Iran’s captured RQ-170: How bad is the damage?
Surprising that it’s in such good shape. Would have thought it would have a smithereens setting.
High-Rez Photos Fuel Debate Over Captured Stealth Drone
I keep hoping we’re playing them. We’ll see.
4,000 British Troops May Leave Afghanistan Early
All are scheduled to be out by the end of 2014.
Faster, Furiouser, and Fucked Uperer: Holder in the hot seat
Links links links.
Lessons From Libya
‘Forward basing is key, but the NATO allies are still too reliant on American airpower.‘ Gee, ya think?
Harriers Now Armed With AMRAAMs
This marks the first time that USMC Harriers have carried AMRAAMs on an operational deployment.
Lockheed unveils new, cheaper variant of C-130
The C-130XJ will be offered to foreign and US customers that do not need certain advanced features of the standard J-model, including its enhanced cargo handling system.
Wisconsin Castle Doctrine
Another big step forward for the Badger State.
India and Pakistan: Water War May Go Nuclear?
Always on the brink.
China Hits It Big With Shale Gas
Glenn Reynolds notes that he doubts they’ll let the Greens block development.
Much more Linkzookery below!
Read the rest of this entry »
From a regular commenter here on MO:
I’ve been working with Chinese (mainland and Taiwanese) for close to 20 years now. I currently have a team of engineers in both mainland China and in Taiwan under my chain of command. I’ve spent months one-on-one with many of them as they have come here to the US for training, and I talk with them almost every day.
One thing I can say is that while they have a gazillion folks with engineering degrees, they have very few decent engineers. Good technicians, for sure. But give them a new problem, and nothing ever happens. I think this is more cultural than genetic, because there are quite a few decent engineers in Taiwan, who come form the same gene pool. They just have 40 more years of experience with capitalism under their belts, and they understand the importance of making a decision.
But the biggest problem with China, IMO, is the massive amounts of corruption. I mean, they make something like the Chicago political machine look like amateurs, and the US defense complex look like a bastion of honesty and logic. It’s horrible, and it permeates every aspect of life. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is easier to take out a Chinese aircraft carrier by dropping a duffle bag of 20 dollar bills on it instead of a 500 lb bomb.
Working with the younger Chinese (25-30 year olds) is pleasant. Some of them certainly “get it”. And once they open up, the first thing they complain about is the corruption, and the second is censorship. Third is pollution.
They will spend hours on the internet here, just reading stuff they can’t get access to over there. And as a general rule, they don’t trust their own military or even their police. Again, too much corruption. And they all know what really happened in Tiananmen square.
And while I am training them to take over my job (no, it’s not really that bad), I also derive great pleasure in exposing them to all sorts of political concepts and reading material. Everything from the Federalist Papers, to Bill Ayers, to Glenn Beck. They eat it all up. And I send them back home with a couple dozen copies of the US Constitution and a $5 bill to get them through customs. Yeah, it took me a couple years to learn that trick….
So all in all, I don’t spend a whole lot of time worrying about what the Chinese military might do to us. Too many of their citizens have already taken a bite from the capitalist apple, and they like the taste.
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Bing, as usual, honors the day:
Bing homepage on 07 Dec 2011
Some other search engines with a history of special graphics and whatnot for special days, as usual, do not.
Here are some posts from Pearl Harbor Day in years past on MO:
In Drydock Number One at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard on 7 December 1941, immediatly following the Japanese attack. Both ships had been severely damaged by bomb hits and the resulting fires. In the background, also in Drydock Number One, is USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), which had received relatively light damage in the raid. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, NHHC Collection.
"A Shot for Posterity -- The USS Ward's number three gun and its crew-cited for firing the first shot the day of Japan's raid on Hawaii. Operating as part of the inshore patrol early in the morning of December 7, 1941, this destroyer group spotted a submarine outside Pearl Harbor, opened fire and sank her. Crew members are R.H. Knapp - BM2c - Gun Captain, C.W. Fenton - Sea1c - Pointer, R.B. Nolde - Sea1c - Trainer, A.A. De Demagall - Sea1c - No. 1 Loader, D.W. Gruening - Sea1c - No. 2 Loader, J.A. Paick - Sea1c - No. 3 Loader, H.P. Flanagan - Sea1c - No. 4 Loader, E.J. Bakret - GM3c - Gunners Mate, K.C.J. Lasch - Cox - Sightsetter." (quoted from the original 1942-vintage caption) This gun is a 4"/50 type, mounted atop the ship's midships deckhouse, starboard side. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
USS Nevada getting underway on 07 Dec 1941
Finding the sunk Japanese midget sub in 2002
Plus today on Yahoo! News: Rare, Unseen Photos: Aftermath of Pearl Harbor
If you’ve got links to Pearl Harbor stories you particularly like, leave ‘em in the comments section.
Insider: $56 Billion Later, Airport Security Is Junk
According to Ben Brandt, a former adviser to Delta, the airlines and the feds should be less concerned with what gels your aunt puts in her carry-on, and more concerned about lax screening for terrorist sympathizers among the airlines’ own work force. They should be worried about terrorists shipping their bombs in air cargo. And they should be worried about terrorists shooting or bombing airports without ever crossing the security gates.
China’s Carrier Seen From an Airliner
Photo of China’s starter carrier.
Navy’s Big Biofuel Bet: 450,000 Gallons at 4 Times the Price of Oil
Not cheap:
The Navy previously paid about $1,000 for each barrel of biofuel it bought to test out in its jets. This new purchase, at first, will cost just as much: $26 per gallon, or $1,092 per barrel. That biofuel will then be blended with an equal amount of fossil fuel, producing 900,000 gallons — and an effective price of about $15 per gallon for that 50/50 blend. It’s “roughly half of what was paid in 2009,” according to Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy Tom Hicks, who serves as Mabus’ point man on energy issues.
But it is still far more than the Navy currently pays for its JP-5 jet fuel: $3.97 per gallon, or $167 per barrel.
As a developmental effort, this is something that Murdoc can get behind. First, the money poured into this should help get the foundation for more of this sort of thing up and running. Second, it will help get the military prepared to save some money (hopefully) down the road. Finally, it is an insurance policy against a severe restriction on the availability of traditional fuel.
Go read the whole thing at Danger Room.
Chevy Volt:
You’re not saving any money whatsoever – at $46,000, the difference between the Volt and a Civic/Corolla/Sentra/any other comparably sized gasoline engine car in gas mileage is negligible. Even with gas at $4 a gallon and and an annual commute of 20,000 miles, the gasoline-only car getting 25 MPG would cost you $3200 for the year. Even if the Volt were 100% free, it would still take almost 10 years of driving to offset the cost differential.
There will always be people who spend the extra to feel good about what they’re doing to save the earth or whatever, but until these things become reasonable in a way that can be substantiated by mathematics, they’re not going to go mainstream.
I previously wrote When it’s financially better than the alternatives it will catch on…and not until and If people wanted cars with great mileage, they’d be buying them about this issue.
I hope we keep making headway on alternative fuels and hybrids and Mr. Fusion, but a lot of people seem to ignore reality when they push some of this stuff.
Iranian Press TV accused of making up stories about U.S. drone strikes in Somalia
The channel, which is based in Tehran and broadcasts around-the-clock in English, claims that more the 1,370 people have been killed in 56 drone strikes since September – an average of 24 deaths per attack.
But an analysis of their reports by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found no evidence to back up the claims.
How much you want to bet this number shows up on some anti-war or Occupier sign in the near future?
Tech. Sgt. Sam Pastor fires an Mk48 Sept. 10, 2011, at the off-base firing range near Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan. Pastor is a vehicle maintainer with the Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane)
That seems to be very un-pastor-like activity. (Murdoc’s here all week, folks…)
Running a bit late today, but here’s the Linkzookery:
GE stops funding for F-35 alternative engine
GE and Rolls-Royce had been privately funding the F136, but they’re pulling the plug. Murdoc dislikes.
Report blames lapses on Stryker commander
532-page report finds colonel ignored doctrine, proper procedure in leading undisciplined 5th SBCT, 2nd ID.
Boeing may exceed aerial tanker cost ceiling by $500 Million
Shocker. Boeing is supposed to absorb any cost overrun. We’ll see.
Obama: My kids will succeed, even if USA doesn’t
Whew. USA was really frikkin worried about that.
New attack submarine to be christened Saturday
USS Mississippi (SSN 782).
S&W Pulls Out of the Carbine Competition
A number of biggies still in the running.
Royal Navy will be ‘too small for two carriers’
The UK will “certainly” not be able to operate both Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers in 2020 if the Royal Navy is reduced to 29,000 personnel in line with current planning
IDF upgrades Patriot missile defense battery
Upgrading to PAC-3 while they continue to develop their own David’s Sling system.
New helo squadron will fly Fire Scouts, too
Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35 will be the first to support littoral combat ships and other Pacific Fleet ships with both the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and the MQ-8B Fire Scout.
Senator tries to take museum’s F-105
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. has introduced an amendment ordering an Arizona museum to give up an F-105 “loaned” to it by the Air Force in 1984.
MARSOC deployment inspires energy drink
Currently sold out but offering a special back-order price on ruckpacks.com.
Djibouti Security
US boots on the ground and laying in the dirt.
