Ok Mike...Time to come back!

worth a read!

Hey, do you all remember Mike at New Wars?

He put his blog in dry dock and in my opinion, its time for him to bring it back...

So Mike ole' buddy, if you're reading this...break time is over!  Get back in action!

Military Sealift Command had it right in 2003...

A single ship sea base.  Make sure to check out ThinkDefence's take on the "original" AFSB, the Atlantic Conveyor.

This from their website...

Afloat Forward Staging Base

MSC, through the CNO’s SeaPower 21 and sea-basing initiative, is developing the concept of the afloat forward staging base to rapidly and efficiently meet the U.S. Marine Corps’ future requirements and to support joint forces’ ability to launch combat power from the sea. MSC is exploring a commercial approach to the AFSB, taking advantage of our experience with the maritime community and industry’s research and development capabilities.

The proposed AFSB concept uses a 1,140-foot commercial container ship with a 140-foot beam, puts a flight deck on top to launch and recover helicopters and, potentially, short take-off and landing, fixed-wing aircraft. The ship would use modular berthing, feeding, medical and administrative spaces and would incorporate a selective cargo discharge system, automating supply selection and distribution.

Rapidly fielding the MPC.

How can we push forward a rapid fielding of the Marine Personnel Carrier?

We tag the purchase to the US Army's Stryker program and we kill a couple of birds with one stone.

BAE SEP Alligator

CV 90 Armadillo

First, while I would love the modularity that the SEP could bring to the table... while I'm intrigued by the idea of ignoring wheels and going with tracks with the CV90 Armadillo and while the French VBCI and the German Boxer all seem like capable vehicles...we need this quick...

French VBCI

German Boxer

The answer is the Piranha IIIC.

Its amphibious (on lakes and streams)...

Its has a degree (slight) of modularity...

Its in the same family as the Army Stryker...

Its a proven design in service with the Brazilian Marine Corps and the Romanian Army as well as several other armed forces worldwide.

If you want this done quickly then you select the vehicle that you want and write the requirements to fit it (sorta like the USAF did with the A-300 in the Tanker competition).

Its doable, its quick and it'll get a vehicle that our Marines need sooner rather than later.  Remember, a lack of urgency led to the EFV failure.

13th MEU receives combat certification

Marines from Amphibious Assault Platoon, Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, drive their Amphibious Assault Vehicles onto the USS Green Bay in preparation for Certification Exercise, Dec. 6. From Dec. 7-17, U.S. Marines and sailors from the BOXER Amphibious Ready Group – 13th Marine Expeditionary Group team conducted CERTEX 2010 in order to validate essential MEU mission sets in preparation for their upcoming deployment. Marines conducted operations from long range helicopter raids to Humanitarian Assistance Operations to Visit Board Search and Seizure missions. Marines and sailors of the 13th MEU proved that they are a capable amphibious force in readiness. “Any mission, any time."

Marines from Tank Platoon, Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, ground guide a M1-A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Dec. 14, during Certification Exercise. From Dec. 7-17, U.S. Marines and sailors from the BOXER Amphibious Ready Group – 13th Marine Expeditionary Group team conducted CERTEX 2010 in order to validate essential MEU mission sets in preparation for their upcoming deployment. Marines conducted operations from long range helicopter raids to Humanitarian Assistance Operations to Visit Board Search and Seizure missions. Marines and sailors of the 13th MEU proved that they are a capable amphibious force in readiness. “Any mission, any time.”

Marines from Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare to move to another defensive position after conducting a Amphibious Assault aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Dec. 14, during Certification Exercise. From Dec. 7-17, U.S. Marines and sailors from the BOXER Amphibious Ready Group – 13th Marine Expeditionary Group team conducted CERTEX 2010 in order to validate essential MEU mission sets in preparation for their upcoming deployment. Marines conducted operations from long range helicopter raids to Humanitarian Assistance Operations to Visit Board Search and Seizure missions. Marines and sailors of the 13th MEU proved that they are a capable amphibious force in readiness. “Any mission, any time.”

WW II Marine Corps Humor...

Five cannibals were employed by Marines as scouts and translators during one of the island campaigns during World War II. When the Commanding Officer of ground forces welcomed the cannibals he said, "You're all part of our team now. We will compensate you well for your services, and you can eat any of the rations that the Marines are eating. But please don't indulge yourselves by eating a Marine."

The cannibals promised.

Four weeks later the C. O. returned and said, "You're all working very hard, and I'm very satisfied with all of you. However, one of our sergeants has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to him?"

The cannibals all shook their heads 'no'.

After the C.O. left, the leader of the cannibals turned to the others and said, "Which of you idiots ate the sergeant?"

A hand raised hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals replied, "You fool! For four weeks we've been eating Lieutenants, Captains, and Majors and no one noticed anything,.. then YOU had to go and eat an NCO!"

Must Read. Gates challenges Marine Corps missions.

via Forbes (read the whole thing here)

The Marine Corps is facing a historic defeat at the hands of Defense Secretary Roberts Gates, and hardly anyone inside or outside the Corps seems to grasp what is happening. On January 6, Gates disclosed a series of proposed budget cuts that included termination of an amphibious vehicle the Marines have been developing for 15 years. He said the vehicle cost too much — around $17 million per copy — and that the service therefore should extend the life of existing amphibious vehicles while searching for a more affordable replacement. Gates stressed that, “This decision does not call into question the Marines’ amphibious assault mission.”
Taking that assurance at face value, prime contractor General Dynamics launched a campaign to convince Congress and the Obama Administration that buying a smaller number of the vehicles while upgrading current amphibious systems would be more cost-effective than canceling the program and starting over. Many backers of the Marine Corps on Capitol Hill seem favorably disposed to the idea. But what neither Congress nor the contractor seem to understand is that the Gates move isn’t really about the cost of one program. It’s about the cost of the whole “forcible entry” mission at the heart of the modern Marine Corps identity, and the desire of competing claimants on the Pentagon’s budget to use that money for other purposes.

Is this the real reason for "Next Generation Bomber" and other programs that seem to suck money but provide no benefit?

Is it time to put guns back on amphibs?

Above you see the commissioning photo of the USS Tarawa.  Notice the two 5 inch guns on its bow?

What happened and why did we lose these weapons?

If the requirements are changing and we expect assault echelon ships to make runs toward the beach to disembark its Marines (since holding at 25 miles off shore is no longer considered any safer than 10 miles in)...then why don't we have these fabulous weapons, along with modern warheads to engage shore based missile batteries, small boats and other threats in the littorals.

Maybe its time to take a blast from the past and put guns back on amphibs!

F-35B getting back on track.

Via DefenseNews.com

Analysts agreed that this series of vertical landings signals the problematic vertical landing variant is starting to recover from a series of technical glitches that resulted in schedule slips and the redesigns of some ancillary equipment and structural elements of the aircraft. These elements include components in the propulsion system, an insufficiently robust structural bulkhead and hinges on some doors on the top surface of the aircraft.
"I think it does [signal that the program is getting back on track]. This program has never been quite as troubled as many critics thought. I think it's probably progressed more smoothly than other fighter development program with the possible exception of the F-16," said Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, Arlington, Va. The F-16's development proceeded so smoothly because of the simple nature of the original version of that aircraft, he said.

Read the whole thing but the future of the "B" is bright.  A quick glance at some of the ships being acquired by allied navies and its obvious that this model will have as many or more customers than any other model (with the USAF buying so many "A"s it will always be numerically superior but the A will be a sad second when it comes to air arms buying it).

Lets look at the ships...Aircraft Carriers/LHD(A)'s coming online or just entering service (note* all ship photos are from Jeff Head's World Wide Aircraft Carrier Website...you really should check it out)...

*Cavour

*Hyuga

*USS America

*Canberra

*Juan Carlos I

*Dokdo

Alot of decks, and these decks need STOVL aircraft.  Good news indeed.  Now I do realize that certain critics and friends (Leesea, Lee, Aussie Digger and Marcase) will point out that on a number of these ships a requirement hasn't been laid out for a STOVL airplane to operate from them.  They'll also point out that in some cases, naval air arms might opt for British Harriers that will be placed in storage waiting for a buyer (if they're wise)...

I don't think so.

Especially in the Pacific, the threat of advanced fighters is coming so fast that no air arm can afford not to have a long ranged, stealthy, electronically advanced, sensor fused airplane in their arsenal.

That threat should be obvious to Australia, S. Korea, Japan and Singapore.

My humble prediction.

Nations will be lining up to buy the F-35B once it enters into service.

If the Cavour is considered an aircraft carrier then why not the USS America class?

Note all photos and information is courtesy of JeffHead.com

Simple question.  Has the Marine Corps been fed a bill of goods?  Why is the Cavour considered an aircraft carrier with a secondary amphibious assault capability and the USS America not?  Stats are again from JeffHead.com  

MM Cavour

Designation: CVL   
Length: 800 ft
Width: 128 ft
Beam: 108 ft
Displacement: 26,000 tons
Propulsion: 4 LM2500 gas turbines (COGAG),
2 shafts
Speed: 28 knots
Crew: 1,210
Airwing: 20 VSTOL, rotary
- 32 VLS Aster SAM
- 3 X 25mm OtaBreda CIWS
- 2 X 76mm guns
Elevators: 2
Ships in class: 1 

LHA(R)-6 USS America

Designation: LHA(R)
Length: 844 ft
Width: 200 ft
Beam: 106 ft
Displacement: 45,000 tons
Propulsion: 2 GE LM 2500+ gas turbines, 2 shafts
Speed: 24 knots
Crew: 1,060
Troops: 1,700
Airwing: 38 rotary, vstol
Armament:
- 2 × RAM launchers (42 missiles)
- 2 × NATO ESSM launchers (16 missiles)
- 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS
- 3 × 25 mm Mk 38 cannons
- 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
Elevators: 2
Ships in class: 1

Ladies and Gents, either we have a disconnect in the classification of naval ships and reality or we have a purposeful deception being hoisted on the Marine Corps.  According to the above mentioned website, in a sea control mission organization, the USS America will rival the Elizabeth class carriers being built by the UK.

With the hesitation that is being shown by the Dept of the Navy when it comes to adding a well deck, the question must be asked...is this a ship that will sail away with the big deck carriers when times get hard---taking its compliment of F-35B's with it to perform the sea control mission?

A simple recommendation.

Stop building the USS America class after the first ship is commissioned.

Go back to the drawing board, simply build enlarged versions of  the existing LHD's (with appropriate updates) and be done with.

Royal Aeronautical Society RS-001

F-35 in afterburner.

Compilation by Lockheed Martin.

This might get interesting...

S. Korea warship pursues hijacked vessel - ASDNews

Lee held an emergency meeting on Sunday and urged officials to take "all possible measures" to rescue the ship and crew, she said.


Samho Jewelry was carrying eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 crew from Myanmar when it was hijacked on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka.


All crew members being held by the pirates have been confirmed safe so far, a foreign ministry spokesman said.


"The crewmen have been confirmed safe for now, with no unusual signs in their (physical) conditions... the ship's location has been identified," the spokesman told AFP.


Yonhap news agency said it would "take at least two days" for the warship, which is carrying more than 300 naval troops including special commandos, to reach the hijacked vessel, citing an unnamed government source.

The reason why I say this might get interesting is..

1.  The Naval Troops would be S. Korean Marines.  After the beating they've taken at home because of the slow response in relation to the N. Korean artillery barrage has their command ready to strike at blow at anyone...anywhere...
2.  The S. Korean President is also suffering the fallout.  He failed to protect his citizens and now he has a chance to prove his toughness...even if its on the other side of the planet.
3.  I wonder what the EU anti-piracy 'unit' is going to say about this incident.  Is it a case of the S. Koreans going it alone or will they assist.  Same applies to the US Navy.  Do the S. Koreans even want assistance.

Yep, this might become interesting.