Politics

[fourfive8]

$400,000 per Sidewinder missile and the first one from the F16 missed the balloon over Lake Huron. The pilot had to shoot a second one. $800K for a balloon shoot down! LOL

Yep could easily be that much. I think the unit costs vary, depending on model, from about 150K upwards of 399K. That's in addition to whatever the cost is for scrambling a couple of F22s or F16s each time. The hit on the first big Chicom balloon was as @Red Leg described, appeared to hit the major electronics package hung immediately under the balloon, literally disintegrating it. At the hit, the suspension was severed and the large superstructure including the large solar arrays plunged straight down. Certainly looked like an explosive warhead hit to me. Of course the down side of that hit is it possibly destroyed some component or components that might be key to figuring out what it was to begin with. Who knows?

 

[CoElkHunter]

Surely that’s not news to anyone?

Only to those morons who STILL wear a mask despite every scientific study showing they don't work! I still see people wearing masks when ALONE walking, jogging, riding a bicycle, scooter or skateboard in a car by themselves, etc., in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT when I'm working! What is the psychological aspect of this? How many of you wear a mask when "lurking" or actively participating here on AH? Ha! Ha! Ha!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Yep could easily be that much. I think the unit costs vary, depending on model, from about 150K upwards of 399K. That's in addition to whatever the cost is for scrambling a couple of F22s or F16s each time. The hit on the first big Chicom balloon was as @Red Leg described, appeared to hit the major electronics package hung immediately under the balloon, literally disintegrating it. At the hit, the suspension was severed and the large superstructure including the large solar arrays plunged straight down. Certainly looked like an explosive warhead hit to me. Of course the down side of that hit is it possibly destroyed some component or components that might be key to figuring out what it was to begin with. Who knows?

Well, if we bought the Sidewinders from China, they'd be at least half that price? I'm sure they've already stolen the technology to build them, so we might as well use their manufacturers' discounted price to shoot down one or more of their own "weather" balloons? LOL

 

[Just Gina]

 

[JOHN GRENZ]

 

[JOHN GRENZ]

 

[Hunter4752001]

WA bans high-calibre firearms and ammunition - Sporting Shooter

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan today announced a ban on high-powered firearms and ammunition capable of accurate long-range shooting, claiming police and the public were at risk “and the consequences could be devastating”.

sportingshooter.com.au

The Western Australian Police Minister has announced a ban on "high-powered firearms and ammunition capable of accurate long-range shooting". Apparently they intend to ban 56 types of firearms and 19 calibres.
The banned cartridges are:

• .340 Weatherby Magnum
• .28 Nosler
• .330 Dakota
• .338 Lapua
• .300 Lapua Magnum
• .338-404 Jeffery
• .338 Norma Magnum
• .338-378 Weatherby Magnum
• 338 Edge
• .30-378 Weatherby Magnum
• .300 Norma Magnum
• .375 A-Square
• .375 Gibbs
• .460 Steyr
• .375 CheyTac
• .416 Barrett
• .408 CheyTac
• .50 BMG
• .55 Boys

Allegedly this was a measure requested by the WA Police Commissioner.

For something so dangerous that it needs banning, I don't recall any of them being used either against police or generally in any crime in this country.

I guess the McGowan government is what a 3 way lovechild between Trudeau, Putin and XI would look like.

More seriously, the proposal reinforces what happens when individual police forces are allowed to get so large that they become self serving political forces in their own right. Time for Australia to adopt the separate state/city/regional policing models such as in the UK, Canada and USA. Having massive State Police forces is a bigger threat to the public than the crime.

 

[VertigoBE]

WA bans high-calibre firearms and ammunition - Sporting Shooter

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan today announced a ban on high-powered firearms and ammunition capable of accurate long-range shooting, claiming police and the public were at risk “and the consequences could be devastating”.

sportingshooter.com.au

The Western Australian Police Minister has announced a ban on "high-powered firearms and ammunition capable of accurate long-range shooting". Apparently they intend to ban 56 types of firearms and 19 calibres.
The banned cartridges are:

• .340 Weatherby Magnum
• .28 Nosler
• .330 Dakota
• .338 Lapua
• .300 Lapua Magnum
• .338-404 Jeffery
• .338 Norma Magnum
• .338-378 Weatherby Magnum
• 338 Edge
• .30-378 Weatherby Magnum
• .300 Norma Magnum
• .375 A-Square
• .375 Gibbs
• .460 Steyr
• .375 CheyTac
• .416 Barrett
• .408 CheyTac
• .50 BMG
• .55 Boys

Allegedly this was a measure requested by the WA Police Commissioner.

For something so dangerous that it needs banning, I don't recall any of them being used either against police or generally in any crime in this country.

I guess the McGowan government is what a 3 way lovechild between Trudeau, Putin and XI would look like.

More seriously, the proposal reinforces what happens when individual police forces are allowed to get so large that they become self serving political forces in their own right. Time for Australia to adopt the separate state/city/regional policing models such as in the UK, Canada and USA. Having massive State Police forces is a bigger threat to the public than the crime.

That list of calibers looks like a listing of an ammunition maker of calibers that will be discontinued….

But al kidding aside, who in his right thought that banning these “sniper rounds” would have any impact on gun violence? Or is this the police trying to throw a bone to the anti gun crowd while actually only banning 200 rifles total nationwide. ?

 

[Ray B]

It's about control- Add to that the "leaders" likely suffer from paranoia. Too bad they didn't see the move Missouri Breaks. If you haven't, Marlon Brando is a hired gun and his gun is a long barreled Sharps which he uses to shoot cattle rustlers at a half mile away. Probably best- if they had they'd also add 45/3 1/4" and 50/110 in there fear of being shot before they even knew they were being shot at.

 

[Hunter4752001]

The ban is a State ban ie only affects the state of Western Australia. In the WA case, the police are for all intents and purposes the anti-gun crowd. No-one ever said command level police officers have a 'right mind', honesty or any knowledge of what they pontificate on. The biggest problem with this idea, as they've demonstrated in Canada, is that once it's in place it's easy to keep adding to the list.

 

[Ray B]

No-one ever said command level police officers have a 'right mind',.

Reminds me of a story (joke) I heard several years ago at some "in-service" training. a fellow is in a hospital and needs a brain transplant, As it happened there were three brains available to him. 1 was from a nuclear physicist, one was from a college professor and the third was from a police chief. the patient opted for the police chiefs brain because it had never been used.

 

[PARA45]

 

[fourfive8]

Well, if we bought the Sidewinders from China, they'd be at least half that price? I'm sure they've already stolen the technology to build them, so we might as well use their manufacturers' discounted price to shoot down one or more of their own "weather" balloons? LOL

Maybe good chance Chinese parts in the Sidewinders already. I think Raytheon and other contractors have been using parts of "questionable" origin for a while.

 

[fourfive8]

Corn Pop juked his ufo on the first shot but we got him on the second. What the hey anyway, it was deemed a non-kinetic threat. Update.., now I hear insiders bragging some of these AIM 9s approach .5 m. And ever notice how big wheels like Austin like to use hot shot lingo when pressured. What in the hell… “kinetic threat vs non-kinetic threat.” I guess a device passively spying on or imaging sensitive facilities, jamming or listening to sensitive military communications or testing reaction to an incursion is no real worry because it’s non-kinetic ?? The behind the curtain MIBs are working overtime on this one.

 

[Red Leg]

Maybe good chance Chinese parts in the Sidewinders already. I think Raytheon and other contractors have been using parts of "questionable" origin for a while.

On what do you base that? I have pretty expensive experience running a business unit for a major defense corporation and often partnered or competed with Raytheon. On a US Military contract, suppliers and subcontractors require government approval. In some cases, a Chinese product has been approved for some systems. For instance much night vision equipment requires lanthanum. 90% of the worldwide demand comes from China.

Back in 2010 or 2011 the Senate Armed Services Committee sponsored an investigation that uncovered some Chinese counterfeit electronic parts in the defense supply chain. Some made it into weapon systems. Before, and especially subsequently, both DOD and its primes spend enormous effort guarding against that sort of thing.

I would be much more concerned about Chinese parts on the next airliner you fly.

 

[Red Leg]

On what do you base that? I have pretty expensive experience running a business unit for a major defense corporation and often partnered or competed with Raytheon. On a US Military contract, suppliers and subcontractors require government approval. In some cases, a Chinese product has been approved for some systems. For instance much night vision equipment requires lanthanum. 90% of the worldwide demand comes from China.

Back in 2010 or 2011 the Senate Armed Services Committee sponsored an investigation that uncovered some Chinese counterfeit electronic parts in the defense supply chain. Some made it into weapon systems. Before, and especially subsequently, both DOD and its primes spend enormous effort guarding against that sort of thing.

I would be much more concerned about Chinese parts on the next airliner you fly.

Extensive not “expensive.” Jeez. Though the taxes I paid in Northern Virginia were sheer extortion.

 

[meigsbucks]

 

[Pheroze]

Smoke, Mirrors: Naval Exercise Mosi II is a Potemkin village

If the South Africans participating in Exercise Mosi II are impressed they would, I suspect, be falling for one of the oldest tricks in the book.

www.dailymaverick.co.za

 

[CoElkHunter]

WA bans high-calibre firearms and ammunition - Sporting Shooter

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan today announced a ban on high-powered firearms and ammunition capable of accurate long-range shooting, claiming police and the public were at risk “and the consequences could be devastating”.

sportingshooter.com.au

The Western Australian Police Minister has announced a ban on "high-powered firearms and ammunition capable of accurate long-range shooting". Apparently they intend to ban 56 types of firearms and 19 calibres.
The banned cartridges are:

• .340 Weatherby Magnum
• .28 Nosler
• .330 Dakota
• .338 Lapua
• .300 Lapua Magnum
• .338-404 Jeffery
• .338 Norma Magnum
• .338-378 Weatherby Magnum
• 338 Edge
• .30-378 Weatherby Magnum
• .300 Norma Magnum
• .375 A-Square
• .375 Gibbs
• .460 Steyr
• .375 CheyTac
• .416 Barrett
• .408 CheyTac
• .50 BMG
• .55 Boys

Allegedly this was a measure requested by the WA Police Commissioner.

For something so dangerous that it needs banning, I don't recall any of them being used either against police or generally in any crime in this country.

I guess the McGowan government is what a 3 way lovechild between Trudeau, Putin and XI would look like.

More seriously, the proposal reinforces what happens when individual police forces are allowed to get so large that they become self serving political forces in their own right. Time for Australia to adopt the separate state/city/regional policing models such as in the UK, Canada and USA. Having massive State Police forces is a bigger threat to the public than the crime.

The .35 Whelen ought to be on the list? It would prevent Townsend @Bob Nelson 35Whelen from terrorizing the NSW Territory! Seriously though, what a friggin joke! When was the last time ANYWHERE in the World, was ANYONE killed by ANY of those cartridges, including a ricochet?

 

[CoElkHunter]

Smoke, Mirrors: Naval Exercise Mosi II is a Potemkin village

If the South Africans participating in Exercise Mosi II are impressed they would, I suspect, be falling for one of the oldest tricks in the book.

www.dailymaverick.co.za

Thought it was a Pokemon village? Thought I saw a Pikachu manning a .50 quad? LOL