The Army Wife's Motto.

Amos loves the LCS?

USMC0802!  Thanks for the article.  It has me punching walls but thanks!

Amos likes the LCS.  Fabey likes Amos.  I can forgive Fabey.  Its a common trait for reporters to get close to the seats of power and to become enamoured...happens all the time to political reporters so why not with defense reporters?  But back to Amos.  I THINK HE IS TRYING TO PISS ME OFF.  Now he's in love with the abomination that is the LCS??  Amazing.  Check this out from Aviation week.

If the U.S. Navy can untangle some of the rather significant acquisition, operational, logistical and programmatic knots still tying up its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) efforts there are plenty ready to court the vessel for missions – providing the LCS works as advertised.
The latest would-be LCS-lover is Gen. James Amos, U.S. Marine Corps commandant.
“I like the LCS,” he says. “I’m a big fan.”
He is also enamored with the LCS cousin ship, the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV). “We ought to create ways to use the JHSV and LCS.”
Now, I grant you, that folks at the level of a Gen. Amos are somewhat honor-bound to be diplomatic. He’s not about to say nasty things to a reporter about one of the U.S. Navy’s prized programs.
At the same time, the commandant has a – well-earned – reputation for being a straight-shooter, of being honest sometimes to a fault. If he likes something you know it – and if he doesn’t, well you will always get the idea.
If he truly didn’t like the LCS, he would have found a truly diplomatic way of saying so, but left little doubt of how he truly felt.
Instead, he was quite adamant about his affection for the LCS – or at least the concept of the LCS.
But, for the moment, that is the point. We are all talking concepts here. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus talks about the idea of moving Marines around in an LCS or JHSV and the commandant understandably likes such a plan. The Marines are getting back to their expeditionary roots now and what better way to get a small reconnaissance team ashore quickly and quietly than with an LCS?
You can just picture Marines zipping out the stern door of a Freedom-class ship under the cover of darkness in a rigid-inflatable boat toward some remote coast.

Uh wow.

First, this Commandant has basically shit canned the whole idea of Company Landing Teams (CLTs) and ignored all the work done with distributed operations from the sea.

He's also tied the Maritime Raid Force (Force Recon) solidly to the MEU so what Marines are going to be using the LCS or JHSV?

If the Marine Corps falls to 150,000 boat spaces which I think is within the realm of possibilities then we'll barely be able to use the lift that we currently have much less deploy Marines onto LCS'.

The more I see the more I am convinced that HQMC is truly dazed and confused. 

AAV getting blast seats?? We're gonna need more vehicles for the same lift.

via Bill Maloney website.

The program office won't answer my e-mails (I can't blame them...I'd hate me too) but a simple question isn't being answered.

If the AAV is getting blast seats then you're losing dismounts.

By my count probably four or five at least.  Which means that you're going to need more vehicles to carry the same number of Marines ashore.

Which means that HQMC isn't doing the math and that this is simply a case of public relations being done to keep the natives quiet.

What I'm saying is that the current plan doesn't pass the smell test and doesn't answer basic questions.  Once again we're being lied to.  You think that this is a good interim plan?  Think again.  Its bullshit.

V-22 Tanker demonstration in August. This could be a game changing mod.

Via JEFFHEAD Buildup...a theoretical posting on what a future force would look like.  You definitely need to take a look...many great ideas.

via SEAPOWER Magazine.

By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor
ARLINGTON, Va. — Bell-Boeing, the joint venture that builds the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor transport aircraft, plans to demonstrate the aircraft’s potential as an organic aerial refueler during trials in early August.
“By using a concept that is being developed by Bell-Boeing engineers, using the roll-on Mission Auxiliary tanks, Bell-Boeing will do an airborne demonstration of V-22 in the tanker role with their technology demonstrator aircraft,” said Brian Roby, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems’s field office representative in San Diego. “It is my understanding that they will drag a refueling basket behind the aircraft at various positions with an F/A-18 in the refueling position. No fuel will be passed during this demo; it will just be a proof of concept.
“Should this demonstration be successful it will be another significant step towards demonstrating how a single type/model/series aircraft, V-22, can provide added mission utility while attached to a carrier,” Roby said.

I hate how much of the Marine Corps budget the V-22 is eating up.

I hate the idea of the Marine Corps becoming aviation centric.

I dislike some of the mission profiles that this airplane flies...it get there fast but is limited in landing zones, is mostly unarmed (for all practical purposes) and I am not a fan of how whole fleets of vehicles are being designed for internal carriage in this plane.

But I can't lie.

If they can make this work, then it will be a game changer.  Quite honestly I can see the 160th scooping them up like chips at a party.  Imagine the range gained for the CH-47 used by the Rangers.  Imagine the reach of CV-22's flown by AFSOC.  Yeah.  They'll be all over it.

Then think about the Israelis.  They want to use the V-22 for Special Ops missions and recovery of pilots.  They'll buy the tanker version just so they can get deep into Iran to recover agents ... and then pick up downed pilots when they go after the Iranian reactors.

Consider Japan, the UK, Italy, and Spain.  All are going to be F-35 users and they all have LHDs to operate them from (or soon will).  Suddenly combat air patrols are being done at a greater distance, strikes can go deeper, the list goes on.

But for Boeing the hits don't stop with the V-22.

Some smart boy is gonna figure out that for those forces that use helicopters and have a need to fly far or to have them on station for a long time that converting a CH-47 or CH-53 to refuel other helos might be a good idea.

This system will be modified to fit those helicopters and they will carry ALOT of fuel.

Boeing just hit the jackpot.

Saker S-1

Read about it here.

Assault Amphibious Vehicle Upgrades: Survivability/Mobility

  Assault Amphibious Vehicle Upgrades:  Survivability/Mobility

Marines well on the way to getting out of Afghanistan.

Good.

Afghanistan can turn into a Special Ops playground again.  They complained about conventionals in their AO, lets see how they like it with us out the way.

Don't believe him. An upgraded AAV will be re-labeled as the "new" Amphibious Combat Vehicle.

via Aviation Week.

By Michael Fabey
The U.S. Marine Corps will probably issue a request for proposals (RFP) for its amphibious combat vehicle (ACV) in early 2014, says Gen. James Amos, Corps commandant.
“That program is alive,” Amos said June 26 during a discussion roundtable with media.
The Marine Corps has secured and saved a “moderate amount” of money for early program development, he says.
The ACV is the proposed successor to the Marines Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) program that was halted because the vehicle, which takes Marines from ships to shore and also serves as a combat platform, proved too expensive.
“We’ve really been working this,” Amos says. The Corps has been trying to reach the right kind of trade-off between requirements and cost for the platform, which the service considers to be vital to its expeditionary nature.
“What do you really need,” Amos asks rhetorically. “We’re only going to get one bite at this apple. I don’t want to mess this up.”
The Marines, he notes, have been working with contractors to see which type of vehicle would meet requirements without proving too costly.
The Marines need something akin to a pickup truck, he says, not a high-end sport utility vehicle
Cost is another concern for the joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV) program, Amos says.
“The JLTV is moving along,” Amos says. “I need them. I like them. But I keep telling people, keep the cost down or I’m not buying them.”

An RFP for a new amphibious combat vehicle in early 2014?  BULLSHIT!  They've lied before and they're lying now.  The reality is simple.  The AAV will be upgraded and redesignated an amphibious combat vehicle and that will be the vehicle this pathetic, feminine, incompetent Commandant drives.

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

Late Addition:  USMC 0802 will say that I'm being too hard on Amos but I disagree.  He has led the USMC straight into a sea of confusion.  Leadership is second guessing itself...when you have a Command relieved because of an accident on the firing line in Vegas, but no punishment happen to individuals that were leading in Afghanistan when the enemy succeeded in knocking out a Marine Squadron then I'd be second guessing myself too.  Amos has thrown away Marine Corps doctrine to kiss SOCOM ass and relegated Conventional Marine Forces to a supporting role for MARSOC, he has supported integrating women into combat units and lied to Marines by telling him that standards won't be lowered when he knows full well that he is going to do exactly that...Amos is pathetic.  I'm glad to see loyalty but in this case I think it will be misplaced loyalty.  One other thing.  Notice the SgtMajor of the Marine Corps has been real low profile lately?  Yeah.  He knows the natives are restless.

82nd Airborne at JOAX 2013...photos by Airman 1st Class Cory D. Payne

I was about to be impressed till I noticed that they're jumping "Hollywood"...no gear at all.  They must be putting in "jump pay jumps" in while they have a bunch of Air Force Transports looking for work.

IL-112 vid.

Note:  I read on the Aviationist website about the Russians looking for a replacement for the AN-26.  He mentioned the IL-112.

I like it!  We need the Russian fully in the armored vehicle/aircraft/ship design game again.  The Chinese are simply copying Western designs and the Europeans are simply following the US' lead (by that I mean that they aren't innovating, they're simply seeing what the US military sees as an issue and building to meet that....in essence they're building variations on a US theme).

The Russians could be counted on to come up with unique solutions to problems.

We need that, if only to keep us on our toes.

CARAT Malaysia 2013.

Note:  These CARAT exercises are great in theory but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around exactly what they're trying to accomplish.  Marines working with foreign forces is a good thing.  But many of these countries are facing active insurgencies/terrorism.  I've questioned the need for MARSOC or SEALs on MEUs, but the need to include them in these CARAT exercises and to perhaps establish a forward base with the permission of the host country seems like a no brainer.  

CV-22B's enroute to Europe via Military Photos.

26th MEU combined arms live fire by Cpl. Kyle Runnels

Orion Spacecraft Graphic.

Dismounted Patrol by Cpl. Alejandro Pena

Brazil test fires its new GEPARD Air Defense Vehicles.

Flight Operations by Sgt. Jennifer J. Pirante

Lockheed Martin's Final JLTV Development Vehicle Rolls Off Assembly Line

via Lockheed Martin Press Release.

The Lockheed Martin team produced a total of 22 JLTV test vehicles, which were manufactured at BAE Systems' Sealy, Texas, manufacturing facility, a world leader in the production of military and severe-duty wheeled vehicles. Delivery to the U.S. Army and Marine Corps for long-term testing and evaluation is scheduled for August 22.
"Lockheed Martin is committed to providing our soldiers and Marines with a vehicle of unequalled capability and dependability, and one that is affordable both to buy and to operate," said Scott Greene, vice president of ground vehicles for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "We are excited to get these vehicles into the hands of the customer. Early break-in testing is under way, and we are confident that our JLTV design will serve our servicemen and women well."
Following successes in the program's Technology Development phase, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps awarded Lockheed Martin a $65 million contract in August 2012 to continue developing JLTV through the EMD phase. Initial tests demonstrated that the Lockheed Martin design provided blast protection equivalent to much larger mine-resistant vehicles in service today.
The Lockheed Martin Joint Light Tactical Vehicle balances the "iron triangle" of protection, performance and payload while maintaining affordability. Compared to general-purpose vehicles currently in service, the Lockheed Martin JLTV will provide greatly improved crew protection and mobility, lower logistical support costs, superior fuel efficiency and state-of-the-art connectivity with other platforms and systems. The team's current JLTV design maintains the proven force protection, transportability and reliability of the earlier Technology Development model, while significantly reducing weight and cost.

Sorry.

I can't get excited about this concept.

It doesn't thrill me and if I can't get the MPC then we don't need this.  The Commandant signed onto this to placate the US Army and everyone in the Corps is screaming to just upgrade the existing Humvees.

Lets see exactly how far his "jointness" goes.  If he continues with the JLTV then we know that its not about whats best for the Corps but rather what can he do to please another branch.  Our armor house is in shambles.  The AAV is elderly, the M1A1 is in need of upgrading, the MTVR has been rode hard and the only thing that is new is the EFSS, whose mission I still have to figure out.

We'll see what we'll see but confidence is not high.

Lebanon & Jordanian deployments?

I'm listening with one ear to FoxNews and I believe I heard them say that 1000 Marines would be staying in Jordan and that F-16's and Patriot Missile batteries would also.

Additionally I heard that trainers would be going to Lebanon.

Uh Wow!

Hezbollah just struck Lebanese Army Checkpoints killing a couple of officers and wounding several soldiers.

Yeah.

We're going to play cute and get drug into another war.  Sidenote.  If those Marines are from the 26th MEU then that is now an understrength unit.  If they're not going straight home then they're on a restricted footing when it comes to mission capability.

Marine Personnel Carrier. An opportunity lost.

I think we missed out on a great opportunity with the cancellation of the MPC.

Not only were we going to be able to select a wheeled amphibious personnel carrier that was either proven in combat or in testing but additionally, we missed the chance to standardize with the Army and become fully digitized.

Yeah.

We could finally do something joint that has teeth.  We could leverage off Army architecture in the Stryker and fully integrate ourselves into mechanized combat.

Additionally, we missed out on savings for maintenance and could have finally gotten our infantry into proper armored protection.

Instead we're faced with continued vacillation and doubt about whether or not the Amphibious Combat Vehicle will be a high water speed variant or a product improved version of what we have now.

Bad times don't last and neither do design teams.  The people from BAE and Lockheed Martin will soon go on to other projects.  All the work done on these vehicles will be lost and even if we're able to afford them 10 years from now the institutional knowledge will be lost in those shops.

Are we so wedded to tracks that we couldn't see another way?

Are we so wedded to over the horizon assault that we can't see the gold sitting right in front of our faces?

It would appear we are.  That's a shame.  The EFV/ACV is now historic in its failure and in its length of development without product.

Chesty would be ashamed.