Pic of the day. Nov. 8, 2011.

An RAF Regiment Gunner provides force protection to Army colleagues during a casualty evacuation, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The RAF Regiment Sqn formed a four man unit as part of the Medical Emergency Response Team.

This image was a winner in the Royal Air Force Photographic Competition 2011.

Photographer: Sgt Martin Downs (RAF)

Havoc 8x8 Armored Modular Vehicle video

Team Havoc! Lockheed-Patria 8x8 Product Card.

I'm not a fan of this concept but to be honest the more I look at this offering the more I like it.  If a vehicle can ever be called pure dee bad ass then I think this one does.  I luv this 8x8!  Plus its open ocean amphibious! 

MFC Havoc Product Card

Marines strengthen amphibious capabilities during Exercise Dawn Blitz

An amphibious assault vehicle with 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion convoys through Camp Pendleton's training area during Exercise Dawn Blitz, Sept. 30. During the exercise, 3rd AABn conducted a beach landing on Gold Beach and pushed inland in an attempt to get secure location. Dawn Blitz is the third in a series of exercises this year focusing on Marine expeditionary brigade level proficiency and readiness.

Amphibious assault vehicles with 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion conduct battlefield formations while convoying through Camp Pendleton's training area during Exercise Dawn Blitz, Sept. 30. During the exercise, 3rd AABn conducted a beach landing on Red Beach and pushed inland in an attempt to get secure location. Dawn Blitz is the third in a series of exercises this year focusing on Marine Expeditionary Brigade level proficiency and readiness.

Marines with 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion inspect their amphibious assault vehicle for operability after conducting an amphibious landing on Red Beach at Camp Pendleton during Exercise Dawn Blitz, Sept. 30. Dawn Blitz is the third in a series of exercises this year focusing on Marine expeditionary brigade level proficiency and readiness.

An amphibious assault vehicle with 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion convoys through Camp Pendleton's training area during Exercise Dawn Blitz, Sept. 30. During the exercise, 3rd AABn conducted a beach landing on Red Beach and pushed inland in an attempt to get secure location. Dawn Blitz is the third in a series of exercises this year focusing on Marine Expeditionary Brigade level proficiency and readiness.

JAGM: Proven on Fixed-Wing

From PIGs to HOGs the Scout Sniper way

A Marine enrolled in the Scout Sniper Basic Course, clips vegetation to add to his ghillie suit during a stalk exercise on Oct. 15 at Camp Barrett. Marines enrolled in the course have three hours to cover 600yards.

A Marine enrolled in the Scout Sniper Basic Course, uses vegetation to blend in with the environment during a stalk exercise, Oct. 15, at Camp Barrett. Marines must inch their way across 600 yards using a technique called “skull dragging.”

A Marine enrolled in the Scout Sniper Basic Course, observes his terrain as he plans a course across 600 yards in a stalk exercise, Oct. 15, at Camp Barrett. During this stalk exercise, Marines had to move from 800 yards to within 200 yards of an observation post undetected within a time frame of three hours.

A Marine enrolled in the Scout Sniper Basic Course, attaches his rifle to his ankle as he prepares to inch his way across 600 yards in a stalk exercise, Oct. 15, at Camp Barrett. When a Marine first checks in to Scout Sniper School he is referred to as a PIG, or professionally instructed gunman. If successful, he will graduate in nine-weeks and will earn the title HOG, or hunter of gunman.

 

F-35 Maturity Flights

U.S. Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Dwayne Opella and Lockheed Martin test pilot David Nelson fly F-35A aircraft AF-6 and AF-7 from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for maturity flight software testing.

Pic of the day. Nov. 7, 2011.

A U.S. Marine amphibious assault vehicle exits the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Oak Hill to transport Marines attached to Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force to Matuntugo, Colombia, in support of Amphibious - Southern Partnership Station 2012 Nov 5. (Photo by: Spc. Juancarlos Paz)

Scimitar Mk2 in Afghanistan.

Jonathan sent me this article about 3 British soldiers surviving an IED attack in Scimitar Mk2. Thanks Jonathan...but to be honest I didn't know what a "Scimitar" was...low and behold its a recce vehicle thats been in service forever plus one day.  Read the article here but the good part...

The members of 1st Battalion, The Queen’s Dragoon Guards were unhurt because their new 35-ton Scimitar Mk2 combat vehicle has been specially designed to absorb IED blasts.
The Welsh Cavalry trio were on patrol in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand, when they were hit by the explosion last week.
Vehicle commander Lieutenant Peter Gordon-Finlayson said the massive blast stunned the crew for a few moments before they realised they had survived.
Scimitars, deployed in Afghanistan only two months ago, are part of the British Army’s new CVRT – Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked fleet – which have had improved plates of armour attached to protect crew against blasts.
Lt Gordon-Finlayson 26, from Marlborough, Wiltshire, said: “It felt like a car crash, and it took me a few moments to take it all in. But the training soon kicked in for all of us."

Interesting.  I thought for sure this vehicle was south of 20 tons but at 35 tons its an absolute beast!  Its practically in Bradley and Puma territory size wise.

Boeing bangs the gong about delivery of Super Hornets

Well they're trying to get better.

Boeing still doesn't have a clue when it comes to social media.  But they're trying...sorta like an old man trying to learn what the "interwebs" are all about.

Funny to watch but painful at the same time.  But enough of that, Boeing rightfully bangs the gong on the successful completion of the Super Hornet contract to Australia.

Congratulations.

Hornady Critical Duty...

Tactical-Life posted this video on Hornady's new offerings for 2012.  What stands out on the video is the new Critical Duty line of ammo.  Supposedly it offers barrier penetration without over penetrating once it hits flesh.  I can't wait for someone to test it out.  Consider me intrigued.

One other thing has me miffed though.  In the comments section Mike wrote this...

I love my guns, but promoting the shooting of elephants. Fuck you Hornady!! I’ll never buy one of your products again, grow some balls!

I can't lie, I had to respond to it but my issue is that if you watch the video it was simply a vid of what appears to be a rampaging elephant.  Environmentalist have been so successful that they don't realize that many of the wildlife sanctuaries that have been set up are allowing some species, including elephants to grow to so many animals that they are heading into inhabited areas where they are a problem.  I just don't see that short scene as promoting the hunting of elephants. Mike and the other tree huggers that have never stepped into a wooded area outside of central park in New York need to get over it.

David Cenciotti's Italian Navy's 20th Anniversary Harrier Special

David's got a great post up on the Italian Navy's 20th Anniversary of the AV-8B+ in service.  Check it out here, but below are a few pics...

LSU! We sustained it!

A defensive battle of epic proportions.  If you were bored then you don't know football.  I guarantee every player on both sides is in the ice tub today.

Love it.

Now how about a rematch in the National Championship game?  If OSU and Stanford get a loss then its the only game that'll make sense.

Vote for nobody.

IAF practices in Italian skies!

Safe House

Endo-Mike found another movie I've got to go see.  The trailer looks good!

Read this story at MSNBC and see if it doesn't make your blood boil!  But a sample is below...

A top U.S. general in Afghanistan was relieved of duty Friday for "inappropriate public comments" after calling the Afghan government "isolated from reality" and President Hamid Karzai "erratic."

Maj. Gen. Peter Fuller, deputy commander for training Afghan security forces, blasted the Afghan government, military and Karzai in an interview with POLITICO published on Thursday.

He called Karzai "erratic" for recently saying Afghanistan would side with Pakistan if the latter declared war on the U.S.

"Why don’t you just poke me in the eye with a needle!," Fuller was quoted as saying. "You’ve got to be kidding me … I’m sorry, we just gave you $11.6 billion and now you’re telling me, 'I don’t really care'?"

How is the XM-25 doing in Afghanistan?

Tactical Life is reporting that XM-25 is undergoing further testing.  My question is this.  How is it doing in Afghanistan?  If I remember correctly this puppy was suppose to have already been deployed yet I haven't heard a peep about it since.

F-35 hits top design speed in flight testing

via F-16.net

November 4, 2011 (by Bjørnar Bolsøy) - After the busiest month of flight testing to date and concluding three weeks of successful ship trials on the USS WASP the F-35 has reached its maximum design speed of Mach 1.6.
The record flight was flown at Edwards AFB by AF-1, as the jet is called, on October 25, a few days after the USS Wasp returned to its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk on October 21. In all two jets, BF-2 and BF-4, accomplished 72 short takeoffs and 72 vertical landings on the WASP.

According to a Lockheed Martin progress report, since the last flight test update issued on September 20, the program has completed 185 test flights, bringing the total for the year to 837.

● October was the busiest month for flying in the history of the F-35 flight test program, with F-35 aircraft executing 122 flights. The F-35B aircraft known as BF-2 accomplished 22 flights, the most ever for an F-35 in one month.

● F-35Bs completed their 500th flight on Sept. 30. In October, F-35Bs executed the most vertical landings (73) for a single month in the history of the flight test program, including the 200th vertical landing for the program Oct. 4.

● AF-12 and AF-13 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft were delivered to the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., on Oct. 19 and 26, respectively. This marked the fifth and sixth delivery of CTOL jets to Eglin and the 12th overall delivery of an F-35 to the Department of Defense in 2011.

● As of Nov. 3, F-35C carrier variant (CV) jets had executed 59 successful catapult launches and three arrestments.

● F-35C aircraft achieved 200 flight hours on Sept. 22.

Cumulative flight test activity for 2011:

● F-35A CTOL jets have flown 407 times.
● F-35B STOVL aircraft have completed 296 flights.
● F-35C CV jets have flown 134 times.

In all the F-35 has completed 1432 sorties since it's first flight on November the 3rd 2006.

Bjornar gives us a flight test update along with the news that the F-35 has hit the top design speed.  I'm certain that it'll fly faster.

 

F-35B Ship Suitability Testing