K-MAX Beacon-Enabled Delivery

Former Navy SEAL already getting death threats.

I knew this would happen.

But its this guys fault.  He outed himself when he wrote the book but perhaps more importantly he outed his buddies too.  Check this story out.

(NBC NEWS) Users on several militant Islamic websites affiliated with al-Qaida have posted the name and photo of a former Navy SEAL identified as the author of an upcoming book on the commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The posts called for his “destruction” in revenge for the al-Qaida founder’s killing.
Among the website publishing the death threats was the “Al-Fidaa” web forum, which al-Qaida uses to distribute its media and public communications, said Evan Kohlmann, an NBC News consultant and a terrorism analyst at Flashpoint Partners, a global security firm.
The source of the photo, which appears to show a special operations soldier in leveling an automatic rifle during a training exercise, was not immediately clear.

I wish I could feel sympathy.

I wish I could be worried for the guy.

But he brought this on himself.  Sorta like a middle class guy going into a dangerous part of the city to buy drugs or prostitutes.  If something bad happens he brought it on himself and can only blame himself for making a very bad decision.  Just like this Former SEAL did by writing this book.

CMC talks Amphibious Combat Vehicle.

via DOD Buzz.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos didn’t mince words describing his commitment to the Amphibious Combat Vehicle and delivering the Corps a new amphibious tractor when speaking with reporters at the Pentagon Thursday.
“We need an amphibious tractor, period,” Amos said.
The Marine Corps four-star expects his acquisition team to finish the requirements for the ACV this fall and potentially submit a request for proposals to the defense industry. Amos read over the completed Analysis of Alternatives in June and remains optimistic the Corps will get its tractor. He received additional briefs on the ACV this week.

“We’re going to get one opportunity to do this right,” Amos said. “I want to make sure when we go to Congress with the requirement that Congress looks at it and says it makes complete sense to me and I fully support it. I feel like we are right where we need to be.”
Amos is understandably feeling pressure to deliver the Corps a new amphibious tractor. Their last attempt, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, was notably canceled by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates as requirements spiraled and questions arose about just how far a Marine squad could travel from ship to shore.

The Marine Corps has its top scientists and engineers evaluating the ACV’s requirement’s down in Woodbridge, Va., and making decisions on cost tradeoffs to keep the tractor affordable, Amos said. A major issue remains the distance the tractor will have to travel ship to shore and whether it can get up on plane and travel over the waves.

If the transport doesn’t reach the necessary planing speed, then the Marines aboard must endure the choppy surf and the slow pace will make them a fatter target. However, with the additional speed comes a higher price tag.

“[The scientists] have been getting into the physics of fluid dynamics. How fast a vehicle can go before you have to have a planing vehicle. How big a motor you have to have. What’s the cost tradeoffs. They’ve been working on that for a little over a year-and-a-half,” Amos said.

Following the completion of the AOA, Amos said he wants his acquisition team to work with the engineers and re-evaluate the requirements one last time to make sure the requirements are “locked in concrete.”

He made sure to not make the same mistakes the Corps made with the EFV. Amos emphasized that the Corps is not interested in building a luxury tractor, he wants a fighting vehicle that can deliver a squad of Marines ashore for amphibious assaults.
“This is not a Cadillac Escalade we’re trying to build here,” Amos said. “This is a fighting vehicle that will come ship to shore and go in with likely a squad of Marines. We are trying to make sure we are not building something that ends up with capabilities that we don’t need or can’t afford.”

A couple of things concern me about this.  First the 800 pound Gorilla in the room is the US Navy.  Some type of agreement needs to be arrived at concerning how close to shore we can expect the amphibs to launch our assault vehicles.  Once that's determined ... and assuming that the full weight of firepower will be applied to the effort ....then we can decide exactly what the capabilities of the vehicle will be.

The second thing that concerns me is the location where the scientist are conducting these experiments.  If I recall correctly that's the Headquarters of General Dynamics.  I also recall them having some type of lab there.  If our people are working hand in hand with the guys from GD then we're going to have a protest for sure and the program will be set back again.  I'm sure they have that figured out but I just wanted to put that out there.

Another thing that annoys are some of the comments.  This one in particular.

 The Marines problem is that their basic amphibious unit is the battalion size MEG that has limited resources to support an amphibious assault. The hybrid EFV seemed to be an ideal answer. Of course the only problem, besides its $21-22 million per unity price tag and manufacturer incompetence was that the all aluminum vehicle was PRG bait.

What it appears is what the Marines news is a n amphibious taxi to bet the assault units ashore, the bring in the LAV-25's and M1A2's and the M-199's that are carried with the MEG and get their butts off the beach.

Oh wait a moment that Army doctrine.

This guy is smoking crack.  The MEU is a battalion sized unit that's self sufficient for 15 days in combat.  No other formation of that size in the US military can say the same.  Additionally the USMC is tailor made for multiple environments but especially the Pacific.  The silly crack about Army doctrine is just sour grapes.  The Pacific is an Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps play land.  The Army will have to find a rationale for inclusion in war planning.  I've been trying to figure out a role for that force and just can't find it.  Their best hope is to garrison Afghanistan and perhaps parts of Africa for the foreseeable future if they want to claim relevancy.

Australia to acquire EA-18G Growler

UPDATE: SOFREP does NOT give a pass...

Just a note.

Head over to SOFREP to read their latest article.

THEY DO NOT GIVE THE SEAL IN QUESTION A PASS.  Consider me impressed.  I actually thought that since they're a Special Ops Centric website (like I focus on the Marine Corps) that they would cut the guy some slack.  Especially when you consider that they have many Navy SEALs writing for the website.

I stand corrected.  SOFREP played it straight.  Kudos.

NOTE:  I forgot to link to the post on SOFREP.  Click here to read it for yourself.

The Terrapin 8x8. Marine Personnel Carrier's Pappy..

Name a World War 2 vehicle that had the same specifications as the Marine Personnel Carrier that's wheeled.  You could name the DUKW but that would be a misnomer.  It wasn't designed transport men in the assault, it was and is a logistics vehicle.  The LVT? Nope, its tracked.

You would have to point to the Briish Terrapin8x8. It laid the groundwork for the modern amphibious 8x8 fighting vehicle.  Although it wasn't successful because of certain design decisions it did play a major role with the Canadians in the fighting in Northern Europe.

Read about the Terrapin here.

Lieutenant General John F. Mulholland, Jr. Is he man enough to save SOCOM?

SOCOM is in disarray.


If you follow military matters they've been going bad for quite a while now.  You had the cluster that was the SEAL movie.  People played the patriot card and laughed and said it was good fun.  Then you had McRaven speaking to  every news outlet that would hear him...you had McRaven ask Congress for world wide Combatant Commander powers (that kind of power would make him the most powerful person in the US military...SOCOM would be answerable to no one and missions could have theoretically been run inside the US if the Admiral saw fit) and now you have a SEAL way off base writing a tell  all book about a top secret operation.

Even if no secrets are spilled he gave up the most important thing of all.  His identity.  With that little tidbit and a google search, enemies of SEAL Team 6 can not only trace him and his family down, but they can also locate other team mates of his.  

Yeah.  SOCOM is in shit shape right now.

Let me ask you this.  If you had a top secret mission that needed to be run right now would you pick Navy SEALs or would you opt for another SOCOM unit?

I would opt for another unit.  Especially if I was concerned about news of it getting out.

Lucky for SOCOM, there is a man of with experience, courage, ability and perhaps most importantly the humility to take the reigns and steer the organization back to what it was always suppose to be.
  
I don't expect it right now (although it couldn't hurt) but I can see General Mulholland taking over early next year...right after the elections.  Remember the General in S. Korea that talked about missions being run in the North?  A few months later he was relieved of duty.

The same will happen with this.  I don't know what's wrong with the SEALs but the culture appears to be broken.  Something is off with that outfit and I can't quite put my finger on it. 

The only question that needs to be answered is this.  Is General Mulholland man enough to save SOCOM from itself?

$250,000 to BAE for AAV Upgrade Study?

via DefenseAerospace.

“BAE Systems has worked successfully with the U.S. Marine Corps for more than 70 years, and we’re proud to continue being a part of programs that will revolutionize the amphibious fleet,” said Ann Hoholick, vice president and general manager of Amphibious & New Programs for BAE Systems. “It is our goal to design a family of systems that incorporates low-risk, mature technologies that are scalable to align with emerging requirements and funding.”

The AAV trade study will allow BAE Systems to propose how to best improve the survivability and force protection of the vehicle while maintaining its current land and water mobility characteristics. Through this $250,000 contract, BAE Systems will determine if an affordable development and production unit cost can be realized using a production schedule that fields 43 upgraded vehicles by September 2017.

Hmmm.  The Vice President of Amphibious & New Programs for BAE Systems is bieng a bit coy in her description of working with the Marine Corps for 70 years...unless she's counting FMC's work (BAE bought them out). But whats interesting is the production schedule and the amount of money allocated.

They're looking to have this done by 2017 which puts it smack dabin the iddle of MPC production.  THey also have a paltry sum of 250,000 grand to do this study.  That tells me that BAE is probably doing this on their own dime.  I can't lie to you.  I'm cheering for BAE on this one.  They have too many inovative projects out there...have lost on some projects on questionable reasoning and its time for a break through.

Quite honestly I'd love to see BAE offer new build AAV's with increased firepower, speed (land and water) and crew protection.

That'll be tough to do with only a quater million dollars seed money.