Pic of the day. 10.02.2013

U.S. Marines with the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) drive an assault amphibious vehicle while conducting an amphibious assault during Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) MEU Integrated Training (PMINT) June 23, 2013, at Green Beach at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. PMINT is a three-week predeployment training event focusing on combined MEU and Amphibious Ready Group capabilities and the strengthening of Navy and Marine Corps teams. (DoD photo by Sgt. Jennifer J. Pirante, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)

The Flopping Fish (J-11) in flight.

Note:   I read the article written by a Chinese analyst about the combat capability of the J-11.  If I recall correctly someone called it a flopping fish.  One word.  Disinformation.  Ski jumps have been used to good effect by the Russians, and the UK.  Additionally the Canberra is even fitted with one.  Too much work has been invested in the study of the ski jumps and how they affect aircraft performance.  I'm not buying what the Chinese are trying to sell with regards to the J-11 being super inferior to what we have in the West.  All photos via Chinese Military Review.

Blast from the past. AAV with M39 20mm cannon.

EFV is dead and buried. MPC is delayed forever. ACV canceled?

Inside Defense has a slightly alarming, but pretty much expected story behind their paywall.

The Marine Corps is willing to offer up the ACV to keep the F-35.

Told ya so.  Everything coming out of HQMC was pure and utter bullshit.  Forgive me but rant time.  I wish the Commandant had simply said..We're not going to go forward with the ACV until we get the F-35 done.  Same with his false cancellation of the MPC.

I disagree with his position on the F-35.  He views the Marine Corps as being involved in combat against terrorist and responding to disaster etc...If he's right (and the rest of the JCS seem to disagree), then we need to upgrade our armor RIGHT NOW!  As things stand though we're going to have a high tech fighter that isn't useful for the type of combat that the Commandant sees the Marine Corps engaging in.

Solutions are available.  My recommendations?

1.  Single source a MPC buy.  Pick the vehicle you want and then get the best price possible and get it into service.
2.  Complete rebuilds of the AAV with massive upgrade.  I know a few companies are already working on this.  Cut them loose today.
3.  Rethink the requirements for the ACV.  If we don't need high water speed then consider a stripped down EFV.

Its time to get this done, the alternative is having Marines dying in the mud with Marine pilots flying overhead with a great view of the slaughter.  

NOTE:  Where are the asshats that kept trying to tell me that the F-35 wasn't responsible for killing the MPC, and delaying the ACV?  This plane is like an alien bursting thru the chest of its victim.  We might have given birth to this plane but its gonna kill us.

Shit just got real at the UN.

Netanyahu is speaking at the UN and is basically saying that ....

1.  The US is being naive in believing that Iran is serious about diplomacy.
2.  Israel will never allow a rogue nation that has threatened to wipe it off the map to get nuclear weapons.
3.  If Israel must go it alone, then so be it...but Israel will be standing up for others that aren't as brave when they do what must be done.

So much for the great international week that the President had.  If Netanyahu is saying all this publicly then the phone lines must be buzzing in private.

I think its pretty much confirmed that we're playing checkers while the rest of the world plays chess.

We need new leadership so bad it hurts...in every area of govt.

F-35. Everything else must die so it can live!

Thanks for the article Don!

via AviationIntel.

I have gotten a ton of email with various articles attached talking about how plans are in the works to retire a whole slew of “legacy” (ie front line) aircraft types in a desperate attempt to protect the most flawed weapons procurement concept in modern history- the F-35 Lightning.
So far strong rumors are being passed around and even touted stating that the USAF will work to can the A-10, KC-10 and B-1 fleet so that “key procurement programs” can be protected. Even the F-15C community has been said to be vulnerable to meat cleaver cuts for the USAF’s FY2014 budget. At what point to the Generals and Civil Servants that have a major say over decisions like this just cease to have any credibility? If even a portion of these across the board fleet retirements are true than they are actually mortgaging America’s national security on a machine that has so far been nothing short of a disaster and whose central concept is now almost totally out of date and based on technology “choices” of the late 1990s. This is so stunningly stupid and offensive to the tax payer that it is actually personal.

Go to AviationIntel to read the rest.

The USMC and USAF are in a deadly partnership and jumping off the bridge together.  The Marines because leadership wants next gen STOVL so badly and the USAF because they lust after an all stealth force.

I'll enjoy watching everyone involved perp walked into a federal detention center.

Blast from the past. Militarization of fire depts...

Above you see a fire dept Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT).  Many fire depts in the deep south after WW2 took possession of these vehicles to use in flood/hurricane rescue.

Fast forward to today and every fire dept in the south could use a M-113 (that retains its amphibious capability) for the same work.  Additionally out west a few could be outfitted to tow water trailers and used to fight fires in the deep wilderness.

Militarization of civilian rescue forces isn't a bad idea.  Its time has come.  Law Enforcement?  That's a different kettle of fish.

“Headquarters Marine Corps is undercutting a hero,”

via Washington Times.

The Marine Corps officer who filed a complaint against the commandant for intervening in the Taliban urination cases against eight Marines is now the target of reprisals from superiors, his attorney says.
Retired Marine Col. Jane Siegel, who is representing Maj. James Weirick, said superiors have subjected the major to retaliations since it became known that he filed a whistleblower complaint against Gen. James Amos, the commandant and Joint Chiefs of Staff member.
“Headquarters Marine Corps is undercutting a hero,” Col. Siegel said. “He did the right thing, and they are trying to bury it and him.”

Read it all here...

About FUCKING time!!!! Two Marine General's fired for security lapses!

via The Washington Post.

The commandant of the Marine Corps on Monday took the extraordinary step of firing two generals for not adequately protecting a giant base in southern Afghanistan that Taliban fighters stormed last year, resulting in the deaths of two Marines and the destruction of a half a dozen U.S. fighter jets.
It is the first time since the Vietnam War that a general, let alone two, has been sacked for negligence after a successful enemy attack. But the assault also was unprecedented: Fifteen insurgents entered a NATO airfield and destroyed almost an entire squadron of Marine AV-8B Harrier jets, the largest single loss of allied materiel in the almost 12-year Afghan war.
The commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, said the two generals did not deploy enough troops to guard the base and take other measures to prepare for a ground attack by the Taliban. The two, Maj. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, the top Marine commander in southern Afghanistan at the time, and Maj. Gen. Gregg A. Sturdevant, the senior Marine aviation officer in the area, “failed to exercise the level of judgment expected of commanders of their rank,” Amos said.
“It was unrealistic to think that a determined enemy would not be able to penetrate the perimeter fence,” Amos said.
The incident brings into stark relief the unique challenges of waging war in Afghanistan. The withdrawal of thousands of U.S. troops over the past two years has forced commanders to triage, sometimes leading them to thin out defenses. The U.S. military also has been forced to rely on other nations’ troops, who often are not as well trained or equipped, to safeguard American personnel and supplies.
The attack occurred at Camp Bastion, a British-run NATO air base in Helmand province that adjoins Camp Leatherneck, a vast U.S. facility that serves as the NATO headquarters for southwestern Afghanistan. Because Leatherneck does not have a runway, the Marines use Bastion as their principal air hub in the country. Several hundred Marines live and work on the British side, and dozens of U.S. helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are parked there.
The British are responsible for guarding Bastion, which is ringed by a chain-link fence, triple coils of razor wire and watchtowers from which sentries can scan the horizon for any potential attackers. British commanders had assigned the task of manning the towers to troops from Tonga, which has sent 55 soldiers to Afghanistan.
On the night of the attack, the Tongans left unmanned the nearest watchtower to the point of the Taliban breach, according to an investigation by the U.S. Central Command.
Other aspects of the U.S.-British security plan were “sub-optimal,” the investigation found, with no single officer in charge of security for both Bastion and Leatherneck. The security arrangement created command-and-control relationships “contrary to the war-fighting principles of simplicity,” Amos wrote in a memo accepting the investigation.
Troop reductions also affected security measures. When Gurganus took command in 2011, about 17,000 U.S. troops were in his area of operations. By the time of the attack, in September 2012, the American contingent had dropped to 7,400 because of troop-withdrawal requirements imposed by President Obama.

No sympathy on this.

Marines at this base were making videos.  Asking movie stars out on dates.  SNCO's weren't simply away doing paperwork.  They appeared in the videos with LCpls.

This was a no brainer.

This is what needed to happen looooong ago.

NOTE:  Below is one of the many videos that were produced on Camp Leatherneck.  This is the activities that were encouraged instead of fortifying the base and doing patrols.  Check out the Marines in the video.  I counted at least 2 Marines with rockers and I even think I saw one of our TBS boys acting an ass (he needs to be recycled...).  Popularity and laxity with your Marines isn't doing them a favor.  Its lining them up to get killed.

Note 1:  I won't even get into the rash of stupidity surrounding Marines asking celebrities out on dates.  Instead of squashing the insanity, HQMC encouraged it.  Now the Wing Commander that happens to be Commandant wants to get tough.  Too late cowboy.  You set all this in motion.  Time to reap the whirlwind.

F-35. The military lost control of the plane's contractors.

via ABC News.

The military's watchdog has found hundreds of flaws in the way giant defense contractors produced the F-35 fighter jet – flaws that made what was already the most expensive weapons system in history even more costly to American taxpayers and flaws that should have been caught by the program's military overseers.
The Department of Defense Inspector General released a 126-page report today describing 719 "issues" it found with the jet's primary manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, and five other major contractors as they assembled planes for the estimated nearly $400 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. It also listed failures of the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), the military-led organization in charge of putting the planes in the air for three services in the American military, for not ensuring "Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors were applying rigor to design, manufacturing, and quality assurance" among other things. Both Lockheed Martin and the JPO said the report was old news and that the issues have been mostly addressed.
Flaws found on the production line, according to the DOD IG, included "uncontrolled or unapproved" design changes in production planning, contractor personnel who were not following written manufacturing and assembly process instructions, inadequate calibration management systems that could hinder testing and employees with expired certifications for critical tasks like ejection seat installation or "explosives care."

A few things.

*  When you walk onto a truck lot and fall in love with that big F-250 4x4 and the salesman sees it, you can bet that any bargain you might have had is gone...unless you're willing to walk away.
*  Design changes that weren't approved?  Expired certifications?

Lockheed Martin is fleecing the public.  This is beyond criminal...this is insanity on steroids.  Not only is this airplane dragging the Marine Corps budget into an alley and raping it, but its gonna end up killing it too. 

 There is only one solution to the problems with this program... take off and nuke it from orbit.  Its the only way to be sure.... 

An Update from Don.

**"Congress notified that first F-35 jets have cost overruns of $771M. "**See, what they do is award a lo-ball contract, crow about the low contract unit cost (forgetting to tell us it's the airframe only with no GFE engine), then later when nobody's looking reach down into the 'contingency fund' to add the necessary dollars the glutinous F35 really needs.
Here it is again in yesterday's news from the Lockheed/Pentagon/media cabal:"The arrangement calls for 23 F-35As, the Air Force’s version of the plane that takes off in a conventional manner, at $103 million apiece; 6 F-35Bs, the Marine Corps’ variant that can fly like a plane and lands like a helicopter, at $109 million a piece; and 7 F-35Cs, the Navy’s version designed to take off from aircraft carriers, at $120 million apiece."
Actual costs from the FY2014 budget request:--F-35A $176m, F-35B $237m, F-35C $236mhttp://comptroller.defense.gov/defbudget/fy2014/amendment/fy2014_p1a.pdf 

Bell Boeing V-22 Aerial Refueling Proof of Concept Flight

Russian Advanced Stealth Bomber concept via War Machine.

155-mm Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP). Naval Guns set for rebirth.

via Press Release.

During the recent tests, nine LRLAPs were successfully fired at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. These tests were designed to demonstrate accuracy, reliability, lethality, and time of arrival control. In addition, six of the nine rounds were subjected to an environmental qualification, which included temperature variation and vibration tests that proved the LRLAP’s reliability after exposure to different transportation situations and storage environments. Test requirements were met or exceeded, and all objectives were successfully demonstrated.
“I am incredibly proud of the success our team has had on this crucial development program,” said Chris Hughes, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. “We have made significant progress in qualifying the LRLAP in support of the deployment of the Advanced Gun System aboard the DDG 1000. The LRLAP will provide the Navy with an affordable, ship-launched alternative to currently used missiles.” BAE Systems’ 155-mm LRLAP is effective against a variety of targets in multiple mission areas. The LRLAP is guided by a GPS and Inertial Measurement Unit, allowing for high levels of accuracy at ranges up to, and in excess of, 63 nautical miles. This capability reduces costs by requiring fewer rounds to achieve desired effects on targets and is effective where collateral damage is an issue.

Missiles aren't cost effective for most targets. Aircraft might not (probably not in the future...yeah lookin at you F-35) be available.  Which means that for Marines and Army units operating in the Pacific, naval guns are more important than ever.
Looks like we're finally taking a step toward seeing a real rebirth in the field...bout time. 

2nd Battalion, 8th Marines guarding the consulate in Herat.

Marines with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, stand guard on the outside wall of the U.S. Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, Sept. 14, 2013. The Marines are currently guarding the U.S. Consulate following the Sept. 13 attack which caused significant damage to the building's infrastructure and left six insurgents dead.  (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bobby J. Yarbrough/Released)

I wonder if the hit was harder than we're all being told.  I do remember the attack was downplayed in the media when it occurred.

French receive their first A-400M Grizzly

Blast from the past. LVTEX-3

Yeah.  That's a turret from a M551 Sheridan Airborne Tank attached to an LVTP-7.  Interesting concept.  Its a shame it didn't make it into service.

T-90S Main Battle Tank being demonstrated in Peru.

via Press Release.

On September 19 a firing range in Peru saw demonstration of the T-90C tank of the Uralvagonzavod produce for Gen. Ricardo Moncada Novoa, Commander-in-Chief Land Forces and 300 officers.
The command authorities of the South American republic were shown the T-90C tank combat and running capabilities by day and at night as well as accuracy of fire with all types of weapons at different ranges from a halt and on the move under conditions of limited visibility and mountainous terrain.
The combat vehicle crew completed all missions successfully having demonstrated high potential of the Russian tank manufactured by Uralvagonzavod.
After the major demonstration one of the Peruvian drivers of the T-55s being in service with the Peruvian Army was offered to “take a drive” of the T-90C tank. After a 5-min briefing, he made a run showing a good skill level and brought the tank to a halt by the Commander-in-Chief. The experiment is a proof that the advanced T-90C tank is as resoponsive and simple as its predecessor T-55 produced by Uralvagonzavod 40 years ago.
Senior officers of the Peruvian Army appreciated the T-90C tank capabilities and the skill of the tank crew members.

The Peruvian Military is running an unusual competition.  They've disqualified Spanish 2A4 Leopards,  Dutch 2E6 Leopards, Ukrainian T-64E and T-84...mainly due to cost and logistic considerations.  BUT!  US M1A1 Abrams and Russian T-90 and T-80 are still being considered.

I know the Spaniards and Dutch would practically give away the tanks...and I don't understand how the M1A1 is considered to be logistically more palatable than Ukrainian tanks.

Very interesting.  

BMPT Tank Support Fighting Vehicle

Obrum - PL-01 Stealth Main Battle Tank Concept Simulation

Thanks Dwi!!!

Ship to shore logistics.

Think Defence has a write up on US ship to shore logistics that's worth a read.  Its in the finest of European articles on defense issues...long, quite detailed, yet thought provoking nonetheless.

What I find fascinating is that he links extensive offshore logistics to the sea base and amphibious assaults instead of seeing it as a natural extension of a military that has and will probably fight future wars far from home.

Its about keeping large numbers of US troops well supplied in far off lands...not amphibious assault.

Read it here.