A June Midrats Melee!

now, with upgraded audio!

If you missed Midrats live on Sunday, well, lucky you…the podcast is UP!

Hope you enjoy the new audio quality for this month's melee!

You can listen here or a the below.

We kick things off with an overview of the Gaza Pier debacle, the Eisenhower deployment extension, the Constellation Class frigate purgatory, the potential fun with the #AsianNATO, and finish things up with a former VCNO who is not in a happy place.

Speaking of AI … the below was churned out by our new podcast provider’s AI. I kept 50%, modified the rest in places. Tell me what you think in comments if I should continue to use this.

Show Summary

The conversation covers a range of topics related to military operations, equipment, and decision-making, including the Asian NATO, Chinese aggression, the Shangri-La dialogue, naval operations, and corruption within the military.

It delves into the challenges and failures of specific programs, the impact on national reputation, and the need for flexibility and preparedness in military planning. The discussion also highlights the importance of learning from past mistakes, the implications of bureaucratic decision-making on naval capabilities, and these issues and their impact on global security and international relations.

Sound Bites

• "Too often, peacetime exercise planners do not completely anticipate the urgency and geographic constraints of wartime scenarios."

• "The bureaucratic goo that's being put on the floor that has stopped us from competently building a ship since we restarted the Arleigh Burke line."

• "Let's talk about how whipped out of shape the Chinese are about the Asian NATO."

• "It's not like we've totally abandoned the area, but we really need to have a force capable of responding."

Topic Summary:

• Gaza’s Lessons on Flexibility and Preparedness in Military Planning

• Maritime Prepositioning and the Danger of “Wishcasting Tomorrowland”

• Update on the Constellation Class Frigate saga

• Navigating the Asian NATO: Regional Security Challenges

• Unpacking Chinese Aggression: Global Implications

• Shangri-La Dialogue: Addressing Security Challenges

• The Eisenhower ESG Extension and Naval Operations: Maintaining Global Security and the Red Sea

• Former VCNO is Having a Very Bad Summer So Far

Showlinks:

• Better Tabletop Exercises for Wartime Acquisition By Ron Weinberger

• Army JLOTS v. Navy ELCAS

• You Go to War with the Industrial Base You Have, by Mackenzie Eaglen

• "Just as PLA is clearly communicating its threats to the world, it's also communicating its insecurities." - Zach Ota

• Admiral Paparo shows the correct attitude at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

• Former VCNO not having a good week