Russia offers US firefighting planes.

via Aviation News.

As the U.S. fights an epic summer fire in Colorado, Russia offers an aircraft with fire-fighting technologies that has a chance in the U.S. market.

The United States has its eyes on Russia’s Be-200 amphibious aircraft to bolster American-made fire-fighting aircraft, just as the country contemplates a radical renovation of its fire-fighting fleet, according to sources in the industry.

The ongoing fire in Colorado, both epic and uncontrollable, may spur the country to quicker action to renew its fleet.
These planes are sometimes the only means to fight fires, especially at industrial sites or large explosive facilities. The ability of a plane to travel at jet speed and begin extinguishing fire often offers the only chance to save people or prevent a large-scale environmental disaster.

The Be-200, a multipurpose amphibious aircraft made by Taganrog-based Beriev Aircraft Company, passed the first Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) certification tests this month. Specialists with the U.S. Interagency Tanker Board visited a test base in Taganrog to examine the Be-200ChS, a modification developed for fire-fighting operations.

Russia and the United States already contracted for the sale of ten planes in May 2010, and deliveries will start as soon as the aircraft completes tests and obtains an FAA certificate, according to Nikolai Lavro, deputy chief designer at Beriev Aircraft Company.

The Russian aircraft factory said in a statement that the initial Be-200 tests confirmed that the amphibious model is in compliance with U.S. requirements for scooping water when skimming the surface. However, the Americans would also like to be able to fill the tanker with flame retardant at the airfield, which calls for some minor alterations in the fire-extinguishing systems. After its upgrade, the Be-200 will continue certification tests, which is an essential part of the effort to bring the Russian technology to the international market.

The Be-200 can operate from a 1,800-meter long runway or an area of open water not less than 2,300 meters long, with waves of up to 1.3 meters high. Its corrosion protection system allows the plane to be used in the open sea. The Be-200 has a range of 3,600 kilometers, an altitude of 8,000 meters and a cruising speed of 710 kilometers per hour.

Currently, six Be-200 aircraft are successfully operating in Russia, and one more airplane is used for fire-fighting in Azerbaijan. The Russian Ministry for Emergencies has placed an order for eight more Be-200 units for three fire-fighting wings in the Central Region, Siberia and the Far East.

Interesting.

The US Forestry Service has antiquated fire fighting equipment and now a foreign nation is offering us gear to fight those fires.  Sad but true.

Rant time.

The US government can't properly monitor welfare, is behind on processing veterans cases, is unable to control our border with Mexico, is spending money it doesn't have...

They can't do the things that the founders charged them to do and yet somehow someway people believe that they won't jack up the health care system?

Give me a break!

US Army Drill Sgt's don't yell. Pussification on roids!

Thanks for the article Joe!

Check out this bullshit!  I would make fun of the Army but Amos will probably make this SOP for Marine Corps Drill Instructors.  via Yahoo.

Less than a foot away, an evaluator from the Army's Training and Doctrine Command stood with a clipboard in hand and listened to every word Heilman said, evaluating whether he had the right leadership and critical thinking skills to be named 's Drill Sergeant of the Year.

Noticeably absent from the test scenarios last week were any of the yelling, screaming and order-barking associated with in popular culture. To be sure, Army drill sergeants can still instill fear in new recruits. But as the Army focuses more on developing the critical thinking skills of its soldiers and less on rote memorization and one-size-fits-all training, some of their top drill sergeants say bellowing is a last resort.

"I really consider myself a new generation of drill instructor. I mean, unless you do something really, really out of place I don't think there's any need to do the whole yelling and screaming," said Staff Sgt. Danneit R. Disla, who is part of the 98th Reserve Division based in Rochester, N.Y. "I just think if you talk to them like a person, like a man, they will act like a man, like a grown man."

Wow.

Just wow.

Just fuckin' wow.

Georgian Lazika Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Texas DPS fully militarizes.

Looks like law enforcement has become fully militarized.  I would prefer the US Navy operating in these water than see law enforcement take on this military role.  Defense of a nations border IS a military responsibility. 

Terminal Lance on Stolen Valor.

He nails it.

The only thing that would have made it better is if he throat punched the bastard.

Happy 4th.

Happy 4th.


I originally posted a pic with fireworks going off and all that jazz.


I had to take it down.  I still wish you a Happy 4th but to me things are off the rails in this country.


This just doesn't seem like a time to celebrate.


Happy 4th anyway.

VFM 5 Light tank

Anders Light Tank & IFV...Polish Perfection.

UltimateRatioReg (one of only two writers worth reading at USNI Blog...CDR Salamander is the other) always talks about a new alliance between Eastern European Nations.  The countries that were once under Soviet control and now are free and are willing to go the last mile to protect their freedom.

Well Poland is one of those nations and if you haven't kept up with some of the moves that they've been making to develop not only their defense industry but also the capabilities of their military then you've been missing out.

One of those projects is the Anders Light Tank.

Probably better called an Infantry Support Vehicle it's cutting edge and innovative.  An unmanned turret with a 120mm gun?  Enough room in the hull to have a decent number of reloads, sensors and a bit of comfort for the crew?  I like it!

RG-35. Why did BAE lose.

BAE's entrant in the Canadian TAPV contest seemed like a surefire winner.

It came from the S. African design house and is a clean sheet design.  It's modular, a true mine protected vehicle, boasts tremendous mobility, had a 6x6 version and is capable of carrying a wide array of weapons.

How did it lose?

I have absolutely no idea!  BAE played the domestic production card right and teamed up with several Canadian companies...it built or expanded a campus in that country and I refuse to believe that they lost due to price...especially after the institutional knowledge gained from the FMTV debacle.

So how did the Textron product beat the RG-35? 

I don't know and the Canadian Department of Defense isn't telling.  At least they aren't telling me.  Information is proprietary and they can't discuss the different bids or the criteria on which they based their decision.

You might say no problem.  I say you're wrong.  A chilling effect is creeping into the defense industry and I'm afraid that we'll simply see re-worked vehicles instead of cutting edge advancements if current trends continue.  If you take a look at the major armor vehicle makers in the west, you'll see product improved vehicles, rearmored vehicles but few NEW vehicles.  BAE is one of the very few organizations that appears to be bringing new designs to the market place.

We'll see what we'll see but it appears that the global recession has hit and we're entering a time similar to the period between WW1 and 2....minor improvements on existing hardware but no major advancements for a generation.

Military Sci-Fi Concept Art.

Donald Bradford's Concept Art Work.

Makes a great desktop wallpaper.  Of course some of you work in politically correct places so the thought of having even a sci-fi weapon of war on your computer screen will probably offend your co-workers...you have my sympathy.

Venezuela buying 2 more battalions of T-72B1 Tanks

I've started subscribing to three blogs that cover S. American defense issues.

I think everyone should.  While all eyes are firmly locked on the Middle East and the Pacific something is brewing in Central and S. America that will catch us all by surprise unless we're proactive.

A trickle of weapons sales has turned into a full blown arms race and Europe, Russia, China and the US all are trying to setup proxy states to advance their interests.

The latest chess move in the region is being made by Venezuela.  Two battalions of T-72B1 tanks is nothing to sneeze at.  This via Forcas Terres Res.

During the celebration of 191 anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo Day and the army of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez said his country this year will acquire an additional lot of the main battle tank T-72B1, Russian-made.
Then, in order to continue the process of equipping the Armed Forces, Venezuela and Russia will sign a credit to values ​​close to 4 billion U.S. dollars, for which he was dispatched to Moscow Deputy Minister of International Relations Temir Rojas, accompanied by an official delegation.
The intention of the government of this country this year is to have enough material to provide two new battalions equipped with the MBT, with the technical and military cooperation of the Russian Federation.

If a surprise war is possible, then it'll happen in S. America...not the Middle East.

31st MEU about to bring the pain (simulated)

Mission Accomplished.

I saw this image over at PoderAereo website and couldn't put it together.  I knew that wasn't a ship on the side of the plane so what could it be?  Then I checked out the Aviationist website and it came together.  Brazillian fighters shattered the windows of the Supreme Court in that country during a flyby.

Too bad a couple of wild and wooly F/A-18D pilots couldn't have done the same on Thursday in Washington.  Maybe the sonic boom would have shaken some sense back into a back sliding Justice.  Just say'n.

Afghanistan. The only real solution.

Thanks for the link Tom!

Terrible news strikes again and to be honest I'm beyond tired of the bullshit that is Afghanistan.  Its time to call a spade a spade.  The people are primitive, backwards by Western standards and have a social dynamic that completely befuddles us.  We are caught in a civil war where the only thing that both sides can agree on is that we shouldn't be there.

Either we get out or we nuke the entire place and be done with it.  But Afghanistan isn't worth another drop of US or Western allied blood.

If women lose their rights and aren't allowed to go to school or vote.  To bad.  Sorry for ya.  If they have a full fledged civil war.  We did too and survived.  If they turn into a staging base for terrorist then cool, we turn the country into a parking lot.

But Afghanistan isn't worth the effort, money or most importantly the lives of our people.

Not by a long shot.

If you're wondering what has me pissed this morning then check this out from the Long Wars Journal.

ISAF reports that three of its soldiers were killed today by "an individual wearing an Afghan National Civil Order Police uniform" in the south:

An individual wearing an Afghan National Civil Order Police uniform turned his weapon against International Security Assistance Force servicemembers in southern Afghanistan today, killing three service members.

The incident is under investigation.

It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.

The British Ministry of Defence later released a statement on their website confirming that three of their soldiers from a Police Advisory Team were killed in Helmand province:

Two soldiers serving with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and one serving with the Royal Corps of Signals were killed in an incident at Checkpoint Kamparack Pul in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.

The soldiers were part of a Police Advisory Team which had been to the checkpoint to conduct a shura. On leaving, they were engaged by small arms fire from a man wearing an Afghan Police uniform. During this exchange of fire the three soldiers were wounded and, despite receiving first aid at the scene, they died of their injuries.

Afghan security forces personnel have now killed 27 ISAF soldiers in 2012. The last "green-on-blue" attack that resulted in the death of an ISAF soldier took place on June 18, when three Afghan Local Police members killed an ISAF soldier in the south.

Read it all but the idea that the number of wounded service member by these renegade soldiers is classified is beyond a disgrace.  Its BULLSHIT.

Marines prep for fictitious battle against Aussies

The Ferengi of the defense industry.

Check this out from Shepard.

The company is offering its AS350 and AS355 Ecureuil family of aircraft for the programme and the company sees the deal as a highly important first step to breaking into the Russian military market.
The deal is, however, subject to the outcome of an evaluation of the aircraft. In recent weeks, Eurocopter has delivered five Ecureuils to an undisclosed Russian operator. These include three single-engined AS350 B3s and a pair of twin AS355NPs. The company will evaluate the aircraft before a decision to order is taken, which is expected by the end of the year.
'There are no small helicopters being produced by Russian companies with the exception of the piston-engined Mi-34, so there are a lot of missions being performed with big helicopters. They want a helicopter for training and possibly for light utility missions,' explained Olivier Michalon, Eurocopter sales and customer relations vice-president for Europe and central Asia.
'It is potentially a very important order – we believe the requirement could for as many as 200 helicopters.'

Read the whole thing but this is amazing.  They will sell to anyone at anytime for any reason.

I wonder if any thought is being given to possible contracts with the US military.  It can't be a feather in their hat to have the Russian military flying aircraft that they're trying to pitch to the US military.  Is this a short term move or part of a larger plan?

And considering the fact that I don't see Westland or Bell or Sikorsky running to Moscow to try and win this deal.  I think that says everything that needs to be said about the wisdom behind EADS' move and the business ethics displayed by that company.

EADS.  Modern day Ferengi.

The dangers of going on patrol in the Philippines.

You're patrolling the jungles in the Philippines...the brush rustles, you turn and you're face to face with a 20ft long crocodile that weighs over a ton.

What do you do?

If you're in US Army Special Forces or a US Marine you better start working up some answers because they exist.  The record has been set and recognized.

Oh and for my boys down in Australia, don't feel too good.  The former record holder was found down under at a paultry 17 ft.

Experts believe that bigger examples exist in the wild.

HAPPY PATROLLING!

Conflicted Air Space.

If you look carefully at the photo above you can see a rocket passing underneath a Puma Helicopter.

That is the ultimate in conflicted airspace.

I remember talking to a pilot years couple years ago and I asked what's he most worried about when it came to supporting us and he told me (paraphrasing)....

I'm not worried about the bad guys...we train to fight them...if we have a general location we can beat them or avoid them...what we're worried about is what you guys are doing.  Have you called in artillery...are you firing mortars?  

In retrospect, and I really didn't catch it the time, but he was basically saying that golden bb's coming from the blue force could be a bigger concern than enemy action.

All this has me wondering.  Have we lost helos in a conflicted battlespace?

Buffel. The original MRAP...more S. African armor.

The Buffel is considered by many to be the first true MRAP.  This description from FlickR seems best...

The Buffel is a mine-protected APC used by the South African Army during the South African Border War. It was certainly not the most comfortable vehicle, but it offered the necessary protection against mine attack. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role. It has been replaced by the Mamba in South Africa, but remains in use elsewhere, notably Sri Lanka.

Many view these vehicles as ugly but I disagree.  The minimalist design approach appeals.

The Saga of Biorn. Sunday Funny.