Exercise Malabar 2012.

BAY OF BENGAL (April 14, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) transit in formation with Indian navy ships during Exercise Malabar 2012. Carl Vinson, Bunker Hill, and Halsey are part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1, and are participating in the annual bi-lateral naval field training exercise with the Indian navy to advance multinational maritime relationships and mutual security issues. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans/Released)

BAY OF BENGAL (April 14, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) transit in formation with Indian navy ships during Exercise Malabar 2012. Carl Vinson, Bunker Hill, and Halsey are part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1, and are participating in the annual bi-lateral naval field training exercise with the Indian navy to advance multinational maritime relationships and mutual security issues. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans/Released)

BAY OF BENGAL (April 14, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) transit in formation with Indian navy ships during Exercise Malabar 2012. Carl Vinson, Bunker Hill, and Halsey are part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1, and are participating in the annual bi-lateral naval field training exercise with the Indian navy to advance multinational maritime relationships and mutual security issues. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans/Released)

Kickin' Up Dust

Marines of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit wait to be extracted by helicopter during a rehearsal of the final exercise at Exercise Africa Lion 2012, April 16. AL-12 is a U.S. African Command-sponsored, Marine Forces Africa-led exercise involving various types of training including command post, live-fire and maneuvering, peace keeping operations, an intelligence capacity building seminar, aerial refueling/low-level flight training, as well as medical and dental assistance projects. The annual exercise is designed to improve interoperability and mutual understanding of each nation's military tactics, techniques and procedures.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Main)

U.K. F-35 vid

Super AV 8x8 for the Italian Amphibious Brigade.

via Defense Aerospace.

Iveco-Oto Melara will also exhibit the VBA, a combination of the SUPERAV of Iveco D.V. and the HITFIST OWS weapon station turret of Oto Melara, developed to match the requirements of the new Italian Amphibious Brigade. With outstanding mobility on land and in the water and air-transportability in a C130, the VBA provides an optimum blend of tactical, operational and strategic mobility. Its HITFIST OWS weapon station incorporates the latest technologies in the fields of electronics, signature and Man Machine Interface (MMI) with outstanding performances in terms of lethality, survivability and fightability.

Those sneaky Italians!

Not only did they leverage USMC requirements for a Marine Personnel Carrier into getting themselves a new vehicle for their Amphibious Brigade, but they will also gain a new vehicle for the export market (to compete against the Mowag Piranha, Patria AMV and Terrex).

Absolutely brilliant.

This vid is an instant hard on!

Get on line!

Sgt. Luke McNally, of Marlton, N.J., yells orders to his Marines during a live-fire exercise. The 27-year-old squad leader with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, led his squad of Marines through the burning fields and smoke-filled air to the end of the range.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Marco Mancha)

Star Wars Weapons coming to a ship near you!

So cool.

First the bad guys are zooming toward your amphib at 40 knots shouting Allah Akbar....

Next thing they know their engine blows up and the skin is burning off their backs....

Ain't Star Wars at sea cool?

Sea-Air Briefs. F/A-18 & V-22.

Massive Hat tip to THINK DEFENCE.  Check out his blog!

Sea Air Space f18 Presentation


v22_brief

Lift

Cpl. Enrique Torres (right), a squad leader with 1st Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and a 21-year-old native of Alvarado, Texas, helps Lance Cpl. Joseph Hevia, a rifleman and 20-year-old native of Windsor, Calif., climb onto a roof while searching a compound with Afghan policemen during Operation Zema Parma Sar Tera (Don’t Tread On Me) here, April 14, 2012. Afghan National Security Forces and ‘America’s Battalion’ Marines are conducting a variety of missions throughout Helmand province’s Garmsir district ahead of the annual fighting season surrounding the harvest of illicit poppy crops.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Reece Lodder)

F-35 BK-1

BREAKING!!! UK SERVICE CHIEFS RECOMMEND CHANGE BACK TO F-35B!!!

MASSIVE HAT TIP TO R. CRICHTON7 (otherwise known as my source in the UK).

via the TIMES.

 David Cameron is due to be presented with what officials believe is an overwhelming case for a change of policy on Britain’s troubled aircraft carrier programme. The Times has learnt that Forces chiefs will unanimously advocate that the Government should abandon plans to buy the conventional carrier version of the American Joint Strike Fighter — the F35C. Instead, a reassessment of the carrier programme will advise…

Just plain.  WOW.

The Brits are confusing me.  This is inexplicable.  Totally surprising.  Semi-insane.

Suffice it to say.  I Don't Get It.

Hmmm. Ok Lockheed. Good one Dew Line.

First.

via the Dew Line.

The United Kingdom's first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II production jet made its inaugural test flight on 13 April. The aircraft, an F-35B short takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) model, flew a series of functional flight checks during the sortie. Lockheed's Bill Gigliotti was at the controls during the 45-minute flight.

Second.

This new guy Dave over at that shop is bringing a very different spin to that blog.  It was once solidly in the Bill Sweetman/Bob Cox/APA bash the F-35 at every occassion whether deserved or not.

He doesn't seem to be part of that coalition.  When news on the F-35 is to be reported, he's on it.  Whether its good or bad.