Congrats! And a warning for the Fleet Marine Force

First.  Congrats to a Marine that is super squared away, lives right, is a moral family man on his being selected for promotion and MARSOC.  You deserve everything that's coming your way and I wish you nothing but the best.  Unlike some, you don't whine and cry.  You make a decision, work your ass off and make things happen.  I wish more people were like you.

Second.  My biggest fears are coming true when it comes to MARSOC.  The Army can support a special operations force.  It has the personnel.  With the coming drawdown in the Marine Corps you're seeing the conventional forces being cherry picked for the best and brightest...this from an already limited pool of people.  The end result will be that Marine Corps conventional forces will only be worthy of conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.  USMC conventional forces will soon approach the competency of our reserve forces during the 80's and 90's...and those were part time folks.  General Amos, you stupid bastard.  I hate you and can't wait till you're gone.  You're destroying my Marine Corps.

Crazy like a fox.

Just a note on the Republican Convention and the firestorm over Clint Eastwood's speech.

If I didn't know better I would think that he purposefully set the whole thing up.  I mean I've heard some pretty wild stuff from both sides of the political isle this year and I thought that Clint was funny rather than offensive.  But even better is the fact that Clint has a movie coming out Sept 1st.  Yeah, if Clint knew that a few jokes were going to start this firestorm and have his name all over the place.  If he knew that the media would react the way that they did...then ole' Clint is crazy like a fox.

Indonesian Trimaran Stealth Missile Boat at Sea.

Awesome pics!  Thanks DWI!

RAF Merlin Helicopters on Exercise Pashtung Vortex

Augusta Westland in India.

Augusta Westland had penetrated the Indian helicopter market place and sold a couple of AW101's for VIP transport there according to the LIVEFIST Blog.

And just imagine.  We could have had the same helicopters in operation by now for our VIP transport with HMX-1.

The US Army's Air Defense Force (formerly Air Defense Artillery) is how they get into Air-Sea Battle.

The US Army has a problem.  Its on the outside looking in when it comes to Air-Sea Battle.  Some journalist have tried to paint the Marine Corps with the same brush as the Army...that we're a land force, but that's to be short sighted, naive and foolish.  Traditionally the Marine Corps has been part of the Navy and quite honestly it always will be.

The Army needs a dog in the fight and the way in is with its Air Defense Force...I like that name better than Air Defense Artillery because it better covers the functions that it will perform if the concept is followed to its logical conclusion.

The video above gives the best example of how Air Sea Battle is suppose to work when confronted with a missile raid.  But whether its a missile raid, air raid or even a ballistic missile launched at an aircraft carrier or amphib, the Army can play a role if its willing to garrison a few islands with our allies...fully fund the ground based interceptor...and integrate the Patriot missile system into the network.  Goure over at the Lexington Institute covered it well.  A tidbit.

The Army could turn theater air and missile defense into a major future franchise. This means getting rid of the idea that air and missile defenses are a supporting capability for an Army that wants to focus on combined arms maneuver. As ballistic missiles, advanced fighters and long-range precision weapons proliferate, air and missile defense may be one of the most important military missions in the 21st century. To defend valuable territory and people at risk requires being there, forward deployed. In the Asia-Pacific region, air and missile defense could be the shield behind which U.S offensive power, resident largely in the Navy and Air Force, will organize and prepare to deliver a crushing counterattack.

I contend that between participating in Air Sea Battle with their Air Defense Force and taking a leading role in Cyber Warfare, the Army will have a major role to play in any conflict in the Pacific.  Additionally by de-mechanizing and establishing a few pure Light Infantry Divisions, then they'll also have forces that can deploy quickly by air to assist in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief missions.  Think back to Haiti.  The one thing that was needed besides food, water and medical assistance was man power.

The Army has its script.  I wonder if they have the leader to read it to the force.

What If? A new/redesigned CH-46...

Another great pic by Joe Copalman

Let me hit you with a what if.

What if the USMC did a complete redesign/upgrade of the CH-46 instead of buying the MV-22?  They would all be new build helicopters but would start off with all the strong points of the Sea Knight.

What would we want?

*Composite blades...maybe something from the Brits and their Lynx helicopter (the fast one that broke records)
*A composite body...using processes developed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin
*Massive engines...perhaps the same ones used on the CH-53K or the MV-22.
*Enlarged sponsons to hold more fuel
*Enlarged cabin both in depth and width
*Quad landing gear for increased stability on ships.

Maybe I'm talking about a scaled up CH-46 or a scaled down CH-47 but if we only got these few upgrades what would we have now?  We'd have a helicopter that would probably be fully deployed and produced, lower life cycle costs, less expensive, more robust, faster than the legacy helicopter (but not as fast as the MV-22), longer ranged than the legacy helicopter (ditto) and it wouldn't be eating up the budget leaving the ground side with crumbs.

Marine Corps Public Affairs better get a handle on the training with civilian law enforcement.

The training scenarios with US Marines working with civilian law enforcement is a bad idea. News stories like this don't help....via WNCT.com.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Training at Camp Lejeune Thursday looked and felt real -- and that was the point. Law officers and marines from across the country ended their training with a bang.
Thursday was the final day of exercises for law enforcement and marines who have gone through special reaction team training at Camp Lejeune for the past three weeks. In the final exercise, teams were presented with a series of real life scenarios as well as hands on instruction to handle them correctly.
Brian Dye, Operations Chief of I&I in Lexington, Kentucky says training civilians as a blended force with Marine Corps personnel eases the transition into a real world scenario.

"I think it's always good when you get an opportunity to work on some similar tactics and procedures so that everybody's kind of operating on the same page. That way when you bring teams together from active duty and the  civilian side, it makes the integration a whole lot smoother."

The tactics trainees take away from this course just may help save lives.  This three week SRT training course is phase one for law enforcement and Marine Corps personnel. Phase two will focus on sniper and designated marksmanship training.

I don't know if these are Infantrymen or Military Police but someone at the Public Affairs Office needs to get out ahead of this stuff.

The internet is blowing up about this and its sparking some pretty infammatory comments. I'm not saying that anything evil is going on here.  But it needs to be explained before some loons start taking aim at Marines because they think they're coming to "declare martial law"...sounds over the top?  Read some websites.

The Marine Corps NEEDS to get ahead of the curve and explain this!


NOTE:  Here is an example of what I'm talking about.  The internet is aflame with this.

Japan no longer buying KAAVs. BAE just caught a break.

If I'm reading this right.

And Google translation leaves alot to be desired.

Then BAE is going to get a chance to sell AAV's to Japan after the push by the Japanes to buy Korean KAAV's fell through.  Here is the link to the original story...and here's a summary of the situation by a Korea watcher.

Citing a Korean government official, the Hankyoreh reports that Japan apparently abandoned an effort to import the Korea Amphibious Assault Vehicle (KAAV) after President Lee visited Dokdo.
Instead, Japan is now considering purchasing American AAV7s.
According to the official, earlier this year Japan was really interested in importing the KAAV as part of Tokyo’s efforts to deal with the Chinese threat against the Senkaku Islands.
The Japanese felt the KAAV, used by the Korean Marine Corps, was the best fit after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the US was suspending development of the EFV.
This was back in those heady days of June, when it looked like Korea and Japan were set to form what critics feared looked a lot like a military alliance. Japan, too, had announced last year it would export weapons to Korea and Australia, and Tokyo figured importing a Korean weapons system first would make later Korean imports of Japanese weapons smoother. Buying and selling weapons would help move the relationship towards a semi-alliance, too.
Then everything pretty much went to shit in July. The military intelligence deal blew up in Lee Myung-bak’s face, one of Lee’s top security advisors was forced to resign, and then President Lee visited Dokdo.
The Korean government had believed the Japanese were still interested in buying the KAAV, and on Aug 27, NHK reported that the JSDF was putting together 3 billion yen to buy four amphibious assault vehicles. Unfortunately, NHK reported the vehicle under consideration was the American AAV7 now used by USFJ.

The Japanese are a high tech force and I seriously doubt that they'd be satisfied with used or refurbished Marine Corps AAVs.  Besides, all of our vehicles have been ridden hard---real hard.  Even a rebuild will probably be so extensive that a new built vehicle would be cheaper.

BAE just got the foot in the door that they needed to when the AAV upgrade and possibly the ACV contests.

LAPD fist bump after body slamming mom!?!?

Oh this is bad.  This is real bad.

One trend that the US military needs to stop and stop right now is the trend toward closer cooperation with law enforcement.  Its a road lined with peril and if it isn't stopped then you'll see the military lose the trust of the people that it now enjoys.  But back on this injustice....Read the whole story here.

I'm calling BS on that Aviationist.

used without permission but he has this nasty ass watermark all over it so....

The Aviationist has an article up saying that the F-16's used in the Wild Weasel role will get the F-35 paint treatment.

I'm calling bullshit on that. Go to his site to read the whole thing but a tidbit.

All the U.S. “Wild Weasel” F-16s are being given a new paint job similar to the one of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
It is called “Have Glass 5th generation” as it represents the evolution of the standard Have Glass program that saw all the F-16s receiving a two-tone grey color scheme made with a special radar-absorbing paint capable to reduce the aircraft Radar Cross Section: in fact, “Vipers” are covered with RAM (Radar Absorbent Material) made of microscopic metal grains that can degrade the radar signature of the aircraft.
For the moment, the JSF-like paint job will be applied to the F-16CM (formerly CJ) Block 50 Fighting Falcon aircraft that can carry a  variety of air-to-air and air-to-surface ordnance, including  HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles) and precision-guided munitions.

I went to site to ask him where he sourced the story from and he said they wished to remain anonymous.  Ok. Cool, but I'm still saying bullshit.

First the F-16 is about the most unstealthy airplane flying.  To get from here to there you have to hang gas off its wings.  Want a stealthier airplane?  Try conformal fuel tanks...but paint?  Additionally the maintenance challenge has yet to be determined.  I THINK it'll be less maintenance intensive but you'll still need to put in work.

Last, why would you do it?  Besides the cost, I would think that other priorities would get those dollars.  Extended range weapons, upgraded cockpits and avionics...there are a whole host of things that could be done to make this more cost effective.  But an even better reason is that this is the one area where UAVs will definitely be useful.  The X-47 is primed to take over this role.

Naw.  This paint job story just don't sing.

UPDATE:
This was the response on TWITTER...

 well, this means you've never heard about Have Glass. Google it before writing such things.

Hey I get that.  And trust me...I haven't heard of "Have Glass" but that still doesn't make the story any less probable.  The Dew Line just ran a story on F-16 upgrades and they're aviation guys too.  They made no mention of any stealth treatment from the F-35 being applied to the F-16.  Additionally Lockheed Martin would be singing to the rafters about another benefit of the F-35 program being applied to legacy aircraft.  So betwen all that and the money crunch I just can't see it.

Don't get me wrong.  Where I come from you can call bullshit on your best friend and it not cause a fight.  Its just two guys not agreeing on a given bit of info.  I like David.  I'm just calling bullshit on this particular story.

Know your enemy. China launches Type 52D Destroyer.

Type 52C Destroyer via China Military Review.

Type 52D Destroyer via China Military Review.

This is the trouble with China.

They're pumping out ships and planes so fast that identification issues that we had with the Soviet Union are going to look like child's play in comparison.  Not only are they producing new models but they're also introducing product improved models of existing designs.

There is an additional issue too.  Look at all those VLS tubes.  Remember my fictional attack on a carrier battle group?  Add to that mix a couple of these ships armed with the Chinese Tomahawk anti-ship missile and it becomes even more difficult for our guys to survive.

Read about the new Type 52D here.

Launching AAVs from LCACs at Sea.

Sea launch of the mechanized raid force from LCACs.

A concept you might not have heard of but is part of "LCAC Doctrine" and is even part of the manual on the employment of LCACs.  I've never seen it actually employed but according to the book, the operation can only be performed in sea state 1 and there is much talk about safety considerations.  I totally get that but what has me intrigued is the idea of extending the range of our AAVs without having the expense of the EFV's hydroplaning.

With all the experimentation that's going on (or supposedly going on) you would think that the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch along with the Navy LCAC crews at Pendleton could come up with some innovative procedures that could let us make best use of this concept.

The manual states that the LCAC is to come off cushion, remove tie downs, lower stern ramp, get underway at a speed of approx 3 knots and launch the AAV's.

Why can we add some type of cushioning to the interior sides of the LCAC to protect it from a vehicle that might get jostled around...use wheel chocks instead of tie downs and (this is perhaps the hardest part too...how do you launch an AAV from an LCAC without coming off cushion?) launch the vehicles at speed.

Whatever the AVTB and the LCAC crews come up with will be a big improvement over what we have now.  It should allow us to have over the horizon reach with our amphibious vehicles and not just helicopters and perhaps most of all, it'll give us another option to present to the Combatant Commanders.

Oh and did I mention that the LCAC manual also talks about launching small boat raids at sea using a similar technique?

I'm becoming more and more convinced that our LCACs can be a massive force multiplier if we would only get a bit creative.

MCRP 3-31.1A Employment of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)

SEAL Author on 60 Minutes..

This guy just won't stop.  I don't know if he's just stubborn, needs the attention or if this is part of his book deal but damn it!

I can't wait to see what the boys over at SOFREP have to say on this one. 

More pics of the F-35B in formation...

F-35B test aircraft BF-2 and BF-4 fly in formation over an Atlantic Test Range on Aug. 22, 2012, to collect data on handling characteristics.

Photo release: F-35B aircraft in formation

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – F-35 test pilots Marine Corps Maj. C. R. Clift and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Burks fly BF-2 and BF-4 during a formation flying qualities test in the Atlantic Test Range Aug. 22. Testing formation flying qualities provides data on handling characteristics. The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter designed for use by U.S. Marine Corps, as well as F-35 international partners in the United Kingdom and Italy. The F-35B is capable of short take-offs and vertical landings to enable air power projection from amphibious ships, ski-jump aircraft carriers and expeditionary airfields. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River, Md., prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

NAVAIR Clips: AARGM Live Fire

The Navy conducts a live fire test for the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) at China Lake, Calif. in June 2012.

What is up with these idiot reporters?

I just don't get it. 

Why do these idiot reporters insist on being out in the middle of a storm giving us a blow by blow of heavy rain, high winds etc...

I mean seriously!  We all know that!  This is just another one of those stupid things that modern American loves and I'll never understand.

Steppin' Out

Marines attending Marine Combat Training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., conduct an early morning five kilometer hike to the grenade range from range 314 aboard the camp. The Marines are constantly being pushed to their limits and beyond so they are ready physically and mentally for combat.
(U.S. Marine Corps phot by Sgt. Aaron Hostutler)

Embraer R-99. What do they know that we don't?

via Embraer.

PRESS RELEASE | São Paulo, August 16, 2012 | Embraer Defense and Security today delivered the first EMB 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) class of aircraft to the Government of India, in a ceremony held at Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The delivery follows successful completion of ground and flight tests of the aircraft which met operational targets established by both Embraer and Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). Later on the aircraft will be delivered to the Indian Air Force after integration of missions systems of DRDO by CABS in India.

What does India and several other airforces know that we don't?  Even with the US subsidizing buys of our products by foreign govts...even with Europe doing the same, Embraer is still kicking everyone's butt.

What makes this concept so damn attractive?