Tuesday, July 10, 2012

One Marine Captain (who happens to be female) with more moral courage than exists in the Commandant's Office.



Interesting.


This Marine Captain...who happens to be female...has more moral courage than exists within the Marine General's club...than exists at the pages of USNI Blog (with the exception of URR and CDR Salamander) and probably exists within Marine leadership in general.


Have you noticed how this debate is playing out?  A few brave souls have waded into it and are shot down by the feminist horde but the rest are hugging the ground like they're being barraged by 1 million Chinese MLRS rocket systems.


Its amazing.  Some of these same men would have no problem leading an assault against fortified enemy positions yet on this subject they cower in fear.


The Marine Corps needs an enema.  Starting with the man at the top.  Once that's done then we can make a move towards getting the basics right.  PFC's out of boot camp now are closer to what being a Marine is all about than those that are driving the ship!


Farnborough 2012. V-22 display.

Marine Medal of Honor infographic.

I don't know why these are suddenly so popular but Marine Blog put this out.  Amos still should quit but back on subject.  You can see the original here.


Pilots talk about the F-35




The CNO. Stuck on Rosie.

Check this out....

LOCKHEED MARTIN F-35 FLIGHT TEST PROGRESS REPORT
 
FORT WORTH, Texas, July 10, 2012 -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-35 program accrued the highest number of test points in a single month during June, an accomplishment indicative of the program’s ongoing maturation.  Additionally, for the 18th consecutive month the F-35 test program remained ahead of plan.
 
As of June 30, the F-35 Lightning II 5th Generation multirole fighter had conducted 595 test flights in 2012 versus a plan of 445 and accrued 4,830 test points against a plan of 3,901.
 
In June, the F-35 program accomplished several flight test and production milestones:
 
  • During June, the F-35 test program accrued the most test points in a single month, 1,118, in program history.
 
  • On June 5, BF-5 became the first F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jet to fly with Block 2A software.
 
  • On June 13, the first F-35C carrier variant (CV) night flight was completed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. 
 
  • On June 13, F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) weapons pit drop testing was conducted for the first time at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
 
  • On June 14 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., BF-2 completed the first test flight for the F-35B STOVL variant with an asymmetric weapons load.
 
  • On June 25, AF-1, an F-35A CTOL test jet, accomplished the first F-35 weapon pit drop from an external station, a GBU-12 from station 2.  
 
  • On June 27, the program achieved the highest number of F-35 flights in a single day, 12.
 
Cumulative flight test activity totals for 2012 through June 30 are provided below:
 
  • F-35A CTOL jets have flown 260 times.
  • F-35B STOVL jets have completed 202 flights, 134 of which began with a short takeoff. Additionally, F-35B STOVL aircraft have conducted 55 vertical landings.
  • F-35C CV jets have flown 133 times.
 
Cumulative flight test activity totals for the duration of the program through May 31 are provided below:
 
  • F-35A CTOL jets have flown 907 times.
  • F-35B STOVL jets have completed 791 flights, 553 of which began with a short takeoff. Additionally, F-35B STOVL aircraft have conducted 334 vertical landings.
  • F-35C CV jets have flown 325 times.
 
Since December 2006, F-35s have flown 2,355 times and accrued more than 3,700 cumulative flight hours. This total includes 91 flights from the original test aircraft, AA-1; 2,023 SDD test flights; and 241 production-model flights. For video highlights of the F-35 program, click here.
 
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.
 
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 123,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.
 
But instead of seeing the F-35 for what it is, we have the CNO still heartsick over the failure that was the A-12 program.  When programs fail and it alters plans for decades its got to hurt but its sorta like being upset because...


 Rosie ODonnell dumps you, yet you keep getting phone calls and perfumed letters from...


Lori Harder but instead of being over joyed you're stuck on Rosie.  The CNO shouldn't be stuck on Rosie the A-12 ODonnell...he should step up to that beauty Lori the F-35 Harder.  He'll be much happier if he did.  That is unless he has an inferiority complex!

Mark Holt Photography..





Farnborough 2012. Great alternate pic site.

Dwi!  Thanks for the alternate pic sites of this show! 

If you're like me and you've been a bit disappointed by the coverage of the Air Show by some of the 'established' defense media then have no fear.  Dwi hit me up with a couple of sites that you should check out.  Thankfully one of the things that's big in Europe (even bigger than here in the US) is photography...in particular military photography so even if you don't hang a shingle outside your door with Aviation Week or Combat Aircraft you can still get great photos.  Check these out.



Check out the sites here and here.

Farnborough 2012. F-18 Display.