About Russian Navy.

The Navy Day is coming in Russia and, amid festivities, Russian Navy is getting ready to receive its presents and those presents are really something--6 major combatants were laid down at Russia's shipyards. 

1. Two new amphibious assault ships, Sevastopol and Vladivostok, of project 23900, at Zaliv wharf in Kerch, Crimea. These are 25 000 ton standard displacement (28 000 full) amphibious ships capable of carrying 20 attack and other helicopters and two enforced battalions of naval infantry (marines). They are stuffed with AD complexes and, in general, are a sign of Russia's movement towards much greater Mediterranean presence. Here is Putin (in Russian) at the ceremony of laying down these ships. 

These ships are larger (significantly) than Mistral-class, which France refused to sell to Russia (see the very first post in this blog) and the irony of new assault ships being built in Crimea--the main reason France refused to deliver Mistrals--cannot be lost on anyone even remotely acquainted with the issue. 

2. Two new, much larger and improved pr. 22350M Frigates, Admiral Yumashev and Admiral Spiridonov, are "frigates" in the name only--these are, evidently, significantly larger displacement ships with larger number of 3C14 UKSK VLS cells and are carriers of 3M22 Zircon and whatever else is available or will be available in the future. Mind you, that Admiral Golovko of the same series is already afloat and is fitting out. 

3. Two newest project 885M SSGNs, Voronezh and Vladivostok, carriers of not only all those cute Zircons but of the improved 3M14 Kalibr with a range of 4500 kilometers. This, BTW, also applies to new frigates. 

I, of course, omit here a rather dynamic program of construction of SSKs, corvettes and dedicated missile corvettes--you can see the list here. I also do not include here introduction of the new state-of-the-art SSBNs, such as Prince Oleg of the Borey-M class. She is still to do the trials. Here is she three days ago:

I, of course, also do not expect all this cabal of "analysts" from all kinds of outlets, who had the audacity for the last few years to predict "troubles" for Russia's shipbuilding program, to eat their words. But just a side note: modernization of the Russian Navy, which includes much more than combatants, proceeds apace now both in terms of ASW forces and de facto revival of what used to be known as Naval Missile-carrying Aviation (MRA). This pace allows not only for a reliable defense of Russia's shores, which has been achieved already, but an expansion of the A2/AD bubble well into the ocean zone, if need be, and project forces in what I call a "firefighter mode". You may also call it stabilization operations, such as was done in Syria.  But then again, I will repeat myself--Russia exports political stability and this product is hot, hot, hot.  

On The Issue Of Federalism.

Here is yesterday's discussion on the behavior of Oregon's seditious and treasonous authorities and how the so called federalism really doesn't work. 

The reason it doesn't work is because Americans are really not a nation and never existed as such for the last 50 years at minimum. Add here these proverbial States' Rights and US main stream media which are primarily staffed with human compost driven by hatred and egos, and you have a recipe for disaster. And disaster it is, because any state or city in the US now can be occupied by any combination of insane and agenda-driven lunatics, elected by their own kind in a farce which in the US is called "free elections" and there you go--federal authorities can go and screw themselves even in case of the country being torn apart, in our particular case, by people who in the normal country will be hunted down and arrested  for treason or any other high crimes. Not in the US, which shows, apart from a complete insanity in the foreign policy, a complete impotence in governing and is trying hard to reach the status of a filed state. Some vast areas of the US are already failed cities and states, ranging from Seattle to Portland and NYC, from Oregon to California. 

In the same time here is another example. Russian authorities arrest an acting governor of Khabarovsk Region Sergei Furgal. The guy is, as is expected from Far East since 1990s, in effect, a mafia leader and is directly complicit in the murders of several businessmen in the region. Western media immediately, as is expected, begin to "report" of all kinds of BS on this issue and even state that: 

An estimated 10,000 people have marched through the Russian city of Khabarovsk for a second weekend running to demand the release of a popular regional governor after he was arrested on suspicion of murder. Crowds gathered in the far east city in support of Sergei Furgal following his detention and transfer to Moscow for trial. They say accusations against the one-time businessman – a member of the ultra-nationalist Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia – are both baseless and politically motivated. Protestors believe the 50-year-old has been targeted because his popularity both here and further afield make him a potential threat to Vladimir Putin. His arrest, officially on suspicion of several murders dating back 15 years, came less than two years after he swept to power in the region by trouncing an opponent from the president’s own United Russia party.

For mentally (and morally) challenged Western media it is beyond their grasp, even when one accounts for Russophobic agenda, that this arrest is one of many sweeping Russia in dealing with the "heritage" of 1990s which saw organized crime penetrating political power at the highest level and that it is not about "elections". They say there were 10, 000 people--not a big number for a city of more than half-a-million (larger crowds visit soccer matches in the province) and those "protesters" are mostly from organizations and businesses controlled by criminal groups. Let them "protest" as long as as it is peaceful. But people from Investigation Committee and FSB are already on the ground and the removal will continue because in Russia a concept of rule of law and of public safety is increasingly enforced with all required power and the overwhelming vote for new Constitution is a proof for that, because it is a national Constitution and a real federal law. 

Meanwhile, in the US, there is still no indictments. I doubt any are coming. In the country with pretend-play laws, real crimes can only be punished by pretend-play indictments. 

by pretend-play courts and pretend-play justice. That's American federalism for ya, folks.

We Always Knew That Ted Nugent's Guitar Shredding Is More Powerful Than...

Bullets. But still. Enjoy an incredible music (granted played by one of the greatest scoundrels, such as Nugent) by one of the super-groups with an appropriate title of Damn Yankees, because soon that will be forbidden and be deemed racist. Tommy Shaw, though, God damn!!! Tomorrow is Friday and I had two root canals yesterday. The process is fine, it is what comes after which matters, LOL Can you take me high enough.... Didn't take Codeine though (I have it), I am talking to my friend Jack, you know, Daniels.  

 

A Real America.

A man who defined American West which is a real America, which impacted kids all over the world, Ennio Morricone died two weeks ago, but American West, which I, for once, love deeply is still there, in some form, shape... what have you. This is one of the pictures of America I love:

But if you want to see what real rock-concert is, recall Metallica in Moscow in 1991. Listen to the intro. Well, America blew it. 

So it is back to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Which is which you decide yourself. 

And So It Starts.

As was expected, the US decided that she has resources to challenge China.  Including First island Chain, my oh my. 

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States on Monday rejected China's claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea, drawing criticism from China which said the U.S. position raised tension in the region, highlighting an increasingly testy relationship. China has offered no coherent legal basis for its ambitions in the South China Sea and for years has been using intimidation against other Southeast Asian coastal states, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "We are making clear: Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them," said Pompeo, a prominent China hawk within the Trump administration. The United States has long opposed China's expansive territorial claims on the South China Sea, sending warships regularly through the strategic waterway to demonstrate freedom of navigation there. Monday's comments reflect a harsher tone. "The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire," Pompeo said.

Immediately, what strikes one is Pompeo's attempt to internationalize the conflict. I will omit now legal issues here, I am interested in the purely operational aspect of this whole South-China Sea thing. US has only one way of challenging China for real, if, God forbids, this will come to blows--these are Indian Ocean's SLOCs through which much of the resources from Africa and Middle East reach China by sea. I discussed it in length many times. First Island Chain, or near it, is a completely different game because China does have what it takes to "close" the area. As the article states:

"This is basically the first time we have called it illegitimate," Chris Johnson, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said of Pompeo's statement. "It's fine to put out a statement, but what you going to do about it?"

Exactly, that is the whole point--sending two CBGs in the area is an old propaganda trick, considering the fact that apart from old inventory PLA Air Force has a rather impressive inventory of around 600 thoroughly modern and even very advanced combat aircraft with a 100 of them being fully Russian-built Su-30 and Su-35. Once one adds China's indigenous and Russian-built AD systems such as S-300 and S-400 one has to ask a question, do those two CBGs feel lucky? Once the factor of supersonic and hyper-sonic anti-shipping missiles is taken in consideration, Pompeo's attempts to internationalize the conflict begin to make sense for the American side. 

The whole thing is not about "freedom of navigation" per se, it is about waking up to the reality that the US being squeezed out of Eurasia and that it realistically has no resources to do anything about it other than threaten, make grandiose statements and impose sanctions. Militarily the US has no chance against China unless it can "compartmentalize" possible clashes on the periphery of the area and declare possible tactical success a strategic victory for domestic consumption. Meanwhile the US slaps yet another round of sanctions on Nord Stream 2 (and Turkstream) and it is becoming rather stale by now:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday warned investors in two Russian natural gas pipeline projects that they could face sanctions as the Trump administration seeks to curb the Kremlin's economic leverage over Europe and Turkey.

These are desperate moves by the US, especially when one considers an impressive dynamics of pipe-lines' development between Russia and China, as NS 2 spokesperson noted:

Efforts to obstruct the project "reflect a clear disregard for the interests of European households and industries, who will pay billions more for gas if this pipeline is not built," said spokesperson Steffen Hartmann.

Can we please drop this BS, when was the last time the US "regarded" anything other than own, and even then doing it grossly incompetently,  interests. In the same time, I do not have any sympathy for Europe--you asked for it, you got it. The US will, effectively, subvert cowardly Europeans and this economically collapsing Atlantic "union" will eat itself alive, until it hits the state of a third world. As one Russian energy expert noted few days ago--Europe is not a priority anymore for Russian energy. Back to China, the only hope for the United States in a clash with China is the fact that US Navy, for all its major issues, still, for now, remains operationally in a different league with China and that may be the only factor which realistically plays for the United States under present circumstances. In the end, China's shipbuilding industry dwarfs that of the US and is extremely well financed. Russia will take care of China's energy and, who knows, even targeting data. 

In related news, Admiral Kasatonov got its acceptance papers signed today, the official commissioning to the fleet (raising of the flag) is planned for July 21 (in Russian). Admiral Golovko is next in line. Mind you--all these ships carry 3M22 Zircon. So, all in all, things progress in a very positive direction for the Russian Navy. Considering the state self-proclaimed hegemon is in nowadays--additional safety measures cannot come soon enough. 

She Is Still Fighting.

USS Bonhomme Richard is trying to fight for her life. For more than 30+ hours now and, believe me, all things considered, there ARE acts of heroism by the crew who try to keep their ship alive. 

You all know my attitude to US foreign policy and militarism--it is highly negative, but having said all that, as a military and naval professional I can totally relate to what is going on now inside this ship and I simply wish them luck, to stay safe and overcome this calamity. I will abstain now from any comments and speculations on this issue. I can only imagine what ship's officers and sailors are feeling, and are experiencing, now. I say no more, other than good luck and stay safe.

IQ Cult.

A superb piece on real intelligence at Saker's site by Naresh Jotwani. Speaking on High IQ People (HIQP) he notes:

The truth value of a narrative does not count. What counts is only the result: Which narrative ‘looked like it carried the day’? That explains the HIQP’s 24×7 yakety-yak. In such an environment, rational debate is not possible. Rational debate requires mutual understanding and acceptance of the premises and the process of logical thinking. There is of course an unwritten rule of wise people that the premises must accord with reality, with truth. For HIQPs, all that matters is whether a debater is articulate, persuasive, photogenic, assertive and well-networked. There is no need to introduce any pesky ‘truth’ in the debate. It is far easier to just continue being articulate, persuasive … et cetera. Keep playing. Truth is a can which can always be kicked further down the road. Tomorrow is another day. If rational debate is not possible, can diplomacy succeed? Of course not! After all, diplomacy also has its premises and its conventions of debate.

It is a superb piece and it explains succinctly why there are so many dumbfucks and incompetent hacks with very high IQs in the US ranging from utterly imbecilic US main stream media to "academe", to Congress and even the White House. Read highlighted in yellow. Enjoy.