China's Dark Sword Stealth FIghter that's a UAV!

via Business Insider.

China released images of a new, unmanned, stealth fighter-style jet, and they present a shocking look into how close Beijing has come to unseating the US as the dominant military air power.

China has already built stealth fighter jets that give US military planners pause, but the images of its new unmanned plane, named the "Dark Sword," suggest a whole new warfighting concept that could prove an absolute nightmare for the US.

Justin Bronk, an air-combat expert at the Royal United Services Institute, said the Dark Sword "represents a very different design philosophy" than US unmanned combat jet plans.

Bronk examined the photos available of the Dark Sword and concluded it appeared optimized for fast, supersonic flight as opposed to maximized stealth.

Story here. 

Thanks F-35, F-35 Mafia, Lockheed Martin, Generals on the payroll and the rest of the traitors in our midst.

For the sake of one underperforming airplane you're letting it all slip away.

This might be vapor ware.

It might be nothing but a concept that they're working on.

But they're obviously working on something and if this comes to fruition, while we're chasing concepts with no bearing on reality the Chinese are coming thru the wire to slit our proverbial throats.

The time for fantasy, politics, greed, arrogance and every other vice is long over.

It's time to get serious about the defense of our nation and the defense of the West.

Love them or hate them, the Chinese are hard, motivated and smart.

We either match their tenacity or learn to speak Mandarin while they take over the Pacific.

Open Comment Post. 7 June 2018

USMC's Super UAV won't be so super after-all....

via Military.com

As the Marine Corps moves forward with its plan for a large unmanned aerial system that can take off and land from the deck of a ship, the list of things the drone needs to do in order to meet service requirements is narrowing dramatically.

The final design for the drone the Marines are calling the MUX may not be able to carry weapons, conduct logistics and resupply missions, or escort the MV-22 Osprey, officials said at an industry day near Quantico, Virginia Wednesday.

All of those mission sets have been moved to "Tier 2" or "Tier 3" requirements, and earmarked for other aircraft in planning.

On the list of Tier 1 priorities remain airborne early warning capabilities, electronic warfare, comms relay and command-and-control. In short, the MUX will be an eye-in-the-sky for the Marine Corps and a network platform to expand the reach of manned aircraft and enhance communication.

It's a significantly more modest dream than the concept Marine officials started to pitch several years ago of an unmanned aircraft that could carry the same weapons as an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and keep up with an MV-22. 

Story here. 

Well that dream didn't last very long!

Makes sense though.  How could you have a UAV step up and do many of the things the F-35 was suppose to do and justify that to Congress and the public?  More importantly where would you get the money with sequestration looming its ugly head in a year or two?

The real question is whether the V-247 will still be in the running.  I get the impression that a much simpler solution will win the day with these downgraded requirements.  Will Bell even present the machine under these conditions.

Boeing’s MQ-25 porn...

Thanks to Super Rhino for the pics!

Boeing’s MQ-25 is Ready!

Thanks to Super Rhino for the vid!

USMC lower Infantry Officer Basic standards again!

Can't get into it right now but I just read a e-mail from Bryan saying that the USMC has lowered the standards at Infantry Officer Basic again.

They're getting real close to the point where I'll be able to smoke the course!

Anyway we'll dig into it tomorrow.

Helo Porn. S-97 Raider (CGI)

Rheinmetall Ships 200th Puma IFV to the German Army...

via Defense Aerospace.

The 200th Puma infantry fighting vehicle earmarked for the Bundeswehr has just rolled off the assembly line at the Rheinmetall plant in Unterlüß in Lower Saxony. It is also the 100th Puma manufactured by the Düsseldorf-based tech enterprise, part-owner of the joint venture tasked with producing the vehicle. The jubilee vehicle will soon be arriving at the Bundeswehr’s force integration organization in Munster a.d. Örtze, likewise located in Lower Saxony.

The Puma IFV is the raison d’être of Projekt System & Management (PSM) GmbH, the fifty-fifty joint venture of Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann in charge of developing and producing the vehicle as well as providing subsequent in-service support. (Each of the two partners is responsible for manufacturing half of the vehicles on order.) Just attained, this milestone shows that production of the Puma is in full swing and proceeding according to plan.

The state-of-the-art infantry fighting vehicle is currently be integrated into the force structure of the German Army. Delivery of all 342 combat vehicles, which commenced in 2015, is scheduled for completion in 2020. In addition to the IFVs, the Bundeswehr has also taken delivery of eight driver training vehicles.

With the introduction of the Puma IFV by the Bundeswehr, the German mechanized infantry corps now has a new mainstay, one that represents a major departure in armoured vehicle design. The most advanced system in its class, the versatile Puma is perfect for operational scenarios in every climate zone. It sets new standards with regard to battlefield lethality, mobility, command and control, and situational awareness. Besides an array of modular, highly effective force protection features, the Puma boasts massive fire power and excellent network-enabled operations capabilities. This new infantry fighting vehicle is roomy enough to carry nine soldiers, yet compact enough to be airlifted into the theatre of operations in an A400M military transport plane.

Story here. 

How long has this program been in place?  How long has it taken them to manufacture 200 of these vehicles?

Ya know when it comes to the next peer vs peer conflict it won't come down to tech like everyone believes.

The next war will be decided by logistics.

Who can replace wartime losses the quickest!  Who can move vehicles/planes/ships from storage to the battlefield fast enough to maintain the attack or to bolster the defense!

At the end of the day, future conflict might boil down to old skool industrial capability.

Weds Funny. US Army supplying Marine Corps units since 1775...

Gear adrift is a gift!

Thanks Army!

Singapore Police have a STARS Team?