French media reported that last Thursday night while patrolling in international airspace over the Baltic Sea a Atlantique 2 French MPA (Maritime Patrol Aircraft) was targeted by the radar of a S-400 air defense system. This aircraft additionally had its radar jammed, a constant problem around the Kaliningrad area for commercial as well as military flight, but added with that the fact it was lit up by a S-400s fire control radar at the same time shows a clear case of aggression and attempted intimidation on the side of the Russians.
Atlantique 2 MPA
The French military viewed this for the hostile act it was with Colonel Guillaume Vernet, the spokesperson for the French armed forces saying “Illuminating our aircraft in international waters with radar is an aggressive action. The professional attitude of the crew prevented any escalation“.
S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler)
While the French navy regularly sends Maritime patrol aircraft into the Baltic for the NATO mission to ensure safety of navigation and air and sea policing as well as surveillance of Russian forces. Recently the deployment of these assets have been increased in response to several recent incidents in the past several months where underwater electric and data cables have been damaged or cut.
The EstLink 2 cable carried electricity between Estonia and Finland before December when if was damaged by a ship, the EagleS which had allegedly dragged its anchor across it and several other cables damaging them. The ship and crew have been impounded since that incident pending investigation. EagleS is believed to be apart of the Russian shadow fleet, a fleet of cargo and oil transport ships using ships flagged in other countries but being used to circumvent sanctions on Russia.
Allied Command Operations (ACO) which is responsible for planning and carrying out all NATO operations has announced Baltic Sentry.
“Baltic Sentry will deliver focused deterrence throughout the Baltic Sea and counter destabilizing acts like those observed last month,” said U.S. Army General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe. “It is indicative of the Alliance’s ability to rapidly respond to such destabilization, and shows the strength of our unity in the face of any challenge.”
Baltic Sentry is described as a “multi-domain mission taken forth by NATO in the Baltic Sea to deter any future attempts by a state or non-state actor to damage critical undersea infrastructure there. NATO views the undersea links as critically important to the defense of these nations.
The US military has been engaged in defensive operations against the Yemeni Houthis for the past 15 months in the waters of the Red Sea and in the Arabian Sea as well as the sky’s above Yemen. Several different US carrier strike groups have been deployed into the area to protect the billions of dollars of international commerce that moves through the Red Sea daily heading to and from the Suez Canal. The Houthis have targeted any ship they believe is connected in any way to America or Israel as a way to show support for Palestinian terror group Hamas and their war with Israel in Gaza.
The Head of Naval Surface Forces Vice Admiral Brendan McLane revealed at a Surface Navy Association conference that was attended by journalists from The War Zone( TWZ is great, I always recommend them when they come up) just how many munitions had been expended in the operation. Statements made by the Vice Admiral also give us a more detailed look at how the operation has been going and what US forces as well as their European allies have been dealing with. US CENTCOM which is the United States military command over The Middle East region regularly puts out reports and social media post however they can sometimes be sparse with the details.
The U.S. Navy Surface Fleet has expended 400 individual munitions against the Iranian backed Houthis.
The Vice Admiral also gave an example of the current state of modern surface warfare by talking about a recent engagement that the sailers aboard the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111).
“They were in a fight where they shot down 3 anti-ship ballistic missiles(ASBM), 3 anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) and 7 one-way [unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs],” McLane said. “So that’s how it kind of rolls up.”
USS Spruance (DDG 111) after its return to its homeport, Naval Base San Diego, Cali
I’d like to break down the specific munitions, what they are used for, and maybe most importantly- the cost to the American taxpayers.
USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) fires an SM-2 missile.
SM-2 missiles (RIM-66)
120 expended. This missile is the workhorse of US navy air defense, being used to take out incoming anti ship missiles as well as other
missiles and incoming enemy jet fighters.. High speed-highly maneuverable and considered one of the best in the world at what it does. The Sm-2 has a reported range of 90 nautical miles and can reach an altitude of 65,000 ft. A cornerstone of the fleets layered air defense systems.
SM-2
Cost vary on specific missile block but these come in at roughly $2 million USD per.
The U.S. is reported to have around 12,000 of these in its stocks.
US Aegis Destroyer intercepts Medium-Range Ballistic Missile with new SM-6 SWUP Missile.
SM-6 missiles (RIM-174)
80 expended
This is a newer addition to the fleet and the navy has a more limited stock of these missile with only 500 being reported to have been delivered according to the Raytheon website.
Coming equipped with the active radar seeker found in the Air-to-air AIM-120C AMRAAM, This missile is capable of a wide range of task being capable of defensive anti air against missile (including ballistic missile in their final terminal phase) as well as manned and unmanned air units. Its high speed also makes it a useful anti surface weapons although it’s high cost makes other weapons better choices. The thought behind this missile was warship today have limited space and a weapon that can effectively do everything is a benefit. The explosive warhead as opposed to a hit-to-kill style missile makes this missile capable of potentially defeating the Chinese DF-21D and DF-25B anti-ship ballistic missiles.
SM-6 missile profile.
Cost average around $3.9 million per.
A combined 20 expended from the
Sea sparrow and the SM-3.
Sea Sparrow launch
Sea Sparrow ESSM
Medium-range, semi-active homing missile that makes flight corrections via radar and midcourse data uplinks. The missile provides reliable ship self-defense capability against agile, high-speed, low-altitude anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), low velocity air threats (LVATs), such as helicopters, and high-speed, maneuverable surface threats
Sea Sparrow Profile
$787K – $972K depending on configuration
SM-3 launched from the USS McCampbell (DDG 85) intercepts ballistic missile .
SM-3 (RIM-161)
The SM-3 is the main ballistic missile defense of the fleet. It uses its powerful kinetic energy to utilize a hit-to-kill method of attack. It has a lower production rate than everything else on the list which also puts a heavy cost on these missile, especially if you have to fire more than one at a time.
SM-3 missile profile
Anywhere from $10 million to $30 million (this price likely to come down some as missile production is ramped up as announced earlier today.
While the expenditure of these weapons is something to be concerned about it only highlights the logistical issues that the US would have in a near peer, great power conflict when the amount of munitions expended in the Red Sea over the past year would equal only several days of fighting in say the pacific against China. Addressing these procurement and cost issues is paramount if the US is to remain a dominant force on the world’s stage.
Once hailed as a beacon of hope for democracy in Southeast Asia ,Myanmar has descended into chaos and violence. Two years after a military coup toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country teeters on the brink of collapse.An ongoing crackdown on civilians and ethnic minorities by the military Junta has claimed the lives of at least 5,000,(according to a report from the Untied Nations)imprisoned thousands and sparked a humanitarian crisis-and a civil war.
Myanmar’s military crackdowns have intensified with attacks on ethnic minority groups and towns of late. These attacks have caused widespread destruction. Town such as Kale, in Sagaing Region and Loikaw in Kayah state have been bombed and burned by junta airstrikes and artillery attacks.
The communities of ethnic Shan, Rohingya and Chin minorities have also faced sporadic targeted violence and displacement. The accusations against the military towards these groups are grim and include extrajudicial killings, gang rapes, arson and infanticides.
Since 2021, the Kyat (Myanmar currency) has fallen by 60% and has caused hyperinflation. The Kyat, today is worth 2101 Kyat compared to 1 US dollar. This inflation has caused banks and services based on currency to struggle with cash shortages.Some in the country have struggled because their bank accounts have been frozen.
International corporations and businesses have moved their business away from Myanmar and Trade in the country has also been affected with exports down 30% and imports down 40% year over year. Food and fuel prices have skyrocketed to unbelievable prices.
All of this has left the economy gasping for air and contributed vastly to an ongoing humanitarian crisis with 46% of the population estimated to be beneath the poverty line.
The coup was carried out on the orders of one man. Former Burmese Army General and chief of the Bureau of Special Operations, Min Aung Hlaing. Hlaing, before the coup has been the leader of the Tatmadaw (the armed forces of Myanmar) officially called the Commander-In-Chief of Defense Services since March of 2011. He was born in 1956 which makes him 69 this year. That will come up later.
In January of 2021 Hlaing, as the commander in chief of defense services approached the different political parties of the country and hints at their being “instability” in Myanmar. In Myanmar, even before this latest takeover the Tatmadaw held a considerable of power in the government. A clause in the 2008 constitution (that the military wrote) lets the military hold up to 25% of the legislative seats. Another clause(known as the coup-i-waiting clause) allows the president to declare an emergency and hand power to the military leadership.
The instability brought up to the Myanmar political party’s (some of them being just the military) was likely just the election of parliament chancellor Aung San Sui Kyi in 2020 who is noted as being a “dissident”. The old guard of military political generals didn’t like that their military political party lost some of its power Min who was being forced from his position because of his age (told you it would come up) he had already delayed his retirement by 5 years and had presidential ambitions for after his military service but his party’s loss in the 2020 election ruined this plans. At this point the military took power on the day parliament was set to open, arresting Aung and the president and giving control to General Min- now Prime minister Min.
Since then the military has responded harshly to both peaceful protest and armed resistance with no sign of any return to democracy. The international response (besides Russia and China) condemn the military of Myanmar and have levied sanctions against them however there is no end in sight and no rescue for the citizens of this tragedy. However. It does seem the tide is somewhat turning as various ethnic militias who in the past have fought against each other in Open combat have come together and picked up arms against the military who have been losing ground steady since the start of the coup.
The past several days firefighters from multiple departments across different states and nations have aided the city of Los Angeles California as they battle a number of apocalyptic wildfires raging across parts of the city and the hills surrounding the city of angels.
Video shows a one part of those efforts a C-130H ‘Hercules’ equipped with Modular Aerial Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) and used to drop fire retardant chemicals on the fires. This one is owned and operated by The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection however MAFFS equipment can also quickly be installed in other C-130s (supplied by the Department of Defense)if a situation overwhelms firefighters and extra surge aerial units are required. Which is whats happening in California. The C-130 equipped with MAGFS can water bomb almost 14 tons of fire retardant in less than 5 seconds making this a valuable asset in a situation like this where the combined fires have ate up tens of thousands of acres of land.
US military units have been arriving since yesterday to assist the exhausted fire fighting crews. US NORTHCOM specifically sent 8 C-130s to assist.
These units were sent to the Channel Islands in Southern California. March Air Reserve Base has been designated a FEMA incident support base and being used for the forward logistics of the firefighting operation.
The condition in Los Angeles is dire with crews working nonstop to contain all 4 of the major fires currently destroying parts of the city. The Palisades fire is currently estimated to be around 11% contained however it’s now moving inland towards Brentwood and other communities.
Latest reports from city officials puts the total deaths caused at 16 although that number is likely to be higher yet when all is said and done. A number of people are reported missing during all of this as they never showed up to safety after staying behind to protect their properties.
Multiple factors led to this specific outbreak of fires being as devastating as it is. Hurricane level winds that reached around 100MPH kept air crews grounded at the start of the fire which could have played a huge role in minimizing its damage. Another issue was water as firefighters could be heard calling “we got dry hydrants” on the radio last Wednesday. While improved water pressure in the Pacific Palisades region would have helped it still wouldn’t have been enough to battle a wildfire in its own, the city’s water system isn’t designed for that kind of strain all at once.
Another huge issue being talked about is funding for the fire department itself. Los Angeles is no stranger to wildfires and it’s reckless and almost criminal to defund these guys when the rate of wildfires per year is growing yearly. The lack of humidity for this time of year in the area played a huge role creating a bunch of fried up trees and overgrown but dry brush.
-Scott
Please bear with me as I learn how to operate the website. I know things are a little wonky right now but I wanted to get things running sooner rather than later. I hope you all enjoy!
Global Conflict Reporting 
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