President Barack Obama is seeking to abolish two highly successful missile programs that experts say have helped the U.S. Navy maintain military superiority for the past several decades. The Tomahawk missile program—known as “the world’s most advanced cruise missile”—is set to be cut by $128 … Continue reading →
Island Dweller has some thoughts on the Czar’s mercurial rant on Korea: Most esteemed Czar A close examination of the photo of that poor man on that lonely Korean hilltop will disclose some deep slash wounds on the palm of … Continue reading →
The following video clip is making the rounds in a few circles, particularly the federal IT contracting world which overlaps heavily with the inside-the-beltway world. GorT is very familiar with both. Let’s put aside the issue that the General and … Continue reading →
Conservatives, by and large, seem to be having all sorts of moments of clarity lately. You know—maybe we need to be a little more honest about things. Likewise, it is probably time for liberals to do the same thing. Here … Continue reading →
I was finishing up lunch with some former co-workers today and as I walked out I found myself behind a group of young professionals who were likely in the late 20s or early 30s. The snippets of their discussion were … Continue reading →
Guns or Butter…which one of these? Dr. J.’s 7th & 10th Grade Marxist American History teacher introduced him to the idea of opportunity costs and Federal budgeting back in 7th grade through an exercise called ‘Guns and Butter.’ The idea … Continue reading →
So while the Congress kicked the can down the road for another month with the latest CR that was passed, there is a looming issue that our defense & intelligence sector faces if the “supercommittee”* doesn’t act soon. Various space initiatives … Continue reading →
Starting at some point after 2003, China began constructing some odd things in the Gobi desert. Gizmodo has a post that details a number of them. Most are in the same general area. Most appear to be surface level, as … Continue reading →
MH, whose loyalty will surely see him as sole ruler of the Canadianan provinces, brings you news that you just do not get here in the US. And indeed, this is a story the Czar knew nothing about. See why … Continue reading →
If there’s one good thing about ‘Puter, it’s that he’s fair enough to call out shenanigans on the Right. If there’s two good things about ‘Puter, it would be news to us. More to the first point, we want our … Continue reading →
Dear The Czar, Dr. J. listened to President Obama’s petulant speech this afternoon. It is clear that he is not going to work with the Republicans going into the 2012 election. He is expecting them to ultimately wuss out and … Continue reading →
As Congress begins to take up the Obama administration’s defense budget, one item not even under discussion needs to be considered. Events of the past 18 months have made clear that it’s time to rethink the fate of the F-22 … Continue reading →
(You’d know that that means, had you clicked through on my last post…) Pictures! Pictures! And a little bit on the less-sexy but maybe more-important DF-21D. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →China’s military: “Paper tiger or real?” You know what Confucius thinks… Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →And he’s right. Not that it may matter. From the president on down through his secretary of defense, the service secretaries, and a cast of generals whose decorations would choke an alpine meadow with color, we are told that further … Continue reading →
Television station KFMB channel 8 is reporting on what they are calling a mysterious missile launch off the coast of southern California last night. As of right now no one in the military is taking credit for the launch. But … Continue reading →
Well, it’s no surprise to you Gormogons operatives. Maybe others are starting to pay attention. The greatest geopolitical development that has occurred largely beneath the radar of our Middle East-focused media over the past decade has been the rise of … Continue reading →
“…Our Army and Marine Corps are significantly undersized; and military modernization remains a neglected requirement that has very few champions in Washington.” Hell and yes. Read on. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Because this retiring Air Force general’s presentation to the Air Force Association makes it clear that our this-generation aircraft are increasingly vulnerable to both Russian and Chinese SAMs and fighters, and our heretofore unchallengeable air superiority is becoming, well, challengeable, … Continue reading →
Here’s a couple tiny excerpts, but you need to read Arthur Herman’s piece in the upcoming Commentary. Twice. Not just because it jibes extensively with Confucius’s* thoughts on the American military. Seriously. Make time. Print it out. Whatever it takes. … Continue reading →
Nations don’t change their naval postures because they are content with the status quo. Nor are the world’s other navies focused on building smaller, less-capable warships for low-lethality tasks like combating piracy. The U.S. Navy’s retreat from the high seas … Continue reading →
Like Confucius*, John Bolton is worried, though he’s not quite as blunt, as befits a diplomat. For years, foreign policy optimists have predicted that China’s rise to superpower status would be peaceful and responsible. But recent Chinese offensives, both domestic … Continue reading →
…from John Noonan at the Standard. He quotes Politico: The Air Force will hang on to its F-22 tooling at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, Ga., production plant even after it stops making the fifth generation fighter jet in 2012, according to … Continue reading →
Hmm. That doesn’t scan as well as it should. Still, hey, what’s keeping the Œcumenical Volgi up at night, playing insomnia chess with དགའ་པོ his Yeti assistant? War with China. You’ve heard this song before, but these days, it’s the … Continue reading →
So, Friday, the good folks at Sukhoi gave the first public test flight of the PAK-FA, which is an acronym meaning roughly “Advanced Aircraft System: Frontline Aviation.” The Sukhoi plane is officially called the T-50, so we’ll go with that … Continue reading →
Oh, goody. J.E. Dyer over at Commentary notes, in a post puckishly called “Game On” that China’s successfully tested an anti-ballistic-missile system. This is interesting, because as your Volgi has been writing for some time, China’s military strategy seems to … Continue reading →
…Goldfarb drags me back in! Let’s just go to the money quote: “White House aides actually made them remove the F-22-said they would not allow POTUS to be pictured with the F-22 in any way, shape, or form.” While the … Continue reading →
John Noonan writes: The AFP is reporting that despite pulling the ground based mid-course interceptor from Europe, the Russians remain unhappy with Noble Laureate Obama’s missile defense plans. Ivan is, of course, playing the classic Russian game here — push … Continue reading →
Democrats in the House order eight G5 Gulfstream jets for $550 million that will be used by the Pentagon to ferry around VIPs in Congress — even though the Pentagon says it does not need or want the planes. The … Continue reading →
Check it out. Myth No. 1–Voting down funding for the Raptor was a blow against the “evil, military-industrial complex.” Myth No. 2–The F-22 is a hugely expensive aircraft because defense contractors purposely are trying to gouge the taxpayer by making … Continue reading →
Biz Mike-G stays on fire, ripping the Administration’s animus against the military. Instead, the Obama administration is slashing defense spending and cutting programs that employ tens of thousands of highly-skilled (and often union) workers. The administration drew a line in … Continue reading →
Mike Goldfarb: This is the same Barack Obama who asked the entire federal government to come up with $100 million in savings over the next year and couldn’t deliver on deadline. Yet the military, actively engaged in two hot wars … Continue reading →
So says the Washington Post (via John Noonan, whose comments are worth reading). Hmm. Where did you read that before? We’re not a globe- and history-spanning secret society that’s able to convince people we’re a joke with a dorky blog … Continue reading →
Writes John Noonan at the Standard. Read his comments, then come back. Ok? So, Hillary says: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Iran Wednesday that the United States would extend a “defense umbrella” over its allies in the Persian Gulf … Continue reading →
Mike Goldfarb writes a great obituary. It’s not quite Marc Antony at Caesar’s funeral, but it’s worth your time, beginning: The final vote is 58 to 40. With that victory the Obama White House has eliminated the last major threat … Continue reading →
As you’ll recall, Confucius* says “Buy more F-22s.” This question is heating up increasingly, with Congress and many military officers on the one side, and Secdef Gates and the White House on the other. Dodbuzz.com calls it A Battle for … Continue reading →
Except to the welfare state apparently. You know, we bitch about defense cuts, but we’re comparatively lucky… Army faces biggest cuts since Crimea Caption: Sergeant McGregor, Scots Fusilier Guards (possibly this guy), is ticked. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions … Continue reading →
Via Mike Goldfarb at the Standard, a WSJ piece showing the awesome power of a boldfaced Gormogon footnote. A House committee threw a wrench in the Obama administration’s plans to end Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-22 Raptor fighter program, voting instead … Continue reading →
So suggests Reuben Johnson, a very knowledgeable observer. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Stuart Koehl & Martin Feldstein. Sorry for the light posting. Your Volgi is beat and running around like a madman due to various family obligations. But you need to read these items. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that … Continue reading →
