#Counter-insurgency aircraft

[nocternalrandomness]

IA 58 Counter Insurgency aircraft-Argentine Air Force

[candy616]

Some cool legit* Graves headcanons.

*I personally don’t like making headcanons out of nowhere; I prefer to study canon thoroughly. But since Graves is based on an actual man, it gives my mind permission to create some headcanons. Now, I’ve watched almost EVERY video featuring EP (and about him, both "good" and "bad"), and I can tell that they are extremely similar in some ways but very different in others. I don’t think I’ll ever do a full breakdown comparison (because I’ve already forgotten almost every detail, and rewatching everything would take me another year, lol). But I want to share some really nice things that suit Graves very well. The first two things were actually shared by EP’s former colleague (and now a traitor).

When Graves was on his way to the Congress hearing, he was listening to "Rage Against the Machine – Killing in the Name" on repeat, singing along to the line "Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me" over and over again. He was frustrated that he had to explain his actions to civilians who weren’t even there. (I had a Graves cover of this song on my YouTube channel, but YouTube deleted my channel, so I can’t share it.)

Graves doesn’t have any hobbies—not one that isn’t related to warfare in some way. When a curious Shadow asked him about it, Graves dismissed him, saying, "My hobby is counter-insurgency." He studies conflicts around the world relentlessly, looking for opportunities. If he’s not at war, he’s bored.

Plus, Graves is a huge history buff. He knows everything about any kind of warfare, past and present. He can always make a reference to a battle or a war hero for any occasion.

Graves has a pilot’s license, of course. He loves flying. (Another hobby related to warfare, lol.) He owns some private light aircraft.

Graves aggressively built up an aviation wing in Shadow Company and supplied aircraft to the CIA and other government agencies. They have a lot of civilian aircraft, including both fixed-wing light airplanes and helicopters. With Shepherd’s permission, he was allowed to acquire some military aircraft. And the tank was Shadow Company property, too. When Shepherd allowed him to borrow an AC-130 for some missions, he was literally ecstatic.

Graves wears a titanium Breitling Emergency watch. These watches have a personal locator beacon (PLB) integrated into them.

Also, I really love how they have exactly the same facial expressions. They both have an identically sweet and kind smile (the kind that reaches their eyes) when they like you or are in a good mood. At the same time, they can give the most chilling, polite smile—more like a reptilian stare—if you try to accuse them or piss them off somehow.

Shadow Company sad bonus (sorry): !DO NOT GOOGLE IF YOU CAN’T BEAR IRL VIOLENCE!

The first Shadow Company ambush by Konni was probably based on the 2004 Fallujah ambush.

Shadow Company’s the Las Almas incident was probably based on the Nisour Square Massacre.

Shadow Company would probably be renamed and eventually sold to someone else. (I hope they don’t decide to kill Graves, or I’m coming after them.)

Written especially for my luv @bellgraves hope you like it! 💖💖 And @xxavengingangelxx ❤️ maybe you'll find some of it useful. Also @makeila04 ❤️

Further reading (for myself lol):

"Civilian Warriors: The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes of the War on Terror" by Erik Prince.

"Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince and the Business of War" by Suzanne Simons.

"Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army" by Jeremy Scahill.

"We Were Blackwater: Life, death and madness in the killing fields of Iraq – an SAS veteran’s explosive true story" by Barrie Rice.

[lonestarflight]

Concept art of Convair Model 48 Charger with pontoons. The Model 48 was a prototype light attack and observation aircraft of the 1960s, developed to meet a requirement for a dedicated counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft. It lost to the North America OV-10 Bronco.

Date: February 26, 1964

San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive: 87904366

[monkeyssalad-blog]

1955 North American T-28B Trojan N300JH US Marines US Navy BuNo 140009 by Chris Murkin Via Flickr: 1955 North American T-28B Trojan N300JH US Marines US Navy BuNo 140009 The T-28 was successfully employed as a counter-insurgency aircraft, primarily during the Vietnam War Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA July 2024 DAF_4587

[jackoshadows]

Just a reminder that the US administration under Jimmy Carter increased and accelerated the weapons supply and military assistance to Indonesia for their massacre, ethnic cleansing of the indigenous people and occupation of East Timor.

In other words, democrats like Genocide Joe are only following in the footsteps of democrats like Jimmy Carter in funding and providing the weapons for wiping out indigenous populations in the grand American tradition of being pro-genocide.

All the praise for Jimmy Carter makes me sick. No doubt in another ten years we will see the same for Genocide Joe as liberals praise him and eulogize him.

The US played a crucial role in supplying weapons to Indonesia.[84] A week after the invasion of East Timor the National Security Council prepared a detailed analysis of the Indonesian military units involved and the US equipment they used. The analysis revealed that virtually all of the military equipment used in the invasion was US supplied: US-supplied destroyer escorts shelled East Timor as the attack unfolded; Indonesian marines disembarked from US-supplied landing craft; US-supplied C-47 and C-130 aircraft dropped Indonesian paratroops and strafed Dili with .50 calibre machine guns; while the 17th and 18th Airborne brigades which led the assault on the Timorese capital were "totally U.S. MAP supported," and their jump masters US trained.[91] While the US government claimed to have suspended new arms sales to Indonesia from December 1975 to June 1976, military equipment already in the pipeline continued to flow,[89] and the US made four new offers of arms during that six-month period, including supplies and parts for 16 OV-10 Broncos,[89] which, according to Cornell University Professor Benedict Anderson, are "specially designed for counter-insurgency actions against adversaries without effective anti-aircraft weapons and wholly useless for defending Indonesia against a foreign enemy." Military assistance was accelerated during the Carter administration, peaking in 1978.[92] In total, the United States furnished over $250,000,000 of military assistance to Indonesia between 1975 and 1979.[93]

In the cities, Indonesian troops began killing East Timorese.[40] At the start of the occupation, FRETILIN radio sent the following broadcast: "The Indonesian forces are killing indiscriminately. Women and children are being shot in the streets. We are all going to be killed.... This is an appeal for international help. Please do something to stop this invasion."[41] One Timorese refugee told later of "rape [and] cold-blooded assassinations of women and children and Chinese shop owners".[42] Dili's bishop at the time, Martinho da Costa Lopes, said later: "The soldiers who landed started killing everyone they could find. There were many dead bodies in the streets – all we could see were the soldiers killing, killing, killing."[43] In one incident, a group of fifty men, women, and children – including Australian freelance reporter Roger East – were lined up on a cliff outside of Dili and shot, their bodies falling into the sea.[44] Many such massacres took place in Dili, where onlookers were ordered to observe and count aloud as each person was executed.[45] In addition to FRETILIN supporters, Chinese migrants were also singled out for execution; five hundred were killed in the first day alone.[46]

The 'final solution' campaigns involved two primary tactics: The 'encirclement and annihilation' campaign involved bombing villages and mountain areas from aeroplanes, causing famine and defoliation of ground cover. When surviving villagers came down to lower-lying regions to surrender, the military would simply shoot them. Other survivors were placed in resettlement camps where they were prevented from travelling or cultivating farmland. In early 1978, the entire civilian population of Arsaibai village, near the Indonesian border, was killed for supporting Fretilin after being bombarded and starved.[55] During this period, allegations of Indonesian use of chemical weapons arose, as villagers reported maggots appearing on crops after bombing attacks.[55] The success of the 'encirclement and annihilation' campaign led to the 'final cleansing campaign', in which children and men from resettlement camps would be forced to hold hands and march in front of Indonesian units searching for Fretilin members. When Fretilin members were found, the members would be forced to surrender or to fire on their own people.[56] The Indonesian 'encirclement and annihilation' campaign of 1977–1978 broke the back of the main Fretilin militia and the capable Timorese President and military commander, Nicolau Lobato, was shot and killed by helicopter-borne Indonesian troops on 31 December 1978.[57]

[usafphantom2]

AC-130 Gunship’s Laser Weapon Cancelled, 105mm Howitzer May Be Removed

The AC-130J was set to get the first operational airborne laser weapon, but that plan is over as the gunship changes to ensure its relevance.

Joseph TrevithickPUBLISHED Mar 19, 2024 1:56 PM EDT

The US Air Force no longer plans to flight test a laser directed energy weapon on an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship.

USAF

The U.S. Air Force has scrapped plans to flight test an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship armed with a laser directed energy weapon after years of delays. The Airborne High Energy Laser program for the AC-130J had for a time looked set to become the U.S. military's first operational aerial laser directed weapon. This all also comes amid a review of the AC-130J's current and future planned capabilities, which could see the gunships lose their 105mm howitzers, as part of a broader shift away from counter-insurgency operations to planning for a high-end fight.

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) confirmed that there are no longer plans to test the prototype Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) system on an AC-130J and provided other details about the current state of the program to The War Zone earlier today.

"After accomplishing significant end-to-end high power operation in an open-air ground test, the AHEL solid state laser system experienced technical challenges," an AFSOC spokesperson said in a statement. "These challenges delayed integration onto [the] designated AC-130J Block 20 aircraft past the available integration and flight test window."

One past US Air Force rendering of an AC-130 with a laser directed energy weapon. USAF

The original hope was flight testing of an AC-130J with the AHEL system would take place sometime in the 2021 Fiscal Year, but this schedule was repeatedly pushed back. In November 2023, AFSOC told The War Zone that a laser-armed Ghostrider was set to take to the skies in January of this year, something that clearly did not occur.

Lockheed Martin received the initial contract in 2019 to supply the AHEL's laser source for the system and lead the effort to integrate the system onto an AC-130J. The complete AHEL system also includes a beam director and other components.

A now-dated US Special Operations Command briefing slide discussing the AHEL program and the components of the weapon system itself. SOCOM

"As a result, the program was re-focused on ground testing to improve operations and reliability to posture for a successful hand off for use by other agencies," the statement added.

This is all further confirmed by the Pentagon's 2025 Fiscal Year budget request, which was rolled out last week, and does not ask for any new funding for AHEL. Official budget documents say this is because the program is expected to close out in the 2024 Fiscal Year.

What "other agencies" might now be in line to benefit from the AHEL program's work and the exact status of the 60-kilowatt class laser directed energy weapon system developed under the program are unclear. AFSOC directed further questions to U.S. Special Operations Command, which The War Zone has now reached out to for more information.

The U.S. Navy's Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWC Dahlgren) had already been deeply involved in the AHEL program. The Navy has been very active in the development and fielding of various types of shipboard directed energy weapons, including another 60-kilowatt class laser directed energy weapon called the High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance, or HELIOS. Lockheed Martin is also the prime contractor for that system.

The US Navy's Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Preble pierside in San Diego in July 2022. The ship's HELIOS directed energy weapon system can be seen on a platform immediately in front of the main superstructure. USN

The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps have also been working to develop and field different types of air and ground-based directed energy weapons.

The Air Force has been working on at least one other aerial laser directed energy weapon in recent years, under the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Self-protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) program. The SHiELD effort was centered around a podded system for tactical jets ostensibly intended to help defend against incoming missiles, though it would have the ability to engage other target sets. In the past, the stated goal was to begin flight testing of the SHiELD pod in 2025, but its current status is unclear.

A rendering of a US Air Force F-16C Viper fighter with a podded laser directed energy weapon. Lockheed Martin

The Air Force is pursuing other directed energy weapon programs, including for base defense use on the ground. Additional work is understood to be going on in the classified realm, including efforts tied to the larger Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative.

For the Air Force's current fleet of 30 AC-130Js, the end of the AHEL program comes amid larger questions about the future of Ghostrider's armament package and other current and future capabilities. There are growing signs that the Ghostriders are set to lose their 105mm howitzers as part of this reassessment of the aircraft's capabilities.

"Initiate engineering analysis and development to remove the aft weapon system (105mm Gun), refit the aft section, and optimize crew workload in support of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) crew reduction initiatives," is the plan for the AC-130Js in the 2024 Fiscal Year, according to the Pentagon's latest budget request. The War Zone has reached out to AFSOC for further clarification.

The Air Force originally planned not to include a 105mm howitzer in the armament package for the AC-130J, which was originally focused more on the employment of precision-guided missiles and bombs than guns at all. The service subsequently changed course and had more recently been in the process of integrating improved howitzers onto the Ghostriders. That work came to a halt last year after the start of the capability review. As of last November, only 17 of the 30 AC-130Js had gotten this upgrade.

AFSOC has been taking this new look at the Ghostrider's current and future planned capabilities in large part due to discussions about how AC-130Js might contribute to future high-end conflicts, especially one in the Pacific against China. AC-130Js, which are today primarily tasked with providing very close support to special operations forces on the ground, currently operate almost exclusively in permissive and semi-permissive environments and at night.

AHEL has been presented in the past as being ideally suited to supporting lower-intensity counter-insurgency-type missions.

"Without the slightest bang, whoosh, thump, explosion, or even aircraft engine hum, four key targets [an electrical transformer, the engine of a pick-up truck, communication equipment, and a parked drone,] are permanently disabled," now-retired Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, then head of AFSOC, said in a 2017 interview with National Defense magazine, describing a notional mission for a laser-armed AC-130. "The enemy has no communications, no escape vehicle, no electrical power, and no retaliatory intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability. Minutes later, the team emerges from the compound, terrorist mastermind in hand. A successful raid."

In line with all this, the Air Force is also looking to add a new active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar to these gunships, "allowing the platform to detect, target, identify, and engage across a spectrum of threats at longer ranges and react with greater precision," according to Pentagon budget documents. You can read more about the benefits of adding an AESA to the AC-130J here.

Other specialized C-130 variants belonging to AFSOC have been heavily involved in the testing of a palletized weapon system called Rapid Dragon. Rapid Dragon offers a way to readily transform existing cargo aircraft into launch platforms for AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) cruise missiles and other stand-off munitions. SOCOM has previously expressed interest in the past in integrating precision-guided munitions with longer reach onto the AC-130, in part to help keep those aircraft away from increasingly capable enemy air defenses. A return to a focus on precision-guided munition employment when it comes to the Ghostriders could be important for ensuring their continued operational relevance.

Altogether, the exact mix of capabilities found on the AC-130Js looks set to significantly evolve in the near term. However, a laser directed energy weapon is no longer on the horizon for the Ghostriders.

Howard Altman contributed to this story.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

@warzonewire via X

[oshlet]

P-Man E model (System-11 Developed, post revolution, export model, in turn derived from the 'Man D, which is the backbone of their current - functional - military) Set up as a river patrol unit for Könist Hydropower, an unimaginatively named company controlling the entirety of the Könist river, and most of the shipping centres of the number of the towns and cities situated next to it.

With the rise of smugglers and pirates, Könist Hydropower set up a paramilitary division of patrol boats, amphibious mechs and counter-insurgency aircraft to monitor and police the waterway. Initially they used a pair of revolutionary era submersible mechs for the mech group, however their size, hard to obtain replacement parts and general unwieldiness led to them being sold off and replaced with more modern 'Man Es.

While patrol boats do the bulk of the work, mechs are used as an extra bit of intimidation, as well as knocking out hideouts in the thick woodlands surrounding parts of the river. The amphibious nature of the 'mechs, alongside their ability to cross poor terrain makes them well suited to tasks such as this, and smugglers often lack the calibre to take out mechs like these.

Loadout consists of detachable leg floats for high speed river traversal, a harpoon cannon to apprehend fleeing vessels, a wrist mounted machine-gun for antipersonnel duties and a large pulse gun nestled in the right arm. The pulse gun's main goal is disrupting electronics, however the power output lets it inflict horrendous burns upon anything biological caught in its beam. The head unit is also a specialised model, full of sensors to better detect contraband and hidden camps.

[arcticdementor]

It’s been a year and a half. This has languished in my drafts for months, segments getting finished… then forgotten, then another rush hitting… then waning… but now it’s finally done. Some of the foresight having waited so long it became a regular sight… but I am no less confident in its excellence.  Here it is My next great assessment in my near future… what does Call of Duty call it? Advanced Warfare series. In Vol. 1 of The Antagonist’s Tech Tree: The Dream of the Motorcycle Warlord we took a deep dive through the advantages and disadvantages of Motorcycles in combat and came to an interesting conclusion.

…

This leads to an interesting implication: Whereas for the US military motorcycles are a legacy technology, held onto in limited numbers for very niche applications, in other forces with different philosophies they are a core and expanding technology. This leads to an interesting avenue of discussion: Which other technologies are like this? Which other mere curiosities or non-military tools become essential pieces of kit with a change in doctrine or philosophical alignment?

…

The Great Toyota War of 1987 was the final phase of the Chadian-Libyan conflict. Gadhafi’s Libyan forces by all rights should have dominated the vast stretches of desert being fought over: the Chadian military was less than a 3rd the size of the Libyan, and the Libyans were vastly better equipped fielding hundreds of tanks and armored personnel carriers, in addition to dozens of aircrafts… to counter this the Chadians did something unique… They mounted the odds and ends heavy weapons systems they had in the truck beds of their Toyota pickups, and using the speed and maneuverability of the Toyotas, managed to outperform Libya’s surplus tanks and armored vehicles. By the end of the Chadian assault to retake their northern territory, the Libyans had suffered 7500 casualties to the Chadians 1000, with the Libyan defeat compounded by the loss of 800 armored vehicles, and close to 30 aircraft captured or destroyed. The maneuverability and speed of the pickups made them incredibly hard to hit, and the tanks in particular struggled to get a sight picture… strafing within a certain range the pickups moved faster across the horizon than the old soviet tanks’ main gun could be hand cranked around to shoot them. Since then Technology has become the backbone of insurgencies, militias, poorer militaries, and criminal cartels around the world. The ready availability of civilian pickups, with the ability of amateur mechanics to mount almost any weapon system in their truck-bed means that this incredibly simple system is about the most cost-effective and easy way for a small force to make the jump to mounted combat and heavy weapon.

…

The remarkable thing about the technical isn’t that they’re some unique capability militaries can’t use… most poorer countries field something equivalent (the Libyans seemed to have screwed up the unit composition of their force)… Rather the unique advantage is how easy and cheap they are for non-conventional or poorer forces to home assemble.

…

This combination of mobility, resemblance to civilian vehicles, and ability to deploy heavy weapons was used to devastating effect by the Islamic State during the 2014 Fall of Mosul. Striking quickly while Iraqi national tanks were deployed elsewhere the small Islamic force entered the city at 2:30 am, striking in small convoys that overwhelmed checkpoints with their firepower, executing and torturing captured Iraqi soldiers and targeted enemies as they went. Even after taking into account desertions and “ghost soldiers” (fake soldiers meant to pad unit numbers so corrupt officials could collect their pay) which significantly reduced the 30,000 Iraqi army and 30,000 police within the city… Even after allowing for all that, the Iraqi national forces still outnumbered the 800-1500 ISIS fighters at a rate of 15 to 1.  YET ISIS was able to achieve a total victory and take the whole of the city within 6 days.  2 years later it would take the Iraqi government with American backing 9 months to retake it.

[mariacallous]

BEIRUT, Oct 31 (Reuters) - With dozens of Hezbollah fighters killed in three weeks of border clashes with Israel, the Lebanese group is working to stem its losses as it prepares for the possibility of a drawn-out conflict, three sources familiar with its thinking said.

The Iran-backed group has lost 47 fighters to Israeli strikes at Lebanon's frontier since its Palestinian ally Hamas and Israel went to war on Oct. 7 - about a fifth of the number killed in a full-scale war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.

With most of its fighters killed in Israeli drone strikes, Hezbollah has unveiled its surface-to-air missile capability for the first time, declaring on Sunday it downed an Israeli drone. The missiles are part of an increasingly potent arsenal.

The Israeli military has not commented on Sunday's reported drone incident. But Israel said on Saturday it had stopped a surface-to-air missile fired from Lebanon at one of its drones and that it responded by striking the launch site.

One of the sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking told Reuters that the use of anti-aircraft missiles was one of several steps taken by the Shi'ite Muslim group to curb its losses and counter Israeli drones, which have picked off its fighters in the rocky terrain and olive groves along the border.

Hezbollah had made "arrangements to reduce the number of martyrs", the source said, without offering further details.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is due to deliver a speech on Friday, in what will be his first address since the Israel-Hamas war erupted.

Since the Gaza conflict flared, Hezbollah's attacks have been calibrated to contain clashes to the border zone, even as it has indicated a readiness for all-out war if necessary, sources familiar with its thinking say.

Israel, which is waging a war in the Gaza Strip that it says aims to destroy Hamas, has said it has no interest in a conflict on its northern frontier with Lebanon, where it has said so far that seven of its soldiers have been killed.

"I hope we will be able to keep the quiet on this front," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told a briefing, adding that he believed Israel's strong defence forces and their actions in Gaza had deterred Hezbollah till now.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would unleash devastation on Lebanon if a war did start.

FORMIDABLE FORCE

Hezbollah, the most formidable Iranian ally in Tehran's "Axis of Resistance", has long said it has expanded its arsenal since 2006 and warned Israel that its forces pose a more potent threat than before. It says its armoury now includes drones and rockets that can hit all parts of Israel.

In border clashes since Oct. 7, Hamas, which also has operatives in Lebanon, and a Lebanese Sunni Islamist faction Jama'a Islamiya have both fired rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel.

Hezbollah itself has refrained from firing rockets, such as unguided Katyushas and others that can fly deep into Israeli territory, a step that could prompt an escalation.

Instead, its fighters have been firing at visible targets across the frontier with Israel, using weapons such as guided anti-tank Kornet missiles, a weapon the group used extensively in 2006, the three sources said.

Hezbollah's television channel, Al-Manar, has regularly replayed footage from the latest clashes showing what it says are strikes on Israeli military installations and positions visible across the border.

While Hezbollah's tactics so far have helped contain the conflict, the attacks mean its fighters need to be close to the frontier, which makes them more vulnerable to Israel's military.

The sources said some fighters had also underestimated the drone threat after years of combat in Syria where they had fought insurgent groups with nothing like the Israeli military's hardware. Hezbollah played a decisive role in helping President Bashar al-Assad beat back Syrian insurgents.

"The technical superiority of the Israeli drones is making Hezbollah pay the price of this number of fighters," Nabil Boumonsef, deputy editor-in-chief at Lebanon's Annahar newspaper, said, in reference to Hezbollah's hefty death toll.

CONFLICT CONTAINED SO FAR

Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have broadly stayed contained in a narrow band of land that runs along the border, generally staying within three to four kms of the frontier.

However, Israeli shelling has expanded in recent days, according to security sources in Lebanon. They said this included a strike on Saturday on Jabal Safi, a mountainous area that lies about 25 km (15 miles) from the border.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Jabal Safi strike. Hezbollah has not commented on the reports of that strike either. The Israeli army has said it has been responding to sources of fire in Lebanon.

Hezbollah lost 263 fighters in the 2006 war, when Israel hit sites all over Lebanon during a more than month-long conflict. The war erupted after Hezbollah launched a raid into Israel and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.

The Hezbollah death toll of 47 this time, in such a relatively contained conflict, has shocked the group's supporters. The group's al-Manar television has broadcast daily funerals of fallen fighters being buried with military honours, their coffins covered in the group's yellow and green flag.

Hezbollah released a handwritten letter from its leader Nasrallah to media last week, saying the fallen fighters should be called "martyrs on the road to Jerusalem".

[codmw2019-2022]

Modern Warfare® Campaign: Biographies of the Story’s Major Players.

Part 2 (1 of 2): Alex “Echo 3-1”

October 01, 2019 by Call of Duty Staff

Alex – Aka “Echo 3-1”

Operations Officer, Special Activities Division (SAD), CIA

Alex, call sign Echo 3-1, is an operations officer in the CIA's Special Activities Division, responsible for high-threat covert missions. Alex doesn’t typically carry papers, weapons or military uniforms that would overtly associate him with the U.S. government. Alex leads small teams, trained to infiltrate enemy lines and survive inhospitable conditions in hostile locations. The tools of his trade are laptops, light machine guns, sat-phones, and rocket-equipped combat drones. Alex must often engage in unsavory activities, from which the special forces of the army, navy and air force are barred, for legal or political reasons. Alex’s mission profiles include counter-insurgency, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, information warfare and anti-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Surrendering his former rank and history of special ops military service with Army Delta, Alex sacrificed traditional contact and association with family to join the SAD. He has spent the last six years living a series of assumed identities to achieve “sensitive” objectives wherever he is needed. Once tasked, he often operates autonomously, training, advising and arming allies to act as interpreters, pathfinders and soldiers.

At times, Alex’s strongest argument is a suitcase full of cash, his cultural knowledge and his language skills. Specializing in human intel, Alex works directly with real eyes and ears on the ground through direct contact with residential armies. Although denied, Alex’s team, along with host nation forces, plans and executes acts of sabotage against enemy targets.

Without ready access to cargo ships and larger scale equipment, Alex adapts, commandeering helicopters and captured Soviet-era aircraft, or local fighters. Through 2017, Alex’s units played a key role in ensuring definitive victories against emerging terrorist networks. SAD’s top-secret commandos are permitted to execute missions against enemies of the state, without consulting the Pentagon or White House. This duty was granted through presidential decree, enacted to allow for the killing of terrorists. Over his career, Echo 3-1 has been involved in multiple actions to assassinate enemy leadership.

Alex values direct contact with local militias where he can track both allied and enemy intentions to help advise appropriate action. Alex is deeply committed to his work, and departmental profiles highlight his empathy as both an operational advantage and a matter of potential concern for operational fitness.

[nocternalrandomness]

USAF OV-10A Bronco from the 27th TASS at George AFB, California - 23 January 1987

[head-post]

2 PAF pilots killed in plane crash

A Philippine Air Force (PAF) FA-50 fighter jet crashed in Bukidnon province in the south of the country on Wednesday, killing two pilots.

The aircraft was on a counter-insurgency combat mission. Communication with it was lost shortly after midnight on March 4, prompting the search and rescue operation.

The plane’s wreckage and the pilots’ bodies were found on March 5 in the mountainous region of Calatungan on Mindanao island.

“The wreckage indicates that it was a crash,” Air Force spokesperson Consuelo Castillo said, adding that an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

Following the incident, the Air Force command temporarily suspended flights of all 11 remaining South Korean-made FA-50 fighter jets.

The Philippines acquired 12 FA-50s from South Korea in 2014 as part of a military modernisation programme to improve internal security and enhance its ability to defend its maritime borders against China in the South China Sea.

Read more HERE

[monkeyssalad-blog]

North American T-28 Trojan N289RD NX289RD 140576 US Navy by Chris Murkin Via Flickr: North American T-28 Trojan N289RD NX289RD 140576 US Navy The military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s. Besides its use as a trainer, the T-28 was successfully employed as a counter-insurgency aircraft, primarily during the Vietnam War Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA July 2023 DAF_4639

[usafphantom2]

U.S. Army cancels FARA program after observations on Ukraine's battlefield

The U.S. Army said it continues to learn from the battlefield, especially in Ukraine, and that air reconnaissance has changed fundamentally.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/09/2024 - 10:22am Helicopters, Military

The U.S. Army decided to end its ambitious Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, a measure attributed to observations on the battlefield in Ukraine.

This decision, which represents one of the most notable cancellations in the recent history of the U.S. Department of Defense, comes despite an investment of at least $2 billion and an additional request of $5 billion for the next five years.

Launched in 2018 with great expectations, the FARA program aimed to revolutionize approaches to acquiring complex and expensive weapon systems. Prototypes of industry leaders Bell Textron (Bell 360 Invictus) and Sikorsky of Lockheed Martin (Raider X) were expected to take off this year, filling the gap in the armed recognition left by the retirement of the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter.

The closure of the FARA program left industry partners disappointed, with Sikorsky and Bell Textron expressing confidence in their prototypes and disappointment with the Army's decision.

On Thursday, the Army's top acquisition officers outlined a new vision for their aviation strategy, not only discontinuing the FARA program, but also dismantling their entire fleet of Shadow and Raven unmanned aircraft. The U.S. Army inventory included more than 575 Shadows and 19,000 Ravens.

Sikorsky Raider X.

Doug Bush, head of acquisitions of the Army, announced the decision to stop the deployment of the Black Hawk UH-60 utility helicopter model Victor for the Army National Guard, opting for the UH-60 model Mike, the last variant used by the active force. The acquisition of the next generation helicopter engine has also been postponed. The resources released with these decisions will be redirected to strengthen the existing Army fleet, investing in Black Hawks, the latest variant of the CH-47F Block II Chinook cargo helicopter, the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program and research and development efforts to improve unmanned aerial reconnaissance capacity.

The change from a manned helicopter to armed reconnaissance missions is rooted in the evolution of the war scenario, influenced by the observations of the conflict in Ukraine. In a statement, the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Randy George, said: "We are learning from the battlefield, especially in Ukraine, that air reconnaissance has fundamentally changed... Sensors and weapons mounted on a variety of unmanned systems and in space are more ubiquitous, more far-reaching and cheaper than ever."

UAS RQ-7B Shadow.

UAS RQ-11B Raven.

The U.S. Army plans to complete FARA's prototyping activities by the end of fiscal year 2024, providing service and industry with an opportunity to transfer technology development to other programs. Although specific financial details have not been disclosed, the U.S. Army intends to allocate more funds for the recognition of Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) that are capable of surviving high-level combat, including the Tactical UAS of the Future and LEs (launched efects).

The withdrawal of a part of the Shadow fleet, developed during the counter-insurgency years, and the aged Raven platform are part of the Army's broader plan to replace them with a Tactical UAS of the Future. After a competitive process, AeroVironment initially received a $8 million contract in 2022, and the Army has since reduced the selection to Textron and Griffon Aerospace, both currently building prototypes in the hope of securing an FTUAS production contract.

Tags: 360 InvictusMilitary AviationBell HelicoptersFARA -Future Attack Reconnaissance AircraftHelicoptersRAIDER XsikorskyUS Army - U.S. Army

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[rhk111sblog]

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) recently donated one of their decommissioned S-211 Aircraft to Barangay 183 of Pasay City. The Aircraft is now mounted on a Pedestal on an Area near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, and I think that if you pass by that Area below the NAIA Expressway (NAIAEx), you will be able to see it.

The S-211 with the Tail Number 814 previously operated with the 5th Fighter Wing of the Air Defense Command (ADC) of the PAF, and served as a Trainer Aircraft, and participated in Air Defense Exercises and Counter Insurgency Operations (COIN).

The S-211 is of course newer, and not to take anything away from it, but I wonder why the Barangay didn't get the older but more potent Aircraft, like the F-5A/B Freedom Fighter, for example, or even the F-86 Sabre Aircraft.

Here is the Link to the Post containing the original Pictures at the PAF Facebook Page: https://web.facebook.com/piopaf/posts/pfbid09zjo1DDrEtQGtCgsJ7WQnZE76dnvspQrRGpJSH3niA5Bz3e4ZVpkTFbACHkGbSoBl

SOURCE: Philippine Air Force Facebook Page Post, 12/16/24 – 1311H {Archived Link}

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.3 (before 1960)

361 – Emperor Constantius II dies of a fever at Mopsuestia in Cilicia; on his deathbed he is baptised and declares his cousin Julian rightful successor. 1333 – The River Arno floods causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani. 1468 – Liège is sacked by Charles I of Burgundy's troops. 1492 – Peace of Etaples between Henry VII of England and Charles VIII of France. 1493 – Christopher Columbus first sights the island of Dominica in the Caribbean Sea. 1534 – English Parliament passes the first Act of Supremacy, making King Henry VIII head of the Anglican Church, supplanting the pope and the Roman Catholic Church. 1783 – The American Continental Army is disbanded. 1793 – French playwright, journalist and feminist Olympe de Gouges is guillotined. 1812 – Napoleon's armies are defeated at the Battle of Vyazma. 1817 – The Bank of Montreal, Canada's oldest chartered bank, opens in Montreal. 1838 – The Times of India, the world's largest circulated English language daily broadsheet newspaper is founded as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce. 1848 – A greatly revised Dutch constitution, which transfers much authority from the king to his parliament and ministers, is proclaimed. 1867 – Giuseppe Garibaldi and his followers are defeated in the Battle of Mentana and fail to end the Pope's Temporal power in Rome (it would be achieved three years later). 1868 – John Willis Menard (R-LA) was the first African American elected to the United States Congress. Because of an electoral challenge, he was never seated. 1881 – The Mapuche uprising of 1881 begins in Chile. 1898 – France withdraws its troops from Fashoda (now in Sudan), ending the Fashoda Incident. 1903 – With the encouragement of the United States, Panama separates from Colombia. 1908 – William Howard Taft is elected the 27th President of the United States. 1911 – Chevrolet officially enters the automobile market in competition with the Ford Model T. 1918 – The German Revolution of 1918–19 begins when 40,000 sailors take over the port in Kiel. 1920 – Russian Civil War: The Russian Army retreats to Crimea, after a successful offensive by the Red Army and Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine. 1929 – The Gwangju Student Independence Movement occurred. 1930 – Getúlio Vargas becomes Head of the Provisional Government in Brazil after a bloodless coup on October 24. 1932 – Panagis Tsaldaris becomes the 142nd Prime Minister of Greece. 1935 – George II of Greece regains his throne through a popular, though possibly fixed, plebiscite. 1936 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected the 32nd President of the United States. 1942 – World War II: The Koli Point action begins during the Guadalcanal Campaign and ends on November 12. 1943 – World War II: Five hundred aircraft of the U.S. 8th Air Force devastate Wilhelmshaven harbor in Germany. 1944 – World War II: Two supreme commanders of the Slovak National Uprising, Generals Ján Golian and Rudolf Viest, are captured, tortured and later executed by German forces. 1946 – The Constitution of Japan is adopted through Emperor's assent. 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Battle of Dengbu Island occurs. 1950 – Air India Flight 245 crashes into Mont Blanc, while on approach to Geneva Airport, killing all 48 people on board. 1956 – Suez Crisis: The Khan Yunis killings by the Israel Defense Forces in Egyptian-controlled Gaza result in the deaths of 275 Palestinians. 1956 – Hungarian Revolution: A new Hungarian government is formed, in which many members of banned non-Communist parties participate. János Kádár and Ferenc Münnich form a counter-government in Moscow as Soviet troops prepare for the final assault. 1957 – Sputnik program: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter orbit, a dog named Laika.