Ukrainian Triton Armored Vehicle...

via Live Journal.

Captured Saudi M1A2 Abrams...they abandoning equipment now...

This is another pic from a Russian Website (date is about a week ago) and it shows Houthi rebels in front of a captured M1A2.

The sadness here?  The vehicle looks completely intact.  Highly serviceable.  Almost in pristine condition.

Saudi/GCC forces are abandoning equipment in the field.  They're losing  badly and no one is even talking about it.

S. Korea not as technologically advanced as I thought...

via Korea Times...

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) started the project in March with a plan to secure technological assistance from the U.S. defense giant. When the DAPA signed a 7.3 trillion won deal with Lockheed in September last year to purchase 40 F-35s, it said Korea would receive a total of 25 F-35 related technologies under the offset program.
In less than a year, however, the KF-X program encountered difficulties as the four ― the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, infrared search and track (IRST), electronic optics targeting pod (EOTGP) and RF jammer ― are at the heart of the jet development.
"It depends on the performance of the radar, but developing an AESA radar will take 20 to 30 years if you currently have no technology about it," said a military official asking not to be named.

Here.

I thought that Korea was on par with the US and Europe.  The reality seems different........They're behind even the Japanese.

Image over reality I guess.  The KF-X is for all intents and purposes already dead which will leave the Japanese as the only other nation building a stealth airplane outside of the F-35 partners.

F-35 News. I told you to watch the dollar exchange rate!

via Defense Aerospace..

While the F-35’s Joint Program Office says it reduced unit costs by 3-4% in the last annual order, the value of the US dollar – and thus the cost of each F-35 to Eurozone buyers - has increased by 22% in one year -- rising from €0.73 in mid-2014 to €0.89 now.

In Norway, it will not be possible to buy the 52 aircraft currently planned if future defense budgets continue at current levels, with just the usual cost escalation. This is the official military advice that the Norwegian Chief of Defence, Adm. Haakon Bruun-Hanssen, will publish on Oct. 1, according to public broadcaster NRK.

Bruun-Hanssen believes that politicians must allocate an additional 180 billion kroner ($21.7 billion) over twenty years to get the defense capabilities they want – including all 52 planned F-35 fighters.

Here.

You can expect that exchange rate to be HORRIBLE for the next couple of years...just watch a business channel and you get doses of stark reality mixed with huge bouts of cheerleading (you have to read between the lines).

This is the real weakness of the F-35 and one I've been harping on opponents of the program to seize upon.  Debating performance is like debating a person's dreams.  You can't debate a person with their head in the clouds.

But when it comes to actual dollars and cents its a different matter.  An additional problem is that being fiscally responsible is becoming fashionable again.  Deficits for deficit sake isn't cool anymore.  Additionally the battle between guns and butter is a losing one for defense depts.  People are more entitled and expect more from govt each year.

High cost will prevent sales which will drive up costs.  Higher costs will depress further sales.  Less sales will drive up costs.....Yeah.  The freaking death spiral.

US Marines Mull Replacement for Osprey-Carried Vehicle

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

via Defense News.

On Sept. 14, the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory concluded a limited objective experiment for Camp Pendleton and Fort Hunter Liggett in California, which was meant to define the need. Though originally designed for light-strike missions, such a vehicle is also considered a contender for logistics and casualty evacuation missions.
The lab and Company B, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, executed an experiment that included four different patrol lanes of various lengths, on difficult terrain and in complicated scenarios to test the Marines and the ITVs, according to a USMC announcement.
Capt. Sean Leahy, the commanding officer of Company B, said the vehicles were ineffective as a strike vehicle, but worked well as a logistics vehicle by removing a lot of weight from Marines' backs.
"The biggest benefit an ITV-style vehicle is going to bring to the infantry community is not in a fighting role or a strike role," Leahy said in the announcement. "A vehicle like this should be used as a logistics asset that can lighten the load of the individual Marines which in turn makes them more alert and in the long run more combat effective."

Here.

Hope that Captain doesn't get into too much trouble.  He let the cat out of the bag and basically invalidated the "reason for being" that Marine planners have for this vehicle.

Dreaming of coming in on MV-22's, dropping off 100 or more miles from the objective, motoring in and then zooming back out is the fantasy.  The reality?

Just piggy back off the US Army, buy Polaris RZR's (plus lots of trailers) and be done with it.  It is as it always has been.  A utility vehicle to haul stuff and nothing more....certainly not a Fast Attack Vehicle that the USMC's been trying to field for more than 50 years.  Check out the pics below.

The Mini Mite.  Basically a cut down jeep developed during the infancy of USMC helicopter operations.  Designed to be transported by the UH-34 but abandoned when more powerful helicopters were introduced.

The original Fast Attack Vehicle...based off the "old Jeep" during the 80's during the Rapid Response Force era.  HUMMWVs were coming online and the idea of transporting a vehicle internally was especially appealing...

The Mercedes Benz model Fast Attack Vehicle.  Recon and FAST company got most of these....this was the first vehicle that raised the ire of Congress over cost...interestingly enough I've never seen these being sold to the public after their service.  Effectiveness?  I have no idea but they didn't serve long.

Of course all of the above doesn't include research projects that the USMC was engaging in at the time.

What research vehicle stood out to me?  The "Helicopter Transportable Multi-Mission Platform"...check it out below....sidenote; this was the vehicle that put Mullen Works on my radar for the first time...

Did China just blink in the recent border incident with India?

Thanks to Aditya for the link!

via The Times of India...

"The recent actions by the Indian Army in the relevant area were not consistent with the relevant agreement and spirit of the consensus of the two sides," People's Liberation Army spokesman Wu Qian said at a news briefing. "Jointly maintaining peace and tranquillity of India-China border is an important consensus reached between the leaderships of the two countries, and also a solemn commitment and promise made by the two government and militaries."

Here. 

But wait.  There's more!

"We ask the Indian Army to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two governments and refrain from taking any unilateral actions which will affect the situation in the border areas and work together with the Chinese military to jointly maintain peace and stability in China-India border areas," Wu said.

Wow.  Just plain wow.  The Chinese are sounding like the US when we deal with them doing something outrageous or provocative.  In this case the Chinese crossed the agreed upon border, erected a shack and cameras and the Indian Army took it down.

This is classic Pacific diplomacy.  Strength is respected, the passive are crushed.  How do you feel the current administration is viewed by the nations of the region?

HMS Bulwark amphibious landings

Interesting.  A couple of things.  For the Royal Marines, you typically see the Beach Armored Recovery Vehicle (bottom pic) being the heaviest and sometimes only armored vehicle landed for many operations.  Next is the fact that the USMC's Company Landing Team concept seems to be a serious nod toward trying to operate more like Royal Marines instead of like the more powerful formations of our past.

General Dynamics ACV Candidate at Modern Day Marine...

I hate our main stream defense media.  What have I been asking about all week?  Don't remember?  Let me remind you.  I've been wondering where General Dynamics was as far as displaying their vehicle at Modern Day Marine.

I kept searching for info and guess what.  I had to go to a freaking Russian military website to get a pic of the vehicle.  Everything up to this point had been illustrations only.

At a glance it appears like its based on their Piranha III/V series of vehicles and looks big.  We'll see how it performs.  On a sidenote this is another of those vehicles that Strock was talking about.  Taller than legacy vehicles (the AAV) and heavier.

2nd ACR at Exercise Brave Warrior...pics by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Bunn

Note:  2nd ACR has been on a magical tour of Europe for at least a couple of months now.  They're working these boys out hard.  I guess getting assigned to Europe doesn't mean getting messed up at Oktoberfest, going down to Hamburg to partake in "adult" activities and running from the polizei anymore.  You're in the field now.

Breaking! Russian Marines reported operating alongside Iranian advisors in IRAQ!

Fox News had a break in the coverage of the Pope on "Special Report" stating that they had word that Russian Marines were operating along Iranian advisors in IRAQ!

Excuse me but I told ya so!  The Russians are playing chess while our State Dept and Pentagon are in a corner eating snot.

What's the scorecard?  Russia is putting Egypt, Syria, Iran, and Iraq in its orbit.  The obvious conclusion.  Saudi Arabia/GCC are getting lined up for a regional war.

From my chair it looks like we're about to see a high tech war pitting the latest and greatest weapons from the West vs. Russian with a bit of Chinese tech thrown in.  Wouldn't it be a kick in the ass if this all kicked off during the last year of the Obama Administration?

NOTE:  I've spent time trying to get other reports of this development but failed.  If you find any additional info, post it in the comments.