U.S.-China Economic and Security Review

  U.S.-China Economic and Security Review

HQMC Current Operations Brief pdf (25 Apr 2014).

Pay careful attention to page 7.  It seems that HQMC is taking baby steps toward the Navy's position of "rolling back" enemy defenses to conduct amphibious assaults.  Power Projection (a euphemism for the dreaded 101st Airborne/Heliborne MV-22 Marine Corps) from 65+nm out remains BUT discussions on launching from 12-25nm using ACVs is discussed.  The dream of "ship to shore" connectors with launch distances of 30-50nm remains though.

  MGenPadillaNMCCBrief25APR

Bonus info below...USMC Future Force Posture 2014-2020...

2_Love

Chinese expansion into the Americas continues. Canal to break ground today.

via Yahoo News.

Last year, Ortega's allies in Congress fast-tracked legislation granting HKND a 50-year concession, renewable for another 50, to build and operate a canal in return for a payment of $10 million a year once it's up and running. The law lets HKND develop ancillary projects — ports, an airport, roads, a railway — even if it doesn't get built.
HKND hired the respected U.K.-based consulting firm Environmental Resources Management about a year ago to assess the environmental and social impact of a project that is expected to displace some 29,000 people. In late July, just two weeks after HKND announced its preferred route for the canal, ERM held community meetings in seven cities over 10 days, according to a document on HKND's website.

Read the whole story here.

Be advised.  The Chinese will have a foothold in Central and S. America that will require the US to establish bases and forces to counter it.  And don't be deceived.  They will build sea and air ports.

The Chinese govt just moved into our neighborhood and no one is paying attention.

HDND's website is here.

EA-18G News. The Navy isn't even forcing us to read tea leaves anymore.

via Reuters.

Dec 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy on Friday said it was in talks with Boeing Co about slowing production of its EA-18G electronic attack jets to keep the St. Louis facility running through the end of 2017, after Congress approved funding for 15 more planes.
The Navy is seeking to modify Boeing's existing contract for EA-18G jets, or Growlers, and F/A-18 Super Hornets to add the extra jets funded by Congress in the fiscal 2015 U.S. budget, said Rob Koon, spokesman for the Navy's Naval Air Systems Command.
President Obama on Tuesday signed the fiscal 2015 spending bill into law. It includes $1.46 billion for 15 more Growlers, and up to $100 million to cover the cost of slowing the current production rate from three to two aircraft a month.
By building two jets a month instead of three, Boeing will be able to stretch jet orders through the end of 2017, preserving the tooling and jobs associated with the line for as long as possible.
Koon gave no details on the cost of "stretching" the production line, or when the two sides are likely to reach agreement on a modified contract.
Boeing spokeswoman Caroline Hutcheson said the company should be able to keep building planes through the end of 2017 given the added funding and an expected agreement with the Navy about slowing deliveries of jets already on order.
She said Boeing was ready to discuss possible additional orders with the Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense as they finalized their fiscal 2016 budget request.
Few details have emerged about the Navy's fiscal 2016 budget plans, but Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert last month told Reuters the Navy was looking at possible additional orders of Growlers for the period.

We don't need to read tea leaves or speculate about the Navy's stance on the F-35.

They're not sold.  Not at all.

This type of news must be shaking the F-35 partners to the core.  For the honest brokers like Australia, the Netherlands and maybe even the Brits and Canadians, this must be shocking.

I wonder what the classified briefings really are telling them?  The Navy is going full bore into Electronic Attack.  The funny thing?  The USAF can't contest the move.  They don't have electronic attack aircraft and gave the US Navy sole responsibility for the mission...which means that the Navy wanting to keep the EA-18G line open is a matter of national security...especially if they're right about the future of aerial warfare.

Terrorist Attack or Police targeted or Both? This is about to get real.

First read this HEAVY.com article.

Next.  Consider what we have seen.  Two juries that failed to indict police in questionable cases.

Then.  Think about the attacks on police.  Quite honestly they're being attacked from all sides.  Once only the Sovereign Citizen Movement was a worry.  Now its expanding.  We've seen trained individuals ambush police and then head to the woods (Police seem ill equipped to deal with criminals in woodland environments).  This is getting worse not better.

Now.  Ponder what the solution could be.  Police are militarizing for big incidents but the solutions for beat cops is no where to be found.  Law Enforcement is screwed.  They will respond in a heavy handed fashion which will cause these types of incidents to increase.

Shit is about to get real.

Sidenote:  Have you checked out the response from the Police Union?  They are acting stupidly.  They truly believe they're helping when all they're doing is painting a bigger target on the back of their members.

The movie no one was talking about is now the movie everyone wants to see...

I've been watching this Sony movie controversy with a little bit of amusement, anger, frustration and astonishment.

To hear people talking about Sony being an American company has amused me.  To see Sony cave to the threats of terrorist has angered and frustrated me.  Ditto with the reaction from the White House that did a "finger in the wind" response to the issue after everything was said and done.

What is astonishing is where we are now.

Lets be honest.

This movie was (by all appearances) idiotic.  No one was going to see it except some teens (if Sony was lucky).  It was almost a straight to DVD grade movie and that's where it was going to make bucks.  But now?  People want to see it as a protest if nothing else.

The funny thing?

This movie will see the light of day.  Its just bound to happen.  When it does you can bet that it will be on file sharing sites and its going to be downloaded by millions.  N. Korea might have bullied one corporation but in the end they're going to lose because of the digital age that we live in.

It won't make money or win awards but it will be one of the most watched flicks in the next 6 months.  I almost guarantee it.

The Commando Helicopter Force gets a new "Junglie"...images by POA(Phot) Mez Merrill

Story here.  Time will tell if the Merlin proves to be as capable as the legendary Sea Kings they're soon to replace.  Somehow I doubt it but we'll see.

Is the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) concept dead?

The below photos are from a JTAC proficiency training exercise, pics by  Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht...

Simple question.  Is the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) concept dead? Everyone and their mother can call for fires now and its no longer a mystic art held by only a few.  JTACs dot the land side in all the services and in allied forces as well.  Does a Marine Corps that is being reduced to levels that are obscene, while at the same time shedding combat power in favor of its air arm doing itself any favor by maintaining a unit whose time has passed?  Is it wrong to consider shuttering ANGLICO and getting back an Infantry Battalion?