English Russia has a fantastic photo spread on the Russian Marine Corps. Check it out!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
ISAF answers the OPSEC/Force Protection question.
The above photo has been circulating all over the internet after the recent attacks in Afghanistan.
In some of the photos the faces of the operators are blurred in others they're visible.
I was curious. Were the images that weren't blurred wildcat...meaning unauthorized...or does ISAF not have any kind of prohibition on the images and its just something that a few bloggers are doing?
I wrote ISAF public affairs and got an answer. The whole e-mail will follow but I want to break it down...
It started out very pleasantly...
Now on the next part I have to admit that I was trying to be a bit clever and dropped the name of the rumored unit to see if the guy would bite and either confirm or deny it.
I can see him leaning back in his chair, grinning from ear to ear saying (cause I think he's British) "Not bloody likely you silly wanker" and "You're barmy if you think that you can get me to slip up on classified material you silly berk"....
Anyway, I'm not up on British insults but you get the idea. Here is the actual response.
Until a valid reason to do so comes up then pictures like the ones above should be visible to everyone. In the future these will be historic images of a forgotten war. They shouldn't be saved for posterity with obliterated faces.
Just my opinion.
In some of the photos the faces of the operators are blurred in others they're visible.
I was curious. Were the images that weren't blurred wildcat...meaning unauthorized...or does ISAF not have any kind of prohibition on the images and its just something that a few bloggers are doing?
I wrote ISAF public affairs and got an answer. The whole e-mail will follow but I want to break it down...
It started out very pleasantly...
Sol,Wow. So in a nutshell we have our answer. Its an individual decision by certain bloggers.
The photograph in question was taken by a member of the media at apublic location. As such ISAF has no control over how the picture waspublished. Some media outlets chose to blur the faces, others did not.That decision was made by individual editors with no input from ISAF.
Now on the next part I have to admit that I was trying to be a bit clever and dropped the name of the rumored unit to see if the guy would bite and either confirm or deny it.
I can see him leaning back in his chair, grinning from ear to ear saying (cause I think he's British) "Not bloody likely you silly wanker" and "You're barmy if you think that you can get me to slip up on classified material you silly berk"....
Anyway, I'm not up on British insults but you get the idea. Here is the actual response.
As policy ISAF does not comment on Special Ops troops or operations.Additionally, any photos taken by the media while working with themilitary community are always checked before publication to ensureoperational security is not compromised.So long story short. Operational Security/Force Protection is not violated by the posting of these heroes faces on the internet.
Regarding this specific photo, we have nothing further to comment.
Regards,
Tim
TP JAMES - UK AOF-3Press Desk ChiefISAF JOINT COMMANDCOMBINED JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER
Until a valid reason to do so comes up then pictures like the ones above should be visible to everyone. In the future these will be historic images of a forgotten war. They shouldn't be saved for posterity with obliterated faces.
Just my opinion.
101st Airborne...hookin & jabbin & on patrol...
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
What are the rules for OpSec?
I titled this "what are the rules for OpSec" but the actual question is "what are the rules for Force Protection".
Ya see, I've been reading accounts of the attack in Afghanistan and these photos have been splattered all over the net.
On some websites the faces are blurred and on others they're visible. Sister sites at that.
If you know what ISAF rules for Force Protection and the publication of photos are I'd be thankful cause I'm beyond curious. And I'm talking about real deal ISAF rules.
Spanish and American Marine Conduct Mechanized Raid Training.
All photos by Cpl Dwight Henderson
Textron TAPV website & datasheet!
Ok, I'll share the good stuff.
Found the Textron TAPV website here. You should check it out for more hi-rez photos and vids and general news of their entrant into the Canadian TAPV contest!
TAPV Datasheet 05-23-111
Turkey to place initial F-35 order.
Great find Phil! Thanks buddy.
via Hurriyetdailynews.com
via Hurriyetdailynews.com
Turkey plans to buy the U.S.-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II, a stealth multirole fighter jet, to meet most future needs for its Air Force’s next-generation fighter planes. It has voiced willingness to buy around 100 F-35s over the next 15 years, but as the program’s limited production stage begins, it so far has not formally committed to the program. To do so, it needs to submit a purchase order for a first batch of six aircraft before the end of the year.“We will have talks [with the Americans] in the months ahead in an effort to resolve some matters. If we manage to reach an agreement, we expect to order the first six aircraft this year,” Murad Bayar, chief of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, or SSM, the government’s defense procurement agency, recently told the Hürriyet Daily News. “We expect to reach a deal.”Read the whole thing but for critics of the F-35, the hits just keep coming.
Amy Butler (Wonder Woman) body slams over at ARES...
Oh this is getting good!
Amy (aka Wonder Woman) just stuck a fork in the conversation this morning. Just to remind everyone, Sweetman posted this comment to her latest post...
Wonder Woman wasn't having it though and she laid the verbal smack down to Sweetman with this comment!
Amy verbally grabbed him by the throat, picked him up off the ground, told him to shut the fuck up and then body slammed him.
Awesome!
Don't get up Bill. Stay down!
Amy (aka Wonder Woman) just stuck a fork in the conversation this morning. Just to remind everyone, Sweetman posted this comment to her latest post...
Nothing confirms that the program is going tickety-boo like the second big management shake-up in seven months, bringing in a new deputy with no ties to Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Navair or USAF.Hmm. Rather bitchy on his part but still tame in my world.
Wonder Woman wasn't having it though and she laid the verbal smack down to Sweetman with this comment!
Clearly LM has chosen its leaders for this phase of JSF -- and potentially for the future of the company. Not sure it is the job of a journalist to spin this ...Like I said, this is getting good.
One interesting point is to bring in some talent outside Aero may just be what was needed. Keep the sector bathwater drinking low may have been a goal. At any rate, in the past year or so, Dan Crowley is out, Lawson is in and the deputies have shifted. Burbage is still the anchor for the international program. Last year, the criticism was there was no leadership change at LM after Heinz was dismissed -- now the criticism is that there is a leadership change. Seems the spin is fickle at times. Either way -- this blog is intended to simply document the change.
Amy verbally grabbed him by the throat, picked him up off the ground, told him to shut the fuck up and then body slammed him.
Awesome!
Don't get up Bill. Stay down!
Textron TAPV.
You have to wait for it toward the end of the video, but you'll see the Textron entrant into the TAPV contest.
More on the F-35C's carrier suitability testing.
Consider this a preemptive strike on the F-35C carrier suitability critics.
I think Sferrin states it best....
The testing is designed to find out issues, concerns and solutions to any problems when deploying a NEW airplane aboard a carrier deck.
I will not be surprised or discouraged if modifications and tweaks are needed to get the plane aboard ship (heck NAVAIR is even planning for it as we speak).
I will NOT be surprised when critics come out of the wood work to trumpet any findings as the end of the world.
Its all par for the course.
I think Sferrin states it best....
"With the F-14 there were two JBD issues:Long story short.
1. Size. The JBD is much larger due to the launch position of the 14. The smaller JBD's didn't catch the full jet blast. The JBD for the 14 was wider and taller.
2. Heat. The JBD's designed for the F-14 had a greater water flow to them (1000 gpm versus 750) and, had their own dedicated firepump to provide that water rather than just using normal firemain. The retirement of the 14 solved this problem even though the modified JBD's remain in service on ships so fitted.
This was before they got the F110s.
For the F-35:
"One shipalt still in development concerns Flight Deck Jet Blast Deflectors (JBD). The Navy expects aircraft carrier JBDs will require some level of modification to accommodate F-35C heat plume concentration on the JBD. The Navy is currently collecting data from F-35 test aircraft to characterize the heat plume and signature of the JSF F-135 engine. The concentration of F-35C jet exhaust heat and plume differs from that of an FA-18E/F in physical location on the JBD, effects more JBD area, and may have a higher total integrated heat load. The goal of current analysis is to define the heat transfer to the Flight Deck and JBD components, determine the JBD system response, and develop a solution to mitigate the heat imparted by F-35C while retaining compatibility with the FA-18E/F. The solution must also ensure the mission of the JBD to protect the Flight Deck environment. These modifications will be incorporated aboard NIMITZ-class aircraft carriers during previously-scheduled availabilities. Modifications to CVN 78 will be accomplished during construction where possible, after finalization of a JBD system solution.
Several preliminary tests measuring the heat plume characteristics have been completed, funded by the F-35 Joint Program Office. Most recently, an angle plate test was conducted and the test results are being analyzed. Upon completion of this analysis, an F-35C will conduct high-power engine tests against a modified land-based CVN JBD. The cost and schedule to modify the test JBD will be dependent on the results of the ongoing analyses."
The testing is designed to find out issues, concerns and solutions to any problems when deploying a NEW airplane aboard a carrier deck.
I will not be surprised or discouraged if modifications and tweaks are needed to get the plane aboard ship (heck NAVAIR is even planning for it as we speak).
I will NOT be surprised when critics come out of the wood work to trumpet any findings as the end of the world.
Haters hate.
Its all par for the course.
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