Northern Strike 17...pic by Spc. Alan Prince

Marines from Bravo Company, 4th Amphibian Assault Battalion based in Jacksonville, Florida, in combination with M1 Abrahams tanks, Light Armor Vehicles, and Infantry Marines conduct combined arms exercises at the Multi-Purpose Range Complex (MPRC) at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center during exercise Northern Strike 17. The Marines take advantage of the large ranges at the MPRC to fully integrate all supporting elements and maximize their training. Northern Strike 17 is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored exercise uniting approximately 5,000 service members from 13 states and five coalition countries during the first two weeks of August 2017 at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, both located in northern Michigan and operated by the Michigan National Guard. The newly accredited NS 17 demonstrates the Michigan National Guard's ability to provide accessible, readiness-building opportunities for military units from all service branches to achieve and sustain proficiency in conducting mission command, air, sea, and ground maneuver integration, together with the synchronization of fires in a joint, multinational, decisive action environment.

Wow.  That's a pretty big exercise and its being put on by the Michigan National Guard?  Interesting.

I notice that they're all in on  the Army's Multi-Domain Battle Concept too. Think I want to see more pics of this thing....

Why is the Air Force Association feeling a need to defend stealth? What was in that F-35C vs Super Hornet report?

via AOL Breaking Defense.

But the study’s authors pose the correct question: “Will stealth remain viable in future decades in the face of these technologies, or will its effectiveness wane? Should the United States continue to invest in stealth systems to improve them or mitigate technology that attempts to counter them, or shift its approach? Debate over these issues will increase in the coming years as spending on systems such as the F-35 and B-21 increases.”

Their conclusion is that, yes, stealth is absolutely needed but does not exist on its own. But it is important Barrett said during this morning’s presentation that he thinks recent discussion of building a stealthy airborne tanker is on the right track because of the tyrannies of distance in the Pacific theater. Of course, they’d have to figure out how to build a stealthy boom.

Story here. 

I know how most of you guys work.  You focus on the miniscule when I'm asking you to take a look at the big picture.

I'm asking you to do that again.

Go read the article then ask yourself the following...

1.  Why would the Air Force Association feel a need to defend stealth?

2.  Why are they already predicting that the costs of the F-35 and B-21 will increase when they're both supposed to be affordable systems?

3.  If they believe that stealth doesn't exist on its own but gloss over the electronic warfare part of the equation?

4.  Does this story and the stance taken by AFA have anything to do with the F-35C vs Super Hornet study that I've been waiting for?

Something is brewing and these type groups are always looking at ways (with the exception of the Marine Corps groups...they seem to only want to follow whatever bouncing ball society is into at the time) to defend budget for their service.

I wonder what bad news is coming down the pike to make them make this spirited defense of stealth?

The CH-53K although it costs more than twice that of the Chinook is twice the helicopter?

via Jerusalem Post.

“What does the State of Israel want from this helicopter? Will it be used for skirmishes near our border or for special operations and extracting forces and pilots from the range like Iran,” he told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, adding “how are you going to get [special forces] Sayeret Matkal to their operations?” The speed of the helicopter is also an important aspect that must be considered especially when they are given a mission to rescue a downed pilot, Ben-Shalom said.

Funding for the procurement is to come from part of the Memorandum of understanding signed in September 2016 between Jerusalem and Washington that would provide Israel with $38 billion in military assistance over the next decade.

Frank Crisafulli, sales director international, heavy-lift helicopters at Sikorsky is quoted by Flight Global aviation website as saying that while the acquisition price of the CH-53K King Stallion with a unit cost of around $87 million will be higher than that of the Chinook with a unit cost of $38.55m. the CH-53K is “literally twice the helicopter.”

Story here. 

I don't know if its always been this way and I'm just paying attention now, but the US military seems to pick winners and losers in the foreign military sales system.

If you read this article it's a thinly veiled advertisement for the CH-53K.

But what has me spinning is that the once proud IDF seems to be buying into hype instead of buying gear that they need at the best price possible.  Did the conditions the Obama Admin put on Israel foreign assistance contain strings that meant they had to buy what we wanted instead of what they needed?

The prime example is the F-35.  They're doing all kinds of modifications to that jet that are going unpublished and unknown to the wider public.  Instead all we hear is that the Israelis are operating this world beating jet...not the fact that they're modifying beyond recognition into a standard that no one but the IAF will know about.

Now we have the Heavy Lift contest and we're seeing the IDF being steered toward the CH-53K when they would probably be well served with slightly modded CH-47s (I'm thinking the enlarged sponson tanks and Israeli avionics) that would be drastically less expensive!

I'll be keeping an eye on this.  It will reveal much about our Military Industrial Complex.  Is it possible that it's even more insidious than I imagine?

Side note:  Where are they getting this 87 million dollar unit price number from.  Last I looked they were 138 million each.

Do you understand the ramifications of N. Korea having Nukes that can reach the Midwest of the US?

I need to point this out to the peace doves in my audience.

In North Korea we have an individual that is considered a little fat madman, that views himself (and his people view him) as a God, has no institutions to limit his actions and now finds himself in possession of a nuclear weapon and the rockets that are long ranged enough to carry them as far as Chicago, USA.

We've never faced this prospect before.

Yeah we went for years facing off against the Soviet Union during the Cold War but it was understood that a nuclear war would be tragic for both countries.  Additionally as much as I despise communism, even in that system there were institutions that would prevent their leader from acting "stupidly".

That same thinking applies to China.  When it comes to Pakistan, Iran, Libya during Qaddafi's regime and even Iran during Saddam's reign, we saw a threat that couldn't reach our shores.  Europe might have been under threat.  India might have been under threat.

But never the US and certainly not major US cities.

Think about it like this.

We've reached a point where the little crazy fat boy can wake up in a bad mood, decide that he wants to end it all and can (unless we're lucky and the tech works perfectly) snuff out Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle or Portland!  While I would miss San Diego and Denver, we still can't tolerate the idea of ANY US city being taken out.

So what do we do?

Peace Doves will say do nothing.  That's rolling the dice on the good graces of a crazy dude.  The problem with that?  You never trust a crazy dude.  War Hawks like Lindsey Graham are saying just obliterate the entire country.  The causalities will be massive.  I'll go into greater detail on another blog post but the only way a decapitation strike can work is with WELL TUNED neutron bombs.

When I say tuned it will rest on the idea of some brilliant geeky nerdy joker pulling our bacon out of the fire and developing a neutron bomb that is short duration but still extremely lethal.

If we have such a device then SOCOM might be able to do the do.  Drop the neutron bombs, wait till you can at least function in hazmat suits and hopefully those guys have practice on conducting ops in them (another reason why I think winter time could be the right time...they're hot as hell) and basically step over the dead while you collect the weapons and the dear leader.

But I digress.

Chicago and other US cities are now under a nuclear cloud from a third world country.  We've never seen that before.  So what do we do about it?

Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) @ ITX 5-17 Heliborne Assault Course...pics by Cpl. Christopher Mendoza

The UTV is replacing the Growler as the standard Internally Carried Vehicle for the Marine Corps faster than I thought...and I thought it would be quick!

The only thing that has me wondering is how they could rate the Growler as being a competent fast attack vehicle but the UTV as not being suitable.  Quite honestly I think that was a lie.  The whole selection of the Growler is shrouded in mystery, apparently a bit of corruption and a rigged selection system. Check out the vid below.



The solution?  Simple.  Make whatever modifications necessary to make the UTV a suitable fast attack vehicle and put the Growler in the junkyard or sell them to some civilian idiot that wants a backyard rig that they can't take off road!

German-led enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group performs a river crossing in Lithuania during exercise Iron Wolf 2017.

I find the way the Europeans do river crossings interesting.  Of course we don't see them securing the far bank, setting up security and the like.  But the actual mechanics of the thing seem extremely slow.  Instead of setting up a bridge the instead use a "ferry type system".  I've seen that bridging vehicle but that's not the point.

It really seems like a slow way to move more than a company's worth of vehicles across a river...especially a big one.

I'm not saying that the US Army's method is better.  Just saying that from my chair while it might take longer to get the bridge em-placed, they're able to get their forces across faster and in a more complete unit.

Of course moving a USMC unit can conduct the movement even faster but it comes with a price so its essentially a wash.

But back on task.  Why did the Europeans go with the ferry method instead of doing actual bridging?

Boxer CRV during Land 400 trials via Defence Technology Review Magazine YouTube Page!

SandCat-Stormer RCWS/MLS

Thanks to the Mighty Zuk for the link!

via Israeli Defense Magazine.

The new Stormer vehicle incorporates Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' dual Samson Mini RWS system that includes two Spike LR antitank guided missiles (ATGM) and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG) with a 150-round magazine

Plasan Sasa, an Israeli manufacturer of armor protection solutions for vehicles, has unveiled a new variant of their SandCat-Stormer armored vehicle, for the first time following serial delivery to an international client – the Stormer RCWS/MLS.

The new Stormer vehicle incorporates Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' dual Samson Mini RWS system that includes two Spike LR antitank guided missiles (ATGM) and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG) with a 150-round magazine.

Story here. 

Hmm.  I wonder who the customer is that bought this vehicle.  Next I gotta say we're seeing a quiet evolution in these combat utility/patrol rigs.  A dual setup with a 50 cal machine gun and Spike LR?

This sounds more like a Calvary vehicle or Scout than a normal patrol rig.  Why do I say that?  It only carries 150 rounds of 50 cal!  But it does carry the Spike!

Everyone wants anti-tank missiles on every ride but forget that when you add more of one thing you have less of the other.  In my mind killing tanks is easy, dealing with good enemy infantry is harder...but that's just me.

The armor race is here and everyone is seeking solutions it seems.  More so called light vehicles will be missile-ing up I think!

Open Comment Post. Aug. 2, 2017

JonF04 doing some CQB training with his FAST Plt!

Getting them corners, turning, identifying your targets and burn'em down!

Ya got to love the Marine Corps!

Every time I get ready to weep for the Corps I see something that renews my faith.  Whether its a Gunner showing that they're working to get gear to our Grunts or one of my readers doing work in a kill house, there is always something to keep me off the ledge.

Thanks God guys like this still roam Marine Corps land!

ITX 5-17 Tank Mechanized Assault Course (Part 2).....pics by Sgt Kassie McDole

ITX 5-17 Tank Mechanized Assault Course (Part 1).....pics by Sgt Kassie McDole