Patria Nemo Container - a heavy mortar system with high mobility (vid)

Could this fit on an MTVR extended bed like the Sea Bees use?  Maybe the Load Handling System?

4/25 Paratroopers conduct airborne jump training at JBER...pics by Alejandro Peña (MUST SEE!)

Is the CH-53K worth the price when we could buy the CH-47 at less than half the price?

First lets take a look back at an article I posted a couple of day ago...

Naval Air Systems Command awarded Sikorsky $304 million for the first two CK-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for the Marine Corps.

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, will build these two Lot I aircraft in its Stratford, Conn., facility, and the work should be completed by December 2021.

I highlighted what I consider the pertinent information.  We are paying $304 million dollars for TWO (2) helicopters.  The second is that these are LOT I aircraft.

Drink that in.

We're gonna pay one hundred fifty two million dollars each for a heavy lift helicopter.  What do we get with the 53K that we wouldn't get with the CH-47F?  Well I got a few slides from Boeing's presentation to the German AF and it's pretty interesting.  Check out the slides below (I admit up front that this is Boeing's argument against a Lockheed product but put that aside and wait till the end to judge).

Interesting huh?  But kinda irrelevant.  We know the Chinook is superior in those realms for one reason.  It's rotor configuration.  What matters in the "aviation centric" Marine Corps (besides hot and high performance...that was once HUGE for the USMC) is speed and range.

The CH-47F goes along at 170 knot or 196 mph.  It has a combat radius of 200 nmi (230 miles) , a ferry range of 1,216 nmi (1,400 miles) and a range of 400 nmi (450 miles) .  Finally it can lift 55 troops, 24 liters w/3 attendants or 24,000 pounds.

The CH-53K has a speed of 170 knots (196 mph).  It has a combat radius of 110 nmi (126 miles) with a ferry range of *NOT LISTED* but a combat radius of 460 nmi (529 miles).  It can lift 55 troops, liters are *NOT LISTED* or 35,000 pounds.

Admittedly all these figures are from Wikipedia, but if you have clearly better sources I'm all ears.

Operating with what we know, the CH-53K is only MARGINALLY better than the CH-47F and EXTREMELY MORE EXPENSIVE than it's Army counterpart.

Now to the question.

Is one CH-53K at around 100 million dollars each (and I'm taking into account cost reduction...pretty significant cost reductions to get it down to 100 million dollars) worth two CH-47F's at around 40 million (yep I got that figure from Wikipedia but they have EXCELLENT documentation to back up that number)?

My answer is NO!  Not only no but hell no!

Second question, and don't shower me with bullshit.  How can the Marine Corps justify the cost of this helicopter?  If you're a supporter of this program HOW CAN YOU justify it's cost?

I look forward to the fan club's response!

WarHammer News. N. Korea says they have developed a more advanced hydrogen bomb.

via Reuters.

North Korea said on Sunday it has developed a more advanced nuclear weapon that has “great destructive power” and leader Kim Jong Un inspected a hydrogen bomb that will be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

The hydrogen bomb’s power is adjustable to hundreds of kilotons and can be detonated at high altitudes, with its indigenously produced components allowing the country to build as many nuclear weapons as it wants, the North’s official KCNA news agency said.

Story here.

War politics. US planes block route agreed on by Russia/Syria for ISIS fighters.

via Reuters.

 U.S.-led warplanes on Wednesday blocked a convoy of Islamic State fighters and their families from reaching territory the group holds in eastern Syria and struck some of their comrades traveling to meet them, a coalition spokesman said.

The strikes were aimed at stopping an evacuation deal for Islamic State fighters to leave their enclave on the Lebanon-Syria border for areas they hold in eastern Syria, arranged by the Lebanese Hezbollah group and the Syrian army.

It was part of a ceasefire agreed after offensives last week by the Lebanese army on one front, and the Syrian army and Hezbollah on another, that pushed Islamic State back into a small part of its enclave straddling the frontier.

Story here. 

Have you been keeping up with this drama?  I have and don't know what to make of it.

No.  This isn't slamming US actions.

This is about me being confused by all the twists and turns in this conflict.

None of this makes any sense.  The US allows ISIS oil trucks to go thru without any complaint.  Some believe that these oil shipments helped fuel ISIS during the hey-day of their rampage.

Then we have the Russians and Syrians agreeing to let ISIS escape after they've been involved in some pretty brutal fighting.  They have the bastards cornered and they let them go instead of raining the most massive artillery barrage in the history of man?

I don't understand the fighting in Syria/Iraq and neither do you.  We're seeing geo-political gamesmanship on the next level.

What I'd like to know is what is the desired end state.  Obviously the US still has a policy of trying to rid Syria of Assad but what else is going on???

Sputnik lists the FGM-172 Short-Range Assault Weapon (SRAW) as the most accurate short range anti-tank missile...

via Sputnik.

The Most Accurate

Giving credit where credit is due, Kotz wrote that the US single-shot FGM-172 Short-Range Assault Weapon (SRAW) missile system takes the prize for being the most accurate portable anti-armor system in the list. "The system was adopted by the US Marine Corps in 2002 as a simpler and cheaper alternative to the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile system. Its main advantage is the possibility to work according to principle of 'fire-and-forget'."

As far as targeting is concerned, "it's enough for the gunner to track the target for two-three seconds and launch, after which the weapon's automatic controls kick in." The missile is able to independently account for wind speed and other factors, "and capable of hitting tanks in their upper hemisphere (usually a tank's least protected area)."

Story here. 

This is an interesting read.  What caught my attention isn't the click bait above but the info on the RPG-29/30.

This is the weapon that gave the US military all kinds of fits when we discovered that the terrorists in Iraq were able to penetrate the sides of the Abrams with it.

This is what started all the "street fighter" up-armoring programs you see around the world.  From the various TUSK packages for the Abrams to the Urban Leopard 2A7 and even the French got in on it with their LeClerc.

My personal belief is that it isn't the crew served anti-tank missiles that have the armored community worried.  Those can be easily suppressed.  It's the lone bubba lurking with a capable light weight system that's been trained and is capable of hitting weak spots that give tankers the willies.

Brilliant PR move by the President live on TV!

I just got finished lifting, come back home and what do I see?  The President and first lady are doing a photo op of serving food to hurricane victims.

It's fucking brilliant.

You have mixed crowd of people.  Blacks, Whites, Hispanics and others are all talking and taking pics with the President.

As usual, and much to my embarrassment, you have a rather large black lady shouting "Thank you Jesus" as she poses with a pic of the President.

This is crazy, brilliant and whoever thought of it deserves a raise.  The news media can't spin this in any way other than the guy being out in the field talking to the citizens.

Will it erase all the crazy shit he's said in the past month?  Hell no.  Is it the right optics now?  You bet your ass.

The next Marine Corps commercial? Combat footage and these pics of 4th AABn doing work!

Thanks to John for the pics!

Drink in those pics above.

Tap on the shoulder of some bubba at HQMC or Marine Corps recruiting command.  Get them to take notice.

Small rant?  I am SO FUCKING TIRED of the milktoast Marine Corps recruiting commercials.  They don't sing.  They don't inspire.  They don't move.  In short you don't watch the stuff they've been pumping out and feel your soul stir.

You want to get Marine Corps commercials back on track?  You get some combat footage of our boys hookin' and jabbin' in Afghanistan and Iraq...and then you toss in these pics.

I'm gonna beat on this drum for two reasons.  The first is that I'm ashamed that the Marine Corps wasn't forward leaning.  Someone should have been ready to get these units deploying.  The couple of news blurbs of MV-22's passing thru Pensacola on the way to Texas IS WEAK SAUCE.  The aviation centric Marine Corps has failed again and the concept is trash (remember the HA/DR that the Marine Corps participated in where a UH-1Y crashed into the mountain...that was the first failure...it'll perform poorly in combat too...MARK MY WORDS!).

The second is that the Marine Corps missed a huge opportunity (although the 4th AABn is picking up the slack) to be seen aiding fellow Americans.  National Guard?  US Customs?  Border Patrol?  US Coast Guard?  US Navy? US Army?  All visible.

Thank God we had tracks moving to the sound of chaos or else we would be an afterthought!

WarHammer News. French Foreign Minister warns N. Korea could attack Europe with nuclear missiles?

Thanks to ASEAN Blog for the link!

via Manila Bulletin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday of a “major conflict” looming on the Korean Peninsula, calling for talks to alleviate the crisis after Pyongyang fired a missile over Japan this week.

“The problems in the region will only be solved via direct dialogue between all concerned parties, without preconditions,” Putin said.

“Threats, pressure and insulting and militant rhetoric are a dead end,” a statement from his office said, adding that heaping additional pressure on North Korea in a bid to curb its nuclear programme was “wrong and futile.”

Story here. 

Pretty darn interesting isn't it.  I thought that things had paused but it appears that the Russians still think things are boiling.  It gets better though. Check this out from Express.uk.

Earlier today France warned the situation was "extremely serious".

Foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned a nuclear strike on Europe was possible and said a world war could erupt in months.

He said: "The situation is extremely serious... we see North Korea setting itself as an objective to have, tomorrow or the day after, missiles that can transport nuclear weapons.

"In a few months that will be a reality."

Really?

Fucking seriously?

France believes that N. Korea cares enough about Europe to launch a nuclear missile at them?  Or is there something else going on?

Could the French Foreign Minister be trying to lay the ground for European participation in a war on N. Korea?

Regardless things are still brewing on the Korean Peninsula.

Terminal Lance talks "Texas Marines"!

The comic is funny but the little article is better.  Read it here.

Open Comment Post. Sep 2, 2017

NorthCom Commander ignores 4th AABn and talks about the 26th MEU sailing in...if needed! Messaging FAIL!

The 4th Marines Amphibious Assault Battalion is in Houston and Galveston doing good work.

The people on the ground shout "That's the Marines" when they see those big green vehicles drive by.

We've seen pics of them transporting victims of the floods and I'm sure they're involved in the ongoing search and survey of the area.

So why did I just watch the NorthCom Commander at a press conference with the Governor of Texas rattle off everything every other service had and is contributing to the effort and when she got around to the Marines it was..."The Navy is sending the amphibious ship Kearsarge with the 26th Marines, if needed. IF needed"!

This is a total message fail.

Marines were on the ground and instead of beating our drum, we're gonna be an afterthought.

The world's greatest propaganda machine is failing.

The problem isn't just that we might be missing a chance to burn ourselves into the memory of the American people by word (having the NorthCom Commander speak the fuck up would help...as well as Marine Corps spokesmen) and the deeds of the 4th AABn, but institutionally too.

FEMA needs to have it burned into their thick skulls that when called the Marine Corps will respond.  Every state governor should have that same message inserted into their brain housing groups.

I hope I'm wrong but this focus on an aviation centric Marine Corps is wrecking us across the board...to include messaging to the public.

Hurricane Harvey News. Law Enforcement on the ground in Houston....a web log of a deployed police officer...

Note:  I have a number of law enforcement officers that partake in the discussions on this blog.  They come for the talk on military matters, fitness etc...and stay for the views on modern policing.  We don't always agree but when do brothers ever?  I want to make this clear.  Just like in the Marine Corps, when I see something I disagree with in law enforcement I will speak out about it.  It does not however mean that I'm anti-police.  I'm not.  I've never had a bad experience with law enforcement.  Having said that these are the words of a guy on the ground in Houston.  He is doing God's work and I thank him for it.  Hell I'm in awe of all the guys doing work down there. He asked me to clean this up, but I'm not gonna do it.  He's been up and moving for the past 5 days playing the old hurry up and wait game.  Meeting to discuss the movement, action once on location...the standard game plan everyone would recognize that spent 5 min in the military.

I won't clean it up because I want you to get the full drink here.  Drink this in. The Rambos in the audience won't understand but you get primed to move, primed to put your back into the work and you're like a race horse ready to blast down the track.  You're checking gear, rechecking, meeting, planning, going over scenarios...before you even deploy you're a caffeine junky operating on the ass end of too little sleep.  That's what he went thru before he touched down.  This is the third note I've gotten from him so we'll skip the preamble and jump right into his arrival in Houston.

via "T"

Update with better info.

Sol I've been in Houston a few days now and would like to give everyone an idea of what the Police Officers have gone through.

So from what I'm gathering they had an all hands on deck that started on Friday. All leave was suspended and everyone that was in town was brought in. They remained on that condition until Wednesday I believe, could be wrong both their and my days are running together. So on call forth them means they get sleep when they are worn out. At some point their headquarters became an island due to the flooding. Most officers slept either in buildings or in squad cars. We are talking an hour or two nap really every now and then. Some police ran out of food.  They are tired and need a break. In Houston the pd has rescue boats and there have been plenty state and local agency boats heading out to other areas of the hurricane as I was arriving.

So now the all hands is done the city implemented a curfew to attempt to keep looting down now that can focus on enforcement. The officers are now working 12 on and 12 off for the next few days. Now that other officers are here the ones needing to fix their own homes can request days off to do so.

  The message now is to prevent looting and to protect the city from exploding. They have had one officer drown, have lost 200 patrol vehicles, and now having looters shoot at them

Passing out while typing so you can post this message. Please just make sure it's coherent. 5 days with 2hrs sleep a day has caught up to me.

Wow.

I never even considered the idea that they would have lost police cars. I wonder what else has been destroyed that the first responders need to safeguard the city?

This confirms one thing I did not believe.

Looters are shooting at officers?  Craziness!

This is gonna be a long term thing.  It hasn't gained national attention but their is a gas shortage in N. Texas.  The pipeline has been turned off to New York.

The whole nation is about to feel the pain as sure as the guys like "T" that are working on the recovery.

Her Majesty's Royal Air Force @ Exercise Mobility Guardian...pics by SAC Nicholas Egan RAF

Blast from the past. Beslan terror attack.

Note:  On this day in 2004 the terror attack on the Beslan school began.  Sympathy to the victims and the family.  I hope the attackers are rotting in hell.  This is instructive though.  The US and Russia need to work together to solve the terror issue.  Imagine if the US, Russia and I'd even put away my thinking on China if they wanted to climb aboard, all came out at the UN and stated that we would hunt and kill terrorist all around the world, wherever they raised their heads?  The terror threat would be over within a year.  

Hundreds of hostages packed into the school gym with wired explosives attached to the basketball hoop (a frame from the Aushev tape)

A special police soldier carries an injured colleague, as two soldiers and two women take

NAVAIR buys two CH-53K's for 304 million dollars.

USNI News.

Naval Air Systems Command awarded Sikorsky $304 million for the first two CK-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for the Marine Corps.

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, will build these two Lot I aircraft in its Stratford, Conn., facility, and the work should be completed by December 2021.

The Pentagon formally approved the heavy-lift helo to enter low-rate initial production on April 4, after the Marines put the first four CH-53K engineering and development models through a rigorous test program that included lifting a required 27,000 pounds externally and flying 110 nautical miles, among other requirements.

Since that Milestone C decision was approved, Sikorsky has continued testing, conducting a first “cross country” flight from Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach in Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The four EMD vehicles have totaled more than 450 hours of flight tests so far.

Story here. 

Wow.  150 million dollars plus for two helicopters?  No way in hell the Marine Corps can continue down this path.

The aviation centric Marine Corps will bust the hardwon meme of the Marine Corps being a bargain for the taxpayer.

No Chinese Soldier would have walked out alive from Doklam if China attacked?

via Defense News.IN

A day after China and India ended their worst military confrontation in decades, sources said the government negotiated the settlement from a position of strength because the army had enveloped the entire area and “had made enough provisions to neutralize the Chinese forces”.

The location of the hotspot was advantageous for India because it can move its soldiers faster to the border near Sikkim than China. Yesterday, China and India withdrew troops from the remote Doklam Plateau that is disputed territory for China and Bhutan. India backs Bhutan’s claim and in mid-June, its soldiers crossed the border at Sikkim to stop China from building a new road which India saw as a serious challenge to the security of its northeastern states.

Government sources who cannot be named on account of the sensitivity of the situation said that there is wide acknowledgement of “the sheer resilience of our armed forces who refused to give up and had strategically surrounded” the flashpoint, located at least 10,000 feet above sea level. They also said that Army Chief Bipin Rawat was “extremely confident of ensuring maximum damage” which helped in getting China to agree to a settlement reached through diplomatic talks.

Story here. 

Consider this post as being an example of the animosity that exists in the region.

The title they chose was click bait but the sentiment is real.  India just doesn't like China.

Open Comment Post. Sep 1, 2017

Blast from the past. WW2 kicked off in Europe...

1 September 1939, at 04:40, the Luftwaffe attacked the Polish town of Wieluń, destroying 75% of the city and killing 1,300 people to start the second World War.
The German air force attacked civilian targets and columns of refugees along the roads to terrorize the Polish people, disrupt communications, and target Polish morale.
The Luftwaffe killed 6,000–7,000 Polish civilians during the bombing of Warsaw alone. Altogether, the civilian losses of Polish population amounted to about 150,000–200,000.
Pictured // A Polish girl cries over the body of her 14-year-old sister who was strafed by the Luftwaffe.

The Marine Corps! 4th AABn are rockstars at the Hurricane Harvey rescue events.

A day or so ago I posted a vid of 4th AABn driving thru the streets of Houston doing God's work in helping to save lives in Houston.  I went a step further and stated that if you want to sell the Marine Corps then this is the pulse point to hit in future advertising.

It would go a bit like this.  Classic Marine Corps music comes online with the Eagle, Globe and Anchor appearing on screen and then you see intense footage of Marine involved in combat overseas.  After 20 seconds or so of that imagery it would switch to Marines driving AAVs in Houston or flying UH-1Ys doing hoist operations.

Over all of that the narrator would say.  From winning battles in far off lands...to saving lives here at home...Marines run to the sound of chaos.  Do you have what it takes to be one of us?  The few.  The proud.  The Marines!

Why am I so sold on this "ad campaign"?  Check out the vids below.  This is when you strike!  Not only for recruiting but for budget sake!