Airsoft. Looks like its here to stay.

People have been saying it but I've been in the Nope Ain't Gonna Last Camp.

Looks like I was wrong.

Every serious trainer is coming out in favor of air soft training.  From Haley to Costa (Haley-Costa Effect/HCE) it really seems to be a trend that's too far along to stop now.

The latest example?

I have two.

First we have Haley talking about it in a wide ranging interview over at THE GEAR LOCKER, he makes more than a few good points about how it can fine tune training and preserve skills.

Then we have the Marines licensing even more air soft gear.

Amazing.

Did BAE/Iveco just doom their MPC chances?

Defense Update has some pretty stunning new...at least to me...

Russia is testing Italy’s B1 Centauro 8×8 ‘wheeled tank’ and considering building it under license. The company has already delivered two Centauro vehicles, the original design with the 105mm gun and another fitted with a Russian 125mm cannon. Two additional variants due to arrive in Moscow in six weeks will be fitted with NATO standard 120mm cannon and a turreted 30mm automatic gun. According to Oto-Melara representative, the vehicles will take part in technical evaluations, automotive testing and firing trials to span until the end of 2012.
The Italian company is interested in establishing a joint venture with a Russian military vehicle maker for production of these wheeled armored vehicles. Russian news agency Novosti named truck maker Kamaz in Naberezhny Chelny could be involved in the deal, according to a source in Russian arms sales holding Rosoboronexport. Russia has already procured Italian light armored vehicles.

Under a contract signed last December in Moscow, 60 Lynx light multirole armored vehicles (LMV) are in production at the Oboronservis joint enterprise (OJSC) in Voronezh, central Russia. 57 of the vehicles are due to enter service with the Russian military forces in 2012.

Read the rest at Defense Update but in my mind the results of such a bargain could have ramifications.

Question.  Was this bargain done with or without input from BAE?  Will it affect the chances of that joint venture to win the MPC contest and will the Russian vehicle be affected by US export provisions?

AMOS Advanced Mortar System

Video courtesy of Lee (thanks)

Is this a new photography technique?

Photo by Lance Cpl. Claudia Palacios

Do you see the photo above?  Notice how one part of it is extremely sharp and the rest rather blurry?

Is that a new technique that's popular and I'm just not aware of it?  I'm seeing it more and more.

The reason why I ask is because my favorite photographers, Joe Copalman and David Cenciotti have both used (I've noticed) a kind of vertical technique in some of their photos.  I monitored some of the twitter and Flickr conversations and read that it was becoming popular because of print magazines.

I've haven't heard anything about the sharp and blurry.  Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Around the Fleet...

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. McKenzie Schmalz, left, an anti-tank missileman , with Personal Security Detachment, Regimental Combat Team (RCT) 7, and Navy Petty Officer Third Class David Ferguson, a corpsman, clear a room during urban combat training at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, May 10, 2012. The Marines practiced clearing rooms and shooting on the move during training as part of Spartan Resolve 3-2012. Spartan Resolve is an exercise designed to prepare Marines and Sailors of RCT-7 for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. (DoD photo by Cpl. Ned Johnson, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)

U.S. Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 and Air Force Airmen with the 621st Contingency Response Wing conduct a sling load operation with a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., May 10, 2012. The units were preparing for a Marine Corps airpower demonstration at the 2012 Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Open House and Air Show. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Edward Gyokeres, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Scout Swimmers Course.

Note:  With the Marine Corps vowing to get even more "amphibious" (whatever that means...I thought we already were) I envision even greater roles for Scout Swimmers.  I predict and I could easily be wrong, but with MARSOC demanding more personnel, that we could see a combining of Scout Swimmer with Scout Snipers for a true in house Recon capability...call it a Scout Platoon within the Regiment with detachments shopped out to MEU's.  But that's just my future vision.

Photos by Lance Cpl. Erik Brooks

Marines wash up to the shore at Kin Blue Training Area during a scout swimmers course April 30. Marines learned how to operate using different methods of entry and egress from the beach. The technique known as “washing up” allows Marines to use the natural effects of the waves to carry them ashore.

Marines secure the beach after conducting a clandestine landing at the Kin Blue Training Area during a scout swimmers course April 30. The Marines landed in pairs to provide security for each other as they moved up the beach. Course attendees included Marines with 3rd Intelligence Battalion and 3rd Radio Battalion, both part of III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF.

A Marine secures the beach after a clandestine landing at the Kin Blue Training Area during a scout swimmers course April 30.

Japan's new Super Carrier & Imperial thinking toward Communist China!

Joe (thanks buddy!) sent me this article on the Japanese "fantasy" Super Carrier.  That article led me to China Smack and it appears that the ancient rivalry between these two powers is taking place already...at least in cyber space.  While China web artist and nationalist like to image Chinese warplanes destroying US airplanes, the Japanese have their sights firmly set on doing the same to Chinese planes.  Check out both articles by going here and here....Oh and before you dismiss it entirely the article on the Japanese super carrier is written by Kyle Mizokami a contributor to War is Boring.

Update on Riverine mission to Africa.

Update on the Riverines deploying with Marines to Security Partnership Mission Africa (or whatever the designation is).

I noticed in the published story that the Riverines, whether working with US Marines or Dutch Marines always tend to fall back to the insertion and extraction mission set.

That is rather unsat in my mind.

Riverines have an onshore mission.  Patroling, route recon etc...or at least their advertising says that.  Don't get me wrong.  I like joint when joint makes sense, but if you can perform a mission independently that means that you're not tying down two units when one can get the job done.

Preservation of forces and all that jazz.

I'd like the Riverines to be prepared to get it on by themselves.  Not to prove anything to the Navy or the Marine Corps but to the policy makers and the Navy brass.  I will be following their deployment closely.  I'm hoping for good things and hopefully their Commandant will push the boundaries to the stretching point.

AW169 Helicopter Completes Its Maiden Flight

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the first prototype of the AW169, a new generation 4.5 ton light intermediate helicopter, successfully completed its maiden flight yesterday. The AW169 programme is on schedule to achieve basic civil certification in 2014. The AW169 was flown by AgustaWestland’s Chief Test Pilot, Giuseppe Lo Coco, Test Pilot Giuseppe Afruni, and Flight Test Engineers Massimo Longo and Stefano Rognoni at the company’s Cascina Costa plant in Italy. The helicopter performed as expected during the flight which included an assessment of the helicopter’s general handling and basic systems. The first prototype will be joined by two more aircraft later this year and a fourth prototype in 2013. 

Riverines and US Marines to deploy together for Africa.

Interesting.

"The Riverine sailors will join the SCTF Marines aboard the USS Fort McHenry when they deploy in support of APS-12, in the coming months". 

Teufelshunde

Time Magazine has jumped the shark.

Geez.

Check out this story on the cover story on Time Magazine.  "Are you Mom enough."

Wow.

I love female breasts don't get me wrong but there is something sick going on.  Read it here.

Personal opinion.

Time Magazine jumped the shark, turned around, sat down and had dinner with it.