The 11/2/21 dispatch.

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Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had a great weekend.

I thought I’d start this week’s edition by mentioning an item that one reader chided me for missing last week. Here’s the article:

NATO's flirtation with adding 2 more members runs the risk of starting a war the US can't afford to fight

The article is a free read from Business Insider and discusses the potential of whether Ukraine and Georgia may still join NATO. The author argues that allowing them in is “a dangerous and counterproductive policy,” which could lead to war with Russia.

I personally think the article overstates the risk, but I’d love to know what you all think in the comment section below.

Moving on, The Economist writes that Erdogan rule in Turkey might be coming to an end.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is facing some steep challenges.

Turkey’s leader is having one of the worst slumps of his long career. An alliance of the two main opposition parties … is polling ahead of Mr Erdogan’s governing coalition. Were parliamentary elections to take place tomorrow (they are not due until 2023, together with the next presidential election), the ruling coalition would lose its majority. Mr Erdogan, meanwhile, trails behind each of the four most likely contenders for the presidency, in some cases by double digits in putative run-offs. The whispers are starting to grow louder: could the Erdogan era be drawing to a close?

The Economist cites one major contributing factor to this is that the lira has lost “over 20% of its dollar value since the start of the year, more than any other major currency.”

But Erdogan may not go easy. Just a couple of years ago, he arrested more than 77,000 for alleged links to terror organizations.

In China news, I found the story below super interesting.

Military.com @MilitarydotcomWith a Wink and a Nod, Japan Has an Aircraft Carrier Again With a Wink and a Nod, Japan Has an Aircraft Carrier AgainThe move gives another platform for a U.S. ally to fly the most advanced fighter jet in the world.military.com

October 28th 2021

12 Retweets31 Likes

A defense analyst for the Rand Corporation said this was a big deal because Japan wants “to be able to have that capability [to launch planes] at sea, because there's an expectation that the runways will be destroyed within the first launch” of a war with China.

The ship, which used to be a helicopter carrier, will primarily host F-35s.

On Oct. 3, a pair of Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jets successfully did a takeoff and landing off the Izumo's deck. The Marine Corps released a statement announcing the accomplishment, and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force publicly released a video.   

Moving on, the Modern War Institute (MWI) at West Point published an interesting article about why the Afghan Army collapsed so quickly. (See below.)

Modern War Institute @WarInstituteAfter years of work and many billions of dollars spent on training the Afghan security forces, they collapsed with extraordinary speed in the face of the Taliban onslaught this summer. Why? Requiem for the Afghan “Fabergé Egg” Army: Why Did It Crack So Quickly? - Modern War InstituteOver the course of two decades and at a price tag of over $88 billion, the United States and its NATO partners built a modern and well-equipped Afghan military—one that, like a Fabergé egg, boasted a glossy exterior but shattered under stress after US military advisors departed. Confronted by a smal…mwi.usma.edu

October 28th 2021

2 Retweets3 Likes

The reasons listed are just as depressing as you’d figure.

In other news, there’s been some additional Afghan-withdrawal fallout.

The Washington Post @washingtonpostPentagon officials, unable to secure basing near Afghanistan, warn of terrorist threat Pentagon officials, unable to secure basing near Afghanistan, warn of terrorist threatColin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, told senators that the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan could build the capacity to conduct international operations within six months if left unchecked. Al-Qaeda, he said, could have that capability in one to two years.wapo.st

October 27th 2021

37 Retweets86 Likes

The closest major U.S. facilities, in Qatar and Bahrain, are more than 1,500 flight miles away.

Finally, it’s been a big week for tech and drones/unmanned robots.

See two points of interest below:

@USNavy Naval Force Central Command completed exercise New Horizon, the first at-sea evolution for its new unmanned task force.\n ","username":"DeptofDefense","name":"Department of Defense 🇺🇸","date":"Sun Oct 31 22:00:00 +0000 2021","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":29,"like_count":199,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/New... Task Force Completes First Unmanned Integration Exercise At Sea","description":"NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY, Bahrain - On Oct. 26, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) completed exercise New Horizon, the first at-sea evolution for its new unmanned task force.","domain":"navy.mil"},"video_url":null}">Department of Defense 🇺🇸 @DeptofDefenseSailing without sailors.@USNavy Naval Force Central Command completed exercise New Horizon, the first at-sea evolution for its new unmanned task force. NAVCENT Task Force Completes First Unmanned Integration Exercise At SeaNAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY, Bahrain - On Oct. 26, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) completed exercise New Horizon, the first at-sea evolution for its new unmanned task force.navy.mil

October 31st 2021

29 Retweets199 Likes@USArmy soldiers integrated a robotic combat vehicle surrogate into the opposing force during a recent rotation at Fort Polk, La. ","username":"ArmedwScience","name":"Armed with Science","date":"Mon Nov 01 12:00:02 +0000 2021","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":27,"like_count":98,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://go.usa.gov/xecRu","... Origin robotic vehicles join JRTC rotation in historic first","description":"In an historic first, U.S. Army Soldiers integrated a Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) surrogate into the opposing force during a recent rotation...","domain":"go.usa.gov"},"video_url":null}">Armed with Science @ArmedwScienceHistoric first!@USArmy soldiers integrated a robotic combat vehicle surrogate into the opposing force during a recent rotation at Fort Polk, La. Project Origin robotic vehicles join JRTC rotation in historic firstIn an historic first, U.S. Army Soldiers integrated a Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) surrogate into the opposing force during a recent rotation...go.usa.gov

November 1st 2021

27 Retweets98 Likes

Both are good reads if you’ve got a moment. And these technological insights are definitely going to help give the U.S. a competitive edge in its next conflict.

Finally, we’ll end with some motivation.

#SundayMotivation ","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sun Oct 17 12:00:12 +0000 2021","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FB5kqD...Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosGet out of your comfort zone to grow and improve.#SundayMotivation

October 17th 2021

131 Retweets331 Likes

That’s it for this post. Stay safe and be kind. And I’d love to hear any comments that you may have below. And, as always, please share this post if you enjoyed it.

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Every Tuesday and Friday, I write about conflicts and military matters that are happening throughout the world. I do this from a moderate perspective that focuses on unity in our country. I also don’t believe in clickbait, over-the-top headlines, or other tactics that increase fear or panic, all in the hope of web traffic. You will always get the sober, mature view, with a slight bit of my optimism peering through. 

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Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I write fast-paced military and mystery thrillers. You can find all ten books here: amazon.com.