ACV competition...what will we likely see...

What will we likely see in the ACV competition to replace the AAV?

More than likely two firms offering vehicles and a few others offering some types of upgrade packages.

I initially see General Dynamics revamping its original EFV offering.  Hopefully this will involve the removal of the  hydroplanning system...a redesign of the vehicles interior and a decent exit ramp.

I'm actually surprised that the Marine Corps didn't sole source this competition and list what had to go and what needed to stay with this vehicle that had so much money pumped into it.  Actually this is probably the best case scenario but won't happen as funds are tight and HQMC seems to be saving all of its money to support the F-35 and MV-22 even at the expense of the much needed CH-53K, AH-1Z, UH-1Y and an upgraded HUMVEE.

The other option is that we see BAE come up with an improved AAV.  This would likely involve an upgraded power train and suspension, added armor and blast seats, some type of improved weapon station and upgraded water jets.

What will be interesting is whether HQMC would allow for new build AAVs or if it would be a pure upgrade program.  The other players in this game will only offer upgrades of one type or another. 

Blast from the past. Cruise missile carriers...

Surfing the net I ran across the Cruise Missile Carrier concept from the 70's based on wide body civil airliners.

While the option at the time was between using them or the B-2 in the nuclear deterrence role, the concept is valid in my opinion in the Air-Sea Battle of today.

G-2 mil stated on his blog the following...

B-747s can also dominate the world's oceans.  A squadron of 12 B-747s loaded with anti-ship cruise missiles can be vectored toward a enemy fleet by satellites or submarines, while E-3 Sentry AWACS provide escort with long-range radar.  The squadron can break into four flights and launch a total of 1064 cruise missiles at a naval fleet from four directions a thousand miles away.

While he goes on to make some statements that I disagree with his basic premise seems sound.  And valuable for a future war at sea.  Taking the nuclear mission out of the equation and you have massive firepower that will have to be protected but could saturate targets at sea and land with cruise missiles outside the range of threat weapon systems.

If we were to develop high speed cruise missiles like our potential enemies then we could in essence have a Chinese carrier killer all in one airplane.  Any idea of denying our forces entry into a particular region of the Pacific could be denied with a flight of F-22's with tankers escorting a couple of B-747 cruise missile carriers.

The Air Force would never rethink its thinking on the concept but it is a fascinating blast from the past.

A-4's in the attack...

Neptunus Lex ran an article which details low level flight.

The link he provides is beyond awesome....and the photo you see above is from that link.  An Argentinian A-4 attacking British shipping.

Now take another look.

Did you only see the A-4 in the center of the photo?

Or did you notice his wingman to our visual right?

Low level attack in a small airplane.  I can't even begin to imagine how small the target must be with a high speed anti-ship cruise missile.

Blast from the past. Para-Marines.

Lets see...we have MARSOC being formed which traces its roots back to the Marine Raider Concept of WW2 so what's missing?

Or perhaps who else should they trace their lineage to?

I contend it would be the Para-Marines.

Although they never performed an Airborne operation in concert with an Amphibious Landing the concept still intrigues.  In some ways heliborne ops have negated the need for airborne ops in this regard, but I still wonder if one battalion of Marine Airborne Infantry could be of use in this day and age.  I can easily see this battalion that I propose being stationed in Australia and being deployed by Air Force C-17 in ultra rapid deployment situations.  Maybe Guam would be a better location?  Anyway, read the document below. 

Silk Chutes and Hard Fighting US Marine Corps Parachute Units in WWII

Pic of the day...

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sean Marlow, a survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) specialist, performs a free-fall parachute jump from a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter above Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., Dec. 5, 2011. Both static line and free-fall training courses are mandatory to become a SERE specialist. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Taylor Curry)

Program Office and Lockheed make nice.

Still a fan of the F-35 but my antenna is up for spin and manipulation.


I guess the program office and LM are making nice.  Why do I say that?  Pics released and a vid from NAVAIR that you see above.

I guess the good Admiral is trying to be friendly after telegraphing the report that came out.

CF-2 Flight 41

U.S. Marine Corp Maj. C.R. Clift flies F-35C test aircraft CF-2 for its 41st flight. (Lockheed Martin photo by Michael D. Jackson)

U.S. Marine Corp Maj. C.R. Clift flies F-35C test aircraft CF-2 for its 41st flight. (Lockheed Martin photo by Michael D. Jackson)

U.S. Marine Corp Maj. C.R. Clift flies F-35C test aircraft CF-2 for its 41st flight. (Lockheed Martin photo by Michael D. Jackson)

BF-5

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Fred Schenk flies F-35B test aircraft BF-5 in short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) mode during the aircraft’s 24th flight. (Lockheed Martin photo by Michael D. Jackson)

F-35B test aircraft BF-5 flies in STOVL mode for the first time on Dec. 5, 2011, on its 21st flight. (Lockheed Martin photo by Andy Wolfe)

AAV forever????

via DefenseMediaNetwork.  Check out the entire article but this stood out and punched me in the eye.

ACV program plans seem to be coalescing around an approach outlined, “As approved at the ACV Material Development Decision (MDD), the ACV program has been approved to enter a combined Material Solution Analysis/Technology Development Phase. An In Process Review will be held after the Analysis of Alternatives (AoA), at which time the material solution will be set and the subsequent Milestones will be established. For this RFI, the government is looking for industry input into an incremental acquisition program to deliver a series of incremental capability upgrades in order to inform ongoing affordability analyses. This could be achieved either through delivery of a baseline new vehicle with subsequent planned upgrades, or a set of planned upgrades to the legacy vehicle. The overall intent is to minimize the per vehicle cost of each of the increments without stretching the program over more than three increments, and preferably only two.”

Wow.

I don't know where I'm at with this type of thinking.  "A set of planned upgrades to the legacy vehicle"...WTF!

HQMC initially stated that they would be upgrading the AAV while developing and getting into service the ACV.

Now we might be left with the laughable position of the AAV getting renamed and rewrapped again.  Aviation----you're killing the ground side-----but if that is the game plan then it does make the Marines EXTREMELY frugal again.

Color me confused.

India to buy 42 Super Sukhoi's...

via Defense Talk...

After negotiating for more than a year, India has firmed up an order with Russia for the purchase of 42 upgraded Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft to strengthen its aging fleet. An agreement confirming this purchase will be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Russia starting Thursday.
While the Cabinet Committee on Security had taken a decision on buying 42 additional Sukhoi MKIs last year, negotiations have taken longer because India was also keen to include some of the features found in fifth generation fighter aircraft. Finally, the Russian side agreed to upgrade the SU-30 MKIs to its latest version known as ‘Super Sukhoi’ with additional characteristics.

Read the whole thing but this part has me intrigued...a Sukhoi with 5th gen characteristics???

Makes me think of a Russian Stealth Eagle.

I wonder if its possible?  A google search didn't provide much more information except for this article...

Most significantly, the aircraft will be able to carry a heavier weapon load, including the airborne version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, he added.
Fedorov said the 'Super Sukhoi' will be a potent aircraft similar in features to a fifth generation aircraft. However, he refused to provide specific details of the upgrade, stating that the exact nature of this was still to be decided between the Indian and Russian sides.
Discussions are currently on regarding various aspects of the proposed upgrade, he said.
The Irkut chief did not provide any indication of the cost of the upgrade project. However, going by the general cost trends of similar upgrades, the price could run close to $1 billion.
Meanwhile, HAL is upbeat over its participation in the cutting-edge technology fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project.

Wow.

I did a piece on the potency of the SU-34.  Now with the Russian Stealth Eagle in the offering its time to get our house in order with a quickness.  Add to the mix the BrahMos missile and you've got trouble in a handbag for amphibious shipping.

Every part of our air defense/air supremacy infrastructure needs to be examined.  Our air to air missiles, our anti-air and our anti-missile defense systems need to get updated.