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  • Fisking an Idiot

    Aggie fisks the WaPo, beautifully.

    LC Aggie Sith's avatarUncivil Peasants

    By now everyone is aware of the jihad attack in Garland, Texas. Two terrorists were just too thin-skinned to allow anyone much less a lowly woman “insult” their so-called god, and thus decided to drive over to a Mohammed-drawing contest and shoot everyone dead. Because they are peaceful like that. Anyway, Sandhya Somashekhar, a “social change reporter” for Washington Post was just not happy about the events and decided to take Pam Geller, the host of said event to task. My response to each paragraph follows thus: *flips the bird*

    Event organizer offers no apology after thwarted attack in Texas

    No shit, you idiot. She didn’t attempt to kill anyone. She was exercising her rights, just as YOU are exercising YOUR right to write such crap.

    Pamela Geller, the woman behind the Texas cartoon contest attacked by two gunmen late Sunday, knew what she was doing when she staged the…

    View original post 734 more words

  • The New Russian Armata Tank

    It’s actually a family of fighting vehicles.

    The prime variant is the T-14 tank. Finally some pics of it without  a tarp over the turret are coming out.

    The big innovation here is that the turret itself is unmanned. That has the advantage that you can make it significantly smaller, in that you don’t need to leave space for people. That means a given weight of armor provides more protection, as it has less surface area to cover. But it also means any failure of the autoloader is much more difficult to remedy. The gun is basically the same 125mm smoothbore the Russians have been using for nearly 40 years. The flat panels suggest either composite armor similar to the M1 series, or integrated Explosive Reactive Armor panels. The bulky side sponsons along the hull suggest ERA. The prominent boxlike projection on the left top of the turret appears to be an independent thermal viewer similar to that of the M1A2 tank. What level of sophistication the fire control has is unknown. Interestingly, there are reports the tank will field a radar based fire control channel.
    https://i0.wp.com/img2.goodfon.su/wallpaper/big/1/87/armata-t-14-boevoy-tank-4929.jpg

    The tank reportedly uses a 1500hp diesel engine, downrated to 1200hp for normal operation, on  a tank with a combat weight of 48 tons. Even at the downrated horsepower, that yields a very respectable 25 horsepower per ton.

    The T-15 Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle variant uses the same chassis and engine, but apparently reverses the arrangement, with the engine in the front, and the troop compartment in the rear. This is actually a fairly common adaptation of tank hulls. Many early US self propelled artillery series used this trick. The T-15 likewise has a remote controlled turret, with a 30mm autocannon, and an anti-tank missile launcher. The troop compartment has space for 6-8 troops.

     

    The first “public” display of the Armata family is expected Saturday, during the parade in Moscow celebrating 70 years since the victory over Nazi Germany.

    Other variants ordered include a 152mm self propelled artillery piece.

    Once you’ve developed a successful vehicle chassis, it makes sense to adapt it to other roles, to reduce development costs, and to benefit from commonality of production, spare parts, logistics, and training.

    Of course, the downside is that an IFV on a tank chassis is much more expensive than one on a lighter chassis. The trend however, suggests most future IFVs will be tank chassis based, and have much higher levels of protection than those of today.

    The Armata family appears to be quite capable, certainly near peer to our own M1 and Bradley series.

    Having said that, virtually every vehicle produced so far will be in the parade Saturday, a force of somewhere around two dozen vehicles. And while Russia claims that some 2300 will be produced, the economic challenges Russia faces may make that production schedule difficult to keep. There are suggestions that the T-14 and T-15 will be specialized units, and that a less ambitious IFV will be the main replacement for legacy BMP-1, 2, and 3 series. The Kurganets 25 has been touted as the main replacement for older IFVs.

    Kurganets-25 30mm gun variant with turret covered

    The numbers of T-14s scheduled for production also suggest older T-80/T-90 series tanks will remain in front line use for many, many years to come.

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  • Meanwhile, Outside the Front Gate of Camp Lejeune…

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    The Diversity apparatchiks fail to heap praise upon the Jacksonville community for embracing our neighbors south of the border and celebrating their big day.  And I missed it.  😦

    H/T Party with Arty

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  • Major General Linda Singh Restores Peace in Baltimore After Violent Protests : People.com

    Major General Linda Singh was scarcely two months into her role as leader of the Maryland National Guard when she was tasked with restoring peace in a setting that touches her literally at home: Baltimore, where she reports daily to work.

    Called in by Governor Larry Hogan in response to civil unrest in the wake of riots and looting surrounding the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, Singh may have been new to her post – but not to the dynamics of despair and deprivation.

    In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Gen. Singh, 50, spoke about her personal background and how it applies to situations she encountered in Baltimore.

    via Major General Linda Singh Restores Peace in Baltimore After Violent Protests : People.com.

    Friend of the blog SKK scored an interview with the Adjudant General of the Maryland Guard.

  • Fire Support Lessons Learned in Vietnam

    Mostly so URR can enjoy watching some cannon cockers.

    Did you happen to see the oddball clip fed 40mm grenade launcher?

    t148a1

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  • Marine Commandant Dunford Selected as Next Chairman; Kicked Upstairs?

    U.S. Secretary of Defense Panetta adresses a news conference during a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels

    Let me start off by saying that they don’t make ’em any better than Joe Dunford.  I have known and admired him since I met him when he was a Major and the Marine Officer Instructor at my alma mater (Holy Cross) and I went back to visit as a new Captain.  He commanded 5th Marines on the March Up, and was Chief of Staff to General Mattis in OIF II.   He commanded I MEF, and MARCENT, served as Assistant Commandant, and commanded ISAF/USFOR-A.  General Dunford skipped a pay grade (MajGen) in his meteoric rise from Colonel in 2004 t0 four stars in 2010.  His pedigree is that of a Marine’s Marine, and a superb combat leader.

    That said, General Dunford presents a bit of a problem to current political office-holders.  He has refused to countenance the lowering of standards of the US Marine Corps’ Infantry Officers’ Course so that women may complete the program.  There have been zero female graduates of thirty-odd, none even have gotten close.  In fact, only one or two have made it out of the first week.  Those who watch closely see the Marine Corps under considerable pressure to alter (read: lower) the standards so that females can successfully complete IOC, and thus far, Dunford has firmly held the line against doing so.   Dunford is a high-profile rising star, and is not easily kicked aside, especially now that he is the Marine Corps’ 36th Commandant. However, with a “promotion” to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Dunford will have limited ability to influence service policy, certainly less so in the Marine Corps, which is considered the most politically unpalatable of the services to this Administration.   In addition, the Obama Administration could select the next Marine Commandant based on his (her?) willingness to lower those standards, much as the disastrous James Amos was chosen for agreeing to go along with DADT.  (Smart money says Amos’ predecessor, General Conway, would have very publicly resigned in protest, and the decision was to wait until his retirement.)

    I wish I did not have to try and figure Obama’s angle in what has been his constant push to further the erosion of the Armed Forces by forcible injection of more far-left social experimentation.  But he is not to be trusted, nor are the Defense or Service Secretaries, certainly not on these issues.  Mabus, in particular, is much the political sycophant that Missy Mullen was, and the senior uniformed leadership in DoD is heavily populated with similar types who have sold their honor for advancement and promotion. While General Joseph Dunford would be an exceptional Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I would nonetheless like to see him remain as the Commandant of the Marine Corps, where his hand and his influence is most needed and appreciated.

  • Congrats to CPT Cudd on earning her EFMB

    The Expert Field Medical Badge is the medical equivalent of the Expert Infantry Badge.  Recently, a video has been making the rounds of CPT Cudd finishing the final event of the week long challenge- the 12 mile road march.

    The EFMB isn’t easy. In fact, I’d say it is harder to earn than the EIB. Having said that, while CPT Cudd did in fact meet the minimum standards, the video is just embarrassing. Absent an injury or illness, no company grade officer in any branch should struggle that much at the end of a 12 miler. It just isn’t that tough.

    You know what we called a 12 mile road march in The Wolfhounds?

    Tuesday.

    Every week we did a 12 miler. And our packs were a heck of a lot more than the 35 pound pack specified for EFMB/EIB. And we did it in the same standard three hour period. As an added bonus, the route we used was actually 13 miles.

    You know who has impressed me so far? The women who made it through the first week of Ranger School.

  • I Became A Soldier

    Great new ad from the Army.

  • Yankee Clipper & Seattle Sea Scouts at Opening Day

    While my old Sea Scout Ship is gone, it’s good to see the Seattle Area Council still doing well. And look closely to spot the T-Boat.

    I have fond memories of a really cute girl from the SSS Propeller when we were rafted together off Stuart Island.

  • Obama taps Dunford for Joint Chiefs chairman

    WASHINGTON — President Obama will nominate Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, choosing a widely respected, combat-hardened commander who led the Afghanistan war coalition during a key transitional period during 2013-2014, U.S. officials said Monday.

    The move cuts short Dunford’s service as the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, a job he began last October. But the rapid promotion is one of several that have marked Dunford’s fast-tracked military career, which saw him leap from a one-star general to four stars in about three years.

    via Obama taps Dunford for Joint Chiefs chairman.

    I’ve heard good stuff about GEN Dunford (of course, that was mostly in comparison to GEN Amos). If any of our Marines have any insight, that would be nice.