Pics of the day. March 23, 2011.

If you haven't checked out Brian Aitkenhead's Flickr Stream then you're missing a treat.  All photos credited to him.

HMS Diamond is the third ship of the Type 45 or 'D' Class of air defence destroyer built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in 2007, completed her contractor's sea trials in July 2010 and arrived at her base port on 22 September 2010.

The Type 45 (or Daring) class is considered to be the most advanced air-defence warship in the world.[9] The ship's capabilities centre on the SAMPSON Multi Function Radar, which can detect targets out to a distance of 400 kilometres (220 nmi), and the PAAMS missile system.
The Type 45 has frequently been cited by the British press as being the first class of warship to include e-mail and entertainment systems (including iPod charging points)[10] within the messdecks. These reports relate to 230-volt domestic supplies and access to external e-mail, both of which have been common features in most RN vessels for several years.[11]

Ok, I might've been wrong.

Mix the Surefire Mags with the IAR and you might not lose a thing.  Check this out from Military Times Gear Scout.  Awesome.  100 Round Mags and the IAR?  It just might work.

Second Line of Defense's Rescue Timeline.

Pretty interesting read...I'm really warming to SLD's site.  Check them out here.

USN/USMC-”Ready Now”

By Ed Timperlake
03/23/2011 – An old saying comes to mind when looking at the UN action against Quadaffi  and Libya—“Act in Haste, Repent at Leisure.” Regardless of the outcome, some very important 21st Century military lessons learned are already being seen. The USMC for over two decades kept the visionary flame of the need for unique capabilities of the MV-22 Osprey burning. In Afghanistan, it has been a potential war tipping technology and in today’s headlines in the Libyan “adventure” a life savor.

As a fellow Marine Fighter Pilot said to me about rescuing pilots who go down- “I can remember a brief to my squadron (VMFA-451) two days before the start of Desert Storm by a SEAL who had to be all of 21-22 years old, telling us how HE was gonna get US out if we got bagged. This is why US pilots walk confidently to their planes and their competitors may decline to launch; US Marines, USAF PJs, and US Navy SEALs.” With the success of the USMC “TRAP” (Tactical recovery of Aircraft and Personnel) operation to rescue an Air Force pilot on the ground, the 26th MEU time line and distance flown by the MV-22 and AV-8 Harriers is impressive.  Let us review the operational timeline of this effort.
Timeline:
Ø 2333B 21 Mar:  USAF F-15E goes down, pilot and WSO eject safely
Ø 0050B: 22 Mar: 2xAV-8Bs launch USS Kearsarge (KSG)
Ø 0055B: JFACC approvesTRAP
Ø 0120B: MEU KC-130J launch Sigonella IOT refuel TRAP aircraft
Ø 0120B: AV-8Bs overhead downed pilots with F-16 in comm with F-15 pilot.
Ø 0130B: (quick reaction force) QRF 2xCH53E ready for launch with 46 Marines
Ø 0133B: AV-8Bs drop 2xGBU-12 ISO F-15 pilot
Ø 0133B: 2xMV-22s launch KSG
Ø 0151B: QRF (CH-53E) launch KSG
Ø 0219B: MV-22s overhead F-15 Pilot
Ø 0238B: MV-22 lands LZ recovers F-15 Pilot
Ø 0300B: MV-22s recover KSG with F-15 Pilot
Ø WSO reported in-hands of opposition forces at safe house.
Recently, senior policymakers have called into question the need for Marine Amphibious Ready Groups (ARGs) and also put the USMC F-35B “on probation.” But reality has a quality all of its own, even within inside the Beltway considerations.
Current combat has just demonstrated that not only did the USN/USMC capabilities in the Libyan fight save a pilot but they also are ready to live up to a famous  US Navy World War I quote.  When a US Navy Destroyer Squadron crossed the Atlantic and joined with the Royal Navy the US Commander was asked when his Destroyer Squadron would be ready–
“Vice Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, asked Squadron Commander Taussig that question and he replied, ” We are ready now, Sir.”
Currently, from the deck of the USS Kearsarge and other ships off Libya, the America Navy battle cry of “ready now” is being heard. The importance of that battle cry cannot be overstated.  Because of recent political squabbling, and independent of the fact that forces are already engaged in combat, current air operations against Libya from Italian Bases might be aborted.
“The squabbling continued as Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini again threatened to take back complete control of Italian airbases if NATO did not take the reins of the mission.”
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/03/22/libya.nato.squabbling/
So in addition to keeping faith in the Osprey, the USMC should pause to give an additional thanks to the UK for V/STOL Harrier– which the Brits unfortunately just retired -  and now on to take the  F-35B V/STOL off probation. The MV-22, with the coming F-35B and Marine helo modernization, “Zulu Cobras” and CH-53K, along with Marine Infantry and their combined arms will put a true 21st Century  US “sovereign territory” force off any coast in the world.
Currently, today’s 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit might prove to be an invaluable military capability to shape American capabilities to get out of the Libyan mess.

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. 

Combat in Libya, the perfect advertisement for the F-35B.

via Marines.mil...

3/21/2011  By Capt. Richard K. Ulsh  , 26th MEU 

 

USS Kearsarge, at sea   — In an effort to safeguard the Libyan populace and infrastructure in and around the city of Ajdabiyah from further attacks by regime forces, 26th MEU, as part of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, launched a second round of strikes by AV-8B Harrier jump jets, March 20. Conditions set forth by the U.N. Security Council towards resolving the unrest in Libya included the removal of Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi’s forces from Ajdubiyah. These latest strikes by the MEU aimed at preserving the sanctity of the city and the safety of the civilians within it.
“Our primary concern was ensuring the people inside Ajdubiyah were safe from Qadhafi’s artillery and tanks,” said Col. Mark J. Desens, commanding officer of 26th MEU. “Everything we are seeing following these strikes indicates that his forces are now less capable of threatening the town than before.”
Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. UNSCR 1973 authorizes all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya under threat of attack by Qadhafi regime forces. JTF Odyssey Dawn is commanded by U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, III.

A couple of points so obvious I missed it (thanks Sferrin!)...

1.  Big carriers won't always be around.
2.  STOVL aircraft operating from LHD's is reaffirmed as a sound tactic.
3.  The Marine neck down strategy (if followed) was sound and cost effective.
4.  Forward deployed units are not to be underestimated.

In short, this conflict and the role of the Harrier is perfect advertisement for the STOVL capable F-35B.  If we were going against a more formidable enemy then its stealth features, ability to operate from LHD's and if the taking of territory were called for, its ability to operate from forward operating bases would prove battle winning.

Combat in Libya.  The perfect advertisement for the F-35B.

The French motive in Libya...

via  France24 (please read the entire article..)

Dismal approval ratings and a series of much-publicised French gaffes in response to the anti-regime movement in Tunisia are thought to be likely factors providing motivation for Sarkozy to appear authoritative and presidential on the international stage. French elections will take place in May 2012, and Sarkozy is thought to be eager to boost his public standing before launching a re-election campaign.

A president seeks to boost his public standing before an election?  Stranger things have happened...