BONE SORTIE: A B-1B Lancer departs Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on its way to Europe in support of a Bomber Task Force mission. Photo taken Sept. 14, 2020. A Murphy’s Law update from January 2020 discusses why the B-1B will be retired before the B-52.

DEMONSTRATION TEAM IN THE LEAD: Three demonstration team aircraft fly in formation with a WW2-era P-51 Mustang. The formation includes an A-10 Thunderbolt II, a F-35A Lightning II and an F-16 Viper. The formation was participating in the Tri-City Water Follies Drive-In Airshow at Kennewick, Washington. Photo taken Sept. 4, 2020. UPDATE: Typo fixed.

THE AGGRON CURE:

In mid-2019 the U.S. Navy established an Aggressor Squadron (AGGRON) to provide submarine and ship crews with better information about their ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) capabilities versus potential opponents. This is mainly for submarine crews as AGGRON is part of the UWDC (Undersea Warfighting Development Center). The United States has the largest submarine force in the world with 54 SSN (nuclear attack subs) and 14 SSBNs (ballistic missile carrying subs). The rest of the world has about 450 submarines, most of them non-nuclear and all trained and equipped to try and deal with American subs.

The latest StrategyPage SUBMARINES update.

STRATEGYPAGE’S LATEST ISRAEL UPDATE: Peace Deals, Ceasefires And Stalemates.

LAUNCHED OVER THE PHILIPPINE SEA: An F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. Photo taken Sept. 6, 2020.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEAL-MAKING DIPLOMACY POINTS SERBIA AND KOSOVO TOWARD PEACE: My latest Creators Syndicate column.

Deal-making diplomacy in action:

No, it’s not a peace treaty between Serbia and Kosovo; it’s an agreement to reach a deal. But the positive small step that makes possible larger steps is proving to be a trademark Donald Trump diplomatic and peace-making technique. Trump emphasizes economic progress that diminishes the negative effects of divisive ethnic, religious and cultural differences, and neuters destructive historical grievances as the harmful excuses for hate they are. Trump sees economic development that everyone can see sets the stage for the resolution of seemingly permanent political disputes. Like last month’s United Arab Emirates and Israel agreement to diplomatically recognize each other and openly display their extensive commercial ties, the Serb-Kosovar agreement makes a dramatic international statement about how leaders see the future.

I think sentences two, three and four in that paragraph fairly describe Trump’s deal-making diplomacy. It’s transactional, is often incremental, but he’s shown he can promote cooperation. The mainstream media do not see it, or if they do, they ignore it.

Read the entire essay.

RELATED: Radio Free Europe on historic mediated deal.

ALSO RELATED: Powerline on the diplomatic breakthrough.

KING STALLION IN THE DESERT: Marines flying a new CH-53K King Stallion run the big helicopter through a “degraded visual environment” (DVE) at the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground (Arizona). The CH-53K is one impressive aircraft. This article from 2007 discusses why the Marines decided to acquire the upgraded version of the classic CH-53E helicopter. Note the 2007 article speculated the Marines would start getting the King Stallion in “about eight years” (the 2015-2016 time frame). As I understand it the Marines got their first operational King Stallions in early 2018.

HAS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDED CLINTON’S LESS-THAN-SPLENDID BALKAN WAR?:

No, it’s not a peace treaty between Serbia and Kosovo; it’s an agreement to reach a deal. But the positive small step that makes possible larger steps is proving to be a trademark Donald Trump diplomatic and peace-making technique. Trump emphasizes economic progress that diminishes the negative effects of divisive ethnic, religious and cultural differences, and neuters destructive historical grievances as the harmful excuses for hate they are.

Check it out.

NAVY FAST TRANSPORT: The USN’s newest Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel, the USNS Newport, successfully completes its integrated sea trials tests. Photo taken July 30, 2020. This second photo shows three EPFs moored at Virginia Beach. Here’s an article from 2015 discussing the development of High Speed Vessels (HSVs) for sea transport. This second article, also form 2015, discusses the introduction of the designation “Expeditionary” — why Joint High Speed Vessels became Expeditionary Fast Transports.

SPIRIT IN DIEGO GARCIA: A B-2 Spirit bomber sits on the flightline of Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia. The B-2 was on a Bomber Task Force deployment and participating in a U.S.-Australia defense exercise. Photo taken Aug. 24, 2020. Here’s a photo of an American stealth trio. Here’s a recent article that includes a discussion of the B-2’s ability to deliver penetrator bombs and how the plane would be used in an attack on Iran or North Korea.

WARBIRDS IN OAHU SKIES: World War II era naval aircraft fly in formation over Oahu, celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the End of WWII Commemoration. Photo taken Sept. 1, 2020. The Pentagon caption doesn’t identfy the aircraft. Yes, they’ve had sloppy moments this year. Perhaps fretting over the ChiCom/Wuhan virus has distracted them. Or maybe they’ve been set up like Arch Duchess Nancy Pelosi von Blow Wash. Whatever. I’ll take a stab at aircraft identification. The two seaplanes appear to be PBY Catalinas of some type — aircraft assigned patrol bomber, long range surveillance and air-sea rescue missions. The Catalinas also had liaison and communications relay missions. The single engine combat plane looks like a TBF Avenger — a torpedo bomber that could handle other missions as well — tactical bomber, anti-submarine.

THE TURMOIL IN BELARUS: Belarus is another place ruined by tyrannical, violent socialism– you know, kind of like Minneapolis and Portland, except Belarus has been battered since, oh, WWI followed by Soviet communism.

Now a new generation is challenging the geriatric Commie dictator and his gang. Does it matter?

Twenty-first-century political geography, however, damns Belarus with a damnation that matters. Check the map. Belarus is the linchpin of nuclear-armed Russia’s western front, the mirror image of Poland’s new role in defending NATO’s eastern front.

Check out the entire column.

HIGH OVER DENALI: Four F-35A Lightning IIs fly over Denali National Park, Alaska. Photo taken Aug. 17, 2020.

THE USS NEWPORT NEWS COMES HOME: The attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750) arrives at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. for a scheduled homeport shift. Photo taken August 31, 2020.

THE LATEST STRATEGYPAGE STRATEGYTALK PODCAST: “Will China Trigger A War?” Link goes to youtube. MP3 download here. If you like the podcast, please consider subscribing.

RELATED ARTICLE: Scaring Chinese spies.

RELATED COLUMN: A few selected China War scenarios, including China versus China.

RELATED BOOK REVIEW: A review of the book Chinese Communist Espionage.

DEEP CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND: OK, not so deep. From May 2019, an analysis of Chinese spies targeting the MD Anderson cancer center and other research facilities in Houston’s Texas Medical center.

Beijing’s operational objective: By targeting MD Anderson and its affiliates in the Texas Medical Center, China’s communist elites seek to steal the creative genius, decades of training and years of cancer research of some of the world’s finest specialists and most brilliant doctors.

Beijing covets their knowledge because, when applied, it has great economic and political value. For example, China could produce and sell high-value, high-prestige pharmaceuticals, and improve its own medical programs, without spending a yuan on research.

Decouple? Absolutely. But also penalize and, when required, retaliate.

RULES FOR THEE, BUT NOT ARCH GRAND DUCHESS PELOSI VON BLOW WASH:

Even as Nancy Pelosi blocked aid to the small businesses suffering under destructive shutdowns she was treating herself to a blow out at an upscale salon in Pacific Heights, San Francisco — the most expensive neighborhood in the nation, in which Pelosi owns a $2.3 million estate.

Pelosi had repeatedly pushed localities to keep businesses closed so as to combat what she calls the “Trump virus.” Her salon treatment was still illegal under local bans on indoor salon activity.

Fox News received the tip when the livid owner of the salon, Erica Kious, saw the security footage of a blatantly unmasked Pelosi sauntering around the premises as a client of an independent stylist using her salon’s amenities not under the purview of the still-closed salon.

From the Washington Examiner. Read the whole thing and know this tawdry but typical example of leftist elitist hypocrisy speaks unfiltered volumes to cosmetologists, barbers and their customers.

UPDATE: Powerline examines the Arch Grand Duchess’ wash and blow.

FOR THE FOOTNOTE CROWD: The Fox News report that broke yesterday. It’s appeared on Instapundit several times and may ultimately rate as a Classic Reference.

WHY TURMOIL IN BELARUS MATTERS:

Twenty-first-century political geography, however, damns Belarus with a damnation that matters. Check the map. Belarus is the linchpin of nuclear-armed Russia’s western front, the mirror image of Poland’s new role in defending NATO’s eastern front.

I encourage you to read the entire column.

DOUBLE BUFFS: Two B-52s fly over Royal Air Force Station Fairford, UK. Photo taken Aug. 22, 2020. Yup, the 8th Air Force over Europe.

WILL CHINA TRIGGER A WAR?: The latest StrategyTalk podcast.

VERY RELATED: Scaring Chinese spies.

ALSO VERY RELATED: A few selected China War scenarios, including China versus China.

DEFINITELY RELATED: A review of the book Chinese Communist Espionage.

BIG TIME MAIL IN VOTE FRAUD: The NY Post investigates, a Democrat operative confesses (albeit anonymously). Read the whole thing. (Hat tip Powerline.)

WILL CHINA TRIGGER A WAR?: The latest StrategyTalk podcast.

VERY RELATED: Scaring Chinese spies.

ALSO VERY RELATED: A few selected China War scenarios, including China versus China.

DEFINITELY RELATED: A review of the book Chinese Communist Espionage.

HAWKEYE CHANGES THE OIL SMUGGLING GAME: It’s StrategyPage’s latest Intelligence update.

Iranian efforts to export oil in spite of sanctions have often been successful. That changed in 2020 when HawkEye 360, a new ship tracking service made it much more difficult for ships to conceal their smuggling activities. Since 2015 a growing array of sensors and software to track ships at sea, especially ships that don’t want to be tracked, have been developed. One of these new sensors appeared in 2019 when HawkEye 360 launched its own array of radar tracking satellites. This enables tracking ships via the signals their navigation radars produce. These can be spotted by a satellite. Other electronic signals can also be tracked, like those used by large ships to communicate with the port they are headed for to unload their cargo.

The update goes into great detail.

VIPER SUNSET: A USMC AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter on a training exercise with a sunset at sea in the background. Photo taken July 30 near San Clemente Island, Calif.

CHINA WAR SCENARIOS: Versus the U.S., Versus India, China Versus China, and a little more.

Let’s hope the scenarios remain fiction — except China Versus China (the next Chinese revolution).

In July, senior government officials in Taiwan and the U.S. warned that communist China was aggressively threatening Taiwan’s independence. U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper contended Beijing had taken its intimidation “to a new level.”…”The official warnings spurred several recent articles that examine a U.S-China war sparked by a Beijing invasion of Taiwan. Some are quite dire…”

It’s my latest Creators Syndicate column.

MARINE DOWN-UNDER LAUNCHING A PUMA: Hey, the title may be weird but it’s accurate. A U.S. Marine launches an RQ-20B Puma small unmanned aircraft system at Mount Bundey Training Area, Australia. Photo taken Aug. 18.