It begins in Australia. Accusations of pork barrel spending w/regard to the Boxer CRV selection...

via The Australian.

One of Rheinmetall’s selling points had been a promise to build the vehicles at Redbank just west of Brisbane.

The announcement infuriated the Victorian government, which had hoped the contract would be awarded to a BAE Systems proposal that would have involved assembling its Patria vehicles at Holden’s former manufacturing plant at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne. The bid would also have involved supply-chain company Marand looking to build the Patria’s hulls and turret shells in Geelong where the state government hoped about 60 jobs could be created for former car workers.

Victorian Premier Daniel ­Andrews took to Twitter blasting the decision and referencing the fact the Liberal National Party had nine marginal seats in Queensland.

“We were best placed to build these vehicles that would defend our nation — but we couldn’t provide the electoral boost that would defend Malcolm Turnbull’s ­career,” he said.

Frustrated Victorian Industry and Employment Minister Ben Carroll described the decision as purely political.

“This is a disgraceful decision that is based on the political interests of Dan Tehan and Malcolm Turnbull, not the national security interests of our country,’’ he said.

Story here. 

Interesting.

I don't know Australian politics but I've heard from Australian readers over and over and one thing both boosters and critics of the Boxer have agreed on.

Where the damn thing would be built would play a role.

Am I surprised?

Nope.

The F-35 led the way with this filthy business so I would expect others to follow thru.

What can we expect now?

A hiring spree so that jobs can be linked to the project to make it cancel proof.  I would even expect expedited production if things start to look iffy.

Welcome to the brave new defense procurement world.

It ain't about the defense of a nation, its about votes and jobs, taxpayer cost be damned.

India Army says its equipment is obsolete and not ready for war...

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

via atimes.com

While the Indian Army has stated on record that 68% of its war fighting equipment is obsolete, the report has an even more disturbing fact. “Every year the military has to allocate a large part of its capital budget to pay for old and ongoing projects. This is known as the ‘Committed Liability.’ The actual amount left for new purchases is about 10% to 12%. But this year we have noticed that the Indian Army is actually facing a deficit,” a member of the committee told Asia Times on condition of anonymity. The budget, which was presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Feb. 1, has allocated less than even the ‘Committed Liability’ for past projects. “This is shocking,” the member said.

Former military chiefs agree that this has never happened before. “We have always had shortages in the capital budget. But this time, we noticed that the capital budget is actually short by Rs80 billion,” a senior Indian Army official familiar with the issue told Asia Times. “This means, that not only do we not have money to pay for new projects, we don’t even have money to pay for the ongoing ones.”

Lieutenant General Chand told the Committee that the “Allocation of Rs213.38 billion for modernization is insufficient even to cater for committed payments of Rs290.33 billion for 125 on-going schemes, emergency procurements…”

Interestingly, this budgetary deficit comes at a time when political rhetoric over the Modi government’s security policies are at their highest. The much-publicized “surgical strikes” by the Indian Army’s Special Forces in September 2016 and the 78-day stand-off with China at Doklam last year raised expectations. Frequent stories leaked to the media that the Indian Army made emergency purchases to address critical shortages was an attempt to paint the picture of an efficient government.

In fact, the government also actively aided books and films in an attempt to establish that its strategy against its adversaries was working. However, the standing committee’s report is a stark reminder of the actual state of India’s military.

Story here. 

Wow. This is stunning especially concerning their latest standoffs against China and their perpetual "almost" state of war with Pakistan.

Is this a money play?

I'm not sure but this is another example of why I don't cover India as much as many would like.

I just don't understand the place.

On one hand they're a nuclear power, on the other hand they give their troops substandard (recently corrected) battle rifles.

They're all over the map on procurement, every other day you hear of a new purchase and then its canned out of the blue.

I can only wish them well and hope they sort things out.


NOTE!!!!  It's not my intention to start a "bash" India blog post.  It IS my intention to bring attention to why I don't cover defense issues in that country the same way I do in others.  It's just been my observation that so many projects are started, stopped, re-started and then canceled again that its become extremely frustrating and I'd rather leave it to India military blogs to fill in the gaps rather than try and do it myself.  My point?  There is no point except to say again that this was not intended to be a bash India blog post.

LAV on the beach...pic by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Michael McNabb

120mm Mortar is gone from the Marine Corps...

via IHS Janes

The US Marine Corps (USMC) has phased out its General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) 120 mm Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS), an official revealed at the Omega Conferences & Events Mortar Systems conference held in Bristol, United Kingdom.

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Butler, Indirect Fire Capabilities Integration officer at the USMC’s Combat Development and Integration, explained that the decision to phase out the EFSS included concerns about the time required to load and unload from the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, as well as the reliability of the Internally Transported Vehicles (ITVs) which tow and transport the 120 mm mortar and its associated ammunition.

The EFSS comprises the French TDA MO 120 RT 120 mm rifled mortar which is designated the M327, a suite of ammunition, and two ITVs, plus a Light Strike Vehicle for command and control (C2) and fire-direction control (FDC).

The ITV-Prime Mover (ITV-PM) tows the mortar and its crew while the ITV-Ammunition Trailer (ITV-AT) carries the 120 mm projectiles, charges, and fuzes, with 36 rounds typically carried.

Lt Col Butler noted that the remaining stock of 120 mm ammunition cannot be passed to the US Army as it operates smoothbore mortars. He added that the EFSS will be assigned to the USMC’s Basic School to provide training in call for fire/fire-support applications until the ammunition stockpile is expended.

The USMC also fields 60 mm and 81 mm mortars at the rifle company and battalion levels respectively, as well as the BAE Systems 155 mm/39 calibre M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers (LTH) which replaced the heaver 155 mm/39 calibre M198. A total of 478 M777A2 LTHs have been acquired, with 370 operational guns and 108 kept in reserve.

Most of the time I either cheer or bitch and whine about a decision.

On this one I'm at a loss.

Does anyone know the rationale behind this?  What are they thinking?  Is it simply a cost cutting move, they decided that this was ineffective or that it duplicated what we have with the 155?

I just don't know but sure wonder....

Patrolling Exercise conducted by 1/3 Marines....pics by Lance Cpl. Trevor Rowett

26th MEU, Romanian Naval Forces Conduct Amphibious Assault & MOUT training @ Exercise Spring Storm 18...pics by Staff Sgt. Dengrier Baez

Open Comment Post. March 15, 2018

Blast from the past...English Electric Lightning F1 lawn darting...

Test Pilot George Aird flying an English Electric Lightning F1 ejected from his plane at only about 100 feet in 1962… he survived -

X-2 Stealth Fighter Flight Testing

Where is ACV Increment 1.2, a tracked, fully amphibious version? We should be working on it now!

On these pages we've been hot and bothered about ACV 1.1.  The wheeled version that the Marine Corps is suppose to start buying sometime this year (assuming that it isn't delayed further) but that's only half the story.

If you remember correctly the other part of the plan was an ACV 1.2, a fully tracked amphibious vehicle!  Check this out from a report to Congress...

On June 14, 2013, Marine leadership put the MPC program “on ice” due to budgetary pressures but suggested the program might be resurrected some 10 years down the road when budgetary resources might be more favorable. In what was described as a “drastic shift,” the Marines decided to “resurrect” the MPC in March 2014. The Marines designated the MPC as ACV Increment 1.1 and planned to acquire about 200 vehicles.

The Marines also plan to develop ACV Increment 1.2, a tracked, fully amphibious version, and to acquire about 470 vehicles and fund an ongoing high water speed study. Although ACV Increment 1.1 is to have a swim capability, another mode of transport (ship or aircraft) would be required to get the vehicles from ship to shore.

The Marines are reportedly exploring the possibility of developing a high water speed ACV 2.0, which could accompany tanks and light armored vehicles into combat. 

I hate saying dudes name so much because it gives me heartburn, but this is the Amos plan after the tribe went batshit when he canned the Marine Personnel Carrier.

It's bullshit of course.

One or more of these vehicles will probably never see the light of day and it gets in the way of a plan (in my opinion) to try and reach an end point where the heaviest ground vehicles the Marine Corps has is the MTVR, with the JLTV being the primary combat vehicle (air centric Corps rears its ugly head again).

But put my suspicions aside.

If we're actually suppose to be working on an ACV 1.2 then where is it in the budget documents?

Where is the request for information from industry on the project?

Which manufacturers are assigning engineers to work the problem?

Is the real or Memorex (if you're too young to get the reference then look it up)?