USNI N.
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer and fighters from aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.

The US military airstrikes three locations of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, responding to a UAV attack that injured a number of soldiers in this country.

“US forces deployed necessary and proportionate air strikes against three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on December 25.
The US military said the airstrike likely killed many members of the Kataib Hezbollah group and destroyed some infrastructure.

Since the brutal attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, I have been filled with a familiar sense of dread as the Israeli government has squandered the sympathy and support of so many across the globe. Tragically, this is where comparisons with 9/11 hold the most explanatory power. What took America about two-and-a-half years from the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Israel accomplished in weeks.

The day after tomorrow, we will publish our yearly top 20 list of most-read articles at War on the Rocks. This holiday season, the staffs of War on the Rocks and the Texas National Security Review looked back and chose two of their favorite articles. We also thought about the future and what we would like to see in our pages this coming year.  Wishing all of our readers a restful holiday season, and we look forward to 2024.

The comprehensive analysis of INS Imphal (D68), a powerful guided missile destroyer, and its strategic relevance to the Indian Navy.
Technical and strategic analysis of INS Imphal (D68) in the modern Indian Navy
The INS Imphal (D68), the latest “class guided missile destroyer, Visakhapatnam, is the third in its series and reflects a qualitative leap in terms of indigenous naval technology and combat capabilities. The Honorable Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh, underlined Imphal’s strategic importance in India’s national security at the December 26, 2023 ceremony.

Ukraine claimed a late Christmas present on December 26: A Russian landing ship based in Crimea.
The Novocherkassk (named for a city at the intersection of Rivers in Rostov Oblast) is a 370-foot landing ship. It serves primarily to move troops and supplies during amphibious assaults. Russia claims that it hit two Su-24 jets involved in the attack. But Ukraine’s claims have video corroboration, and Russia’s, so far, do not.
The video from Crimea, linked above, shows a raging fire followed by a massive explosion, the kind that makes it look like daytime for a few seconds.

Alex Beltyukov via Wikimedia
Russian airstrikes, especially those involving glide bombs, have dwindled after a spate of recent losses, according to Ukrainian authorities. Just in the past week, Ukraine’s Air Force has claimed to have shot down five Russian combat jets, four Su-34 Fullbacks and a Su-30SM Flanker, over eastern and southern regions of the country and the western end of the Black Sea.

This article breaks down the technical aspects and history of the famous F-16 fighter, highlighting its impact and evolution in military aviation.
Early History and Maiden Flight of the F-16: Events and Challenges
The  F-16, developed by  Lockheed Martin, marks half a century since its first flight, a milestone in military aviation. On January 20, 1974, at Edwards Base in California, the first flight of a prototype intended for the United States Air Force ( USAF )  was made. This event marked the beginning of what would be the most used fighter today.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Battles
Yemen’s Houthis unleashed a new onslaught of anti-ship and land attack weaponry today around the southern end of the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command says the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Laboon (DDG-58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike group shot down a dozen one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles. The series of engagements occurred over a 10-hour period starting at 6:30 AM local time. Not one of the weapons hit its mark.

U.S.

Government of India
With the recent spate of attacks on commercial shipping now extending far out from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Indian Navy has announced the deployment of warships and maritime patrol aircraft to “maintain a deterrent presence” out into the Arabian Sea.
The move comes after a suspected drone attack on the tanker M/V Chem Pluto about 120 miles off the Indian coast over the weekend, which Washington has now blamed squarely on Iran. The damaged ship is now pier side in Mumbai. You can read our coverage of that incident here.

Under a proposed rule published Tuesday, the Department of Defense would allow program managers to seek waivers for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification assessment requirements.
CMMC is the Pentagon’s ambitious framework to more thoroughly assess and accredit any contractors that handle its controlled unclassified information (CUI) on their systems, ensuring they meet certain National Institutes of Standards and Technology cybersecurity requirements included in NIST 800-171 and 800-172.

Marine have long battled over which recruits have it harder: Parris Island in South Carolina or San Diego. Photo by Lance Cpl. Anthony Leite.
Among Marines, there’s an internal battle over who had it worse at boot camp: recruits at Parris Island or recruits at San Diego.
Stepping out onto yellow footprints, living meal to meal, and being called names highlighting your deepest insecurities are all part of Marine Corps recruits’ 13-week journey through Marine Corps Recruit Training.
Recruits from the western side of the country report to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

Guest post by M.B. Mathews
Migrants here illegally (let’s call them “illegrants” for brevity’s sake) are now welcome in the U.S. military, and in fact, are being encouraged to enlist, all expenses paid, of course. This is no different than turning our military over to the enemy. Fox News reports:

The ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border is breaking new records, and multiple marks have been set since September, as the crisis deepens into its third year and Washington struggles to agree on solutions.

Allyson Park, National Defense M.

Correll, Military Times
The aircraft carrier Eisenhower will wrap up a deployment in the Middle Eastern waters of U.S. Central Command in 2024.

Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
CAMP BLAZ, Guam — Starting late next year, a logistics detachment is expected to kick off a long-awaited, multiyear relocation of Marines from Okinawa to the…

CRS
From the report
The Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program, which is carried out by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy, gives Navy Aegis cruisers and…

Charles D. Melson, Naval History Magazine
The Battle of Tarawa would be the first U.S.

Via X
Among multiple explosions, a huge fireball rose high above the pier in the Crimean coastal city of Feodosia early Tuesday Morning local time. According to Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, a strike by his forces caused the destruction of the Ropucha class landing ship Novocherkassk. While we cannot confirm the general’s claim, based on open source imagery, a vessel very similar to a Ropucha class ship has been photographed on fire or next to a pier that is on fire.

/1. Feodosia, Crimea. Strike in the port area.

Tatra  Defense Vehicle  (TDV), part of the Czechoslovakian conglomerate, announces the development of the Pandur II 8×8 EVO (Evolution), marking a significant milestone in military technology.

This initiative responds to the progressive obsolescence of the 107 Pandur II 8×8 CZ, delivered to the Czech Army between 2009 and 2013. This effort represents a modernization strategy, capitalizing on previous experiences to forge an advanced armored vehicle.

The X-37B after landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility. (Space Force).
If you spot a large streak of light in the sky this week, it’s not Santa’s sleigh or a Sidewinder missile going after a balloon. Instead it’s likely the U.S. military’s X-37B space plane taking off for its latest mission.
The uncrewed plane, operated by U.S. Space Force, is set to launch Thursday, Dec. 28 in the evening. The spacecraft has a four-hour window starting at 7 p.m. to take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. That’s if it is able to make it this time.

A decorative Santa Clause is seen nestled into constantine wire at the 407th Air Expeditionary Group, Southwest Asia, Dec. 23, 2016. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Benjamin Wilson.).
While Santa is flying around, dropping down chimneys, our country’s defenders are breaching a door somewhere and taking out bad guys. Just like the O.G. American raider George Washington and his surprise Christmas attack, American service members have almost always found a way to enjoy the holidays while deployed.

James “Jimmy” Stewart is an iconic Hollywood star and legend. He starred in some of the greatest films of all time, which include Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Vertigo, Anatomy of a Murder, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Flight of the Phoenix. His characters exuded morality on the screen, which Stewart brought from his real-life self. Stewart was named by AFI as the third greatest American male actor.

Air Force Lt. Col. John Pardo is famous for performing “Pardo’s Push.” While piloting an F-4 Phantom II fighter jet over North Vietnam, Pardo used his aircraft to physically push his wingman’s damaged F-4 out of enemy territory. The maneuver became legendary in the aviation community and was even paid homage in the TV show JAG.
Pardo during a 2014 visit to Seymour Johnson AFB, NC (U.S. Air Force)
Pardo was born on March 10, 1934 in Waco, Texas. On February 13, 1954, he enlisted in the Air Force’s Aviation Cadet Program.

The United States ‘ commitment to high-quality aircraft like the  F-22 and F-35, beyond simply racking up numbers, indicates its long-term strategy to maintain its position as a leading military power in the world.

The F-22 Raptor: Badge of American Air Superiority
The F-22 Raptor, introduced in 2005, represents a qualitative leap in combat aviation, being the first operational stealth fighter globally. Its design and construction embody the philosophy of prioritizing quality over quantity, a differentiating strategy concerning the air forces of potential adversaries.

Santa Claus with a sledgehammer in ‘Violent Night.’ (Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures).
It’s Christmas time and that means holiday treats, gift giving and maybe some themed movies or music. But for many in the military, Christmas means still being on base or on duty. But there’s always time for some entertainment. And that means some Christmas movies. But instead of watching classics like Miracle on 34th St. or How the Grinch Stole Christmas, this year try something a bit more action-oriented.

An Army regulation says the service cannot transport Santa using Army aviation assets. Image created by Task & Purpose using Dall-E.
Santa won’t be riding in a Black Hawk this year, or any year, thanks to an under-the-radar Army regulation. 
A small note buried in Army Regulation 360-1, “The Army Public Affairs Program,” which lays out the rules for the service’s media teams, seems to have something against Christmas time’s jolly old soul.
“Army aviation assets are not to be used to transport persons costumed as Santa Claus,” the regulation says.

The USS Laboon (photo courtesy U.S. Navy).
A U.S. Navy destroyer shot down several uncrewed aerial vehicles over the Red Sea today amid a series of attacks launched from Yemen. The engagements came only days after the United States announced a multinational task force meant to counter attacks on commercial ships in the area.
The USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, shot down four UAVs launched from Yemen toward the ship. The attacks happened between 3 p.m.-8 p.m. local time, according to U.S. Central Command. Shortly after, CENTCOM said, two commercial ships were attacked by UAVs.

We explore the MiG-41 fighter project, a sixth-generation fighter promised by Russia, questioning its technical and strategic feasibility in the current military context.

Technical analysis of the MiG-41: An uncertain future in military aviation?
The  MiG-41, a sixth-generation fighter project from Russia, proposes an amalgamation of advanced technical features. It is expected to possess optimized stealth capabilities, ultra-high speed—between MACH 4 and MACH 5—and an advanced ramjet engine.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day / Peace On Earth with the backstory of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, set with Civil War and Iraq War images.

Back To 2-And-A-Half Wars?
What Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Is Doing To The Navy

The post I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (Civil War Background) appeared first on Armed Forces Press.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT – JULY 27: Psilocybin mushrooms stand ready for harvest in a humidified “fruiting chamber” in the basement of a private home on July 27, 2023 in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Recent studies have shown that psilocybin mushrooms, also known as “magic mushrooms” have promise in combating anxiety, anorexia, depression, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder and various forms of substance abuse.

View of the B-29 Superfortress ‘Enola Gay’ as it is manouvered over the bomb pit on the North Field of Tinian airbase, North Marianas Islands, early August, 1945. The plane was loaded with an atomic bomb, codenamed ‘Little Boy,’ which it then dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6. (Photo by PhotoQuest/Getty Images).
More than seven decades ago, the planes that dropped two atomic bombs on Japan took off from a small airfield on the Pacific island of Tinian in the Marianas. They were just two bombing missions among many that launched from that airfield.

President Biden signed into law a defense budget allocation bill worth $886 billion for 2024, the highest level in history.

US President Joe Biden on December 22 signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2024, regulating the Pentagon’s operating policies and allocating a budget package worth 886 billion USD, a week after this document was passed in the US Congress.
The bill is nearly 3,100 pages long, marking the largest defense budget package in US history, an increase of about 3% compared to last year.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew F. Jackson
Operation Prosperity Guardian, the American-led coalition to defend shipping through the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden from Houthi attacks is showing major cracks just as it is forming. At the same time, the latest rash of drone strikes on commercial vessels appears to have spread far from Yemen’s shores, to waters off India.

Ukrainian officials said the country’s missiles consecutively shot down three Russian Su-34 bombers because the enemy pilots flew too close to Kyiv’s defense lines.

Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, announced on December 22 that the country’s air defense had shot down three Russian Su-34 bombers in the southern region on the same afternoon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later said the Russian Su-34 squadron was intercepted by the Odesa Air Defense Missile Brigade in the Kherson area.

Ukrainian commanders and soldiers admitted that Moscow held the advantage and that Kyiv had almost no ability to win quickly on the front.

As the war prepares to enter its third year, it is increasingly difficult for Ukraine to dominate the battlefield; hopes of imminent victory are gradually fading, and all attention is now focused on preventing Russia from gaining more territory.
From President Volodymyr Zelensky to military commanders and people in the forward areas, there is no telling how long the fighting will last.
“Now, victory on the front is almost impossible.

Hosts L Todd Wood and Col John Mills (USA, Ret) discuss possible Chinese satellite communications to clandestine locations within North America, and we do a deep dive into the NDAA just passed by Congress.
!function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src=”https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2y1af”+(arguments[1].video?’.’+arguments[1].video:”)+”/?url=”+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+”&args=”+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.

The Army announced that the five 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment aviators killed on a training mishap this weekend were: Top row, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tennessee Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, California; Bottom row: Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Arizona, Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, of Gorham, New Hampshire, Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minnesota. Army courtesy photos, Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kristine Legate,.
The U.S.

Joe Buccino, RealClearDefense

John J.

LaGrone, USNI News
The commander of an electronic attack squadron deployed aboard aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in the Western Pacific was removed from command, U.S.

Steven Wills, Defense Opinion
The U.S.

Phillip N. Ash, CFR
The U.S. Armed Forces are facing an unprecedented recruiting crisis.

Lamborn, FPRI

Mai, The Diplomat
The Pentagon is betting big on unmanned systems in a conflict with China – but the Russia-Ukraine war is showing the limited utility of such systems.

The F-15EX Eagle II, also known as the “Super Eagle,” represents a significant evolution of the iconic F-15, a fighter that has proven itself since the 1970s.

The United States announced parking the advanced version of the F-15, the F-15EX Eagle II, at the Kadena base, Okinawa. This strategic move involves replacing the F-22 and F-35, consolidating the F-15EX as the most advanced and lethal fighter in the arsenal of the US Air Force.

Japan approved a record-high defense budget of $56 billion and relaxed some arms export controls.

The Japanese Cabinet on December 22 approved a budget worth 56 billion USD, a record high and an increase of about 4 billion USD compared to last year. This budget package is part of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s commitment to increase defense spending in the next few years.
In the newly announced budget, about 2.6 billion USD is spent on the project of building two new warships equipped with the Aegis missile defense system developed by the US. Japan spent nearly 5.

The Netherlands announced that it is preparing to transfer 18 F-16 fighters to Ukraine but has not announced a specific delivery time.

“Today I informed President Zelensky about the Dutch government’s decision to prepare to transfer the first 18 F-16 fighters to Ukraine,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on December 22.
According to Mr. Rutte, providing F-16s is “one of the most important elements of the signed military aid agreements for Ukraine.” However, it is unclear when the Netherlands will transfer F-16s to Ukraine.

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooklyn Golightly
We want to wish all of our readers and their families a merry Christmas and happy holidays!
Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did, or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s literally an off-topic thread.
The caption to this week’s top shot reads:
U.S. Air Force Maj.

The Israeli army asked civilians in the central Gaza Strip town to evacuate to the south before this force expanded the scale of its attack.

Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, Arabic spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on December 22, announced a map of the area needing evacuation in the central Gaza Strip, including the al-Bureij Camp area and other areas. 
“For their own safety, everyone must immediately move to a shelter in Deir Al-Balah city,” Lieutenant Colonel Adraee said.