General Frank Gorenc USAF (Ret.) makes the case for the F-15X...

via Real Clear Defense.

Up to this point, the complementary mix of a small but stealthy 5^th gen fleet combined with a large fleet of very capable 4^thgen fighters has proven adequate in meeting today’s warfighting needs.

Unfortunately, today’s fighter force mix, despite increasing numbers of F-35s over time and upgraded F-22s, will likely not be enough to meet future needs.  Specifically:

1. Current operations tempo for the entire fighter fleet remains high without any relief in sight.
2. Future fighter availability will be reduced or restricted due to needed upgrades, including the F-22 and early models of the F-35.  
3. 4^thgen maintenance and operating costs continue to climb, and upgrades are costly, time-consuming and potentially cost may prohibitive.
4. Adversaries continue to invest in technologies designed to find, fix, target and engage 5^thgen fighters.  This will minimize and could totally deny the asymmetric advantages we have today.
5. 5^thgen weapons internal weapons load capacity is limited.
6. 5^thgen procurement will continue to be constrained by production and budget limitations, particularly in the short term.  
7. 5^thgen cost per flying hour (CPFH) is significantly higher than the F-15X, and CPFH for 4^th gen fleet is increasing significantly as they get older.

One clear solution to mitigate these challenges is the immediate introduction of Boeing’s F-15X into the current fighter force. While DoD was focused on getting the F-35 IOC and increasing inventory, Boeing continued to improve the capability and capacity of one of the most successful fighters in history. 

The F-15X is a 4th gen ++ fighter that will significantly complement the capabilities of the current fighter force with better sensors, more weapons capacity, reliable data links, and extended range. In addition, the F-15X will provide relief to the 5th gen fleet from missions that do not require stealth but require advanced sensors, weapons, datalinks, and range to optimize effectiveness and survivability.

Story here. 

Read the whole article.  It's fascinating!

My take?  The F-35 has morphed.  In order for the plane to survive they've had to sell its features as being high end.  That and the fact that it's taken so long to develop and is NOT going to meet the promise of being as affordable as current fighters has led to a return to the past.

A high-low mix.

The funny thing is that the USAF envisioned the F-35 as it's low end.  Not anymore.

The reality now is that the high end portion of the mix is the F-22 and F-35. The low end will be so called 4th gen fighters. 

The F-15X will fill that bill.

What bears watching is the T-X program.  The USAF Chief of Staff has stated repeatedly that he needs the F-35 but ALSO that he needs capacity.

Will 260 odd F-15Xs fill the capacity need?  I have my doubts.  So what can flex into at least a few of the roles of the F-16 at a low cost?  My guess is the T-X. 

But what about Lockheed Martin?  The US can't have that manufacturer (despite their bad behavior) go down.  So what do we do?  I'm betting that we will see a US version of the F-21 for India to fill a portion of the low end mix along with the F-15X.

I've taken heat for my claim that the F-35 is headed toward a death spiral. Fair enough.  But one thing is becoming apparent.  You can probably scratch at least a 300-500 of them off the procurement list.  The F-15X is a thing and it's coming.  That alone means fewer F-35A's for the USAF.

Hanwha Defense Tigon 6x6 Armored Personnel Carrier/Infantry Fighting Vehicle..

My preferred option to replace the LAV-A3 is a 6x6 version of the ACV.  If that's not possible (and its probably not due to the coming procurement trainwreck/budget disaster) then the Hanwha Defense Tigon 6x6 looks like a nice option to fill that bill.

General Dynamics can be expected to vigorously protect its turf so they'll probably develop a modernized full fledged LAV replacement too, but competition should lower price so sole sourcing the thing should be avoided unless they give us a deal we can't turn down.

Keep an eye on the Tigon though.  Check out this article via Shepard Media...

Although South Korean Hanwha’s display centered on the gigantic tracked K9 155mm/52cal self-propelled howitzer it could be its 6x6 that is garnering attention in the Middle East.

It seems that the new Tigon 6x6 armoured wheeled vehicle could be conducting summer trials in the UAE in 2019 and the company is also planning a demonstration of the vehicle in Saudi Arabia, an official told Shephard.

This follows trials conducted in 2018 to the Malaysian Army and promotion of the vehicle in Australia. The company had previously showcased the vehicle for the first time at DSA 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.

The Tigon has a total weight of 11t and a possible crew of up to 12. The maximum road speed is 100km/h, the range is 800km and it has a 525hp engine. The Tigon is a successor to the Black Fox, which was developed by Doosan DST.

Story here. 

Manufacturer's site.

 

New Carl Gustav's for the US Army (hopefully the Marine Corps too!)...the two way street exists for superior weapon systems!

Thanks to Cargo for the link!

Last week we announced that we have signed a multi-year framework agreement to provide the U.S. Army with Carl-Gustaf M4. Enjoy this video from @MilitaryTimes and discover some of the benefits with Carl-Gustaf M4! Read more at: https://t.co/R9e5kuNFbm #saabinthefield #carlgustaf pic.twitter.com/jrl4nSNBG6

— Saab AB (@Saab) February 20, 2019

When Europe, the Asians or anyone else (well...except for China & Russia) produce a superior weapon the US military will not only take a look but will buy it!

The Saab Carl Gustav is such a weapon.  The US Army is buying and hopefully the Marine Corps will fall in on their order and get some too!

First two ARES delivered to the British Army (vid)...

View this post on Instagram

We have delivered the first two ARES vehicles to the @britisharmy! The vehicles initially will be used for training at @thearmourcentre in Bovington. #milestone #ajax #armyinnovation #innovationisinourdna #britisharmy

A post shared by General Dynamics Land Systems (@gd_landsystems) on Feb 19, 2019 at 7:23am PST

1Panther Paratroopers Conduct Live Fire Exercise....Pics by Maj. Thomas Cieslak

Open Comment Post. 21 Feb 2019

Check out Think Defense's writing on European Missile Systems!

We were talking about the Spear 3 and if the US should give the weapon a look see.  Thanks to my readers I found that we have a shorter ranged but harder hitting version in the StormBreaker.

But besides getting educated on that subject, my buddy Think Defense passed by and tossed some resources my way that everyone should take a look at.

Not only does he have an EXCELLENT write up on the Spear 3 but if you scroll down to the bottom of his page you'll find his writing on a variety of other European Missile Systems.

A definite MUST SEE!  Check it out here!

Rooikat CVED (Combat Vehicle Electric Drive)

Thanks to 61bkp/fkp for the vids...







This will be the next big move in 8x8 (wheeled vehicles in general) IFVs. When they finally bite on electric generators in the hubs along with a small engine to power them then you'll see an increase in usable internal volume and depending on the power generated perhaps an increase in armor to rival that of current main battle tanks.

The move toward wheeled vehicles at first glance seems like simply following the "hot thing" but it could actually be the future of armored vehicles.

We keep hearing the F-35 is the "quarterback" of the future fight...so are we gonna dump AWACS?

I use the E-7 as my AWACS example because from my reading of the planes currently flying, its the most advanced and once the USAF gets around to replacing the current model will probably buy this as their future ride....

via Military Times.

Goldfein also used the occasion to push back against findings by the Pentagon’s operational and live fire test office, which “currently considers the accuracy of the [internal 25mm] gun, as installed in the F-35A, to be unacceptable." The external guns on the F-35B and F-35C variants are in working order, the report noted.

The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing variant designed to operate from conventional runways, and is the only version to carry the internal cannon. F-35As will be the most prevalent version of the aircraft, used by the U.S. Air Force as well as man allied air forces.

Goldfein said he hadn’t seen the report specific to gun accuracy issues, but added that the F-35′s cannon isn’t the driver behind the aircraft, and isn’t what concerns him.

“Given what we built the F-35 to do, I’m not sure the gun is what we should focus on,” Goldfein said. “When we talk about fifth-generation, stealth is actually only a small part of that. … It’s about information fusion."

Goldfein, who flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-117 Nighthawk, compared the aircraft’s future benefit to that of a quarterback — able to call audibles and deciding what to do at the last second after seeing all possible complications.

“When I was a mission commander at Red Flag, my job was to take about a hundred aircraft and choreograph them through different time slices, get them into a battle space and fight against a heavily defended adversary,” he said.

This is the current talking point for the F-35. 

They've dumped the idea of stealth being the reason for the plane and grabbed onto "information fusion" (notice that they've dumped sensor fusion because we know that 4h gen planes like the Gripen and Super Hornet NOW HAVE that capability because they have big AESAs too!) with all their might.

But why?

Am I missing something?

I thought AWACs were the "quarterback" of the air fight!  Does this mean that a 2nd Lt just out of flight school will now command the flight?

Are they decentralizing the air campaign to such a degree that we'll never see the clustefuck of air tasking that plagued Desert Storm with the USAF DEMANDING control of all air components across the board?

I need clarification on this claim of the F-35 being the "quarterback" of the future fight.  As things stand it seems like the latest marketing scheme.

But let's say it isn't.  Then are we getting rid of AWACS?

F-21? Kinda obvious the sting from the F-15X is biting...

Manufacturer's website here.

Ya know what we'll never know unless someone writes a book or hits the talk circuit?  How long the talk has been floating around the Pentagon that the USAF needed to build capacity!

When news of the F-15X first hit, that was the song the AF Chief Of Staff sang.  He needed the F-35 but he also needed capacity (how that could be when the numbers of F-35's being projected to be bought easily accomplished that goal).

We all know better don't we?

The F-35 is hopelessly late.

We know that there was a quiet debate about buying additional F-16's and/or F-15's.

Well the USAF chose their bird and Lockheed Martin is trying to sell the F-21 to India.  I'll skip the designation idiocy (I don't understand it and I don't think they do either) and just give this thing a quick look see.

First thing I noticed?  They loaded up this thing with fuel.  Don't know the size of the drop tanks or the conformal fuel tanks but this thing should fly far...farther than a standard F-16.

Next up is the missile loadout.  Eight AMRAAMs and two Sidwinders?  This is for the long range fight.

They might be peddling it to India but I'd bet bodyparts that I'm fond of that they also tried to peddle it to the USAF.

The last thing is that they're trying to tie this into the F-35.  This is what the website says...

F-21 – India’s Pathway to F-35

Lockheed Martin continues to leverage technologies across its portfolio to drive affordability within new and existing platforms and is committed to delivering the F-21 at the most affordable price for India.

The F-21 has common components and learning from Lockheed Martin’s 5th Generation F-22 and F-35 and will share a common supply chain on a variety of components. Approximately half of the F-21 and F-16 supply chains are common with the F-22 and F-35.

That's obvious and obscene.

Its damn near shouting that if you buy the F-21 now, you can climb aboard the F-35 later...after they get it working!

Lockheed first got my ire by the way they treated their partner, Patria with their AMV in the ACV contest.  Then the disaster that the F-35 became apparent to me.

But one thing you have to give them credit for.  They're audacious and arrogant as hell.  If their engineers were as in your face as their sales team that thing would be flying rings around the moon right now!