Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Marine Tanks land in Afghanistan. The Video.

Marine Tanks in Afghanistan!


Five M1A1 tanks have arrived to Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, and another dozen or so are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. The tanks will undergo maintenance inspections before being assigned missions elsewhere in Helmand province as another tool in waging counterinsurgency operations. In addition to increased maneuverability and precision firepower, M1A1 tanks will provide superior optics and night vision capability, allowing coalition forces to spot improvised explosive devices being emplaced by the Taliban.

AH-1Z approved for full rate production.



via NAVAIR.

AH-1Z approved for full rate production

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Cobra was approved for full rate production Nov. 28.

The H-1 program office received official word on the milestone III approval decision from Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, Dr. Ashton B. Carter through an acquisition decision memorandum.

"This is the culmination of a lot of focused hard work by a lot of dedicated professionals," said Col. Harry Hewson, the Marines' program manager for light and attack helicopter programs. "We spent the past two years executing a very detailed risk reduction program that tested every part of the weapons and fire control system on the AH-1Z. It performed very well in operational test last spring and I am confident that it will do as well in combat as the UH-1Y is doing right now in Afghanistan. The next phase of this program is getting the Zulu into the hands of the fleet and into combat. The Zulu is going to give the Marines on the ground a whole new level of long range targeting and precision firepower for close air support."

After completing operational testing this summer, the AH-1Z was determined to be operationally effective and suitable, a finding that is a prerequisite to the full rate production decision.

"Getting the Zulu into full rate production is very important for the Marines and for our Nation," said Rear Adm. Steve Eastburg, Program Executive Officer for Air, Assault and Special Mission Programs. "Both the UH-1Y and AH-1Z deliver superb combat effectiveness to the Marine warfighter. We continue to build in production cost efficiencies to ensure that the taxpayer is getting the most for every dollar spent."

The AH-1Z Cobra helicopters are part of the Marine Corps’ H-1 Upgrade Program. The program’s goal is to replace AH-1W helicopters with new and remanufactured AH-1Z which provide significantly greater performance, supportability and growth potential over their predecessors.

A total of 189 new and remanufactured AH-1Z helicopters are anticipated, with deliveries expected to be complete by the end of 2021.

The AH-1Z is expected to achieve initial operating capability and embark on its first deployment in 2011.

The AH-1Z and the UH-1Y, the Marine Corps’ combat utility helicopter, are 84 percent identical. The UH-1Y was approved for full rate production in 2008.

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The Amphibious Triad. Ship to Shore Connector (Future LCAC)

Riedel Ship to Shore Connector                                                             Lcac Datasheet

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Amphibious Triad. EFV.

Monty_EFV_AG_working_group_overview_Mar08_resize                                                            

China seeks a way out.


It appears that China and N. Korea are looking for a face saving way out of this mess. I guess the actions of the 'little' people in S. Korea calling for retaliation are starting to pay off. Via Fox News.

China calls for urgent talks on North Korea 
Published November 28, 2010
Associated Press

China's nuclear envoy is calling for an emergency meeting of North Korean disarmament talks to discuss the tensions on the Korean peninsula. Wu Dawei says chief negotiators at the six-nation nuclear talks are being asked to come to Beijing in early December for the emergency session. He said in a statement Sunday that the international community, particularly members of the six-party talks, are deeply concerned about recent developments on the peninsula. China was slow at first to react after ally North Korea pummeled a South Korean island with an artillery barrage on Tuesday, but has quickened its diplomatic intervention in recent days. 

Looks like relations with China will be entering a new phase.  First, this attempt by China and N. Korea to achieve a face saving way out will probably fail.  Public passions in the South are running too high.  Second, China was unable to 'enforce' their verbal blockade of the Yellow Sea.  And lastly, China has buckled to US demands that they become involved.

All in all a bad week for the Communist.

Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion Technology Forum.


Did you know that the National Security Space Office held a technology conference on the Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion Concept (SUSTAIN) on 24-26 Feb 2009?



I didn't  and I don't recall any coverage of it either.  It appears that work had been conducted on a couple of concepts and one that seems rather well thought out (better said is that they had glossy power points) is the K2.  More to come....I can't find out whether this is ongoing or has been swallowed up by the Air Force's X-37 project.



Saturday, November 27, 2010

Hmmm, we're worried about WW3 in Asia when the real news is happening in Europe.


Sometime I wonder if we're not being caught up in a massive shell game.  While everyone is focusing on the crisis in Asia between the two Korea's, the really big news that could plunge the world into the 2nd great depression is occurring in Europe.  Specifically Ireland and how Germany's people react to another bailout.

Read more here...and here....and here....

I hope you've participated in the "new" fashion trend of being frugal.  But if you splurged then be careful.  Something appears to be brewing in Europe and few seem to be paying attention.

While America was shopping and eating turkey, her military was at war...

Lance Cpl. Zachary Allen, an infantryman with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, walks through a corn field during an operation, Nov. 23. Allen, a 21-year-old native of Fruita, Colo., and his fellow Marines stayed in the Southern Green Zone for more than a day to observe and hunt the Taliban.
Lance Cpl. Adam Zaugg, an assaultman with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, crosses a canal during a mission, Nov. 24. Zaugg, a 20-year-old native of Eagle Mountain, Utah, and fellow Marines often had to cross knee to waist-deep canals during multiple patrols while on a mission to hunt Taliban fighters.
Lance Cpl. Michael Brown, an infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, uses a metal detector to sweep for improvised explosive devices during an operation, Nov. 23, 2010. Brown, a 20-year-old native of Kansas City, Mo., and his fellow Marines maintain constant awareness for IEDs and sweep every area.
A Jamaican native, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. McCarthy Phillip (center), an infantry squad leader who resides in Decatur, Ga., assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Bulldog, and other soldiers patrol in a small village in the Pech River Valley in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, Nov. 20.

The military is protesting in S. Korea? This might be more serious than the pundits think.


When the military starts protesting, you've got a serious shit sandwich on your hands.  Well that's whats happening in S. Korea.  This will MIGHT not end well.  I have to admit that I didn't think much of what was going on over there but now it seems that the possibility of some type of military action occurring might be up from 1% to about 25% now.  One miscalculation by the North and its stone age time for Seoul and refugee crisis for China (at least thats what the 'chattering' class believes...I would bet that the minefields on the border with S. Korea would get a heavy workout).  This is via CNN.
Members of the South Korean military protested on the streets of the nation's capital Saturday, stating they were angry that their country's government had not done enough to respond to recent shelling by North Korea.

Now these are the RoK Marines that I remember.


via Yahoo News.
"All Marines, including Marines on service and reserve Marines, will avenge the two at any cost, keeping today's anger and hostility in mind," said Lieutenant General Yoo Nak Joon, commander of the South Korean Marine Corps.
"We will put our feelings of rage and animosity in our bones and take our revenge on North Korea."
~Lieutenant General Yoo Nak Joon, commander of the South Korean Marine Corps.

Brazil's Marines bring AAV's to the fight.


via The Wall Street Journal.

I'll let you read the article for yourself, but what's interesting is that Brazil's Marines are using AAV's to give their police armored transport.  The Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais  are a para-military police organization thats well respected and quite capable in their own right.  As a matter of fact they have several armored vehicles that have stood the test in the slums of Rio.

Things are much worse than I even thought if they need BOPE, Special Military Police, Brazilian Marines and the Brazilian Army to fight in these areas.  Interesting.  All photos are from either the Wall Street Journal (AAV with police above) or Wikipedia (BOPE emblem to the right).