Eric Trychon

An assessment of the Middle East with focus on Iran Israel enmity. It's a question of simplifying the complexity of the sub conflicts which dot the Middle Eastern landscape. Some predictions for this year have also been made. https://lnkd.in/gxwsmbkG

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“If the U.S. is to avoid this scenario and the loss of its global leadership role it must push back China in the Western Pacific with its allies and forward deployed theatre level nuclear weapons on U.S. warships as a necessary component of any warfighting strategy to contain Beijing and avoid disaster.” But in my opinion - if the US starts putting tactical nukes on naval vessels deployed in the Indo-Pacific, China is likely to respond. Further pressure on regional stability. And proves that ASEAN’s vision of ZOPFAN and SEANWFZ means nothing to the major powers. https://lnkd.in/gTvVJmPx

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SOFTENING THE CEASE-FIRE: Some U.S. and Middle East officials believe Hamas has been pushed to soften its cease-fire demands due to the level of destruction of Gaza throughout the war, The Associated Press reports. Over the weekend, the militant group appeared to drop its longstanding condition that Israel agree to a permanent cease-fire as part of any deal, raising hopes that a pause in fighting will come soon. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU — who is facing mounting criticism and protests domestically — credited Israel’s devastating military operation as having “led Hamas to enter negotiations.” Messages between several top Hamas figures in Gaza who urged leaders to accept President BIDEN’s cease-fire deal seem to back that up. As the AP writes, the messages “described the heavy losses Hamas has suffered on the battlefield and the dire conditions in the war-ravaged territory … the messages indicate divisions within the group and a readiness among top militants to reach a deal quickly, even if Hamas’ top official in Gaza, YAHYA SINWAR, may not be in a rush.” Even so, Israel’s operations in Gaza don’t appear to be slowing down. Israel’s military today stormed Gaza City, saying that Hamas still operates there following heavy fighting in the area months earlier, The Wall Street Journal reports. IDF troops have operated throughout the city during the latest attacks, including in the U.N. Relief and Works Agency headquarters, the main organization providing aid to Palestinians. (Politico)

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The Montana Air National Guard, 120th Force Support Squadron, conducted joint operations with the Montana Army National Guard, focusing on search and recovery training. These operations were aimed at enhancing the capabilities of multi-capable airmen and advancing Agile Combat Employment. The primary objectives of these joint operations, during Agile Vigilante 24, were to: 1. Improve coordination and interoperability between the Air National Guard and Army National Guard. 2. Enhance the skills and readiness of multi-capable airmen in search and recovery missions. 3. Integrate and test advanced Agile Combat Employment technologies in combat and recovery scenarios.Airmen and Army National Guard personnel participated in exercises that simulated various disaster and combat scenarios requiring search and recovery operations. This included wilderness recovery, and post-disaster response. The joint operations yielded several significant outcomes: 1. Enhanced Interoperability: Improved coordination between the Air National Guard and Army National Guard resulted in more effective joint mission execution. This enhanced interoperability is crucial for rapid and cohesive responses to emergencies. 2. Multi-capable airmen demonstrated increased proficiency in diverse operational roles, making them valuable assets in complex mission environments. The 120th FSS joint exercise between the Air National Guard and Army National Guard significantly enhanced the search and recovery capabilities of both forces. The focus on multi-capable airmen and Agile Combat Employment demonstrated the effectiveness of advanced training and technology integration in modern military operations. This collaboration has strengthened the preparedness and versatility of U.S. military personnel, ensuring a robust response capability in diverse operational scenarios. #mca #ace

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✅ Thursday is for Books. 🔥 "Predatory States: Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America" by J. Patrice McSherry 📚 "Predatory States: Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America" by J. Patrice McSherry offers a thorough examination of Operation Condor, a campaign of political repression and state terror involving South American governments in the 1970s and 1980s. McSherry delves into the covert actions coordinated among various dictatorships in the region with the aim of silencing opposition, often with tacit or explicit support from the United States. 1. The book sets the stage by describing the Cold War environment in which Operation Condor was born. McSherry provides the historical and political context of Latin America during this period, explaining how fears of communism led to alliances between South American military regimes. 2. McSherry meticulously outlines how Operation Condor functioned as a transnational secret police network. The operation facilitated the tracking, kidnapping, torturing, and killing of perceived political enemies across borders. This section highlights the sophisticated methods of surveillance and repression used by member states. 3. A critical part of the book discusses the role of the United States in supporting these dictatorships. McSherry uses declassified documents to argue that U.S. policy and intelligence agencies played a significant role in facilitating and sometimes directly supporting the actions of Condor member countries. 4. The author examines the profound impact of Operation Condor on the political landscape of South America. McSherry discusses the lasting effects on the countries involved, including the challenges of justice and memory faced by societies in the aftermath. 5. "Predatory States" is enriched with detailed case studies and personal accounts, providing human faces to the victims of Operation Condor. These narratives underscore the brutal reality of state-sponsored terror and its human cost. 6. "Predatory States" is a compelling and meticulously researched book that sheds light on one of the darkest chapters of Latin American history. J. Patrice McSherry's rigorous analysis and use of primary sources provide an authoritative account of Operation Condor's mechanisms. The book is an essential read for those interested in understanding the complexities of Cold War geopolitics in Latin America. 7. McSherry's writing not only documents historical facts but also challenges the reader to consider the moral implications of international politics and the long-term effects of violating human rights under the guise of national security. This work is particularly relevant for scholars, human rights activists, and policymakers who seek to understand and prevent such coordinated abuses of power in the future. Image from Amazon

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The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D-Day, it is the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the liberation of France, and the rest of Western Europe, and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front. Planning for the operation began in 1943. In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allies conducted a substantial military deception, codenamed Operation Bodyguard, to mislead the Germans as to the date and location of the main Allied landings. The weather on the day selected for D-Day was not ideal, and the operation had to be delayed 24 hours; a further postponement would have meant a delay of at least two weeks, as the planners had requirements for the phase of the moon, the tides, and time of day, that meant only a few days each month were deemed suitable. Adolf Hitler placed Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in command of German forces and developing fortifications along the Atlantic Wall in anticipation of an invasion. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt placed Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower in command of Allied forces. The invasion began shortly after midnight on the morning of 6 June with extensive aerial and naval bombardment as well as an airborne assault—the landing of 24,000 American, British, and Canadian airborne troops. The early morning aerial assault was soon followed by Allied amphibious landings on the coast of France c. 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Strong winds blew the landing craft east of their intended positions, particularly at Utah and Omaha. The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches, and the shore was mined and covered with obstacles such as wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of the beach-clearing teams difficult and dangerous. Casualties were heaviest at Omaha, with its high cliffs. At Gold, Juno, and Sword, several fortified towns were cleared in house-to-house fighting, and two major gun emplacements at Gold were disabled using specialised tanks. The Allies failed to achieve any of their major goals beyond the establishment of the beachheads on the first day. Carentan, Saint-Lô, and Bayeux remained in German hands, and Caen, a major objective, was not captured until 21 July. Only two of the beaches (Juno and Gold) were linked on the first day, and all five beachheads were not connected until 12 June; however, the operation gained a foothold that the Allies gradually expanded over the coming months. German casualties on D-Day have been estimated at 4,000 to 9,000 men. Allied casualties were documented for at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead.

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June 2024 - Voter Protection Security Analysis: The Art of the Con: How Democrats Conned Voters with Sugar Coated Promises to sell Benedict Joe Biden The democrats have manipulated this as one big con game to sucker the voters into handing them unchallenged power through their Joe Biden puppet show. It has always been in plain sight that Biden was only a front man and others were pulling his strings behind the scene. Everyone who had contact with him knew this. The public was kept in the dark by a duplicitous press corps and powerful media moguls. The hyped up so-called CNN debate was a calculated disaster to give them a sought-after off-ramp to replace Joe with another, more tele-genetic puppet, any puppet, because Trump's momentum is winning. Intellectual honesty demands those with an ardor for Biden and the democrats were either duped or willingly conned or self-deluded into cognitive dissonance. None may be absolved from the admission this was and continues to be a con-job. If any of you looked or listened to Biden and thought to yourself, "yea, he is fine, normal, I trust him", then pick one of the three. Now, the question is will you continue to play along or finally come to the stark realization that they all must go. By now, you must know that these media pundits are tele-prompter reading, card carrying Screen Actors Guild members, not ethical trust-worthy journalist. When you hear glib talk of engaging in nuclear war with Russia, lying to the public by omission, mis-leading the public with malicious intent to stir up emotions and manipulate collective behaviors; it hints of lunacy without a shred of considering the consequences. Our economy is in shambles, our currency is competing with Monopoly money, our national security is breeched and our military leadership are purged of honor and the warrior ethos. Biden's money is dirty. The democrats offer glazed covered donuts filled with the alphabet acronyms and jingoisms of the day and it was swallowed whole by much of the electorate. Now you know why President Trump is a danger to their power and money. We must admit, it was because of him that all of their con-games have been exposed. They are guilty of the crimes they accuse him of. The art of the con relies heavily on the word that lends the term its name; confidence. For anyone with an instinct for self preservation, there can be no confidence remaining that would permit you to entrust your family, livelihood and our nation to the likes of such demented treachery. Do not waste time covering for Biden by slandering or defaming President Trump. Be grateful to him for pulling back the curtain on them. For all his flaws, he is a fighter. That is worthy of admiration and a quality we need today. Now is the time, for all American citizens to come to the defense of your country. Do not be suckered out of your vote for a glazed sprinkles donut or to stay in the freebie haircut line with the other sheeple.

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The Space Force, already facing its first-ever budget cut in fiscal 2025, would face an additional 3 percent cut if House appropriators get their way. The combined cut would be 5 percent compared to 2024. In their version of the 2025 defense appropriations bill, House lawmakers moved to slash $900 million from the Space Force’s proposed $29.6 billion budget, primarily in procurement and research and development. The biggest single cut would hit GPS III, with lawmakers seeking to save $185.9 million by cutting the buy from two to one satellite in 2025, lawmakers project. The House Armed Services Committee proposed a similar cut in its draft of the 2025 National Defense Authorization bill. Reducing funding for the more robust GPS IIIF comes as the Space Force eyes alternate solutions for providing position, navigation, and timing from space. In February, Space Systems Command solicited industry for ideas on smaller, cheaper satellites that could rapidly go into orbit to test new technologies, and in April, the Department of the Air Force announced it was taking advantage of new “quick start” authorities from Congress to work on a jam-resistant PNT solution. The program, initially dubbed GPS Lite, is now called Resilient GPS. But while House Armed Services Committee members expressed enthusiasm for the idea, appropriators remain skeptical. “The Committee has several concerns about the R-GPS plan and the use of this authority for this project,” lawmakers wrote. Lawmakers rejected the Space Force’s request to reprogram $77 million for Resilient GPS in the 2025 budget. Lawmakers pushed back on other programs, as well. Missile warning/missile tracking satellites were among the major areas of investment in the Space Force budget request, to the tune of $4.7 billion. The House appropriations bill would trim more than $150 million from that. Among the cuts: $54.5 million for the Space Development Agency’s MW/MT efforts in low-Earth orbit, and $95.9 million for Space Systems Command’s MW/MT constellation in medium-Earth orbit, citing “vendor termination.” An SSC spokesman, asked if the command is cancelling an existing contract or reducing requirements for a future one, declined to comment on pending legislation. Evolved Strategic SATCOM, a new nuclear command, control, and communications satellite constellation, would be cut by $44 million, while Protected Tactical SATCOM, for jam-resistant communications, would be cut by $85 million, including some reprogramming of funds at the Space Force’s request. #SpaceForce #Budget #GPSIIIF In Sept. 2018, the U.S. Air Force selected Lockheed Martin to build up to 22 additional GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) satellites with new capabilities starting at Space Vehicle (SV) 11. This Lockheed Martin rendering portrays GPS III SVs 11+. (Lockheed Martin)

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The track forecast was mostly spot on for Hurricane Beryl, however the intensity forecast (Cat 5 while most had Cat 3 as the max) was off. A few reasons for this and they tie directly into some of the key advantages Tropical Weather Analytics, Inc.'s Hurricane Hunter Satellites provide: 1. Vertical Wind/High Res 3D Data +/- 1 meter per second at 100 m scale. 2. Reducing hPa error from 7-11 hPa down to just 3.5hPa by modeling hurricanes as a Carnot Engine. 3. Revisit rate every 2.5 hours (the planes can make only so many observations). 4. Steering wind environment in one observation swath. We collect about 4000km X 3000km in one observation. 5. 3D eye structure at 100m scale. #hurricaneberyl #hurricnaeseason #weatherforecast #ClimateChange

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It happened on a Monday. John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan on Monday, 30 March 1981. In the 1997 film Air Force One, a fight for succession occurs at the White House Situation Room. The Vice President has to fight for control against her Defense Secretary and other contenders challenging the Presidential succession of power. This portrayal of contention for the Presidential line of succession was inspired by true events. My Infantry Company Commander in those days was Captain Brian Haig, his father was Alexander Haig, the US Secretary of State. After Reagan was shot and incapacitated, Alexander Haig told the assembled press corps that he (Haig) was in charge of the country, accidentally bypassing both the Vice President and President Pro Tempore of the Senate who were actually ahead of him in the line of succession. The press had a field day, calling it a power grab, and Alexander Haig, a highly decorated veteran, ultimately resigned. John Hinckley Jr. shot President Reagan, but Reagan wasn’t Hinckley’s first choice. Hinckley had obsessively followed Jimmy Carter during Carter’s campaign for President. During his surveillance, Hinckley carried three handguns, two of which were .22 caliber ‘Saturday night specials’ which police seized in Nashville before Hinckley got on a commercial airlines flight. One of the .22 caliber weapons was virtually identical to that used to shoot President Reagan.  Had investigators put together the pattern Hinckley displayed stalking and surveilling Carter in Chicago then Nashville and conducting reconnaissance in Washington DC, they may have interrupted Hinkley’s assassination attempt on President Reagan. People repeat behaviors. Most people want their say, not their way. Demonstrations of intent are more important than motive. Any time a person violates one of The First Principles, their resultant behavior should warrant additional attention. Learn more about Arcadia Cognerati's First Principles at our website or contact Brian Marren, Arcadia Cognerati’s Senior VP of Operations to learn more.

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Biden Foreign Policy Failure flirts with WW3 - Critical Thinking Skills Required: The unwise Biden foreign policy has placed the US and the world in an unacceptable risk of bumbling into WW3. This is not just the point that Russian military ships may operate 90 miles off the US mainland but they do it to make the point diplomacy is a better course of action. Catch up: It was the US that instigated the conflict between Kiev and Moscow. Beginning with the petulant Obama and Hillary manufactured coup in Ukraine 2014 via Victoria Nuland and Biden's reneging on the no NATO expansion with Ukraine and Boris Johnson's intervention to sabotage the diplomatic solution between Kiev and Moscow. Blowing up their pipelines, messing with their money, and escalation of hostilities without considering the consequences are clear signals for wanting to make a destructive war with Russia and use nuclear weapons to do it. Any talk of defeating Russia intimates the use of nukes because that is the only way to defeat Russia militarily. To do that invites nukes in our lap too. Where has all the billions to Ukraine gone? Money laundering. Flirting war with Russia to steal tax dollars to enrich the globalists and advance there agenda is Darwinian level stupidity. To do so when our military is in the lowest state of readiness to fight a two front war is less than malpractice, especially with a training doctrine that is primarily focused on social engineering over war-fighting. In the wake of the Biden Afghanistan debacle that abandoned billions of dollars of new weapons on the battlefield, in a hasty retreat that got our soldiers murdered, was a bloody surrender by every measure of military standards. This is not how to inspire deterrence from a nuclear weapon armed adversary, tired of being bullied around by a doddering, treasonous fool, they know 100% is on foreign payroll and accepted bribes because they were bribing him too. Luckily President Putin has shown restraint and professional political practice. The Europeans have responded by tossing out their incompetent globalists. The American public can save the world November 5th, If we can make it that far.

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𝗨.𝗦. 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 A United States Navy aircraft carrier arrived in the port of Busan, South Korea, on Saturday to demonstrate strength in the face of escalating threats from North Korea. This coincided with a joint statement from Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo on Monday condemning the deepening military alliance between North Korea and Russia. In this declaration, the U.S., South Korea and Japan clearly stated that they “condemn in the strongest possible terms deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia”. This is not the first time North Korea witnesses such joint drills. In fact, already last November a Nimitz-class carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, reached Busan. In reaction to this multiplication of drills, Pyongyang has continued its illegal nuclear weapons program and missile testing. The nuclear-powered USS Theodore Roosevelt will be the protagonist of these trilateral exercises, also known as the Freedom Edge drills, which will take place in the waters of the Korean Peninsula. With 5,000 personnel aboard, the Roosevelt carries an air wing of more than 60 aircraft. This exercise also aims at boosting interoperability between the three countries’ navies and signalling their unity against the growing strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang. The decision to conduct these drills comes just days after President Putin’s trip to Pyongyang to sign a security pact with his counterpart Kim Jong Un, which includes mutual defence assistance in the event of war. This move has raised concerns in the West as it significantly strengthens the military alliance between Russia and North Korea, both equipped with nuclear weapons. Russia has also threatened to arm North Korea should South Korea provide military aid to Kyiv, which has further motivated a mobilisation from Ukraine’s Western allies. Photo by Song Kyung-Seok/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

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https://lnkd.in/eatW5Z2k With a VERY limited SCN Budget lets hope SECNAV gets it right .... "Marines getting new amphibious ship designed for critical China mission Marines expected to counter Chinese military operations in the Indo-Pacific region must shuttle troops from island to island across a vast maritime expanse while bottling up Beijing’s navy. Gen. David H. Berger, as Marine Corps commandant, proposed a concept for a light amphibious warship in 2019 as part of his plan to realign the Marines for amphibious-based missions. The Corps is now rushing to implement the plan. The Medium Landing Ship (LSM) is how Marine littoral regiments armed with anti-ship and anti-air weapons will maneuver throughout the first island chain, the strategically crucial arc of countries on China’s immediate periphery in the South China Sea. It includes Japan, Taiwan, parts of the Philippines and Indonesia. The LSM was formally included in the Navy’s budget request for fiscal year 2025. The vessels are designed to fill a gap between basic landing craft, a central component of Marine Corps lore, and the Navy’s fleet of amphibious warships, some of which are the size of small aircraft carriers. “We need Marines in combat, and [Gen. Berger] realized the key wasn’t large amphibious ships carrying tanks and howitzers,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, now with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. “What was needed were Marine littoral regiments being moved around pre-combat by small watercraft.” Navy and Marine Corps leaders called for 18 to 35 LSMs, with life spans of about 20 years. The Congressional Budget Office said 18 of the amphibious warships would cost $6.2 billion to $7.8 billion, or about $340 million to $430 million per vessel. The cost of a 35-ship LSM program would be $11.9 billion to $15 billion. The Navy’s current amphibious force comprises large vessels, including “Big Deck” vessels such as the America-class helicopter assault ships and smaller but sizable warships such as the San Antonio class of amphibious transport docks Despite the compelling need for the LSMs, analysts wonder whether Navy and Marine Corps leaders expect the ships to deploy and resupply Marines only before a conflict or even after fighting has commenced and whether they would be vulnerable to detection and attack by opposing military forces. “A ship that is not expected to face enemy fire in a conflict could be built to lesser survivability standards, with fewer defensive systems than a ship that would sail in contested waters during a conflict,” CBO analysts said in their report. “Recent experiments by the Marine Corps suggest that the naval services are still determining what the capabilities of the LSM will be.” So there’s this friction between designing specifically for an area versus the Navy, which is the overarching mother service for shipbuilding.”

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Interesting points and counterpoints in this article. I just posted yesterday about General McClellan, mentioned here, and his failures in command, despite his high class standing. I would imagine that we have little insight into the decade or more of training that these submarine commanders receive. The anti-DEI crowd is likely to pounce on the supporting opinions and assumptions in this article, rather than the "on the other hand" counterpoints. https://lnkd.in/eg2qCkye

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Appreciate the great collaboration between PEO IEW&S , Army Futures Command (ACM-IS), Mass Virtual and the ISR Task Force to discuss virtualized training options that will enhance human performance in an affordable and scalable way. The Intelligence enterprise is faced with a unique challenge in support of the US Army. We employ low density systems, we maintain them with low density military specialties, and we are expected to integrate cutting edge technology faster than our institutional training processes can keep pace. So how do we conduct relevant training quickly, effectively and affordably in the 21st century? We virtualize the training. Yesterday I asked the team to get a little uncomfortable and find a way to demonstrate this capability during our flagship intelligence experiment in September. I want our senior leaders to immerse themselves in a virtual world to see how a 35-series Soldier will interact with component-level parts without ever touching the system. Imagine the possibilities we create if we can certify our back-shop support without ever pulling capital assets out of the fight.

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