Caption: In Africa, trained rats locate landmines…

 

Boeing lost $1.1 billion on Trump Air Force One contract; CEO regrets the deal

 

 

Thoughts on Hardware

Russian NOTAR

The Kamov KA-29 are used by the Russian Navy as utility and light attack helicopters. They’re very susceptible to lighter SAMs like Stinger missiles. The aircraft themselves are very maintenance-intense, but they’ve been around for a long time.

 

TaliHummer

Upgunned Taliban HMMWV with a BM-14-16 MRL. Gardez, Paktia province, 2022.

 

UP-Armor

Up-armored Jeep during the Korean War, operated by the US 17th Infantry Regiment in Kuhmwa Valley 1952. This modification was created by the 17th Infantry Regiment. It was used to supplement their I&R platoon during the Battle of the Guardposts time period in 1952-53. The rear axle under the engine and the front differential was placed where the rear axle was originally attached. The crew compartment was reversed so the driver is now over the front axle and sitting on the right side.

 

STOP FARMING

(Modern Farmer) This year, California farmers have been given a financial incentive to not plant crops.

Much of the state is already experiencing extreme drought conditions. As part of a $2.9-billion plan to try to keep water flowing in California rivers, the state will pay farms to keep thousands of acres vacant this growing season.

Both state and federal officials, as well as some major water companies in the region, signed the plan on Tuesday. Their hope is to keep upwards of 824,000 acre-feet of water every year in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The Capital Press explains that one acre-foot of water adds up to around 325,000 gallons of water—or typically enough to supply water to two households for a year.

The most impacted sector will be the rice industry, as the plan would leave 35,000 acres of rice fields in the northern Central Valley—adding up to about six percent of the yearly crop—unused.

What will happen to prices? If you’re woke enough, you won’t care.

 

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15 COMMENTS

  1. As if there were not enough causes to inflate food prices we get another one.

    I am kinda on the lookout for an old Jeep, up armoring could be beneficial if things keep going sideways.

  2. I don’t think Boeing “lost” 1.1 billion; it was profit they expected to make, but President Trump told them the contract was too expensive, and he was considering an Airbus.

    The KA-29 reminds mf the Kaman HH-43 “Huskie”.

    Kalifornia never fails to amaze me. I wonder what their next dumb move will be…..

    • I think you are right about Boeing. Something along the lines of, “figures don’t lie, liars figure”.

    • Boeing wasn’t allowed to do its usual ‘cost plus whatever else’ pricing like it has done for Starliner and the SLS. Really, how hard could it be to price it correctly? Boeing knew how much the secret squirrel shit cost, how much it cost to do the labor, how much it cost to do a custom interior and paint job and all the other fiddly-bits.

      Wah. Boeing needs to move the corporate back into the factory and get back to making great planes at a great price. Or go away.

  3. I’ve wondered about if Ukraine or Russia will be able to bring the food production capacity back any time in the next few years, even if hostilities stopped tomorrow. There’s been extensive use of mines, from what I’ve read, and that’s not something that’s going to go away at the drop of a hat.

    It can be a long, dangerous, and manpower intensive job to clear minefields.

    • Ukraine will have to export through Poland. I have no idea how long it will take to rebuild destroyed bridges and port facilities. Russia can’t move trucks to the Black Sea. The Volga empties into the Caspian Sea, so that doesn’t do them any good.

      It will be some time before things return to normal.

      • I’m thinking less of the logistics side of it and more the fields the farmers sow. Mines strike me as more serious than France’s iron harvest, because of the nature of the things. Only have to look at Cambodia as an example.

        • The good thing about Ukraine is that landmines are not deep like unexploded bombs and artillery shells – mostly lobbed into the cities. They are also easier to identify for the most part because of the nature of the soil vs Cambodia.

  5. Repairs would probably take a year after hostilities end. Export would probably be through Poland, but any number of countries would probably appreciate a taste of the transport of the grain export to the Black Sea, Aegean or Adriatic. All would be under the NATO Shield. Most would avoid Russian and, or Turkish manipulation. Note that the that the Ukraine might keep Odessa as an export Port. That is still undecided. Keeping a Black Sea port would be worth a blood bath. The contest is still in play.

    In the U. S. grain and coal usually are moved to the Mississippi by rail for export via barge to New Orleans. Similar options are available to the Ukraine if the Black Sea access is lost. I’d expect the export of Russian food stuffs to also have “problems”, so there will be several years of “hard times” ahead.

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