Word.

The Zumwalt-class destroyer will never be the battleship of the twenty-first century. It’s the U.S. Navy’s version of the Russian Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.

Yet another multi-billion dollar failure.

Yet, the instant that the Zumwalt-class appears to conduct strikes against enemy ground targets, they can be visually spotted by an enemy scout wielding binoculars. The reduced radar cross-section provides little protection for the warship when operating within the visual range of the enemy. 

What’s more, the moment the Zumwalt fired its payload its stealth would be gone, as the enemy would quickly discern that the Zumwalt was a destroyer rather than some fishing boat off their coast. 

So, even the vaunted stealth capabilities of these boats are not that great.

And what about the “impressive” weapons systems of these boats? Well, they’re not impressive. Originally, Zumwalt’s Advanced Gun System (AGS) was trumpeted as the great weapon system of its time. It was deemed a total failure. That’s because the specialized 155 mm rounds designed for these systems, the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP), became too expensive to mass produce. 

So, the Pentagon reduced the ammunition order, meaning that there was an artificial limit to how many rounds each ship would have in combat. That made the guns unusable. 

This led to the calls by the Navy to embrace the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapons platform. Launched from Multiple All-Up Round Canisters (MACs), each MAC holds three CPS missiles. According to their specifications, the CPS is a boost-glide missile with a kinetic-energy warhead that can travel upwards of Mach 5 (3,800 miles per hour). 

Here’s the problem: the CPS is in no way ready for showtime. Given the limitations of the Navy’s budget under current conditions, it is unlikely that the Navy will be able to develop these proposed weapons promptly. 

So, here again, the Zumwalt-class destroyers are failing to deliver. 

Zumwalt-Class: Don’t You Dare Call This Destroyer a Battleship

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Are we witnessing the dawn of a new geopolitical crisis in Asia? As South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol declares martial law over perceived threats from the North, the region teeters on the edge of upheaval. This episode of the Kyle Angelo show dives into the fallout from this dramatic move, analyzing its impact on South Korea’s political landscape. We explore Yoon’s strategic gambit against a backdrop of declining popularity and a strengthening opposition, while weighing the implications of a possible Trump return and its effect on U.S.-North Korea diplomacy.

The storm clouds over Ukraine are no less ominous, as Keith Kellogg shares his contentious perspectives on the U.S. and NATO’s role in the ongoing conflict. Kellogg advocates for a UN-enforced no-fly zone, despite the perilous risk of sparking a broader war. We unpack his vision for supporting Ukraine with advanced weaponry while keeping American boots out of the fray, and how this aligns with his broader strategy to focus on China. The episode sheds light on the intricate geopolitical chess game, where every move could tip the balance of power.

Tracing the evolution of U.S. policy on Ukraine, we contrast the varied approaches of Obama, Trump, and Biden. From non-lethal aid to aggressive sanctions, we critique these policies and their impact on the conflict’s trajectory. The recent decision by the West to arm Ukraine with long-range missiles marks a significant escalation, and we scrutinize the incoming Trump administration’s apparent backing of this aggressive stance. This episode promises a gripping examination of the escalating conflict and its broader implications for global security, touching on the strategic roles of North Korea, Iran, and China.

One billion dollars for twisted metal for ten F35 crashes, soon you’re talking real money.

The incident rate with respect the US Air Force (USAF) has continued to decline since the 1950s as safety practices have increased and technology has matured. During the 1950s, approximately 23.6 aircraft were destroyed per 100,000 flying hours, this continually declined through to 1960s when the number of aircraft destroyed per 100,000 flying hours dropped to approximately 4.3.

That’s an impressive record.

And then the F35 stumbles on the stage. And remember, this is peacetime and not wartime.

Ten losses and the majority are pilot error which is a reflection of training and the increasing pressure on the forces to “diversify” the cockpit (can I say that?) from 2018 to 2024.

F-35 Crash incidents from 2022 to 2024

Of the 10 incidents listed, six were due to pilot error and three were due to mechanical issues, and the final incident (May 28, 2024), the author could not determine the cause of the crash.

https://simpleflying.com/f-35-fighter-jet-crashes-record/

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A crashed RN F35 on the seafloor.*

My readers knew all of this already; the Royal Navy will not be mission effective as a blue water navy after 2030 and the era of aircraft carriers is over.

Eight billion dollars for future fish apartments.

Eight billion dollars.

Kit Klarenberg goes into exquisite and painful detail on the lack of planning, shortsightedness and criminal negligence in being complete unaware of the Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMA) that are foreshadowing surface navies quickly demolished and sunk by munitions a fraction of the cost of these doomed capital ships.

Western military hegemony will sunset in your life time and the sun set on the British Empire quite awhile ago.

On November 15th, The Times published a remarkable report, revealing serious “questions” are being asked about the viability of Britain’s two flagship aircraft carriers, at the highest levels of London’s defence establishment. Such perspectives would have been unmentionable mere months ago. Yet, subsequent reporting seemingly confirms the vessels are for the chop. Should that come to pass, it will represent an absolutely crushing, historic defeat for the Royal Navy – and the US Empire in turn – without a single shot being fired.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales first set sail in 2017 and 2019 respectively, after 20 years in development. The former arrived at the Royal Navy’s historic Portsmouth base with considerable fanfare, a Ministry of Defence press release boasting that the carrier would be deployed “in every ocean around the world over the next five decades.” The pair were and remain the biggest and most expensive ships built in British history, costing close to $8 billion combined. Ongoing operational costs are likewise vast.

 

He goes on:

As elite US foreign policy journal National Interest acknowledged in March 2024, “the Royal Navy remains unable to adequately defend or operate” its two carriers “independently” – code for the Empire being consistently compelled to deploy its own naval and air assets to support the pair. This is quite some failure, given British officials originally intended for the vessels to not only lead NATO exercises and deployments, but “slot into” US navy operations wherever and whenever necessary.

The Empire’s inability to outsource its hegemonic duties to Britain has precipitated a critical “carrier gap”. Despite maintaining an 11-strong fleet, Washington cannot deploy the vessels to every global flashpoint at once, grievously undermining her power and influence at a time of tremendous upheaval worldwide. In a bitter irony, by encouraging and facilitating London’s emulation of its own flawed and outdated reliance on aircraft carriers, the US has inadvertently created yet another needy imperial dependant, further draining its already fatally overstretched military resources.

Read the whole thing and you will find the captured defense journalism class won’t utter these words.

https://www.kitklarenberg.com/p/collapsing-empire-rip-royal-navy?r=24rayn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

* The F-35 the Brits crashed was due to their failure to remove one of the inlet plugs, which the MOD calls “intake blanks.” It’s bright orange and covers the entire air inlet. Impossible to miss unless everyone was drunk or British. In this case, it wasn’t the F-35’s fault. The MOD clown posse admitted this in a report.

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Welcome back to the Kyle Anzalone Show! In today’s explosive episode, we look into the escalating tensions that have many questioning whether we are on the brink of World War III. The recent transfer of long-range missiles from the US to Ukraine marks a significant escalation in an already volatile conflict with Russia. As President Vladimir Putin responds with threats and military action, including hypersonic strikes against Ukrainian facilities, it’s clear that this situation is rapidly deteriorating.

We’ll explore how these developments reflect a broader strategy by the Biden administration and what they mean for international relations moving forward. With Putin asserting his right to target military installations in countries supporting Ukraine’s offensive capabilities, concerns about global security are at an all-time high.

Additionally, we’ll analyze key insights from a recent New York Times article that sheds light on the Biden administration’s mindset regarding this crisis and its potential implications for future conflicts. Are we witnessing a dangerous miscalculation? How does this align with past administrations’ approaches to foreign policy?

Finally, we unpack the controversy surrounding Tulsi Gabbard and allegations of her being a Russian asset. Could her foreign policy stance shape a future Trump administration? Don’t miss this deep dive into the intricate web of global politics, where every decision carries profound consequences.

COL John Boyd was a singular mind in military matters and had a terrific impact on shattering some of the myths that have made the American military art since 1945 so awful and mired in defeat.

Boyd was a heavy intellectual lifter in innovative ideas and one of the design inspirations for the F16.

Like COL Douglas Macgregor, he was such a maverick, they had no chance of getting into the august flag ranks because they possessed innovative martial imagination, a mastery of their craft and did not care to spend their professional waking hours in Machiavellian whispers and palace intrigue. It is one reason why the flag officers in America consistently lose wars, they are professionally incapable of winning conflicts with a spotless track record of stalemate and defeat.

So, if you get a chance, take a gander at Boyd’s legendary slide deck that examined his theories of patterns of conflict.

Patterns of Conflict

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