Saturday, January 21, 2012

Lava Viper 2012.

U.S. Marines with Gulf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, ride in CH-53 cargo helicopters while conducting immediate-action drills during Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 20, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.
U.S. Marines with Gulf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, ride in CH-53 cargo helicopters while conducting immediate-action drills during Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 20, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.
U.S. Marines with Gulf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, conduct immediate-action drills during Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 20, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.
U.S. Marines with Gulf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, conduct immediate-action drills during Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 20, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.
U.S. Marines with Gulf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, conduct immediate-action drills during Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 20, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.
U.S. Marine Sgt. Noland Lynch, section leader, combat assault company, stands atop an amphibious assault vehicle during Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 19, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.
U.S. Marine Pfc. Maxwell Dossett, machine gunner, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, maintains security during immediate-action drills at Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 19, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.
U.S. Marines with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, conduct immediate-action drills during Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 19, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Marco Othon, with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, maintains security during an immediate-action drill at Lava Viper in Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 19, 2012. Lava Viper is a battalion-level combined-arms training exercise to better prepare Marines for upcoming deployments.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Marine Aviation = 1...Critics = 0....

via CBS News via the AP

FORT WORTH (AP) — A U.S. defense official says Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is giving fresh backing to the Marine Corps’ version of the next-generation fighter jet, the F-35.
The F-35, which is developing Navy and Air Force variants, is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program. It has faced delays and other problems that raised doubts about its future.
During a visit Friday to a naval air station in Maryland, Panetta will announce that the Marines’ version of the Fort Worth-built joint strike fighter is no longer on what Panetta’s predecessor, Robert Gates, called “probation.” That’s according to a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the announcement.
Gates announced one year ago that if the Marines’ version of the plane had not overcome its problems within two years he would attempt to cancel it.
This is more about the partner nations than it is about the Marine Corps.  Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan and others have been nervous about the airplane being canceled.  This news should chill them out.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

CH-53 down in Afghanistan.

Just heard on a radio that a CH-53 went down in Afghanistan in Helmand province.  Its unknown (more precisely they aren't saying what caused the crash) what caused the incident, but all 6 people on board were killed.  This from ABC News via AP...

A NATO helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing six members of the international military force, the U.S.-led coalition said.
The coalition said in a release early Friday morning that there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash in southern Afghanistan.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated. The coalition did not disclose the nationalities of those killed.
The helicopter crash occurred on the same day seven civilians were killed outside a crowded gate at Kandahar Air Field, a sprawling base for U.S. and NATO operations, after a suicide attacker set off a vehicle laden with explosives. The Taliban claimed responsibility, claiming they were targeting a NATO convoy.
It was the second suicide bombing in as many days in southern Afghanistan, officials said. The coalition said no NATO troops were killed. It does not disclose information about injured troops.

Rest in peace to the fallen and comfort to their families.

VMFAT-501 gets another bird...

BF-7 departs Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base at 2:07 p.m. CST on its 90 minute ferry flight to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. With the delivery of BF-7, a F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet, Eglin is now the home of the largest F-35 fleet in the Department of Defense. (Lockheed Martin photo by Randy Crites)

F-35A Performs First Night Flight


JOAC released. AF set to be priority service.

The JOAC has been released and although there isn't much news in it, it does reveal a surprising couple of facts...
The document focuses on striking deep and not rolling back enemy forces.  It also emphasizes leveraging our superiority in certain areas to counter act enemy attempts to use irregular warfare to disrupt our efforts.

Long story short this is a strategy that is tailor made to Air Force thinking circa Desert Storm 1.

Any thoughts that the Navy would become the lead service in this enterprise is just wishful thinking.  The Navy is mentioned but its operated on the margins.  Talk about small boats armed with IEDs, and being able to conduct anti-mine warfare are some of the items that stuck out in this document.

The Army got one blurb in....using the land forces to support this concept.

Big winner is the AF for obvious reasons.  The Navy got steam rolled and the Army/Marine Corps are set to be sidelined (if this goes forward as outlined in this paper).  Air Force one, the rest of the service 0.

JOAC Jan 2012 Signed

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Israel conducts first Airborne exercise in 15 years....

I call this gearing up.  Reconstituting airborne capability after so many years?  And then conducting it at a battalion level (at least)?  They're gearing up for Iran and they want the whole world to know it.  The attack on that country's nuclear reactors might include more than destruction...maybe a snatch and grab too....

The caption for the following pictures is as follows:
January 17, 2012
As part of their first operational parachuting drill in the last 15 years, the entire Paratroopers Brigade soared through the air. The drill was conducted under the supervision of the Brigade's commander, Col. Amir Bar'am, and in the presence of Maj. Gen. Gershon Hacohen.
In the drill, thousands of the Brigade's soldiers have pushed their limits, examining their preparedness for whatever future operation that might arise, all in the effort to continue to assure Israel's security.

11th MEU raiders fast-rope

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Scott Dunn 
Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Scott Dunn
Photo by Cpl. Chad Pulliam
Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Scott Dunn

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Scott Dunn
Photo by Cpl. Chad Pulliam

Photo by Cpl. Chad Pulliam

Photo by Cpl. Chad Pulliam
The Captions for the above photos is as follows:
Marines serving with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit's maritime raid force descends from a CH-46E Sea Knight hovering 35 feet above USS Makin Island here. The helicopter is flown by pilots serving with the unit's aviation combat element, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced). The unit is currently deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, which is a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is also providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

NH90 NFH

Latest photos from Eurocopter...


This guy is getting on my nerves...

Seriously getting on my nerves.

Dan Lamothe, Marine Times Reporter and blogger at Battle Rattle has a story up about an injured Marine.  Go over to his spot to check it out but this is what irritates...
Marine Corps Times has taken some heat for reporting that there are questions over whether Carpenter covered the grenade to protect his buddy, Lance Cpl. Nick Eufrazio. Actions along those lines have yielded prestigious valor awards in the past, obviously.
Those questions exist, though, at least in the minds of some in the Corps. Additional Marine sources have reaffirmed that since the story was published yesterday. Both lance corporals are heroes nevertheless, but Marine officials acknowledge they are uncertain what happened and still investigating.
Geez.

Talk about inside baseball.

Spell it out for Christ's sake.  Its annoying and demeaning.  Annoying because he treats his readers as if they're not worthy of knowing what the real issues are and demeaning because he acts as if this is info only he and the 'circle' can know about.