1st Armored Division heading to Iraq...

via Army.mil

The Department of the Army announced today the summer 2017 deployment of approximately 400 soldiers from the 1st Armored Division Headquarters, stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas, to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

The 1st Armored Division Headquarters will assume the role of Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command-Iraq, replacing the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters. In that role, the division headquarters will be responsible for mission command of coalition troops training, advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces.

"America's Tank Division is highly trained and ready for this important mission," said Maj. Gen. Pat White, commanding general of 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss. "We are proud to work alongside our Iraqi allies and coalition partners to continue the fight against ISIS. I'm also extremely impressed by the commitment and sacrifice of our military families. It is their stalwart support and resilience that gives us the strength to serve."

I'm not sure I understand how the Army is carrying out this mission.  I understand that they need to maintain their rotation but to send Infantry and Light Infantry units to head shed this op and then switch to an Armor unit puzzles me.

Is the military organized to conduct long term stability operations in foreign countries?  If it isn't (and I suspect they aren't) then is it the fault of the strategy or is a reorganization called for?

More importantly, considering the results of our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, is it time to rewrite the Counterinsurgency/Small Wars manual?  From my chair both efforts have been conducted with flair and tenacity but unfortunately have resulted in failure.  Should we scrap our playbook and write a new one? 

Open Comment Post. March 30, 2017.

Everything you know about REAL Ninjas is wrong! via The Art Of Manliness!

This one is pretty awesome.  If you aren't subscribed to these guys then you're missing out.  I embedded the podcast here but you really should head over to their house to see the article that goes along with it.

Why tax sodas when you can do this to change consumer behavior (listed under sick)

via Gizmodo.

File this story under shit you didn’t want to know. Police in Northern Ireland have opened an investigation to find out exactly how human feces found its way into a shipment of cans at a Coca-Cola bottling plant.
The soda behemoth told The Guardian that the poop-containing cans were discovered at the Hellenic Bottling Company factory in Lisburn, Co Antrim. Production was abruptly shut down when the machines were clogged by said poop.

According to Coke’s representatives, the cans arrived at the factory empty and without a top. They are then filled with delicious sugar water and capped before making their way to distribution. At the moment, it’s unknown at what point in the supply chain the cans became contaminated. A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland told The Guardian, “The investigation is at an early stage and there are no further details available at this time.”

Wow.

Just plain fucking wow.

Some city in the NorthEast corridor started taxing sodas (forget which one) as part of a health move (expect more of the same with health care suddenly being a right...why should I pay for people that abuse their bodies?) and the unintended result was that soda sales plunged.

What do you think is gonna happen when people find out that Coca-Cola has shit in it?

Insect legs I can take.  Modern industrial food prep.  Ya take the good with the bad, besides, ant legs are just extra protein but human waste?   There is only one way to properly decontaminate that factory....

Open Comment Post. March 29, 2017.

The Ground Combat Element must be prepared to stand alone.

via USNI News.

“In the 2017-2027 timeframe, the Marine Corps will possess the majority of naval 5th generation aircraft. By 2025, the Marine Corps will operate 185 F-35Bs—enough to equip all seven L-Class ships,” the plan reads.
“While the amphibious assault ship will never replace the aircraft carrier, it can be complementary, if employed in imaginative ways. The CV-L concept has previous been employed (five times) utilizing AV-8B Harriers in a ‘Harrier Carrier’ concept… A Lightning Carrier, taking full advantage of the amphibious assault ship as a sea base, can provide the naval and joint force with significant access, collection and strike capabilities.”

The Lightning Carrier concept includes an amphibious assault ship carrying 16 to 20 F-35Bs with four MV-22 Ospreys to refuel them – along with relying on the Distributed Aviation Operations’ forward-operating bases – and deploying either independently, as part of an Expeditionary Strike Group or as part of a Carrier Strike Group with a Navy aircraft carrier and guided-missile cruisers and destroyers.

“We might never need to employ this way – and may not want to, based upon the need to employ our amphibious ships in a more traditional role – but to not lean forward to develop this capability, to train and exercise with it, is to deny ourselves a force multiplier that highlights the agility and opportunity only the Navy-Marine Corps team can provide,” the plan reads.

Additionally, with growing global demands for naval aviation presence and upcoming opportunities such as the introduction of the LX(R) – which will be a much more sophisticated ship than the LSD dock landing ship it replaces – the aviation plan states “we must explore new and creative methods of deploying and employing the ACE in order to provide maximum flexibility, capabilities and value to the naval and joint force.”

Semi-rant.

I've heard this concept of an "all F-35" LHA/LHD bandied about too often for it to be a flash in the pan.

The head of Marine Air wants his baby carrier and wants it bad.  The Ground Combat Element MUST be prepared to stand alone.  It's beyond obvious that fast movers will be off either fighting/supporting the naval battle or they will be gladly partaking in USAF taskings.

Supporting the Marine on the ground is obviously becoming more and more of a fourth or fifth priority.

What does this mean?  It means that EVERY exercise must include AH-1Zs and UH-1Ys.  Its the only REAL hip pocket air support that ground commanders can rely on in the future.  It means that EVERY exercise should include a potential air threat.  The days of knowing that the planes flying overhead are ours is over.  Additionally we need to act with haste to acquire a credible anti-air system that can operate with the maneuver force.  A few Marines with Stinger missiles is no longer good enough.  The LAV-AD of old isn't either.  We need a credible, long range anti-air system at the Marine Expeditionary Brigade level.  My preference would be that it's mounted on the ACV chassis but the platform is irrelevant (the US Army's MultiMission Launcher or SLAMRAAM on the JLTV will work too).

The Marine Expeditionary Unit is all but dead in the Marine Corps.  So is the Air-Ground Task Force.

Marine Air is going its own way.  The Ground Combat Element better prepare for the day when our aviators no longer wear camo helmet covers. 

Germany orders Spike LR.

via Janes

The German parliament gave the green light on 22 March for the Bundeswehr to procure 1,000 Israeli-designed Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and 97 corresponding launcher units worth EUR158.3 million (USD172 million) from EuroSpike under the Bundeswehr's multirole guided missile system (MELLS) programme.

The contract breaks down into EUR112.4 million for the missiles themselves, EUR25.6 million for the launchers, and EUR20.3 million for integration into the Bundeswehr's AGDUS laser-based training and simulation system.

The procurement is to begin in 2018, with 104 missiles and 39 launcher units to be procured by 2020. The German Ministry of Defence (MoD) expects additional user costs for MELLS of EUR25 million projected over the course of 20 years until 2037, as well as EUR18.7 million in user costs for the AGDUS components.

I don't know when it happened but it appears that the Spike family of anti-tank missiles have become the world standard.

I wonder why the Javelin and TOW fell out of favor?  Are they outclassed across the board?  Is the Spike more flexible/cheaper?  

I really would like to know.

Did a US Army General by omission indicate that the Leopard 2 sucks?

via Defense Tech.

A handful of foreign tanks — including Russia’s — now match the power of the U.S. Army’s main battle tank, the M1 Abrams, an American general recently testified to Congress.

“I think for the very near term, the Abrams is still near the very top of its class,” said Lt. Gen. John M. Murray, deputy chief of staff for financial management, referring to the third-generation tank built by General Dynamics Corp. that entered service in 1980.

“I think we have parity,” he said during a March 22 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Airland Subcommittee. “I think there is parity out there. I don’t think we have overmatch.”

Murray’s comments came in response to a question from Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican from Alaska and a Marine who served in Afghanistan. He later elaborated on the topic in response to a question from Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas and chairman of the subcommittee, who asked what foreign tanks are competitive with the Abrams.

“I would say that the Israelis’ — the Merkava — would be one,” Murray said. “The [Russian] T-90 is probably pretty close. People talk about their Armata tank and that’s still, in my mind, not completely fielded. Probably the British tank [Challenger 2] is pretty close. I would not say that we have the world-class tank that we had for many, many years. I’ll be an optimist and say that we’re at parity with a lot of different nations.”

This is a US Army Armor Officer and he should know his stuff.

The Merkava and T-90?  No surprise.  They're good to go when operated by competent crews in the doctrine they were designed for.  The Challenger? Quite honestly that kinda shocked me.  From my chair it's fallen behind.

No mention of the LeClerc but by rights it's probably the only REAL expeditionary (operated by the West) main battle tank in service today.  It's relatively light, it has a big gun that hits hard and it's got decent armor.  56 tons?  With that being the combat weight I might not list it in my top 5 but its credible and a contender in some scenarios...including many USMC applications.

But the big surprise is that he didn't immediately talk about the Leopard 2.

I ran with this story (it was posted by Sputnik two days ago) but missed the force of connection.  Of all the tanks he listed as being on par with the M1 Abrams, the one tank he didn't list was the "Nato Standard MBT" (many call it that because so many countries in Europe operate the Leopard 2 MBT)!

I guess the debate is over. A dedicated professional, testifying to Congress, says the Leopard 2 is not on par with the M1 Abrams!

British Army Air Corps (AAC) Wildcat Mk1

CH-53K to drop below 89 million in full rate production...can we afford the wing we're building?

Thanks to Joe for the link!

via Bloomberg

The King Stallion’s cost is estimated to drop below $89 million after full-rate production begins, Marine Lieutenant General Gary Thomas, deputy for programs, said at the hearing. “That’s still very expensive and we’re working very hard with” Lockheed “to keep the cost down and to drive value for the taxpayer.”

Hmm.  Outrageously expensive F-35B's, MV-22's and  now the CH-53K?

Can the USMC afford the air wing it's building?  Will it be affordable in service and deliver in combat?  I'm convinced the F-35 won't deliver and there is enough evidence to doubt the Mv-22
when the bullets start flying.  But the CH-53K?  Even if it delivers as advertised is it worth paying almost 90 mil a copy when we could buy  the Penetrating version of the MH-47 for about the same money but with the added benefit of it being a better fit for dispersed operations?

It doesn't matter.  At the end of the day the most formidable enemy will show up and crush Marine Theorists dreams...the guys with the pocket protectors, star trek figure collections and spread sheets.  If HQMC can.t correct this mess then the accountants will.

Open Comment Post. March 28, 2017

Ukraine's radical BTR-60 upgrade...via Janes

Story here.