Sunday, November 13, 2011

Let's talk stacks....




I said lets talk stacks, but I should say lets talk about the US military's form of room clearing.

Is it dynamic?

Not as taught.

So what is it properly called.

Deliberate room clearing.

Its slow.  Methodical.  Civilian casualty averse.

But its not dynamic.  Its not designed to prevent US casualties.  It designed to dot the i's and cross the t's for the lawyers.  But I look forward to hearing what others have to say on this subject.  My contention is that stacks against a properly equipped and motivated enemy will get our people killed.  It is a hold over from the bad old days of the 70's when everyone was practicing to rescue hostages.  It originated in civilian law enforcement and that's where it should stay.  I don't have the answer to a better way but (yes I'm repeating myself) it will get our people killed if we keep doing it the way we are.

But that's my opinion.  What's yours.

UPDATE.  Historical Comparison.

My blog so its my world.  Let's compare the situations in two different battlefields.  Hue City and Fallujah.

Both battles highlighted extensive house to house fighting.  Brutal combat at close ranges.  Both had (at least for a while in the case of Hue City) extreme prohibitions on the amount of firepower that could be applied to enemy fortifications.  Long story short, two different battles, somewhat similar tactics used by enemy forces yet the casualty figures (according to Wikipedia...yeah I know) are still somewhat similar (no disrespect to those that were injured or to the families of those who lost there lives...just looking at tactics, I request your patience with me on this).

How similar were the battles...both featured enemy snipers, machine gun positions, suicide bombers, enemy combatants surrendering and then attacking, and even enemy combatants playing dead and then attacking.

Yet the vaunted stack did not lessen our casualty count and I contend raised it.


US Navy/Marines set to buy British GR9's!

via Defense News.
WASHINGTON and LONDON - Britain has agreed to sell all of its 74 decommissioned Harrier jump jets, along with engines and spare parts, to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps - a move expected to help the Marines operate Harriers into the mid-2020s and provide extra planes to replace aging two-seat F-18D Hornet strike fighters....


"I don't think it will be costly to rip out the Brit systems" and replace them with Marine gear, said Lon Nordeen, author of several books on the Harrier.
Nordeen noted that the British GR 9 and 9As are similar in configuration to the Marines' AV-8B night attack version, which make up about a third of U.S. Harriers. The British planes also are night planes dedicated to air-ground attack, he said, and while both types carry Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensors, neither is fitted with a multimode radar such as the APG-65 carried by U.S. AV-8B+ models.
The absence of the big radar, Nordeen said, makes the GR 9A and AV-8Bs "a better-performing plane. Weighing less, it's more of a hot rod."
This is beyond good news but is it signalling something?

What I mean is this...these airplanes are going to replace F/A-18D's.  Those planes are part of the rotation to the carriers...does this mean that advance planning is going on to lower the number of big deck aircraft carriers?  Just a thought.   Correction.  F/A-18D's don't deploy on carriers (thanks for the correction LouG).  So what's the deal?  LouG points out that Fast FAC is about to take a serious hit because these are the planes that perform that role.  My next thought is that with the exception of the F/A-18A/C, the USMC will be an almost all STOVL force.  What's going to take the place of the F/A-18D in the Fast FAC role?  I have no idea but its going to be mean a serious change in the Ground Combat Elements tactics.  In the assault the Marine Corps usually keeps its artillery on the march relying on its jets to provide the airborne artillery...if you remember the Marine General in charge of the assault into Kuwait implored his pilots to go after Iraqi artillery...he said the grunts could handle the tanks...he just wanted them to take out the artillery...will the Harrier be able to perform Fast FAC????

Sidenote:

You just have to know the Brits are beyond pissed at this news...we're getting their jets for fire sale prices...Thanks Think Defence and the British people!

UPDATE:

LouG brought an observation on the purchase of these aircraft to take the place of the F/A-18D's and I misunderstood his statement.  Consider this a public apology.  In the seat experience...been there done that experience...operational experience is always appreciated.

Pic of the day. Nov 13, 2011.

Fort Worth, Texas, native Lance Cpl. Trey Woodward, a machine-gunner with 3rd Platoon, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, patrols next to a small canal. Woodward has enjoyed a sense of camaraderie shared with Marines form his platoon that one can only attain though combat. "Being (an infantryman) has its ups and downs," said Woodward. "(The best part is) you get to spend time with your brothers."

Chris Costa talks about his custom S&W...



Seems like this trend toward electronic sights on pistols is really starting to take off.  Might be time to take a good look at it. 

I wonder if this is another civilian started move that the military will adopt?

Saturday, November 12, 2011

US Marines and Australian Navy's LHD.



Thinking more and more about the USMC's move to northern Australia and the training opportunities that provides.

One thing everyone seems to be overlooking is the opportunity to network with not only the Australian Army but also its Navy.  Imagine the shock in China if they ever see a USMC MEU partially embarked aboard an Australian Navy LHD?

What's going on with the BAE/Iveco Defense SuperAV 8x8???



Ok.

I need your help.

I'm ready to declare the BAE/Iveco SuperAV 8x8 vapor ware.

I see plenty of nice mock ups....I see it at exhibits and shows....but I haven't seen it anywhere.

Have you?  I heard a rumor that it was at Pendleton doing tests but haven't been able to run it down.  Sent a letter to BAE but they ignore/don't respond.  I even asked Sean over at Aviation Week to hook me up with one of his European reporters to see if he heard anything.  Nothing.  No news.  No sightings...nothing.

Is this vehicle still in play or has Iveco packed its bags and stepped away from the competition?

1st Serial HAD French Tigre Attack Helicopter



Beware of Imposters.

Beware of imposters!

Imposters.

Never thought that it would happen on military focused blogs.  But this F-35 discussion seems to bring out the troll in the worst of people.

Fellow Blogger SMSgt Mac faced an imposter over at Defense Tech.  SMSgt Mac has been pretty much neutral on the issue of the F-35.  What he has done that's brought this attention is the fact that he's been able to reliably and effectively call bullshit when false statements are made.

You can't switch between different accounting systems with this guy and get his eyes rolling with madness at the minutiae of it all.  He's able to easily keep up and refute the bastards at every turn.

So consider this an official apology to SMSgt Mac at Elements of Power.  I should have known better.