Saturday, December 19, 2020

Hungary has a winner with their Lynx KF41 next generation combat vehicles

 


Story here

Wow.  Something is to be said for the speed and efficiency of the Hungarian Defense Ministry in this acquisition.

One minute they were looking at candidates, the next they were setting up domestic production of the winner.

The weird thing?

Could they have the most modern, capable and lethal tracked IFV in NATO?

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Big cats in the snow...

 


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The US Army can now hit targets at over 40 miles away with cannon fire!

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This Twitter thread indicates things are getting beyond goofy in the White House...

A reader brought this to my attention and my thanks go to him although I won't spotlight him cause I don't want him flamed.

Long story short?

We're living in the land of mirrors and I don't know if this reporting is correct but if it is then I'm becoming a bit concerned about things.  Follow the link and read the entire Twitter thread but if this is true then things are getting crazy in the White House.

We might be zooming to a constitutional crises that will roil this nation like never before (and that is NOT being alarmist).

According to this Twitter thread things are being discussed that will lead to pure drama.

I hope cooler heads prevail.

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Why not chase the bloat BEFORE you cut combat power?

 This is a quick hit.

I've been a critic of Berger's plan.  But let's ASSUME that its the perfect thing for a war against China in the Pacific.

It still leaves huge questions.

One of the many is this.  Why not chase down the bloat before you cut combat power?

I don't think anyone can deny that the Marine Corps has long left behind its roots of a streamlined outfit that is oriented toward combat.  There is so much bloat everywhere that slicing that away could occupy the entire term of a Commandant.

Yet no one is doing it.

No papers are being written to Proceedings talking about it.

It's just accepted now.

That's unsat.

Does anyone have any answers?  It can't come from the rank and file (I've been counseled that the power doesn't exist there) and the powers that be are benefited by the unnecessary positions created because of it.

Will it take a SecDef to get our house in order for us?  Could even he succeed against an entrenched bureaucracy?

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Open Comment Post. 19 Dec 2020

 


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Welsh Cav mounted night fire...

 


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Friday, December 18, 2020

VIGILANT LEOPARD starts in Pabradè

 





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Is this ominous? Defense Dept halts cooperation with Biden transition team...

I don't know how to react to this news.  I never bought into the idea that Trump wouldn't leave office when his term was over but I just didn't know if he would order some type of military action before he left.

I don't know if this is ominous or not but it does seem curious.

Is this alarmism (false alarmism) on my part or could there be a bit of practicality behind my concern.

I'm dazed and confused on this one! 

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Considering Marine Corps Heresy. Would we be better off with the Army?

 


I'm about to hit you with a bit of Marine Corps heresy.  Would we be better off tucked underneath the Dept of the Army rather than the Navy?

Wait!  Hear me out before you do as I've done and dismissed it out of hand! Let's consider some of the benefits.


Airborne training for all, not just officers or a select few.

Could you imagine every swinging dick and ovary (that volunteered for it...and required for placement in certain units) being able to attend airborne school? That's the situation in the Army but quite foreign for the Marine Corps.  We could have the option of inserting Company Landing teams at long distance by parachute onto islands instead of requiring a spot for either the landing of MV-22/CH-53s or having to fast rope in.


From my chair we're drifting toward a missile firing, naval infantry role rather than Marines.  I don't like that future but if we stick to it then wouldn't it be enhanced if every Marine were allowed to go to Ranger School?

Instead of just naval infantry we could have a company of Coastal Rangers assigned to whatever they call the "new" MEU.

Hell we could even bump it up a bit and take the European style Coastal Rangers to its ultimate form and make the new Marine Corps Coast Defense Force and put it on steroids.

Regardless being put underneath the Army banner would allow our entire force to get this valuable training instead of (again) a select few.


More missiles, more artillery, more of what we say we need now!

For better or worse this move toward this Missile Marine Corps is being still born.  This concept which was SUPPOSED to guarantee Marine Corps relevancy is being usurped by Big Army doing its part to ensure deterrence by investing in the same capabilities which was supposed to be unique to the Marine Corps.

Just by looking at the Army's budget sheet its obvious that the 25th ID's capabilities ALONE will rival the entire Marine Corps' efforts in the Pacific.  If it happens as I expect and the 2nd ID is also oriented away from N. Korea and a bit more towards a fight with China then the US Army will have two entire divisions set to fight in what was supposed to be our main effort.

If another division is tasked with operations in the Pacific then we will be also rans.  But I digress.  Back on task.

What will we have to give up?


Marine Air.

We might have to give up Marine Air but I have to ask a serious question.

Would it be worth it?

I'm beginning to think so.

I was and continue to be a HUGE SUPPORTER of the Marine Air Ground Task Force.  I think its the most effective combat unit on the face of the planet. The problem is that its being tossed away.

As things stand now would it make sense for Marine Air to go away and to simply expand Navy Air?

Considering the mission sets envisioned for the future I think so.  The Marine Corps is attempting to tailor unique mission sets for Marine Air but at the end of the day it will be just a minor contributor to the air/sea battle and will be no where to be found when it comes to supporting Marines on the ground.

If its just an add on to what the Navy is already doing then why have it?

This is a quick and dirty but you get the idea.

What I thought was unthinkable has suddenly become VERY thinkable!

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BAE Systems revealed its Mobile Protected Firepower light tank design.

 


M8 on steroids.  I'm talking tren not just test or dbol... 

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French Army forces at exercise...

I look at the motorized/mech forces of the French Army and I see my vision of the USMC of past.  Scalable, Agile, Lethal...Strategically and Tactically mobile and able to strike from the sea.

Why we're throwing that away for the monstrosity that Berger is building is beyond me.

But one thing is certain.

All the promises made about it keeping us relevant is a LIE!

The Army, Air Force and even our partners in the Navy are building equivalent capability that will render this drastic altering of our force structure moot.

The Army is fielding ship killing missiles and I'm certain that the 25th ID will be tailored to killing the ships in the Pacific and even perhaps seizing ground after being transported by Navy ships and being dropped from USAF aircraft.  Even worse?  They'll have a much larger arsenal of artillery of ALL TYPES than the USMC.

The USAF is already developing plans to use alternate airfields and is beginning to dabble in austere basing of aircraft.

That ship building plan?  Those light amphibious warships?  Expect it to get gobbled up by the Navy's new Frigate especially since the LCS is such a bust.

I know they labored hard but the facts are the facts.  Berger produced a steaming pile of hot garbage. 

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