Oryx is fine, take it for the most accurate. Plenty more available from Turkey.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Thursday, October 08, 2026 - 06:52 am: Edit

I doubt the Ukrainians have ordered any Bayraktar for a long time. By 2023 it had got too dangerous to fly them close to the combat zone. (source Bayraktar wiki page) The Russians got their air defence in order, and they used to have the most SAM systems in the world.

This is always so, evolution in arms never stops. Bayraktar was useful when the Russians walked into Ukraine and during the resulting confusion. That state didn't last long however.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, October 08, 2026 - 08:18 am: Edit

IIRC Bayraktr was just superseded in the direct strike role. But I think they are still used for naval recon and light vessel strikes where the EW situation is not as intense.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, October 08, 2026 - 05:33 pm: Edit

There are several clips on you tube of the U.S.S. Truman, CVN-75 entering dry dock at Newport News Ship yard.

One posted twenty hours ago, included video interviews of some of the ship yard workers who will complete the work on the overhaul.

There have been reports that the Truman has needed work for a number of years, and at one point, the navy tried to mothball the Truman. (Was a number of years ago… at the time it was assumed the Ford class carriers would be built on schedule and under budget. Sounded like over the top optimism, but that was before all of the issues started with EMALs and the ammunition elevators (and the fire on the U.S.S. Bush that destroyed the laundry, and expected repairs needed to restore the ship’s structure damaged in the laundry room fire.)

By Douglas Lampert (Dlampert) on Thursday, October 08, 2026 - 08:51 pm: Edit

I used to own stock in the company that ran Newport News (they seem to have merged and spun off several times), they would boast in their stock reports about how far ahead of schedule and underbudget their carrier construction program was.

$4 billion carriers being delivered a year or more ahead of schedule and a billion dollars under budget seemed routine.

That, does not seem to be happening now.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Thursday, October 08, 2026 - 11:15 pm: Edit

New designs always have issues. The construction time of the Nimitz class went down from 8 years for Nimitz to 6 years for the Bush.

Ford was 8 years, Kenedy is expected at 12 years. Enterprise is estimated to take 9 years, Miller is planned at 8 years.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, October 09, 2026 - 12:16 am: Edit

To be fair, the U.S.S. Kennedy was the “victim” of a number of revisions, design changes and “fixes” that were developed after issues were discovered with the earlier U.S.S. Ford.

Not criticizing the extra time the U.S.S. Kennedy took, some of the changes needed were very significant (at least according to various articles i have read from U.S.N.I. And trade journals.)

What I am dismayed at, is the record of EMALs failures being so far below targets. (On the order of 10% success compared to the 5,000 planned successful launches between failures.)

What normally happens is the first new design ship identifies issues that need to be corrected, and follow on ships should benefit from said corrections.

In this case, the U.S.S. Ford has not demonstrated an ability to operate at the 5,000 successful launches between failures.

Given the failure (to date) to be able to correct the problems, there is concern that the U.S.S. Kennedy will like the U.S.S. Ford and operate at a similar capacity of successful launches. (Namely, average 450 successful launches from its four catapults. If you do the math, it translates to each catapult will have approximately 112 successful launches before one of them reports a fault/failure.)

The best we can hope for, is the Kennedy miraculously operates at the design specifications.

Depending on the source quoted, worst case is the Ford, JFK, Enterprise and Doris Miller will all suffer from the failures of the EMALs and ammunition elevators.

For what its worth, I hope they can fix the problems.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, October 10, 2026 - 03:51 pm: Edit

So is the Russian Diesel Deal - short term attempt to reduce Diesel Prices in the US (just prior to the Mid-Terms) - or part of a longer term deal?

Zelensky is clearly not liking it - and it seams he is losing the War of Words with President Trump?

Still waiting for an update from the UK Government on the 'Fairford 7' - and what it was all about.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Saturday, October 10, 2026 - 05:48 pm: Edit

Where is Russia getting spare Diesel from?

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, October 10, 2026 - 09:37 pm: Edit

From the domestic production that Putin embargoed back in july.

Guess stopping the diesel oil shipments out of Russia didn’t work out for him.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, October 10, 2026 - 09:57 pm: Edit

I would consider this a mistake, playing to the midterm voters.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Sunday, October 11, 2026 - 12:56 am: Edit

I don't think Russia has much "spare" diesel fuel per se. I just think they will be more than happy to shift some diesel from their black market sanctions evasion network to a legitimate hard currency transaction with the US. Those US dollars, and presumably network access to spend them, will be wonderful for Russia's economy to buy war materials more easily.

And it pairs nicely with the EU purchases of natural gas. Russia will have a Euro pool of money to spend globally, and a USD pool as well.

P.S. These are not wise decisions.

--Mike

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Sunday, October 11, 2026 - 04:55 am: Edit

"Open-source analysts report that MINERVA ZEN left St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 22 and is heading towards the U.S. East Coast, reportedly carrying diesel. VesselFinder lists Wilmington, North Carolina, as its destination, with an expected arrival on October 11. That puts its departure 17 days before Trump announced the deal."

-The Concis (substack)

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Sunday, October 11, 2026 - 05:18 pm: Edit

Ukraine managed to destroy two major Russian data centers in the past 24 hours. One notable result has been a drastic fall-off in the number of active Russian bots polluting social media.

In other news, U.S. Pres. Trump announced that an "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia is now in full effect. Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy noted that this was news to him, though that it would be welcome if true; the closest thing to a comment from the Kremlin has been a pair of Russian strikes on the TEC-5 power plant in Kharkiv Oblast.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Sunday, October 11, 2026 - 05:30 pm: Edit

In other news, Houthi rebels have hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a number of times in recent days with a combination of ballistic missiles and drones. An attack on 8 OCT killed three Saudi citizens. An attack on 10 OCT second killed four Saudis, two nationals from Bangladesh, and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt; with an Indian man dying later of injuries. An attack today set a passenger concourse aflame. Over three hundred people have been injured in the attacks so far.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Sunday, October 11, 2026 - 07:52 pm: Edit

To late to have an affect, but the U.S. needs a Foreign Legion....
I recall several decades ago, the idea popped up, though never had a hearing...

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Sunday, October 11, 2026 - 08:21 pm: Edit

OK, I'll ask the obvious question: why does the U.S. need a Foreign Legion? What do we gain by having such a thing?

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, October 11, 2026 - 08:42 pm: Edit

Plausible deniability?

Or it could be a reference to the french model, where the majority of the enlisted soldiers are not native Of France… fewer casualties reported to grieving families or relatives.

It is an amazingly cynical and at the same time practical solution to potential public relations problems. I am very proud of Mark Hoyle having the courage to openly talk about a subject most people shy away from.

I also remember when the subject came up years ago. There was a lot of back lash against the few people willing to support the idea.

Good Job Mark.
Keep up the good work!

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, October 11, 2026 - 08:50 pm: Edit

I thought we had one called Blackwater.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - 08:16 am: Edit

We finally got a verbal response out of Russia on Pres. Trump's declared energy ceasefire. Yesterday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine does not deserve the "respite" a ceasefire would bring. Meanwhile, grid-operator Ukrenergo reported "new power cuts" in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia due to damage caused to energy equipment by Russian attacks.

Asked about the energy ceasefire yesterday, Pres. Trump said, "Well they agree, you know why? Because I said you agree. That's why. They agreed because I said they agreed." He said this after it was confirmed that Russia was continuing to attack energy sites in Ukraine, and after Lavrov ruled such an energy ceasefire out.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - 09:20 am: Edit

I didn't reference it here, but in a response to comments in another site mentioned enlisting illegals....

Personally, have found the despicable way the government has treated immigrant and illegal enlistees and their family's, especially the when their enlistment has ended....
The numbers that make the news is small, so don't know how wide spread the problem is....

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - 11:05 am: Edit

Philippine nationals used to be able to enlist in the USN. Good deal for everyone. You can still see little old men in their "USN retired" ball caps there.

IMHO the Philippines blew it when they didn't extend the base deal. Not least because some US personnel were doing bad things.

You know the region that has the highest per capita service rate? American Samoa & Guam.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - 11:14 am: Edit

On October 6, Ukraine launch a huge attack on Russia. In 24 hours they sent 1750 fixed wing drones and 17 Flamingo cruise missiles. .these numbers are from the Russians who of course shot down every single one. 17 flamingoes in 24 hours would be a record. Russia claims 47 private homes and an apartment building. Airports claimed flight delays affecting thousands of flights.
THE MILITARY SHOW, 13 October

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - 03:02 pm: Edit

Winning: Interesting Google
October 13, 2026: Google search is an interesting tool. For Ukrainian civilians, Google was asked, “What did Ukrainian civilians use Google for once the Russian invasion was underway?” One response was, “Because of the Russian invasion, Google has temporarily shut down worldwide access to traffic data from Ukraine. This move aimed to protect Ukrainian citizens by preventing Russians and other outsiders from knowing which roads and trails had civilian traffic. Google regularly denied Russia access to information that could be used to attack Ukrainian targets.
Closer to home, civilians worldwide used Google to find personal information about friends’ spouses, enemies, and many others. These searches often produce embarrassing answers. I’ll leave it to those reading this, and those who make such searches, to ponder the results before doing so. Often the result is benign, but for those who have financial or marital problems, the search results can be disturbing or worse. People reading this should be careful with their searches, but that won’t stop others from making them and uncovering unsavory or embarrassing results.
As for me, the results were surprising when I asked about “Jim Dunnigan’s Recent Social Media Presence.” The response was,
Yes — over the past year, Jim Dunnigan has shown a noticeable increase in social media visibility, driven by new YouTube interviews, archival content, and wargaming community engagement.
Evidence of Recent Growth
YouTube activity: A dedicated Jim Dunnigan and Wargaming YouTube playlist has been updated in 2024–2025 with multiple new interviews and behind the scenes discussions, including “ SPI ’ s ‘ Friday Night Follies ’” (Oct 2024) and “ From PanzerBlitz to the Pentagon ” (Oct 2024)
These videos feature Dunnigan alongside wargaming legends and cover both his SPI history and game design philosophy, attracting new viewers and re engagement from the wargaming community.
Community platforms: On BoardGameGeek, Dunnigan’s profile remains active, with ongoing interaction in wargaming forums and discussions about his designs
While the site itself isn't a social media platform, it serves as a hub for community engagement that often cross links to other channels.
Content themes: Recent uploads focus on historical wargames, SPI’s early days, and military strategy topics, which align with current trends in retro gaming and military history — both popular on YouTube and niche social media groups
Jim Dunnigan, founder of Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) and designer of classics like PanzerBlitz and Jutland, is already a respected figure in wargaming history. His social media footprint is not as broad as mainstream influencers, but the past year has seen:
More frequent uploads of interview style content.
Higher engagement from wargaming enthusiasts via YouTube comments and community discussions.
Archival content being repackaged for modern audiences, which often boosts discoverability.
Conclusion
While Dunnigan’s overall reach remains niche, the last year has shown a clear uptick in social media activity, especially on YouTube, where new interviews and archival projects have drawn both new and returning viewers. This suggests a growing, though still specialized, online presence among wargaming and gaming history communities.
Now try this with people you know, or historical figures and those you have known in the past but lost contact. When you do a search, be specific and use as much information as you can muster. The more information in the search, the more you will find out. Search, and hope for the best, or at least not much of the worst.
James F Dunnigan
FYEO

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - 03:03 pm: Edit

Counter-Terrorism: The Terrorist Intel Liability
October 13, 2026: Terrorist intel liability concerns the legal and insurance exposure that emerges after individuals, organizations, or platforms are held responsible for the distribution of terrorist propaganda, encouraging individuals to become Islamic terrorists, or failing to report and possibly prevent terrorism. Since the late 1990s, when Internet technology became widely available, Al Qaeda has found the Internet to be an enormous intelligence liability. While the web helps spread messages and attract new recruits, it also gives intelligence and police agencies an excellent opportunity to gather information. This is largely unavoidable. Only a small percentage of active Islamic radicals are trained in the tradecraft of counterintelligence, such as preventing police infiltration.
Naturally, neither al Qaeda nor any security organizations will discuss this openly. But it is known that intelligence agencies constantly advise against shutting down the pro-terrorism websites, especially those with message boards. It is possible to monitor who uses these websites, and it's gotten out that many active terrorists have been caught because of information obtained from monitoring who visits and uses pro-terrorist websites.
Al Qaeda has issued warnings to jihadis on the web to be careful what they say and to be aware that when they visit a website, the computer they are using can be tracked. Most visitors are unaware of these warnings or ignore them. Core al Qaeda operatives know to avoid revealing themselves so easily, but there are so many volunteers and helpers who are sloppy that the careful terrorist operatives are constantly put in danger of getting caught.
For recruiting, al Qaeda relies on people it knows to get some face time with promising prospects and check their references. This puts the pressure on intelligence agencies to create "legends" (believable backgrounds), if they want to keep an Internet persona active. Legends are expensive to create and maintain, but apparently a few of them have been used to smoke out more senior Islamic terrorists.
Most of the Islamic radicals encountered on the web are posers and wannabes. But some are serious, and there's always a risk that some of the many you write off as harmless turn out not to be. What is scary is the large number of young Muslims who see themselves as victims of Western aggression. Playing the victim is one thing, but many of these kids spout a vile message of hate and aggression. Among many young Muslims, it's become fashionable to either agree with this bile or at least tolerate it.
A lot of young Muslims don't go along with all the jihadi fantasies, and they are often the intel agents cruising the terrorist websites, looking for information and potential terrorists. When the current outburst of Islamic terrorism has run its course, there will be opportunities to reveal more details of the hidden war that was played out on the Internet, and how important it was to keep the terrorists impotent.
FYEO