501st Parachute Infantry Regiment does water ops...

All photos by Justin Connaher

*Note*  I'm just being curious here and if any Airborne guys know then shoot me an e-mail.  What is the deployment sequence of the flotation gear when fully equipped? 

Paratroopers of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment conduct a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22, 2011. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

Paratroopers of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 501st Infantry Regiment conduct a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

Soldiers recover a paratrooper of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 501st Infantry Regiment after he conducted a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

Paratrooper Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Clarno of Hillboro, Ore., of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 501st Infantry Regiment, swims toward a rubber boat after conducting a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

Paratroopers of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 501st Infantry Regiment conduct a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

Paratroopers of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 501st Infantry Regiment conduct a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22, 2011. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

Paratroopers of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment conduct a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22, 2011. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

Paratrooper Pfc. Robert Lenigan of Star, Idaho, pulls Specialist Christopher Tenore, left, of Jacksonville, Fla., of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment from the water after he conducted a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22, 2011. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

A Paratrooper of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 501st Infantry Regiment conducts a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

A boat races to recover a paratrooper of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 501st Infantry Regiment after he conducted a parachute training and water landing exercise at Big Lake, Alaska, July 22. Several hundred troopers from the battalion trained extensively in preparation for the maneuver, jumped from UH-60 helicopters, staged at a nearby airfield, into Big Lake and were brought safely to shore by rubber boats.

F-35 Fast Facts

F-35 Fast Facts July 13 2011

EOD gets busy down under!

All photos by Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Villalovos 
 

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Peglow, diver, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, rappels off a tower while training with members of the Australian Northern Territory Tactical Response Group during exercise Talisman Sabre 2011. Talisman Sabre is a bilateral exercise intended to train Australian and U.S. forces in planning and conducting combined task force operations.

Lt. Ryan Ramsden, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, rappels off a tower while training with members of the Australian Northern Territory Tactical Response Group during exercise Talisman Sabre 2011. Talisman Sabre is a bilateral exercise intended to train Australian and U.S. forces in planning and conducting combined task force operations.

Lt. Ryan Ramsden, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, rappels off a tower while training with members of the Australian Northern Territory Tactical Response Group during exercise Talisman Sabre 2011. Talisman Sabre is a bilateral exercise intended to train Australian and U.S. forces in planning and conducting combined task force operations. (Doing an Australian Rappel in Australia...Priceless!)

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Peglow, diver, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, participates in small arms weapons training with members of the Australian Northern Territory Tactical Response Group during exercise Talisman Sabre 2011. Talisman Sabre is a bilateral exercise intended to train Australian and U.S. forces in planning and conducting combined task force operations.

Petty Officer 1st Class Karen McMillan, explosive ordnance disposal, from Los Angeles, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, participates in small arms weapons training with members of the Australian Northern Territory Tactical Response Group during exercise Talisman Sabre 2011. Talisman Sabre is a bilateral exercise intended to train Australian and U.S. forces in planning and conducting combined task force operations. (Damn!  This chick has guns!  And I mean besides the one she's firing!  Damn!)

Sikorsky S-92 Helicopter ...NH-90 Killer?

Sikorsky will move away from the S-70 Black Hawk series Helicopter sooner or later and waiting in the wind is the S-92.  The NH-90's issues are well documented, the EH-101 is larger, the V-22 is expensive which leaves the S-92 as my dark horse to capture the future military helo market.

British Apache night time carrier ops.

An Apache helicopter waits to take off from HMS Illustrious.

A seaborne exercise saw two Apache helicopters from 664 Squadron, Army Air Corps, carry out deck landing practice onboard HMS ILLUSTRIOUS recently.
They embarked for a two week training package to enable pilots and ground crews to acclimatise to working in a maritime environment.
Photographer: POA(Phot) Ray Jones

An Apache helicopter takes off from HMS Illustrious.

A seaborne exercise saw two Apache helicopters from 664 Squadron, Army Air Corps, carry out deck landing practice onboard HMS ILLUSTRIOUS recently.
They embarked for a two week training package to enable pilots and ground crews to acclimatise to working in a maritime environment.
Photographer: POA(Phot) Ray Jones

An Apache helicopter waits to take off from HMS Illustrious.

A seaborne exercise saw two Apache helicopters from 664 Squadron, Army Air Corps, carry out deck landing practice onboard HMS ILLUSTRIOUS recently.
They embarked for a two week training package to enable pilots and ground crews to acclimatise to working in a maritime environment.
Photographer: POA(Phot) Ray Jones

Neptunus Lex makes a trench run on F-35 critics...

Neptunus Lex nails it.

He makes a trench run on F-35 critics with his latest post but instead of me telling you about it, just go over to his house to read it yourself.  But to wet your whistle, here's a bit...

In the opening hours of Operation Odyssey Dawn, B-2 bombers flew from their base in the United States to Libya and back to provide the “unique capabilities” necessary to kick down the door for the NATO campaign.  What if instead of a twenty hour mission requiring a billion-dollar asset and millions of pounds of jet fuel – you had an aircraft that could do the same mission in twenty minutes from the deck of a ship just off the coast?  Whether operating in the denied airspace of an integrated air-defense system or striking fleeting targets in a failed state, the future of tactical aviation is about being readily available and flexible.

ANGLICO conducts close air support

All Photos by Cpl. Gene A. Ainsworth III 

Marines with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company watch an explosion here July 21. A detachment of Marines and sailors from the company performed close-air support training in preparation for their upcoming deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Marines with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company watch an explosion here July 21. A detachment of Marines and sailors from the company performed close-air support training in preparation for their upcoming deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Navy Lt. James E. Lamb, a joint terminal attack controller serving with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, or Anglico, climbs to position before the day's training here July 20. A detachment of Marines and sailors from the company performed close-air support training in preparation for their upcoming deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Navy Lt. James E. Lamb, right, relays target areas to Sgt. Ryan J. Eskandary during close-air support training here July 20. Lamb, a joint terminal attack controller, and Eskandary, a forward observer, serve with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, or Anglico, with a detachment deploying with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit later this year. Lamb is from Minneapolis and Eskandary is from St. Paul, Minn.

Sgt. Ryan J. Eskandary, a forward observer serving with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, or Anglico, watches the explosion from a bomb dropped by an F/A-18 Hornet here July 20. A detachment of Marines and sailors from the company performed close-air support training in preparation for their upcoming deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Eskandary is from St. Paul, Minn.

A CH-46 Sea Knight, flown by pilots from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, unloads gear during a close-air support training event with 1st and 3rd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison companies here July 21.

Marines with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company wait for bombs to be dropped here July 21. A detachment of Marines and sailors from the company performed close-air support training in preparation for their upcoming deployment with the 11th Marine

ISAF Helicopter Crashes in Eastern Afghanistan...ISAF mum.

First we had this release on the 25th from ISAF.  I didn't post it because frankly I'm tired of their bullshit when it comes to information about incidents.  I don't even know why they even have a Public Affairs Office.  You can get more info by following the individual services websites...and when you contact a unit PAO, they're more than happy to help...regardless of the blog size.  Prizes in this category go to the 101st, Rangers, 11th MEU, 13th MEU and 1st MEF.

ISAF isn't even in the top fifty.  But I digress.  This is the paltry information they put out....

ISAF Joint Command - Afghanistan
2011-07-S-071
For Immediate Release

KABUL, Afghanistan (July 25, 2011) – An International Security Assistance Force helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan today.

As coalition rescue forces approached the crash site, they came under enemy fire. Coalition forces returned fire, with small arms, while working to secure the site of the crash. All passengers and crew members have been secured and safely transported to a nearby base.

ISAF is currently assessing the incident to determine further facts.

Quite honestly, when I read that rescue forces came under fire, an eyebrow was raised but I knew better than to even ask...the bastards....but today we have this from Stars and Stripes....

U.S. helo downed by RPG in Pech; none killed

Stars and Stripes

Published: July 25, 2011

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JOYCE, Afghanistan — Minor casualties were reported after a rocket-propelled grenade downed a Chinook helicopter carrying U.S. and Afghanistan soldiers as it attempted to land at a coalition forces base in eastern Afghanistan early Monday.
The crash happened shortly after midnight when the rocket hit the rear of the helicopter on its descent into Nangalam Base in the Pech River Valley of Kunar province.
At least two soldiers suffered non-life-threatening shrapnel wounds. Some 20 people were on board, including soldiers and crew.
A rescue team that responded to the crash came under small-arms fire, drawing return fire from U.S. and Afghan soldiers. No further coalition casualties were reported.
There was no immediate word on who was responsible for the attack.
The Pech River Valley and several adjoining valleys, including the Korengal and Shuryak, are considered Taliban strongholds, and attacks on coalition forces remain a regular occurrence as the Afghanistan war approaches the 10-year mark.
A battalion of the Afghanistan National Army is stationed at Nangalam Base, formerly known as Forward Operating Base Blessing. The U.S. military handed over control of the base to Afghan forces earlier this year.
From staff reports

Thank God, no one was killed, but it brings me back to the ISAF PAO .... why no updated info? 

 

F-35C test aircraft validates catapult launch connections

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Navy test pilot Cmdr. Eric “Magic” Buus brings F-35C test aircraft CF-3 into launch position on a test catapult July 19. The test demonstrated proper catapult hook up in preparation for the first launches at Lakehurst, N.J., scheduled for later this month. CF-3 is the designated carrier suitability test aircraft. The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to eventual delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

BAE enters the LHD fray.

Think Defense gives us basically a two-fer in a post on BAE's attempt to grab some of the LHD market. 

*Sidenote*  I don't know whats up with your feed Think Defense but I can't for the life of me make it over to your regular website...just the Tumblr nonsense!  Fix it bud.

The two-fer involves ...
1.  The author is obviously concerned about the fact that once the Ocean goes away, so does the LHD concept in the Royal Navy.  It remains to be seen whether a full deck aircraft carrier can fulfill the role---in my mind it cannot, but we will see.
2.  The second point is that the author appears to be concerned about the lack of expeditionary potential that remains with the Royal Navy and gives a couple of options to recapture that lost capability.  I like it but I doubt that it will fly with a nation that is looking to gut its military in order to pay for social programs.

Its definitely worth a read...if you can get into his website.

Bae PDF Lhd Datasheet

British Army fades away...

The Brits have finally decided.

Social programs win out over the defense of their nation.  Pity.  The Brits have always held themselves apart from mainland Europe.  I would call it being European without being European.  Those days are apparently over. 

via Defense Management....

In a memo, the head of the army revealed that an extra 5,000 redundancies are to come by 2015 on top of the 7,000 redundancies announced in last year's Strategic Defence and Security Review.

The cuts are said to form part of plans to reduce the size of the regular armed forces and increase the number of reserves.

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Peter Wall revealed the cuts in a memo to officers, the Daily Telegraph has reported.

"Regular Army manpower will be cut more steeply, with an additional reduction of 5,000 over and above the 7,000 already in progress as a result of the SDSR," wrote General Wall.

"This takes the Army to around 90,000 by 2015. The additional manpower cuts are now being scoped but will inevitably require a further redundancy programme.

24th Marines train at Bridgeport...

BRIDGEPORT, Calif.-Marines of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, arrive at Landing Zone Sparrow, July 20. The Marines are transitioning from the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot in Nevada, to the MWTC to complete Javelin Thrust., Lance Cpl. Christofer Baines, 7/20/2011 11:48

BRIDGEPORT, Calif.-Sgt. George Schaub, a platoon sergeant with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, teaches Marines how to use a water purifier, July 20. The Marines took time to learn these skills, passed down by the unit’s Mountain Warfare Leader’s Course graduates, as they settled into their new home at the MWTC., Lance Cpl. Christofer Baines, 7/20/2011 15:04

BRIDGEPORT, Calif.-Lance Cpl. Blain Giddings, a Papillion, Neb., native and Lance Cpl. Thomas Leach, an Armstrong, Iowa, native, operate a water purification system, July 20. The Marines took time to learn these skills, passed down by the unit’s Mountain Warfare Leader’s Course graduates, as they settled into their new home at the MWTC., Lance Cpl. Christofer Baines, 7/20/2011 15:33

Trimble decides to participate in APA stupidity.

Trimble has lost it.

Instead of playing it straight, he instead decides to be a shill for the Dark Lord, Bill Sweetman and post tripe like this!

Notice the photo above?  What do you see?  PL-9 air to air missiles and PL-12 air to air missiles in the J-20's internal weapons bay.  What else do you notice?  How about the fact that the PL-9 is physically larger than the PL-12 in this mock up!

But in his story, Trimble conveniently ignores the obvious and instead tries to play a game with his readers, by misdirecting them to the "not a pound for air to ground" when he's really attempting to highlight the "supposed" weapons carriage of the J-20.

Obvious.

Contrived.

Silly.

And beneath his dignity.  When we have journalist that know better doing SHIT like this then no wonder they're losing respect.

MultiCam vulnerable to a $120 uv filter?

Check this out from Military Photos.  Amazing.

The reddish image is the uv filtered photo and the greenish one is the unfiltered one.  Against a first tier enemy, multicam is trash when it comes to preventing detection.

2 articles from DEFESA Global that you should check out.

First up from DEFESA Global is a write up on the Piranha 3 with a new turret.  Interesting.  They then have an article on a multi-purpose modular maritime action ship  there version of our LCS.  To be honest, I like there version better.

Tarzan Assault Course

A Royal Marine Commando Young Officer Trainee (YO) speeds down a 'death slide' on the Tarzan Assault Course at CTCRM Lympstone in Devon.

This is an assault course combined with an aerial confidence test. It starts with a death slide and ends with a rope climb up a thirty foot near vertical wall. The YOs must complete the test wearing full fighting order in under12 minutes.

Photographer: LA(Phot) Emz Nolan

A Royal Marine Commando Young Officer Trainee (YO) takes a leap of faith on the Tarzan Assault Course at CTCRM Lympstone in Devon.
This is an assault course combined with an aerial confidence test. It starts with a death slide and ends with a rope climb up a thirty foot near vertical wall. The YOs must complete the test wearing full fighting order in under12 minutes.
Photographer: LA(Phot) Emz Nolan

More abuse of authority by police.

Hot button issue guys.  No I haven't had contact but I see what's happening and it infuriating.  I despise the leakage of police tactics into the military and military tactics into policing.  Go to this website for the story but take the time to watch the video in full (he starts at 6:30)

And even more from Talisman Sabre...

All Photos by Lance Corporal Jerome Reed.

An amphibious assault vehicle from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, lands on Freshwater Beach in Shoalwater Bay Training Area as part of a rehearsal amphibious assault during Talisman Sabre 2011. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions, from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

Amphibious assault vehicles from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, land on Freshwater Beach in Shoalwater Bay Training Area as part of a rehearsal amphibious assault during Talisman Sabre 2011. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions, from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

An amphibious assault vehicle from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, lands on Freshwater Beach in Shoalwater Bay Training Area as part of a rehearsal amphibious assault during Talisman Sabre 2011. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions, from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

Amphibious assault vehicles from 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit execute an amphibious landing at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, July 19, 2011, during Talisman Sabre 2011. The amphibious landing is part of the force on force portion of TS11. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

An amphibious assault vehicle from Company G, 2nd Marines, 7th Battalion, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, lands on Freshwater Beach in Shoalwater Bay Training Area as part of an amphibious assault during Talisman Sabre 2011. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions, from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

Photos by Maj. Timothy LeMaster

Lance Cpl. Jacob Cripps from Sherman, Texas, sets position with an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon during the amphibious landing of Company G, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, July 19, 2011, during Talisman Sabre 2011. The amphibious landing is part of the force on force portion of TS11. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

Lance Cpl. Jacob Cripps from Sherman, Texas, sets position with an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon during Company G, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, an amphibious assault at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, July 19, 2011, during Talisman Sabre 2011. The amphibious landing is part of the force on force portion of TS11. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

Lance Cpl. Jacob Cripps from Sherman, Texas, sets position with an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon during Company G, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, an amphibious assault at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, July 19, 2011, during Talisman Sabre 2011. The amphibious landing is part of the force on force portion of TS11. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

Lance Cpl. Jacob Cripps from Sherman, Texas, sets position with an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon during the amphibious landing of Company G, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, July 19, 2011, during Talisman Sabre 2011. The amphibious landing is part of the force on force portion of TS11. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

Lance Cpl. Iben Gonzalez-Herrera from Edinburgh, Texas, sets position with an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon during the amphibious landing of Company G, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, at Shoalwater Bay Training Area July 19, during Talisman Sabre 2011. The amphibious landing is part of the force on force portion of TS11. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct Combined Task Force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance efforts.

McCain finally gets called out on his F-35 nonsense!

About freaking time! 

McCain has been like a drunk sailor on shore leave in Thailand...   

But finally the Weekly Standard has called him on his recent rash of foolishness.  Read the whole thing here but a highlight....

Terminating the F-35, or simply terminating the F-35B short take off vertical landing (or STOVL), would be fatal for the Marine Corps as a serious war fighting service. The modernization of the Marines is already at risk; the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport turned out to be more difficult and more expensive than anticipated, and last year the Obama administration cancelled the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, which would have given the Marines both enhanced amphibious assault capability but, even more important, more firepower and mobility ashore. The Marines’ AV-8B Harriers – a development of the original British jump jet – are at the end of their service life, and the Marines’ F-18s cannot operate from Marine amphibious assault ships. And there’s hardly reason to have the big-deck amphibs without the F-35B. Conversely, operating a fifth-generation aircraft would give the Marine Corps a new viability in small-scale contingencies – think Libya – and allow them to contribute to more challenging “anti-access, area-denial” contingencies in East Asia or in an Iran-type operation. Similar challenges face the Navy; without a fifth-generation aircraft, its own aircraft carriers are increasingly irrelevant to high-end strike campaigns.

I know how the "hatred" of the F-35 started.

A think tank in Australia with a vested interest in its demise....a writer with the desire to preserve the European defense industry....the "cool" thing to do if you're a defense blogger....but the days of simply allowing the dis-information has passed.  The F-35, the US defense sector, high tech US manufacturing and our alliances world wide require this program to progress.

It would be beyond a shame for a few guys with axes to grind, along with a few Congressional staffers to determine the fate of US defense for years to come.

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