The Mess - Military Forum Off Topic Thread!

Jawgap

That awkward moment when you realise you've some pi$$ed of some Kurds

BoJack Horseman

HMS Illustrious sold for scrap for £2.1m

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/hms-illustrious-sold-2-1-million/
Another great old ship bites the dust.

A couple of weeks ago the RN's only repair vessel RFA Diligence was also laid up awaiting sale.

AbusesToilets

In this month's installment of the on-going series...

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/5033/scathing-reports-on-both-the-f-35-program-and-the-a-10-divestment-plan

AbusesToilets

An examination of the conflict in the Ukraine, from a US perspective. Emphasis on use of drones, artillery and armor.

https://prodev2go.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/rus-ukr-lessons-draft.pdf

BoJack Horseman

AbusesToilets wrote: »

In this month's installment of the on-going series..

The series of pseudo-journos struggling to come to terms with them being incorrect for years!

AbusesToilets

Well, it's really more of a report on a report, which generated by the Government itself.

BoJack Horseman

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Well, it's really more of a report on a report, which generated by the Government itself.

Well, by one man, in one office, in on area of the government.... who managed to be very incorrect!

AbusesToilets

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

Well, by one man, in one office, in on area of the government.... who managed to be very incorrect!

Can't agree with that. His statements re: the status of testing seem fairly accurate. What portion do you think is incorrect?

BoJack Horseman

AbusesToilets wrote: »

What portion do you think is incorrect?

Most all of it.

He doesn't mention that the sensor fusion 'ghosting' is being fixed in 3F which is in testing now.

Then:

"the Department is paying almost $400 billion by the scheduled end of its development in 2018."

Which is laughably wrong for a supposed expert (not mentioning the journo).
The total DOD expenditure on all R&D, testing, evaluation, fixes, mods & infrastructure associated with the project, through the next 55 years is $55bn

achieving full combat capability is not likely to occur before developmental testing is complete and operational testing begins.

This is a misnomer masquerading as insight.
Everyone knows it won't be FOC by the time IOC starts!
Nothing in the field of military aviation has ever been so.
I can only assume this is to falsely cast the plane in a poor light.

The program 'is running out of time and money to complete the planned flight testing and implement the required fixes and modifications' needed

Nothing to do with the plane, Congress cut everyone's budget.
They, like all projects, work with what they have.
If Washington cuts their budget, it isn't their fault.

And the biggest of the lies:

older aircraft would be needed to provide critical support for the F-35 in order to be considered as such, including to “locate and avoid modern threats, acquire targets and engage formations of enemy fighter aircraft due to outstanding performance deficiencies

When both you & I know that this isn't true.
The Lightning, just like it's sister Raptor has been cleaning legacy platforms clocks...
It could not do so if its sensory package was not in rude health, which it is.
(As the below from the last couple of weeks attests).

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/208489/vicious-cycle-f-35a-continues-5th-gen-tradition-bullying-legacy-aircraft

http://jerryofgarcia.kinja.com/f-35b-does-the-impossible-kills-fighter-while-bombing-1786109599


Strange how the journo forgot to mention these contradictions!

A quote from the 'red team' at the Wisconsin exercise (F-16s were acting as the red team)

"We took off out of Madison (to join the fight),” said Lt. Col. Bart Van Roo, 176th FS commander. “We went to our simulated air field out in the far part of the air space. As the two ship from the Northern half of the air space we turned hot, drove for about 30 seconds and we were dead, just like that. We never even saw them (the F-35A)."

AbusesToilets

Appreciate the links Bojack, as ever.

ezra_

Big shout out to the DF truck driver yesterday who ran me off on a dead straight road, coming from the Curragh heading (probably) towards the glen.

Good going pal.

AbusesToilets

Pretty neat piece about the F-35 and its integration with naval missile assets.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/f-35-just-proved-russian-192811263.html

BoJack Horseman

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Pretty neat piece about the F-35 and its integration with naval missile assets.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/f-35-just-proved-russian-192811263.html

Here's a short video from the launch site.... nothing much.
Obviously that launch silo would be embedded into the deck of a ship if used operationally.

The SM-6 is probably the USN's longest range SAM that can counter both aircraft and missiles.
Interestingly, due to a recent software update the missile can now also be used against surface targets.

AbusesToilets

I could envision the F-22/ 35 being controllers for drone scouts ranging ahead, using them as sensor nodes to ping targets for suppression from Naval fires etc.

AbusesToilets

Op-ed piece concerning the US's ICBM stock. Author argues for scrapping the land based missiles.

https://warisboring.com/op-ed-its-time-to-ditch-the-icbm-america-s-thermonuclear-dinosaur-b2ca199a5574#.ased3qinc

BoJack Horseman

a big up to a terrific blog 'Naval Analyses'
This week had a look towards where Europe's top 5 navies will be wrt their surface combatants in 2030

Some great models, graphic renderings etc therein.
Worth a gander.

BoJack Horseman

People probably seen in the news that a high speed ferry (HSV-2), which was on lease to the UAE government was struck and destroyed by Iranian/Shia rebels in Yemen.

The vessel did not sink, but was gutted by fire.
Looking at the damage, it's survivable seems remarkable.

There is debate over the type of missile used.

The vessel was towed to Eritrea.
The USN say they will dispatch 2 x Arleigh Burkes to the area to ensure the sea lanes remain open.

BoJack Horseman

So, further to above.
Iranian/Houthi rebels in Yemen have spent 2 days firing a total of 4 anti-ship missiles at the US vessels patrolling the Gulf of Aden.

None of these missiles hit their targets, the US vessels used their own interceptors and decoys but its unsure if these actually hit the incoming missiles whether the incoming threats failed on their own.

So, anyway, last night the USN struck back hitting 3 x Houthi radar installations from the sea using Tomahawks.... (this grainy video from the USN showing such)

Obviously Iran is trying to drag the US into a conflict here.
If they fire at the USN again, I'm sure they will be responded to again, but that will probably be the end of it.

BoJack Horseman

The not-as-old-as-you-might-think admiral Kuznetsov transited the English channel yesterday

One wonders when so much smoke and soot is being billowed out how this affects flight ops?

ezra_

I never knew the Russian's built their carriers with two stroke engines...

ohnonotgmail

I think the head gasket might be leaking.

Jawgap

For the day that's in it (Feast of St Crispin!)

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-yZNMWFqvM

BoJack Horseman

ISIS release footage of a Russian attack helo getting nailed today near Palmyra.

Some are saying it was a spec-ops rendevous (hence the ground vehicles) others say the struck helo had suffered mechanical failure and the crew were being picked up by the 2nd helicopter.
The one that got away acted in the nick of time.

https://twitter.com/RamiAILoIah/status/794309898662215680

AbusesToilets

Wonder if that helo got some retribution in shortly afterwards?

gallag

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Wonder if that helo got some retribution in shortly afterwards?

That would have been getting out of town asap, no Intel of the situation and to many on board, live to fight another day.

AbusesToilets

In a sadly predictable development, the USN has decided to not purchase the munitions for the gun system that the Zumwault was built around.

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/5914/the-navy-wont-buy-ammo-for-its-dumbed-down-stealth-destroyers-big-guns

sparky42

AbusesToilets wrote: »

In a sadly predictable development, the USN has decided to not purchase the munitions for the gun system that the Zumwault was built around.

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/5914/the-navy-wont-buy-ammo-for-its-dumbed-down-stealth-destroyers-big-guns

Words fail me as to how f*cked up this program is (and really all of the major USN surface projects are), I'd say they might just end up as test beds at this rate.

AbusesToilets

sparky42 wrote: »

Words fail me as to how f*cked up this program is (and really all of the major USN surface projects are), I'd say they might just end up as test beds at this rate.

Looks that way alright, crazy to think given the potential of the original design. Instead they'll waste billions buying the LCS piece of garbage and the America class carriers, whose design is seemingly insurmountably flawed at present. Sure what's a few billion between friends?

BoJack Horseman

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Looks that way alright, crazy to think given the potential of the original design. Instead they'll waste billions buying the LCS piece of garbage and the America class carriers, whose design is seemingly insurmountably flawed at present. Sure what's a few billion between friends?

Its a shame alright.

I presume they will instead work on accommodating some army artillery for the role instead.... it won't have the same range.... but better than the literal nothing that the alternative is.

The zumwalt baffles me.
It is so big, yet packs so little.
Then on the other side, the built-instead flight III Burke's are the opposite, trying to cram way too much into a vessel that is too small.

What is wrong with the America class?
There are only two of them & they seem a very good complement to the rest of the Wasp class.
Coupled with the San Antonio's, it makes the nowadays more aviation-centric marines rather formidable IMO

AbusesToilets

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

Its a shame alright.

I presume they will instead work on accommodating some army artillery for the role instead.... it won't have the same range.... but better than the literal nothing that the alternative is.

The zumwalt baffles me.
It is so big, yet packs so little.
Then on the other side, the built-instead flight III Burke's are the opposite, trying to cram way too much into a vessel that is too small.

What is wrong with the America class?
There are only two of them & they seem a very good complement to the rest of the Wasp class.
Coupled with the San Antonio's, it makes the nowadays more aviation-centric marines rather formidable IMO

The electro magnetic catapults have too high of a failure rate, and replacing them with steam ones is apparently not practical. In addition, the radar system on the Ford is not going to be pursued for the later models.