I think aviation Twitter nailed the intakes on the new Russian fighter!

 

Possible drawings of New 5th Gen fighter 😍🇷🇺💪❤️✈️
Twitter Aviation Experts drawings.... pic.twitter.com/th37JnVn8L

— Sukhoi Su-57 Felon 🇷🇺🇮🇳 (@I30mki) July 17, 2021

Open Comment Post. 17 July 2021

 

HMLA-169 Arrives at NAF Misawa

 

Attached article...

OKINAWA, Japan. – Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169 executed one of the longest maritime HMLA self-deployment flights in 1st Marine Aircraft Wing history during exercise Tiltrotor/Rotary Wing (TR/RW) 2107. TR/RW 2107 is a unilateral exercise at Misawa Air Base, Japan that demonstrates 1st MAW’s capabilities to maintain combat-readiness in a maritime environment.

“The significance of self-deploying HMLA-169 over 1,200 miles demonstrates our ability to execute Distributed Maritime Operations under the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) construct,” said LtCol Eric Fleming, Commanding Officer of HMLA-169.

TR/RW 2107 is part of the Aviation Training Relocation Program designed to integrate air capabilities in unfamiliar environments and further develop and refine tactics, techniques, and procedures within EABO operations. Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 36, to include Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 and HMLA-169 are supporting with MV-22 Ospreys, UH-1Y Venoms, AH-1Z Vipers and 300 Marines and Sailors.

For this iteration of TR/RW, the squadrons are conducting a range of training evolutions from close air support (CAS) to Ground Threat Reaction (GTR). CAS is an offensive air support mission that integrates aviation with ground combat efforts; enabling swift and mobile firepower against enemies near friendly forces. GTR is designed to help Marines develop tactical maneuvering techniques.

“This exercise is an excellent example of the capabilities of the H-1s in the Indo-Pacific. It proves that we can range any adversary in the Pacific theater and conduct missions such as command & control, close air support, deep air support, and aerial reconnaissance with expeditionary and distributed sustainment support,” said Fleming.

EABO’s are not tied to any specific piece of terrain. The forward posture and advanced level of readiness means that 1st MAW can establish expeditionary advanced bases at the time and place of its choosing.

1st MAW trains continuously in challenging and realistic environments and scenarios. The TR/RW events provide an opportunity for 1st MAW to train in different environments and benefit from the advanced training ranges and capabilities in mainland Japan.

Rostec’s Sprut-SDM1 Light Tank to Undergo Firing Trials on the Black Sea

 

The Sprut-SDM1 light amphibious tank, created by the High-Precision Weapons holding company of the Rostec State Corporation, has passed the first stage of state trials in maritime conditions. The second stage, which includes testing firing capabilities when afloat, will begin shortly.

via ROSTEC

As part of the first stage of sea trials, the vehicle demonstrated both high navigation capability during tests in the Black Sea and the ability to be transported by large landing ships. During the second stage, it has to pass firing trials using its 125-mm self-propelled anti-tank gun 2S25 in sea states of up to 3 points.

“Sprut-SDM1 is not inferior in firepower to tanks such as T-80, T-90, and its mobility on land and water is at the level of BMD-4M. The tank is capable of completing complex tactical missions, in particular, reconnaissance, working as part of raid or forward detachments, defense maneuvers, attacking through water obstacles, amphibious operations, and territory control. The main operator or Sprut is the Russian Airborne Forces, but I am sure it will also interest foreign customers. First of all, we are focusing on the markets of India, Asia and the Middle East”, said the Industrial Director of Weapons, Ammunition and Special Chemistry at Rostec, Bekkhan Ozdoev.

In the fall of this year, we are commencing climatic tests: the light amphibious tank has already proven its performance in high temperatures, now it has to withstand operation in cold conditions. Currently sea trials of the Sprut-SDM1 are underway. The tank must travel 8,000 km, which is the full range of its mileage warranty, while maintaining full reliability of its systems. Firing trials are also planned during each stage of the testing period. 

The full cycle of state trials is scheduled to be completed in early 2022. According to their results, the design documentation for a light amphibious tank will be assigned with the label "O1", which allows to start serial production, and Sprut-SDM1 will be recommended for adoption by the Russian army. 

Created at the Kurganmashzavod, Sprut-SDM1 is equipped with a 125-mm 2A75 cannon and corresponds to the T-90MS tank in terms of firepower. The cannon can fire modern armor-piercing sub-caliber, cumulative, high-explosive fragmentation shells, as well as ammunition with remote detonation. It can destroy targets at up to 5 km. The UTD-29 500-horsepower multi-fuel diesel engine outputs power required to move an 18-ton combat vehicle with a crew of three at speeds up to 70 km/h on land and up to 10 km/h on water.

1st Bn., 5th Marines Conduct AAV Training

 

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Co. A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV), and Co. B, 3d Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st MARDIV, jump off a P7/A1 assault amphibious vehicle (AAV) into the Pacific Ocean during a surf qualification at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, June 30, 2021. The qualification training included a 1,000-meter swim to shore from an AAV.

China tests its reusable spaceplane!

 

China says it conducted a successful suborbital test of a reusable spaceplane:https://t.co/Adj20iPkbg

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) July 16, 2021

Space will be a battlefield.

I can't even imagine the implications of that.  Land based warfare was bad enough.  Sea based is (in my estimation) barely manageable.  Aerial warfare is tilting toward being outside the realm of human activity and will be ruled by robots.

But space warfare?

The implications are ominous.

Knock out a few key sats and you can bring a nation to its knees.  

Blind it.

Leave it open to attack.

Does a prudent leader launch nukes out of an abundance of caution?

How do you defend essential sats against enemy activity?  Space stations would seem to be juicy targets.

Do we need a base on the moon to simply ensure being capable of being able to adequately defend ourselves?  And if the Chinese build one does that mean that we're talking about ground combat on the moon?

This will escalate and it will get out of control!  I'll be dead and gone but it will be a fascinating future (notice I didn't say good) once this gets going good.

An inexplicable result...Marine Corps Selects Textron, GDLS for Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle Prototypes

via Press Release

Marine Corps Selects Textron, GDLS for Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle Prototypes

Story by Barb Hamby

The Marine Corps selected Textron Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems for Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle pre-award and will begin negotiations for Other Transaction Agreement awards of ARV prototypes.

Pending successful negotiations, Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal will award the ARV OTAs utilizing the Ground Vehicle Systems OTA with the National Advanced Mobility Consortium.

A key Fleet Marine Force modernization initiative, the ARV Command, Control, Communications and Computers/Unmanned Aerial Systems will host a suite of C4 equipment, sensors, and operate both tethered and untethered UAS.

The ARV C4/UAS will employ an effective mix of reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and C4 systems to sense and communicate. These systems will enable ARV to serve as the manned hub of a manned/unmanned team and deliver next-generation, multi-domain, mobile reconnaissance capabilities.

Program Manager Light Armored Vehicles, located at the Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, manages the ARV effort. PM LAV falls within the portfolio of programs managed by the USMC Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia.

The period of performance for the agreements is 22 months, with prototype delivery expected in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 and six months of government evaluation that will complete in the third quarter.

The Marine Corps is working to validate the ARV requirement to serve as a mobile protected hub of manned capability with the C4 to effectively operate robotic autonomous systems-enabled teams through a competitive prototyping effort with multiple industry partners.

The effort gained momentum following an industry engagement held in

December 2020. PM LAV solicited proposals for prototypes through the consortium on March 30, 2021. The Marine Corps received responses on May 3 and promptly began evaluations.

In parallel to competitive prototyping, the Marine Corps is also pursuing an effort to define the trade space of a government off-the-shelf solution using the Amphibious Combat Vehicle. The data from the ARV competitive prototyping efforts and the ACV study will jointly inform a Marine Corps decision point in fiscal year 2023.

I totally don't get this.

I like it but don't understand the message being sent out by HQMC, how they're going forward with this program and how they arrived at this decision considering all that's been said..

I reached out to them and hope they answer but quite honestly I'm baffled. 

German Army is hard at work assisting flood ravaged communities in that country...

 

Shooting house of the Chelyabinsk SOBR via The Dead District Twitter Page...

Rescue was obviously never an option!

 

White House Nominates Next Marine Assistant Commandant

 via USNI News

The Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for combat development and integration has been tapped to serve as the second-highest-ranking officer in the service, the Pentagon announced on Thursday. Meanwhile, the current head of the Navy’s Atlantic submarine force and the current head of the service’s requirements office have been nominated to lead U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

Lt. Gen. Eric Smith was nominated for a fourth star to serve as the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps and succeed Gen. Gary Thomas. Smith has been the deputy commandant for combat development and integration since 2019. It is dual-hatted position, with Smith also leading the Marine Corps Combat Development Combat (MCCDC) as its commanding general.

Prior to leading the Quantico, Va., command, he led Okinawa, Japan-based III Marine Expeditionary Force. He previously was the commanding general of 1st Marine Division and has led Marine Corps Forces Southern Command, according to his service biography. Before leading 1st Marine Division, he was the assistant deputy commandant for plans, policies and operations. He also served as the director of the Capability Development Directorate under CD&I and has commanded 1st Battalion, 5th Marines; and 8th Marine Regiment, according to his bio.

Smith has been a key figure in reshaping the Marine Corps to operate as a more nimble and expeditionary service as part of the service’s Force Design 2030 initiative. As the head of CD&I, he has worked to implement Commandant Gen. David Berger’s Commandant’s Planning Guidance, the strategic vision driving the Marines’ force design work.

I see Berger is working overtime to get his sycophants into place before he departs. 

Still don't think it'll work and I still believe the folly of designing an ENTIRE SERVICE to conduct operations SHORT OF WAR (Grey Zone) is idiotic in the extreme.  

But having handpicked subordinates in positions of power helps.

One more year to solidify or disrupt this foolishness. He has one more year to see his jacked up vision take hold. We have one more year to either kill this in its crib or see the Marine Corps of the future morph into a butched up coast guard, only good for "grey zone" operations.