General Allen saw this shooting coming...

Remember my post on  26FEB2011????

General Allen told the troops that "this is not the time to seek revenge" and to "use the discipline" they're so proud of and to basically muscle through the pain of the Afghans indiscriminately killing allied forces.

That didn't quite work.

Time for plan B...wait we're past that too. 

Time for plan Z.

Let's leave that God forsaken country.

The Commandant's running out of time & the ACV.

"We will have a vehicle before I leave office."

You're running out of time Commandant.  

The same issues that doomed the EFV seem to be dooming the ACV...

*Lack of urgency on the part of Marine Corps Acquisitions Officials...

*A mindset that the AAV is good enough...

*Other priorities....

The problem is quite simply this.  The AAV is as old as dinosaur bones.  Its beyond time to get it replaced, and yet the US Army is showing more urgency, and is being more tenacious when it comes to replacing the Bradley IFV which is practically new when compared to the Marine's vehicle.

Since the AAV has been in service the US Army has fielded the following vehicles....

Ok, this is the Australian version of the M-113 but you get the point.  The Army introduced this vehicle during the Vietnam War...

The Bradley IFV...the current US Army Chief of Staff is not a fan of this vehicle.  As a matter of fact he pretty much damned it, but if the truth be known it has performed quite well, has excellent off road agility and has outstanding firepower.  They could have product improved this IFV but are choosing not to.

The Stryker.  I'm not as sold on this vehicle as the US Army is but they're selling the future of the Army on the capabilities...and weaknesses it has.  Its all rather immaterial though.  The GCV might end up relegating this vehicle to state side use.

Three combat vehicles.

The US Army has done it and is now working on its next generation replacements for the Bradley and the M-113.  Oh and don't be confused...they're two different programs.

While the US Marines can't get the AAV replacement off the ground.

Disgraceful!

Chilean Marder's and Leopard 2A4's.

I've had a focus on the happenings in the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific.

Understandable but probably not smart. Ya see we have a bunch of stuff going on in S. America that deserves attention.

How I missed it I don't know but tiny Chile is building a formidable force.  Their order of battle is impressive and they have a goal of having a fully mechanized Army by 2015.  But the photos of the Leopard 2 and Marder operating in battle formation had me asking one question.

Who are they getting ready for?

TAPV and the near future of armor advances.

Canada's TAPV is another of those armored vehicle programs that's suddenly gotten quiet.

During 2011 there was a flurry of activity...Textron even moved into a new building in Canada...but nothing since.  My big worry is that once the JLTV, GCV, MPC and ACV programs are done (in addition to this one) that's going to be a wrap for the foreseeable future.

I think we're seriously heading into a time of upgrades and upgrades only.  It is entirely possible that the same tank (with upgrades) being driven today will be the same one thats driven by some Tankers great grandson in 2050.

That should give everyone in the armor industry pause.  The great armor depression is right around the corner.

via Defense and Freedom

What's going to add to the pain is the fact that even small nations are developing home grown armored vehicles to meed their needs.  The big companies...Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, BAE, KMW and others are going to have to develop some kind of strategy to penetrate those markets or else watch market share disappear.  I hate to say it but partnerships are the only viable solution.  Develop the vehicle and then allow production to occur in the smaller country.  Maybe not as profitable but it will allow some of the big guys to survive...or else we're going to see consolidation like never before.  It could make what happened in the aircraft industry look like a spring shower.

Textron's LSAT

Many thanks to William for the vid.

Breaking News. Soldier walks off base and kills Afghans.

Thanks for the heads up Joe.

This was bound to happen.  You see your buddies getting shot, blown up and all sorts of nonsense and then the people that you're suppose to be training start killing coalition forces...

A fool could see this from a mile away.  Anyway check this out from the BBC.

A US soldier in Afghanistan is reported to have killed a number of Afghan civilians after walking off his base in Kandahar province.

The soldier - who surrendered to the US military authorities - is thought to have had a breakdown, reports the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul.
Nato said it was investigating the "deeply regrettable incident".
Local tribal leaders said women, children and men were among the dead in Panjwai district.
The governor of Kandahar province, Tooryalai Weesa, confirmed there were casualties, but said the exact number of dead and injured would be made known later.
The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said in a statement that US officials in Afghanistan would work with their Afghan counterparts to investigate what happened.
"This is a deeply regrettable incident and we extend our thoughts and concerns to the families involved," Isaf added.
Our correspondent reports sources in Kabul as saying the soldier had some kind of breakdown just before leaving the base and opening fire on civilians.
The incident comes as anti-American sentiment runs high in Afghanistan following the burning of copies of the Koran by US soldiers at a Nato base last month.
US officials apologised, but the incident sparked a series of protests and attacks that killed at least 30 people and six US troops.

I hope the President of the US has enough common FUCKING SENSE to not apologize for this.

But I'm not holding my breath.

NOTE:

To all the apologist out there understand something.  We've been teaching these people for 10 years to form an army.  We've pumped in billions of dollars to build up their country.

All we get in return are our soldiers and Marines killed and wounded and the projects that we're building FOR THEM destroyed almost as soon as they're built.

We owe the people of Afghanistan nothing.  Not even an apology...

A meeting with enemy...

Major Gen. John A. Toolan, the commanding general for RC (SW), and Maj. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, who is assuming command of RC (SW), speak with Qasim Khydri, the deputy governor of Nimruz province, during a key leader engagement meeting, March 9. Topics discussed during the meeting included the governance, security and developmental successes of Nimruz within the last couple of years since International Security Assistance Forces started to put an invested interest in the region. By LCpl Mark Garcia.

Ok its really our so called allies.  But the title seems appropriate.  After all, can you really tell a difference in Afghanistan?