Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Fully missionized F-35B flying at PaxRiver.


Major Hat Tip to B. Bolsøy Oslo---I don't know how I missed this....from F-16.net.
"This mission systems aircraft adds a new dimension to the F-35 flight testing under way at PAX River," said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of F-35 Program Integration. "Now, in addition to validating the aerodynamic capabilities and flying qualities of these jets, we will have the opportunity to confirm the performance of what we expect to be a transcendent avionics capability – the most capable ever in a fighter." A fifth F-35B, along with the first Navy carrier variant, is expected to join the fleet later this year at Patuxent River.
I was promised that I was on their mailing list.  Time to send a nasty gram to Lockheed Martin!

F-35C Pics.

I saw some unauthorized pics.  I saw the video.  But I wanted to wait for Lockheed's official pic release of the F-35C's first flight.  I wasn't disappointed.


Royal Air Force knocks down the Rolling Stones.


Wow.  Things are different in the UK.  Read the whole thing here.
The Royal Air Force Squadronaires have scored the highest ever chart position for a military band when it's album "In The Mood: The Glenn Miller Celebration" reached No.9 in the UK pop album charts, overtaking The Rolling Stones. The album also knocked Michael Bublé off his long-standing position at the top of the jazz charts.
Either they have great military bands or the British public has weird taste in music.

Monday, June 07, 2010

New Crane for Sea Basing.


If you're a fan of the Sea Basing Concept then you might enjoy what the Office of Naval Research has been doing.  ONR coupled with Advanced Technology and Research Corporation to develop a new Naval Crane.  What's really exciting about this is that its applicable to Navy operating doctrine of the future.  You see ISO containers, I see mission modules.  The transfer of vehicles at sea is still iffy in my opinion and this crane could prove to be a very nice backup...if that method proves troublesome.

Mobility vs. Survivability.

Major Hat Tip to Jonathan.

DefenseNews has an outstanding article on the direction of future Infantry Fighting Vehicle development in the US.  Read it here.
After years of fighting side-by-side in MRAP armored vehicles, the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps are striking out in different directions.
The Army is making vehicle and crew survivability its main priority in its Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program, while the Marine Corps is determined to reclaim its role as an expeditionary force that relies on lighter vehicles that can quickly be transported around the world.
The diverging paths return the two services to their definitional roles, but they also represent fundamentally different perspectives on how forces should fight - and could undercut the services' joint effort to build a replacement for tens of thousands of Humvee utility vehicles.
"We need to get lighter," Lt. Gen. George Flynn, commander of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, told reporters June 3 at the Pentagon. "And sometimes, when you look at your vehicle strategy, you have to take a look at the environment that you're going to operate in. There's a protection that comes from mobility. If you can move fast and if you can move on unpredictable routes, you can not necessarily armor up as much."
The Army, on the other hand, has set very aggressive protection requirements for its GCV, which is now expected to be tracked and weigh 50 to 70 tons.
There's really no way around 50-plus tons when a vehicle has to carry 12 soldiers, have a gun turret, and accept upgradable armor as IEDs get better, said one source familiar with the program.
Critics point out that at 70 tons, the GCV would be the heaviest infantry fighting vehicle in existence - as heavy as the Abrams tank.
This whole issue is fascinating.

A couple of points.

1.  This is more proof that the Stryker concept is dead.

2.  The US Army is serious about fielding an Infantry Fighting Vehicle that will weigh MORE than a LeClerc Main Battle Tank!

3.  The EFV will be much smaller and lighter than the projected Army vehicle.  There is no way that this program...as currently planned....can be joint.  At one time Army officials stated that they would consider the EFV for this requirement.  That didn't last long.

4.  Wow.

Terrorist Frogmen.


We've been hearing about the threat for years.  If memory serves this is the first example of it actually being attempted.  via Fox News.


The spokesperson said they were heavily armed and dressed in diving gear -- and they were trying to swim to shore when a firefight erupted.
An army source told Haaretz that the firefight about 4:30am (local time) was a success for the Navy's elite commando unit, Shayetet 13, and prevented a rare attempt at a seaborne attack on Israel.
There were no Israeli casualties.
Also noteworthy is the naming of the unit here.  I imagine the guys at Shayetet 13 were looking for a little payback after the recent embarrassments.

S13 is suppose to be the second highest speed unit of Israeli Special Forces (the first is the Sayeret Maktal...they supposedly work directly for the General Staff.  Their participation in the cruise ship incident is doubtful due to intelligence indicating that their would be no issues with the boarding of the ships)....

D-Day. Did you miss the date?

Yesterday marked the anniversary of the largest amphibious assault ever launched.  June 6, 1944.