Thursday, September 30, 2010

Pic of the day. Sep 30, 2010.

via NAVAIR.

Wow. USAF Para-Rescue strikes back. HARD!



I am becoming a 'fan boy' of the Lexington Institute blog.  And the latest just sends a tingle up my leg!  Not because its from one of the authors but because the rebuttal from the Para-Rescue community is vicious, well stated and apparently heartfelt.  But the Lexington Institute still had the balls to post it.  GOOD FOR YOU LexInst.

MUST READ GUYS!

Get it here.

Oh and two simple questions...
1.  Why was the Air Force in such a hurry to deactivate the most advanced helicopter in the western world---the MH-53J?
2.  Why isn't the Air Force simply hanging tough with their current aircraft and climbing onboard the CH-53K program?

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Think Defence on 'reading between the lines'

Think Defence has an excellent article on a leaked letter.  At the end of his piece he asks a couple of questions.

Why the focus on naval matters and what does this mean.

My take is that the Brits are blinking on the aircraft carrier controversy and on the F-35.  To move away from their naval roots would be to abandon there role on the world stage.  That would alarm and embolden nations both in Europe (France comes immediately to mind...it seems as if they want to be the 'military' leader of the EU, while Germany seeks to be its economic powerhouse...the UK balances them both) and could even affect US relations with China.

Forget the sensational newspaper stories.  The carriers and the F-35 will survive and thrive wearing British colors.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

JLTV is dead. Meet the future Humvee.

Via Jonathan and Defense-Update.
The new suspension offers the vehicle a 70 percent off-road profile capability. The new suspension restores a 2,500-pound vehicle payload capacity in addition to the armor and occupants. Introducing 14 inches of independent wheel travel, the HMMWV can overcome obstacles and navigate rugged, mountainous environments. The vehicle’s performance is also improved in 40 percent increase in the maximum speed and a 46 percent improvement in braking. With ground clearance increases to 17 inches, and additional payload capacity, an under-vehicle V-shaped panel can be added, to further improve survivability from mine blasts and IEDs. The higher ground clearance further improves mobility and occupant visibility.

This is why I enjoy Loren Thompson articles.


Concise.  Clearly written.  No by products.  Read the whole thing here.
At the very least, Mabus needs to have a convincing explanation of why killing EFV won't put the lives of thousands of Marines at risk. The Department of the Navy has embraced "forcible entry" as the defining mission of the Marine Corps, which means storming enemy beaches under heavy fire. It also acknowledges that forcible entry requires an "amphibious tractor" like EFV that can maneuver warfighters from ship to shore and then quickly transition to land operations upon hitting the beach. Having made those two concessions, it has put itself in a box in explaining how to fashion a credible force structure in the absence of EFV. Even if EFV didn't have three times the water speed and twice the armor of the existing amphibious vessel -- which it does -- the simple reality is that the existing vehicle was developed in the 1970s, and littoral regions have become more dangerous since then.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Think Defence on the small arms debate.


I never considered that the same conversations were going on in Europe.  This is a must read.  Check it out here.

Thompson on the F-35.

The latest production agreement represents an auspicious start to the Pentagon's big efficiency push, because the aircraft will be built for about 20 percent less than government estimators had expected under a fixed-price contract in which any cost overruns will have to be partly covered by the contractor. Government plans had called for commencing fixed-rate pricing later in the program, but the government elected to transfer risk to the contractor earlier in the production cycle, in return for which Lockheed Martin received incentives to surpass the performance to which it had committed. The company apparently felt confident it could meet or exceed government goals, based in part on the very positive test results being recorded for the Air Force variant of the plane in California.
The defense department expects to buy 2,443 F-35s in three different variants for the Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corps. The sea-service versions will cost more than the Air Force variant because they are being bought in smaller numbers and incorporate special features such as the ability to take off and land vertically. Recent testing successes on the Air Force version are crucial to the program's success, since it represents over two-thirds of the planned domestic buy and is the main export variant. The Pentagon's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office stated earlier this year that all three variants of the plane were meeting key performance requirements and appeared to face no significant design challenges.
Read it all here.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

M-60E4's are still in the inventory?

I got the above pic from the Navy website. Its of a Sailor providing security on an amphib some type of naval vessel. What got my attention though is his weapon.

If I'm seeing it right, it looks like an M-60E4.

The Navy Seals and US Marines both ditched that weapon years ago and now we see it again. Does anyone have an visibility on how or why its in the regular Navy's inventory and how many there are?

Thursday, September 23, 2010

2 new vehicles from OTT

Again, thanks Jonathan.  Via Shepard.UK...and the OTT website can be found here.

Samil 20 Hunter Light Strike Vehicle_English                                                            

SPEC Puma English                                                                    

Force Protection wins Snatch Replacement Contract.

Thanks Jonathan!
via the BBC.
The Ministry of Defence has announced that a vehicle partially designed by Formula 1 engineers is to replace the controversial Snatch Land Rover.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Defence Helicopter.


Defence Helicopter has an excellent write up on USMC helicopter modernization efforts.  Read it here.

26th MEU does ship boarding training.

Marines and sailors with Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, maneuver along the deck of HNS Aris during a simulated Maritime Interdiction Operation at Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, Sept. 13, 2010. The 26th MEU deployed aboard the ships of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in late August responding to an order by the Secretary of Defense to support Pakistan flood relief efforts. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Tammy K. Hineline/ Released)
Marines and sailors with Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, provide security aboard HNS Aris during a simulated Maritime Interdiction Operation at Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, Sept. 13, 2010. The 26th MEU deployed aboard the ships of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in late August responding to an order by the Secretary of Defense to support Pakistan flood relief efforts. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Tammy K. Hineline/ Released)
Cpl. Andrew Simich, a radio operator with Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, mans the helm while other Marines search the area aboard HNS Aris during a simulated Maritime Interdiction Operation at Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, Sept. 13, 2010. The 26th MEU deployed aboard the ships of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in late August responding to an order by the Secretary of Defense to support Pakistan flood relief efforts. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Tammy K. Hineline/ Released)
Sgt. Ruben Rodriguez, a radio operator with Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, checks a boat for enemy personnel aboard HNS Aris during a simulated Maritime Interdiction Operation at Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, Sept. 13, 2010. The 26th MEU deployed aboard the ships of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in late August responding to an order by the Secretary of Defense to support Pakistan flood relief efforts. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Tammy K. Hineline/ Released)
Marines and sailors with Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, maneuver along the deck of HNS Aris during a simulated Maritime Interdiction Operation at Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, Sept. 13, 2010. The 26th MEU deployed aboard the ships of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group in late August responding to an order by the Secretary of Defense to support Pakistan flood relief efforts. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Tammy K. Hineline/ Released)

CH-53K Brochure.

M-037 CH53K Prochure Final Web                                                            

Monday, September 20, 2010

Jim Strock on "Augmenting the SeaBase".



I think what the nation needs to know about amphibious ships and amphibious forces is number one; that out of all the ships in the fleet — all the ships in the fleet — the only ships that can truly extend the full range of seapower ashore are amphibious ships. Aircraft carriers and surface warfare ships have tremendous strike capabilities, and the upcoming Littoral Combat Ships will provide enhancements to our surface combat, anti-submarine warfare, and mine warfare capabilities. But amphibious ships are armed with operationally ready Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs). Those ships can project and sustain those forces ashore, and can recover them to the seabase when and where required. That’s a degree of operational flexibility that significantly the range of options available to the Combatant Commander. That’s very important in today’s security environment
A must read.  Get it all here at the SLD Info website.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

Done Deal. Israel to buy F-35's.


A ministerial panel headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak made a final decision Thursday to purchase 20 new F-35 fighter jets, despite opposition from a number of senior defense officials over the high cost of the deal.
Barak gave his go-ahead last month to purchase the jets in a deal valued at around $2.75 billion. The first planes are expected to arrive in 2015.
Read more here.

I luv it!  You know Sweetman is reaching into the back of his cabinet pulling out the real strong stuff after hearing this news.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pic of the day Sep. 17, 2010. Battalion Commander gettin' some.


U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Chris S. Richie, commanding officer of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Continuing Promise 2010, performs live-fire drills with his Marines and Sailors, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), Sept. 14. Service members and civilians are deployed in support of CP providing humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and subject-matter exchanges to the Caribbean, Central and South America.
A U.S. Airman directs an F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 18th Aggressor Squadron for takeoff during Valiant Shield at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Sept. 16, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jamie Powell/Released)
A line of MV-22 Osprey aircraft from Marine Medium Tilt-Rotor Squadron 266 (Reinforced) arrives at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, Sept. 10, 2010. The squadron is deployed aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), which is en route to provide relief to flood-stricken regions of Pakistan. (DoD photo by Lt. Cmdr. Dean Sears, U.S. Navy/Released)
U.S. Sailors deployed aboard high speed vessel Swift (HSV-2) demonstrate proper techniques for maneuvering a rigid-hull inflatable boat during a small-boat operations subject matter expert exchange with Dominican service members in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Sept. 14, 2010. Swift is deployed in support of Southern Partnership Station 2010, which is designed to promote information-sharing with navies, coast guards and civilian services throughout the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Rachael L. Leslie, U.S. Navy/Released)

Singapore AH-64 Propaganda....

Sikorsky X-2 does 250 knots???


Don't know how I missed this.  From ASDNews.com.
The speed, reached during a 1.1-hour flight, is an unofficial speed record for a helicopter. The demonstrator also reached 260 knots in a very shallow dive during the flight.

"The aerospace industry today has a new horizon," said Sikorsky President Jeffrey P. Pino. "The X2 Technology demonstrator continues to prove its potential as a game-changer, and Sikorsky Aircraft is proud to be advancing this innovative technology and to continue our company's pioneering legacy."

Naval Officer Talks Future Australian Amphibious Ops

Note*  This article is focused on the entry into Australian service of the LHD01 which is based on the Spanish Juan Carlos 1 (L-61).

Question: You have an extensive amphibious background - what are the main lessons we can learn from the USN and other Navies using LHDs?
The main areas that we need to focus on in terms of running the ship itself are how they run a large multi-spot flight deck with a mixture of aircraft and how the run a well dock. These are skills that I am sure with the professionalism we already have in the ADF we can pick up pretty quickly to deliver a basic safe operational LHD for lower end amphibious operations. What will take us some time is the ability to generate the tempo of flight and well dock operations that is required to deliver combat capability rapidly across the shore. It is this tempo that will determine how successfully the ADF can mount amphibious operations at the higher end of war fighting. So we need to learn how they simultaneously operate large numbers of aircraft and watercraft in an effective, efficient and yet safe manner.
One other less understood area that we can learn about is providing full logistic support to a land force when they are engaged in combat. Making sure when the force leaves Australia it has all it needs to conduct the first period of the operation without any further logistic resupply or access to supporting infrastructure is essentially what makes an amphibious operation so unique and so powerful.
Read the whole thing here.

American Expedition Vehicles Jeep Brute.

Johnathan sent me an article about the Israeli Military acquiring Jeep Storm.  Thanks Buddy...I initially thought..ok, no big deal.  The Israeli military is in love with the Jeep...they use it the way the Hummer was initially suppose to be used and because they stayed true to form, they can use it into the future.

What made me stop and say wow! was the fact that the company sending the kits to Israel is known as American Expeditionary Vehicles....and the fact that they make a kit that I've been dreaming about for years but only now realize is available to the public...the Jeep Brute kit. Check them out here.

SkyNews slams the British Tanker deal and shows F-35's.


Even SkyNews in the UK is caught up in the silliness of the anti F-35 paranoia.  Check out this article...its a blurb on the Tanker deal but they use illustrations of the F-35 in the story.  Amazing!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Pic of the day. Sep. 14, 2010.

The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), left, conducts a high speed turn as it moves into position for a column maneuver exercise with the amphibious platform dock ship USS Ponce (LPD 15) Sept. 7, 2010, while en route to Pakistan to provide relief to flood-stricken regions of the country. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kristin L. Grover, U.S. Navy/Released)
An AV-8B Harrier aircraft prepares to take off from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) Sept. 13, 2010, while under way in the Philippine Sea. Essex, part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group, is participating in Valiant Shield 2010, a joint U.S. military training exercise. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Casey H. Kyhl, U.S. Navy/Released)
U.S. Marines assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and embarked aboard USS Essex (LHD 2) ride in a combat rubber raiding craft after departing the ship during operations in the East China Sea Sept. 9, 2010. Essex is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is on patrol in the Western Pacific Ocean. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark R. Alvarez, U.S. Navy/Released)
U.S. Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division parachute after jumping from a C-130 Hercules aircraft over Fort Bragg, N.C., Sept. 12, 2010. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Rissmiller, U.S. Air Force/Released)
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Dave Teston, flight engineer instructor, scans the area for possible threats, while sitting on the ramp of his CH47 Chinook helicopter, Sept. 3. Teston is with B Company, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment assigned to Task Force Gambler and deployed to Forward Operating Base Sharana.
Joint Combat Camera Afghanistan
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Ross Dobelbower
Date: 09.03.2010
Location: Ajeristan District, AF

JSF to survive upcoming budget squeeze. Well duh!


via DefenseNews.com

Despite the rough year the program has endured, "I think the JSF is in great shape," said a former deputy commander of U.S. European Command, retired Air Force Gen. Chuck Wald.
"It's going to replace several airplanes," ranging from the F-16 fighter to the A-10 ground attack plane and even the U.S. Marine Corps' AV-8B Harrier and the U.S. Navy and Marines' F/A-18 fighter, he said.
"When you think about it in that context, from what we'll get from an efficiency standpoint, it's a great idea, it's a great airplane and is one of the last programs that we'd want to cut, because we're going to have to modernize the fighter fleet, and legacy airplanes will cost so much to maintain," Wald said.
Read more here.

Lockheed Martin C-5M Propaganda.

Monday, September 13, 2010

A Ground Combat Vehicle System that the Army's doing right!

BAE is rightfully bragging about US Army plans to upgrade its fleet of MRAP Caiman's to a new standard. 
It seems that the Army and BAE have stumbled onto something.  Instead of new design vehicles, it seems that the updating and upgrading of existing vehicles is the way to go.  More info here.




Sunday, September 12, 2010

Hennessey VelociRaptor SUV Armored Performance Vehicle.

I wonder how long its going to take Special Operations Command to come up with a requirement for this vehicle?

Maybe they can justify it for operations on the border?  The website is here.  But enough tongue in cheek --- Ford hasn't even released an SUV version and the aftermarket has one ready to go (alright its expensive beyond reason but you get the point).

3rd LAR getting ready for Afghanistan deployment.

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif.-Light armored vehicles with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion push through to their next objective Sept. 2 during part of their Enhanced Mojave Viper. The exercise is a 28-day pre-deployment training process all units must undergo before they deploy. , Lance Cpl. M. C. Nerl, 9/2/2010 7:11 AM
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif.-An MV-22 Osprey flies over a light armored vehicle under pursuit of enemy forces during EMV, where the battalion carried out a counter-attack after their defensive position was attacked in Enhanced Mojave Viper. The battalion is scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom this fall. , Lannce Cpl. M. C. Nerl, 9/2/2010 8:15 AM
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif.-A light armored vehicle with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion pushes through to its next objective Sept. 2 during part of their Enhanced Mojave Viper. The battalion is scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom this fall. , Lance Cpl. M. C. Nerll, 9/2/2010 10:09 AM