Free Republic

WASHINGTON – The tip of the spear may be losing its edge. Navy SEAL teams don't have enough combat rifles to go around, even as these highly trained forces are relied on more than ever to carry out counterterrorism operations and other secretive missions, according to SEALs who have confided in Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. After SEALs return from a deployment, their rifles are given to other commandos who are shipping out, said Hunter, a former Marine who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. This weapons carousel undercuts the "train like you fight" ethos of the U.S. special...

Future talks will determine what defense equipment could be supplied, although Gazmin told reporters without elaborating that Japan has initially offered a surveillance aircraft. “This agreement would really substantiate the Philippines and Japan being strategic partners,” Gazmin said in remarks during the signing ceremony at the Department of Defense in metropolitan Manila which was not opened to the press. “Let me stress that what underpins this agreement is not only our desire to enhance our respective defense capabilities but also to contribute to regional peace and stability.” Neither side mentioned China’s increasingly assertive behavior in disputed areas but that has...

New Russian tanks sent to Syria have been able to survive hits from US-made TOW missiles, although their anti-missile counter-measures have yet to be seen in combat. In a report on new weapons in the Syrian conflict, Robert Fisk noted tank-based anti-missile systems, as well as night vision and reconnaissance systems. Although new the tanks supplied to the Syrian army have the ability to deflect TOW-like missiles, their full implementation has yet to be seen. A video released by rebels showed the T-90 surviving a hit by a TOW missile, but an open hatch prevented the deployment of an aerosol...

Jihadis in Syria are using Facebook as a marketplace to buy, sell and barter a wide variety of American-made weapons and munitions ranging from rocket launchers to machine guns. A Facebook page called "The first weapons market in the Idleb countryside" showcases posts with photographs of weapons, claimed to be CIA-supplied, inviting buyers to contact page administrators privately using popular messaging application Whatsapp to discuss sales and transactions. An AGS-17 Soviet-era grenade launcher is listed for $3,800 and below that a thermal camera made by Oregon-based company FLIR, is listed alongside posts advertising the sale of 105mm cannon shells.

Since 1928, the battlefields of the world have seen an oddball Soviet-era weapon that proves the truth of the old saying, “Looks aren’t everything.” Its nickname was once “Stalin’s phonograph” — and the staccato tune it plays is the sound of automatic fire. Used by the Russians to gun down both the Finns and the Nazis, hefted by Chinese communist and North Korean troops fighting United Nations forces, and carried by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese when attacking American soldiers, the Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova Pekhotny — better known as the DP light machine gun — has spilled a...

A.J. Strata informs us that Sidney Blumenthal has leaked the fact that NSA is assisting Israel in tracking weapons shipments from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah, gaining him anti-Israel supporters and (one hopes) a chance to talk to the grand jury investigating NSA leaks: Why would Sydney Blumenthal risk everything to publicize the fact he has been leaked – and is publicizing – classified information? The leftwing, anti-Israel sites are lapping this up. But my guess is Sidney just won himself an invite to a Grand Jury looking into leaks at the NSA:

The top U.S. intelligence official told Congress on Tuesday that Iran could move forward with the construction of a nuclear weapon at any time and that there is no way to know the Islamic Republic will build these weapons following the implementation of a landmark agreement hailed by the Obama administration as a definitive step towards preventing an Iranian nuclear bomb. James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told Congress during an open hearing that despite an intelligence budget in the billions, his office remains uncertain about Iran’s nuclear intentions. “We do not know whether Iran will eventually decide to...

Russia has deployed the new version of the Pantsyr air defence system to its Humaymim airbase in Syria, footage broadcast by the RT news channel on 3 February has confirmed. Russia has had at least one Pantsyr-S1 at Humaymim since 3 October 2015, when its Ministry of Defence released a photograph showing one in the background.

Wartime U.S. presidents have taken keen personal interest in picking the most lethal gun for the military. But in President Obama's first foray into small-arms procurement for the armed forces, his Jan. 4 executive order on gun control directs the Pentagon to find ways to make not so much more lethal firearms, but safer ones. His direct order has brought a few snickers among retired combatants who argue that the commander in chief is issuing his directive at a time of more pressing small-arms priorities. The military, critics say, fields a flawed personal rifle and has spent more than a...

U.S. Army Sgt. Ivan Schwartz survived D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge by remaining very, very careful. Schwartz had landed on Utah beach, going ashore when the sand was littered with dead men and smashed vehicles. He carried rounds for an 81-millimeter mortar, survived a close call when Allied planes dropped bombs close to friendly lines, and strung wire for a field telephone to a forward observer post while under artillery fire — an act that earned him the Bronze Star.

Russian Kamov Ka-52 (NATO reporting name “Hokum-B”) helicopters would be about to deploy to Syria according to a source who talked to ITAR-TASS.

Hickock45 explains what he thinks might have caused the problem(s) with his popular youtube channel being terminated. Repeatedly. Plus, why it was reinstated -besides a lot of people causing a fuss about its disappearance.

The U.S. Navy has been in discussions with shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls about the possibility of building a missile defense variant of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock (LPD-17). The new vessel could eventually be equipped with new radars, railguns and lasers. The massive 25,000-ton troop carrier has the size and weight margins for the mission, according to industry officials. “You can put a lot of additional weight on the ship and you can put … some modern technologies like ballistic missile defense radars that are very heavy,” Huntington Ingalls vice president Brian Cuccias told reporters at the Surface Navy Association...

What’s the most powerful weapon in the sci-fi universe? How does a lightsaber in Star Wars compare to the energy sword of Halo? What about a Death Star vs Dr. Who’s reality bomb? And how do they match up with a real life nuclear bomb? Foundation Digital made this infographic for Fat Wallet detailing the top sci-fi weapons in history measured by their “energy of devastation in Joules.”

Church bells rang on Sunday morning, Aug. 23, 1914 in the Belgian city of Mons — an industrial town that stood in the way of the advancing German army’s plan to crush the British Expeditionary Force. The Tommies – 70,000 strong – were dug in along the Mons-Conde canal and had occupied the town. Bearing down on them was a German force of 160,000 soldiers and hundreds of artillery pieces. As the faithful made their way to mass, the German 1st Army launched an attack, concentrating on the northernmost point of a salient formed by a loop in the canal.

Admittedly, I'd rather not be shot with either, but if I had to choose, I'd take a round from the AK-47 over the M4 any day of the week. To add a caveat to that statement, I'm talking from relatively close range here — say up to 150 to 200 meters. To understand why, it's important to first take a very basic look at the physics behind terminal ballistics. In this case, consider the science of what happens when a penetrating missile enters a human body.

For almost 30 years the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon has been the go-to light machine gun for U.S. Army infantry squads — and Marine Corps squads, too, until recently. And now you can walk into your local gun shop and purchase a semi-automatic M-249S SAW, a replica of the fully-automatic M-249. FNH USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Belgian weapons manufacturer FN Herstal, began selling the semi-automatic version of the weapon on the civilian market in November as part of their new Military Collector Series, which also includes replicas of their M-4 carbine and M-16 assault rifle. Fans of black guns...

Northrop Grumman has revealed a tantalising image of a new stealth 'superjet' capable of firing laser weapons. The so called 'sixth generation fighter' is rumoured to fly at supersonic speeds, although Northrop Grumman, who are developing it, say the specifications are still secret. The stealth craft is expected to use advanced cooling systems to help disguise its laser systems. Known internally as NG Air Dominance, the craft features laser weapons. The so called 'sixth generation fighter' is rumoured to fly at supersonic speeds, although Northrop Grumman, who are developing it, say the specifications are still classified. ==================================================================================================================== Chris Hernandez, Northrop's...

Have police foiled an ISIS chemical weapons plot in Europe? Two Syrian terror suspects are arrested in Geneva for 'making and transporting explosives and toxic gases' Two suspected Syrians were arrested in Geneva on suspicion of transporting 'explosives and toxic gases' as part of a probe into a terror threat. Switzerland's attorney general said the men were also suspected of making and hiding the dangerous materials. But Geneva prosecutor Olivier Jornot today said only traces of explosives were found in the car, and did not elaborate on claims about potential chemical weapons. More arrests are expected to be made in...

Police find spiked baseball bats throughout San Francisco San Francisco Police are asking for help leading to those chaining up spiked baseball bats to poles throughout the city. San Francisco Police Sgt. Michael Andraychak says officers first received reports of wooden or metal baseball bats appearing on poles and parking meters in the city on Thanksgiving morning. Andraychak says 27 bats with spikes running through them have been found since then. The latest discovery was Friday in the Fishermen's Wharf area. Andraychak says the spikes on the objects allow them to be considered a prohibited or deadly weapon, which is...