Active Shooter practice in a war zone.

No knock on the USAF on this one.  They might need a pat on the back...but it still mystifies me how in an active war zone, there can be areas where you can have a weapon but no magazine in it.  At least they're taking action to deal with the issue if it comes up again.  via Air Force Magazine.

Kandahar Holds Live-Fire Drills to Deal with On-base Shooters: Airmen with the 443rd Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, recently conducted the first live-fire training to teach unit members how to respond to a shooter on base. NATO Training Command-Afghanistan initiated this training in response to the tragic shooting at Kabul International Airport in April that cost the lives of eight US airmen and one US contractor at the hands of an irate Afghan air force officer. The three days of instruction were meant to help improve adviser reaction to such a scenario with activities like rapid-fire drills, quick-fire reaction drills, and seated reaction drills. MSgt. Terry Gilbert of Kandahar's 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, said future plans include incorporating "some building clearing techniques, assault maneuvers, and more advanced weapons handling." (Kabul report by Capt. Jamie Humphries)

And the F-35 critics are coming out of the woodwork.

Out of the woodwork I tell ya!

DoDBuzz came up with this post and the first thing I asked myself was who the hell are these guys! Well this is what Wikipedia has on them...

The Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 1975. In its own words, it was established to "promote the common interests of the [Western] hemisphere, raise the visibility of regional affairs and increase the importance of the inter-American relationship, as well as encourage the formulation of rational and constructive U.S. policies towards Latin America." ^[1]COHA is dedicated to monitoring Latin American affairs, especially within the context of United States and Canadian foreign policy and its effect on the region. Working with a large number of unpaid research associates (undergraduate and graduate interns) and a small core of professional research fellows to improve hemispheric relations and advance the public good. Cohistas, as COHA staff is sometimes known, constantly analyze a number of ongoing themes including social justice, equal rights, anti-corruption measures, and the enhancement of democratic rights.

How these bubba's wound up talking about the F-35 is beyond me...read the whole thing but here's a tidbit that raised the hair on the back of my neck...

 Although the F-35 is a remarkable aircraft, it is unsuitable for the Canadian military. According to Steven Staples from the Rideau Institute, the current CF-18 fulfills two important roles of the Canadian Forces: surveillance and control of the Arctic, along with expeditionary operations including “air-to-air combat, precision guided munitions/bomb delivery, and close air support of the ground.”[xviii] The traditional Cold War concept of Arctic sovereignty applies to defending Canadian airspace against Russian bombers. Yet, supporters of the F-35 still maintain that this threat is real and that Canada needs the F-35 to protect Canadian and American airspace. Defense Minister Peter MacKay highlighted the Russian threat in 2010, when he praised two CF-18s for intercepting the two Russian TU-95 long range bombers on the edge of Canadian air space. However, critics like defense and foreign affairs analyst Eric Margolis, said that this incident was routine and that “it’s nothing to get excited about, [because] there’s much less to this than meets the eye.”[xix] In addition, Staples points out that if Russia were to go to war with the United States, “air defense would be irrelevant in any case, since the primary delivery vehicle would be intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.”[xx] 

The Russians and Chinese are forming "Arctic Troop" formations (The USMC should be first on this in the US military...we already have extensive training in Mountain Warfare, the next step should be to either copy the Brits and have Mountain Leaders/Arctic Warfare Specialist assigned to every Battalion or to have a SPMAGTF formed and positioned in Alaska.  Either way we'd be in the race for the poles...and this should be a Marine Corps mission!) and the Canadians are using there Rangers to have a permanent force in the area.  To say that sovereignty patrols are unnecessary is to ignore the obvious.


This is a left leaning group and this is a red herring.  This debate in Canada is over.  I smell a rat.  An Australian based Think Tank rat.  

Rough weather and Libya strike ops.

Bjørnar sent me this article on Sunday and I sat on it because I didn't know what to think (thanks guy!)...anyway Sharkey Ward of Falkland Islands fame and author of Phoenix Think Tank picked up the challenge and posted this response in a letter to the editor...

Sir,

 

Your article, “RAF deploy extra warplanes over Libya as rough seas hit French aircraft carrier” by Mail On Sunday Reporter, 3rd July 2011, cannot by any strength of the imagination be considered fair and balanced.

 

Naval fighters from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier have carried out 2000 of the 5000 strike sorties so far conducted over Libya.  Our land-based Tornado and the Typhoon aircraft have managed to contribute no more than 500 sorties – at disproportionately high cost.

 

Yes, severe weather conditions at sea can sometimes limit flying opportunities.  But that is more frequently the case with land-based air than sea-based air – as was experienced during the Bosnian crisis when carrier borne Sea Harrier aircraft often conducted the ground attack missions that the Tornado in southern Italy could not fulfil because of weather.

 

In the interest of being fair and balanced, you might wish to publish this letter and the photograph below showing the appalling conditions in which carrier borne aircraft operated during the Falklands war. My 801 Naval Air Squadron of eight aircraft flew 600 missions in six weeks in the most challenging weather conditions – and never missed a single tasked mission.

The pic that he references is above this posting.  We are obviously seeing a manipulation of the press in this ongoing turf battle between the RAF, the Royal Navy and the institutional fear that the RAF has of Harriers.

More to come I'm sure.

Denver International Airport ... a secret military bunker?

Ok.  I was skeptical at first too...till I read the little blurb the Survival Spot Blog has on it. 

Denver International Airport is one of the nations largest and busiest new airports. At over 53 square miles, the Denver International Airport is the largest international airport in the United States and the third in the world.
While there is no physical proof of a bunker at this location, there is a lot of tertiary evidence to support the claim. Some interesting facts about DIA that may support this conclusion are:

• The budget far exceeded original projections (original budget was 1.7 billion and ended up costing 4.8 billion)
• There is a large network of subterranean tunnels here, used for an “automated baggage system”. When the system failed miserably, they spent 1 million dollars per day for several months worth to repair it. Eventually in 2005, the airport abandoned this automated system all together to save 1 million per month of maintenance costs.
• The airport has extensive alternative energy systems, uncharacteristic of the modern airport.
• There are many very important military installations nearby including: Cheyenne Mountain, NORAD, Peterson AFB, United States Space Command, Air defense mission, United States Northern Command and dozens of major business headquarters
• Some famous people who live or have purchased homes in Colorado are: Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes, Oprah Winfrey, Oliver Stone, Richard Holbrooke, Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., Prince Bandar (wealthy Saudi Prince), Michael Eisner, David & Victoria Beckham, Condoleeza Rice
• Significant quantities of earth (110 million cubic yards) have been removed from the site, far more than is traditionally necessary
• 5 buildings were built incorrectly and new buildings were placed on top of them
• Granite was imported from all over the world for the airport
• The fueling system can pump 1000 gallons of jet fuel per minute, which is far more than any commercial airport could need
• There around 5300 miles of fiber optics installed (the United States coast to coast is 3000 miles)

I admit its all circumstantial but it does seem to add up.

Pic of the day. July 5, 2011.

Political Flow Chart.

via the Phoenix Think Tank!

The political flow chart

When top level guys look down, they see only shitheads;

When bottom level guys look up, they see

only assholes.

What's going on with the cargo UAV??

This is rather disturbing.  Not because the UAV Cargo Helicopter isn't in theater now (as promised) but because of what it means for a couple of other programs.

I am convinced that one of the little acknowledged problems with the EFV was the lack of urgency by not only the manufacturer but the program office.  I see that creeping into this program and I'm wondering if its going to be an issue with other Marine Corps programs.

We need to get a handle on this asap!  Story via NAVAIR.

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md.—The Navy and Marine Corps plans to field a cargo unmanned aircraft system are moving forward as the first of two potential UAS helicopters landed at Pax River, July 1.

The Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Air Systems program office (PMA-266) coordinated the arrival of Lockheed Martin’s KMAX helicopter, one of the systems that will potentially deploy to Afghanistan later this year.

“Our team has worked very hard to respond to an urgent needs requirement for a Cargo UAS capability in support of Marine Corps forces engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom,” said Capt. Patrick Smith, program manager for PMA-266.

In December 2010, PMA-266 awarded contracts to two suppliers, Lockheed Martin and Boeing/Frontier Aviation, for potential deployment support in Afghanistan. In order to meet the urgent operational needs of the Marine Corps, both suppliers were selected to reduce potential deployment delays and possible inability to meet performance requirements.

The Navy plans to deploy one of the systems that has demonstrated ability to meet technical requirements following a favorable Quick Reaction Assessment (QRA). The second system may be used for future operational missions and/or science and technology development.

The Lockheed Martin KMAX will begin Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) testing at the Pax River facility. The purpose of E3 testing is to measure and provide results regarding the aircraft's electromagnetic susceptibility to certain frequencies, which can affect flight-critical and other systems within the aircraft. The Boeing/Frontier Aviation Hummingbird will go through the same testing at a later date

“Both the KMAX and Boeing A-160T “Hummingbird” are required to go through E3 testing prior to the QRA,” said Eric Pratson, integrated product team lead for the Cargo UAS program. “This will help insure that the aircraft operates as designed while being exposed to ambient electrical signals in Afghanistan.”

After completing E3 testing, two KMAX UAS will be shipped to Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. in preparation for QRA planned for August 2011. Under the guidance of Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force, Marines from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 1 will act as operational commanders and forward operating base controllers for a seven day period. During that time, the system is required to deliver 6,000 pounds of slung load cargo per day.

“A successful QRA will prove sustainment of a cargo-carrying capability in an operational environment,” Pratson said.

The Navy’s Cargo UAS service will augment Marine Corps ground and air logistics operations in Operation Enduring Freedom. This capability will also supplement rotary wing assets and reduce Marine Corps exposure to Improvised Explosive Devices in theater. The Navy intends to field Cargo UAS in fall 2011 for a six-month deployment.

“Fielding this system will enable us to keep trucks off the road and keep our troops safe,” Smith added.

As anxious as I am to see this get to AFG, this is a future capability that will only be developed and proven during this conflict.  Want to see the building blocks of distributed operations?  You're looking at it when you see the UAV Cargo Helicopter.

Magpul Sponsored Truck "BAM BAM" in Euro Breslau Rallye

Who would guess that MAGPUL has a genuine off road vehicle that they entered into a race.    More info on the race can be found here and here.  Interesting.

Pre-emptive F-35 news blast.

Consider this a preemptive strike against the F-35 critics that will be howling about this on Tuesday.  via NWFDailyNews.com.

Although they did not meet their expected June delivery date, Eglin Air Force Base’s first two F-35 Joint Strike Fighters have completed their test flights and are in their final review to be accepted by the Department of Defense.
Representatives from Lockheed Martin, the main contractor building the fifth-generation fighter jet, said last month that the first F-35s were expected to arrive in June. Although Lockheed officials cannot provide a firm date, they now say the AF-8 and AF-9 — Eglin’s first two Joint Strike Fighters — will “arrive shortly.”
“What we’re finding is it’s taking a little bit longer and I’m not going down that path again and putting a month on it,” said Mike Rein, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin. “I will tell you very shortly in the scope of a 10-year program, we will be sending both AF-8 and AF-9 out to Eglin.”

Read it all but bet money that the usual suspects will be talking about missed delivery dates etc.  All I ask is that either Lockheed Martin or the USAF come out with an explanation of why this is 'taking longer than expected'...are we talking about the monster called bureaucracy creeping into the mix or is it an issue with the airplane.

Either way, you've been warned.  Expect an Alpha Strike from several blogs that you probably read all covering this subject.

This fucking sucks.

Bad news from Afghanistan people.  First this news release from ISAF.

ISAF Joint Command- Afghanistan
2011-07-S-008
For Immediate Release

KABUL, Afghanistan (July 04, 2011) – An International Security Assistance Force service member has been listed as duty status whereabouts unknown in southern Afghanistan.

There is an active search effort in progress.

It is ISAF policy to defer identification procedures of missing service members to the relevant national authorities.

I saw it first thing this morning and went over to the SKYNews website to get more info.  To be honest I was a bit outraged by what I thought I heard a newsman say...so I waited.  Then this came out this afternoon.

A British soldier who went missing from his base in southern Afghanistan has been found dead with gunshot wounds.

The serviceman's body was discovered by an Isaf patrol after a massive manhunt was launched.
He was reportedly last seen at a military checkpoint in the early hours of the morning, and Taliban groups have claimed responsibility for killing him.
Nato spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick said: "He had suffered gunshot wounds.
"His exact cause of death is still to be established and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death are currently under investigation.
"It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

Enjoy your 4th but remember the guys that are hookin & jabbin over in that worthless little country.

Kevin Martin 1 Flickr Stream.

Kevin Martin 1 has a Flickr stream that you must check out. 

Riverine Forces. You're doing it wrong.

Thanks to Resboiu, Maryus315, Jonathan and TLAM Strike.  Everyone seems to be a fan of the Romanian approach to riverine operations and I can see why...check these photos out from the RomaniaForum..

Lets compare notes...US Navy Riverine is below...

What exactly is the mission of the Riverine Forces again?  This from Wikipedia...

The Riverine Squadrons of the United States Navy are elements of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC). According to the Navy: “The Navy’s Riverine force focuses on conducting Maritime Security Operations and Theater Security Cooperation in a riverine area of operations or other suitable area. The force is capable of combating enemy riverine forces by applying fires directly, or by coordinating supporting fires. It will share battle space with the other Services in an effort to close the seams in Doctrine, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures, and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.”^[1]

Lets break it down...

"Capable of battling enemy riverine forces"

Not bloody likely.  At least not as they're currently configured.  A quick glance reveals that potential enemy nations are using PT (Patrol Torpedo) type boats to conduct this mission....Fast Attack Craft if you want the modern designation.  Not only will these type boats out range US Riverine boats in weapons range but they'll also be as fast (in most cases).  If you're relying on the "coordinating supporting fires" part of the mission statement to get past this hurdle then you're whistling past the grave yard.  Gone are the days of the Sea Wolves.  The US Navy does not have dedicated attack helos anymore and even if they did I wonder how long it would take for help to arrive in a meeting engagement.

A Special Ops bias in weapons fit and equipment fit.

I totally get why SEAL Delivery Teams have selected their boats and their weapons fit.  The need to extract SEAL Teams in contact require the ability to put out a tremendous amount of firepower.  The need to rapidly arrive at a desired location and to leave at high speed makes sense.

It doesn't for a force that is operating in a certain area, interdicting enemy supply routes, smuggling etc.  The idea that Riverine Forces will conduct limited missions ashore is a mystery too.

Wrong mission, wrong equipment fit.

There has been one complaint waged against the big Navy that seems more and more valid.  They're so concerned with blue water operations that riverine and green water ops have suffered.  The war on terror should have been the excuse necessary to make the change.  What have they done instead?  The label a Frigate sized warship as a littoral combat vessel and ignore history.  The LCS concept would make sense if it was uparmed and called a Frigate instead.  The big Navy needs Frigates.

What the big Navy also needs is a blast from the past.  Patrol Boats.  Real deal littoral combat vessels.  You remember the type.  The type that John F. Kennedy rode into battle.  The kind that were taking on destroyers with success.  The kind that harassed the Japanese during WW2.  Thats what the Navy needs in the 21st century.

Want a kick in the guts?

The CB90 is about the right size for a Patrol Boat.  Its seriously under armed historically but size and speed wise it fits the bill.  I wouldn't look for Riverine to make the common sense move to larger platforms though.  It seems that the command has SEAL Team Delivery light on the brain.

Northcom getting its act together?

Joe sent me this article (thanks) with the remark that "maybe Northcom is getting its act together".

I would hope that was the case but the more I think about it the more it just seems to be inline with the Pentagon preparing for some unforeseen circumstance that will require a full bore military response.  The recent failures of Northcom to respond to flooding in the Midwest, tornadoes and the fires in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas should all point to them really not being a player when it comes to the numerous disasters that are plaguing us.

They're planning for massive, region wide disruptions.  Anything smaller and Northcom just isn't interested.  Read the story for yourself though but as always, here's a nugget.  Via Yahoo News.

No one commander had that authority in the aftermath of Katrina, and military and civilian experts say the lack of coordination contributed to the nightmarish delays, duplications and gaps in the huge rescue effort.
"It was just like a solid wall was between the two entities," said Georgia National Guard Col. Michael Scholes, who was part of the Katrina response.
Top Defense Department officials believe dual-status commanders are the key to reducing at least some of those failures.

"We're going to be able to conduct disaster response operations on a large scale much more efficiently and effectively than we have in the past," said Paul Stockton, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense.

Dual-status commanders will provide a "unity of effort that is going to save lives on a large scale," Stockton said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Yep.

A tornado that destroys a medium sized city in the heartland isn't what they're prepping for.  Fires sweeping across the plains of Texas and the foothills in Arizona are beneath their notice too.  This is for something else entirely.

Two-Year Point for U.S. Soldier in Captivity

via ISAF.

ISAF Headquarters Public Affairs Office- Afghanistan
For Immediate Release
2011-06-CA-008

KABUL, Afghanistan (June 30, 2011) – Today marks two years that Sergeant Bowe W. Bergdahl has been in captivity. Sgt. Bergdahl, from Hailey, Idaho, was discovered missing during his unit’s roll-call in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.

Sgt. Bergdahl was declared Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) on July 1, 2009, and his status was changed to "Missing-Captured” on July 3, 2009. Sgt Bergdahl is a member of the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. The U.S. Army recently announced his promotion to sergeant on June 12, marking his second promotion since his capture. He was promoted to the rank of specialist on June 12, 2010.

“Ever since SGT Bergdahl’s capture, U.S. and ISAF forces have made it a top priority to find him and bring him home safely to his family,” said Rear Admiral Vic Beck, Director of ISAF Public Affairs. “We will continue in our effort to ensure his safe return. On this important anniversary particularly, our thoughts and prayers are with Sgt Bergdahl and his loved ones.”

The story of this guys capture is confusing. 

He says he was straggling on patrol and captured, CNN reports that he got drunk off base.  Either way, I hope we get him back safely.

US Special Operations...WAAAAAAY too big.

According to Admiral Olson's prepared statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 1st of this year, the US Special Operations Command has 60,000 personnel assigned to it.

Take a deep breath.  Hold it in and say it out loud.


60,000 persons.


That's bigger than the 82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne, 10th Mountain and 2nd Infantry Divisions combined.

Just something to chew on.

Russian Gun Support River Boats.

I'm starting to fall in love with English Russia.  There latest entry is about Russian Gun Support River Boats.  I don't know anything about how they employ them but if I were to guess I would bet that its almost akin to the way our Riverine Forces operate.

UPDATE*
Spudman WP confirmed that the gun at the front of the ship is from the ancient PT-76.  This brings up some interesting contrast with the way that US Navy Riverine units are equipped.  Not only is the Russian design more heavily armed but it also appears to have a smaller crew.  If this boat were to come in contact with US Riverine forces and those forces had no or tardy support the results might be in doubt.  Maybe Riverine units should equip with Javelin anti-tank missiles in addition to their standard kit.  It would give them added punch against shore bunkers, Gun Support River Boats and enemy monitors if the concept is revived somewhere.

F-35A AF-10 And AF-11 First Flights

The fifth and sixth production models of the F-35 Lightning II, F-35A AF-10 and AF-11, completed their inaugural flights on 29 June and 1 July 2011, respectively, from NAS Fort Worth JRB. (AF-11 first flight shown in photo.)

Syrian Tanks attack another village. US stays quiet.

Don't get me wrong.

The absolute last thing the US needs to be involved in is another conflict.  But we need a bit of clarity when it comes to our foreign policy.

We attacked Libya because he threatened to attack his people.

The Syrians are rampaging through the countryside and we're looking slack eyed and silly.

I don't get it.

via ASDNews.

NICOSIA - Syrian troops backed by tanks swept into new villages in the northwestern province of Idlib, a rights activist told AFP in Nicosia.

Around 60 tanks and armoured personnel carriers rumbled into two villages in the countryside of Idlib, said Rami Abdel Rahman of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Abdel Rahman said the troops were exiting from the village of Al-Bara when they split into two units, one heading towards the village of Kafr Nabl and the other to the village of Kansafra.

The operation comes a day after Syrian forces killed 10 civilians who opened fire as they stormed villages in the district of Jabal al-Zawiyah to quash dissent against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, activists said.

Oh and don't think that this is a new development.  The Syrians have been roughing up its civilians for weeks now and little to nothing has been done about it.

Kind of makes you wonder what the real truth is behind the attacks in Libya.

Marine Special Ops. A capability the Marine Corps can't afford and the nation doesn't need.

Via Military.com

Currently the number of MarSoc Marines stands at about 1,000 — drawing mostly from the Force Recon community but also from some high-speed infantry guys and other intel-centric MOSs. Hejlik said he sees the force growing to about 5,000, or about as many SEALs in the Navy.

and this...

The general also said he envisions the Corps establishing a separate air wing to support MarSoc missions — a controversial gap when the units were established back in 2006. But he admitted that given current budget realities, it’s going to “take some time” for the service to eek out the cash to buy planes for the Leatherneck snake-eaters.

I mean seriously.

What the fuck is the General thinking?

The idea that the Marine Corps could possibly drop down to an end strength of 150, 000 to a high of 175,000 Marines and then allocate up to 5,000 Marines for Special Operations is crazy.  If you add in aircraft like the General is talking about then you have a Marine Special Forces Expeditionary Brigade sized unit.

That's insane.

No knock on Marine Special Ops but what mission are they doing that isn't already accomplished by Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, Army Rangers or the tier one units Delta or SEAL Team 6?

Rummy forced the Marine Corps into Special Ops.  It was mistake then and its a mistake now.  The Marine Corps can't afford the loss of talent or the disruptions this brings to the Infantry MOS.

On a side note, while the bean counters are out looking to slash the military in general, I'd love for someone to do a cost benefit analysis of Special Operations forces.  With a force of over 50,000 people in SOCOM, is it really the size that the nation wants and needs or should it be down sized.

31st MEU Boat Company Training.

KIN BLUE, OKINAWA, Japan-Marines with Company F, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare to board the USS Tortuga during launch and recovery operations June 28. Once onboard the Tortuga, the Marines turned the boats around and returned to the water., Cpl. Anthony Ward Jr., 6/28/2011 2:59 AM

KIN BLUE, OKINAWA, Japan-A Marine with Company F, communicates with the USS Tortuga via radio as his boat heads through the surf to White Beach Naval Facility June 28. The Marines and USS Tortuga conducted launch and recovery operations to better equip the Marines for their job once aboard ship., Cpl. Anthony Ward Jr., 6/28/2011 2:25 AM

KIN BLUE, OKINAWA, Japan-The Combat Rubber Raiding Craft is the boat of choice for the Raiders of Company F. The Marines used the boats to conduct launch and recovery operations June 28., Cpl. Anthony Ward Jr., 6/28/2011 4:47 AM