Trump calls for a DRAMATICALLY larger Marine Corps!

Thanks to Matt for the link!

via FoxNews.

For his own military policy, he outlined a number of proposals, including:

• Asking military generals to present a plan within 30 days to defeat and destroy ISIS, immediately after taking office

• Asking Congress to eliminate the defense sequester

• Building an active Army of about 540,000

• Building a Marine Corps based on 36 battalions

• Building a Navy nearing 350 surface ships and submarines

• Building an Air Force of at least 1,200 fighter aircraft

• A new "state-of-the-art" missile defense system

Now for the bad news.  He proposes to pay for it thru saving found in waste/fraud/abuse.  Great idea, but no way to pay for it.

Even with this increase I'm conflicted.  I have no confidence in the concepts being rolled out by leadership and if they got this new fountain of cash I'm not sure it would be spent properly.

Time will tell but it seems like consensus has been reached between Dems and Republicans.  They both wanting defense spending to increase.  We'll see if the coalition between the peace/fiscal/domestic spending hawks will hold the line or go along.

Is the F-35 about to cost the Norwegian Defense Minister her job?

via Sputnik.

Previously, the Norwegian parliament gave the green light to spending no less than 81.6 billion NOK (roughly $9.9 billion) on the fighter jets. This sum was determined with a security grade of P85, meaning that there was an 85 percent chance that the final price would fall within the estimated bracket. When questioned by parliament, Søreide indicated the price as 80.2 billion NOK (roughly $9.7 billion), yet provided a security grade of P50, thus tacitly acknowledging the risk of a possible price hike, Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet reported.
According to Olav Torp, professor of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), there is a huge difference between the two figures, which possibly implies extra defense expenditure. The Norwegian defense was therefore left with a 50 percent probability that the overall price tag for the much-debated fighter jets will exceed the frame, set by parliament.

I think we just got our answer.

This.  This is why Lots 9, 10 and soon 11 haven't been finalized.  Once the contract is signed then the price is set and sticker shock sets in for the allies. We know that the number programmed will never be bought but what are the implications for our allies.  What happens when they realize that they either gut their entire military or buy F-35s?

How do you sell that to Army and Navy leaders?

All the talk about "shaping a way forward" and "revolutionizing warfare" and lets not forget "enabling the joint force" will be seen for what it is.  Sloganeering and propaganda.

Open Comment Post. Sep 7, 2016.

Closeups of the Polish PT-16 MBT at MPSO (pics)

Thanks to D90 for the pics!  

We've been talking about vehicle sensors/optics but check out this setup!  If they can't see it then they're asleep inside the vehicle!  That gizmo to the right though....that is hittable by an average marksman, wonder if its armored?

Am I wrong or does it look like their are cameras to the left of the vehicle lights?

Thanks to D90 for the pics (alot more his work will be posted soon).  As far as the PT-16 is concerned I think this is a complete rework.  Much more extensive than I first imagined.  Time to find details on electronics, fire control etc...

MPSO Day 1 Photo Recap via Military Tech

This vehicle intrigues me.  The Polish Army seems to be placing a premium on amphibious vehicles yet haven't put this beast into service.

Story here.

Yakovlev Yak-141...the F-35's daddy...

Photos and caption from Enrique 262 Tumblr Page.

Яковлев Як-141-Yakovlev Yak-141; NATO reporting name “Freestyle”, the world’s first supersonic VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft.
Unlike the Harrier, and like her predecessor, the subsonic Yak-38, she used a pair of lift engines to help in vertical operations, which would hinder her performance to a certain degree, as said engines would remain a dead weight after horizontal flight was achieved.

Her development was cancelled with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and curiously enough, the lessons learned from her helped Lockheed into developing their own XF-35, after a brief partnership with Yakovlev in the early-nineties.

Isn't the irony just delicious?  First the layout of the F-35 was inspired by a Russian design.  Second the USMC pushed for the X-35 instead of the X-32 because they thought that heating issues would be much less for this layout...and last Lockheed Martin did a brief partnership with Yakovlev and then dumped them once they had all the info they needed to proceed alone, kinda like they did with Patria with regard to the ACV contest!

The OX - Global Vehicle Trust designed to be built in 12 hours by hand.

Story here.

This truck is designed for use in undeveloped parts of Africa and can be assembled by hand in about 12 hours.  I'm personally intrigued by the idea.  Few people realize it but Japanese mini-trucks are real popular for use on farms and I could see this truck competing for that market here in the states.

The interesting thing?  In my neck of the woods farm trucks don't require the same safety standards as 'regular' vehicles but they're limited to operating on side roads.  For some people that's more than enough to get their day to day activities done.  This might have a future.

Why is Turkey so convinced the US was behind the coup attempt and why are they zeroing in on General Campbell?

Thanks to Don for the link!

via Yenisafak

A former U.S. commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan, was the organizer of the July 15 military coup attempt in Turkey, sources said.
General John F. Campbell was one of the top figures who organized and managed the soldiers behind the failed coup attempt in Turkey, sources close to ongoing legal process of pro-coup detainees said.
Campbell also managed more than $2 billion money transactions via UBA Bank in Nigeria by using CIA links to distribute among the pro-coup military personnel in Turkey.
The ongoing investigation unveiled that Campbell had paid at least two secret visits to Turkey since May, until the day of the coup attempt.
The coup plot that was foiled by the comprehensive effort of Turkish Nation, including its citizens, politicians, media and police forces, was organized by the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) led-by so-called cleric Fethullah Gülen who has been living in self-exile in America for several years.
American Intelligence, Military and other institutions are accused of supporting the FETO leader Gülen and his gangs for the military coup.

This has gone beyond being an accusation and an annoyance.  Turkey is behaving as if they have solid evidence that the US was behind the coup attempt.  But why?  Additionally they're zeroing in on General Campbell with laser beams but have yet to provide any evidence.

So what's really going on here?

One thing is certain.  The Turkish govt is acting as if there isn't any doubt and that has major league implications not only for US policy in the Middle East but for NATO as a whole.

We've seen half hearted efforts by Chairman of JCS to patch things up and a quick visit by the SecState.

Whatever is going it needs to be worked and worked hard.  The utterly unthinkable?  What if the Turks are right?  Could we actually have been crazy enough to plan a coup of a NATO member?  I say impossible.  No one could be that stupid.  Not even the Pentagon, White House, State or CIA.

You say hardcore...dedication...cool. All I see is pain...

People look at the above pic and say that's so hardcore, he's so dedicated and that's cool.

All I see is pain.

How they get guys to volunteer for the honor guard is beyond me.  I mean seriously!  That poor bastard volunteered to stand outside in the snow, during hurricanes, blistering sun....all while on enhanced guard duty (I'm being sarcastic...I understand the important symbolism here).

The vid below has to be the theme song for the ceremonial bubbas.

China develops a new 8x8 Mobile Gun System via Defence Blog.

Story here.

The US Marine Corps is losing the armor race.  Do you really believe that Company Landing Teams and their "Expeditionary Squads" will be able to survive against what we're seeing coming down the pike?

HQMC seriously needs to rethink its doctrine.  It might not want to prepare for a peer war but our enemies are voting differently.

Preview of Army 16! Pic Heavy.

Thanks to D90 for the link!

The Russians are real big on radars...mobile radars at that...the focus on stealth by the US military has produced this expected reaction.  Consider that several allies have already produced systems that they claim can detect stealth.  What happens if that's true?  I think we'll see a return to "dinosaur" thinking...how fast, how agile, how high, how many missiles etc can your airplane carry.  All this fuzzy talk will be shown to be the lie that we all know...and unfortunately a bunch of Marine Corps officers that are pushing that fiction will be seen to be the liars that we suspect them of being...

Can anyone tell me what this is?

The Philippines launches a "REAL" war on drugs.

Thanks to William for the link!

via Daily Mail.

But Duterte warned that he is a leader of a sovereign country and is answerable only to the Filipino people.
'Who is he to confront me?' he said, adding that the Philippines had not received an apology for misdeeds committed during its U.S. colonization.

I am a president of a sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony. I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody.
'You must be respectful. Do not just throw questions. Putang ina I will swear at you in that forum,' he said, using the Tagalog phrase for son of a bitch.

And then this.

'Until the (last) drug manufacturer is killed we will continue,' Duterte told reporters before leaving for a regional summit in Laos, where he is due to meet U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday.
The White House had no immediate reaction to Duterte's comments. Obama has been attending a meeting of the Group of 20 nations in Hangzhou, China.
Duterte won elections in May and immediately promised a law-and-order crackdown on drugs.
'These sons of w****s are destroying our children. I warn you, don't go into that, even if you're a policeman, because I will really kill you,' the president told an audience during a speech in the country's capital, Manila.
Duterte made it clear he would pardon police if they were charged with human rights violations for carrying out his merciless orders.
Nearly 60,000 Filipino drug addicts surrendered themselves last month to the government after President Duterte urged citizens to 'go ahead and kill' drug dealers and users.

This is fascinating.

Ignore the demeaning talk directed toward our President (as offensive as it is) and focus on the results.  60K drug addicts have surrendered to authorities.

Drug dealers are being terrorized instead of communities.

Is this the first real deal war on drugs that we've seen anywhere on this planet?  Is this what happens when a nation decides to directly confront a problem and eradicate it?

There are lessons to be learned here.  Duterte might be a mad man but he might be onto something.