Global Conflict Reporting

Author: Scott

  • USS Ford arrives in Caribbean.

    By.Scott Jackson

    11.11.2025

    Today the USS Gerold R.Ford (CVN-78) , a Ford-Class nuclear powered aircraft carrier, has entered the waters of the Caribbean,  joining the fourth fleet and coming under the command of US  SOUTHCOM(Southern Command). The Ford, its escorts and its Carrier Air Wing are just the most recent additions in a large military buildup, adding to the tensions in the region. 

    “The enhanced U.S. force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell. “These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations.”

    This deployment to the region was ordered by Washington at the tail end of November. 

    According to the navy’s statement on their website the Ford  is supported by Destroyer Squadron Two’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) and USS Mahan (DDG 72), and the integrated air and missile defense command ship USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81). 

    USS Bainbridge (DDG-96)
    USS Mahan (DDG-72)
    USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81)

    The embarked squadrons aboard Gerald R. Ford include Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31, VFA 37, and VFA 87, flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet; VFA 213, flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet; Electronic Attack Squadron 142, flying the E/A-18G Growler; Airborne Command and Control Squadron 124, flying the airborne command and control E-2D Advanced Hawkeye; Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9, flying the MH-60S Seahawk; Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70, flying the MH-60R Seahawk; and a detachment from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40, flying the Carrier Onboard Delivery C-2A Greyhound.

    F/A-18F Pilot LCDR Jamie R. Struck the makes first carrier arrested landing using AAG system aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) off the Virginia coast. US Navy Photo
    EA-18G Growler with Electronic Attack Squadron 142
    E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

    Two Carrier Air Wing 8 MH-60S Sea Hawks, attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 9, fly in formation over the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), during an aerial change of command
    Carrier Onboard Delivery C-2A Greyhound.

    The Ford has yet to undergo its refit which will allow it to launch the F-35C’s so its combat air wing is made up entirely of Super Hornets.

    Carrier capable F-35C Lightning II

    Background

    The U.S. for the past month has been carrying out a large number of strikes aimed at curtailing the drug trade coming into America. The White House has singeled out Venezuela as a large contributor to that issue and has called for Venezuelan President Maduro to crack down on cartels operating in his country. The U.S. military has carried out 19 strikes so far on alleged drug smuggling boats out at sea. The White House says these boats (and one semi-submersible) were moving drugs towards America. 

    SecDef Pete Hegseth’s Twitter post that showed video of two separate strikes on two suspected drug boats.Attack platform unknown.

    If all of these boats carried drugs then potentially thousands of pounds of life shattering narcotics have been removed from the markets, however that is barely a fraction of the drugs suspected to be moving through America’s cities and streets daily. There is no data about exactly how much illegal narcotics comes into America each day but judging by the almost 3000 pounds the authorities catch coming in daily it’s thought to be many times more. 

    While Venezuela isn’t the only origin of the drugs on America’s streets it is one of them, with cartels dealing in large amounts of narcotics, mostly cocaine. The opioid synthetic fentanyl is not believed to be being shipped through Venezuela, as much as the White House had made that claim. Fentanyl is largely produced in Mexico, with the precursor chemicals coming from China. It’s smuggled across the border at the Mexican/American border crossing as well as ports and even airports. With that being said the White House has also made statements about working with the Mexican government to fight the cartels there, using US special operations forces and Central Intelligence Agency agents. 

    Venezuela’s main cartel that the White House has focused on is the Cartel of the Sons (Cartel de los Soles). This cartel is thought by the Trump administration to be headed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as well as other high ranking members of the Venezuelan armed forces. 

    If the U.S. carries out ground strikes against cartel targets, especially cartel leadership there is a strong possibility it will lead to an open war being declared on the U.S. by Venezuela, especially as Maduro believes that Donold Trump is trying to remove him from power. 

    Analysis:

    It’s believed that with the arrival of the USS Ford and its strike group the U.S. military will eventually carry out ground strike missions with the intent of striking cartel targets linked to drug storage and production. That would cause the Venezuelan military to respond. We know they will because they have essentially said that they would. They have already started moving air defense systems and reaching out to their allies for support. Russia has sent several large transport planes to the country in recent weeks. 

    The U.S. has built a sizable force in the region as shown in the image below. Five Arleigh Burke Guided missile destroyers and two Ticonderoga-Class Guided missile cruisers make up the bulk of the missile attack capability that’s close by. We also have at least one submarine, likely two of the carrier came with her own as an escort.

    We don’t know if the U.S. will launch these strikes but Trump has signaled multiple times that this is a direction he wants to move in, even saying “the land is going to be next” following multiple strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels.

    Venezuelan media reported as this article was being finalized that they were mobilizing mass amounts of people and were preparing to mount a guerrilla style defensive in the event the U.S. tries to land soldiers in the country.

    Maduro on state TV mentioned a “prolonged resistance” with small teams spread across the country carrying out sabotage missions and other insurgent/guerrilla tactics.

  • Atrocities in Darfur, the slaughter of a city.

    (Reader discretion advised.)

    By. Scott Jackson

    10.31.2025

    The city of El-Fashar is in the Darfur province in the western region of Sudan. For the past eighteen months the city has been under a constant siege by members of the Rapid Support Force, or RSF. 

    The people of Sudan, for the last two years have found themselves trapped between a rock and a hard place. Since April in 2023 two rival factions of the Sudanese military have fought a bloody war for control of the country. Sudan is one of the most bloodied countries in the modern day with millions dead over the course of 20 something military coups and at least 3 civil wars since the 1950’s.

    This article looks at the background of that war, some of the players, and recent events.

    Background

    Omar al-Bashir who ruled as president of Sudan before being overthrown by two of his Generals.

    Tensions arose in 2019 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by the country’s current de facto leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as his Hemedti, the leader of the RSF, couldn’t agree on who should lead the country after they came together to overthrow the President, Omar al-Bashir, who came to power in a coup in 1989.

    General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, De facto leader of Sudan and leader of the SAF.
    Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as his Hemedti, the leader of the RSF.

    After the overthrow of Bashir the people called  for more democracy. They have been through military rule before and weren’t thrilled with the idea of doing it again so an agreement was made to establish a joint civilian/military government. It was short-lived and overthrown in 2021 by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Hemedti. At the time Al-Burhan was the leader of the country and  Hemedti was Al-Burhan’s deputy.  This is when the disagreements between the two men started with the tipping point being the attempt to fold the 100,000 man strong Rapid Support Force into the Sudanese army and who would lead that army. 

    There is some dispute to what side shot first, but the shooting started in April lf 2023 when RSF forces were being redeployed to various different locations around the country. The SAF saw this movement as a threat and from there thr battle for control of the capital city Sudan,  Khartoum began. The RSF quickly took most of the city and was only just in March of 2025 pushed back out. 

    The Siege of El-Fashar.

    The siege of El-Fashar (also called Al-Fasair) started 18 months ago in may of 2024. From the very start RSF forces halted the flow of humanitarian aid trucks from reaching the city causing mass starvation and an overall worsening condition for those inside the city. The city is important to the SAF as it is their last remaining stronghold  in the Darfur region. 

    During the siege the RSF would regularly shell the city with artillery, causing widespread destruction and deaths. In the first month of the siege the Médecine Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) reported widespread injury and death, over 140 had been injured and brought to their facilities in El-Fashir with the majority of the number being civilians. By April 21st they reported 44 killed and 279 wounded. The conditions in the city led to widespread looting, including the hospital. The destruction of the Abu Shouk refugee camp, home to over 100,000 displaced people was burnt to the ground in late April. 

    A brief ceasefire was held in late April and held until May 12th.  During the ceasefire SAF and RSF held positions to the East and West of the city, respectively. During this time civilian life almost returned to normal. One of three markets opened back up – even though by this time the banks had closed and inflation was a major problem in the city. At this time the prisoners in  the cities  prisons were released due to a lack of food and water. 

    It seems at this point gangs of roving gunmen formed in an attempt to secure food and supplies for their own, began to roam the street. These men seemed to have no loyalty to either RSF or SAF. Apart from this , general banditry ran rampant in the city. By June 2023 most of the city had no water.

    The siege went through various phases of ceasefire and open conflict. The city would be shelled and whitenesses endless gun battles in and around the city. Towards the later stages of the fighting in 2025 a berm was constructed around the city- presumedly by the RSF, to be used to keep people from fleeing(Noticed by researchers from Yale.

    Jumping to 2025 larger battles were taking place around the city, and thousands of civilians had been killed. Both the SAF and RSF were taking hundreds of casualties in some of the larger battles. It was in 2025 when the RSF started launching drone attacks against SAF in the city. They had also continued to block aid shipments to the city in a major blockade that the Sudanese army just couldn’t break. 

    Bodies left where they fell.

    Images released by the Yale School of Public Health showing evidence of widespread killings. Comparing images after the fall of the city with images from before.

    In the end the RAF forced the Sudanese army almost all the way out of the city and people in mass attempted to flee. The SAF began arresting people for running but eventually started moving their forces out of the city. As the RSF moved in they began rounding up civilians who remained and those attempting to flee. Those prisoners were interrogated and executed. Videos show dozens if not hundreds of executions took place,carried out in large part by a man whose name is believed to be Abu Lulu which is verified by BBC verify. Videos have surfaced on 10.31.2025 of that man being arrested by the RSF and thrown into prison. 

    Side by side photo shows a known photo of Abu Lulu beside the man seen on many of the videos of people being killed.

    These videos show men casually shooting men and women as they run away or as they are sitting on the ground after being captured. At one point Abu tells a group to run only as he guns them down after they run for a moment. 

    Satellite images which were studied and released by the Yale School for Public Health show the city and imply that the RSF went house to house interrogating and killing civilians. Red blotches can be seen in the sand which seem to indicate large pools of blood had been spilled there, some clusters of objects are believed to show where the bodies have been left on the ground, in the groups they were killed with.

    https://twitter.com/warfareanalysis/status/1982808696783519930?s=46&t=pPISHVltNhVr2rHvuYinRA

    Some more evidence of the RSF killings.

    View discretion heavily advised.

    https://twitter.com/sudanreeves/status/1983489723273531496?s=46&t=pPISHVltNhVr2rHvuYinRA

    https://twitter.com/warfareanalysis/status/1982808696783519930?s=46&t=pPISHVltNhVr2rHvuYinRA

    Who are the RSF?

    The RSF was formed in 2013 by presidential decree by Omar al-Bashir which mobilized  Arab herders to fight against black African insurgents in Darfur who were rebelling against al-Bashir’s leadership. They formed from the “Janjaweed” militia who were already active and militarized. The decree mostly just gave them better weapons and a more unified leadership. 

    The Janjaweed were made up of mainly the camel-herding nomads from the Mahamid and Mahariya branches of the Rizeigat ethnic group that ranged around northern Darfur and adjoining areas of Chad. This group has been active in the area long before the borders in the area were drawn. Their most infamous leader during the 2003-2005 Darfur war and massacres was Musa Hilal, chief of the Mahamid. 

    These tribesmen and fighters proved their worth to the President who further formalized their service calling them Border Intelligence Units.  

    Among these fighters in southern Drafur was one who proved effective time and time again. Mohamed Dagalo, known as “Hemedti” because of his baby-faced looks – Hemedti being a mother’s term for “Little Mohamed”. The name has stuck ever since. He first served in the Sudanese army but left at some point. He joined the Janjaweed and rose through the ranks to become a commander. 

    In 2007 a critical event happened in Hemedti’s career. He and his soldiers under his command rebelled from President Al-Bashir’s. He and his men felt they had been exploited by being sent to fight on the frontlines and being accused of some atrocities and then left with no support. When Hemedti and his soldiers left they vowed to  fight Khartoum “until judgement day”, and tried to cut a deal with the Darfur rebels.  

    This ended when Hemedti was offered a sweet deal. Back pay for his troops and ranks for his officers and even a promotion himself-to brigadier general. This promotion angered a lot of officers who went to staff college and felt he had done little to earn the title. He and his men accepted this and were folded back into the military of Sudan being put under a branch called the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), who were at the time planning a proxy war with the bordering country Chad. 

    It’s at this time it’s reported that Hemedti had a falling out with the chief mentioned earlier, Musa Hilal. The Generals of Sudan felt Hilal was untrustworthy for his multiple mutinies.  Al-Bashir’s generals wanted to deal with Hemedti. It was then in 2013 that the RFS was founded with Hemedti at the head. At the time Bashir thought of Hemedti as a friend and even had a nickname for him- “Himayti”, meaning “My Protector”. This nickname lasted until about the time gold was discovered in Darfur and Brigade General Hemedti decided he wanted to be one of the richest men in Sudan.

    Today the RSF is almost a whole different entity, funded heavily by outside state actors. They have received a lot of support from the UAE and Russia (through the Wagner group). The U.N. confirmed reports from sources in Sudan saying that the RSF was receiving weapons and ammo weapons shipments from the UAE several times a week. The UAE has aggressively sought to stop the expansion of Islamic influence across the Middle East. Hemedti has presented himself as a shield against the Islamist-leaning factions that established deep roots in the army and other institutions under Bashir.

    On the other hand General Burhan’s closest ally has been Egypt. The two countries share a border and both are currently led by military commanders who overthrew “democracy” elected leaders. The Sudanese government forces have also received support from Iran, using their drones in several major engagements.

    Analysis

    Sudan is a country where the civil war permeates much of the daily life of many of the country’s inhabitants. Refugees leave ome war torn area only to get caught in the next one.It would be a feat to even count the sheer amount of human rights violations taking place daily. The immense suffering, carried out on the Durfar population by the RSF is not helping them beat the allegations of an attempted genocide. 12 million people have been displaced ans more than half of the country is in need of humanitarian aid.

    The country’s economy has collapsed causing widespread shortages of goods and increase in prices on goods that can be provided. Poverty in the country is closing in on 60%.

    The complex relationship of all the players involved makes mediation of any kind difficult. Foreign powers being involved has only intensified and stretched out the length of the conflict, again, worsening the humanitarian issues. So far an estimated 150,000 have been killed since the conflict began in 2023.

  • Unrest in Cameroon

    By: Scott Jackson

    10.28.2025

    Violence has broken out across urban areas of the Central African country of Cameroon after a constitutional court decision giving president Paul Biya another 7 years term.The country’s opposition parties claim the election was rigged citing high numbers of people who voted in a region where armed separatist conflict is currently ongoing. 

    This election will see Paul Biya, who first won the presidency in 1982, saying in office till 2032. Biya will be nearing 100 at that time. He is the oldest world leader currently serving anywhere. This is his 8th consecutive term as President of the country of 30 million people. 

    The results of the election and the vote of the constitutional court has sparked a number of large uprisings and protests which the government has responded to with force. Opposition supporters have defied a countrywide ban on protesting and have taken to the streets, lighting police cars on fire, burning car tires in the street and barricading roads. Before the results from the constitutional court were annonced  a number of supporters had come out for opposition leader,Issa Tchiroma Bakary the leader of the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon party, those supporters were dispersed with police water cannons and tear gas. 

    Tchiroma claims he won the election with 55% of the vote which is not the official number which sits at 35.19%. Biya on the other hand ,officially, according to the constitutional court has 35.19%. 

    Tchiroma  is the candidate put forward by the political coalition “union for change” a group that brought together dozens of political parties and civil groups in an effort to oust Biya from power. Tchiroma has been a politician in the country for a long time and served as the government spokesperson during the years of fighting with Boko Haram. Considered by some to be a member of the “old guard”, he has promised change to come to Cameroon. 

    One candidate, Tomaïno Ndam Njoya who came out fifth in the election, said that the outcome of the election didn’t fairly represent the “sovereign will” of the country or its people. 

    “They reflect a weakened electoral system, undermined by irregularities, manipulation and repeated violations of the law,”Tomaïno Ndam Njoya

    The governor of the Wouri River Estuary, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, told the AFP news agency that protesters had attacked and burned police stations in several districts across the city of Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon. 

    As of yesterday four people had already been killed with dozens wounded. Videos being released online show riot police opening up with what seems to be live ammunition.

    (Video wouldn’t let me embed so here is the link.)

    https://twitter.com/l_kmer237/status/1982868989631164760?s=46&t=pPISHVltNhVr2rHvuYinRA

    The United Nations Secretary-General echoed concerns shared by the European Union regarding violence against the population. Both urge restraint and to not let hate speech and violence take over. Some human rights groups, like Amnesty International have launched investigations into the civilian deaths and “excessive use of force” against protesters. 

  • USS Nimitz losses two aircraft in South China Sea.

    USS Nimitz

    By. Scott Jackson

    10.26.2025

    Early reports from USS Nimitz about the loss of two aircraft in the South China Sea area both from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.. An FA-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were both lost in two separate incidents on Sunday. 

    Statement from US INDOPACOM. 

    “At approximately 2:45 p.m. local time, a U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the ‘Battle Cats’ of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier, reads a statement from U.S. Pacific Fleet. “Search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11 safely recovered all three crew members.”

    MH-60 Seahawk with the Battle Cats’ of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73.

    Following the incident, separately, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 also went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from Nimitz. Both crew members successfully ejected and were also safely recovered by search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11.

    “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22

    GCR analysis. 

    No word on specifics yet, if I had to guess I would say it was the nasty weather that just rolled through there. Image included. 

    South China Sea wind and weather around the time of the crash of the helicopter.
    The weather when the Super Hornet went down.

    Will update when I know more.

  • Russia test fires a nuclear cruise missile with a nuclear reactor.

    By. Scott Jackson

    10.25.2025

    On October 21st one of Russia’s top generals announced that Russia had carried out a test on the claimed, nuclear powered ‘Burevestnik’ subsonic cruise missile. 

    Burevestnik launcher.

    “We have launched a multi-hour flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it covered a 14,000km (8,700-mile) distance, which is not the limit,” Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting.

    Code named SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO this low flying cruise missile is suspected to be powered by a miniature nuclear reactor that kicks in after the missile has been launched conventionally from the ground. This reactor gives it an incredible range.

    General Gerasimov said the missile flew for a total of 15 hours on its latest test while its horizontal and vertical capabilities were tested. 

    “Therefore, it demonstrated high capabilities to bypass missile and air defence systems,” Tass reported Gen Gerasimov as saying.

    First mentioned in 2018 this missile has been debated in defense circles and among analysts who can’t agree on its claimed effectiveness. It’s suspected, and claimed by Russia, to be able to strike the United States, while being launched from anywhere in Russia. The missile can carry a conventional warhead but is designed with nuclear warheads in mind. 

    The News agency Reuters did an investigation into the suspected launch site for the weapon last year in September. This investigation concluded that the site for the launch of Skyfall was a nuclear storage facility located about 300 miles North of Moscow known as Vologda-20. 

    Vologda-20

    Decker Eveleth, an analyst with the CNA research and analysis organization found this satellite imagery and identified at least 9 horizontal launch pads under construction. The launch platforms are in three groups located inside a high berm to shield them from direct attacks. The high berm surrounding the groups also protects in case of accidental explosion from destroying or detonating the other missiles and  launchers. The site shows what Decker believes to be lightning rods to protect the large metal equipment from Mother Nature. 

    Closer look at the launchpads.

    The berms are further linked to roads which run to buildings where the missiles are likely being stored and serviced. 

    Decker concludes the site is built “for a large, fixed missile system and the only large, fixed missile system that they’re (Russia) currently developing is the Skyfall,”

    Because Skyfall’s launch site is connected to a nuclear weapons storage site, it will allow Russia to quickly pull from storage to load and fire the weapon. 

    GCR analysis.

    This missile has some interesting features if everything Russia says about it is true. A missile’s range is usually determined by how much fuel they can carry. Since this allegedly runs on a small nuclear reactor (after launch) this missile could loiter for extended periods of time. We are talking about maybe days of flight time here. This weapon also had a much lower suspected cruise altitude of a reported 164 to 328 feet, compared to conventional powered cruise missiles. 

    Some western sources believe that Skyfall’s subsonic speeds will make it detectable by current detection methods. A response to this by Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov says the weapon is designed to be used to knock out the “remnants” of the enemy’s command and control systems, military bases, factories and power plants after Russian ICBMs have already been launched, operating in areas where air defense is already weakened or destroyed.  

    So while detecting it might be possible, it’s not likely this weapon is going to be used for anything other than what I suspect would be the very last war the earth ever has. Even if it’s used in a conventional manner this weapon still contains nuclear material, and will leave behind radiation upon detonation.

  • United States Navy Aircraft Carrier ordered to Caribbean 

    By. Scott Jackson

    10.24.2025

    The Pentagon has announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN- 78) and its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is being redeployed to the Caribbean in an effort to bolster the forces currently involved in counter-narcotic operations in the region. This comes a day after the announcement that the White House was going to Congress with notice that the president was planning to conduct ground operations in Venezuela. These operations will likely target suspected drug production operations and other assets under the control of the cartels operating in the country. That being said, the Venezuelan military is unlikely to just watch as US forces carry out strikes in their country, meaning the U.S. will likely preemptively target assets under the control of Venezuelan President Maduro’s forces. Radar, air defense and any air units are to be a high priority for suppression or destruction. 

    At last report the Ford CSG was operating in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Italy and various parts of the Mediterranean. It will take the CSG at least several days to assume a position within range of Venezuela. 

    The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group includes the carrier along with three Areleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers acting as escorts. 

    USS Bainbridge DDG-96

    USS Mahan DDG-72

    The USS Winston Churchill DDG-81 is acting as the CSG’s Air Defense Commander. 

    Making up the air power of the CSG is Carrier Wing 8, made up of the following.

    The “Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31  F/A-18E

    The “Ragin Bulls” of VFA 37 – F/A-18E 

    The “Golden Warriors” of VFA 87 – F/A-18E 

    .The “Black Lions” of VFA 213 – F/A-18F 

    The “Gray Wolves” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142 – EA-18G  

    The “Bear Aces” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 124 – E-2D 

    The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VRC) 40 Det. – C-2A

    The “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 – MH-60R 

    The “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 – MH-60S 

    Fleet info pulled from various public sources as well as the GCR database.

  • A look at Venezuela’s Military Capabilities. 

    By. Scott Jackson

    10.23.2025

    With the announcement of United States ground operations planned for Venezuela, I thought we might take a look at the Ejército Bolivariano (Bolivarian Army) defenses and capabilities. What exactly are they working with and how will the US, using what we know they have in the region, counter these systems.

    First lets look at the most recent movements.This is a Buk-M2E Surface-to-Air Missile System (NATO-SA-27) spotted this morning in the area of Naiguata, on the coast of Venezuela. This is possibly the same system that was spotted in the same area several weeks ago and is set up in almost the same spot.

    The SA-27 has a maximum engagement range of around 70km (about 43 miles), and its search radar has a search range of over 150km(about 93 miles). We don’t see the Buk’s  “snowdrift” radar present in the image. If I was setting this up I would position the radar in the hills that overlook the coast, giving it a better view of the area. This system is no joke and has given Ukraine all sorts of problems in that war. The system can launch 4 missiles before needing a reload. 

    SA-27 and range circle.
    SA-27 on the beach of Naiguata.

    Venezuela’s military isn’t super modernized so a lot of the equipment they are working with are older Soviet/Russian systems, including S-300VM’s (NATO-SA-12A Gladiator)  which Maduro’s predecessor got in a deal to loan russia a couple billion dollars in the 2010s.Its reported they only have a limited number of these (Possibly 4 launchers) These have likely been repositioned to protect the capital and other strategic sites around the country. The range of these depends on the missile, which are the 9M83M and 9M82M. These are claimed to be able to hit targets out to a range of 81 miles and 124 miles, respectively. Each launcher holds 2 missiles each, and takes around an hour to reload.

    S-300VM Gladiator


    The last Surface to air missile system we will talk about is a lesser known one, The  S-125 Neva/Pechora (NATO- SA-3 Goa), Most well known for shooting down a F-111 Nighthawk over Serbia. This is an older system with a decent range of anywhere from 15km to 35+km depending on the actual missile used. 

    S-125 Neva/Pechora (NATO- SA-3 Goa)

    The last bit of air defense the EB possesses was reported on by mainstream media today with their story of Maduro threatening that he has 5000 missile systems at the ready, what he was referring to was the countries stock of Man portable air defense systems (MANPADS), mainly Igla-S (SA-24 Grinch) and the Swedish RBS 70. Short range rockets that can be fired by almost anybody but very short range. 6km(3 miles) up to 11,000ft, so not really a threat to anything flying at a normal altitude but still worth considering in mission planning. 

    While their air defense is outdated at best and possibly nonfunctioning in the worst of cases, their air fleet is nothing to ignore, around 20 Su-30MK2V Flanker’s make up the bulk of their fighting power. The Su-30 can be outfitted with the R-77 missiles (AA-12 Adder). This missile has a 50km(31Miles) range and is guided by a datalink from the jet before switching to an active radar guidance. It’s also been proposed that this weapon has a home-on-jam feature which forces the missile to target the source of any electronic jamming. 

    Su-30MK2V Flanker

    The flankers can also carry the R-27 (AA-10 Alamo) which are shorter range and use passive radar guidance as well as inferred, though not exactly.This missile comes in several variants, like the semi-active radar-homing R-27R and the infrared-guided R-27T, as well as the longer-range radar-guided R-27ER and the infrared-guided R-27ET. The R-27R is reportedly around 37 miles, and 31 miles for the R-27T. The extended-range versions are able to hit targets at a maximum range of 59 miles (R-27ER) or 56 miles (R-27ET).

    The close range engagements for the SU-30 are handled by the R-73(NATO-AA-11 Archer) which is similar to something like an AIM-9 Sidewinder. Includes features like all-aspect infrared seeker, high off-boresight capability, thrust-vectoring controls, and the ability to be cued by the pilot’s helmet-mounted sight.maximum range of around 18.6 miles against a head-on target, or 8.7 miles in a tail-on engagement

    Venezuela also possesses some (maybe 3 that fly) F-16A/B’s once purchased from the US in the 1980s, when relations were much warmer. Two of these were involved in a show of force conducted against an Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Jason Dunham, last month.These are not the F-16’s you might see today, these planes carry no beyond visible range weapons and lack the upgrades given to today’s F-16’s. The best weapon they possibly have is the Israeli supplied Python-4, a supplement for the AIM-9 Sidewinders. These are possibly the oldest and most out of date F-16’s flying in the world and are mostly there for show.

    U.S. Military buildup

    While the U.S. has comparatively unlimited resources to throw at this. Realistically they are more likely to use what they have in hand and what’s readily available. I’ve gone over most of this in the past but it’s worth a refresher. 

    Let’s start with what we won’t see. Last week, the White House confirmed that US President Donold Trump had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to operate within Venezuela. This is possible, probable even. 

    Image shows satellite photo showing the spec ops Ghost-ship M/V Ocean Trader in the Caribbean.

    We also have satellite images (confirmed later) that show that the MV Ocean Trader is in the area. This is a highly modified vehicular carrier and more so this  ship is a special forces helicopter/drone mothership. This lines up with images and reports that put the US Army 160th special operations aviation regiment ”Nightstalkers” in the area, possibly operating from the ship. 

    Little birds and Blackhawks from 160th Nightstalkers SOAR

    Moving on with the rest of the assets. Let’s start with everything that shoots a Tomahawk Cruise Missile. We have 3 Arleigh Burke-Class Guided Missile Destroyers.

    -USS Stockdale DDG-106

    -USS Gravley DDG-107 

    -USS Jason Dunham DDG-109

    USS Stockdale

     -We also have the Ticonderoga-Class USS Lake Erie CG-70.

    All of these are going to have around 32 cruise missiles apiece. 

    -In addition we have the submarine USS Newport News SSN 750 with another 12 Cruise missile.  

    -USS Wichita LCS 13 

    Three supply ships 

    -USNS Kanawha T-AO-196 

    -USNS Henry J Kaiser T-AO-187 

    -USNS Joshua Humphreys T-AO-188

    USNS Henry J Kaiser T-AO-187  replenishment oiler

    Next is the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (SOC) made up of the 

    -Wasp-class Amphibious Assault Ship USS Iwo Jima LHD 7

    -Amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio LPD 17, and USS Fort Lauderdale LPD 28. 

    The above group had limited air-to-ground capability with its Harriers as well as transport options for the marines stationed aboard. 

    Rounding this list off we have 

    -At least 10 F-35’s from the  “Vikings” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225 stationed at Puerto Rico’s Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. 

    At least two AC-130 Ghostrider Gunship 

    -a reported total of around 10,000 soldiers.(not sure if this includes the 2,000 marines) 

    We also have a collection of aircraft that have appeared in the region  but not necessarily stuck around,2 B-52H Stratofortress Bombers, B-1B-Lancer Bombers,  a number of KC-135 Stratotankers, Dozens of Cargo planes (C-5 Galaxy’s and C-130’s) EC-3 Sentry AWACS ,and P-8 Poseidon ASW/Maritime Patrol plane.  

    While this list is large, I’m sure it’s not all of the assets currently in the theater. One of the United States best advantages here is it being close to home, allowing them to call in pretty much anything they want. The question isn’t whether the Venezuelan military will be defeated, it’s more like “how long will they last?”

    As I finished this, a B-1B lancer flew just within range of where that BUK is sitting and then turned around. Playing Peek-A-boo. just thought that was interesting considering this article started with talking about the range of that system.

  • Ukraine makes big decisions regarding the future of its air power. 

    AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom

    By.Scott Jackson

    10.22.2025

    Two big announcements have come in the past three days signaling that Ukraine is looking to make changes to its military air power. Currently Ukraine’s military uses a mixture of old Soviet equipment plus whatever platforms have been bought or donated to them by their partners in Europe and America. 

    This weekend it was announced that Bell Textron, the American Aerospace company responsible for the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, have signed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ in Washington with the government in Ukraine. Essentially this starts the ball rolling on future aircraft deliveries, after the framework and support for the systems have been built in Ukraine. The statement released by the company and government of Ukraine mentions that these helicopters are likely to be built in Ukraine, bolstering Ukraine’s defense industry and going a far step to modernize Ukraine’s helicopter fleet.

    Ukraine’s helicopter fleet is currently made up of mostly old Soviet systems. The Mil Mi-24 (Hind) gunship has been a workhorse in the current war and while effective for what it does, It’s an older platform with limitations. This deal will give Ukraine a fleet of modernized helicopters with a proven track record of combat capabilities. A huge benefit is that the Venom and Viper share 84% commonality meaning training pilots and support crew is much quicker. 

    While this deal isn’t finalized it does signal that the process is in the works and should go through as long as the U.S. government agrees to it. If the deal goes through it’s likely a number of aircraft will be transferred to Ukraine so they can start training pilots and the support crew on their operations. 

    The AH-1Z Viper attack chopper is a twin engine attack helicopter with a speed of 300KTS and a range of 310 nautical miles. The platform provides an excellent ground attack platform, carrying a main gun as well as air-to-ground missiles with the option of carrying sidewinders for engaging air targets. These helicopters are also survivable in the worst cases with self sealing fuel cells and armored crash resistant seats for the crew. 

    The Venom on the other hand is a jack-of-all-trades workhorse. There is a reason it’s sometimes called the Super Huey as the spirit of the Huey from the Vietnam days lives on in the Venom. It’s mostly used for carrying supplies or troops but it can also be equipped with rockets and door guns in case you just really need the extra firepower or a AN/ALQ-231(V)3 Intrepid Tiger II sensor pod for precision electronic attack capabilities (maybe in support of a squad of Vipers, for example.) Its speed is similar to that of a viper however its unladen range is a bit further. With a 2000lb payload its range is 150NM.

    Ukraine’s helicopter fleet isn’t the only upgrade Ukraine is looking to. Just today Ukraine President Zelenskyy met with the Swedish government and signed another letter of intent, for the purchase of as many as 150 of the Swedish made Saab Jas-39 Gripen E fighter jets. 

    The Gripen is a single engine, supersonic, multi-role fighter jet. A highly maneuverable fighter, the Gripen is designed for what’s known as JAS in the Swedish language, Jakt (Air-to-air), attack (air-to-surface) and Spaning (Reconnaissance). The E version of this fighter is built with some higher end capabilities including electronic warfare, a more powerful engine, and increased weapons capacity.

  • U.S. continues strikes on drug boats in Caribbean

    A look inside the well deck of the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7)

    By.Scott Jackson

    10.19.2025

    The United States Department of Defense and White House released footage showing the destruction of a Venezuelan submarine reported to be involved in cartel drug trafficking operations and the transportation of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opiate. The sub was destroyed on Thursday. 

    While all the media and even this article calls the vessel a submarine it’s more like a semi- submersible. Most of the vessel is underwater but it doesn’t have the capability to fully submerge itself. If this vessel is anything like others that have been stopped trying to smuggle drugs into America in the past, it was made with fiberglass and plywood. 

    Video of the strike on the Venezuelan semi-submersible.

    The submarine had two survivors who were rescued by a US helicopter and taken to a Navy ship in the area. The men will eventually be repatriated to their home countries according to the US. The men are from Ecuador and Colombia.  The bombing of the sub killed two other men, both alleged to be Narco terrorists. Sending the men back to their home countries helps the US avoid any turbulent legal issues of detaining the men whose drug trafficking crimes don’t exactly fit under the laws of war.

    Neither the pentagon or the White House offered any other comments when asked by GCR or other media outlets. 

    Moving on to today, it was just several hours ago reported that the US said they had carried out a strike on a vessel associated with a Colombian leftist rebel group,National Liberation Army.

    This strike has led to a falling out between US president Trump and Columbian President Gustavo Petro as the Colombian President accused the US of murder.
    “US government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters. Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to the drug trade and his daily activity was fishing,” said Gustavo Petro on a post on social media. He added “The Colombian boat was adrift and had its distress signal up due to an engine failure. We await explanations from the US government.”

    Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro

    That US response was swift, with Trump and the White House cutting off all subsidies. Trump said the Columbian president  “is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Columbia”.

    Trump later ranted on Truth Social “It has become the biggest business in Columbia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America. AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLUMBIA,”

    Trump continued “The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc,” the president said.

    “Petro, a low rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”

    -Statement from Donold Trump.

  • Russian President admits Russian military at fault for the downing of Azerbaijan Flight 8243.

    By. Scott Jackson

    10.09.2025

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that the Russian federation is responsible for the downing of the Azerbaijani Airlines, Flight 8243 on Christmas Day 2024. 

    The plane, an Embaer 190 took off from Heydar Aliyev International Airport carrying 62 passengers and 5 crew. 

    The flight first experienced issues about 40 minutes after takeoff when it first entered the Russian airspace around Grozny. The pilots reported losing GPS navigational systems, due to jamming. The plane continued its approach at the Kadyrov Grozny International Airport in the Chechen capital. At this time the pilots reported twice tried to land at Grozny but were ultimately diverted due to fog. 81 minutes into the flight, and while the plane was still over Grozny,  passengers at this time reported an explosion and shrapnel striking the aircraft. The pilots thought they had experienced a bird strike and proceeded to initiate emergency protocols and squawked 7700, which signals to others that the flight is experiencing an emergency. They then turned back towards the Caspian Sea.

    The plane made it across the Caspian and back to Azerbaijan but the pilots were not able to maintain control of the aircraft while trying to put it down in Baku.  Video from the ground showed the plane changing altitude at a very quick rate as the plane pitched up and down as the pilots fought to bring the plane down with increasingly unresponsive controls. 

    Video from the crash of Azerbaijani Airlines Flight 8243.

    The plane ultimately crashed, bursting into a large fireball and split in half. Of the 67 people on board, 38 were killed. Almost immediately after the crash there were questions. What actually happened to flight 8243?

    Photos from the crash showed damage not consistent with a bird strike. Damage to the tail looked more like the damage from the explosion of an air defense missile. In fact, several passengers had been injured from shrapnel from the explosion. 

    An image from the crash. The tail of the plane shows shrapnel damage.

    Russia right away denied that this had happened. Several days later The New York Times put out a report which stated that Azerbaijani investigators believed that a Russian Pantsir S-1 had actually shot the plane. On February 4th, investigators found fragments from a Pantsir S-1 missile inside the airplane’s fuselage. 

    At the time the plane was attempting to land the city was under warning as Ukrainian drones had been spotted in the area and shot down. 

    On December 28th Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the “tragic incident” although he didn’t elaborate further on the incident. 

    Today the Russian president, speaking with the Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev, admitted to him that Russian air defense was responsible for the crash and that two Russian air defense missiles had exploded near the plane.

    The Russian President very rarely admits to mistakes by his military. More than a decade after a  Malaysian flight was brought down over Ukraine by Russian defense systems, Putin still denies Russian involvement.

    The previous denial of the Russian involvement in the Azerbaijani airlines flight has caused some tension between Russian and Azerbaijan causing Aliyev to become increasingly critical of Moscow, even offering support to Ukraine and condemning what he called the “soviet occupation” of Azerbaijan. Some in the country were even calling for the relationship between Russia and Azerbaijan to be cut. It’s likely this admission of guilt by the Russian leadership is more about saving the relationship with an increasingly strong ally.