Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Pic of the day. 24 Nov 2011.

SAN DIEGO — A Marine assigned to the Marine Corps Training Division at Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific jumps from a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter, assigned to the “Knightriders” of Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron (HMMT) 164 during a training exercise. The exercise was the conclusion of the Infantry Company Small Boat Raid Course. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Tim Godbee)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Australia's Amphibious Re-birth.

The Australian Navy is going through a bit of an Amphibious renaissance.  You take a force that once operated elderly and decrepit Newport Class LST's to a capability that begins to rival that of the strongest navies in the region is nothing less than impressive.

Taking it by the numbers (at least as I understand them and AD has passed along to me...)...

1.  The decision to acquire the Canberra Class LHD.  While I would have personally preferred that the Aussies acquire a Makin Class LHD to maintain compatibility with the USMC, the Canberra Class appears to be quite formidable.

In the European fashion its built to mercantile standards rather than the combat standards that US amphibs are built to but it should be a quite servicable design.

2.  Next up would have to be the landing craft that the Aussie's are acquiring.  The LCM-1E is not your fathers landing craft.  Although it bears the classic lines, it can blaze through the water at 22 knots.  More than good enough to maintain a supply chain to the beach and yet has the capability to carry an M1 Tank.  The Australian's will be getting 12 of these.

3.  And then last but not least.  The British fire sale of the Bay Class LPD.  Barely used.  New car sent still in the ships.  And the Aussie's got them for a song.  As much as I can't understand the sale at least they sold them to good allies.  The Brits loss is the Aussie's and the Pacific's gain.  And the US' gain by extension too.

4.  We haven't even talked helo's, both cargo and attack...we haven't talked about the formation of a dedicated section to provide the Naval Infantry....we haven't even talked about the Australian Navy following the lead of other navies and having an amphib as the capital ship of the fleet!

Smart moves, great planning and a nice force in the making.  The Aussies could in a short time have an extremely robust force projection/response force second to no other nation of its size and population.

First International F-35 Rolls Out of the Factory




British fantasy vs. British reality.


The British military.

First from Think Defense on how some wish it to be...

Thank you everyone who commented, requested clarification and helped, I’m resubmitting with explanations, detail and the pound of flesh Jed demanded J
So here goes
I’d start, with the “war fleet”, of which we would have two, each one “active” for 6 months of the year, or 8 months, or 4 months, or whatever else makes everyone happy.
Active would be “ready to at short notice go and beat some unfortunate foreigners to a bloody pulp”.
Inactive would be everything else, overhaul, training, diplomacy, exercises ect.
First Fleet Purchase Cost Operating Cost
Carrier QE Class
3,700,000,000
400,000,000
24 Fast Air Rafale
1,680,000,000
288,000,000
6 Infantry landing ships Juan Carlos
2,940,000,000
600,000,000
24 Heavy Lift Chinook
720,000,000
192,000,000
6 Armour Landing Ship Bay Class
1,368,000,000
600,000,000
6 AAW Destroyers T 45 Daring Class
3,900,000,000
420,000,000
6 Light Helicopter Lynx
180,000,000
24,000,000
6 ASW Frigates T46
4,500,000,000
420,000,000
6 ASW Helicopter Merlin
180,000,000
48,000,000
3 Guided Missile Cruiser T47
3,000,000,000
210,000,000
5 SSGN / Deterrent Astute+
15,000,000,000
900,000,000

The Carrier and fast air is I hope fairly self explanatory, shoot down enemy aircraft, possibly bomb enemy targets, provide close air support and reconnaissance.
It’s the QE class, because that’s what we have, and the Rafale, because I believe thatFranceandGermanyare about to have a massive falling out, and we’ll buy it hoping to influence French opinion in our favour.
I assume some sort of ISTAR platform will also arrive, hopefully not that silly Sea King, but have no real idea whether we will end up with the Hawkeye, something funky based on the V22 or something else entirely.
This will also function as the flag ship, to what extent that means anything anymore
The Amphibs, the reasoning behind numbers simply being so that the entire force could be landed in a single group.  Well, obviously not quite, a single group, each ships group of four Chinook would need to make 5 trips to offload the ship “battalion” and even with 4 LCUs it would take 13 trips to deposit the 50 warriors of an armoured infantry battalion.  But we’re talking 11 hours rather than the 11 days Sutton took, or so I hope.  To my none military mind, that sounds like a smashing capability.  I’m wedded to neither Bay nor Carlos, feel free to suggest better ships, or just assume they are better.  I’d much prefer something with a much greater cargo handling capacity, but am open to a third heavy landing ship specifically to vomit ISO boxes onto a beach.
Why Chinook?  Again, its that realism (lol) bit, I’d prefer a bigger lift, I’m sure that there is something bigger than the CH53-k planned in the long term, but we have Chinooks.
Read the rest and especially the comments.  Its quite entertaining.

Now the British military as it really is from CDR. Salamander...
In any event - the Brits are walking a rather thin line methinks ....
Royal Navy officers said HMS Westminster was “dangerously under-defended” when it was called on to patrol close to the Libyan port city of Benghazi in March.
The warship can carry 32 Seawolf and eight Harpoon missiles but it is understood that military cutbacks left the Westminster and its crew of 190 with only a fraction of that capability.
As Seawolf missiles — which are used to intercept incoming missiles — are fired in pairs, sources said the Westminster had just two rounds to defend against missile attacks from Col Muammar Gaddafi’s forces.
A hollow Navy defined. Nice E-Ticket part of the 1,000-ship Navy we have there.
The 1,000 ship Navy that CDR. Salamander is talking about is the plan that the Western Navy's of the world could combine (in times of intense crisis) to form a 1,000 ship fleet.

Reality is far different from the wishful thinking that is posted on TD's website.  From my view of things the Royal Navy will be lucky to equal our Coast Guard in size and firepower in a couple of years.

UPDATE & CLARIFICATION:

I need to make a couple of things clear.

1.  Think Defense has guest writers on his blog and the views expressed in that article are from one of them.
2.  The US is clearly on the same trajectory as Europe and the failed bipartisan committee illustrates the trouble that we are in.

CBO's analysis of Amphibious Warfare Ships...

11-18-AmphibiousShips


Major hat tip to Defense Talk.  Long story short.  Combatant Commanders want Marines and amphibs at a higher rate than the US Navy can provide.

Its a short read and well worth it.

Of particular interest is the "Demand for Amphibious Warfare Ships...." and "The Operating Cycle of Amphibious Warfare Ships".

We need more ships!

Monday, November 21, 2011

F-35 Commitment...

During a press conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on 18 November 2011, US Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta (right) and Canadian Defence Minister Peter G. MacKay both called the F-35 crucial to the defense of North America. "The United States is committed to the development of the F-35 and to a cooperative relationship with the F-35 with our Canadian friends," Panetta said. "The F-35 is going to be an essential fighter … in helping us with security challenges we face." MacKay said, "There is no fifth generation aircraft other than the F-35 available to Canada and the United States, so all the hypothetical discussions—and quite negative discussions, quite frankly—about this program are really just clatter and noise.”
Wow.

The leaders of both the US and Canadian Defense establishments just called the F-35 critics, journalist and those that are in their camps -- generators of 'clatter and noise'.

Luv it!

Tactical Air Power 1968 Vintage Air Force Film