Meanwhile in Puerto Rico...life is cheap...(WARNING. Might be disturbing)

NOTE: A comment by William on my YouTube page made me realize a little info needs to be provided. While cruising the internet trying to find things of interests I sometimes go toward what I would call the "grey areas". In that part of the internet world this video is trending. When I first saw it I thought I'd see a simple argument turn into a fist fight. That is so 1980's. I forgot this is 2015 and nothing is settled with a punch. Is this real? Did we witness a murder and a teenage girl seriously injured? I have no idea. I have enough Law Enforcement readers so we'll all know soon enough. Oh and one other thing...comments say this happened either in Puerto Rico or the Bronx. Where doesn't matter if this is real. Human life has suddenly become very cheap in the modern age.

Drone Aircraft Concepts by Matthieu (Deviant Art Page)

Check out this guys work here.  He's obviously a young guy and has moved from photomanipulation to some pretty good photography on his FaceBook Page. Most interesting to me was the idea of a large cargo aircraft being converted to a "remotely piloted vehicle"....if C-17's are simply carrying cargo and not passengers then we could eliminate pilot fatigue as a factor in transport.  The same should apply to aerial refueling aircraft (if they're using the drogue method).  How much extra tonnage could a C-17 or KC-46 carry in cargo or fuel if life support systems were eliminated?  Would it be worth the experiment?

A robotic C-17 that is only used to carry cargo and not personnel?  Sign me up!

F-35's don't need to get in the weeds to deliver CAS?  If that's the case then why not robotic AH-1Z's?

BREAKING >>>ISIS ATTACKS KURDS WITH MUSTARD GAS ROCKETS....

More to come.

Once this is verified, ISIS becomes the West's biggest threat.  A terrorist group with chemical weapons and a demonstrated desire to use them?  That makes them target number one for every nation on earth.  Time to unite with enemies/frienemies/allies and stomp the bastards.

F-35 Death Spiral. More evidence its here...

via Investors.com

Navy may have to lower its expected orders of Lockheed Martin's (NYSE:LMT) F-35 amid budget pressure, as the entire program's buying plan is under review.
The Navy may only order as few as 12 of the F-35C variants each year vs. the current plan to order 20 of the stealth jets annually during the 2020s.
"I think the current realities of the budget and other priories inside the Navy may drive something between those two numbers, but we're still on the path to (initial operational capability) for our first squadron in 2018," said Naval Air Forces Commander Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, at the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies on Wednesday, according to Flightglobal.

Here.

I've talked about this long enough that many are bored by it, but the facts are the facts.

The US Navy has to fund a new ballistic missile sub, buy ships, upgrade aircraft, deal with staffing realities...there just isn't room for a fantasy buy of F-35's.

Oh and did you notice the wording?

"The Navy may only order as few as 12...each year vs. the current plan...."

That's classic death spiral talk.  You buy less or at a reduced rate and the price spikes.  That means you can buy fewer than programmed which means that the price rises for everyone.

Of course General Dunford already signalled this....via Breaking Defense....

“Given the evolving defense strategy and the latest Defense Planning Guidance, we are presently taking the newest strategic foundation and analyzing whether 2,443 aircraft is the correct number..."

So yeah boys and girls.

The death spiral is here.  They just haven't told you yet (directly).

So what should you expect?

Expect the USMC to attempt to do accelerated buys of the airplane NOW!  You're probably going to see the UK piggy back off those buys to try and force down the cost NOW!

It won't work, the budget won't allow it...but it will be fun watching all the "Game of Thrones" intrigue. 

More proof that the Ground Combat Element needs an advocate!

via AOL...

The head of Marine aviation is talking with Boeing about costs and ways to upgrade more than half of the service’s 239 V-22 Ospreys to improve readiness.
The basic plan would be to improve all 131 of the A and B models of the V-22 to the C level, Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, told me in an interview at his Pentagon office. Davis, who has madeimproving readiness his top priority, told me Monday he was heading to Boeing “to see how much it would cost to upgrade all our aircraft.” This would not take place right away, Davis made clear. It would take years to accomplish.

And then this...

Davis also discussed the F-35B fleet, which outgoing Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford, just declared ready for Initial Operating Capability. As he has made clear for much of this year, Davis’ greatest worry about the Marines’ new war planes is keeping them ready to fly. Currently the fleet is budgeted to maintain a 70-74 percent readiness rate. Congress has approved enough money to buy spares to maintain that rate. But Davis said he’s been hitting the Hill, asking for more money to boost the readiness rates.

Here.

Are you seeing the force of connection here?  Aviation has an Assistant Commandant that is busting down doors, bending ears and heading to Congress to lobby for more money for the Wing.

Meanwhile the Amphibious Combat Vehicle is 10 or more years away, we're upgrading only a third of our AAVs, need to make a upgrade decision on Tanks and we need to reset our MTVRs etc...yet its getting no attention.

The Commandant is concerned about the entire Marine Corps.  Assistants just worry about their part of the Kingdom.

Its past time we had a four star pounding down doors, bending ears and heading to Congress to lobby for the Ground Combat Element.  The current setup isn't working for the ground side of the house and gives aviation an unfair advantage in tight budget times.

Sobchak Security Blog has an awesome spread on the XV-5A Vertifan

Much more here.  Check him out!

The guys that designed the PL-01 Direct Fire Support Concept Vehicle are now working on a 6x6 APC...

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

Remember the PL-01?  The vehicle that had armor experts and enthusiast in its spell for months?  Well the guys that designed that vehicle are joining an effort to build a 6x6 APC for the Polish Defense Forces.  via Janes...

The polish “Armament Group”, together with the OBRUM Company, has signed an agreement with the German Rheinmetall Man Military Vehicles company, regarding a joint program for the development of a wheeled, 6×6, amphibious armored personnel carrier.
The new vehicle is planned to be lighter than 20 tones and capable of transporting loads of at least 3500 kg. The agreement includes joint design works and development of the prototype.
Polish Armament Group states that the vehicle is going to be developed on the basis of the experience gathered during the asymmetric warfare operations, and is will have a high level of protection for its interior. The project is being realized in order to deliver a potential successor of the soviet-made BRDM-2 carriers.
The Polish-German vehicle will have amphibious capabilities. It is going to be manufactured within the territory of Poland, and it is to have a capacity of being used as a reconnaissance vehicle.
In recent years, many armors in the world have begun to replace old armored personnel carrier with new designs.
Some Israeli companies have such designs and are trying to compete in the international market.

This is .... interesting.  Light.  Amphibious.  Relatively large cargo carrying.  No talk about protection levels.  Little said about mobility requirements.

I've got to keep an eye on this to see what they come up with.  I do seem to remember a 6x6 Patria AMV from way back when though....

Rabbi calls for burning churches in Israel????

via Daily Caller...

Bishops in Israel are afraid of a rabbi they say is calling on people to burn churches.
Police detained Israeli Rabbi Bentzi Gopstein of the Lehava movement after Gopstein allegedly incited his followers to violence against Christian churches because of their worship of idols.
The arrest came two days after the Vatican pressured Israel’s Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein over comments Gopstein made celebrating the burning of a church in Galilee, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Wow.

I mean fucking wow.

A Rabbi is calling christians idolaters?  Simply amazing.

MH-60R Sea Hawk Helicopter...photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andre T. Richard

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 11, 2015) An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Raptors of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 prepares to land aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as the guided-missile destroyer USS Chung Hoon (DDG 93) follows behind during a show of force transit. The John C. Stennis Strike Group is undergoing a composite training unit exercise and joint task force exercise, the final step in certifying to deploy.

Think Defence Blog's view of the F-35...

No spoilers on this one, you can read it here for yourself.

My opinion of this article?

Conventional wisdom has it that the USMC has bet the farm on this plane. That's true but it didn't have to be this way.  The rush to retire the Harrier, extend the Classic Harrier and say that no option exists other than to buy the F-35 is to twist the truth in such a way as to question whether those who have made it deserve to be called Marine Corps Officers.  NAVAIR has said that the Harrier is viable until 2030 and beyond.  The USMC could piggyback off USN Super Hornet buys.  We have options.

The Brits do not.

The F-35 must work for them and they must get a GOOD price or their entire future force is jeopardized.  So when you read his article read it from the view of a British military blogger that is wanting his future force to succeed.