Who says Navy Pilots aren't excited about the F-35?

Hat Tip to ELP Defence Blog.



That Navy Pilot seems pretty jazzed about the F-35.  Add to it that he might have been briefed about some of its capabilities and its easy to understand. 

Misleading the public? 

I think this guy is sold and is ready to strap on the airplane.

F-35 to survive in the UK?

I might be pushing the envelope here but with massive budget cuts in the news in the UK, this story from SkyNews is interesting.

In last month's budget Osborne said cuts would not average more than 25%

The treasury has demanded the "illustrative plans" for cuts of 25% and 40% must be submitted by Cabinet Ministers by the end of the month.
It is the latest step in preparing for what is set to be the toughest spending review since the Second World War.
However, as outlined in the Chancellor's emergency budget last month, health and international aid will continue to receive small increases in their budgets.

Mr Osborne also said education and defence budgets would be "protected".

But the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies estimated that this could leave other departments facing cuts of 33%.
Officials stressed what was being prepared was "initial planning assumptions" and that the cuts on that scale would not actually be implemented in the final settlements in the autumn.

Read the whole thing (personally I'm envious of the approach being taken in the UK, they're acting like adults...there is a problem and they're working to solve it) but the F-35 and other necessary defense programs appear safe...at least for now.

Update:
Jed is calling bogus my claims that the MoD was never offered the source code to the F-35 at the beginning of the program and that when they asked for it years later, it was a change to the agreement.

Anyone know where I can get a syllabus to the F-35 development?

Marinestan is now a separate command.

Do you remember a few weeks (maybe months now) the article by Victor Hanson calling a portion of Afghanistan "Marinestan"?

The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, retired three-star Army general Karl W. Eikenberry, reportedly made a comment about there being 41 nations serving in Afghanistan — and a 42nd composed of the Marine Corps. One unnamed Obama-administration official was quoted by the Washington Post as saying, “We have better operational coherence with virtually all of our NATO allies than we have with the U.S. Marine Corps.”

Some officials call the new Marine enclave in Nimruz Province “Marinestan” — as if, out of a Kipling or Conrad novel, the Marines has gone rogue to set up their own independent province of operations.

Yet once again, it would be wise not to tamper with the independence of the Marine Corps, given that its methods of training, deployment, fighting, counterinsurgency, and conventional warfare usually pay off in the end.

Well "Marinestan" has formally declared its independence.  This from the DefPro (yeah its old but hey...I miss stuff too)...

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard Mills, commanding general of the new command, leads a combined force of about 27,000 personnel, with units drawn from eight nations.

"It is a distinct privilege for all of us to stand up Regional Command Southwest," Mills said. "We are truly building on the outstanding work of all who have served here in Helmand and Nimroz provinces. This is a natural military progression based on the number of troops serving here and the priority placed on Helmand and Nimroz provinces."

Absolutely awesome.  On the weekend of our nations birth, we also have the birth of a new command in Afghanistan...a US Marine Corps led command.  Too cool.

Blast from the past. SteelJawScribe on V/STOL Dreams...

SteelJawScribe penned an article almost a year ago that is in my archive because of its historical perspective.  The article "Flight Deck Friday:V/STOL Dreams" is a must read.

Blast from the past. F-35 first flight vid.

Another Shallow Draft Coast Guard Boat?

When I first saw this article over on the Marine Corps website, all I could think is why?  What they have appears to be sufficient...but I guess that same thought can be applied throughout the DoD so I'll reserve judgment.  Read the article here.  But below are the specs on the 24 foot version of the boat, the larger size is extremely similar (to be honest it almost exactly the same..just bigger) and more info on it can be found here.

Brochure 5770

I simply ask...is this the future for the US military?

via ThinkDefence.  Wow.  Read the whole thing here.  Wow.

Ten years after the ban on homosexuality in the Armed Forces was lifted, the first Quad Service Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) conference is being held at the MOD's Main Building in London today.

Conway gets it on the IAR.

Don't know how I missed this vid from Marine Corps Times.  But it illustrates that Gen. Conway gets it when it comes to the IAR. 

Freaking unbelievable.

The UK newspaper the "Sun" has published video of a British soldier being shot and have posted a transcript of the conversation between him and another trooper at probably the most vulnerable period in this young man's life.

Now do you understand why I despise the media?  This is bullshit.

A subtle attack on the F-35. Kopp's take on the Chinese Air Force.

Air Power Australia's Carlo Kopp has an interesting (though overblown) article in The Diplomat...I ordinarily dismiss whatever comes out of that shop without a second thought, but this section of Kopp's article caused me to raise an eyebrow and to do a number of Google searches to verify its accuracy...

For those that are interested though, a more accurate picture can be gleaned from the fact that about 5 years ago, China planned to field well in excess of 500 Russian designed Sukhoi Flanker fighters, a size comparable to the now declining United States Air Force fleet of around 600 Boeing F-15 Eagle fighters. The Flanker was designed to be a direct equivalent (in some respects superior) to the F-15, which is also the backbone of the Japanese and Singaporean fighter fleets.

Indeed, with an ongoing modernisation plan that will see all legacy aircraft types replaced by modern and much longer ranging replacements, the PLAAF will in numerical terms become the strongest air force in Asia, with the largest fleet of ‘tier one’ fighter aircraft globally, should the United States pursue its current plan to downsize and reduce the capabilities of its tactical air forces. In terms of air power alone, this will result in the single largest swing in the strategic balance in Asia since the 1940s.

The operative words are "planning"  --they haven't achieved parity but they're trying hard.  If for no other reason than the entertainment value and the pure hair raising "the Chinese are coming" tone to the article, I count it as a must read.

EFV..."We took a few shortcuts...that probably didn't pan out..."

Hat tip to Johnathan for sending the bad news (just kidding..keep'em coming).

Johnathan sent me this article from BusinessWeek.  Suffice it to say that the long knives are out and still aiming for the EFV.  Of all the programs under development or about to be developed, only two have me seriously questioning Marine Corps leadership.  The first is the Infantry Automatic Rifle.  Who the hell needs a fully automatic M16A4?  A modern day Browning Automatic Rifle?  We're asking our Marines to give up their suppressive fire at the squad level?  Who's brilliant idea was that?  Oh and don't tell me its going to fixed when the Corps fields 150 round drum magazines for it...then you're halfway back to the SAW.  Dumb move.  Show some chops by canceling that pigeon now.

The next of course is the EFV.  I really like what I see of the vehicle.  I love the rapid ship to shore speed it has, its ability to keep up with M1 Abrams and the massive firepower it'll bring with its 30mm cannon.

What I don't like are all the missteps in development.

What also irks me is the statement by Colonel Moore.  This from KFMB-Tv Channel 8 in San Diego.




Did you notice the phrase?  "We took some shortcuts to save money that probably didn't pan out...?"

The most important weapon system for the Ground Combat Element and you're taking shortcuts?

Seriously?

Really?

What The Fuck Sir!

To be honest, as much as I like this vehicle.  As much as I think its necessary.  The Marine Corps screwed the pooch on this one.

There was no sense of urgency by either the manufacturer or the USMC.

Costs were allowed to balloon.

Justification for its mission hasn't been consistently defended.

We should have done better.

Last minute pushes to get needed systems across the finish line won't cut it anymore.

HNLMS Johan de Witt's landing craft in action off the coast of Somalia.

GvG of Information Dissemination provided this vid.  I wonder if this is the future for the Marine Corps.  Yes, I know its a return to our naval roots but so is being Shock Troops.  I fear that this new operating doctrine might cause us to lose that part of our heritage.

As a side note how are we going to justify the EFV if our new operating doctrine is for Distributed Operations with the Company as the smallest unit of maneuver, a move to make our units vehicle independent and for us to start having detachments aboard even frigate sized ships?  How do we justify any of the weapon systems coming down the pike?  CH-53E?  Why?  We operate in penny packets.  More M-777?  Why not just disband artillery?  The more I read of this new doctrine (and I haven't finished it yet) the more it leaves me scratching my head. Just my two cents.