CMC's Planning Guidance.

CMC 35 Planning Guidance FINAL

EFV---Power. Projected.

First image of a v-hulled HUMVEE from BAE

BAE put out this photo of what I assume is going to be their version of a v-hulled HUMVEE.

BAE UK sticks in the knife...Boeing will win the Tanker contract.

Talk about a mis-timed announcement.  This is BAE UK and the British government twisting the knife they just stuck in our backs....read it here....

Samlesbury, UK – BAE Systems has formally opened a new state-of-the-art titanium machining facility at its Samlesbury site in Lancashire. The robotic facility will be used to manufacture detail and assembly components of the Aft Fuselage, Vertical Tail and Horizontal Tail for the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft, further reinforcing BAE Systems’ key role in the world’s largest defence programme.  

What an arrogant bunch of bastards these guys are.  First you reduce your buy to less than that of Tier 2 partners and then you brag about your share of the work??????

Congratulations, you just guaranteed Boeing a win in the Tanker contract.

Headquarters Marine Corps...1st MEF (Forward)...Wake the HELL UP!!!!

Battle Rattle published some pictures that I can't object to strongly enough.  They show the moments before and after the death of a Marine Corps NCO.

How these pictures made it into the public realm is beyond me but if anything in this war should be censored then its the showing of a young Marine in a poncho with his buddies saying good-bye to him.

Battle Rattle is wrong...but they're journalist and I assume don't know any better.  Headquarters Marine Corps and 1st MEF (Forward) are professionals.  They have no excuse.  Get off your ass Senior Leadership and start yanking film.

23rd Special Tactics Squadron...

U.S. Air Force members from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla., jump out of the back of a C-130 Hercules Sept. 27. The airmen will practice combat operations in the Santa Rosa Sound.

Classic SeaBee's! LOVE IT!

I hope everyone is ok, but this pic just confirms that the SeaBee heritage live on.  One question though...and I hope a SeaBee can answer this.  Why don't they have magazines in those weapons???

KONDUZ, Aghanistan (Oct. 22, 2010) Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 run for cover to nearby bunkers at the sound of a rocket attack during a concrete placement for a project site. NMCB-40 is working in various locations around the country in support of the International Security Assistance Force. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Michael B. Watkins/Released) 101022-N-6436W-124

Todays Pics...26 OCT 2010

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif.-A UH-1Y Huey fires bright red "tracer" rounds from the GAU-19/A electronically-driven gatling gun, "minigun," at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Oct. 23. Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 demonstrated this technique during the squadron's Family Day, which also featured a casualty evacuation and precision flying with another Huey and two AH-1W Cobras., Lance Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 10/7/2009 6:16 AM

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif.-A UH-1Y Huey demonstrates its capablities for family and friends during Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267's Family Day at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Oct. 23. The squadron showed friends and family how the Huey and AH-1W Cobra work together to complete missions., Lance Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 10/7/2009 6:09 AM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.-An AH-1W Cobra flies low over the heads of friends and family at Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267's Family Day at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Oct. 23. The squadron demonstrated the team work of the Cobra and UH-1Y Huey., Lance Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 10/7/2009 6:08 AM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.-A UH-1Y Huey banks a turn while practicing manuevers over Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Oct. 20. The helicopter was practicing for Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267's upcoming Family Day. The Family Day demonstrated the capabilities of the squadron., Lance Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 10/5/2009 7:35 AM

EFV pics

The real impact of the slashing of the F-35 in the UK.

Have a look at this blog...

But it is understood only a third of the original planned order of 138 F-35s will now be bought, reducing Samlesbury’s workload.

Graham Jones, Labour MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, said: “We were expecting cuts and this SDSR is a terrible decision by the Government.

“This means people at Samlesbury will be made unemployed and it will destroy our industrial base.”

Stories that caught my eye.

The Muqata: Israeli SWAT team wins International CounterTerror Competition

Double Tapper at the 4th International Army and Police Exhibition  & Silver Shadow Gilboa Review

How Wikileaks Exposes a New Mission for the Infantry

Top Ten Issues facing the Marine Corps..

My top ten...

1.  The upcoming reduction in force.  How many Marines will we have in our Corps in the next 4 years?  Final end strength is going to be a big deal that few are talking about now.  Everyone will be talking about it soon.
2.  EFV.  Does it live or die?  If its axed is someone ready with a replacement or will we have to start all over?  One thing I've noticed is that no bid contracts are awarded for updates.  This means that if BAE is johnny on the spot, a major revamping of the AAV can win rapid approval and we'll still maintain our amphibious capability with a better vehicle.
3.  CH-53K.  Will we ever get that program really moving?  Its beyond needed and in certain scenarios will be more capable than the MV-22.
4.  MV-22.  We've walked, now its time to run.  Either this airplane is ready to go or we should stop production and move on to the CH-53K.
5.  Marine Personnel Carrier.  Kill this idea now.  We're playing with Corps money...time to cut our losses...and our dreaming.
6.  IAR pipedream.  Come on.  Do we really need a modern day BAR?
7.  Aviation sucking sound.  Our procurement policies have become lop sided.  Aviation is costing too much and absorbing too large a slice of the Marine Corps budget.  Sometimes I think new build CH-46's along with the new built AH-1Zs/UH-1Ys would have been a better way to go.
8.  Naval Shipping.  The Navy is playing hardball with the Corps.  We need our boatspaces back.
9.  Tanks.  They aren't in the fight and we need to decide what role they're going to play in a modern Marine Corps.  Either they're part of the fight (everywhere---heck we used them in Vietnam) or we get rid of them.
10.  General Officer Corps.  Its going to happen and the Marine Corps should lead the way.  As long as we're reducing the size of the Marines, we should slice more than a few General spots.  Let the Navy place Admirals in those positions but this Purple non-sense of General/Admirals everywhere has got to come to an end.