Day: November 2, 2022

A Change Of Guns?

The US military is always looking to improve the killing power of their weapons. Our military is always looking for the optimum rifle for our troops in the field…..we went from the M-1 to the M-14 to the M-16 to the Car-15 they use today….and now the military is thinking of changing again….but to what?

I read the other day that the US is thinking of acquiring the AK-74….not to be confused with the AK-47….

The US Army has issued a sources-sought notice for Russian-made AK-74 Kalashnikov assault rifles or any copies made in other countries.

According to the service, the rifles must have a fixed stock and approximately 16-inch barrels.

Proposals may also include four 30-round steel or polymer box magazines, one cleaning kit, one oil bottle, one shoulder sling, and a user’s manual.

Responses to the notice should include the country of original manufacture, the army said.

“Weapon systems of interest are those that follow the design pattern of rifles from Romania (eg. md.86), Russia (eg. AK-74), and East Germany (eg. MPi AK74),” the notice reads. “Weapons manufactured elsewhere are also desirable provided they adhere to the AK-74 pattern.”

The US Army did not specify why it is seeking the assault rifles.

However, several defense outlets noted that the US military maintains stocks of various foreign armaments to mock enemies during simulation drills or to support research efforts.

The AK-74 Kalashnikov is a 5.45-caliber, air-cooled weapon widely used as the standard service assault rifle of the Russian military.

Based on the classic AK pattern, the rifle is designed to be reliable in adverse conditions and easy to use by military personnel with minimal training.

It has an overall length of 940 millimeters (37 inches) and a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute.

The Kalashnikov can integrate red-dot, telescopic, and night vision sights for improved accuracy in low-light conditions.

(thedefensepost.com)

Now I would like to ask….how would this happen if Russia is heavily sanctioned?

Buying from other outlets would seem to help purchasing pirated intellectual property.

Is that not what we accuse China of doing?

An interesting article…..and many questions.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

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Now There Is Oversight?

Yesterday my post about the lack of US oversight on the weapons we throw at Ukraine…..a percentage of these weapons make it to criminals…..my question was were these weapons stolen or is someone in Ukraine selling them under the table.

In case you missed the post yesterday (and it seems many did)…..

Where Do Those Weapons Go?

And now after my bitching….the US has decided that maybe there should be some sort of oversight after all….

After over eight months of pouring tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons into Ukraine, the Biden administration has announced some steps it will take toward oversight of the military aid.

The State Department announced the plan on October 27. It focuses on keeping powerful portable weapons like Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles off the black market. Responsible Statecraft reported that experts are warning the plan has gaps and doesn’t address the issue of smaller arms.

The State Department said in order to achieve its oversight goals, the US will bolster the ability of Ukraine and other regional countries “to account for and safeguard their arms and ammunition,” strengthen borders, and bolster security agencies to “deter, detect, and interdict illicit trafficking of certain advanced conventional weapons.”

Another aspect of the effort is in-person inspections of US weapons inside Ukraine that are being conducted by the US military. The Pentagon revealed on Monday that its personnel has begun conducting these inspections inside the country, marking the first official confirmation of a US military presence on the ground in Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24.

The Pentagon did not provide much detail on where the inspections are taking place but said they are being conducted by personnel based at the US Embassy in Kyiv. Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters on Tuesday that there are US Marines at the embassy conducting guard duties on top of the weapons inspectors.

Ryder also said that the inspectors will not be near the “front lines.” According to media reports, US special operations forces and CIA operatives are also on the ground in Ukraine, but the covert operations have not been officially confirmed by Washington. President Biden had repeatedly said he wouldn’t send troops into Ukraine, which he said before Russia’s invasion could spark a “world war.”

Up to this point, there has been virtually no oversight of the billions in weapons being sent to Ukraine. Finnish law enforcement said earlier this week that they have seen weapons sent to Ukraine ending up in criminal hands in Finland and other countries in the region, including Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. An official from Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation said they’re “going to be dealing with these arms for decades and pay the price here.”

(antiwar.com)

As my grandmother use to say to me….”better late than never”……or was it “too little too late”?

Will this stop or slow the weapons flow into criminal organizations?

No seriously!  Will this help?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”