AAV-7A1. Vehicle interior. Why the legacy vehicle isn't good enough.

NOTE:  I'm going to give quick and dirty reasons why the current AAV-7A1 just isn't good enough.  First up.  Interiors.

Note  There is usually a bench down the center of the vehicle to provide additional seating.  You're seeing the "Hollywood" version here---its shown to the public and dignitaries to give the illusion that the vehicles are big and roomy and comfortable for the Marines that have to ride in them.

AAV interior.

Lockheed Martin Havoc interior.

Yeah.  Guess which one protects better against blasts--will deliver its passengers to the objective in better shape to fight....

Pvt. Martinez

TrackingPoint. Implications galore.

Many thanks to Patrick for sending me the link!



I need to chew on the implications of this.  A .50 cal, plus determination, plus TrackingPoint and a big dose of audacity would seem to indicate mission success every time...especially if you use a little common sense.

Textron does turrets...

Note:  I've been in the saddle for the Lockheed Martin Havoc, been gaga over the BAE SuperAV and the CV-90 Armadillo, so spare me a few minutes to be a bit impressed with of all things Textron Turrets...thanks for the link SPUDMAN!!

This is the tried and true AAV style turret...just upgraded a great deal.

Same style AAV turret yet its remote weapon system...I never knew it existed...

This is a 25mm remote weapon station that looks capable of fitting onto the existing AAV weapon station.

30mm remote weapon station (Apache chain gun).

30mm Bushmaster caliber remote weapon station.

105mm turret.  It looks like the same that was once tested on the V-600.  Personally I'm glad to see the institutional knowledge and the work invested preserved for future use. 

A proposed LAV-Assault Gun offered to the USMC

About those Japanese AAVs.

When it comes to Japan building a Marine Corps (my opinion) or at the very least developing a credible amphibious force (same thing as a Marine Corps except in name) we know a few things.

They have LCACs, LPDs, LHAs (and developing bigger ones), they're looking at V-22s and they have or in the process of acquiring AAVs.

As far as the AAVs are concerned what we don't know is telling.  Specifically since the deal with SAMSUNG Techwin Heavy Industries fell through what does that mean for Japanese procurement of the vehicle.

*  Are they going to source the necessary vehicles from Marine Corps inventory?  If so then things are extremely bleak for a bunch of Marines and they don't even know it.  That would seem to indicate that the drawdown will be deep.  No one is talking about it but the threat of involuntary separations hasn't gone away. Want a kick in the teeth.  Be the Marine that has deployed a couple of times to Afghanistan and then is notified that for the good of the service he's being released.

*New builds from BAE?  That would be a win but I wonder if it would be cost effective for the company.  Tooling up to deliver what...100 or so vehicles?  I don't know if that would appeal to company execs.

*Licensed production of the vehicles by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries?  Seems like a credible option but you have to wonder.  The Japanese are well known for paying higher prices than necessary to produce vehicles at home.  Doing it in this case would seem wise and it would give them a design base to further develop the class beyond what it is now.  The Japanese were once world leaders in the development of amphibious vehicles.  With things heating up in the Pacific this would give them a leg up in that arena again...especially if they relax export rules on weaponry.

It sucks but I'm betting on pink slips for Marines and sourcing from Marine Corps inventory.  It kills two birds with one stone.  The Marine Corps rids itself of unwanted manpower/vehicles and the Japanese get their vehicles at an accelerated rate.

Marines will take the metaphorical bullet again.

Textron actually did it!

Well gawd damn! They actually did it!  Now they just need to do me a freaking favor and answer my e-mails!  I asked about this last week and didn't get a response -- then this pops up on their website.  An expense paid factory tour will be a sufficient mea-culpa.

UPDATE! The Anders question has been answered.

BAE and Polish Defense Holdings will make a formidable team when it comes to the Polish Universal Tracked Platform Contest but it makes me ask the question.

What's going on with the Anders Family of Vehicles?

It wasn't too very long ago that I was geeked about the possibilities that the Anders had to offer (quite honestly they mirror what the CV-90 would give a military force).

Does this mean that we're seeing the end of development for the Anders?  Are we going to see some type of hybrid vehicle?  Is BAE being brought onboard to lend technical advice and I'm wrong about the CV-90 Armadillo being offered?

Time will tell.  I was right on one thing though.  This contest will bear watching.  I can't wait to find out what other companies will enter the fray.

UPDATE:  Massive thanks to Shas for helping me on this!  I have a few of the missing pieces regarding the Anders Family of Vehicles.  The Polish Ministry of Defense is calling Anders a technology demonstrator.  Additionally Shas was able to find out a bit about the requirements that BAE/PHC will be trying to meet.  The little bit of info found requires it to be amphibious and to be able to carry all weapons that the Wolverine (Patria Havoc) can.  Yeah.  Besides lifting, shooting and sex, nothing turns me on more than a good armor competition.

BAE and Polish Defense Holdings teaming up for the Polish Universal Tracked Platform Contest.

via BAE Press Release.

WARSAW, Poland — Leading defence companies Polish Defence Holding (formerly the Bumar Group) and BAE Systems have joined forces to offer new tracked armoured vehicles for a top-priority Polish military programme. Under the exclusive teaming agreement to be signed on 29 May, the two companies will work together to offer a competitive solution for the Polish military’s requirements for a family of 25-ton-plus armoured tracked fighting vehicles based on a “Universal Tracked Platform.”
“Polish Defence Holding’s experience as an in-country prime contractor will be instrumental in developing solutions for this new family of armoured fighting vehicles that will meet the military’s requirements and facilitate production in Poland,” said Erwin Bieber, president of BAE Systems’ Land & Armaments sector.
State-owned Polish national defence champion Polish Defence Holding consists of 40 companies, including 20 manufacturing defence sector companies specialising in munitions and rockets, radars, command and control systems, armour and vehicles.

“Teaming with BAE Systems Hägglunds shows that Bumar is an attractive business partner for the world industry leaders. It also means that the Universal Tracked Platform will benefit from their armoured tracked vehicle technology represented by millions of engineering design hours and zlotys already committed to development over the past 20 years,” said Krzysztof Krystowski, Bumar chief executive officer.


“This will ensure that our joint solution will meet the demanding technical and time challenges of this major programme and will see our team delivering critical operational capability to the Polish Land Forces”.
The multi-billion zloty programme is scheduled for completion by 2022, with the first production vehicles anticipated for delivery to the Polish Army in 2018.


BAE Systems Hägglunds is the Swedish tracked vehicles unit of BAE Systems Land & Armaments. Its key products are the CV90, the BsS10 all-terrain vehicle, and hybrid drive technology.

Geez!

Poland does not mess around.  Anticipated delivery for 2018???!!!!  If only Marine Corps armored programs set as aggressive development and delivery schedules!

It also must be noted that the armor market in Europe is happening in the North and South...in particular Italy and Turkey in the South and throughout the North (too numerous to mention!).

Its really ironic that advancements in armor technology will be supported by what some would call smaller nations and I say are emerging powers.

I watch BAE closely...I'll add Polish Defense Holdings to that list.  This will be interesting.

NOTE: With such a tight delivery schedule you can bet that what we're going to be seeing are updated examples of existing vehicles.  The BAE Armadillo seems like a natural fit for this partnership.  Mine protected, modular and with an insane payload of 6 or more tons (if I recall correctly), its really a no brainer. 

US Marine Corps Police Advisor Team. The most dangerous assignment in Afghanistan?

Intel says that insider attacks will increase this fighting season.  With that fact as a consideration, Police Advisor Teams might have the most dangerous assignment in Afghanistan....or at the very least, the most stress filled.

Philippines gears up. Another reaction to Chinese aggression.

Thanks for the article Jonathan!

via Defense News.

“We have a clear message to the world: The Philippines is for Filipi­nos, and we have the capability to resist bullies entering our back­yard,” Aquino told naval chiefs.
Aquino detailed a 75 billion peso military modernization program that gives priority to upgrading the Navy, which is one of the weakest in Southeast Asia. He said by 2017 the Philippines would acquire two new frigates, two helicopters capable of anti-submarine warfare, three fast vessels for coastal patrols and eight amphibious assault vehicles.
“We will also improve our com­munications, intelligence and sur­veillance systems,” he said.
The Philippines has been locked for more than two years in an in­creasingly hostile dispute with Chi­na over rival claims to the South China Sea, which is believed to sit atop vast resources of oil and gas. China insists it has sovereign rights to most of the sea, even wa­ters close to the coasts of Southeast Asian countries. Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Ma­laysia and Taiwan also claim parts of the sea.
China has in recent years taken what the Philippines and Vietnam say are increasingly aggressive ac­tions to assert its claims. The Phil­ippines said that on May 21, three Chinese vessels — a warship and two maritime surveillance vessels — had established a presence near the Filipino-claimed Second Thom­as Shoal, also known as Ayungin.

A few things.

*  Chinese aggression can no longer be ignored or denied.

*  Do NOT make the mistake of believing that a superior military power will be victorious when invading a smaller country.  THE MOST DETERMINED ALWAYS WIN...if you're fighting for your home, you have tremendous MOTIVATION.

*  Read the history of the war between China and Vietnam.  I expect replays of that conflict to break out soon.

*  Do not underestimate the Philippine Marine Corps.  They are small, yet fierce fighters and have a wealth of experience operating in the Jungles and are considered RELIABLE by the democratically elected government (over several administrations).

I said all that to say this.  If the Phillipines are seeing China as a clear threat then we have crossed a line and are heading toward danger.  They are not a wealthy people but are now devoting an increasingly large portion of their national treasure towards defense.

That should be both telling and chilling for Asia watchers.

VBTP-MR 6x6 Guarani testing vid

Thanks for the link Lucas!

Blast from the past. Caspian Sea Monster Ekranoplan

Note:  This is a blast from the past that probably kept intel and military planners up at night.  Not only an assault craft aimed at our aircraft carriers--able to head out from coastal locations at 300 miles per hour launching supersonic anti ship missiles in clusters--but they also would have given the Scandinavian countries fits trying to defend their shorelines in its troop transport version.  In US form (with unlimited defense budgets) it would be the ultimate ship to shore connector and would enable amphibious assaults from 500 miles off shore!

sims.com

http://luftwaffeas.blogspot.com

http://luftwaffeas.blogspot.com

Japanese Marine Corps. Its coming, so accept reality.

This is piggy backing off my post yesterday.  The debate.  Are the Japanese building a Marine Corps?

The answer is an unqualified yes.

In recent years the Japanese have bought or stated that they plan to buy the following...
*Hyuga Class Helicopter Destroyer.  In any other navy it would be called a LHA.
*Osumi Class Tank Landing Ship.  We would call it an LPD.  Its in the European fashion of that class of ship (see the Italian San Giorgio).
*AAV-7A1.  Self explanatory.
*MV-22.  Self explanatory.
*F-35B.  This nugget was hidden in the story yesterday that I initially failed to notice.  Not only are they looking to buy F-35A but also F-35B.

Defense experts don't like dealing with reality.  A quick glance at Japanese defense purchases reveals the truth to all that want to see it.

They're making a Marine Corps, they're gearing for a fight and the target is an aggressive China.

Givati Brigade and the IAF conduct a joint rescue exercise.

Note:  I see two schools of thought emerging on how to conduct "Combat Rescue".  You have the USAF version where they send out a few Para-Rescue  to retrieve the pilot or sensitive data, and then you have the big option where a Platoon or more of Infantry is dispatched to do the same.  Expect the USAF "way of business" to gain since SOCOM is going to be looking for missions with the wars winding down and terrorism reverting to a law enforcement issue.

Japan. Are we seeing the birth of a new Special Naval Landing Force?

It is really beginning to look like Japan is bringing back its World War 2 era Special Naval Landing Force.

Via Defense News.

Brad Glosserman, executive di­rector of the Pacific Forum, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said he found re­cent talk of Japan bolstering its pre­emptive strike capability worrying.
“CSIS has been conducting dis­cussions on the issue of pre-emp­tive strike for six years, and in recent months, we have seen re­sumption of calls to develop this ca­pability resurface. I am concerned about the proliferation of these ca­pabilities because of the potential­ly destabilizing consequences,” he said.
Japan probably won’t develop a separate marine corps, but it will more likely reinforce its amphibi­ous capability, largely based on the Western Infantry Regiment of the Ground Self-Defense Forces (GSDF) that trained in amphibious warfare as part of the Iron Fist exer­cises with the US Marine Corps in California, analysts say.
Paul Giarra, president of US­based consulting firm Global Strat­egies & Transformation, said the language of the policy proposal opens the possibility of the GSDF equipping one or perhaps two re­giments with advanced capabili­ties, including up to four dozen amphibious landing vehicles over the next five years, beyond the four AAV-7A1S vehicles already planned, and a suitable number of Bell-Boeing V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft.
“I read it more as the [Japan Self-Defense Forces] with some im­proved amphibious capabilities like vehicles and tilt-rotor aircraft. That is potentially a significant de­velopment, but the LDP does not look like it wants to go the whole hog on a marine corps,” said Chris­topher Hughes, professor of inter­national politics and Japanese studies at Britain’s University of Warwick.

Read the whole thing but I'm amazed at a couple of things.

1. The experts are wrong.  The Japanese are well on their way to creating a Marine Corps.

2.  Japan WILL develop a preemptive defense strategy and quite honestly its probably secretly developing nuclear weapons.

3.  You can lay the blame for this at the feet of the Chinese.

My rationale for the above statements is simple.  While the US has been importing goods and "making friends/apologizing" for the Chinese, the nations of the Pacific Rim have been bullied, pushed around, had land invaded and been exposed to the real face of China.

China is a bully and a destabilizing force.

India has been involved in an ongoing dispute with China over their line of control (border).  China has crossed into India, not allowed Indian troops to properly patrol the border and there have been incursions by Chinese aircraft into Indian airspace.

Japan has seen its territorial waters breached by Chinese warships, its fishing boats harassed and incursions into its airspace by Chinese fighters.

Philippines has experienced the same.

Meanwhile, the US continues to try partnership missions as the response to this provocation against our allies.

In Asia, wisdom is prized, foolishness ridiculed and weakness hated.  At the present we're being foolish and weak.  Japan is simply being wise.

Brazil's FX-2 Fighter Contest is far from over. SAAB updates its Gripen offer.

via UPI.com

Saab is one of the three leading contenders for Brazil's jet fighter replacement program FX-2, the other two contenders being Boeing and France's Dassault.

According to the report, Saab aims to compete successfully for a role not just in the Brazilian air force, but also in the Brazilian Navy and hence it is seriously concentrating on its Sea Gripen project. Commander Romulo Sobral recently flew the Gripen D to test if it has flight qualities compatible with the flying qualities desirable for naval aircraft based on aircraft carriers.
Brazil's FX-2 jet fighter acquisition program coincides with a vigorous campaign by the government and local defense industry to develop indigenous aviation industry.

SAAB is hungry.

SAAB is borderline desperate...lets call it extremely determined to sell its airplanes.  Honestly I wonder how SAAB can be denied.  If its a price war then they're going to win going away.  If its a tech battle then the SAAB at the very least matches what the other two planes offer.

Is it all about production offsets? If it is then I don't know who will win.  From my reading almost all the corporations involved with give Rio a slice of the pie.  I guess it'll come down to "best value considerations"....and that type criteria is always hard to determine ahead of time.

VBC-90. The most powerful police vehicle on the planet.

Pic via Jedsite.

 

I've ranted about the large number of MRAPs that are showing up in US police departments.  I've also ranted about the militarization of the police here.

We have nothing on Europe though.

Not only do they have police/military hybrid organizations dotting the landscape but they also employ military type vehicles without complaint by their citizens.  There are numerous examples of these vehicle types but the one that  most intrigues is the VBC-90.

via Wikipedia.

The VBC-90 (Véhicule Blindé de Combat - armoured combat vehicle) is a 6x6 armoured car equipped with a 90 mm high velocity gun in a GIAT TS 90 rotating turret.
It equips the armoured squadron of the Mobile Gendarmerie, with 32 units built.

Wait!  What?  Yeah thats right.  A police organization has a certified 100% combat vehicle.  Additionally it has a 90mm cannon.  Who or what is the intended target for so much firepower?  The average French citizen?  The only way that a person could legitimately resist against this type of vehicle is with IEDs or shop made EFPs but I assume that knowledge is not widespread in French Society.  So what is the reasoning behind a force that is equipped with vehicles this powerful? I haven't a clue.  Perhaps the need for a strong internal security establishment exists because of experience gained during the bad times of WW2.  Maybe its a by product of a socialist society.

Whatever the reason, the French VBC-90 is the most powerful police vehicle in the world.

AAV7A1? Get ready for A2!

I was over at ELP Blog (can't wait to see the debate between him and Elements of Power Blog on the actual cost of the F-35...I'll start the fight if I have to but I want to get some real numbers and its outside my area) and realized that he linked to the Marine Corps budget.

I've read it several times already but followed the link anyway and it dawned on me.

The Amphibious Assault Vehicle is no longer called the AAV in official documents but instead has reverted to AAV7A1.

It might mean nothing but it might mean everything.  Did the Congressional mandate to GAO to study the ACV concept doom it?  Does the mandate mean additional delays to the ACV program.  Did the Congressional mandate to the GAO also delay/kill the Marine Personnel Carrier Program?

If the answers to the above questions is yes then I think we might be looking at an AAV-7A2 as the only viable option left.

If I'm right then we're looking at almost 20 years of development to find a replacement for a vehicle that we end up simply refurbing/modernizing.

That would be pathetic.

F-35. I love ya (still) but damn it stop spinning me!

I still support the F-35.

I still think it will kick ass.

But the supporters (Talking to you Lockheed Martin, the DoD and especially the Commandant of the Marine Corps) need to get down to brass tacks.

First this from AOL.

WASHINGTON: The official costs of the F-35 program have shrunk, not much, but they are down for the first time.
The Pentagon’s authoritative Selected Acquisition Report says the program is projected to be $4.5 billion less expensive than its last estimate. That’s 1 percent of the program.
F-35 December 2012 SAR
We are trying to get more information. Here’s what the plane’s maker, Lockheed Martin, issued this statement. Not surprisingly, they say they are “pleased” and promise to work with the government to lower them further. Here it is:
“Lockheed Martin is pleased with the $4.5 billion reduction in acquisition, operating and support costs reflected in the 2012 Selected Acquisition Report (SAR 12). This is the first year a cost reduction was noted. We will work with the F-35 Joint Program Office to implement further cost saving measures, which will result in additional significant decreases to the total program cost. The top priority of the government/contractor team is to continue to cost-effectively deliver the F-35s unprecedented 5th generation capabilities to the warfighter.”

A reduction of 4.5 billion dollars is nothing to sneeze at.  But the problem is the accounting that is going on with this program.  Why can't we get plain numbers from the DoD when it comes to the costs.  A PER PLANE FREAKING COST ESTIMATE!  Let me remind you that the EFV was considered too expensive when it busted the 13 million dollar per vehicle barrier....and we were going to buy a little over 1000 of those vehicles.

If we're proceeding with programs that cost well over 100 million dollars per article (I'm talking F-35 and MV-22) then I'm going to have serious heartburn and must ask WTF!

Everytime we get program costs instead of individual costs my spider senses activate and I get the feeling that I'm being spun.   Thats the last thing a controversial program needs.

Combat Engineer Vehicles. Sapper or Pioneer Vehicles?

The pic above of is an Assault Breacher Vehicle.  It arrived with great acclaim and was hailed as an example of out of the box thinking, frugality and a can do spirit.

All that is true but its also a remarkably specialized vehicle.  It can best be described as an enabler for the Maneuver Force. It provides protected mine clearing over all terrain with either a highly effective mine plow or line charges.  Blasting fortifications is not in its job description.  Building them isn't either.

The Kodiak gets closer to the mark of a real dual role vehicle and the different attachments that can added to the "extended" arm make it beyond valuable.

Both vehicles serve the needs of the forces that they're attached to.  The Marine Corps developed the Assault Breacher Vehicle and the idea is that its to keep an assault moving...the idea of establishing a defense and fighting from it are actually a role given to the attached Engineer Support Battalions.
The US Army has bought a few ABVs with the idea of them being attached to heavy brigades. These are hyper assault units (the Army won't describe them as such but look at the organization) with defense being a second --- a distant second task.

The Kodiak like I said above is more the dual role vehicle.  Its outfitted to function in the assault using the same plows as the ABV and with the attached arm can be used to build field fortifications.

A quick view then gives one the image that the US is focusing on Sapper type vehicles while the Germans in particular (and many of their European counterparts) are focusing on multi-function vehicles.  It wasn't suppose to be that way and the Grizzly was suppose to give US Army Combat Engineers a true multi-purpose vehicle capable in the offense and defense.  Congress thought better of the idea and canceled the program.

One vehicle that needs to be brought into this discussion in the assault role (Sapper as I'll now call it) is the D9 Bulldozer.  What I find fascinating is that the Israelis were once accused of doing all kinds of horrible things with it.  Then suddenly it was purchased and used by the US Army and others without debate.

The final vehicle on this list is one that I personally consider a failure.  The Stryker based Engineer Vehicle.  Its basically just a Stryker with a mine plow. I love the idea of a Family of Vehicles but this is as big a failure as the Mobile Gun System.

Other combat engineer vehicles are in my opinion variations on commercial vehicles.  A few vehicles were designed to be Airborne, high speed, amphibious etc...They aren't widely used.  It seems like a true multi-function (across all roles) combat engineer vehicle still evades the force.