Naval guns...we took a step back by taking them off amphibs.

Back in the old days...when the Marine Corps still remembered the lessons of the past, Amphibs had 5 inch guns.  In the case of the old school Tarawa --- two 5in guns.

Why do I bring this up?  Because of an article by the G-man today.  Check it out here but this part caught my attention.

But hindsight being what it is, I do have serious questions if the US Navy leverages the flexibility of the amphibious ships well in modern irregular warfare situations like offshore of Somalia. Does anyone honestly think it is a good idea to put a $2 billion ship like USS Chafee (DDG 90) in green water for fire support? Our destroyer force is being primarily resourced to fight sophisticated air targets, not shoot guns to shore in littorals which are always the most risky.

What a false choice current US force structure forces on warfighters for gunfire support - either send in $3 billion DDG-1000s with advanced gun systems or send in the less expensive, terribly armed 57mm hauling LCS. Honestly, where are Reapers on LHDs, because right now the only other option is to task the RW community for their capabilities.

I encourage folks to read the whole Military Times article and give it some serious thought. When I read that article, I ask myself why the US Navy and US Marine Corps spends so much money building and maintaining amphibious ships to deploy structured air-sea-land battalions if the MEUs are unable to accomplish the sustained irregular warfare missions by sea as described in that article. That situation in 2007-2009 off Somalia appears to have been crying for a Sea Base, and yet none existed. Why

I'm a little disappointed with this article for a number of reasons...

1.  This was a Special Ops party.  Having a floating sea base (even if it was just one LHA) would probably have been a show stopper for the snake eaters.  Quiet professionals and all that.
2.  ID posted an article just a few days ago that complained about the lack of amphibs and even talked about a deployment that is reaching record breaking lengths.  Read it here and here.
3.  He forgets the 'time' that the Navy and Marine Corps was living in.  Iraq was going gang busters.  IED attacks were at all time highs, the war was in doubt and things had yet to turn our way.  Additionally you had missions going in Afghanistan and other parts of the world (I forget where but do remember it was a crazy busy time).  If I recall correctly all the naval forces had available was probably a destroyer.

But having said all that, the G-man has a point, but not for the reason that he thinks.

Where is the sea base.  I've attempted to capture some of the documents before the USMC placed them behind a firewall but even with the latest MEB exercise we didn't see even the tinkle of a sea base being utilized.

The issues with Pakistan would certainly be less stressful if we had one available too.

2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team & 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment get in a training evolution...

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Nielson, with 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team out of Norfolk, Va., demonstrates how FAST Marines transition from primary to secondary weapons for Australian Army Soldiers with 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment at Robertson Barracks, Darwin, Australia, Nov. 23, 2011. FAST Marines are attending Exercise Semper Fast 2011, a combined training event hosted by 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment focusing on small arms ranges, direct fire ranges, military operations on urban terrain, and light infantry operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau)

Australian Army Sgt. Bruce Morris, with 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5 RAR), gives a class on Australian military weapons systems to U.S. Marines with 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team out of Norfolk, Va., on Robertson Barracks, Darwin, Australia, Nov. 21, 2011. FAST Marines are attending Exercise Semper Fast 2011, a combined training event hosted by 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment focusing on small arms ranges, direct fire ranges, military operations on urban terrain, and light infantry operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau)

Australian Army Cpl. Phillip Trease, with 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5 RAR), gives a class on Australian military weapons systems to U.S. Marines with 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team out of Norfolk, Va., on Robertson Barracks, Darwin, Australia, Nov. 21, 2011. FAST Marines are attending Exercise Semper Fast 2011, a combined training event hosted by 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment focusing on small arms ranges, direct fire ranges, military operations on urban terrain, and light infantry operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau)

An Australian Army Soldier with 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment tries on Marine Corps protective gear from U.S. Marines with 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team out of Norfolk, Va., at Robertson Barracks, Darwin, Australia, Nov. 23, 2011. FAST Marines are attending Exercise Semper Fast 2011, a combined training event hosted by 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment focusing on small arms ranges, direct fire ranges, military operations on urban terrain, and light infantry operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau)

We have holographic sights for our rifles, why not our pistols?

I believe that many firearm innovations start out in the civilian world and migrate to the military.  It didn't use to be that way.

Back when civilian shooting wasn't as big a force as it is today, the military wagged the dog.  Now you see major firearm manufacturers backing out of military competitions to focus on the civilian market.  Smith and Wesson is the latest example of this....they just backed out of the M4 comp.

But to the issue at hand.

A big trend is beginning to appear in the civilian shooting market and I'm beyond intrigued.  I'm ready to pull the trigger on it and I'm wondering why the military hasn't investigated its use. 

That would be the holographic sight on a pistol.

The above system is from TSD.

What I find absolutely amazing is that not even US Special Ops appears to be embracing this tech.

That should change.  I think this is a worthwhile addition that should be procured by the lab rats at the USMC Marksmanship Training Unit to investigate its combat possibilities.

Its definitely as worthy as the IAR....in my opinion more so.

USMC AH-1Z Super Cobra and UH-1Y Huey flight for Top Brass

Hat tip to Military Photos.net via Military Notes

Royal Marine Commandos on Exercise in British Woodland

F-22 upgrades in budget crosshairs???

via the Orlando Sentinel...read the whole thing...but a couple of tidbits...

Although the F-35 has had its share of problems, nothing compares with the woes of the F-22, which have made it the poster child for defense critics. And yet the U.S. is still pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into it.

and this...

It is not clear exactly how much the latest contract is worth. There was confusion when the military announced that the deal was a "potential $7.4 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract." That turned out to be incorrect; instead, the Air Force deal had actually boosted the potential value of an existing program to $7.4 billion, according to Reuters news service.

A DoD spokewoman told Reuters that the latest deal "cleared the way for funding of further upgrades in 2012, the last year of the program." She did not, however, disclose the value of the latest deal.

and finally this...

In some ways, the upgrade work on the F-22 could be seen as a sort of "bailout" of the problem-plagued fighter jet. Since the first Raptor was fielded in 2005, technical problems have prevented a single jet from taking part in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or in any other conflict.

Among the malfunctions: oxygen problems in the cockpit that caused pilots to lose consciousness, and navigation problems that led to an embarrassing return to base over the Pacific Ocean in 2007 for a dozen jets on a flight to Japan.

For defense proponents, it is an uncomfortable irony that the most-expensive, most-capable jet in the U.S. arsenal has never fired a shot.

The F-22 program confounds.

Its supporters are vociferous.  It is (they claim) capable of shooting down anything short of a Death Star, yet its looking more and more like a hangar queen and its upgrade path seems to indicate that its not as technologically advanced as some 4th gen fighters.

Upgrades are flowing from the F-35 to the F-22 and not the other way around.  Perhaps the real canary in the USAF's coal mine is the F-22 and its actual utility against a 1st tier opponent.

CH-46 flight ops aboard USS New Orleans.

All photos by Cpl. Ryan Carpenter

A CH-46E Sea Knight with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, flies here Nov. 26 . The squadron is the aviation combat element for the unit, which embarked USS Makin Island, USS New Orleans and USS Pearl Harbor in San Diego Nov. 14 beginning a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Middle East regions

A CH-46E Sea Knight with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced) lands the amphibious transport dock New Orleans Nov. 26. The squadron is the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which embarked USS Makin Island, USS New Orleans and USS Pearl Harbor in San Diego Nov. 14 beginning a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Middle East regions.

A CH-46E Sea Knight with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced) flies here Nov. 26. The squadron is the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which embarked USS Makin Island, USS New Orleans and USS Pearl Harbor in San Diego Nov. 14 beginning a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Middle East regions.

A CH-46E Sea Knight with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced) flies here Nov. 26. The squadron is the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which embarked USS Makin Island, USS New Orleans and USS Pearl Harbor in San Diego Nov. 14 beginning a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Middle East regions.

Are US Navy Amphibs and US Marine Corps MEU's preparing for embassy reinforcement mission in Europe?

Wow.

The break up of the Euro could lead to mass rioting and civil disturbances?  I hope USMC Europe is preparing for the possibility of Embassy reinforcement/recovery of US citizens.

Correction.

This is a US Army mission.  They have the 173rd Airborne in Europe along with some aviation assets.  If anything, you might see a FAST Battalion along with a USMC Infantry Battalion just helping out on reinforcing the embassies.  Everything else would probably go to the Army.

The Brits are planning, we need to too!

30mm Upgrade for AAV's?

 I've wondered what upgrades might be offered for the AAV to the Marine Corps (once they finally get around to doing it!).  One thing that I keep seeing on BAE's website is this 30mm RWS.  Its made by ELBIT of America and appears ready to go.

My question is this.  Does AAV operational philosophy demand a manned weapon station?  Is a 30mm weapon too much?  Would a compact 25mm cannon suffice?

Questions, questions but no answers.  I'll keep looking and if you hear something then hit me up.

RWS-H_1

This is police work in the UK.

Check out this article by SkyNews.

An elderly widow has died after muggers stole her handbag containing her husband's ashes - which she had carried for 17 years.
Nellie Geraghty, 79, suffered fatal head injuries as she desperately tried to cling onto the bag during the robbery in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
Police have launched a murder inquiry after she died in Royal Oldham Hospital at around midnight on Friday. Two youths, aged 14 and 17, have been arrested on suspicion of robbery.

That's a real quick background, read the rest of the story but this is what has my hair on fire...

Superintendent Catherine Hankinson, from Greater Manchester Police, told Sky News the investigating officers were keeping an open mind about the crime.
"There has been a level of violence used. Clearly Nellie has ended up on the floor and as a result of those injuries she's now sadly passed away," she said. 

The Police are keeping an open mind about the crime.

There has been a level of violence used.

If the bastard did that to my grandmother I'd hunt them down like the dogs they are.  Seems like the Police in the UK need to take a course on victims rights.

What happened to the idea that if a murder occurs in the act of a crime then you're automatically charged with murder????

UPDATE!  THEY RELEASED THESE BASTARD ON BAIL TILL JAN. 9!!!  THE UK IS UNBELIEVABLE.  WHAT A CESSPOOL IT MUST BE!