Give Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One Combat Camera FaceBook Page a like....

Ok.  I usually don't give a flying fuck about a Marine Corps FaceBook page, but when I look at this one and see only 510 "likes" I have to admit that I have an inner "WTF" hitting me hard.

And additionally I'm a huge fan of LCPL Howe's work (seen in the above photo).  I just want to get that little bastard promoted.  He's doing us all a service by posting these great pics.

So go on...click like on there page and give the son of a bitch a little publicity.  Maybe Aviation Week will pick him up in his later life.

M18 HellCat Tank Destroyer Review...

I'm doing my World of Tanks game thing (getting my ass kicked on a regular basis) so I setup an alert for my latest ride...the M18 HellCat.  Truck Trends has an unusual take on the subject and its worth a read, if for no other reason as to get a few high rez pics of a great war machine.

Taiwan's Special Operations Uniforms. Clone Troopers are born.

via Drama Fever.  Read the story here.

Osumi Class LPD provides HA/DR relief to typhoon victims.

F-35. If its cancelled then what is the plan B?

52:06.

This might be the number that marks a turning point in the discussion of the F-35.  For the first time it was revealed that the Marine Corps is working on a plan B.  This post is an attempt to give my 2 cents to what that plan might look like.

yeah, its a British Harrier make a pass through a valley (forgot the name...its famous though) but that's ok...we bought their planes a couple of years ago.

Harriers.
The Marine Corps a couple of years ago made the decision to buy the British Harriers that they were selling off.  Critics said that it was a waste and that all available funds should be funneled into the F-35 program.  Purist cheered.  The F-35 was already late and this infusion of new planes and parts would ensure the viability of the Harrier past 2030. The reality of things are very clear now.  The F-35, even if it goes forward, won't deliver combat capabilities of any worth till after 2025 at best.  Any further delays could push that past 2030.  Its obvious that the move was brilliant and that the Harrier is quickly becoming the backbone of the Marine Corps fleet.  Legacy Hornets continue to age and the role filled by the F/A-18D needs to be addressed.  Expect further enhancements to the Harrier.  Its definitely part of the plan B.

Super Hornets.
The Marine Corps Aviation side of the house made its chops by being as affordable as the ground side.  It did this by flying Navy aircraft whenever possible.  It did this by flying Army aircraft whenever possible.  Often it did it by flying these designs LOOOONG after they were replaced in other services.  I'd like to see a return to the Marine Corps falling in on Navy or Army supply/training and maintenance houses.  Using the Super Hornet to fulfill the Marine Corps carrier aviation requirement would yield immediate benefits.  We could update the aircraft in line with the Navy.  We could again make use of their supply/training/maintenance establishment.  We could become cheaper and more lethal again.  I disagree with the idea of downplaying warfighting in preference of HA/DR but if that is the case then we can wait for a 6th gen STOVL jet done right this time.  The SH then makes even more sense.

Artillery.
What is available 24/7/365, in any weather, dust storms, snow, etc...suffers much fewer mechanical breakdowns than aviation, is totally dependent on the judgement of the end user and can generally strike with devastating results whenever its let off its chain?  Artillery.  What we'll actually be seeing with my proposed plan B is a more balanced force than currently envisioned by the CMC.  I'd steal a few more HIMARS from the Army and see if we can develop a HIMARS mounted ATACMS but artillery could be a saving grace for future ground combat operations.

Wildcat Ideas.
I won't touch on the wildcat ideas that might be floating around.  They range from using Gripens, to AT-6's (a return of light attack aircraft would be welcome though) and I've even heard suggestions that a squadron or two of S-3's be rebuilt to be used as forward tankers for Harriers so that their endurance can be increased.  I don't know.  I do know that the solution should be simple, straight forward and easily recognized as being a money saver.  Its time to get to work.  We know sequestration is going to continue.  The light we're seeing isn't the end of the tunnel but the lights of a freight train about to run down the slow witted and unthinking.

F-35. The Marine Corps has a plan B when its killed.

52:06

At the 52:06 mark in the previous post, I heard for the first time from a Marine General that the US Marine Corps has a plan B if the F-35 becomes cost prohibitive.

This checked off the final box for me.

HQMC is full of jokers but they have been paying attention to the cost overruns for that airplane.  They are looking at alternatives.  They know its in trouble.

With all the silliness coming out of the Commandant's office, this is refreshing.

This plane will be canceled and now we hear that they're planning accordingly.

The Future Marine Corps.

Thanks MUCH JB for sending me this link.



I found this vid informative.  Take the time to hear this joker out.  I WAS BEYOND SKEPTICAL of every initiative he talks about...and I still have serious doubts about the F-35...I still believe that the Commandant is confused on the ACV and is looking for a chance to kill the ACV.

But as far as the SPMAGTF-CR (Crisis Response).  Ok.  It won't replace but will augment the MEU's...especially considering the high demand for the MEU's it makes sense.  I still don't believe the 186K number.  I've heard from too many credible sources that the real number is 150K, but hopefully it works out.

The loss of a MEF is not a big deal to me.  Quite honestly the design of the MEF indicates that the Marine Corps in actuality only needs one....one MEF can in theory control the entire Marine Corps if it went to war.

The answer to the imbalance between the aviation and ground side is still an unanswered question and I don't buy his answer.  The JLTV is not needed and the money can go toward an MPC buy.  The idea of buying space for the Commandant to make his mind up about the ACV was beyond irritating...he has had more than enough time.

Lastly, I don't buy the tailoring of the Marine Corps to Crisis/Disaster Response with risk being pushed toward combat operations.  In my perfect world it would be opposite.

Informative, frustrating but enlightening.  I still disagree but at least the way that they came to these sets of ideas is a bit more clear.

Good stuff.

SIDENOTE:  I continue to be worried and a bit alarmed by the reductions in artillery and tanks.  All weather support provided by artillery and the massive direct fire power of tanks should not be pissed away without concern.  This portion will bear watching.

SIDENOTE 1:  I also marvel at the idea of the Marine Corps supposedly focusing on the Pacific yet at the same time developing a force that prioritizes HA/DR at the expense of combat operations.  The nations in the Pacific are arming to the teeth.  How we can consciously develop a Meals on Wheels Marine Corps instead of a warfighting Marine Corps will lead to trouble.  This also bears watching.

Japan takes leadership role against Chinese aggression.

via IDRW.org

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says other countries want Japan to adopt a more assertive leadership role in Asia to counter the growing power of China.Mr Abe told the Wall Street Journal there were “concerns that China was trying to change the status quo by force, rather than by the rule of law”.
Relations between China and Japan have been strained over recent years.China said on Saturday that if Japan shot down Chinese drones, this would be considered “an act of war” by Beijing.
The statement was referring to reports that Mr Abe had approved defence plans that envisaged using air force planes to shoot down unmanned Chinese aircraft in Japanese airspace.
Another contentious issue between the two countries is the dispute over a group of islands.
The islands, in the East China Sea, are controlled by Tokyo, but claimed by Beijing.
But analysts say the nations’ rivalry reflects the power shift created by China’s meteoric economic and diplomatic rise while Japan has been mired in a two-decade economic slump.
China has warned against Japanese nationalism in a region where Japan’s colonial expansionism is still bitterly remembered.
‘Act of war’
In the interview, Mr Abe said he had realised that “Japan is expected to exert leadership not just on the economic front, but also in the field of security in the Asia-Pacific”.
He promised policies to counter Japan’s waning influence.
Other countries wanted Japan to stand up to China, Mr Abe said without naming any.
“There are concerns that China is attempting to change the status quo by force, rather than by rule of law. But if China opts to take that path, then it won’t be able to emerge peacefully,” Mr Abe says.
“So it shouldn’t take that path, and many nations expect Japan to strongly express that view. And they hope that as a result, China will take responsible action in the international community.”
The interview comes days after Mr Abe was reported to approved defence plans to intercept and shoot down foreign unmanned aircraft that ignore warnings to leave Japanese airspace.

Leadership 101.  You can't lead from behind.  If their is a vacuum then someone will step in and do what must be done.

You can talk Pacific tilt.

You can put together a poorly fleshed out Air/Sea Battle doctrine.

You can talk "partnerships"...but when nations are looking for leadership and if the US isn't providing it then others will.

Japan is.

Read the entire article here, and drink in exactly what the Japanese Prime Minister is saying.  It boils down to this.  China is a threat, they've been bullying their neighbors, countries want someone to take the lead to stand up to them, the US is weak or at best poorly led ---so the task falls to them.

It won't work because of age old rivalries but since the US is missing in action, someone's got to be the adult.  Thank God for the Japanese.

This vid might make you sick. HUGE pimple popping.

I don't even know how I ended up on this site.  I was searching for info on armored vehicle programs worldwide.

But the question has to be asked.  How do you let a growth (or whatever it is) get so out out of control like that?  Poor hygiene?  Some type of body reaction to an infection?  I just don't know.  If you could explain the mechanics of a pimple that freaking big I'd love to know.

Marine Corps discipline. Fucked up beyond recognition.

via FoxNews.

Brezler's lawyer Kevin Carroll said his client’s immediate chain-of-command in the United States is not recommending punitive action, and the Marine command in Afghanistan called for the relevant document in the case to be declassified “because there is no information in the document which, if released, would damage national security."
Brezler now faces a board of inquiry as early as next month where he could be forced from the Marine Corps. He could get what amounts to an "other than honorable" separation for sending the warning from a Yahoo account.
Brezler received the urgent request in summer 2012 from fellow Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan looking for background information on the official, Sarwar Jan, who was routinely allowed on base as part of the U.S. strategy to train local security forces before the 2014 withdrawal.

Brezler immediately responded, but there is no evidence that immediate action was taken. And days later, one of Jan's assistants allegedly opened fire on the Marines.

Read the entire article at Fox News here.

The problem isn't with leadership at the tip of the spear.  They're acting as Marines always have...with dedication, resolve, a desire to get the job done and in the highest traditions of our organization.

The problem is with the people occupying the highest ranks of the Corps.

They're fucked up beyond recognition.  Instead of giving this Marine a medal or at least an atta-boy, they instead give this Fire Fighter/War Fighter a board of inquiry instead.

Chesty must be cussing up a storm...wherever he is.

Beijing purchases Su-35 for rearward-firing missile?

via Want China Times.

China has decided to purchase Su-35 fighter from Russia because it is able to launch rearward-firing missiles, according to senior colonel Wu Guohui, an associate professor at Beijing's National Defense University.
The Russia-designed R-73M2, R-74ME missiles, US-designed by AIM-9X and the China-designed PL-10 all have the capability of being launched against enemy aircraft from the back of the aircraft, according to the party-run People's Daily. The missile has a "nose cone" over the rocket engine and modified fins to prevent instability problems while briefly flying backwards after launch.
The birth of rearward-firing missiles has changed the concept of aerial warfare, according to Wu. In regular air-to-air combat, a fighter must shoot down its enemy from behind. With rearward-firing missiles and a a rearview display mounted on the helmet of the pilot, fighter pilots in the future can attack their target from the front.
China has no proper fighter yet capable of launching such a missile during actual combat. The Su-35 will be incorporated into the PLA Air Force to help pilots and the aviation industry get a feel for the new mode of combat. In the future, China will be able to make its own modifications from the Su-35 model.

Interesting.  Now even if a plane is able to get in a "chase" position the can still be at a disadvantage.  I wonder why the Chinese are emphasizing this capability above the "over the shoulder" shots that the Sidewinder and other missiles are capable of doing.

I wonder what the thinking is here and if there isn't some disadvantage to the "over the shoulder" stuff that we haven't been told. 

Concept Art by Bispro

Marine Corps statements on the cover issue. Proof they're lying!

Thanks Don for digging this up.

Check this out bat fans.  I was attempting to find it, but Don saved me the trouble.  How do you know that HQMC is hopelessly politicized?  When Marine Corps spokesmen are caught lying in statements over a few days.

HQ USMC, LTC Neil Murphy:"Marine Corps and other services have been asked by the DoD to find a unisex option for a dress and service cover as a cost-saving measure."
SecNav, CDR Tamra Lawrence:"Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has asked the Navy and Marine Corps to look at moving to one cover for men and women. “The secretary believes that when you look at a group of sailors and Marines, you should see a group of sailors and Marines, indistinguishable by uniform,” said Cmdr. Tamra Lawrence, a spokeswoman for Mabus."HQ USMC, CPL Chelsea Flowers Anderson
"While the Marine Corps Uniform Board is currently looking for a new cover, or cap, for female Marines because the current manufacturer is going out of business, there is no intent to change the current male Marine dress cover.A survey released by the Marine Corps Uniform Board eliciting input from Marines in regard to uniform items, sought opinions about the 'Dan Daly-style' cover."

And finally they run out a poor, Cpl to finish the lie (paraphrasing Don's statement on this issue).

The Marine Corps has lost faith and confidence in the leadership of the current Commandant....Amos has to go. 

New York Post strikes back on Marine cover controversy.

  Marine voting worksheet

via New York Post.

The US Marine Corps is in damage control mode amid the controversy over new caps for its troops.
Marine brass flipped its lid after The Post reported Thursday that the Leathernecks, under an edict from the Obama administration, have been told to choose a “unisex” cap – known as a cover – and that a uniform advisory board was leaning away from the Marine’s iconic cover toward a style that the tough-guy troops have blasted as too feminine.
“The Marine Corps has zero intention of changing the male cover,” the USMC press office claimed in statement posted to its website, www.marines.mil, Friday.
“The President in no way, shape, or form directed the Marine Corps to change our uniform cover. We are looking for a new cover for our female Marines for one overriding reason: The former manufacturer went out of business.”
But that statement flies in the face of the “voting” form sent out to Marines about the cover change.
The form, obtained by The Post, clearly instructs the troops – both male and female — to choose one cap: either the new, slim, female-friendly “Dan Daly” style or the traditional cover that Marines have sported since 1922.
“Provide a vote for either option 1 or option 2 in the appropriate row of the first column below,” the form reads. “Option 1: Adopt the Dan Daly cap as the universal cap, OR Option 2: Adopt the current male frame cap as the universal cap (with some modifications to make it more comfortable but maintain the same distinctive look).”
In an accompanying “Background Information” memo, a “uniform board” – made up of enlisted Marines — points the finger squarely at the Dept. of Defense for the new directive.
“The Marine Corps is being “encouraged” by DoD to standardize on a unisex/universal dress and service cap,” the memo reads.
“They went to the trouble of making sure the word ‘encouraged’ was in quotes,” a senior Marine source told The Post. “Clearly it is meant as a dig, to say ‘this isn’t our idea, it’s the Administration’s.’”
The internal document also noted that the “Dan Daly” style – named for the legendary Long Island Marine who was twice awarded the Medal of Honor – was initially intended as the model for an “improved female cap.” It was then “suggested, via the on-line survey process, that [it] would make an acceptable “universal” cap for all Marines.”
The uniform board is clearly against any switch.

Read the whole story here.

HQMC fucked up.  Their allies (Business Insider, Gear Scout, Marine Times) tried to provide cover but they were easy to spot and the cover story quickly picked apart.

Luckily the New York Post is sticking to their guns.

The next lie is that the online survey suggested that the Daly style would make a good universal cover.  No Marine would want to wear a cover that has been associated with female Marines for so long.  Another weird, pathetic, obvious falsehood from a reeling HQMC.

Its funny to see.  They can't get their story straight.

Fuck Business Insider for playing bitch boy to a lie and then using his short enlistment to make the falsehood sell, Fuck Amos for further damaging the image--that son of a bitch has to go, and Fuck the Administration for trying to feminize the Marine Corps.

$ky High $tealth Fighter

The US Army is cutting 10 Brigade Combat Teams?!!!

Thanks to Purpleslog for the link.

via The Army Times.

The Army will cut 10 brigade combat teams over the next four years, bringing the number of active-duty BCTs to 33, Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno said Tuesday.
The affected BCTs are:
3rd BCT, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas
4th BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
4th BCT, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.
3rd BCT, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
4th BCT, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
3rd BCT, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Ky.
4th BCT, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
2nd BCT, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
In addition to these 10 BCTs, which will be inactivated by the end of fiscal year 2017, the Army has already announced the inactivation of two BCTs in Germany — the 170th and 172nd BCTs.
In the future, another BCT, this one overseas, will be identified for inactivation, Odierno said, bringing the final number of BCTs to 32.
These cuts are line with the Army’s effort to shrink the active-duty force to 490,000 as it transitions from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Odierno emphasized that these decisions are the result of the Budget Control Act of 2011, not sequestration, which potentially could mean even deeper cuts.
The Army also will reorganize its remaining BCTs by adding a third maneuver battalion to its remaining armored and infantry brigades. The BCTs also will receive additional engineer and fires capabilities, Odierno said.
These changes will make the Army’s remaining BCTs “more lethal, flexible and agile,” he said.

Shit just got real.

We have no visibility on their real plans.  Quite honestly after reading this story, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Army bust through their previous announced worst case scenario of 380K.  We could well see an Army at 350K or even lower in the future.

No offense, but we're about to turn into Israel.  A HUGE Special Operations, and a tiny conventional force.

This JCS is creating the force today that will fight future wars.

They're mucking it up in spectacular fashion.

42000 Soldiers face the ax in the next 2 years. BCT to be cut...

Wow!!!!

The Army Times is reporting (its been behind a paywall) that the Army is planning on cutting 42000 soldiers in the next 2 years AND its going to cut the number of BCT's.

Wow again!

I can guarantee that at least half those people will have wanted to stay in the Army.  The wailing and gnashing of teeth has just begun (biblical reference).

Marine Corps cover issue update.

yeah....they were never planning on changing the male cover...

How can you tell when someone is lying?  When they keep changing their fucking story.

We've all been fed a hodge podge of news today when it comes to the Marine Corps cover issue.

1.  First we heard from the asshole at the Business Insider that the story was complete bullshit.  The little bastard failed to grasp the reality of the situation and promptly bought hook line and sinker the idiocy that the Marine Corps Public Affairs Officer fed him.  He never questioned what "Obama's Intent" was.

2.  Next we heard that the Marine Corps wasn't going to change the Male Marines cover but was only looking to change the female cover.

3.  We were then told (when people asked if the male cover wasn't going to be changed then why did they have a Male Marine modeling the female Marine cover) that the Navy Sec stated that he wanted unisex uniforms because he wanted to see Marines, not Marines divided by sex.

Now they've married up all the bullshit and stated that they heard the public loud and clear and that the Male Marine cover is not going to change and that they're going to consider slightly modifying the Male cover to suit female Marines.

Some of you said the story was bullshit but failed to follow it closely.  Open your eyes and see how you've been spun.  They reversed themselves because the survey became public and the outcry was too intense for a weakened Amos to carry out the orders of his daddy.

The BOY at the Business Insider obviously thinks like he's part of the club instead of being a reporter.  He'll mature out of that but today is not that day.  He got used, some of you were fooled and this non story turns out to be true.

Pound sand bitches.

NOTE:  The revolt of the Marines has begun.  This might seem like a non-issue to some but if you look carefully you're seeing a force that is pushing back at leadership.  A cover?  You might say no big deal, but uniforms are important and Marines are saying we will not be molded into a feminine looking, sissified image that someone like Huron Serenity might be attracted to.

AgustaWestland's total failure with the AW609

Sometimes you find a total lack of imagination in the strangest places.  But you would never think that you would find that trait in an aviation corporation...until now.

Consider AgustaWestland and the AW609.

When they bought the rights from Bell Helicopter I had high hopes for it.  If they could keep the price down then it would be a natural to take over the gunship role from pure helicopters like the AH-1Z.  Check this out from the Dallas Business Journal...

The Marine Corps. is asking Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. to study equipping its mid-sized BA609 tilt-rotor aircraft for use as an armed escort for the V-22 Osprey troop transport, according to a local newspaper.
The request was made by Lt. Gen. Michael Hough, the Marines' deputy commandant for aviation, who believes the V-22 will need an armed escort aircraft to carry Marines in and out of combat zones. Since helicopters are too slow to keep up with the V-22 and jets are too fast, the escort will have to be a tilt-rotor aircraft, Hough told the paper.
The BA609 was designed by Fort Worth-based Bell and British-Italian partnership AgustaWestland for civilian use. Its first flight was in March 2003 and currently it is in flight tests.
Bell reportedly has been working on a concept for a tilt-rotor gunship, including one that is a BA609 derivative. The company plans to make a presentation of its gunship design to the Marine Corps. sometime this summer.
If the government grants the Marines' request for an escort gunship, it could mean hundreds of millions of dollars for Bell and work for its employees for decades. That would be a long way off, however. The armed escort craft first would have to be designed, approved by the Pentagon, funded by Congress, prototyped and tested before assembly could begin.

I have heard nothing else.

I'm not even in AgustaWestland's sales department but if I was I'd be camping out at Ft. Campbell passing out AW609 coffee mugs and tee shirts to the boys in the 160th getting them excited about a UH-60 sized tilt rotor that could zoom in and insert/extract small teams of operators in bad places.

But they aren't.

I hate it for them.  They could be tossing bones to SOCOM, Homeland Security, DoD and the rest of our government agencies but they haven't.  The same applies to several other countries around the world that have Special Operations and internal security organizations that need the benefits of high speed and vertical lift.

The AW609 should have been the next evolution in vertical flight.  But AgustaWestland pissed it away.

And that's a shame. 

Why is the SpeedHawk languishing????

Piasecki first developed the ducted tail rotor in the 1950's.  At that time (if memory serves) they made a helicopter that topped 200 mph (we're talking the 1950's so that's an impressive speed).  Fast forward to today and the US Army is looking for a future rotorcraft that flies faster and higher.

So why isn't the Speed Hawk getting a serious look?

The retrofit to legacy helicopters would be simple and if weight reduction was conducted then you'd see standard helos approaching 350+ mph.

Solutions are readily available to the requirements that the military puts out.  Everything that we desire today has been on the Pentagon wish list going back to WW2.  Maybe we should dust off the work that was done by our forefathers with slide rules and use our advanced tech to make their dreams and our needs come true.

We did it with the Orion Spacecraft (call it big Apollo) and we can do it with the SpeedHawk.