Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Must Read. Gates challenges Marine Corps missions.


via Forbes (read the whole thing here)

The Marine Corps is facing a historic defeat at the hands of Defense Secretary Roberts Gates, and hardly anyone inside or outside the Corps seems to grasp what is happening. On January 6, Gates disclosed a series of proposed budget cuts that included termination of an amphibious vehicle the Marines have been developing for 15 years. He said the vehicle cost too much — around $17 million per copy — and that the service therefore should extend the life of existing amphibious vehicles while searching for a more affordable replacement. Gates stressed that, “This decision does not call into question the Marines’ amphibious assault mission.”
Taking that assurance at face value, prime contractor General Dynamics launched a campaign to convince Congress and the Obama Administration that buying a smaller number of the vehicles while upgrading current amphibious systems would be more cost-effective than canceling the program and starting over. Many backers of the Marine Corps on Capitol Hill seem favorably disposed to the idea. But what neither Congress nor the contractor seem to understand is that the Gates move isn’t really about the cost of one program. It’s about the cost of the whole “forcible entry” mission at the heart of the modern Marine Corps identity, and the desire of competing claimants on the Pentagon’s budget to use that money for other purposes.
Is this the real reason for "Next Generation Bomber" and other programs that seem to suck money but provide no benefit?

Is it time to put guns back on amphibs?


Above you see the commissioning photo of the USS Tarawa.  Notice the two 5 inch guns on its bow?

What happened and why did we lose these weapons?

If the requirements are changing and we expect assault echelon ships to make runs toward the beach to disembark its Marines (since holding at 25 miles off shore is no longer considered any safer than 10 miles in)...then why don't we have these fabulous weapons, along with modern warheads to engage shore based missile batteries, small boats and other threats in the littorals.

Maybe its time to take a blast from the past and put guns back on amphibs!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

F-35B getting back on track.


Via DefenseNews.com
Analysts agreed that this series of vertical landings signals the problematic vertical landing variant is starting to recover from a series of technical glitches that resulted in schedule slips and the redesigns of some ancillary equipment and structural elements of the aircraft. These elements include components in the propulsion system, an insufficiently robust structural bulkhead and hinges on some doors on the top surface of the aircraft.
"I think it does [signal that the program is getting back on track]. This program has never been quite as troubled as many critics thought. I think it's probably progressed more smoothly than other fighter development program with the possible exception of the F-16," said Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, Arlington, Va. The F-16's development proceeded so smoothly because of the simple nature of the original version of that aircraft, he said.
Read the whole thing but the future of the "B" is bright.  A quick glance at some of the ships being acquired by allied navies and its obvious that this model will have as many or more customers than any other model (with the USAF buying so many "A"s it will always be numerically superior but the A will be a sad second when it comes to air arms buying it).

Lets look at the ships...Aircraft Carriers/LHD(A)'s coming online or just entering service (note* all ship photos are from Jeff Head's World Wide Aircraft Carrier Website...you really should check it out)...

*Cavour











*Hyuga











*USS America











*Canberra











*Juan Carlos I

















*Dokdo












Alot of decks, and these decks need STOVL aircraft.  Good news indeed.  Now I do realize that certain critics and friends (Leesea, Lee, Aussie Digger and Marcase) will point out that on a number of these ships a requirement hasn't been laid out for a STOVL airplane to operate from them.  They'll also point out that in some cases, naval air arms might opt for British Harriers that will be placed in storage waiting for a buyer (if they're wise)...

I don't think so.

Especially in the Pacific, the threat of advanced fighters is coming so fast that no air arm can afford not to have a long ranged, stealthy, electronically advanced, sensor fused airplane in their arsenal.

That threat should be obvious to Australia, S. Korea, Japan and Singapore.

My humble prediction.

Nations will be lining up to buy the F-35B once it enters into service.

Monday, January 17, 2011

If the Cavour is considered an aircraft carrier then why not the USS America class?

Note all photos and information is courtesy of JeffHead.com

Simple question.  Has the Marine Corps been fed a bill of goods?  Why is the Cavour considered an aircraft carrier with a secondary amphibious assault capability and the USS America not?  Stats are again from JeffHead.com  


Designation: CVL   
Length: 800 ft
Width: 128 ft
Beam: 108 ft
Displacement: 26,000 tons
Propulsion: 4 LM2500 gas turbines (COGAG),
2 shafts
Speed: 28 knots
Crew: 1,210
Airwing: 20 VSTOL, rotary
- 32 VLS Aster SAM
- 3 X 25mm OtaBreda CIWS
- 2 X 76mm guns
Elevators: 2
Ships in class: 1 


Designation: LHA(R)
Length: 844 ft
Width: 200 ft
Beam: 106 ft
Displacement: 45,000 tons
Propulsion: 2 GE LM 2500+ gas turbines, 2 shafts
Speed: 24 knots
Crew: 1,060
Troops: 1,700
Airwing: 38 rotary, vstol
Armament:
- 2 × RAM launchers (42 missiles)
- 2 × NATO ESSM launchers (16 missiles)
- 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS
- 3 × 25 mm Mk 38 cannons
- 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
Elevators: 2
Ships in class: 1

Ladies and Gents, either we have a disconnect in the classification of naval ships and reality or we have a purposeful deception being hoisted on the Marine Corps.  According to the above mentioned website, in a sea control mission organization, the USS America will rival the Elizabeth class carriers being built by the UK.

With the hesitation that is being shown by the Dept of the Navy when it comes to adding a well deck, the question must be asked...is this a ship that will sail away with the big deck carriers when times get hard---taking its compliment of F-35B's with it to perform the sea control mission?

A simple recommendation.

Stop building the USS America class after the first ship is commissioned.

Go back to the drawing board, simply build enlarged versions of  the existing LHD's (with appropriate updates) and be done with.


Royal Aeronautical Society RS-001

F-35 in afterburner.

Compilation by Lockheed Martin.

This might get interesting...


S. Korea warship pursues hijacked vessel - ASDNews

Lee held an emergency meeting on Sunday and urged officials to take "all possible measures" to rescue the ship and crew, she said.


Samho Jewelry was carrying eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 crew from Myanmar when it was hijacked on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka.


All crew members being held by the pirates have been confirmed safe so far, a foreign ministry spokesman said.


"The crewmen have been confirmed safe for now, with no unusual signs in their (physical) conditions... the ship's location has been identified," the spokesman told AFP.


Yonhap news agency said it would "take at least two days" for the warship, which is carrying more than 300 naval troops including special commandos, to reach the hijacked vessel, citing an unnamed government source.
The reason why I say this might get interesting is..

1.  The Naval Troops would be S. Korean Marines.  After the beating they've taken at home because of the slow response in relation to the N. Korean artillery barrage has their command ready to strike at blow at anyone...anywhere...
2.  The S. Korean President is also suffering the fallout.  He failed to protect his citizens and now he has a chance to prove his toughness...even if its on the other side of the planet.
3.  I wonder what the EU anti-piracy 'unit' is going to say about this incident.  Is it a case of the S. Koreans going it alone or will they assist.  Same applies to the US Navy.  Do the S. Koreans even want assistance.

Yep, this might become interesting.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

MV-22's arrive in Afghanistan...

Marines from 26th MEU arrive in Afghanistan

Marines from Marine Tiltroater Squadron 266 arrive aboard Camp Bastion, Afghanistan as an augment from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit January 15. Marines from the 26th MEU will provide security for the Route 611 project, which connects Northern Sangin Valley and Kajaki to the Route 1 beltway, over the next 3 months.

Birds from the sea arrive in Afghanistan

Two of six MV-22B Ospreys with Marine Tiltroater Squadron 266 arrive aboard Camp Bastion, Afghanistan from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of the Batallion Landing Team with 3rd Batallion, 8th Marine Regiment January 15. The Marines from the 26th MEU will provide security for the Route 611 project, which connects Northern Sangin Valley and Kajaki to the Route 1 beltway, over the next 3 months.

MV-22 Ospreys arrive in Afghanistan

Marines from Marine Tiltroater Squadron 266 arrive aboard Camp Bastion, Afghanistan as an augment from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit January 15. Marines from the Battalion Landing Team with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, will provide security for the Route 611 project, which connects Northern Sangin Valley and Kajaki to the Route 1 beltway, over the next 3 months.  (I love the tail insignia on this airplane!--editor!)

US Marine Corps Tanks in Afghanistan.

LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Marines with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward), fires the main cannon of an M1A1 Abrams tank during a range at Camp Leatherneck, Jan. 13, 2011. The Marines are the first tank unit to deploy to Afghanistan.(Official US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ned Johnson)
LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Marines with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward), fires the main cannon of an M1A1 Abrams tank during a range at Camp Leatherneck, Jan. 13, 2011. The Marines fired multiple rounds to align their sights and prepare their tanks for upcoming missions. (Official US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Daniel Blatter)
LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Marines with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion 1st Marine Division (Forward), work with a bore laser to find the center of the M1A1 Abrams tank gun’s barrel during a battlefield zero range at Camp Leatherneck, Jan. 13, 2011. The Marines aligned their sights and fired the main gun during a range to prepare the tanks for upcoming missions. (Official US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ned Johnson)
LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Marines with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward), attach a .50 caliber machine gun to the top of an M1A1 Abrams tank before a range at Camp Leatherneck, Jan. 13, 2011. The Marines performed their pre-combat inspections before firing the weapons to prepare for upcoming missions.(Official US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ned Johnson)

Ever wonder why Navy ships have steel superstructures?

Official USN photo taken on 23 November 1975, the day after her collision with USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). Though essentially intact up to the weather deck, her aluminum superstructure burned and melted; this significantly influenced the decision to build the Arleigh Burke-class DDGs with steel superstructures.  Via Military Photos.net

Operation Aero Hunter.


An AH-1W Cobra with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), and an EH101 Merlin with 1419 Flight Squadron, Joint Aviation Group, 3rd MAW (Fwd), refuel before joint Operation Aero Hunter in Western Kandahar province Jan. 13. The operation consisted of two phases. The first part was a patrol to flush insurgents out of a village; the second part was a series of snap vehicle check points along Route 1. The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, conducted the patrol and Marines of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, conducted the VCPs.
 
An EH101 Merlin with 1419 Flight Squadron, Joint Aviation Group, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), prepares to land along Route 1 in Western Kandahar province during joint Operation Aero Hunter Jan. 13. The operation consisted of two phases. The first part was a patrol to flush insurgents out of a village; the second part was a series of snap vehicle check points along Route 1. The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, conducted the patrol and Marines of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, conducted the VCPs.
Marines from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, board a EH101 Merlin with 1419 Flight Squadron, Joint Aviation Group, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), along Route 1 in Western Kandahar province during joint Operation Aero Hunter Jan. 13. An AH-1W Cobra and a UH-1Y Huey with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, 3rd MAW (Fwd), provided overwatch for the duration of the operation, which consisted of two phases. The first part was a patrol to flush insurgents out of a village; the second part was a series of snap vehicle check points along Route 1. The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, conducted the patrol and the Lima Company Marines conducted the VCPs.

Royal Air Force Merlins and 3/25 and 3rd MAW conduct joint operations.



Marines from L Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, and Marines from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), joined with Royal Air Force crews of 1419 Flight Squadron, Joint Aviation Group, 3MAW (FWD), during Operation Arrow Hunter Jan. 13 along Route 1 in Helmand province Afghanistan. HMLA-169 Marines provided overwatch for the 3/25 Marines and the EH101 Merlin crew of 1419 Flight Squadron with a UH-1Y Huey and an AH-1W Cobra. The 3/25 Marines set up snap vehicle checkpoints along Route 1 in three separate areas at three times to show that, with the use of helicopters, they can set up a snap VCP anywhere, anytime. Produced by Marine Sgt. Deanne Hurla. Video provided by 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd) Public Affairs.