Russia will hold a major military exercise in Byelorus for September.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Monday, September 15, 2025 - 04:54 pm: Edit

I learned a new word today: "Zapad" means "west"...

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Monday, September 15, 2025 - 11:47 pm: Edit

They hold a major national exercise every year. East (Vostok), Center (Tsentr), South (Kavkaz), West (Zapad), on a rotating basis.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 12:03 am: Edit

The point is that NATO has always feared that such exercises would be used as cover to position troops for an attack.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 10:11 am: Edit

The EU has called for all households to have 72 hours of food and water, plus a serious first aid kit.

Pretty standard disaster preparation in the U.S....

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 11:57 am: Edit

Should be universal but humans have a remarkable capacity for laziness and procrastination.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 02:59 pm: Edit

In the south it's normal (especially if the word SNOW is heard) for everyone to rush out and buy milk and bread.... Just to watch the power go out....

By Douglas Lampert (Dlampert) on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 10:45 pm: Edit

My wife and I assume that snow brings out a strong urge for french toast given the way that milk, eggs, and bread all fly off the store shelves when snow threatens.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 11:37 pm: Edit

I keep a stockpile of frozen biscuits and canned gravy. Not to mention a dozen cans of Dinty Moore, and two dozen other cans of "complete meals". There is also a stash of five gallons of water waiting for emergency use.

By Dal Downing (Rambler) on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 11:36 pm: Edit

Oh the goOd old days when i lived in Jackson MS. You knew a winter storm was coming by the run on milk and bread.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, September 18, 2025 - 03:05 pm: Edit

Special Operations: Army Rangers Evaluate Anti-Tank Drones

September 16, 2025: Ukraine’s success with First Person View (FPV) drones has impressed American special operations forces. Ukraine has used one-way attack drones to engage Russian tanks and mechanized infantry. One-way drones are sometimes called suicide drones.
During a recent visit by the Secretary of War to Fort Benning, GA, a U.S. Army Ranger team demonstrated how a light infantry unit with skilled FPV drone operators can engage, stop, and destroy heavy enemy armor. Rangers are special operations airborne light infantry, but theoretically, any light infantry unit with trained operators and a supply of one-way drones can use the drones as cheap, cost-effective “standoff weapons” to engage enemy vehicles (especially thin-skinned vehicles like trucks).
75th Ranger Regiment personnel began experimenting with FPV drones in spring 2024. The drones were commercial off-the-shelf models, relatively inexpensive and immediately available. A defense media source reported the Rangers selected drones that can fly over five kilometers and carry between five and ten pounds of high explosives. The report also stated that, as of early September 2025, the Rangers have not used a one-way drone to attack a tank.
High explosives (HE) can kill unprotected personnel. However, five pounds of HE won’t kill a modern main battle tank—unless it enters through an open hatch (very Hollywood). Destroying armored fighting vehicles in combat requires armor penetration. The Ranger experiments included outfitting several small FPV drones with EFPs (explosively formed penetrators). The drone operator spots the target, then fires the projectile carrying the EFP. The projectile’s warhead explodes and forms a metal penetrator that hopefully strikes the target.
But will it penetrate? Small EFPs are no threat to a main battle tank’s frontal armor. However, the top armor on the turret and the armor over the engine are thinner, which is why Russian and Ukrainian tanks have sported metal turtle shells and latticed wire cages. Still, a drone-fired EFP attacking a heavy armor target from above could achieve a mobility kill (halting the tank’s ability to move) or cause spalling inside the turret (which could wound or stun tank crewmen). At least that’s the concept.
Suicide drones are already used as artillery. There are several deep-insertion scenarios where lightly armed special operations forces, like the Rangers, could use one-way attack drones as artillery to suppress enemy air defenses, attack enemy artillery positions, or delay motorized enemy reinforcements. (AB)

FYEO

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Thursday, September 18, 2025 - 06:29 pm: Edit

One-way drones are sometimes called suicide drones.

Proper term should be one use weapon, like a grenade or claymore....

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 09:29 am: Edit

Ukraine hit the Volgograd refineries, the biggest in Russia, causing major fires and damage. The refinery, which is 5.6% of Russia’s total refinery capacity, is off line indefinitely. Much of the fuel for Russian troops in Ukraine Came from this one complex.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 09:53 am: Edit

The drone unit of the 3rd tank brigade destroyed five Russian howitzers that were camouflaged. The Ukrainians figured out that Russia kept the gun crews at a central location for housing, feeding, and orders,. The drones hit the guns when no one was there to defend them. One man with a shotgun would have saved the guns.

Three Russian MiG 31 fighters “accidentally” entered Estonian airspace today over the gulf of Finland. They were there for twelve minutes. NATO planes approached but the Russian planes withdrew. The Russian planes normally use transponders over Russian territory just to keep things calm. This time the transponders were off. Estonia called an Article Four meeting. Estonia wants more NATO planes on patrol. Russia may want to get one of their planes shot down to gain public support for the war.

France has moved fighter squadrons to Poland.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 12:08 pm: Edit

Didn't seem like Russia got any pity from anyone when Turkey shot one down for doing the same thing....

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 03:40 pm: Edit

All of this is simply Russia trying to scare the world by "proving" it wants further confrontation. The West has been trying to avoid direct confrontation with Russia's military, so Russia seeks it out, just because.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 04:35 pm: Edit

Probing air defenses, trying to provoke something, showing that Russia can fight NATO and Ukraine at the same time. Remember that NATO has atrophied since the Cold War. Germany has dropped from 15 heavy divisions in 1980 to three today.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 07:07 pm: Edit

Pres. Trump posted the following on Truth Social at 16:28 CDT today:

"If Afghanistan doesn't give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!! President DJT"

Read it as you will.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 10:09 pm: Edit

This is just a small part of Trump's plan. He's going to give the Arab terrorist groups like Taliban and Hamas and Hezbollah their own country safe from attack by Christians. (Did you think he wanted Greenland for some other purpose?)

By Eddie E Crutchfield (Librarian101) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 11:37 pm: Edit

And whats he going to do threaten them with tariffs, thats it 50% tariffs on the opium produced. opps against the law to produce. Send in troops, the logistics of that should really be interesting? So give it back to the Russians, since they originally built it. It was his deal that gave it back to them. Just questions.😂

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 02:01 am: Edit

That's it, Eddie. He will trade Russia Afghanistan for Ukraine.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 05:48 pm: Edit

ROFL Ok I am falling out of my chair and i needed a good laugh

By Robert Russell Lender (Rusman) on Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 06:12 pm: Edit

Why don't the helicopters used as Marine One have mid-air refueling booms?

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 06:59 pm: Edit

They have a range of 620 miles or so....
Their use for long range transportation is
limited (I would imagine for comfort and work space)...
For a longer flight and return, refueling would take place during the event the President is attending..

The President and VP have access to 747s and 757s,
for long and medium range flights....

By Robert Russell Lender (Rusman) on Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 09:54 pm: Edit

I get all that. It doesn't explain why they don't have them. Such a thing would be valuable in emergencies or the like. It just strikes me as odd that none of them seem to have mid-air refueling ability. The 747 & 757 based planes do for obvious reasons.