The British slow boil.

If you thought Afghanistan was fucked up...and most people do, then consider the latest.

Not only do we have to worry about Blue on Green attacks, the Taliban shooting down our helicopters...but now we also have to consider the feelings of a justifiably pissed off ally.

I like monitoring the British and Australian Ministries of Defense because they're so similar to ours.  Maybe its a cultural thing..I don't know.  What I do know is that the Brits are in the middle of a slow boil over a disturbing incident that cost the life of one of their soldiers.

Ya see.

One of our AH-64's killed the son of one of our staunchest allies.

Check this out from the Daily Mail.

A 23-year-old soldier who was killed when a US Apache helicopter fired on a British base in Afghanistan died as a result of 'mistaken beliefs and cumulative failures', a coroner ruled today.
Lance Corporal Christopher Roney, from Sunderland, died from head injuries at Patrol Base Almas in Sangin on December 21 2009.
After a five-day hearing Sunderland Coroner Derek Winter listed a series of errors made leading up to the tragedy.
He ruled: 'L/Cpl Christopher Roney died as a consequence of assumptions made, mistaken beliefs and cumulative failures by friendly forces to appropriately assess the totality of their situational awareness in respect of the ongoing events at and in the vicinity of Patrol Base Almas on December 21 2009.
'The deployment and use by friendly forces of attack helicopters was done in circumstances that ought to have been assessed by them to conclude sooner than they did that their target was not an enemy force and that the attack should be aborted.'

Read the whole article but this is just a polite way of saying that not only did our pilots fuck up, but that they should have known better.

This is a pretty damning assessment especially after being engaged in combat for over 10 years.  Command and control should be better.  But before I stick my foot any further in my mouth let me say this as loud as I can...I WASN'T THERE SO I DON'T KNOW!

What I do know is this.

The Brits are pissed and this situation needs to be handled properly.

Friday Wallpaper.

Courtesy of Warrior Grip 

Face shoot the mother fucker!

US Army Air Defense. Ok, but what is the Marine Corps doing?

Loren Thompson has an article out which covers the US Army's current troubles in fielding a suitable anti-air system..

Army leaders have already figured out that one way in which they might make an important contribution to joint capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region is by providing air and missile defenses. Ground-based defenses against manned and unmanned aircraft are an Army specialty, and the Army has led national missile defense efforts since the Nike-Hercules program was begun in the 1950s. Although sea-based defenses such as the Navy's Aegis system typically provide greater flexibility, warships can't be everywhere and some threats are better addressed from land-based locations.
However, the Army shot itself in the foot just as the shift to conventional threats was commencing by dismantling its plans for future air defenses. Having invested billions of dollars with allies in developing next-generation systems that could remedy the deficiencies of its Cold War air defenses, it decided just as those programs were coming to fruition that overhead threats were not a priority. That decision contradicted the findings of its own warfighters in Iraq, who warned as far back as 2003 that cruise missiles made by China and other countries were able to circumvent the aging Patriot air defense system.

Sounds like trouble huh?  Read the whole thing but then ask yourself this.  At least the Army has the Patriot.  What does the Marine Corps have?

If my quick Google search is correct, 17 LAV-AD's (equipped with Stinger missiles and 25mm gatling gun) and stinger teams.

That's pretty jacked up.

Like Thompson says.  Warships can't be everywhere...and neither can Marine Air.  Especially if its been snatched by Theater Air Commanders for operations elsewhere.  If the current fad for jointness is any guide, we'll lose Marine Air faster than a school boy loses his virginity in a whore house.

Imagine this scenario.

An MEB is taking up defensive positions ... an enemy force is sending out warships, subs and aircraft in what looks like a rehash of the Battle of Midway.  Of course the Navy leaves to deal with the incoming threat.  Along with them goes the Air Force (remember Air-Sea Battle) and the MEB commander is left with only his helos.

Unfortunately for this guy, a deliberate attack on his positions is part of a secondary effort supported with high flying H-6K's, attack UAVs and helicopters.

The MEB can handle threat tanks, artillery and infantry with relative ease.  High flying threats are something else entirely.

Unless I'm wrong (and I standby waiting to be corrected) enemy air power can fly out of reach of current Marine air defense and pummel our positions.  What limited anti-air assets we do have can be identified and either avoided or neutralized by sacrificing a few UAVs to discover their positions.

Either we start planning now to integrate Army Air Defense Units with our MEB's and higher or we need to create credible anti-air units.

Stinger missiles and LAV-AD's aren't credible.  We had a possible answer (but even it was a stop gap) with the SLAMRAAM.  It got canceled.

What do we do.  What do we do?

 

Who We Are --LM Propaganda

A defense company you should know. LOMOcean.

Thanks again DWI!  Lovin' this stuff!

32m Stealth Boat.

32m Stealth Boat.

25m Stealth Boat.

18m Stealth Boat.

Remember the Indonesian Trimaran that was recently introduced into service?  Well this is the company that helped design that cutting edge piece of technology.

Its really not surprising because these are the same people that built the Earth Racer around the world endurance boat.

Check out these weirdly wonderful and fantastic designs here.

MPC contest gives us a chance to build Light Armored Infantry Battalions again.

Lockheed Martin Havoc sporting an Elbit 30mm RWS.

BAE SuperAV.

The Marine Personnel Carrier Contest.

First.  This should be a two vehicle race.  Lockheed Martin's Havoc versus BAE's SuperAV.  Sorry SAIC.  I don't see the Terrex fully meeting requirements and I don't think that you would be able to get enough production stateside to jump through the Congressional hoops that will be placed in front of you to be competitive.

General Dynamics.  You guys are pathetic.  You're basically hiding your vehicle from public view, in other competitions you're mailing it in with tired, old, busted designs that are not worthy of being considered and the last competition that you did win (the Brits contest) was based on a pure price shoot out.  The ASCOD is not competitive with the CV90.  You know it, we know it and the Brits knew it.  You won simply because you low balled everyone and they ignored the requirements that they laid out.  I expect the same with the Marine Personnel Carrier Contest and for that reason alone I would disqualify you.

But all this brings me back to the Havoc and the SuperAV.

We have a tremendous opportunity here.

We can re purpose our LAR Battalions and make them what they were originally and should be again.  Light Armored Infantry Battalions.

It will require a couple of things to happen.  First we'll have to divest ourselves of the LAV-25.  I don't see that as a problem.  We need a more capable vehicle that can carry more infantry anyway.  We also don't need a force that performs the Army's Calvary mission of screening and reconning by fire.  We're a truly combined force.  Aviation assets (to include UAVs) can perform that mission.  What we need are highly mobile infantry that can zoom around battlefields in a distributed battlefield and provide reinforcements to our infantry battalions mounted in AAVs during deliberate attacks.

What this will require in the end is a better explanation of our force requirements.  More billets will have to be alloted to the newly formed LAI Battalions to get them up to strength.  We will also need to explain to the powers that be that because the EFV was cancelled and because we're upgrading the AAV and buying a cost effective ACV, we no longer need a stop gap.

We will be buying a full allotment of ACVs.  About 1000.  And will need a full allotment of MPCs to replace the LAV-25.

Congress will go for it especially if the jobs from the production of these vehicles is in the US and we properly present the idea of this making the Marine Corps more combat effective than our current formations.

Cancelling the JLTV should help pay for some of the bill.  Not buying $50 dollar rifle slings should help too.

AH-1W Super Cobra Flight Operation B-Roll

USS Iwo Jima, U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility - An AH-1W Super Cobra with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (Reinforced), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducts flight operations aboard the USS Iwo Jima, Sept. 4, 2012. The Cobras are part of the "Skid" detachment for VMM-261 (Rein) originally assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. The 24th MEU is deployed with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group as a theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command and is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility. Produced by Gunnery Sgt. Chad R. Kiehl.

116th Airborne Squadron

The 116th Airborne Squadron practices landing and take-off's at Nevitim Airbase.

OH-58 shot down?

via ABC News.

A NATO helicopter crashed today in Eastern Afghanistan, killing two U.S. troops, the third time in 10 days that a coalition helicopter has come down.
The two Americans, who have not been named, were the only crew aboard the OH-58 Kiowa helicopter, according to a Defense Department official.
The cause of the crash is under investigation and officials have not ruled out that the chopper was shot down.
"Sometimes these things take weeks to determine the actual cause," Maj. Adam Wojack of the International Security Assistance Force said.
The incident happened in Logar Province, an area patrolled mostly by U.S. forces.
The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility, saying one of their fighters shot the aircraft down. Afghan sources in Logar say a heavy firefight broke out after the helicopter crashed.
A NATO helicopter crashed near Kandahar less than a week ago, killing two Australian troops. Another NATO helicopter crashed Aug. 26, described by ISAF as a "hard landing."
No one on board was killed, according to the ISAF.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for both incidents, saying their fighters shot down the aircraft.
ABC News' Luis Martinez contributed to this report.

Blue on Green attacks.  Now.  A spat of suspicious helicopter downings.

We are winning right? At least thats what military leadership is telling us.

Scout Snipers sight in on Helmand

The full B-roll of this vid was placed on this blog two days ago.

Navy SEAL vs. Navy SEAL smackdown. Victory? SOFREP!

I'm not even going to try and highlight this one.

Let's just say that I became a HUGE fan of Brandon Webb on this one.  Always liked Jack Murphy but Brandon got all kinds of cool points on his rebuttal.

Check it out for yourself here.

Also.  While you're over there --- root around for the link on Jack Murphy's interview on Fox Radio.  Good listen, good info.

What would the greats think about the Marine Corps today?

Quick question.

What would the Marine Corps greats think about the organization today?  Would they be proud?  Would they be ashamed?  Would they think things were awesome?

Would they believe that an organization that many gave their blood, sweat and tears to...an organization that some gave their lives for...would they believe that it was in good hands, making the right moves.

They wouldn't.  

And it starts from the top.

Even professional publlications for the Sea Services have been bitten by the stupid bug.  USNI allowed several articles that amounted to sniveling and whining.  Should I do 4 more years?  You're shitting me right?  Make up your damn mind son.  20,000 Marines are due to be forced out and this is what the Naval Institute publishes?

The Gazette is nothing more than a cheering section for the Commandant.

Procurement is a mess too.  I mean seriously?  Vickers Slings?  50 dollar a piece slings for the most frugal service?

The greats must be punching walls.  They wouldn't recognize the Marine Corps today.  Not because of technological advancements...a grunt is a grunt is a grunt.  It would be because the Marine Corps has lost its reason for being.

Unless we get our act together.  And quickly.  Then the nation doesn't need this type of United States Marine Corps.  Just shut our doors.  Expand the Ranger Regiment and be done with it.  As we curently stand we are NO pillar of strength, no fortress against the silliness that ravages society and no place that a parent should want to send their sons to be forged into men.

Tank scene by Long Ouyang

Workout Motivation Posters...

Motivation in poster form.

But most of all don't be "that guy" that puts his arm around his girlfriend, or wife and realizes that she has better abs than he does.

HMS Duncan (Type 45 Destroyer) begins sea trials.

Brand new Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan is escorted to begin her first sea trials off Scotland.

Duncan, the Royal Navy’s sixth and final powerful new Type 45 Destroyer, has put to sea for the first time (August 31) for trials where a blend of Royal Navy, Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems personnel will put her through her paces.

Following her departure from BAE System’s Scotstoun shipyard in Glasgow, Duncan quickly set about testing her speed and manoeuvrability, which will see the 7500-tonne destroyer taken to over 30 knots and turning very tight figure-of-eights.

Duncan will also spend four weeks at sea trialling her power and propulsion systems as well as her highly capable weapons systems. A second period of sea trials, set to take place later in the year, will test Duncan’s combat systems and sensors in order to ensure she joins the other Type 45s already commissioned and based in Portsmouth, in pristine condition next year.

Captain Henry Duffy, Captain Surface Ships, said:, This is a significant milestone in Duncan's programme. We wish her every success as we look forward to welcoming her to join the rest of her sister ships into the Portsmouth Flotilla next year.”

 There is something about this ship.  It just looks right.  And of course if it looks right more than likely it is right.

The Brits have lost their minds.

PHOTO: Mike Scott

The King’s Royal Hussars, 1st Troop, D Squadron, supports Prince Harry, among other things

via The Daily.

Strip, strip, hooray for Prince Harry!

These soldiers from the King’s Royal Hussars, a British army cavalry unit, joined thousands of other proud Brits in showing solidarity with their favorite royal rascal after his naked Las Vegas antics landed in tabloids.

These privates were covering their privates and little else under the hot Afghanistan sun to pledge their allegiance to their prince. More than 16,000 others have joined a Facebook group called “Support Prince Harry with a naked salute!” to do the same.

The group has been flooded with steamy pics of soldiers and civilians alike showing a little more skin than a dress uniform typically allows.

Wow.

No freakin' comment on this one.  Just plain wow.

No Easy Day. Should I buy it?

The book is out and the question is should I buy it?

Before I get to that understand this.  Because of the initial reaction from the Pentagon, you can bet your favorite body part that 1000 copies are being purchased by Chinese Intelligence/Military, another 1000 by Russian Intelligence/Military, at least 100 by the head shed over at AQ, and possible several dozen by allied nations that will have analyst trying to determine tactics, techiniques and procedures used by Navy SEALs.

And that's the very reason why I'll buy it.  I'm curious.  I want to know.  And half the challenge will be in determining exactly what is classified info. 

What doesn't fly is responses like this (Major Hat Tip to CDR Salamander for pointing this out)....

This book represents a complete failure and abdication of well known and established code of ethics to which every Navy SEAL pledges. To wit:

My Trident is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon me by the heroes who have gone before...By wearing the Trident, I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way of life. It is a privilege that I must earn every day...I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Americans...I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions...Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed.

The Trident is the insignia that designates a SEAL. In every possible way this person has prostituted this Ethos and has brought shame and mockery upon our entire community. He is receiving a very large advance for this book and although he claims that he is donating sale proceeds to the Navy SEAL Foundation, it is my understanding that they are refusing to accept this money as it is tainted by the gross violations of ethics that it represents.

UPDATE: I have spoken with representatives of the Navy SEAL Foundation and they have CONFIRMED that they are refusing to accept any donations resulting from the sale of this book. I have encouraged them to make a press release to ensure that the public is aware of this and they have placed that on the agenda of their executive committee.

Nobody in the Teams likes Obama and we all want him to lose the election, but not this way. This book is not going to be the difference in the election in any case and those of you using that excuse for purchasing and reading this book are fully aware of that.

If you want to know what happens during classified SEAL operations, then nut up and join the fight yourself. You should be satisfied that you are being protected and served by exceptional men who are entitled to your respect if not your gratitude. You are not owed the inside scoop on how we do our business. Rest assured our activities receive oversight from your elected representatives, our chain of command, and most importantly the integrity of the vast majority of the operators. We are not gladiators in the arena to entertain you, and by supporting works like this you are helping to validate a very ugly aberration of our most closely held beliefs.

As we like to say in the Teams, "Let your conscience be your guide." Just understand that by purchasing this book you are rewarding a man who has sold out his brotherhood for money. Your money.

Wow.

Excuse the fuck outta me.  I get the outrage.  I get the anger.  I get the sense of betrayal that SOME in the community feel (I say some because SOFREP has an article out where they contend that this is no big deal).  But the turn against the public for reading a book that might reveal TTP's when its been published, when the Pentagon could take action and hasn't and when you're talking about a SEAL community that's bold enough to go behind enemy lines and kill Bin Laden but lacks the nut juice to take down an author in their own fraternity is a couple of steps too far.

So yeah.  Fuck you.  I'm buying the book.

NOTE:
When I say take down the author I mean that they got word (from reading between the line and hearing several SEALs say that they got word of the book long ago) of the book and weren't able to get their team mate, ship mate, fellow Special Operator to not go ahead with it.  If SEALs are as tight knit a community as we're lead to believe then this should have been an easy fix.

Canada's close Combat Vehicle part 2. Nexter and BAE all in, General Dynamics as usual mailing it in.

Nexter VBCI.

Nexter VBCI.

Nexter VBCI.

BAE's CV90.

 

BAE's CV90.

BAE's CV90.

Thanks for the article Jonathan!

Wow.

The Canadian's are gonna try to pick a Close Combat Vehicle again.  Check this out ....

The bids are in for the Close Combat Vehicle (CCV). At least one company, Nexter Systems, has confirmed it has submitted a bid in response to the government’s Request for Proposals.
Nexter will offer the VBCI 25 – a platform currently in service with the French Army in both Afghanistan and Lebanon, according to the company.
“The VBCI is a state of the art platform with an excellent combination of protection, mobility and firepower” Patrick Lier, Nexter’s Vice President, Sales & Business Development, North America, noted in a statement released Tuesday. “Perhaps its most significant feature is its thick aluminum alloy hull which provides unparalleled protection against mines and IEDs.”
The company points out that the vehicle is capable of speeds over 100 km per hour. The VBCI has a one man turret with a 25 mm NATO standard gun, a 7.62 co-axial machine gun and grenade launchers. With a range of 750 km, it can sustain an infantry section on operations for three days, the firm adds. Nexter has already delivered over 400 of a total of 630 vehicles ordered by the French Army.
DND wants to buy 108 of the Close Combat Vehicles. There would be an option for the purchase of up to 30 additional vehicles. The army has argued that the Close Combat Vehicles, which would accompany its Leopard tanks into battle, are a priority for future missions.
BAE officials told Defence Watch during CANSEC 2012 they would bid. General Dynamics Land Systems Canada took an approach that it was reviewing the RFP material provided by government. No word yet from GD about whether their bid went in but industry sources believe that the firm did/will proceed with a bid.
As you know, the CCV program has run into a number of problems. It went off the rails earlier this year and companies vying for the $2 billion program were told that their bids had been rejected and they would have to submit new proposals. It was the second time that candidate vehicles, some of which are in service with allied nations in Afghanistan, had been rejected by the Defence Department.
The Close Combat Vehicle program, announced with great fanfare by the government in the summer of 2009, has already fallen two years behind schedule, according to industry officials.

Wheels.

The French are all in when it comes to wheeled forces...perhaps it has to do with a LACK of experience in Afghanistan where in my opinion wheeled vehicles showed vulnerability to IEDs and lacked off road capability.

I'm sure that's what BAE is trying to figure out.  Will it offer a vehicle that actually meets requirements and will be able to keep up with Leopard MBT's cross country or will it put forward a trendy option...a wheeled option.

General Dynamics has a totally different issue.  It has a WEAK design studio.  It really seems as if they're not even trying anymore.  If I was a betting man it will be a version of the Stryker/LAV III.  They could go rogue and try to push an ASCOD but in reality that is a tired vehicle and the British move to go with them had to be purely based on a cost, not the best vehicle offered.

I'll keep an eye on this and I'll be monitoring Defense Watch.  They're good on Canadian armored programs.

Pilots Eject, A-6 Intruder Keeps Flying

F-35B completes first airborne engine start tests

Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Canin flies BF-2 during air start testing Aug. 8. Air starts test the ability of the F-35’s propulsion system to restart during flight. Verifying the restart capability of the propulsion system is part of the initial flight test program for the F-35 and a prerequisite for high angle-of-attack testing. The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter designed for use by U.S. Marine Corps, as well as F-35 international partners in the United Kingdom and Italy. The F-35B is capable of short take-offs and vertical landings to provide air power from amphibious ships, ski jump aircraft carriers and expeditionary airfields. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)