Chris Costa, Steve Fisher Blooper Reel

Thanks Bill!  This is good stuff! 

Sea Lance. The original LCS. More capable, less costly.

Thanks for the info Lee!

Remember my post on towed missile barges behind an LCS type ship?  I had no idea where it came from, I just did a search for missile barges and got the pic.

Lee did recognize it and it comes from the brainiacs at the Naval Post Graduate School.

A bunch of the egg heads got together and came up with the street fighter concept and even laid out many of its design features.  Only the big Navy could bastardize it to the current LCS concept.  Don't believe me?  Check out their work below.

A 422414

Did the US just insert inself into the Falklands drama?

Thanks for the info Doug.

Check out this article from DefenseManagement.  It seems like the US has skin in the game when it comes to the Falkland Islands.

A US-based energy firm is to join the search for oil in waters around the Falkland Islands after signing an exploration deal with Falklands Oil and Gas Limited (FOGL).

Noble Energy will invest between $180m and $230m in gaining a 35 per cent share of the exploration licences to the south and east of the Falkland Islands in a move which is being described as signalling a possible shift in America's stated neutrality over the islands' sovereignty.

The licences cover an area of some 40,000 square kilometres, and the deal follows news that Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA is in talks with YPF, now 51 per cent controlled by Argentina, over exploration in waters near the islands.

Edison Investment Research's Ian McLelland told The Daily Telegraph that some companies with "direct exposure" to, or investments in, Latin America had avoided the Falklands because of their proximity to South America and the ongoing dispute between the UK and Argentina.

"The fact that a US company like Noble is entering the region is therefore of significance," he said.

Argentina is claiming sovereignty over the islands and demanding the UK engage in talks at the United Nations, something the British government has refused to do.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War, when Argentina invaded the islands only to be repelled by a British task force several months later.

During the war, America was said to have adopted a neutral position, but in June it was reported that US President Ronald Reagan had cleared a US carrier to assist the UK in taking back the islands if necessary.

FOGL chief executive Tim Bushell said that the choice of an American firm had not been "politically motivated", but that Noble would have sought US State Department advice before investing in the Falklands.

Now isn't that interesting.

Besides the UK being an important ally, we're now business partners.  We have as much at stake with the possible oil revenues off the coast as the British do.

Ain't capitalism grand?

Igor Tkac's concept art of the Mars Lander Curiosity

F-22 AIM-9X supersonic launch sequence photos.

F-35A AF-20 First Flight

Lockheed Martin test pilot Al Norman flew F-35A AF-20 (USAF serial number 09-5007) on its inaugural flight on 6 August 2012 from NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas.

Production appears to be ramping up nicely.

But a quick question.  How do you fight in a fighter that has the aerodynamic performance of a Super Hornet but with the avionics suite of the most advanced fighter known to the public?  The dust up with the F-22 vs. Typhoon focused on the close in fight.  Wouldn't you have to be stupid as sin to let yourself get into that kind of fight in an F-35?  I mean seriously...launch your AIM-120D's at distance and then leave the fight.  If pursued then lob AIM-9X's over your shoulder....the fight that the Typhoon got into with the F-22 should be a thing of the past with stealth fighters.

Task Force Jaguar

USMC A-10's. The time has arrived.

I've resisted the idea.

I thought it was something that the USMC should not even consider.

I might have been wrong.

With the F/A-18D's about to go the way of the dodo bird, we need a replacement that is rugged, designed to operate over the forward edge of the battlefield, able to survive punishment, have room for the JTAC in back and maybe, if we luck out, can be modified to operate off LHA's much like the OV-10 Bronco's of the past.

One other thing is becoming apparent.  The aviation neck down leaves holes in capabilities forcing us to use aircraft in roles for which they were not designed and probably not the best answer to accomplish the mission.

So what mods would I like to see on this proposed USMC A-10?

*  AESA radar...drop the gun we won't be needing it, and replace it with a SABRE set.
*  Provide additional plumbing for extra fuel tanks.
*  Settle on a guided 2.75 guided rocket or brimstone type missile
*  Uprated engines for better performance...not talking about speed here but fuel economy.
*  The ability to carry SDB and other high performance weaponry for escort missions for the V-22.

I see these airplanes acting as forward air controllers as a primary mission but secondary missions will include ground support, v-22 escort, small boat defense, anti-piracy ops etc...the second seat makes all the difference.

Before you get started slamming the idea, consider this.  The Bronco operated off LHA's and with the A-10 being designed out of the box to operate from forward areas, it should (I'm just saying I really have no idea) be easy to make them do the same.  Besides, I'm sure there is a Test Pilot somewhere that will be willing to try.