The 1st Armored Division is in Jordan...

If you're going to test a concept AND have troops in place to carry out directives from the President then the Chief of Staff of the Army either has a crystal ball or planning that is beyond perfect.

via Army.mil and Bob...

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 3, 2013) -- About 100 Soldiers from the 1st Armored Division are now in Jordan, within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, as part of an advance headquarters element that will pave the way for follow-on Soldiers in the June "Eager Lion" exercise there.
Maj. Gen. Sean B. MacFarland, the new commander of Fort Bliss, Texas, and the 1st Armored Division, or 1st AD, will himself go forward in a few weeks to meet up with his deputy, who is already in place, in order to participate in the exercise.
"It's an opportunity for us to develop mil-to-mil relationships with the Jordanian armed forces," MacFarland said. "The 1st Armored Division is regionally aligned with the U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, area of responsibility, or AOR, so building on our ability to operate and establish greater bonds of mutual trust with the Jordanians is a huge benefit for our troops who are going over there, and familiarizing ourselves with Jordan."
The exercise will involve about 8,000 personnel. About 5,000 of those will be U.S., and about 3,000 will be Jordanian.
The 1st AD is "regionally aligned" with CENTCOM, something the Army has recently started to push. A regional alignment flags Army units to prepare to go forward and support combatant commanders as they address mutual threats and interests with partners; build capabilities of partners so they can handle things themselves; and increase influence to have access if needed.
Regionally aligned forces can include Army capabilities in direct support of combatant commanders every day. They also include personnel and units assigned to a theater, U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. European Command have the bulk of these. Additionally, regionally aligned forces include those units in an "allocated" status, given to a combatant commander for a specific mission for a specific period of time and under his direct control.

The 1st Armored Division is in Jordan.

The 26th MEU is in Jordan.

The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group is off shore.

USAF assets in the form of F-16 squadrons are on the way.

Additionally allied forces are suppose to be participating in this exercise.

When you have this many forces in a region ready to go several things can happen.  Either it can be something that you want because of a plan, or it can be forced action because of enemy activity.

Two words for you.  If you're a commander then they're in all caps.  Force Protection.

Hezbollah and the Iranians are our adversaries?  This will not be good.  Not because they're better than us.  They're not.  But they've practiced fighting combined arms organizations like ours when they go up against the Israeli's.

If that's a guide then we can count on one more thing planners might not be considering.  Hezbollah likes to kidnap soldiers. 

This is going to be anything but simple.

Skunk Works® -- 70 Years of Mission Driven Innovation

Kearsarge ARG Photoex...photos by MC2 Corbin Shea.

I've been so focused on the 26th MEU on the ground in Syria that I've forgotten that we have our ARG floating off shore in an almost classic cold war Russia vs. USA stance. This will be interesting to watch.

Iran sends its Revolutionary Guard (Immortals) to Syria. Will Rangers and MARSOC put the name to the test?

MARSOC recently had an award ceremony where the awardees were running around in SPARTAN replica headgear.

Interesting considering the fact that the Spartans didn't create special units and simply raised their entire force to elite standards...something that was once the hallmark of the Marine Corps.  I digress.  Persia...I mean Iran is reportedly sending 4000 of its troops to help defend Syria.

Pentagon planning has it that SOCOM is ready to conduct strikes to seize weapons of mass destruction (read that to mean chemical and certain conventional weapons ... more than likely MANPADS).

Which means that we could see the first real deal meeting between Iranian and US Special Operations (and I'm not counting reports that I've heard that Iranian Revolutionary Guards were advising rebels in Afghanistan).

This mission set (if it gets green lighted) will fall to the Rangers and MARSOC.  Special Forces would turn down a raid of this type without second thought (Its not their thing--not their mission set...and they won't plus up a mission just to satisfy planners or Flag rank if history is a guide).  MARSOC and Rangers would jump at the chance (Rangers especially train to conduct Battalion sized operations---MARSOC started off doing Battalion sized ops in Afghanistan but switched to the SEAL model after the first deployment)...which leaves me wondering about SEALs.

For the fanboys, memory is short, but SEALs had a very spotty record in the Special Ops game until recently.  In previous years, they had been mauled on several occasions when conducting platoon sized missions.  Additionally when going up against conventional forces they suffered an alarming mission failure rate that was often chalked up to poor intel/greater resistance than expected.

Syria is starting off as the war that no one wanted except for the extreme left (humanitarian hawks) and extreme right (global interventionist all the time--McCain and his cronies).  I'll be interested to see how McRaven, MARSOC, Rangers, SEALs and the aviation assets of SOCOM (along with the obligatory MV-22 that Amos will demand on at least a few missions) perform.

This is the fuse that could light the whole thing off...and with a President needing a distraction, and an economy that needs revving...maybe a large scale regional war is exactly what the policy makers actually want.

UPDATE:  Required reading.  Bob (thanks!) provided a couple of links that makes me wonder if this isn't further along in planning than even I thought.  Take a few minutes, digest it and ponder exactly what it means...

http://killerapps.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/06/10/the_us_has_5000_troops_in_jordan_for_an_air_defense_and_disaster_relief_excercise

http://www.army.mil/article/104693/1st_Armored_Division_troops_aligned_with_CENTCOM__ready_for_Eager_Lion_kick_off/

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20121021/DEFREG02/310210010/U-S-Israel-Kick-Off-Austere-Challenge-Missile-Exercise

82nd Airborne IS making a move toward the Pacific! Can we get a Brigade forward deployed next?

An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper handles a snake during Jungle Survival Training with the Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (Indonesian Army) 17th Airborne Brigade as part of Garuda Shield bilateral training, June 12, 2013, in 1st Kostrad Headquarters, West Java, Indonesia. Sponsored by United States Army Pacific, the training is in its seventh year.

About the caption to this photo...

1.  I'm calling bullshit on what they're trying to imply.  They're giving the idea that the 17th Airborne Brigade has been rotating troops through this training regularly.  I might have missed it but I've only seen the occasional frontline unit go through this training.  Lots of Marines but few Soldiers.

2.  He can try and put on his war face but I can tell he ain't happy.  Check out his death grip on dinner!  A few more minutes and that snake's head is gonna pop off!!!!:))

3.  Now how about we make room in the back of the base the Marines, Navy and Air Force is building in Australia (way in the back...closest to the swamp water) and stick a Reinforced Company of Paratroopers there permanently...we can rotate them in and out but eventually we can have the dream ticket (if they don't jack up the formations) of a MEU (full strength with armor) and Airborne Light Infantry along with C-130/C-17 detachment from Pope AFB to fly them around showing the flag (heck they can jump into Singapore, while we hit the beach to show what a combined Airborne, Amphibious Assault looks like...that should make the Dragon piss his pants).

Sidenote:  Australia is about to become the modern day Germany and Philippines/Japan rolled into one.  Military men go their single but come back with wives....Recommendation?  Don't do it boys.  Save your pennies and make weekend jaunts to Sydney.  Paradise awaits but hurry.  5 years in and it'll be filled with graby ya catch ya bars right off base.

We revived the concept and EADS will finish it...

A heavy lift airship.

Once sought by the US Army and now presumably abandoned is revived by EADS.

They'll probably make it work too.  Oh and check out EADS' fantastic Paris Airshow Video Page here.

Sunday Selfy..

Note:  Although we all lust after this body type is it biologically possible for it to be achieved naturally?  By that I mean without the use of silicon or water soluble based enhancements?  Body fat on women that is low enough to show abs is usually low enough to make "the good stuff" diminish proportionally.  Ok.  That's a sign of too many beers.  Why do I even care?  This pic is approved!

Happy Fathers Day...Marine style.

via Tactical News Magazine.

VBTP-MR 6x6 Guarani Torc.

via TechnoDefesa

The TORC-30 is a tower modern dual employment (antiaircraft and ground) that uses the cannon Rheinmetall MK 30-2 ABM (Air Burst Munitions) of 30x173mm (the same used in Puma IFV) and, according to Ricardo Azevedo, Director Marketing ARES, this station will be equipped with weapons shooting system already employed at REMAX, also developed by the partnership CTEx and ARES.
Although anti-aircraft capability, the TORC-30 does not have a radar, which significantly reduces the weight of the tower, eliminating the need for structural reinforcement pillars as Guarani equipped with the turret TU-30 BR-Elbit AEL. The TORC-30 also has a lower profile than the tower Israeli.
This program was secured with funds from FINEP. On 23/07/2012 the fund disbursed R $ 3,198,500.00 for the design and construction of the prototype, which Rheinmetall cannon should arrive in Brazil during the second half of this year. The design and manufacture of tower 30 TORC is scheduled for completion in 2015.

And now it begins.

I missed this news from LAAD, but the arms makers are rushing in to make sure that every possible variant is fielded, and that they're providing components for it.

But the bigger news is that Elbit is getting competition from all directions.  RAFAEL is making a new 30mm unmanned turret and now Rheinmetall is marketing their Puma setup.  This is nothing but good news for the USMC.  Especially if we had a REAL Marine Personnel Carrier program running. 

Help needed! A comprehensive history of the AAV-7/LVTP-7

Hey all!

I need your help.  I'm looking for a comprehensive history of the AAV-7/LVTP-7 from development to its current build.

Ideally it would cover all modifications, both sanctioned and "hillbilly" mods done in the field, along with costs.  Combat history of the platform isn't really what I'm after...that's already well documented and easily found.  Whats got me stumped is a history of the vehicle itself.

Recommendations would be appreciated...in or out of print is irrelevant.  A complete history would be ideal but even if a book covers from development to the '80's would work (for example).

Thanks!  Sol.

BAE's historic data dump.

I wondered what was going on when I got these in my mailbox and a little "google-foo" showed me that BAE uncovered these secret projects and ITV published a story on it that is only now making it over to the US.  Read it all here.

BAE Fighter Jet Take-Off Platform

Note:  They keep putting 'em out and as long as they're cool, I'll keep posting 'em!

S-300 is a beast. One system is altering US military options.

Have you been keeping up with the talk about a no fly zone in Syria?

If you have then whats been talked about is almost shocking.  I'm reading between the lines but it appears from my Command Chair in Camp SNAFU! that US military options are being shaped by the S-300 and fear of it.

Why do I say that?

I read earlier that they were discussing using F-16's from Jordanian airbases to enforce a zone that extended 25 miles into Syria.  F-16's would fire their missiles from inside Jordan to destroy any aircraft violating that zone.

That was quickly knocked down as only an option.  Later we heard that the Army would be sending Patriot Missile Batteries to join Marine units on the border.  I found this to be particularly interesting because the USMC doesn't have organic anti-air except in the form of the aircraft that accompany the MEU.  Hell it doesn't have organic anti-air even at the division level (I won't touch the MEB and MEF which I consider to be full scale warfare orgs).

But again, I'm off track.  One missile system...not even the Russians most advanced...is keeping the allies (US and Western European forces) from mounting a vigorous no fly zone like we saw over Libya.

What happens when we face a real deal, 100% fully integrated air defense establishment over a country doing bad things?

The S-300 is a beast.  The S-400/500 must be Monsters.

(VBTP-MR) 6x6 Guarani in full scale production in Brazil.

Impressive.

In the span of a few short years, the Brazilians have put forward a request to industry...selected a winning design...negotiated a favorable price & production schedule...and put it into production.

During the same time span, the US Marine Corps (once considered the finest fighting organization the world has ever known) has done basically nothing.

Is there a better example of a power in decline than this? If not then I can point to about 100 other things that point to the same conclusion.  We need to get our house in order from the top down.  We don't have a sexual assault, desecrating of enemy body, failure to treat our sick and wounded (although those are legit issues) problem...we have a leadership problem.  No more "stand downs" to address these issues with the troops...This is an 0-5 and above problem and the answer can only come from those ranks (not ignoring the SNCO's here but they implement policy, not make it).

First course of business?  Accept that change cannot come until there is change at the top.  AMOS MUST GO!

But back to the issue at hand.  Put on your Google translate and read about the VBTP-MR here.

Blast from the past. BAE's concept "Jumping Jeep"

The 'Jumping Jeep' was a concept reconnaissance vehicle capable of leaping over obstacles - a 4x4 transporter flanked by 12 vertical lift fans, whose angle could be adjusted dependant on the situation - allowing the jeep to overcome enemy barriers.

Developed by BAC Warton at the request of the British army in the 1960s, the design was an attempt to adapt vertical take-off and landing technology to vehicles and was developed with the Ministry of Defence's Fighting Vehicle Research and Development Establishment.

The project was cancelled in the mid-1960s, due to assessments that production of the design would be too expensive

BAE Intercity Vertical-Lift Aircraft. AWESOME!

The Ultimate Close Air Support Airplane.

via Sobchak Blog. ..you really should pay him a visit.  Good stuff.  Fun stuff.

The new multi-purpose attack aircraft TAMARR-1 comes under the philosophy that the firepower is never too much. To avoid unnecessary complications of contemporary F-35, its simple cell is already built amphibious, terrestrial, hydro and VTOL version as the only one in the assembly line. Its wide range of weapons, fixed and launch, allows him to cover the whole spectrum of missions desirable: Cas, Coin, ASW, anti-tank, anti-ship, air superiority, strafing, strike, ect. It 'also equipped with an internal bomb bay capable for special loads. Thanks to the double probe bivalent its autonomy is unlimited and does not need fighter escort. In the R & D was discarded each configuration recce, because useless arrives, it finds and destroys everything is gone. A reconnaissance mission post is superfluous.

1st MEB Press Release goes full retard. "Historic" landing on Japanese ships? Really? Seriously?

This is getting embarrassing.

You put out a press release that you're going to "cross deck" the Marine Corps MV-22's on Japanese helo capable ships and instead of looking at it as business normal, you loudly proclaim that its HISTORIC!

Really?

Seriously?

Can someone in that head shed PLEASE take a step back and realize how stupid this sounds.  Its suppose to be able to take off and land like a helicopter, so whats historic about this?  Check out this quote from the release....

"The very first landing of an MV-22 Osprey on a Japanese ship is a historic moment for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Marine Corps at large. Dawn Blitz provides us an opportunity to enhance our longstanding relationship with the Japanese and to highlight the capabilities of the MV-22 Osprey, which allows the Marine Corps to quickly respond to a crisis when launched from sea or land." – Brig. Gen. John Broadmeadow, 1st MEB commanding general.

Wow. I think the General hit all his marks...

**Buzzwords inserted into the statement?  Check!
**Proper brown nosing of the Commandants policy on promoting the V-22?  Check!
**Demonstrated kiss ass-itude required for promotion to the next rank...with added brown nosery to demonstrate that deep selection to the rank of Commandant and 4 stars will result in policy makers have a properly polished "hole"?  Check!
**Going full retard to show the world that you're an idiot?  Check!  

Failure abounds.  The Marine Corps is fucked.

The Aviation Mafia is killing the Corps.

Go here and read the article.

Then come back.

Once you've done that check out the passages that I've highlighted below...

Former Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation Lt. Gen. George Trautman agreed that the service will return to its traditional role in the vast stretches of the Pacific. “The presence of strength breeds prosperity and peace,” he said.

Another Aviator is being quoted in a story about the Marine Corps future.  Hold onto your wallet when the wing is in charge of anything.

Overall, the Marines are in good shape for the Pacific theater, having procured the Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor and the Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, Trautman noted. The only real problem is that the U.S. Navy has not agreed to provide the service with as many amphibious assault ships as the Marines believe they need.
“Other than the fact that the United States Navy is unable to provide them the amphibious lift that’s essential to moving large amounts of equipment and men and materiel around a vast ocean,” Trautman said, the service is in good shape.

No.  The General is wrong.  Marine Aviation is in good shape.  MARSOC is in good shape.  The conventional forces are in disarray.

Because of sequestration automatically cutting Pentagon outlays by 10 percent every year for 10 years, the U.S. government does not have a lot of spare cash. While the Marines clearly would like to have the high speed of the ACV, Work said the service simply may not be able to afford it. “The Marine Corps with LCACs, MV-22s, and the amphibious capabilities they have right now is a very capable force able to conduct complex ship-to-shore maneuver,” he said.
And with all of the capabilities the Marines are scheduled to receive in the coming years, like the heavy-lift Sikorsky CH-53K helicopter, the Marines will remain “a pretty damn good” force ideally suited for the Pacific even without the ACV, Work noted. Given the competing priorities of paying for the MV-22 and F-35B, there is a dearth of financial resources available to the Marines, especially if the sequestration law is not overturned. Whether and how the ACV fits into the mix will depend on exploratory work now being conducted on whether the Marines can get a platform capable of high water-speeds for an affordable price. “Ultimately, it’s a trade off,” he said. “What do you want to keep?”

Its clear.

They're setting up a scenario to make a pitch that the ACV is not needed.

Additionally they're setting it up to make the argument that an upgraded AAV will be sufficient, and that with the JLTV the ground side will be more agile and as protected as ever...especially in light of the new toys that the wing is getting.

So count on the ACV & the MPC to be cancelled by the aviation MAFIA riding roughshod over the Marines.

Amos has to go.

We don't need another Aviator in the Commandants Chair and where are the retired Marine Corps Commandants from the Infantry side of the house to fight all this?

An aviation centric Marine Corps is no longer the Marine Corps.  

This game trailer should scare the shit out of you!

Galvars!  Thanks!  You just made me plop down money for more ammo and food.  You bastard (joking)!



The Black Helicopter crowd was right about government spying.

They're right about our society being so complex that breakdown is inevitable.

Are they right about a society without rule of law?  I don't know but I'm lifting harder, dieting even stricter and practicing even more.