M2

On 3 September 2025, China organized a large-scale military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War (“V-Day”). The parade displayed a wide array of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces, weapons, unmanned systems, and other equipment. As described by a state news broadcast, the featured “unmanned intelligence systems, underwater combat units, cyber and electronic forces, and hypersonic weapons,” as well as “the latest generation of conventional weapons,” highlight the “PLA’s growing capacity to harness emerging technologies, adapt to the evolving character of warfare, and prevail in future conflicts.” Notable features of the 2025 V-Day parade include: --- Longer but less dense format except in key areas (namely, unmanned systems) --- Personnel from the aerospace, cyberspace, information support, and militia forces --- Representation of forces for global power projection --- Cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and information support equipment --- Many newly revealed unmanned platforms, particularly for aerial operations --- China’s nuclear triad, shown together for the first time --- Prominence of laser weapons and (at least one reported) anti-satellite weapon In these and other ways, the military parade signals China’s rapid and ongoing investment in new military capabilities. These platforms very likely reflect perceptions among the leadership in Beijing that China must be capable of prevailing not just in homeland defense and regional conflict — such as over Taiwan — but in securing its interests worldwide when necessary. It is unlikely that China pursues state-of-the-art weapons systems (like aircraft carriers) and world-class military status mainly for prestige (though that is very likely a part of China’s motivation as well). However, the presentation of these platforms does not have particular value for assessing the PLA’s actual combat and joint operations capability now or in the future.

How is this thread only 13 pages? We need to bump up that rookie number, gentlemen!!

You'll not get an argument from me. UF could have won that game, despite the poor officiating. I think Lagway may be injured and Billy is letting him play, there's no other explanation as to why he's become such a horrible quarterback this year. LSU is overrated.

The Trump administration offered justifications for why it carried out a lethal strike against the drug boat instead of just interdicting it and arresting those on board. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said previous U.S. interdiction efforts in Latin America failed to stop the flow of drugs. “What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them,” Rubio said on a visit to Mexico. Earlier in the day, Trump said he was sending a message to the cartels. “On the boat there were massive amounts of drugs,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office. “We have tapes of them speaking. There was massive amounts of drugs coming into our country to kill a lot of people, and everybody fully understands it. But you see it, you see the bags of drugs all over the boat, and they were hit. Obviously they won’t be doing it again. And I think a lot of other people won’t be doing it again. When they watch that tape, they’re going to say, ‘Let’s not do this.'”

Deadly Airstrike On Cartel Boat Signals Major Shift In U.S. Drug Interdiction Strategy The U.S. will continue to carry out lethal attacks against people belonging to drug cartels designated as narco-terrorists, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this morning. His comments came a day after the U.S. made a deadly strike on what President Donald Trump said was a drug boat operated by the Tren de Aragua (TDA) cartel, which is closely tied to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. “It won’t stop with just this strike,” Hegseth told Fox News about the attack he said is a “very clear” message to the cartels. “Anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narco-terrorist will face the same fate. It’s important to the American people to protect our homeland and protect our hemisphere.”... (Full article at title link) A lot of people sharing their opinions on this op...

It's that time of year again, gentlemen!!

Was in Arlington, TX for a few baseball games earlier this year, and literally a five minute walk from the National Medal of Honor Museum, and I flat refused to visit it due to the lack of a sufficient Chapman exhibit! "Chapman's photo hangs on a wall near a monitor playing the drone footage at the new museum — part of a larger exhibit on the timeline of the Medal of Honor, while Slabinski is among several service members who have their own featured exhibits. Slabinski's section is filled with multiple photos and artifacts — like his field knife, ID tag, combat trousers and dress white uniform." "CBS News attempted to reach Slabinski, whose wife also works at the museum, several times but never heard back." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/master-sgt-john-chapman-national-medal-of-honor-museum-controversy/

Or Dudette! 😉

Which wasn't even as good as Ricky Pearsall's last year!! Florida WR Ricky Pearsall WILD Catch of the Year Nominee.mp4

I disagree... Brown III Catch.mp4

Well shit! Congrats, FSU! I didn't think the Tide could suck that bad, but I guess I was wrong!!

You're being generous, I'd give FSU a 5% chance at best. I would say 0%, but there's always a chance!

Figured this thread was the best place for this... Air National Guard Tests F-15 Fighter Against Helicopters An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter deploys countermeasure flares as an F-15D Eagle maneuvers overhead during a joint over-water test flight, Aug. 20, 2025. (U.S. Air Force) Two helicopters faced off against an F-15D Eagle fighter aircraft above water in an unprecedented combat defense test conducted by the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and U.S. Navy. The test saw an HH-60W Jolly Green and an HH-60G Pave Hawk defend against attacks by an F-15D in a maritime setting. The attacks were staged to simulate real-world scenarios in which U.S. rescue helicopters were fired upon at sea. “The HH-60W has never undergone this type of evaluation. This test data will help us determine how effective U.S. countermeasures are against fighter aircraft over water,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Don Smith, AATC HH-60 Division deputy director, said in a service release... (Full article at title link)

"Decoy hats!" I had a Wing Commander teach me that one as a lieutenant! 🫡🫡 An extra set of keys helped with the deception!!

Man shoots bear that broke into his house...

Not really WTF, just Florida being Florida!

Police in Kentucky say Stephanie Carlquist poured salt into the engine of her ex-boyfriend’s car, glitter in the AC vent, slashed a tire, cracked the windshield, cracked the rearview mirror & shattered the car’s radio screen. She apologized & told him she was “stressed out.” https://www.wkyt.com/2025/08/16/ky-woman-accused-pouring-salt-exs-car-engine-glitter-ac/ Cue Biff-T in 3...2...1...

Apparently, the individual was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and was released without injury. 🫡

Still haven't seen any reporting on this in the HAF/A3 Daily Current Ops Brief... 😕😕😕

Yeah, every major city in Texas is Democratic-run, and such buffoonery can be expected. During this event, 906 "weapons" were collected including 16 pellet guns, 14 gun parts, 3 toy guns and at least one stolen firearm. The program cost $127,000, to include $27,333 to pay 51 police officers working the event, exceeding its original $100,000 budget. All collected "firearms" were destroyed, which was not surprising. The SAPD has a huge weapons locker of recovered firearms it plans to destroy. I was offered a tour, but declined. However, Texas isn't as blue as you may assume. Since 1994, no Democrat has won a statewide office in Texas, marking the longest such streak in the US; and has not voted Democratic in a presidential election since 1976! By the way, Brandon Herrera is running for Congress again in Texas' 23rd Congressional District (stretches from western San Antonio all the way to El Paso covering a vast portion of southwest Texas, and runs along much of the U.S.-Mexico border north of the Rio Grande) aiming to challenge incumbent Rep. Ernest Anthony "Tony" Gonzales II in the Republican primary. Herrera nearly defeated Gonzales in the 2024 GOP runoff, losing by just 400 votes. His campaign this cycle is once again positioning him to the right of Gonzales, emphasizing his strong Second Amendment stance and opposition to federal overreach. The GOP primary is shaping up to be a contentious rematch with a third candidate, Susan Storey , also entering the race. Rubio is a rancher from Cotulla, a seventh-generation Texan and a mother and grandmother with deep roots in the district. She's pledged $350,000 of her own money to fund her campaign and is aiming to appeal to the district’s rural and conservative base. Gonzalez served in the U.S. Navy from 1999 to 2019 retiring as a Master Chief Petty Officer. He voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act after the Robb Elementary School shooting in his district, citing personal experiences with domestic violence. He also opposed the Border Safety and Security Act of 2023 leading to a censure by the Texas GOP. He also voted against Jim Jordan for Speaker and the House rules package, further alienating some conservatives. Herrera appeals to younger, libertarian-leaning conservatives and gun rights activists. Rubio targets rural voters and traditional conservatives frustrated with the GOP establishment. Gonzales relies on incumbency, military credentials, and moderate bipartisan achievements—but faces criticism from the party’s right wing. The district is roughly 78% urban and 22% rural, with much of the land area being sparsely populated. We'll see how it goes...

Now I'm hearing it was a "Wing Recruiting Officer"... https://www.104fw.ang.af.mil/Careers/Meet-our-104th-FW-Recruiters/

Rumor is it was a PAO...