Hi there,  I wanted to share some of the pictures from my counter-piracy deployment in 2009.  Here you go:

THE INTERNATIONALLY RECOMMENDED TRANSIT CORRIDOR

The Gulf of Aden was heavily pirated.  It seemed like every day we would launch missions in response to  piracy events.  The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a 33-nation partnership (as of a few years ago) that developed a "highway" through heavily pirated waters.  In layman's terms, if the merchant traffic sticks to that route, it's easier for the warships to defend and respond to any problems.

You can read about it here: https://combinedmaritimeforces.com/2017/09/06/guidance-on-maritime-security-transit-corridor/

​http://mybook.to/warstage​​​HIDDEN SUBMARINE PENS

Does China really have hidden submarine pens carved into mountains?

Yes.  On Hainan Island, one of their main submarine bases.

RED CELL

Do Red Cell's really exist?

While the term is used in several contexts by military and intelligence organizations (including Richard Marcinko's unit), it has been reported that the US government has indeed used Red Cells for purposes similar to what went on in The War Planners: a gathering of diverse experts whose objective was to identify ways our enemies might attack the United States.

Both authors Brad Thor and Brad Meltzer were invited to participate:

Article: NY Times

Article: NY Daily News article

Article: WaPo

No confirmation on whether authors not named Brad are allowed to join.  If anyone is in charge of invites, I will pay for my airfare, just let me know.  (but I won't get on any unmarked jets...)

CHINESE ESPIONAGE OPERATIONS

From my research, China is conducting ongoing espionage operations around the world, targeting the US and its allies.  They are actively recruiting US intelligence operatives like this one.  Chinese agencies similar to our NSA are hacking into US military and government databases.  Here is an example.  The end game of these human and cyber espionage operations is deadly.  If you read one article, read this one from the NY Times in 2017.

I grew up reading books and watching movies about the Cold War between the US and USSR.  While Russian intelligence services are also performing activer measures against the US, the War Planners series mainly deals with Chinese threats.  Unfortunately, there is a lot of material to work with.

More recent article:  Wall Street Journal 2019 

HF radio - MARS

On a lighter note, I mentioned MARS radio in The War Planners.  The Military Auxiliary Radio System has been around since 1925.  From Wikipedia: The Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) is a United States Department of Defense sponsored program, established as a separately managed and operated program by the United States Army, and the United States Air Force. The United States Navy-Marine program has been closed. The program is a civilian auxiliary consisting primarily of licensed amateur radio operators who are interested in assisting the military with communications on a local, national, and international basis as an adjunct to normal communications. The MARS programs also include active duty, reserve, and National Guard units; Navy, Marine Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ships, and Coast Guard cutters and shore stations.^[1]

I used MARS radio several times on my deployments.  We had an HF radio on the SH-60B helicopter, and we were able to reach an amature radio operator who connected me on a brief phone call to my family in 2007.  After several months at sea with no phone calls, that was a hoot.  (Thank you MARS operators!)

SIZE OF CHINESE MILITARY

China is increasing its military strength, although arguments can be made on exactly how strong it is.  This is a great article from The National Interest showing that the current state of the Chinese military, while large in size, is buoyed by older technologies.  But at the same time, they are making advances in cyber warfare, stealth jets, aircraft carriers, nuclear weapons, and submarines, to name a few.  See this article on some of China's biggest military technology advancements in recent years: Forbes

The Pentagon's thoughts: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/pentagon-china-increasing-military-strength-with-aim-of-being-a-world-class-power-by-2049

WHAT'S NEXT IN THE WAR PLANNERS SERIES?

Book 2: The War Stage

A US Navy destroyer sinks an Iranian patrol craft during a controversial exchange in the Persian Gulf. With tensions soaring between the two nations, an Iranian politician secretly contacts the CIA with a chilling revelation involving the Chinese. Chase Manning is a rugged ex-SEAL working for the CIA's Special Operations Group in the Middle East. Now, he is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the Iranian claims before it is too late. But in the midst of battling deadly assassins and uncovering the layers of intrigue, Chase discovers that his own brother, David Manning, is right at the heart of the conspiracy.

Read THE WAR STAGE