A Marine Corps Captain goes hardcore on the General's Club! MUST READ!

Thanks to John for the link!

Have you ever read an article that pushes all your buttons in the right way?
Have you ever wondered where is that Marine Officer that will stand up and tell HQMC they have no clothes?  Have you hoped that you would see common sense make a roaring comeback in the Marine Corps?

Have you sometimes thought that sugar has turned to shit and all hope is lost?"

I have.

I thought that no one would stand up and say what everyone was thinking.  Fortunately I was wrong.  Capt Waddell has written an amazing piece for Marine Corps Gazette and I can't do it justice.  I saw it a couple days ago when John sent me the link but didn't know how to present it to you.  Well I got a bit of wall to wall counseling (thanks John) and the answer is I don't need to present it.  JUST READ IT HERE!

My faith in the honor of some Marine Corps Officers is restored...now if I could only get Davis to man up and answer some question or even his protector Neller we might finally get this fantastic ship, the USS Marine Corps turned around.

China is practicing to destroy US installations overseas...

Thanks to Al Z for the link!

via War on the rocks...

The levels at which China appears to be planning a missile attack on US military bases in the Pacific have been detailed in a new report.
An investigation of satellite imagery comparing China's missile testing grounds and US military bases shows a pattern - all of the missile tests have been aimed at destroying US carriers, destroyers and airfields in East Asia, the report said.
The images show that the test areas have been designed to look like the military bases, according to the report by Thomas Shugart on War on the Rocks.
Earlier this week, a highly accurate Chinese ballistic missile capable of threatening US and Japan bases in Asia made its latest appearance at recent Rocket Force drills.

Are you surprised?

I'm not!  This is what enemies do...they practice to mess you up in a pre-emptive strike!

The only thing about this report is that the Pentagon still insists on forward basing as a way to deter enemies instead of realizing how vulnerable those forces are in an age of precision long range weapons!

By rights San Diego and Hawaii would turn into mega bases for our Ships/Marines/Aircraft and we would work with Australia where possible to station a division or so in their Northern Territory.

But as far as China practicing against our bases?  No problem...I hope we're doing the same.

Australian M1 Abrams suffering reliability issues?

Thanks to Dave for the link!

via Australian Defense.com

Previously, the Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine engine which powers the tank had to be shipped back to the US for overhaul at a US Army repair depot in Alabama – a process which could take between 9-12 months before the power-plant returned to Australian soil and cost up to $500,000 per unit.
The overhauled engine also had a TAE Health and Usage Monitoring (HUMS) system fitted during overhaul and the Australian Army is the first Abrams operator in the world to adopt the system.
Australia purchased 59 refurbished Abrams M1A1 Main Battle Tanks from the US in 2004 and they will remain in service until at least 2035. The recent Defence White Paper forecasts a capability upgrade in the near future, to be carried out under project Land 907 Phase 2.
The 15,000 shaft horsepower (shp) AGT1500 has amassed over 24 million hours of operation worldwide and is a modular design, meaning that the power unit can be split apart in the field. Though for all intents and purposes identical to US Marine Corps tanks, Australia's M1A1 Abrams have not enjoyed the same reliability – a phenomenon attributable to the harsh local operating environment, but also to the way Army uses its fleet.

So your question is the same as mine...How do the Australians use their tanks in ways that US Marine Tankers don't?  From the same article...

 Army Head of Modernisation and Strategic Planning Major General Gus McLachlan recently hosted personnel from the US Army’s Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) in Michigan to investigate what he describes as ‘very significant and reliability issues’ with the Abrams fleet in Australia.
“At the end of it the Americans back-briefed me, saying we are using our tanks at 10 times the rate of a similar American unit and also, we use them on terrain that our soldiers would never contemplate crossing,” he told delegates at the SimTecT 2016 conference in Melbourne recently.
A further difference between the two Abrams operators is that the Australian Army runs the AGT1500 engine on diesel, where US forces use Aviation Turbine (AVTUR) fuel.

Ah.

So that's the real deal.

They use diesel fuel and we use avgas!

I'm not calling the Australian General a liar but seriously?  I mean really?  Has he never been to 29 Palms, Ft Irwin or even Ft Knox (when they were up and running)!!!  Our guys run those tanks hard and put them away soaking wet!

Maybe I was wrong.  Maybe there really is an issue with the M1's motor.... 

Viggen - 50 years anniversary (vid)

Thanks to Pandapod for the link!

We are seeing a coordinated "cry fest" to push F-35 buys...

I contend that we're seeing a coordinated "cry fest" by top Pentagon brass to push the meme to the public that US forces are so poorly funded that we need to make a dramatic push to increase already lavish defense spending.

Exhibit number one.  via Marine Times.

More than half of all Marine Corps fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft were unable to fly at the end of 2016, officials said on Wednesday.

The Marines are struggling to keep aging aircraft flying amid budget cuts, delayed spending bills and more than 15 years of wartime wear-and-tear.

Out of 1,065 Marine Corps aircraft, 439 were flyable as of Dec. 31, said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation. That represents roughly 41 percent of the service’s fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

“My target should be 589 [flyable aircraft]; so I am 150 airplanes shy of what I need to make my flight-hour goal,” Davis told reporters on Wednesday. “In order to meet my operational commitments, I need a little bit more than that.”

Since taking the job in June 2014, Davis has been working furiously to get enough Marine Corps planes and helicopters flyable until the service can receive new aircraft, such as the F-35.

How a Marine General can so easily talk about failure on his part and not be embarrassed/humiliated/drummed out of the service is beyond me.  In essence Davis is telling us that he didn't do his job and while he's comfortable blaming pilots for crashes he is in this interview telling us that he didn't get enough flight hours to those aviators to keep them proficient.

In essence he's telling us that he failed to properly train his Marines.

But ignoring all that we're still faced with this totally weird request.  Exhibit number two.  via Defense News.

 The Marine Corps’ top aviator is hungry for more F-35Bs, telling reporters on Wednesday that he would like to see the service’s buy rate increase to 37 jets per year.
That would almost double the planned rate of F-35B procurement over the next few years, which is projected to sit at 20 aircraft per year from fiscal years 2018 to 2021. 
"We have the infrastructure in place,” said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation. "Bottom line is we've had a very anemic ramp, so we've been holding onto the older airplanes longer. If asked by the American people to get the airplanes faster, I guarantee we'd put them into play very, very quickly.
“We'd transition squadrons faster is what we'd do,” he said, adding that if the service were allowed to purchase 37 B-variants a year, it would be able to retire its legacy F/A-18 Hornet and Harrier planes by 2026. 

Do you get the force of connection here?  Coffee Joe Java suspected that supply lines are being starved because preparations are being made to put the F-35 into service and from this article it appears those suspicions are spot on.

The current force is being allowed to wither on the vine in order to fund future priorities.

HQMC likes to talk about assuming some risk.  I call it being foolish with the lives of Marine Aviators.

But the arrogance is stunning.  Did you catch that statement?  If not here it is... "If asked by the American people to get the airplanes faster, I guarantee we'd put them into play very, very quickly."

Why would the American people push to put an airplane into service that hasn't passed testing?  Why would the US Marine Corps push to put a plane into service that hasn't passed testing???

Worse?  We're seeing a coordinated effort by the highest ranks of the Marine Corps to deceive the public and to acquire a weapon system that is not ready for prime time.  The Marine Corps enjoys a special place in the minds of the public and that trust should not be squandered.  The push for the F-35 is not worth risking that trust.

Side note.  One story in this cry fest that hasn't received enough coverage is the news that only 3 Brigade Combat Teams are combat ready.  The rest will need at least 30 days to get up to speed!  I'm guessing those BCTs belong to the 82nd and their Global Response Force which means that we have no Army Armor or Mech units ready to go.  THAT SHOULD BE STUNNING TO POLICY MAKERS, but aviation is the only thing that grabs headlines and most Defense Journalists care about.

Open Comment Post. Feb 9, 2017

Patria XA-220...

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

via Janes

Patria has developed and tested an upgraded version of its XA series of 6x6 armoured personnel carriers (APCs).

The new variant - designated XA-220 - was developed with internal research and development funding.

The original XA-180 6x6 APC is powered by a Valmet diesel engine developing 295 hp and coupled to an Allison MD 3560PR automatic transmission; however, the upgraded XA-220 features a Cummins ISLe 8.9 diesel engine coupled to the original transmission. While the new engine is more powerful, for this application it has been limited to be compatible with the rest of the power train.

The XA-220 features an upgraded electrical system, with new AGM NATO 6T batteries that have a 240 A capacity and a 60 A intelligent onboard battery charger, and also are installed with new power supply panels that have USB outputs. The drive ratio of the current 200 A alternator is now optimised to generate the maximum output.

The original headlights and tail lights have been replaced by new ECE-approved light emitting diode (LED) units. For night time operations an LED/infrared (LED/IR) kit is used.

The XA-220 can be equipped with an open electronic architecture and features video displays, and day and night cameras, thus enhancing night time operations.

Mobility improvements include work on the suspension and new adjustable shock absorbers. Driver fatigue has been reduced by upgrading the steering system. The latest blast attenuating seats have also been fitted in the rear troop compartment, the same units used in Patria's Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV) 8x8.

The XA-220 has an appliqué passive armour package, but the amphibious capability has been removed.

A rail mount on the roof enables optimised arcs of fire for up to two light machine guns through the rear roof hatches.

The vehicle is also equipped with a Kidde-Deugra Halon-free fire detection and suppression system for the engine and crew compartments.

This is an extremely modest upgrade.  More akin to the AAV Survivability Upgrade but a bit less extreme.  I wonder who this is aimed at?

Why does Davis still have a job????

via Breaking Defense

UPDATED with Marine Corps data CAPITOL HILL: More than 60 percent of Navy and Marine Corps strike fighters are out of service, the Navy confirmed today. While 62 percent of fighters are effectively grounded, the overall figure for all naval aircraft is 53 percent. UPDATE: With some of the oldest fighter jets in service, Marine Corps figures are even worse: In December, 74 percent of Marine F-18 Hornets were not ready for combat — 208 of 280 aircraft;

Why?  Please tell me why!

Blast from the past. A-1D SkyRaider...the plane the USAF is trying to reinvent!

Its kinda funny.

When you boil down the search and study that the USAF is about to conduct for its low cost COIN striker its really just reinventing the wheel and trying to build the A-1D SkyRaider.

Why?  Because the "job" that they're looking to do perfectly mirror what the SkyRaider did in Vietnam.  Escort for Jolly Greens...Suppression of local enemy air defenses and support of downed pilots/troops in contact with the enemy (many times after the bad guys set up "helo traps" to lure in rescue forces).

Even crazier?  The USAF/USMC have been here before when they crafted a replacement for the plane...Remember this jewel (as good as the Bronco was this was better!)...

Its sad.

No matter how smart we think we are, we still end up relearning lessons from history.

Oh and I raise you one Sky Raider and one Convair Charger as the best prop planes ever built!

Open Comment Post. Feb 7, 2017.

Trolls and smart asses...is there a difference?

But the above is just an aggravation.  Onto more important issues.  Has anyone used the "UC Browser" and if so is it any good?  They claim its what the Google Chrome used to be until it got bogged down with extensions and everything most want is already built in so its super fast...anyway....what's on your mind.

Open carry activists. Do stupid shit, win stupid prizes.

Thanks to Everyday No Days Off Blog for the link!



Quote of the day.

"Sir, I will put a round in your fucking head"! (made by a LEO while pointing his weapon at an open carry advocate)

Value?  Priceless!  Result?  More than likely shit producing!  The moral of the story?  Just because something is legal doesn't mean that its a good idea to do it!

Serious question.

Guy walks into a police station wearing a baclava with an AR-15 and he's shot dead by police on the spot.  Do you think ANYONE IN AMERICA would convict the police?

Answer.

NO FUCKING WAY!  They jury would be back in 5 min with a not guilty verdict in most states (even backwards ass California would convict especially since they're so anti-gun!).

Every movement has its loons and from my chair the open carry morons fit the bill when it comes to the gun rights movement.  These bastards need to be marginalized.  They do nothing to help and everything they do hurts the cause.

Patria AMV 28A is designed for "Marine" environments!

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

via Army Guide.

Patria AMV 8x8 is the most modern and successful combat proven armoured wheeled vehicle with outstanding test results from all over the world. Nearly 1,600 vehicles have already been ordered. They are used in challenging conditions by customers in seven countries including the Finnish, Polish, Slovenian, Croatian, South African, United Arab Emirates’ and Swedish Defence Forces. Patria AMV’s structural solutions enable high payload capacity, high level of protection and integration of heavy weapon systems. Patria AMV has received excellent feedback from customers for its performance in combat and crisis management operations in Afghanistan and Chad. The latest addition to this product family, Patria AMV XP, provides further strength to the company’s product range.

At IDEX Patria showcases a new member of the Patria AMV product family - Patria AMV28A with Kongsberg PROTECTOR Medium Caliber Turret (MCT-30) with Commander’s Independent Weapon Station with 12,7 mm Machine Gun and Javelin AT launcher.

Features of Patria AMV28A


· Bolt-on marine environment amphibious kit to 28 ton GVW


· Automatized amphibious mode, protected and continuous fighting capacity


· Modular amphibious kit, easy to detach and rearm when needed.


· Full operational capacity on land. Max. width 2.85 meters without amphibious kit


· Max. speed up to 10km/h


· Extended hull for larger size IFV turrets and crew of 8 dismounting soldiers


· Protectable for against modern threat levels


· Marine environment protective coating


· Superior firepower also on an amphibious operation


· Desert powerpack


· Desert AC

Hmm.  So all it was is flotation armor?  I also don't get what an extended hull has to do with larger IFV turrets.  I've seen everything up to 120mm cannons mounted on AMVs so are they telling us that they had a bit of stability issues with the larger caliber guns?  If so then I wonder how big they got before they started seeing issues.

It makes sense and its a good move after being burned by Lockheed Martin in the ACV contest. 

Royal Marine Recruits on the Tarzan Course...

Note:  Always thought this was a myth.  The Tarzan Course at Quantico is always said to have come from the Royal Marines and they always have some juice head Royal Marine hanging around OCS...so I guess it all checks out.  Another myth confirmed.

Don't be fooled..this guy is relaxing and taking a breather...he's also hoping the guy ahead of him is slow so that rest he's taking will be a bit longer!

Another chill portion of the test...at least till you get to the next pic....

and contort and twist and do stupid shit!

I wonder how much an influence British Army and Marine Commando Units in WW2 played in the formation of our own Special Ops units?  At least in the training/selection process.  It would be interesting to see a military historians take on the subject.

Over Half the Navy's Hornets/Super Hornets Grounded...

via Defense News.

The US Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet strike fighters are the tip of the spear, embodying most of the fierce striking power of the aircraft carrier strike group. But nearly two-thirds of the fleet’s strike fighters can’t fly – grounded because they’re either undergoing maintenance or simply waiting for parts or their turn the aviation depot backlog.

Overall, more than half the Navy’s aircraft are grounded, most because there isn’t enough money to fix them.

There isn’t enough money to fix the fleet’s ships, and the backlog of ships needing work continues to grow. Overhauls – “availabilities” in Navy parlance – are being cancelled or deferred, and when ships do come in they need longer to refit. Every carrier overall for at least three years has run long, and some submarines are out of service for prolonged periods, as much as four years or more. One submarine, the Boise, has lost its diving certification and can’t operate pending shipyard work, and leaders claim that if more money doesn’t become available five more will be in the same state by the end of this year.

Story here.

Interesting.  The story starts as a problem with Navy Aviation and then morphs into a general tale of woe for the entire Navy.  

Something is seriously wrong with our military.  We're seeing these issues in all of the services and despite modest spending cuts it seems like our equipment is falling apart.  A robust audit of defense spending is needed.  As things stand we shouldn't trust the Pentagon with a spending increase until they can properly account for the monies already on hand.

2nd richest man in China warns that if trade stops, war starts!

via Gizmodo.

Alibaba’s CEO spoke with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday and he says they had “a wonderful discussion” about what Business Insider characterizes as “a regional ‘e-hub’ — a trade zone that would allow for freer online commerce with less border bureaucracy to deal with.” Contrast that with Trump’s phone call with Turnbull this week, which he characterized as the “worst call by far,” and ended by hanging up on the Australian prime minister. The ignorance on the part of the administration was hammered home when the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, repeatedly mispronounced Turnbull’s name as “Trumbull.”

When Trump met with the Alibaba CEO back in January, Trump was happy to crow that Ma had promised to bring a million jobs to the United States. Critics predict that Ma won’t follow through on the pledge and that like Trump he knows a good P.R. opportunity when he sees it.
If the new president doesn’t want a nightmare situation in which consumer electronics and other imported goods sky rocket in price, he’s going to have to move beyond sound bites and photo ops to dig into the endlessly complicated world of policy. Trade wars also have a way of turning into shooting wars and so far Trump seems fine with that.

Story here. 

So let me get this straight.  If the US seeks to reclaim lost manufacturing from China that could lead to war?  If we act in the best interests of our nation then prices of imported goods could increase?

Fuck it.  Let's go!

War with China is coming anyway.  At best all Trump is doing is matching the type of nationalism that any China watcher has seen on their side for decades!

We have to pay more for widgets and trinkets from China?

BIG FUCKING DEAL!

If we were really concerned about human rights and the spread of democracy then we wouldn't be trading with China in the first place.  The real dirty secret is how China is messing with their currency to keep a positive trade balance.  By rights the Chinese dollar should be equal to if not worth more than the American dollar and certainly more than the Euro, but Chinese authorities make sure that doesn't happen.

All in all I'm pleased by this news.  Trump might be a madman but he's our madman and this is the first real sign that the Chinese are nervous.

Pereh Missile Carrier (pics)

pics via Bmashina Tumblr Page.

I am fascinated by this vehicle.  The idea of a tank having 12 ready to fire long range missiles has got to be a game changer.  The idea that the Israelis have been able to keep this out of public view since mid 80's is also quite interesting.

Of course the star of the vehicle is the Spike NLOS Missile.  Ranging out to about 16 miles it's a type of precision artillery that should be useful in the type of fight we're seeing in Syria today.

We've seen similar systems but they've all been either truck or APC mounted. The Israelis went that way but migrated toward mounting their missiles on a tank chassis.  Kinda makes me wonder if we should be a bit more inventive with all the M1 hulls we have laying around gathering dust in the desert...

Open Comment Post. Feb 6, 2017

Unforeseen escalation....Houthi rockets hit Rihyadh

Thanks to everyone that linked to this news!

via alaraby.co.uk

Yemeni rebels reported the successful test-launch of a precision scud missile on Sunday night, which was allegedly aimed at a Saudi military camp 40 kilometres west of Riyadh.

Saudi officials denied that the missile hit the military camp near al-Mazahimiyah and it has not been possible to independently verify this fact.
The Houthi rebels announced the successful launch of a Scud-type ballistic missile at around 8pm GMT.
Saba News agency quoted a Houthi spokesperson announcing the attack as a "successful test-fire of a precision, long-distance ballistic missile."
"We stress that the capital of [expletive] Saudi Arabia is now in the range of our missiles and, God willing, what is coming will be greater," a statement from the Houthi government said.

Story here. 

Interesting news and an unforeseen escalation on the part of the Houthis.  I knew there would be blow back from the SEAL Team 6 raid but I definitely didn't see this.

The Houthis are being quite surgical in their targeting.

Forget talk about them targeting one of our warships.  There is nothing in the past to indicate that they don't know who they're shooting at.  If they wanted to target one of our ships then there would be no guessing about it.  Additionally they've shown themselves to be quite adept at getting the job done even with limited resources.

Long short?  Despite the work that our DoD, State Dept and White House is doing the Houthis are doing there level best to keep us on the sidelines in the fight against Saudi Arabia.

The idea that they can now target a major Saudi city with ballistic missiles should be a shock to the system to the Royal Family.

The shocking thing?  We are without a doubt seeing an undeclared (and unacknowledged) regional war in the Middle East.  Think about the countries involved.  US, Russia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, UAE, Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran (and I left a few nations out).  The entire Middle East is involved in the fight and we're to believe that 50,000 or fewer ISIS fighters can't be defeated by all that firepower?  The conspiracy theorists are right.  ISIS is just another proxy in a war filled with proxies.

China is mass producing Type 726 LCACs.

Many thanks to Alexander Clarke @AC_NavalHistory!

via China Post.com

China has begun the mass production of a domestically-developed amphibious landing craft which will enhance the country's amphibious capabilities and enable it to transport heavy military vehicles in the event of war with Taiwan, Chinese media reported recently.
Chinese news website Guancha.cn reported earlier this week that a new boat of Type 726 Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) appeared on a military program broadcast on China's CCTV on Jan. 31, which indicated China has begun the mass production of this type of craft.
LCACs are used to transport troops and equipment from ships to land-based operations.
The report said that the new Type 726 LCAC is part of the Chinese navy's South China Sea fleet.
The Type 726 LCAC can carry China's Type 99 tank and move at a speed of more than 60 knots, the report said.
Built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the first Type 726 LCAC was launched in December 2009, since which time the Chinese navy has had four boats of this type, the report said.


The mass production of the Type 726 LCAC will significantly enhance China's amphibious combat capability, the report said. It not only bolsters Beijing's ability to transport troops to distant locations, but also beefs up the country's ability to transport heavy military tanks in the event of war with Taiwan, the report added.

The Chinese are viewing amphibious warfare in a different way than Marine planners.  From my chair I see USMC planners viewing our Ground Combat Element as an "enabler" for either SOCOM or an air/sea battle.  The Chinese view their GCE as a war winning element that is to be supported.

That makes a huge difference when it comes to procurement.

For the USMC that means small units that fly far and attack weakly defended installations (hopefully) or that act as support for Special Operations.  For the Chinese that means doing stuff old skool Marine Corps style and building up power ashore as rapidly as possible and then moving from the beach head to the objective in powerful combined arms teams.

Even if my "guess" is wrong, one thing is certain.  The Chinese are about to mass produce LCACs while we're losing well deck space on both our big deck amphibs (LHD/LHA) and our LSDs.  It will be interesting to see who's theory of future war is correct. 

Flak-damaged Sea Venom of 893 Squadron during the Suez Crisis...

pic via FishStickMonkey Tumblr Page.

THE SUEZ CRISIS (OPERATION MUSKETEER) 1956
A flak-damaged Sea Venom of 893 Squadron, landing safely without undercarriage on HMS EAGLE. The aircraft has been caught by the arrester wires on the Flight Deck.

Interesting.

I haven't taken a good look (and neither have many historians) at all the minor actions that were taking place worldwide between the 50s and 60s.  The Suez Crisis deserves a look see and I think I'll turn to doing just that.  The idea that a Brit Sea Venom would take flak damage in a mission in that region (I don't know the specifics) is simply amazing.  On a side note.  I know EXTREMELY little about carrier but I wonder why they would attempt a landing which could damage the ship instead of just ejecting and getting picked up.  Is this safer?  Are ejections that dangerous?  Honest question, I don't know.