Thursday, May 13, 2021

US Army Lancer Brigade's Tactical Electronic Warfare System

 

It is so good to see American ground forces getting into the electronic warfare game.

Circumstances, bad planning, false assumptions...possibly all three will see our air power fighting to hold on.  In other words I don't believe they'll be able to provide the expected support in the next war.  They'll try but they'll have other fish to fry.

Help might not be coming for the ground force when it comes to electronic warfare.  It might be up to them. Systems like this will be vital.

Open Comment Post. 13 May 2021

Halo Razorback...replacement for the Warthog. The weird thing is that in the HALO Universe the Warthog remained in service for 200 years!

Mob violence in Israel...terrible, terrible look...

Monday, May 10, 2021

Open Comment Post. 10 May 2021

 

The US Army's Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) has a potentially lifesaving option called "Combat Mode"

 


via GM Authority
Among the many intriguing things about the Chevy Colorado ZR2-based GM Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) is a feature called Combat Mode, which is designed to give soldiers the best chance to get out of a critical situation and to save their lives.

Essentially, Combat Mode keeps the vehicle running when other safety systems are trying to shut it down.

“On the ISV, we kept alive a lot of systems from the production model [Colorado ZR2], like if it overheats and what you would consider limp home mode and things of that nature,” Mark Dickens, architectural chief engineer for GM Defense, explained during a recent interview with GM Authority executive editor, Alex Luft.

“But say you‘re in battle and you take a bullet, and the vehicle is trying to save itself but you need to get out of harm‘s way. You have the ability to switch on Combat Mode, and it overrides all that. In that same timeframe, we also give it a 25 horsepower boost, letting the soldier get out of there quickly, bringing the total output [of the 2.8L LWN I-4 turbo-diesel Duramax engine] to 300 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque.”

It seems counter-intuitive at first that a powertrain that may be very close to failure is suddenly expected to deal with more power than ever before. In a civilian situation, this would be a disaster, almost certainly leading to stranded occupants and very expensive repairs. For soldiers, it could be life-saving, even if the powertrain survives for only a few more minutes.

“The transmission is where a lot of the limp mode home mode stuff happens,” Dickens explained. “Combat Mode overrides all that and says, too bad, we gotta get out of here, the transmission will get changed later.” And perhaps the engine too.

Up to 70 percent of the GM Defense ISV is based on the Chevy Colorado ZR2. In fact, Dickens previously explained that the ISV is essentially a Colorado ZR2 “from the waist down.” The remaining 30 percent includes an open-cockpit design with a chrome-moly steel exoskeleton, seating for up to nine passengers, a Live Gauges C127 digital gauge cluster, Chevrolet Performance off-road racing components and special tuning of the MultiMatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) dampers.

Pricing per vehicle has not been revealed, but the U.S. Army awarded GM a $214.3 million contract for an initial Army Procurement Objective of 649 units plus necessary support. Overall, the Army has an acquisition objective of 2,065 vehicles for the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams.

Good luck keeping those racing components from growing legs and walking out the motor pool.  Chevy guys are gonna have a field day! 

1/2 (tasked as 2d MARDIV’s experimental infantry battalion) familiarizes on the M3E1 Multi-purpose Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System to prep Infantry Battalions Corps Wide for the "STAND IN FORCE" role

 


U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment (1/2), 2d Marine Division (2d MARDIV), familiarize themselves with the functions of the M3E1 Multi-purpose Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System on Camp Lejeune, N.C., May 6, 2021. 1/2 is tasked as 2d MARDIV’s experimental infantry battalion to test new gear, operating concepts and force structures. The unit’s findings will help refine infantry battalions across the Marine Corps as we continue to push toward the end state of Force Design 2030.

Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon conducts live fire exercise...

 








US Army's 12th Combat Aviation Brigade conducts maritime operations crew certification flights over the Black Sea

 

U.S. Army Spc. Charles Sisino, a CH-47 crew chief assigned to the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Wings of Victory, performs airspace surveillance from the ramp of his Chinook just after launching from Burgas Airport on the Bulgarian coast for maritime operations crew certification flights over the Black Sea on May 4, 2021, during Exercise Swift Response 21, part of DEFENDER-Europe 21. 

Sunday, May 09, 2021

We're talking about taking on China? We can't even protect our infrastructure from ransomeware attacks!

We have got to get harder.  Harden our infrastructure.  Harden ourselves.  We talk about taking on China but we can't even protect our infrastructure from ransomeware attacks?

Pussification and warfare don't mix.   America needs to drink in the pic below...



100th anniversary of Sophie Scholl's birth...a lady of REAL courage and conviction

Talking about potential Chinese Naval Bases in Africa (and their expanding influence)...

 

The Contenders for the Czech IFV contest are in country showing their stuff...

Word on the street is that the CV90 is in the pole position.  I'm not sure.  I know the Germans will give a VERY VERY VERY attractive manufacturing package so its anyone's guess who wins.