Friday, May 01, 2020
UK's 1 Merican in Estonia (Pic)...
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| As infantry soldiers, we must never lose sight of why we stay ready. The UK's adversaries are still out there, watching and waiting for any moment of weakness. Use this time to stay fit, focused and ready. Photo taken by @mjheal with A (Grenadier) Company in #estonia🇪🇪 2019. |
It ain't the jungle but that's some deep forest. Always thought Europe was mostly pretty clear forests and plains. Guess I only saw a small sliver of the thing.
Kinda makes ya know what the Romans faced when they crossed over. I can't imagine what waves of "barbarians" swarming thru looked like to them.
UPDATE: Royal Canadian Navy’s Helicopter Accident
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| The news from the Ionian sea on April 29 burned everyone’s heart. A CH-148 Cyclone helicopter crashed into the sea near the Kefalonia island in the Ionian Sea. The helicopter went missing after taking off from the Canadian frigate Fredericton which is a part of SNMG2. According to the announcement of the Royal Canadian Armed Forces, unfortunately, one member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) was killed on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, and five other members remain missing following an accident involving a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CH-148 Cyclone helicopter. Killed was Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough, a Marine Systems Engineering Officer, originally from Toronto, Ontario. Confirmed missing are: Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald, Pilot, originally from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia Captain Kevin Hagen, Pilot, originally from Nanaimo, British Columbia Captain Maxime Miron-Morin, Air Combat Systems Officer, originally from Trois-Rivières, Québec Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke, Naval Warfare Officer, originally from Truro, Nova Scotia Master Corporal Matthew Cousins, Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator, originally from Guelph, Ontario “I was deeply saddened to learn yesterday of the tragic incident involving a Cyclone helicopter off the coast of Greece and the loss of our members of the Canadian Armed Forces. I wish to express my deepest condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing with our NATO Allies for the five missing members and all available resources are being dedicated to this effort. This accident is a painful reminder of the dangers that members of Canada’s military face every day to ensure the safety and security of Canadians.” said Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence of Canada. Deputy Minister of National Defence of Canada, Chief of the Defence Staff of Canadian Armed Forces, Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy and Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command also shared their messages of condolences. #RoyalCanadianNavy #canada |
Geez.
No one survived. RIP. May their memory be a blessing.
Kongsberg's MCT-30 selected for USMC's Amphibious Combat Vehicle-30 line
via Janes
The US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) 30 mm cannon Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV-30) is slated to be outfitted with Kongsberg’s Protector Medium Caliber Turret 30 mm (MCT-30).Not slamming Kongsberg but I have to wonder if this is the best available on the market or if the Marine Corps is simply piggybacking off the Army's selection of this turret for their Stryker ICV.
BAE Systems is expected to produce four ACV variants including the personnel carrier (ACV-P), command and control (ACV-C), recovery (ACV-R), and ACV-30. For the latter, the company has decided to integrate Kongsberg’s MCT-30 onto the vehicle, a BAE Systems spokesperson told Jane’s on 29 April.
Kongsberg did not immediately return Jane’s request for information, but its MCT-30 is a remote weapon station developed for wheeled and tracked armoured fighting vehicles and its main weapon is the XM813 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster chain gun.
To be actual and factual turret tech is moving along at mach speed and this turret is at least a generation behind current offerings on the market.
The height and bulk of the turret coupled with the fact that it is AS LARGE as a manned turret just can't escape my notice.
Another thing that irritates is that we don't know if a REAL competition was held or if they simply made a selection.
I'm pleased that the Corps is moving forward but a bit frustrated at the lack of visibility on the "whys" of this selection.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
J-10C seen sporting dual launchers and PL-15 Long Range Missiles...
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The US Navy selects Fincantieri design for next-generation frigate
Here.
The USMC bought a European APC for its ACV. The US Navy just bought the European multi-mission frigate for its navy.
Can we finally stop hearing the whining about NIH syndrome?
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Turkey's fleet of new anti-tank vehicles to enter service by 2022
via Shepard Media
Turkey expects to equip its army with new Kaplan-10 and PARS 4x4 anti-tank vehicles by 2022, as it moves to improve the mobility and the lethality of its ground forces.
These platforms were procured in June 2016 under a contract with manufacturer FNSS that includes 260 vehicles (184 Kaplan-10s and 76 PARS 4x4s), as well as their turrets.
The Turkish Land Forces Command announced via Twitter that mass production of Kaplan-10 began in late March. FNSS confirmed to Shephard that a total of eight vehicles have already been handed over to the Turkish Land Forces.
‘All tracked and wheeled platforms and turret systems are expected to be included in the inventory of Turkish Armed Forces by 2022,’ an FNSS spokesperson said, although the company could not provide information on the total investment cost of these procurements.
The spokesperson explained that the Kaplan-10 is a new-generation AFV that has the ability to operate in conjunction with MBTs. Its platform design enables it to perform different kinds of missions by integrating different subsystems.
The Kaplan-10 has a low silhouette and is designed to travel at high speed on asphalt, soft soil, muddy and rough terrains under all weather conditions, according to FNSS. Additionally, its advanced suspension track system can reduce vibrations and improve road holding.
Amphibious characteristics include two water propulsion systems located at the rear of the vehicle. Thanks to these, the FNSS spokesperson noted: 'Kaplan-10 can perform in deep and fast-flowing waters. In addition to this, the driver is able to enter the water without prior preparation.'
Safety features include a CBRN protection system, automatic fire extinguishing system, blast- and leakage- protected fuel cells, mine blast-protected seats and smoke grenade dischargers.
The Kaplan-10 has advanced modular armour protection and its hull is manufactured and integrated using a ballistic welding technique, according to FNSS.
‘There are also laser-protected glass periscopes that allow the driver to see outside with a wide-angle of view, providing a high situational awareness. Integrated night vision systems are standard in all variants,’ the spokesperson added.
The main armament on the AFV is a remote-controlled anti-tank missile (the Russian KORNET-E or Turkish-made MIZRAK-O).
PARS is a wheeled, amphibious and all-terrain 4x4 vehicle designed to perform advanced surveillance, anti-tank and command control tasks, with an operational range of 700km on asphalt roads.
It carries a crew of four and can operate in up to 1.7m of water without any preparation. According to FNSS, two propellers located behind the vehicle increase its manoeuvrability in the water.
In addition, PARS can climb a 70° gradient steep slope, hold on a 40° side slope and cross 40cm steep obstacles. A central tyre inflation system was also developed for PARS that increased its mobility. The vehicle can reach a top speed of 110km/h.
COVID-19 turning out to be huge hoax perpetrated by media
via Washington Times.
When the postmortem is done on the media’s coverage of COVID-19 (and it will be), it will be clear that the virus was no Black Plague — it’s not even the flu on a bad year.Here.
SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has killed 56,749 Americans as of Tuesday.
That’s not good. But it’s not as bad as the 2017-2018 flu season, when 80,000 -plus perished. And it’s a long cry from what all the experts were warning about just a few weeks ago: First, they predicted 1.7 million Americans dead; then they redid the models (this time apparently entering a few more “facts”) and said 100,000-240,000 dead.
Now, a major model relied on by the White House Coronavirus Task Force predicts about 70,000 dead by the end of August.
And for that we shut down the U.S. economy?!
I simply ask you to do two things.
1. Read the article.
2. Think.
Apologies but I have one more thing to ask you. Consider this. The Spanish Flu killed (according to Wikipedia) between 17 and 50 million people worldwide.
At the end of this pandemic it appears (and yeah we might just be at the halfway point) less than half a million worldwide.
But yet we've wrecked the global economy?
Are we following science? Not just medical but economic science? I contend that as things now stand more people will die from our "preventative measures" than from the virus itself.
Will future generations think that we acted prudently or emotionally?
Pakistan, reportedly, has purchased 300 VT-4 MBTs from Norinco...the coming tank battle between India and Pakistan will be interesting!
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I personally think that MAJOR combat between Pakistan and India is a given. It will happen. All it will take is a spark and I think we'll see something short of nuclear war but brutal nonetheless.
One of the highlights of that inevitable fight (I believe) will see each nation's armored/mech battalions engaging each other.
Quite honestly I just don't know how it will play out but I'm guessing we'll see some type pyrrhic victory (for both sides) before they fall back to pre-established lines.
Of course I could be wrong as two left shoes but one thing is becoming apparent.
The Chinese are selling VT-4 MBTs like hotcakes. Sooner or later we'll get an evaluation of their capabilities in a real life shooting war. Once that happens we'll get a better view of how far Chinese armored tech has come.
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