F-35 News. NAVAIR steps into the fray...throws their weight around!

via Reuters...

Dunaway said the Navy and other services are continuing to investigate the incident, and planned to update the flight directive no later than July 16 - two days after the start of the high-profile Farnborough air show outside London.
Lockheed spokesman Michael Rein said the company still hoped the jets could be cleared to fly in time to make the show.
"We remain hopeful the grounding will be lifted in time for them to appear at Farnborough," he said.

Read the entire story here. 

Tea leaf reading time.

Consider.  Marine Air is going to declare initial operational capability before testing is complete.

That goes against standard operating procedure AND it goes against the safety standards that the USN has shed blood and tears to get carrier/general aviation to its safest point in its history.

Consider.  HQMC and Lockheed Martin are apparently pushing...and pushing hard...to get this airplane over to Europe for the air shows.

Read the entire article (yeah I'm repeating myself) but it really looks like NAVAIR is putting its foot down and saying enough!  Below is a graphic of the events schedule for the show...

Dates & Times
Trade Days Opening Hours Flying Display
Monday 14th July 2014 1000hrs – 1600hrs 1330hrs – 1600hrs
Tuesday 15th – Thursday 17th July 2014 0930hrs – 1730hrs 1415hrs – 1645hrs
Futures Day & Enthusiasts Day Opening Hours Flying Display
Friday 18th July 2014 0930hrs – 1730hrs 1330hrs – 1700hrs
Public Weekend Opening Hours Flying Display
Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th July 2014 0930hrs – 1730hrs 1230hrs – 1730hrs

Long story short.

For all intents and purposes they've already missed the "professional/business" part of the show.  Mon and Tues are the big business days with announcements usually hitting Weds and Thurs.

This mission has been scrubbed.

They just haven't announced it yet.

The world is burning news. Ukraine is now lying...or the war will over in a week...

Thanks for the link Matthew...

via Yahoo News...

"According to preliminary assessment, Ukrainian pilots ... killed about 500 (rebel) fighters and damaged two armored transporters," Lysenko told journalists.
In an earlier air attack on a base near Perevalsk, north of Donetsk, two tanks, 10 armored vehicles and "about 500" rebel fighters were destroyed, he said.
Rebel representatives, quoted by Russian news agencies, denied they suffered big losses and said the Ukrainians were using outdated intelligence on where separatist forces were deployed.
"There were no volunteers (rebels) where the Ukrainian aviation was active yesterday," said a spokeswoman for the Luhansk-based separatists, referring to the Peravalsk attack.

Read the entire article, but that's pure craziness!

If this is accurate then the rebellion is MUCH larger than I thought it is.  If this is accurate then we're seeing two army's engaged in fighting.

Consider for a moment what the Ukrainian spokesperson is asking us to believe.

In two separate incidents, two battalion sized units were wiped out!

Either Ukraine is lying or this war will be over in a week.

The world is burning news. Get your eyeballs on Iraq. A CBG and ARG are now nearby...

via USNI news.

In a rare concurrence of events, a carrier strike group and all three ships of a Navy Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) are in the Persian Gulf, for a total of nine U.S. Navy ships in region, defense officials told USNI News on Tuesday.
USS Bataan (LHD-5), embarked with about 1,000 Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday joining ships of the George H.W. Bush carrier strike group (CSG).
The two other ships in the Bataan ARG — USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44) and USS Mesa Verde(LPD-19) — entered the region earlier this month.
Some ships in gulf are part of a presence mission in reaction to the Iraq and Syria Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) insurgency and some are in the gulf for earlier scheduled operations, a navy official told USNI News.

I wanted to cover this earlier in the week but got sidetracked.

Something is brewing in the Gulf.  Why do I say that?  Because you have a full Amphibious Ready Group, and a Carrier Battle Group all operating there now.

Old skool Marines and Sailors would call this type of assembly a Naval Task Force.

Add into the mix the abomination known as SPMAGTF-CR stationed nearby (two of them) and we're looking at a Marine Expeditionary Brigade (-) in the region ready for operation.

Ger your eyeballs on Iraq.

It kinda looks like some type of US action is being prepped.

DHS raids small town in Illinois.

Have you heard about the DHS raid in Livingston, IL?  Check this out from Press TV...

US Homeland Security agents, backed by police SWAT teams, armored vehicles and a Black Hawk helicopter staged a bizarre unannounced show of force in front of a school in a small Illinois town, scenes which will exacerbate concerns about the increasing militarization of US law enforcement.
Residents of Livingston, Illinoise, population 850, were shocked to see agents from Homeland Security, the US Customs and Border Patrol and local police agencies swarm a field belonging to a grade school yesterday [Thursday], with one local telling news channel KTVI, “When all the armored trucks started showing up and everything it made me kind of nervous.”
One child said he thought the spectacle was “pretty cool” and that agents invited the local children to check out the choppers up close, despite the presence of weapons inside the helicopters.
The school superintendent said he was not given any information about the operation beforehand, despite authorities using school land as a staging ground. The US Attorney’s Office refused to release any information on the purpose behind the operation.
KTVI labeled the presence of the feds a “mystery,” although it subsequently emerged that the school was being used as a staging ground for a raid on a house three miles away. Authorities refused to divulge the purpose behind the raid or if anyone was taken into custody.

This news is blowing up in the dark places of the internet.

I'm guessing that this is the first of many arrests to come as a result of the clash between the militia and federal law enforcement at the Bundy Ranch.

I guess we'll know when we know.

Japanese Stealth Fighter Screen Captures...

Japan's Stealth Fighter rolls out...

Thanks Slowman for the vid.



This appears to be some type of documentary about the Japanese stealth fighter...one thing is certain after watching it though.

Japan is recapturing its martial spirit.

No longer are they hesitating to link their military past to their present and future forces.

I wonder.

And please don't take this the wrong way.  MacArthur and Truman both worked hard to keep Japan bottled up.  The entire region at one time feared the Japanese.  When I say feared, its not in the way that the region is looking at the Chinese, I'm talking about fear that turned to hatred because of their hyper aggressiveness.

Fast forward to today and we're uncorking the bottle that both the region and one of our greatest military leaders determined should remain corked for the rest of time.

Will we one day look back at this re-militarized Japan as being one of the biggest miscalculations of our time?

The world is burning news. ISIS wrecked the Iraqi Army.

Thanks Mr. T for the pics...

The below pics are obviously propaganda from ISIS and I have no idea about the time when they were taken.  By that I mean was this during recent battles or from the initial assault.  But one thing is clear.  The Iraqi Army got throat punched despite having first rate equipment.

The Indian D63 Kolkata Destroyer is the most balanced on the planet.

I've had a chance to look at the stats on the D63 Kolkata Destroyer from India and from a look at the numbers its the most balanced on the planet without a doubt.

It might even be the most powerful.

Why do I say that?  For one reason.  The powerful anti-ship Brahmos missile.  Think about it.  We lavish nothing but praise on the Burke class but while they kick ass in the anti-air mission and can do savage attacks against land targets, it is basically a sitting duck when it comes to naval warfare on the high seas.

Other Western Destroyers suffer from the same bias.  When it hit me I was shocked.  For our smaller allies to build ships that are biased in the same direction as the US Navy in hindsight seems quite foolish. Consider the S. Korean Sejong the Great class destroyer.  A Burke clone.  The British Type 45 destroyer.  A Burke clone.

This points to one undeniable issue for Western navies.

They've become aviation dependent.

Advances in the range of anti-ship missiles, the rapid development of anti-air missiles by threat forces and the lack of progress in fielding long range missiles of our own is causing a blind spot that could have consequences in the future.

The standard anti-ship missile for the West is the Harpoon missile.  Its range?  67 nautical miles.

Sidenote:  I also need to point out that many have questioned the electronics fit of these ships.  That is wrong.  Who are the suppliers?  IAI, Thales, Elbit and Bel.  They're all first rate and many of those systems will be found on allied warships.

Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector (UHAC) Testing At RIMPAC 2014 (video)

A better, cheaper, faster (if properly updated) and quicker to put into service? Another blast from the past that I had forgotten about but commenter DT recommended. The LARC LX-20!

Indian Navy P15A Destroyer Kolkata

I need to find the stats on this ship.

At a glance it looks like a first rate destroyer but looks can sometimes be deceiving.  It looks familiar but I just can't place it.  

You excited about the Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector? Don't be. Its just a blast from the past.

Are you one of those people that believes what you're being fed about the Ultra Heavy Lift Amphibious Connector?

I hope not, but the HQMC is placing stories about it in the news media to increase interests and to show that they're working on the problem.  The latest can be found here, Business Insider of India.

Personally I'm just not buying it.  Not only will the vehicle be huge (its suppose to be able to carry three M1A1 MBTs (which makes me wonder how many will be able to fit aboard LPDs) but it doesn't address the speed for distance problem.

No one is paying attention but the beast will be limited to an estimated 20 knots.  If you're launching from the Commandant's 200 nautical miles out to sea that's a 10 hour trip! 

But what has me seriously shaking my head is that once again, its nothing new.  This idea was first dreamed up in the 1950's in the form of the Krisiti KT-4!

I don't know what the end game is for HQMC with this concept but one thing is certain.

These vehicles are not designed for the assault and at best we're looking at pure logistics vehicles.

They're like LCACs only worse.  In the role that they're being talked about, they're much worse.

A contested environment and you're sending forces ashore from 200 nautical miles out, aboard a slow, big, unarmed landing craft?  Insanity!

Blast from the past. LVTP-5E & M422 Mighty Mite

Lockheed Martin/Patria Havoc 8x8 (with turret mounting 30mm??? & Javelin launcher) screen captures....

Forget for a moment the Javelin launch.

Its cool but quite honestly so what.  I want a short ranged missile like that fired from the bush by my anti-tank teams, not the APC I hope will survive long enough for me to ride out on.

What has me jazzed is the turret on the Havoc.  What turret is that?  Its obviously capable of carrying a cannon....at least 30mm and if we compare it to the work that Lockheed Martin UK is doing with the Warrior then we can plus size that to 40mm.

BAE, SAIC and General Dynamics better up their game.  I'm trying to run down info on the ACV 1.1/MPC in regards to rumors that I've heard, but Lockheed/Patria are playing for keeps and are pushing hard with their vehicle.

Sidenote:  THOSE CAGEY BASTARDS!  Notice how they prevent us from getting a good look at the front of the vehicle (that's not by accident either!)?  They tease us and then leave us hanging?!  They have some good guys in Lockheed Martin Ground Division but they piss me the fuck off at times!

UPDATE:  Everyone says this is the German Boxer.  On second glance, they appear to be right.  That even adds more sauce to the goose.  What the hell is going on?  Why not show us the front of the vehicle?  During a weapons test they have all views available---thats standard procedure---maybe just a quick press release that they didn't expect to garner much attention?

UPDATE 1:  The more I chew on this the less sense it makes.  Why choose the Javelin for a vehicle mounted anti-tank missile?  Don't the Germans have the SPIKE available?  Greater range, more powerful warhead...what the hell are the missile guys at Lockheed Martin up to?

Javelin Missile Successfully Launched from Turreted Vehicle

Breaking! CIA Station Chief kicked out of Germany.

More to come.  This non-issue (according to many of my readers) is turning into a diplomatic nightmare.

Add another problem to the current administrations plate.

This is the summer of misery for the Obama administration....

F-35 News. Lockheed Martin Releases Farnborough International Airshow 2014 Media Opportunities Schedule

Monday, July 14
11 a.m.-12 p.m., BSTF-35 Program Update BriefingThe Radlett Room, Farnborough International Media CenterPresenters will provide an update on the F-35 program.

Tuesday, July 15
11 a.m.-12 p.m., BSTF-35 Pilot BriefingThe Cody Room, Farnborough International Media CenterF-35 test pilots will provide a presentation on the capability of the F-35.

Above is the press availability for briefings on the F-35.

Consider this exhibit number one that lets you know that the F-35 WILL NOT be making this trip.

I'm guessing here (and I could be wrong...trying to read tea leaves), but my impression was that this was going to be the triumphant unveiling of the plane in Europe.

Two short briefings?

Sounds like they expect less excitement than originally planned.

The world is burning news. ISIS obtained nuclear material...

via Reuters...

(Reuters) - Insurgents in Iraq have seized nuclear materials used for scientific research at a university in the country's north, Iraq told the United Nations in a letter appealing for help to "stave off the threat of their use by terrorists in Iraq or abroad."
Nearly 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of uranium compounds were kept at Mosul University, Iraq's U.N. Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the July 8 letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
"Terrorist groups have seized control of nuclear material at the sites that came out of the control of the state," Alhakim wrote, adding that such materials "can be used in manufacturing weapons of mass destruction."
"These nuclear materials, despite the limited amounts mentioned, can enable terrorist groups, with the availability of the required expertise, to use it separate or in combination with other materials in its terrorist acts," said Alhakim.
He warned that they could also be smuggled out of Iraq.

He's talking about a dirty bomb.

The inhuman animals that makeup the organization known as ISIS has nuclear material.

If somehow they smuggled this stuff into Europe, famous landmarks could become major cleanup sites for years.

Same for the United States.

This might be turning into a an issue that must be solved with a B-2 dropping a MOAB.

UPDATE:  This article by Defense One now makes much more sense....Hagel Declares ISIL Clear and ‘Imminent Threat’ To U.S.

The world is burning news. Israel is making the case for an assault..

Rocket pieces fall in central Israel. The rocket was intercepted by Iron Dome.

Building damaged by a rocket launched from Gaza.

Drivers take refuge from rockets

The above photos are from the IDF Flickr Page.

Its obvious.  The Israeli's are prepping and shaping public opinion so that when they make an assault into the Gaza Strip, it will be understood by anyone that's been paying attention.

I'm impressed by the craftsmanship here.

The captions are short, simple and to the point.

Israel is getting pounded and something must be done.

Expect an assault soon.

Mobile Landing Platform at RimPac 2014 (plus a bonus photo)

Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles disembark from a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5 onto the Mobile Landing Platform ship USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) as part of an amphibious operations demonstration during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014 off the coast of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in Exercise RIMPAC from June 26 to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Scott/Released)

Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles embark onto a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5 for transport to the Mobile Landing Platform ship USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) as part of an amphibious operations demonstration during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014 off the coast of Camp Pendleton. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in Exercise RIMPAC from June 26 to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Scott/Released)

A Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicle launches from the well deck of the Mobile Landing Platform ship USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) as part of an amphibious operations demonstration during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014 off the coast of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in Exercise RIMPAC from June 26 to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Scott/Released)

A Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5 transports Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles to the Mobile Landing Platform ship USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) as part of an amphibious operations demonstration during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014 off the coast of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in Exercise RIMPAC from June 26 to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Scott/Released)

BONUS PIC!!!!
The Republic of Indonesia's KRI Banda Aceh, Landing Platform Dock (593) departs Pearl Harbor for the sea phase of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in Exercise RIMPAC from June 26 to August 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (Royal Australian Navy photo by Able Seaman Imagery Specialist Chantell Bianchi/Released AU3)

Blast from the past. AAAV Brochures.

Note:  All these brochures are from "The Tank and AFV Blog".  He hasn't written since May of this year but I hope he's still active.  Check it out here.