Lockheed Martin's Titan Rockets...

X3 coming to America.

So EADS is bringing the X3 to the US.

Color me not impressed.  Sweetman can get all excited.  So can the rest of them at Aviation Week but lets be honest.

This is simply a compound helicopter and thats been done before.  This isn't revolutionary.  It isn't ground breaking.  Its ordinary and boring.

The helo that would excite is a properly modified NH-90...a suped up EC-635...those would grab the attention of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard.

Heck maybe even the USAF.

This is just a show.

Battle Rattle. Poser alert.

When I say Battle Rattle and poser alert check this out.

CDR Salamander had this story yesterday....full with photo and a link to the source...Then Battle Rattle picked up today and acted as if they conducted some type of forensic investigation in order to determine the real truth behind the deal.

What posers!  But this part has me wanting to punch walls...

The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, ran a story today about some “Marines” in Afghanistan sporting tight pink shirts with pop-star Justin Bieber on them. When I first saw the headline I thought why would any U.S. Marine — a hardened warrior — sport a tight Justin Bieber shirt?

These are the same guys that have taken pride in showing US Marines in the most unflattering light possible, and now they want to act like they're defenders of the Globe and Eagle?

Fuck them.

Forces Rally. Oh we need this! The USMC would kick ass!

Oh we need this in the US!

The USMC would kick ass...although I've seen some big trucks down at Bragg, they wouldn't stand a chance.  Looks like fun.

Helicopter Retention Lanyard Issue. Heads up Air Wingers.

Brandon Webb's LoadOut Room has some information that might be of some interest to the guys in the air wing.  From his site....

Last month I learned of an in-house US Navy test of several COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) helicopter retention lanyards. This test was not sanctioned but I met directly with my source who informed me that the TAG retention lanyard (an older model was used but it was still in inventory) had complete failure under a stress of only 300lbs. The test was conducted in a mock H-1 with a 300lb dummy thrown out of the cabin door. I saw the blown out stitching and put my hands on the lanyard personally, as an Army trained Rigger I could tell that the stitching and thread was below par and resulted in total failure under a relatively light load. The other complaint was that the TAG lanyard was not long enough to stand up while clipped into the floor.

As they say, go to his place to read the rest.  But the point is basically this.

Be careful with this piece of kit and stop using it if you bought it .  This is something that the Army has a better handle on than the Marine Corps.  They developed a list of Army approved items that can be used in the field.

The Marine Corps should do the same...and not just with articles of clothing but also with all the other types of gear that Marines might be using.

TAG is rock solid and will correct the problem I'm sure.  Other manufacturers not so much.

Long story short if its snivel gear then you can scrimp on costs. If its suppose to save your life, then buy the absolute best possible.

RAF Puma Helicopter on Exercise Askari Thunder

USMC to replace half its AAV's with MPC's?

I am not understanding the Marine Corps leadership's thinking on vehicle procurement.  Read the whole thing but check this out.

Officials at the conference also assured contractors that the Corps intends to move forward with the procurement of a new amphibious personnel carrier to replace the recently terminated Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle. Keith Moore, program manager for Marine Corps advanced amphibious assault, said the new ACV (amphibious combat vehicle) is key to moving Marines from ship to shore. It will need to carry 17 Marines plus a crew of three. The 70,000-pound vehicle should have a range of at least 200 miles. Cost estimates are still too high, said Moore. The currently projected unit cost of $10 million to $12 million “isn’t going to fly,” he said.

The ACV design should congeal within the next calendar year, he said. In the meantime, the Corps plans to upgrade about 400 of its current amphibious assault vehicles so they can remain in service for at least another decade.

Also on the wish list is a new armored personnel carrier. Officials said that, most likely, the Marine Corps will buy an existing vehicle rather than design a new one. It will have to be large enough to transport nine Marines and a crew of three, with a 300-mile range at a unit cost of around $4 million. Plans are to eventually purchase 579 MPCs.

Don't get me wrong.  The MPC as a concept is awesome.

What I'm not getting is the planning here.

We're going to concurrently upgrade the AAV while purchasing the MPC while developing the ACV.  We're doing all this during a time of budget cuts.

I'm not seeing the plan here.  The MPC was first mentioned because the EFV was suppose to be so expensive that we couldn't buy the planned number.  When the EFV went away the MPC requirement remained.

Like I said I like the concept of the vehicle but what is the thinking now?  Why are we still procuring that vehicle and at the same time upgrading half our AAV fleet?

My greatest fear is that the MPC will morph into an AAV replacement/or we'll see the AAV upgrade turn into the ACV because once again the Program Office is dazed and confused.

The Commandant talked about junior Marines embarassing the Corps.  He decried the lack of oversight by his Commanders.  Perhaps he needs to start closer at home.  Combining the AAV upgrade, ACV and MPC programs into one program office IS a mistake.

We need to fix that first then get some clarity on the plan of action for Marine Corps procurement.