Friday, June 10, 2011
This should be the USMC's next Main Battle Tank.
If HQ Marine Corps is paying attention to the tyranny of weight...the continuing need for large caliber direct fire support and the idea that logistics are as important as tactics then the BAE CV90120 will be the Marine Corps next main battle tank.
Advantages over the M-1
1. Lighter yet has the same firepower.
2. Has equal cross country mobility...maybe more mobility due to its lighter weight.
3. Lower fuel consumption.
4. Less cube space aboard ship.
5. Allows easier transportation to shore.
6. Compatible with Trophy defense system.
Liabilities in comparison to the M1.
1. Not able to stand up to other MBT's in combat.
Its quite clear. If the Marine Corps is to continue to operate all weather, direct fire weapon systems in support of the Infantry then tanks are a must. The M1 is too heavy, too thirsty and takes up too much space aboard ship to be compatible with continued Marine Corps service.
Time to give BAE a call.
Principal Characteristics
EFV will come back...
This story by Fabey illustrates a private thought that I've had and one that is being confirmed by HQ Marine Corps.
The EFV will be stripped of it complex drive system will be fitted with current but high tech jet pumps for its amphibious mission and will come online stripped down, and renamed the Amphibious Combat Vehicle.
The whole story is worth a read but this caught the eye...
A speedy acquisition process isn't how things are usually done and points to a single sourced program. Another tidbit that caught my attention is that the Congressional delegation has suddenly stopped it protests and holding up of the Defense budget.Traditionally, an AOA of this type would take about 18 months, Flynn said June 9 at an event in Washington sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.“We’re trying to get to six to nine months,” Flynn says, adding that he hoped the aggressive schedule would “energize the acquisition process” for the vehicle.
All this points to General Dynamics winning the project through a sole sourced program probably to be announced either late this year or early next.
BAE fans shouldn't be too depressed though. If I was a betting man then I'd lay every cent in my pocket that they'll win the upgrade contract...which leads to the wildcard in this whole thing. If BAE is able to design an attractive enough upgrade package then it could essentially make the expense of a new EFV/ACV moot. The AAV could theoretically continue in service --- just with new built vehicles.
USS Freedom. Tired already?
Ignore the helicopter and blow the pic up and take a good look at this ship. It just entered service and its looking tired and worn out. I know visuals mean nothing but I wonder. Has limited manning finally caught up with ship upkeep? Is operating skeleton ships crews actually the way we want to go if we desire to keep these ships in service for 20 plus years?
I can't say because I don't have the facts or the skill sets to know for sure. What I do know is that the USS Freedom is looking tired...very tired.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Skunk Works Air Ships.
One Million Pounds of Cargo By Air |
SkyFreighter Cargo Box |
P-791 |
SkyLiner |
P-791 |
Cargo Box Comparison |
Blast from the past...Convair Kingfish.
via Wikipedia...
KINGFISHAnother tantalizing 'what if' we had gone this way airplane...
After cancellation of the B-58B in mid-1959, Convair turned to a completely new design, similar to their earlier entry in name only. The new "Kingfish" design had much in common with the Convair F-106 Delta Dart, using a classic delta wing layout like most of Convair's products. It differed in having two of the J58 engines buried in the rear fuselage, and twin vertical surfaces at the rear. The intakes and exhausts were arranged to reduce radar cross section, and the entire aircraft had the same sort of angular appearance as the later Lockheed F-117. The leading edges of the wings and intakes continued to use pyroceram, while other portions used a variety of materials selected for low radar reflection, including fiberglass. The new engines reduced the cruise speed to Mach 3.2 compared to the "Fish"'s Mach 4.2, but range was increased to about 3,400 nm (6,300 km).
In August 1959 the teams met again to present their latest designs. Lockheed had produced an aircraft similar to the "Kingfish", the A-11, but it was more "conventional" in layout. Although the A-11 had somewhat better performance than "Kingfish", the panel generally preferred Convair's design due to its much lower RCS. Johnson expressed skepticism of Convair's claimed RCS, and complained that they had given up performance to achieve it: "Convair have promised reduced radar cross section on an airplane the size of A-12. They are doing this, in my view, with total disregard for aerodynamics, inlet and afterburner performance."
In the end it was not performance that decided the outcome; during the U-2 project Lockheed had proven its ability to design advanced aircraft in secret, on-time, and under-budget. In contrast, Convair had massive cost overruns with the B-58 and no secure facility similar to the Skunk Works. Lockheed promised to lower the RCS in a modified version of the A-11 known as the A-12, and that sealed the deal. The A-12 entered service with the CIA in the 1960s, and was slightly modified to become the Air Force's SR-71.
Lockheed Martin's Paris Air Show Website.
LM has launched their Paris Air Show website here. Make sure you check it out...well worth it. But I have a question mixed with a suggestion for them.
LM! If you know they hate your product and continuously run it down, then why even waste time talking to them? I don't care who they write for...its just not worth it. Boycott your haters guys! And don't be fooled by wolves in sheeps clothing.
UPDATE:::
Wow. Either great minds think alike...Lockheed Martin threatened to pull advertising --- something but I noticed that Aviation Week has an article up --- "Face to Face : Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens" ...no big you say???? Oh yeah...much big! Ya see the byline is by Joe Anselmo...he's a business writer that occasionally graces ARES with a fluff piece on the Chinese...but another name is there that stood out simply because I had never seen it before. Anthony Velocci, Jr. He's the freaking Editorial Director for Aviation Week. Long story short (pure speculation on my part) he was there to ride herd on his writers. I guess someone with a much bigger megaphone than mine has been complaining about biased stories too.
UPDATE:::
Wow. Either great minds think alike...Lockheed Martin threatened to pull advertising --- something but I noticed that Aviation Week has an article up --- "Face to Face : Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens" ...no big you say???? Oh yeah...much big! Ya see the byline is by Joe Anselmo...he's a business writer that occasionally graces ARES with a fluff piece on the Chinese...but another name is there that stood out simply because I had never seen it before. Anthony Velocci, Jr. He's the freaking Editorial Director for Aviation Week. Long story short (pure speculation on my part) he was there to ride herd on his writers. I guess someone with a much bigger megaphone than mine has been complaining about biased stories too.
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