Saturday, March 03, 2012

11th MEU Flight Ops and Battalion Landing Team Training.

The MEU is the tip of America's Spear...and the Battalion Landing Team is the tip of the MEU...
Marine pilots and sailors aboard USS Makin Island prepare an AH-1Z Super Cobra for takeoff here March 1. The pilots serve with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced), the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.  Photo by Lance Cpl. Claudia Palacios
Pilots flying an AH-1Z Super Cobra approach USS Makin Island here March 1. The pilots serve with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced), the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.  Photo by Lance Cpl. Claudia Palacios
Sailors and Marines position a pair of CH-46E Sea Knights aboard USS Makin Island here March 1. The helicopters were flown by pilots serving with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced), the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.  Photo by Lance Cpl. Claudia Palacios
Sgt. Jeffrey D. Lanuzo loads ammunition before a shoot aboard USS Makin Island here Feb. 26. Lanuzi serves with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit's ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 3/1. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.  Photo by Cpl. Gene A. Ainsworth III

Marines Serving with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit's ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 3/1 load ammunition before a shoot aboard USS Makin Island here Feb. 26. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.  Photo by Cpl. Gene A. Ainsworth III


F-35A AF-14 First Flight

Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew the ninth production model of the F-35 Lightning II, F-35A AF-14 (Air Force serial number 09-5001), on its inaugural flight on 2 March 2012 from NAS Fort Worth JRB.

I wonder how long it will be before there are more F-35's than F-22's?  Regardless critical mass has been achieved.  The Canadians have had there meeting with partner nations and haven't changed a thing.  Reductions in the buys of the F-35 have been relatively small and will not affect the program.  More importantly the USAF isn't backing off its buy and seems to be getting off the UAV bandwagon.  Amazing things happen when you start thinking outside of counter insurgency and start focusing on peer threats.

PS.

Does anyone know the total number of F-35's?  Test and production models...

Base newspaper has unusual take on AOV...Wahlberg to play in Lone Survivor movie...

16th MP Brigade Patch is used to represent Ft. Stewart...the base paper that published the unusual AOV movie review.


First up is the news that Wahlberg is going to play in the Lone Survivor Movie....
Mark Wahlberg is reportedly in talks to star in a new project with ‘Battleship’ director Peter Berg. ‘Lone Survivor’ will star Wahlberg as a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan who is the lone survivor of an ambush attack.

FirstShowing
reports that along with Wahlberg, Ben Foster and Taylor Kitsch will have starring roles in the new film as well. With the recent success of ‘Act of Valor,’ it’s clear that the American box office is still receptive to war-based flicks.
Director Peter Berg more than capable of managing the film as he camped with a Navy SEAL unit in Iraq for a month before penning the script, that is also based partly on the memoir by Marcus Luttrell.
Berg’s other project ‘Battleship,’ which stars Liam Neeson, Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker, is due for a May release of this year.
Its a shame that Act of Valor couldn't remain a recruiting movie, circulated for recruiting only.  It would have made its way to the public through unofficial means and would have been well received...especially after the Luttrell story came out.  Heroism on steroids.  Sacrifice beyond belief.  That movie is how the SEALs should want to be portrayed.  Instead we have the ego play that is AOV...which leads me to this....
 And why would people not flock to see this movie when our culture is nearing the tenth year of following a myriad of reality television shows? The movie raked in $25 million over opening weekend.
The Navy SEALs are elite athletes and their recent actions have been heroic, I give them that. Their official motto is:  "Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit." Other navy seal quotes are: "The only easy day was yesterday!" and, "Don't  bother running, you will only die tired."
However, the SEALs certainly are not "Quiet Professionals." The arrogance that surrounds them has also bitten them in the recent rescue attempt that killed British aid worker Linda Norgrove. Something they were not so eager to fess up to, or make a movie about.
Act of Valor is action packed, violent and glory-seeking. In my opinion, it hits too close to home for many who have lost loved ones in our community, or the many wounded warriors who have sustained life-changing injuries over the past nine years during the war.
The glimpse into the SEALs' secretive world does not leave much to the imagination and what they do is really no secret anymore.
At least on the movie's web page, www.actofvalor.com, it promotes the Navy SEAL foundation though donations on the site that directly supports the community and their families.
The blow back continues.  The wrong guy is in charge of SOCOM.  The over reach that is that command will bite them in the ass and I can't wait for it to happen.

Canadian demonstration CF-18 and a Modest Proposal...



Absolutely beautiful.

The Canadians outdid themselves with this.  As a matter of fact our European allies generally do a better job at this than we do. 

And that is a shame.

We have demonstration teams for our Harriers I know for a fact and why don't we follow the lead of others (not in all things mind you but in this case, its a damn good idea).

Lets dump the haze gray and get that bird outfitted in some striking colors with US Marine Corps emblazoned proudly on the side?  Selling the Marine Corps is something that we've got to get started on again.

Despite what some in HQMC believe, I think that the funding war is nothing more than a fight for the life of our Corps. 

And don't you believe that many aren't after our missions.

The US Army is DESIGNING medium weight Brigades that are supposedly air transportable that fight across the spectrum of warfare.

SOCOM (to include our own Recon/Force Recon and MARSOC) are aiming to be the small wars specialist.  Something that we took pride in doing for over 100 years...

The USAF is touting its ability to respond to disasters using its C-17 and C-130's...even going so far as establishing task forces to get the job done.

We're fighting for the life of our Corps.  Painting an airplane to start selling the Corps is a simple step to start the process...and well done Canucks!

Friday, March 02, 2012

SOCOM Is Gobbling Up Marine Air Assets.

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter provides close air support at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Feb. 29, 2012, during exercise Emerald Warrior 2012. Emerald Warrior is an annual two-week joint/combined tactical exercise sponsored by U.S. Special Operations Command designed to leverage lessons learned from operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew J. Bruch/Released  

A US Marine Corps CH-46 is participating at Emerald Warrior 2012.

Now why would that be?

It because we don't have strong leadership in the Marine Corps anymore.  We have a cabal of "individuals" that lust after being called Special Ops.

But does it make sense?

NO IT DOESN'T!

SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND HAS 66,000 MEMBERS!


That's equal to 3 US Army Divisions.


It has air assets from the ....


23rd Air Force  which is composed of a number of USAF wings all tasked with supporting SOCOM.


HSC-84 and HSC-85 US Navy Helicopter Squadrons tasked to provide support to SOCOM.


160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment tasked with providing support to SOCOM.

Answer this for me.

SOCOM is due to grow to over 80,000 personnel in the next 5 years.  With a force that large are we talking about Special Ops or are we talking about another service that continues to leverage resources from the other services despite an ever expanding budget, kept in the black with little accountability.

SOCOM is a rabid dog that has lost its way and needs to be restrained.

This is nonsense.

Let me repeat myself, in less than 5 years SOCOM will number OVER 80,000 people.  That's larger than the entire British Army.

That's almost the size of the British Army and Royal Marines---combined.

That's half the size of the US Marine Corps.

And we have some brain dead desk jockey sending assets to participate in a Special Ops Exercise?

Sad.  Pathetic.  Depressing.


Free-falling for Freedom

Quietly the USMC got its full allotment of LPD-17 class ships.

via UTSanDiego.
Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems division in San Diego has been awarded $55 million to help provide advanced electronics for LPD 27, a planned San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock warship. The 684-foot vessels are designed to carry and land Marines, as well as amphibious assault vehicles. They are among the toughest troop carriers ever built.
The Defense Department says Raytheon will work on the ship's control, navigation and communications systems, and search sensors. Much of the work involves integrating the complex systems carried aboard such vessels.
Two of these ships -- the New Orleans and Green Bay -- are home-ported in San Diego. And the newly built San Diego is scheduled to operate out of San Diego Bay.
Long lead items are already being awarded for the LPD-27.  On the down low the USMC got its full allotment of these ships.

Interesting.

With the capability that we've seen for these ships to operate MANY more helicopters than the ships that they're replacing (they're almost a mini-LHD) I'm finally understanding why there wasn't a bigger roar from HQMC when it came to the Navy reducing the number of amphibs.

If these ships can be made to operate reliably then the Secretary of the Navy's view that a smaller Navy doesn't mean a less capable one will be borne out....at least in the Gator Navy that is.

Chart via Wikipedia.

Ships of the class

 Name   Number 
 Launched 
 Home port   Status 
San Antonio LPD-17
12 July 2003
Norfolk, Virginia Active
New Orleans LPD-18
11 December 2004
San Diego, California Active
Mesa Verde LPD-19
19 November 2004
Norfolk, Virginia Active
Green Bay LPD-20
11 August 2006
San Diego, California Active
New York LPD-21
19 December 2007
Norfolk, Virginia Active
San Diego LPD-22
7 May 2010

Under construction
Anchorage LPD-23
12 February 2011

Under construction
Arlington LPD-24
23 November 2010

Under construction
Somerset LPD-25



Under construction
John P. Murtha LPD-26



Under construction[7]

LPD-27



Materials being purchased[8]

The best snipers in the world...US Marine Scout Snipers

A Marine Scout Sniper conceals himself as he sites in on his target aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., during the Scout Sniper Training Course. Sniper students must successfully complete three phases of training: marksmanship and basic field craft; unknown distance and stalking; and advanced field skills and mission employment before obtaining the 0317 military occupational specialty.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Lance Cpl. Cody A. Fodale

HMLA-167 trains with reconnaissance Marines

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, Force Reconnaissance Company, 3rd Platoon Marines prepare to SPIE rig from the HMLA-167 UH-1Y Huey helicopter, Feb. 14.
, Lance Cpl. Manuel A. Estrada, 2/14/2012 11:23
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, Force Reconnaissance Company, 3rd Platoon Marines, fast rope out of a Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 UH-1Y Huey helicopter, Feb. 14.
, Lance Cpl. Manuel A. Estrada, 2/14/2012 9:59
ARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 Marines observe 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, Force Reconnaissance Company, 3rd Platoon Marines, fast rope out of a UH-1Y Huey helicopter, Feb. 14.
, Lance Cpl. Manuel A. Estrada, 2/14/2012 9:34

F-35B External Stores Flight Test

I can't wait for this to come out.

Turkish Defense Products Guide.

Product Guide 2009

The Turks have put together a very interesting military program.  Not only are they assembling what will soon be the most powerful military in Europe, but they're also putting together a very robust defense industry.

I would list the following countries as bearing watching when it comes to defense matters in Europe...

1.  Romania.  They're not hardly rich but they are extremely innovative and have made some unique defense ties.  They were the first to start training with the Israeli's, have a strong relationship with US forces and are taking steps despite the current financial difficulties to upgrade their military.

2.  Poland.  Again, they also are developing a strong defense industry having recently partnered with Sikorsky and are upping defense spending while others are decreasing outlays.

3.  Georgia.  With a clear and present threat from Russia, this small country is developing a very strong force for its size, established strong relationships with the USMC and has a large cadre of combat experienced troops.

4.  Turkey.  Combat experience due to ongoing warfare with the Kurds, a quickly developing industrial defense sector and the buys of advanced systems from Europe and the US.