A Former Commander of Canadian Air Force on the F-35.

A must read...it can be found here.

Defense Spending is different.

The Telegraph.uk has an article on possible defense cuts that the UK is about to absorb.  Interesting but the difference is that in defense spending you can see the result and the spending reverberates throughout communities.

Cut a base and you hurt a local community.  Many civilians are employed by those bases and unemployment will result with the closure.

Cut planes, ships and tanks?  The logistics tail from those that work to maintain them...all the way back to those that produce them are endangered.

You don't see that type of synergy when it comes to social spending.

War on poverty?

Still not won and its been going on since the '60's.

War on drugs?

Ditto.

Social spending is a bottomless pit that results in improvements that are difficult, if not impossible to measure.

The UK will and the US to a lesser degree will cut defense spending.  The problem is that the increased domestic spending will not result in higher qualities of life.  Keeping people employed in hi-tech industries, producing gear that can be touched is a more sensible approach.

F-15SE ... a serious question....

The article on Strategy Page is an interesting read.

F-15SE Sneaking Up On the F-35

July 25, 2010: For over a year now, F-15 manufacturer Boeing has been offering a "stealthy" aircraft called the F-15SE (Silent Eagle). The target market is nations that want some stealth, but do not want to pay the high price of the F-35. The F-15SE is an F-15E with better electronics (radar and countermeasures) and an airframe tweaked to make the aircraft harder for radar to detect. A CWB (Conformal Weapons Bay) carried beneath the body of the aircraft contains two internal weapons bays. Each bay can carry two missiles or smart bombs. Each of the four hard points in the CWD can carry two smaller SDB (Small Diameter Bombs). While not as stealthy as the F-22, the F-15SE claims to be as stealthy as the F-35, which costs 40 percent more. Another option is to have existing F-15Es rebuilt to F-15SE standards, at less than half the cost of a new F-15SE. Boeing has demonstrated the stealthiness to serious customers, and the F-15SE does indeed make it much more difficult for radars to spot it. Some foreign F-15E users have expressed an interest, especially as the cost of the F-35 keeps going up, with no end in sight for the increases. .

I wondered what APA had been up to and now I know.  This article is straight out of the playbook.
First the F-35's price has been going down and the Air Force and Lockheed Martin have both stated that it will crush CBO's estimate.

Next, I can't find one customer for the F-15SE...a new build F-15 is over 100 million dollars...not exactly cheap. 

Canada has just signed on to buy 65, Israel is supposedly on the verge and Turkey has agreed to buy 120, not the 100 originally programed.

Sneaking up on the F-35?  Hardly, more like getting run out of the sky is the ticket.

Blast from the Past. XH-51A...the 270mph Helicopter.

Why are we still in Kosovo???

Sgt. 1st Class Cory R. Schall, of Devils Lake, N.D., is greeted by his daughter, Alyssa, upon his return to Fargo, N.D., after a one-year deployment to Kosovo. He was part of a NATO-led peacekeeping mission and served in Multi-National Battle Group East, which was commanded by Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann, of Bismarck, N.D.  Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp
This from the Valley City Times-Online...

“It’s a great day in North Dakota when Soldiers return home from a successful mission,” Sprynczynatyk said. “As we prepare to celebrate their return to North Dakota, let’s remember all of the other North Dakota Soldiers and Airmen still serving in countries all across the world. Their ongoing efforts in defense of our nation will always be greatly appreciated.”
About 40 North Dakota Soldiers will remain in Kosovo in order to effectively coordinate mission handover to the succeeding unit, the Puerto Rican National Guard, which will lead KFOR 13. A ceremony to formally assume mission responsibility from the North Dakota National Guard is scheduled for July 24, in Kosovo. These remaining Soldiers are expected home by the end of the month.

Geez.  Everyone is in an uproar over Afghanistan but how long has this peacekeeping mission in Europe been going on???

Time to put a stop to these type missions.  Let other forces handle this type stuff.  We are over stretched and this does not help.

UltimateRatioReg and the missing Sailors.

USNI blog has a story about sailors missing in Afghanistan. 

They ask for prayers and I offer them.  They ask for patience and I'm trying.  But....

UltimateRatioReg made this statement.

Solomon,
Yes, please let’s not assume misbehavior or mistakes prematurely. Some units do operate in small teams for a variety of purposes.
Let us find out the story first.
I ask you this...

What unit operates two man teams and will deploy by vehicle to their area of operation?

Force Recon?  Nope...I've seen them drop down to six men but never a two man team...

Marine Corps Snipers?  Nope...with the new environment they're starting to look more and more like Force Recon light.  They often go out in Platoon strength...but at least squad...just so that they can provide local security.

US Army Rangers?  Nope...their mission sets require at least platoon if not company strength.

Green Berets?  Nope..they still use their legacy Alpha Team setup.

SEALs?  Nope...again, its platoon or at least squad.

So why would two Sailors be go outside the wire in a vehicle?

I don't know.  I can't figure this one out.  But it must be said that this kind of thing keeps happening.  It would seem that sentries would be alert to vehicles entering and leaving the compound.

This one just doesn't make sense.  I'll be waiting for the answer to this one quite anxiously.  Oh and for those that might mistake me asking these questions with me being disrespectful to these men, then understand that isn't the case.

If a repeat of this is to be prevented then the 'why' must be part of the investigation.

I'm just doing that here.

Sarah Underwood positions herself behind a machinegun.

Not exactly proper form but awesome to see...fast forward to 46 seconds into the video..
Massive hat tip to Soldier Systems.net

Game Reviews - E3 2011 - AOTS Exclusive

LSAT

Major Hat Tip to SGT C for providing this....A quick glance at this document shows that this is what the IAR should have been.
spiegel

Joint Service Small Arms Program makes an ass of Marine Gunners.

The Infantry Automatic Rifle was suppose to solve...

1.  SAW Gunners were having difficulty keeping up with the Squad in the attack, necessitating a lighter weapon.
2.  Because the lighter weapon was able to put fewer rounds down range, it was to be more accurate to make up for this deficiency.

Well it looks like the engineers at the Joint Service Small Arms Program were working on the issue and have come up with a solution that will not trash the volume of fire found in our small unit.

Hey Gunners...read this article and this one too...Great work Kit-Up!  But will someone answer this for me? 

Why didn't the Marine Corps have visibility on this project.  All the headache, angst and internal bickering could have been avoided if we simply waited for the results of this test.  Now we are facing a "test" with a weapon that will more than likely not be procured.

What an amazing amount of waste.  What an amazing amount of lost man hours.  What a complete cluster.

Lets save the Gouchy gear for SOCOM and just buy stuff  that works!

US Marine Corps and Bell Helicopters pushes sells of the H-1...

Interesting story from Defense News.  I have mixed feelings on this.  The Military helping corporations sell their products at these events is somehow....unseemly.  It helps blur the line between the two and I'm sure this helps senior Officers make the transition from the military to civilian positions in these same companies.  I feel the same way regarding the military and participation with certain think tanks....read the whole thing but this part caught my eye...

“One of the reasons we’ve come to Farnborough is export opportunities,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Harry Hewson... “We’re more than willing to start talking about possible FMS [Foreign Military Sales] cases.”....

Save me the line about foreign military sales lowering the price of the aircraft for the US military.  I realize that but I'm also concerned about a Colonel....A Colonel in the US Marine Corps sounding like a used car salesman.

Just my two cents.

Let's talk Super-Cruise.

Lets talk Super-Cruise.

First up lets get the definition of super cruise.  From Wikipedia...

Supercruise is sustained supersonic flight of an aircraft with a useful cargo, passenger, or weapons load performed efficiently and without the use of afterburners ("reheat").

Wiki goes on to state that the Gripen, Typhoon, F-22 and Rafale are all capable of super cruising.

I find that to be questionable.


I find claims that the Gripen can super cruise laughable.

But more than anything else I question the utility of being able to super cruise.

1.  Will it increase range?
2.  Does it add anything to the aerial fight?

If the answer to those two basic questions is no ---and I have yet to hear any advantages found in this capability, then the question remains...is it militarily useful or is it the latest buzz?

Oh and before you make the leap that the F-35 is incapable of super cruising, I wouldn't be so quick.  Its optimized to perform high subsonic flight but we just don't know yet (and yes I know Burbage has stated that it doesn't but again, we'll have to wait and see).

Your thoughts.

NOTE*
I'm getting rolled in the discussion here.  If there is an Engine guy around that can clarify a few issues I'd sure appreciate it.  Any bored Aerodynamicists that want to answer a rookies questions would be appreciated too.

When have you become old Corps? When morning PT becomes Dynamic Conditioning.

We did beach runs all the time.  Our crusty ass old 1stSgt loved to add a little "variation" to it by having us do sit-ups, push-ups etc...with the surf washing into us.  Made us 'hard' he would say.  This is what being a Marine is all about he would sing.

Now its called Dynamic Conditioning.  

Read it and weep, old Corps (and if you're like me you didn't even realize you qualified for that label!).

Amazing!

But lets be real...this isn't Corps wide, this is a Marine Logistics Group!  Strike two for you guys (and girls)...first a Cpl's Course in Afghanistan (1st MLG) and now this cluster (2nd MLG).  Thank God I never got a whiff of this outfit.  Just drop the beans and bullets and be gone!

Marines ‘take’ Onslow beach for dynamic conditioning 

7/22/2010  By Lance Cpl. Katherine M. Solano, 2nd Marine Logistics Group Public Affairs  , 2nd Marine Logistics Group 

 

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.  — Nearly 100 Marines with Headquarters Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 27 overran Onslow Beach, literally, aboard Camp Lejeune, July 22.   The early morning company run, led by acting first sergeant, Gunnery Sgt. Timothy Stovall, and commanding officer, Capt. Amy Upton, was concluded with various squad exercises followed by a cool-down, compliments of the ocean.