Norman in...Beesley retires as F-35 Chief Test Pilot.

via Lockheed Martin.

Al Norman, a veteran Lockheed Martin experimental test pilot, was named chief test pilot for the F-35 program on 21 February 2011. Norman replaces former F-35 chief test pilot Jon Beesley, who retired 31 January 2011. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin in 1999, Norman served in the US Air Force for twenty-three years as a fighter pilot and test pilot. He left active duty in 1999 to become an experimental test pilot for Lockheed Martin on the F-22 program at Edwards AFB, California.  Norman tested all aspects of the Raptor's flight regime while in the Combined Test Force at Edwards. In addition to flight test and production work on the F-22, he performed production and test work on all models of the F-16. He is also Lockheed Martin’s chief pilot for the T-50 program. Norman has more than 6,000 hours of flying time in more than seventy aircraft types.

Best of luck to Norman.

Beesley has done outstanding work in the F-35 program and I can't help but want the best to him and his family.  I hope that he has success in all his future endeavours.

Having said that, I also hope that Norman has a more confrontational style with the programs critics.  Beesley was professorial with the nay-sayers and because he didn't meet their vigor, his comments while spot on, were often ignored.

Royal Navy Admirals Strike Back.

via the Daily Telegraph.

The operational and financial arguments for maintaining the Harrier in favour of the Tornado are clear to us and to the wider defence community. We therefore wish to bring to your attention a cost-effective option for retaining some Tornadoes and some Harriers, the latter under Royal Naval command, and both in reduced numbers

Wow.


One thing has me curious about all this.  The RAF dismantled and scrapped the Nimrods in a matter of days.  The Harriers remain available.

I don't know if this is part of a larger plan on the part of the MoD in regards to its civilian leadership...a gentleman's agreement between the RAF and RN or what but something just doesn't give.  Oh and the thought that they're selling a few aircraft on E-Bay (or rather were) doesn't add up either.

Strange happenings over in the UK and I don't have any visibility on what its about.  This bears watching.

Oh and read the entire article.  Gloves are coming off.

F-35 AF-6

Boeing's take on the tanker win.

Mud Ops.

Photos by Lance Cpl. Reece Lodder 

Amphibious assault vehicles with AAV Platoon, Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, send mud flying as they tear up invasive pickleweed in the Nuupia Pond Wildlife Management Area during the 29th annual Mud Ops exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Feb. 23. The 29-year-long Mud Ops tradition partnered AAV Platoon Marines with the base Environmental Compliance and Protection Department to prepare the 517-acre area for the upcoming breeding season of the endangered Hawaiian stilt bird species, which lasts from March until September.

Lance Cpl. Michael Haus, an amphibious assault vehicle crewman with AAV Platoon, Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, sits near the front of his AAV and watches as others tear up invasive pickleweed in the Nuupia Pond Wildlife Management Area during the 29th annual Mud Ops exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Feb. 23. The 29-year-long Mud Ops tradition partnered AAV Platoon Marines with the base Environmental Compliance and Protection Department to prepare the 517-acre area for the upcoming breeding season of the endangered Hawaiian stilt bird species, which lasts from March until September.

The spinning track of an amphibious assault vehicle with AAV Platoon, Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, sends mud flying as it tears up invasive pickleweed in the Nuupia Pond Wildlife Management Area during the 29th annual Mud Ops exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Feb. 23. The 29-year-long Mud Ops tradition partnered AAV Platoon Marines with the base Environmental Compliance and Protection Department to prepare the 517-acre area for the upcoming breeding season of the endangered Hawaiian stilt bird species, which lasts from March until September.

The spinning tracks of an amphibious assault vehicle with AAV Platoon, Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, sends mud flying as it tears up invasive pickleweed in the Nuupia Pond Wildlife Management Area during the 29th annual Mud Ops exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Feb. 23. The 29-year-long Mud Ops tradition partnered AAV Platoon Marines with the base Environmental Compliance and Protection Department to prepare the 517-acre area for the upcoming breeding season of the endangered Hawaiian stilt bird species, which lasts from March until September.

Lance Cpl. Michael Haus, an amphibious assault vehicle crewman with AAV Platoon, Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, picks debris off an AAV after it tore up invasive pickleweed in the Nuupia Pond Wildlife Management Area during the 29th annual Mud Ops exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Feb. 23. The 29-year-long Mud Ops tradition partnered AAV Platoon Marines with the base Environmental Compliance and Protection Department to prepare the 517-acre area for the upcoming breeding season of the endangered Hawaiian stilt bird species, which lasts from March until September.

Lance Cpl. Juan Lopez, an amphibious assault vehicle crew chief with AAV Platoon, Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, looks on as Sgt. Pedro Guerrero, 1st section leader, AAV Platoon, provides instruction to his driver, AAV crewman Lance Cpl. Michael Haus, during the 29th annual Mud Ops exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii's Nuupia Pond Wildlife Management Area, Feb. 23. The 29-year-long Mud Ops tradition partnered AAV Platoon Marines with the base Environmental Compliance and Protection Department to prepare the 517-acre area for the upcoming breeding season of the endangered Hawaiian stilt bird species, which lasts from March until September.

Lockheed Martin's JLTV.

Sweet looking vehicle...probably extremely capable...but can we afford it?

AWESOME! BOEING WINS!

Ares Blog is reporting that Boeing won the Tanker contest!

Absolutely awesome.

Not because I necessarily care at this point about the contest itself...but because the Air Force actually followed the rules of the competition this time.  There is no way that two dissimilar aircraft should have been allowed to compete.

This was the KC-X comp.

Not the KC-Y.

There is no way that the A-330 met the requirements that the USAF laid down.

This my friends is a win for the rules.

Force Recon practices VBSS.

Turkey's FNSS wins huge arms deal.

Thanks Jonathan for the article!

via Today Zaman.com

Turkish and Malaysian defense companies have signed a $600 million deal, making it Turkey's largest single sale in defense industry exports. Turkish defense industry firm FNSS signed a deal in Ankara on Tuesday with Malaysia's DEFTECH to sell armored combat vehicle frames to the Malaysian armed forces. Under the deal FNSS will sell 257 armored carrier frames for the Pars 8x8 to Malaysia. The 8x8 Pars armored vehicle will be redesigned by Turkish and Malaysian engineers, and the vehicles will be produced locally in Malaysia. The deal is important for the Turkish defense industry since it is the largest single sale in defense industry exports.

I knew the PARS 8x8 looked familiar and the full article points to the US corporation GPV.  

Cartwright cleared?

I didn't even know that the Vice Chairman was under investigation.  This smells...via CNN.

Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been cleared of any wrongdoing after an investigation by the Pentagon inspector general in connection with an incident involving a female officer on his staff.

Zipper control...or the appearance of a lack of zipper control.  How did they keep this quiet?

GvG on the European Response.

GvG of Information Dissemination fame has an excellent article on the European response to the crisis in Libya.  Bear in mind that the US response has been a (as in 1) ferry and the generosity of Turkey to allow our citizens aboard their ships....read the whole thing here but to sum it up...he writes...

So how many naval vessels are we counting?
HMS Cumberland (F 85)
HNLMS Tromp (F 803)
INS Francesco Mimbelli (D 561)
INS San Marco (L 9893)
INS San Georgio (L 9892)

So, that's 1 destroyer, 2 frigates and 2 LPD's.

This doesn't include Turkey...remember our response, the response of the most powerful military/Navy in the world ...One freaking ferry...and hitchhiking on Turkish ships.

America in distress.

America appears to be under distress.


While militarily our power is unrivaled, it seems (at least to my eyes) that there is a disconnect between the application of that power, the diplomatic element and finally respect from enemies / fear from despots.

Why do I say this?

In the past month what have we witnessed.

1.  The fall of Mubarak and a middling response that satisfied neither conservative or liberal.  Mubarak was pushed out but it is now clear that events spiraled out of control in part because of the tepid and weak stance taken by the current administration.

2.  The most powerful Navy in the world...with an Aircraft Carrier-the most powerful ship afloat...and a Burke Class Destroyer-perhaps the modern equivalent of a WW2 Battleship...along with possibly the finest of our Special Forces--Navy SEALS...all forced to standby while American Missionaries are gunned down.

3.  Libya melts down with reports of mercenaries committing atrocities and foreign snipers murdering people in the street.  European Powers are acting forcefully to recover their citizens while the US dithers.

One thing is clear.

It doesn't matter if you haven't the finest, best equipped, most highly trained forces in the world if you have no strategic vision.

If you have no plan.

If you vacillate when decisive- considered action is required.

Then you have a nation under distress.