What else did they get wrong?

The Telegraph talks defense u-turn.

Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, cannot have enjoyed announcing yet another government U-turn on the type of fighter aircraft that are to fly from the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Only 18 months ago Dr Liam Fox, his predecessor, announced that the carriers were to be fitted with catapults and arrestor gear to enable them to carry the more conventional version of the F-35 fighter. Dr Fox’s decision was one of the central pillars of the much-maligned 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). It also meant overturning the previous Labour government’s conclusion that the carriers should be equipped with the Short Take-off And Vertical Landing version of the F-35, a like-for-like replacement for the legendary Harrier jump jet. The Government decided that it no longer needed HMS Ark Royal and its highly specialised team of Harrier pilots, who were unceremoniously consigned to the scrapheap – a decision this newspaper bitterly opposed.

Now we find that Dr Fox had not done his sums properly, and that the cost of fitting cats and traps was more than twice the original estimate. Consequently, Mr Hammond, who with his business background knows a thing or two about the bottom line, felt obliged to call a halt to yet another costly MoD procurement blunder in the making, and reverse Dr Fox’s reversal of Labour’s original proposition.

If a central pillar of Dr Fox’s SDSR can be jettisoned so easily, we wonder how many of its other erroneous conclusions will need to be redressed. Certainly, so far as the carriers are concerned, we sincerely hope that Mr Hammond’s decision brings this sorry saga to an end, and that we can look forward to the day in the not-too-distant future when Britain once more has a fully operational aircraft carrier to defend our shores.

Straight to the heart of the matter.

If the UK's defense review got the big stuff wrong then how many of the "little" things did they screw up.

No one in the UK wants to ask and answer this very important question (well no one but the Telegraph).

The defense establishment in the UK is jacked up.  I hope they fix it.

China and Asian Social Media.

Thanks for the vid Joe!

Do you want the best indication that "old school" military blogging is dead?  Oh and let me clarify, by dead I mean, no longer meets the needs of users and is missing the real story behind movements around the world?

Its the video below.

It was produced by a Philippine national and he asks a simple question.  Is the Philippines capable of defending itself from a belligerent and expanding China?  The answer of course is no, and although his numbers are off because he looks at total strength instead of forces China will bring to bear, he is onto something.

And we're onto something because we're taking notice of his work.  While the Obama administration seeks accommodation and dialogue with China, the people of the region are nervous and if the people are nervous then the governments must be frightened.

France regrets the UK's u-turn.

Article courtesy of Joe (thanks).

via Yahoo News.

France said Friday it regretted Britain's decision to reverse its choice of fighter jets for future aircraft carriers, with the result that French warplanes will no longer be able to use the ships.

"This choice threatens to restrict our naval aviation cooperation, which we regret," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said, referring to Britain's opting for a jump-jet model of the US-built F-35 instead of the conventional takeoff and landing version to save money on equipment.
"We would like to believe that this decision, which the British government says is based on budgetary reasons, does not jeopardise our cooperation" in this field, he told a regular press conference at the foreign ministry.
Britain confirmed Thursday it had changed its mind over which model of the F-35 to purchase for its planned new carriers because of the extra cost of fitting launching catapults and arrester gear to the ships.
Such equipment is required for France's Rafale warplanes, which were to have shared use of the two carriers under a 2010 defence deal between the two countries.
It is not needed for the F-35B fighter that Britain has now decided to purchase, unlike the more conventional F-35C.
The change risks being politically damaging to Britain's coalition government and is an awkward start to Britain's relationship with French president-elect Francois Hollande.

I wonder how I forgot this part of the story.

The Brits and the French were talking about if not sharing carriers then at least having each others military members aboard each others ships.

I wonder how they fix that planning?

All is not well with that budding alliance.   Sidenote.  The test model of the F-35 is a really light weight looking fighter.  I wonder how weight gain became an issue.  And I wonder if requirements creep didn''t lead to some of the issues.

15th MEU. TRAP training.

Photos by Cpl. John Robbart III

A CH-53E Super Stallion carrying the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, leaves after successfully completing a simulated rescue of personnel, May 9. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall.

The Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon exits a CH-53E Super Stallion before recovering a downed pilot, as a part of a scenario-based training, here, May 9. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall.

Sergeant Scott W. Ghilcrist, recovery team leader, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepares to rescue Cpl. Brittany L. Jones, who was playing the role of a downed pilot during training, here, May 9. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Ghilcrist, 24, is from Hurst, Texas, and Jones, 25, is a radio operator with the unit and hails from Elizabethtown, N.C.

A Marine with the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, lowers Cpl. Brittany L. Jones from a tree during training, here, May 9. Jones was playing the role of a downed pilot during a TRAP mission. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Jones, 25, is a radio operator with the unit and hails from Elizabethtown, N.

Marines and a Navy corpsman with the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, carry Cpl. Brittany L. Jones back to the helicopter during training, here, May 9. Jones was playing the role of a downed pilot during a TRAP mission. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Jones, 25, is a native of Elizabethtown, N.C., and is a radio operator with the unit.

Lance Cpl. Joseph A. Ferguson, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, provides security for Cpl. Brittany L. Jones who was being escorted back to the helicopter during training, here, May 9. Jones was playing the role of a downed pilot during a TRAP mission. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Jones, 25, a native of Elizabethtown, N.C., is a radio operator with the unit and Ferguson, 20, is a native of Brentwood, Calif., and serves as a fire support man.

Marines and a Navy corpsman with the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, carry Cpl. Brittany L. Jones back to the helicopter during training, here, May 9. Jones was playing the role of a downed pilot during a TRAP mission. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Jones, 25, is a native of Elizabethtown, N.C., and is a radio operator with the unit.

Airsoft. Looks like its here to stay.

People have been saying it but I've been in the Nope Ain't Gonna Last Camp.

Looks like I was wrong.

Every serious trainer is coming out in favor of air soft training.  From Haley to Costa (Haley-Costa Effect/HCE) it really seems to be a trend that's too far along to stop now.

The latest example?

I have two.

First we have Haley talking about it in a wide ranging interview over at THE GEAR LOCKER, he makes more than a few good points about how it can fine tune training and preserve skills.

Then we have the Marines licensing even more air soft gear.

Amazing.

Did BAE/Iveco just doom their MPC chances?

Defense Update has some pretty stunning new...at least to me...

Russia is testing Italy’s B1 Centauro 8×8 ‘wheeled tank’ and considering building it under license. The company has already delivered two Centauro vehicles, the original design with the 105mm gun and another fitted with a Russian 125mm cannon. Two additional variants due to arrive in Moscow in six weeks will be fitted with NATO standard 120mm cannon and a turreted 30mm automatic gun. According to Oto-Melara representative, the vehicles will take part in technical evaluations, automotive testing and firing trials to span until the end of 2012.
The Italian company is interested in establishing a joint venture with a Russian military vehicle maker for production of these wheeled armored vehicles. Russian news agency Novosti named truck maker Kamaz in Naberezhny Chelny could be involved in the deal, according to a source in Russian arms sales holding Rosoboronexport. Russia has already procured Italian light armored vehicles.

Under a contract signed last December in Moscow, 60 Lynx light multirole armored vehicles (LMV) are in production at the Oboronservis joint enterprise (OJSC) in Voronezh, central Russia. 57 of the vehicles are due to enter service with the Russian military forces in 2012.

Read the rest at Defense Update but in my mind the results of such a bargain could have ramifications.

Question.  Was this bargain done with or without input from BAE?  Will it affect the chances of that joint venture to win the MPC contest and will the Russian vehicle be affected by US export provisions?

AMOS Advanced Mortar System

Video courtesy of Lee (thanks)

Is this a new photography technique?

Photo by Lance Cpl. Claudia Palacios

Do you see the photo above?  Notice how one part of it is extremely sharp and the rest rather blurry?

Is that a new technique that's popular and I'm just not aware of it?  I'm seeing it more and more.

The reason why I ask is because my favorite photographers, Joe Copalman and David Cenciotti have both used (I've noticed) a kind of vertical technique in some of their photos.  I monitored some of the twitter and Flickr conversations and read that it was becoming popular because of print magazines.

I've haven't heard anything about the sharp and blurry.  Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks.