The biggest threat to the USAF is losing the nuclear triad.

Check out this story from Time...

Kehler acknowledged that if the number of deployed U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons and their launchers -- now capped at 1,550 and 700, respectively -- continues to drop, it will becoming increasingly costly to keep all three legs. "You can have a hollow nuclear force, just like you can have a hollow conventional force," he said. "There will be some very tough decisions to make here at certain levels, and whether or not you can then sustain a leg of the triad without it becoming hollow."

If the nuclear triad goes away then you can bet money that it won't be subs...and probably will be bombers (although you can't rule out the possibility of both bombers AND land based missiles getting axed).

This is the biggest threat to the USAF that no one is talking about.

If the USAF loses its nuclear mission then it can justifiably be downsized...Air Combat Command would take over what few bombers remained and every person associated with the nuke mission could be lost.

This is an issue thats being lost in the ether that I will be watching.

Co. F, AT Bn. takes to the skies during helo training

SIDENOTE; WE HAVE EFFECTIVE CAMO FROM HEAD TO TOE FOR OUR MARINES...WHY DO WE STILL HAVE BLACK RIFLES WHEN IT IS BEYOND EASY TO HAVE THEM CAMO'ED TOO? THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT THE GUNNERS SHOULD BE LOOKING AT INSTEAD OF GIVING US A BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE 2.O.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJUENE N.C. -A Marine with Company F, Anti-Terrorism Battalion attached to 2nd Marine Division, post security alongside a CH-53E Super Stallion while conducting a casualty evacuation drill aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Oct. 20. Over the course of the training each platoon performed two casualty evacuation drills in which a junior Marine was responsible for calling in a nine-line medical evacuation request. , Lance Cpl. Joshua J. Hines, 10/20/2011 1:01 AM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJUENE N.C. -Lance Cpl. Erik Guinn, rifleman, 2nd squad, 3rd platoon, Company F, Anti-Terrorism Battalion attached to 2nd Marine Division, carries a stretcher while conducting a casualty evacuation drill aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Oct. 20. Over the course of the training each platoon performed two casualty evacuation drills in which a junior Marine was responsible for calling in a nine-line medical evacuation request. , Lance Cpl. Joshua J. Hines, 10/19/2011 11:59 PM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJUENE N.C. -Marines with Company F, Anti-Terrorism Battalion attached to 2nd Marine Division, post security in the tree line while awaiting an inbound CH-53E Super Stallion while conducting a casualty evacuation drill aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Oct. 20. Over the course of the training each platoon performed two casualty evacuation drills in which a junior Marine was responsible for calling in a nine-line medical evacuation request. , Lance Cpl. Joshua J. Hines, 10/20/2011 12:03 AM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJUENE N.C. -Lance Cpl. Alexander Gibson, rifleman, 1st squad, 4th platoon, Company F, Anti-Terrorism Battalion attached to 2nd Marine Division, post security in the tree line while awaiting an inbound CH-53E Super Stallion while conducting a casualty evacuation drill aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Oct. 20. Over the course of the training each platoon performed two casualty evacuation drills in which a junior Marine was responsible for calling in a nine-line medical evacuation request. , Lance Cpl. Joshua J. Hines, 10/20/2011 12:29 AM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJUENE N.C. -Marines with Company F, Anti-Terrorism Battalion attached to 2nd Marine Division, carry a stretcher while conducting a casualty evacuation drill aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Oct. 20. Over the course of the training each platoon performed two casualty evacuation drills in which a junior Marine was responsible for calling in a nine-line medical evacuation request. , Lance Cpl. Joshua J. Hines, 10/20/2011 12:29 AM

BAE Hawk AJT.

Sleeves down year round???

Jonfrazier I owe you an apology.  I really thought you were smoking crack when you mentioned this.  My bad ...you were spot on...

When my I first heard this I thought you've got to be shitting me.  That's so US Army that the Marine Corps wouldn't dare do it.

Well it looks like some dumb ass at HQMC wants us to be a second Army because that's whats happening.

Tradition.

Dead.

Uniqueness.

Dying.

Watch this pile of bullshit from Marine TV and cry for the Marine Corps.  Instead of everyone trying to copy us, we're now copying them.

F-35B DUAL PLANE OPERATIONS ABOARD THE USS WASP...the pics....

2 F-35Bs takeoff and land from USS WASP

Commandant steps in to muzzle bracelet Nazi's.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps had to step in to muzzle some bracelet Nazi's.  The issue.  Crazy as it might be is that some Marines were wearing bracelets to commemorate those that have been killed in action.  Here's the press release.

CMC Approves Wearing of Memorial Bracelets 

10/18/2011 
Division of Public Affairs  Division of Public Affairs, Media Branch 

Headquarters Marine Corps

703-614-4309 
ontherecord@usmc.mil 
Headquarters Marine Corps —The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Marine Gen. James F. Amos, has approved the wearing of memorial bracelets effective immediately. Memorial bracelets memorializing prisoners of war, missing in action, killed in action, and those who died of wounds or injuries sustained in a combat theater are authorized. Last week, the Commandant of the Marine Corps met with his senior leaders at a Marine Corps General Officer Symposium, a group of general officers who make recommendations to the Commandant. The issue of the bracelets was discussed and the decision was made to allow their wear. "We are acknowledging the close personal nature of our ten years at war and the strong bonds of fidelity that Marines have for one another, especially for those fellow Marines who we have lost," said Amos. Further guidance that details standardization and uniformity will be distributed across the Marine Corps through official correspondence by the end of the week.

I find it amazing that some in authority would even begin to question something like this.

At least the Commandant muzzled them...for now at least.

General Gardner strikes back!

Much has been made of Air Sea Battle.

Much has been made about the consternation that the US Army feels about being left out.  Whats been ignored is the fact that once we're out of these conflicts, the American people will have no stomach or will for extended combat missions in far off lands.

The operative word is extended.  Add to the situation, the economics of the day and you have frugality and doing more with less winning the day.

According to an article by General Gardner in Defense News, the US can do more with less via Amphibs, the F-35B and the US Marine Corps.  Read the article for yourself here, but a tidbit for you to consider....

The aging Harrier used in Libya and recently in Yemen is being replaced by the F-35B STOVL Joint Strike Fighter, a world-class aircraft in terms of stealth, sensors and range. When you only have room for a few aircraft (amphibious assault ships will carry six to 20), those aircraft need to be multifunctional and effective.
Whether operating from ships or damaged runways, the F-35B fills that bill. No surprise: A fifth-generation stealth aircraft that can take off from a ship without catapults and return to land vertically costs more than today's carrier aircraft that cannot fly off an amphibious ship (an F-35B will cost about $118 million per aircraft, compared with $90 million for an F18E/F).

For this premium, the U.S. will nearly double its strike-capable capital ships (there are nine amphibious assault ships, with plans to go to 11), making the fleet more effective in more places for less money long into the 21st century.

We're in a depression. No one is saying it but its true.

Loren Thompson took time off from the usual discussions of defense issues to post this startling fact....

The Global Works Foundation reported a startling statistic last week. Between 2007 and 2011, the equity that U.S. families had in their homes declined from $12.9 trillion to $6.2 trillion. In other words, 52 percent of all home equity in the U.S. disappeared over the last four years.

That's freaking insane.

A drop of over 50% in home value in four years? 

Even counting inflated home prices that cutting into the muscle.  The funny thing about this financial crisis is that no has called it what it is. 

Its globalization unwinding.

The bailouts are governments worldwide attempting to keep a flawed system in place.

Until economist stop lying about our current economic situation.

Until our legislative and executive branch man's up and deals with the situation.

Then you can bet that this 'occupy wall street' is going to be a tempest in a teapot. 

Dawn Blitz 2011 - AAV Landing

Major hat tip to AVTEKProductions--very well done.

Have you seen this pic from F-35 ship board testing?

Ship suitability testing with the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant of the Lightning II continued on 4 October 2011, as Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk flying BF-2, the second F-35B test aircraft, successfully carried out a short takeoff from the deck of the USS Wasp (LHD-1) at sea. Called Development Test 1, test pilots will verify F-35B basic performance and handling qualities in a flight envelope that approximates that used by fleet pilots during amphibious assault ship qualification flights.

The rationale for a unique Marine Personnel Carrier gets weaker and weaker.

I like the idea of a Marine Personnel Carrier.

I like the idea that it must be amphibious.

I like the idea that it won't necessarily be a copy of the overweight Stryker II.

But the rationale for this vehicle seems to be slipping away.  Remember.  The whole idea behind the Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) was that the EFV would be used in the assault phase and once established on land, Marine forces would have too little armored lift to be a mobile force.  To make up for the shortfall in lift (because the EFV was so expensive and couldn't replace the AAV on a 1 for 1 basis) the MPC concept was born.

Now read these words from a Marine Corps spokesman via the Marine Times...

The MPC would fill a perceived gap, offering mobility in moderate surfs with enough armor to protect troops on the ground from most improvised explosive devices, Koch said. In an assault, AAVs or ACVs would come ashore first, with the MPC delivered by naval connecters like the Landing Craft Air Cushion to reinforce them.
The Corps plans to field about 600 of the vehicles.

But wait there's more...

Production of the MPC still could be at least a decade away, but the service is using money previously earmarked for the EFV on three other projects: the MPC; a partial renovation of the existing Amphibious Assault Vehicle fleet; and development of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, a less-expensive next-generation amtrac.

The Commandant promised that he would drive an ACV before the end of his tenure.  If that vehicle comes in on time and under budget then what becomes of the MPC?  Will we need it?  If so then why a unique vehicle?  If its to be delivered by connectors then why not just buy Strykers?  Or if not Strykers then why develop a new vehicle?  Wouldn't this requirement easily be met by an off the shelf 8x8?  Oh and while we're at it why an 8x8 why not tracks?  Why not 6x6?

I'm solidly behind the idea of getting the Ground element a little 'new' vehicle love but this is not the way to do it.

I'm starting to sense the same issues with the EFV creeping into the Amphibious Combat Vehicle & Marine Personnel Carrier programs.

1.  No sense of urgency.
2.  Bureaucratic inefficiency.
3.  Lack of clearly defined design goals.
4.  Requirements with no roots in reality.

The list can go on but we seriously need to get these programs together.  They need to be staffed with dynamic, dedicated Marines whose sole focus is to get these vehicles across the finish line in a reasonable time period.  The fiasco which was the EFV should not be allowed to be repeated.

And speaking of the EFV.  Why didn't we just scrap the hydraulics on that bad boy (who needs tracks that can be raised if you're not doing 40 knots anymore), redesign its interior and call it a day and get it into production.

Hate to say it but the Ground Vehicle part of the Marine Corps is broken.  Development of Infantry weapons and equipment is in good hands.  Aviation is aviation.  The Ground vehicle side is in serious trouble.

We have the M1A1 that a decision is going to have to be made on.  We have the JLTV and upgraded Hummer that will need to be decided on (and we have the US Army twisting arms to keep the JLTV going)....the only real winner on the vehicle front is the MTVR.

Yep, things are kinda screwed up.