The Warlords are back!

CH-53K already beating out CH-47D for orders.

via Flight Global.

The upgrade path had been considered in preference to buying new aircraft from Boeing. But despite the decision not to proceed, a senior air force source says the service's current fleets of Apaches and Bell AH-1 Cobras are able "to do the missions" required.
Meanwhile, the air force will continue to operate its current Sikorsky CH-53 transport helicopters until it can acquire the next-generation CH-53K. All other alternatives "were evaluated and dismissed", an air force source says.
Israel is already conducting a 2025 upgrade programme to its CH-53s, and the source says: "If needed we will prolong the life of this excellent platform until its successor is ready."
The US Marine Corps has a requirement for 200 CH-53Ks, with the service expecting the programme to undergo its critical design review "this summer".
Sikorsky should fly its first prototype in fiscal year 2013, with deliveries to the USMC anticipated to start in FY2015-16 and initial operating capability to be declared in 2018.

Awesome.  Even if the budget axe comes out for the MV-22, a capable lifter is already in development...and with Germany, France, Israel, Taiwan, Singapore and the Marines ready to buy the airplane, its a bet to escape the hangman's noose.

The Queen bitch slaps the Navy by mistake.

I'm sure the Queen didn't realize it when she was speaking to the UN, but by saying that the UN is the "real force for good" she sorta (in my opinion) bitch slapped the US Navy.  After all that's their new motto.  This from SkyNews.

"You have helped to reduce conflict, you have offered humanitarian assistance to millions of people affected by natural disasters and other emergencies, and you have been deeply committed to tackling the effects of poverty in many parts of the world."
But the Queen warned "much remains to be done".
She explained: "Former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold once said that 'constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon'.
"Good nurses get better with practice; sadly the supply of patients never ceases."
She went on: "In my lifetime, the United Nations has moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good.

Wow, I knew the new Navy motto struck me as being odd, off and not worthy of a military organization...I knew that the new 'partnership' doctrine seems out of place....now I know why.

The Naval Services...US Marine Corps included...are beginning to act as if they were an armed NGOs.

Warfighting has to become central to our mission again.  Any and everything else MUST remain secondary...even partnership and war prevention efforts.

UPDATE!!!!!
My feelings on the Navy's Motto are well known.  What I didn't know is where the phrase..."a force for good" came from. 

Think Defence has his theory.  This is his statement from the comments...

A 'force for good' unfortunately started to creep into UK doctrine and strategy publications about a decade ago.

It originated with Robin Cook, the then Foreign Secretary, when discussing ethical foreign policy.

Robin Cook resigned over Iraq, one of the very few politicians with any sense of honour or conviction I disagreed with a lot of what he said but he was a formidable and very well respected politician, a rare breed these days.

Wow, I can see it now.  10 years ago a Lt. Commander was on exchange duty in the UK and heard Robin Cook a few times and got inspired.  He comes back stateside and is put in the puzzle palace and the call goes out to revamp the Navy's image with a new slogan...

Amazing.  Pure conjecture on my part but it feels right.