USS America...redone as a Light Carrier.

More Fords not Cadillacs.

Ultimate RatioReg penned an article for USNI that asked the question "must every carier be a supercarrier?"  My answer is no, no it doesn't. (Read it here)

The US Navy is in the fortunate position of being in the midst of transformation.  An unwanted transformation but one none the less.

My proposal is simple and it echoes the calls that others have already made.  Why are we basing our naval air forces around 11 big deck carriers?  Why not make some basic modifications to the USS America class, and develop them into Strike Carriers? 

We've done it before.  Adding length to these ships and giving them catapults and angled decks is not something we should automatically shy away from.  CV-9, USS Essex when originally designed had no catapults, no angled flight deck and its deminsions were remarkably similar to the USS America's.  She was modernized after the war and served with distinction.

We can do this again.

Instead of the Navy having 11 supercarriers, it can have 6 super carriers and 10 strike carriers...or any number, you pick it but you get my point.

Smaller, slightly fewer aircraft but with greater numbers able to be in many more places make this a sensible option.  Tweaking escort numbers might prove to be a challenge but its doable and since the manning tables for the America class is so much smaller than a super carrier, it should not be a strain on manpower.

9 people hung from a bridge. 14 decapitated heads.

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Airsoft. A false training choice.

I've been reading more and more about people picking up and using airsoft to supplement their training.

Supposedly it gives you inexpensive training on the platform (your rifle) of your choice while being able to go force on force.

I couldn't disagree more.

Airsoft is a fraud, designed by those who have taken away the right to own firearms by their country and its been embraced by those who want to latch onto the latest "fashion" trend instead of being discerning in how they spend their money and wise about how they spend their time.

Trust me on this one.  Don't get roped into the belief that airsoft can be an effective training aid.  Dodging REAL bullets have a feel that airsoft just can't deliver.  If you want to engage in force on force training then I recommend investing in simunitions.  The ballistic performace is similar, as is the platform and the welt that's given if you're struck by one will serve as a reminder of what can happen when your tactics go bad.

Don't be trendy.  Be smart.

Homeland Security in San Fran.

Notice the Golan MRAP.  I thought they were anti-terrorist but it appears that they have a domestic law enforcement mission set. 

Combat Leap.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ronald Valdez (left), a corpsman with 1st Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 30-year-old native of Waipahu, Hawaii, extends a helping hand to Lance Cpl. Patrick Mireles, a team leader and 23-year-old native of Austin, Texas, as Mireles jumps a stream during a security patrol here, April 30, 2012. On the final patrol of their seven-month deployment, the Marines toured the Durzay region of Helmand province's Garmsir district to disrupt possible insurgent activity. After arriving in Garmsir in October 2011, the Marines aided Afghan National Security Forces in assuming lead security responsibility of the district, developing and expanding legitimate Afghan governance by defeating insurgent forces and securing the people of Garmsir. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Reece Lodder)

Argentina gut punches the UK

Wow.

Argentina is alot more serious about the Falklands than the British are willing to admit.  There will be a shooting war over this issue.  The Argentinians are inflamed about this issue and the Brits are so laid back about it that they can't see the warning signs.

Watch the vid again and take in exactly what they're saying.

The UK got bitch slapped.

A blog you should check out.

Hey gents.

Found a blog you should check out...Why the F-35....

Recommended reading for Bill Sweetman, Bob Cox, the entire Aviation Week Staff, Air Power Australia and all the other camp followers that they have.

The Kawasaki C-2...the real A400 Grizzly killer.

Looking like a scaled down C-17 or a slightly larger and more advanced YC-15, the C-2 is hitting the real sweet spot in future tactical airlift.

The A400 was designed to fill that niche but it's missed the mark due to advancements in armor technology and changing defense trends.  The 30 ton payload of the A400 just won't do.  Additionally its price point is going to make it difficult to export.

Now compare that to the C-2.  Its faster than the A400, has a bigger payload, and is zooming toward production and should be on the defense market anytime.  The Japanese just relaxed export restrictions and this airplane should be one of the first beneficiaries of that decision.

The Kawasaki C-2.  The real A400 Grizzly killer. 

British Anti-Air Missile Deployment for the Olympics.

Interesting.

Anti-air missiles...Typhoon Fighters....Amphibious Assault Ships in the harbor....

They're going all out and this is just the stuff we can see.  I'd bet body parts that if the public got wind of whats going on behind the scenes they'd be shitting bricks.

Soldier dies of dog bite.

This is crazy.  via Military.com.

A U.S. soldier died of rabies after being bitten by a dog in Afghanistan, U.S. health authorities said on Thursday.
The 24-year-old male first complained in mid-August 2011 of symptoms including shoulder and neck pain, odd sensations in his hands and fainting, shortly after arriving at Fort Drum, N.Y., for a new military assignment.
"He was lucid and described having received a dog bite on the right hand during January 2011 while deployed to Afghanistan," said the report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tests confirmed that the patient had a type of canine rabies associated with dogs in Afghanistan, the CDC report said.
The soldier's condition swiftly deteriorated after he was hospitalized on Aug. 19.
He suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and after consulting with doctors who said recovery was unlikely, the family withdrew life support. The soldier, whose name was withheld by the CDC, died on Aug. 31.

This makes your heart break.  To survive mines, IED's and bullets and to die of a dog bite?

I'm not about to throw stones at Army medicine, but what happened here?  All the warnings about not befriending stray animals in that hell hole--to report bites and this went unnoticed?

I WASN'T THERE SO I DON'T KNOW.

But this sucks.  This really sucks.