Marines in the Philippines negotiating for basing rights.

General Simcock...old CO of 1/7...hard as nails.

The Marines are in the Philippines negotiating basing rights...or something like that.  Thanks to everyone that filled my inbox with the news but I just don't see the significance.  We've been down this road too many times. I got excited a couple of times before only to see nothing happened.  I'll save the popping of corks until we see a base established.

Dirty little secret.

The Philippines aren't the lynchpin in the strategy to contain China.

India is.

If we can get a real deal defense treaty with India then China will be fully encircled and will be vulnerable from attack from several different directions.  If the treaty is modeled on the NATO model where an attack against one is an attack against all then war will be particularly costly for the rising dragon.

Marines Share Frank Views with Hagel on Women in Combat

One first sergeant objected strongly, saying that if women could add anything of value to combat infantry units, they would have been handed those missions long ago.

One staff sergeant worried that the Marine Corps’ high standards would have to be lowered if women were assigned to combat. Other Marines in the group agreed, warning that women would not be accepted by their male counterparts living in spartan wartime conditions, or that family lives would suffer, especially for those female Marines hoping to have children.

One lieutenant, however, disagreed with anyone who argued that now is not the right time to start bringing women into combat roles, and several noted that the American armed forces often had led the rest of society, for example, in integrating minorities.

All 15 were forthright, even bold, in expressing their views on a contentious issue with the secretary of defense.

And all 15 of the Marines were women.

Read the entire story here.

Thompson gets it half right about the Humvee Upgrade.

Thompson has an article out at Forbes that makes the case for continuing the JLTV program as is...meaning with Marine Corps participation.  Read it here and a tidbit follows....

JLTV is the product of hard-won lessons in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq — a light utility vehicle that reconciles the need for survivability with the imperatives of mobility, versatility and maintainability. It affords the same 360-degree ballistic and blast protection as an MRAP in a much lighter vehicle that is more fuel-efficient than the humvee. By exploiting new automotive and networking technology, the JLTV will deliver a next-generation jeep that is far safer and more supportable than anything in the joint inventory today.
But that brings me to the impact of budget sequestration on joint-force survivability. Last month, Marine Corps Commandant James Amos told a group of reporters that while he likes the new vehicle and his service needs it, if sequestration continues as currently planned, then “it’s questionable whether I can afford JLTV.” With big manpower bills to pay and other pressing needs that must be met such as finding a replacement for 40-year-old amphibious landing vehicles, the Commandant says he may have no choice but to modify his humvees and forego JLTV.
What that means in stark terms is that someday Marines will die unnecessarily in some overseas fight because they will be riding in a humvee that can’t take direct hits the way a JLTV could. Amos knows that, but he also knows that without a new jumpjet and amphibious tractor, he could take even more casualties. Or he could end up with too few troops after budget cuts to get the job done. So he is engaging in budgetary triage, which means the Marines might back out of the JLTV effort.

Where he's wrong is when it comes to the survivability of the humvee upgrades.  I've followed Granite/Textrons entry closely and I've taken a glance at what BAE had on offer (I don't know if they still are working on something...its been awhile since I checked on their product line) and what they did do is pass blast tests with relative ease.  So protection is checked.  Cost is the issue and the JLTV program was under severe pressure to push down the price even though it delivers stripped down vehicles with less armor than planned.  So cost for upgrades to the humvee are in the unknown category while the cost of the JLTV is in the acceptable range after erasing every bell and whistle and stripping it of alot of its armor.  But a bigger issue emerges for the Marine Corps.

Why is the new mantra with every joint program that the Marine Corps is involved in insists that if you pull out of it or better yet DELAY IT, you will in essence kill it?

This budgetary lack of freedom will bite the Pentagon in the ass.  Some brilliant, hard charging, take no prisoners Commandant is going to tell the SecDef one day to kiss his ass if he wants the Corps in another joint program.

As it now stands the Marine Corps can only kill Marine Corps priority/specific procurements.  The MPC.  Dead.  The ACV.  Delayed.  The JLTV.  Its joint so we can't let you delay it.  The F-35.  Its joint so its safe too.  Something is wrong with this picture.  The Marine Corps is not in charge of its budget, the other services are.  Instead of participating in a joint Army-Marine JLTV program, in hindsight the better option would have been to simply wait till the Army picked a vehicle and then to contract Marine Corps specific modifications.  

What happens to the MEU if the F-35B gets delayed.

The question has been asked.  What happens to the MEU if the F-35 gets delayed?  In my estimation.  Not much.  You have to remember the missions that the MEU is tasked to undertake.  Then you take a look at the highest threat missions...setting the stage for more follow on forces, and amphibious raids, you get a big meh when you consider that F-35's are left behind and AV-8B's are used instead.

But lets do a shits and giggles and take it to an extreme.  Lets say that the F-35B is delayed (as I'm pushing for in preference for getting Marine Armor in shape) and suddenly the AV-8B's suffer some kind of catastrophic issue grounding the entire fleet.  What then?

Up Step The Cobra.

When the Marine Corps first developed the LHA it was a pure Helicopter Carrier.  No fast jets, no well deck, nothing but transport helicopters and attack helicopters.  It got the job done and while we've integrated STOVL aircraft onto their larger descendants we could temporarily flex back into the old skool method.  Drop the Hellfires, use laser guided 2.75 rockets add extra fuel (I'm not sure if you can use rockets with fuel tanks but someone does) and you can still get Raids done.  If properly executed you can even do an amphibious landing for follow on forces.  You would have to accept greater risk and depend on a Burke Destroyer for your Anti-Air efforts but it should be doable.  Additionally this tailored MEU (meaning without STOVL fast movers) would allow for the carry of many, MANY more Cobras.  But you don't like the Cobra reinforce MEU?  How about this....

Bronco Comes Back.

During the Vietnam War both the Navy and Air Force made use of World War II warhorses.  Whats actually surprising about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is that we didn't do the same.  It would have been perfectly understandable (especially in Afghanistan) to utilize some of our old propeller driven aircraft to perform either Fast FAC or even air support missions.  Many like to point to the UAV as successfully replacing those airplanes but in a fluid situation with moving targets and the need too quickly and precisely apply weaponry to bad guy behind you need a set of eye balls in the cockpit, not in Nevada.  Having said that SOCOM is working on a program to bring the Bronco back so it would make nothing but sense for the USMC to participate.  If for no other reason than to provide a proper escort to the MV-22.  If we do decide to delay the F-35B then we could augment our Cobras with Broncos if the worst case happens.

Long story short.  We survive.

The answer is simple.  We survive.  We make do, we adjust and we get it done.  The craziest part of all of this is that we bought practically new (they're were rebuilt by the Brits) AV-8 Harriers that are sitting around waiting to be put into service.  I truly believe that those airplanes were bought with the idea that the F-35B would be delayed.  We chose a different course and now they're being rushed into service.  I still believe that's the wrong course of action.  If you're heading down a trail and your stomach is telling you its an ambush.  Your troops are telling you they feel something wrong....and the birds have stopped chirping then you might be walking into an ambush.  Well Commandant.  I'm telling you that something is wrong.  The birds have stopped chirping and we might be walking into an ambush.

LCS. Not at all ready for prime time.

via Defense Intercepts.

WASHINGTON The littoral combat ship (LCS) Freedom suffered a temporary loss of propulsive power Saturday while operating near Singapore, the U.S. Navy reported, but the ship never lost all power.
The Freedom’s crew was able to diagnose the problems, restart the engines and continue operating, but was forced to return to Singapore for repairs and further examinations — but not before completing the replenishment operation.
The ship is operating from Singapore throughout this year on a highly-anticipated — and closely watched — demonstration deployment, the first-ever extended overseas deployment for an LCS. The Freedom left its homeport of San Diego, Calif., on March 1 and arrived at the island nation’s Changi naval base on April 18. It was preparing to take part in a series of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises with the Singaporean Navy when the incident took place on the morning of July 20.

The Navy should show a little courage, or the SecDef should...this puppy needs to be put down.  This ship should be shot in the face and the rest to the chest....it should be drug to the river and held underwater until it stops kicking.  It should be fed into a woodchipper and then the entire contraption set on fire.

This ship program should be cancelled.

Elements of Power slides up to his keyboard and shares some insights...

Read his post here.

Ok.

As always a good argument (on the Italian F-35 issues).  But the Marine Corps still needs to prioritize Armor over the F-35 right now.  I look forward to him telling me why I'm wrong..so far no one has been able to shake my belief that our procurement schedule is jacked up beyond all recognition.

BTR-90A Hybrid.

I've been seeing this photo all over the internet with no explanation.  Now I have it.  It appears that the Russians have developed a Hyrid Engined BTR-90A and the photo above shows it towing a BTR-80.  Supposedly the performance improvement is dramatic and if what we're seeing is true then we can expect it to at least be an option in the export market.

The USMC, Japan and China are now squabbling over a model illustration!

Thanks Alexander for the link!  Amazing!

via Time

TOKYO — It’s not every day that the illustration on a box cover for a model warship can annoy the Chinese, alarm the Japanese and amuse the U.S. Marine Corps – not to mention sinking the model ship itself.
But that’s what you get when you mess around with territorial disputes in the East China Sea these days.
This particular saga began about month ago when the Aoshima company introduced an updated version of its popular 1:700 scale model of the JS Hyuga, Japan’s largest and arguably most well-known warship. Hobbyists in Japan spend $500 million a year on scale models and related gear, so it’s a big business.
Being alert to headlines, Aoshima upgraded the Hyuga, a helicopter carrier, with V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and amphibious assault vehicles, and labeled the model “Operation Remote Island Defense.”

Read the entire article.  Its well worth your time.  A couple of things though...

*  The idea that saving face is still an important part of Asian culture should be part of any war plan.  The very thought that an image of a Japanese Carrier, operating Marine Corps equipment with a sinking Chinese Carrier in the background could start a tiff is telling.
*  I verified at this website that this model is long sold out. 
*  I see where the sense of humor still resides in the Marine Corps from this article.  Marine Intel.  I wonder what the actual simulations indicate when it comes to a war in the Pacific.
*  I'm repeating myself but if a model sparks controversy, and then sells out because of that controversy then my five to ten year time frame might be optimistic.  Everyone in that region is ready for the fight to be on. 

Blood on the Risers.

He was just a rookie trooper and he surely shook with fright.
He checked off his equipment and made sure his pack was tight.
He had to sit and listen to those awful engines roar.
You ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus:
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die.
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die.
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die.
He ain't gonna jump no more.

"Is everybody happy?" cried the sergeant looking up.
Our hero feebly answered, "Yes", and then they stood him up.
He jumped into the icy blast, his static line unhooked.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock.
He felt the wind, he felt the cold, he felt the awful drop.
The silk from his reserve spilled out and wrapped around his legs.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

The risers swung around his neck, connectors cracked his dome.
Suspension lines were tied in knots around his skinny bones.
The canopy became his shroud, he hurtled to the ground.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

The days he lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind.
He thought about the girl back home, the one he left behind.
He thought about the medicos and wondered what they'd find.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

The ambulance was on the spot, the jeeps were running wild.
The medics jumped and screamed with glee, rolled up their sleeves and smiled.
For it had been a week or more since last a 'chute had failed.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

He hit the ground, the sound was "Splat," his blood went spurting high.
His comrades they were heard to say, "A helluva way to die."
He lay there rolling 'round in the welter of his gore.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the 'chute.
Intestines were a-dangling from his paratrooper suit.
He was a mess, they picked him up and poured him from his boots.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

Asians are becoming worried. Say that the US and China are on a war footing.

Thanks for the article Kristoffer!!!

via The Nation (Thailand).

Both the Pentagon and the People's Liberation Army are building up their military strategies. It appears that a global war is in the making.
Saunders wrote that the Pentagon is proceeding with war preparations without oversight from the White House or Congress. This gives the impression that the Pentagon is operating as an independent state within the state. The Pentagon is relying on the AirSea Battle strategy, in which the US Army and Air Force will stand ready to support 320,000 military personnel in a simultaneous land and air attack against China in the event of a spillover war in the South China Sea or surrounding areas.
President Obama has spoken of a pivot to Asia, followed by the US Defence Department's plan to move most of the US naval capability to the Asia Pacific to counter the rise of China. We can feel that the US military, in spite of the turmoil in Syria, Egypt and the Middle East, is re-asserting its influence in the Asia-Pacific. The US and China are now engaging in a full-scale currency war. A physical war could be the inevitable course. A rise of China threatens the US dollar as the world's reserve currency and the US supremacy.
On China's side, we can assume that the Chinese leadership has ordered a full preparation for a war with the United States. China has secretly built up its military capability, with modern weapons and sophisticated technology. China said it is ready to develop an anti-AirSea Battle strategy. China's President Xi Jingping has urged the military to prepare for the war and to fight to win.

Read the whole thing here.

I've read Doug Saunders before.  He's a left leaning liberal with definite anti-military tendencies.

What should raise eyebrows is the fact that a Thailand paper re-printed the article.  His talk about the Pentagon acting without White House or Congressional oversight is pure fantasy, What isn't is the idea that the smaller Asian countries will get swept into this conflict.  I predicted that China would work hard to isolate these countries and attempt to get them to sit the war out...  I also expect China to do this by offering nicely packaged agreements that include aid, trade and development programs.  Whether it works or not is anyone's guess.  China appears to be in a demonstration period.  They're demonstrating to their neighbors how strong they are and "informing" them of possible points of friction.  Classic carrot and stick.

The real problem is that I can't see a competing approach from the US side.  Partnerships?  Painting a few schools and working with a nations armed forces?  In context it seems like really weak sauce.

This is gonna happen within five to ten years. Consider this the interwar period, similar to what we saw between WW1 and WW2.

Side note:  I think its time to start a build your military for the Pacific series.  What should a budget constrained Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines focus on when it comes to this looming conflict?

Ground Rush!

Stop freaking looking down knuckle head!  Get your eyes on the horizon and relax those fucking knees.

My prediction.

He'll be limping off the drop zone.

Side Note:  Why are they jumping the old chutes?  I thought the Army had gotten T-11's to all the jump status units.

Matthew Stewart vs. SWAT and the Rise of the Rambo Cop

Many thanks for the link to the article Chris!

via the Wall Street Journal.

On Jan. 4 of last year, a local narcotics strike force conducted a raid on the Ogden, Utah, home of Matthew David Stewart at 8:40 p.m. The 12 officers were acting on a tip from Mr. Stewart's former girlfriend, who said that he was growing marijuana in his basement. Mr. Stewart awoke, naked, to the sound of a battering ram taking down his door. Thinking that he was being invaded by criminals, as he later claimed, he grabbed his 9-millimeter Beretta pistol.The police say that they knocked and identified themselves, though Mr. Stewart and his neighbors said they heard no such announcement. Mr. Stewart fired 31 rounds, the police more than 250. Six of the officers were wounded, and Officer Jared Francom was killed. Mr. Stewart himself was shot twice before he was arrested. He was charged with several crimes, including the murder of Officer Francom.
The police found 16 small marijuana plants in Mr. Stewart's basement. There was no evidence that Mr. Stewart, a U.S. military veteran with no prior criminal record, was selling marijuana. Mr. Stewart's father said that his son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and may have smoked the marijuana to self-medicate.
Early this year, the Ogden city council heard complaints from dozens of citizens about the way drug warrants are served in the city. As for Mr. Stewart, his trial was scheduled for next April, and prosecutors were seeking the death penalty. But after losing a hearing last May on the legality of the search warrant, Mr. Stewart hanged himself in his jail cell.

Read the entire article, its a must do!

Side note:  I always said that if a SWAT team ran up against a highly motivated former military guy that they'd be in trouble.  This incident and the Dorn case prove my point.  Matthews shot 31 times and got at least 6 hits, one of them fatal vs. 250 rounds in return fire while he was hit twice.  Don't forget that Matthews was naked, was asleep and might have burned through all his ready ammo.  The cops?  They struck in the middle of the night, wore body armor, had fully automatic weapons, optics and outnumbered him.  The DOJ and Federal Officials have justification to fear Vets (yeah right I'm just being controversial, I don't mean this one bit...but I want to take you to a hypothetical).  If they ever united (even a small group of them) and decided to go on a crime spree it would be lights out.  Imagine 13 Afghanistan vets form a squad to rob banks or drug dealers?  What if they had body armor, combat load outs of ammo and AR-15s/AK-47s???  Say they trained and worked out and practiced tactics for a year before they pulled their first job?  Cops, Banks, and Drug Dealers wouldn't stand a chance.

MQ-8C Fire Scout delivered to US Navy via Defesa Global.

Avro Vulcan XH558 via EADS

31st MEU Talisman Sabre Landing Pics.

JLTV. Is it about to be canceled?

What joint vehicle has escaped discussion in the past week?

The JLTV.

Amos signalled that the Marine Corps would make do with vehicle RESETs and that the programs he had to protect was the F-35 and eventually the ACV.  Did we just get a signal that the JLTV is about to canned?   I  think so.  The Army Chief of Staff hasn't mentioned it lately either and considering that the vehicles in the comp just conducted a demonstration for the JLTV program office the lack of comment is noteworthy.

Pinup Friday.

Yes they're fake, but they're fabulous!

Brazil's Fleet Marine Force receives its first M113MB1's

via Forte.Jor.Br

On June 14, at the Technology Center of the Marine Corps (CTecCFN), located in Rio de Janeiro, the Material Command Marine delivered the Fleet Marine Force seven Special About Armoured Vehicles Caterpillars "M113MB1" that were modernized Brazil. The vehicles provide high mobility to Reverse Splits Operating Marines, and provide for protection through its armor.
Decisive in peace processes in communities of Rio de Janeiro, as the Complexo do Alemao and Rocinha, the Cars "M113MB1" are ready to be employed in support of expeditionary operations - vocation of the Marine Corps - as well as in time where required demonstration of strength and deterrence, such as the Safety Conference Rio +20.
The seven tanks are part of a first batch of 30 Armoured Vehicles Special About Caterpillars "M113MB1" being modernized by the Marine Corps, using Israeli technology. The modernization project includes a new configuration of their systems, from the replacement of old components with more modern, electronic and automated with latest technology. The significant increase in their levels of performance, measured during tests conducted at the Center for the Evaluation of the Brazilian Army, enable the "M113MB1" modernized to accomplish their tasks in the best conditions of employment. The car prototype was assembled and tested by the company "Israel Military Industries' (IMI), Israel, and the pilot car, almost simultaneously, was modernized in the premises of CTecCFN.

Nicely done.

Side Note:  Before you say that the M113MB1 is simply a modernized M113 that has been in service since the Vietnam War, let me add this.  No offense to Brazil but they are a BRIC country.  Additionally in their Marine Corps they are getting the VBTPR, they already have in service Piranha IIICs, and they also have AAVs.  So that means that the M113MB1 is simply a surrogate vehicle until they can get their wheeled armored personnel carrier into service which will be augmented with additional AAVs.  The reality of the situation is this.  The Brazilians have a nice stop gap in place.  The USMC does not.

No stripper pole? No problem, supply shelves will do. Another Airwoman behaving badly.

She needs to work on her flexibility to be truly impressive, but I'm sure her Squadron mates were satisfied with the performance.

I've said it once and I'll say it again.  Its not the Males, its the Females.  In the military, Females are (at least sexually if not operationally) a low density, high value item that men compete for.  Add to it plain Janes that were once ignored and now are the center of attention, is it no wonder that the reality is far different than the picture that's being painted?

Note:  As far as the title of this ditty is concerned don't blame me.  The US Air Force should have developed a gender neutral name for its service people.  We have Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and technically Airmen...but I'm a traditionalist.  Why would I call a female a male?  If males are identified as Airmen, then its reasonable to call females serving Airwomen.

Navy buys more E-2D Hawkeyes. Are we sure they'll buy MV-22's?

via Press Release.

BETHPAGE, N.Y. – July 18, 2013 – Following the decision earlier this year to proceed with full-rate production, the Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $113.7 million advance acquisition contract for long lead materials and related support for five full-rate production Lot 2 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.
"This contract award, along with OSD's full rate production decision, is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the entire E-2D team to deliver on its promise of a mature, capable and effective E-2D Advanced Hawkeye," said Bart LaGrone, vice president, E-2/C-2 programs, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "In today's challenging defense budget environment, it is imperative that we remain focused on providing the U.S. Navy with a more affordable airborne early warning, command and control solution."
With the Navy's E-2D program of record at 75 aircraft, this contract award is another step forward in bringing the total current procurement of E-2D aircraft, including low-rate initial production and full-rate production aircraft, to 30.
Last month, Northrop Grumman delivered the 10th E-2D Advanced Hawkeye to the U.S. Navy, having delivered the first nine aircraft on or ahead of schedule. There are currently an additional 10 aircraft in various stages of manufacturing and predelivery flight testing at the company's Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence in St. Augustine, Fla. Initial operational capability with the U.S. Navy remains on track for 2015.

Hmm.

Everyone in the military blogging community is acting as if its a done deal that the MV-22 will be the next onboard carrier delivery vehicle for the Navy.

I'm not so sure.

It all goes back to that economy of scale.  The MV-22 program is humming along, but the Navy embarked on a "aviation neck down" campaign right along with the Marines.  Adding the MV-22 to their inventory would blow that plan up AND they lose savings gained with having economies of scale by buying the E-2E (my designation) as the next COD.

My bet?  The Marine Corps better look to foreign orders to push down the cost curve or maybe they should do what they should have done a long time ago.  Gotten SOCOM to buy additional airframes for the 160th!