Saudi troops fleeing Houthi rebels is turning into a tragic clown show.

Thanks to Info Infantrie for the link!



The craziness starts at 3:18.

Wow.  I almost feel sorry for these guys.

Open Comment Post. Aug 27, 2016.

Anything not covered in the blog posts or just tidbits that you want to bring to the tribes attention goes in the comments section here.

I'll do these on a daily so we can keep blog posts on topic.  With the world burning and so many fights going on its not enough to do these once or twice a week.

Eitan 8x8 APC begins mobility test in the Golan

Thanks to Ariel for the link!

via I-HLS.com

The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) continues the tests series for IDF’s first wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC), this time at the Golan Heights training field.
The MoD Merkava Tank Program Administration in collaboration with IDF’s ground forces, reported on another stage of the first development of the Israeli Eitan – a first prototype test drive at the IDF training fields, with the harsh and diverse terrain conditions of the Golan Heights.
The Eitan is an advanced multi-purpose APC with diverse capabilities, designated for combat and transport of soldiers at the battlefield under harsh and diverse conditions. The Eitan will be the most advanced and armor-protected wheeled combat vehicle in the world. It will be equipped with an active defense system (similar to the Namer series and the Merkava IV tanks) as well as with additional unique protection systems.

The Eitan’s most remarkable advantage will be its excellent mobility capabilities among different combat zones, and the fact that it is compatible for driving at a 90 km/h speed on paved roads without the help of a transporter.

Obviously the video I posted earlier this week was highlighting this test.  What I didn't know is how rapidly this program would move once it came out of the shadows.

Everyone is estimating production to start around 2020.  If past is prologue then that's being extremely conservative.  The Israeli's are kicking the tires hard and it wouldn't surprise me if we see them start rolling out models for testing with operational units within a year or two.

When it comes to IDF priorities we're all guessing.  They play their cards close to the vest but it would appear that the Eitan is a top priority for their ground forces.

Note:  What is up with that goofy ass banner they hung on the side of their vehicle?  Its got to be a Middle East thing because every force in the region does the same. 

Norwegian Army picks Hanwha Techwin K9 and RUAG upgraded M109 for down select...panzerhaubitze 2000 rejected!

Thanks to Bjørnar for the link!

via TU.NO

Korean K9 Thunder and Swiss, upgraded M109.
It is these two guns that stands between when the Norwegian military planned to acquire 24 new artillery pieces and put them to use by 2020.
The Korean candidate has an advantage, and may be the preferred artillery system in the Nordic region.
Decisive winter test
After a market survey (RFI) asked defense last June about offers from four artillery manufacturers .
The candidates were then put to the test in three weeks in January this year on Regionfelt eastern Norway by Rena.
In the very thorough and well-documented tests, should the four shoot towers with 155 mm cannons demonstrate its ability to move forward and to shoot under Norwegian winter conditions.
Key requirements for the new Norwegian artillery goes on range, firepower, mobility, protection and life cycle costs.
The two candidates who scored best in the overall evaluation is Hanwha Techwin (formerly Samsung) with their K9 Thunder and RUAG with their upgraded M109 (Krait).

It also means that Defence equipment (FMA) so far has rejected German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and their panzerhaubitze 2000 and French NEXT Caesar.

Follow the link to see a vid of the comp.

Amazing.  Conventional wisdom had the Panzer 2000 as being the best self propelled gun in the West.  Seems like we need to rethink that.

That Indian sub leak IS serious!

via Sputnik

The report carried specifics on the entire sonar systems used to identify and target enemy vessels, forcing India to accept that a few pockets of concern remain in the establishment. Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said, "It is my understanding that there are a few pockets of concern, assuming that what is claimed to have been leaked has actually been leaked."

And this."The Navy is just trying to control the public relations damage of the leak, so they are trying to play it down. If they claim there is no damage, then maybe we should now put all 22,400 confidential documents on the net," he told Indian newswire IANS.

There is definitely more to this sub leak than the Indian Navy is telling us.

Pic of the day. Marine Corps Sikorsky HR2S (H-37) Mojave helicopter

Thanks to Galvars for the pic!

I love this helicopter.

Open Comment Post. Aug 26, 2016. What will the ramifications be for dissing the Kurds?

This is an early "Open Comment Post" because the situation in Syria is becoming even more alarming to me.

We are seeing a circular firing squad with the added insult of the US abandoning one of its most important allies in the supposed fight against ISIS.

Think about it.

Just a month ago all we heard was how the Kurds are the most dependable friends we have in the fight against ISIS and Assad.  Pics (above) leaked of US Special Ops personnel wearing YPG patches and fighting alongside them.

Actions have consequences.  I wonder what the consequences/ramifications be for dissing the Kurds?

Turkey-backed rebels, U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds clash...the circular firing squad continues.

via TheStar.com

Turkey sent more tanks into northern Syriaon Thursday and gave Syrian Kurdish forces a week to scale back their presence near the Turkish border, a day after it launched a U.S.-backed cross-border incursion to establish a frontier zone free of the Daesh and Kurdish rebels.
Skirmishes broke out between Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and the U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters, raising the potential for an all-out confrontation between the two American allies that would also jeopardize the fight against Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL) in the volatile area.
Turkey’s incursion Wednesday to capture the town of Jarablus was a dramatic escalation of Turkey’s role in Syria’s war and adds yet another powerhouse force on the ground in an already complicated conflict.
But Ankara’s objective went beyond fighting extremists. Turkey is also aiming to contain the expansion by Syria’s Kurds, who have used the fight against Daesh and the chaos of Syria’s civil war to seize nearly the entire stretch of territory along Syria’s northern border with Turkey.
Above all, Ankara seeks to avoid Kurdish forces linking up their strongholds along the border. The U.S. has backed its NATO ally, sending a stern warning to the Syrian Kurds with whom it has partnered in the fight against Daesh to stay east of the Euphrates River. The river crosses from Turkey into Syria at Jarablus.

“The U.S. is interested in stopping this from becoming a confrontation between the YPG and Turkey. That would be a huge detriment to the anti-IS (Daesh) campaign,” said Chris Kozak, a Syria researcher at the Washington-based Institute of the Study of War, referring to the main U.S.-backed Kurdish faction fighting Daesh. Turkey accuses the group of links to Kurdish groups waging an insurgency in southeastern Turkey.

Now we're seeing hints of the truth.

With the removal of ASSAD being taken off the table, things are heating up.  The Kurds are the first victims in all this but there are many more to come.

Forgotten Marine Corps Legends. Colonel Joseph Biddle, Master of Unarmed Combat

via Bowie Knife Fighters Blog.

A pot-bellied fellow with eagles on his shoulders and store teeth up-stairs pointed his bayonetted rifle toward a hard-boiled regiment at Ft. Bragg.

"All right, now," he shouted, "kill me."
Nobody moved.

The chicken-claws pointed to the ranks.

"You, come and get me." But the kid he singled out was scared. "Dammit, I want you to cut my throat."

The Private made a half-hearted bayonet thrust.

"You're yellow," the Colonel yelled, prancing up and down in his black sneakers. "I want a man who's not afraid to kill. Step out, you there," he commanded a tough-looking 30-year-old sergeant. The buck stepped from the ranks.

"Now come running at me with your bayonet," he ordered, "and go for my throat."

The sergeant wet his lips. He clenched his gun and lunged full speed at the Colonel's neck.
Col. Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, who knows more about bayonets, knives and jiujitsu than any other man, parried the thrust with his own bayonet. Before the sergeant could mumble, "Holy smoke," Biddle had his own bayonet alongside the sergeant's throat, and the big buck was sweating.
"That's how it's done," the Colonel said. "Now let's all try it."

Read the whole thing here.

Secret info on India's Scorpene Subs leaked.

via Sputnik

The 22,400 pages of data seen by The Australian contain the key secret stealth capabilities of the Indian submarines. Some information included what frequencies the submarines gather intelligence at, the levels of noise they make at various speeds, their diving depths, range and endurance, where on the submarine the crew can speak safely to avoid detection by the enemy, magnetic, electromagnetic and infra-red data, and the specifications of the submarine’s torpedo launch system and combat system, the speed and conditions needed for using the periscope, noise specifications of the propeller and radiated noise levels that occur when the submarine surfaces.

Do you see that tidbit of the info leaked?  I guarantee that EVERY navy on the planet made hard copies, is comparing it to estimates and is putting the info into new battle simulations.

Further you can bet that China, the US (yeah...we gather info even on allied nations gear) and Russia are digging thru it hard.

If India is smart they'll cancel this contract.  Those subs will be damn near useless if delivered with the current specifications.

British Military Working Dogs are plain fierce! Pic of the day.

Geez!  If I saw that dog when I came around the corner I would head the other way.  I wouldn't want to die from puppy kisses. Brit MWD are fierce!

New Video of EItan 8x8 APC!

Mark my words gents. You're seeing a new standard in wheeled IFV/APC design.