fire4effect

I could see this as well as other variants like Sea Guardian etc taking over for most manned platforms for surveillance utilized by CBP DHS and USCG. Especially as AI improves. I was watching American Made the other day and I'm sure Barry Seals would have had a much tougher time against a 24/7 integrated network of these platforms. As brabus said it's the world we live in.

Looks like this thread continues on a couple parallel tracks. Agree with above. One game changer was the INF treaty going away allowing things like the Typhon Mid-Range Capability (combination of Tomahawks and SM-6s) for the Army. PRC tried intimidating the local countries including the Philippines in the South China Sea and the Philippines was only too happy to have the Typhon set up in their country. Putting as many of those mobile systems in that area should give the PRC some sleepless nights. Whether that results one day in a "Cuban Missile Crisis" of the Indo-Pacific is a whole other discussion.

Non stealthy Tanker Fleet. The Achilles Heel of a moder Air Force. In WW2 the lightning advance to Germany from Normandy stalled due largely the inability to keep the vehicles gassed up. Same reason the German Counter Offensive died in the Ardennes. No fuel to keep the Panzers moving. Even in Ukraine the original invasion stalled because of lack of fuel and the Javelin. If something is carrying a lot of fuel, it's inherently ready to turn into a fireball.

I'm little late to this thread and may have missed it in another discussion but I believe one of the released screenshots gave some clues to the source (potentially humint) of the targeting information. Now THAT is something that keeps me up at night and makes it hard to get others with information to come forward.

City Hall

I'd settle for getting SBRs and suppressors removed from the NFA. Full auto is better served when Uncle Sugar is buying the ammo anyway IMHO.

Another thing that struck me was how the local nationals trusted us in what was effectively a LE role more than they did their own government. We were often transparent to security details for foreign government officials in country because they saw no threat from us as a foreign occupying force but plenty of their own citizens as the real threat.

Very valid point. To that same point I knew a former police officer who left his department some time ago to go to the 135 world and he said one downside was if he came across a minor infraction like underage possession of alcohol or possession of a small amount of MJ he felt he almost had to write a citation versus say just confiscate or pour it out since everything was now on video.

Certainly, when utilized in the context of a mishap but given the sheer number of cameras in use monitoring everything we do I wouldn't be surprised that video evidence wouldn't be used to routinely check performance of individuals in any safety sensitive position. I mean the New York shooter showed just how much that city at least is being watched. I was honestly surprised at the nearly seamless level of surveillance. I don't doubt cameras monitor every step we take in most airports now outside the restrooms. Not saying I agree but it's the reality of the world we live in.

In the end I think insurance companies will be what drives a lot of change going forward. Want insurance in California? Here's what you're (state and individuals) gonna do. Insurance companies are the pseudo regulatory entities of our entire lives. I was laughing with a buddy the other day about how the FAA doesn't regulate aviation, insurance companies do. Florida building codes were substantially updated in the early 2000s for new construction to better resist hurricanes after a run of destructive storms.

Good way to earn your beer money. 🫡 Maybe just maybe California will decide that judiciously clearing some undergrowth is a good proactive measure instead of worrying about mice having a habitat. Has to be done smart to not create another issue with drainage/runoff. Unfortunate it takes a tragedy of this magnitude to affect change.

Question for the experts. So this is all happening outside traditional fire season. Has that limited the assets/personnel available to respond?

You know I'm surprised these haven't been mandated by someone in the FAA for airline pilots at some point. Imagine the fecal fullisade that would ensue if it ever came to pass.

VW commercial is an oldy but a goody. I sent it to several family members a few days ago and they agreed my warped sense of humor is very much intact. On a side note, it seems both individuals were dealing with divorces and to my engineering mind that looks to be "root cause" Some would say the number one cause of divorce is marriage. Just a thought.

Certainly, wasn't trying to stir anyone's pot just an observation on the handling of the airframe. Tail dragger types do raise the operational risk level.

Was taxiing at a midwestern airport a few days ago and watched one of these log at least 2 landings on one pass down the runway. In fairness there was a decent gusting x-wind but it appears the pilot had his hands full. I admit I probably would have too.

DIY exploding drones are changing the game in Ukraine war | Watch

Hopefully something like this.

Not saying it happened here but so many infractions it seems especially at the federal level have the potential for some pretty draconian penalties. Prosecutors love when something can carry a 25-year sentence even when they rarely get that much because it's a really big club to coerce a plea deal and they don't have to actually prove anything in court. Trial penalty is real especially when most of us can't afford a high-priced legal team to keep the government honest. They have unlimited taxpayer money and will go home at the end of the day no matter the outcome.

Ironically the cumbersome and widely varying (read inefficient) processes across states makes it more difficult to instigate large scale fraud.

Another case involving Alexander Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh (2 of the 4 "Beatles" terrorist cell) got life in SuperMax because the Brits don't have the death penalty and that was the condition for cooperation. To me the solution is easy. Put them all in general population in USP Hazelton WV where Whitey Bulger lasted less than an hour. This time they'll get a real "jury of their peers" and the problem will take care of itself.

Sooner

You know as I stood in line to vote yesterday, I thought back to 2005 and Iraq's first election post Sadam. No armored vehicles surrounded my polling location, and I felt pretty sure a VBIED wasn't going to plow into the parking lot. What a country we have.

A lot is the daily grind for a solid year. Riding a dirt road in a Humvee day in day out wondering if the next turn has an IED. Think Bob Woodruff of ABC News north of Baghdad in 2006. He did a special where he returned to the scene of the attack about a year ago. Pretty powerful and its online. IDF can put everyone on the front line or as some would say the enemy is airmailing you the IED. Hell a guy in the gym on the squat rack was killed by a rocket in the Green Zone. I will certainly admit flying an aircraft any aircraft is way more fun. Though Tammy Duckworth and her Blackhawk caught the RPG not far away near a town called Tarmiya in late 2003. The town was a former "resort" on the Tigris River for the Bath Party, so they didn't think much of Americans. One way to look at it is the randomness of it all. You can patrol all day long and nothing happens so nothing memorable. The Humvee 5 minutes behind you gets hit and for them certainly a "significant emotional event" As many of you noted Afghanistan deployments had a wide variety of flavors depending on when you were there and your mission at the time. Same as it was in Iraq. My trip to Afghanistan was for me actually pretty tame by comparison but back to that one word "random"