Category Archives: Technology

Mexican helicopter attacks USS Conolly!

Video March 11, 2021 Hutchins AAron

Photo by Alan Gragg, 29APR2009.

In 2009, a Mexican MBB (Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm) Bo-105 Bolkow helicopter attacked the former USS Conolly (DD-979). It was part of a multi-national effort to sink the ex-U.S. Navy ship.

It was part of an international wargame called UNITAS Gold (‘Gold’ referring to the 50th Anniversary of the wargames). Participating countries were Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Mexico, Peru, United States and Uruguay.

2.75 inch rocket hits Conolly in the signal tower.

Photo by Alan Gragg.

U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) joins in, firing on the Conolly in the background.

USN photo by Petty Officer Third Class Seth Johnson.

The Spruance class destroyer was named for Admiral Richard Lansing Conolly. Laid down 29SEP1975, launched 19FEB1977, commissioned 14OCT1978, decommissioned 18SEP1998, sunk 29APR2009. Efforts were made to turn it into a museum ship in Illinois, but failed due to lack of financial support.

Radar equipped Bo-105, 26APR2009, USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Brandon Shelander.

Video report about UNITAS 2009:

Vehicle I-D: MARINA ARMADA DE MÉXICO MIL 17

Kit Bashing, Technology

Vehicle I-D: A-10C SEA Camo

Video March 8, 2021 Hutchins AAron

The U.S. Air Force’s Heritage Flight operates at least three A-10Cs, one in grey, one with World War Two invasion stripes and now another with Viet Nam era South East Asia (SEA) camouflage.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Sergio A. Gamboa.

In January 2021, an A-10C was prepped for its new SEA camo at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, in Arizona.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Sergio A. Gamboa.

The plane was ready for public viewing by the end of February.

USAF A-10 Thunderbolt-II Demonstration Team photo.

Video by Senior Airman Blake Gonzales of USAF Heritage Flight A-10C in SEA camo, 06MAR2021:

USAF A-10 Thunderbolt-II Demonstration Team photo.

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer Third Class Drew Verbis.

The SEA A-10C made its air show debut at Naval Air Station El Centro, California, 13MAR2021.

USN photo by Petty Officer Third Class Drew Verbis.

“Our latest message with the A-10 Demo Team is to promote an annual heritage paint-scheme. This year we are inspired by the United States Navy River Rats and the F-105 Thunderchiefs of the Vietnam War. I think it’s a fitting tribute because like the A-10, the F-105 was a dominant attack aircraft.”-Technical Sergeant Brian Pontes, crew chief

USN photo by Petty Officer Third Class Drew Verbis.

Pandemic Overflight: A-10C (C FOR COVID?) THUNDERBOLT-2

Vehicle I-D: ANOTHER A-10C WITH INVASION STRIPES

International, Technology

Russia invades Florida?

Image March 6, 2021 Hutchins AAron

“Technology is advancing faster than ever before and Emerald Flag is at the cutting edge of connecting land, sea, air, space and cyber assets across all domains simultaneously.”-Lieutenant Colonel Michael Fritts

U.S. Air Force photo by First Lieutenant Karissa Rodriguez, 30NOV2020. SA-6 (2K12 Kub) anti-aircraft radar unit known as SURN 1S91.

“The goal is to align DoD resources across the Florida panhandle and enable multi-domain test and experimentation to prepare the warfighter for a 21st-century fight.”-Major Alexander Hillman, 45th Test Squadron

U.S. Air Force photo by First Lieutenant Karissa Rodriguez. 2K12 Kub (NATO reporting name SA 6 Gainful) anti-aircraft missile launcher.

During the first week of December 2020, Eglin Air Force Base conducted its first-ever ‘native multi-domain test exercise’, during a wargame called Emerald Flag.

USAF photo by First Lieutenant Karissa Rodriguez. SA-6 (2K12 Kub) anti-aircraft missile launcher.

At the end of November, Russian made (Cold War era Soviet) armored vehicles were staged around the Eglin Test and Training Range.

USAF photo by First Lieutenant Karissa Rodriguez, 30NOV2020. T-72 Main Battle Tank.

The goal of Emerald Flag is to incorporate ground, air, space, cyberspace and experimental platforms, involving 25 government agencies, to develop the concept of the ‘joint domain warfighter’.

USAF photo by First Lieutenant Karissa Rodriguez, 30NOV2020. T-72 Main Battle Tank.

The use of Russian/Soviet designed vehicles was only one part of the larger Emerald Flag operation: “We brought together fighter, command and control and electronic warfare aircraft with advanced weapons and integrated them into a strike package with cyber and land assets that used innovative experimental technology in a challenging environment.”-Colonel Doug Creviston, 96th Operations Group commander

USAF photo by First Lieutenant Karissa Rodriguez, 30NOV2020. T-72 Main Battle Tank.

The positions of the Russian/Soviet designed vehicles were marked by GPS. Interestingly, the December 2020 Emerald Flag was the first wargame where classified information was collected and shared by many groups on the ‘cloud’.

USAF photo by First Lieutenant Karissa Rodriguez, 01DEC2020.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Joshua Hoskins. F-16C refuels over Gulf of Mexico for December’s Emerald Flag.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Joshua Hoskins. F-16D refuels over Gulf of Mexico for December’s Emerald Flag.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Joshua Hoskins. F-15E refuels over Gulf of Mexico for December’s Emerald Flag.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Joshua Hoskins. KC-46 refuels over Gulf of Mexico for December’s Emerald Flag.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Joshua Hoskins. EC-130H refuels over Gulf of Mexico for December’s Emerald Flag.

In March 2020, Emerald Flag was held on Hurlburt Field, Florida, and was concerned with the administrative and logistical problems of forward-area/combat deployments.

IDAHO’S 1:1 SCALE FAKE NEWS RUSSIAN 1S91 RADAR TANK

Near Peer Threats: CODE FOR RUSSIA & CHINA AND THE COMING 3RD WORLD WAR?

OPERATION TURNING POINT

1939 Vs 2019; GERMANY INVADES POLAND AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH THE HELP OF NATO!

UNITED STATES INVADES IDAHO!

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology

Pandemic Panic-Attack hits Cat Litter? Blame logistics competition and Robots!

March 6, 2021 Hutchins AAron

06 March 2021 (02:29-UTC-07 Tango 06) 16 Esfand 1399/22 Rajab 1442/23 Xin-Mao 4719

For the past couple of weeks I’ve noticed a growing shortage of cat litter products at stores in Bannock County, Idaho.

Photo by AAron Hutchins.

I took this photo in the Pocatello Fred Meyer, on 05MAR2021 at about 22:50, just before they closed for the night. Notice that even litter boxes and some other litter accessories are short supply as well.

Across the street at Winco, they’ve been shifting around slow selling basic clay litter to fill in the empty spaces of the faster selling clumping litter. Is the litter shortage due to panic buying, or continued problems with a new global logistical supply system that still doesn’t work?

In September 2020, a Canadian news report suggested that cat litter shortages were the result of panic buying and that ‘experts’ expected high demand to last long after the ‘pandemic’ ended!

However, in April 2020, a possibly ignorant Alabama Public Radio stated that pet products were not subject to panic buying, but at the same time encouraged their listeners to stock up on pet supplies!

That Alabama Public Radio report came a few months after a report out of the United Kingdom, in January 2020, which stated that a big supplier of cat litter had “collapsed”, leaving British stores without litter!

But what about now, in 2021? On 06MAR2021, a study was made available regarding the global cat litter market, saying pandemic panic-attacks had changed the dynamics of the litter market. The ‘pay-per-view’ study gives predictions through 2025.

Another cat litter market study, also released in March, gives predictions through 2027.

Yet another litter market study predicts that post-pandemic litter sales will hit $5.37-billion by 2027!

And yet another study says it’s not just litter but litter boxes that are experiencing skyrocketing demand!

There are dozens of cat litter market studies out there, all saying demand is only going to go up, and it’s blamed on what I call pandemic panic-attack syndrome.

Recently, a cat litter company called Dr. Elsey’s moved production from Colorado to Wyoming, into a bigger factory to meet high demand for their products.

Pretty Litter recently joined up with Marquee Brands/Martha Stewart in an attempt to increase sales.

Logistics, better known as the supply chain, is partly to blame for random shortages as well. It’s one reason why Arizona has been relying on its National Guard to deliver food to grocery stores ever since the pandemic panic-attack began.

An article by DHL, about the difficulties of distributing the CoViD vaccines, indicates that such global vaccine operations are impacting the supply of everything else!

In Pennsylvania, a large trucking company just shutdown a distribution operation, affecting at least one thousand employees! The reason was that the client they were serving dumped them and signed a new contract with a new supplier.

Globally, a lot of bigger supply companies are taking over smaller logistics providers, and whenever that happens operations are shutdown and people lose their jobs, and that has to affect supply chain.

An article by Logistics Management says the pandemic panic-attack “amplified existing logistics challenges around the world”. Meaning the global supply system was already in trouble.

But even more importantly, the logistics industry is actually getting rid of human labor. Recently, Swiss logistics company CEVA announced it is replacing human labor in Canada with robots, those robots are made by a Massachusetts company called Berkshire Grey. This is very important because according to another article, Berkshire Grey’s sudden involvement in automating the North American logistics industry began just before the pandemic panic-attack: “When I visited its Massachusetts headquarters last year, following a massive $263 million Series B, the company discussed some pretty aggressive growth plans. Mind you, that was before the pandemic had really touched down in the U.S. in a meaningful way.

If anything, COVID-19 has accelerated interest in automation….”-Brian Heater, TechCrunch

Manufacturing.net: The Future of Warehouse Logistics

Shipping Watch UK: Logistics chain bottlenecks trigger longer contracts for container carriers

U.S. Food Crisis: MILITARY DISTRIBUTION SUCCESS PROVES THE MARKET SYSTEM HAS FAILED!

Pandemic Panic-Attack: GLOBAL SUGAR CRISIS, BETTER STOCK UP NOW!

Pandemic Panic-Attack: HOSPITAL SHORTAGE? DON’T BLAME PANDEMIC, BLAME OBAMACARE!

Pandemic Panic-Attack: SHOPPING MAYHEM AT POCATELLO WINCO!

International, Technology

Vehicle I-D: Marina Armada de México Mil 17

Video March 4, 2021 Hutchins AAron

Mil 17=NATO reporting name ‘Hip’.

Marina=Marine, as in ocean/sea/water.

Armada=Fleet of ocean going military vehicles, or navy.

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer Second Class John Stratton, 31JAN2010.

Mexican Mil 17-V5 delivers aid to Haiti, 31JAN2010.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Eric T. Crosby, 20JUL2012.

Mexican Navy Mi-17 Hip lands behind a U.S. Marine CH-53E Sea Stallion on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2).

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Paul Seeber, 13JUL2012.

Mil 17-1V flying off ARM Usumacinta A412 (ex-U.S. Navy USS Frederick LST1184 tank landing ship) during Rim of the Pacific war games (RimPac), 13JUL2012.

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Paul Seeber, 14JUL2012.

Maintenance on an Mi-17-1V, July 2012.

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Paul Seeber, 11JUL2012.

U.S. Navy video by Petty Officer First Class Paul Seeber, fast roping from a Mexican Hip, during RimPac, 15JUL2012:

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Captain Naomi Dorren, 16AUG2014.

Infanteria de Marina (Infantry of the Ocean) board a Mil 17-1V during exercise Partnership of the Americas, in Chile, August 2014.

USMC photo by Private First Class Devan Gowans, 06SEP2015.

Mil 17-1V lands on ARM Usumacinta A412 during Exercise Dawn Blitz, 06SEP2015.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Frank Cordoba.

During 2016’s RimPac wargames, Mexican navy Mi-17-V5 were used in training operations on Hawaii and California. This is a medevac operation on San Clemente Island, California, 28JUL2016.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Jason Estevez.

Mexican Marina Mil 17-V5 arrives on U.S. Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, 23OCT2017, for exercise Bold Alligator.

USMC photo by Corporal Jason Estevez, 23OCT2017.

U.S. Marine Corps video by Chief Warrant Officer Izzel Sanchez, 23OCT2017:

USMC photo by Corporal Jason Estevez, 23OCT2017.

USMC photo by Lance Corporal Cody J. Ohira.

Mi-17-V5 parked near a CH-53E Super Stallion, MCAS New River, North Carolina, 23OCT2017.

Vehicle I-D: UH-60 FOR AFGHANISTAN, KILLED-OFF BY THE MIL 17?

International, Technology

Already-paid-for Obama-era Patrol Boat, sunk by Biden? Re-floated by Ukraine Crisis!

Video March 1, 2021 Hutchins AAron

(This report has been updated) In June 2022, the U.S. Navy (USN) announced a replacement for the expensive Mark VI(6) patrol boat; the 40PB Defiant.

As of January 2022, Ukraine placed an order for 12 Mark-6 patrol boats. This was part of a U.S. Department of State subsidized deal for 16 boats, announced back in June 2020!

In May 2021, the USN suspended their planned ‘divestment’ of the Mark-6 patrol boat.

Surprisingly, in February 2021 the USN announced that it will get rid of the Mark-6 by the end of the year, despite the fact that U.S. taxpayers already paid $15-million per Mark-6 Patrol Boat! The USN blames it on reliability problems and cost of operations, and the claim that the U.S. President Joseph Robinette Biden Junior wants to cut funding to the military!

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Brienna Tuck, 25FEB2021.

U.S. Navy Mark VI (6) patrol boat with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in The Philippine Sea, 25FEB2021. The Mark-6 was intended to replace much older Riverine boats. It looked like the Mark-6 was a highly capable patrol boat.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Brienna Tuck, 25FEB2021.

A Mark-6 refuels from USS Ashland (LSD 48) in The Philippine Sea, 25FEB2021.

USMC photo by Lance Corporal Brienna Tuck, 25FEB2021.

The news of the USN’s decision to ‘divest’ their Mark-6 Patrol Boats comes a month after (January 2021) Ukraine signed a U.S. State Department Foreign Military Sales deal to buy the 16 new-build Mark-6 boats from SAFE Boats International. The total cost of the U.S. taxpayer subsidized deal comes to $600-million!

USMC photo by Sergeant Jennessa Davey, 06JAN2021.

In June 2020, the U.S. Department of State announced a Foreign Military Sale for up to 16 Mark-6 patrol boats, and associated equipment, to Ukraine. State Department Foreign Military Sales are subsidized with U.S. taxpayer funding, because the sales are considered a form of “security assistance”!

U.S. Army photo by Specialist Cody Rich, 06MAY2020.

Somewhere in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, May 2020.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Kory Alsberry, 06MAY2020.

Video by Petty Officer Second Class William Carlisle, .50 cal. (12.7mm x 99mm) and 7.62mm NATO (7.62mm x 51mm) live fire near Bahrain, 16APR2020 (don’t get sea-sick):

In 2019, two Mark-6 boats set a record for nautical miles sailed by coastal/river patrol boats.

USN photo by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Nelson Doromal Junior, 19SEP2019.

Mark-6 off San Diego, California, 19SEP2019.

USN photo by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Nelson Doromal Junior, 19SEP2019.

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Woody Paschall, 05JUN2019.

Mark-6 off San Diego, California, 05JUN2019.

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Woody Paschall, 05JUN2019.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class John Philip Wagner Junior, 17MAY2019.

Mark-6 Patrol Boat delivered to Santa Rita, Guam, 17MAY2019.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class John Philip Wagner Junior, 17MAY2019.

Music video by Petty Officer Second Class Kelsey L. Adams, .50 cal. live fire, including remote .50 cal. weapon system, near Santa Rita, Guam, 29MAR2019:

U.S. Navy video report by Petty Officer First Class Stacy D. Laseter, 23APR2018:

The 12th USN Mark-6 was delivered in 2017 (Trump era).

Video by Petty Officer First Class Arthurgwain L. Marquez, Coastal Riverine Squadron Two (CRS-2) sails near Santa Rita, Guam, 30SEP2016:

USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Shannon Burns, 16DEC2016.

Three types of patrol boats, as of December 2016, from left to right; Sea Ark, Coastal Command boat, and Mark VI patrol boat.

SAFE Boats International delivered the first Mark-6, to the USN, in 2014 (Obama era). Originally it was thought that 48 patrol boats would be ordered, but only 12 were paid for.

River Gun Boat: ROMÂNIA

Vehicle I-D: U.S. NAVY KEEPS OLD U.S. ARMY BOAT-TRUCK AFLOAT

USMC 2020: LAST RIDE FOR 1ST, 2ND & 4TH TANK

Technology

Vehicle I-D: Red Hawk replaces Talon, another example of foreigners controlling U.S. taxpayers

Video March 1, 2021 Hutchins AAron

The Boeing and Saab (of Sweden) T-7A Red Hawk is the new advanced trainer for the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

Boeing photo.

In September 2018, it was announced that a contract worth $9.2-billion was given to Boeing-Saab for their T-X (Boeing-T-X) training aircraft (first flying in December 2016), to replace the vintage T-38 Talon.

Boeing photo.

Boeing T-X first flight, cockpit view, 20DEC2016:

Boeing photo.

The two B-T-X prototypes fly over Saint Louis, Missouri, April 2017.

The T-7A is more in-line with prepping pilots to fly the F-35. In May 2019, Saab announced it would build a Red Hawk factory in the U.S. state of Indiana.

Video, Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) flight test over Saint Louis, Missouri, July 2019:

On 23FEB2021, Boeing published this video claiming production was underway at its Saint Louis, Missouri, factory:

Boeing photo.

The USAF wants 351 T-7A Red Hawks (name chosen in September 2019), 46 simulators, and associated ground equipment, with the first Red Hawks arriving on base sometime in 2023-24.

Boeing: T-7A Red Hawk

Saab: T-7A Red Hawk

Vehicle I-D: T-38 PACER CLASSIC-3

USAF F-35A “COMBAT READY” IN UTAH

TAXPAYER PARIAH F-35 CALLS IDAHO HOME!

APACHE TO MUSTANG

Technology

Vehicle I-D: T-38 Pacer Classic-3

Video March 1, 2021 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Stormy Archer, 31JUL2015.

The first completed T-38 Talon from the Pacer Classic III program was unveiled 31JUL2015, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Stormy Archer, 31JUL2015.

Pacer Classic III (PC-3), the largest single structural modification ever undertaken on the T-38C aircraft, is intended to ensure structural airworthiness of 150 aircraft until 2029.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Stormy Archer, 31JUL2015.

“We are replacing 185 separate primary structures such as longerons, bulkheads, skins and former assemblies; inspecting and assessing the life of a 155 additional components, and repairing or replacing hundreds of other parts.”-Joe Lopez, 575th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) director

USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

The ‘tiger stripes’ will go away when the Talon gets a new paint-job.

USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd.

USAF video report, by Sean Schroeder, explaining the PC-3 program:

Vehicle I-D: T-38 25TH FTS HERITAGE

Kit Bashing, Technology

Vehicle I-D: T-38 25th FTS Heritage

Video February 28, 2021 Hutchins AAron

Towards the end of 2019, the 25th Flying Training Squadron (FTS) at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, painted one of their T-38 Talons in the pre-World War Two colors of the U.S. Army Air Corps.

U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Octavius Thompson.

Video by Senior Airman Octavius Thompson, flight over Enid, Oklahoma, 09DEC2019:

Video, cockpit view, May 2020 pandemic panic-attack morale flight over Oklahoma:

USAF photo by Senior Airman Taylor Crul, 18SEP2020.

The 25th FTS is part of the 71st Flying Training Wing, which got permission to paint one aircraft from each of its squadrons in a ‘heritage’ color scheme.

Vehicle I-D: ANOTHER A-10C WITH INVASION STRIPES

D-DAY F-15E STRIKE EAGLE

HERITAGE SABER & MIG FIGHT IT OUT…OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?

Technology

Kadena Eagle

Image February 25, 2021 Hutchins AAron

2020 was the 60th Anniversary of the official alliance between the United States and Japan.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Rebeckah Medeiros.

On 30JUN2020, the U.S. Air Force’s 67th Fighter Squadron (FS) ‘Fighting Cocks’ flew an F-15C Eagle painted to represent the colors of an F-100 Super Sabre flown over Japan 60 years ago.