Italy cuts Eurofighter buy.

via ASDNews.

Italy cuts Eurofighter order by 25 units, citing finances

MILAN, July 20, 2010 (AFP) - Italy will slash an order for Eurofighter warplanes by 25 from a planned 121 for savings of about two billion euros (2.6 billion dollars), the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The reduced order is part of "savings that the ministry must make under the austerity plan" adopted by the centre-right government in May, a press officer told AFP, confirming remarks by Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa at the Farnborough Airshow in Britain.

The two-year austerity package totalling 24.9 billion euros is aimed at cleaning up Italy's finances and reassuring financial markets.

The Eurofighter, a multi-purpose twin-engine fighter jet introduced in 2003, is built by a consortium made up of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Britain's BAE Systems and Alenia/Finmeccanica of Italy.

EADS' share is 46 percent, followed by BAE's 33 percent and Alenia/Finmeccanica's 21 percent.

The Eurofighter programme has been dogged by criticism over costs, notably from Italy and Britain.

Wow.

Everyone was predicting that the F-35 would fall prey to the financial crisis but it seems like the production schedule will preclude that type of hit. 

High tech jobs have a type of political capital that must not be underestimated. 

I do wonder what this will do to the planned upgrade of the AESA radar that is being developed.  Especially when it can be seen that the F-35 will be a more capable and lower cost airplane.

BAE teases!

I've been watching the BAE micro Farnborough website for news on this tantalizing bit of news on the F-35's defensive avionics suite.  Still no word but it appears to be game changing...or it could just be clever marketing.  I guess we'll see when we see.

US Army Air Defense Artillery.

Major Hat Tip to Sgt. C. for the website and pointing me to this video. 

More bad news for F-35 haters!

via Reuters...below are the highlights (which I've highlighted!)...

The United States and Israel are days away from reaching an agreement on the sale of 19 Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jets, which would be the first foreign military sale of the new warplane.

"The ball is in their court," Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa, who heads the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, told Reuters at the Farnborough Airshow.
"I am waiting for them to make a decision any day," said Wieringa, who is retiring at the end of the month.
Lockheed declined comment on the status of the arms deal, since it will be concluded between the U.S. and Israeli governments, but said the fact that Israel wants to buy the new F-35 fighter underscored global confidence in the jet.
Analysts say the deal is worth about $3 billion.
"When they select F-35, we believe it's a testimony to the capabilities of the jet," Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed's vice president for F-35 business development, told Reuters, noting that Israel faces some formidable security challenges.
Lockheed said it is close to reaching an agreement with the U.S. government on procurement of a fourth batch of 32 F-35 fighters, and a deal could come "any day."
Company officials, speaking in interviews and at a news conference, underscored their commitment to working with the Pentagon to continue driving down the cost of the F-35 program -- at over $300 billion the biggest weapons program in history.
O'Bryan said the contract for the fourth batch of airplanes would be 20 percent lower than that of the previous batch of fighters, and half the price of the first batch.

Read it and weep critics!  Its over.  This program is beyond paring back and its beyond attempts at cancellation.  Its truly international in scope and with Turkey buying extra fighters and Israel finally getting off the fence, this program can easily absorb any reduction in buys from wavering partner nations and still deliver on the promise of affordability.

You've lost F-35 haters. 

Pic of the Day. July 20, 2010.

U.S. Marines conduct a beach assault with Peruvian marines in Salinas, Peru, July 11, 2010. The Marines are assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 24 aboard the USS New Orleans. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brian J. Slaght

Wow.  Look at all those M4's in that squad!  Has the table of equipment changed?  Seems like the "Gunners" are making an end run around the Commandant and pushing M4's out to the Marines to justify the acquisition of the Infantry Automatic Rifle!  If we have a Company of Marines that can't reach out and touch targets with M-16's then the need for precise automatic fire becomes more important.

A simple picture but I smell a rat!

Why the Marine Corps? The Quantico Power Point.

Why Marine Corps

BP, Lockerbie bomber, the oil spill and our special relationship.

Relationships evolve over time.  What was hot and steamy can become cold.  Is this what is happening with the US and the UK????  They are part of the EU and the pull of that institution over the UK was bound to alter our relationship.  Perhaps we should simply part as friends?  Read this from SkyNews and be amazed at the British Prime Minister's defence (yeah I used the British spelling) of British Petroleum (let's use their legacy name not just the new incarnation).

Let's talk range.

One of the major raps against the F-35 is that its a short ranged fighter.  But lets compare its combat radius with that of the premier fighter in the world today, the F-22.  From Wikipedia.

F-22 Performance Data...
Performance

• Maximum speed:
  
  
  • At altitude: Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,410 km/h)^[88]
  • Supercruise: Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,963 km/h)^[88]
• Range: 1,600 nmi (1,840 mi, 2,960 km) with 2 external fuel tanks
• Combat radius: 410 nmi^[189] (471 mi, 759 km)
• Ferry range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi, 3,219 km)
• Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,812 m)
• Wing loading: 77 lb/ft² (375 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: 1.08 (1.26 with loaded weight & 50% fuel)
• Maximum design g-load: -3.0/+9.0 g

F-35 Performance Data...
Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 1.67^[269] (1,283 mph, 2,065 km/h)
• Range: 1,200 nmi (2,220 km) on internal fuel^[270]
• Combat radius: 610 nmi (1,110 km) on internal fuel^[270]
• Service ceiling: 60,000 ft^[271] (18,288 m)
• Rate of climb: classified (not publicly available)
• Wing loading: 91.4 lb/ft² (446 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: **With full fuel: 0.84;^[59]
  
  
  • With 50% fuel: 1.04 B:^[59]
• g-Limits: 9 g^{[nb 4]}

Seems like the F-35 isn't as short ranged as many noted authors would have us believe.  A comparison of legacy aircraft with comparable combat loads would also show them to be lacking in comparison to the F-35 too.  Don't believe the trolls.

The F-35 is a winner!

Navy Combat Camera get's some!

Wow.  Who knew that these guys and girls get the good gear? 

DULZURA, Calif. (July 14, 2010) Chief Mass Communication Specialist Paula Ludwick, assigned to Fleet Combat Camera Group Pacific, shoots at a target during a Navy Rifle Qualification Course. The training prepares Sailors for upcoming deployments to hostile environments. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Foehl/Released) 100714-N-4965F-174

DULZURA, Calif. (July 14, 2010) Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anderson Bomjardin, assigned to Fleet Combat Camera Group Pacific, shoots his target during a Navy Rifle Qualification Course. The training prepares Sailors for upcoming deployments to hostile environments. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Foehl/Released)100714-N-4965F-100

And this...while 1st Marine Logistics Group is running a Cpl's Course, Grunts are doing this....

Marines from Cpl. Joshua Dumaw’s platoon gather for a final prayer in front of his memorial stand, July 11. Dumaw, a squad leader with the Police Mentoring Team, was killed while conducting operations against insurgents in the city of Delaram, June 22. Fellow PMT Marines used today’s ceremony as an opportunity to reflect on Dumaw’s life and share personal memories of him with the rest of the unit and other Marines and sailors in attendance.
Regimental Combat Team-2, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
Photo by Sgt. Dorian Gardner


If the 1st MLG is over staffed for its mission and is looking for something for its Marines to do then make them Provisional Rifle Companies.  Its shameful for some to bear the burden and the pain while others get to act like they're stateside while being in a combat zone.