Scare prank gone wrong.

This will shock your system.  Everyone says its fake and I hope so. 

Is Poland the new military power in Europe?

via Janes.

Poland has received its first batch of Leopard 2A5 main battle tanks (MBTs) from ex-German Army stocks, the Polish General Command announced on 16 May.
A total of 11 Leopard 2A5s were delivered by rail to Zagan in west Poland, where their intended user, the 34th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, is based.
Poland ordered a total of 105 Leopard 2A5 MBTs, plus 14 of the earlier Leopard 2A4 variant and around 200 support and logistics vehicles, from ex-German stocks in November 2013 under a EUR187 million (USD253 million) contract with the German government. Poland already operates 124 Leopard 2A4 MBTs, plus a large inventory of Soviet-era T-72M and PT-91 Twardy MBTs. The new Leopards will replace the 34th Armoured Cavalry Brigade's two battalions of PT-91 tanks, while Poland's T-72M MBTs are planned to be phased out of service.
The Polish General Command stated that 49 of the new tanks should be delivered by mid-2014, with all vehicles being delivered by mid-2015.

With most of the European powers cutting combat power (most chillingly the UK) are we seeing a reshuffling of the power rankings?

If you haven't been paying attention, the Poles have embarked on a strong military armament program.  If they haven't reached parity with the Germans, French or UK they soon will (talking about ground combat forces so Navy guys chill out).

Expect these Leopard 2A5's to be upgraded to at least the 2A6 standard rather quickly.  Also expect local defense firms to do that upgrade work.

The Poles are doing it right.  I'm impressed. 

What is going on in Jordan?

via Marine Corps Times...

Roughly 6,000 U.S. troops will take part in this year’s “Eager Lion” exercise in Jordan from May 25 to June 8, a Defense Department spokesman said.
Eager Lion involves a total of more than 12,500 troops from more than 20 countries, Cmdr. William Speaks told Military Times on Tuesday. The major U.S. units taking part include the Army’s 17th Field Artillery Brigade, 1st Armored Division; the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade; elements of the Navy’s Task Force 51/59; and the 407th Air Expeditionary Group.
The U.S. troops taking part in the exercise will not stay in Jordan for military operations in the region, said Army Lt. Col. T.G. Taylor, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. Last year, the U.S. military left Patriot missiles and F-16 fighters in Jordan to counter potential threats from the civil war in neighboring Syria, but Taylor said there are no such plans this year.
This year’s exercise involves scenarios ranging from training for a humanitarian assistance to practicing integrated air and missile defense, Taylor told Military Times on Tuesday.
Since the pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq and the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, al-Qaida has seized a considerable amount of territory in both countries. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is a particularly virulent al-Qaida affiliate that reportedly has thousands of foreign fighters and has outgunned the Iraqi military.
The Eager Lion training scenarios this year are not geared toward combating ISIL, Taylor said.

Uh excuse me?

The 1st MEB, 1st Armored Division and a Field Artillery Brigade are going to Jordan?

That sounds like a whole lot more than an exercise.

Quite honestly with the Pentagon suffering a so-called budget crunch this seems more like a contingency force.

It might be nothing but I'll be watching this closely. 

Open Carry "Activists" finally getting push back...

I wrote about the insanity of Open Carry into public places a couple of times in the past year (here and here).

Most of you agreed with me 100%.

A few pushed back hard.

It seems we've reached critical mass on the subject and the gun community has finally woken up to the idea that Open Carry is insanely dangerous (to the person open carrying) and hurting the gun rights cause.  Check out an article by The Bang Switch and Haus of Guns.

A tidbit from TBS...

At what point are the open carry activists going to stop, take a breath, and look at the results of their actions? The results are not positive. The results, by any measure, are negative. If they keep this up, more states are going to follow the lead of CA, where open carry activists were recently successful in getting open carry outlawed.
You guys aren’t helping us, you are hurting us!

It took long enough!

Tactically open carry for a civilian in a rule of law scenario makes no sense.  First you're advertising that you have a gun.  Second, unless you're in magnificent shape, have outstanding gun retention skills/unarmed combat training, and have the proper anti-snatch gear, you are a target to have your weapon taken if you're lucky and taken/killed with it if you aren't.

This push back from the gun community is long overdue.

I guess this is a case of better late than never. 

Your musical interlude....

Kick back.  

Open up that flask of Jack Daniels you keep in the bottom desk drawer, pour a bit into your coffee...not too much....and turn up the speakers....

The really terrible day for the USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110)

via USNI News.

Vavasseur ordered the ship to travel at speeds of more than 30 knots in high winds and sea. Along the way, the ship recovered Indian 617.
Less than ten minutes after the helicopter had landed on the deck and the helicopter was chocked and chained with rotors spinning, a wall of water came over the starboard side of the ship and knocked off the tail off the helo.
The helicopter broke free of the chains and the still spinning rotor blades gouged the flight deck and the hangar door.
“Without a tail rotor to counter main rotor torque as well as no longer being secured to the flight deck,
the aircraft spun freely on the flight deck,” according to the findings of fact from the report.
“An additional roll to port resulted in Indian 617 going over the side.”
The so-called wall of water was the result of the ship rolling to starboard just as a wave hit the hull of the ship.
“Upon impact with the hull, the water from the wave was squeezed against the hull and redirected upward, creating a thick ‘wall’ of water which the prevailing winds pushed over the flight deck, enveloping Indian 617,” read the report.
The Navy believes Jones and Gibson were incapacitated when the helicopter went over the side, leaving the pair unable to escape. The other three crew members were rescued.
The Navy issued Vavasseur a counseling letter and she turned over command of the ship in December.
Vavasseur — a 1994 U.S. Naval Academy Graduate — currently works at U.S. Surface Forces Command, according to a report in the San Diego Union Tribune.

I don't know because I wasn't there but that sounds like a horrible day that could have been prevented.

More to the point.

Why is she still in the Navy?  I've seen people busted from service for less.

Read the entire article here.

Ground Attack Sidewinder Missile.

A ground attack Sidewinder missile.

Someone in the US thought of this idea a few years ago but it seems to have dropped off the radar of both the defense contractors and the Dept of Defense.  Looks like the Germans are going to give it a try now.  Read about it at Military Technology Magazine.

The case of Colonel Merna proves that the days of hard charging Marine Officers is over....

via DVIDS.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP S. D. BUTLER, OKINAWA, Japan - Effective May 20, 2014, Lt. Gen. John Wissler, commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force, has accepted the request for early and immediate termination of command of 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) from Col. John E. Merna.

Merna, a combat veteran and a widely respected leader, recognized his incompatibility to continue leading the 31st MEU, accepted responsibility and accountability for his actions, and immediately tendered a letter requesting termination of his command authority and responsibility.

Wissler's decision was based on the initial results of a preliminary inquiry and command climate survey within the 31st MEU Command Element. The preliminary inquiry substantiated the initial allegations and indicated a pattern of intemperate behavior and language by the commanding officer which created a hostile work environment in the 31st MEU headquarters. Wissler has lost trust and confidence in Merna's ability to effectively continue in command and has endorsed Merna's acceptance of responsibility and his request to immediately relinquish command. Wissler has appointed the 31st MEU Executive Officer, Lt. Col. G. Troy Roesti, as interim commander.

Wissler will make a final determination on any additional appropriate actions based upon a detailed review of the completed preliminary inquiry and associated command climate survey.
The Marine Corps holds all Marines, but especially commanders, responsible and accountable for their actions and the actions of those they lead, and is committed to maintaining complete accountability and responsibility by commanders in upholding the highest standards of conduct at every level.

Read this guys bio here.   Hurry up before they take it down.

My question is simple.

Since when did the Marine Corps start taking surveys to determine whether an officer was a good leader or not?  Most of your "popular" leaders lead bullshit units that aren't fit to take out the trash.  If you're popular then you're not doing your fucking job.

Colonel Merna fell on his sword and I'm hoping General Wissler isn't under order to crush him, but consider this.

What is a hostile work environment if your operating environment is the chaos and confusion of combat?  The Marine Corps is fundamentally changing...and for the worse.  The days of the hard charging Marine Officer is over....and people will die because of it.

Intrepid Tiger II Pod.

Tyler over at FoxTrot Alpha blog has an interesting article you should check out about Marine Corps efforts to develop an electronic warfare system that isn't based on the EA-6 Prowler.  A tidbit...

The Intrepid Tiger II pod works by actively monitoring for enemy communications at certain bandwidths and then selectively jams frequencies that are being used by the bad guys once they start talking. This capability allows for a secondary communications intelligence ability, so the pod can be used to actually eavesdrop on the enemy's chatter as well as disrupting it. The pod can also actively jam known bandwidths that are commonly used to initiate IEDs, such as those used by cellular phones or garage door openers.
What makes this pod even more tactically potent is that it can either be used in automated modes set by the pilot in the aircraft that is carrying it or its information can be data-linked to a ground station for exploitation in real time. This means that the pod can be remotely controlled and the intelligence it gathers can be listened to and analyzed by experts who are fluent in local dialects. They can also gauge the effect of Intrepid Tiger's pinpoint jamming and change disruption methods to get the best effects in real time. Needless to say, having a ground station with experts in jamming and linguistics providing "virtual over-watch" for a bunch of Marines moving through a high-threat area on the ground is a godsend for commanders.

This is the type of thing that NAVAIR and the USMC should be shouting about from the rooftops.

This saved lives and IS a combat multiplier.

Isn't that just the way things roll?  The stuff we should be proud of we hide and stuff we should shut up about we broadcast to the world.

Amazing. 

Megan Wyble. Tuesday Fitness Hottie.

Bonus coverage today.  For your additional viewing pleasure I give you Allison Moyer.  I wonder if she's a natural red head?  No way to know for sure.  By the looks of things she goes "Brazilian"!  I haven't seen her competing in awhile now.  I wonder what gives.  Lots of the female body builders are going over to cross fit and I have no interest in an exercise regime suddenly being turned into a competition.

Royal Thai Army declares martial law....

And the world keeps going crazy.  Via CNN.

Bangkok (CNN) -- The Thai army declared martial law throughout the country Tuesday in a surprise move that an aide to the embattled Prime Minister said the government didn't know about beforehand.
"They took this action unilaterally. The government is having a special meeting regarding this. We have to watch and see if the army chief honors his declaration of impartiality," the aide said, describing the situation as "half a coup d'etat."
Lt. Gen. Nipat Thonglek told CNN the move was not a coup.
"The Army aims to maintain peace, order and public safety for all groups and all parties," a ticker running on the army's television channel said. "People are urged not to panic, and can carry on their business as usual. Declaring martial law is not a coup d'etat."
Martial law went into effect at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, the ticker said

How is Kerry in State and Hagel in Defense working out for ya? 
The United States needs an adult in the foreign policy shop!

Chinese military forces massing on Vietnamese border!

Major thanks to Ryan12 for the link!

via EpochTimes

Troops, tanks, trucks, artillery, and armored personnel carriers of China’s military were seen heading to the Vietnamese border on May 16 and 17, according to photographs taken by by residents near the border.
Chinese netizens have been posting photographs of the large movement of the People’s Liberation Army, many of them showing Chinese troops in full combat gear heading to the local train station in Chongzuo, along with military vehicles.
One netizen said the Chinese military was taking the train from the Chongzuo station to Pingxiang City, which shares a 60-mile border with Vietnam. The netizen said that the Huu Nghi Border Gate to Vietnam is also now closed.
One of the photos, taken from inside a passenger train, shows the Chinese military preparing artillery for transport on a train track. Others show Chinese troops and military vehicles traveling along dirt roads.
Another photograph shows troops walking under the red-colored entrance to the Longzhou International Building Materials Market, on Provincial Road in the city of Chongzuo.
A reverse image search of each of the photographs using Googleindicated that the photographs had appeared on the Internet only recently. Most were indexed by Google on Saturday.
Collectively, the images and eyewitness reports from the ground show what Taiwanese media are calling an “endless stream” of Chinese troops.

OK.

Conspiracy tin foil hat is on.

Did you wonder why the Obama Administration decided today was a good day to charge several Chinese officials with internet spying?

I believe its obvious now.  They're trying to signal the Chinese not to do anything against the Vietnamese!

We all know that the Obama Administration is viewed as being weak and the Chinese have an axe to grind with the Vietnamese...after all they don't take kindly to having their asses kicked in the 79 (I believe it was that year) border war.

This is amazing.

The Chinese are about to do a Crimea and if I'm right the biggest stick we have against them is to charge a handful of officials with cyber crime.

UPDATE:  Another piece in this puzzle fell into place.  The Chinese Navy has been evacuating its citizens from Vietnam after deadly rioting broke out and the Chinese were singled out for abuse.  The reason for the riots?  Chinese oil derrick in Vietnamese waters.  This could get ugly. 

America. The land of intolerance.

via Komonews.

Board of Selectmen Chair Linda Murray said Robert Copeland, 82, resigned Sunday night from the post to which he was re-elected in March, putting to rest a controversy that drew national attention and sparked impassioned debate in this resort town of 6,300 on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee.
"The town is pleased," Murray said Monday. "This gives us the opportunity to move on. We are a very accepting community that really takes care of each other."
Copeland has not returned several calls seeking comment.
At a meeting last week, Copeland defiantly sat with his arms folded as more than 100 residents pushed for his ouster and tore into his comments, saying he didn't speak the town or its people.
Copeland admitted using the slur, preceded by an obscenity, while he was at a restaurant in March. A resident, Jane O'Toole, overheard him and complained to town officials when she learned that Copeland was a police commissioner.
"I believe I did use the 'N' word in reference to the current occupant of the Whitehouse," Copeland said in the April email sent to the two other commissioners and forwarded to O'Toole. "For this, I do not apologize - he meets and exceeds my criteria for such."

This incident and the case with the LA Clippers owner should worry all of us but I don't sense any outrage.

Why?

Because in both cases these men, wrong as they might be, were engaged in private conversations.  One of those conversations was recorded and released to the public, the other was reported to public officials after being overheard at a restaurant.

I don't mean to be obscene but isn't that what the Gestapo and the KGB did?

They took informants information and if it did not meet the standards of the state then those persons being accused were summarily punished?!

So that means that if I'm in public, I have to make sure that whatever is said between myself and whoever meets public standards?  The idea that they're having a conversation and its none of my business no longer applies?

We are setting ourselves up for something dangerous.  No.  I don't agree with those guys statements.  But to take a team?  To be forced to resign?  It all seems a bit extreme in my opinion.

Ask yourself this.

Have you been laying in bed with your wife or girlfriend and said something that could be career impacting if it got out?  Have you been with buddies and said something that would have you publicly ostracized if they told the news media?

Welcome to America 2014.  We have already set the groundwork for a police state and no one noticed.

One statement by a Marine Officer kills the rationale for STOVL fighters...

I'm sure it was accidental.

I'm positive that he did not mean it they way it comes across...but still....

“They are a hard requirement when a MEU — any MEU — is operating for an extended period of time in a split or disaggregated configuration,” wrote Col. Scott Campbell, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s former executive officer, in a Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned report published earlier this year.  MCCLL recommended that a dedicated KC-130J detachment be forward-deployed to support MEUs for the entire duration of their float “to enhance reach and responsiveness.”

Yeah.

If we can forward deploy a KC-130J detachment for the entirety of a MEU's deployment then we can do the same with a detachment of Super Hornets.  STOVL jets are not necessary to support an MEU.

While promoting the KC-130J he just shit canned an entire operating philosophy.  A philosophy that I once thought was beyond dispute.

Now?

I'm not so sure.  Did Marine Air let the cat out of the bag?

About those AAV Upgrades.

By now you've all heard that BAE and SAIC won a contract to perform survivability upgrades to the AAV.  Quite honestly I can't cheer.  This is looong overdue.  More to the point though.  I think the Marine Corps needs the Marine Personnel Carrier (I refuse to call it the dorky name of Amphibious Combat Vehicle Increment 1.1. You can't rebrand a failed program and make it successful)

Budget realities and choices by leadership has consequences.

We desperately need it but the Marine Corps has sold its soul to the F-35 and MV-22.  They're expensive beyond reason.  Difficult AND expensive to maintain....and will be a drain on budgets for years.  So while I believe we need the MPC, I don't think we'll get it.

That means a massive upgrade to the AAV.

Expect the major players to be scrambling for a piece of that contract.  Lockheed Martin Ground, BAE, SAIC, General Dynamics...I even expect Rheinmetall, Patria and a few others to join a home team to offer their bits and widgets to the design.

The AAV.  The longest serving armored vehicle in the history of the United States military.  At least it will be by the time its retired.

Marines conduct assault amphibious vehicle operations

Assault amphibious vehicle operations were successfully conducted in the slipway at the Blount Island Command in Jacksonville, Fla., May 15. A total of nine AAVs splashed from Bobo Class Ship USNS PFC Dewayne T. Williams, marking the first time since 1999 that tracks have splashed from a Maritime Prepositioning Force ship. The objective of the AAV operation was to demonstrate and evaluate the operational capability to launch AAVs from an MPF ship. The objective was fully achieved. Another AAV operation on a much larger scale is planned during the month of August.

NOTE:  I'm really getting tired of the "Pentagon" speak.  The Marine Corps has been splashing AAVs off MPF ships forever now.  The idea that this is the first time its been done since 1999 is also a lie.  Below is a pic from Bold Alligator 2012 where it was done.  I don't know who is pushing this bullshit but cut it out!  You're re-inventing the wheel!  We don't need the grandstanding!  On another note.  That AAV coming out the water almost looks brand new.  Wonder whats going on with that?  Are they working the boys at Albany hard to rebuild these things and if so what does that tell us....

MSC Maritime Prepositioning Force ship USNS PFC Eugene A. Obregon lowered its gunmetal gray stern ramp into the water Feb. 7, allowing 12 Amphibious Assault Vehicles, or AAVs, to enter the waters just off Camp Lejune. The AAVs, tracked vehicles that can carry three crew and 21 combat ready troops, splashed into shallow water in preparation for a massive D-Day style amphibious assault on the beach.

Typhoon rocking Meteor BVR Mach 4+ Missiles...

Overall numbers are meaningless. Regional or local air superiority is what counts!

David Axe over at War is Boring Blog does the ELP bit but instead of the Navy crunches the numbers with regard to US Air Power.  You can read it here, but again he buried the lead.  Check this out....

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ huge air wings help explain the imbalance. The U.S. Air Force possesses 1,959 fighters and all of America’s bombers. Alone, the American flying branch’s warplanes outnumber China’s and Russia’s—but only by a few hundred airframes.
But the U.S. Navy and Marines together maintain 1,402 fighters, while China’s navy fields fewer than 200 fighters—and the Russian navy fewer than 100.

The numbers don't tell the story.  I talk about the Pacific often.  The reason?  I believe that to be the area where you'll see peer opponents going at it.  Whether its the China vs. the US, China vs. Japan, China vs. S. Korea etc...

In that calculation overall numbers mean squat.  What means everything is the number of fighters that can respond to a rapidly developing incident.

Regional or even local air superiority is what counts. 

The same applies to troops, tanks, ships, UAVs etc....

Don't be fooled by the numbers.  Worldwide obligations/responsibilities make our air power lead dubious at best.

Life Advice via Gruntworks...

F-35 News. Col Michael Pietrucha takes center stage.

Thanks for Brody for the article!

via Business Insider...

Col Pietrucha told The Sunday Telegraph: “All fighter programmes have developed problems. This one is particularly troubling, not necessarily because the aircraft is inherently bad, but because … they are being bought before they have been proven. They have not been tested outside a computer simulation.”
Britain originally said it would buy 138 of the fighters, but has now committed itself to only 48 of the jump jet variant, spread between the RAF and Navy. The first are due to enter service in 2018.

&

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter being built for British and US forces is based on outdated ideas of air warfare, it is claimed. The aircraft could be unable to evade enemy radar and be too expensive for long campaigns.
The critique in the US Air Force’s own journal concludes that the new fighter may even have “substantially less performance” than some existing aircraft.

Yep.

Critical mass is arriving.

The UK goes from 138 to 48?  The Netherlands are buying a paltry 37?  The Italians are going from over 100 down to 90 odd and are considering going even lower.... And you say the death spiral isn't here?  You must be smoking stuff that was once considered illegal in all 50 states.