... is a sentence to US military. In general, and it is one of many--the pattern is the same. Always the same.
Patriot PAC3 deploys. It is detected, taken on by RUK (Recon-Strike Complex), Iskander arrives. Not a single movement, not a single launch of AD missile. Not because it is inactive, because it is the system (the best NATO has) for the war of 1980s and 1990s against backward countries with military technology of 1960s.
Ramifications are enormous for the US, including the US Navy which always prided itself on Aegis and SM-6 missile as the best AD in the world--it is not even close. Salvo Model is cruel, you can cheat it on paper, in real life--you are dead. I speak about it in my today's video, especially against the background of Defiant-class "battleship" which became now a butt of the jokes even among US professionals. The critical admission by the US Navy that this white elephant will be using "existing systems" is everything you need to know about historic shift in naval war paradigm and, as the result, in the global balance of power.
... doesn't repair anything anymore after a jolly group of five Iskanders paid the visit to this strategic facility.
The video gives a very good spacial reference picture speed-wise (M=6+ hypersonic weapons arrivals) and why NATO AD complexes are powerless against Iskanders; five building have been completely denazified together with 10 units (6 tanks included) of armor in them. And, as you can see yourself, somehow those damn Russkies have a very (I would say outstanding) accuracy of those missiles. Must be Western microchips from washing machines and backward optronic guidance, I am sure Russians got those from Japanese cameras.
... I mean HIMARS. Another one is a goner after either Mr. Iskander or Mr. Tornado visit. Likely Iskander.
RUK/ROK or RUOK if one wishes in action. Remarkably, in many respects the search of the area by several recons means ranging from visuals by Russian DRGs and UAVs makes now any kind of movement (ANY) by VSU impossible.
I am on record and it is public--US-made (or procured) Air Defense IS NOT designed for modern battlefield. I do not say it lightly, but the use of the AIM-120 AMRAAM, which is a dedicated air-to-air missile, which, surprise-surprise, when launched from the aircraft already has Vo or initial speed that of aircraft itself and has much more energy than when launched from motionless platform is not a good idea, even with booster. And then, of course, there is an issue of modern EW environment. Here is what happens with NASAMS and its AMRAAMs when encountering highly tactically aware opponent with superb ISR.
Military porn, anyone? I warned about it. This is not to mention those nasty Rooskies playing games by electronically faking such things as takeoffs of Russia's strategic bombers, or swarms of cruise missiles and shit like this. You can bet you ass on this shit not being taught in Kennedy School of Government or in Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. They will not understand it anyway. Especially geopolitical ramifications of the NATO technological "superiority" being demolished in the most explicit, rated 21+ audience only, manner for everyone to see. And yes, NASAMS IS the system guarding the White House. Evidently it has issues intercepting a slow drone, forget about 3M14, let alone M=2.6 Oniks, let alone... ahem... Kinzhal.
Yes, yes, that is what Turkey declared in Brussels and I think they, out of traditional humbleness, lowered numbers of destroyed S1 Pantsir AD systems dramatically. I think there were at least 25-30 those systems destroyed together with those 3,500 SAA soldiers and, probably, couple battalions of Russian SSOs. In related news, before lunch I was Napoleon, after lunch I became Marcus Aurelius. Turkish baloney and butt-hurt from what they experienced in Idlib is such that they don't see anything wrong with simply making shit up. So much so, that Russia's Ministry of Defense was forced to flatly debunk those fairy tales. In its statement Russian MoD underscored:
Translation: Assessments of combat effectiveness of strike UAVs in Idlib Province, presented to the head of Turkish Republic, alleging the destruction of eight Syrian gun-missile complexes "Pantsir" do not correspond to reality and are more than just exaggeration".
Truth is, only four S1s have been deployed around Idlib, two were damaged and repaired. Most of SAA's S1s remained deployed around Damascus and didn't take part in operations in Idlib. But never mind, as long as it is stated that it happened, it DID happen in accordance to NATO's combat doctrine which is rigged towards media and brainwashing, not fighting the actual war against competent adversary. The butt-hurt in Turkey is understandable, but it wouldn't be completed without this S-400 soap opera.
Erdogan was in Brussels to "report" on Turkey's great victory in Idlib. Meanwhile lunatic "Ambassador" Jeffrey was thinking on:
Jeffrey also said they
had considered possible responses should Russia and the Syrian
government break a ceasefire in Idlib, officials said. He
suggested other NATO states could individually or as an alliance provide
military support to help Turkey. But he ruled out sending ground troops
and said there still needed to be a resolution to the S-400 issue for
the security relationship to move forward. "You can forget ground
troops. Turkey has demonstrated that it and its opposition forces are
more than capable of holding ground on their own," Jeffrey said. "The
issue is the situation in the air and it's what we are looking at," he
said. Washington did not believe that Russia and Syrian had any interest in a permanent ceasefire in Idlib, he said. "They are out to get a military victory in Syria and our goal is to make it difficult for them to do that," Jeffrey said. "Our
goal is...to make them think twice. If they ignore our warnings and
preparations and move forward, then we will react as rapidly as possible
in consultation with our NATO and European allies on what the package
of sanctions and other reactions will be."
Jeffrey is delusional and is very butt-hurt, possibly because of his utter professional and human inadequacy, which is expected from a man with background in management and a member of "National Security" team of W (we all know how "well" that played out) and a burden of "victory" in Vietnam War with which utter irrational hatred of Russians comes naturally and, in fact, is a requirement; enough to recall another American Vietnam War "hero", late John McCain. Obviously Jeffrey's deal with Syria is not to fight terrorism but to support Al Qaeda (and its many iterations) operations there. In general--anything to not allow Syria (and Russia) to defeat Islamic terrorism there. He even speaks openly about it. Jeffery, an infantry officer in Vietnam, then some CIA "spook", in addition to his "diplomatic" background, is a 74 year old and, obviously, cranky man who does not understand modern warfare and, as is expected from US "experts" in Russia, has no knowledge of real Russia. Nor, obviously, he knows his own country, the United States that is, since he still thinks that the United States is this unstoppable military juggernaut which....lost most of its wars. That is why this senior citizen is so eager to start the war with Russia. There are many like him in all kinds of D.C. institutions.
Highlighted in yellow is a very good indicator of a depth of a delusion this whole cabal of US "strategists" resides in: sanctions are good for Russia. But as was demonstrated in the last 72 hours, Russia can also "sanction" back and that shakes the bejesus out of not only the US, but global economy. But here is the larger issue: how many still rational and competent people are left out there in the US governing institutions? How many of them have real strategic awareness and I am not talking about Mnuchin suddenly having an urge to talk to Russians on "investments" and "sanctions". Mnuchin is a bankster who understands only debit and credit, black and red, and when he sees red he (and his ilk) react, in pain. I am talking about people who have any strategic vision based on reality. Whole American geopolitical thought in the last 30 years is a permanent record of one failure after another. US "diplomacy" is a laughing stock of the world, US military, ask Iran. Economically? You all know what is going on. How this all could have gone so wrong, so fast? I have a metaphysical answer for that--exceeding established limit on a number of ass-holes populating governing institutions. It all comes down, in the end, to how many decent, honorable, honest that is, people are still out there and I'd say not many. In final analysis these are always human choices we make, which count most towards the final outcome. Or, as beloved by me Barnett stated:
…
swift decline in British vigor at home and the failure to exploit the
empire were not owing to some inevitable senescent process of
history....That cause was a political doctrine.... The doctrine was
liberalism, which criticized and finally demolished the traditional
conception of the nation-state as a collective organism, a community,
and asserted instead the primacy of individual. According to liberal
thinking a nation was no more than so many human atoms who happened to
live under the same set of laws.... It was Adam Smith who formulated the
doctrine of Free Trade, the keystone of liberalism, which was to
exercise a long-live and baneful effect on British power.... Adam Smith
attacked the traditional “mercantilist” belief that a nation should be
generally self-supporting.
We all will pay one way or another for an expected and predicted and ongoing as I type it collapse of liberalism, it is just that one cannot escape a desire to see some of the most ardent enablers of liberalism, who have their hands soaked in blood, be seen behind bars or in a front of a firing squad. Some of them know today that this is not anymore beyond the realm of possible and will try to light the world on fire, thinking that under the cover of ensuing chaos they can make an escape. But I know for sure now that there are those who keep the score. Just listen about "We can repeat":
