The F-35 Experience.

You're welcome RSF;))

Aviation has screwed the Ground side.

I've been chewing on a post that Jonathan sent me a week ago.  To be honest I've been looking and reading and thinking some more.  The article that Jonathan sent me is from DefenseNews Electronic Edition (subscription required) but this is the operative statement...

Over the last several months, Marine Corps rhetoric has become more moderate, said Dakota Wood, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assess­ments.

The Marine Corps is saying, “If it’s not the EFV specifically, it is cer­tainly the capability to conduct forcible entry operations from in­creased ranges,” he said.

“The Marine Corps’ real concern is: If I lose the EFV, do I also lose the funding or can I reapply that money to some new effort?” he said.

So what is the moral of the story regarding the EFV? 

1.  Too expensive.

2.  Too long in development.

3.  An attempt at revolutionary instead of evolutionary tech leap.

4.  Not built for real world operations (not talking its capabilities but rather its maintenance requirements)

But all this brings us to a bigger issue.
Marine Corps Aviation has effectively been allowed to screw the ground component.  We are becoming that mythical magical equivalent of a US Army Air Assault Force.  We are becoming helo centric with limited mechanized capabilities.
Consider this.  The ground side is now in danger of operating equipment that dates from the 70's in with the following programs on the chopping block...

Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle...
Marine Personnel Carrier (have you heard a whisper from that program in the last year?)...
JLTV (if the Marine Corps isn't signaling that this is a dead duck then you're not paying attention)...

Now also consider this.  Aviation will receive the following aircraft...

F-35...
AH-1Z...
UH-1Y...
CH-53K...
MV-22...
KC-130J...
Kaman UAV resupply helo...
other UAVs....

Lastly consider that Marine Corps future operating doctrine is incompatible with a historically mechanized Marine Division.  What do I mean?  Distributed Operations...Mini-ARGs...Partnership missions.

I asked earlier why Marine Tanks hasn't deployed---now we know.  Whether intentional or by accident, we're moving toward Dakota Wood's Commando Force structure.

1st Tanks, Canadian Leopards and the Afghan War.

*UPDATE*Grim added in the comments that I misinterpreted his statement.  Sorry brother. 

In an earlier post I asked the question.  Why isn't 1st Tanks deployed to the Afghan War zone as a complete unit to support combat operations?  You can read it here.  Well one of my readers hit me with this...

Grim said.. It might also be useful to note that both the Dutch and Canadians are planning to withdraw from Afghanistan and will be replaced by the US (most likely the Marines based on where they are based now.)

Well my response is "Wait one second!"  Is that the case or do we have something entirely different going on and is the US Marine Corps missing out on one of its Life Taking and Life Saving assets simply because they refuse to support this deployment?

I believe we are.  More on that in a later post tonight.  But for my buddy Grim and those that think like him I pass this along and tell you to read them and weep.  This from DefenseNews.

 

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) is modernizing the Canadian Leopard 2A4 CAN tanks previously acquired from German Army surplus. The first batch of 20 tanks was handed back to the Canadian Armed Forces yesterday (October 7, 2010) at the Bergen training ground in northern Germany. The modernized tanks are scheduled to equip the Canadian forces in Hindu-Kush in Afghanistan.
The Canadians embarked on this latest upgrade of the tank in July 2009, anticipating their next deployment in the Afghan theater. The new version is specially designed for operations in Afghanistan based on experience gained by other Leopard 2 operators, including the Denmark and Canadian forces. (operating the Leopard 2A6M)

Follow the link to read the whole thing but my point remains...tanks are being used to great effect by our allies.  Our Marine Corps should follow suit.

Tell me again why 1st Tanks isn't deploying as a unit to Afghanistan?

Amazing.  If you watch the above video you'll see Assault Breacher Vehicles, M-88 Recovery Vehicles, D-9 Bulldozers, MRAPs, and MTVRs. 

What you won't see are M1 Tanks wearing USMC decals.

Why?

Our allies have successfully deployed heavy armor.  We constantly perform mechanized operations.  We assault heavily fortified areas and direct fire weapons would be an asset.

If we won't use them in conflicts like this, then the very notion of Marines and Tanks should be questioned.

Panther UAV

via DefenseUpdate

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

F-35C gets its new paint job.

via Lockheed Martin.

F-35C CF-1 rolled out of the F-35 Final Finishes Facility in Fort Worth, Texas, recently in full color, as it  received its highly accurate robot-applied coatings. CF-1 was flown flew fourteen times before entering an intensive period of ground testing

Special Purpose MAGTF. Continuing Promise.

Surfing the net today, I stumbled across the website of the SPMAGTF Continuing Promise.  You be the judge but it seems like a tremendous waste of time for the Marines involved.  Better to be steaming in circles rather than wasting training time doing Peace Corps missions.

The Navy (which started this nonsense) needs an enema and Marine Corps leadership needs a wake up call.  Bridgeport, 29 Palms and NTA has training space available for use if you can't find better things for your Marines to do.  The website is here.

More Relief Effort Photos. CH-53's over Pakistan.

Notice the missile detection systems --- the 50 caliber machine guns --- the crew chiefs out and looking.


Benign environment my ass.

Marine Corps Super Stallion helicopter from VMM-266 (REIN), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit takes off during humanitarian assistance operations in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Date Photo Taken: 9/30/2010 10:15:00 AM
Unit: 26th MEU
Photo ByLine: Capt. Paul Duncan

A Marine Corps Super Stallion helicopter from VMM-266 (REIN), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit flies in route to deliver relief supplies during humanitarian assistance operations in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Date Photo Taken: 10/1/2010 12:49:00 PM
Unit: 26th MEU
Photo ByLine: Capt. Paul Duncan

A Marine Corps Super Stallion helicopter from VMM-266 (REIN), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, flies in route to deliver relief supplies during humanitarian assistance operations in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Date Photo Taken: 10/1/2010 12:55:00 PM
Unit: 26th MEU
Photo ByLine: Capt. Paul Duncan

New to me. Enclosure for NLOS missiles on LCS-2.

Totally new to me.  I assumed that these missiles would be stored at the stations occupying the 30mm cannon spots.  I really thought it would be one or the other (as far as those weapons were concerned), now I know better.

100327-N-1876H-007 GULF OF MEXICO (March 27, 2010) The enclosure for the non-line-of-sight missile system lies behind the Mk 110 57mm gun housing on the bow of the littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2) as it transits the Gulf of Mexico. Independence is underway on her maiden voyage. (U.S. Navy photo by Lieutenant Zachary Harrell/Released)

The Ultimate Pakistan Relief Photo.

First, we assist our unreliable ally with relief supplies during a horrific flood.  Second, we do this relief effort even though they continue to play both sides of the fence during our effort to secure Afghanistan.  Third they cut off our overland MSR to Afghanistan. 

Now we have our relief helicopters taking defensive measures while delivering those supplies.  Want to know a dirty little secret that the Marine Corps and the Defense Department refuses to admit?


Our forces are in danger while providing this relief.  The Pakistani Intelligence Agencies are thoroughly infiltrated by terrorist and the MANPAD threat inside Pakistan is more of a threat than it is in Afghanistan.  Look at the following pictures...a CH-53E firing off flares?  Hordes of people allowed to crowd around our helicopters when they touch down?

We definitely need to revamp this mission.  Allow the USAF to run with this ball.  The USAF can transport goods into the country and the Pakistan Army can distribute it from different airfields.  USAF Red Horse teams can establish/reinforce existing fields and they can use trucks or aircraft to get it to the population.

The way that we're doing it now is putting our people at risk, is needlessly tying up our strategic reserve (26th MEU) and is (in my opinion) not efficient than a squadron of C-17 flying supplies into a relief hub.

Unit: 26th MEU
Byline: Sgt. Jason Bushong
Date: 2010-09-11 01:07:00
A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit shoots off flares as a self-defense measure while delivering supplies in support of the flood relief effort in Pano Aqil, Pakistan, Sept. 11, 2010. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jason Bushong/Released)

Unit: 26th MEU
Byline: SSgt. Wayne Gray
Date: 2010-09-10 09:03:00
U.S. Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary use a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter to deliver food to flood victims in Pano Aqil, Pakistan, Sept. 11, 2010. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Wayne Gray/Released)

Unit: 26th MEU
Byline: SSgt. Wayne Gray
Date: 2010-09-10 08:43:00
U.S. Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary use a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter to deliver food to flood victims in Pano Aqil, Pakistan, Sept. 11, 2010. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Wayne Gray/Released)

Moroccan F-16

The first Moroccan F-16, shown here, is scheduled to fly in the fall of 2010. Morocco, the twenty-fifth nation to operate the F-16, ordered twenty-four Block 52 aircraft in 2009. The two-tone light brown scheme with gray underside is unique to the Moroccan Air Force. via Lockheed Martin.