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| Zeus’ Set For Air Tattoo Debut The first ever UK appearance of one of Europe’s most exciting solo jet demonstrations has been confirmed for this summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. The display by the Hellenic Air Force’s F-16 demo team, named Zeus, is set to provide one of the highlights of the flying display at the airshow on July 17-19. |
Friday, February 27, 2015
Zeus headed to Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford.
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they love the idea of a light recon tank for some reason. they want something to replace the FV107 Scimitar that has been in service since 1971.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised you haven't put anything up about the FCC regulating the internet yet, sol.
ReplyDelete"What are those limey bastards thinking?"
ReplyDeleteProbably the same as your Cav bastards. :)
The "medium weights" to scout and fix the enemy, the MBTs follow up to finish.
That is unfortunately also the reason why the Bradleys got both the most kills and the most losses in GWII. They end up in contact with the enemy first. Fairly standard tactic. And before you go "use MBTs", do note that you have 3x as many IFVs than MBTs, and spreading your M1s out to scout leaves them vulnerable to defeat in detail as well as diffuse your attack force, making it harder to consolidate for an assault if you spot something worth attacking.
Medium weights to spot for targets, then the MBTs roll in en mass to take them down.
On the other hand... FRES SV... about bloody time. That program was decades in running.
This is going to sound nasty, but in reality, terrorism in these countries never stopped. It's just that before 9/11, the US never cared enough to notice. Or to put it less kindly, it wasn't really worth CNN time until America got hit.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite convinced ASCOD2 is that much better, to what could be achived with Warrior upgrade.
ReplyDeleteAnd 1/3 the armour. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the reasons for the trend in weight creep. The cap now is 30mm +/- resistant. In the past, it was 12.7mm. Blame the profusion of medium calibre guns. More people have them these days.
Well, the Bravo has a new problem with its bays: the required number of SDB II won't fit - time for a redesign.
ReplyDeleteAs for possibility for more F/A or EA-18 orders - that is certainly something that I'd like to see. You could use 24 to refit the Naval Reserve squadron that currently flies -As. And we could certainly use more Growlers. Politics within the Pentagon F-35 mafia is shaping what the Navy can formally request. UCLASS and Super Hornet / Growlers are directly competitive with F-35 buys. If you suppress those programs, you will eventually force the Navy to acquire the F-35C. The upside for the Navy is the longer they delay, the "cheaper" the F-35C becomes, and the fewer units you will need to buy before the F/A-XX becomes a reality. The downside is that if you let the SH line die, you will lose tactical aircraft engineering expertise. It's a risky game, but I'd expect to see another unfunded request for more Growlers, and hopefully some more Supers.
ReplyDeleteAt least there is no need to discuss if the gun works or not as the Growler doesn't have a gun. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat is being ignored here is the death sentences and other harsh sentences being carried out by the democratically elected Bangladesh Govt. to most of the Radical Scum they have in Bangladesh and India backing up Shiekh Hasina 100% in her purge of any element categorized as "Radical" or "Pakistani". Heck....even the Chinese are glad about the way things are going on in Bangladesh and how stability has returned there.
ReplyDeleteMany a times i have seen comments of people saying that whenever there is a Terrorist attack in the west or any where else for that matter....."Muslim Lands" never show an Outrage over the incident. Well.....tune your attention to Bangladesh. There were massive anti Radical protests there and Outraged people demanding the Blood of Radicals. And they got it. Radical atrocities committed all the way back to 1970 were addressed by what can be called a "mature judiciary". Politicians and their grass root level henchmen, muscle men and other affiliates supporting the Hardline Cause were beaten black and blue by the common man and woman of Bangladesh.
Lots of people including Pakistan, the earstwhile rulers of Bangladesh and now many more people have and will continue to view Bangladesh as a "Muslim" country. That is a folly. Allow me to correct that by saying that Bangladesh is more "Bengali" than Muslim. And if you dont know the difference between the two...then by all means dig into history books and old accounts of the British Rule here to find that out. Also read the accounts of the then US Counsel General at Dacca/Dhaka Archer Blood. Link-
http://adst.org/2014/01/our-government-has-evidenced-moral-bankruptcy-the-blood-telegram-and-the-1971-bengali-genocide/
Not the usage of the word "Bengali".
I appreciate the macro message that Solomon is trying to send out here by this post about possible areas of Hostility but Bangladesh isnt something you guys have to worry about now. We have it under control.
Sol, good post and you generally dig out some nice pieces of Info but how about counterbalancing the negatives with all positives? If you are talking about Muslims in general...then my friend you are missing a whole new world out there which is trying its best to do good. All this negativity without any positives is turning this into a Gates of Vienna type site. And i am saying this sincerely....not being a wise ass.
1/3 armor protection ? its not quite true.base layer armor on Ascod offers only slightly more protection than Scimitar and only on the glaciss , add on armors can be added to any vehicle with load capacity Scimitar Mk2 gained cca 40% in weight in the upgrade .ASCOD weight comes from size and armored surface area not from hawing a thick armor.
ReplyDeleteThey spend couple hundred mio and decades in developing all sorts of shit whithut actually coming up with anyting useful. So it seems they now trying o show off with 'success ' of the FRES program by grabing for an off the shelf item.
ReplyDeleteThe world's burning and extremist are having a field day
ReplyDeleteHere are some critisms surrounding the FRES SV that you might need to check out.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2013/07/time-to-cancel-fres-sv/
Light recon 'tanks' rule in 'colonial' expeditions in Africa. They are cheap, easy to transport and deploy and have enough firepower to deal with any thing they might encounter.. How usefull they are in European theatre with lots of UAVs and plenty ATGMs and IFV's and tanks that can dispatch the recon vehicle ?.
ReplyDeleteThe Greeks hate us but don't mind buying our weapons....
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. Why is dealing with this our problem?
ReplyDeleteOn the absolute very sad off topic...
ReplyDeleteAmbassador Spock is no longer with us, Leonard Nimoy pass away... :(
The "C" version can not get cheaper by delaying because there is relatively no real market for it other than to fly off USN carriers. A significant amount of the "C" version is different from the A and B models.
ReplyDelete"The F-35 had its time and the window is rapidly closing." -> absolutely 100%.
ReplyDeleteThere are just too many other needs for all the services, for the treasure to be consumed by the F-35 program.
Offtopic
ReplyDeleteBMP-1 mod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6q27UjayZE#t=71
Offtopic - In honor of the Friday
ReplyDeleteThe “famous” Rebels in Donbass!
http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/gwinplane/33556898/926257/926257_original.jpg
http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/gwinplane/33556898/927391/927391_original.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-xzcyLUsAAVPOl.png
Bgggg
Have you ever wondered why they call Bogdan the Program Executive Officer? In military parlance the XO is #2 in the organization.
ReplyDeletefrom the web: The executive officer, or "XO," is in charge of an Army unit's administrative operations and is usually the second-ranked officer in the unit. An executive officer's main focus is handling administrative duties for his unit. This includes ensuring that paperwork, such as the unit's payroll reports, is completed properly and on time....
Normally a high-priority DOD acquisition program is headed by a project or program manager, but the JSF program is a US joint program so it's different.
Pentagon: The F-35 Lightning II Program is a joint program with no lead service, staffed by Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps personnel. The Program Executive Officer position alternates between the Departments of Navy and Air Force, and reports to the Service Acquisition Executive (SAE) of the other service. The Program Executive Officer is U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher C. Bogdan.
The guy supposedly in charge of the JSF program to whom Bogdan supposedly reports is Sean J. Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy (ASN) (Research, Development & Acquisition (RDA)), the SAE for the JSF program. Stackley, of course, has been notable by his absence in the problem-plagued JSF program. Who can blame him. Let the Air Force take the fall.
Interesting. They do the display with the conformal fuel tanks on?
ReplyDeleteElection is coming up. St Louis votes have to be bought.
ReplyDeleteThe Navy requires lots of money for ships which it values higher than F-35, whereas the AF has puts all its eggs in the F-35 basket.
ReplyDeletere: "The F-35 had its time and the window is rapidly closing" the upcoming July F-35B IOC. is a critical milestone for the program. The Air Force is already backtracking on its 2016 IOC, with Welsh saying the FOC (full ...) is more important. Welsh made that up, there's no such thing as a full operational capability.
The IOC is in essence equivalent to combat capable, and the F-35B is certainly not that, for many reasons. But the Marine HQ (unlike Navy and Air Force) has been silent on the plane's capabilities (i.e. lack thereof).
"Semper Fidelis"
Sure it can, evidenced by the FY16 PB cost projections. The cost of the engine and electronics that are shared among the variants decline year by year (although the engine not so much - that's another issue.)
ReplyDeleteWe could have a contest for best answer--
ReplyDeleteWhat's smaller than a F-35B weapons bay?
Or, why "this is my rifle and this is my gun....." does not apply to the F-35B
Or, what's the best place to find a 270v.DC power source (essential for F-35) on a desert island?
Or, why "I dreamed I did Close Air Support], Offensive and Defensive Counter Air, Air Interdiction, Assault Support Escort (all IOC requirements) with my F-35B" is really a nightmare.
We better get our act together soon. The window needs to rapidly close. F-35 progress is glacial!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, Bogdan is Russian for 'gift from God.' Doubtful!
The whole world hates us but loves buying our weapons. This phenomenon is ubiquitous!
ReplyDeletebasically it's the british version of the M3 Bradley Cavalry fighting Vehicle or the Marines LAV25. a scout and attacker more then a infantry carrier. Although The British if they wished to do have the option of replacing the Warrior.
ReplyDeleteThey've been flying this solo display with CFT for at least 3 years! And It's quite impressive one at that with pretty exceptional roll rate, minimum turn and alpha compared to other solo displays minus the CFT.
ReplyDeleteNow what I'd like to see, would be an F-16 with GE-132 power and Thrust-vectoring nozzle + CFT, in a solo display! Put a pair of outward canted IRST apertures planted in the CFT for good measure (one each CFT), with the electronics in an extended spine. Add an existing A2A specialized jammer on the center (probably an Israeli make). Go from there, according to one's next-gen requirements, per relevant innovative-evolutionary development upgrades and loadouts. Well, that should have at least been the Plan B stopgap, from say around FY09, in a strategic and prudent sense.
Will look forward to this Zeus display in July! Respects-
All Ideological extremists, if true... and as Off Topic as you can get. Per the obvious, sad propaganda attempt here. Not un-expected of course, as there will always be propaganda-coupe attempts made when ideological leverage is instrumental and critical to the overall strategy.
ReplyDeleteThat said, this war was totally unnecessary! So very tragic indeed. Yanukovych himself back in January 2014 was (freely) saying there was no reason why Ukraine shouldn't remain united, even with compromise political solution and implying with dual relations with both EU and Russia.
And today?? The current track looks as if the near-term future Ukraine will in fact posture towards a combined 'Trade agreement + negotiated Visa regime' with EU block, while simultaneously negotiating a separate Trade agreement with Ru Fed!
That should have been the political compromise made back in November 2013, or at the latest in March 2014... if Putin/Kremlin was playing fair and with a modern 21st century play book. Sadly, the playbook was a 19th/20th Century absolutist/might-is-right playbook.
Keep hope. Respects to all sides of Ukraine. May all be humbled and start over.
Add the LAV-AD turret (25mm 5-barrel gun), but perhaps replace 8x Stinger w/ 4x RIM-116(?) type? Or 4x Python-5. Either that, or an alternative mod with twin-Python-5 and twin-Optical TOW launcher.
ReplyDeleteOffer to USMC.
Did you check the quoted protection levels or did you just rant without checking? 12.7 will penetrate a Warrior, I know of a few cases. It won't for ASCOD on all sides.
ReplyDeleteI always have to point out to the layman that ATGMs are not "plentiful". Count them. How many ATGM projectors per infantry battalion? How many does it translate to per man. You do the maths. ATGMs are not and never "plentiful".
ReplyDeletePity.
ReplyDeleteLive long and perspire.
And I hate the Star Trek remake.
Nah we don't hate you, we just sup with a long spoon whenever you're around! :)
ReplyDeleteMore often than not, it's because your military policy is often controlled by your media, it's too easy to whip up a war frenzy with the US, justified or not. So there is a chance of "friends today, enemies tomorrow".
I expect that the F-35B is also set for the Royal Tattoo, in conjunction with its IOC. I think the main factor last year in preventing it, is that UK has higher standards for air-worthiness than the US does. If NAVAIR inexplicably declares the prototype B air-worthy for the IOC then the equation has changed somewhat.
ReplyDeleteThe honeymoon is over. The gloves come off.
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON, D.C. — The Marine Corps Commandant said Thursday he is "very confident" that Lockheed Martin 's (NYSE:LMT) F-35 will be ready for combat this year, despite "complex" issues with the plane.
The F-35 is expected to be combat-ready for the Marine Corps in July, but there are 54 separate modifications needed to be done on the aircraft before then, said Gen. Joseph Dunford at the House
Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee hearing.
Dunford said the issues with the plane are complex but he is "absolutely optimistic" that everything will be ready.
“Optimism and stupidity are nearly synonymous.”
--Hyman G. Rickover, a superb engineer
Why is dealing with this our problem?
ReplyDeleteBecause if the west, particularly the US, then things will get out of hand quickly. The problem racking with the US is that everyone looks to the US as the "universal policeman" but the US doesn't want the role anymore.
Take a look at ISIS/ISIL in Iraq. It got "out of hand" because the present government refuses to do anything. Even when ISIS/ISIL was at the doorstep, still nothing was done by the Iraqi government. The western countries spent billions helping Iraqi stand up. Now the Iraqis have a "competition": If they don't shape up, maybe the Kurds will become combat veterans and anything the Iraqi government will do to stem the Kurd's independence move might get really bad.
@propaganda attempt here@
ReplyDeleteCome on, just fun collocations of internal looks between the Rebels and famous people.
@That said, this war was totally unnecessary@
This war is inevitable thing, and what we have now – is just modest beginning.
@'Trade agreement +negotiated Visa regime'@
Not only trade – it was political and security (including military) integration, just for example:
“taking full and timely advantage of all diplomatic and military channels between the
Parties, including appropriate contacts in third countries and within the United Nations, the OSCE and other international fora;”
http://www.eeas.europa.eu/ukraine/pdf/3_ua_title_ii_pol_dialogue_reform_pol_assoc_coop_convergence_in_fsp_en.pdf
@That should have been the political compromise@
What do you mean?
@ if Putin/Kremlin was playing fair and with a modern 21st century play book.@
At my take Putin is too soft and too fair for our current world. For example – I’m really jealous to Israel’ defense policy – they kill their enemy in brutal and effective
manner on regular basis, giving no shit to “international community opinion”. Putin, otherwise, still bla-bla-bla about “brotherhood” with Ukraine and VERY shy in acts against the country in comparison with our current military and economical possibility to torpedo
current anti-Russian regime in Kiev. So, I agree we do not use “21st century
play book” as Israel’ or USA do. And what about ‘fair” –at my take it is fake agenda
for geopolitical relations.
Yes Check you facts ASCOD base armor protects from 7.62x51 allround and 12.7 frontal so not that much more all the next levels are bolted on . Scimitar is just 7.62x51 allround, altough considering MK2 has a new hull i would suspect frontal 12.7 protection as well.. Scimitar is most limited by drivetrain design
ReplyDeleteA long spoon and a knife resistant vest on your back. Well said these days, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteTo me it reads more like an availability/service issue to me.
ReplyDeleteIts not so much that the growler does the job 'better' but the Navy sees the growler doing the job where stealth isn't required for much less cost both in airframe dollars and maintainance man hours.
***
hazy recollections
***
Long ago, the US/NATO did low altitude flight to avoid integrated air defences, radar cant see through hills.
Then the USSR integrated airborne radar, and a US (NATO?) wargame predicted that the US (+allied?) Air forces would last about 17 days in the event of a major war, and then there would be no allied airpower left
So, stealth.
And the B2 and F117 were created.
Today
Well, the USSR no longer exists, but integrated air defences do.
The F22 can break the links for the air force, but who's going to do it for the navy?
Iraqi pilots training in Arizona.......what could possibly go wrong?
ReplyDeletehttp://theaviationist.com/2015/02/27/iraqi-air-force-tucson/
Why not, the US Navy has a back up in the form of more orders for EA-18G and the Advance super hornet. They can use it to hedge bets against the F-35 and if the F-35 is a flop than. I have see one F-35 Fanboy make a case for the F-35 as well and here's the link http://cimsec.org/f-35-fanboy-makes-case/15207
ReplyDeleteare the Greeks bringing their F-16's there to sell them? Can they afford the cost of fuel to fly back?
ReplyDeleteA bit provocative and humoristic. Isn't there already an ally plane capable of EA, faster, nimbler and more discreet than F-18, able to automatically followground at 200fts/450 Kts and qualified on US carriers?
ReplyDeleteWhat are defensive weapons? I am quite supprised media is still buying crap that comes ither from Kiev or Nato brass that is tweting bulshit that has been proven false many times over.,lots of farytales and not much in terms of evidence . If russia had 14000 men and 550 tanks on the ground in ukraine that has to be the stealthiest force ever.
ReplyDeleteArticle is borderline worthless
Wesley Clarke sounds like a mayor league a-holle , but we shouldnt be suprised he was advocating for bombing the russian paratroopers that took Pristina airport in Kosovo before NATO realised what was happening.
I was reminded of an old and rather bad Dutch children's joke.. which in my mind changed to this:
ReplyDelete"Something big and green is moving trough the Ukrainian woods carefully, but its not a Russian tank, can you guess what it is?
Are you kidding me, of course its a Russian tank....."
The 'joke' originally did not have the words Ukrainian and Russian in it.
"Diplomacy is like pat angry dog head with on hand and searching the other one big enough stick to hit him in the head"
ReplyDeleteTwo things... Russians understand when you use on them "stick" because they respect only force not fancy words. Europe "leaders" don't search any "stick", they try to hug the angry dog even more and speak to him nice... and the dog is step by step closer to throat.
Russian use a diplomacy of accomplished facts they say one for a public then they do what they want and after that they say... deal with it. "Western" leaders use diplomacy of words... end of story.
As Don argued, it's probably an over-exaggeration to suggest Ukraine is 'hanging on by a thread'. It's true there are continued provocations and militaristic-separatist threats today, including poised against Mariupol still and possibly elsewhere. But sustained diplomatic pressure by EU on Kremlin (no, Ukraine was not thrown under the bus) to more fully disengage support of militant separatists and shift policy dynamic, will likely help push the Truce to the next level... down the politically negotiated Peace roadmap path.
ReplyDeleteTherein however is the absolute catastrophe of this war: it was never necessary in the first place for Kremlin/Putin to give the green light apparently to rogue special forces and secret services et al, to unilaterally launch original military-separatist mission (taking down police stations and admin buildings, after Crimea) back in spring of 2014!
There should have been a diplomatic path and civil action (democratic protests) in pressuring the transitional Kiev government and then the newly elected leadership on allowing greater autonomy in a restructured sovereign Ukraine. In the past year, with popular protests (civil disobedience, etc) growing across the country, effective peaceful pressure could have brought about the acceptance by Kiev to accept conditions for greater autonomy of various regions and cities.
As such, Kiev could have absolutely been courted by Kremlin to renegotiate a bilateral trade deal with Moscow parallel to Kiev's separate bilateral associate deal with EU! If separate bilateral trade deals are fine for EU members such as Germany - with their deal with China, e.g. - then there should be no problem with a negotiated parallel deal with Ru, alongside a deal with EU! Of course, unless Kremlin would never accept such a co-existing, 'dual-path' for an independent, liberalizing, democratically-reforming, sovereign Ukraine on it's border??
Sadly, not quite sure how that would play out with the strategy to create combative instability, tension and divisions, thus requiring convenient buffer zones and inducing others to choose either 'us of them'. A very sad paradigm being re-established into the psyche in Europe indeed, as part of psy-op of a continued great game. The anti-thesis of the demilitarization and more genuine, civil cooperation and proactive integration in the modern age, which should be developing under less hawkish and ideological leadership.
And who say that we don't compare wars anymore by forces used in it? There are some 40 types of "wars" and we just throw that to garbage? Why I did not get the memo that from now every war will be just war?
ReplyDeleteC'mon mister ostrich, don't hide... don't be a Frenchy... tell me.
@Kharkiv isn't on the way to Crimea.@
ReplyDeleteHmm.. I’m not sure, sir. If it goes to Russia's interest – Har’kov content a lot of plants very omportant for us – forcosmos and atom industries at first. Specific for Harikov itself – the locals call the city as “the first capital” (because it was a capital of Ukrainian Soviet republic) – and have independent mentality. For Ukrainian gov Har’kov is very important as the main city of region gives vast majority of Ukrainian natural gas production. For the Donbass
Rebels – Har’kov is a huge city which does not belong to Donbass
mentality.
So, it looks like (IMHO) no one is interested in battle for Har’kov to ruins – so I guess it will continue to go terror and diversion acts here only. But Mariupol’is greatly more interesting aim for the Rebels, at my take.
@sue for peace.@
It looks like peace is not interesting matter for Russia now.