Is this the best thing to come out of RIMPAC?

When do you know that an exercise has become a joke? 

When the best thing to come out of it is a photo op.

If this is what RIMPAC has become ... a formation of ships that get together to attempt to look good together then its time to save money by scrapping the exercise. 

3 Attack Helicopters...3 different operating principles.

What do the AH-64 Apache, AH-1Z Viper and the KA-52 Alligator have in common?  Not a thing.  They all represent differing design philosophies and approaches to the Attack Helicopter.  I became  interested because of the announcement that the Russians would be placing the KA-52 on the Mistral class LHD they'll be building soon.  First a comparison of the 3 helicopters via Wikipedia.

AH-1Z Viper/General characteristics

• Crew: 2: pilot, co-pilot/gunner (CPG)
• Capacity: 6,661 lb (3,021 kg)
• Length: 58 ft 3 in (17.8 m)
• Rotor diameter: 48 ft (14.6 m)
• Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
• Disc area: 1,808 ft² (168.0 m²)
• Empty weight: 12,300 lb (5,580 kg)
• Useful load: 5,764 lb (2,620 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 18,500 lb (8,390 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft, 1,800 shp (1,340 kW) each
• Rotor systems: 4 blades on main rotor, 4 blades on tail rotor

Performance

• Never exceed speed: 222 knots (255 mph, 411 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 160 kn (184 mph, 296 km/h)
• Range: 370 nmi (426 mi, 685 km)
• Combat radius: 125 nmi (144 mi, 231 km) with 2,500 lb (1,130 kg) payload
• Service ceiling: 20,000+ ft (6,100+ m)
• Rate of climb: 2,790 ft/min (14.2 m/s)

AH-64D Apache/General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (pilot, and co-pilot/gunner)
• Length: 58.17 ft (17.73 m) (with both rotors turning)
• Rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
• Height: 12.7 ft (3.87 m)
• Disc area: 1,809.5 ft² (168.11 m²)
• Empty weight: 11,387 lb (5,165 kg)
• Loaded weight: 17,650 lb (8,000 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× General Electric T700-GE-701 and later upgraded to T700-GE-701C (1990–present) & T700-GE-701D (AH-64D block III) turboshafts, -701: 1,690 shp, -701C: 1,890 shp, -701D: 2,000 shp (-701: 1,260 kW, -701C: 1,490 kW, -701D: 1,490 kW) each
• Fuselage length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
• Rotor systems: 4 blade main rotor, 4 blade tail rotor in non-orthogonal alignment

Performance

• Never exceed speed: 197 knots (227 mph, 365 km/h)
• Maximum speed: 158 knots (182 mph, 293 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 143 knots (165 mph, 265 km/h)
• Range: 257 nmi (295 mi, 476 km) with Longbow radar mast
• Combat radius: 260 nmi (300 mi, 480 km)
• Ferry range: 1,024 nmi (1,180 mi, 1,900 km)
• Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m) minimum loaded
• Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s)
• Disc loading: 9.80 lb/ft² (47.9 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (0.31 KW/kg)

KA-52 Alligator/General characteristics

• Crew: One (for Ka-52: two)
• Length: 13.50 m (44 ft 3 in)
• Rotor diameter: 2x 14.50 m (2x 47 ft 7 in)
• Height: 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
• Disc area: 330.3 m² (3,555 ft²)
• Empty weight: 7,800 kg (17,200 lb)
• Loaded weight: 9,800 kg (21,600 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 10,800 kg (23,810 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Klimov TV3-117VK turboshafts, 1,660 kW (2,226 shp) each
• For Ka-52:
  
  
  • Loaded weight: 10,400 kg (22,930 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 390 km/h (204 knots, 242 mph) in dive
• Cruise speed: 270 km/h (146 knots, 168 mph)
• Range: 1,160 km (720 miles)
• Combat radius: 460 km (286 miles)
• Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 10 m/s (32.8 ft/s)
• Disc loading: 30 kg/m² (6 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.33 kW/kg (0.20 hp/lb)

I'm not sure how I would rank them but it appears that heavy weight, heavily armored helicopters are as passe' as wheeled personnel carriers.  The Russians have practically said so with the adoption of the KA-52 over its rival, the Mi-28.

3-D Warrior.

Second Line of Defense Website (thanks Energo) has an interesting read on the Marine Corps Aviation efforts or rather where those efforts are going.  Enjoy.
SLD3-DWarrior

BS METER IS SPIKING!!!!

Ok gents.  I've said this before but after an hour of looking for news on individual units involved in combat in Afghanistan, I'm sure of it.

NEWS ON THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN----AT THE UNIT LEVEL----IS BEING EMBARGOED!!!

The Bull Shit Meter is spiking!

What's going on and why is this happening!-?????

F-35 critics read this and weep.

via Haaretz.com

Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved the purchase of 20 F-35 fighter planes for the Israel Air Force on Sunday.
The planes, manufactured by the American company Lockheed Martin, are expected to be delivered to Israel between 2015 and 2017.
Barak's approval of the $2.7 billion deal came after more than two years of tough talks between the Israeli defense establishment, the U.S. Pentagon, and Lockheed Martin.

So another win to offset any losses and we still have Singapore, Japan, S. Korea and a possible additional set of purchases from Australia for their LHD to look forward to.

Game, set, and match...the F-35 has already seen more success than the F-22.

Snafu!'s one time statement on the Mosque issue.

Politics are personal.  I try and stay away from the discussion but this Mosque issue is becoming more than a bit painful.  I've tried to be patient, I've tried to be even handed but as usual the "elite" inside the Beltway (including the President and those "think tankers" that blog about military issues) are on the outside looking in of American public opinion.

For once Bill Kristol and I agree...while I think that his thinking on military matters is misguided...while I think that his thinking on democratizing the Middle East is a horrible joke that has helped get us into bad situations...this time he's right.

Read it here.

F-35 collection of must reads.

Energo over at F-16.net has a collection of articles on the F-35 from the "Second Line of Defense"...this website hadn't been on my radar but its moved to my must reads.  Check it out...

Energo's collection

and

Second Line Of Defense Website

So much for the Mistral Carriers to Russia not posing a threat...

Via Rio Novosti...

Mistral-class helicopter carriers, which Russia plans to buy from France, will be armed with Russian Ka-52 Alligator helicopters, Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin told the Ekho Moskvy FM station on Saturday.

and...

The Russian military has said it plans to use Mistral ships in its Northern and Pacific fleets.
Many Russian military and industry experts have questioned the financial and military sense of the purchase, and some believe that Russia simply wants to gain access to advanced naval technology that could be used in the future in potential conflicts with NATO and its allies.
In April, the head of the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, Mikhail Dmitriev, said the Mistral deal would be concluded by the end of the year.

Read the whole thing here.  One thing is certain, Georgia and the other small European countries near the sea should be concerned.