Meanwhile, in the UK.

When I read this, I paused and said...good---that means that we're not the only ones that have lost our minds.  If Israel comes out and says how many nukes it has then I'll apologize...until then I think this is the dumbest, most insane thing I've ever heard of.  To broadcast a state secret for no apparent reason is....CRAZY TALK!  From CNN...

Britain has a total nuclear arsenal of fewer than 225 weapons, with 160 currently operational, Foreign Secretary William Hague said Wednesday.
"We believe that the time is now right to be more open about the weapons we hold," Hague said in a statement to Parliament.
"We judge that this will assist in building a climate of trust between nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states and contribute, therefore, to future efforts to reduce the number of nuclear weapons worldwide."

M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System

I find this little shotgun fascinating.  It really seems like another example of re-inventing the wheel.  The Super Shorty seems to be handier, holds only one fewer round and would only have required attachment hardware for under weapon use.  Nevertheless, check out this fact sheet and follow the link to the Firearm Blog for more information. 
SW_IW_M26

PEO Soldier's Small Arms Dump.

PEO Soldier has been kind enough to provide a photographic over view of Army weapons.  These are the most interesting.

The M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System (MASS) provides Soldiers with
a 12-gauge shotgun accessory attachment with lethal, less-than-lethal and
door-breaching capabilities.

The M192 provides a lighter weight, low-profile mounting platform for the M249 and M240 for controlled, sustained, and accurate fire at extended ranges.

The M320 Grenade Launcher enables Soldiers to accurately engage the enemy in daylight or total darkness with a safer more reliable grenade launcher. Much more over at their site. Check them out.

Blogger War.

I'm not touching this with a ten foot pole.  I don't know what I don't know but its interesting reading.  Follow these links....

http://www.warisboring.com/?p=5333 

http://nextnavy.com/blogger-intervention-milblogs-and-anti-government-rhetoric/ 


http://www.qando.net/?p=8526


http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=19243

Seabasing Counters Area Denial | AVIATION WEEK

Seabasing Counters Area Denial | AVIATION WEEK

Great article but what I'm still waiting for is an explanation of how you develop an LHA and not have it part of the Amphibious Fleet.  This is another promising concept that will probably be under intense pressure with the current budget problems.  

Bloggers roundtable on the EFV.

DoD Live is going to have a bloggers roundtable on the EFV on the 27th of this month.  If the "professional" blogosphere is up to snuff then we should get some visibility on the state of the program.  I'm not holding my breath, most of the "professionals" are Navy centric.  If they comment on the EFV its to engage in more of a bash session rather than an information seeking exercise.  But we'll see.  Follow the link above and you can sit in on the discussion --I know I will.

MRAPs. We get heavier, allies get lighter.

The latest news from Australia and the UK gives interesting news.  While our MRAPs have on average gotten heavier (with the M-ATV being the lone exception) our allies are looking at lighter offerings.

From the UK, we have the example of Force Protection UK's Ocelot Light Protected Patrol Vehicle.  This truck will operate in the same manner as our future JLTV (perhaps in a more tactical role with no provision for the utility variants).


In Australia we just got word that their new Hawkei Light Protected Vehicle has made it to the second round in their selection process.

What's obvious is that the JLTV as its currently designed (by all competitors) is just too heavy.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against highly protected vehicles.  The issue becomes one of fewer returns with every ton increase in weight.  MRAPs are notorious for poor ride and handling qualities (bad for troop effectiveness once they reach the objective) and for their inability to navigate confined areas of roadways (mostly tight mountain passes).  The number of injured and killed by accidents is probably one of the more under reported consequences of the war against IEDs.

All this leads to the Marine Corps decision to pursue an uparmored Humvee, instead of the JLTV.  The more I look at this issue the better I like the Granite Tactical solution.