The Russian Zircon (Indian Brahmos II) Missile is real?

I was monitoring a conversation this morning and the Russian Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missile came up.  I thought it was fake but apparently it's being developed!

How bad is this news?

One of the comments made by this group of individuals went a little like this...Imagine trying to intercept a AS-4 Kitchen/AS-5 Kingfish, only with it going 33% faster!

We've got to get better, faster!  We've cruised by on technological superiority won by those that came before and failed to see our rivals catching up.

Situation in Venezuela is DRAMATICALLY escalating and no one is noticing...

In a dramatic scene caught by a photographer, a protestor was severely burned when the gas tank of a police motorcycle exploded during clashes

via MercoPress.com

Street protests in Venezuela claimed at least two more fatalities on Wednesday, bringing the total number of people killed to more than 30 in several weeks of unrest. Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets as president Nicolas Maduro began the process of overhauling the country's constitution -- a move that has raised the stakes in a bitter standoff between Maduro's government and a growing opposition.

 “I see congress shaking in its boots before a constitutional convention,” Maduro said, referring to the opposition-controlled National Assembly in a speech to his supporters.

A fresh wave of unrest has engulfed Venezuela in the past month amid a severe economic and political crisis. Venezuela's economic output shrank some 18% last year and annual inflation this year is projected to top 700%, according to the IMF.

Things are getting terrible in Venezuela and no one is noticing.  If this thing spins out of control then the entire continent could be tossed into turmoil.  The effects of mass migration, to include criminals/revolutionaries, could wreck neighboring countries too.

SOUTHCOM had better be on top of this, the State Dept too.  This looks like it could go sideways in a terrible way sometime this summer.

Eggheads fantasize about ship-to-shore maneuver (video)

A few things though....

1.  I know this is just a simulation but a B-52 to clear lanes?  Even with B-1's or B-21's aren't we giving away our moves?

2.  I like the idea of using LCACs for the fire support mission...and they've obviously been listening to the ideas of using landing craft (or reading USMC history) to fire rockets and direct fire weapons...but do we have enough of them for this mission?  Why not use LCU's for this?  Don't they have a bigger payload?

3.  They sure like those unmanned vehicles...but unmanned AAVs?  Why not use small boats instead?  Do we have so many that we can throw them around like this?

Enough of my bitching.

I like this.  Now fine tune it and get it into the field.

UK reorganizes Foxhound units

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

via Janes.

A major reorganization of UK units equipped with the Foxhound light protected patrol vehicle is under way to reduce the operating costs of the 399-strong fleet of the mine-protected vehicles.

Under plans expected to be finalised by British Army chiefs, the Foxhound will be withdrawn from six infantry battalions and in future the vehicles will be issued to units prior to operational deployments or major training events.

The Royal Air Force Regiment, which operates the vehicle for the ground defence of expeditionary airfields, had already concentrated its Foxhounds into two of its five field squadrons by the end of March, according to information released to Jane's under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

The Foxhound was purchased as a replacement for the Snatch Land Rover, which was found to be vulnerable to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the early stages of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. Originally known as the Ocelot, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) first ordered the vehicle with its protective V-hull from UK-based Ricardo and US company Force Protection in September 2010, with the first vehicles deployed on operations in Afghanistan in 2012. General Dynamics purchased Force Protection in 2011 to create General Dynamics Land Systems-Force Protection Europe and has continued to market the Foxhound/Ocelot jointly with Ricardo.

According to FOI data, as of 1 April 2016 there were 399 Foxhounds in the UK fleet and up to early March 2017 the MoD had spent GBP467 million (USD604 million) on the procurement, support, and modification of these vehicles.

After the end of the UK combat role in Afghanistan in 2014, the Foxhounds were re-distributed around the British Army and RAF Regiment, predominately to units of the Adaptive Force intended for deployment on peacekeeping, humanitarian, training, and counter-insurgency roles in low-intensity conflict zones. For example, the British Army infantry battalion deployed to Kabul since 2014 to administer the Afghan National Army's officer training was issued with Foxhounds for use by its force protection elements.

I like the Foxhound.  I advocated for the Marine Corps to consider an off the shelf buy because it's my belief that its one of, if not the finest lightweight MRAP type vehicle going (I still can't find a weight for the JLTV....something weird with that).

Either way this truck is doomed.  Once they start with the talking point "they'll be issued before deployment" is when you know they're slow walking it out the door. 

 

Open Comment Post. May 4, 2017

May Edition of Defence Technology Review is out!

I forgot the name of the Aussie that sent me the tip about the NASSAM being placed on Humvees but he was right.  Many people shouted him down and suggested that it would go on the upcoming Hawkei but he was right!

Anyway, the May edition of Defence Technology Review is out and you can read it here.

Eurocopter EC 725 Glamour Pic

Royal Navy Samson SA-2...Concept art by Liam Keating

via Art Station (here)

Ghost in the Shell - APC....Concept art by Maciej Kuciara

via Art Station (here)

Boxer 8x8 mission module change out

Thanks to Gerard for the link!



Is it just me or do the Aussies have the cleanest motor pools I've ever seen in my life?

B-21 "Raider"??

Thanks to Joe for the link!

via USAF.mil

The Air Force’s long-range strike bomber has officially been named the B-21 Raider.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced the results of the Air Force Global Strike Command led naming contest alongside selected members during her remarks at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference here Sept. 19, 2016.

“Today I want to recognize three Airmen who answered the call to be a part of a new Air Force legacy and name our new bomber,” James said.  “The first two … submitted proposals that captured the essence of the bomber force and they are the winners of our contest.”

The third Airmen James recognized, calling him one of the greatest men of his generation, was Doolittle Raider retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole.

The Doolittle Raiders are known for their surprise attack against Japan during World War II on April 18, 1942, which forced the Japanese to recall combat forces for home defense, and boosted morale among Americans and U.S. allies abroad.

Interesting.

So now they're gonna name airplanes after combat actions?  The next CAS airplane will be called the "Highway of Death"  or how about "Fratricide" bird? 

That was a bit snarky and this naming actually means less than nothing.  Still. The moniker doesn't sing.

ZBD-04 IFV is starting to look like a proper armored vehicle!

Thanks to AllAboutTheMilitary192781 Tumblr Page!

I can't put my finger on it but the ZBD-04 has changed.  Its looking like a proper armored vehicle now.

A quick search (yeah I was gone for about 10 min) revealed that they've done a design change.  Below is the old model.

Remember my warning that it was about time for the Chinese to start modernizing their armored forces?

Looks like that time is now.  There is another vehicle out that I was unaware of called the ZBD-08 that is even more heavily armored and armed than the ZBD-04A (vehicle at the top of the page).  Check this out from Thai Military and Asia Region Blog.

How would I class it?  How about a seagoing, cheap BAE CV90 equivalent (supposedly capable of sea state 2 - 3...not sure how the Chinese classify sea states though).

RIwP Tall / Mk44 / M240 / 1 or 2 Axis / PS2 Configuration

The Marine Corps MUST bite the bullet and introduce the ACV with a RWS mounting at least a 30mm cannon just to keep pace (I'm with many of my readers and like the offering from Moog).

We tarried too long and now the Chinese have at caught up to us when it comes to IFVs.  Even worse?  It could be argued that they've surpassed the Marine Corps.  The dye is cast.  We're riding the ACV pony so we need to get it into service poste haste with a proper weapon system.

The armored threat from the Red Dragon is real.  We need proper swords to defeat him.