Royal Marines @ 29 Palms....

BAE's "Expeditionary Light Tank" @ AUSA...

BAE Systems, Inc.
The Expeditionary Light Tank is a solution to meet the U.S. Army’s proposed requirement for a Mobile Protected Firepower capability. The solution could be air-dropped from a C-130 aircraft and is based on the purpose-built M8 Armored Gun System, modernized with mature technologies from the CV90 family of infantry fighting vehicles and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Armata MBT much cheaper than expected...

Thanks to Slowman for the link!

via Moscow Times...

Russia's new Armata T-14 tank will cost a mere 250 million rubles ($3.75 million) when it enters serial production, the head of the vehicle's manufacturer said Tuesday, putting the battle tank in strong position to compete with U.S. and European rivals on the global export market.
The Armata T-14 is Russia's first new main battle tank since the fall of the Soviet Union. Its design is a departure from Soviet models, focusing on heavier armor and crew survivability. Soviet tanks were designed largely as mass-produced throwaways.
The official cost of a single Armata has not been released, but Oleg Sienko, head of tank maker UralVagonZavod, said in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Tuesday that it would be two times less than the popularly reported 500 million ruble ($7.5 million) price tag circulated by Russian and international media.
Competitors to the Armata, such as the German Leopard 2, the U.S. M1 Abrams, and the British Challenger 2 are estimated to cost anywhere from $6.8 to $8.6 million, news agency RBC reported Tuesday. China's Type 99 main battle tank, however, is estimated to cost a mere $2.6 million.
The low dollar price tag of the Armata — which its makers claim is the most advanced tank in the world — is largely thanks to a 50 percent fall in the value of the ruble to the greenback since the start of 2014.
But while the weak ruble may help, Russia's larger economic slump may make it harder for UralVagonZavod to achieve a low price per unit.

Geez.

If you want to be even close to informed on military procurement then at least a minor in Economics seems to be in order.

Someone explain this to me.  A strong dollar vs a weak ruble is helping to lower the cost of the tank.  But the larger economic slump may make it harder for them to achieve a low price per unit?

Really US Army? No jail time for a deserter? Seriously?

via CNN.

The U.S. military officer in charge of last month's hearing for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has recommended he not do any jail time, Bergdahl's legal team says.
In a memorandum dated Friday, the legal team said it agreed with Lt. Col. Mark Visger's conclusion that their client be referred to a special court-martial and receive neither jail time nor a punitive discharge.
The recommendation, which hasn't been announced publicly by the U.S. military, is a significant development for Bergdahl, who in March was charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
But Visger's recommendation isn't "the final say," according to CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos.
"The case still has to go up to command where another decision will be made whether to accept that recommendation," he said.

Just plain fucking wow.

Good men died trying to save this bastard and a US Army General spits on their graves by saying that this despicable piece of shit doesn't deserve jail time?

I quite honestly don't know what to say....except to the families of the men that died and to the unit that got hung out to dry by Big Army leadership....I'm sorry.

Sidenote:  Is it just me or do you smell politics all over this decision?  A bad deal was cut to free this son of a bitch and now they have to try and cover for it.  My mistake was to believe that Big Army would place the needs of its troops ahead of the politicians.  How stupid can I be?

Marines are voting with their feet...retention hits a 3 year low...

via Marine Corps Times..

More Marines are growing unhappy with their work and their compensation, driving "re-enlistment intent" to a three-year low and leaving the service scrambling to retain top talent.
These are among the findings of the service's annual retention survey, which Marine Corps Times obtained via the Freedom of Information Act. Among its 4,200 re-enlistment eligible respondents, 38 percent indicated they were unlikely to sign on for another term — up from 31 percent in 2013 and 33 percent in 2014.

Add retention issues with recruiting problems and you have trouble brewing on the horizon.

Of course the claim that compensation is driving all this is pure bullshit and I'm surprised that they would say such a thing.

Watch this story...these are just the first winds of a storm that's gonna hit the USMC and the rest of the services.

The Angry Staff Officer (Army Centric) Blog is a must read!

Thanks to Ronald for the link!

via TASO.

Of particular note to U.S. observers was the Egyptian attempt to launch air-mobile attacks with helicopter-borne infantry. These attacks were met with disaster as the Israelis shot down more than fourteen helicopters. For a U.S. Army that was used to using their helicopters for quick mobile insertion, this came as a wake-up call that a modern opponent could render this tactic useless. The brief war (about two weeks) caused an upwards of 10,000 killed, and hundreds of tanks destroyed. The COIN-centric U.S. Army was shocked by the deadly power of conventional warfare.

The above is just a primer.  READ THE WHOLE THING!  I don't know this guy but he makes a compelling case of why we're reliving the time after the Vietnam War (quite honestly I don't think he goes far enough) when it comes to where/what our services are facing in general and the US Army in particular.

After you read his article, ask yourself this question.

If we froze every program in progress right now and looked at the threat as it now exists....not those that were projected 10-20 years ago but as they are now...how many of those programs would continue?

Challenger 2 MBT to be modernized. New tank too expensive....

via DefenseNews.

Deciding that purchasing a new main battle tank would be too expensive, the British Army will likely stick with what has long been its plan A and proceed with a Challenger 2 life extension project (LEP) starting early next year, the Ministry of Defence said.
“During the concept phase of CR2 Life Extension Project (LEP) all options, from do nothing to buying a new tank, have been considered. As it stands, the manufacture and costs of a new main battle tank make it unlikely that the Army would seek this option. CR2 will be taken forward and the LEP is scheduled to enter the assessment phase in early 2016,” an MoD spokesman said.

This news is to be cheered.  I'm sure many armor enthusiasts are gonna be disappointed but budget reality is budget reality.  A new tank is beyond the reach of most .... but the fact that the British Ministry of Defense is taking the task of upgrading the Challenger seriously (finally) is really good news.

I consider this a part of the changing landscape when it comes to defense matters.

Many "futurists" foresaw a generational war where light infantry riding in MRAPs would be good enough.

Already those days are over.  Think about what we've seen ... who would have ever thought that ISIS would be able to send the Iraqi Army running, fight and take territory from Assad loyalists, that Houthi tribesmen would be able to decimate Saudi/GCC armored columns or that the rebels in Ukraine would be so successful? 

Real combat vehicles are back in fashion...

Do you carry a spare magazine when you CCW?

I'm taking a small break on the Syria crisis mainly because I think that whatever brain power we have left in the Pentagon and State Dept is working hard to get a handle on this situation.  I have nothing to base it on, but I'm betting that by close of business Monday we'll hear about an agreement to deconflict the airspace over that country...and additional talks about backdoor intel sharing to hit targets that both the US and Russia can agree on will be in place.

So I'm taking advantage of this breathing room to circle back to something that I believe I'm evolving on.  The idea of carrying a spare magazine when you CCW.  Check this out from Concealed Carry Magazine....

The most recent and dramatic example of this was a fairly recent shooting in northern Illinois where a police officer shot an armed assailant 21 times with good quality .45 ACP rounds. Despite the fact that 14 of those hits were to the chest, the assailant kept coming and was only stopped when the officer was able to score two shots to the head. Toxicology reported showed only a small amount of alcohol in the criminal’s blood. That officer subsequently switched from the .45 ACP to 9mm, just so he could carry more rounds. He now regularly totes more than 100 rounds while on duty.
Yes, the FBI stats show the average gunfight to last three seconds while shooters expend three rounds from about 3 yards. Fine. But what if the situation is worse? What if there are two attackers? What if the attacker just decides he doesn’t give a rip, he’s coming for you no matter what? There are as many scenarios as there are concealed carry advocates. But the honest truth is this: when it comes to ammo, more is better. I am more interested in how many rounds you carry than I am in what caliber you carry.
So, if you carry a pistol, carry a spare magazine. If you have a revolver, get a speed loader or two. Practice with them. Get to know them. Train to reload under stress. This could mean racing against another shooter or the clock. Just add some stress. It won’t be like the real thing, but it will help.

I can't argue with that, but hear me out.

First.  A concealed carry holder is not a law enforcement official...not a sheepdog (I refuse to accept the commonly held belief that a private citizen should stumble into incidents that they don't understand and decide to play modern day posse).

Second.  Situational awareness is your first defense.  Criminals and/or suspicious people aren't Ninja.  You can spot them a mile away....IF YOU'RE AWARE!

Last.  Isn't the discussion about carrying a spare magazine premature?  Shouldn't the main focus be to carry at all times?

The average citizen doesn't wear a Chest Rig, war belt or duty belt.  If you add up keys, cell phone, wallet, a pocket knife, a pen/stylus AND your Glock 26 (or whatever you carry...don't get pissed M&P zealots...Glocks are obviously superior) then you're already well on your way to carrying Batman's utility belt in your pockets!

I now believe that a Glock 26 with G19 mag adapters (only to make it more ergonomic) is good enough and a spare mag is just not needed.

What does that mean?  If you go my route then you need to do at least monthly weapons maintenance...at the very least you do mag checks at the same time (if not weekly...but Glock OEM mags are considered reliable).  Oh and you need to train, train, train.

Winners of the Navy Cross...a new series on SNAFU!

Desmond read the little piece on Medal of Honor winner- Major Stephen Pless, USMC and made the recommendation that we do a weekly piece.

After chewing on his recommendation for a bit, I've decided to take his idea and modify it.  Medal of Honor winners are widely celebrated and many tell the stories of their deeds.

The same can't be said of Navy Cross winners. 

Having said that I think that will be a focus of a new weekly series.  Trust me on this one folks.  You're gonna read some of these citations and wonder out loud why these men weren't awarded the MOH (which is a discussion for another time).  So stand by.  First story hits on Monday.

How to make awesome Homemade Breakfast Burritos!

Are you tired of the fast food slop served by the average restaurant that they claim is a breakfast meal?  Pissed off at the prices?  Want to cook your own food instead of watching someone with questionable hygiene and even worse manners prepare your meals?

If you are then check out this article!

Break the chains of your out of control consumerism by taking back your breakfast....not only is it a money saver....but it can be healthier!