Thursday, May 17, 2018
UK to cut its buy of F-35s? This story will not go away....plus more background info on top level discussions!
Thanks to Spinflight for the link!
Via Telegraph.
The British Government is committed to buying 138 F-35 fighter aircraft from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has so far bought 48 aircraft at a cost of £9.1 billion but is now reconsidering its pledge to buy a further 90 F-35s.Story here.
Instead, the Telegraph understands it is looking at purchasing Eurofighter jets, made by a European consortium that includes the UK. The European manufactured jets are currently, on best estimates, about half the price of an F-35.
Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, is publishing a defence review in July, which may cast doubt on the affordability of the further 90 F-35 Lightning II aircraft, the most expensive but technically advanced fighter jet in history.
He has also launched a Combat Aircraft Industrial Strategy, due to report in the summer, which is set to decide the balance of future spending on jet fighters - and whether the UK goes for a predominantly European fighter, despite Brexit, or a US-developed jet.
Something is happening in the UK that bears watching with regard to the F-35. Earlier this week we got a story that the F-35 was gobbling up a huge portion of the UK defense budget.
As usual the F-35 supporters shot it down.
UK readers that frequent this blog shot it down.
Now we have a story with meat on the bones that the UK Defense Minister, a dude that is a rising political star, is considering cutting the extra buy of planes?
But that's not the real kicker.
The Brits are a tier 1 partner. They have access to EVERYTHING! Every ounce of top secret gear in the plane is known to them and they're considering buying more Eurofighters instead of F-35s?
Eyes on the UK military/defense industry folks.
They're the REAL canary in the coal mine.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Hamas just stepped on the idea of peaceful protests by Palestinians...
via Free Beacon.
A senior Hamas official said Wednesday that 50 of the 62 Palestinians reported killed in riots at the Israel-Gaza Strip border on Monday and Tuesday were members of the Islamist terrorist group.Story here.
"In the last rounds of confrontations, if 62 people were martyred, 50 of them were Hamas," Dr. Salah Albardawil said in an interview with an Arabic news outlet, according to the Times of Israel. Albardawil was responding to a question about Hamas sending kids to die in the border riots as political fodder.
GEEZ!
First Netanyahu spouts that Jerusalem is and will always be the UNDIVIDED capital of Israel starting this nonsense (well at least pouring gas on the fire) and now this Hamas joker practically admits that the rioting was anything but peaceful.
They stepped all on the visuals of protesters being gunned down in a few paragraphs.
It's like the two sides are demanding two fight and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
My first instinct was right.
I support Israel but the Middle East is just one big cesspool. Constant warfare seems like a way of life for them.
If that's right then we need to get out the way and pick up the pieces after the deed is done.
Side note. I'm not vacillating. I'm getting new information and adjusting to it. That's called common sense. If you're driving down the road and you get info over the radio that the road is closed do you find a new route or do you continue on? If you made the adjustment to a new route then its not vascillation it's adapting to changing information. I'm doing that with my views on the protests that turned deadly.
Marines receive their first CH-53K
via Press Release.
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), delivered the first CH-53 King Stallion helicopter to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) today. The aircraft is the first of an expected 200 helicopters for the Marine Corps' fleet.This is good news and will enhance the capability of the FMF. If the concepts are right then the force being built will be formidable.
The CH-53K is the new build replacement for the U.S. Marine Corps' aging CH-53E Super Stallion fleet. The CH-53E first flew in 1974 and entered service with the USMC in 1981.
"Our first delivery of a CH-53K to the Marine Corps marks the start of a new generation of true heavy lift helicopter deliveries by Sikorsky that bring unsurpassed and expanded capability across the modern battlefield to provide tremendous mission flexibility and efficiency in delivering combat power, humanitarian assistance or disaster relief for those in need," said Dan Schultz, Sikorsky President and former CH-53 pilot. "With 18 additional aircraft in various stages of production already, the entire Sikorsky team, in partnership with our suppliers, is looking forward to additional deliveries to delight our customer."
This first CH53K heavy lift helicopter will be stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
There the helicopter enters into the Supportability Test Plan. U.S. Marines will conduct a logistics assessment on the maintenance, sustainment and overall aviation logistics support of the King Stallion. This assessment also will validate maintenance procedures with Marine Corps maintainers conducting hands-on care/upkeep of the aircraft. The Supportability Test Plan will ensure readiness and support on the flightline when CH-53K helicopters enter into service with the USMC.
Sikorsky expects to deliver its second CH-53K helicopter to the USMC in early 2019.
The CH-53K test program recently completed the following milestones: maximum weight single-point cargo hook sling load of 36,000 pounds (16,329 kilograms); forward flight speed of over 200 knots; 60 degrees angle of bank turns; altitude of 18,500 feet mean sea level (MSL); 12-degree slope landings and takeoffs; external load auto-jettison; and gunfire testing.
"I am very proud of the work accomplished to deliver the most powerful helicopter ever designed into the hand
Only thing I wonder about is the delay in getting the next bird. 2019? I would think they'd be pushing these off the production line like "Left Twix" Candy bars!
But that's just a quibble. After the comment from the CH-53E pilot I'm all about getting these into the fleet yesterday!
French Jaguar EBRC 6x6 Recon Vehicle rolls out...
Thanks to Vodkar for the link!
Un ptit tour du (pas de) #Jaguar ? pic.twitter.com/ckD984KTFR— Forcesoperations (@ForcesOperation) May 16, 2018
— Forcesoperations (@ForcesOperation) May 16, 2018
#Scorpion sort son dard! 1er proto d’EBRC Jaguar dévoilé aujourd’hui à Satory #Nexter pic.twitter.com/dMxrko87GX— Forcesoperations (@ForcesOperation) May 16, 2018
I like it. The only thing I would want that it doesn't appear to have is a bit more ground clearance. Recon vehicles that are wheeled need ground clearance or they're worthless offroad.
Memphis Bell, the famous B-17 flies no more...placed on display....
What a pity.
I really believed that the plane might fly forever, especially with 3d printing coming online.
Wish I hadn't got this wrong. Airshow touch many more people that planes on static display...
German Army is in terrible shape as it prepares for Nato Crisis Response role...
via Stars and Stripes.
Germany’s military is virtually undeployable and security experts say it is too weak to meet its obligations to its allies, as it prepares to assume command of NATO’s crisis response force next year.Story here.
Pressure on Berlin is mounting after a series of revelations has exposed the German military as one of the least combat ready in NATO, despite its economic heft.
“The readiness of the German military is abysmal,” said Jorge Benitez, a NATO expert with the Atlantic Council in Washington. “For years, German leaders have known that major elements of their armed forces, such as tanks, submarines and fighter jets, are not fully operational and can’t be used for actual military missions.”
My European readers are gonna hate the obvious question but here we go.
Why are we wearing out our forces with these "Reassure Europe" operations, that are BUSTING UP our op-tempo and ruining any chance for us to rest and reset both our equipment and people, if nations on that continent like Germany aren't doing the basics to have a decent military?
When did leadership mean shouldering the whole load for the defense of the West?
Europe has a larger population base.
Europe has a larger GDP (when all nations are combined like they are in the EU).
Yet they collectively spend less on defense?
They fail to meet the very PITIFUL requirements laid out by NATO?
Something has to give. Trump might have said it loudest but the cry for Europe to do more to safeguard Europe has been said by many others for the past two decades.
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