Boeing to test CH-53K engines on the CH-47D Block II

via Rotor and Wings International.

Boeing plans to conduct a flight demonstration with a CH-47D Chinook in the “next couple years,” the company said during a briefing at the Association of the U.S. Army annual convention Monday. The test would aim to see whether its heavy-lift helicopter could someday accommodate a new, more fuel-efficient and more powerful engine.

The “proof of concept” test, which Boeing is pursuing under a cooperative research and development agreement with General Electric and the U.S. Army, would use the new T-408 engine — same engine GE is building for the Marine Corps’ new Sikorsky CH-53K King — according to Chuck Dabundo, Boeing VP of cargo helicopter programs. Army Chinooks are currently powered by the Honeywell T-55.

Dabundo and Col. Greg Fortier, the Army’s cargo project manager, emphasized during the Washington, D.C, briefing that the Army does not have a requirement for a new engine. The Army is focused on upgrading its CH-47Fs to the Block II configuration.

Block II includes an improved drivetrain, new rotor blades, a streamlined fuel-tank design and a strengthening of the fuselage structure, all to increase the helicopter’s lifting power.
Boeing has taken apart the first of three Chinooks that will be remanufactured into test aircraft for the Block II upgrade effort. Block II flight tests are slated to begin in the summer of 2019 in Mesa, Arizona, and will last about two years.

Dabundo also said the first of 15 CH-47s ordered by India will begin undergoing final assembly in Philadelphia this week. India is one of 20 foreign customers for the Chinook. Tandy Rotte, Boeing director of global sales and marketing for cargo, said, “We’re looking to grow that number in the next couple years.”

Hmm.  Is it worth the effort?  I guess that's why they do the testing!

Have you heard about the beef between Meyers and Blizerian?

@lvgunfights LVGUNFIGHTS - Who wants to see this? Make your predictions. Everyone repost and tag @danbilzerian and @dakotameyer0317

A post shared by Botach, Inc (@botach_tactical) on Oct 9, 2017 at 6:56pm PDT

Just plain wow.

Meyer is back in the news.  Nothing wrong with that but I kinda expected a Medal Of Honor winner to be much more low key. 

Anyway read the story here.

This is a weird feud in my opinion.  Things are definitely getting goofy when this shows up anywhere near my news feed.  I definitely need to adjust the settings.

RAF increases F-35 risk rating

via IHS Janes.

The United Kingdom has increased its risk rating of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter because of delays in delivering representative simulators to the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Details of the issues with the United Kingdom’s F-35 simulators were revealed in a supplementary memorandum to the March 2017 Delivery Carrier Strike study, which was released by the UK Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee on 9 October.

The memorandum said the “the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the UK’s Lightning II programme revised his programme delivery confidence, reflecting compression in the schedule, from amber to amber/red in June 2017.

Risk.  You can't talk F-35 without talking about two things.  Risk and Cost.

Las Vegas attack becoming surreal. Shooter attacked Hotel Security Guard BEFORE attacking concert.

via Heavy

Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock shot Mandalay Bay security guard Jesus Campos six minutes before opening fire on the Route 91 Harvest concert festival last Sunday, killing 58 people and wounding nearly 500 others, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Monday, changing the timeline of events.

Lombardo and other authorities had previously said Campos was shot after the gunfire began. But Lombardo now says Paddock fired at Campos, who was unarmed, from inside his room on the 32nd floor of the hotel at 9:59 p.m. Lombardo has said that Paddock unloaded more than 200 rounds into the hallway and Campos was wounded by a ricocheting bullet. Paddock then began shooting at the concert festival at 10:05 p.m., but police did not get to the 32nd floor until 10:17 p.m., two minutes after the gunfire had stopped. Because the shooting had stopped, police didn’t enter the room until 11:20 p.m., which is when Paddock, 64, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Story here. 

Hmm.  So let me get this straight.  Paddock shoots the Security Guard, then he turns the weapon toward the concert but police did not get up to the 32nd floor until 10:17?

Kinda makes that "dramatic" breach recording take on much less relevance doesn't it.

This whole thing reeks.

This is the common thread in incidents like this.  SWAT is fantastic but they're not gonna cut it when it comes to situations in progress.

Street officers need to be given the tools, training and leadership to conduct "in extremis" assaults on criminals like this one.  Imagine this playing out differently.

Imagine the security guard getting shot, the patrol supervisor and shift Lt make the call that they have a terrible situation and they assemble a four man team of patrolmen that have been to SWAT school to conduct a hasty breach to prevent wider bloodshed.  These selected officers (and a number of them would be assigned to each shift) would have go bags that contained helmets, heavier body armor, shields, stun grenades, etc.

If such an element existed in the Las Vegas Sheriff's Office then they might have been able to breach on this bastard in the middle of his shooting spree.

Weird. A Black Confederate Soldier?

Andrew Chandler and his former slave Silas Chandler, 44th Mississippi Infantry, Confederate States Army. Silas saved Andrew’s life at the Battle of Chickamauga. Andrew later gave Silas land to build a church for his community.s

Well done history.

Once again you hit me with something so batshit crazy that I thought it couldn't be true in a million years...but it was.

Warhammer News. Britain 'draws up battle plan for war with North Korea'

via The Telegraph.co.uk

Britain is reportedly preparing for the possibility of war breaking out with North Korea as concerns rise that another provocative missile test could trigger a military response by the US.

North Korea is being closely watched amid fears it could launch another long-range missile test on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the founding of its ruling party.

Bellicose rhetoric from Donald Trump has heightened tensions in the region in recent months, prompting British officials to draw up military plans for a response to a break out of hostilities, it was reported.

Among the plans disclosed by the Daily Mail is the deployment of the Navy's newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, before it has undergone flight trials.

"We have plenty of ships to send… the Type-45 destroyers, the Type-23 frigates. Britain’s new aircraft carrier could be pressed into service early if things turn south," a senior Whitehall source told the newspaper.

Story here. 

Uh wow.  They're actually talking about sending the QE ahead of schedule to the fight?

A plea for extra defense funding, a ploy to be seen as still militarily relevant or an easy fight that everyone wants to pile in on since N. Korea is a VERY weak country when it comes to its air force and navy?

My guess is all 3.

What happens if you push a war and everyone wants in?  What happens if the plans go stupid and that minor risk becomes the course of the war?

I don't think this will be as easy and painless as many planners seem to think. I keep hearing about a limited strike with China ensuring that it doesn't escalate (meaning that China guarantees no invasion, to the North and we get assurances on no nuke retaliation).  Don't think that will work but I think we're all gonna see.

Hollywood is filthy and they tried to lecture us? Small Rant!

via NYTimes.

When Gwyneth Paltrow was 22 years old, she got a role that would take her from actress to star: The film producer Harvey Weinstein hired her for the lead in the Jane Austen adaptation “Emma.” Before shooting began, he summoned her to his suite at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel for a work meeting that began uneventfully.

It ended with Mr. Weinstein placing his hands on her and suggesting they head to the bedroom for massages, she said.

“I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified,” she said in an interview, publicly disclosing that she was sexually harassed by the man who ignited her career and later helped her win an Academy Award.

She refused his advances, she said, and confided in Brad Pitt, her boyfriend at the time. Mr. Pitt confronted Mr. Weinstein, and soon after, the producer threatened her not to tell anyone else about his come-on. “I thought he was going to fire me,” she said.

Story here.

Ok.  I admit that I think a bit differently than other people but this is disgusting!  I'm not talking about the over the top behavior.  Perverts have existed since the dawn of man.

No what I find disgusting is that these Hollywood types are stating that this was an open secret.

Think about that!

These are the same people that have lectured the masses about various topics and their own houses are filled with filth that they haven't dealt with.

Even more stunning?

These Hollywood types have mixed and mingled with mainstream news media AND politicians!

I wonder how much depravity actually exists among the so called elite. I'm not talking about private stuff either.  I'm talking about "common" knowledge that they keep among themselves and we never hear about.

We are wary of the crack or meth head.  We steer clear of the gangsters and the hookers.  But the most vile creatures of all are probably making our movies and tv shows.

Rant over.

V280 @AUSA

Follow us for the latest updates on #V280 from our #TeamValor reps at #AUSA2017! We're ready to meet you straight from the show floor - booth #2324 . #tiltrotor #HappeningNow #Bell

A post shared by Bell Helicopter (@bellhelicopter) on Oct 10, 2017 at 8:05am PDT

GOD!  I AM SO SLOW!

All they did was make the black hawk into a tilt engine.  This is about as safe as you can go when it comes to radically upgrading an airplane.  No, I don't know the avionics I'm just taking a birds eye view of the thing.

General Dynamics Stryker MSL @ AUSA

Day 2 of #AUSA is here! If you haven’t already, stop by Booth 803 to check out our missile-firing Stryker MSL. It fulfills a U.S. Army need for short-range air defense. #ausa2017 #ausa17 #stryker #hellfire #missiles #army #usarmy #military #militaryvehicle

A post shared by General Dynamics Land Systems (@gd_landsystems) on Oct 10, 2017 at 5:49am PDT

Yeah they're back!

Army seeks to expand AMPV production...

via IHS Janes.

AMPV-builder BAE Systems is scheduled to deliver 29 AMPVs by year’s end, and has delivered 17 so far (6 at Aberdeen Proving Grounds and 6 at Yuma Proving Grounds for testing), Jim Miller, BAE Systems’ director of business development for US combat vehicles, told reporters.

BAE Systems’ manufacturing facility in York, Pennsylvania, can annually produce about a brigade set of equipment (about 131 vehicles at current force structure levels) when operating at maximum capacity, Miller said.

The army has asked BAE Systems how many AMPVs could be built if the facilities were expanded.

Story here. 

Interesting.  Is it just me or does it appear that the Army is really beginning to act as if they're getting ready for something big.  APS for Abrams.  Anti-Air systems taking center stage.  JLTV being pushed along and armed with all manner of weapons.  Dragoon variant for Stryker and now the speeding up of the AMPV production is being investigated?

There is no money for all this right now so why the planning?  Its as if they're planning on either a massive influx of cash or they know that everything on the wish list will be green lighted.

Bullets won't beat butter in the current political landscape so that view must be about to change.

Army procurement plans alone tell me that war has to be coming...or at the very least an event that scares the living shit out of the American people.