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This Week in the Blackwater Tactical Weekly…
Afghanistan–Pakistan Developments
Homeland Security–First Responder
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| QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
| “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” – George S. Patton |
| WEEKLY SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS |
Christmas Terror Attack on Northwest Airlines Plane at Detroit Airport AvertedAssociated PressA Nigerian man who said he was an agent for al-Qaida tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane Friday as it was preparing to land in Detroit, but travelers who smelled smoke and heard what sounded like firecrackers rushed to subdue him, the passengers and federal officials said. |
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| U.S. DEFENSE NEWS |
New Afghanistan Camouflage Design UnveiledDefense TalkNew camouflage to help British troops blend into Afghanistan's varied terrain has been unveiled by the Ministry of Defense following computer modeling of the Afghanistan environment. It is the first time since 1968 that the British Armed Forces have changed the camouflage pattern. Full StoryFuture Stryker: US Army to Address Mobility, Piecemeal Upgrade IssuesDefense Industry DailyOne complaint heard about the 8×8 wheeled Stryker armored vehicles in Afghanistan was that they had difficulties with the rough, mountainous off-road terrain. The Canadian forces in particular found that their Strykers’ mobility limitations created unacceptable difficulties. Another complaint about Stryker vehicles is that upgrades designed to address combat needs have been done in a piecemeal fashion. This has resulted in significant inefficiencies, including having to turn off some systems to operate others. Full StoryArmy to Field New Pack for Afghan OpsDefense TechThe Army is set to field a new combat backpack that meets the emerging needs of Soldiers fighting in the steep terrain and remote outposts of Afghanistan. The so-called “medium ruck” uses technology from today’s mountaineering equipment and tactical packs and combines it with the specific needs of Soldiers doing rotations of up to three days at observation posts, long patrols or helicopter assaults where a trip back to the forward operating base may not happen for up to 72 hours. Full StoryNew Bomber to Focus Heavily on Intelligence, Surveillance, and ReconnaissanceDefense TechThe U.S. Air Force’s ISR chief says a new bomber design will be more about intelligence gathering and non-kinetic weapons than about bombing. The arsenal of this “long-range, ISR/Strike” aircraft may eventually include directed energy and network attack, says Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Full StoryUSAF 'F 22 Raptor' Was Successfully Tested in Middle EastBrahmand Defense and Aerospace NewsU.S Air Force with Middle East commenced its first war game exercise after the deployment of F-22A Raptor. First test in the desert included six Raptors with 150 service personnel from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, U.S. Air Force official were first doubtful on the performance of Raptors in desert area. "But we were able to fly more sorties than we scheduled for, so the F-22 actually exceeded expectations," a foreign media quoted Lt. Col. Lance Pilch, the commander of the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron as saying. Full Story |
| INTERNATIONAL MILITARY NEWS |
Russia to Commission New Stealth Bomber in 2025-2030Defense TalkRussia’s new strategic bomber will use stealth technologies and is expected to enter service in 2025-2030, the commander of Russia’s strategic aviation said on Tuesday. According to Maj. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev, the stealth technology will make "the new aircraft difficult to detect by radar, although it is impossible to make airplanes of this type completely invisible.” Full StoryRussia to Develop New Nuclear MissilesDefense TalkIn his end of the year speech, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says his country will develop a new generation of nuclear weaponry, even as it works toward a new strategic arms treaty with the United States. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev's comments were broadcast on Russia's state-run television networks. Russia and the United States are continuing to hammer out the details of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The current treaty expired earlier this month, and senior U.S. and Russian officials say they expect to reach a new accord in early January. Full Story"Commercialization" of the Chinese FC-1 Fighter AircraftChina Defense BlogAs reported by today's People's Daily, the FC-1 Xiaolong fighter program is moving forward to future expansion at home and abroad. At the same time, the FC-1/J-10 lost to the Russian Mig-29 for the Myanmar (Burma) fighter deal. Full StoryRaytheon Announces $1.1 Billion Missile Defense Contract for TaiwanDefense NewsRaytheon received a $1.1 billion order from Taiwan for new Patriot missile systems, Raytheon said Dec. 23. The order for the four new Patriot fire units, made as a Foreign Military Sale, is a $966 million contract for ground-system hardware and a $134 million contract for spares. It will include new advances in technology, improved man-machine interface and reduced life-cycle costs, Raytheon said. Full Story |
| AFGHANISTAN–PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENTS |
Fighting the Taliban: The Nature of Combat in the Hindu KushDeutsche WelleIt's been a terrible year for Afghanistan - both for the local population and the foreign troops fighting there. More troops and a crackdown on corruption are to do the trick in 2010, but no one is holding his breath. Flying over jagged and barren seemingly endless mountain ranges it is not difficult to understand why Afghanistan remains one of the most forbidding battlegrounds in the annals of warfare. Fiercely cold in the winter, the sun burns like a furnace in the summer. There are few roads, water is scarce, the terrain is equally hard on machines and men and the thin, alpine air takes its toll on aircraft as well, like the dust and grit of Afghanistan that clogs everything from soldier's throats to rifles and engines. Full StoryAfghanistan War: Marines Move in to Stop Taliban From PakistanChristian Science MonitorFor Taliban fighters infiltrating Helmand Province from Pakistan, one ratline proved simple. They crossed open desert of pebble, sage, and moon dust toward a lonely mountain ridge, and entered Khan Neshin, a gateway to both the Helmand River Valley and one of the bloodiest corners of the Afghanistan war. In July, though, US Marines seized towns along the Helmand River in a bid to shut down a central problem of the war: the cross-border flow of fresh fighters. But their march stopped at Khan Neshin, 70 miles short of the Pakistan border, slowing but not shutting down Taliban traffic. Full StoryTroops Secure Former Taliban Ghost Town in AfghanistanFox NewsU.S. Marines are moving quickly to secure this newly liberated Taliban stronghold in Helmand Province from expected extremist reprisal operations that will target the local population as well as U.S. and Afghan forces. At least three platoon-sized outposts have been built from scratch in less than two weeks in outlying areas to block likely Taliban infiltration routes from nearby mountains. U.S. troops are staging daily patrols into Now Zad District villages to give the people an increased sense of security and gain their cooperation in identifying Taliban in hiding. Full StoryCan U.S. Troops Run McChrystal’s ‘Soft Power’ Playbook?Wired Danger Room – Defense BlogAmerica has fought in its fair share of insurgencies and counterinsurgencies — from our own revolution to Iraq. But in Afghanistan, the U.S. military is trying something different. In a rather unorthodox approach, commanders there are radically de-emphasizing the “kinetic,” bombs and bullets fight, and instead putting a premium on persuading the people to side against the Taliban. That may sound similar to the strategy General David Petraeus executed in Iraq, and helped postulate in the military’s counterinsurgency field manual. First New U.S. L-3 Spy Plane Debuts in Afghanistan on Christmas DayBloombergThe Air Force delivered to Afghanistan the first of 24 new Hawker Beechcraft Corp. planes modified by L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. to support ground troops with video, still images and eavesdropping. The four-man, twin-propeller plane is arriving one month ahead of schedule, Lieutenant General David Deptula, who oversees Air Force intelligence and reconnaissance, said in an email. |
| HOMELAND SECURITY–FIRST RESPONDER |
The Way We Were: A Review of 2009 - The Top EMS Stories of the YearEMS ResponderAfter careful staff review and input from those smart, helpful folks on EMS Magazine's advisory board, we present EMSResponder's most important EMS stories of 2009. Full StoryTadpole-Shaped Dirigible to Help in Communication, Surveillance MissionsHomeland Security News WireFlorida company shows unmanned dirigible which will fly at 65,000 and 70,000 feet; the "Stratellite" will use similar technology to the that used by the Graf Zeppelin in the 1930s; homeland security applications include vessel tracking and cargo container surveillance; littoral (shore-proximate) surveillance for ports, waterways, coastal trails, and urban environments; ancillary border surveillance activity, and more Domestic Terror Incidents Hit a Peak in 2009TIMEYou may not have noticed because most of the plots were foiled, but 2009 saw an unprecedented surge in terror "events" on U.S. soil. When analysts tally these events, they refer to anything from a disrupted plot to U.S. citizens traveling abroad to seek terror training or a lone gunman running amok in the U.S. And by the calculations of Rand Corporation expert Brian Jenkins, more terrorist threats were uncovered in the U.S. during 2009 than in any year since 2001. |
| BUMPER STICKER |
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| FRANKS REVIEW |
Tactical Equipment Evaluation2009 Tactical HighlightsEach year (and this still amazes me) I write 52 “tactical” equipment evaluations. Although I know some of you fully understand that challenge of this task, others may not. The largest part of the challenge is simply getting enough new (or different) kit to test. Inevitably there are times when I have to produce something via the anal aperture extraction method, and I do my best to still produce a review that will, in some way shape or form, benefit all of you who work behind guns. This week I’m going to take a look at some of the items I reviewed in 2009 that I feel are worthy of a second mention; the really cool stuff I thought represented the best of our industry. The rest of the review http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/other/2009tachigh.htm Recreational Equipment Review2009 Recreational HighlightsJust as 52 reviews are posted for the tactical side of the house, an equal number are posted for the recreational side of the house. Down time… time off… escape time… whatever you call it – time away from the stress and dangers of work (especially for some of you) is mandatory and must serve to refresh us. I don’t see any surprise in the fact that a great many contemporary warriors enjoy outdoor activities when they’re off-duty or on vacation. That belief (on my part) is expressed in the categories of our reviews. I know there are a lot of reading reviews, but even that can be relaxing and you can do it beside a campfire if you want to. Here’s a look at those recreational products I thought were worth a second look in 2009. The rest of the review: http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/other/2009rechigh.htm |
| CHAPLAINS CORNER |
STANDING DUTY…During the years of my early peace keeping career, we troopers alternated the duty of all holidays. I remember well those times it was my turn in the ice and snow alone. No restaurants nor businesses were open. Roads were often treacherous but there was seldom anyone else out there. One of the local restaurant operators always extended to me an open invitation to come to his home for food and refreshments if I had the time. Most times I could make it. It was a strange phenomenon for me… few others say the same thing… but I had no calls then between 6PM Christmas Eve and 6 PM Christmas Day… and have had only one call in the past few years… between the hours of 6 PM Christmas Eve and 6 PM Christmas Day… That one call was for two pairs of shoes for two little boys who had just lost all they had in a fire and needed shoes. Of course no place was open where they could be bought but the Chaplain Unit, the Police Department and the Sheriff's Department had personnel working together in a ministry of helps for the needy. It was just a short trip for me to the facility and a few moments to find just the right shoes for the boys and get back to my own home.Full article can be seen at: http://www.ustraining.com/new/btw/chaplain/122809chaplain.htm |
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| CONTACT INFORMATION |
The Blackwater Tactical Weekly is a free weekly e–publication. The Mission of the Blackwater Tactical Weekly is to provide readers with valuable information from diverse sources regarding tactical, strategic, and geo–political security issues. Editor–in–Chief – N Conley (btw@ustraining.com) Questions regarding US Training (252) 435–2035 To subscribe to the Blackwater Tactical Weekly, Click Here To view an archived edition of the Blackwater Tactical Weekly, Click Here |
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