The Spying Kestrel.

via The Telegraph.

The kestrel was discovered by residents of Altinavya, a village in Elazig province, wearing a metallic ring stamped with the words “24311 Tel Avivunia Israel”. Suspicious that the bird may have been on a spying mission for the Jewish state, villagers turned the bird over to local authorities, according to Turkish media.

So great was the level of concern medical personnel at Elazig’s Firat University initially identified the kestrel as “Israeli Spy” in their registration documents. Intensive medical examinations - including X-rays - determined that the bird was, indeed, just a bird. There were no sign of microchips that might transmit information back to Israel, local media reported. The kestrel was allowed to fly off after authorities determined there was no need to press charges.
Yet the incident shows the degree of paranoia and xenophobia regarding Israel that exists among large segments of Turkish society. It comes as talks between Turkey and Israel over compensation for families of those killed in the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident have stalled.

Eight Turks and one Turkish-American were killed on May 31, 2010 when Israeli commandos stormed the Turkish vessel carrying aid to the embargoed Gaza Strip.

Ties between the countries suffered until United States President Barack Obama brokered a reconciliation between the two sides during a visit to Israel earlier this year.

Uh.

Wow.

The only thing that gives me pause about the story is that animals probably have been used in some weird fashion to spy on other countries.  I just don't have the imagination to think of the possibilities. 

More evidence that Amos is 100% pussy.

via Defense News.

The Marine Corps Times posted a pretty explosive story this morning explaining how and why Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Jim Amos stripped a three-star general of his authority to prosecute the Marines who has taken video of themselves urinating on dead Taliban fighters in 2011.
Documents obtained by the paper include a declaration signed by Lt. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, who was removed from overseeing the case against the Marines by Gen Amos after he refused to kick the accused Marines out of the Corps.
The Times writes that:
The commandant wanted the Marines “crushed,” Waldhauser says in his statement, and asked if the steps Waldhauser was taking would result in their dismissal from the Corps. When Waldhauser pushed back, the statement continues, Amos threatened to remove him from the case, he said, and later directed the assistant commandant to deliver the news to Waldhauser that he was doing exactly that.
The commandant’s decision to reassign the cases was not explained publicly before now. In May, a source within the commandant’s office told Marine Corps Times that Waldhauser was removed from the job because his future role as the defense secretary’s adviser was of supreme importance and he needed time to prepare. That explanation proved untrue.
There’s lots more here, click through for the whole thing.

Wow.  The motherfucker is a liar.  Not surprising news at all.

I hated the bastard before.  Now I totally despise Amos.  I wondered if the disease that is Amos had spread to the rest of the Corps.

I am pleased to see that General Waldhauser, General Simcock and others are keeping the flame alive.

At least there are a few REAL leaders left in the Corps.  There is only one thing wrong with the Marine Corps and that's Amos.  Time for that son of a bitch to leave.

31st MEU's AAVs conducting amphibious landing at Talisman Sabre by Cpl. James Gulliver

Note:  Survival on the swim to shore isn't an issue for whatever armored vehicle the Marine Corps one day in the distance future procures.  Sitting low in the water while using proper vision/thermal obscuring devices will be enough to keep most anti-armor systems at bay.  The issue will be the vehicle picked to get the vehicles within launch distance and their survivability and the future armored vehicle once its on land.  Unfortunately, its hard to predict.  With a procurement decision put off until 2030 at best, the tech will have changed so much that speculation would be foolhardy.  Of course that assumes that planning isn't already taking place that would make the JLTV the main combat vehicle for a future commando Corps.

Gripen is looking to start/win a price war.

via Gripen Blog.

With the economic meltdown, defence budgets are facing major cuts around the world. Demands are getting tougher day by day. According to Saab’s CEO Hakan Buskhe’s  presentation ‘Breaking The Thought Barrier’, these tough demands however can benefit Saab.
“Our customers always demand more functions for less cost and that is rather unique in the defence industry. It is normal for other industries. But I believe that it is possible also in our business,” Buskhe says. 
He also stressed that these tougher demands have changed the market equation and competitiveness along with efficiency is the key thing now.
“Being a rather big defence company in a small country, spending 1 billion US dollars a year on R&D, we have to be lean as the Swedish state cannot bear all our investments. So we invest ourselves.”
There is an increased demand for an aircraft with multi role capabilities at an economical price. “This is something that will change the purchase pattern,” he says.

This will beg the question.

What is the floor on good enough?  What is considered an economical price on combat aircraft?  Can "prestige" be fully separated from aircraft purchasing decisions?  

The Gripen has tons of fans but few buyers.  We'll see if the economy truly has created a new buying paradigm.

Combat Assault Battalion. Just add Infantry and stir.

via Marines.mil

OKINAWA, Japan - The Marine Corps’ unique Combat Assault Battalion is designed to conduct and support amphibious operations by transporting surface assault elements and equipment from water-based staging areas to inland objectives.
This distinct capability was demonstrated during a battalion-wide field training exercise July 15-22 at the Central Training Area to improve and perfect the battalion’s ability to conduct close-combat engineer support, light-armored reconnaissance and limited offensive and defensive operations.
CAB supports different elements of 3rd Marine Division and III Marine Expeditionary Force throughout the Asia-Pacific region and is capable of executing a broad range of operations with its assets and personnel.
“We’re conducting this exercise using the unique aspects of CAB,” said Capt. John S. Kim, the Assault Amphibious Vehicle Company commander, CAB, 3rd Marine Division, III MEF. “We are also trying to continue to refine our ability to operate as a battalion.”
CAB provides 3rd Marine Division with engineers, assault amphibious vehicle support, and light-armored reconnaissance, motor transportation, heavy-equipment and communications capabilities, as well as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense assets all within one unit.

“We want to show what kind of force we have,” said Staff Sgt. Michael D. McGinnis, a section leader with AAV Co. “We’re not just a landing force with AAVs. We also have our combat engineers who can get out there and set things up, and at the same time, we have LAR to show a different side with their light-armored missions vice mechanized missions.”
During the exercise, AAV Co. and LAR Co. conducted a forward passage of lines operation, which involves a force moving forward through another force’s combat positions with the intention of moving to or from contact with the enemy.
“The biggest reason for the passage of lines was to coordinate our movement between the companies,” said McGinnis. “We were able to conduct and organize our movement, so that we did not hinder each other.”
The Marines of Combat Engineer Company also performed site improvement operations at the CTA, as well as squad live-fire maneuver exercises at Range 10, near Camp Schwab.
“Engineers train to infantry standards because we support infantry units,” said Capt. Timothy G. Ernst, the Combat Engineer Co. commander. “We have to be able to do everything they can do and still do our (primary) job.”
Training the Marines and exposing them to new concepts benefits their understanding and ability to work, according to Ernst.
“When we got here the big focus for us was mission readiness, so that we can actually go out there and show our capabilities,” said McGinnis. “Coming out of the exercise, I feel confident in our ability to support the division in any kind of operation we take on.”

I've always wondered if this concept could be applied to other regions of the world.

I'm also wondering if a second CAB will be established in Australia.  Either way, its an unusual (for the Marine Corps) organisation.   

Navy LCS Propaganda Vid.

Marine Air Vid.

Pentagon moving to put women in combat units.

via USNI News.

The Marine Corps intends to build up a female cadre of officers and noncommissioned officers to help women as more military occupations and units become open to females, the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs told the House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee on Thursday.
Lt. Gen. Robert Milstead Jr. told the panel that it “is not going to happen overnight,” but the Marine Corps is learning from its pilot program—48 female Marines working in 19 the battalion headquarters of previously closed positions, such as tank units—on how to proceed in opening more military occupations to women by 2016.
Milstead stressed that women will “have to meet the [same] physical standards” established for men to be accepted into training for previously male-only jobs. He said that 250 of the 335 specialties in the Marine Corps have more than one demanding physical standard. The standards, such as lifting and loading a tank round, were “developed without regard to gender.”
His Army counterpart, Lt. Gen. Howard Bromberg, said that all standards are being reviewed now as the policy is lifted that excludes women from direct ground combat operations. “We’re looking at that for the 110-pound male as well,” he said.
“The key is to validate the standard . . . to ensure it’s right,” Juliet Beyler, director of the Pentagon’s Office of Officer and Enlisted Personnel Management, said.
Milstead said the services also need to study the social and psychological impact of opening those occupations both to the women entering them—their resiliency and ability to handle stress—and the effect on small units. “It’s equally important as the physical.”

Chesty you're a liar.

Old breed? New breed? There’s not a damn bit of difference so long as it’s the Marine breed. Chesty Puller, USMC

There's a huge fucking difference now.

But what kills me is this gender norming bullshit.  Milstead is lying his fucking ass off and he damn well knows it.  Put a female loader in one tank and male in another and see which one has a higher rate of fire.

Same thing on a gun line.

Have your mythical Amazons do a forced march against a group of male Marines and see how they fair.

But the real test will be in combat. That will be interesting.

Royal Marines develop a one stop amphibious shop.

IAF Chief in US for talks.

via Business Standard.

Indian Air Force (IAF) chief N.A.K Sunday left for the US on a four-day visit, during which he will hold talks on boosting defence cooperation between the two countries.
According to an official release, Air Chief Marshal Browne is visiting the US on an invitation of his US counterpart, General Mark A. Welsh III.
Air Chief Marshal Browne, who is also chairman, chiefs of staff committee, would be accepting the delivery of the second C-17 Globemaster III during the visit. The aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to the IAF July 22 at a ceremony at Boeing's Long Beach final assembly facility.
The IAF chief is scheduled to hold talks with senior military leadership of the US, including Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Martin E.Dempsey and Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Herbert J. "Hawk" Carlisle.
"He is likely to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues on the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries towards strengthening the growing US-India security and defence relationship," the release said.
The IAF chief will also visit the US Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Maryland, and US Space Command located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
The release said that Air Chief Marshal Browne is visiting the US after 26 years. He graduated from Air Command and Staff College, Alabama, in 1987.

Hmm.

I'm going to have to update my news alerts.  It took a reader to alert me to his presence in the US (Big thanks to you...whoever you are).  Quite honestly I took news of the Indian Air Force receiving another C-17 as not really big news but the talks with our Chairman puts this in a different light.

The rush is on to bring India into our camp.

I don't think they'll bite, they value their independence too much, but I'm betting a full court press is being applied.

Side Note:  I also bet he's getting a classified brief on the F-35 and its capabilities.  If India was smart it would buy a couple just so it could war game it against its other fighters.  Think about it.  The Indians are being offered the F-35, are funding the PAK-FA, are supposedly buying the Rafale and they already have the SU-30 in service.  They could theoretically have under their roof two of the four stealth aircraft in production.  If for no other purpose than to wring as many secrets out of the lot and to develop tactics to defeat them it would be a worthwhile buy.