IDF river crossing...

IDF ground forces practice a river crossing. The drill included soldiers from combat engineering, tanks, artillery and infantry units.

Photo taken by Ori Shifrin, IDF Spokesperson's Unit

BAE's MPC Contestant...

Jamie Eason...fitness godess!

I have a serious problem with BAE teaming with Iveco in the Marine Personnel Carrier program.


Why?


Because the Geeks (I say that with love and respect) at BAE fantasize about armored vehicles the way that I do about Jamie Eason.


Check out the vehicles that they developed in the past few years...many of them self funded!

RG-41

GCV

RG-34

RG-35

Oh and that short list doesn't include updates to previous vehicles!


Time to find out whats what.  Its time to call BAE and get the real 411 on this program, the vehicle and the thought process behind it all.


Like I said.  BAE pops out new armored vehicles like a constipated goose spits shit after being fed ex-lax.  More to come.

Sapper Course Helocast.

Soldiers helocast into Lake of the Ozarks during the U.S. Army Sapper Leaders Course Nov. 2, 2009. The Sapper Leader Course is a 28-day, joint-service course designed to create elite combat engineers in all aspects of mobility, counter mobility, and survivability at the U.S. Army Engineer School in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Just a feeling I have but I bet once these wars wind down you'll see the Sapper Tab go away. I've never quite understood the why behind the Sapper tab or the school.  From the outside looking in it appears to be an enhanced breachers course...with a few forced marches thrown in...

MPC program and Armada International's take on it.

First.  Armada International is a new magazine on my reading list.  A buddy of mine threw one my way and its definitely packed full of the type of info that I'm interested in.  This passage PARAPHRASES bits and pieces from an article in that magazine.  You can check it out online here.

Second.  What happens when the Marine Corps puts out a request for information on a new Marine Corps Personnel Carrier and you have BAE basically blowing it off (they have one of the most dynamic design teams on this planet yet teamed with Iveco instead...and Iveco is mostly interested in winning the Italian Marine Corps contract/satisfying those requirements).  General Dynamics almost ignoring it (haven't heard a peep from them and most agree that we'll see a revamped Piranha III as offered to the Spanish and Brazillian Marine Corps), Singapore Technology jumping in late (probably because they see such lack luster interests) and only Lockheed Martin/Patria really digging in and looking like they're trying to win?

You're looking at an industry that has for the most part decided that the Marine Corps acquisition system is at best in flux at worst fucked up from the floor up....or an industry that has decided that the spirit is willing but the funding isn't.

But that's just my take on things.  Go buy the Armada International magazine to read the entire article but here are some juicy tidbits on each of the competitors in the contest.

The Havoc...

The magazine really talks about three big ideas with the Havoc.  First its going to be a great swimmer.  Second, its going to have modularity built into it...so much so that it could be offered with the same engine as the revamped AAV or the new built ACV.  Those two facts alone should have the Marine Corps jumping for joy.  These vehicles are suppose to all fit under the Amphibious Assault Battalions banner so not having to train mechanics or crewmen on different engines should be a cost saver.  Third and probably not a big deal to many is the fact that they changed the layout from the over 1500 vehicles that they've already sold to accomodate Marines and their equipment.  Blast resistant seating doesn't work if a Marine can't fit into it with full gear on.

The Super AV...

I was really shocked by the tone of the article regarding this vehicle.  They talked on and on about the work done to make sure that this vehicle is an excellent swimmer...even going so far as utilizing Dutch Marine Corps facilities to validate their work.  They also talked in glowing terms about the vehicle being in the pipe line since 2006 to meet an Italian Marine Corps requirement.  A shocker for me was the description that they hadn't yet met the requirement to "fit" 95th percentile Marines in their vehicle.  Have you taken a look at the average Marine Rifle Company lately?  Even the little guys are getting big!  That alone has me scratching my head wondering if BAE/Iveco is seriously trying for this contract.

General Dynamics...

They didn't provide any information for the story.  That means (at least to me) Piranha III or maybe even EVO dressed up.  I just don't get the feeling (at least from the outside looking in) that they're fully into this.  The Army has its Stryker upgrade program going hard...they're trying to win the contract to replace the M-113 with Strykers and you get the idea.  The plate is full and the Marine Corps program is just slim pickings.

Singapore Technology...

Wow.  I almost feel sorry for these guys.  The article didn't even list them as a competitor.  They're a longshot and I really wouldn't be surprised to see them pull out of the competition.  Its a shame too.  They really had an outstanding weapon in the Ultimax 100 that probably should have gotten a better hearing with the IAR comp.  They'll survive and probably prosper...just not with this program.

Summation:  Not much has changed since the last time we glanced at this program.  We just have confirmation on some of the theories that were put forth a little while ago.

This should be good (the competition) but its importance should not be underestimated.  They're about to pick one of the vehicles that Marines will ride into combat for probably the next 20 years or more.

75 mile torpedo? The sea base itself is vulnerable.

 I saw this on Cdr Salamander's site and my first impression was WTF!  A torpedo that is capable of being launched from land and can strike targets 75 miles out to sea?

Air targets are easy.  We plan for anti-air operations.  Our systems are geared toward massed air attacks.

Mass launches of torpedos from launchers on land at the sea base might be a totally different kettle of fish.

Dbl_SeaHake_01
The product guide gives very little info.  And to be quite honest I'm not too concerned about this particular missile from this particular company.

What concerns me are the copy cats that will seek to duplicate this technology.

Either way the littoral zone just became alot more hostile.

Politically correct Marine Corps bows to pressure again...

via Herald Online.com....

BEAUFORT — A controversial decision by commanders to again refer to a Beaufort F-18 squadron as the “Crusaders” has been reversed by a three-star general, according to Marine Corps officials.
Lt. Gen. Terry Robling, deputy commandant for aviation, issued an order April 30 that Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 discontinue use of the Crusaders nickname and a logo that featured a red cross on a white shield. The squadron will retain its identity as the “Werewolves,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Plenzler, a Corps spokesman.
Robling’s order came about a month after the unit’s commanding officer, Lt. Col. Wade Wiegel, announced during a 70th anniversary party the unit again would be known as the Crusaders, a nickname the squadron used from 1959 to January 2008.
In 2008, the squadron changed back to its World War II-era nickname, the Werewolves, before a combat deployment to Iraq later that year. The name change was partly because unit commanders thought the Crusaders nickname would not be well-received by Iraqis and others in the region.

Wow.

I'm not surprised in the least.  Notice that the Commander tried to maintain tradition...esprit de corps....tried to maintain a touchstone to the past and was summarily over ruled by the Deputy Commandant for Aviation?

The closer Marine Corps leadership is to Washington the more pussified they become.  And you wonder why patches like this are so popular among the troops....

 I got these images from the MilSpec Monkey store page.  But the Deputy Commandant for Aviation is going to recieve a special patch from me...I hope it inspires him the next time he has to make a decision...I wonder if they make it in digital pink?

N
Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/06/02/4017150/marine-corp-fighter-squadron-drops.html#storylink=cpy

German Boxer IFV with Lance turret

Interesting.  via Defesa Global.

Germany´s Rheinmetall Defence is to show at Eurosatory 2012 international exhibition a ARTEC GmbH BOXER equipped with the LANCE turreted weapon system. The turret is armed with a 30mm gun and additional armament such as smoke grenades launchers and a coaxial light machine gun.

BOXER is being deliveries in several configurations to the Royal Netherlands Army and to the German Army. Some of the Piranha IIIC amphibian wheeled armoured vehicles procured by Spain´s procurement agency DGAM (Dirección General de Armamento y Material) for the Spanish Navy marines Infantería de Marina (IM) are equipped with LANCE turreted weapon system. LANCE system is also available in a remote controlled variant (as LANCE RC).

A BOXER command post vehicle of the Germany Army will be also displayed as well as the 4×4 AMPV (Armoured Multi Purpose Vehicle) light armoured vehicle, the brand new Amorok M lightweight vehicle, TG, HX and SX series of tactical trucks from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH (RMMV), SLR observation system, Vingtaqs II combined electro-optical reconnaissance and battlefield radar system mounted on the AMPV vehicle as a mobile reconnaissance solution, FOI 2000 laser target marking system (in service with Sweden and Norway) for forward artillery observers and forward air controllers, Gladius (IdZ-2) dismounted soldier system and as well as Rheinmetall Air Defence AG Skyshield MOOTW/C-RAM air defence system.

At the event, RMMV is showcasing an advanced version of the protected HX series heavy tactical truck equipped with and active protection system.

Vingtaqs II system will be integrated into the reconnaissance variant of AV-8 armoured vehicle being developed by Turkey´s FNSS Savunma Sistemleri AŞ and Malaysia´s DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (DEFTECH) for the Royal Malaysian Army (RMA).

At the Paris based event, General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag GmbH is showcasing a Piranha 5 weeled armoured vehicle equipped with a LANCE turret.

Miss America...

Unashamedly stolen from Black Five's website.  

Pour a shot of JD, turn up your speakers and if someone complains...you kick their ass!

24th MEU's Battalion Landing Team at Eager Lion 2012.

All photos by Staff Sgt. Robert Fisher

NOTE:  One of the best things the Marine Corps has done in the past few years is to attach 120mm mortars with artillery instead of the infantry. 

NOTE 1:  If you download the pics then you'll get the accompanying caption.  I won't take the time to add it to the pages unless the names of the Marines are included.  Just my choice on how to do things.

Marine and Jordanian Attack Helos train at Eager Lion 2012.

All photos by Staff Sgt. Robert Fisher

 

The Military...its different but some want to "nasty" it up...

The military is different but some want to 'nasty' it up...not by raising the standards of the military but by lowering it to that of the general society.


I get it though.


Many look at the military, see how it is held in high esteem and want to destroy it since they can't measure up/or are too chicken shit to join it.  Even military kids hold themselves to higher standards...



Wow.  Not talking or playing grab ass like you see all around the country.  Actual respect at colors.  Love it.

Brits (Special Boat Squadron?) rescue citizens...

via Navy Times...

KABUL, Afghanistan — It was a risky, but successful operation: British and other NATO forces stormed a cave tucked in the mountains before dawn Saturday and rescued two foreign female aid workers and their two Afghan colleagues being held hostage by Taliban-linked militants.
Helicopters, flying under the cover of darkness, ferried the rescue team to extreme northeastern Afghanistan where they suspected the hostages were being held. After confirming the workers were there, they raided the site, killed several militants and freed the hostages, ending their nearly two-week ordeal.
Helen Johnston, 28, from Britain; Moragwa Oirere, 26, from Kenya; and their two Afghan colleagues were kidnapped May 22 while traveling on horseback in Badakhshan province. The four work for Medair, a humanitarian non-governmental organization based near Lausanne, Switzerland.
“They were kidnapped by an armed terrorist group with ties to the Taliban,” said Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings, a spokesman for the U.S.-led military coalition fighting in Afghanistan. “The kidnappers were armed with heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and AK47s. ... The hostages were being held in a cave in the mountains.”

This is interesting because of this tidbit at the end of the article...

British Prime Minister David Cameron approved the rescue operation Friday afternoon after becoming increasingly concerned about the safety of the hostages. The mission was carried out by British troops in cooperation with other NATO and Afghan forces, Cameron told reporters outside 10 Downing Street in London.

Interesting on a couple of levels...

Did the British PM have to approve it because British citizens were involved?  And second, did they operate outside Joint Special Operations Forces Afghanistan?  I guess the real question is this.  Was this a purely British mission?

I almost think that it was.

The British military, politicians and people are still smarting over a bungled rescue attempt earlier by US forces.  Its one of the few public black eyes that has been laid on the footsteps of SEAL Team 6...and to be fair there are still questions as to what exactly happened.

Either way outstanding.  

Marine Corps BAMCIS

BAMCIS (Begin the Planning, Arrange Recon, Make Recon, Complete Planning. Issue Order, Supervise)

Roger that Sir!

15th MEU. Air Combat Element on display....

All photos by Lance Cpl. Timothy Childers

A CH-53E Super Stallion from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, takes off from the flight deck of the USS Peleliu during Phibron 3 and the 15th MEU's PHIBRON-MEU Interoperability Training exercise off the coast of Southern Calif., May 31. The exercise is the MEU's first time at-sea as an entire Marine Air Ground Task Force and gives Marines and sailors the opportunity to become familiar working together as a blue-green team.

An AH-1Z Cobra from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, hovers above the flight deck of the USS Peleliu during Phibron 3 and the 15th MEU's PHIBRON-MEU Interoperability Training exercise off the coast of Southern Calif., May 31. The exercise is the MEU's first time at-sea as an entire Marine Air Ground Task Force and gives Marines and sailors the opportunity to become familiar working together as a blue-green team.

A CH-46E Sea Knight from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, lands on the flight deck of the USS Peleliu during Phibron 3 and the 15th MEU's PHIBRON-MEU Interoperability Training exercise off the coast of Southern Calif., May 31. The exercise is the MEU's first time at-sea as an entire Marine Air Ground Task Force and gives Marines and sailors the opportunity to become familiar working together as a blue-green team.

Update on military breastfeeding mothers.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thanks DRAKE1 for getting me to this vid!

Not one woman in uniform has the right to bitch or complain about how men view them.  There sisters put them in this light.  There sisters are pushing this issue.  There OWN sisters are making the case that women are different from men.

When you hop into the back of a CH-53 to do a TRAP mission and you see a female pilot sitting there can you blame a PFC for looking at her wondering if she's lactating?  Heaven help guys doing PT in mixed sex units....

And guess what girls...you did it to yourselves.

Sidenote:  I notice NOT one of the big boy military blogs is touching this with a ten foot pole.  AMAZING.  What a bunch of fucking cowards.  You're bad and bold with every fucking thing else but this issue you won't touch????  Kiss my ass you bunch of arrogant clowns.

Concept tanks by Kemp Remillard

Concept tanks by Kemp Remillard

Breastfeeding Airmen wrong...

via Air Force Times...

The Air Force has no policy on breastfeeding in uniform. But it does forbid airmen from using the uniform to advance the cause of an outside organization.

“The uniform was misused. That’s against regulations,” Kosik said. “I want to be very, very clear about this. Our issue is not, nor has it ever been, about breastfeeding. It has to do with honoring the uniform and making sure it’s not misused. I can’t wear my uniform to a political rally, to try to sell you something or push an ideology. That was our point of contention.”

This should get good.

The Air Force doesn't have the balls to actually punish these females (no service would...the Mothers of America lobby is too strong and the JCS is filled with momma's boys) but you can bet your last dollar that this won't be the end of it.  Like most advocacy groups...they won't know when to stop and I guess that they're attempting to recruit women from other services to be photographed in uniform in an effort to push this fake agenda.

200th flight for the first F-35B

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk flies a mission May 10 in F-35B Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft BF-1. The mission expanded the aircraft’s flight envelope in short takeoff and vertical landing mode, and was the 200th flight for the aircraft. The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

Pic of the day. Harrier Glory.

Lt. Col. Thomas D. Gore, former commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 223, and a native of Tampa, Fla., pilots an AV-8B Harrier over the Kajaki Dam in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Nov. 20. From November 2011 to May 2012, VMA-223 provided close-air support for Marines and their Afghan and coalition partners conducting counterinsurgency operations in southwestern Afghanistan

Beautiful bird.

Heads up.  Still working on new info on the Marine Personnel Carrier Program.  Its a bit more involved than I thought and I'm trying to backstop some of the opinions that I've come up with.  Should be out this weekend.

To our British Friends!  Thanks for the gift of those spare birds!

USMC Pack System.

You're doing something wrong when you have to put out a 30 minute instructional video on how to assemble and use a pack.

What happened to simplicity, ruggedness and durability carrying the day?  No, instead we have packs that are suppose to carry 100 pounds yet have plastic frames!  

But even better is the fact that it takes longer to teach a Marine how to assemble his pack than it does to teach him how to assemble and disassemble his weapon!