S. Korea keeps delaying Wartime Operational Control. Did they buy the F-35 to calm Congressional critics?

via the Hanyoreh

The South Korean government’s decision this year to purchase the F-35 and other state-of-the-art US weaponry has gone some way in softening the US Congress’s objections to another postponement in the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), US congressional sources said.
A final agreement on the date and conditions for another postponement is expected to be made at the ROK-US Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) scheduled to take place in Washington on Oct. 23. Congress, which holds heavy sway over the administration’s foreign affairs and security policy decisions, was strongly opposed to another postponement when Seoul first proposed it in mid-2013. Now, congressional sources are saying it has softened its position and plans to respect the Barack Obama‘s administration decision on the matter.
An aide to John McCain, a Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and congressional heavyweight, told the Hankyoreh’s Washington correspondent that Congress was “waiting for the results of the South Korean and US defense authorities‘ discussions.”
“Congress is open now to what the Obama administration decides,” the aide added.
While Congress’s approval isn’t essential for the OPCON transfer, it does approve the defense budget and related projects with its yearly passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, meaning that strong enough opposition from it could block another transfer postponement.
“A lot of the opposition in Congress to another postponement died down when the South Korean administration decided to purchase state-of-the-art US weaponry this year,” said another congressional source on condition of anonymity. In particular, the source singled out the decision to purchase the F-35 and Global Hawk.

So there you have it.

The S. Koreans aren't willing to step up and defend themselves and would rather sleep under the blanket of US protection.

Instead of our Congress Critters holding there feet to the fire, they instead are bought off by the purchase of an airplane that is hopelessly delayed, under performing and over priced.

Corruption is in every molecule of this program.

I once thought that we had to stick with the program because of our allies.  Not anymore.  They're bought and paid for and this thing needs to die a quick death.  Ordinarily for something this vile I'd want it to be slow and painful but this monster needs to be put down NOW!

Required additional reading.  Here and here.

Upgunned Bradley 35mm Bushmaster III.

The US Army actually tested a 35mm Bushmaster III Cannon on the Bradley?  Who knew!  Apparently Warfare Technology.  Check out his piece here.

Sidenote:  With the recent interest in 40mm cannons and the inevitable arms race this will produce, you know we're heading back to the future of a past Israeli effort.  A 60mm hyper velocity cannon they tried out on their Sherman's back in the day.

Nigeria is declared Ebola free. UPDATED!!!

UPDATE!  Want a quick kick in the nuts?  Remember how I told you to head over to Shepherd of the Gurney's to get the real deal on Ebola?  Well watch the vid he posted, read his commentary and you'll be shocked straight.  This ain't over folks.

I've been getting bombarded with news that Nigeria is Ebola free.

What everyone is missing is how the Nigerians arrived at this good result.

1.  They declared a quarantine of travel from the affected countries.

2.  They forcibly quarantined any individual that had contact with patient zero.

3.  They acquired extra governmental powers to compel records from every possible source to track down any person that had contact with patient zero...the number totaled over 18,000 people.

Yet even with that a total of 19 people died from that one person.  With air travel still being allowed into the US we can expect additional cases.  Even more startling is the fact that the next infection, if it happens in New York or the North East corridor will have even more people listed as possible contacts.  Are we prepared to interview upwards of 30,000 people?  Are we prepared to treat upwards of 50 people that show signs of infection?

There is a reason why this continues to be an issue.  There is a reason why I don't believe this thing is over.  I recommend you all check out Shepherd of the Gurney's blog to get his opinion of this outbreak.  I don't agree with the clown suit Obama vibe but I do think we have a leader that acts only at the last moment. When it comes to Ebola acting late is a recipe for disaster.

Additional reading.

Sidenote.  Has anyone noticed that the World Health Organization has been as fumbling in its response as the CDC?  Doctor's without Borders are the real heroes here but unlike the WHO they won't seek to claim credit for the positive result in Nigeria.

A spider as big as a puppy? Aw FUCK NO! Shit just got real!

via the BBC.

A new species of venomous tarantula has been discovered - and as spiders go it's pretty big!
The tarantula, named Poecilotheria rajaei, has legs that span 20cm.
It was tracked down in northern Sri Lanka, and it's thought to be one of several new species of tarantula discovered there.
The tarantula family of spider includes one of the world's largest, the Goliath bird-eater.
Habitat under threat
Peter Kirk, Chairman of the British Tarantula Society, told Newsround there are worries about the spiders' habitat.
You may have seen Peter on CBBC's Pet School where he was one of the Extreme Animal Experts.
"The tarantulas of Sri Lanka have been studied in some detail in the past by myself and other arachnologists (spider experts!)" Peter said.
"But we have never been able to visit the north or east of the island because of the civil war that was going on there."
"Now Ranil Nanayakkara - a researcher from Sri Lanka - has done just that. Unfortunately, Ranil has noted that much of this tarantula's natural habitat has been destroyed."
It means the spiders have had to move closer to human homes and villages, he added.

Aw fuck no!

I can deal with snakes.  Once you kill and gut them they taste pretty good.  I can deal with wild dogs.  Alligators.  Hell, Marine Corps lore even talks about Marines having to kill Bengal Tigers that were about to pounce on a Recon Team in the jungles of Vietnam.

But a fucking spider thats as big as a puppy?  Its freaking legs alone are 7 inches?  That shit is from outer space!  I humbly advise the villagers to take up arms and shoot them on sight.

As far as I'm concerned there is only one solution.

S. Korean K-21 Infantry Fighting Vehicle flotation devices vs. Bell's High Speed AAV Concept.

This is probably a repeat but I am fascinated by the solution Korean industry came up with to make the K-21 float.  I seem to remember a similar solution was arrived at early on for the Bradley IFV but was discarded for being somewhat unwieldy.  But I think the real reason why I keep circling back to this is because during the late 70's-early 80's, Bell came up with an LCAC "like" proposal to make the AAV high speed.  Pics follow.  Oh and a sidenote.  They named it "Landing Vehicle Air Cushion".

S. Korean mechanized forces on exercise.

This works to make the IFV float but its the most unusual method I've ever seen.  How this will work in an actual combat situation is anyone's guess but I wonder if this thing can take rifle rounds to its flotation devices....I do know that this type of setup was pitched as a way to make a more heavily armed and faster AAV float back in the 70's but I just don't know.

Marine Nationale, Exercise Catamaran 2014 featuring BPC Mistral.

All pics via Marine Nationale.