West cannot produce anything militarily impactful without bankrupting itself and that is why I am constantly forced to explain the abyss separating Russia and the United States in terms of military balance, not to speak of all European chihuahuas who are scared shitless by the United States itself fading from the military mythology it created about itself only to be exposed as a paper tiger. 

It Takes Different System.

In fact, it takes different economy. Calling on the phone or arranging conference calls is not going to cut it. 

The US is working to ramp up missile production in preparation for a potential conflict with China, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing officials familiar with the matter. The Pentagon is reportedly pressing defense contractors to double or quadruple output amid mounting concerns over insufficient weapons stockpiles. The US Department of Defense launched the drive in June, when it invited top missile makers to a Pentagon roundtable, sources told the paper. Led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, the meeting drew major arms contractors, startups like Anduril Industries and crucial component suppliers.

To understand the scale it is enough to mention that Russia is using up to 500 air defense missiles DAILY--primarily short to mid-range AD complexes such as Pantsir, Tor and Buk of various iterations. Here is a demonstration:

This is a rather "calm" day and only 147 UAVs have been shot down, then there are always all kinds of shit like HIMARS et al--they also get shot down (most if not all of them) and just for the 29 September 2025 Russian Army's expenditure of missiles (including missiles of Igla type launched often from Ka-52 and Mi-28 helos). There is, obviously, EW too. The average daily shooting down of UAVs alone throughout SMO is about 180 (178, actually) per day. So, we can now move into a very rough estimate for UAVs (alone, I stress it for UAVs alone). We reduce the number of those UAVs shot down by AD missiles (for convenience) to 100 daily. 

So, the basic math, then, is such: 100 daily shot down by AD missiles (no EW, no anti-drones, no AAA), SMO lasts 1,313 days so far. So, we multiply 100 by 1,313 and get 131,300 air defense missiles of all kinds. If you think that this:

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg is playing an “unusually” hands-on role in the effort, reportedly known as the Munitions Acceleration Council. The WSJ noted that the top official personally calls some executives on a weekly basis to track their progress. “President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are exploring extraordinary avenues to expand our military might and accelerate the production of munitions,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the newspaper. “This effort has been a collaboration between defense industry leaders and senior Pentagon officials.” The new acceleration council is focused on 12 weapons that the Pentagon wants on hand for a potential conflict with China, the WSJ relayed. Some officials and experts have reportedly expressed concerns that the Pentagon’s goals may be unrealistic, citing the fact that assembling certain missile systems can take up to two years. At the same time, certifying new suppliers requires hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure the products meet military standards. Funding remains another major concern, according to analysts cited by the news outlet. While the “Big, Beautiful Bill” recently approved by Washington provided an extra $25 billion in munitions spending over five years, meeting the Pentagon’s new targets could require tens of billions more.

Is going to help--I have a bridge to sell you. For war with China the US will need not 12 but likely 120 types of weapons most of which do not exist in nature--the emphasis on AD. Especially considering such a teeny-weeny fact that with Russia having China's back--a fact which is well-known--one MUST ask the question of what happens when Russia either transfers or deploys and mans her weapon systems to aid China? We know the answer. Or rather, we know that there is no answer quantitatively and qualitatively if, God forbid, crazies in D.C. decide to test REAL opponents. But then again, all this hassle in D.C. is yet another indication of a collapsing empire and there are no "extraordinary avenues". To fight REAL war the US must have a political and economic system based on fundamentally different principles which is impossible to conceive today in the country which largely faked its military history of the XX and XXI centuries. 

Yes, Sure ...

 ... in related news, the US is also catching up in warfighting capability. Mantras are designed to make one feel better about oneself, about life, about what have you, they are not designed to alter physical reality, because unlike mantras physical reality is measurable ranging from quantitative to qualitative criteria. Bunch of morons from tabloids such as Foreign Policy, obviously, do not know that, nor do they know REAL criteria. 

China and Russia Are Winning the Hypersonic Missile Race: But the United States is catching up, with new weapons set to come online soon. At China’s massive military parade this month celebrating the end of World War II in the Pacific, Beijing showcased its line of anti-ship hypersonic missiles—an implicit warning that in a future conflict, the United States could see its $13 billion aircraft carriers at the bottom of the sea.

Foreign Policy is a neocon Russia-hating tabloid and they do not grasp basic things about hypersonic weapons. Now I have to rain on ... China's otherwise magnificent parade. The ONLY hypersonic weapon which is specifically designed to destroy surface naval targets is Russia's 3M22 Zircon. It IS NOT a quasi-ballistic anti-shipping missile such as Chinese YJ-21. These are two totally different classes of weapons and China doesn't have anything comparable to 3M22 Zircon which is a bona fide hypersonic anti-shipping cruise missile which continues to perform brilliantly both in tests and exercises and actual combat. The US is nowhere near in terms of technology such as YJ-21, it is not even in the same galaxy in terms of 3M22 Zircon. 

As has been stated ad nauseam--there is nothing which NATO in general and the US Navy can counter Zircon with--zero, zilch, nada. As was stated by me also ad nauseam--new generation of Zircon extends envelope of Russian submarines and surface ships to such a degree that everything what is known about naval warfare simply ceases to apply. That's the REAL revolution in military affairs. Again, I will continue to post it until hell freezes over, a reminder what a single Zircon carrier and constantly growing Russian satellite constellation providing real time targeting, do:

Emphasis on "single". It doesn't mean that critical naval tasks such as ASW, anti-diversionary task and escorts are irrelevant, no--they are not and if anything else they only grow in significance and importance, but naval warfare as a whole is something new now, because surface fleets as we know them are over. When this thing sails (covered with additional AD by frigates and couple of SSNs/SSGNs), it can sink a whole Marine Royale, or couple of Carrier Battle Groups in a single salvo. 

The US is nowhere near these capabilities and repeating stupid mantras changes absolutely nothing. Let the US, for starters, get to the IOC of now becoming a meme LRHW (Long Range Hypersonic Weapon), which is NOT anti-shipping missile, the technology race the US lost long time ago, putting all its eggs in the same basket of the naval air power not understanding implications of the Soviet Union deploying a revolutionary weapons system such as P-700 Granit in 1980.  There is no catching up, especially in tactical-operational sense since ... oh, not again--Air Defense, and don't let me start on that. 

Clearing The Air ...

 ... regarding this story which originated in Chinese tabloid Sohu which used term "gift" from Russia before Putin's official visit to Beijing. This "gift" thingy then started to be propagated all over the place in Russian (incompetent) media. Here is Vzglyad:

All this "gift" BS is just that--BS. Russia is not making any "gifts" to China, what Sergei Chemezov said, however, a week ago is that Russia is ready to SUPPLY PD-14 engines, which BTW are in serial production, but it will cost China. Russia is NOT transferring this technology, but what she says is if China wants to pay for scaling up of manufacturing of PD-14s, Russia will gladly take this investment and will scale it up ... in Russia. Here is a reminder about the fate of China's (not really--it is a Euro-American aircraft) which was predicted by my years ago and it happened when the US stopped supplying CFM Leap engines to China and C919 found itself dead in the water:

For those who still don't get it--apart from C919 being not Chinese--I repeat: China is NOT in the same league commercial jet engines wise as RR, PW, GE and PD series. These are the leaders here, Chinese engines are not competitive and Chemezov was very clear (in Russian): if China expresses desire Russia is ready to SUPPLY PD-14 engines. (c) No "technology transfer" (yeah, right), no manufacturing IN China but: China pays for expansion in Russia, ODK produces PD-14s for China and ships them, period. That helps China save her face with this C919 fiasco of which yours truly warned for years. In related news, after Russia quit Joint Venture with China on the wide body C 929 and went on her own way (IL-96-400 with PD-35 and shit), China asked Russia to test PD-35 in ... China)). Nice try, nice try)) 

A Good (or Bad) ...

 ... joke)) 

The United Kingdom could resort to military force against China in the event of an escalation over Taiwan, British Defense Secretary John Healey has said, though he emphasized that London continues to prefer a diplomatic resolution. Speaking to The Telegraph during a visit to Australia, Healey said Britain would “secure peace through strength” if necessary – marking one of the clearest signals yet from a senior UK official regarding the possibility of direct confrontation with Beijing. Healey made the remarks as the HMS Prince of Wales, a British aircraft carrier equipped with F-35 fighter jets, docked in the northern Australian city of Darwin. It is the first time in nearly 30 years that a British strike group has arrived in the region. The carrier is on a nine-month Pacific deployment, participating in Australia’s Talisman Sabre exercise and visiting ports in Japan and South Korea. ”If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together,” Healey said when asked what London would do in case of an escalation around Taiwan.

Somebody has to remind Mr. Healey that the UK has no military force to resort to. For starters, UK has no real army to speak of, and the Royal Navy's "combat stability" (ability to continue to carry out tasks under combat conditions) is questionable at best. If Healey who has ZERO military background thinks that flattops are not fat prestigious targets, well--sell him a bridge. With one huge pile of metal called HMS Prince of Wales and a single operational Astute-class nuclear powered sub available to what passes for the UK Navy which used to be a proud Royal Navy, time for these clowns to finally resign themselves to the reality of the UK approaching the status of the third world country, with her armed forces being a great embodiment of a rotting husk of once mighty empire. Without the US, militarily UK is not a serious power, period. 

Yes, Chocking ...

 ... breaking SLOC (Shipping Lanes Of Communications) IS the capability (still) of the US Navy. It is still the largest Navy in the world and its submarine force is world-class. PLAN's sub force is not in the same league. 

US still can achieve strategic surprise and damage some of China's coastal facilities and sink a number of ships, but it is not going to win the war, if to imagine this Taiwan scenario, which many neocons masturbate to due to own military illiteracy. And we have to keep in mind--modern bomber or fighter plane are several orders of magnitude more complex technologically and production-wise than any WW II most sophisticated and complex weapons system or platform. Ground operations near or in mainland China--a phantasy, China's immediate reserve is around 20 million soldiers. And yes, the degree of Russia's involvement remains a matter of speculation, but there WILL be Russia's involvement on China's side. 

Sure, Sure.

Even if to imagine that it happens. What there is to discuss with a moron?

A series of trade deals between Washington and China has reversed President Trump’s hostility to Beijing and raised suggestions that he will be invited to meet both President Xi and President Putin for a summit in September. A visit by Trump to Beijing would mark a striking U-turn after his months of criticism of China over America’s trade deficits and his accusations of its complicity in drugs trafficking. China has announced plans to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War with a parade in Tiananmen Square in September and Putin has already accepted an invitation to attend.

Well, it is all fine and dandy, but while symbols are important, Trump's presidency has been completely compromised and the man contradicts himself in the same sentence--and those are Trump's sentences, 3 to 10 words--and it is his MO now.  So:

“Why not align Trump’s visit with the September 3 parade?” Jin Canrong, one of China’s most prominent nationalist commentators, said in an interview with Guancha, a Shanghai-based news website. “From 1941 to 1945, China and the US were allies against Japanese militarism. “If President Trump visits China and attends the parade on September 3, it would send a strong, positive signal to the world. The image of the Chinese, Russian and American leaders standing together could be a powerful message of peace and stability.”

Correct, but don't you forget that it was the United States which singe-handedly defeated Axis in WW II and then, also, the invasion of aliens from planet Zoltar. The signal might be important, but the nature of the collapsing empire doesn't change. 

Possible ...

 ... but not guaranteed. 

Иран не намерен обращаться за помощью к России и Китаю в случае войны с Израилем и США. Об этом заявил президент Исламской Республики Масуд Пезешкиан в интервью американскому журналисту Такеру Карлсону. По его словам, Иран не нуждается в поддержке Москвы и Пекина, поскольку его мощи достаточно, чтобы защитить себя. Ранее агентство Reuters со ссылкой на иранские источники сообщило, что Иран хочет получить больше помощи от России в конфликте с Израилем и США. Однако о какой именно поддержке идет речь, не уточнялось.

Translation: Iran does not intend to seek help from Russia and China in the event of a war with Israel and the United States. This was stated by the President of the Islamic Republic Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview with the American journalist Tucker Carlson. According to him, Iran does not need the support of Moscow and Beijing, since its power is sufficient to defend itself. Earlier, the Reuters agency, citing Iranian sources, reported that Iran wants to receive more help from Russia in the conflict with Israel and the United States. However, what kind of support is being discussed was not specified.

Well, Moscow offered help, it is Iran's call, of course. The US, of course, like Israel, cannot defeat Iran but it surely can wreck a lot of things there, before recognizing that it ran out of munition. Speaking of which))

The United States will continue supplying weapons to Ukraine, President Donald Trump said on Monday, a week after the Pentagon halted some deliveries. “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now,” Trump told reporters during a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Defensive weapons, primarily, but they’re getting hit very, very hard. So many people are dying in that mess,” he said, without elaborating.

Sure, sure. I am positive those supplies will change the outcome, not)) Per waiting for "elaborating" by Trump it is akin to waiting for me to elaborate on open heart surgery--I wouldn't know even where to start. But, hey, what do I know, POTUS himself stated that Patriot PAC3 has 100% effectiveness. You can take this to the bank. 

Don't Worry, Mr. Wang Yi.

It is already set in stone. 

China cannot afford for Russia to lose the war in Ukraine, Beijing’s foreign minister has said, in unguarded comments to European officials. Wang Yi said Beijing does not want to see a Russian loss because of fears the United States would then shift its focus on to China. The comments were made during a four-hour meeting between Mr Wang and Kaja Kallas, the vice-president of the European Commission, according to several sources who spoke to the South China Morning Post.

Russia is fully aware of what is going on and the demilitarization of the combined West continues. Successfully. That is why Mr. Trump is "unhappy" after his chat with Mr. Putin yesterday. In fact, Mr. Yi, other than moving its grossly outdated carrier force back and forth in the Pacific theater of operations, and with the exception of its definitely superior submarine force, the US simply has no resources to fight China. US military-political establishment is good at verbiage, in terms of real actions with satisfactory outcomes--well, it sucks. And yes, after Mr. Ryabkov's statements in Iranian Embassy in Moscow three days ago, let me state what I was stating ad nauseam for the last decade: Russia's role in BRICS (and Eurasia) in general is that of a defender of the realm based on revolutionary military and civilian technologies and historically unrivaled operational experience. It is for China to decide which way she wants to go. I speak about some of those nuances in my today's video. 

P.S. Four hours with this stupid bitch, good Lord, Chinese definitely have the ability to take punishment))) 

Remember, I Warned ...

 ... about it. I warned for a long time that this is coming. This is two years ago:

It is a Western plane whether we like it or not. And that is a huge deal, because Chinaisation of this plane, if it ever commences, will be a torturous and prolonged process. If... So, each time I read or hear that C919 is a "competitor" to Boeing or Airbus, I cringe. Commercial aviation is an extremely complex industry which incorporates know-how only very few countries have and China is not there yet, and that is also a cold hard fact. Will China's commercial aerospace be sanctioned, thus disrupting C919? Certainly, possible. Chinese know that, and this is their vulnerability--a serious strategic one. I thought you might be interested. Especially against the background of China leaving CR-929 project because Russia is not going to share with her technologies for free and, as a result, Chinese COMAC Wide-Body (this is how it is called now) will be a larger version of... and you guessed it... COMAC 919--a Western made aircraft assembled in China.

Look again, what is under the wing of C-919. 

It is CFM Leap-1. It is 50-50 JV between Saffran and, you have guessed it, General Electric. Well, now it arrived, as NYT reports:

U.S. Pauses Exports of Airplane and Semiconductor Technology to China. President Trump has stopped some critical products and technologies made only in the United States from flowing to China, flexing the government’s power over global supply chains.

Namely "The Trump administration has suspended some sales to China of critical U.S. technologies, including those related to jet engines." Don't tell me I didn't warn. I rest my case. 

P.S. No, Russia is not going to sell her PD-14 to China, she needs them for REAL competitor to Boeing and Airbus--MC-21. 

Chinese Are Practical People.

And when they see this flying yesterday from Irkutsk to Moscow non-stop for final certs:

Or this, also flying beautifully (ahem...):

Both being fully Russian aircraft which are powered by state-of-the-art PD-8, PD-14 and use Russian avionics, composites et al, Chinese know that PD-35 is coming and is not far away. You all remember how joint Russian-Chinese wide body aircraft CR-929 became C-929, because Russians didn't like how Chinese side viewed profits share. Now Chinese know that Russia fully recovered her commercial aircraft mojo and can do it all completely on her own. And suddenly, Russians are also practical and very delicate people who know that after all, it is Russia which is not only second (after the US) nation in the world capable totally out of own resources build state-of-the-art aircraft, but also the nation which tied all West's resources which otherwise would have been thrown against China. Comrade Xi is very sincere when stating today: 

ПЕКИН, 9 мая – РИА Новости. Россия и Китай должны быть настоящими друзьями, закаленными, как сталь, заявил председатель КНР Си Цзиньпин. "Необходимо поддерживать дружбу из поколения в поколение и быть настоящими друзьями, закаленными, как сталь", - приводит МИД КНР слова китайского лидера, сказанные во время встречи с журналистами после переговоров с президентом России Владимиром Путиным.

Translation: BEIJING, May 9 – RIA Novosti. Russia and China must be true friends, tempered like steel, said Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We must maintain friendship from generation to generation and be true friends, tempered like steel," the Chinese Foreign Ministry quotes the Chinese leader as saying during a meeting with journalists after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And lo and behold:

Москва. 8 мая. ИНТЕРФАКС - Россия и Китай намерены продолжить сотрудничество по созданию дальнемагистрального широкофюзеляжного самолета, оно не прекращалось, заявил "Интерфаксу" первый вице-премьер РФ Денис Мантуров. Отвечая на вопрос о том, может ли РФ вернуться к кооперации с КНР по созданию широкофюзеляжного самолета, он сказал: "Может, мы его (сотрудничество - ИФ) и не прекращали".  ... В августе 2022 года руководство ОАК сообщило, что работа над CR929 продолжается, но с учетом последствий пандемии и введения против РФ санкций из-за конфликта на Украине формат участия в проекте придется "актуализировать". Мантуров тогда уточнял, что РФ будет участвовать в статусе поставщика агрегатов и компонентов для самолета, в мае прошлого года он подтверждал готовность России участвовать в проекте "на основе договора исполнителей". Вместе с тем, в феврале этого года совместное предприятие ООО "Инженерный центр программы СиАр929", учрежденное CRAIC в 2019 году под проект разработки дальнемагистрального пассажирского самолета CR929, подало заявление о ликвидации юрлица. Сейчас компания проходит соответствующие процедуры.

Translation: Moscow. May 8. INTERFAX - Russia and China intend to continue cooperation on the creation of a long-range wide-body aircraft; it has not stopped, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov told Interfax. Answering a question about whether Russia could return to cooperation with China on the creation of a wide-body aircraft, he said: "Maybe we have not stopped it (cooperation - IF)." ... In August 2022, the UAC management reported that work on the CR929 was continuing, but given the consequences of the pandemic and the introduction of sanctions against Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine, the format of participation in the project would have to be "updated." Manturov then clarified that Russia would participate as a supplier of units and components for the aircraft; in May last year, he confirmed Russia's readiness to participate in the project "based on a contractor agreement." At the same time, in February of this year, the joint venture Engineering Center for the CR929 Program LLC, established by CRAIC in 2019 for the project to develop the CR929 long-range passenger aircraft, filed an application for liquidation of the legal entity. The company is currently undergoing the relevant procedures.

Go figure, right? Well, there is nothing to figure here, actually. China knows that sanctions are coming and no amount of maneuvering can save both Comac-919 powered by US-French LEAP engines and, let alone, perspective "Chinese" C-929 which was planned as the aircraft (after letter "R" disappeared) which could be remotorized on the variety of the American and Rolls-Royce engines. And no, world-class competitive high bypass ratio Chinese engines are not coming any time soon. And here is this trick--any commercial aircraft Russia produces can be exported anywhere, because they are all Russian-manufactured. The only thing the US can do is to try blackmail potential buyers, but that's for other time to discuss--Boeing and Airbus have all reasons to sweat about MC-21. China, however, is pinned down now to its, however large, internal market and IS under the Sword of Damocles of not quite adequate POTUS who may, in the last ditch attempts to stop Chinese economic juggernaut, simply sanction jet engines and that will be it for Chinese attempt not only at competition abroad, but even domestically. So, enter PD-14 and PD-35 and Russian made subsystems from avionics to APU, to composites. Make your own conclusions. As I stated--Russians are very delicate people, apart from being very practical, like Chinese.