This is how it would look!

A U.S. Navy landing craft utility (LCU) from USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) prepares to move equipment and personnel ashore for Pacific Partnership in Tonga. Working at the invitation of each host nation, Pacific Partnership is joined by partner nations that include Australia, Canada, Colombia, France, Japan, Malaysia Singapore, South Korea and New Zealand to strengthen disaster response preparedness around the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tim D. Godbee)

An LCU stops far short of the beach and discharges its cargo.

This is how the concept would work if the Marine Corps adopted this method to achieve over the horizon surface assaults utilizing both its LCAC/LCU and Marine Personnel Carriers and Amphibious Combat Vehicles.

The Ships would launch its LCACs and LCUs from over the horizon to a predetermined set of coordinates...they would discharge the first wave of vehicles.  For the second wave the LCAC/LCU would make the entire run to the beach and we would use airpower and naval artillery to keep the enemy away from our landing area.

Additionally the first wave could motor inland and establish a different beachhead to keep the enemy off balance.

The whole point of this is that we have the tools necessary already.  We don't need to make the same mistake of designing a high water speed amphibian.

First select the right vehicle for the MPC and get it into the fleet asap.  Next decide what you want in an ACV but understand that we have workarounds already on hand to negate the need for high water speed over great distances.

WE CAN DO THIS NOW!  We just lack the leadership with the vision to get it done.

The U.S. Army

Marines, Army form quick-strike forces for Africa

via USA Today.

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps and Army have developed quick-reaction forces to respond to attacks such as the one in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador.
The Marines will base 500 troops at Moron Air Force Base in Spain, about 35 miles southeast of Seville, said Capt. Eric Flanagan, a Marine Corps spokesman. They can be flown on short notice to African crises aboard six Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
Those aircraft can take off and land like a helicopter and cruise at more than 300 mph. Two KC-130 tanker aircraft have been dedicated to refuel them in flight, which will expand their reach.
The unit is known as the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force for Crisis Response. It will act as a first responder to U.S. embassies in the region on behalf of U.S. Africa Command, Flanagan said. It will be on standby to help evacuate Americans from hot spots and to provide disaster relief and humanitarian missions.
The Army has developed the East Africa Response Force, which operates under the Combined Joint Task Force — Horn of Africa. Its headquarters are at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. The company-size unit is equipped with aircraft to conduct evacuations and rescue missions in the region.
"Soldiers have been on the ground in Djibouti to support this mission since April and have the capabilities they need to conduct it," said. Brig. Gen. Kimberly Field, deputy director of strategy, plans and policy for the Army.
The soldiers for the force come from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Riley, Kan.
The Benghazi attack on Sept. 11, 2012, exposed the vulnerability of U.S. outposts in dangerous countries. Although Pentagon officials knew of the attack as it was happening, they lacked forces in the region capable of responding fast enough to help. The consulate was overrun by Islamist militants, killing Ambassador Christopher Stephens. A nearby U.S. facility was also attacked.
The light, quick forces deployed by the Marines and Army are designed to fill that gap in north and east Africa.
"Benghazi really throttled things up," Flanagan said. "Everybody has looked at the threat and decided this is the new normal. We need something more responsive in the North Africa area."
Benghazi proved that the Pentagon needs to respond quickly to "flare-ups," said Loren Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute and a defense industry consultant. The Marines are his choice for the job.
"This mission should be given to the Marines, because they have Osprey tilt-rotors that can get to fights fast and then land anywhere," he said. "They also have amphibious warships that allow them to act without access to land bases. The Army doesn't have the right equipment for quick-reaction forces in the Mediterranean or Middle East."
Peter Singer, director for the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution, said there have been about two embassy emergencies or evacuations each year for the past decade, making the Marine and Army quick-reaction forces necessary into the foreseeable future.
They're a "good idea," Singer said. "The response time at Benghazi was unacceptable. Period."

And the bad ideas keep coming.

*  1st ID is now one of those geographically aligned divisions the Army is so quick to want to experiment with.  What happens if it hits the fan and they're needed somewhere else though?

*  Why isn't SOCOM shouting from the roof tops for this mission?  Its probably because they know what everyone inside the military knows. This is gonna be a Security Forces type setup.  You train your ass off, you stand inspection upon inspection, go through all kinds of "readiness exercises" and you never do it for real.  The dirty little secret is that the State Dept will evacuate an embassy faster than you can say...whatever it is you want to say.  These units will NOT be used as designed.

*  The head shed is finding another reason for being as far as the V-22 is concerned.  Nicely played...but we still need new armor more than we need new V-22s.

China's looming Expeditionary Airborne Forces.

Do you remember the Chinese Heavy Transport Airplane that they've recently started testing?

I do.

I hope you did more than me and simply dismiss it as another example of the Chinese copying more plans from foreign governments and building weapon systems.

I hope you put it together in a way that I didn't and realize that this seems to be part of a greater strategy.

Its really quite obvious when you step back.

I've called for the US Army to forward deploy a Battalion or two of its 82nd Airborne to the Pacific to act as rapid deployment forces to be used in conjunction with Marine Forces.  I'm not as enthused about Stryker Brigades in an air transported role but the US Army had that as a requirement when the vehicles were first developed/delivered.

But what happens if your doctrine is pure?  What if you didn't suffer a decade plus of IED warfare?  What happens if your vehicles are in the 15-25 ton class and air transportable.

What if your wheeled vehicle is something like this...

ZBD-09.  The Chinese Stryker...20 tons lighter than the Double V-Hull US Army Stryker.

We've all been pumped up by the tech coming to the Chinese Air Force and Navy but have missed the improvements at a more basic level.

They're putting together the parts to have a truly expeditionary, air transportable, mechanized infantry unit that will augment several airborne divisions already in service.

What does this mean for our defense posture?

We could be looking at Chinese naval activity as a clue to their intentions and miss aerial transports operating inland that suddenly sortie out to land an air mech/airborne infantry force on a strategically or politically important island.

I could be wrong, but if you put the new air transport together with vehicles that appear to geared more toward pure expeditionary operations rather than stabilization or extended ground combat then I think my guesses might be spot on.

Police Officer killed in standard ambush. Is this just the beginning?

via LEX18.com

The Bardstown Police Department chief says the the agency has received threats against its officers in the wake of the shooting of Officer Jason Ellis.
Ellis was shot to death in an ambush along an onramp to the Bluegrass Parkway back on May 25.
Chief Rick McCubbin confirmed the threats, but did not reveal their nature or how the department received them. He says his agency has notified the Kentucky State Police.
Police continue the investigation into Ellis' murder. A reward for information in the case has grown to more than $125,000.
Anybody with tips can call KSP Post 4 at (270) 766-5078 or email norman.chaffins@ky.gov. You can also visit www.kentuckystatepolice.org and follow the links to our Text-A-Tip line.

The reaction by LEOs will be telling.  If its another over reach I would expect to see more of this.

Quite honestly I expected to see this much sooner.

Just a bit more civil strife...Just a few more changes to social norms....and the table will be set (especially if the economy remains weak).  Police always talk about the streets being a warzone.

If this kicks off they'll find out exactly how wrong they were.

Lockheed Martin Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)

26th MEU. Eager Lion 2013.

Propaganda: Chinese Aircraft Carrier Strike Group with J15, J20

I believe we've reached (in the common vernacular...especially inside the beltway) a tipping point when it comes to the Pacific.

The approach that the US Navy is taking versus that of the Chinese is telling.

We (America) is doing the "politically correct" thing.  Partnership missions.  Military to military contact with China.  Expressing the desire for greater visibility on defense systems and spending.  Encouraging our allies to buy our equipment for greater interoperability....

China however is doing something else entirely.  Over the past year their were dust ups between China and Japan, China and the Philippines, China and India...They've been hyper aggressive in their cyber espionage and reportedly have stolen the plans for our most important programs.  And they've made alliances with everyone from Australia to Iraq and Iran, to various African nations for natural resources.

The US is involved in an untested, perhaps useless exercise in partnership missions while China doggedly attempts to increase its strategic reach, solidify its supply of natural resources and increase the effectiveness of its military.

Now tell me which approach do you think will be successful.

31st MEU. Pre-deployment Training. Helo Dunk Tank.

Is it my imagination or are we seeing a whole bunch of activity suddenly from almost ALL the MEUs?  26th is taking care of business in Jordan, basically splitting in two with about half exercising with the Jordanian military and the other half on the Syrian border...11th is doing stuff with the Japanese at Dawn Blitz...you have the CARAT exercises going on....its an interesting time.

First Flight of the A350 XWB will take place on 14 June

Well.  Looks like AirBus just doesn't give a damn and they're going "balls to the wall" on the A350XWB.  Why do I say that?  Because I got this in my Blogs EMail this morning.  Good job on their part and I post it here because I expect AirBus to continue to be aggressive into the future and I'm betting that we might see an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), Maritime Patrol and perhaps even a Tanker version.

300: Rise of an Empire - Official Trailer

Hmmm.  When I saw the '300's trailer it grabbed me immediately.  I saw the trailer and knew that I would see the movie and buy the DvD.

This one?  I can't say why but it just isn't singing to me.  I think they're really missing out on what the public loved about the first film.  I see a big flop ahead.

China launches manned Shenzhou-10 craft to experimental space station.

More Faulty Thinking From HQMC.

This is killing me.

Doctrine is being developed on the back of note cards and wishful thinking.  I don't believe any of this can actually have been wargamed.

Quite honestly its a doctrine that simply enshrines current Pentagon Group Think.  via National Defense Magazine.

Working with allies and helping to train their armed forces — or what the Pentagon calls “phase zero” operations — would help avert armed conflict as the United States would have a huge coalition on its side to deter a potential enemy, Simcock said.
Navy and Marine Corps officials in Asia are convinced that “engagement” is the ticket to peace in the region, he said. “Countries are very receptive to the type of engagement that the Navy and Marine Corps bring to the maritime theater,” he said.

No country wants to see the United States increase its military presence in the area permanently, but Asian allies welcome opportunities to train with U.S. forces and buy U.S. technology so their weapons are compatible. “That type of engagement and access is what we build upon” to push back against enemies that would seek to deny entry to U.S. forces, he said. “The relationships we build today, before any crisis hits, will pay off when a crisis occurs,” regardless of whether it is a man-made or a natural disaster.

Read the whole thing at NDM.

But a question.

Do you remember being in a bar and watching two guys going at it.  You might know them both...and you're sure that they have other friends in the room too, but everyone kicks back and watches the festivities.

Why?

Because its not your fight.  At most you might break it up, but you won't weigh in on one side or the other.

That's the Pacific region.

If China decides to make a run on the Spratly Islands claimed by Japan, who would come to Japan's aid?  The US?  We would debate the issue until it became a done deal.  Thailand, Australia and Singapore intervening on Japan's behalf?  Not likely.  The Chinese are not idiots.  They'll be doing prepping operations too.  Diplomatic prepping operations.  The stage will be set where no country will aid Japan.

A Marine General show know this.

As a matter of fact I'm sure he does.  What this is, is a strategy to fool the public into believing that we're keeping pace with the Chinese militarily while our forces are being gutted.

What do partnership missions bring?  An active looking military that is in essence being hollowed but still giving the impression of being robust and vigorous.

I really hope the Pentagon realizes what its doing.  The left never supported them and soon the right won't either (when they figure all this out).  What happens when America's most trusted institution is no longer trustworthy?

Chinese Stealth Bomber?

The above photo is floating around the internet and I have no idea where it came from.  The usual Chinese websites that I frequent haven't made a fuss and all and I haven't seen it on them.

What is interesting is that they have a concept out.  If they follow usual practice we should see the real thing in about 6 months or so after they release the image to Chinese bloggers.

If China is developing a first rate air force that rivals or is even superior to our own, then US Army and Marine Corps planners are going to have to plan for an eventuality they haven't faced since before WW2.

Having to win a fight against armored infantry forces that are qualitatively equal, and numerically superior without the benefit of air support.

That should chill the bones of every analyst in every think tank in Washington.

Note:  All it will take for the Chinese to gain "quality" equality with US ground forces is a much improved Main Battle Tank.  Whether they steal the tech, buy it or develop it, once they do that then all bets are off in a sustained ground campaign...especially if they commit all available forces to the fight.  As it now stands, I seriously doubt that the US could prevent China from taking Taiwan...and I'm sure we couldn't take it back if they dug in.

Helo Ambush. How to kill an air centric MEU during humanitarian relief ops.

Thanks to Paralus for ideas on this topic.

The Marine Corps is moving toward an air centric MEU.

It has me pulling my hair out, punching walls and yelling in the woods.

It makes no sense and recent combat has demonstrated the stupidity of such a move.  But since leadership is intent on following through with this, let run through a scenario of how you can ambush the MV-22 and basically destroy an MEUs Ground Combat Element that has been forced into being an airmobile, seagoing version of the 101st airborne.

Humanitarian Relief Scenario.

*The location is the Philippines.
*Blue force is an MEU providing disaster relief.
*Red force is anti government rebels.

The 15th MEU is tasked with providing disaster relief to the Philippines after they suffered a devastating earthquake.  Manilla is severly damaged and in addition to US forces, the Japanese, Chinese and Australia have also pledged support.

The 15th is forward deployed and will arrive some two weeks before other relief works get to the scene.  This is tasked as a disaster relief mission so the port that is still operational will be used to speed supplies to those affected.

Anti Government rebels are seeking to increase publicity for there cause and to take advantage of the situation to gain concessions from the government.

A large deck amphib sitting dockside at the former Subic Bay is too tempting a  target to pass up.  Normal government patrols are absent as all available Philippine personnel are already turning to on relief operations.

This is too good to be true and the rebel commander orders rocket attacks on the ship.  He's also smart and waits till MV-22s are returning from relief missions to launch his attack.

He's studied the MV-22.  From watching videos on the internet he knows the planes vulnerability.

Yes.  It flies high and fast.  Yes.  At speed it can effectively get away from any attack that isn't well planned.  But IT DOES have a vulnerability.  The commander has watched hundreds of videos and he notices that even in an assault, the plane is less maneuverable than ordinary helicopters.

If you catch it while taking off and landing then you can strike at its achilles heel.

And thats just what the commander does when he order the rocket attack on the big deck LHD.

The ship has 16 MV-22s.  They have been running missions with four airplanes on a continuous basis.  With those they also launch a AH-1Z or a UH-1Y to escort...but after watching them for a couple of days the escort seems to be off on other tasks.

The rebel commander has it well planned.  He has 20 teams out with 4 men in each.  They're armed with RPG-29s that can punch through a tank.  He's interested to see how they'll do against the hull of a ship sitting dockside.  He also has four teams armed with SA-14s.  They were smuggled via the blackmarket from Libyan stocks and should come as a surprise to the Americans.

They'll launch on command.

The last flight of MV-22s was coming in just at sunset.  It was a beautiful day in a land of devastation and the Marines felt proud of the role that they played in helping get the Philippine people back on their feet.  The Commandant (another air winger) had been bragging about the efficiency of this new air centric MEU and how it was tailor made for humanitarian relief operations.

We would soon see how it stacked up to a coordinated helo ambush.

The rebel  commander waited till two of the MV-22s were in a hover getting ready to land on the ship while two others were also hovering a bit behind and  further back from the deck.

The results were impressive.  He ordered his men to aim as close to the waterline of the ship as they could and his SAM teams were equally effective.

The MV-22 can hover if it loses power in an engine...but not if it loses an engine and the rotor.

Two of the MV-22s were shot down over the ship,causing secondary explosions and additional loss of life on the flight deck.  One other MV-22 got caught in a type of helter skelter unique to tilt rotors.  No altitude, no speed and no hope while trying to evade a missile.  He beat the missile but loss the fight against gravity.  It would be counted as pilot error for political purposes but the men of the 15th MEU knew better.  In essence enemy action caused him to attempt a maneuver that got his crew killed.  The last MEU successfully evaded the trap and landed at a Philippine military base.

The big deck didn't fare any better.  It wasn't designed to withstand relatively close range RPG fire. One lucky gunner managed to hit the engine compartment and the armor piercing warhead did the rest.

The Marine Corps first experiment with an aircentric MEU and humanitarian relief as its reason for being failed.

Grunts would once again be in charge of the Corps.

BMD-4M Upgraded Airborne Infantry Combat Vehicle

via otvaga2004.ru

Glock Magazine. New York version.

Ya know.  The previous weapons bans got us the super small pistols like the Glock 26.

I can see a trend toward small frame but large caliber pistols getting popular in anti-gun states.

That is sad though.  What do people find attractive about living in New York?

FNSS 8x8 Pars.

Many thanks to DWI for the vid!



Why is Turkey's defense sector growing so fast?  

Because its government supports it.

What happens when a military organization puts out a request for a vehicle and then backs out of the deal?  You publicize what you're bringing to the table and you get public or at the very least blogging community support for your gear.

Lockheed Martin, BAE, General Dynamics and SAIC are doing nothing to promote their vehicles.

Its as if they're so afraid of each other that they don't realize that the program they're fighting tooth and nail for is dying right before their eyes.

FNSS is doing it right though.  Good for them!

US Navy to buy V-22s. JMR just died.

via DoD Buzz.

The Navy has reached a $6.5 billion deal with a joint venture of Textron Inc.‘s Bell Helicopter unit and Boeing Co. for 99 V-22 Ospreys that likely cements the long-term future of the tilt-rotor aircraft as part of the military’s air inventory.
The five-year contract through 2017, with an option for 22 more Ospreys, was expected to be announced Wednesday, according to James O’Donnell, a spokesman for the V-22 Joint Program Office at Naval Air Systems Command, which negotiates contracts with the manufacturers.
O’Donnell said the order will include 92 MV-22 Ospreys for the Marine Corps and seven CV-22 versions for the Air Force, with advanced radars and extra fuel tanks for Special Forces operations. The five-year bulk order was expected to save $1 billion over buying the Ospreys individually, O’Donnell said.

First you can practically kill the Joint Medium Replacement program for the blackhawk helicopter.

It will limp along but for all intents its dead.

Second.  This cements the info I got.  The Marine Corps is prioritizing aviation over the ground side and will continue to do so into the immediate future.

I take back what I said earlier.

This is a plan but a pitiful, sad, disastrous plan.  Earlier I stated that at least we had a direction.  We do.  The wrong direction.

Last.  This also cements the fact that MEUs are now air centric, lack the stated capability of 15 days unsupported combat and are now simply a show of force.

Amos has thrown away over 100 years of designing a war winning organization and is another of those "change agents" that doesn't have a fucking clue.

I said earlier I hate the bastard.  I was wrong. I utterly despise the son of a bitch.

Note:  Loren Thompson, a person whose views I once respected, is touting the talking points from HQMC.  Want to read the insanity?  Click here but a small taste....

That’s one reason why the Corps gave up on a pricey replacement for its 1970s-era amphibious assault vehicle, and wants to start over with a more affordable solution. It desperately needs a faster, more survivable way of getting from ship to shore, but when the time came to make a choice several years back, Marine leaders decided it was more sensible to invest fiscal and political resources in the agility provided by the MV-22 tilt-rotor and the F-35B successor to the Harrier jumpjet. Now they are gearing up to make the case for a new and improved amphibious “tractor.”

Let me give you a quick fact check on this mother fucker.

If you canceled the V-22 buy you could afford the Marine Personnel Carrier and have enough money left over to probably fund half the buy of Amphibious Combat Vehicles.

92 fucking V-22's but they want to be stingy with money for the ACV and MPC?  At the price of the V-22 if we canceled it we could afford the EFV! 

Federal Law Enforcement....

via Sheepdog Tactical.

A DEA officer stopped at our farm yesterday "I need to inspect your farm for illegal growing drugs."

I said "Okay, but don't go in that field over there.....”

The DEA officer verbally exploded saying, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me!" Reaching into his rear pants pocket, the arrogant officer removed his badge and shoved it in my face. "See this fucking badge?! This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On any land!! No questions asked or answers given!! Have I made myself clear?.... do you understand?!!"

I nodded politely, apologized, and went about my chores. A short time later, I heard loud screams, looked up, and saw the DEA officer running for his life, being chased by my big old mean bull...... With every step the bull was gaining ground on the officer, and it seemed likely that he'd sure enough get gored before he reached safety. The officer was clearly terrified.

I threw down my tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of my lungs.....

"Your badge, show him your fucking BADGE!!"