Two Belgian soldiers currently serving in #Mali were injured when their vehicle Dingo II (MPPV) drove over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The incident took place on Wednesday 01 Jan 2020. Thanks to the MPPV high level of protection all soldiers survived the explosion pic.twitter.com/hrlkXZQti5
Some will laugh but I always doubted the Dingo's ability to withstand IED blasts. Personally considered it a pure utility/transport vehicle. This is good to see. Real happy to be wrong.
Note. They recovered the rig and while it looks like a write off I'm sure they'll use parts to keep other vehicles running.
What happens when you mate a turret to a hotrod? You get a potentially formidable ground based scout vehicle but a little extra in this case. You get a vehicle that's quick, maneuverable, has enough firepower to fight to get the intel AND as a huge cherry on top its unmanned.
If the US Army can stay on target and doesn't lose interest, this could be a huge step forward for mechanized forces.
This is a rehash of a conversation we've had on these pages more than a few times.
Why the F-15EX?
A few things...
* The USAF needs a "conventional" (read that to mean non-stealth fighter) to claw back at affordability. Even if the F-35 meets every combat requirement (which I still doubt) we're still looking at budget breaking maintenance.
* The USAF wants to leverage its existing infrastructure. The F-15EX can fall in on existing maintenance and supply chains with just a bit of modification.
* The USAF needs a missile truck since the B-1 is now approaching that same bugaboo of being unaffordable.
The last point is the most important and points to how the USAF plans on fighting.
Instead of embracing manned and unmanned fighter teams, the USAF is fully wedded to manned flight (at least it is today).
In keeping with how the F-35 is being rolled out to the fleet, the USAF is looking at the plane as being more of a scout...or in the words of F-35 boosters, "the quarterback" of the fight.
So what does that mean?
The F-35 will scout ahead in full stealth configuration and light up targets for the F-15EXs that will be bringing a shit load of missiles to the fight.
If all goes well the F-35 won't be detected and the F-15EXs will turn and burn as soon as they launch their missiles at range.
Replace the B-1R in the "Dogfights of the future vid" with the F-15EX and I think we have the concept they're aiming for.
The Air Force needs to invest in a fighter that it can deploy immediately. The smartest choice is the super-charged F-15EX. Its ability to carry more weapons fly higher and faster than any other aircraft, and at an affordable $27,000 flight-hour cost is an enormous value for our military and the taxpayer.
By modifying an existing, proven airframe – with an undefeated air-to-air combat record - the Air Force can take advantage of an existing manufacturing process and ground support infrastructure without the need for extensive pilot-re-training. This will allow the military to deploy the F-15EX quickly with little added cost to the American taxpayer – saving valuable funds for F-35 production.
In addition, it’s the perfect complement to pair with the F-35 and guarantee air-to-ground and air-to-air superiority for the Air Force. The F-15EX, carrying 22 missiles, is the tactical fighter that provides the payload, range, and speed the F-35 cannot. It’s also the perfect fighter to carry and deploy the future hypersonic weapons systems that cannot fit inside the internal bays of fighters like the F-35.
With growing threats abroad, including from nations like China and Russia that seek to take America’s top spot on the world’s economic and military stages, we need to deploy a fighter fleet that can guarantee global air superiority. You can’t do that with one devoted aircraft; it takes the right mix of diverse and complementary capabilities. Investing in the super-charged F-15EX now is the right choice to immediately slate into the Air Force’s existing fleet. If we don’t, America will be exposed to an increased risk of attack from our foreign adversaries.
1. Since when did 27K per flight hour seem affordable? The obvious implication is that the F-35 will cost more. Am I reading that right? How would a supply chain that is established be more expensive than the one being set up for the F-35 (assuming I'm reading it wrong).
2. The F-15EX can provide the payload, speed and range that the F-35 can't? I thought that was one of the huge selling points with the F-35! It didn't have the "raw" performance of the legacy jets but because it could fly clean it could essentially go farther and faster. Is something being let out the bag or am I again reading this wrong?
3. He keeps using the word "supercharged" to describe the F-15EX. Are their modifications going into the plane that we haven't been told of yet? Is this a simple modification of an existing plane or something more drastic?
Just spitballing out loud. I could be missing on everything...
U.S. Marines and Sailors with the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific, conduct the culminating event of the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) course 1-20 at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Dec. 18, 2019. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers take part in the TACP course in order to better coordinate air support assets and calls for fire. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Lance Cpl. Cedar Barnes)
Sidenote. I'm really fascinated by this airplane. I've read what the critics have to say. I get that's its been long delayed, but consider this. India isn't doing the China thing and stealing their way to technological progress. They're doing it the messy, confusing and frustrating way of working international deals and building the aviation industry. This lightweight fighter will fill a void that only the Gripen now occupies and could be a big seller to those that don't want to go Chinese or American or Russian, don't have to worry much about sophisticated foreign threats and need a light striker/air superiority plane.
Is it just me or does the ops tempo of the UK's 16th Air Assault Brigade been ticking up quite a bit lately? Seen reports about the UK Army/Ministry Of Defense talking about having to "go it alone" and slashing the Royal Navy to pay for the upgrades to make that happen but as much as I detest the idea of any nation (including the UK) latching onto US defense spending to bolster themselves, I think the "independent operations" concept being pushed by some is batshit crazy.
One thing is certain.
The budget wars in the UK is about to get nastier than it already is. I wonder if it's just a predictor of things to come for the US DoD.
