Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Island Hopping...Video by Lance Cpl. Dylan Hess


Is this what Amos was pointing toward when he launched the "aviation centric" Marines?  Is this an indication where the new boss is taking us?  Ok.  Then I'm starting to get it.  The concept seems region specific but I imagine that they feel it can be tweaked or rather the MAGTF can be tweaked to deal with issues in other places (like the Middle East or North Africa which show no signs of cooling off).

If my musing is close to the mark then Amos was terrible at expressing his thinking and took unnecessary hits because he wouldn't tell the tribe what he was thinking.

Unfortunately the new guy is facing the same issue unless he starts explaining his plan...telling us his thinking.

The good news is I'm starting to see where they're going.  That's freaking awesome.

Open Comment Post. 17 Sept 2019


Tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier “Ka-Tsu” Japan

Hat tip to Bmashine Tumblr page.








How could old cars go where modern SUVs can't?

 
https://eugenesisland.tumblr.com/post/187776973230/oww666-better-than-modern-suvs
 
Talk about watching a short vid and being shocked!  How could this old car with primitive suspension, a weak motor and no amenities go where modern SUVs can't?

Let's take it a step further.  I'd bet that many modern military vehicles would end up bogged down across some of that terrain!

We know a few parts of the secret sauce.  They were light as hell.  We can assume that the drivers in this era had a certain "devil may care" attitude and would gun the engine (as weak as it was) thru certain obstacles.

But the rest?

It still comes down on the side of "how the hell is it making it"!

Anyone have a clue?  I mean a solid idea and not pulling stuff out their nether regions.

Monday, September 16, 2019

BMT VENATOR-110 Frigate

Hat Tip to TheOtherChris Twitter Page for the pic!

Weird, blocky, slab sided and sexy...but I like it...

Meanwhile in Russia...An explosion occurred in the Novosibirsk Center for Virology "Vector"

via .svoboda.org
An explosion occurred at the Vector State Virology Research Center near Novosibirsk . This research center has one of the most comprehensive collections of dangerous viruses in the world.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, on the fifth floor of a six-story laboratory building, a gas bottle exploded during repair work, after which a fire broke out on an area of ​​30 square meters. The fire is eliminated. One worker suffered. With burns of the second and third degree, he was taken to the hospital.

In Rospotrebnadzor emphasized that in the room where the explosion occurred, there were no biohazardous substances. At the same time, all the glass was broken in the building of the scientific center.
Story here. 

Interesting and dangerous times.  We live in interesting and dangerous times my friends.

If we take this story at face value then it seems likely that some type of dangerous bug got out.

Aren't we past due for some type of pandemic to thin the human herd?

T- 7A “Red Hawk”

Acting Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Donovan announces the T- 7A “Red Hawk” during the Air, Space and Cyber conference at the National Harbor. The name, Red Hawk, honors the legacy of Tuskegee Airmen, and pays homage to their signature red-tailed aircraft from World War II. The name is also a tribute to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, an American fighter aircraft that first flew in 1938 and was flown by the 99th Fighter Squadron, the U.S. Army Air Forces’ first African American fighter squadron. The P-51 and P-40 are some of the most iconic fighters of their time. Likewise, the T-7A will be the staple of a new generation of aircraft. The Red Hawk offers advanced capabilities for training tomorrow’s pilots on data links, simulated radar, smart weapons, defensive management systems, as well as synthetic training capabilities. The first T-7A aircraft and simulators are scheduled to arrive at Joint Randolph AFB, Texas, in 2023 as a replacement for the venerable T- 38C. And, the moniker “Red Hawk” is certainly fitting, as that species of raptor is often seen soaring over our pilot training bases.

Open Comment Post. 16 Sept 2019


Raytheon's new "Peregrine" medium-range air-to-air missile


via Air Force Magazine
The weapon is expected to measure just under 6 feet long and 150 pounds, less than half the weight and length of Raytheon's AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile and AIM-9X Sidewinder that fly on fighters across the Defense Department.

“We’re able to take the best of both of those missiles and, based on what we see as the customer’s requirements and gaps, we are combining them into this new missile,” Noyes said.

Peregrine “combines the range and the autonomy of the AMRAAM with the maneuverability characteristics of the AIM-9X” with extreme maneuverability as it approaches its target. The weapon will cost “significantly less" to buy and maintain than the AIM-120 or AIM-9X, and is faster to develop, thanks to ready-made components and additive manufacturing.

The Peregrine will have a multi-mode, autonomous seeker that includes infrared imaging. It uses a “new, high-performance propulsion system" to boost speed, Noyes said. He would only characterize the missile's range as “from visual range to within medium range” but said Peregrine is a supersonic munition.

The all-weather, day or night weapon has a blast fragmentation warhead and a “new lightweight airframe and high-performance modular control system” that allows for highly accurate targeting, Noyes said.
Story here. 

CV90, loser in Australia, desperately needs a makeover/replacement..


When you're a champ, you have to know when its time to retire...to leave the stage.

The CV90 is a champion type vehicle but it's time has come.  It's time to leave the stage.

The competition in Australia is just the latest in a long line of failed bids for this rig and to see it up against the "latest hotness" just does one thing.

It proves how stale this design has become.

BAE has been been aggressive in updating/resdesigning its vehicles.  Why they've allowed the CV90 to get old right before our eyes is something that they'll have to explain, but its obvious that it in need of at least a refresh and at worst a replacement.

Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team

Lynx vs Redback in Australia...DID NOT SEE THIS COMING!


Damn!  Fuck me!  I didn't see this coming.  The legacy guys are out of the competition. 

For a small country the Aussies are DEFINITELY shaking up the armored market and setting trends for armored development in the West.

Didn't see that coming either.