Friday, May 26, 2023

Iran tested a 2,000 km-range ballistic missile

 

Thursday, May 25, 2023

The CB-90 is only 3 million dollars? The USMC should get a few dozen and dump the LSM idea.

The author in this story is making the case for CB-90s for the SIF. Still hate that concept and believe its an evolutionary dead end that will utterly fail if used in combat and will ruin the careers of all involved. HOWEVER, a certain reader has been making the case for CB-90s for years now and considering its price tag we should buy a few dozen and enhance the Marine Corps instead of turning it into a bitched up Naval Auxillary. This footnote caught my attention (read the article).
16. Mallory Shelbourne, “Navy Awards BAE Systems $140 Million Contract Modification for ACV Lot 2,” InsideDefense.com, 7 December 2018; Naval Technology, “Combat Boat 90 (CB-90) Sweden,” Naval-Technology.com; “Mk VI Patrol Boats, United States of America,” Naval-Technology.com; and Jeremiah Gertler, V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Program (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 19 April 2012), 6. At a price around $3 million for the CB-90 or $7 million for the Mk VI, loss of one of these platforms is far more palatable than losing a $100 million LAW, $70 million MV-22 Osprey, or even a $14 million ACV.

Uh, why is the ACV so expensive?  That Turk MAV is looking more and more attractive.  I'm a fan of BAE but I'll be damned if it doesn't look like this whole thing ran off the rails somewhere.

But more importantly is the cost of the CB-90.  3 mil?  Why waste the ACV in the Pacific if we can transport, provide fires and patrol with CB-90s?

Berger talked about a campaign of learning.

More like a campaign of ripping this thing apart and starting from zero.  The next Commandant has a mess on his hands.  Berger left him in a VERY hard spot. 

Did Ukraine just make a run at Belarus?

 

Late Open Comment Post. 25 May 23

 


Have you been watching the Bud Light backlash? It wasn't the first woke pushback...military recruiting was!

 

Have you been watching the Bud Light backlash?

It wasn't the first woke pushback.  Military recruiting was.

Check out the similarities.

The military despite what you have been told recently was always a bastion of conservative values.  Many, myself included, have watched the military get woke.  Once that happened the appeal of serving for many people went away.

Zoom over to Bud Light.  Bud got woke.  The appeal that took decades to build went away all because of one spokesman (intended gendering).

The military and Bud need to find a fine line and walk it with purpose and determination.

You can appeal to a new group of individuals but at the same time you DAMN better make sure that you don't alienate the group of people that supported your rise.

The same applies to a whole range of companies.  I wondered where the bridge too far would hit with this current rage of woke and it appears that pronouns, men in women's sports might have been it.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

YouTuber visits an open drug market deep in a Brazilian favela run by notorious gangs...how long before we see that in the US?

Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama

Brazil's 37th Mechanized Infantry Battalion on exercise

 

UFO seen over 29 Palms...

 


This supposedly happened in 2021.  As much as Marines talk I'm surprised its been this quiet this long (unless its a reprint and I missed the original).

This one looks credible though.  I wonder what those things really are.  Story here.

Open Comment Post. 24 May 23

 


Battle between a Russian warship and 3 Ukrainian speedboats occurred inside Turkey's EEZ

 

This is my biggest complaint about how Ukraine is prosecuting this war. Despite all the aid flowing their way, despite all the money being sent to prop up their economy (yeah, I'm talking about REAL MONEY, not military gear...how do you think they're paying their soldiers/bureaucrats and pocketing money for retirement) they still do reckless stuff. No reason at all to conduct an attack within Turk waters. This is how things spiral. Biden needs to put a leash on Zelensky.

"Putin's cook" continues to stir the pot...

 

Long interview and alot of subtitles. My Russian readers keep getting bullied out of chat which is a shame because I would love to get verification on the translation. If its correct then we're either seeing a very impressive psyops campaign or this guy is gonna be hung as a traitor.

Still don't know what to make of this.

The only thing I'm getting more sure of is that NATO/Allies are trying to make a push to get more favorable conditions to MAYBE pause the war this year.

War stocks worldwide have been emptied and replenishment is gonna take years.  

The risk is extreme.

If another war were to pop up at this moment we (the West) would be in a very hard place.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

HQMC is coming up with a WEIRD ask from the defense industry with regard to the ACV

 


via InsideDefense

The Marine Corps is looking for additional defense contractors capable of producing two future Amphibious Combat Vehicle variants, although the service cannot share the vehicles' technical data package with prospective builders.


A sources-sought notice published earlier this month makes clear that BAE Systems -- which holds a contract for the ACV and is in the process of delivering the first two variants -- owns the rights to the ACV technical data package.


As a result, prospective builders are required to demonstrate their ability to manufacture, deliver and provide fielding support for two variants that maintain commonality with the existing family of vehicles, without the use of ACV design data.


The government will not provide “vehicles as Government Furnished Equipment to modify an existing vehicle,” the notice adds.


The sources-sought notice applies to two planned vehicle variants in the ACV family of systems: a 30mm gun variant (ACV-30) and a command-and-control variant (ACV-C).


BAE is currently working to deliver command-and-control and personnel variants to the Marine Corps. The service is buying 13 ACV-Cs and 57 ACV-Ps at a total cost of $527 million in fiscal year 2023 and is looking to buy 80 more ACV-Ps in FY-24.


According to the notice, the new ACV-30 and ACV-R variants must maintain commonality with the existing family of vehicles across the drivetrain, powertrain, water propulsion, hull underbody, armor system, suspension system, steering system, braking system, driver’s station and vehicle commander’s station.


Prospective producers must have the ability to deliver ACV-30 and ACV-R vehicles for fielding beginning in the third quarter of FY-26 and ending no later than the fourth quarter of FY-29, the notice states. Desired vehicle quantities are listed as up to 175 ACV-30s and 34 ACV-Rs.


In April, a BAE spokesman told reporters the company had completed design work for the ACV-30 and is transitioning to production with the goal of delivering three “production- representative test cases” to the Marine Corps in early 2024 for test and evaluation. BAE plans to deliver ACV-R prototypes in early 2025.

WHAT IS HQMC SMOKING?

The only company that could possibly fulfill this would be Iveco Defense but BAE has the rights to the vehicle in the US.

How would any company be able to build a licensed product and not run into all kinds of law suits?

Is this an end run to cancel production?  Claim that its too expensive and say that they tried to get the full number but its just not possible because of cost?

I've always wondered how the ACV fits into Force Design 2030.

I don't see how anyone that has looked at that concept can properly explain how it does.

The ARV thing is smoke and mirrors I believe.  As much as it hurts they're just gonna slap a bunch of gear on a few JLTVs and call it a day.

This thing is bogging down before our very eyes.  They tried to push it but the worst case scenario is right in front of us. They've stripped away the legacy force and they can't get the "new" Marine Corps across the finish line. 

Tanks are playing a bigger role in the fighting between Ukraine/Russia than helicopters of all types. CHANGE MY MIND!

 


Many are saying that the tank is obsolete.

I contend that tanks are playing a bigger role in the fighting between Ukraine/Russia than helicopters are of ANY TYPE!

I'm talking attack/recon/utility/lift.

Change my mind.

Also remember that's without either side appearing to use any type of APS (I believe).

The real takeaway?

If you're a totally defensive force then infantry armed with attack tank missile backed by artillery can shred tanks.

IF you want to gain ground though you need combined arms. The same can probably be said for helicopters too.

The propaganda of this war has caused many short term declarations to be made about the power of individual systems.

It's not about the piece its about the whole.  Combined arms is still the war winning piece of the equation.  That applies to effective defense as well as attack.

Tuesday Funny...the things people say!

Proposed cuts to US Army Special Ops..10-20% of the force

 

If the US Army is about to cut Special Ops then NOTHING is safe (except more billets for General Officers).

Open Comment Post. 23 May 23

 


Japanese Type-16 MCV Recon variant?

Thanks to J Palisbo for the link!
Could it be? Could someone finally put a mast mounted ISR setup on their armored recon vehicle? Seen plenty of concepts elsewhere but they always go nowhere. You would think that with all the "see first, shoot first" talk going on in the Pentagon that someone would have latched onto this idea.

One other thing.

Why are recon vehicles getting so freaking big?  I remember reading back during the cold war that the Army once talked about using Abrams for recon cause they operated on the idea that they would have to "fight" to conduct the mission.  With the size of current recon vehicles it seems like that idea continues.

China's Electronic Warfare Ground Force. Detect - Degrade - Destroy

Monday, May 22, 2023

British Army advocates are alarmed by rumors of cuts to the force from 72K down to 60K

 

Love him or hate him (I think he's good people), Drummond is connected. If he's writing articles defending the number of Army personnel then you know its more than a proposal. The crazy, sneaky thing? If they cut that much then every Army program will get cut and anything in the Royal Air Force or Royal Navy that supports Army personnel will be up for cuts too. This looks bad especially in a time when the world is looking more dangerous not less (not talking about full scale combat either but evacuations, HA/DR etc...). I hope the Brits know what they're doing and what they're risking.