JLTV and the Marine Corps.

I like the offerings that Lockheed, BAE, AM General and others have put forward for the JLTV program.

The problem is that the program makes little to no sense.  

Not only are upgrades to the HUMVEE possible, but they're also desireable.  Instead of operating a wheeled fleet with another vehicle added to the mix we should instead upgrade what we have and make sure that MRAPs in storage are available to be rushed to theater if needed.

Question.  Has the US Army or Marine Corps put forward a compelling reason for why the JLTV is needed?  Extend that to all the other armored programs and it becomes ugly.  The only armored vehicle programs that are needed are the Army's M-113 replacement and the Marine Corps' MPC/AAV upgrade/ACV.

Everything else can and should be canned.  That includes the JLTV.

Bradley upgrade?  Yes.  Ground Combat Vehicle?  No.  JLTV?  Fuck no!  Humvee Upgrade?  Yes.  ACV/MPC/AAV Upgrade?  Yes.  Stryker Upgrade?  No.  M-113 Replacement?  Yes.

Until the ground services are able to come up with compelling and common sense solutions to the armored vehicle fleet then my suggestions/recommendations are just as viable as what you're seeing coming from HQ Army and Marine Corps.

Mistral class LHD (BPC) Amphibious Assault Ship, Force Projection & Command Vessel DCNS

The Republic of Georgia should do two things.  First protest the sale of these ships to Russia through every diplomatic contact they have and second...they should buy the most powerful anti-ship missiles available and promise to sink these ships if they appear over the horizon.  We just made another allied country more vulnerable because of a lack of strength toward Russia and France.  We fucked this one up badly.

Osprey pilot educates Brits at air show

Eye Safety Message for guys like you and me.

Do you remember the post that Andrew (Combat Doc and Lucky Gunner Blogger) did on eye protection?  Well I consider that message so important that I reached out to Ari at ESS Eyewear to get a few more details on what guys like you and I should be looking for.  Here's his response..

Regarding the test-results: as Andrew points out, all polycarbonate lenses become increasingly brittle over time, especially in consideration of their exposure to sunlight. If you own eye protection of older or indeterminate age, and/or your eye pro is of previous individual ownership, and you plan to use it in situations where high-velocity threats are a possibility: inspect it carefully for lens crazing, hazing, yellowing, or any other sign of aging or wear. Never put a questionable product into use.

This is one very important reason why ESS does not recommend purchasing our products through Military Surplus or other after-market sales channels. A product's history relative to its environment and its physical wear can vary so widely that the only sensible action is to err on the side of caution, for the sake of your health and eyesight.

I can be reached at ari@esseyepro.com if anyone has questions. Our full line of MIL SPEC & ANSI Z87.1-2010 rated eye pro can be viewed at www.esseyepro.com, or at our main social media venue, www.facebook.com/esseyepro.

Thanks for helping in the fight to protect eyes & best regards,

Ari
Communications Manager, ESS

Notice a couple of things that touch me where I live.  He's talking about the test results first and foremost.  He gives advice on what to look for and what to avoid.  He warns about the aftermarket (I'm starting to become more and more alarmed at what I'm seeing turn up there...but thats another post) and only at the end of his comment does he talk about his product.  But even in doing that its with an eye toward providing the best possible solution for the men in my audience (oh and those hardcore ladies too).

I can do business with these guys.

Sidenote:  If you're a shooter and most of the people that come to this blog are then consider doing two things.  One support online ammo retailers like Lucky Gunner.  They're under the gun and so are we.  Let's support them so that they can support us with low prices to help us enjoy our shooting sports.  Next support the NRA.  These gun grabbers are just getting started and since the President can't fix the economy he'll throw meat to his supporters by infringing on our GOD GIVEN rights.  Let's fight them on it!

Now they want to ban online sale of ammo.

I coat all my Ranger 147 grain bullets in black teflon...cool boy factor.

via The Hill.

Two Democratic lawmakers on Monday will announce new legislation to regulate the online and mail-order sale of ammunition.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (N.J.) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (N.Y.) said the new law would make the sale of ammunition “safer for law-abiding Americans who are sick and tired of the ease with which criminals can now anonymously stockpile for mass murder,” in a statement released Saturday.

The lawmakers cite the recent movie massacre in Aurora, Colo. for spurring their bill. “The shooter who killed 12 and injured 58 in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater this month had purchased over 6,000 rounds of ammunition anonymously on the Internet shortly before going on his killing spree, according to law enforcement officials,” the statement reads. “The shooter used a civilian version of the military’s M-16 rifle with a 100-round drum magazine, a shotgun and two .40-caliber semi-automatic handguns commonly used by police officers.”

Read the whole thing but a few points.

1.  The last assault weapons ban spurned the development of pocket pistols.  The Glock 26 was basically born because handguns were limited to 10 round magazines and Glock responded to the new law by developing a mini Glock 19 that would hold the full compliment of allowable ammo.
2.  Everyone in my circle already has an ample supply of both ammo and magazines.  IF this became law, all we would do is buy more so that we could later sell them at a substantial mark up.  It happened last time and it'll happen again.  I have 20 Glock 19 mags and an equal number of Glock 17's.  That doesn't count the Korean knock offs.  Suffice it to say that among a large part of the population this will have no impact.
3. Have you noticed that the "ban" advocates have no off switch.  They believe in certain rights but at the expense of others.  If you want to marry someone of the same sex then that's awesome.  If you want to exercise a right designated by the constitution then not so much.  Heck, the Mayor of New York has some the harshest gun laws in the US so what's he going after now?  Sodas!  These people have no off switch.

But on a sidenote, I notice that the Democrats are pushing another side issue to take attention away from the 600 pound gorilla in the room...the economy.  If they can get the headlines to reflect any issue but the economy then they're winning.

This doesn't stand a chance of passing but it will grab headlines...and in the end...thats all the Democrats want.

Way to go US Army! Combatives Tourney...Army style!

US Army Combatives going hard.  This is freaking awesome.

Initial flight of X-47B at Pax River

*

Marine Corps Military Free Fall Instructors assigned to Marine Detachment — Fort Bragg, release the ashes of Sgt. Brett Jaffe (1971-2012), a Marine rigger, above Phillips Drop Zone at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., on July 26, 2012. "It was an honor and privilege to take this Marine on his last jump and give him a proper hail and farewell," said Staff Sgt. Marty Rhett.Marines in photo (clockwise, starting with the flag): Gunnery Sgt. Brian Boger, Gunnery Sgt. Mike Latham, Gunnery Sgt. Jimmy Smith, Staff Sgt. Lennie Castro, Staff Sgt. Seth Wright, Staff Sgt. Marty Rhett.
(Marine Corps photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Johnny Gunn)