U.K. F-35 vid

Super AV 8x8 for the Italian Amphibious Brigade.

via Defense Aerospace.

Iveco-Oto Melara will also exhibit the VBA, a combination of the SUPERAV of Iveco D.V. and the HITFIST OWS weapon station turret of Oto Melara, developed to match the requirements of the new Italian Amphibious Brigade. With outstanding mobility on land and in the water and air-transportability in a C130, the VBA provides an optimum blend of tactical, operational and strategic mobility. Its HITFIST OWS weapon station incorporates the latest technologies in the fields of electronics, signature and Man Machine Interface (MMI) with outstanding performances in terms of lethality, survivability and fightability.

Those sneaky Italians!

Not only did they leverage USMC requirements for a Marine Personnel Carrier into getting themselves a new vehicle for their Amphibious Brigade, but they will also gain a new vehicle for the export market (to compete against the Mowag Piranha, Patria AMV and Terrex).

Absolutely brilliant.

This vid is an instant hard on!

Get on line!

Sgt. Luke McNally, of Marlton, N.J., yells orders to his Marines during a live-fire exercise. The 27-year-old squad leader with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, led his squad of Marines through the burning fields and smoke-filled air to the end of the range.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Marco Mancha)

Star Wars Weapons coming to a ship near you!

So cool.

First the bad guys are zooming toward your amphib at 40 knots shouting Allah Akbar....

Next thing they know their engine blows up and the skin is burning off their backs....

Ain't Star Wars at sea cool?

Sea-Air Briefs. F/A-18 & V-22.

Massive Hat tip to THINK DEFENCE.  Check out his blog!

Sea Air Space f18 Presentation


v22_brief

Lift

Cpl. Enrique Torres (right), a squad leader with 1st Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and a 21-year-old native of Alvarado, Texas, helps Lance Cpl. Joseph Hevia, a rifleman and 20-year-old native of Windsor, Calif., climb onto a roof while searching a compound with Afghan policemen during Operation Zema Parma Sar Tera (Don’t Tread On Me) here, April 14, 2012. Afghan National Security Forces and ‘America’s Battalion’ Marines are conducting a variety of missions throughout Helmand province’s Garmsir district ahead of the annual fighting season surrounding the harvest of illicit poppy crops.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Reece Lodder)

F-35 BK-1

BREAKING!!! UK SERVICE CHIEFS RECOMMEND CHANGE BACK TO F-35B!!!

MASSIVE HAT TIP TO R. CRICHTON7 (otherwise known as my source in the UK).

via the TIMES.

 David Cameron is due to be presented with what officials believe is an overwhelming case for a change of policy on Britain’s troubled aircraft carrier programme. The Times has learnt that Forces chiefs will unanimously advocate that the Government should abandon plans to buy the conventional carrier version of the American Joint Strike Fighter — the F35C. Instead, a reassessment of the carrier programme will advise…

Just plain.  WOW.

The Brits are confusing me.  This is inexplicable.  Totally surprising.  Semi-insane.

Suffice it to say.  I Don't Get It.

Hmmm. Ok Lockheed. Good one Dew Line.

First.

via the Dew Line.

The United Kingdom's first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II production jet made its inaugural test flight on 13 April. The aircraft, an F-35B short takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) model, flew a series of functional flight checks during the sortie. Lockheed's Bill Gigliotti was at the controls during the 45-minute flight.

Second.

This new guy Dave over at that shop is bringing a very different spin to that blog.  It was once solidly in the Bill Sweetman/Bob Cox/APA bash the F-35 at every occassion whether deserved or not.

He doesn't seem to be part of that coalition.  When news on the F-35 is to be reported, he's on it.  Whether its good or bad.

Stann is a BEAST!

Thanks Joe for the heads up!



Oh and for the very few that might not know....check out BrianStann.com

Brian Stann Bio

"All American" Brian Stann was born on September 24, 1980 at Yakota Air Base in Japan before moving to the United States and growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. From an early age Brian played organized football and excelled quickly. He was the leader of Scranton Prep’s football team, setting school records by a quarterback for career passing yards and rushing. His achievements on the field mirrored his academic accomplishments and he was selected with the honor of being accepted to one of the most prestigious scholastic institutions in the country, the United States Naval Academy in 1999.

Naval Academy

While at the Naval Academy, Brian quickly excelled in his new position as linebacker, helping them beat their arch-rival Army in three of his four meeting. He followed up that honor earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, before continuing his service to his country by accepting a commission as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps in 2003.

Iraq

As a football player, Brian took with him the lessons he learned on how to complete a mission with a team, one that quickly came in handy for him in the Corps. He was only with his men for a few months before they deployed to Iraq.
Brian was the 2nd Mobile Assault Platoon leader with Weapons Company when everything started happening during his very first operation. From May 8-14, 2005, he led his men into battle, where their mission was to seize a bridge near Karabilah, Iraq. Three different times, he negotiated four kilometers to maintain their position from enemy attacks. However, on the third time through, the enemy had set up an ambush for the Marines.

Ambush

Although ambushed, Brian called in close-air support and direct fire from tanks while taking on over 30 rocket-propelled grenade attacks, multiple machine guns firing, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonating.
"When we began, it was a big fight, but as the days went on, we began to use more of our assets," Brian explained. "We called in close air support and used tanks and dealt a big blow to the enemy."
Brian was in a 360-degree fight and was setting up casualty evacuation points after they were hit by suicide IEDs. All of this would not have been possible if it were not for the hard work of his men in the sheer face of danger, explained Brian.

Silver Star

"He [Brian] has great strength of character and endurance, which was shown when everything happened over a week and he kept on going," explained Major General Richard Huck, 2nd Marine Division's Commanding General, shortly after presenting Brian with the Silver Star. "It doesn't even capture all that happened.”
Brian stated afterwards, "This award represents my guys. It's an insight to what my men did over there. There were a lot of our guys who received awards from our group when we were out there, not just me. You can forget all the other medals. I just wanted the award that said 42 out of 42 men came home safely," he further explained. "And we all came home, so mission accomplished."

Teressa

And what a homecoming for Brian it was. He married his college sweetheart, Teressa, who he met while back home visiting his family in Scranton. Teressa is a graduate of Mary wood University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Human Services and a former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader.

Mixed Martial Arts

During Brian’s next tour in Iraq, he called a fight promoter and clamored for a shot at the mixed-martial arts world. The promoter took a chance on him and Brian did not disappoint earning a first round knockout in his very first fight. Another promoter took notice and quickly signed him to a deal with World Extreme Cagefighting. During his first fight under their banner, he earned another first round knockout, this time in just 16 seconds, the fastest knockout in WEC history. He has since remained undefeated by defeating another previously undefeated opponent via another first round knockout!
Brian continues to serve on active duty as a United States Marine Corps Officer at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. However, he still finds time to train every day and is quickly being recognized as the future of MMA in the light heavyweight division. Expect Brian to continue making his mark on this sport.

Elements of Power Blog hits it out of the park again!

via Elements of Power Blogspot.

The B-52 is a beautiful over-engineered-by-slide-rule beast first flown on April 15, 1952 that has now flown for 60 years. The newest airframe is now over 50 years old. The 50+ operational life of the B-52 began with it being a high altitude penetrating bomber, painfully transitioning to a low altitude penetrating bomber, and then finally to its current primary role as a standoff weapons launch platform.

The Value of History: Perspective

Novices in mathematics, science, or engineering are forever demanding infallible, universal, mechanical methods for solving problems. -J. R. Pierce

It has been written that “What If?” is historian’s “favorite secret question”. Would the B-52 have become the venerable icon of airpower that it is ‘then’, if American communications and norms had been different?
What if’ 1946-1952 was anything like 2006-2012?

And then he goes on to ABSOLUTELY NAIL the critics of the F-35 (and other modern day program) up against the wall like a cheap suit that seen better days (and the critics of the F-35 have seen better days).

I won't spoil it.  Go to his site to read the goodness.

Long story short.  

The critics are all frauds.  Each and every one of them.  They're either tryng to impress their friends or they're lying thru there teeth or both.

Fuck'em.