dogs are too good for this world

 

http://snafu-solomon.tumblr.com/post/150145180960/theanimalvines-dogs-are-too-good-for-this-world

 

Infantry Fighting Vehicle weight penalty for amphibious capability.

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

via Shepard Media.

The Terrex 1 is not only seen by ST Kinetics as a combat IFV but a vehicle to share information with other platforms such as UAVs.
‘When we developed it, [the Terrex 1] was not meant to be just a fighting platform. It was meant to be a mothership for the fighting soldier,’ said Toh.
Toh explained further that one of the capabilities of the IFV was to allow soldiers to talk with other vehicles and share information on the enemy’s location, data that can be transmitted through the battlefield management system.
The Terrex 2 is an amphibious IFV which has the capacity to go 111km/h in water. However, the vehicle can be non-amphibious with the removal of the swimming kit – saving up to 1.5t.
Further to the Terrex 1, a new design for the hull was developed to withstand mine blasts.
‘We designed a new hull...a V-shaped hull, and we added another V below the protected driveline,’ explained Toh.

I don't know if this is common, but if it is then IFV/APC pay a huge price to be amphibious.  Interesting.

NOTE:  For all you guys saying 1.5 tons is no big deal, I tell you you're wrong (in my opinion).  We're not talking about tracked but wheeled vehicles.  We're talking about suspension systems, wheels, etc.  Any weight savings will translate to increased mobility and flotation over broken ground.  It matter for vehicles in general and it might be dinosaur thinking but I believe it counts double for wheeled vehicles.

Terrex 3 @ DVD 2016

BAE Systems is debuting its CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle in Australia for Land 400 Phase 3

via UPI

BAE Systems is debuting its CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle in Australia this week at the Land Forces 2016 Exhibition, the company said.
BAE, in partnership with Patria, is offering the CV90 to Canberra as part of the government's request for information on the LAND 400 Phase 3 program, BAE said in a statement.
LAND 400 is a Ministry of Defense program to acquire and support the next generation of Australian armored fighting vehicles.
The CV90 is a family of tracked combat vehicles designed by BAE Systems in Sweden, a system the company says offers high performance and unique operational advantages.
It features high mobility, air defense systems, anti-tank capability, high survivability and lethality in all terrains and tactical environments.
The turreted vehicle can carry eight dismounted troops.
BAE said it is the only vehicle of its type in the world that is in ongoing production, offering a low-risk, off-the-shelf offering for LAND 400's Phase 3.
Nine CV90 variants are currently in service and more than 1,280 vehicles have been sold to seven European nations.

Wow.

This kinda confuses me.  I thought they would offer the Norway variant, not the APC for the contest.

Australia's Land 400 Phase 3 is gonna be as goofy as Phase 2.

D90's photo log of MPSO. (pic heavy- bandwidth killer!)

NOTE:  D90 did us all a favor and provided a VERY nice overview of MPSO.  Best I've seen on the net.  Make sure to send him a shout out.

Turkish M-60 Sabra MBTs brewed up by ISIS anti-tank missile fire.

Thanks to Flanker 7 for the link!



If you aren't convinced then I don't know what it takes.  Armored vehicles MUST have superior sensors/optics so that anti-personnel fire can be directed at the missile men AND some type of active protection system is necessary to knock down the missiles.

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!