Friday, December 07, 2012

Awesome 3d Illustrator.

US Army's Ground Combat Vehicle in trouble...


You could feel this one coming.

And it all started with the weight issue...an APC that weighs more than an Abrams Main Battle Tank?  No one could imagine that.  It might make all the sense in the world but no one could wrap their heads around that one little tidbit.  More than 80 tons.

But to be honest I really get the feeling that the Army is sacrificing the GCV to the procurement Gods in order to get the vehicle they really want.  No not the Double Vee Hulled Strykers.  The vehicle the Army is really lusting after is the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV).  The M-113 is the vehicle more than any other that the Army is ready to put to pasture and if the GCV must die in order to make that happen then so be it.  Check this out from Inside Defense.

The Army's Ground Combat Vehicle development is poised to be hit by massive budget cuts that could radically transform it from one of the service's most prized modernization efforts to an endangered program,Inside the Army has learned.A draft resource management decision from the Office of the Secretary of Defense would cut $150 million from the Army's $1.4 billion budget request for the GCV in fiscal year 2014, but deeper cuts are also being considered by OSD's cost assessment and program evaluation shop (CAPE) under a "ground forces program review" study. Sources said those cuts would slash between $600 million and $700 million annually from the GCV program between FY-14 and FY-18, according to a Defense Department official close to the matter."I think the writing on the wall is that the spigot is rapidly closing and we need to start dealing with that reality," the official said. "It's just overall bad timing for a new and expensive vehicle program."The coming drawdown in Afghanistan, coupled with cries for increased budget austerity at home, may make it impossible for the Army to fund the GCV's development to the extent it once wished, the official said.
Army GCV meet Marine Corps EFV.  We loved you both and you both could have been great.

LAZAR MRAP/APC gets its first foreign orders.


via Defense Web.
Kenya and Bangladesh will be the first recipients of armoured vehicles produced by a new factory in Serbia. It is believed that the two countries will receive the locally developed Lazar BVT mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicle.
Serbian Defence Minister Aleksandar Vucic met with Russian Deputy Premier Dmitry Rogozin last week to discuss military cooperation, which may see the two countries build 57 and 155 mm ammunition. Russian manufacturers provide components for armoured vehicles Serbia plans to produce for its own military as well as for Kenya and Bangladesh. “We both have the will and the money to invest in Serbia,” said Rogozin.
The new factory will be established with 130 employees before the end of 2013 in Velika Plana, Serbia, Vucic said. It will build several variants of armoured vehicles. Last year the state-owned Yugoimport arms export agency received a contract for 18 Nora B-52 155 mm self-propelled howitzers to the Bangladesh Army. It has been reported that Kenya has also bought the Nora artillery system.
It is presumed that the armoured vehicles that will be delivered to Kenya are the Yugoimport Lazar BVTs, developed by the Serbian Military Technology Institute to meet local and export requirements. The first prototype was completed in 2008. The vehicle has a crew of three (commander, driver and gunner) and can carry ten fully equipped troops. These have firing ports and sit in seats attached to the roof, which reduces the risk of injury in case the vehicle hits a mine. 
With regard to armament, a wide variety of weapons can be fitted in a remotely controlled overhead weapon station or light turret, including 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machineguns and 20 mm and 30 mm cannons or an automatic grenade launcher.
Kenya makes extensive use of armoured vehicles, especially due to its combat operations in Somalia. Last month it was announcedd that South African expeditionary and tactical equipment manufacturer Osprea Logistics has established a factory in the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa to produce its Mamba Mk5 armoured personnel carriers. Osprea plans to produce more than a hundred Mamba Mk 5 vehicles in the first year of production.
Over 200 South African-made Mamba APCs are already in use in Somalia. Powered by Iveco or 352N Mercedes Benz 6-cylinder engines, the Mamba is a sturdily designed vehicle which is suited for combat operations in desert and other remote locations. The vehicle can withstand small arms fire, landmine blasts and improvised explosive devices and has been widely used in Iraq.
Interesting.  I can't wait to see how they perform.

Hat tip to Jonathan for the article. 

Argentina set to buy Brazilian Armor...the VBTP-MR.

Thanks for the article Jonathan.


Looks like Brazil, IVECO and even ELBIT are the big winners in the S. American armor game.  The VBTP-MR is the most advanced armored vehicle being produced on that continent.

The pending sale of these vehicles to Argentina bodes well for all three companies in different ways.  Brazil gets its domestic arms industry up and running in a big (and this time) sustainable way.  They tried this once and it didn't quite work out.  IVECO gets to supply parts to that industry and has a solid foothold in a rapidly arming section of the world...and ELBIT gets out front with its 30mm RWS system.  Their main competitor RAFALE just isn't getting much traction with their offering.  Check this out from UPI.

Argentina is on track to buy 14 Brazilian Guarani 6x6 armored vehicles being developed with Italian manufacturer Iveco's help.Details of the defense deal weren't released but confirmation of the planned procurement by the Argentine army comes from Brazilian army Brig. Gen. Philip Linhares Luiz Gomes, head of research in Brazil's land forces.The 6x6 VBTP-MR Guarani armored vehicle is the result of Brazil's collaboration over several years with Italy's Iveco S.p.A.Argentine procurement officials apparently decided on the purchase after trials of the armored vehicle during military exercises.Argentina is the first foreign customer for the Guarani but Brazilian officials have indicated they are keen to expand the market for the APC while deploying an unspecified number of units in various branches of Brazilian armed forces.The six-wheel Guarani Viatura Blindada Transporte de Pessoal, Media de Rodas, or VBTP-MR, is envisaged as a military vehicle family that can replace Brazilian inventories of Engesa EE-11 and EE-9 wheeled vehicles.
Read it all here.

Pearl Harbor.

Today in American history on Dec 7, 1941 a Naval Base was struck by the Japanese.  Consider the response at the time...the President met with Congress and Congress declared war.  Our entire nation was mobilized for the effort.  Rationing of strategic supplies...oil, gas, rubber, steel and even food was diverted to support the war effort.  War Bonds were sold so that the nation could fully fund the war...and finally every person over the age of 18 (and many below that age) all found a way to contribute.  I'm not so infatuated with the period to not believe that their weren't slackers...but in general the nation pulled as one.

Remember the attack, marvel at our response and compare it to what would happen today.


Shrink SOCOM to save SOCOM.


Check out this tidbit from SOFREP.

 The Army, Big Army is shifting gears in anticipation of the next series of conflicts and is preparing itself to be more strategically and operationally agile. However, in the same way it is difficult to change course once an aircraft as begun its turn so it is with regular Army. The concern then is, will the regular Army’s move towards less conventional methods begin to envelope or overrun that of Army SOF. Will this creep of policy and doctrine create one large special force that will no longer be able to address the more asymmetric threats of the future? Additionally will this shift cause conventional Army units to lose sight of their best practices, best practices based on decades of experience? Are we, the United States leaving ourselves open to being ill prepared to handle a conventional adversary should one arise?
To answer many of these questions we must take a step back and look back at look at why SOF was developed. For this reason I leave you with what I believe to be one of the most authoritative definitions of Special Operations by Dr. Robert Spulak from his standout paper “A Theory of Special Operations” (2007).
“Special Operations Forces (SOF) are small, specially organized units manned by carefully selected people using modified equipment and trained in unconventional applications of tactics and against strategic and operational objectives. Further, the successful conduct of special operations relies on individual and small unit proficiency in specialized skills applied with adaptability, improvisation, and innovation against adversaries often unprepared to react. It has often been stated that the unique capabilities of SOF complement those of conventional forces.”
Read the whole thing but my takeaway is as follows...

*SOCOM is finally realizing that just as they've poached on conventional mission sets in the past (think US Army Rangers taking the airfield seizure mission from the 82nd), you're now going to see conventional forces poaching on SOCOM territory.

*SOCOM's huge logistics footprint is actually about to start biting.  They (SOCOM) often point to how a few trigger pullers are able to influence events.  What's left unsaid is the large number of people required to support each shooter.  I don't have the numbers but eyeballing it, it looks like its substantially more than a conventional Soldier or Marine.

*Raids don't make you elite.  Rangers are the premier raid force or so they would tell you.  They just might be.  I don't know and really don't care.  What I do know is that they're some outstanding light infantry.  But the issue isn't the Rangers.  The issue is raids.  Every force in SOCOM has been concentrating on it with the possible exception of the Special Forces.  Every single entity.  The problem.  Everyone does it.  Every Battalion in the Marine Corps does raids.  Every Army Brigade.  Insertion method be damned, being a raider is no longer a special skill set.

*Insertion methods aren't so special.  Every Marine in a Infantry Battalion can fast rope, do basic small boat handling and can storm out the back of an AAV.  With the exception of the AAV ride, you're looking at the hall marks of SOCOM.  Everyone in SOCOM fast ropes, handles small boats and jumps.  The issue with that is a beefed up 82nd could do the same (and lets be honest  really does the same now with the exception of small boat drills).  SO I said all that to emphasize the fact that unless you're talking HALO, HAHO, LALO or scuba insertion techniques then its not really special.

Long story short the line between Special Operations and Conventional Forces is closing.  How do you solve it?  By reversing what has been done.

If SOCOM is to remain SOCOM then its essential to shrink the force and realize that not every mission requires SOCOM.  A 70,000 man force is not elite.  Its time to shrink the beast in order to save it.

Amos speaks.

The Commandant gave a pretty in depth interview recently and for the first time in my memory I agree with his general outline of the Marine Corps.  I don't know if this was just a one off thing, if this is a new way of thinking on his part or what but its kinda refreshing.  He and his still lied on women in combat issue and in my opinion is still leading the parade toward the Marine Corps being irrelevant but at least he sounded like a Krulak or a Mundy or a Gray this one time.

Read it here.

Canada, the F-35 and does a cancellation really matter.



The Dew Line is reporting that the F-35 might be cancelled by the Canadian govt.  My question.  Does it really matter if they do?  I mean seriously.  We've been going through all kinds of drama with this program from the very beginning.

Critics have banded together to try and stop it (pay no attention to the fact that they savage Lockheed Martin for the F-35 but sing the praises of the older and in many ways less advanced F-22...looking at Sweetman and company) but they haven't yet.

And even if Canada does pull out, I'm looking east toward the Orient.  Singapore, S. Korea, Japan are all in the market for the plane and the Canadians (if they do cancel) will be the odd man out when it comes to modern fighters.  Their orientation toward Europe will be complete.

So in the end.  I really don't care.  I don't think it will affect the program and the only thing I would ask is that any production slotted for Canada be reassigned to a partner that remains steady.

Update....Now they're saying it might not be canceled.  I wish they would make up their mind.  In or out but make a choice.

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

F-35B Aerial Weapons Release.

On Dec. 3, an F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft completed the program's first aerial weapons release of an inert 500-pound GBU-12 Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb. The aircraft (BF-3) dropped an inert GBU-12 over the Atlantic Test Ranges from an internal weapons bay. The internal weapons carriage allows the F-35 to maintain a low-observable profile when combat loaded. The F-35B is a short take-off and vertical landing-capable fighter aircraft, designed for use by the U.S. Marine Corps as well as defense partners in the United Kingdom and Italy.

First F-35B Delivery to MCAS Yuma

Boxer Armored Personnel Carriers in Afghanistan.

via Military Photos.net





Brits considering scrapping AH-64's.


The Brits continue to confuse me.  Talk to any of their Bloggers and they'll proudly tell you that the British model of the Apache is the most advanced version flying.  To be quite honest the same claim was made by some of its pilots if I recall correctly...but as soon as the US Army plans to upgrade to an "Echo" version the first thought is to scrap them and possibly acquire Tiger Attack Helicopters??

Quite honestly I'd put that helicopter behind the AH-1Z...far behind it and possibly behind the A129 Mangusta and the S. African Rooivalk.

via the Telegraph.

 Britain’s Apache gunships have been in use since 2001, seeing action in Afghanistan - where current pilots include Prince Harry - and in Libya.
Despite the helicopters’ successes on the frontline, defence sources suggested that the Army Air Corps fleet of 66 Apaches could eventually be cut to around 50 aircraft fit for operations.
Britain’s American-made AH-64D helicopters face becoming redundant because the US has decided to stop using the AH-64D model and adopt a newer variant, the AH-64E.
That means essential technical support for the British Apache fleet will be withdrawn from 2017.
  As a result, ministers must decide whether to upgrade some or all of the British helicopters to the new US standard, or to replace them outright.
Defence officials and Army officers are finalising their assessment of the technical options in an exercise entitled the Apache Capability Sustainment Programme, or AH CSP.
Officials are due to present ministers with a list of detailed options in the New Year, with final decisions expected in 2014.
Colonel Andrew Cash, the commander of the army's attack helicopter force, set out the options for the Capability Sustainment Programme in a recent public lecture.
“The AH CSP is designed to address the sustainment issue that this raises, and provide the required capability, training and support out to 2040,” said Col Cash, the commanding officer of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
“The technical options are being evaluated, and I expect a decision on the way ahead for assessment by early next year," the commander told the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Listing the options for the programme, he said: "Do nothing; do the minimum; technology insertion based on the current airframes; update to the US AH-64E standard, or this standard but with UK-specific equipment; or an entirely new replacement attack helicopter.”
Some analysts have suggested that the UK could decide to replace its US-made Apaches with the European-made Tiger helicopter, which is currently used by the French and German armies.
Military sources said that the Tiger would be strongly opposed by British commanders, who regard it is inferior to the Apache. That means the Ministry of Defence is likely to focus on an Apache upgrade programme.

However, modernising existing aircraft is often extremely costly, and insiders expect that the MoD will be unable to afford to upgrade all 66 Apaches.
The MoD has refused to say how many of the Apaches will be upgraded, leaving open the possibility that some of the fleet will be left unmodified and effectively redundant from 2017.
The MoD said: "There are no plans to remove the Apache capability, on the contrary we plan to update and upgrade the fleet. The number required after 2017 will be taken according to operational requirements.
“Decisions regarding the future structure of the Apache fleet will not have an impact on the current operations of the Apache fleet.” 
The more I think about this the more I believe it has to be some type of gambit to gain a larger share of their defense budget.  The Israeli's and others operate the AH-64---unique models at that---and aren't considering scrapping them.  Additionally Boeing would provide service support to the Brit helos so its just got to be some type of game.

S. Korea Helo-Top Gun Training.






Photo: J-10B weapons load out

via Alert 5.


Tuesday, December 04, 2012

First CH-53K Prototype Delivered.

Sikorsky has delivered the first CH-53K prototype heavy lift helicopter for ground-based flight tests. The aircraft will triple the U.S. Marine Corps' external load carrying capacity to more than 27,000 pounds over 110 nautical miles in hot/high conditions.

Hyundai Rotem wins big in S. Korea.









via Defense News.

 The South Korean Army will deploy 600 wheeled armored vehicles from 2016 to help build rapid-response forces modeled after U.S. Stryker combat brigades, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
The arms agency announced Hyundai Rotem, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, as the preferred bidder Nov. 26 to develop and produce those wheeled armored vehicles. The company beat a consortium of Samsung Techwin and Doosan DST.
“Hyundai Rotem will develop a couple of prototype vehicles with six and eight wheels by 2015 with investment of about 28 billion won ($26 million),” a DAPA spokesman said. “After field tests, the company will produce 600 vehicles in stages by 2020.”
Go to DN to read the whole story, but I find it interesting that only now the S. Koreans are jumping on the wheeled bandwagon when it seems that the US Army is at the very least re-evaluating its position on them.

Want proof?  The US Army still hasn't decided to make all its Strykers Double Vee Hulled.  Funding is still in doubt for the project, yet the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (its going to be tracked) is full speed ahead.

I don't know what to make of this other than S. Korea putting these types of vehicles into service in order to prime the pump to sell them over seas.

Time will tell though.

F-35A AF-25 First Flight

Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti was at the controls for the first flight of F-35A AF-25 (US Air Force serial number 10-5013). The flight occurred on 18 November 2012 with takeoff and landing at NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas.

Peace Dividend? Not a chance.

A little news...
China, India and Vietnam are gearing up for a fight over the Spratly Islands.  India announced that they were prepared to defend their interests, Vietnam claimed that a Chinese company was sabatoging its fishing boats and would defend its rights to the chain and China was being China.  Basically the Chinese believe that all should bow to the rising power.

If that wasn't enough, then check out the following pics from the Poder.Naval Blog.




Yeah that's right boys and girls.  The Iranians are building a new class of Frigates and I believe that's a new patrol boat alongside.  Additionally they're building (or refurbing) what looks like some model of British Hovercraft and lets not forget the little funky blue sub.

We can all joke but they're building a navy that is specifically designed to fight asymmetrically

So yeah.  If you thought you might be looking at a peace dividend in the next couple of years you can think again.  The world is an even more dangerous place now.   

Another tradition dies to satisfy the PC Nazis.




Australian Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan