Just read an interesting article about various German concerns about both Russia and Ukrianians - it seems the Germans now feel various Ukranians were involved in the Nord Stream 'blast'.

It alsmo mentioned various 'Russian agencies' had been initially blamed for various other incidents (Rail distruptions on the opening day of the Olympics) and the Far Right in Germany are trying to show 'how nice Russia really is' (when clearly they are not) and 'how evil Ukraine is' (which is not fully true).

Might just be 'alternative right wing propoganda'.... but it does seem to be gaining some traction in the Eastern provinces.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Monday, August 19, 2024 - 02:31 pm: Edit

Russia has deployed a regiment of its Aerospace Forces to defend the Kursk region due to a manpower shortage amid Ukraine's ongoing incursion, according to an independent investigative Russian outlet.

That's how bad the situation has become for Russia, folks.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Monday, August 19, 2024 - 06:43 pm: Edit

>> sale of discounted oil, internet scams, low quality weaponry & porn

Don't forget natural gas and fertilizer. Russia is the #2 exporter of oil and natural gas, globally -- despite the "sanctions" and other restrictions. It's so dumb.

--Mike

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Monday, August 19, 2024 - 08:53 pm: Edit

Selling to PRC/DPRK in exchange for weapons and ammo?

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - 07:48 am: Edit

And India is snapping up that discounted oil.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - 01:28 pm: Edit

Today is the International Day to remember the victims of terrorism. The UN has set up a series of displays to note the worst terrorist incidents in history. Curiously, none of the incidents that the UN recognized includes an attack on Israel.

Does ANYONE still think that the UN is an honest broker?

Does ANYONE believe or trust any UN action or statements regarding Israel?

Anyone answering yes is a fool or worse.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - 05:02 pm: Edit

It is called the "Memories Campaign" and can be found also online if one search for United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.

"The Memories campaign shares the intimate memories of the victims of terrorism featured in it, as well as the personal meaning tied to physical objects they hold dear. Through film and photography, it highlights these stories belonging to the twenty-two (22) victims of terrorism. "

The victims are from Spain, Norway, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, USA, Ecuador, Cameroon, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Palestine, Australia, Nigeria, Iraq, Jordan and Uganda.

There were no victims from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Ukraine, BosniaHerzegovina, Mali, Turkey. (to name just those countries I can recall suffered/suffering from terrorism)

By Douglas Lampert (Dlampert) on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - 05:40 pm: Edit

Sri Lanka is also a pretty massive oversight if you are memorializing victims of terrorism world wide.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - 07:32 pm: Edit

Have to wonder what they determine as terrorism....

Landed and walked through Frankfort airport once, they were still cleaning up damage from Grenades and automatic weapons fire that blew out windows etc....

An RPG fired into the car of the NATO Cdr, General in Italy kidnapped....

Supervising armed guards on ungated entrance, with mirrors looking under cars....


Have favored the call to withdraw from the U.N. for 40 years or so....

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - 08:09 pm: Edit

The blame game concerning the ex Russian cruiser/ASW carrier. Minsk has begun.

Apparently the ship had been purchased as the main attraction for a national defense theme park thingee.

To make the ship safe for tourists, a significant overhaul was required, removing years of accumulated paint and assorted coatings from rust inhibitors to anti fouling agents intended to discourage sea life growths (such as barnacles etc.) to flame retardents in sensitive areas of the ship to to (you could probably guess) insulating coatings. They havent used the word asbestos yet, but back when they built the ship, asbestos was widely used.

There was a long and detailed plan of action developed to safely and (it was hoped) cost effectively bring the ship into a condition where they could start bringing admission paying tourists onboard as part of the theme park resort.

Unfortunately, it appears the contractor did not have enough warm bodies available to act as fire watchers. During a welding task in one of the ship’s internal compartments, a fire started in an adjacent space when the welding ignited a fire.

The fire is now extinguished, but the bridge / conning structure was badly fire damaged, and the flight deck has buckled from the intense heat of the fire.

No one is taking responsibility for the fire, and blaming every one else even if only distantly connected, from the janitorial service, to the construction contractor, to the engineering consultants, to the advisors from the PLAN to the theme park operator, to the investors.

Funny, since in a Communist nation, ownership of property is a complex question.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 - 09:27 pm: Edit

Apparently the Chinese even copy how American Contractors set fire to docked ships.....

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Thursday, August 22, 2024 - 08:06 pm: Edit

The Russians have been using rail car ferries to transport oil rail cars into Crimea. They thought that they were harder targets than using the Kerch bridge. Three of them had been taken out recently. The fourth and last one went up in flames loaded with rail cars at the terminal.

They will have to use the bridge now; Probably next on the Ukrainian's list. Using the land route is within artillery range of the Ukrainians.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, August 22, 2024 - 09:45 pm: Edit

Anecdotally, it sounds like Russia may be losing the logistics war.

There are even reports making their way out of Russia that the casualties lists are becoming a larger issue among the general population.

For all of Putins problems, he had a plan in place when the shooting started. (Win the war fast.)

Once it became obvious that plan ‘A’ failed, there should have been a fall back option.

From the outside, it looks more and more like Putin is demanding plan A, and only those who salute, say yes sir are allowed to live.

Oh, every so often one of those guys falls out of a window from the 10th floor, or gets run over backwards by a street cleaner, but that may just be Putins way of encouraging the team.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, August 25, 2024 - 01:08 pm: Edit

Just revealed is the AIM-174 which is an air-launched version of the SM6 anti-aircraft missile with a range of 250 nautical miles. Primarily for the Navy, it will also arm the B52J that could carry dozens of them as a missile truck to support squadrons of Air Force fighters. Unlike the old Phoenix, the 174 has the seeker from the AIM-120 and could engage fighters or hyper velocity missiles.

By Michael F Guntly (Ares) on Sunday, August 25, 2024 - 05:24 pm: Edit

The significant updates to create the B-52J, including the installation of new engines, radar systems, and a reduction in crew size, are facing delays that could push their completion to 2033, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

I believe that given Boeing's recent performance in commercial air and space, even this may be optimistic.

That leaves only the F/A-18E/F available to utilize AIM-174 at this time.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Monday, August 26, 2024 - 08:26 am: Edit

Can the F18G tote the AIM 174?

Does it also have a anti radiation function?

I wonder how hard it would be to build a control module that basically acts like a type III drone.

So you launch it to go to a certain place (at high mach numbers); without radar emissions it is probably undetectable at any kind of range. When it gets there it activates it's seeker head. Maybe a 2 stage missile like the Russian one?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, August 26, 2024 - 10:26 am: Edit

The 174 can indeed fly to a point and then turn on its 120 seeker. The F18E can carry it. Probably the F15X can be modified to carry it. I don’t think it has an anti-radar capability but that probably can be added.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Monday, August 26, 2024 - 10:49 am: Edit

I think the F-15EX is supposed to be receive the AIM-260 (concerning which, much less information is available). But I wouldn't be surprised if the USAF is at least looking into the possibility of refitting it for the AIM-174, in case the AIM-260 program runs into trouble.

It's an interesting question what happens with the F-22 and F-35, if the AIM-260 development is delayed. The AIM-260 is being designed to fit into those planes' weapons bays. But the AIM-174 can't do that. So if the AIM-260 has problems, do the F-22 and F-35 soldier on with upgraded AIM-120 AMRAAMs (remaining stealthy)? Or do they refit to be able to mount AIM-174s externally, gaining a longer ranged missile but compromising stealth?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, August 26, 2024 - 03:01 pm: Edit

Good question, but my bet is that the 174 will only go on F15EX to be used as a missile truck, flying fifty miles behind the undetected F35 and target things the F35s see, but who gets the kill credit?

If you can hang it on an F18 I bet you could jigger it onto a F16 but I am not sure why you would need to.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Monday, August 26, 2024 - 03:06 pm: Edit

"...I am not sure why you would need to."

President Zelensky: -...Is that a trick question?

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Monday, August 26, 2024 - 03:35 pm: Edit

The AIM-174 appears to be 2x the weight of a Phoenix, 2000 lbs vs. 1000 lbs. That is one big AA missile!

--Mike

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, August 26, 2024 - 05:53 pm: Edit

It is a ground-launched Standard-6 missile so yeah, heavy.

By Burt Quaid (Burt) on Monday, August 26, 2024 - 06:39 pm: Edit

Could they use them as ASAT or anti ballistic? I think the SM-6 can from ships if they have the software on them.

burt

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - 08:28 am: Edit

Or maybe refit them so you could use B1 and B52 as Air to Air trucks.

Gosh knows how many a B1 could tote at max load.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - 08:59 am: Edit

About a dozen, six in each bay. F15EX could carry eight, B52 maybe 24.