31st MEU conducts maritime strike full mission profile....pics by Lance Cpl. Colton Garrett

An AH-1Z Viper helicopter with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 (Reinforced), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), fires an AIM-9M sidewinder missile at a maritime target during a live fire exercise. During the exercise, the attack helicopters took off from San Antonio-class dock landing ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) in order to protect the amphibious task force from a simulated maritime threat. The America Expeditionary Strike Group, 31st MEU team, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Colton K. Garrett)

So the Marine Corps IS using the AIM-9M Sidewinder in the maritime attack role!  Nicely Done!  I also see that they're carrying extra fuel tanks.  So by the pics I guess we're seeing the Viper sharpening its teeth to go after small ships in addition to boats?  One thing I'm not getting.  Why not go with a bigger, dedicated anti-ship missile?  I know its obsolete now (at least I think it is) but the Sea Skua or even the more modern Sea Venom would seem to be what the doctor ordered.

UNLESS the sidewinder has longer range.  I don't know enough about its capabilities in this role to say one way or the other.  Definitely need to learn more.

Open Comment Post. 4 Apr 2020

Let's have real talk about this Covid-19 crisis....

I made the mistake of watching MSNBC last night and to be honest I was a bit shocked by what many of the commentators were calling for.  Going off the top of my head but here are their current talking points/suggestions...

1.  We need to have a coronavirus czar.
2.  We need to have a mandatory nationwide stay at home order.
3.  We need to do stay at home right.  People need to be locked up if they violate the order and they need to make it stick.
4.  They're saying that we need to coordinate research.
5.  They say if we're lucky we might be finished with this by June.

That's just off the top of my head but you get the point.

They expect us to be in this situation for a protracted period of time.  One reader suggested pretty much the same (only longer).

I can tell you without doubt or hesitation that if he is right we're fucked.  Proper fucked.  If they're right we're still fucked.

Am I wrong in thinking that if we were to ask our fellow citizens to persist in this condition even till June we would be facing practical anarchy?

From my seat it is beyond the pale to imagine them even asking us to do so.

So what's my plan?

Simple.  Identify the hot spots.  If you want to go hard then go hard in those places.  They're easily identified to.  New York City.  New Orleans.  In essence the major metropolitan areas are the places where we're seeing this wildfire burn.

If we concentrate our resources on the places that are on fire then we will better deal with this problem.  Right now we're scattered.  Instead we should be focused.  That means instead of trying a nationwide stay at home you enforce it strictly in the places where this virus is raging.

You enforce a strict stay at home policy.  No travel policy.  No parks.  No going out at all.  You use police and the National Guard to enforce it.

But forget what I think. 

What do you guys think.  Can our country survive being under this type of shut down for such an extended time?  Can we make it going past May?

Side note.  I despise medical experts for one thing.  They immediately reached for the Chinese solution and did not consider that we don't operate under their system.  To ask US citizens to "stay home" and not make a gainful living for months?  Its a bridge too far.  Its completely foreign to our culture and was bound to fail from the start.  This is the main problem with scientist being placed in charge of policy.  They don't take into account the human part of the equation so their policy solutions always fail. 

New York City is the hot zone in the US? Well they're not following the stay at home order!

Check out Google's Covid-19 Community Mobility Report here.

Google.

Google has decided to turn their "tracking" service (I say that tongue in cheek) toward keeping track of the public and seeing how many are obeying the stay at home orders and how many aren't.

I don't know how many people use Google Tracker (God knows I'm turning mine off now) but this is what they came up with for the state of New York.  They break it down by county so we can see how New York City is doing below...

My point in all this?  First.  Google has once again disappointed me.  I guess you can make the claim that this is for the greater good.  I'm conflicted on this.  If they'll release this information into the wild then what are they doing that we never see.  Additionally (yeah its conspiratorial) but I can't help but wonder how closely ALL of us are being monitored by forces unknown.

We all love our phones but we have in essence equipped ourselves with tracking and listening devices....WILLINGLY!

Next.  I wonder how wise this stay at home order is when it comes to fighting this disease.  At least the American version of it.  From my chair, with the new information coming out, and a small sampling of people I work with - family - associates, we've all had some kind of sniffles, allergies etc...since this hit.

Now we hear that the coronavirus can hit you and you might not get knocked to your knees?  That you could get this thing, pass it on and never even know you had it?  Completely asymptomatic?

Perhaps the Brit Health Ministry were onto something when they wanted to go for herd immunity.

In hindsight did we get the best possible response from govt or did we all fall prey to an exercise in control?

Regardless.  We might not be going to work.  We might not be hanging out at home more.  But we're hardly shut in.

Maybe the Chinese model just isn't the right one for us.  This will come again.  Maybe we should try and determine a better way of dealing with the next one.  God knows shutting down the economy and asking people to stay home definitely appears to be sub-optimal.

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division post security to secure U.S. Navy USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) in Los Angeles

Berger was quick to bounce Marine Corps Military Police, excuse me, Law Enforcement Battalions, from their role in this national drama and from the roster of the "new" Marine Corps.

1/4 is providing security to the Mercy?

Renaming themselves Law Enforcement Battalions, not finding an enduring role in the missions in the war on terror and not emphasizing (like Army MP's have) their wartime roles doomed them.

The weird/awesome thing?

1/4 will get it done and not miss a beat.

One last, quick thing for all you supporters of the fired carrier CO...

I notice people are still rallying to this guys side in this little drama playing out.

But have you clowns not noticed something?

No other Navy is talking about coronavirus cases on their ships.  Not a single one.  Think about that!  No one else is talking about an infected crew and how they need to get them off the ship to save lives.

Not the Russians.

Not the Chinese.

Not the Brits, French, Italians, Spaniards, Dutch, Indians, Singaporeans, Australians, Malaysians, etc.....

NO ONE!

I'm repeating myself but we can pretty much figure that outbreaks have occurred on a few of our allies ships.  We can even figure that we've had outbreaks on other ships of our own fleet...from Amphibs to Subs and everything inbetween.

The reason why?

Because our allies are running professional forces that will not broadcast something that is a danger to their national security.  Most of our ship's captains are professionals too and would never do what this bubba did.

So why are you still defending him?

Easy.

Because its the popular thing to do.  I cringe at all the so called military professionals that are lauding this guys behavior instead of slamming him like a piece of cold meat.

A few of the pros that are putting him on a pedestal are doing it for political reasons.  They're never-Trumpers that can only see a future in the Republican party if Trump is not re-elected.  If he gets another term then they're has-beens.  Its do or die for their professional careers as consultants.

The others?

Sticking a finger in the wind and picking the popular position so they can look cool at cocktail parties.

Either way I am unimpressed.  When everyone says that wrong is right it doesn't take courage to plant your feet and say no.  It just takes commonsense.

F-4 Phantom from VF-151 about to crash into the water due to torn off front landing gear. USS Coral Sea, 1970

Think I see a parachute in the distance.  Wonder how much time they had to react.  That thing is in full afterburner too.

Drama queen send off for ship's capt shows the lunacy of this situation...

The send off for Captain Brett Crozier who was relieved from duty for TRYING TO SAVE THE LIVES OF HIS CREW pic.twitter.com/EEDG1U3rYE

— Danny Ocean (@The_UnSilent_) April 3, 2020

Are you freaking seeing this?  Dude is being lauded for falling on his sword to save the crew from the coronavirus and look at that vid!

Sailors from all ratings and depts gathering around, mingling, shouting and spreading the virus that they're so deathly afraid of instead of TRYING to adopt some sort of mitigation efforts at sea.

Now do you see the reality of this thing.

The more I look at the actions of this skipper the more I realize that this was some type of grandstand for some reason I don't yet understand.

Conspiracy theory?  Yeah.  But look at the pic and then think about what we're being told to believe.  Brave captain, loved by his crew, defied leadership and got the story out about how he was worried about his sailors and how they were doing nothing.

Then look at the vid above again.

Some of you people are being played.

Boeing CX-LHS design

Friday Motivational. Start planting feet gentlemen!

Time to start planting feet gentlemen.  On all topics.  No more fingers in the air picking popular positions.

If I can do it, then so can you.

U.S. Navy Procuring Three More MQ-25 Unmanned Aerial Refueler From Boeing

via Naval News.

“We’re honored to have the Navy’s confidence in our system design and performance that is evident from this additional order. This order establishes uninterrupted production of the first MQ-25 aircraft and lines up with the Navy’s MQ-25 test and training plans for fleet introduction. The MQ-25 program is vital in ensuring the Navy can deliver a critical unmanned aerial refueling capability to the carrier air wing.”

Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director

Here. 

Boeing Defense is an undercover success story.  Partnering with the Navy has turned into a big deal (along with the Australian Air Force) and they are gonna be filling the skies not only with advanced Super Hornets but also with the MQ-25, which I predict will be flexed into both an ISR and a light attack/missile truck (interim) in the near term.

That's not counting the work being done with the Australian Air Force on their unmanned wingman program that has the attention of the USN, USMC and USAF.

Boeing Defense.  Wonder if I can buy stock in just that part of the company or if its all under the Boeing umbrella?  If they pop it out then BD is a huge buy opportunity right now.

Fri Funny. Hunger Games Districts Announced...

District 3 for the win.

Open Comment Post. 3 Mar 2020

Turkish TSK Firtina (Storm) II

Navy expected to relieve captain who raised alarm about COVID-19 outbreak on aircraft carrier

Thanks to Moebius2249 for the link!

via NBC News.

The Navy is expected to announce it has relieved the captain who sounded the alarm about an outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, according to two U.S. officials.

Capt. Brett Crozier, who commands the Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier with a crew of nearly 5,000, will be relieved of his command, but keep his rank and remain in the Navy.

Crozier raised the alarm earlier this week that sailors on the ship need to be quarantined to stop the spread of the virus. His plea for assistance quickly made headlines.

Crozier sent a letter to the Navy on Monday begging for help addressing the coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship, which was forced to dock in Guam last week. The ship leadership began testing everyone on board. By Wednesday, there were 93 positive test results and more than 1,000 people had departed the ship into isolation on Guam. In total, 2,700 people are expected to disembark the ship this week, with a smaller crew remaining to maintain the ship.

The move is expected to be announced in a briefing by Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly Thursday evening. The official reason for Crozier's relief of duty is a loss of trust and confidence, according to the officials who spoke to NBC News.

Unfortunate but proper.  This is the right move.  The broadcast of this letter endangered our national security...and it was done AFTER the Pentagon told commanders NOT to announce coronavirus infection numbers.  I have yet to hear any explanation of why his actions were in the best interests of the United States Of America or the defense of our great nation.

Gen. Spalding (Ret.): China must be held accountable for the Wuhan Coronavirus ravaging the world

via American Military News.

The first global war of the 21st century began in December without a shot fired. A Wuhan doctor in China noticed some patients admitted to the hospital were exhibiting viral pneumonia consistent with SARS. Only it wasn’t SARS. When he tried to sound the alarm, he triggered the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) authoritarian control on information. Discussion of the illness was prohibited, and the doctor – who tried to warn colleagues through social media – was detained. The results of patient samples that had been sequenced to reveal their genomes were quickly squashed, and the samples destroyed before the results could be made public.

The WHO was notified early on, but they were prevented by the CCP to travel to Wuhan. Meanwhile, the CCP denied there was any danger to the public while 175,000 people traveled from Wuhan to all over China and the world. The virus was now set free to follow the new way of war detailed in the pages of Unrestricted Warfare. This book was written by two Peoples Liberation Army Colonels as a strategy to defeat a militarily superior United States.

The new way of war – trade, economic, propaganda and media – has now been unleashed to aid the Chinese Communist Party. To better understand this, forget everything known about how the world works. Instead, think of globalization and the internet turned into a weapon, in a no-holds-barred assault of competitive aggression unassociated with military might – and this is how China is waging war.

Here. 

A little late but welcome to the party pal!

Marine Attack Helicopters Demonstrate Naval Capabilities

Marine Attack Helicopters Demonstrate Naval Capabilities from SldInfo.com on Vimeo.

Report: U.S. Intelligence Concludes China Is Lying About Coronavirus

via Free Beacon.

A U.S. intelligence report concluded that China lied about the impact of the coronavirus within its borders, under-reporting total case numbers and deaths in public figures, according to Bloomberg News.

China today claims to have roughly 82,000 confirmed cases and 3,300 deaths, but skeptics have long doubted the veracity of those figures, citing accounts from Chinese crematoriums that are processing thousands of urns with coronavirus remains every day. The classified report, which Bloomberg said was submitted to the White House, found that China's coronavirus figures are "intentionally incomplete," corroborating circumstantial evidence that China falsified its figures.

"A *single mortuary* in Wuhan reportedly ordered more urns in two days than the Chinese Communist Party has reported total deaths in the whole country," Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) tweeted on Sunday. "I’m sure you’re shocked by evidence of Chinese lies."

Here. 

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier is rendered ineffective. Congrats people....our big stick is on the beach....

Virus Grounds @TheRealCVN71 as crew quarantined in Guamhttps://t.co/YRNKsOXXMf pic.twitter.com/ykS0AeUoLi

— Dutch Aviation Photo (@DutchAviaPhoto) April 2, 2020

I will never understand the apologist that defend this Skipper for the angst filled letter that he sent to the Chief Of Naval Operations.

Several points stand out to me and I fail to understand why they're not getting bigger play.

1.  The Pentagon stated several days before this letter got into the wild that they would NO LONGER allow units/ships to publicly state coronavirus infections because it was affecting national security. 

2.  The US military is expected to operate in a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) environment.

3.  Our already strained sailors will now have to compensate for the lack of this carrier.  Either we'll send another carrier to fill the gap or more than likely we'll sortie a few Burkes to fill the gap.

4.  Our enemies are watching.  Assessing.  Planning.  You can bet body parts that you highly treasure that this is being noted by our enemies as well as our friends.

5.  Lets assume that this outbreak was accidental.  What happens the next time when its deliberate?  What happens at the next port of call when someone slips something into the drink of a Sailor or Marine?  Do you in essence kill another carrier or regiment?  What happens when you have a SOCOM operator deployed and on a little R&R in a foreign land and someone does the same?  Do you kill a Ranger or MARSOC Regiment, a Special Forces A-Team or a SEAL Team?

Do you get the force of connection here?  Because many of you chose an emotional response to this incident (to include that CO) we have done damage to our national security in ways that you can't imagine.

If you don't think biological warfare is a real thing then you haven't been paying attention.

If by chance it WASN'T a real thing it is now.  This is probably the lowest cost kill of a major weapon system that the US operates I can ever imagine.

You applaud the CO?  I cringe and wonder exactly how much damage he really did.

Even worse?  China is watching.  Our friends are watching.  Terrorist are watching...yet some of you are calling this guy brave.  Simply amazing.

Vipers take off from MCAS Camp Pendleton.....pics by Lance Cpl. Juan Anaya