Tuesday, August 25, 2015

3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion surf qual exercise...photos by Staff Sgt. Bobbie A. Curtis








US Army's JLTV selection is the worst of two options for the USMC...


Quick.

Name the one combat vehicle that the USMC has thousands of yet never deploys on MEU's.

Give up?

It MRAPs!  Not because it wouldn't be nice but because they're unusually bulky, and as they say "cube out" the storage areas of the amphibious ships they're carried on.  Additionally they just don't fit with the mission sets that MEU's will be called to perform.

Which adds to my consternation over the JLTV selection.  If the USMC wanted to deploy with MRAPs then the M-ATV was already available.

THIS MAKES NO SENSE!

The USMC is scheduled to buy the first 5500 of these vehicles.  I believe the idea is to get the trucks into service rapidly so that they can "clear the procurement train wreck".

If there is still an ounce of common sense at HQMC they'll cancel this buy and pivot full force to buying the ACV and upgrading the AAV.

How do you solve the issue with having to use the HUMVEE?  Easy.  You sole source Textron to upgrade them to SCTV standard.  That makes this a win-win.  We get vehicles that we actually need and fit into our concept of operations sooner rather than adding a logistical headache to our vaunted and valuable MEUs.

As things stand this is the worst of two options for the USMC.  We get a vehicle that isn't wanted/needed and it takes money away from Marine Corps specific combat vehicle programs.  

JLTV winner is just a slightly modded M-ATV! This program makes no sense!


By now you've heard that the Oshkosh JLTV candidate won.

Awesome.

But lets not be fooled.  This has been a questionable program from the very start.  The need for the vehicle has always been fuzzy and at the end of the day what the Army selected was a slightly modded M-ATV.

In essence we're buying more of what we already have.

I'm all for the ground component getting new gear but waste is waste and this appears to be questionable at best and just plain stupid if you stop being polite.

HMS Artful Infographic via BAE

click on pic to enlarge

Breaking! US Army to announce winner of JLTV competition today

Thanks to William for the link!

via
BFW 08/25 15:24 *ARMY EVENTUALLY MAY BUY 55,000 VEHICLES IN $30 BLN PROGRAM
BFW 08/25 15:24 *LOCKHEED, OSHKOSH, AM GENERAL COMPETING FOR HUMVEE REPLACEMENT
*PENTAGON TO ANNOUNCE WINNER OF JLTV CONTRACT TODAY: OFFICIALS
2015-08-25 15:24:46.903 GMT
--LARRY LIEBERT
Still don't see how this costly program provides an improvement over the Humvee but its all a money grab and at least the ground guys are getting something.

I'm hearing its AM General.

Successful flight test campaign for nEUROn via Finmeccanica SpA







The Saudi M1A2 Abrams getting hit by unknown anti-tank missile controversy...

Many thanks to John for the links and bringing this to my attention....



I watched this vid with my hand on the mute button.  I found the conversation interesting until they started praising their God.  Quite honestly it annoys the hell outta me.  But back on task.  Check this Reddit page out (safe for work...I'm a bit leery of Reddit too but they have some sections that are quite good).  Additionally check out this Russian website.

What's the drama?  The idea that the missile used could be an Iranian copy of the 1st Gen TOW, that it could be a Kornet and some are even speculating that it could be the old FAGOT anti-tank missile!

Quite honestly I don't know.

What does concern is that we're still seeing poor tactics by Saudi forces, we're seeing export armor underperform (that's a big issue in the discussion, no one knows what the armor protection of a "non" depleted uranium Abrams provides) and then people are wondering if 1st gen anti-tank missiles like the TOW or FAGOT could actually penetrate a modern tank.

What do you think?

USAF! Really? Seriously?

via US Army WTF! Moments website...


Airmen create collages.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Your highly skilled warriors of the sky are making FUCKING COLLAGES!  It boggles the mind!  The kinder, gentler military has arrived.  Chesty has to be punching walls and laughing his ass off.