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.

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

Militarized Skateboard?

via Gizmodo.

Check out the company website here.

Photos of Marine Recon taking down Pirates.

(Sept. 9, 2010) Marines assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Maritime Raid Force, approach the motor vessel Magellan Star Thursday, Sept. 9 to recover it from suspected pirates. The Marines boarded the vessel and took nine suspected pirates into custody. The pirates were taken to the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and the ship's eleven crew members resumed control of Magellan Star. Pirates took control of the ship Sept. 8. Dubuque is part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David McKee/Released) 100909-N-9706M-080

 GULF OF ADEN (Sept. 9, 2010) Marines assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Maritime Raid Force, embarked aboard the U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock ship USS Dubuque (LPD 8), board the motor vessel M/V Magellan Star during a board and seizure operation. The Marines took nine suspected pirates into custody and transferred them to the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59). The ship's eleven crew members resumed control of Magellan Star. Pirates took control of the ship Sept. 8. Dubuque is part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Christopher Nodine/Released) 100909-N-5133N-025

GULF OF ADEN (Sept. 9, 2010) Marines assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Maritime Raid Force, embarked aboard the U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock ship USS Dubuque (LPD 8), board the motor vessel M/V Magellan Star during a board and seizure operation. The Marines took nine suspected pirates into custody and transferred them to the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59). The ship's eleven crew members resumed control of Magellan Star. Pirates took control of the ship Sept. 8. Dubuque is part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Christopher Nodine/Released) 100909-N-5133N-038

GULF OF ADEN (Sept. 9, 2010) Marines assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Maritime Raid Force, embarked aboard the U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock ship USS Dubuque (LPD 8), stand on the deck of the motor vessel M/V Magellan Star with crew members the Marines freed from suspected pirates. The Marines conducted a board and seizure operation after Magellan Star was attacked and boarded by pirates Sept. 8. Dubuque is part of CTF 151, the multinational task force established by Combined Maritime Forces to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Released) 100909-N-0000X-001

HMLA-369 in Afghanistan.

A few observations on the proposed burning of the Quran (some politically incorrect).

Ok, here are a few observations on this controversy.

1.  This story exploded after General P made his comments on it.  Before then this was mainly a beltway story.  If he hadn't commented and the State Dept and other religious leaders would this have been the big news that it is?  I simply look at the kooks that protest outside military funerals.  Wouldn't this have been the same deal...religious kooks not worthy of attention?

2.  This can't be good for Democrats.  Have you noticed the one person that hasn't touched this story?  President Obama is laying low.  As a matter of fact even the State Dept waited until General P made his comment before piping up.
     I wonder if they're sensitive about his administrations Islamic outreach.

3.  Have you noticed that outside of the cultural elite in D.C. and New York, this story isn't exactly stoking the imagination of the public?  Much like the outrage in those places over opposition to the Mosque at Ground Zero, the public and the elite seem to be in two different places on this issue (I could be wrong but in the South, it seems that people really don't care).

4.  Did you notice that with this controversy, the FBI has announced that they would increase investigations of hate crimes against Muslims?  Perhaps there is actually an increase in threats and crimes but the announcement seems strangely coincidental.

5.  When Berg and other Americans/Europeans have been beheaded in Iraq and Afghanistan did you see the same religious leaders that are speaking out now speak out then?  I didn't.

I make these observations without a dog in this fight.  To be honest I don't care, but my observations of the mood of the people in flyover country leads me to believe that the so called uptick in Muslim "hatred" is really just a weariness with the demands being placed on us by those countries and there peoples.

We are asked to accept the building of a Mosque at a place where 3000 civilians lost there lives...we're asked to condemn the burning of the Quran when the burning of bibles and flags is ignored and considered protected....the Dems and the elite are really barking up the wrong tree.

I really think that they've mishandled this and elevated it to a level that could have been avoided.

If the 26th MEU is the strategic reserve in Afghanistan then why are they delivering relief supplies?

Isn't the MEU floating off the coast of Pakistan suppose to be the strategic reserve in Afghanistan?  If they are then what happens if something absolutely crazy happens?

Sorry but these extended relief missions are the wrong mission for the Marine Corps...especially when it comes to a country like Pakistan.

This from the Daily Times...

US delivers 2 more choppers

ISLAMABAD: Two more US Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters arrived at the Pano Aqil airbase near Sukkur on Tuesday. These bring to six the number of US military helicopters currently operating out of Pano Aqil airbase. The aircraft are part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Delivered through a US Air Force cargo plane to a US base in Afghanistan, the helicopters were reassembled and then flown to Pano Aqil on Tuesday. They join 17 other US Navy and Marine Corps helicopters already supporting flood-relief efforts. Two more CH-53E helicopters are scheduled to arrive in a few days. The helicopters would operate in partnership with the Pakistan military throughout the country’s flood-affected areas. To date, US military aircraft have transported over 3.9 million pounds of humanitarian assistance to flood-hit areas and rescued more than 12,000 people. staff report

BAE Alligator/SEP survives????

Anonymous (who ever you are) thanks for adding to my confusion (just kidding)...what am I talking about?

I'm talking about the article from the Ottawa Citizen ... it seems that the Alligator yet lives.  Interesting.  What's even more mysterious is that two articles on opposite sides of the Atlantic have come to completely different conclusions.


UPDATE*
RAF sent me an additional news source that is declaring the Alligator/SEP dead.  As a matter of fact it has a BAE spokesman stating that there will be layoffs at the Hagglunds facility which builds the SEP.  Too bad.

The Marine Corps has placed all its amphibious assault vehicle eggs in the EFV basket and its about to crash.  In hindsight an evolutionary approach with an upgraded AAV would have been advisable to the revolutionary EFV.

Now instead of just the EFV being endangered, its also going to wreck the Marine Personnel Carrier Program along with it.

The Marine Corps Procurement system is broken...our at least the program office for the EFV.  Anyway here is the operative passage from the article...

BAE Systems Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik shed during the day about 150 of its employees, according to Swedish Radio Västernorrland.The reason for the lack of redundancy is ordered, inter alia, for the Swedish defense.
"There are a hundred officers and 50 workers affected by the terminations. Cutbacks will occur during the first half of 2011," said communications director Ola Thorén.
BAE Systems Hägglunds. BAE Systems Hagglunds has also decided to phase out both the SEP and the slimmed-down version, Alligator.
  Bandvagn and CV90 are our main activities.  We will have two product base, but also a leg for service and maintenance that has grown as customers want to add more and more of service with us.  We will have three legs in the future and wheeled vehicle operations are not there, "says Ola Thorén of all sorts.

  Following the workforce reduction will be about 700 left to work at BAE Systems in.

T-100 (Alenia Aermacchi's entrant to replace the T-38)

The T-100 Integrated Training System (ITS) is the world’s most modern, advanced, and comprehensive 4th & 5th generation flying training system.  The T-100 ITS builds upon the proven technology, systems and the international success of Alenia Aermacchi’s M-346 advanced jet trainer system. In production now for the Italian Air Force, it is the only 4th & 5th generation advanced jet trainer system to have won an open international competition.  The M-346 is participating in advanced jet trainer competitions on four continents.
The T-100 ITS is the ideal system to replace the U.S. Air Force’s current fleet of aging T-38 advanced jet trainers. Incorporating state of the art U.S. technology, the T-100 ITS is READY NOW to provide the U.S. Air Force with the capability it needs today to meet the training requirements of tomorrow.