The Best of War is Boring in April

This was your month at war

The Best of War is Boring in April The Best of War is Boring in April

Uncategorized April 28, 2014

The crisis in Ukraine continued to dominate the news and occupy leaders and armies on both side of the former Iron Curtain in April.... The Best of War is Boring in April

The crisis in Ukraine continued to dominate the news and occupy leaders and armies on both side of the former Iron Curtain in April. Russia ordered some ostensibly upgraded MiG-29s that might actually be second-hand junk, as Thomas Newdick revealed in a lavishly-illustrated feature.

Pushing back against one colonel’s outrageous claim, Rob Farley explained that U.S. Air Force F-22 stealth fighters, one of which is pictured below, can’t save Ukraine from Russian annexation. By the same token, it would be a terrible idea for America to give surplus B-52 bombers to Israel, Farley asserted.

The new Pacific arms race continues. China revealed in April that it has begun assembling a mockup of a gigantic new missile cruiser that could dwarf the warships of rival nations, as I reported. Meanwhile, Rob Beckhusen took the U.S. Navy to task for wanting to scrap a perfectly good cruiser of its own.

Hydrophones, nuke boats and useless missiles

I revealed how China has begun listening for enemy submarines with a suite of new, high-tech sensors. I also mentioned that America is developing a brand-new nuclear-missile submarine that could be quieter … and more apocalyptic … than older boats.

Oh, and the U.S. Army still has a battery of controversial—and possibly useless—missile interceptors languishing on Guam, just in case North Korea attacks, as Joe Trevithick reported.

According to Peter Dörrie, Africa is arming faster than any other continent.

Looking back, James Simpson marked the 10th anniversary of Japan’s pointless mission in Iraq. Steve Weintz recalled his father’s fascinating Cold War encounters. Matt Gault reminded us that dictators often aren’t even born in the countries they end up ruling. Michael Peck drew our attention to the Confederacy’s loopy idea for a Civil War helicopter.

Finally, Kevin Knodell chatted with Dale Dye, a Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam who went to Hollywood—and changed the way America makes war movies.

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