A160 Hummingbird shot down?

The US Army shoots it down that it is.

Check out the story from Wired.

This month, the Army planned to deploy to Afghanistan an unusual new drone: an unmanned eye-in-the-sky helicopter programmed to use high-tech cameras to monitor vast amounts of territory. But now the drone might be lucky to be deployed at all, as the Army has moved to shut down production — possibly ending the program forever.
That drone would be the A160 Hummingbird, which the Army planned to equip with the powerful Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System, or Argus. But earlier this month, the Army issued a stop-work order — one step away from termination — to the drone’s developer Boeing. The reason? A high “probability of continued technical and schedule delays,” costs and risks that have “increased so significantly that program continuation is no longer in the best interest of the government,” said Donna Hightower, the Army’s acting product manager for unmanned aerial systems modernization.

Is this because the war in Afghanistan is winding down?

Is it DARPA hard and costing the Army too much time and money?

Or is it simply a bad idea and this is the best for all concerned?  I'll bet its all three.  But I would also guess that Boeing made a fundamental error...they should have made this optionally manned to iron out the problems instead of going all robot all the time.

I still have to wonder what a rotary winged UAV brings to the table that a predator doesn't...integrating the A160's payload onto an Air Force UAV can't be that hard.

Ambush Exercise.

U.S. Marines and Malaysian soldiers conduct an ambush exercise during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Malaysia 2012 in Beraus, Malaysia, June 17, 2012. The bilateral military exercises occur between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Timor Leste joined the exercise for the first time this year.

Royal Marines (45 Commando) and another Foxhound pic.

Royal Navy personnel from the Commando Helicopter Force and Royal Marines from 45 Commando are pictured taking part in Exercise Scottish Lion in the South West of Scotland.

More than 750 Royal Marines and supporting units, plus three warships, Sea King and Chinook helicopters waged war in and around the Galloway Forest in a week-long exercise to prepare 45 Commando for front-line duties.

The Arbroath-based green berets are now the nation’s ‘lead commando group’ – ready to deploy around the globe if required – having successfully completed Exercise Scottish Lion.

A Foxhound Light Protection Protected Vehicle is pictured at Camp Bastion, Helmand, Afghanistan.

Foxhound was delivered to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan for the first time on 2nd of June 2012.

Originally procured as an Urgent Operational Requirement, Foxhound was designed specifically to protect against the threats faced by troops in Afghanistan - for example, its V-shaped hull helps it withstand explosions caused by an improvised explosive device.
Its size and agility allows troops to carry out a wide range of tasks in environments that may restrict larger, heavier vehicles. Foxhound is ideal for the Partnering and Mentoring role required for Transition, being able to access urban areas with increased protection.
The vehicle incorporates state of the art technology from a range of areas, including from non-traditional defence sources such as the UK's world-leading motorsport industry, drawing a significant number of SMEs from across the country into the supply chain.
Its engine can be removed and replaced in just 30 minutes and it can drive away on only three wheels.
The vehicle was designed, developed, and built in the UK by FPE and Ricardo plc, together with Team Ocelot partners Thales, QinetiQ, Formaplex, DSG and Sula. Construction of the vehicles will take place throughout the UK.
The L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) is a 7.62 x 51mm belt-fed general purpose machine gun which can be used as a light weapon and in a sustained fire (SF) role.
In the SF role, mounted on a tripod and fitted with the C2 optical sight, it is fired by a two-man team who are grouped in a specialist Machine Gun Platoon to provide battalion-level fire support. In SF mode, the GPMG, with a two-man crew, lays down 750 rounds-per-minute at ranges up to 1,800 meters.

The GPMG can be carried by foot soldiers and employed as a light machine gun (LMG), although it has largely been replaced by the lighter 5.56 x 45mm Minimi in this role in most regiments. A fold-out bipod is used to support the GPMG in the LMG role.

The US Army .... gettin' it done.

U.S. Army Spc. Robert Zarlenga, a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, fires his M4 carbine at insurgent forces June 15, 2012, near Joint Security Station Hasan, southern Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod, Task Force 1/82 PAO

Spc. Justin Mullen, combat medic with 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, scans his sector during a patrol in Enjergay, Afghanistan, June 2, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brendan Mackie

Spc. Shane Marks, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, provides security in an overwatch position during Operation Southern Strike II in Afghanistan, June 6, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brendan Mackie

The X-37C and a new ride for Military Astronauts.

DefenseMediaNetwork has an intriguing story on the X-37B.  To be honest it was pretty standard fare until he dropped the X-37C concept on me.

The X-37B is winning nothing but praise from the aviation community but its missions are cloaked in secrecy.  By all accounts its performing magnificently.  So while our civilian space agency is floundering, our US Air Force is moving ahead and getting the job done.

A manned, larger version of the X-37 is a no brainer and the Air Force is supposedly heading that way.

Outstanding!  Read the whole article here.

Exercise Mailed Fist 2012

200 Flights For BF-2

Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Canin was at the controls for the 200th mission of F-35B BF-2 on 21 June 2012. The flight was from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.

The GATE.