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| yeah....they were never planning on changing the male cover... |
The Marine Corps. is asking Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. to study equipping its mid-sized BA609 tilt-rotor aircraft for use as an armed escort for the V-22 Osprey troop transport, according to a local newspaper.I have heard nothing else.
The request was made by Lt. Gen. Michael Hough, the Marines' deputy commandant for aviation, who believes the V-22 will need an armed escort aircraft to carry Marines in and out of combat zones. Since helicopters are too slow to keep up with the V-22 and jets are too fast, the escort will have to be a tilt-rotor aircraft, Hough told the paper.
The BA609 was designed by Fort Worth-based Bell and British-Italian partnership AgustaWestland for civilian use. Its first flight was in March 2003 and currently it is in flight tests.
Bell reportedly has been working on a concept for a tilt-rotor gunship, including one that is a BA609 derivative. The company plans to make a presentation of its gunship design to the Marine Corps. sometime this summer.
If the government grants the Marines' request for an escort gunship, it could mean hundreds of millions of dollars for Bell and work for its employees for decades. That would be a long way off, however. The armed escort craft first would have to be designed, approved by the Pentagon, funded by Congress, prototyped and tested before assembly could begin.
The thin new hats have a feminine line that some officials think would make them look just as good on female marines as on males - in keeping with the Obama directive.What is the Obama directive?
Police have discovered a 3D printer which they believe criminals were using to try to make a gun, Sky News can reveal.It seems that the UK has the same problem as another empire (said tongue in cheek)....the reality though is that this is not uncommon. In every gun restricting nation-state on this planet, people are either smuggling or making weapons in machine shops. Prohibition never works and always becomes either heavily taxed, heavily regulated or both. Either way is usually fine with the state...as long as money can be made---prohibition in the form of a justice system designed to regulate what individuals do with their own bodies (drugs, prostitution etc..) or heavily tax substances that are harmful but deemed legal (alcohol and cigarettes). In the end its all a game.
In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, officers in Manchester on Thursday seized a printer and other components potentially used in the manufacture of firearms during a raid.
As part of an operation to target organised crime gangs in the city, police found a trigger and a magazine they believe is capable of holding bullets, both of which are thought to have been made using the printer.
Officers believe the raid - in the Bagley area of the city - could have uncovered what could be Britain's first 3D gun factory.
Earlier this year concerns were raised that the printers, which construct everyday solid items using very thin layers of plastic, could be used to make a gun, which contained no metal parts and could therefore evade detection by security scanners at airports and other potential criminal targets.
By 2019 the Polish army will get an additional three hundred and seven vehicles. The Agreement was signed in the presence of the Minister of National Defense Tomasz Siemoniak and Deputy Minister Waldemar Skrzypczak, the Agreement was signed by the head of the Inspectorate of Armaments and the CEO of WZM S.A.We're seeing a family of vehicles develop here. Pretty impressive. Recon vehicles, 120mm mortar variants and modernization of older turrets for Spike missile carriage?
Mr. Adam Janik stated that the first vehicles to be delivered will be reconnaissance vehicles and the “Rak” 120mm mortar Rosomak. – The duration of the contract and number of vehicles to be delivered will be adapted to the requirements of the Army - said Deputy Minister Waldemar Skrzypczak . There are also modernization plans for older turrets and integrate them Spike missiles.
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| Australian Sergeant Leonard G. Siffleet of M Special Unit about to be beheaded by Japanese officer Yasuno Chikao, Aitape, New Guinea, 24 Oct 1943 |
But the congressional crusade for fiscal accountability would seem to be somewhat selective. If the Beltway is going to fulminate over $300 million wasted to create a website, surely there must be some froth to spare for the $400 billion already flushed away to develop the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which after years of delays and cost overruns has yet to shoot so much as a pea against an adversary in combat.Who knew that fiscal austerity being pushed by Republicans. Mixed with an innate hatred of the military, being pushed by the Democrats. Would combine to be the kryptonite to the F-35?
According to Russian Military-Industry Courier weekly and US Aviation News Weekly speculation,China has obtained from Russia the technology for a VTOL fighter jet, and will probably develop a VTOL version of the J-20 stealth fighter jet.Wait.
The technology was formerly used in Russia’sYak-141 VTOL fighter.
A prototype of the R-79-300 engine used in the Yak-141 was sold to China in 1996. In 1998, Russia transferred technology related to the nozzle of the engine to China.
The engine is a vector thrust turbofan with maximum thrust of 8,994 kg, which can be raised to 15,500 kg with additional boosting. Its nozzle can turn 95 degrees downwards with a lifespan of 1,500 rotations.
The Yak-141 is able to take off within a short distance of 5 metres.
It has set many world records for VTOL fighters, including climbing to 12,000 meters in 116.2 seconds with effective load of 2,000 kg and 130.5 seconds with 2,000 kg, and a climbing speed of 250 m/s from the height of 3,000 to 8,000 metres.
The German defense minister has announced that by the time the Puma not enter service for the problems identified in the five prototypes built, and are waiting for proposals for improvement of the manufacturers to make a decision.What you read is my Google translation of his articles. I'm really loving the S. American blogs because they're in a style that appeals to me (Asian blogs too), the one problem I have is the translation (if you're a Spanish speaker I'd appreciate a verification on this info).
Apparently main problems are electronic systems and software associated with these, but the weight of the vehicle does not seem to convince the Bundeswehr.
A change to the Marine Corps’ uniform hats could take the hard-nosed Leathernecks from the Halls of Montezuma to the shops of Christopher Street.WHAT THE FUCK ARE THOSE DUMBASSES THINKING AT HQMC! THIS SHOULD'NT HAVE EVEN MADE IT TO THE PROPOSAL STAGE!
Thanks to a plan by President Obama to create a “unisex” look for the Corps, officials are on the verge of swapping out the Marines’ iconic caps with a new hat that some have derided as so “girly” that they would make the French blush.
“We don’t even have enough funding to buy bullets, and the DoD is pushing to spend $8 million on covers that look like women’s hats!” one senior Marine source fumed to The Post. “The Marines deserve better. It makes them look ridiculous.”
The thin new hats have a feminine line that some officials think would make them look just as good on female marines as on males — in keeping with the Obama directive.
One of the new hats worn by a female Marine.
They have been dubbed the “Dan Daly” hat, after a sergeant from Long Island who won the Medal of Honor in World War I.
But some Marines love the old hat, which has been in use since 1922 and think the new hat is a glorified “porter’s cap.”
“The Dan Daly cap looks too French, and the last people we want to associate our Marines with would be the French military,” wrote one commenter on the Marine Times Web site.
As of now, the new hats are only in the proposal stage.
Officials have until Friday to cast their votes on whether to adopt them or keep the old hat with modifications. Marine Corps head Gen. James Amos will make the final decision.
According to a memo obtained by The Post, replacing the hats could cost over $8 million.
A poll of a Marine uniform advisory board found that “The group members did not like the appearance of the Dan Daly cap on the male Marine.”
Nine senior commanding generals have been fired by the Obama administration this year, leading to speculation by active and retired members of the military that a purge of its commanders is underway.Read the entire article here.
Retired generals and current senior commanders that have spoken with TheBlaze say the administration is not only purging the military of commanders they don’t agree with, but is striking fear in the hearts of those still serving.
The timing comes as the five branches of the U.S. armed forces are reducing staff due to budget cuts, and as U.S. troops are expected to withdraw from Afghanistan next year.
“I think they’re using the opportunity of the shrinkage of the military to get rid of people that don’t agree with them or not tow the party line. Remember, as (former White House chief of staff) Rahm Emanuel said, never waste a crisis,” a senior retired general told TheBlaze on the condition of anonymity because he still provide services to the government and fears possible retribution.
“Even as a retired general, it’s still possible for the administration to make life miserable for us. If we’re working with the government or have contracts, they can just rip that out from under us,” he said.
Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, an outspoken critic of the Obama administration, said the White House fails to take action or investigate its own, but finds it easy to fire military commanders “who have given their lives for their country.”
“Obama will not purge a civilian or political appointee because they have bought into Obama’s ideology,” Vallely said. “The White House protects their own. That’s why they stalled on the investigation into fast and furious, Benghazi and Obamacare. He’s intentionally weakening and gutting our military, Pentagon and reducing us as a superpower, and anyone in the ranks who disagrees or speaks out is being purged.”
A Pentagon official who asked to remain nameless because they were not authorized to speak on the matter said even “young officers, down through the ranks have been told not to talk about Obama or the politics of the White House. They are purging everyone and if you want to keep your job — just keep your mouth shut.
WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea is nearing a decision to buy some Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets, but will likely keep its options open for a limited purchase of Boeing Co's F-15, sources familiar with the country's fighter competition said on Wednesday.Read the entire article here.
South Korean officials could announce their plans as early as November to secure the funding needed to ensure initial deliveries of the F-35 in 2017, according to multiple sources who were not authorized to speak publicly. They cautioned that the decisions were not yet final, and an announcement could still be postponed if the decision-making process hits a snag.
South Korea's fighter competition has been closely watched given its importance to Boeing, which is keen to extend its F-15 production line beyond 2016, and to Lockheed, which is trying to drive down the price of the F-35 by securing more buyers.
Boeing's new F-15 Silent Eagle model was the only bid that came in under South Korea's budget cap of 8.3 trillion won ($7.2 billion). However, Seoul last month rejected that offer and said it needed a fifth-generation warplane that is nearly invisible to enemy radar - a move widely seen as an endorsement of the F-35.
Europe's Eurofighter also plans to bid again for the order, but the head of Europe's EADS acknowledged last month that the company faced a tough battle against its U.S. rivals.
South Korean officials have said they are examining a mixed procurement approach that could help Seoul maintain sufficient numbers of fighters in its fleet if the F-35 runs into further delays. They are also looking at scaling back the size of the order to 40 or 50 planes.
