It Is Always About Math ...

 ... Larry gives some good "spread" about Houthis. 

The Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) is a modular, multi-mission missile launcher widely used by naval forces worldwide. Let’s review its key features and capabilities: The Mk 41 VLS was initially developed for the U.S. Navy’s Aegis-equipped guided missile cruisers to enhance air threat protection for naval battle groups. It has since evolved into a so-called versatile system supporting multiple mission areas, including anti-aircraft, anti-surface, anti-submarine, ballistic missile defense, and land attack. Only one teeny, tiny problem — the VLS cannot be reloaded at sea. Once the supplied quantity of missiles are fired, the ship — a destroyer or a cruiser — has to go to a port in order to reload. That is why the CSGs could not remain in the Red Sea during the Biden administration’s execution of Operation Prosperity Guardian. And I believe the Trump administration is going to encounter the same problem.

So, counting counts a great deal when counting for required force (wink, wink) and even simple straight-forward math gives one some impression. 

Open Thread.

Go at it))

The Telegraph, LOL))

Being British "elite" nowadays is not fun. You are the butt of the jokes and constantly embarrass yourself as a military amateur. 

Royal Navy submarines have suffered a few mishaps recently, but the country’s Trident programme shows we’re still a potent threat. Despite the vessels’s age, Rear Admiral Chris Parry, who served in the Royal Navy for 37 years from 1972 to 2008, agrees completely with the Prime Minister’s view that despite their age, the Trident submarines really do worry the Russians. “One Trident submarine has the ability to incinerate 40 Russian cities very quickly. That is a lot of food for thought for Putin and that should make any world leader fearful,” he tells The Telegraph.

No, you are not! Because the credibility of a deterrent comes from two things:

1. Its total independence from other party in terms of its production and deployment.

2. Constant confirmation of its technical (euphemism for combat) readiness. 

UK does not meet any of these criteria. Royal Navy's SSBNs carry only four SLBMs in their tubes. Obviously, UK doesn't have full control of US produced SLBMs Trident II D5. The latest attempt by RN's SSBN to launch (first time in 8 years) one of its Tridents ended up in snafu. And then, the game of SSNs and SSKs starts (in Biscay as an example) where French and British SSBNs patrol primarily, but there is another thing--it is called Early Warning and ABM--UK has neither. In fact, most of UK command corps doesn't have enough qualifications to grasp that:

1. All 40 MIRVs from UK sub if it manages somehow to survive to launch will have to meet Russian ABM--it ranges from full capability against ICBMs MIRVs as A-235 Nudol to S-500 and S-550, all of which are in serial production. 

2. Russia can burn, in her turn, 40 British cities even without nukes, while a single salvo by any Borei-class SSBN can turn every military installation of significance in the Air Strip One into ash. 

Russians, unlike British, do not fight civilians and Russia's nuclear doctrine is honed primarily for Counterforce, not Countervalue. But if London insists, 160 hypersonic maneuvering blocks from a single Borei (Russia has 9 of them plus other delivery systems) can multiply UK as a whole (using Russian parlance) by 0. In other words, such a country will simply cease to exist. I am sure Admiral Perry knows what Search Theory and ASW are in the year of 2025 and, frankly, UK will have neither Navy nor Patrol Aviation by the time the only patrolling RN's SSBN will be detected, tracked and sunk. But in the end, Mr. Poseidon has its own ideas on how to deal with that. But what do I know, really. What do I know ... 

Garland, Scott and Me ...

 At 9:00 PM EST live.

 

Council On Geostrategery!

 LOL.)) Basic geography lessons. 

Make Out of It ...

 ... whatever you want;)

МОСКВА, 20 марта. /ТАСС/. Представители МИД РФ не войдут в состав российской делегации на консультациях с США, которые пройдут 24 марта, в Эр-Рияде. Об этом сообщила ТАСС официальный представитель МИД РФ Мария Захарова.​​​​​​ "В составе российской делегации в Саудовской Аравии не будет представителей МИД", - сказала дипломат. Ранее помощник президента РФ по международным делам Юрий Ушаков сообщил, что делегацию от России на консультациях экспертных групп с США возглавят сенатор Григорий Карасин и советник директора ФСБ Сергей Беседа. При этом уточнялось, что речь пойдет о черноморской инициативе.

Translation: MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry will not be part of the Russian delegation for consultations with the United States, which will take place on March 24 in Riyadh. This was reported to TASS by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova. "There will be no representatives of the Foreign Ministry in the Russian delegation to Saudi Arabia," the diplomat said. Earlier, Russian Presidential Aide for International Affairs Yuri Ushakov reported that the Russian delegation for consultations of expert groups with the United States would be headed by Senator Grigory Karasin and Advisor to the Director of the FSB Sergei Beseda. It was also specified that the Black Sea initiative would be discussed.

FSB? Hm ...

SMO Continues Nicely ...

 ... Kirovograd (Kropivnitsky) industrial remnants used by VSU get it. Russians call Geraniums mopeds for a reason. 

As is clear from the video--no AD. SEAD operations in SMO will be studied by serious military professionals for decades. Because by 2022 it was the BEST NATO Air Defense, which continued to be supplied non-stop by the US and EU till today. Didn't help much and the thing they try to avoid talking about is ... drum roll--extremely low losses of Russia's tactical operational aviation. Yes, all those NASAMS, Patriots, SAMP-Ts and others failed miserably to operate in the environment shaped by the long-range fires and state-of-the-art netcentric combat aviation fully capable of CEC (Cooperative Engagement Capability). 

This is what USAF loved to talk about itself, while in reality encountering nothing what RuAF encountered in 404 and dealt with it in extraordinary manner and in doing so created a lot of butthurt and sour grapes in the West. Remember General Cavoli? "Scale, scale, scale". Make no mistake, though--there are many in Russia: shysters and outright SBU/GUR assets such as Rybar, Podolyaka, so called Fighterbomber et al, who, after years of spreading 404's propaganda are facing today some tough monetary and even upcoming legal problems. As the common wisdom goes--actions speak louder than words, and Russian Forces do actions, they don't talk much. In conclusion--enjoy some training of Vladimir Putin's security detail))

Just for fun.