First Operational Test P-8A Arrives at NAS Patuxent River

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The Navy has received its first P-8A production representative operational test aircraft June 24.

The new P-8A arrived at NAS Patuxent River and it will join three developmental test aircraft already undergoing integrated testing in preparation for initial operational test and evaluation of the P-8A Poseidon.

The Navy entered into Low Rate Initial Production of the first six Poseidon aircraft in January 2011. These aircraft will be used to form the first operational P-8A squadron, which is scheduled for initial operational capability in 2013.

German Army is combat IN-effective.

That's right.  According to an article in the Daily Beast the German Army is combat in-effective.

Thanks Jonathan!  Much appreciated.  Read the entire article but here's some highlights.

First this...

"German soldiers mostly don’t know how to use their weapons.” They “have no or little experience driving armored vehicles.” For German field commanders, “the necessity and ways [to protect their units from roadside bombs] are to a large extent either unknown or incorrect.”

Then this...

The secret reports bemoan German soldiers’ outdated training and antiquated, insufficient equipment. German forces could not operate if it weren’t for Ukrainian cargo planes and American helicopters and their U.S. Army crews, most crucially the Chinook troop transports and Black Hawk MedEvac helicopters that ensure Bundeswehr soldiers can get into and out of their battles quickly and safely. Considering Obama’s announcement about the beginning of the pullout of U.S. forces, the Bundeswehr couldn’t even fight in terrain like Afghanistan’s if it wanted to. “If the Americans pull out of the north, the Germans will stand there in very short skirts,” says Bundeswehr General and former NATO Commander Egon Ramms.

I wish I could lay my hands on the actual report. This is damning. 

The most powerful economy in Europe is no longer capable or willing to defending itself.

AMAZING.

Hyundai Rotem's Wheeled Armored Vehicles.

The Koreans have been busy developing and expanding their armored vehicle lines.  Everyone pays attention to the K-21 and the K-1 MBT but Hyundai is attempting to meet its competition when it comes to Wheeled Armored Vehicles.

I wondered why no wheeled vehicle from the West has turned up in Asia.  Now I know.  Between the offerings from Singapore, Taiwan and S. Korea...not to mention China, this market is closed. 

KW1

KW2

Army Humor.

This guy is funny as hell.  Check him out here.

Militarized Police.

A no knock raid.

On US soil by law enforcement officers decked out like an Infantry unit.

Amazingly, they always seem to go against people that don't have the training or the will to resist.  The real hard cases always seem to be missed in these raids (Recall the mobster that is accused of killing 19 plus people?  No SWAT raid...just a ruse to get him out the house...and many suspect him of being the gray haired bandit that was robbing banks in the Los Angeles area).

Militarized Police forces is a problem.  I don't have a position on legalizing drugs.  I do have a position on abuse of police power.

Major hat tip to Every day, No days off blog.

Hey Commandant! Save money. Kill flag billets.

I was doing my early morning blog reading and I ran across this story from the USNI Blog.

Read the whole thing but this struck me as crazy...

The Naval Vessel Registry lists 245 active hulls as of June, 2011.  The same registry lists 268 Flag Officers: 243 Active, 22 Active Duty for Special Work, and 3 Full Time Support.  Last time I walked the Naval Station piers, only three ships had broken an Admiral’s Flag at the masthead.

What has me pounding my head is the idea that every US Navy ship could be commanded by an Admiral.  I was high and to the right and ready to post in the comments section how freaking insane that is and why someone hasn't done anything about it.

Then I thought about the Marine Corps.  From various sources, the word is that the Marine Corps is capped at 80 general officers.

80.

Eight - Zero.

For a force that at its height in modern history might have numbered 202, 000 men.

That's roughly a General for every 2500 Marines.


A General for every 2500 Marines!  Say it out loud and see if that makes sense to you.


HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? (I don't even want to look at the number of Colonels.)

We won't be lean.  We won't be expeditionary.  We won't be the Marine Corps that the nation deserves until we get as savage when it comes to promotion and retention at the top as we are at the bottom...by my estimation we could cut at least 1/2 these billets with no difficulty.  


We should do it today.

DARPA's Crowd Sourced Vehicle....

The above photos are from I09.

Don't even bother to go to the DARPA website....I don't quite get those guys....what is the purpose?  To show that some guys with a wrench, time and money could design a dune buggy?  Me and my buddies could do that...but this is so far from being a combat vehicle that it isn't funny.

This was a waste of time and taxpayers dollars.

11th MEU amphibious assault vehicles conduct training

F-35 Stealth Controversy. Air Force Magazine drives the final nail in the lie.

Via Air Force Magazine.

F-35 Partners Get Equal Stealth: Le Bourget, France—International partners on the F-35 will enjoy a stealth capability on the fighter equal to that of the US versions, according to F-35 program office officials. Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore, deputy director of the F-35 program office, gave a non-committal answer during a press conference here this week at the Paris Air Show when a reporter asked about the level of stealth available to foreign users. International reporters have long hinted that the United States would hold back some capability. However in a subsequent statement issued by the F-35 program office, officials said "the quick answer to the statement regarding partners being less stealthy than the US is 'no.' (Partners will have same capability)." The program officials noted that the stealth aspects of some partner versions will vary slightly due to their inclusion of some unique gear, such as drag chutes, but it is "a program objective to not impact [low-observable] characteristics. It is our intent to produce a common solution to ensure interoperability for coalition operations as well as production affordability."

—John A. Tirpak

Finally.

It seems like we won't have the same nonsense of two paid hacks that happen to wear General's stars debating this till the end of time.

Stick a fork in this boys.

The story is over.

The facts are there for all to see.

The partner nations will get equal stealth.

Now all we have to do is wait for the next made up lie.  Coming your way in 3...2...1....

Mexican Troops cross into the US.

This type of "mistake" is starting to happen with a bit of regularity.

Bad things will happen unless they get a handle on this nonsense. (click the title to go to the news site)

Go Wind Family of Ships.

Go Wind Family of Ships

St. Louis Marine Week finishes...strong...???

Marine Week in St Louis has been marred by some rather unfortunate incidents and statements.  Most glaring would be the statement by the SPMAGTF's Commander and the mugging of Marines without retaliation.

  Col. Tomko: I’ll tell you what, with that M1A1 Abrams we got across the street, if Halladay keeps on pitching well, we can fix that with one round pretty quickly.
  Announcer: - awkward laughs - I’m sure you could. I don’t know if we should say that, but you just did.
  Col. Tomko: I can say whatever I want because I’m a war fighter, and this is the Cardinals Nation the last time I checked.

U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 4th Recon Battalion demonstrate an amphibious assault at the Arch during Marine Week Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Mo., Jun. 24, 2011. Marine Week Saint Louis allows U.S. Marines a chance to interact with the community with volunteer work, physical fitness challenges, vehicle and equiptment displays, musical performances and tactical demonstrations.

U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 4th Recon Battalion demonstrate an amphibious assault at the Arch during Marine Week Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Mo., Jun. 24, 2011. Marine Week Saint Louis allows U.S. Marines a chance to interact with the community with volunteer work, physical fitness challenges, vehicle and equiptment displays, musical performances and tactical demonstrations.

U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 4th Recon Battalion demonstrate an amphibious assault at the Arch during Marine Week Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Mo., Jun. 24, 2011. Marine Week Saint Louis allows U.S. Marines a chance to interact with the community with volunteer work, physical fitness challenges, vehicle and equiptment displays, musical performances and tactical demonstrations.

An MV-22 Osprey displays its capabilities over the Mississippi River to spectators at the Arch Grounds June 24, 2011, as part of a Marine Air Ground Task Force demonstration during Marine Week St. Louis.

U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 4th Recon Battalion demonstrate an amphibious assault at the Arch during Marine Week Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Mo., Jun. 24, 2011. Marine Week Saint Louis allows U.S. Marines a chance to interact with the community with volunteer work, physical fitness challenges, vehicle and equiptment displays, musical performances and tactical demonstrations.

Marines with 4th Recon Battalion and 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Marine Week, 'patrol' as part of a MAGTF demonstration during Marine Week St. Louis.