French Air Commando lost in Mali anti-terror raid...

via Armée de l'air...

Chief Sergeant Thomas Dupuy was engaged in Mali since August 2, 2014. The NCO was holder of the cross of the military Valor with Silver Star and bronze star, the overseas medal clip Sahel and Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, the silver of national defence Medal and the Medal of the wounded.
The Aviator lived in concubinage, without children.
32 years old, he died in the accomplishment of its mission in the service of the France.
The air force share the pain of his family and his brothers in arms. (Translated by Bing)

A couple of things here.

My sympathy goes out to his family.  Next.  I don't know what an Air Commando is.  Are they similar to USAF Special Ops or are they somewhat like a type of "Ranger" unit?  I have no idea.

But the point of this post is that the low grade war in Mali appears to be raging on.

Now we have the US in Liberia.  The Brits are in Senegal and Kenya.  The French are in Mali.  I don't know where the Dutch are but they're roaming the continent.

Africa is really lining up to be the next battle ground for the Western world.

F-35 News. The 2015 IOC & Dunford's first test of character...

Major Hat Tip to ELP Blog for the link.

The F-35B’s “combat capability” at IOC may end up being flatly untrue, and its best realistic case might be as a mere paper tiger. Korean-War vintage F-9 Cougar jets would be “combat capable,” too, in the sense that they could take off, land, and fire weapons. That isn’t an adequate standard for entrusting them with the safety of an MEU in 2016.
Defense Industry Daily

This will be the first test of Dunford ... well one of the first tests for him as Commandant.  I've been reviewing the presentation given to industry during the last Modern Day Marine (MDM) and it appears that he AMOS was rather sinister in his dealing with the budget.

In essence he's AMOS front loaded the F-35, CH-53, and MV-22...while delaying every vehicle program in the Corps.

The push for a 2015 IOC seems to be designed to benefit the F-35 program and not to meet the needs of the Marine Corps.

The question.  Will Dunford outright delay the F-35 until its finished flight testing or will he go forward and place aircraft into service that cannot provide the same support as the AV-8B?  At risk?  Marine lives.  This one move will be telling.  Either he is a man of morals and will "take care of his Marines" or he's a bought and paid for political hack in the mold of Amos.

I'll be watching this carefully. 

BAE's proposed vehicle mounted rail gun...we're on the verge of a revolution in warfare.

via DefenseTech.

BAE Systems officials said an electromagnetic rail gun firing a kinetic energy warhead could be a real option for the Army’s next generation Future Fighting Vehicle, which the service hopes to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
Following the cancellation of the Ground Combat Vehicle, Army officials said they want the defense industry to offer a wide range of technologies before the Army decides whether to pursue the Future Fighting Vehicle, or an additional Bradley upgrade.
BAE Systems presented a host of possible technologies at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference last week. Among those was a model of the electromagnetic rail gun the company is developing for the Navy.
The rail gun, which can hit ranges of 100 miles or more, uses electricity stored on the ship to generate a high-speed electromagnetic pulse sufficient to propel a kinetic energy warhead. The result is an inexpensive, high-impact and long-range offensive weapon, service officials said.

That little blurb on DT got little notice.

BAE has done nothing to shout the news to the roof tops.  But if they're right this could place us on the verge of a revolution in warfare that will rival the introduction of gunpowder, jet propulsion for airplanes and nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

This literally could change armored warfare forever.  Imagine.  Being able to put fire on targets from a tank gun that normally would require rocket artillery!  Think about the possibility of miniaturizing it so that IFV suddenly become tank killers with their standard guns.  Naval artillery could strike from offshore deep into a continent.  Combat on the high seas would see the aircraft carrier revert to a supporting role for modern day battleships.

I'm just spit balling these examples but you get the point.

One little blurb on DT has HUGE implications for the future...and most people missed it.

F-35 News. Investors warned about Lockheed future earnings.

Thanks to Joe for the link.

via Fool.com

The thing about technology is that it's always changing. What was cutting edge tech in 2001 could be obsolete by 2021. If that happens, and if the F-35 is ultimately not built in the quantities originally anticipated (as was the case with Lockheed Martin's similarly high-tech F-22 Raptor fighter jet, you'll recall), then Lockheed Martin stock could be worth less than investors are counting on.

A few things about this.

The DWL002 is being looked at and reported on as a stand alone system.  Its anything but!  Its part of the Chinese integrated Air Defense Network and that system has its origins in Russia.  Additionally, these systems are being sold world wide.

Last, it appears that the critics...and it must be pointed out, especially APA (Air Power Australia) were the first to see this inevitability.

The planning on the part of air power theorists was faulty.

If a capability is unique and rarely encountered then planning for it is spotty.  Once you attempt to make that "unique" capability mainstream then EVERYONE will be working on counters.

But a warning about the future worth of Lockheed Martin stock because of a newly "discovered" weapon designed to counter a plane they're developing and trying to get into service?  That is brand new.

Public Service Message...

I was watching Morning Joe and I get the sense that they're already girding themselves to the fact that the Democrats are going to lose control of the Senate.

The public service message is to vote...vote early if you can.

The reality is that we're living George Orwell's Animal Farm.  Never did I believe that a book that my 8th grade English Teacher forced on us would ever come back to deliver the message that I failed to fully comprehend all those years ago.

The Democrats.  The Republicans.  The more you look at them the more you can't tell them apart.

Latest CGI of the ATD-X ShinShin (F-3) via Bantay Spratly

I just hit upon something.

If the F-35, J-31 and the F-3 all make it into service,  pilots are going to have a real hard time with visual recognition!

Is it just me or do they all look remarkably similar...especially the J-31 and the F-35.  Maybe its the fact that those planes have two engines?

Z-10 Fierce Thunderbolt via China Military Review...