1st Marine Air Wing Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) Exercise...

 

A NEO is the ordered or authorized departure of civilian noncombatants and nonessential military personnel from danger in an overseas country to a designated safe zone. The training hones #Marines capabilities as a skilled and lethal expeditionary fighting force. pic.twitter.com/WazG7qG6cP

— 1st MAW Marines (@1stMAW_Marines) May 11, 2021

Wow.

I'm seeing some movement toward retaining what is probably called "legacy" skills like this NEO exercise but at the same time its sprinkled with the "Stand In Force" narrative.

I don't see how both can exist.

Additionally I've seen alot of the captions calling the Marine Corps a "Stand In Force" AND A "Force in Readiness".

Again.

I don't see how both can exist in the same organization.  Quite honestly one role will be prioritized over the other. Or am I just wrong? 

Challenger 3 Infographic...

 

The Brits are confusing.

They'll happily put US Marines on their carrier to fill the bulk of the airpower.  They'll happily join tag along with our nuclear program so that they can maintain that capability.  They'll happily sail half way around the world to participate in activity against the Chinese in the brewing troubles in the Pacific.

But they won't take excess Abrams for pennies on the dollar so that they can maintain a modern armored force on the cheap?

I just don't get it.

The Challenger 3 looks capable but I'm betting that they're gonna run into the same problem they did previously.  We're looking at the high water mark of that vehicle right now with no upgrade path.

The Abrams will be upgraded and eventually replaced.  It's latest incarnation at LEAST equals what they've labored to produce and like I've already said.  They could be had for a song, fall in on Army logistics and gain savings.

The old chestnut about the turbine is just plain silly.

The Challenger is a nice tank but from my seat it just don't make sense (oh and I know...Leopard fans are shouting but the Abrams could be had cheaper, quicker and with a more robust logistics system).

US Army Lancer Brigade's Tactical Electronic Warfare System

 

Army Modernization!

Tactical Electronic Warfare System enable to commander to locate the enemy and deny or disrupt their ability to communicate and synchronize. #Modernize #future #ReadyNow #technology @7thID pic.twitter.com/5cUA95OMHF

— Lancer Brigade (@lancer_brigade) May 10, 2021

It is so good to see American ground forces getting into the electronic warfare game.

Circumstances, bad planning, false assumptions...possibly all three will see our air power fighting to hold on.  In other words I don't believe they'll be able to provide the expected support in the next war.  They'll try but they'll have other fish to fry.

Help might not be coming for the ground force when it comes to electronic warfare.  It might be up to them. Systems like this will be vital.

Open Comment Post. 13 May 2021

Halo Razorback...replacement for the Warthog. The weird thing is that in the HALO Universe the Warthog remained in service for 200 years!

Mob violence in Israel...terrible, terrible look...

A man was taken out of his car and beaten in Bat Yam for being suspected of being an Arab in what Israeli media is calling a lynch. I have no words. pic.twitter.com/lKjMDsOOFR

— Mairav Zonszein מרב זונשיין (@MairavZ) May 12, 2021

Open Comment Post. 10 May 2021

 

The US Army's Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) has a potentially lifesaving option called "Combat Mode"

 

via GM Authority

Among the many intriguing things about the Chevy Colorado ZR2-based GM Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) is a feature called Combat Mode, which is designed to give soldiers the best chance to get out of a critical situation and to save their lives.

Essentially, Combat Mode keeps the vehicle running when other safety systems are trying to shut it down.

“On the ISV, we kept alive a lot of systems from the production model [Colorado ZR2], like if it overheats and what you would consider limp home mode and things of that nature,” Mark Dickens, architectural chief engineer for GM Defense, explained during a recent interview with GM Authority executive editor, Alex Luft.

“But say you‘re in battle and you take a bullet, and the vehicle is trying to save itself but you need to get out of harm‘s way. You have the ability to switch on Combat Mode, and it overrides all that. In that same timeframe, we also give it a 25 horsepower boost, letting the soldier get out of there quickly, bringing the total output [of the 2.8L LWN I-4 turbo-diesel Duramax engine] to 300 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque.”

It seems counter-intuitive at first that a powertrain that may be very close to failure is suddenly expected to deal with more power than ever before. In a civilian situation, this would be a disaster, almost certainly leading to stranded occupants and very expensive repairs. For soldiers, it could be life-saving, even if the powertrain survives for only a few more minutes.

“The transmission is where a lot of the limp mode home mode stuff happens,” Dickens explained. “Combat Mode overrides all that and says, too bad, we gotta get out of here, the transmission will get changed later.” And perhaps the engine too.

Up to 70 percent of the GM Defense ISV is based on the Chevy Colorado ZR2. In fact, Dickens previously explained that the ISV is essentially a Colorado ZR2 “from the waist down.” The remaining 30 percent includes an open-cockpit design with a chrome-moly steel exoskeleton, seating for up to nine passengers, a Live Gauges C127 digital gauge cluster, Chevrolet Performance off-road racing components and special tuning of the MultiMatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) dampers.

Pricing per vehicle has not been revealed, but the U.S. Army awarded GM a $214.3 million contract for an initial Army Procurement Objective of 649 units plus necessary support. Overall, the Army has an acquisition objective of 2,065 vehicles for the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams.

Good luck keeping those racing components from growing legs and walking out the motor pool.  Chevy guys are gonna have a field day! 

1/2 (tasked as 2d MARDIV’s experimental infantry battalion) familiarizes on the M3E1 Multi-purpose Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System to prep Infantry Battalions Corps Wide for the "STAND IN FORCE" role

 

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment (1/2), 2d Marine Division (2d MARDIV), familiarize themselves with the functions of the M3E1 Multi-purpose Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System on Camp Lejeune, N.C., May 6, 2021. 1/2 is tasked as 2d MARDIV’s experimental infantry battalion to test new gear, operating concepts and force structures. The unit’s findings will help refine infantry battalions across the Marine Corps as we continue to push toward the end state of Force Design 2030.

Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon conducts live fire exercise...

 

US Army's 12th Combat Aviation Brigade conducts maritime operations crew certification flights over the Black Sea

 

U.S. Army Spc. Charles Sisino, a CH-47 crew chief assigned to the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Wings of Victory, performs airspace surveillance from the ramp of his Chinook just after launching from Burgas Airport on the Bulgarian coast for maritime operations crew certification flights over the Black Sea on May 4, 2021, during Exercise Swift Response 21, part of DEFENDER-Europe 21. 

We're talking about taking on China? We can't even protect our infrastructure from ransomeware attacks!

JUST IN - All four mainlines of the Colonial Pipeline System still offline after the Ransomware cyberattack. pic.twitter.com/RygGRyTui3

— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) May 9, 2021

We have got to get harder.  Harden our infrastructure.  Harden ourselves.  We talk about taking on China but we can't even protect our infrastructure from ransomeware attacks?

Pussification and warfare don't mix.   America needs to drink in the pic below...

100th anniversary of Sophie Scholl's birth...a lady of REAL courage and conviction

"Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go... What does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?"
Today is the 100th anniversary of Sophie Scholl's birth, executed at 21 for her part in the non-violent, anti-Nazi group the White Rose. pic.twitter.com/AcXgYQHlOo

— Dr Christina J Faraday (@cjfaraday) May 9, 2021