From Charles Kerchner, CDR USNR (Ret), and lead plaintiff in Kerchner V Obama and Congress, November 30, 2009.

“This pointed and hard-hitting ad is running today in the Washington Times National Weekly addition as a full page on page 9.  Would you give it some note in your blog and do a post on it.  We need to get the word out as to who is allowing Obama to “sit on the fence post” he is sitting on.  Who put him up there and who is keeping him there.  This ad does it very well.  A picture says a thousand words.

http://puzo1.blogspot.com/2009/11/obamas-lack-of-eligibility-three.html

Ad link to it at SCRIBD.com:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/23299370/

PDF copy attached too.

Your blog is very well read.  And with you challenging the Congress people to debates, this ad ties in with that.  It show them hiding their eyes and not wanting to look into this matter and hope it will go away.  It will not.

We need all the help we can get to get the word out as to who is blocking progress in addressing the Constitutional Crisis of the Usurper in the Oval Office. Thanks in advance.

Charles Kerchner
CDR USNR (Ret)
Lead Plaintiff
Kerchner v Obama & Congress
http://www.protectourliberty.org/

“

US Navy Commander:

Commander ranks above lieutenant commander and below captain. Commander is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
November 23, 2009, 10:58 PM (GMT+02:00)
Image: USS Chosin off Yemen faces Iranian flotilla

The Yemeni conflict is fast evolving from a Houthi insurgency against the Abdullah Salah regime in Sanaa to a broad regional conflagration drawing in Saudi Arabia and Egypt as major players and increasingly the United States, whose involvement is building up into a direct confrontation with the rebels’ sponsor, Iran.

DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources report that over the weekend, the Aegis class cruiser USS Chosin was designated the flagship of Combined Task Force 151 which is patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.

Responding to this signal, Iran’s navy commander Adm. Habibollah Sayyari announced Monday, Nov. 23, that Ghadir-class submarines would be joining the four Iranian warships already in position opposite the Yemeni coast. He did not say how many subs were to be deployed.

http://bit.ly/6hkAAT

On September 11, 2001 this nation suffered the worst act of terrorist aggression ever to be perpetrated on American soil.  On September 19th of that same year, remarks by Barack Obama were published in the Hyde Park Herald.  Following is an excerpt:  “The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers.  Such a failure of empathy … most often grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.”  Translation:  3000 of our people died because the Islamic jihadists who killed them just couldn’t help themselves.  They were poor, ignorant, helpless, and riddled with despair.   

In the fall of 2008 I wrote that (1) such a conclusion would be laughable had it not been reached by a person who, at that time, was actively campaigning for the presidency, and (2) that any candidate so incapable of discerning the true nature of avowed enemies of the United States was not fit to be Commander-In-Chief of our Armed Forces.  

Today we are witnessing the disasterous results of installing such a person in the Oval Office.  Field Commanders are still waiting for what they need to help ensure decisive victories for our men and women on the front lines of conflict … but foreign national terrorist operatives have already received  U. S. citizen rights enumerated in Amendment VI of our Constitution. 

At this writing, Obama remains noticeably inactive in support of our Armed Forces and noticeably proactive in support of Muslim terrorists.  Never mind that lives and missions are at stake.  Never mind that KSM and others like him are entitled to nothing.  Never mind that the last thing 9/11 families and the people-at-large want is KSM et al on American soil.  Never mind that my (and your) Constitutionally-guaranteed rights and liberties are not negotiable commodities.  Obama’s current mindset seems to mirror his 2001 mindset which, back then, was inconsequential due to lack of power.   Today, that mindset is deadly for (1) our national security, (2) our Armed Forces, and (3) our Constitutional rights and liberties.  Nevertheless, Obama continues to methodically work his way down the Radical Left Socialist Agenda set forth by benefactor George Soros, which includes “defending the civil rights and liberties of suspected anti-American terrorists and their abettors”.  The full agenda is at the link below and provides the playbill for Oval Office and Congressional action:  

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=977

You’ll note that several of the items have either already been carried out or are currently in process.  There can be no doubt that the allegiance of Obama, Reid, Pelosi and the 70-member-plus Progressive Caucus lies with George Soros, not our country or its people.  Understand and know that each and every member of Congress that supports Progressive Democrat initiatives in any way ultimately supports this agenda.  It’s as simple as that.

Is Obama selling us down the river?  Yes.  Is Pelosi selling us down the river?  Yes.  Is Reid selling us down the river?  Yes.  Why?  For the same reason that self-confessed mass murderer KSM has been given non-existent rights and Gen. Stan McChrystal has been given nothing …  it’s what George wants.

Received via email claiming the author is one Harold Estes, 23-year US Navy veteran who enlisted in 1934. Snopes.com says the claim is thus far unconfirmed, but regardless who wrote it, it effectively communicates the concerns many of us have with the behavior of our President this year.

Thank God for real patriots like Mr. Estes who guaranteed we inherited the freedoms he was born to. Now it’s our turn to do the same for future generations.

On this Thanksgiving I’d like to convey my heartfelt thanks to my brother Nathan (currently overseas – prayers requested) and all those in service. I am forever conscious of the sacrifices they make on behalf of our country, including much time spent away from their loved ones.

God bless, God speed — and may you all enjoy such a welcome home.

A few days ago I wrote a post about the F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, stealth multirole fighter, that will also equip the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF) and the Marina Militare, that will use the F-35B from the new Cavour STOVL aircraft carrier. In spite of a carrier variant designated F-35C, the RAF and Royal Navy will use the B variant from aircraft carriers and the U.S. Marines Corps are investigating the use of the Ship-borne Rolling and Vertical Landing (SRVL) method to operate F-35Bs from the aircraft carrier without disrupting carrier operations as the landing method uses the same pattern of approach as wire arrested landings. The F-35C carrier (whose only user will be the US Navy to replace the “legacy Hornets” and complement the Super Hornets) variant will be much similar to the A and B versions, but will have larger, folding wings and larger control surfaces for improved low-speed control. The aircraft will also be equipped with a stronger landing gear and hook for the stresses of carrier trap landings.

The following front, side and top views of the three variants will give an idea of the main differences among the F-35A, B and C.

U.S. Sailor Acquitted of Rape, Despite Admission of Physical Force

http://usdebtclock.org/

(excerpted from post dated October 24, 2008 regarding then-candidate Obama)

Character matters.  Senator Obama directly insulted real America, the folks in small towns across this country he called ”bitter people clinging to their guns and religion”.  

I don’t care how much money the Senator has in his campaign coffers – my vote is not for sale.  I don’t care how many words he can string together – the slickest snake oil salesman can do that.  Those things don’t matter.  What matters is what I know about Senator Obama today:  

1)  His word is meaningless.  He did the exact opposite of what he said he would do regarding campaign financing.

2)  He is not truthful.  He refused to provide an honest answer to Pastor Rick Warren’s question regarding his position on when life begins.

3)  He is not respectful.  He has derided Evangelical Christians for devotion to faith.

4)  He is not trustworthy.  He has demonstrated the worthlessness of his word.    

5)  He has saluted the people of Europe, but not the flag of the United States.

6)  He has walked into the home of a domestic terrorist and anarchist, but not through the halls of Landstahl Regional Medical Center.

7)  He has sat down with unindicted co-conspirators in Federal terrorism cases, but not with a fellow Senator in open forum before the American people. 

On September 11, 2001 this nation suffered the worst act of terrorist aggression ever to be perpetrated on American soil.  On September 19th of that same year, remarks by Barack Obama were published in the Hyde Park Herald.  Following is an excerpt:  “The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers.  Such a failure of empathy … most often grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.”  Translation:  3000 of our people died because the Islamic jihadists who killed them just couldn’t help themselves.  They were poor, ignorant, helpless, and riddled with despair.   

That conclusion would be laughable had it not been reached by a man who at this writing is encouraging you to choose him as your next president.  Any candidate so incapable of discerning the true nature of avowed enemies of the United States is not fit to be Commander-In-Chief of our Armed Forces. 

If you’re a voter in any one of the 15 states currently under investigation by the FBI for ACORN’s fraudulent registration practices, then today you know that an Obama win in your state has been determined more important than your right to an electoral process free from willful contamination.  As of this writing, the Senator has neither disavowed ACORN and its practices nor expressed any concern regarding the probable compromise of your state’s election results.  

Here is what those of us in real America have always known and lived by:  Talk is cheap.  Judge a man by what he does and the company he keeps.  You’ll rarely, if ever, be wrong.

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy’s elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral’s mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named “Objective Amber,” told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

Matthew McCabe, a Special Operations Petty Officer Second Class (SO-2), is facing three charges: dereliction of performance of duty for willfully failing to safeguard a detainee, making a false official statement, and assault.

Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe, SO-2, is facing charges of dereliction of performance of duty and making a false official statement.

Petty Officer Julio Huertas, SO-1, faces those same charges and an additional charge of impediment of an investigation.

See also:
SEALs charged in alleged assault of detainee
Notorious terrorist captured – SEAL captors arrested!
They should have just shot him
Theater of the Absurd

Terrorist show trials in New York and now this, bad craziness, sheer madness, FUBAR.

/as Pogo so aptly put it, we have met the enemy . . . and he is us

Once again the PC assholes have decided to screw three SEALs for doing their damn job. Catch a terrorist asshole on the HVT list and then get charged with assault for splitting the douche bag’s lip.

WTF?

SEALs face charges for WTF?
By Uncle Jimbo

Unless this guy shows up with multiple compound fractures caused by the repeated use of a chunk of rebar long after he was in custody in the rear, I will go on record as saying I don’t give a f**k.

More

Insanity: Three Navy SEALS Charged With Giving Terrorist A Bloody Lip

Not just any terrorist but a so-called High Value Target who was responsible for Kos’ favorite murder of Blackwater employees in Fallujah back in ‘04.

The three, all members of the Navy’s elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral’s mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

More

This is incredible.

Three Navy SEALs capture one of the most wanted jihadists in the world and it’s the SEALs that wind up facing charges in ObamaWorld.

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy’s elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral’s mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named “Objective Amber,” told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

This could only happen in the bizarro world of Barack Hussein Obama. Amazing: three military heroes get a military tribunal and the masterminds of the September 11th attacks, the reason we are at war in the Middle East, are awarded the same protection of the U.S. Constitution as American citizens and given a federal trial.

Texas Fred is justifiably outraged:

Assault charges? Against our Navy SEALs? Am I the only one that sees the unbelievably PC hand of the Obama administration at work here? Am I the only one that sees the biggest appeaser to ever inhabit the White House doing his thing? Or, maybe, having it done at his behest?

Once upon a time, this piece of garbage would have been brought in beat ALL to hell and back, he would have been kept alive, but just barely. He would have been interrogated and once the desired information was extracted, he would have been unceremoniously disposed of.

But, that was before we forgot how to fight wars. That was before we lost the definition of the word VICTORY! That was before we had our warfighting strategy dictated to us by the likes of Nouri al-Maliki and Hamid Karzai. And it was long before we became the WUSSIES that are more concerned with the RIGHTS of WAR CRIMINALS than we are with the safety of our own people.

I’m with him on that one. I am also with Texas Fred on this item (boldface mine):

FoxNews.com obtained the official handwritten statement from one of the three witnesses given on Sept. 3, hours after Abed was captured and still being held at the SEAL base at Camp Baharia. He was later taken to a cell in the U.S.-operated Green Zone in Baghdad.

The SEAL told investigators he had showered after the mission, gone to the kitchen and then decided to look in on the detainee.

“I gave the detainee a glance over and then left,” the SEAL wrote. “I did not notice anything wrong with the detainee and he appeared in good health.”

United States Central Command declined to discuss the detainee, but a legal source told FoxNews.com that the detainee was turned over to Iraqi authorities, to whom he made the abuse complaints. He was then returned to American custody. The SEAL leader reported the charge up the chain of command, and an investigation ensued.

Just what happened to this jihadist thug when he was in the custody of the Iraqis? Inquiring minds want to know. As Texas Fred points out:

[S]uppose Ahmed Hashim Abed actually was in great condition when he was turned over to the Iraqis? Suppose they conspired to make the SEALs look bad and punched Abed in the mouth in an effort to make that happen? It is not out of the realm of possibility.

Or, perhaps they just punched him out of anger because of what he was. Remember: the Iraqis aren’t bound by the same laws and regulations as the U.S. military are. It’s not unfathomable that the Iraqis used this piece of human debris as a punching bag for any reason.

Now, regular readers here know I generally find myself in agreement with Hot Air’s Allahpundit, but AP steps in it here:

[T]he fact that this turd got the Iraqi authorities involved may have left Central Command with little choice here. The last thing the military needs right now is another detainee-abuse headache, especially with some Iraqi pols already leaning on them about withdrawal. Giving the SEALs a zero-tolerance wrist slap reminds other troops not to do anything more seriously stupid that might be exploited politically. And it will be a wrist slap, I’m sure: The last thing The One needs after shipping KSM off to NYC for his close-up is the image of SEALs being hauled off to prison for busting some jihadi in the face. In fact, according to Fox, the SEALs requested a court-martial rather than nonjudicial punishment, presumably because they know full well how awful this looks for the military. Prediction: Wrist slap.

Predictably, he’s called out on it from multiple sources. One is Uncle Jimbo at Blackfive:

That wrist slap would be a career-ender in Spec Ops for these men. You understand? We take three guys who accomplish more in a lazy afternoon than you have in your entire anonymous, snarking-from-the-sideline, existence and we put them out of work making dead tangos. And that sounds like what should have happened to this ass clown. If he dies during the take down we have no problems.

Uncle Jimbo also reminds readers that the jihadist captured was responsible for the horrible massacre of Blackwater security forces in Fallujah in 2004. Remember this image?

Those are our fellow countrymen whose bodies are hanging from that bridge in Fallujah, desecrated by those bastards.

Here’s something else Uncle Jimbo brought to memory:

Do you remember what Kos said about the four men this scumbag killed …? I’ll remind you “F**k them”.

I remember the vitriol and hatred directed at the victims of this massacre from the Kos Kidde Day Center, the DUmmies and others. These were Americans whose brutal slaughter other Americans were cheering.

Uncle Jimbo has more over at Ace of Spades HQ. Read the comments section. The readers weigh in with a vengeance.

I’m with Uncle Jimbo. I couldn’t possibly care less what happens to these vermin once we capture them.

click to enlarge

Cutaway della nuova classe di LPD (Landing Platform Dock) San Antonio (LPD-17). Le 12 unita’ previste andranno a sostituire una quarantina di navi, in primis le omologhe della classe Austin (LPD-4).

Per ulteriori informazioni su questa classe clicca  QUI.

Curiosita’

Una delle unita’ della classe San Antonio, e precisamente la USS New York (LPD-21), e’  diventata celebre per essere stata stata parzialmente costruita impiegando l’acciaio estratto dalle macerie del World Trade Center.

Pezzo di acciaio del World Trade Center esposto in una bacheca di vetro all’interno della USS New York (US Navy photo)

The United States Navy now has an operational EA-18G Growler squardon…..the aircraft an F-18 Hornet with added on electronic jamming acapabiklties..is a two-seater, with a pilot and  mission system operator like in the retired F-14 ’s that “Maverick” flew in ‘Top Gun”, the hit movie……

The new F-18G will also save the Navy some crew numbers since it will doing the same job as the EA EA-6B Prowler, which was first flown in Viet Nam, and has a crew of 4, a pilot and 3 system operators…..the Prowler’s are operating in harm’s way in the Middle East , and are the only aircraft in the Navy, Marines and Air Force that do the escort jamming mission (electronic warfair)…..

The F-18 is built by Boeing and has proven that combat systems can be built on time and on budget…..

They just got to use off the shelf stuff…that’s all…don’t let the technology get ahead of them…..

I wonder what the House is gonna do on Marine One?

Note: The Growler’s run about $73 million each…..

Introduction

World War II saw some of most rapid technological advances impacting military forces in history. The advances in technology impacted the organization and tactics of major power military forces, especially those of the United States, Germany, the Soviet Union and Great Britain.  These advances combined to revolutionize the way wars were fought and military forces have been organized to the current day.

Heinz Guderian’s Theories of Mechanized and Combined Arms Warfare and His Organizational Genius Revolutionized  Land Warfare

The technical developments and their relationship to military organization and tactical applications began in the years following World War I as various writers began to analyze that war and formulate ways not to repeat the grist mill of trench warfare that dominated it.  The writers looked at tactical innovations, new technology and enunciated ways that technology and tactics could be combined with organizational changes to revolutionize the ways that wars were fought.  Chief among these writers were General Fuller and Captain B.H. Liddell Hart in Britain, Colonel Heinz Guderian and Erwin Rommel in Germany.  Airpower theories were dominated by the strategic bombing theories of Italy’s Guido Douhet and tactical air theories of American Marine General Roy Geiger as well as the pioneers of tactical air support in the Luftwaffe.   In the United States General George C. Marshall helped initiate doctrinal changes that would change the way that the U.S. Army would fight.

Among the common elements found in the works of these men was the necessity to apply technology to overcome the pitfalls that all of the armies which fought in the First World War found themselves.

The Mechanization of Ground Forces

Mass Speed and Firepower: The Germans Would Pioneer the New Style of Warfare

There were a number of major technological advances between the wars and during the war that helped change the nature of warfare.  One of the earliest was the mechanization of armies which began toward the end of the First World War and continued between the wars to varying degrees in each country.  All the major armies experimented with mechanized forces to one degree or another. In Britain these got the earliest start with some formations being 100% mechanized by the early 1930s.  France was more circumspect about mechanization only slowly converting forces as they were focused on a defensive strategy based on the Maginot Line.  Many in the German high command resisted Guderian and other innovators regarding the mechanization of the Wehrmacht as well as the development of the Panzerwaffe.

The Soviet Union Would Turn the Tables on the Germans using their own Tactics

The Soviet Union had a large number of mechanized and armored formations prior to the war though they were not proficient in their use and had not developed doctrine to match the forces that they controlled.  The Untied States also resisted efforts to mechanize its Army but seeing the results of the German Blitzkrieg quickly overcame years of resistance to become an Army that save for 2 Cavalry Divisions was 100% mechanized.  The development of Airborne formations added the possibility of vertical envelopment to ground operations. These developments impacted nearly every campaign in Europe and North Africa and to a much lesser degree the Pacific theater. German performance in the early Polish, French, North African and Balkan Campaigns as well as the initial foray into the Soviet Union were all successful due to the proficiency of their combined mechanized, Panzer and tactical air forces.  The Soviets would develop and become very effective at this type of warfare on a much large scale than the Germans could have imagined beginning with the Stalingrad counteroffensive and especially in the destruction  of the German Army Group Center in the summer of 1944.

Though Using Lighter Armored Forces the Americans Would become Proficient in the New Type of Warfare by the Summer of 1944

The Americans became proficient at mobile operations during the war, especially during the “dash across France” and the breakout in the Saar-Palatine campaign in 1945,  but many times uninventive commanders squandered the advantage and allowed themselves to be sucked into battles of attrition that their forces were not made for.

Communications

A key development that accompanied and accentuated the mechanization of ground forces were advances in tactical wireless communications which made it possible for commanders to keep up with fast moving formations and react in near real time to changing tactical situations.  The Germans were the first to become very proficient in this as they not only developed communications for ground forces but also for coordination between tactical air forces and ground forces.  This made the German Blitzkrieg the first example of modern air-ground combat cooperation.  The Americans, British and Soviets would follow suit but it was the German Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe that pioneered the communications revolution.  As the war went on communications capabilities increased and armies became more dependent on tactical and long range wireless communications.  The dependency of military forces on communications networks became a major factor in operational planning and the success of the Allies in breaking Japanese and German codes gave them an advantage in anticipating German or Japanese moves.

Armor, Firepower and Mobility: The Tank Comes into its Own

World War Two Saw Tanks become Deadly Instruments of Modern Warfare

Mechanization was a major factor in the war and the most decisive component of the mechanization of ground forces was the development of the tank as well as specialized formations which employed tanks in close cooperation with other arms, such as mechanized infantry and artillery.  The development of such forces really began with the British but the best example of this was the German Panzer Division.  The Panzer Division was a totally mechanized and integrated force of all arms which was employed in mass and capable like all German units to be task organized into Kampfgruppen to optimize tactical flexibility.  British Armored Divisions were tank heavy and infantry light which made them far less flexible organizations.  Soviet Armored forces were slow to develop but they became masters of large level operational maneuver using mechanized and tactical air forces to a deadly effect against the Wehrmacht.  The Americans delivered a light and flexible armored formation and became very proficient in combined arms warfare though the divisional structure often proved too light and not as resilient as German formations.  It was in this environment that the tank truly came into its own to dominate the battlefield in a way that many could not have imagined prior to the war. Firepower, protection and mobility advantages gained through technological advances increased the lethality and survivability of the tank and forced each side to develop better ways of neutralizing tanks through more powerful anti-tank guns, sabot rounds and shaped charges.

Tactical and Strategic Air developments

The Americans and the British Would Develop the Concept of Strategic Bombing against Germany

With the technical revolution came revolution in the skies both at the strategic and tactical levels.  Modern bombers with good navigational gear guided by radar and assisted by modern bombsites such as the Norden developed by the United States would wreak havoc on industrial and civilian centers. Advances in aircraft technology saw fast and more lethal aircraft being fielded by all powers as the war progressed and while Jet propulsion developed during the war would doom piston powered aircraft as first line assets.

The P-47 Thunderbolt Would Serve as both a Long Range Bomber Escort and as Seen Here as an Excellent Ground Attack Aircraft

Tactical air developments would be led by the Germans but as the war went on the Allies developed sophisticate tactical air forces that dominated battlefields when the weather permitted. The Germans pioneered the use of ballistic missiles as well as the cruise missile while the United States and Britain developed the Atomic Bomb.  Specialized types of tactics and organizations were developed for strategic, tactical and naval air forces. At the strategic level there were the dueling schools of precision versus area bombing while at the tactical level the developments were as much predicated on air-ground communications as they were the aircraft flown.  Specialized aircraft were developed or modified as tank-killers while fighter forces became more specialized to into interceptors, bomber escorts and night fighters.

The Obselecent Junkers JU-87 found New Life on the Eastern Front as a Tank Killer armed with 2 37mm FLAK cannon

The influence of air assets, especially at the tactical level would become more pronounced as the war went on.  Allied air superiority ensured that the landings in France and the breakout in Normandy succeeded and tactical air dominance by US Navy and Marine air forces in the Pacific aided ground operations as well as sea battles.

Amphibious Warfare developments

The US Navy and Marine Corps Would Perfect Amphibious Operations in the Pacific

Technology came to the fore in amphibious operations with the development of specialized landing craft, beach clearing equipment and naval gunfire support.  This effort was led by the United States with the most advanced force being the Marines.   The combined use of air, land, sea and naval air forces to include the use of Aircraft Carriers revolutionized how the campaign in the Pacific would be fought to a conclusion long before anyone thought that it could be.

General Naval Developments

At sea ship design advanced new and better classes of warships as technologic advances in radar, sonar, gunnery systems, torpedo and ant-aircraft technology made warships far more formidable than those built only years before the war.  This was nowhere more apparent than in submarine development especially that of Germany’s U-boat arm with the development of streamlined hulls and “schnorkel” technology.  The use of U-Boats and later American submarines in the Pacific into “Wolf Packs” increased the lethality of submarine forces to a near decisive state in the war.  Naval tactics were influenced by the use of air and surface search radar as well as sonar.

US Fast Carrier Task Forces Would Dominate the Pacific War and Naval Warfare to the Present Day

The development of the US Navy into the dominant Naval Power of the next 65 years was built upon the success of the Navy in the Second World War.  The largest and some of the bloodiest sea battles in history were fought in the Pacific with decisive results in that theater of operations.  Operationally the major Navies all were influenced to one degree or another by the theories of Alfred Thayer Mahan.

Summary and Conclusion

The course of World War Two was determined by the strategic and operational theories developed in the inter-war years. These were applied correctly by some powers and not by others.   The use technological advances and more effective organizational structure developed in the inter-war years and refined by the experience of war impacted the war on land, at sea and in the air in every theater of war.  The use of combined arms and joint operations revolutionized the manner in which wars would be fought.  If the technology, theory and force structure had not come together when it did the war might have been fought much as the First World War.  Instead warfare became faster and more lethal than ever and would lead to even more advances in the years to come.

During my visit to the USS Nimitz in the Indian Ocean last month, I had the opportunity to see the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in action. The Super Hornet is a 4.5+ generation naval multirole aircraft that was delivered to the US Navy in 1999 to replace the F-14, the S-3 and, in the long term, the F/A-18C and D Hornet.
Even if the “Rhino” (as the aircraft has been dubbed to distinguish it from the “legacy Hornet”) is the most advanced aircraft in the USN inventory, its replacement is already flying and undertaking flight testing: on Nov. 15, the first Lockheed F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) landed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md. The test aircraft, known as BF-1, after departing from Lockheed facility in Fort Worth, landed at Pax River after a stop in Dobbins Air Force Base, Ga.
BF-1 is the first of five test F-35B STOVL (Short Take-Off Vertical Landing) variants to be assigned to the air station. BF-2 is expected to arrive by the end of this year and BF-3 will follow shortly behind that, Lockheed spokesman John Kent said. The air station also will be home to three Navy carrier test variants. Before the aircraft can complete its first vertical landing, it must go through a transition phase. When regular airplanes fly, lift is created from the wing. But for hovering jets such as the F-35B, it is created from the jet itself. The transition phase is expected to include a series of flights, during which the aircraft will practice slowing down and transitioning lift from the wing to the jet — a critical step before an actual STOVL flight. Additional testing will include flying with different weight loads and ordnance payloads, according to a Marine release. “I’m anxious to have our engineers, our test pilots and our operators get their hands on this jet, and then see what we can do to turn test points and sorties at a rapid rate during the coming months,” said Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman, the deputy commandant for aviation, in a release. Eventually the Joint Strike Fighter will replace the F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier, and the EA-6B Prowler. Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron-501, the first squadron that will train Marine JSF pilots and maintainers, is expected to stand up at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in April 2010 as part of the Joint Integrated Training Center. The first operational squadron will stand up in 2012. Even the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) is expeceted to receive 22 naval JSF that will replace the AV-8B+ Harrier and will operate from the new Italian aircraft carrier Cavour (that can accomodate 8 – 10 F-35B).

An F/A-18F of the VFA-41 and an E of the VFA-14 overflying USS Nimitz (courtesy USS Nimitz)

The BF-1 arrives at Patuxent River (Lockheed)

The BF-1 arrives at Patuxent River (Lockheed)

When I check what terms people put into search engines to find my blog, the one that usually is on top is “USS Ronald Reagan”… so by popular demand, here are the lowdown on this ship!
(Who says I’m not service minded?)

USS Ronald Reagan is the 9th Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier. The class is the largest type of capital ship in the world. She was commissioned into the US Navy in July 2003, and was the first ship in the US Navys history to be named after a still living American President. Sadly, his illness meant he could not participate as a guest of honour at her launch. Her motto is “Peace through Strength” and she is today posted in the Pacific fleet, with a home port of San Diego, California.

USS Ronald Reagan in the Mangellan Straits

Her force of 90 aircraft comes from Carrier Air Wing Fourteen, from Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA with bearing tail code NK, one of 10 active Carrier Air Wings, and at the Time of writing her carrier group is deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, as part of 5th Fleet.

Now the concept of the supercarrier is singular to the US. Each of the 10 massive ships carry the equivalent of the 5th largest airforce in the world. (The ships being: USS Enterprise, USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Harry S. Truman, USS George Washington, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS George H.W. Bush, USS Nimitz, USS John C. Stennis, USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan.) Now just the mere presence of one of these ships in an area tend to cool down any would-be despot with delusions of grandeur.

There is said that the first ting any US presidents do when there is a disaster, attack on Americans, diplomatic conflict or any other crisis is to ask “Where are my carriers?”. And who can blame him? Even though the US still keeps a massive naval strength in mothballs “just in case” the main gun of the US military might is the carrier groups. And it is not just in recent years. When the Japanese launched their attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 they did a massive amount of damage. With the US caught flat footed they sank four U.S. Navy battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service later in the war) and damaged four more. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, and one minelayer, destroyed 188 aircraft, and caused personnel losses of 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded. All for the loss of 29 airdraft, some midgets subs and 59 men all told. A resounding blow, right. Notice anything…? Yeah, no carriers. Someone in the US Navy had smelled a rat brewing (to mix idioms) and sent the carrier groups out.

That combined with the fact that the japanese never launched the third wave to destroy the dry docks and support facilities, meant that the blow to the US had not been as fatal as it at first seemed. Apparently when reviewing the facts the Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto uttered the famous words: “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”

When we are on to quote, let us round off with a quote from perhaps the greatest American president of all time: Theodore Roosevelt. On the issue of foreign policy, his adage was: “Walk softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far.” You don’t find them much bigger than the Nimitz-class supercarriers, as sticks go.

Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama again. As you may recall, the ship was attacked in April and took ship captain Richard Phillips hostage. Remember the SEAL sharpshooters? They freed Phillips while killing 3 pirates. Remember the nighttime headshot on Easter? GO NAVY!

This time around, guards on board the U.S.-flagged cargo ship repelled the takeover attempt.

Pirates have increased their attacks in recent weeks as the monsoon season ends.

Some, as they say, never learn…

Drink one for me,

Woody

Yesterday, November 16th, marked the observance of Veteran’s Day for the UAW.  We all know that Veteran’s Day was actually last Wednesday, the 11th, but inconveniently it did not coincide with the weekend before the opening of Michigan rifle deer hunting season, November 15th, so it had to moved on the organization’s calendar.

Hunting is grand tradition here in Michigan, with our plentiful wildlife, forests, lakes, and streams.  In fact, one of the most famous and nutty hunters in the world (and a fine artist), Ted Nugent is from and lives in Michigan.  I want to state here that I have nothing against hunting, and have done it myself.  It is a great way to become one with nature and enjoy the breathtaking scenery we have here in Michigan.  But as a U.S. Navy Veteran, I take issue with the holiday, meant to be a day of remembrance of those that have served and those that have died in the defense of our country, being reduced to a free vacation day during hunting season.

I can imagine a time in the UAW’s youth, when they rightfully fought for the day off to honor those auto employees who had bravely fought in some of the greatest conflicts our nation has ever known, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam.  Some of the Veterans volunteered their service, some where asked by our government, but all served to make our country and this world a better and safer place.

But as years went on and our memory of these conflicts faded, as it always seems to do in the U.S., I can see the Michigan based UAW members (who have always made up the majority of membership) noticing this day off so close to, but not quite in, hunting season.  I can see them beginning to wonder if maybe, just possibly, could it be ‘observed’ a little closer to the 15th, so that they could take advantage of the day to get a little extra hunting in?  I assume the UAW leaders, being elected officials, thought it wiser to take the ’suggestion’ to the bargaining table than to push back on their membership. And I can see the Big 3 thinking it was easier to move a day off already on the calendar than to say no and risk a strike.

So now we have another UAW ‘holiday’, perceived by the general taxpaying public as useless, and the loss of a real day of remembrance for Veterans.  It’s this type of abuse that made 99% of taxpayers (100% of non-UAW members) opposed to giving loans to the auto industry.  If the U.S. based auto companies hope to change public opinion of their products, the public opinion of the UAW needs to change as well.  I’m not blaming the UAW for all negative opinion, there were some horribly designed vehicles with abysmal quality produced for many years.  But we’re all in this together, everyone has to change.  For me, a great way to start changing this perception is to do away with obvious gimme’s, like free days off during hunting season…