Saturday, August 21, 2010

The EFV has a new page.

It looks like Colonel Moore and his boys have been busy not only testing and getting the EFV ready for its budget battle but also have finally decided to revamp their website.

If you've read SNAFU! then you know I've been a little bit annoyed at how this program has been run.

At what I considered a critical point in the "info" wars concerning this vehicle the website even went off line.  I wondered why, I questioned the wisdom of those in charge and I even believed a little "wall to wall" counseling was called for.

Looks like I was wrong.

Yep, the Marine Corps is all in when it comes to the EFV, and this revamped site with all the bells and whistles is another shot toward getting the word out.

Friday, August 20, 2010

LITEF IMU ... what?????


Northrop Grumman LITEF IMU on Typhoon

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract by EADS Defence & Security to deliver inertial measurement units (IMU) for Tranche 3A of the Eurofighter Typhoon. The IMUs will be built by the company's German navigation systems subsidiary, Northrop Grumman LITEF.
Developed as part of the flight control system of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the IMU system, with its highly accurate inertial sensors and built-in redundancy, is the sole sensor which measures the motion of the aircraft and continuously provides motion data to the flight control computer to drive the control systems and actuators. This closed control loop stabilization system enables the aircraft to perform with extreme agility as well as a high degree of maneuverability, ensuring it can operate to the maximum of its capability and to the limit of its flight envelope. In a secondary function, the IMU provides backup navigation data.

United States Tanker


Ok this is pure propaganda but it has historical flashes none-the-less. Follow the link.


United States Tanker

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Stalker UAS

Nice Product, Weird Company.


I just found another of those weird little businesses that provides specialized military equipment but does it behind a veil of serving the needs of residential consumers.  Check out NetStar Technologies.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Tactical-Life.com's review of the Kel-Tec PMR-30 Sub Gun...



Sweet.

They're flubbing the sales effort with these delays but it looks like alot of fun!

Thanks Tactical-Life.com~(you too Anonymous for pointing this out)!

Hey SecDef, you want to save money? How about killing the Navy's new uniform!


The Navy has appropriated the Marine Corps Charlie Uniform but is attempting to field a brand new set of digital cammies?  Wow.

What a waste!

And on top of all that they have a new website AND FaceBook page!  Check it out here.  Oh and if you're curious, this is the press release...
Navy Working Uniform Type II/III Website Launched





WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) launched a Web site for the Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Type II/III Aug. 9.

The website is intended to provide detailed information about the new uniforms, including development history, conformance testing data, frequently asked questions and answers, news and updates, photographs, and contact information.

"We want to provide the best Web site possible to inform our expeditionary Sailors about the new uniforms," said Andy Hu, NAVFAC NWU Type II/III program manager.

NAVFAC also has a Facebook page so the program manager can receive additional feedback, and visitors are encouraged to join or start a dialogue about the NWU Type II/III.

These new tactical uniforms are undergoing conformance testing this summer and are scheduled to be issued to the expeditionary Navy in spring 2011.

Visit the NWU Type II/III website at http://www.navfac.navy.mil/nwu, and the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/NWU-Type-II-II/147583515252522?v=wall.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The real war? Between the Army and the Air Force...the Marines and Navy are bit players.


Scoop Deck has a story on the New York Times editorial which recommends cutting the Air Force and Navy.  Beautiful.  Read it here.  Also note the spirited defense by McGrath.  Amazing but predictable.  The war in Afghanistan isn't even won yet he's ready to gut land forces!  Wow.

Why do I still hear the whispers of Rumsfeld's "Transformation" in the Air-Sea Battle concept?  Is it because certain think tankers are deluding themselves about the type of combat we'll see in the future?  Insurgents...Internal Defense Missions...Training of Foreign Military....the classic 3-block war...that's the future.  Push button combat using UAV's, hi-tech bombers and such is a fantasy.  

Update on the Kel-Tec PMR-30.


I did a story on this new gun here.  The long story short is that I wanted to add this weapon to my arsenal, the end of the story is that Kel-Tec is botching its release.

After all the drama and speculation, I'll be sticking to Ruger.

If you want a primer on how not to do business then look up Kel-Tec.

Gates to retire, Marines to win.


via Reuters.
(Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a driving force behind both the Afghan war plan and in overhauling the Pentagon's finances, said in an interview published on Monday he aims to retire next year.
So what does this mean?

1.  It means that the F-35 will most definitely survive.  Gates retirement should be near initial operational capability for the F-35 into Marine Corps service.
2.  It means that the Marines will get the EFV.  Gates can kill programs but with a Republican House on the horizon (and possibly Senate) then you can bet that the defense industry will get a boost.
3.  It means that the developing Air-Sea Battle is officially in danger.  Gates is the biggest driver behind this new concept.  With his departure and with a focus on ongoing combat in Afghanistan, you can bet that extra expenditures for expensive new airplanes (looking at you next gen bomber) will be tough to swallow.
4.  Lastly, it means that the next SecDef will be almost powerless.  With Gates retirement close to the start of the next presidential election cycle this person will have almost no sway over the services.  He/She will be able to tinker at the edges but thats about it.

EFV wins, EFV wins, EFV wins....

Is this the best thing to come out of RIMPAC?

When do you know that an exercise has become a joke? 

When the best thing to come out of it is a photo op.

If this is what RIMPAC has become ... a formation of ships that get together to attempt to look good together then its time to save money by scrapping the exercise. 

Monday, August 16, 2010

3 Attack Helicopters...3 different operating principles.

What do the AH-64 Apache, AH-1Z Viper and the KA-52 Alligator have in common?  Not a thing.  They all represent differing design philosophies and approaches to the Attack Helicopter.  I became  interested because of the announcement that the Russians would be placing the KA-52 on the Mistral class LHD they'll be building soon.  First a comparison of the 3 helicopters via Wikipedia.

AH-1Z Viper/General characteristics
  • Crew: 2: pilot, co-pilot/gunner (CPG)
  • Capacity: 6,661 lb (3,021 kg)
  • Length: 58 ft 3 in (17.8 m)
  • Rotor diameter: 48 ft (14.6 m)
  • Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
  • Disc area: 1,808 ft² (168.0 m²)
  • Empty weight: 12,300 lb (5,580 kg)
  • Useful load: 5,764 lb (2,620 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 18,500 lb (8,390 kg)
  • Powerplant:General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft, 1,800 shp (1,340 kW) each
  • Rotor systems: 4 blades on main rotor, 4 blades on tail rotor
Performance
AH-64D Apache/General characteristics
  • Crew: 2 (pilot, and co-pilot/gunner)
  • Length: 58.17 ft (17.73 m) (with both rotors turning)
  • Rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
  • Height: 12.7 ft (3.87 m)
  • Disc area: 1,809.5 ft² (168.11 m²)
  • Empty weight: 11,387 lb (5,165 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 17,650 lb (8,000 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
  • Powerplant:General Electric T700-GE-701 and later upgraded to T700-GE-701C (1990–present) & T700-GE-701D (AH-64D block III) turboshafts, -701: 1,690 shp, -701C: 1,890 shp, -701D: 2,000 shp (-701: 1,260 kW, -701C: 1,490 kW, -701D: 1,490 kW) each
  • Fuselage length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
  • Rotor systems: 4 blade main rotor, 4 blade tail rotor in non-orthogonal alignment
Performance
KA-52 Alligator/General characteristics
  • Crew: One (for Ka-52: two)
  • Length: 13.50 m (44 ft 3 in)
  • Rotor diameter: 2x 14.50 m (2x 47 ft 7 in)
  • Height: 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
  • Disc area: 330.3 m² (3,555 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 7,800 kg (17,200 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 9,800 kg (21,600 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 10,800 kg (23,810 lb)
  • Powerplant:Klimov TV3-117VK turboshafts, 1,660 kW (2,226 shp) each
  • For Ka-52:

    • Loaded weight: 10,400 kg (22,930 lb)
Performance
I'm not sure how I would rank them but it appears that heavy weight, heavily armored helicopters are as passe' as wheeled personnel carriers.  The Russians have practically said so with the adoption of the KA-52 over its rival, the Mi-28.