F-35B DUAL PLANE OPERATIONS ABOARD THE USS WASP...the pics....

2 F-35Bs takeoff and land from USS WASP

Commandant steps in to muzzle bracelet Nazi's.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps had to step in to muzzle some bracelet Nazi's.  The issue.  Crazy as it might be is that some Marines were wearing bracelets to commemorate those that have been killed in action.  Here's the press release.

CMC Approves Wearing of Memorial Bracelets 

10/18/2011 
Division of Public Affairs  Division of Public Affairs, Media Branch 

Headquarters Marine Corps

703-614-4309 
ontherecord@usmc.mil 
Headquarters Marine Corps —The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Marine Gen. James F. Amos, has approved the wearing of memorial bracelets effective immediately. Memorial bracelets memorializing prisoners of war, missing in action, killed in action, and those who died of wounds or injuries sustained in a combat theater are authorized. Last week, the Commandant of the Marine Corps met with his senior leaders at a Marine Corps General Officer Symposium, a group of general officers who make recommendations to the Commandant. The issue of the bracelets was discussed and the decision was made to allow their wear. "We are acknowledging the close personal nature of our ten years at war and the strong bonds of fidelity that Marines have for one another, especially for those fellow Marines who we have lost," said Amos. Further guidance that details standardization and uniformity will be distributed across the Marine Corps through official correspondence by the end of the week.

I find it amazing that some in authority would even begin to question something like this.

At least the Commandant muzzled them...for now at least.

General Gardner strikes back!

Much has been made of Air Sea Battle.

Much has been made about the consternation that the US Army feels about being left out.  Whats been ignored is the fact that once we're out of these conflicts, the American people will have no stomach or will for extended combat missions in far off lands.

The operative word is extended.  Add to the situation, the economics of the day and you have frugality and doing more with less winning the day.

According to an article by General Gardner in Defense News, the US can do more with less via Amphibs, the F-35B and the US Marine Corps.  Read the article for yourself here, but a tidbit for you to consider....

The aging Harrier used in Libya and recently in Yemen is being replaced by the F-35B STOVL Joint Strike Fighter, a world-class aircraft in terms of stealth, sensors and range. When you only have room for a few aircraft (amphibious assault ships will carry six to 20), those aircraft need to be multifunctional and effective.
Whether operating from ships or damaged runways, the F-35B fills that bill. No surprise: A fifth-generation stealth aircraft that can take off from a ship without catapults and return to land vertically costs more than today's carrier aircraft that cannot fly off an amphibious ship (an F-35B will cost about $118 million per aircraft, compared with $90 million for an F18E/F).

For this premium, the U.S. will nearly double its strike-capable capital ships (there are nine amphibious assault ships, with plans to go to 11), making the fleet more effective in more places for less money long into the 21st century.

We're in a depression. No one is saying it but its true.

Loren Thompson took time off from the usual discussions of defense issues to post this startling fact....

The Global Works Foundation reported a startling statistic last week. Between 2007 and 2011, the equity that U.S. families had in their homes declined from $12.9 trillion to $6.2 trillion. In other words, 52 percent of all home equity in the U.S. disappeared over the last four years.

That's freaking insane.

A drop of over 50% in home value in four years? 

Even counting inflated home prices that cutting into the muscle.  The funny thing about this financial crisis is that no has called it what it is. 

Its globalization unwinding.

The bailouts are governments worldwide attempting to keep a flawed system in place.

Until economist stop lying about our current economic situation.

Until our legislative and executive branch man's up and deals with the situation.

Then you can bet that this 'occupy wall street' is going to be a tempest in a teapot. 

Dawn Blitz 2011 - AAV Landing

Major hat tip to AVTEKProductions--very well done.

Have you seen this pic from F-35 ship board testing?

Ship suitability testing with the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant of the Lightning II continued on 4 October 2011, as Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk flying BF-2, the second F-35B test aircraft, successfully carried out a short takeoff from the deck of the USS Wasp (LHD-1) at sea. Called Development Test 1, test pilots will verify F-35B basic performance and handling qualities in a flight envelope that approximates that used by fleet pilots during amphibious assault ship qualification flights.

The rationale for a unique Marine Personnel Carrier gets weaker and weaker.

I like the idea of a Marine Personnel Carrier.

I like the idea that it must be amphibious.

I like the idea that it won't necessarily be a copy of the overweight Stryker II.

But the rationale for this vehicle seems to be slipping away.  Remember.  The whole idea behind the Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) was that the EFV would be used in the assault phase and once established on land, Marine forces would have too little armored lift to be a mobile force.  To make up for the shortfall in lift (because the EFV was so expensive and couldn't replace the AAV on a 1 for 1 basis) the MPC concept was born.

Now read these words from a Marine Corps spokesman via the Marine Times...

The MPC would fill a perceived gap, offering mobility in moderate surfs with enough armor to protect troops on the ground from most improvised explosive devices, Koch said. In an assault, AAVs or ACVs would come ashore first, with the MPC delivered by naval connecters like the Landing Craft Air Cushion to reinforce them.
The Corps plans to field about 600 of the vehicles.

But wait there's more...

Production of the MPC still could be at least a decade away, but the service is using money previously earmarked for the EFV on three other projects: the MPC; a partial renovation of the existing Amphibious Assault Vehicle fleet; and development of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, a less-expensive next-generation amtrac.

The Commandant promised that he would drive an ACV before the end of his tenure.  If that vehicle comes in on time and under budget then what becomes of the MPC?  Will we need it?  If so then why a unique vehicle?  If its to be delivered by connectors then why not just buy Strykers?  Or if not Strykers then why develop a new vehicle?  Wouldn't this requirement easily be met by an off the shelf 8x8?  Oh and while we're at it why an 8x8 why not tracks?  Why not 6x6?

I'm solidly behind the idea of getting the Ground element a little 'new' vehicle love but this is not the way to do it.

I'm starting to sense the same issues with the EFV creeping into the Amphibious Combat Vehicle & Marine Personnel Carrier programs.

1.  No sense of urgency.
2.  Bureaucratic inefficiency.
3.  Lack of clearly defined design goals.
4.  Requirements with no roots in reality.

The list can go on but we seriously need to get these programs together.  They need to be staffed with dynamic, dedicated Marines whose sole focus is to get these vehicles across the finish line in a reasonable time period.  The fiasco which was the EFV should not be allowed to be repeated.

And speaking of the EFV.  Why didn't we just scrap the hydraulics on that bad boy (who needs tracks that can be raised if you're not doing 40 knots anymore), redesign its interior and call it a day and get it into production.

Hate to say it but the Ground Vehicle part of the Marine Corps is broken.  Development of Infantry weapons and equipment is in good hands.  Aviation is aviation.  The Ground vehicle side is in serious trouble.

We have the M1A1 that a decision is going to have to be made on.  We have the JLTV and upgraded Hummer that will need to be decided on (and we have the US Army twisting arms to keep the JLTV going)....the only real winner on the vehicle front is the MTVR.

Yep, things are kinda screwed up.

Junglies...

Sea King Mk4 helicopters prepare for takeoff from Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Photographer: POA(Phot) Mez Merrill

A Royal Navy Sea King Mk4 helicopter is pictured on an operation over Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Photographer: POA(Phot) Mez Merrill

A Royal Navy Sea King Mk4 helicopter is pictured on an operation over Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Photographer: POA(Phot) Mez Merrill

A Royal Navy Sea King Mk4 helicopter is pictured on an operation over Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Photographer: POA(Phot) Mez Merrill

Time to reorganize the US Army again. Bring back Light Infantry!

The US Army reorganized in order to follow the Transformation banner back in the early 2000's.  It was the wrong move.  They decimated there light infantry formations and started to reform around the Stryker IFV.

With the US reoreinting toward the Pacific, its time for the US Army to get its head out of the sand, watch to see where the wind is blowing and realize that for a myriad of missions --- LIGHT INFANTRY MAKES SENSE!

Couple Light Fighters with Combat Aviation Brigades, USMC MEU's and Special Operations and you have a force that can deploy anywhere...especially if they partner with USAF lift in the same way that the USMC teams with the Navy.

The Army got itself into a situation where it is either a medium or heavy force.  That is not the answer.  Light Infantry should form the backbone of the force with Heavy forming the remainder.  The Stryker formations are a concept who's time has come and gone.

Light Fighters own the night!

Air-Sea Battle? The Brits did it first in the Falklands.

Want to see a primer on the Air Sea Battle Concept (at least as I understand it)?  Then look no further than the Falklands War.

The Brits did it first, leveraging carriers, long range aerial tankers, long range bombers, surface ships for air defense and submarines to keep the opposing fleet bottled up.

Air Sea at its finest.

The Marines and Para's retook the islands during the ground phase but that's a different and fascinating story.  But I digress.  Check out Grand Logistics take on the Harrier at war.

MW3

Hmm.  Might seem crazy but an outbreak of Islamic attacks in Western Europe with a couple of false flag attacks thrown in?  Seems plausible and would probably tip us toward what MW3 is tossing our way (if my reading of its plot is correct)....anyway, awesome graphics.  Another game to add to the Christmas list.

Major hat tip to Endo-Tactical.