"Boomer" Steed. Gun Rights Hero.

Marines Fast Rope during Exercise Guahan Shield

The Navy doesn't have a problem with the F-35, it has an A-12 hangover...

via Flight Global...

The CFTs, which Boeing has pitched to potential buyers as part of its Super Hornet international roadmap, would allow the F/A-18E/F to carry more than 13,249l (3,500gal) of additional fuel. "Adding these tanks would make a great deal of sense," says Mark Gunzinger, an airpower analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. "The navy really needs to extend the reach of its carrier air wings. Increased range will be needed for potential operations in the Pacific region and elsewhere."
The USN's efforts to add CFTs might be part of the service's plan to hedge its bets in case of further delays to the Lockheed Martin F-35C, or if budgetary pressures force the navy to abandon that variant. "At this point, the F-35C is easily the most troubled variant," says Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group. The USN has always been lukewarm toward the stealthy single-engined fighter even if senior service leaders always publicly profess that the service "needs" the F-35C.
But there are questions as to whether the Super Hornet can support the added weight and drag of the CFTs without seriously impairing its aerodynamic performance. "One problem with CFTs on the F/A-18 is that I'm not really sure it has the power," Aboulafia says. "If they put CFTs on the [Boeing] F-15 and [Lockheed] F-16, they're fast jets. But the Super Hornet is already pretty much slowest in class."

What you're seeing is a US Navy that is taking a traditional jet and attempting to make it fit its needs in the Pacific.

If this was based solely on costs alone it might be seen as a good thing.  But it isn't.

The US Navy is suffering from an A-12 hangover and is unable to move forward because of that planes cancellation.

While other services have been able to move forward after having major procurement items killed the US Navy, in particular the carrier Navy is stuck in a bad place with lingering issues over its future.  Right now you have a couple of different cabals fighting it out trying to determine which way to go.

You have what I call the futurist that support the X-47.  This group is ready to send manned aviation over the side and place most of its marbles in the robotic aircraft camp.  The problem for these people is that the concept has never been tested in denied airspace.  As a matter of fact I've never even heard of UAV's being fought in Red or Green Flag against simulated opposition. If they have been then I would bet that the loss rate was horrendous.  And that's the real issue with UAV's.  The Iranians might not be able to tag them, but most other modern air forces would have a turkey shoot against even advanced UAV's like the X-47.

The F-18 camp has a if it ain't broke don't fix it view.  They will and are seeking to squeeze every ounce of performance, every penny of procurement dollars possible to support their world view that for now the F-18 is good enough.  Problem for this group is that our potential enemies are moving towards high performance stealth airplanes.  Unless a breakthrough has been achieved and AESA or some other sensor is able to detect and track stealth without fail then the issues are obvious.  Note that the F-18 is also the slowest of all the 4th gen fighters and when you add weapons it becomes obvious that this airplane just isn't cut out to fight the next high tech war.

That leaves the F-35 lovers.  The airplane meets (on paper at least) all requirements.  The reason why it isn't globally loved is because of the delays in getting it into service and the cost of the plane.  I blame all three US services for the delay.  Have you taken a serious look at the X-plane and compared it to the production model?  The plane has suffered massive changes...gained a ton of weight...had many new requirements slapped on it...

The F-35 suffers mostly from a clash of the old procurement model meeting a new one.

In the end I predict that the F-35 will be used by the Navy.  At first they will fight, cuss and kick before they get into the stealth game but in the end...after they've gotten slapped around by USAF and Marine Air in war games...they'll be some of the planes biggest boosters.

McMaster agrees with me.

via AOL.

The first mistake is what McMaster called "a raiding mentality": the idea that we'll get a "fast, cheap, and efficient" victory if we can only identify the crucial "nodes" -- enemy leaders, nuclear weapons sites, whatever -- and take them out, whether with a Special Ops team like the one that killed Bin Laden, a long-range smart weapon, or a drone, McMaster said in his remarks at theCenter for Strategic and International Studies.

"That's a fundamentally unrealistic conception," said McMaster. "We know raiding and an attritional approach" -- i.e. just killing enemies until the survivors give up -- "did not solve the problem in Iraq" (or for that matter Vietnam). "Targeting does not equal strategy."
At its worst, a raiding approach is a militarized version of "George Costanza in Seinfeld, 'leave on an up note' -- just go in, do a lot of damage, and leave," McMaster said to laughter.

The discussion is fully engaged.  The entire Special Operations Command led by McRaven has adopted the Raids, Raids and more Raids philosophy and it appears that Army Special Forces is finally pushing back.

Its a refreshing development and its an indication that US Army Special Operations (meaning Special Forces, Rangers and 160th) are ahead of the game when it comes to adjusting to life after Afghanistan.

It'll be interesting to see how Marine and Air Force Special Ops adjusts to the new reality.  I don't see Navy SEALs making any changes, but if SOCOM as an organization is gonna make a change then it will require different leadership.

As strange as it would seem, I would recommend a member of Army Special Forces Command to get the top reigns.  With a turn to the Pacific its essential that roles, and responsibilities be ironed out, duplication eradicated and a SMOOTHING of ties to the conventional forces established.

Cape St George

And to wet your appetite Austal is seeking to capitalize on the best features of the Independence Class LCS by developing a new and larger Multi-Role Vessel.  The concept is below.

CV-22 Special Mission Aviators

I never noticed the hoist at the ramp area of the CV-22. Seems like an idea that should spread to other ramp equipped helicopters.

2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion

Royal Navy Buccaneers.

via R. Crichton7.

Marine-istan finally comes to Washington! About fucking time!

via Human Events.

The Marine Corps is not happy, according to NBC News reporter Jim Miklaszewski (once again by way of RealClearPolitics):

Now I can tell you, Marine Corps officials this afternoon are taking a strong exception to what Harry Reid implied. Saying that this this exercise, for example, was planned well in advance, had nothing to do with the budget cuts. There were no corners cut, and if they couldn’t afford to have all the safety precautions into place, they wouldn’t do the exercise.

And in fact, one Marine Corps official told us a short time ago that he considers this nothing but pure political posturing on the backs of these dead Marines.

I am pleased by this.  Ah, who am I kidding?  I'm fucking thrilled!

Its about time someone in Headquarters Marine Corps found retrieved his balls from the filing cabinet and started shooting straight again.

I don't know who told the reporter that the Senate Majority Leader was full of shit but the man deserves a couple of shots of the best alcohol served at the O-club.

Well done.  But don't stop.  We need more of this.  Read the entire article here.

UPDATE: Mortar accident theory

People are wondering how so many Marines were injured in the accident in Nevada.

One tantalizing theory goes something like this....

*Marines were performing live fire drills and the tube in question suffered a hang fire (the wording is important here...a misfire is a totally different and somewhat safer beast).

*The Marines failed to properly identify that the weapon suffered a hang fire and the Marines attempted to load another mortar.

*In the process of loading, the first round fired striking the second round which was loaded causing a double feed.

This would explain why the casualties were so high.  Instead of one 60mm round exploding, you had two.

If the reporting is right then this would be the scenario that makes the most sense.

A terrible loss though and my sympathy goes to the families.

NOTE:  Below is a copy of US Army manual FM 23-90 (that the Marine Corps uses) that covers immediate action to be used in case the 60mm mortar malfunctions.

NOTE 1:  Whoever the Range Safety Officer, Range Safety NCO and probably Battalion Commander and Company Commander will probably all suffer career altering letters of reprimand or cautions.  The military can be a rough place during a reduction in force.

3-14. MALFUNCTIONS

Mortarmen must be aware of the following malfunctions.

a. Misfire. A misfire is a complete failure to fire. It can be caused by a faulty firing mechanism or faulty element in the propelling charge explosive train. A misfire cannot be immediately distinguished from a delay in functioning of the firing mechanism or from a hangfire; therefore, it must be handled with care. All firing malfunctions should be considered a misfire. Mechanical malfunctions can be caused by a faulty wiring pin or by rounds lodged in the barrel because of burrs, excess paint, oversized rounds, or foreign matter in the barrel. Procedures for removing a misfire are discussed in paragraph 3-15.

b. Hangfire. A hangfire is a delay in the functioning of a propelling charge explosive train at the time of firing. In most cases, the delay ranges from a split second to several minutes. Thus, a hangfire cannot be distinguished immediately from a misfire.

c. Cookoff. A cookoff is a functioning of one or more of the explosive components of a round chambered in a hot weapon, initiated by the heat of the weapon.

3-15. REMOVAL OF A MISFIRE

The procedures for removing a misfire are different for handheld and conventional modes. The propelling charge may not function for the following reasons:

• Defective ignition cartridge.
• Defective, damaged, or loose firing pin.
• Fouled firing pin or firing pin obstructed by extraneous material.
• Fouled bore.
• Excess oil or water in the bore.
• Misaligned stabilizing fin.
• Foreign matter or excess paint on round.
• Selector switch on SAFE or TRIGGER.

a. Conventional Mode.

(1) When a misfire occurs, any member of the squad immediately announces, "Misfire." The entire squad stays with the mortar. If it is obvious to the squad leader that the round has reached the bottom of the barrel and it has failed to ignite, the gunner places the selector switch on trigger fire and squeezes the trigger several times to try to clear the round.

WARNING During peacetime live-fire training, the ammunition bearer moves at least 50 meters to the rear of the mortar.

Notes:	1. A faulty firing pin assembly on a 60-mm mortar, M224, requires that the firing pin be tightened upon completion of firing when frequent trigger firing using M720-, M721-, or M722-series ammunition. These type rounds usually fire when trigger fired.
	2. In case of a hangfire, kick the cannon several times to dislodge the round.

CAUTION Trigger fire the M720-series rounds with charges 0 and 1 only. If an emergency requires trigger fire above charge 1, the baseplate must be well seated and extreme caution taken.

(2) If the round fails on trigger fire, the gunner places the selector switch back on drop fire. Staying clear of the muzzle at all times, the squad leader holds the bipod legs to prevent slippage. The gunner strikes the barrel sharply several times with the heel of his boot just above the handle assembly. If the round fails to dislodge after trigger firing and kicking, the gunner places the selector switch on SAFE.

WARNING During peacetime live-fire training, the gunner and squad leader join the ammunition bearer and wait one minute (in case of a cookoff). After waiting one minute, the gunner returns to the mortar.

(3) The gunner checks for heat by starting from just below the muzzle and working down to the base with his fingertips. If the barrel is too hot to be handled, he cools it with water (or snow) and checks it one minute later. If no water (or snow) is available, the barrel is air cooled until it can be easily handled with bare hands.

Notes:	1. Liquids must never be poured into the barrel.
	2. During peacetime live-fire training, the gunner signals the squad leader to come forward once the barrel is cool.

(4) The gunner locks the data down on the sight, then removes the sight and places it in a safe location. He then lowers the barrel to its minimum elevation and backs off one-quarter turn. DO NOT MOVE THE BIPOD LEGS OR CHANGE THE FIRING SADDLE DURING THIS PROCEDURE. The gunner unlocks the barrel from the baseplate by loosening the locking knob until the barrel can be rotated. He rotates the barrel 90 degrees in the socket cap so that the flats on the barrel are aligned with the flats of the socket cap. The squad leader places his left leg in front of the nonmechanical leg of the bipod to keep the bipod steady during the misfire removal. After placing his leg in this position, the squad leader places his left hand near the top of the barrel and his right hand on the underside, just below the muzzle. He prevents any part of his body from passing in front of the muzzle.

WARNING Once the barrel reaches the horizontal, it must not be lowered back down until the round is extracted. If the round slips down the barrel before extraction, it could ignite, causing death or personal injury.

(5) The gunner continues to raise the barrel so that the base of the barrel is higher than the top. With the muzzle pointing toward the ground, the gunner shakes it slightly to help dislodge the round. As the round starts to clear the muzzle, the squad leader squeezes his thumbs against the body of the round--not the fuze--and removes it. If the round fails to come out once the barrel is lifted, the barrel is lowered back to the horizontal. It is removed from the bipod assembly and placed in a designated dud pit. EOD personnel are notified for removal or disposal.

(6) Once the round has been removed, the squad leader gives the round to the ammunition bearer who inspects it. The ammunition bearer replaces any safety pins and inspects the primer of the ignition cartridge. If dented, the round should not be fired. If the primer has not been dented, the firing pin on the mortar should be checked for proper seating and tightened down if needed.

(7) While the round is being inspected, the gunner lowers the barrel back into the baseplate and remounts the sightunit to the bipod. The ammunition bearer then swabs the bore, and the gunner re-lays the mortar on the previous firing data.

Note:

If the baseplate moved during the misfire procedure, the mortar must be reciprocally laid.

(8) If the primer on the round has not been dented, the gunner tries to fire the round again. If the same round misfires, he repeats the misfire procedures. If the primer has been dented, he notifies organizational maintenance IAW unit SOP.

b. Handheld Mode.

(1) When a misfire occurs, any member of the squad immediately announces, "Misfire." The entire crew stays with the mortar, and the gunner immediately pulls the trigger twice. If the round still fails to function, he announces, "Misfire." The gunner places the selector switch on SAFE and bounces the mortar from at least 6 inches off the ground to dislodge the round. (Disregard if the crew heard the round strike the bottom of the barrel.)

WARNING During peacetime live-fire training, the gunner stays with the mortar and all other crew members move at least 50 meters behind the mortar.

Note:

The gunner bounces the mortar only if the round is between the muzzle and firing pin.

(2) The gunner places the selector switch back on trigger fire and squeezes the trigger twice--the mortar should fire. If the round does not fire, he places the selector switch on SAFE and supports the mortar barrel with sand bags, logs, or empty ammunition boxes to keep the barrel upright and stable. He ensures the barrel is up and pointing downrange. The gunner checks for heat with his fingertips only, starting just below the muzzle and working down to the base.

WARNING During peacetime live-fire training, the gunner joins the rest of the squad and waits one minute.

(3) If the barrel is hot, the gunner cools it with water (or snow) and then rechecks for heat. If there is no water (or snow), he lets the barrel air cool until it can be easily handled with bare hands.

Note:

During peacetime live-fire training, the gunner signals the squad to come forward once the barrel is cool.

(4) Once the barrel is cool, the squad leader places his left hand (fingers and thumb extended and together) near the top of the barrel and his right hand on the underside just below the muzzle. In one smooth motion, the gunner lifts the base of the mortar with the M8 baseplate to the horizontal position. Once the barrel reaches the horizontal position, the squad leader extends the meaty portion of his thumbs over the end of the muzzle. The gunner continues to raise the base of the barrel past the horizontal. With the muzzle pointing downward, the gunner slightly shakes the barrel to help dislodge the round. As the round starts to clear the muzzle, the squad leader catches the round by squeezing his thumbs against the sides of the body--not the fuze--and removes it. The squad leader passes it to the ammunition bearer. If the fuze has safety pins (other than the M734), he tries to replace them.

(5) The ammunition bearer inspects the primer of the ignition cartridge. If dented, he does not try to fire the round again. If the pins cannot be replaced, the fuze may be armed. He lays the round in the designated dud pit and notifies EOD personnel.

(6) If the round does not come out after lifting the barrel up and shaking it, the gunner returns the barrel to the horizontal. The squad leader places the barrel in the designated dud pit and notifies EOD personnel.

WARNING Once the barrel reaches the horizontal, it must not be lowered back down until the round is extracted. If the round slips down the barrel before extraction, it could ignite, causing death or personal injury.

(7) If the primer on the round has not been dented, the gunner lifts the base as high as possible. He shakes the barrel to dislodge any debris and swabs the bore. He tries to fire the round again. If two misfires occur in a row without the primer being dented, the gunner notifies organizational maintenance IAW unit SOP.

Are they sure it wasn't a 120mm mortar?

I've been re-reading the stories on the tragic training accident in Nevada where at least 7 Marines were killed and I can't help but think that the reporting might be off.

A 60mm mortar going off with its team in the area shouldn't have caused that many casualties.

When conducting live fire you're required to wear your armor and helmet.

The firing crew for a mortar this small would be one Marine, maybe two if they weren't firing from the base plate.

I suspect they're really talking about the 120mm mortar.  As written though I can't understand why the casualty figures would be so high.

We definitely need more info on this.

Assault Weapons Ban dead.

I have one ear open to MSNBC and Luke Russert just stated that Diane Feinstein says that the Assault Weapons Ban will not be part of the Democrat Bill.

Good news.

M224 Mortar.

United States Marine Corps Weapons & EquipmentM224 60mm Lightweight Mortar
Length: 40 inches (101.6 centimeters)Weight: 46.5 pounds (21.11 kilograms)Bore diameter: 60mmMaximum effective range: 2.17 miles (3490 meters)Rates of fire:Maximum: 30 rounds/minuteSustained: 20 rounds/minuteUnit Replacement Cost: $10,658
Mission: To provide the company commander with an indirect-fire weapon.
Features: The M224 60mm Lightweight Mortar is a smooth bore, muzzle loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon. The cannon assembly is composed of the barrel, combination base cap, and firing mechanism. The mount consists of a bipod and a base plate which is provided with screw type elevating and traversing mechanisms to elevate/traverse the mortar. The M64 sight unit is attached to the bipod mount via a standard dovetail. An additional short range sight is attached to the base of the cannon tube for firing the mortar on the move and during assaults. It has a spring-type shock absorber to absorb the shock of recoil in firing.
Background: The M224 replaced the older (WWII era) M2 and M19, 60mm Mortars. These weapons only possessed 2,200 yards of effective range. The M224 was designed to fire all types of the older ammunition, but its primary rounds are of the newer, longer-range type.

A quick primer on this system.

Consider it the Commander's pocket artillery, if the prohibition against the use of the M224 drags on it will degrade combat effectiveness.

What I don't know is if the safety stand down for the system extends to combat zones or if its just for training.

Old Skool Pirates in formation.

via War Machine.  Corsair II's and Buccaneers about to deliver some pain.

7 Marines killed in Nevada. Military training is inherently dangerous.

Consider this.  In one training accident more Marines were lost stateside than in the last two weeks (maybe longer) in Afghanistan.  

Military training is inherently dangerous.

This will happen to a SWAT Team in the US one day.

I haven't heard of this happening in the US and the Law Enforcement Officials in this GIF appear to be from a different country but you can bet it will happen here.

Austal sees it slipping away.

Question.  Where is the Independence?  The USS Freedom for all its warts and new paint job is zooming to Singapore to begin its first overseas deployment.

But Independence is missing.  We haven't seen her.  And now we have this from DoD Buzz.

It appears the U.S. Navy is preparing to buy only one of the two variants of the Littoral Combat Ship after 2015, according to a Defense News report.
Vice Adm. Tom Copeman, the head of Naval Surface Forces, issued a classified report at the end of 2012 called “Vision for the 2025 Surface Fleet” in which he recommended a “re-evaluation of the next flights of LCSs — beyond the 24 ships now delivered, under construction, on order or with contract options,” wrote Chris Cavas of Defense News.
The Navy had planned to build 52 LCS ships. If the services chooses to cut that order in half, the service will likely purchase only one of the LCS variants — either the Freedom-class or Independence-class designs, according to the senior Navy officials that Defense News cited.

If I'm right and the end is near for the Independence then Austal should kick itself.

The Independence with its huge flight deck, tri-hull design and futuristic looks has been the darling of the blogging community and military theorists.  When people were trying to add missions sets to the LCS class it was with the Independence in mind.

Now?

Not so much.

The damn ship can't get out of port!

If Lockheed Martin wins this battle, if the Navy picks the Freedom class over the Independence and if this report is true then we are looking at a defense leviathan.  Lockheed Martin will (if they win in the JLTV and MPC contests) become an even bigger defense giant.  Right now they're looking like the first defense mega-corporation.

One or two smart acquisitions and there will not be a defense project in the free world that could go forward without their participation.

Pic of the day. 31st MEU. A walk in the park.

Pic of the day. RAF Sea King Search and Rescue Helicopter.

K-MAX Mission Extended Indefinitely in Afghanistan