Australia's "Navy News" gives us info on the modifications done to the LCM-1E to allow it to carry a M1A1 MBT from ship to shore.

Read the entire article and check out the mag here.

Side note.  The Aussie Navy has an app to their mag which is how I found this article.  You can find it in the Google store.  

Destination Unknown Graphic Novel...A Matter Of Instinct story (in JPEG format)

Destination Unknown Graphic Novel...The Best Seat In The House" story (in JPEG format)

The part of the story that got me by the short hairs?  The idea that an military airplane could be hacked.  What sent chills is that the plane asphyxiated the pilot once they lost link.  The AI got out of the system before the OHPA could track it? 

Wild stuff.

If this is even close to reality then the future battlefield won't be a place any human could survive for even a microsecond.

Wonder how they see future armor?  Will it be manned?  Additionally the previous talking point is that the "human terrain" must be conquered.  That was the focus of our counterinsurgency efforts.  Is that to be abandoned when it comes to peer vs peer warfare?

Yeah these are some real basic questions but I'm starting out in Kindergarten on this stuff so you'll have to bear with me.

Open Comment Post. 05 Aug 2019

Moonbase Interceptor “U.F.O.”

French Jaguar & Griffon undergoing testing before delivery to future Regiments...

Très beau reportage sur le programme #SCORPION réalisé par @TF1. En partenariat avec @ThalesDefence et Arquus, nos #GRIFFON et nos #JAGUAR subissent une batterie de tests avant de rejoindre leurs futurs régiments. #fildedefense pic.twitter.com/bgl8KadFhH

— Nexter_Group (@Nexter_Group) August 5, 2019

Bonus pic of Elbit System "Carmel Armored Fighting Vehicle" Concept

Meet the Carmel. The #IDF future advanced armored fighting vehicle. Still under development, #Israel says foreign armies have already expressed interest in the platform https://t.co/2em6jB8jqt pic.twitter.com/b9R7y1kiQY

— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) August 4, 2019

Elbit Systems "Carmel Armored Fighting Vehicle" Concept Vid...

NATO & Partner Amphibious Forces in Europe (Graph)..

The above graph is from a Rand Report commissioned by the USMC to determine (I believe..can't find it right now) the composition and C&C possibilities from the NATO/Partner Amphibious Force.

The threat was Russia, but the conclusion should be obvious.

NATO and its partners have enough amphibious force projection capability to defend everything from Central to Northern Europe with the added bonus of going from defensive to offensive operations with relative ease.

Note too that this is just the amphibious force.

Left out of this equation is the attachment of US Army Light/Parachute Infantry Battalions, and/or Stryker Brigades, and lets not forget MARSOC, SEALs, US Army Rangers, US Army Special Forces and the special ops contingent of allied forces!

Do I need to mention that US Navy aircraft carriers are also left out of this mix?

Is it too much to say that we are capable of defending Europe with just our Navy/Marine Team along with our allied counterparts with a few Special Ops tossed in?

Israeli "Carmel" Armored Fighting Vehicle...

I've been seeing snippets of the IDF future AFV but this is the only concept vehicle I've found on the net (from the bros over at Elbit...God they do good work!).

From what I've seen it looks like we're looking that the ground version of the F-35.

High tech, with alot of gee-whiz stuff going on.

If you got better details then hit me up. 

Side note.  I can't tell but its looks kinda tiny.  No way that gun is bigger than say a 50mm cannon and to be honest I don't see any anti-tank missiles attached.  I guess we're headed to "sensors" being the key to ground combat...forget armor, mobility or firepower.  I hope I'm wrong but that's the vibe I get.

Who was the best/worst SecDef in US history?

Rumsfeld stated: Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.

Had a discussion on the blog and the revolving door we've seen at the top of defense depts (mainly in the US and UK) came up.  To make a short story shorter, my response was that I was of mixed feeling on the subject.

I'm stuck like stupid on Rumsfeld's term under Bush and the nonsense (I consider it idiocy) that he was spouting at the time.  On the flip side there was Mattis and while he will never approach God-hood with me the way he has with others, in the short time his focusing on actually doing the hard work of defending a great nation and ignoring idiocy was refreshing.

But that's all recent history.

Who was the best and worst SecDefs in US history?

Navistar Defense awarded U.S. Army contract for MRAP variants spares...

via Army Recognition

Navistar Defense was awarded a $7,766,045 firm-fixed-price contract for 4x4 cargo trucks, 6x6 general transport truck, 6x6 30-ton recovery wrecker and medium tactical vehicles general transport truck spares.

Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Lisle, Illinois, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 27, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $7,766,045 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-F-0455).

Nothing special I just was wondering if the MaxxPro Recovery Wrecker could flex into being mated with the ACV so that we could get it done poste haste.

Probably impractical but I want it quick...assuming it survives the Commandant's new plan.

Chinese Type 15 Tank on exercise (pics)...

Open Comment Post. 3 Aug 2019

Russian heavy strike unmanned aerial vehicle "Okhotnik" makes its first flight....

via TASS

 The Russian heavy strike unmanned aerial vehicle "Okhotnik" developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau made its first flight. This was reported on Saturday to journalists in the Russian Ministry of Defense.

“As part of the test program, the military UAV of the long duration flight“ Okhotnik ”made its first flight <...> The first flight took place at 12:20 Moscow time and lasted more than 20 minutes. The aircraft under the control of the operator made several overflights of the airfield at an altitude of about 600 m and made a successful landing, "- said in a statement distributed by the agency.

Story here. 

Protests in Hong Kong get bigger...this will not end well...

VIDEO: 🇭🇰 Anti-government protesters in Hong Kong kick off a new mass rally as they defy increasingly stern warnings from China over weeks-long unrest that has plunged the city into crisis #HongKongProtests #Mongkok pic.twitter.com/RVYeaIMO72

— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 3, 2019

It appears that this thing has taken on a life of its own in Hong Kong. The video propaganda that seemed to be an attempt by the Chinese Govt to warn off the protesters has failed...and failed badly.

This will not end well. 

The two sides appear to be on a collision course and it will be interesting to watch.

As I said before, the response that will be telling isn't from the various Western Govts, it'll be the response from corporations that are setup in China.

Will they ignore the carnage?

Will consumers human rights activists within those corporations and around the world allow those corporations to ignore it?  I'm more convinced than ever that its the corporations that are keeping the Chinese at bay, not the views of govts.

Bell Helicopter Multi Mission VTOL Autonomous Pod Transport APT Unveiled

The Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity (published by Marine Corps University) has created the graphic novel "Destination Unknown"...

Get it here!
Sidenote.  Don't you DARE blow this off because its a graphic novel.  The art sucks but the stories are compelling and talk about future warfare.  I really liked it and believe you will too.