Javelin Thrust 2010.

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, Calif.-A CH-53E Helicopter with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing kicks up sand and dust as it prepares to land and begin transporting Marines.
HMH 772 is based out of Willow Grove, Penn., Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac, 6/13/2010 7:03 AM

 

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, Calif.-Marines with Company B, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment wait to be transported to their training area for the duration of exercise Javelin Thrust 2010.

The CH-53E Helicopter is with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Company B is based out of MAchester, N.H.
HMH 772 is based out of Willow Grove, Penn., Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac, 6/13/2010 6:01 AM

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, Calif.-A infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment surveys his surrondings prior to boarding a CH-46 helicopter and traveling to his training area. Company B is based out of Manchester, N.H., Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac, 6/13/2010 6:42 AM

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, Calif.-Marines with Company B, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment load onto vehicles and prepare to travel to their training area for exercise Javelin Thrust 2010.
Company B is based out of Manchester, N.H.
The Company B Marines are among more than 4,500 Marines who will be participating in the exercise., Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac, 6/13/2010 7:07 AM

26th MEU conducts Realistic Urban Training at Fort A.P. Hill.

A Marine with Company I, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, puts rounds downrange during a company battle live-fire exercise as part of Realistic Urban Training aboard Fort A.P. Hill, Va., June 8, 2010. During the 18-day training evolution, the MEU will conduct several urban and other small unit training exercises as part of its pre-deployment training. 26th MEU is scheduled to deploy later this fall. (Official USMC Photo by Lance Cpl. Santiago G. Colon Jr./Released)

Sergeant Major Allen L. Tanner, sergeant major for 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, speaks with Marines while attending a live-fire exercise during Realistic Urban Training (RUT) at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., June 8, 2010. During the 18-day training evolution, the MEU conducted several urban training exercises in a realistic environment as part of its pre-deployment training. The urban environment is among the most challenging tactical environments MEU Marines may face. 26th MEU is scheduled to deploy later this fall. (Official USMC Photo by Lance Cpl Tammy K. Hineline/ Released).

Capt. Brian J. Donlon, Company I commander with Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, communicates on the company radio during a company battle live-fire exercise as part of Realistic Urban Training aboard Fort A.P. Hill, Va., June 8, 2010. During the 18-day training evolution, the MEU will conduct several urban and other small unit training exercises as part of its pre-deployment training. 26th MEU is scheduled to deploy later this fall. (Official USMC Photo by Lance Cpl. Santiago G. Colon Jr./Released)

Mortarmen with Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, fire a mortar at a target downrange as part of Realistic Urban Training aboard Fort A.P. Hill, Va., June 8, 2010. During the 18-day training evolution, the MEU will conduct several urban and other small unit training exercises as part of its pre-deployment training. 26th MEU is scheduled to deploy later this fall. (Official USMC Photo by Lance Cpl. Santiago G. Colon Jr./Released)

AMPV unveiled?

via DefPro.

The German-based companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall have placed on display before the international audience gathering at Eurosatory 2010 one of the four prototypes of their newly developed family of armoured multipurpose vehicles (AMPV) in the 5.3 to 9.3-ton class. The vehicle, which has not been only developed for the Bundeswehr’s GFF/GTF project, having requested protected C4I and mission-specific vehicles as well as protected transport capacity, is designed taking into account the operational experiences made by the German armed forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

I guess this is the official unveiling because this vehicle has been up on KMW's website for at least a year or two.  Another 7 ton Humvee/JLTV/light weight MRAP/patrol vehicle.

We have too many of these already.  I don't really see much of a future in this segment.  One dirty little secret of the current conflicts is that Infantry operating on foot or out of larger vehicles like the MTVR are as effective as those operating in uparmored Humvee type vehicles.

RG41.

BAE has another interesting wheeled vehicle to add to a pretty impressive portfolio of products.  The RG41.  What has me slightly confused is that I didn't even catch a whiff of this vehicle before Eurosatory.

Thankfully Defense News has been doing the work and has a nice article on it.  You can read it here. 

bae_pdf_rg41_ds

EUROSATORY 2010 is now on.

Eurosatory 2010 is going on now and I can't find a major organization that's covering the going on's there.  The only people that appear to be making an effort is Defense Update and Army Recognition.

The photo below is taken from Army Recognition. Its suppose to be of a new Leopard 2A7.

Sea Phantom. Another slowly developing concept.

The Sea Phantom.  An unusual high speed transport that is being touted by its developers as the answer to the issue of back injuries of Special Operations personnel when they're being transported in high speed boats.

SEAL Insertion / Harbor Patrol: the number one long-term concern of the US Navy SEAL operative during small boat insertion operations is the accumulative effect of the constant pounding on his body. The average SEAL will complete his career one inch shorter than his enlistment height, due solely to the endless wave impact loads on his spine. Many admirable approaches have been made to mitigate shock loads to small boat combatants at the seat base, but the more logical approach would be to intercept the problem at its source: the sea-surface interaction zone. The SeaPhantom does this.
The SeaPhantom rises to cruise above average wave crests; furthermore it is a boat with a suspension system - a very serious suspension system: comprising non-corrosive fiberglass leaf springs and billet-aluminum airbags - tested to 60,000 pounds - for dampening the effects of errant wave impacts.
Servicemen assigned to patrol will be in far better shape to perform their duties when not beaten into the ground during hours of small boat operations...

As to the actual utility of this boat?  I just don't know, it is unusual looking, its a hydrofoil of sorts and it does appear to be fast.  How practical it would be when used as an insertion platform is beyond me though.

And you thought DADT would be a simple matter for the services?

For those that don't know...this is just another weekend for some Marines out on the town...this is an everyday happening...no big deal...until you consider that instead of happening out in town, its going to be happening on the base.  In base housing.  In barracks.  Aboard ships.  DADT repeal will be traumatic to the force.

via the Associated Press (from the Marine Corps Times)

Two Marines have been arrested on misdemeanor charges of assault.
Savannah police say a police officer was patrolling early Saturday morning when he saw two men running on Congress Lane. The Savannah Morning News reports that moments later, 26-year-old Kieran Daly was found lying motionless on a nearby street.
The Marines, 22-year-old Keil Joseph Cronauer and 23-year-old Charles Stanzel were arrested a short time later, police say. According to police, Cronauer and Stanzel said they were trying to get away from a gay man who was harassing them.

According to police, Daly said one of the suspects hit him because he thought he was winking at him.

Police records state Cronauer and Stanzel were later released to Marine police.

There are alot of pot smoking old timers and sissified men who have never served or even Chairmen who are approaching the end of their tenure and want to buttress their record against the fiasco in Afghanistan who are for the repeal of DADT.

If you do favor repeal, then you have to understand that the Marine Corps is the land of testosterone and bad attitudes.  People will get hurt.

Purge before the cuts.

via Sky News.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, the new Defence Secretary Liam Fox revealed the Chief of the Defence Staff - as well as the Ministry of Defence's top civil servant, Sir Bill Jeffrey, are both to leave their jobs at the same time later this year.
The Government is currently conducting a Strategic Defence Review (SDR) about the future of the British forces.
The paper said the clean sweep at the top is intended to improve the military's performance on the Afghan front line, as well as cutting Whitehall waste.

If I were to guess, I'd say that the good General didn't quite get on board with planned cuts or the direction of military forces in Afghanistan.

That leads me to believe that the cuts are going to be deeper than the Chief of Defense Staff wanted and the posture in Afghanistan is probably going to be biased toward reduced casualties.

Either way its bad news for the Afghans and General McChrystal.  Now we know why Gates said that progress had to be shown by the end of the year...our allies are packing bags...they haven't left yet, but they're getting ready.

WAM-V Proteus.

This vessel has intrigued me since I first saw it a few months ago.  Well I finally tracked it down and still love what I see.

I wonder if it could possibly have military applications?

WAM-V website.

HP Proteus photo site.

Infantry Gear.

One of the issues that will face the ground forces when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan finally wind down is that money that has been going to make sure that our Infantry is the best and most lavishly equipped in the world will go away.

That is one (of only a few) good things to come out of these conflicts.  The advancement in gear tech has been ... stunning.

ADS Inc. is a 'clearing house'...a one stop shop if you will, of gear that units can make purchases from without going through the headache of tracking down each individual vendor.

Which leads to another unforeseen economic shock that will be hitting soon so enjoy the wide variety while you can.  Fewer personnel and smaller budgets will mean that many of the companies highlighted in the brochures below won't be around.

Army Catalog Vol3 Lores 0709