quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:

They replaced the axe head twice and the upgraded the handle three times

There's a name plate attached to each aircraft, akin to the VIN plate attached to each car. It is the one original part which must remain for the aircraft to be "original". Theoretically, every other part could be replaced over time until that small plate is the only original thing remaining!

Presumably military aircraft have a similar plate. Structurally, wing spars worry me over time due to millions of flex cycles. Corrosion on load bearing parts is also a worry. Everything else such as engines, avionics, etc are easily upgraded.

My grandkids could someday be flying a B-52!

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfr...dkt_nbr=010502jtggg2

Hegseth Vows 'Most Intense Day' of Iran Strikes

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the United States was preparing for what he described as the "most intense day of strikes" yet in the ongoing military campaign against Iran.

Hegseth made the comments in a briefing he held with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine at the Pentagon.

Hegseth said the next wave of U.S. attacks would significantly escalate the pace and scale of the air campaign that has been underway since the start of the U.S.-led operation targeting Iranian military infrastructure.

He said Tuesday's operations were designed to further degrade Iran's missile systems, naval capabilities, and weapons production facilities.

"Today will be the most intense day of bombing so far," Hegseth said, emphasizing that U.S. forces were prepared to carry out a large number of coordinated strikes across multiple targets inside Iran.

Hegseth told reporters that the campaign — which the Pentagon has described as a focused military effort — aims to dismantle Iran's ability to launch missile and drone attacks and prevent the country from advancing toward nuclear weapons capabilities.

He insisted the United States is making significant progress in achieving those objectives.

Caine provided additional details about the military impact of the operation so far, telling reporters that Iranian offensive capabilities have been sharply reduced since the strikes began.

According to Caine, Iranian ballistic missile launches have dropped by roughly 90% and drone attacks have declined by more than 80% as coalition forces have targeted key military infrastructure.

Caine said Iran's military response so far has not exceeded what U.S. officials expected when the campaign began.

"They're fighting, and I respect that," he said. "I don't think they're more formidable than we thought."

Caine said U.S. forces have also struck naval assets and weapons manufacturing sites, including missile and drone production facilities, as part of a broader effort to limit Iran's ability to sustain attacks across the region.

He added that the campaign has already destroyed dozens of Iranian ships and significantly weakened Tehran's naval operations.

Despite the escalation in airstrikes, Hegseth said the United States is not pursuing regime change in Iran and described the operation as a targeted military campaign rather than an open-ended war.

The briefing came as the wider regional conflict continued to intensify. Iranian forces have launched missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and several Gulf states, raising fears of broader instability across the Middle East and disrupting global energy markets.

Hegseth said the United States would continue the military campaign until Iran's ability to threaten the region is decisively reduced, adding that the timeline for ending the conflict would be determined by U.S. strategic objectives.

quote:

Despite the escalation in airstrikes, Hegseth said the United States is not pursuing regime change in Iran and described the operation as a targeted military campaign rather than an open-ended war.

Hegseth said the United States would continue the military campaign until Iran's ability to threaten the region is decisively reduced, adding that the timeline for ending the conflict would be determined by U.S. strategic objectives.

It's an important distinction. Sure, we would love the people to rise up and overthrow the Republican Guard and the Mullahs. But we are not going to go in and occupy that country which is what it would take. The Iranian people would have to do it for themselves, and they are mostly unarmed. So, it would take the regular army turning against the IRGC.

Having not thought it through too much, I'm thinking that the best thing we could do is to somehow import a few million M4s, and a few billion rounds of ammo for them, to the Persian people and let them take over the battle.

I like BigSwede‘s post, a few above.

^^^ Yeah, looks pretty accurate to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Having not thought it through too much, I'm thinking that the best thing we could do is to somehow import a few million M4s, and a few billion rounds of ammo for them, to the Persian people and let them take over the battle.

They can borrow them from the Taliban

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Having not thought it through too much, I'm thinking that the best thing we could do is to somehow import a few million M4s, and a few billion rounds of ammo for them, to the Persian people and let them take over the battle.

A slight twist on your idea. Coordinate with the Crown Prince (i.e. has a following, legitimate claim to be leader, and seems sane), and land a C130 or two in remote areas with the back full of M16A2/A4 rifles (i.e. former main battle rifles the Army still has in storage), man portable anti-tank equipment, and ammo/loads for all of it. The Crown Prince's followers get armed and rise up.

https://www.newsmax.com/ruddy/...dkt_nbr=010102jfpo3a

OPINION
Ruddy: Trump Won the War and Soon the Peace

In just over a week, something remarkable has happened in the Middle East.

The war with Iran — feared by many for decades — has largely been decided.

President Donald Trump, working closely with America's ally Israel, has already achieved what many believed would require months of combat or might never happen at all.

Indeed the world has witnessed the near-total destruction of Iran's military infrastructure and the dismantling of its nuclear ambitions.

That is why I believe history will record this moment clearly: Trump has "won" the war. Now he will soon win the peace.

Over the past week, coordinated American and Israeli strikes have crippled Iran’s military capacity.

Iran's naval power, missile systems, communications networks, and much of its air-defense capability have been devastated.

Even critics acknowledge that the scale of the damage is enormous.

President Trump himself has said the campaign is already "very complete" and ahead of schedule.

But the true significance of this moment goes far beyond the battlefield.

For years, the world watched as Iran crept closer to becoming a nuclear weapons state.

According to international inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran had reached a terrifying threshold: it was believed to be only just weeks away from possessing enough nuclear material to produce a bomb.

Think about that.

A regime that has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and America and labeled us as "the Great Satan" was on the verge of crossing the nuclear finish line.

And despite repeated pleas by the U.S. and others that they simply renounce their nuclear intentions and halt their ballistic missile program — or face an incredibly destructive attack — Iran still refused to compromise.

That decision revealed everything.

It revealed how dangerous this regime was — a clear indication, in my mind, that if they acquired the bomb they would use it.

Imagine, Iran’s leaders were prepared to risk the destruction of their own military infrastructure if it meant keeping alive the dream of a nuclear weapon.

Frankly, they have never hidden their intentions.

The bomb, in their own rhetoric, was meant to eliminate Israel and challenge the United States and the West.

In truth, Iran has already been at war with America and our allies for almost 50 years.

The regime has waged that war through proxies — arming and directing groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

These organizations have terrorized civilians, destabilized governments, and attacked American interests across the Middle East.

President Trump's decision to act decisively has now broken that strategic arc.

In an exclusive interview with Newsmax's Greta Van Susteren over the weekend, Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar praised Trump's leadership and offered a sobering historical comparison.

In the 1990s, he noted, the United States had an opportunity to eliminate the nuclear weapons program of North Korea.

Had President Bill Clinton acted decisively then, the world might not face the nightmare of a nuclear-armed North Korea today.

That lesson is clear: sometimes the cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of action.

Trump chose action.

By dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and crippling its military capabilities, he has lifted a nuclear cloud that hung over not only Israel but also for America's partners in the Gulf.

Countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain now face a dramatically different strategic landscape.

Yet wars are not won by destruction alone.

The next phase of this conflict will be what I call the "housekeeping phase."

Instead of large-scale military operations, the mission will focus on enforcement and stability – similar to how the U.S. dealt with Iraq during the 1990s.

The United States and Israel will need to police Iran’s behavior — ensuring that its nuclear program does not revive and that its missile development does not return.

At the same time, opposition forces inside Iran should begin to emerge.

I believe regime change will ultimately come, but it is unlikely to arrive overnight.

There is little U.S. or Western public support for a ground invasion into Iran that might accomplish this. Still, it will be better if the change is more organic and internally accomplished.

Unlike some historical revolutions, there is no organized alternative government or opposition in Iran waiting in the wings.

Nor are there many figures inside the current regime who would be willing to cooperate with the West in a transition, as happened recently in Venezuela.

Time, however, is not entirely on our side if the war continues much longer.

Every day that passes allows narratives to shift.

We saw this dynamic after the October attacks by Hamas against Israel.

The terrorists massacred over 1400 Israeli civilians in a brutal rampage.

Yet within a matter of months, Israel was portrayed as the aggressor, the Gazans as victims.

You can already see something similar happening now.

Around the world — and in many media outlets — sympathy for Iran is beginning to grow.

France's Macron almost immediately seemed to side with Iran (meanwhile, our British friends have stood strongly with us, albeit with a slight delay due to late notification of an impending attack).

The longer the aftermath drags on, the easier it becomes for the original cause of the conflict to be forgotten.

That is why the next priority must be strategic clarity.

One of the most urgent issues is securing the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply travels.

If that corridor remains unstable or closed, the global economy will feel the shock.

Former NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark tells me this is now the number one priority.

And it may mean U.S. troops will have to seize key islands that help control the waterway.

Ensuring Hormuz's security will require continued international cooperation and American leadership.

But when the history of this moment is written, one fact will stand above the rest.

For decades previous presidents had kicked the Iran can down the road, so to speak.

But, in a matter of days President Trump confronted one of the most dangerous nuclear threats in the world and removed it.

That was not hesitation.

That was not incremental diplomacy.

It was a decisive act of leadership.

And it should go down as one of the most consequential — and courageous — foreign policy decisions of our time.

Yes good article but jeez, why is EVERYTHING written in this AI-style now? It's really annoying.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Yes good article but jeez, why is EVERYTHING written in this AI-style now? It's really annoying.

+1 Dozens and dozens of single sentences instead of paragraphs is very poor writing even for today's "journalist."

Guys, I copy and paste articles from various news sources. For some reason, Newsmax pastes this way. The article is not written this way.

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Guys, I copy and paste articles from various news sources. For some reason, Newsmax pastes this way. The article is not written this way.

I clicked the link and it's dozens and dozens of single sentences instead of paragraphs. In other words, nothing wrong with your copy/paste.

tt, you're right! In the web form, the margins are far narrower making for an easier read.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/...GwlkgvrC6IMffZmBs%3D

US Strikes 16 Iranian Mine-Laying Boats Near Strait of Hormuz: Pentagon

The president warned of severe military consequences if Iran lays mines in the strait.

The Pentagon said U.S. forces destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying boats near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

The minelayers were among multiple Iranian naval vessels “eliminated” by the United States, U.S. Central Command said in an X post.

President Donald Trump, in an earlier post on his Truth Social platform, warned Tehran that if “for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before.”

“If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump said in the post.

“If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction!”

The president’s comments came after reports first published by CBS News that Iranian small craft, capable of carrying two to three mines each, have been detected moving into the 100-mile waterway.

Less than 15 minutes later, the president added in another post that “within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!”

Traffic in the Hormuz Strait—through which 20 percent of the world’s oil leaves the Persian Gulf—has come to a near standstill over fears of attacks from Iranian drones, missiles, bunkered artillery, and mines. Up to 250 ships, including around 150 oil tankers, are stacked in the Arabian Sea.

At a Tuesday morning Pentagon press conference, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine said U.S. forces are aggressively targeting “mine-laying vessels in mine storage facilities” and will continue “to hunt and strike” suspected Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites along Iran’s mountainous coast, which is less than 21 miles from the strait’s six-mile wide commercial shipping channel.

According to widely published analyses, the IRGC has as many as 6,000 mines of varied types and technologies. Belgium-based defense journal Army Recognition said “using mines alongside drones, fast boats, and coastal missiles to keep the strait unusable for commercial traffic for as long as it chooses” is a “sustained friction” strategy it implemented during the 1980-88 Tanker War.
In April 1988, the guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an IRGC-laid M-08 “contact mine”—a WWI era floating bomb—in the central Persian Gulf while escorting ships during Operation Earnest Will. The blast ignited massive fires, nearly sinking the ship and wounding dozens of sailors.

Iran has at least three kinds of mines: mines tethered to the seafloor; “influence bottom” mines that detonate from magnetic and acoustic pressure; and “rocket rising mines” from China designed to hug the seafloor and launch rocket-propelled warheads. All can be deployed relatively rapidly from small watercraft, including fishing dhows.

Rumors only at this point, but...

Unconfirmed reports from inside Iran that are becoming more likely for every day that passes:

• Mojtaba Khamenei is hospitalised at the Sina Hospital ICU.

• He is severely injured in the abdomen and legs, and currently on a ventilator.

• He doesn't know that a war has broken out, or that his family is dead, or that he's become SL. His last conscious moment was the morning of 28/02 (meaning he was hit day 1 and survived if true).

• His surgery was performed by Dr. Zafarghandi along with Dr. Mareshi who have deep regime links.

• The remaining regime leaders are fully aware. Pezeshkian has seen Mojtaba in his hospital bed, and the hospital is under a massive security lockdown.

• In a mix of panic and opportunism to keep control of Iran, the IRGC pushed through Mojtaba's "election" to control the country behind the scenes. Many clerics are furious, and there is a gigantic split.

Take all of this with a grain of salt. But with every hour that goes by with no public appearance by Mojtaba, the more suspicious it seems, and the more I'm inclined to believe at least some of this reporting is accurate.

And...

Not 100% correct.

According to information from well-informed sources, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, is currently receiving intensive treatment at the Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran.

According to these reports, he has not regained consciousness since being transferred to the hospital, and his level of consciousness remains low. Sources say that a confidential medical team is providing intensive care to stabilize his physical condition.

The source reported that Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition is critical



https://x.com/yadannofreeze/st.../2031481945918771399

Weekend at Bernie's!

Keep hacking at the Khamenei tree, then bring in the stump grinder.

Until the memory of them are remembered no more.

Shit, I don't even know anymore. Now we've got a Kardboard Khamenei

https://x.com/NiohBerg/status/2031387705540538823