China replacing their Z-8 (Super Frelon clone) with Z-20 (Black Hawk clone)...

I'll shout this to the rooftops.  We made the monster that is modern day China.  Between greedy capitalists that wanted to make money on the back of poorly paid labor to maximize profits in the US, to idiot politicians/think tanks that decided that by offshoring our production to a backwards (at the time) communist country that we could get them to flip to becoming a democracy, the results are the same.

We created Frankenstein's monster that will challenge us for our very existence.

The funny thing (not funny funny but funny ironic) is that two high profile early trade items are replacing each other and are/have form the backbone of their rotor winged aviation.

The French went against all common sense and sold them Super Frelons back in the day and Sikorsky did the same with a few models of the Black Hawk.

Now?

Now check this out via China Defense Blog.

The PLA Army Aviation has not been happy with their Changhe Z-8A mainly due to its low performance, heavy maintenance overhead and worst of all, prone to stall at mid-air (here). After only 6 years of service  the 76th LH Brigade is ready to rip-and-replace it with Z-20.

The Z-8A variant is in limited service with the PLA, no one will miss them when they are gone.  The improved B, K, S and J variants seem to enjoy a greater success with the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

My only hope?  I hope that whoever was stupid enough to make these deals has a child that is involved on the battlefield in the future fight.

I wonder how they'll feel about their grandparents then?

Israel once again interested in the V-22?

via Jewish Press.com

In 2017, a media report suggested Israel had frozen its evaluation of the V-22 Osprey, “with a senior defense source indicating that the tiltrotor is unable to perform some missions currently conducted using the Sikorsky CH-53 transport helicopters.”

But seeing the aircraft in action during the Juniper Cobra 2018 may have changed some minds at the decision-making level in Israel, and, according to Israeli sources cited by Defense Industry Daily, a V-22 deal could be considered, “in small numbers.”

Story here. 

Interesting.

How many is "small numbers" and what missions are they looking at when they talk about it not being able to perform some missions conducted by the CH-53?

I wonder.

Is this a gambit by the Israeli Air Force?  Are they telling the Israeli Army that ok, we'll buy CH-47's and not CH-53K's but we get a few V-22's to make the deal work?

Open Comment Post. March 26, 2018

Harrier takeoff from the flight deck of the vessel "Juan Carlos I" during the operational qualification.

via Spanish Navy Instagram.

Danner Reckoning Boot (approved for purchase by the USMC) is causing lower extremity injuries?

via Marine Times.

A popular Marine boot known as the Danner Reckoning may be causing injuries to Marines.

On Thursday, the Corps submitted a request to purchase 800 of the Danner boots in order to conduct field user evaluations for the “probability of lower extremity injuries related to use of the Reckoning Boot,” according to the solicitation.

The Danner Reckoning 8-inch Coyote Hot was approved by the commandant for wear by Marines early last year as part of an effort by the Corps to ensure the Marines have quality and affordable options for boots.

The popular boots flew off the shelves as soon as they became available in the exchanges. In July, the initial 655 pair of boots to hit the East and West Coast exchanges sold out.

But, the boot is not considered a seabag issue, which means part of a Marine’s general issue of clothing and uniform items.

The boots are considered suitable for hot weather climates.

“This is simply an evaluation/comparative analysis to other boots already fielded in order to see if improvements can be made and as always any way to mitigate future injuries is desired,” said Barbara Hamby at Marine Corps Systems Command.

Story here. 

First let's talk about the reporter of this news.  Shawn Snow is a Marine and is doing the job the right way.  He knows the questions to ask and while he isn't quite as confrontational as I am, he does more than simply regurgitate talking points.  Well done on his part.

Second, this is what I'm talking about when it comes to the Marine Corps getting back to basics.  I'd like to see the entire organization take a beat, get its bearings, focus on the simple shit...the basics...and then get moving again.

No reason at all for this to have popped up.

This should have been discovered before the boots were approved.

I do expect better and I know they will do better in the future.  But this  is still unsettling.  Injuries suck and when part of the process breaks down then its Marines and their bodies that pay the price.


Side note:  What do Marines want in a boot?  They want it light and they want it to provide traction.  Durability is nice but if its built like a tank and weighs a ton then it's not gonna work.  Is it time to flip the script when it comes to issue items?  Perhaps we make durable items like Chucks an out of pocket item that Marines pay for and approve lightweight high performance boots for Marines that the govt pays for and are replaced (considering MOS) every 6 months?  Yeah it will cost more but mobility, athletic/combat performance and good health (heavy boots are bad on joints) will make it a worthwhile expense.

Car crashes into front gate at USAF base and its not terrorism?

Hat Tip to Tactical Squad Tumblr via CNN.

Driver identified in fiery crash at US Air Force base

The FBI has identified the man who died after driving an unauthorized vehicle onto Travis Air Force Base in Northern California.

By Ralph Ellis, CNN

Hafiz Kazi, 51, had lived in the United States since 1993 and was a legal resident, FBI Special Agent Sean Ragan said at a news conference. He was originally from India.Authorities have not announced a motive but the security breach does not appear at this point to be terrorism-related, Ragan said.“We don’t have any nexus to terrorism at this point,” he said.


However, agents are searching his phones and social media for any possible connections. Kazi apparently lived in the San Francisco area and had worked as a cab driver, Ragan said.Ragan said a Kia minivan drove through the main gate at the base about 7 p.m. Wednesday. It looked like there were flames inside the vehicle, he said.The vehicle veered, crashed and started burning, Ragan said. By the time first responders broke through the locked doors, Kazi was dead, Ragan said.No shots were fired, he said. An autopsy is pending.Investigators discovered five propane tanks, three phones, gas cans, several lighters and a gym bag inside the car, Ragan said.“The investigation is ongoing and there are no current known threats to the base or community,” the base said. “ The main gate has reopened and all other facilities are operating as normal."Travis Air Force Base is home to 10,000 military personnel and is a major hub for logistics and military cargo in the Pacific.

It’s the largest military aerial port in the United States and includes facilities for airlift and aerial refueling.

Sorry.

This is why so many have issues with our intel/law enforcement agencies on the Federal level.  They put out information that defies belief.

How the hell does someone fill a van up with propane tanks, gas cans, several lighters...witnesses see the vehicle on fire before it crashes into the gate and they don't automatically START at a terrorism angle?

I don't get it.  Oh and if you haven't heard the story then blame it on the news media being focused on frivolity instead of seriousness.

Patriots failed in real world test against Houthi Ballistic Missiles...what does this mean for our missile defense concept????

via Alert 5.

Yemen’s Houthis faction fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and two Patriot missiles that were fired to intercept it failed spectacularly in mid-air. One exploded after launch while another went ballistic and hit the ground.

Vids here. 

Good God.

I really don't know what to make of this.  Many will automatically say that we sold them detuned models of the missiles and that the ones we have are more capable.

With Saudi Arabia?  I'm not so sure.  My bet is that if they don't have contractors pressing the fire button, then they have them everywhere else.

Additionally this was an attack on Riyadh.  That ain't no ordinary Saudi city. That's symbolic and for the Patriots to fail in the defense there is doubly bad.

The most worrisome part?

The Houthis don't (I believe) have access to advanced missiles.  I don't think the Iranians are giving them top of the line models either.

So that means that a high quality US missile failed against a probably old rocket.

How good are our missile defense concepts?

Must we take out enemy ballistic missile launchers because we REALLY DON'T have a defense against them?

Does this mean that we can be held hostage by N. Korea if they get even ONE nuclear weapon and the means to target Japan, S. Korea, Guam, Hawaii or the West Coast of the US?

One thing is certain.

Our vaunted tech failed in a real world application.  A serious assessment must be done to determine where we go from here.

US AFRL - 6th Gen Hypersonic Stealth Fighter, Stealth UCAVs & Swarm UAVs Concept...some of this stuff I just don't get!

I love concept vids.

But sometimes I just don't get the thinking behind them.

The F-35 leading a gaggle of combat capable stealth UAVs?  Why?  Why would you risk a manned pilot to control six UAVs?  Even if its "practical" why would you want to overload a single pilot that way?  Why not give it to a dedicated UAV control bird based on a business jet?

That microwave UAV knocking out the lights?  We've already seen that and its cool as fuck as long as you're not on the receiving end .

Of course the 6th gen fighter was beyond cool but the UAV swarm out the back of a C-130?  Don't get that one at all.  I would think smaller more expendable (as in unmanned) would be better and more practical as delivery systems.

But I'm nitpicking.

I like the vid and the general direction they're going.  I just hope we're not seeing a rerun of all the concepts that flourished after the cold war was over and were scrapped in mass when the war on terror hit.

You have got to read these comics by Cyber Command!!!!

Thanks to Info-Infantry for the link!!!

Just plain wow.  This is a throwback to stuff during the Cold War and while the Russians, N. Koreans and (eventually) Chinese won't like it, I find it an entertaining little ditty.

No harm, no foul.

The only nagging part is that this isn't "fanfiction" but put out by an element of the US govt.  That earns it the label of propaganda, but while its a big nagging in the back of my mind considering the state of the American citizenry, its probably necessary to wake people up.

I'll chew on this a bit but for right now I'm considering it to be in the same category as a pretty good action flick.  Harmless fun on a serious subject.

Follow these links to read it for yourself...

http://cyber.army.mil/Portals/3/Documents/Threatcasting/Dark%20Hammer_high-res.pdf

http://cyber.army.mil/Portals/3/Documents/Threatcasting/Silent%20Ruin_high-res.pdf

Note:  Hey Neller!  Give me a call bro!  We can do a Marine Corps version and do it better!  Hit the Marine net and get in contact!

US Army M1A2 Abrams MBT with APS...

pic via Bmashina Tumblr.

Essential gear but I got to wonder how come everytime the Army adds a widget to their armor it looks so unwieldy.  That looks awkward as fuck!  Hope they do better integration in later mods.