Royal Air Force tries to extend its strategic reach....

via AviationNews.eu

Boeing today announced that the UK Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement for the acquisition of one C-17 Globemaster III, bringing the Royal Air Force (RAF) fleet of the world’s most advanced airlifters to a total of eight. Boeing is scheduled to deliver the eighth C-17 later this year.
“The tremendous teamwork of Boeing and U.S. Government officials has made it possible to announce this acquisition so quickly after we determined the need for this additional C-17,” said UK Ministry of Defence Head of Commercial for Air Support Robin Philip. “This C-17 will be a welcome addition to the RAF fleet.”

RAF C-17s had surpassed 50,000 flight hours in December 2009, when the UK announced its intent to purchase a seventh aircraft. By the time the seventh C-17 was delivered in November 2010, the fleet had logged more than 60,000 flight hours. The fleet has now surpassed 74,000 flight hours – a rate 15 percent above planned use.
“We have watched with great pride over the past decade as the RAF, our first international C-17 customer, has supported global peacekeeping missions and responded to the needs of millions affected by natural disasters around the world,” said Bob Ciesla, Boeing vice president and C-17 program manager.
“We understand the need to move quickly to bring this contract to completion,” said Liz Pace, Boeing C-17 UK program manager. “This additional order is a testament to our strong relationship with the UK as well as to the aircraft’s advanced capability, flexibility and reliability.”
The RAF C-17s are operated by 99Squadron at RAF Brize Norton. C-17s are used to support Operation Herrick, the transport of large equipment and troops to Afghanistan. RAF C-17s also delivered relief supplies following devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and provided humanitarian relief following floods in Pakistan.
As a member of the worldwide C-17 “virtual fleet,” RAF C-17s are supported through the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program, a Performance-Based Logistics agreement. The GISP arrangement provides the highest airlift mission capable rate at one of the lowest costs per flying hour.
Boeing has delivered 241 C-17s worldwide, including 216 to the U.S. Air Force active duty, Guard and Reserve units. A total of 25 C-17s have been delivered to Australia, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations. India has 10 C-17s on order for delivery in 2013 and 2014.

If the Royal Air Force is smart, they'll push hard interoperability with the USAF and try to get a dozen of these.

Libya showed the weakness of land based air despite the best efforts of air power apologist.  If your target is three hours flying distance away and if it can move then you might just be burning aviation gas.

The modern battlefield is not set.  Targets are mobile and you need the flexibility that being based as close to your targets as possible to give you the response time needed to make a difference on a fluid battle field.

Libya showed that the model used in that conflict just didn't measure up.

This move to increase strategic reach, make the RAF more expeditionary...make the RAF more relevant is nothing but predictable.

But in the end, the RAF just got a new toy.  Lets see what they do with it.

Must every carrier be a super carrier.

Ultimate Ratio Reg has written a FANTASTIC article for the USNI Blog.  It's a  must read and I hope you do.

For some reason, most bloggers (they're all part of a click I guess) have a hate on for the F-35.  In particular the F-35B.  Why this is, I don't know...but they do.

Galrahn wrote an article that shows that blindspot to full effect.  Check this part out.

I know I am in a minority, but I am still very skeptical the US Navy will ever field the F-35C - so I obviously do not believe the Royal Navy should be committed to the platform. The damage the costs of the F-35C program is doing to naval aviation is bigger than anyone in Washington wishes to admit publicly - YET, but when the US Navy starts planning the early retirement of multiple aircraft carriers (potentially as soon as the FY14 budget cycle) I think people are going to wake up pretty quickly to how much damage F-35C is doing to naval aviation, and what the cost of a single strike fighter has been to naval aviation as a whole.

That goes double if a debate ever breaks out regarding the lack of relevance the future CVW has to the 21st century threat environment at sea - because anyone who thinks the CVN is better off with today's CVW with JSFs instead of F-18s is fooling themselves - ignoring the capabilities that aren't being fielded because the cost of the F-35C sucked all the $$ out of the naval aviation community. When considering this is the decade that naval aviation should be innovating the most due to the US Navy enjoying a substantial lead on competitors, I am convinced naval aviators will look back at 2011-2020 as the lost decade of their community.

And for the record, during the next US Presidential term (2013-2016) the safest bet any navalist can make is that the world will observe 2 brand new aircraft carriers being built in China, and I'm not counting Varyag. If you don't expect 5 aircraft carriers in use by China by 2025, then you are the 1936 IJN Admiral who casually dismissed Isoruku Yamamoto's concerns of American industrial capacity.

Galrahn is usually spot on, but on the F-35 the guy has a weak spot.  He's views have been corrupted, his writing makes no sense and the arrogance oozing from every pore of his essence on this subject is beyond understanding.

How he can make such blanket statements and not delve into the real cause of carrier aviation's problems is beyond me, but he does.

Two writers.  Both respected.  Both come to opposite conclusions.

Only one is right and its the guy that isn't part of the anti F-35 cabal.

Trust me bat fans...the e-mails swirl throughout the nite.

Calls are made.

Plans formulated.

Articles are planned in attempts to nullify every press release Lockheed Martin and the Program Office make in order to keep any positive news off the front pages.

The story isn't yet finished but Ultimate Ratio Reg is right.  The F-35 in general and the F-35B WILL be war winners.  It will transform the way that our Navy and Marine Corps do business. 

Leon's fully behind the F-35.

via Dept. Of Defense.

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service
OTTAWA, Ontario, March 28, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta yesterday reaffirmed the Defense Department’s commitment to the F-35 joint strike fighter program and to ensuring it remains within the defense strategy’s budget.
The secretary spoke at a news conference following a meeting with Mexican and Canadian defense leaders here.
“As part of the defense strategy that the United States went through and has put in place, we have made very clear that we are 100 percent committed to the development of the F-35,” he said. “It’s a fifth-generation fighter, [and] we absolutely need it for the future.”
Acknowledging that the Defense Department has to be vigilant and provide as much oversight as possible as the aircraft continues to be developed, Panetta said Pentagon officials are confident that “this plane can do everything that it’s being asked to do in terms of performance.
“We’ve been testing it, and we continue to evaluate it as we proceed,” he continued. “And we’ve made very clear to the industries involved in its production that they have to keep it within the cross-confinements that we’ve provided with regards to this plane.”
Panetta noted the price of each aircraft varies from variant to variant, with three types involved in the program’s development. Canada signed on for the project’s production, sustainment and follow-on development phase on Dec. 11, 2006, along with Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay called the F-35 an example of interoperability as his country faces similar challenges with the joint strike fighter program.
“In addition, I would add that this is the aircraft that the Royal Canadian Air Force, after an extensive internal examination of capabilities and what was on the market, came to us and said, ‘This the plane we need. This is the plane we want for a whole number of reasons.’”
MacKay said “due diligence and analysis” are necessary to ensure taxpayers are well-served and their best interests are considered.
“On the aspect of budgets as we go forward, every department of government -- every defense department, certainly all of our NATO partners, our Mexican colleagues [and] our friends around the globe -- are looking to prioritize their defense spending,” he said. “It [should] come as no surprise to anyone here that Canada is going through that exact same process in determining what our defense needs are at home.”

Winning.

Its what the F-35's doing.


Much to the annoyance of that CABAL of writers/bloggers/skeptics...

 

Nick Dwyer Concepts...fanciful but cool!

I found these because I was looking for some concept art for a two seat F-35.  Then I ran across Nick's site.  His concepts are fanciful...weird...but cool at the same time.

Don't hit me with how impractical they are...this is just fun...enjoy and check out his spot.

African nations continue to buy....

I think that if we read between the lines, we can see the Obama administration mollifying the Brazilian's by probably (I emphasize that this is pure speculation) purchasing Super Tucano's for 3 African nations. 

Next flashpoint will be Africa.  If you thought the Middle East has been a wild ride, then just wait.  IF we end up fighting in Africa then you're going to see stuff that will shock and horrify. 

via DefesaGlobal.

Brazil´s Embraer Defense & Security has signed contracts with three African states for the acquisition of A-29 Super Tucano light attack and advanced training aircraft.

The Burkina Faso Air Force has already received three aircraft that are used on border patrol missions. The Angola Air Force will receive the first three of six aircraft in 2012 while Mauritania´s Air Force will receive undisclosed quantities.

The total value of the contracts including an extensive logistical, training, and replacement parts package are worth more than US$ 180 million

Forward Control Jeep.

Wow.

Just wow.  Looks like a .... well it looks cool to me.

24th MEU ships out...

USS IWO JIMA (LHD 7) – Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron VMM-261 (Reinforced), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, offload from an MV-22 Osprey aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, March 27, 2012. The 24th MEU, partnered with the Navy’s Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, is deploying to the European and Central Command theaters of operation to serve as a theater reserve and crisis response force capable of a variety of missions from full-scale combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Official Marine Corps Video by Lance Cpl. Tucker Wolf.

GearScout on the SafariLand...

I'm still a bit  jaded on the Kydex everything trend that I see but I kinda like this one.  Still have my doubts about Kydex being superior to 1000 Denier Cordura Nylon when it comes to pouches and such but we'll see.

JLTV. Still only 3 competitors.

Not much to say on this.

After all the lead up.

After all the effort to get more companies to compete in the JLTV competition...we're still down to only 3 viable solutions.

In my opinion only Lockheed Martin, BAE and General Tactical Vehicles are viable solutions.  Either one of these offerings will work.

So we're back to another price shootout.

The Pentagon better hope that manufacturers don't catch on to the game they're playing.  If they do then the troops will be riding bicycles into combat because gold platted systems (that get added on to) with a pauper's paycheck don't mix.

AM General BRV-O...looks like a HUMVEE Upgrade to me....

OshKosh L-ATV...

Navistar...

My buddy CB challenged me in the comments and stated that the other competitors were worthy and that I shouldn't dismiss them.

I included the links above so that you could evaluate them for yourself.  I smell the stench of Army procurement woes creeping into this program.  Instead of a separate HUMVEE upgrade and JLTV program, it looks like we're seeing programs merge...much like the GCV and M-113 replacement comp is.

CH-46's for sale...

via ShepardMedia...

Three Latin American nations have expressed interest in purchasing former US Marine Corps (USMC) CH-46 Sea Knights, it has been revealed.

The aircraft, which are being retired to the boneyard by the marines in favour of the V-22 Osprey, have been subjected to a series of upgrades prior to retirement because of the Osprey's late introduction. The upgrades have given the Sea Knights increased airframe life making them ideal candidates for refurbishment and new roles overseas.
'Although it hasn't got the capability of the CH-47 Chinook, the CH-46 is still a very capable helicopter for troop transport and search and rescue, particularly with its tandem-rotor stability,' said Earl Godby, head of business development for maintenance, modifications and upgrades at Boeing Defense.
'The marines spent $1.2 billion upgrading the fleet and there is still plenty of life left in them, most of them have around 10,000 hours on them but they have a 17,000 hour airframe life.'
Godby said that despite the type's age, the aircraft are still achieving serviceability levels of in excess of 80%.
Several Sea Knights have already been refurbished and modified by the US Navy's Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for use by the US State Department Air Wing, although Boeing has not been involved in this project. Boeing would however be involved if a request was made through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) scheme for the type.

Hmmm.

How many flight hours does a helicopter ramp up per year????

Being extremely generous, lets say they get 1000 flight hours per year.

That's an additional 7 years we're throwing away by getting rid of these helos now.  That just doesn't sit well with me.  This is another reason to slow the purchases of the MV-22's...get full service out of these CH-46's and win a couple of things here.

Save money now...

Reprogram that money to either save a Infantry Battalion or two or maybe buy those CH-53K's...

Or just save that money for the taxpayers and send it back to the treasury.  Getting rid of equipment before its fully used up is not the Marine Corps way.