Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). Is it obsolete before it even reaches service?

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 7th Munitions Squadron transport a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) toward a B-1 Bomber June 12, 2013, at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The weapon loading was part of a trial-run for munitions Airmen prior to the first captive carry test conducted by the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron on June 17. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Damon Kasberg/Released)

The USAF is conducting a test of the LRASM onboard a B-1.  But it occurs to me that this missile is obsolete before it even gets into service.  Stats via Wikipedia.

Long Range Anti-Ship Missile
Type	Long-range anti-ship
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	Planned to enter service in 2015
Production history
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
Specifications
Warhead	1,000 lb blast-fragmentation penetrator[2]
Operational range	370 km (230 mi)+[1]
Launch platform	Mark 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS),F-35 Lightning II

I'm sorry but a cruise missile flying at medium altitude to get to the target area and then dropping low to make a sea skimming final run seems ok in theory, but the range is what has me doubting.

Modern anti-air missiles (at least some of them) will be able to launch on the subsonic missile while its cruising at altitude.  By definition it will be saturation attacks or expect mission failure.  According to Wiki, there was a planned LRASM-B that was to be supersonic but it was canceled.

I just wonder.

Is this the type of weapon that will win in the Pacific or is it simply about the illusion of progress?

31st MEU at Talisman Sabre.

Side Note:  Spartan Brigade is suppose to do an airborne operation....the jump into country it appears is part of their "Joint Forces Capability Certification".  I marvel at the Pentagon's swing toward the old Rumsfeld edict of being able to provide metrics to each and every moving part.  The paperwork alone must be back breaking.

13th MEU gearing up.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, secure a rooftop as a flare illuminates the mount town during a Composite Training Exercise at Camp Pendleton, Calif., July 17, 2013. COMPUTEX is a scenario driven exercise aimed at integrating the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the ships of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group through simulated real-world operational events.

Is there an Amphibious Assault Vehicle water speed limit?

What does the LVT-1, LVT-2, LVT(A)-1, LVT(A)-2, LVT-4, LVT(A)-3, LVT(A)-4, LVT-3C, LVTP-5, LVTP-7, AAV and AAV RAM/RS all have in common?

A water speed of around 8mph.

That's it.  Over 80 years of technological improvements and we're barely (and I mean JUST barely) moving faster than a World War 2 tracked landing craft when it comes to getting Marines ashore in armored transports.

The EFV was the first real attempt at a high water speed Landing Vehicle Tracked but it required a complicated drive and suspension system with the added benefit of packing more power than a M1A1 Abrams Tank (horsepower that is).

Everyone knows where I stand as far as the bird in hand versus one in the bush.

I want the MPC now.  Everything else (procurement wise) be damned.

If a water speed of around 8mph is the upper limit when it comes to Landing Vehicle Tracked without overpowering it and making it uber complex with the side issue of having it water plane then the MPC is making more and more sense.

"Do you want the Marine Corps to be a group of Boy Scout pretty boys...."...THE FUCKING QUOTE OF THE YEAR.

“Do you want the Marine Corps to be a group of Boy Scout pretty boys or do you want guys that will go out and kill the people trying to take advantage of your country and kill Americans?” he said. “Which do you want? Because you can’t have both.”

Sgt. Joseph Chamberlin, USMC

Meet Samantha Powers. Next Ambassador to the UN?

Famous quotes or phrases from Ms. Powers....

Power, a former White House adviser and longtime Obama friend, once likened U.S. foreign policies to those of the Nazis.

And this...

In a March 2003 New Republic magazine article she argued that American foreign policy needs a "historical reckoning" which would entail "opening the files" and "acknowledging the force of a mantra we have spent the last decade promoting in Guatemala, South Africa, and Yugoslavia."
She continued: “Instituting a doctrine of the mea culpa would enhance our credibility by showing that American decision-makers do not endorse the sins of their predecessors. When (German Chancellor Willy) Brandt went down on one knee in the Warsaw ghetto, his gesture was gratifying to World War II survivors, but it was also ennobling and cathartic for Germany. Would such an approach be futile for the United States?"

Read the entire article at FoxNews here.  Luckily we have retired Generals and other high ranking officials lobbying the Senate behind the scenes to kill her nomination.  Confidence is not high but at least they're trying.

Concept Art by Dawnie 2008.

http://dawnie2008.deviantart.com/

Type 56 Corvette (China's LCS) underway via Chinese Military Review.

This was something from the transcript that I didn't state as an eye opener.  Admiral Greenert stated that the Chinese looked like they were taking preperations for the RimPac exercise next year seriously.  That they even sent mid level officers to the initial planning and that it was really a non-event.

I think China is going to come to play and play hard.  An eye opening display of military power AND competence is what I believe we'll be seeing.  This can serve as a real coming out party and serve as a warning to enemies, while acting to reassure wavering friends.

I think RimPac just went from an annual event with not much to it, to now being an event that will likely shape defense stances throughout the Pacific.  If I'm right, I can't wait to see it.

Note:  In a post I pitted the LCS vs Chinese Fast Attack Missile Boats.  That was the wrong opponent.  LCS vs Type 56 is probably correct.

What does the CSIS talk tell us about the future of the Navy and Marines?

So after reading and watching the discussion held at CSIS about the future of the Navy and Marines, I think I've identified a few priorities.

*  The push for "tailored" forces is going to continue...they just don't know in what form yet.  I heard enthusiasm for the JHSV.  Talking about putting 300 Marines onboard and zooming around at 35 knots sustained, with berthing, dining, medical and command/control facilities really seemed to thrill the two of them.
*  Concern about the shipbuilding infrastructure.  I think the LPD Flight II is almost getting a boost simply because of the fear of losing that trained workforce.  That's both good and bad.
*  The talk regarding the MLP still seemed forced.  I still get the impression that the ship is being looked at from the view of a dog chasing a car and catching it.  What now?  We'll see but confidence remains low that it will ever really be part of the amphibious fleet.  For some reason they keep defaulting to the Afloat Forward Staging Base concept as a prime reason to keep it.  Mind you they emphasize the cost of conversion but I'm betting there is some horse trading with SOCOM over those costs.
*  I heard what I wanted to hear regarding the Amphibious Combat Vehicle but confidence is not high.  In the same sentence he stated that the F-35 was also a must have.  That indicates to me that there will be no adjustment in the procurement plan.
*  There was no talk about the LCAC upgrade, or the LCU replacement.  I get the feeling that we'll have to make due with what we have for the foreseeable future.

There is probably a bit more but I'm going to go back and re-read the transcript to see what I might have missed.

CSIS vid with Admiral Greenert and General Amos

Admiral Greenert and General Amos Transcript via CSIS.

After reading a couple of different reports on the "talk" that the two flag officers had at CSIS, I decided to read it for myself and posting it here for you.  You definitely get a different flavor of priorities and events from the reading.

  130715_armos_TS

SU-25 vs. A-10. Which is better? via Defense IQ.

Harrier mishap. via SeaPower Magazine.

via Seapower Mag.

Harrier Jet Runs Off Runway in Afghanistan
By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor
ARLINGTON, Va. – A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft has been damaged in a landing mishap in Afghanistan.
The AV-8B, assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 311 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., was damaged July 10 during its landing roll-out when it ran off the runway at Camp Bastion.
According to a source, the aircraft’s outrigger landing gear collapsed, causing the Harrier to veer off the runway. The pilot ejected and survived.
The extent of the damage to the aircraft is being assessed.

Hmm.  An ejection.  Sounds like another aircraft that will be written off...this incident has Class A mishap written all over it. 

Russia develops a faster, harder hitting, more lethal anti-tank/multipurpose missile. via Russian Gazette

The Russians are claiming to have developed a tri-mode anti-tank missile.  Not only is it Supersonic, but it also has optical, laser and millimeter guidance.  Added sauce for this goose is the ability to launch two missiles within 4 seconds of each other and a 152mm claimed size of the warhead.  In tests its supposedly been proven effective against all modern tanks, even those equipped with reactive armor.

Seeing the success of the RPG-29 in Iraq, I'd say that American Tankers and Track crews might be hoping for active protection measures sooner rather than later.

Cop captures escaped convict via Harris Tactical!

All I could think is its almost football season.

If Gillibrand gets her way you better not even look at a female Marine/Servicemember.

Drill Instructors once pounded it into the heads of recruits to never, ever, EVER have dealings with WMs.

From the looks of things, that advice is no longer given.

Let's hope for the sake of some sad sack out there that they get back into the habit of warning young pups about the dangers cause Congress is about to get stupid.  Via Politico.

Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz have joined an upstart effort to remove the chain of command from military sexual assault cases, POLITICO has learned.
The tea party favorites give the bill’s lead sponsor, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, critical conservative cover as she battles the Pentagon and hawks in both parties on her proposal to create a new prosecution system for major military crimes.

Go to Politico to read the whole thing but  Military Law is about to be changed forever.   This won't stop at sexual assault cases.  How can you justify only placing that crime under civilian authority while murder remains under military control.  That will be the slippery slope.
Every interest group will attempt to get their pet cause moved to civilian courts.  Drunk Driving?  Mothers against drunk driving will insist on it.  Animal cruelty?  Peta will be all over you.  The list will go on.

This will be the biggest failure of this JCS.  They will be the crowd that allowed good order and discipline to be taken from Commanders and given to civilian prosecutors.  The JCS played checkers while women's rights groups played chess.  Haynie and TwentyTwenty (and all his gay brothers and sisters) should be proud.

KC-130's are listed but F/A-18's are left off the MEU's equipment roster.

  Standard Meu Equipment

When you look at the roster of Marine Corps equipment assigned to each MEU, one piece is missing.  One major piece of Marine Corps equipment.

The F/A-18.

It really could be argued that not having EA-6B's assigned is also a severe oversight but I'll ignore that for now.  Its stunning that the F/A-18's aren't part of the unit.  If KC-130's are able to make use of land bases to keep in "touch" with a MEU at sea then we  should be able to do the same with the F/A-18's.  I can't wait to find out the reasoning behind this.

SU-50 hits price spike.

via IDRW.org.

India’s biggest defence project in the making, the critical joint development of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) with Russia, has flown into some rough weather.
Defence ministry sources said the inking of the final design and R&D contract for the stealth fighter has been hit by a huge delay, with Russia also jacking up costs for the futuristic project. “It’s very unlikely the FGFA final design contract will be concluded in the 2013-2014 fiscal,” said a source.
This contract was to be inked in 2012 as per the then revised timeline after completion of the preliminary design contract (PD C) phase. India will eventually end up spending close to $35 billion over the next two decades to induct over 200 such “swing-role” fighters.
The plan till last year was that India would begin inducting the FGFA from 2022 onwards, with IAF test pilots getting three prototypes in 2014, 2017 and 2019 for trials at the Hindustan Aeronautics manufacturing facility at Ozar.
“The timeframes will now have to be revised. MoD has established a committee of specialists and finance officials to verify the rise in costs. An internal contract negotiation committee is also in progress,” said the source.
But India remains firm about rejecting the US offer for joining its Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) or the F-35 ‘Lightning-II’ programme. “A lot of money and time has been invested in the FGFA with Russia. India simply cannot afford two FGFAs, both financially as well as logistically” he said.
The 18-month PDC worth $295 million for the FGFA with Russia was inked in December 2010, under which Indian designers and scientists have even been stationed in Russia to work out the blueprints and documentation for the fighter.
Though the Indian “perspective multi-role fighter” will be based on the Russian single-seat FGFA called Sukhoi T-50 or PAK-FA, which now has four prototypes flying, it will be tweaked to IAF requirements. IAF had initially pitched for 166 single-seat and 48 twin-seat fighters but will go for only single-cockpit jets now to reduce costs as well as protect stealth features.
The final design contract now being negotiated was pegged at $11 billion, with India and Russia sharing $5.5 billion each towards the cost of designing, infrastructure build-up at Ozar, prototype development and flight testing. Each fighter was to cost over $100 million.
IAF is quite confident the T-50 will meet its future requirements. Apart from ultra-manoeuvrability and supersonic cruising ability, the FGFA will carry its weapons inside the fuselage to lower its radar signature. With a cruising speed of Mach 1.7 to 1.8, it has both long-range strike and high-endurance air defence capabilities.
IAF is currently making do with just 34 fighter squadrons (each has 14 to 18 jets) despite needing at least 44 to keep both Pakistan and China at bay. It’s banking upon the ongoing induction of 270 Russian Sukhoi-30MKIs for around $12 billion as well as the early inking of the almost $20 billion project to acquire 126 French Rafale fighters to plug operational gaps till the FGFA becomes a reality.

 A few things....

*  India has moved from viewing Pakistan as its primary enemy to now viewing Pakistan & China as potential threats.  This could prove interesting.  I've never seen a nationalistic and militarized India but it has a great warrior tradition and its gaining the tech to be a force in the future...
*  Seems like its darn near impossible to build a stealth fighter to budget.  Either its harder than the engineers let on or its a business practice to get governments tied up into a project to such an extent that to pull out will be seen as money wasted.  The shocking thing is that this appears to be a worldwide issue.
*  I keep seeing posts that talk of a navalized SU-50.  If they were to eventually get one into service that would scare the US Navy in ways we can't even imagine.
*  I (meaning you too) need to get my hands on a brief about the SU-50 that was briefly on Commander Salamanders pages and on the Dew Line.  Its now marked private (on the Dew Line's scribd site) and something tells me that secret info was revealed.  Pic of the brief follows---if you have a copy send it my way.  Its listed as unclassified but I've never seen a document so thoroughly scrubbed from the web.

Gun Guys, Conservative Media and the Republican Party walk right into the trap....again.

"I believe that this tragedy provides yet another opportunity for our nation to speak honestly about the complicated and emotionally-charged issues that this case has raised. We must not - as we have too often in the past - let this opportunity pass." -Attorney General Eric Holder speaks about Trayvon Martin case

I am amazed.

Where once the Obama Administration was teetering on the edge due to the Benghazi Scandal, the IRS Scandal, the NSA Domestic Spying Scandal, and the Eric Snowden cluster, they now have an Attorney General that was once viewed as a liability being looked at as a great hope, a President that is on the verge of getting his appointments confirmed by the Senate so he can do by regulation what he couldn't by law and a continuing foreign policy mess.

All because of the continued focus and the tit for tat reactions surrounding the Martin killing.

Amazing.  History will show this as a time where the Republicans let the message get away from them and the gun lobby and the conservative media will be lined up as scapegoats.

NOTE:
There are many blogs to choose from.  If you decide to post comments that I consider racist then they'll be removed.  Its as simple as that.

HMS Queen Elizabeth. Coming together nicely.