Question for gun guys. What is your carry ammo?

Quick question for the gun guys.

What is your carry ammo and what grain do you like?  Everyone is biting hard on 115 grain these days (single stack 9's have seen to that) and 147 seems to be out of style....a few stick to the 124 as a good compromise and then you see manufacturers like Hornady coming out with 135 now.

The reason why I ask is because I'm currently rocking Critical Defense 115 grain and while its soft shooting out of my Glock 26...while I like to prioritize shot placement....I'm really wondering if its expansion is enough to put down a drugged up dude with decent size.

I know I'm contradicting myself but while shot placement is king, shock/blood loss has a place too.

Should I reconsider and move back to 147 grain?  What is the best on the market in that size that's available to civilians?

Side note:  I am not interested in the hybrid bullets that are hitting the market today that promise dramatic penetration.  Over penetration is as big an issue as anything.  Shooting thru the assaulter, thru barriers and then hitting grandma minding her own business is NOT my idea of a good day. So no offense to Ruger Polycase or Lehigh Extreme I'm just not interested.

General Dynamics! What were you guys thinking!!! Defence Technology Review was right.

I know you guys are getting tired of this but I have to beat this drum one more time.  What the fuck was General Dynamics thinking by entering the LAV 6.0 instead of the Piranha 5 for the Land 400 contest?

The latest news that has me spinning?

MikeKiloPapa a reader that serves in the Danish military informs us that the Piranha 5 as delivered to their forces has STANAG lvl 5 out the box!  Defence Technology Review was right.  They really did pick the wrong vehicle to enter into that program.

Aermacchi M-346FT (pics)

Increase in wheeled 8x8 size (pics)

Thanks to Kinetics for the pic.

How far has 8x8 development come in the past two decades?  Consider the above pic.  You're looking at the Piranha 5 on the right and the LAV 6.0 on the left (as you look at the pic).  The size difference is readily apparent.  Consider the LAV 6.0 the vehicle that everyone always screams about.  A dramatically upgraded version of something we already have in service.

During ordinary times that would be more than enough, but we're not living in ordinary times and the state of the art is advancing rapidly.

How far have we come?  The above pic is from STRATEGY PAGE and you can see the LAV-25 (an upgraded version still serves in the USMC) next to the LAV-III (Stryker in US Army service).

The Styker/LAV-III/LAV 6.0 is a toy next to the Piranha 5 and that vehicle is dwarfed by the Eitan, Terrex 3 and Super AV.

Is bigger always better?

No.  Not at all.  But bigger does give an indication of advancing technology.  It does give growth potential and the ability to carry larger caliber weapons and to flex into other roles (family of vehicles).

I've had my doubts about wheels but I've seen the MTVR go places a HUMVEE couldn't.  The USMC Land Systems Office believes that a 8x8 can do the job that the tracked AAV does today while offering better protection, easier maintenance  and still be able to swim from ship to shore.

Sometimes you just have to accept the innovation that is coming.  IEDs are a threat and force survival requires that our APC/IFV provide protection against that threat.  For at least the time being...wheels are king.

Deputy Commandant for Aviation calls for a 24 hour pause...

via Marine Corps Times

The head of Marine Aviation has ordered all non-deployed aircraft to stand down for 24 hours following three recent crashes of F/A-18s, two of which were fatal.
Lt. Gen. Jon Davis told wing commanders on Wednesday that non-deployed squadrons must take "an operational pause" within the next seven business days, said Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns. The move is different than grounding aircraft, she said.
Commanders can decide which day to take the pause, during which aircraft are typically inspected, Burns said on Wednesday.

Marines are stubborn.  They choose a direction and they will continue on despite evidence to the contrary because the teaching is that you "power thru" obstacles...that one more push could be the difference between victory and defeat...that one more step could carry you to your objective.

So Davis calling for an operational pause is a sign that alarm bells are finally ringing at HQMC.

The procurement train wreck has gone from being theory...gone from simply affecting the ground side of the house to now affecting the wing too.

The solution is simple but no one wants to accept it.  Either you tell Congress that you're unable to carry out the mission with the funds available.  You redo your financial/procurement planning to take into account reality and not wishful thinking.  Or you do nothing and watch more aircraft fall out of the sky.

The solutions are obvious.  The choosing is what's hard.

Land 400 Phase 2...the Australians will be behind the rest of the world...

Kiloflight made a comment that deserves to be debated...check out what he said below.

The endgame for Land 400 Phase 2 is going to be really interesting. As Australia moves forward with two last century designed vehicles (which is actually what combat proven means) the rest of the world is to continue with the development of new generation armour platforms designed to maximise modern advances in active and passive protection, automated target selection and engagement as well as the integration of autonomous support capabilities. The Russians are well on the way, the Chinese right behind them, with the Israelis well advanced and Europeans and US in catch up mode (although the USMC has a chance to be in the game if the ACV integration is finished right). Around the time Australia will be making decisions to buy and manufacture, the global 8x8 capability game will have changed quite a lot. If there arent any changes to the current choices it will be clear that Australia will likely go into 2030 and beyond with yet another out of date under scoped capability. Wouldn't be the first time.

So what's on the horizon for the rest of the world?

Eitan.  We've talked about this vehicle to death.  I think its setting a new standard in armored vehicle development.

Patria XP.  The Patria AMV has garnered a specatular reputation but its getting long in the tooth.  The growth potential is limited and the tech has moved on.  The Patria XP remedies all that and breaths new life into the design.

Japanese Maneuver Combat Vehicle.  Why did I include this?  Simple.  I believe that it will fill the same role as the Land 400 winner.  Everyone looks west when it comes to armored vehicle development but they're doing things in the east that bears watching.

VBCI 2.  This vehicle is another drastic update of a war going chariot that earned praise.  The VBCI 2 is HIGHLY networked, has a very punchy 40mm cannon and has proven itself to be IED resistant.  Its a good ride.

Boomerang.  This vehicle caught me by surprise.  The Russians have developed a thoroughly modern western style 8x8.  Expect this vehicle to show up in the Australian sphere of influence sooner rather than later.

Norinco something...This vehicle is a mystery to me.  I have no knowledge of it except that it mounts a big gun.  What I do know is that they have a APC/IFV version and would seem to be developing a family of vehicles.

There are many other vehicles that are getting massive upgrades as we speak or in development.  Left off the list of note is one of my favorites the Terrex 3 and of course the S. Korean offering.

Additionally the US Army Stryker has served longer than desired and is due for a replacement as we speak.

The Australians have locked themselves into buying old tech while the rest of the world is already heading toward more capable vehicles.  Land 400 went from being a contest that showed great promise to being a tragedy.  Pity.  Australia deserves better.

BREAKING! KNIFE ATTACK IN LONDON!

London Police are reporting a knife attack in Central London.  One dead and six injured.  POLICE "TASED(?)" THE ATTACKER!  That is pure insanity.  Either they have incredibly brave police or they're incredibly stupid and don't understand the realities of a knife attack.  21 feet.  Expect to be cut so give up your non-firing arm to defend.  Shoot to stop because a skilled knife wielder can strike you several times in seconds if they get within range.  Oh and expect to be cut.

Does she realize how much danger she's in? (Hunting pic)

via Warriors Creed Tumblr Page.

I wonder if this lady realizes how much danger she's in.  This is crazy...and all she has is a bow?  The person behind her is taking pics?

Future Darwin Award winner!  Question though.  Could you drop an elk that big with a single shot in that distance?  I know nothing about bow hunting so maybe I'm all wrong.

Why do I believe the F-35 is headed toward a SEVERELY reduced buy? The Budget Control Act.

via Breaking Defense.

“Whether it’s Clinton or Trump…they’ve got to strike a deal with Congress,” Harrison said. “I think that’s job number one for the new administration.”
“Job No. 1” may also be Mission Impossible. “I’m not optimistic that we’ll see enough of a shift in the makeup of Congress that it will break up the budget stalemate that we’ve had for the past five years,” said Harrison.

&

“Because a lot of these issues do not fall neatly along partisan lines, it depends on the specific individuals who win these seats, not just their party affiliation,” Harrison told me and a few other reporters after the briefing. “We’re already seeing some changes likeRandy Forbes,” the House seapower subcommittee chairman and ardent advocate of bigger defense budgets who lost his primary to an anti-establishment ex-Navy SEAL. “(Senate Armed Services Chairman) John McCain, we’ll see what happens in his primary….That could be a big shock as well.”

Finally

Clinton seems pretty committed to the Democratic consensus that there should be no increase in defense caps without equal, dollar-for-dollar relief for domestic programs. Trump, however, is a wild card.
“Quite frankly we don’t know enough about Trump’s defense plans; we haven’t heard that many specifics,” Harrison told me after the briefing. “We hear things like we’re going to have a stronger military, and then we hear him say things like, aircraft carriers…cost us a million dollars every time we ‘turn them on’ — I don’t really know what that means — and we hear Trump making statements about reducing our overseas presence, bringing more of our troops home, reducing our security commitments to our NATO allies, our Asia-Pacific allies, to our Middle East allies…. Okay, if you’re actually going to do those things, you could have a much smaller military.”

I continue to be amazed at how people are so misreading the American people.  How so called smart people can so easily dismiss the toll that 10 years of war will have on a nation.  The weariness of the American people when it comes to the Middle East.  How tired people are of the threat of terrorist attacks.

Its not about racism.  Its about fatigue.  Economics.  Security.

Fortress America is about to make a comeback.

Trump and Bernie's campaigns were fueled by the idea of taking care of America first.  Participating in wars in the Middle East and engaging in foreign entanglements has run its course and the people want no more of it.

The defense budget will not be increased and the Defense Hawks in the Republican Party are all endangered.

What does this have to do with the F-35?  Simple.  Budgets won't increase, and the F-35 buy will be cut.  Remember all the talk about restarting the F-15 line?  Same with the F-16?  Remember the talk about an Arsenal plane?

The Pentagon sees the writing on the wall and moves are being made for the plan B.  What is the canary in the coal mine?  Lots 9 and 10.  They still haven't finished negotiating those contracts!  That fact should have every defense reporter in Washington hopping.  Its going to be another  years till they can start full rate production.  If they can't get the price right now then how many people will be around in ANOTHER FIVE YEARS waiting on this airplane?

The F-35 is far from being out of the woods.  This program will go down in history as corrupting the Pentagon and Marine Corps to its very core.  It will serve as a warning of HOW NOT to procure military equipment.  It will be the shining jewel on the crown of the worst generalship in our nation's history.

General Dynamics Piranha 5. The vehicle that GD should have picked for Land 400?

Note I picked these photos of the Piranha 5 to show the different turret configurations that were possible.  Above its sporting the LANCE and below the MCT-30.

Defence Technology Review's analysis of the Land 400 contest and the reason why they believe the down select was made has me spinning.

The idea that General Dynamics read the requirements as written and didn't allow for the wiggle room that the ADF obviously applied to the contest has me mystified.

How can we expect manufacturers to compete win the rules are so loose?  When the requirements are so vague as to allow different classes of vehicles to be entered?

If I was an exec at General Dynamics I'd be punching walls.

They had a choice to make.  Either enter the LAV 6.0 that was 100 percent pure MOTS and in service with the Canadian military and in a variation the US Army or roll with their future king the Piranha 5 that has grown into a beast of a vehicle with great growth potential, the ability to take a number of turrets and could be uparmored to the delight of Mothers of Australia?

The same complaint could be claimed by Singapore Kinetics with the Terrex 3/Sentinel II.

Defense Depts/Ministries need to write better requirements so that manufacturers can respond better.  As things stand I agree with DTR.  General Dynamics read the requirements as written and didn't take into account the "human factor"...questionable as it is...within the ADF.

NOTE:  I stand by my view that the Boxer and Terrex 3 should have been in the down select.  I additionally don't back off my view that the Terrex 3 was best of breed in this line up.  What Australian Defence doesn't realize is that they're buying a functionally obsolete vehicle to fill a frontline combat role.  The safe buy isn't always the right buy.  Whether by delays like the F-35 or by a buy rate that is so slow that it takes years to enter service as in the ACV, obsolete is obsolete...even if the vehicle has a new car smell.

Defence Technology Review (August Issue) has an interesting take on Land 400

Online Mag here

Defence Technology Review has an interesting take on Land 400.  A brief overview of their thinking (BUT YOU MUST read the entire article on page 4).

1.  Terrex 3/Sentinel II lost out because it was deemed "not in service anywhere".  DTR wonders if the experience with other programs that went sideways influenced the demand for an MOTS buy.

2.  General Dynamics might have gotten the vehicle wrong.  They muse that the Pirnaha 5, in competition for the British requirement, might have been a better choice for the Australian program.  After reading their justification I can't argue the fact.  GD is doing it right but its breaking down when it comes to them selecting which in the stable to put up for which competition.

3.  Much was said in the article about the vehicles that were selected and how bits and widgets were in service with other forces.

I still believe the Australians made a mistake....the Terrex 3 was the best of breed, but DTR makes a great case for why the ADF chose the vehicles they did.

Anthropoid Official Trailer

This has to rank in the top 3 of Special Ops Missions conducted during WW2.  Yeah I know that technically they were Partisans but still.  They did the hard thing.  The aftermath of the assassination is still debated but they took out one of Hitler's brains so I believe they saved lives...even with the barbaric blow back that came afterwards.