Tag Archives: Right to keep and bear arms

Ukraine Drawdowns Top 200 Million Rounds of Small Arms Ammo

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The Pentagon on Wednesday announced the latest security assistance package for Ukraine provided by the Biden Administration, including a lot more small arms ammunition, which is everything short of 12.7mm (.50 cal).

The latest package, valued at up to $300 million, marks the 37th White House-authorized drawdown from the Department of Defense’s equipment stockpiled for Ukraine since August 2021. Besides additional 155mm tube artillery and shells, assorted anti-armor weapon systems, HIMARS rockets, TOW missiles and mortar rounds, the latest transfer also transfers more “small arms and small arms ammunition” to Ukraine. 

With a total of over $36.4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, a fact sheet provided by the Pentagon this week puts the running tally of small arms ammunition at “over” 200 million rounds. This is up from the 150 million rounds listed in a similar tally made public just six weeks ago. 

DOD officials in late November listed the cumulative amount of small arms ammo drawdown for Ukraine as 104 million rounds, a figure that has seemingly doubled in the past six months. 

Besides lots of 7.62 NATO for M240s transferred with light armored vehicles, Ukrainian regulars have increasingly been spotted with 5.56-caliber M4A1 Carbines and M16A4 rifles, complete with Trijicon ACOG optics and M203 40mm under-barrel grenade launchers, so you can bet a lot of the recently transferred stockpiles will be 5.56.

Soldiers of the Ukrainian Army’s 47th OMBr (separate mechanized brigade) “Magura” train with M16A4 rifles. The newly created unit is armed with much U.S.-supplied equipment including repainted M2A2 Bradley vehicles. (Photo: Ukraine Ministry of Defense)

In related news, with over 10,000 Javelin systems transferred to Ukraine, a figure that represents something like 13 years of standard production, this contract just hit DOD’s list yesterday (emphasis mine):

Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin JV, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $1,024,355,817 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for the Javelin Weapon System and associated support equipment. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 2, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-23-D-0014). (Awarded May 3, 2023)

The ceiling on the Javelin contract, running through 2027, is actually $7.2B, with a B, or almost the cost of five new Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

Tom Swift would be pleased

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Starting around the 1880s and progressing through the Great War, or in other words the gaslamp Victorian/Edwardian-era, a series of pulp novels appeared with a host of fictitious “Edisonade” brilliant young inventors: Tom Swift, Frank Reade Jr., Jack Write and others whose adventures were full of pluck and included the high tech forward thinking science of the era including radios, electric weapons, electrical land vehicles, steam powered robots, airships, rockets and submarines.

One of these books, a 1911 work titled Tom Swift and his Electric Rifle, was used as the acronym (TSER) of a less lethal gun that projected a set of barbed hooks that delivered a potent electric charge, incapacitating most targets– the TASER.

taser-came-from-the-acronym-of-a-novel-published-in-1911-titled-thomas-a-swifts-electric-rifle

Incidentally, last week the District of Columbia agreed to lift its prohibition on civilian ownership of Tasers as part of a lawsuit filed in federal court.

In the two-page order, signed by U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, the city agreed not to enforce its current ban on Tasers and other electronic arms for lawful self-defense in residences while lawmakers hammer out a new and more accommodating law.

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All Hail Oleg Volk

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A little over a thousand years ago a Varangain prince decided became something of the Russian Version of King Arthur. He is credited with moving the capital of Rus from Novgorod the Great to Kiev and, in doing so, he laid the foundation of the powerful state of Kievan Rus. He also launched at least one attack on Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Famously he had his shield hammered to the gates of Constantinople.

This unified and greatly expanded the country that would later become Russia.

He is known and celebrated as Oleg The Great and Oleg of Novgorod. His name has often been imparted to Russian military equipment, his blessing asked for in battle, and was even given to a light cruiser of the Tsar’s navy that was one of the few Russian naval ships decorated with glory in World War One.

To me his name is ably carried onward into the present by Mr Oleg Volk.

I have followed Mr Volk and his work for several years

His work is well known in the second amendment crowd and should be held up to everyone. If you have ever been to A Human Right then you have seen his wonderful educational posters

Oleg is an amazing photographer and has had his own site for quite some time.

He recently moved his blog over to a WordPress type.

Give it a look over, you will not be disappointed

Keep up the Good Work Mr Volk.

Incendentally, one of Oleg of Novgorod ‘s other names was Oleg the Prophet.

Again….I think Mr Volk is well named. With his work for the second amendent and groups like the Hellar Foundation, I am glad we have him on our side.