Blast from the past. Ultimate naval strike fighter...the Bucaneer.

The ultimate naval strike fighter.

The Blackburn Buccaneer.

Back when the Brits were as hard as woodpecker lips they came up with a strike fighter that was a world beater.  A strike fighter that could outrun almost every contemporary fighter that dove down to engage it and at exercises at Red Flag proved that it could kill the attackers too.

Not only was it an extraordinary striker but it was also very innovative.

*internal weapons carriage
*area ruled fuselage (the classic coke bottle shape)
*boundary layer control
*multi-mission design, it performed strike, recon and an early version of fast FAC by designating targets for other aircraft

Read about it on the Buccaneer page here, and on its Wiki page here.

More pics from the tri-national amphibious assault at Cobra Gold.

All photos by Cpl Justin Wheeler.

Nuclear weapons reductions? Not if you're China.

Click on the above pic to enlarge it.

Anthony! sent me this article from the Washington Post (thanks guy!) and it pretty much confirms what everyone is thinking but its not PC to say.

I mean seriously.  China has been rapidly upgrading its land, air and sea forces...has upped its ambitions in space and we're suppose to seriously believe that they haven't done likewise with their nuclear program?

Say it out loud and think about how stupid you sound.

But really this article is an eye opener.  Read it all but check this part out.

The result of their effort? The largest body of public knowledge about thousands of miles of tunnels dug by the Second Artillery Corps, a secretive branch of the Chinese military in charge of protecting and deploying its ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads.
The study is yet to be released, but already it has sparked a congressional hearing and been circulated among top officials in the Pentagon, including the Air Force vice chief of staff.
Most of the attention has focused on the 363-page study’s provocative conclusion — that China’s nuclear arsenal could be many times larger than the well-established estimates of arms-control experts.
“It’s not quite a bombshell, but those thoughts and estimates are being checked against what people think they know based on classified information,” said a Defense Department strategist who would discuss the study only on the condition of anonymity.

Its coming slowly.  But it is coming.

The realization that China is a clear and present danger.

McRaven's power play. SOFRep's view.

SOFRep weighs in on McRaven's push to become a super combatant commander.  In essence he wants to be able to deploy his forces globally from Tampa without having to have them requested by the regional combatant commander, the State Dept or both.

In my opinion its a recipe for disaster. 

But that's my perspective, this is SOFRep's...

Meanwhile, radicals roam the globe with a closed play book, and no rules. To be effective against this kind of threat, you need to build some more agility into SOCOM. I’ll acknowledge that US SOCOM will always have a handicap when it comes to being forced to play by the rules, and having checks and balances in place are good things.
We need to work smarter, not harder, and nobody knows this saying better than my former teammate, McRaven.
“The military’s regional combatant commanders have feared a decrease of their authority”-NY Times
Modern warfare has changed, and it’s a Special Operations Centric DoD these days. Some in DoD may not be happy with that, but either we get with the times or the times will get with us.
I’m skeptical of the New York Times quote above; It amazes me how a respectable publication like The NY times (I like most of what they do) does a great job of representing speculation as fact in their morning write up on McRaven. The quote above cites no source.  So I ask the authors this question:  Which regional commanders are you talking about? Because I’d like to know, and where I come from, when you represent speculation as fact, it’s called bullshitting.
We are dealing with a distributed enemy that has no problem killing innocent people to drive their radical agenda.  There are some big sponsor states in the mix and they are a huge source of funding, and often provide safe haven for Radical Ideologists. Pakistan or Iran anyone? At least Iran only talks out of one side of the mouth.
To deal with an Asymmetric threat requires agility to remain effective. So we think McRaven and SOCOM should get what they’re asking for.  I just hope we can build a few schools along the way.

Wow.

Its a Special Operations Centric DoD?

Some may not be happy with that but either we get with the times or the times will get with us?

Wow.

SOCOM is turning into a beast that needs to get reeled back in.

McRaven's idea should be taken down to the river and held underwater till it stops kicking.

Cobra Gold live-fire amphibious assault exercise

Amphibious assault vehicles from the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga and the Royal Thai Navy medium landing ship HTMS Surin participate in a live amphibious assault. Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is underway participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational exercise designed to advance security throughout the Asia-Pacific region and enhance interoperability with participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by: Lt. Cmdr Mark C. Jones)

A CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter flies past the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga and the Royal Thai Navy medium landing ship HTMS Surin during a live amphibious assault exercise. Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is underway participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational exercise designed to advance security throughout the Asia-Pacific region and enhance interoperability with participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by: Lt. Cmdr Mark C. Jones)

Amphibious assault vehicles from the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga land on the beach as CH-26 Sea Knight helicopters provide close air support during a live-fire amphibious assault exercise. Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is underway participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational exercise designed to advance security throughout the Asia-Pacific region and enhance interoperability with participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by: Lt. Cmdr. Mark C. Jones)

Amphibious assault vehicles from the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga land on the beach as aviation ordinance is dropped from an F/A-18D Hornet during a live-fire amphibious assault exercise. Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is underway participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational exercise designed to advance security throughout the Asia-Pacific region and enhance interoperability with participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by: Lt. Cmdr. Mark C. Jones)

Cobra Gold continues...

BAN CHAN KREM, Kingdom of Thailand -- Marines with Amphibious Assault Vehicle Company train with Royal Thai Marines at the AAV gunnery range at the Ban Chan Krem training area here Feb. 13. AAV Company, Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, trained side-by-side with Royal Thai and Republic of Korea Marines during Exercise Cobra Gold 2012. Cobra Gold is a recurring multinational and multiservice exercise hosted by the Royal Kingdom of Thailand designed to advance regional security by exercising a multinational force from nations sharing common goals and security commitments in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brandon L. Saunders/released)

BAN CHAN KREM, Kingdom of Thailand -- Royal Thai and Republic of Korea Marines demonstrate their weapons handling skills on the firing line at the Ban Chan Krem range here Feb. 13. During the training counterparts were coached on the fundamentals of combat marksmanship by U.S. Marines from Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. Cobra Gold is a recurring multinational and multiservice exercise co-hosted by the Royal Kingdom of Thailand and the U.S. designed to advance regional security by exercising a multinational force from nations sharing common goals and security commitments in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brandon L. Saunders/released)

A Royal Thai Marine engages targets after receiving professional military instruction on combat marksmanship here Feb. 13. During the training, the Royal Thai and Republic of Korea Marines were assisted by coaches from Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, during Exercise Cobra Gold 2012. Cobra Gold is a recurring multinational and multiservice exercise co-hosted by the Royal Kingdom of Thailand and the U.S. designed to advance regional security by exercising a multinational force from nations sharing common goals and security commitments in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brandon L. Saunders/released)

"The World's Premier Raid Force"

Rangers from 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, as part of a combined Afghan and coalition security force operating in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, await a CH-47 for extraction. Department of Defense photo by U.S. Army Pfc. Pedro Amador

Get your SRB's cleaned up.

Wow.

Another reduction in force.  Involuntary lay off. 

Whatever you call it this is bad news for many.  No matter how you slice it there will be some bitter people.  There will be people that have served multiple tours outside the wire.  Served in outposts and not at a big base having party nights or chasing ass.

Check this out from Bloomberg.  Read the whole thing but the Marine Corps specific part is below.

The cuts in uniformed personnel are in keeping with proposed steps such as eliminating eight Army brigades, five Marine infantry battalions and four of the Corps’s tactical air squadrons. The Air Force would lose 303 aircraft and six fighter squadrons, while the Navy jettisons seven cruisers and 2 dock landing ships.
“In preparing this budget, we endeavored to avoid the mistakes of previous drawdowns that attempted to maintain more force structure than the budget could afford,” the department wrote in a Jan. 26 summary of its five-year priorities.

and then this...

Today’s budget proposal fleshes out the cuts for each of the military branches.
Army forces would be reduced by less than 1 percent to 1,115,300 in 2013 and then drop to 1,048,200 in 2017. That’s still far greater troop strength than in February 2002, a year before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, when the Army numbered about 480,000 on active duty.
The Navy would have 1.7 percent fewer personnel, or 385,200 in 2013, and faces a reduction of 3.9 percent to a total of 376,600 people in 2017.

The Marines would be down to 236,900 in 2013, or 2 percent fewer than this year. By the end of 2017, the Marines face a reduction of 8.3 percent from this year to 221,700.

The Air Force will have 501,000 personnel in 2013, or 1.9 percent fewer than this year. In 2017, Air Force personnel will decline to 499,300.  (NOTE*  I don't know who came up with Marine Corps end strength for this article but they jacked up beyond recognition...this reporter needs a fact check)

More than a few people have stated that they've worked this out this time and that between those that leave voluntarily and those that are substandard, there will be no disruption or hurt feelings.

I hope they're right.

Too funny.

Grilled Cobra? Yum yum!

I prefer mine with fried bananas but to each his own.

SOCOM makes a power grab.

McRaven wants to not only be head of SOCOM but also seeks to be a "SUPER" combatant commander.  I can't imagine this going over well in the Pentagon but hey...Obama likes SEALs, and he's (McRaven)  striking (making his power play) at the height of SEAL popularity (with Act of Valor coming out and the string of high publicity missions).
From Military.com.

The top U.S. special operations officer, who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, is seeking new authority to move his forces faster and outside of normal Pentagon deployment channels, The New York Times reported Monday.
The newspaper said Adm. William McRaven, who leads the Special Operations Command, is pushing for a larger role for his elite units who have traditionally operated in the dark corners of U.S. foreign policy.
The plan would give him more autonomy to position his forces and their war-fighting equipment where intelligence and global events indicate they are most needed, the report said.
It would also allow the special operations forces to expand their presence in regions where they have not operated in large numbers for the past decade, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America, the paper noted.
The Times said that similar plans in the past had foundered because of opposition from regional commanders and the State Department.
The military's regional combatant commanders have feared a decrease of their authority, and some ambassadors in crisis zones have voiced concerns that commandos may carry out missions that are perceived to tread on a host country's sovereignty, the paper said.

Bold Alligator is a wrap.

Bold Alligator is finished.

What will be interesting is to read the lessons learned.  Areas for improvement, additional training, etc...When I get my hands on the official de-brief so will you.