Friday, August 07, 2020
One Clime, One Place, One Enemy....the Missile Marine Corps to end rotations to Norway
via Stars & Stripes
The Marine Corps is ending continuous troop rotations to Norway, where hundreds of Marines have been deployed for the past three years, the Corps said Thursday.Translation? If the war ain't in the Pacific and against China then the Missile Marine Corps will not participate in the fighting.
Instead of having up to 700 troops at a time in Norway on six-month rotations, the Marines will conduct periodic training and exercises with the Norwegian armed forces, a spokesman for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe-Africa, Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway, said.
The change, which is set to take effect in the fall, would improve the overall combat readiness of Marine Corps forces and enable the U.S. to better align training with major Norwegian events, Rankine-Galloway said.
“Effective October 2020, U.S. Marines will shift to an episodic deployment model in order to better synchronize their arctic training with Norwegian forces and to allow for increased operational flexibility for the Marine Corps,” he said in a statement.
Another proud legacy bites the dust.
Belarus' Belta reports that 32 Russian Wagner private military contractors were detained last night near Minsk.
Belarus' Belta reports that 32 Russian Wagner private military contractors were detained last night near Minsk. Belarusian law enforcement say they received information that >200 Wagner contractors arrived to destabilize Belarus during the election.https://t.co/E19S0uwubx— Rob Lee (@RALee85) July 29, 2020
Wow! I've read comments discussing the situation in Belarus but didn't take it seriously enough.
WTF is Putin thinking? Not good. Not good at all.
Thursday, August 06, 2020
Type 96A, new armour package, FCS and thermal imager, JD-3 IR jammer and GL5 hard kill APS
 |
|
The war against China will be in AFRICA! It might be proxy forces that are lavishly equipped with Chinese Advisors or it might be frontline Chinese forces but it will be AFRICA not the Pacific!!!!
Do you see the armor above?
How well do you think the Missile Marine Corps would fare in a fight against a couple of Mech/Armor Battalions?
The answer? NOT GOOD. Casualties wouldn't be the problem. The problem will be that all those small, isolated (they call it dispersed) units, will be located and destroyed in order.
What is my answer (cause people seem to want to know)?
REINFORCE THE MEU! ADD TO EXISTING CAPABILITIES INSTEAD OF TRYING TO REVAMP THE FORCE AROUND PIXIE DUST!
Let's address amphibious ships first. This is the one place where Amos was right. He was a fan of the Mistral Class before I was. It just makes too much sense in my opinion. It's just a bit lighter than the San Antonio Class, can support MUCH MORE ROBUST flight operations, has similar capability to launch surface assaults and is AFFORDABLE! One America Class, San Antonio Class along with two Mistral Class ships could easily provide the early entry punch that we all desire and hope for.
Next up would be artillery. On this Berger is on the right path but getting there in the wrong way. What do we need a return to? Regimental Artillery! We don't have 8in guns in service anymore but we could field ATACMS there to break up armored assaults and to attack other targets. Working with the Army we could develop new land and surface attack missiles that fit the MLRS (maybe fewer missiles but they could range further). If not then we could go with bigger missiles mounted on alternate platforms. The MTVR is just waiting to be pressed into service as a missile launch platform.
The ACV? Needs to be turned into a family of vehicles. Full stop. No need to keep playing with the idea of a Marine Corps Fighting Vehicle. We needed one 40 years ago and we need one today.
Aviation?
This is the monster in the room that NO COMMANDANT has been able to cage. Simply put aviation is killing/has killed the Marine Corps and is the reason why we're seeing this bastardized Missile Marine Corps headed down the pike.
The main problem I see is that the AVIATION NECK DOWN CAMPAIGN has failed miserably!
Light Strike should make a comeback. It might be heresy but the V-280 as a tilt rotor light strike platform makes too much sense. Cut the F-35 buy and get some of those. Cut more F-35s and get onboard the Navy's program and buy Super Hornets. Rethink the CH-53K. One hundred million dollars for a helo? Someone at HQMC is smoking crack. If the EFV could get canned for cost then so should this bird. Cut KC-130s. The refueling mission should be tossed to the USAF and buddy tanking utilized when not possible. AH-1Z/UH-1Y should also go away with their mission being taken over by the V-280.
There's alot more but I don't have much time. We're gonna dig into this deeper this weekend but this should get us started.
Simple question.
If you're as alarmed as I am at the thought of the Missile Marine Corps then what's your force design for the future?
Thurs. Funny...When you see it you'll...
 |
|
It's juvenile but funny. If you don't get it I'll give you a hint. NECKLINE!
TEDBF twin engined LCA rendering
 |
| <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TEDBF twin engined LCA rendering based on earlier <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HAL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HAL</a> released renders.🇮🇳🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/4VHt9a7B1m">pic.twitter.com/4VHt9a7B1m</a></p>— Sukhoi Su-57 Felon 🇷🇺🇮🇳 (@I30mki) <a href="https://twitter.com/I30mki/status/1291294412350390277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> |
Wednesday, August 05, 2020
Tuesday, August 04, 2020
Beirut just got its teeth kicked in....
Stunning video shows explosions just minutes ago at Beirut port pic.twitter.com/ZjltF0VcTr— Borzou Daragahi 🖊🗒 (@borzou) August 4, 2020
Definitely not fireworks. I'd be surprised if anything remained standing after that. Wonder what it was. Did that look like a fuel-air explosion at the end to you?
If terrorist have bombs that hit that hard now then things just got serious for every major city in the Western World.
Can you imagine an explosion like that in Berlin, London, Tokyo or New York?
Elbit Systems Light PULS™ is a lightweight airborne rocket launcher system.
God in heaven no! I can see it right now. Some Missile Marine Aide is rushing into Berger's office shouting "boss, ya got to see this"!
Next thing you know he's on the phone to Elbit, he fast tracks a buy, the Missile Marines look like a bunch of terrorists driving around in technicals and he calls it a good thing.
Seriously though.
What is the benefit here? I'm not slamming Elbit but the concept. A lightweight, vehicle mounted rocket system that can fit into the back of a helicopter is gonna be too light to put down sufficient fires.
It's cool.
It stirs the soul.
But can it truly be said to be effective at its intended purpose?
Qatar Emiri Land Force DINGO 2 HD Command Post variant..equipped with an extendable mast system
 |
|
Israeli Defense establishment puts V-22 Osprey deal back on the table
via Cleveland Jewish News.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said on Sunday that they intend to reconsider procuring the V-22 Osprey aircraft from U.S. manufacturer Boeing.I find this hyper interesting.
Israel had decided several months ago not to purchase the aircraft due to budgetary restrictions.
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. Gantz, who during his tenure as IDF chief saw the United States and Israel reach an Osprey procurement deal, is an adamant supporter of purchasing the advanced aircraft.
In a meeting two weeks ago, Israel Hayom has learned, Gantz and Kochavi agreed to revisit the decision to scrap the Osprey deal. If Gantz’s position is indeed adopted, the Osprey would be part of a broader initiative to replace the IDF’s aging fleet of Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters, which were first incorporated in the 1960s and 1970s.
Despite the air force’s efforts over the decades to preserve the quality of its CH-53 fleet, in 2019 the State Comptroller said in a report that keeping the aircraft operational beyond 2025 would put lives at risk.
That contest to replace the aging CH-53s is between the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and the Boeing CH-47F Chinook. While the IDF hasn’t yet declared its preference, according to Israel Hayom the country’s defense establishment prefers the CH-53K due to its better performance.
The Israelis are planning on going after someone and they plan on going after someone in a big way.
Nothing else makes sense.
They keep gravitating back to the V-22 despite the V-280 seemingly coming online in a few years.
So they need speed, range (both of which the V-280 gives in spades) AND a relatively large troops compartment (which the V-280 doesn't).
Budget constraints are going to be a reality on both sides of the Atlantic so I don't see a sweetheart deal being worked out especially if Biden wins the election.
Which means that the Israelis will forgo other kit to get the V-22.
Yeah.
You heard it here first.
The Israeli SF are gonna do a long range raid against someone and its foreseen/being planned right now.
USMC moving ahead with ground vehicle divestiture....is LAR & AAV/ACV next?
via Janes.
The US Marine Corps (USMC) has retired 200 M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, M88 armoured recovery vehicles, and armoured vehicle launched bridges, and is planning to transfer them over to the army.What should surprise and worry everyone is the speed at which this Commandant killed Tank Battalions across the Missile Marines. What should concern us all is his next steps.
Over the past few weeks, the USMC has been standing down various ground vehicles as part of Commandant General David Berger’s Force Design 2030 plan. On 6 July, for example, the service announced that the last tank assigned to 1st Tank Battalion had departed the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California.
The service is now consolidating the vehicles at a logistics base in Barstow, California, and recently announced that its Railhead Operations Group staff is now verifying that everything is in order before sending the vehicles on to army depots in Herlong, California, and Aniston, Alabama.
“We have Marines from several units here to assist with the offload, on load, and securement of the equipment,” Chad Hildebrandt, the railway operations supervisor for the logistics base, said in a 30 July announcement. The loaded cars will be stored on base until we have all tanks loaded and secured, then they will all ship out to the army at the same time”.
Earlier this year, Gen Berger unveiled his vision for how his service should be manned and operating by 2030 to compete with China and Russia. One of his ultimate goals is to design a smaller force that is more nimble to support naval expeditionary warfare operations, and to achieve this the service is funneling dollars away from legacy systems and towards modernised ones.
Will LAR & AAV/ACV be next?
I contend that in keeping with his current rationale of concentrating on fighting one fight, in one region, against one enemy that its a forgone conclusion.
LAR & AAV/ACV must die.
The Marine Corps has morphed into the Missile Marines and will be INCAPABLE of participating in any other conflict (maybe aviation but why would the USAF want them...why would the Navy clear deck space...would we even have units available?).
With ground combat off the table (God Bless the US Army...they're gonna have to carry the whole load) why would they remain in service?
Tanks was just the beginning.
The Ground Combat Element needs a four star advocate at the highest level of the Missile Marines or it will become just a token part of the fight (funny to think that all Marine Infantry will be prized for in the near future is ceremonial events).
Pic of the day. French Army All Terrain Tracked Vehicle in the mountains...
 |
|
Australia's Boxer CRV keeps rolling on...
 |
|
I have to give the Aussies credit. You should too.
Think about it. In the span of a decade they will have basically revamped and modernized EVERY one of their services. I don't agree with all the platforms they selected but the speed, domestic production and INNOVATION I'm seeing is impressive.
Even better is the fact that they seem to be moving forward at full speed with a LIMITED amount of risk. Even where we do see that development risk its so contained that if delays or failure does occur it will be a minor irritant, not an earth shattering event that requires a crash development program to be initiated (I'm thinking that fabulous Loyal Wingman concept they're working on).
If I recall correctly the K9 Thunder is the next thing up but regardless I'm betting it'll be on time, within budget and provides a boost to the Australian economy.
That's what I call SMART defense spending.
Russia launches production of latest Armata tanks
via TASS
MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. The production of tanks and fighting vehicles based on the latest Armata combat platform under a contract signed with Russia’s Defense Ministry several years ago is already underway, Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov told TASS on Monday.Did we talk about the Armata being tested in Syria? I seriously can't remember. Seems like something like that would be front of mind but it isn't. Did it perform well? I'm not really sure how good a workout it would get in that shit show that no one wants to leave but no one wants to win.
"Yes, the work is underway," the minister said, replying to a question about whether the production of these armored vehicles had begun in Russia.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko announced in August 2018 that a contract on 132 T-14 tanks and T-15 infantry fighting vehicles based on the Armata combat platform had been signed. He did not specify, though, when the document was inked. The deliveries of serial-produced Armata tanks to the Russian troops have not begun yet. Industry and Trade Minister Manturov said in April this year that the troops would get the first Armata tanks in 2021.
The Armata is a heavy tracked standardized platform serving as the basis to develop a main battle tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, an armored personnel carrier and some other armored vehicles.
The T-14 tank based on the Armata platform was shown to the public for the first time at Red Square’s Victory Day parade on May 9, 2015. The new combat vehicle features fully digitized equipment, an unmanned turret and an isolated armored capsule for the crew.
Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport earlier announced that the T-14 tank and the T-15 infantry fighting vehicle based on the Armata combat platform would be demonstrated to potential foreign buyers at the Army-2020 international arms show in August.
The developers of the latest Russian T-14 Armata tank have resolved the problems with its engines and thermal imagers, Manturov said. "Yes, the problems with both the engines and the thermal imagers have been resolved. The engine generates the parameters and the technical characteristics that were laid out in the performance specifications upon its designing," he said.
"As for the thermal imagers, I can confidently say that we have a fully import-substituted Russian product that is made by Shvabe [holding]," the minister said.
The Armata’s trials in the troops are proceeding in accordance with the schedule, the minister said.
Russia is also preparing the Armata for export. As Manturov said in April, Russia plans to start work with Armata’s foreign customers in 2021 and has already received several prior requests. The tank has already been tested in Syria.
Marine Special Operations members face manslaughter charges after brawl in Iraq
via Stars & Stripes.
The party was winding down around 4 a.m. when the fight erupted. The crowd at a bar in northern Iraq — including Special Operations Marines, defense contractors and civilians — had been drinking and dancing for hours, ringing in the new year.Here.
A conversation between two Americans turned sour. A burly, bearded defense contractor speaking to a Navy corpsman screamed at least one profanity at him, witnesses later said. Bouncers ejected the contractor, an Army Special Forces veteran, who threatened to hurt the sailor when he came outside.
Bouncers told the sailor and two Marine friends to wait five minutes before leaving. But that did not de-escalate the situation.
The three men approached the contractor and his colleagues outside, and a brawl ensued. One of the Marines punched the contractor in the side of the head, and the contractor spun around and landed on the back of his head, suffering a nine-inch skull fracture, according to previously unreported military documents and security video reviewed by The Washington Post. He died a few days later, on Jan. 4, 2019.
Jesus! What is it with MARSOC and Special Forces? I've met some of those dudes and they treated us better than a FEW of our Recon/Force Recon guys. Seriously professional, seriously about the work (without the bullshit)...just good dudes.
I can't understand the apparent friction between the two groups but at this rate MARSOC is gonna get invited out of SOCOM.
This is a tragedy full stop. But it's also the second incident between MARSOC and Special Forces that resulted in death (that I know of).
Whatever is broken needs to get fixed asap.
Monday, August 03, 2020
Subscribe to:
Comments
(
Atom
)