Next Navy Blog on the MPC...

Thanks for the link Charles!

via NNBlog.

Something has to be done. The Marines have dithered over the sea-and-shore interface for so long, most of the amphibious fleet is actually younger than the vehicles the Marines use today to “hit the beaches”. Don’t believe me? The AAV-7 entered service in 1971. All but two of the LCUs were delivered by 1970. The first LCAC was launched in 1984.
I mean, when USS DENVER (LPD-9) and USS PELELIU (LHA-5) leave the fleet, the oldest amphib will be USS WHIDBEY ISLAND (LSD-41), commissioned in 1985. Everything else in the Gator fleet is comparably new, and were, in fact, planned around the EFV–but the EFV met it’s demise in 2011.
So little attention is being paid to crossing the sea/shore interface, the Navy’s official LPD Fact File still says that the LPD-17 class LPDs are:
“used to transport and land Marines, their equipment and supplies by embarked air cushion (LCAC) or conventional landing craft and Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles (EFV)…”And they are:
“…built to operate with 21st century transformational platforms, such as the MV-22 Osprey, theExpeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), and future means by which Marines are delivered ashore.” 

Read the whole thing here.

Craig Hooper seems to think that the MPC solution that Amos has come up with is the 80% solution and that's good enough.

I'm not so sure.

Amos has 5 months left in his tenure as Commandant and I state again.  Why the push now?  His indecision has cost the Marine Corps time and money...so despite his history, we're suppose to ignore all that and charge forward at 900 mph on his idea of solving the AAV replacement?  I don't think so.

What hasn't the program office ever done?  Its never shown us the numbers! 

How much will it cost to buy MPC's versus seriously upgrading AAVs?  How will and upgraded AAV compare in mobility to the MPC?  How do they compare in weapons carriage, troop carriage, and in performing resupply tasks?

Its too late for Amos to rewrite the history books when it comes to how he dealt with the AAV Replacement after the EFV was cancelled.  He will be known as the Marine that abandoned the Amtrack so that he could grow the wing.  Hopefully the next Commandant will do better.

Joint Heavy Lift (JHL) High Efficiency Tilt Rotor (HETR) Deleted Scenes

What is up with the Sapper Leaders Course?

Making my rounds around the interwebs and ran across the above video.  It does lead one to ask the question....what's up with the Sapper Leaders Course?  Why is it trying to be Ranger School lite when Ranger School is hurting for attendees?

US Army bringing back Jungle School and the Jungle Expert Tab!

Wow.

I don't know the details but this is fantastic news and I can't wait to lay my hands on the article.  I GUARANTEE that the Jungle Expert Tab will be coveted....not as much as Ranger but a step above Sapper and probably on par with Airborne (Not quite sure how the tab issue works).

Sidenote:  Glad to see they're using old school BDU's for the course.  I'm really getting a bit peeved at the vision of Marines running around the jungles of the Pacific in Desert Cammies because the Commandant designated it a "summer uniform".  Yeah that's right.  Climate specific uniforms have been reduced to being the same as Chucks in garrison.

Blast from the past. The "T-Craft".

What is a  "T-Craft".  Luckily Mike from NEW WARS Blog left his stuff up after he stopped posting so I can grab info from his site...

Enter the T-Craft. Textron’s version is 253 feet long and carries a 250-350-ton payload – an M1 tank company or an entire Patriot battery. In long-range mode, as a waterjet-powered catamaran, it can ferry itself empty over 2500 miles of open ocean. Backing up to the stern of the ro-ro, it activates its air-cushion fans and uses a sophisticated three-dimensional positioning system to maintain station on the ship, which deploys a stern ramp so that vehicles can load.

Read his write up here.  This program or concept has fallen off the radar.  Where once it was viewed as the modern day LST that would connect the sea base to the shore from upwards of 250 miles away, today we hear nothing about it.  Pity.  The Mobile Landing Platform was a gimmick without substance.  I'm proven correct by Navy plans to convert most of those ships to Afloat Forward Staging Bases, instead of using them in conjunction with the Sea Base.  The T-Craft however would have proven useful to both US Army and Marine Corps operations.  After an initial Marine Corps assault, a T-Craft would be able to land a Stryker Brigade in short order.  Consider this an opportunity missed.

T-Craft What Why & How - Skolnick and Wilson Presentation

  T-Craft What Why & How - Skolnick and Wilson Presentation

Russian Infantry Fighting Vehicle Art via English Russia...

Lynx 9 crash in Afghanistan. 5 British Soldiers killed.

via the BBC.

Five British service personnel have been killed in a UK helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan.
Four of those on board, three soldiers and an airman, were stationed at RAF Odiham in Hampshire. The fifth, an Army reservist, was based in London.
The Ministry of Defence said the crash near Kandahar air base appeared to have been a "tragic accident".
It represents the third single biggest loss of life of British troops in Afghanistan since the conflict began.
The families of all five servicemen have been told.

Sad news.

I am curious as to the cause of the crash.  These are brand new helicopters and the Brits are as professional as it comes when it relates to airman-ship.

The Sabalauski Air Assault School (101st Abn) Foot March Equipment Layout.

"Ready for inspection Air Assault Sergeant!“ Students have 10 minutes to prepare their gear for inspection.

All items must be laid out "as worn" with all buttons, zippers, name tapes, patches, and Velcro fastened. Or you will receive points!

Students must use a stencil when writing their roster number on their canteen and helmet. Each team has a different color so the numbers are not all done in black ink. Students often must redo their roster numbers during the course to keep it neat.

Tape must be cut neatly and go from the plastic line on the canteen across to the opposite plastic line

Blast from the past. T26E4 Super Pershing.

When I first saw the T26E4 Super Pershing on World of Tanks I thought ... "yeah right!!! that's just some vapor ware the game designers pulled out of their ass"....

I was wrong.

This thing actually existed and is probably the best example of hillbilly engineering to come out of WW2 (well a close second to the upgunned LVTs).

Read about this blast from the past here.

Joint Heavy Lift - High Efficiency Tilt Rotor

F-35 News. What we all missed..Quote of the week.

 Check this out....

"[Stealth] is needed for what we have in the future for at least 10 years out there and there is nothing magic about that decade," Greenert said. "But I think we need to look beyond that. So to me, I think it's a combination of having aircraft that have stealth but also aircraft that can suppress other forms of radio frequency electromagnetic emissions so that we can get in."

That's Admiral Greenert, Chief Of Naval Operations talking.

He let the cat out of the bag but no one was paying attention.

Basically he's telling us that in 10 years, the stealth advantage that the F-35 brings to the party will no longer be good enough.

How did we all miss that?

NOTE:  Could this explain why the Russians built the partial stealth PAK-FA instead of a full stealth airplane?

Brazilian Police Trainers understand the pain!

Thanks for the vid James!



Being extremely honest and not politically correct here, so I ask the question.  Should women be allowed to throw hand grenades?  Less upper body strength equals less distance thrown ending up with the possibility of one of these devices landing danger close to friendlies.

United States Army Helicopter Operations in Vietnam - 1963

Navy Matters Blog takes aim at the A-10 cost saving canard...

Read the awesome take down here! Full body slam with a throat punch added!  I'm tempted to post a preview here but its too damn good.  Go to his house and check it out!

F-35 News. Death Spiral.

What is a death spiral?  This is how the program manager of the F-35 defines it, or rather did define it in an article with Reuters...

"death spiral" in which cuts in orders trigger rising prices that lead to further cuts in orders and ultimately undermine the program.

So, the question then becomes.  Have we seen cuts in orders for the F-35?

I say we have.

Everyone forgets that the Japanese buy of 42 aircraft is hardly a victory.  They had a requirement for 100.
The UK initially wanted 138, now its  projected that they might buy fewer than 50.
The Netherlands was interested in buying 85 of the airplanes but now will make due with 37.
Brazil, and India all slipped away and Singapore is being cagey in its views on when if ever it will buy the airplane.  And we haven't even talked about the Italians who decreased their buy to 90 airplanes and might go to half that if news reports are to be believed.

The program might continue but we can say that it is in a death spiral....now you ask "how can that be?"  Its simple.  We're looking at a development and production scheme that has never been done before.  If this was a traditional development program then it would have collapsed long ago.  But because they're able to push MISTAKE jets through (thank you ELP and APA for the term) they're keeping this walking dead creation alive.

Air Force Logic via Michael Yon.

Comments. A heads up.

Just a heads up because I had some son of a bitch claiming to be a Marine that wanted to debate the F-35.

I'll hear from the "supporters" all day long.

I won't play lawyer and have my words twisted or facts played with.

If you keep it real your comments stay up.  If you don't then understand something.

THIS IS MY FUCKING HOUSE.  YOU PLAY BY MY FUCKING RULES.  THIS AIN'T A DEMOCRACY AND IT AIN'T COMMUNITY OWNED.

Don't like it?  Then pound sand bitch.

Know your enemy. Iranian Sabalan Main Battle Tank.

info via War Machine, pics via Military Factory.

Some of the new equipment shown during the Iran Army Day Parade.

The Sabalan is a rebuilt M47 Patton Main Battle Tank, which Iran has almost 170 in service.

Upgrades includes:
1. One 105 mm M68 rifled gun.
2. Add-on composite Armor.
3. A not-so-keen-to-burn diesel engine.
4. Modern fire control system.
5. Modern communications equipment.

Iran is likely planning to upgrade their M-47 inventory to Sabalan standards rather then retire them from active service. info via War Machine.

I'm not one to discount a threat but looking at the Iranian military, I just don't see them as a threat to Israel, the Saudi's or even some of the Gulf States.

Their conventional military is weak.

Quite honestly the Saudi's are several magnitudes more advanced than the Iranians.

He-Man diet essential. P28 Bread.

OK.

Summertime is approaching, you probably either already did or are getting to get in your annual PFT or you've finally decided that getting in shape/losing weight/being healthy is finally worth the work.

So how do you do it while still having a BIT of bread to wolf down that sandwich at lunch without blowing all the hardwork on your low/no net carb lifestyle?

You eat P28 bread.

Its expensive but so is being fat, sloppy, sick and lame.

Check it out here.

NOTE:  Yeah, you're reading that right.  14 grams of protein per slice.  12 total carbs, and 2 grams fiber.  Carb neutral at worst and that doesn't count the tuna fish you're piling between the slices.  This stuff is awesome!