CH-53K.

With ARES reporting that the CH-53K is finally taking shape, I thought a repeat of this vid was in order.  I can't wait to see its first flight.

Hold the F*&k UP!

The UK website MailOnline is reporting this....

Six Libyan villagers are recovering in hospital after being shot by American soldiers coming in to rescue the U.S. pilots whose plane crash-landed in a field.
The helicopter strafed the ground as it landed in a field outside Benghazi beside the downed U.S. Air Force F-15E Eagle which ran into trouble during bombing raid last night.
And a handful of locals who had come to greet the pilots were hit - among them a young boy who may have to have a leg amputated because of injuries caused by a bullet wound.

Flashy...headline grabbing...demonizing US Marines.

But wait one fucking minute.

We now have additional reports that the downed pilots requested air strikes because they felt endangered and Harriers dropped two bombs....the crew of the MV-22 is denying firing shots and the Pentagon is conducting an investigation.

Sounds like another liberal leaning paper was too damn quick to get a headline...too quick to judge...and eager to paint US fighting men in a bad light. 

Combat Camera...You Guys Rock!

If you've taken the time to watch the video to the right, then you'll see some of the work that USMC Combat Camera does.  I might also add that every scene you see on these pages is taken by someone in that MOS.  Taking pictures while the Grunts are shooting...Shooting when Grunts need cover...They're Marines and I appreciate their work.  The vid below is done by a member of that MOS for a project...nicely done!  Check out his page here.

Is dedicated CSAR a thing of the past?

I originally asked this question as part of the story about the 26th MEU performing a successful TRAP mission in regards to the downed pilots of the F-15.

I decided that it needed its own space.

Why is it necessary to have a dedicated, service specific CSAR force?

The Marine Corps has on numerous occasions proven that it is capable of performing the mission.  So has the US Navy.

I'm not discounting the work of the Air Force PJ's...Combat Controllers and the Pilots in blue that perform this mission....but when we have operations that are as far afield as we have...when a captured pilot is a valuable commodity...when whoever is closest is the best...is it really effective to have a dedicated force?

I'm not sure.

Marines rescue downed pilot after fighter jet crashes in Libya

Marines rescue downed pilot after fighter jet crashes in Libya 
3/22/2011 By Staff , Headquarters Marine Corps ARLINGTON, Va. 
— Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit rescued a U.S. Air Force pilot downed in Libya March 22. The F-15E Strike Eagle crashed in northeast Libya March 21 while flying in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn, the joint coalition enforcing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 to protect the Libyan people from the country’s ruler. Using two AV/8B Harriers, two MV-22 Ospreys and two CH-53E Super Stallions carrying a quick reaction force, the Camp Lejeune, N.C., based Marines conducted a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel mission to recover the pilot. The Marine aircraft began launching off the the USS Kearsarge, which was roughly 130 nautical miles from the pilot - within 30 minutes of the crash - according to a senior Marine officer in the Pentagon. Marine officials attributed the quick reaction time to the versatility of the Osprey. "Total time from launch to return - 90 minutes roundtrip. That's what an Osprey gets you, that speed," the official said. According to official reports, the Harrier close air support element dropped two laser-guided 500-pound bombs in the area in support of the downed pilot. One MV-22 Osprey landed and extracted the pilot. Once extracted, the aircraft returned to the USS Kearsarge with the pilot. Navy Lt. Lauren A. Weber, a doctor with the 26th MEU, said the pilot returned in good condition. The cause of the crash is still under investigation and the names of the pilots will be released pending next-of-kin notification. The recovery force remains on standby while aviation assets are conducting operations in any environment. All seven Marine expeditionary units are trained, equipped and ready to conduct similar missions when called upon.

Absolutely, positively awesome.

Forward deployed Marine Forces have once again proven their worth.

Harrier pilot interviewed on NPR.

 via NPR...(thanks Anonymous...whoever you are!)

 Captain MICHAEL D. WYRSCH (U.S. Marines): Thank you, Steve. Good morning, Renee.
INSKEEP: What was your last mission?
Capt. WYRSCH: Sir, I was on the first night of the campaign when we were asked to go in and assess the Libyan forces - Saturday night, sir.
INSKEEP: You say assess the Libyan forces. So you weren't dropping bombs on them. You were trying to get a sense of where their tanks and armored vehicles were?
Capt. WYRSCH: Yes, sir. Our targets were south of - targets south of Benghazi. As Eric said, Gadhafi's forces were south of Benghazi pressing north towards the city and the rebels up there. And our initial targets were the main elements would be the tanks and the anti-air pieces in that - in the convoy.
INSKEEP: We have seen from photographers on the ground what the results look like - tanks destroyed and blown all along the road there. What did that scene look like from the air, Captain?
Capt. WYRSCH: Well, it was certainly surreal. You know, it was a nighttime mission for us. So when we were approaching the land from our ship, we could see that the Air Force was their first, and we could certainly see targets that they had prosecuted very successfully prior to us getting there.
The enemy force on the ground was very large. There were still many tanks on the ground, rocket launchers that had been firing into Benghazi, and they were pretty easy to pick out on the side of the highways. They were certainly still established in there.
INSKEEP: Is it hard for you to know what you're hitting?
Capt. WYRSCH: Well, sir, we have - the intelligence department here on the Kearsarge, it's part of the MEU(ph). They've done an outstanding job of providing imagery and, you know, up to the minute that we walk, it's one of the unique capabilities that the MEU provides.
You know, before I got in the aircraft I was given, you know, grids - updated grids within an hour of where the enemy forces were located.
INSKEEP: Rapid information. Captain, one last...
Capt. WYRSCH: ...out there, it was very easy. Within minutes we were able to locate the locate the targets that we were targeting out there.
INSKEEP: Captain, one last question, but very briefly before I let you go. There's been anti-craft fire over Tripoli, presumably elsewhere. Is there much opposition when you're flying?
Capt. WYRSCH: No, sir. That was certainly a concern. Prior to, you know, prior to our first mission we were very concerned about some of the threats that you see on the news - the SA5, the SA2, the SA3 and the SA8.
INSKEEP: Anti-aircraft missiles.
Capt. WYRSCH: However, we've got certain aircraft out there that can help mitigate those threats.
INSKEEP: All right, Captain Michael Wyrsch, thanks very much. I really appreciate you taking the time.
This is NPR news.

Sounds almost like a repeat of the "highway of death"....too bad there is such limited imagery. 

AS332 C1 SAR

Eurocopter released these pics of the AS332 C1 SAR Helicopter.