F-35 tie down...

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The F-35B moved another step forward to shipboard testing on board USS Wasp (LHD-1) this year, as F-35 integrated test force personnel used weights to simulate shipboard padeyes during an evaluation of chain down procedures on F-35B test aircraft BF-1. The team observed no points of interference and identified ways to optimize aircraft jacking techniques. Padeyes are used on ships to secure equipment to the deck during various sea states. The F-35B and F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter variants are undergoing test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River prior to eventual delivery to the fleet. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin.

"Fly Navy" Book.

 I usually don't shill for the Marine Corps Association but this book has me intrigued and I thought some of you might find it interesting...

UH-1Y on the firing range.

F-35 News....

Lockheed Martin test pilot David Nelson put F-35B BF-3 into STOVL mode for the first time on Flight 101 on 25 April 2011. The flight took place at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.

The fourth F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing jet, BF-4, descends to its first vertical landing on 27 April 2011 at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. Marine Lt. Col. Fred Schenk piloted the aircraft during the flight, which was the forty-seventh for BF-4.

Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti takes the F-35C CF-2 on its first taxi test in Fort Worth on 21 April 2011.

Collars on the RCB-X?

Does anyone know what the purpose of these "optional" collars on the Navy's RCB-X are for?

Who makes these charts????

I was cruising the web and happened across ELP's site.

God, ELP, tell me that someone gave you this chart!  Please tell me that you didn't come up with this rating yourself!  If you did, please tell me that you were in some drug induced haze which gave you "a total indifference to what is real!"

This is the most amazing thing I've seen in a long time ---- The F-35 is more at risk against legacy surface to air than gen 4 aircraft????

In air to air combat (vs 4th gen) the F-35 will be more vulnerable than the Gripen, Rafale and Typhoon?  What makes this even more laughable is the fact that with the exception of cost, he rates the Super Hornet inferior to every other airplane being made...except the Silent Eagle...which is still just a concept.

Wow.

Why are we letting Sailors perform Marine Missions?

Sorry Leesea, but the very fact that RIVRONs have to train with foreign forces Marines is a good indication of mission creep.  One other sad fact is that Marines are currently performing this mission forward deployed.  I would love for one of the boat guys to get me up to speed on their current mission set and their deployment schedule...or if possible...where they deploy.

Photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul D. Williams

Sailors with Riverine Squadron 3 and marines with the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps practice formation drills using Riverine Assault Boats, March 23. Sailors from RIVRON 3 and Marines from the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps participated in a three-week cross-training exercise exchanging tactics and refining their skills as combat boat crewman.

Kajaki Foot Patrol.

Growler Internally Transportable Vehicle Stat Sheets.

While I was dozing the Marine Corps type classified the Growler ITV.  Below are the tech sheets.

m1161_and_1163_pd

And it would appear that American Growler has come out of hiding...

Agi Capabilities Statement

SAS facing recruiting difficulties. Is Special Operations so special anymore?

Real quick thoughts on this one guys.  Just a heads up...you'll probably disagree.

Via DefenseNews.com

LONDON - Britain's elite SAS is facing a recruitment crisis because the army is so overstretched that soldiers do not have time to prepare for the grueling selection process, a senior officer warned April 25.
Brig. Richard Dennis said that the high "operational tempo" of the armed forces and the "unrelentingly demanding" operations in Afghanistan meant that servicemen were being discouraged from joining the special forces unit.

In a letter leaked to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Dennis, head of infantry, said the pressures affecting the forces were combining to "mitigate against Special Forces recruitment."

The US Army is already facing this issue with its Ranger School.  At one time I remember talking to a guy in the 82nd and he basically told me (before the wars) that in order to get promoted in the US Army Infantry, you had to have your tab (Ranger Tab that is) or else you'd better be a friend of the Battalion Commander.

Long story short, Special Operations has become so specialized (raids, raids and more raids) that conventional infantry is picking up the slack on missions that they once performed.

You have Marine Infantry training African troops in Partnership Missions.  US Army and Marines serving as trainers and advisors to the Afghan National Army....

You have MEU's performing TRAP missions that are suppose to be pure-dee Special Ops...

The question I have for you is this.  If we are using our Special Operations forces for almost nothing but raids now (nothing wrong with that but it is a limited mission set) then do we really need a separate command for them?

US Army Special Forces isn't training host or insurgent forces anymore...that belongs to the CIA or conventional forces...

Rangers are being used to back up the other Special Ops forces instead of performing their bread and butter raid missions solo...

Navy Seals are doing nothing but raids and deeeeeeep recon....but its the same mission set as Marine Special Operations....

USAF Special Operations has Para-Rescue but every Special Ops team has medical personnel that are trained to the standards of the teams that they accompany...as far as aircraft are concerned, with the exception of C-130's the US Army Night Stalkers are suppose to be as good ....

So say it out loud...is Special Operations so special now...or can they stand to be downsized too?

Dedicated Marine Air for Marine Special Operations Command?

Below you'll see an article written by a Marine Major arguing for *gasp* a dedicated Marine Air Group to be tasked to support Marine Special Operations Command. Personally, I think this is a terrible idea. But read his paper and see what you think. Epton-AY06-9816 Oh and Major. The debate on Marine Forces in Special Operations Command is not over. With expected reductions in personnel, I think you'll see this revisited.

ARH-70...I mean Block II's first flight...

Just a note to Bell Helicopter. I don't know who it is in your video studio that thinks the little "artsy" trash they stick on these vids is worthwhile but no one cares and it just gets in the way. We want to see your hardware, not a bunch of questionable graphics. Give us a sharp, clean video...you can even dump the music, just let us see the helicopter.

Hideaki Akaiwa -Bad Ass of the Week (a couple of weeks ago)

I've been watching whats going on in Japan but not posting much on it because I couldn't find what I was looking for.  In incredible horror like that.....with all the pain and suffering...somewhere there had to be a hero.  Here he is courtesy of the website Bad Ass of the Week.  Make sure you read the whole thing.  Its worth it!

USMC/Special Operations unhappy with current design of JLTV.

Jonathan actually sent me two articles on the JLTV (thanks again guy!)...both articles are from National Defense Magazine.org and both give the same story...

1.  The US Army and Marine Corps are having issues arriving at a common vehicle to satisfy there requirements...and...

2.  Special Operations Command is voicing similar concerns to the Marine Corps.  The vehicle as currently configured is just too darn heavy.

With news that the Army and Marines are both sending Request For Information to industry on the viability of upgrading existing HUMVEES and with the looming budget cuts just around the corner, this is a program that is probably on life support.

Prediction.  This program will be killed before August.

UPDATE:

It occurred to me that the 'future of combat' as the DoD sees it will be told if this program survives or not.  If the USMC and SOCOM are successful then we will see this program shelved, the Marines going with upgraded HUMVEES and SOCOM going with unique solutions or piggybacking on the Marine program.

What goes unsaid is that the US Army has several light fighting organizations which will also balk at the heavy weight of the JLTV...the 82nd certainly wouldn't have a use for it and neither would the 101st.

10th Mountain is still to remain light fighters (not sure but I believe so) and so are elements of the 25th.  So you will have 4 Army divisions that will welcome a lighter vehicle.  With the other forces being Stryker Brigades, I don't see why they can't simply exist with the legacy but upgraded HUMVEE.  The focus is definitely on the wrong thing here.  Power generation and fuel economy should be the focus---right along with superior off road handling.  Its beyond time to get back to being maneuver forces and not fighting along MSR's.

Harriers from VMM-263 in action.

B-roll of AV-8B Harriers with Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, take off and land from USS Bataan during a strike exercise off the coast of North Carolina, April 10, 201. The Marines and Sailors of the 22nd MEU are currently deployed with Amphibious Squadron 6 aboard the USS Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and will continue to train and improve the MEU's ability to operate as a cohesive and effective Marine Air Ground Task Force. (U.S. Marine Corps motion imagery by Lance Cpl. Ricky J. Holt.)

HX-21. Air Test and Evaluation Squadron TWO ONE

via Wikipedia...

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron TWO ONE (HX-21) "Blackjack" is a U.S. Navy aircraft squadron located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. As part of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD), Naval Test Wing Atlantic (NTWL), HX-21 is responsible for the Developmental Test and Evaluation of Navy and Marine Corps rotary-wing/tilt-rotor aircraft, airborne systems, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in support of acquisition decisions that improve the Navy and Marine Corps' war fighting capability. Additionally, HX-21 tests and evaluates new mission systems to integrate legacy aircraft into the constantly evolving fighting force.

Ok, I'm at ease now.  In that formation, I saw a CH-53E in what appeared to be perfect condition along with two AH-1Z's and a UH-1Y.

First thought was...why aren't they operating with the fleet.

Now it makes sense.

HX-21 Formation.

Hard to believe that the biggest helicopter in that formation is also the fastest.  Now to Google HX-21...never heard of them!

FireStorm and the Marine Corps.

Produced by Metal Storm Limited, an Australian defense company, the FireStorm is an electronically fired, multi-barrel 40mm platform. Features include interlocking mechanical and electrical systems for safe operation and light weight.

The weapon and mount together weigh 120 pounds, with the entire unit 21.9 inches tall and 28.6 inches long. The FireStorm can be mounted on anything from humvees to remote controlled robots. It possesses the capability to render less than lethal weaponry, or fire a volley of high explosive rounds at a rate of 6,000 rounds per minute firing from all barrels.

Ammunition is loaded in the tubes, capacity ranging from four to six rounds per tube, depending on the ammunition used.

First the Navy and now the Marine Corps seems to keep toying with the FireStorm concept.  Why no one has pulled the "trigger" yet is beyond me...

British Ministry of Defence Insanity.

I got this article from Jonathan..thanks guy!

~Provides Increased Visibility to 2011 Full Year Vehicle Revenue Outlook~

LADSON, S.C., April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Force Protection Industries, Inc., a FORCE PROTECTION INC. (NASDAQ: FRPT) group company, today announced it has received a $27.4 million sub-contract from Integrated Survivability Technologies Limited ("IST") for the delivery of 47 Cougar Mastiff vehicles to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence ("U.K. MoD").  IST is a joint venture between Force Protection Europe Limited, a subsidiary of Force Protection Industries, Inc., and NP Aerospace Limited, a subsidiary of The Morgan Crucible Company plc.  Work under this sub-contract will be performed in Ladson, South Carolina, and is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2011. 

This falls under the category of WTF!

British involvement is suppose to be winding down in Afghanistan.  They already have a vehicle issue (as in too many different types) and its a little late in the game to be adding additional heavy MRAPs that will have limited utility in other war zones.

If this is an example of the course of defense spending in the UK, then I must amend my complaint about the retirement of the Harriers.  It wasn't foolish.  It was criminal.

Operation Rawhide II.

U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Joshua S. Lum, platoon commander for 3rd Platoon, E Company, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion keeps watch from his Light Armored Vehicle 25, April 16. Marines were on the lookout for any suspicious activity or material.

Lance Cpl. Nicholas W. Sainz, an assistant team leader in 1st Platoon, E Company, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and native of La Habra, Calif., provides security April 16. Sainz stood watch while other Marines conducted a search.

 

 

Photos by Cpl. Adam Leyendecker, USMC.