F-35B completes first airborne engine start tests

Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Canin flies BF-2 during air start testing Aug. 8. Air starts test the ability of the F-35’s propulsion system to restart during flight. Verifying the restart capability of the propulsion system is part of the initial flight test program for the F-35 and a prerequisite for high angle-of-attack testing. The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter designed for use by U.S. Marine Corps, as well as F-35 international partners in the United Kingdom and Italy. The F-35B is capable of short take-offs and vertical landings to provide air power from amphibious ships, ski jump aircraft carriers and expeditionary airfields. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

CSI's Mountain Lion III

CSI was (I thought) a prime take over candidate by one of the big industry players.  As it is they seem to have found a nice niche and are continuing to exploit it. 

BAMS - U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton Capabilities

I HATE how they continue to emphasize Homeland Security Operations.  That is beyond disturbing but I seem to be alone in being concerned by this.

Navistar withdraws protest. Hmmm.

Check out this story from AOL.

Truck maker Navistar is withdrawing the protest it filed Friday with the Government Accountability Office over the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program, company spokeswoman Elissa Koc told AOL Defense this morning.

Had Navistar persisted, its protest probably would have delayed JLTV development for months while the GAO investigated whether the military ran the competition fairly.

I'm not saying that the US Army influenced things here...but it makes no sense for them to pull this protest unless they got threats...

The Army wants this program bad.  Why I don't know.  They have yet to justify where the JLTV fits into its vehicle programs setup.  The Marine Corps damn sure doesn't have a clue.

Of all the questionable programs floating around this has to be at the top of the list.

Congratulations to the US Army.  You're about to get a vehicle that you definitely don't need, for a requirement that you haven't spelled out or justified, to achieve a mission that is already performed by vehicles already in inventory.

They should be proud.

Pics from the Fleet Marine Force.

Two U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 466, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) infiltrate Marines with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance (3rd LAR) Battalion to execute Operation Halberd V in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 20, 2012. HMLA-469 provided aerial reconnaissance and security for the Marines of 3rd LAR during operation Halberd V to prevent the distribution of contraband in support of counter insurgency operations.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Meghan Gonzales)

Marines with 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, conduct a security patrol out of Forward Operating Base Shamsher, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 23, 2012. Marines conducted a partnered patrol to disrupt the flow of lethal and illicit aid in the area.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jason Morrison)

Marines from Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, test the Expeditionary Fire Support System M327 120mm mortar at Pohakuloa Training Area Aug. 23. The battery was selected to train on the new mortar system for the Marine Corps.
(Photo by Navy Lt. Joshua R. Lebenson)

Southern Hemisphere Firepower. Venzuela's Off Shore Patrol Vessel.

via Defesa Blog.

Venezuelan Navy´s (Armada Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela -ANBV) PC-22 ANB “Warao” offshore patrol vessel has had an accident in Fortaleza, Brazil. Important damages were made to the ship´s hull.

The Venezuelan Navy is now evaluating the serious damages.

Four Avante 2200´s POV (Patrullero Oceánico de Vigilancia) ships were built by the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia according a contract firmed in Caracas, Venezuela on 28 November 2005. They were commissioned in March 2011, August 2011, December 2011 and April 2012 respectively.

Four Avante 1400´s BVL (Buque de Vigilancia Litoral) patrol vessels were also acquired under the same contract. The last BVL is being built by the Venezuelan shipbuilder Diques y Astilleros Nacionales CA (DIANCA) in Puerto Cabello.

A couple of things.

Venezuela and Brazil appear to be forging closer ties.  Good for them.  The second?  Not bad for what is essentially a Coast Guard Vessel.  A 76mm gun up front (a rapid fire multi-munition gun at that...adequate for anti-air, anti-surface and land attack applications) along with a 35mm revolver gun at the rear.  Wrap all that up in a semi-stealthy platform built by Navantia and you have an impressive little ship.

Its hard to get a handle on whats going on down south but something is.

My frankenstien AAV upgrade...

Upgrade rehash...my updated wish list for AAV upgrades.

You listening BAE????

The MTU powerpack for the PUMA infantry fighting vehicle excels with its outstanding power-to-weight ratio and extremely compact design. Together with the 10V 890 engine, the powerpack includes a Renk 6-speed transmission unit, the starter-generator and the air cooling and filtering plant.

1.  MTU Powerpack....I want something compact and powerful.  If you can give me a diesel engine that puts out 1500 horsepower then we're cooking.  I'll accept a little less if I have to but I want max power in a compact  package.  MTU has the track record of providing this kind of powerplant.  Just to show that I have some international flavor I'll even compromise and take the powerplant from the PUMA IFV..yeah its only a little over 1000 horsepower but I'll take it.  No!  I want it in my redone AAV.

Elbit 30mm RWS (foldable trialed on the AAV)

2.  Firepower.  This one is tricky.  It depends....  Do we want our Track Commanders fighting heads down?  Are we going to designate a crewman as gunner so we can have a RWS...if we stick with the MK44 turret will it take up too much room on the AAV?  Will a RWS be too tall?  Are foldable options good enough?  It really doesn't matter what they decide as long as its 30mm or bigger.  I despise the RAFAEL mount but it does have the option to mount anti-tank missiles along with the gun.  Leaning toward the ELBIT option as its already been trialed on the AAV.

CV-90 Armadillo sporting rubber tracks.

 3.  Tracks.  I don't know how this one is gonna go over.  I believe at one time the tracks were used to help with self righting.  We can find another way to accomplish that mission but its time to switch to rubber tracks.  I admittedly don't know as much about them as I should and this one might be subject to getting dumped from the list...for instance can you shorten the track and run with it if you sustain damage with rubber like you can with steel?  Do they last as long?  Are they cost effective?  If they are then its time to get on the rubber bandwagon.  Besides BAE has already done this the CV90 and SEP.

4.  Trophy or some other anti-missile system.  Detractors like to talk about AAVs never being used in an amphibious assault.  Even if they're not RPG's and Anti-Tank missiles dot the landscape.  How about we build in the latest anti-missile defense onto the vehicle instead of questionable add-on armor that won't do the job against the latest threats and add unnecessary weight?  I have no idea of what works and what doesn't but its a thought.

5.  More to come.  The goal is to upgrade the AAV to such an extent that if Congress goes crazy (and they will) and money dries up, that we can have a vehicle that is good enough to serve another 20 years if need be.  Upgraded power, transmission, suspension, firepower, protection and ride should help get us more than halfway there.  I have no faith that the ACV will be developed on schedule and am beginning to wonder about the Marine Personnel Carrier Program.  The budget crunch is coming and their is no sense of urgency when it comes to programs except for the F-35 and MV-22.  This is unsat.  TIme for the groundside to get what it can while it can.

Does this point to future issues with the LCS?

Check out the Australian story....

DEFENCE will not say whether its ability to rescue asylum boats has been compromised by a high-seas incident in which seawater gushed into the corroded hull of a navy patrol boat off Christmas Island.
The incident forced HMAS Bathurst to retire from border patrol duties late last week and limp to Singapore for repairs, just days before the navy was called on to rescue a sunken asylum boat with 150 people aboard.
As many as 100 people are missing, presumed drowned, after the boat sank on Wednesday. HMAS Maitland arrived at the scene, 70km from the Indonesian coast, on Thursday afternoon to search for survivors.
Defence failed to respond to questions submitted yesterday morning from The Weekend Australian about whether the loss of the Bathurst had compromised the navy's rescue capability around Christmas Island at a time when asylum boats were arriving every few days.

The Australian Navy Chief of Staff has already denied allegations that the crew did not properly care for the refugees.  As tragic as that is...and it is tragic I'm focusing on the other part of the story.

These are relatively new boats and they're suffering catastrophic hull ruptures?  They're built with the same philosphy as our LCS and this is happening?

These ships look like something the dog dragged home after a couple of days at sea and we're given the explanation that this is how they're designed to weather and yet we have Australian ships limping into port because the hull collapses unexplainably!

Its definitely time to slow our roll with the LCS and make sure the concept is sound.