SNAFU!

LCS-1 headed to RIMPAC.

via US Navy.

USS Freedom Departs San Diego for RIMPACBy Lt. Ed Early, USS Freedom Public Affairs SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The Navy's first Littoral Combat Ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1), departed Naval Base San Diego today to participate in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010, the world's largest maritime exercise.

During this year's RIMPAC, the 22nd in the biennial exercise series, Freedom will operate in and around the Hawaiian Islands with air, land, and maritime forces from 13 other nations.

"RIMPAC is a tremendous opportunity to build upon and to refine Freedom's known surface warfare and maritime security capabilities and to break new ground in LCS employment," said Cmdr. Kris Doyle, commanding officer of Freedom's Blue Crew. "We have several 'first-of' events scheduled, ranging from air defense to anti-submarine to fire support exercises. Every day, we will be stretching ourselves to learn more about what LCS brings to the fleet and how we integrate in a multinational environment."

Freedom recently arrived in San Diego at the conclusion of a historic maiden deployment to the U.S. 3rd and 4th Fleet areas of responsibility. During deployment, the ship conducted counter-illicit trafficking (CIT) operations, making four successful seizures that yielded more than five tons of cocaine, two "go fast" drug vessels, and nine suspected smugglers taken into custody. In addition to independent operations, Freedom successfully integrated with the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Carrier Strike Group for a re-fueling at sea, high-speed operations, surface gunnery events, and Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure evolutions. The ship also completed three theater security cooperation port visits to Cartagena, Colombia; Panama City, Panama; and Manzanillo, Mexico.

The first ship of the revolutionary LCS program, Freedom is a fast, agile, and maneuverable ship designed to compliment the Navy's larger multi-mission surface combatants in select mission areas, including combating submarines, mines, and fast-attack craft threats in the littorals.

Embarked aboard Freedom for RIMPAC are Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22, Detachment 2, based in Norfolk, Va., and the first tailored LCS Surface Warfare Mission Package (SUW MP), based in San Diego.

Estonia and US Marines perform amphibious ops training. (Baltops)

LOSKA, Estonia -U.S. Marines amphibious assault vehicles head for the beach during a combined U.S., Estonian amphibious landing at a beach here. The combined training demonstration was part Baltic Operations 2010, an exercise designed to increase the interoperability of NATO and partner nations in the Baltic Sea region. , Sgt. Rocco DeFilippis, 6/14/2010 11:19 AM

LOSKA, Estonia -U.S. Marines amphibious assault vehicles embarked aboard the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) advance on the shore line during a combined U.S./Estonian amphibious landing. The combined operations was part of a demonstration of the interoperability between the two forces as part of exercise Baltic Operations 2010, an exercise designed to increase the interoperability of NATO and partner nations in the Baltic Sea region. , Sgt. Rocco DeFilippis, 6/15/2010 11:36 AM

LOSKA, Estonia -U.S. Marines amphibious assault vehicles embarked aboard the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) come ashore during a combined U.S./Estonian amphibious landing. The combined operations was part of a demonstration of the interoperability between the two forces as part of exercise Baltic Operations 2010, an exercise designed to increase the interoperability of NATO and partner nations in the Baltic Sea region., Sgt. Rocco DeFilippis, 6/15/2010 11:36 AM

LOSKA, Estonia -Estonian soldiers emerge from a U.S. Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicle during a combined U.S., Estonian amphibious landing at a beach here. The combined training demonstration was part Baltic Operations 2010, an exercise designed to increase the interoperability of NATO and partner nations in the Baltic Sea region., Sgt. Rocco DeFilippis, 6/15/2010 11:38 AM

LOSKA, Estonia -U.S. Marine infantrymen and amphibious assault vehicles from Special Purpose Marine Air/Ground Task Force African Partnership Station take up defensive positions during a demonstration of a combined U.S./Estonian amphibious landing. The combined training demonstration was part Baltic Operations 2010, an exercise designed to increase the interoperability of NATO and partner nations in the Baltic Sea region. , Sgt. Rocco DeFilippis, 6/15/2010 11:42 AM

LOSKA, Estonia -Estonian soldiers wade ashore during a combined U.S., Estonian amphibious landing at a beach here. The combined training demonstration was part Baltic Operations 2010, an exercise designed to increase the interoperability of NATO and partner nations in the Baltic Sea region. , Sgt. Rocco DeFilippis, 6/15/2010 12:16 PM

LOSKA, Estonia -Estonian soldiers and U.S. Marines wade ashore during a combined U.S., Estonian amphibious landing at a beach here. The combined training demonstration was part Baltic Operations 2010, an exercise designed to increase the interoperability of NATO and partner nations in the Baltic Sea region. , Sgt. Rocco DeFilippis, 6/15/2010 12:16 PM

Pic of the day. June 16, 2010.

Via Joe Stemph's Flickr Page.

CH-53E Super Stallion of HMH-464 "Warhorse" kicking up debris on landing at West Wetlands Park in Yuma, Arizona during a noncombatant evacuation exercise.

Australian Special Forces clearing operations.

An Australian Special Operations Task Group soldier takes aim during the Shah Wali Kot Offensive. (Date taken: June 2010)

An Australian Special Operations Task Group soldier observing a 500lb bomb strike an insurgent position during the Shah Wali Kot Offensive. (Date taken: June 2010)

An Australian Special Operations Task Group soldier observing the valley during the Shah Wali Kot Offensive. (Date taken: June 2010)

Afghan Officers from the Provincial Police Response Company and Australian Special Operations Task Group Soldiers lift off in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter as part of the Shah Wali Kot Offensive. (Date taken: June 2010)

Afghan Officers from the Provincial Police Response Company and Australian Special Operations Task Group Soldiers wait to lift off in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters as part of the Shah Wali Kot Offensive. (Date taken: June 2010)

AH-64 Apache attack helicopters lift off to support Afghan National Security Forces and Australian Special Operations Task Group Soldiers as part of the Shah Wali Kot Offensive. (Date taken: June 2010)

RG41 Video.

And BAE was kind enough to supply a few photos of this new beast.

Thales Australia at Eurosatory.

I am really impressed by some of the efforts made by defense contractors at getting the word out on their products. Most have come up short....waaaaaaaaaaay short.

Some have gone above and beyond.

BAE is one such company.

And Thales Australia is the other.

If you want to check out a nifty piece of advertising then go here. Well done Thales!