AAV-SU (Survivability Upgrade) to have better water speed?

via Shepard Media.

New rotary dampers and improved torsion bars in the suspension have increased the ground clearance and offer smoother ride. Replacing the water jets with new axial flow machined jets has demonstrated significantly greater efficiency.
This combined with the recouping of reserve buoyancy to 22%, rebalancing the vehicle trim to be more ‘bow-up’ and a possible redesign of the forward trim-vane/bow-plan hold a strong potential to increase water speed beyond the 7kt (13km/h).
Speculation by industry sources suggest that with some minor design refinements (improved/reconfigure trim vane or re-trimming the vehicle) could increase that further.

Here.

The rest of the article is basically a rehash of the info that we already knew (with the exception of SAIC being able to squeeze out an additional 100 hp when they rebuilt the engine...it's gone from 525 hp to 675 hp).

But the increase in water speed is intriguing.  Its also a bit confusing.

We have over 1000 of these vehicles in inventory.  If this upgrade is going to actually deliver the ballistic protection and improved ground mobility that they're shouting about then the next question becomes...Why do we need the ACV?  Does it offer increased performance that will justify the expense?  Does the Marine Corps need to operate two APCs?  What will that do to the AAV Battalions?  Is the plan to have all AAV-SU platoons with a few ACV platoons thrown in?  Will Companies operate mixed vehicles?  How will maintenance work with two different vehicles in the same role under the same roof?

I've been disappointed with the cancellation of the EFV.  Tried to wrap my head around the idea that the ACV (wheeled) would have better mobility than a tracked vehicle.  Been enthusiastic about the BAE-Iveco SuperAV...but now I'm just plain confused.

The Marine Corps needs to get its armor house in order.  If the AAV-SU delivers as this article talks about then why are we continuing with the ACV?  If it doesn't then why aren't we going all in on the ACV?  Marine Air is in trouble, but Marine Armor is in a state of confusion.

The Amos years (and the idiotic ACV 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3) just keeps on giving.

Take away the canards, add gold to the canopy and that's a F-22!

Thanks to Filipio for the link!

Am I wrong or does the entire front section...from the air intakes to the nose of the plane look like an almost carbon copy of the F-22!

US military drills evacuation of civilians from S. Korea.

via CNN

Seoul (CNN)It's a bitterly cold, bleak day on a military base in South Korea.
People are milling around calmly, clutching hot coffees, making small talk. Kids are chasing each other around an air hangar.
It's hard to believe they are practicing a high-stakes emergency evacuation that simulates what would happen if North Korea invaded.
"In real life, everyone would be wearing masks, rushing through places," says mom of two Nicholle Martinez. "There would be chaos everywhere. It would be scarier."

Story here.

Martinez understates the chaos that would occur in the opening salvo of a war between North and South Korea.  The number of artillery shells that would be raining on Seoul would boggle the mind (what's left unsaid is the fact that N.Korean Special Ops will be swarming all over the place killing anything that moves).  The idea that the US military could actually pull off an evacuation of civilians in the middle of that fight is stupid on a stick.  The 2nd ID would be fighting for its very existence.  They wouldn't have time to evacuate the wife and kids.

Whoever decided to make Korea anything but a hardship deployment was smoking crack....common sense took a day off in Army planning the day that families were allowed to go there.

Of course the same can be said of Okinawa and perhaps Guam.  The only location that is "family safe" in the Pacific is the Northern Territory in Australia...if you don't take the local wildlife into account that is.

When will we know that the US military is getting serious about warfighting?  It'll be when you see Korea, Okinawa and Guam revert to hardship postings and not places you take your family.  But the military is more into a proper command climate (can anyone get me a definition of that phrase!) and being family friendly....even if it means that when the unthinkable happens your forces are more concerned about evacuating their loved ones than they are of fighting the enemy swarming over the hill.

What do you do now Jump Master?

Hey Jump Master!  What do you do now? Speak up Airborne that young para-pup is dangling on the rope, twisting in the prop blast and you have to decide...do you cut him loose knowing that at best he's disoriented and at worst unconscious or do you try and drag him back into the aircraft?

You have 5 seconds before this shit turns into a bodybag.  So what's your decision Airborne?  SPEAK UP SON!

Marine Aviation continues its downward spiral....why does Davis still have a job????

via Military.com

Third Marine Aircraft Wing leader Maj. Gen. Mark Wise has relieved another commander following a "loss of trust and confidence in his ability to continue to serve" at the Miramar air station, according to a written statement provided to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Citing "issues concerning command climate" within Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, the Corps announced the firing of Lt. Col. Wade "Casper" Workman on Wednesday. A highly decorated fighter pilot, Workman took command of the "Red Devils" on Jan. 15, following a stint as the Operations Officer of Marine Aircraft Group Eleven.
Miramar spokesman Capt. Kurt M. Stahl indicated that Workman was not relieved over allegations of misconduct or criminal activity but rather "an unhealthy command climate that negatively impacted trust within the unit that is critical to effective operations."
Workman, 41, told the Union-Tribune, "It just didn't work out."

Workman fell on his sword in appropriate Marine Corps fashion.  He has a story to tell but will keep his mouth shut because of allegiance to the Corps.  He will be shuffled off to the side and will work to regain his reputation but will toil in obscurity till he finally retires.

Its a shame.  Its a disgrace.  Its all too common in the Marine Corps today.

Marine Corps Aviation continues its downward spiral because of INCREASED OPS TEMPO due to the ill conceived SPMAGTF-CR, the budget busting F-35/MV-22 and the attempt to transform the Marine Corps into an aviation centric organization.

The real villains in this story appear untouchable.  The think tanks that came up with this idiocy during the Amos era, the leadership since then that hasn't had the moral courage to shit can that thinking and Davis....who still has a job and I can't figure out why.  Speaking of Davis.  Name one public appearance that doesn't revolve around the F-35.  He even appears at Rotary Club/Veteran functions to promote the plane.  Taking care of the Marines under his leadership that are doing the work today is off his radar.  Remember the past reports that of 300 odd F-18's less than 50 were operational?

Marine Air is broken.  

You can fix it but it starts with new leadership.  Davis must go!

Dunkirk - Trailer

This is one of those films that I think might become one of those "must sees".  Think about it.  The Germans had the British Expeditionary Force pinned on a beach totally surrounded yet they allowed elements of it to escape to fight another day.

The battle is listed as a loss but I'm not so sure.

Additionally I've never been into the sea battles of the Atlantic.  They just never captured my imagination the way the fight in the Pacific did.  I might need to rethink that.  The fight in the channel from just a general overview seems to have been particularly vicious with the German E-Boats being very effective in what could be considered the WW2 Atlantic version of combat in the littoral zone (from my seat I wonder why more people don't look at our PT Boat/Fighter Bomber actions in the "slot" and between the islands as a primer on future combat).  Yeah.  Dunkirk might be one for the digital library.

Open Comment Post. Jan 3, 2017

I'm back from the near dead...or at least it felt like that while coughing up crud.

Whats happening in the world from what little coverage I've seen?  The main thing is power.  All eyes are on the transition and the new Congress.  Meanwhile ISIS is claiming credit for attacks in Turkey and Iraq against civilians and the Central Command Head Shed is talking about Iraqi forces operating at "optimal" level against insurgents in Mosul.

If I didn't know better I'd think that everyone is taking an operational pause in the fighting and getting ready for spring/summer fighting season.  But that's me, what's on your mind?

DCNS - BELH@RRA Stealth Digital Fighting Frigate Combat Simulation

Open Comment Post. Jan 2, 2017

Wow.  Had a great holiday but got the gift of "the crud"....trying to kick this stuff but its hitting hard.  Prediction?  Dr visit today, I'll be back strong tomorrow.

Syria just went 18th century warfare...literally!

pic via Molon Labe Tumblr Page.

This is crazy.  I don't know if that's a hillbilly cannon or if its an antique but the ingenuity shown is awesome.

I am now convinced that the people with the most potential to cause massive mayhem and carry out the attack without being detected are machinist/welders.  Its been shown that with a well stocked shop, a little imagination and a lot of determination you can get stuff done.

Leave the gun stores alone...investigate the machine shops! Just kidding.

Did we all miss a cut in the Navy's F-35 buy?

Thanks to Don for the link!

Don reposted a link to this 2015 Navy Times article (here) and while everyone was going ga ga over the statement made by Greenert with regard to stealth not being the end all be all and the repeat of his "payloads over platforms" meme we missed something huge.  Check this out...

"There are some officers in the Navy who would like to see stealth brought to carriers, but quite a few who wouldn't, who would rather stick with something they know, at a price they know, with two engines that they know and perhaps, shift all funding to the sixth generation [F/A-18]," Aboulafia said.
He said the Navy's buying pattern is telling as to how it sees it integrating into the fleet.
"They are just not acting like the F-35 will be a major part of their force structure in the future," he said, noting he estimated that the Navy might end up buying roughly 200.

Roughly 200?  The programmed buy was 260.  Additionally if the Navy is buying fewer F-35C's than projected then that will increase the buy of those planes for the USMC.

Trump has an option to find a middle ground on the F-35.  He can cut the F-35C completely, let the Navy buy an advanced Super Hornet and still squeeze Lockheed Martin to get the best price possible on the A and B models.

One thing is obvious though.  The Pentagon is in panic mode.  Real cuts to this program are on the horizon and we've already seen the first hints of it...we just all missed it when it came out.

Women's UFC just died.

First.  Go here to see the post fight interview with Nunes.

You're back?  Hear me out.  Women's UFC just died.  Nunes will not be half the ambassador for the fight game that Rousey was and other female fighters have been.  Why?  Well its sensitive for many but obvious.  She's lesbian (think that doesn't matter...check out women's NBA).  She's obviously on the juice.  She doesn't speak english well so she can't be an ambassador for the sport in the US.

The problem for the UFC?  There isn't a person on the horizon that could unseat her.  She'll be champ for at least a couple of years and will see opportunities to cash in (at least in America, not sure about Brazil) dry up because no one will fight her.

Nunes won but Women's UFC died.