Dynamic Views.

Just a reminder that you can have SNAFU! your way.  On the bar at the top of  the page is a Dynamic Views button.  See this blog the way that you like best.  Its your choice.

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5.11 B.E.A.S.T. F-450 Super Duty

Hmmm.

Not as cool as the MagPul UniMog but cool none the less.  I guess this is the new trend for gear makers/fire arms manufacturers...I'll be looking for the S&W Jeep.

When I find more/better pics I'll post them asap.

The Dark Knight Rises - Official Trailer

I'm NOT feeling the "aster" with this film...something seems off.

F-22 pilots ask to be reassigned. Kinda says it all don't it?

via Alert5 from PilotOnline.

Despite those precautions, the head of the service's Air Combat Command said a "very small number" of pilots have decided they're not comfortable flying the Raptor.
Gen. Mike Hostage didn't provide specific numbers during a media briefing Monday. He said he wouldn't force a pilot to fly a plane against his or her will - but he also made clear that person wouldn't "get a free pass to go do something else."

Disgraceful!

Read the whole article...its generally a fluff piece with this juicy nugget hid away, but the implications are obvious and stunning.

The USAF's premier fighter is killing its pilots, they don't have a solution and although he won't force pilots to fly against their will, they won't get a free pass to do something else!

Another case of leadership failure.

This is a sad time in US Military History.  

Luckily for the USAF, the F-35 is coming.  From the looks of things it can't come soon enough.

Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond fires her first Sea Viper.

Pictures: LA(Phot) Ben Sutton, FRPU North

 via Royal Navy News

I don't know if I agree with their operational theory of letting destroyers command air elements but I can't deny that's a beautiful ship.

Sidenote:
Check out the first pic.  That's some aggressive maneuvering!

Commandant tries to tighten the reins.

First.

This from Battle Rattle...

The Marine Corps’ top general wants an end to the monkey business that, since the start of 2012, has cast a steady, unflattering light on an institution defined in no small part by the pride it exhibits in being a disciplined, moral fighting force.
“We are allowing our standards to erode,” Gen. Jim Amos, the service’s 35th commandant, laments in an internal memo distributed to all of his generals, commanding officers and sergeants major. Known as a White Letter, the sharply worded missive comes in response to “a number of recent widely publicized incidents” involving Marines misbehaving abroad.
Complacent leadership bears some of the blame, he says.

Second.

Check out this video.



Last.

Check out the Commandants words as reported by Battle Rattle again...

The Marine Corps’ top general wants an end to the monkey business that, since the start of 2012, has cast a steady, unflattering light on an institution defined in no small part by the pride it exhibits in being a disciplined, moral fighting force.

Long story short.

Its the Commandant's fault.

I bitched and shouted that the above video was foolish, I stated that it was nonsense and should not be allowed.  I wondered where this guys First Sgt, SgtMajor, or Commanding Officer was on this.

I was ignored.

But its a commonly understood that if you let little things slide they'll turn into big things.  Thats what the video represented...the beginning of the stupidity that struck the Marine Corps like a thief in the night.  The videos that appeared on the internet showing Marines in all kinds of compromising positions all can be traced back to the laxity that started with the flood of vids that had Marines asking celebrities out on dates.

And you know what?

HQMC cheered it on.  I even saw a Marine Spokesman basically endorse it.

That's the root cause of all this.  And if you had experience on the ground side then you would realize that laxity leads to discipline problems.

But on a side note I'm glad to see that the retired Marine Generals have finally spoken up.  This has the General's Club written all over it.

This is too little too late.  I don't think General Amos' tenure as Commandant will be looked on as great days for the Marine Corps.

24th MEU. African Lion Pics.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Tucker Wolf

Marines with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and soldiers of the Royal Moroccan Army, perform dry fire rehearsal in preparation for the final exercise of African Lion 12, April 14, 2012. African Lion 12 is a joint and bi-lateral exercise between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States that will involve more than 2,000 U.S. service members and approximately 900 members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. The 24th MEU, partnered with the Navy's Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, is deploying to the European and Central Command theaters of operation to serve as a theater reserve and crisis response force capable of a variety of missions from full-scale combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Lance Cpl. Seth Jarboe, a 24-year-old Castle Rock, Colo., native, and rifleman with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit provides security as a CH-53 Super Stallion lands during rehearsals in preparation for the final exercise of African Lion 12, April 14, 2012. African Lion 12 was a joint and bi-lateral exercise between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States that involved more than 2,000 U.S. service members and approximately 900 members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. African Lion 12 was the first major exercise the 24th MEU participated in after deploying in March on a regularly scheduled eight month deployment with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group.

Marines with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and soldiers of the Royal Moroccan Army, perform dry fire rehearsal in preparation for the final exercise of African Lion 12, April 14, 2012. African Lion 12 is a joint and bi-lateral exercise between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States that will involve more than 2,000 U.S. service members and approximately 900 members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. The 24th MEU, partnered with the Navy's Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, is deploying to the European and Central Command theaters of operation to serve as a theater reserve and crisis response force capable of a variety of missions from full-scale combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Lance Cpl. Seth Jarboe, a 24-year-old Castle Rock, Colo., native, and rifleman with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit provides security as a CH-53 Super Stallion lands during rehearsals in preparation for the final exercise of African Lion 12, April 14, 2012. African Lion 12 was a joint and bi-lateral exercise between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States that involved more than 2,000 U.S. service members and approximately 900 members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. African Lion 12 was the first major exercise the 24th MEU participated in after deploying in March on a regularly scheduled eight month deployment with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group.

Air Assault Final.

Students rappell out of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from roughly 90 feet in the air during the final event of the rappelling portion of the Air Assault Course held at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, April 17-27, 2012.

"Victory" Day Practice.

via English Russia.

Afghan attacks on coalition forces without injuries. The unreported truth.

From Associated Press Via Fox News.

The military is under-reporting the number of times that Afghan soldiers and police open fire on American and other foreign troops. 
The U.S.-led coalition routinely reports each time an American or foreign solider is killed by an Afghan in uniform. But The Associated Press has learned it does not report insider attacks in which the Afghan wounds -- or misses -- his U.S. or allied target. It also does not report the wounding of troops who were attacked alongside those who were killed. 
Such attacks reveal a level of mistrust and ill will between the U.S.-led coalition and its Afghan counterparts in an increasingly unpopular war. The U.S. and its military partners are working more closely with Afghan troops in preparation for handing off security responsibility to them by the end of 2014.

Go to Fox News to read the whole thing...

Information operations are a part of war.  I realize that.


I don't know if this should be classified as operationally important information to withhold from the public, information that they determined would hurt the war effort if it was released or if they simply thought the public had no need to know.

I have no idea how they'll justify this, but I'm sure they will.  I also know that the outrage that should come from the American people will not materialize.

People seem to be more concerned with Kim Kardashians big ass than they do about men fighting and dying. 

LCS. Just nasty.

H/T to Cdr Salamander.

A couple of things.

First that is one NASTY looking ship.  I've seen grungy looking but that's beyond gungy.  That's filthy.  Second thing.  Is that a Mexican flag flying?

That has GOT to hurt!

Knockout blow: Boxer Lavarn Harvell (right) smashes a mashed up Tony Pietrantonio (left) to end their light heavyweight bout

Fluid shockwave baby!  Fluid shockwave!

Feds planning for rioting & evacuations during NATO summit.

Alternate media is buzzing with news that during the upcoming NATO summit plans are being made to evacuate Chicago and training is being conducted in case of rioting.

I don't ever recall (and I could easily be wrong) major trouble at a NATO summit.  At meetings of the World Trade Organization yes, but NATO?

And if you're like me and your first thoughts are...man...these guys are kinda blowing the bullshit trumpet kinda hard...then check out these links...

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4

Being prepared is one thing but this seems over the top.  If the White House was aware of it being this disruptive then why hold this summit in a major American city?  Ft. Hood, Camp Lejuene, Barksdale AFB or any number of military facilities could have easily handled it and also provided all the needed security---in addition to having a ready supply of troops to beef it up in case of trouble.

This whole thing...including the setting seems wrong.  Something's going on here...I just can't put my finger on it.

The Vikings, 1st Bn Royal Anglian Regiment in Helmand.

UPDATE:

Thanks Mikey B. for the unit identification.  You did the job that a Combat Correspondent slipped on!

F-35B BF-14 First Flight

Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew F-35B BF-14 (Navy Bureau Number 168310), on its inaugural flight on 24 April 2012 from NAS Fort Worth JRB. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB, Florida.

German Leopard 2A6 in China? Plus new J-20 photos!

I don't know if I'm being punked or not but the China Military Report Blog posted these pics purportedly showing a Leopard 2A6 in China.

If this is real then my simple question is WTF!

Time to upgrade those anti-tank missiles boys 'cause China has Chobham armor now!  If this is real that is.

Oh and for a good two-fer here are his latest photos of the J-20...new to me at least...

UPDATE:
I found the thread the SFERRIN referred to on Military Photos.  You can read it here...but suffice it to say that the guys over there are trying to say that its a mock up of a Leopard and not a real one.  I beg to differ.  It might not actually be in China but that's not a mock up.  The US Army uses dissimilar vehicle trainers where they put shells on Humvees and M-113's to make them appear to be foreign equipment.  That fell out of favor when it was found that they could simply buy the real thing and use that for training.  That vehicle my friends is no mock up.  Judge for yourself though...oh and this is old...like last year in December old. 

Sharkey Ward turns rabidly anti-JSF.

Sharkey (yeah that Sharkey Ward...hero of the Falklands air campaign) and Team have turned rabidly anti- F-35.

The politics of this British decision is becoming more confusing by the minute.  Check out this document ....

Reference the F 35 programme as a whole, you say, " If we pull out, British industry (mainly but far from exclusively BAE's) will cease to be a tier one partner.  At present we get 15% of the entire JSF business.  Its value is around £40 billion.”  If we don't place an order for the F 35 this year, we shall no longer be a Tier 1 partner.  I think you will agree that ANY ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT DECISION on procurement of this aircraft should not be made until risks, timescales and procurement costs are clearly known.  Or do you wished to be tarred by the same brush with which you attack Gordon Brown's administration?

I think you should take the blinkers off and have the Chairman of British Aerospace Systems and his associates removed from all teams that privately advise the Prime Minister and other Ministers.  BAE is a major corporation with much of its business and employees overseas (particularly in the USA). To say that, " We could in theory still bid for small ad hoc bits of the project, but it would in practice be THE DEATH KNELL of the (large scale) aerospace industry in the UK."  is a complete exaggeration - and a misguided one at that! Are not the 175,000 personnel actively serving in our armed forces more important to the defence and security of this nation than an aerospace company that over charges on every project and underperforms on every project?  (What say you to the insider information that the Eurofighter radomes are now cracking up and falling off in the air during manoeuvre?  Another real design problem that you can blame on BAE - not to mention many others including the Tornado F3 weapons system, Nimrod’s total lack of airworthiness and maintainability, the huge cost of maintaining Tornado GR4 in service, the inability of the Storm Shadow missile to guide properly to its target or for its warhead to work correctly, etc.)

“But the F35 problems – though real – are being exaggerated, and no one anywhere in their political or military set up has shown us the slightest doubt that it will come about.”  Where on earth have you been for the last few months?  The latest GAO report and earlier DOD report as well as many articles from Pentagon-based journalists all demonstrate that the F 35 programme is in critical shape and will never meet expectations on cost or performance. 80% of development testing remains to be completed and the USA is unable to predict any firm Initial Operating Capability for any of the three variants. For you to say, “And we took delivery of our first one this month – without fanfare.” is bogus spin! The aircraft in question is part of the development programme. It does not in any sense represent an operational aircraft. On paper, it belongs to the UK because the UK has had to put money into the project. You should not read any more into the delivery of the aircraft than that. If you do you are deluding yourself.

The US Marine Corps is NOT in exactly the same position as we are reference to the STOVL.  They will continue to operate their multirole Harrier aircraft until at least 2025, they plan to procure 60 F-35C aircraft for air defence and a deep strike and THEY ARE NOW LOOKING AT HOW THEY CAN ADAPT THEIR AMPHIBIOUS CARRIERS WHICH OPERATE THE HARRIER AND WOULD OPERATE THE STOVL AIRCRAFT FOR THE OPERATION OF NON-STOVL AIRCRAFT.

 

“The EMALS technology is completely new and unproven, and has been designed for a 100,000 ton ship.  When they have perfected it for that, they then have to decide how to redesign it for a 65,000 ton ship.  Using as my reference point the absurd sums paid for other defence equipment (monopoly supplier and monopsony purchaser!) I am not altogether surprised that it is costing almost £1 billion, nor that the carrier alliance will chalk up £750 million completely redesigning and rebuilding the ship to accommodate it.”

You are wrong to say that the EMALS system will have to be redesigned for the Queen Elizabeth class carrier. That is not the case at all. It is working well and has been designed for easy unit by unit installation into a carrier deck - whether that is the deck of a 65,000 ton ship or 100,000 ton ship. If your government is to be accountable it should take serious note of “the absurd sums paid for other defence equipment (monopoly supplier and monopsony purchaser!)” [BRITISH AEROSPACE SYSTEMS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE!] and prevent BAe from taking our government and our armed forces to the cleaners on all aspects of defence related costs!  Again, I say to you, BAE were contracted to design the ships to take into account the fitting of catapults and arresting gear. FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, START HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE OR THIS GOVERNMENT WILL BECOME A COMPLETE LAUGHINGSTOCK!

Yes, Gordon Brown may have made mistakes and may be culpable as a lackey of the unions but does your government now wish to be seen in the same light as a lackey of British Aerospace Systems?

I don't get it.

Its obvious that he's part of the carrier mafia and is more concerned about getting a big deck carrier into service more than he is about the capabilities of the airplanes that inhabit its deck.

This has gone from interesting to surreal.

But what has me scratching my head the most is this passage...

The US Marine Corps is NOT in exactly the same position as we are reference to the STOVL.  They will continue to operate their multirole Harrier aircraft until at least 2025, they plan to procure 60 F-35C aircraft for air defence and a deep strike and THEY ARE NOW LOOKING AT HOW THEY CAN ADAPT THEIR AMPHIBIOUS CARRIERS WHICH OPERATE THE HARRIER AND WOULD OPERATE THE STOVL AIRCRAFT FOR THE OPERATION OF NON-STOVL AIRCRAFT.

Where in Sam Hill did he get that from?

I've heard nothing about the Marine Corps adopting LHA/LHD to operate non STOVL aircraft.

I guess its to be expected.  The forces that are lined up against the F-35 have used lies, half truths and rumors to push their agenda.  But I kinda expected better from Ward.  I'll check to see if what he's saying about Marine Corps Air is true but if it isn't then he's been bitten by the same bug as Aviation Week, Ft. Worth Star and Crikey writers.

He'll have stooped to doing anything to win this fight.

On the bright side, I'm sure he'll be getting e-mails from Sweetman and Air Power Australia...membership has its privileges!

 

Walther Navy PPQ looks nasty...and not in a good way.

Steve at the Firearms Blog has a write up on the new Walther Navy PPQ.

Go to his site read his write up but I was shocked at how nasty this gun looks.  Not "Nasty" or "Filthy" in the good way...I mean nasty as in jacked up beyond recognition!

First thought was "How did Stever get a Walther mixed up with a Hi-Point?"

A closer look at the pics showed me that Steve had his trash packed tight...this is just one messed up looking sidearm.

I hope its virtually indestructable and shoots straight.

If you can't design a good looking gun at least make it extremely effective...besides not every gun maker can be expected to achieve "Glock Perfection".

Tacticool is now mainstream.

Tacticool has become so mainstream that its becoming a sad joke.  Tacticool is the "pet rocks" and "parachute" pants of the 21st century.  Someone, someday is going to look back on this and wonder --- WHAT THE FUCK WERE THEY THINKING!!!!!!!

Check out these abominations....

Yeah thats right gents...its a digi-cam Rolex.  Say that shit out loud...a fucking Rolex in digi-cam!

Oh and if that's not enough check out these high end shoes that are ... yeah...in camo.

I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it.

H/T to Soldier Systems.net

Dynamic Views.

I love some of the changes that have come with Google's 'Blogger' setup.  Its user friendly...extremely stable and they constantly upgrade it.

Google's not exactly the monster that many would make it out to be are they?

But back on topic.

One of the things that I really appreciate is the fact that they give users (me) and consumers (you) the choice in how you receive this blog.

If you're a traditionalist then you might like things the way they are.  But if you're cutting edge you might desire a different format.

Got ya covered.  Check this out....

Mosaic View.

Classic View.

Flipcard View.

Magazine View.

Sidebar View.

Your choice on how you view this blog.

Simply click on the Dynamic Views tab at the top of the page and it'll take you to the pages....There is a drop down menu that lets you scroll between the different views.

SNAFU! meets the needs of its readers....

Readers get to choose how they receive the information...

Google isn't Satan reincarnate...

Win-Win-Win...

I'm feeling the Aster.