Posted by Drew458     on 05/21/2008 at 09:05 AM   
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   Saturday - May 17, 2008

I think they should name it the “G Whiz” system

Where do fighter pilots traveling faster than the speed of sound go when they really need to “go”?  Until recently, the answer has been: into a bag.

But it’s not a great solution. “Piddle packs”—heavy-duty bags containing absorbent sponges—have been blamed for at least two crashes over the years, and they’re not always tidy.

A few years ago, after enduring years of complaints from pilots, the Air Force let it be known that it was looking for an answer.

A small medical equipment development company in Milton, Vermont answered the call.

“The DoD put out a list of projects they needed solutions for,” said Mark Harvie, president of Omni Medical Solutions. “Bladder relief for pilots was one of the items on the list and we were looking for a new project,” he said.
...
That project turned into the Advanced Mission Extender Device, known in military jargon as the AMXD.

After four years of testing by the Vermont Air National Guard and the Air Force and about $5 million in government and private funds, AMXD is spelling relief for pilots aloft.
...
The Air Force recently bought its first 300 systems for U.S. pilots around the world at $2,000 each.

My name is better. Otherwise these pilots are going to take an awful lot of ribbing. “Hey Maverick, you got your Extender Device strapped on?”

Posted by Drew458     on 05/17/2008 at 09:55 AM   
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   Thursday - May 15, 2008

AFD 2008

Armed Forces Day, May 17, 2008

Armed Forces Day is this Saturday. I hope you’ve all got plans to do something pro-military. Go to a parade, thank a troop, visit a military museum. Fly your flag. Do something.

If the weather holds, I know what my plans are:

It may not be that much of a show, but if it goes over, maybe I can talk her into going to the Big One a few weeks later. Wow, you can even book a ride on a B-17. Awesome. And awesomely expensive too! Nah, even the sound of 4 big radial engines running is enough for me.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/15/2008 at 11:37 AM   
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   Saturday - May 10, 2008

Naughty Admiral caught on his own tailhook

18 years after the fact, Vice Admiral John Stufflebeem is trying to get forced retirement instead of censure because of an affair he had. In the White House. In 1990. When he was Military Aide to President Geoge H.W. Bush.

Vice Admiral Stufflebeem is a 1975 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1969 beginning his service as a deck seaman. He was designated a Surface Warfare Officer in 1978 and Naval Aviator in 1980.

As a commissioned officer, Vice Adm. Stufflebeem has served operational tours in a surface combatant, various fighter squadrons and carrier air wing staffs in the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. He commanded Fighter Squadron 84 and Carrier Air Wing 1 during combat operations in the Balkans and Persian Gulf and Carrier Group 2/Task Force 60 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His previous assignment prior to returning to Washington was Commander 6th Fleet, Deputy Commander Naval Forces Europe, Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Europe, Commander Strike and Support Forces NATO, and Allied Commander Joint Command Lisbon. Vice Adm. Stufflebeem has flown over 4,000 hours in a variety of fighter aircraft and has more than 1,000 aircraft carrier landings.

Additionally, Vice Adm. Stufflebeem has served in staff assignments including Military Aide to President George H.W. Bush, Deputy Executive Assistant and later, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. His first assignment as a flag officer was Deputy Director for Global Operations (J-3) on the Joint Staff during Operation Enduring Freedom. Subsequent to Operation Iraqi Freedom he was the Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information, Plans and Strategy.

Vice Adm. Stufflebeem’s decorations include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and Air Medal.

Great. Just fargin great. Another damned flyboy who can’t keep his winky in his pants. Who got laid in the White House long before Slick Willy ever even had the chance. Who has spent the last decade or more trying to lie his way out of the allegations of this affair, but the system finally caught up with him:

A Navy admiral engaged in sexual relations in the White House in 1990 with a federal employee whom he falsely told he was a widower, according to a report released Friday by the Defense Department.  In March, when the report was submitted to Pentagon officials, Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem was demoted and fired from his post as director of the Navy staff.  Stufflebeem told investigators he couldn’t remember the name of the woman he had an affair with. He also lied when he told investigators he did not engage in sexual relations with the woman, identified as “Jane Doe,” the Defense Department’s inspector general’s report said.

Jane Doe, who was then unmarried and working for a federal agency, told the investigators the allegations were true, the report said. Her supervisor and Stufflebeem’s superiors supported her testimony.

Stufflebeem was convicted April 18 of making false official statements to investigators. After the hearing, called an admiral’s mast, he requested retirement.

The lying little dirtbag. Can’t remember the woman’s name huh? Like bloody hell. At least “I will not divulge her name” has a teensy bit of honor. Nope, she’s just some tramp he was doinking for awhile, that’s all. Heck, he even tried denying the whole thing for quite some time -

“I did not have sex with this woman,” he said during one of two interviews with investigators.

Yeah right, like that one is gonna fly in DC ever again.

Stufflebeem was still claiming a frame-up as recently as February, and honestly, without a stained blue dress or two, we’ll never know for sure.

“[I] find it extremely regrettable, in a case that has such far reaching implications for my career, that you have chosen to question my integrity,” he wrote in a February 15 letter. “The unfortunate truth in this case is that, as a result of lack of evidence to substantiate the allegation of a sexual relationship and in lieu of investigating the underlying allegations, you have chosen to accuse me of being untruthful as I defended myself against these allegations.”

Stufflebeem further castigated the investigators because, at that time, they had chosen not to interview Jane Doe “in deference to Ms. Doe’s privacy,” according to the report. Doe “readily agreed” to testify when they contacted her after Stufflebeem’s rebuttal.

“Ms. Doe confirmed that she and Stufflebeem had an extensive physical relationship which began on an overseas trip and lasted intermittently for approximately eight months,” the investigators wrote. “The relationship included sexual intercourse on approximately one dozen occasions, to include intercourse during overseas travel, in the White House and in her home.”

Hmmm ... 9 years after and the Navy still hadn’t talked to Miss Thang? Maybe this really is a frame. You can’t prove it one way or the other. So he’ll just get retirement, after a 33 year career.

Well Admiral, thanks for your service, here’s your retirement check, DLTDHYOTWO. buh bye. Snufflebean. Two faced twat, or innocent guy brought low by the old honey pot gambit?

Posted by Drew458     on 05/10/2008 at 05:12 PM   
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   Thursday - May 08, 2008

More Mil Blogging - Next Generation of Munitions?

The Pentagon has quietly been working on a new arsenal of advanced weaponry that replaces metal casings with “reactive materials,” ("RM") normally harmless matter that combines to release explosive amounts of energy on impact, tearing targets apart with violent fury.

In development for more than 30 years, the research is beginning to bear fruit, and may soon spawn more powerful bombs, warheads that tear apart stone and concrete, mines that can be set to stun or kill, and grenades that can swat rockets or mortar rounds out of the sky like flies.

A very long time ago, there was this English guy who invented the exploding cannon ball. His name was Shrapnel. Since that time, almost all military explosive devices have followed his basic concept: shoot something made out of iron at your enemy, and have it blow up when it gets close. The flying fragments - the shrapnel - will inflict the damage, much more than the blast will. But that was back in the day, when the best blast that could be made was provided by black powder. Modern explosives are orders of magnitude more powerful. And we have learned how to focus the explosions themselves. So while a typical standard artillery shell or aerial bomb might be half explosive and half fragmentable iron casing, more modern weapons don’t use much casing at all. Bombs like the MOAB and the Daisy Cutter do their damage based on massive shockwaves, not flying fragments. Focused explosives, otherwise known as shaped charges, came out in WWII (eg the bazooka, an early RPG), and were found able to defeat significant amounts of armor by creating a high velocity plasma jet that burned through everything. Shaped charge weapons are still used today, and we’ve even learned how changing the shape of the Shape makes them even more potent. A simple shaped charge IED with a couple pounds of explosive can defeat a full size tank with ease. So do we really even need shrapnel any more? Well, what if the shrapnel itself was another kind of explosive? How about a plasma jet that cuts through armor and then blows up? Or a shaped charge shell of a given size that’s suddenly 3 times as potent?

Shaped charges are another application where RMs can increase the effectiveness of existing designs. In a shaped charge, a hollow metal cone is surrounded by explosive material, which is then detonated, forcing the blast through the small end of the cone.

“The action is analogous to stamping on an open toothpaste tube, ejecting the liquid contents,” says Douglas Millard of British defense contractors QinetiQ.

Replace the metal liner with RM, and the explosive power of that jet will increase dramatically.

“Such reactions are highly exothermic and therefore lead to the release of large amounts of energy, which is in addition to the kinetic energy within the jet,” Millard says. “An increase in the energy coupled into the target occurs and this results in the creation of greater damage to the target.”

Reactive materials are combinations of materials that are normally stable, but, when subjected to sudden shock—such as striking a target—release a large amount of energy. Depending on the composition and warhead design, the energy can be released as heat, a blast or a combination of the two. Unlike conventional explosives, RMs cannot be set off by fuses. Technically, they are classified as flammable solids, and they are less hazardous to transport and store than explosives.
...
The material can dramatically magnify the yield of conventional bombs, and do away with the waste embodied by a bomb’s inert metal skin.
...
a new bomb could be half the size of existing weapons but twice as powerful.

Pretty damned amazing. But along with the “smaller but more potent” meme comes the “minimal force” meme. Eliminating flying shrapnel cuts down the kill radius of a bomb, which would lessen the chance for collateral damage.

The BattleAxe warhead program is funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The goal of this program is to develop a multi-role, miniature warhead. BattleAxe uses material which allows a smaller warhead to destroy targets completely without causing major collateral damage to the surrounding areas.

Potential targets for the BattleAxe include, unarmored and armored vehicles, buildings in urban environments, and other potential threats. Applications for this warhead include low-cost mini-cruise-missiles and weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles, allowing greater protection for deployed troops in hostile environments.

There are huge advantages to smaller more efficient projectiles. They can be fired faster and further with the same amount of propellent. The guns or missiles that propel them can be smaller and lighter. Possibley they cost less, and since they’re smaller and lighter, more of them can be carried along for a given weight. That the little ones can be as effective, or even more effective, than the older bigger ones is sweet icing on the cake.

The RM project has been going on for 30 years now. There have been many obstacles to overcome. Are we close to seeing these things actually fielded, or is this article just a puff piece for a defense contractor who is up for grant renewal?

Normally new weapons are fielded rapidly if there is a military demand—assuming they work. So far, RMs have not made it into the field, and the technology may not be as mature as developers suggest.  But Pike also notes that there has been an unprecedented surge in munitions development over the last few years, with “all kinds of weird stuff” being developed. So after decades of being kept very quiet, reactive materials may soon be making a lot of noise.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/08/2008 at 09:48 AM   
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Is the end near for Sadr City fighters?

Iraqi soldiers for the first time warned residents in the embattled Sadr City district to leave their houses Thursday, signaling a new push by the U.S.-backed forces against Shiite extremist who have been waging street battles for seven weeks.

Iraqi soldiers, using loudspeakers, told residents in some areas of southeastern Sadr City, which were virtually abandoned, to go to nearby soccer stadiums, residents said. UNICEF says about 6,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Sadr City, most of them from the southeastern section.

U.S. forces have increased air power and armored patrols in an attempt to cripple Shiite militia influence in Sadr City, a slum of 2.5 million people that serves as the Baghdad base for the Mahdi Army led by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The U.S. military is trying to weaken the militia grip in the slum and disrupt rocket and mortar strikes from Sadr City on the U.S.-protected Green Zone, which includes the U.S. Embassy and key Iraqi government offices.
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Iraqi soldiers on Thursday shut down a local radio station, al-Aahad, run by the Sadrists after raiding offices of the station in a neighborhood near Sadr City, police said.

Fighting continues to be hot in this area of Baghdad, and the wall around it continues to be built. Divide, then conquer. Looks like the divisioning aspect is really progressing, so maybe the conquer part is soon to come. Fighting around the Qod Street part of the wall is still intense:

The Mahdi Army continues to attack US and Iraqi forces as they erect the barrier on Qods Street, which divides the southern third from the northern portion of Sadr City. US and Iraqi troops responded, killing 18 Mahdi Army fighters and capturing 11 throughout Baghdad.

US and Iraqi troops and US air weapons teams killed 11 Mahdi Army fighters as they attacked barrier emplacement teams and planted roadside bombs in Sadr City on the night of May 5 and the morning of May 6. Iraqi soldiers and police also uncovered numerous weapons caches in northern and eastern Baghdad. In one raid, Iraqi police discovered a weapons cache in the courtyard of the Imam Ali Mosque in the Al Ghadeer neighborhood in New Baghdad (number 31 on map). “The [National Police] found five explosively formed projectiles, two improvised explosive devices, five rocket rails, three grenades and numerous rounds of various ammunitions,” Multinational Forces Iraq reported.

The US military conducted a guided rocket attack on a Special Groups headquarters adjacent to a hospital in Sadr City, while 14 Mahdi Army fighters have been killed during clashes over the past 24 hours.

The US Army targeted and destroyed a Special Groups command and control center in a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System strike in Sadr City at 10 AM local time Saturday morning, Multinational Forces Iraq reported. “There were six GMLRS rocket strikes on these Special Groups criminal command and control nodes,” (said Public Relations Officer) Lieutenant Colonel Steven Stover

I’m posting this because you probably haven’t heard much about it on your TV news. There has been a pretty heavy battle going on there in Sadr City for over a month now, and al Sadr’s gangs are getting creamed. Gee, too friggin bad. These rocket attacks - I mentioned the GMLRS system the other day - are proving to be a very effective weapons system for the Army. Good.

With their vertical trajectory, ability to cover 70 kilometers (43 miles) in 82 seconds and close-combat precision, GMLRS rockets are becoming the rockets of choice, even when other more traditional missiles or other bombs are available.  Army officials say many requests for the rockets to be used instead of aircraft-launched missiles are coming from the Air Force.  Of the estimated 273 missions in which GMLRS rockets have been used in theater, about 83 percent were accomplished in urban environments and 69 percent were done with troops in close proximity.
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U.S. Army commanders and troops have come to view the Army’s Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) as their “70-kilometer sniper rifle,” but enemy forces in Iraq see the weapon in a starker light.

“The enemy is calling it the ’Hand of Allah,’”

Got that one right Achmed. The Hand of Allah. And stop and think, if you live long enough that is, just who is controlling that hand.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/08/2008 at 09:22 AM   
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Mil Blogging - Special Forces Soldier Awarded Distinguished Service Cross

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - A Special Forces Soldier who crawled 200 feet while being fired upon to save a wounded colleague, then led a group of besieged Soldiers to safety, received the Army’s second-highest award for valor April 30.  Master Sgt. Brendan O’Connor received the Distinguished Service Cross in a ceremony April 30 at Fort Bragg for his actions in Afghanistan. The award is second in achievement only to the Medal of Honor.

“He made a conscious decision to do whatever it took to get to our wounded Soldiers,” said Maj. Sheffield Ford, the team’s commander during the June 2006 battle in southern Afghanistan.
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With his Special Forces team surrounded by Taliban fighters, O’Connor volunteered to lead a relief force to rescue two wounded colleagues. He got to the edge of a field, but intense Taliban machine-gun fire made him turn back. After shedding his body armor so he could press himself flat in a ditch, he crawled the last 200 feet to the wounded Soldiers.  Taliban fire was so close that it sheared off the blades of tall grass around the ditch as he crawled.  Finally reaching the two wounded Soldiers, he stabilized them and led the relief force back to safety.

Olson, who recounted the battle in his speech, described O’Connor’s actions as legendary.

“Master Sgt. O’Connor exemplifies the spirit and ethos of these warriors,” Olson said. “We stand in quiet awe and in the deepest admiration.”

The ceremony marked only the second time the award has been presented to a Soldier for actions in Afghanistan.

O’Connor, 47, doesn’t believe he is a hero. He said that police officers and firefighters are courageous every day and that he was only completing his mission.

Outstanding. Completely selfless actions under the most dire conditions. That’s true heroism to me. Thank you M SGT O’Connor, and congratulations on your award.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/08/2008 at 09:02 AM   
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Mil Blogging: No more porn mags for troops?

Stars & Stripes, via Military.com: GRAFENWOHR, Germany—Legislation that would restrict the sale of certain men’s magazines on U.S. military bases around the world would be bad for morale, according to soldiers at Grafenwöhr.

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., has introduced legislation that would close a loophole in the current law that allows the sale of some sexually explicit material on military bases by lowering the threshold required to deem material “sexually explicit.”

A Department of Defense committee that reviews materials sold on bases ruled last year that magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse are not pornographic. But Broun’s Military Honor and Decency Act includes language that could make those magazines eligible for the ban.

The prospect of missing out on men’s magazines was not welcomed by soldiers at Grafenwöhr.

Sgt. Simon Brown, 34, of Daytona Beach, Fla., said men’s magazines build morale. “It’s not all about the pictures, although 80 percent of it is,” he said.

Pfc. Greg Smith, 21, of Northboro, Mass., a regular Playboy reader, said soldiers should be allowed to buy nudie magazines at the exchange.

“Playboy is good entertainment while you are on the can. They have jokes and good stories,” he said.

On the one hand:

Broun, a Marine veteran, told Newsweek recently that the magazines sold in military exchanges are partly responsible for a rise in sexual assaults in the military and other problems.

“Allowing the sale of pornography on military bases has harmed military men and women by: escalating the number of violent, sexual crimes; feeding a base addiction; eroding the family as the primary building block of society; and denigrating the moral standing of our troops both here and abroad,” Broun says on his Web site.

On the other hand:

Some troops in the Pacific region said the proposed legislation would impinge upon their personal freedoms.

“They’re making it a point of undermining soldiers to almost make them feel like we’re back in elementary school,” Pfc. Nickolas Sears said Friday at Camp Red Cloud, South Korea. “We’re all adults here, and if it’s something we want to do, we should feel free to choose as we please.”
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I believe it’s a breach of freedom of speech,” said Senior Airman Garrett Deese, 25, of Elk Grove, Calif., who just completed a tour with the 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.

He said he wonders whether such a ban would lead to barring other types of magazines lawmakers chose to challenge. He also questioned whether Broun’s link between magazines and sexual assaults within the military would stand close scrutiny.

Money talks the loudest?

Army and Air Force Exchange service public relations manager Judd Anstey said AAFES sold $231,000 worth of Penthouse, Playboy and Playgirl magazines in Europe last year.

“Sales of these three titles account for 2.7 percent of total European magazine sales ($8.5 million) at AAFES facilities,” he said.

The sales accounted for 0.5 percent of worldwide AAFES magazine sales of $46.4 million, he said.

You don’t exactly have full Freedom Of Speech in the military. Quite a few of our bases in other countries have followed the host nation’s laws and banned the sale of nudie mags and alcohol. While this is a little bit similar in effect, it’s completely different in nature. This is one of those “it’s for your own good” situations, and appears to be using the “porn = violence against women” meme as a base reason.

First up, what is pornography? Is my definition different from yours? Who gets to decide what is and what ain’t for the whole darn military?

Secondly, do you really think a lack of picture filled magazines is going to stop physically fit, hormone charged young men and women from thinking about sex? Let’s face it, when you’re in your late teens to mid-twenties that’s about all you think about. Period. Probably even when the Seargents are yelling at you or when the bullets are flying. Ok, maybe not then. But after it’s over. And it’s a very low level basic human trait - hard wired into our brains - that surviving a life threatening situation makes us want to breed. ( It’s true! Even when the threat isn’t real. I was a fencer in college. Fencing is rather like a knife fight disguised as a sporting event. Let me tell you, fencers are the ... um ... friskiest ... people you will ever meet! )

The magazines mentioned in the article are not what I call pornographic. Maxim, FHM, Playboy? A bit of tease, a lot of airbrushing, but nothing really trashy or explicit. Penthouse and Hustler? More direct, more “open”, but still fairly tame compared to what you can find on the internet with just a couple mouse clicks. Or in a real adult bookstore ( once in band camp back in college - which is the time and the place for everything, right? - I worked in such a bookstore for a couple weeks. It was an eye opening experience, no pun intended. Real porn, the hardcore stuff, is shocking at first and almost magnetic, but quickly becomes boring. And sleazy. And gross. And fake. I am so not into skanks either.)

So is this a good idea or a bad one? At this point I think it’s pretty stupid, and I don’t buy the “all girlie mags are porn, and porn causes violence to women” argument. But everyone has an opinion or three, so have at it in the comments. Maybe this is a great idea and we need to keep our soldiers morally pure in regards to their sexuality.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/08/2008 at 08:17 AM   
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   Monday - April 28, 2008

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … what the heck is that thing?

It weighs only 30 pounds and can be fully weaponized for assault and rescue. It has a 6-foot jet-wing that is steered with handheld rotary controls connected to its rudder. And it can hide more than 100 pounds of combat gear in a built-in compartment.
The Gryphon attack glider, designed to penetrate combat zones at 135 miles per hour, could revolutionize the art of parachuting.

Its helmet has a heads-up display and provides on-board oxygen for the jump. To land, a soldier separates the wing from his pack and releases his parachute to slow his descent. The wing remains attached to the soldier by a cord and lands before him.

Currently, planes and pilots are put at risk because soldiers need to jump close to combat areas. Typical high altitude, high-opening, or HAHO, jumps from around 27,000 feet allow soldiers to travel only about 30 miles after exiting the aircraft.

The Gryphon could increase that range fourfold, creating an attack corridor of nearly 125 miles. Unaffected by headwinds or crosswinds because of its favorable lift-to-drag ratio, the glider would allow elite units to reach targets with increased speed, precision and stealth.

The Gryphon’s built-in oxygen supply system allows soldiers to jump from up to 30,000 feet. And with temperatures at that altitude sometimes reaching minus 64 degrees Fahrenheit, every second counts. Even in upwind conditions, the Gryphon could reduce HAHO jump duration to a third, from an average of 45 minutes to just 15, vastly reducing the risk of exposure to extreme cold.

The Gryphon’s designers, SPELCO GbR, are even planning to affix a relatively cheap and small turbo jet, which is used for unmanned military drones. Harnessing that jet, the glider would allow soldiers to jump lower, maintain altitude and travel farther than is currently possible.

And while the Spec Ops guys will all want to try it, after the initial thrill wears off won’t this wing-thing be just another heavy bulky item they’ve got to hump around?

I like the idea of sticking a little jet engine on it, though that will add even more weight. I wonder if it would give you enough power to take off from the ground that way, or if this gizmo is going to wind up being called the Pteradactyl because it only flies after being dropped a long long way?

thanks for the link Rancino!

Posted by Drew458     on 04/28/2008 at 07:49 PM   
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   Thursday - April 24, 2008

French officers ordered back to Waterloo:  (so, If At First You Don’t Succeed?)

French officers ordered back to Waterloo

By Laura Clout
Last Updated: 8:28am BST 24/04/2008

Almost two hundred years after the Allied armies secured the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, French soldiers have returned to the scene of the Battle of Waterloo to learn from the mistakes of their 19th-century predecessors.

A total of 38 senior officers were ordered to spend a day analysing the errors which put a final end to Napoleon’s rule as Emperor and drew to a close 23 years of war.

Brigadier-General Vincent Desportes ordered strategists from France’s Armed Forces Employment Doctrine Centre to visit the battleground because “you learn more from your failures than from your successes”.

Surveying the battlefield, which is in present-day Belgium, the officers were told that Napolean underestimated The Duke of Wellington, made tactical errors and confused his army.

Peter Herrly, a retired US army colonel who organised the tour, said military strategists should look to the past to make better decisions in the future.

Historians believe the Duke’s victory was helped by driving rain, which turned the battlefield to mud and kept the French bogged down until Prussian forces, led by Marshal Blucher, arrived to assist the Allied armies.

Even the victorious Duke went on to describe the battle, on Sunday 18 June, 1815, as “the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life”.

http://tinyurl.com/535pgq

Posted by Drew458     on 04/24/2008 at 09:34 AM   
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   Wednesday - April 23, 2008

Fallon out, Petraeus In

Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has been chosen to become chief of U.S. Central Command, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday. Petraeus replaces Adm. William Fallon, who said last month he was resigning. Fallon said widespread, but false, reports that he was at odds with the Bush administration over Iran had made his job impossible.

In addition, Gates said, Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Multinational Corps-Iraq—the No. 2 position in Iraq—is being nominated to fill Petraeus’ post. Odierno has been home from Iraq only for a couple of months, but has agreed to return, Gates said.

The plan is for Petraeus to leave Iraq in late summer or early fall, Gates said, to ensure a smooth transition and plenty of time for Odierno to prepare.

From what I’ve seen on the news, General Patraeus has been doing a great job over in Iraq. I can’t say Yea or Nay about Admiral Fallon because he doesn’t get much media coverage. Same goes for General Odierno. But if the troops know and respect him, then this shouldn’t be a bad thing. And if Patraeus’ counter-insurgency policies remain in place, then it shouldn’t have too much effect. Am I talking out a hole in my head? Anybody out there got the low down on Odierno and can say whether this is a good move or a bad one?

Posted by Drew458     on 04/23/2008 at 11:35 AM   
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   Wednesday - April 16, 2008

Chinese Army in Zimbabwe?

Odd things are going on over in Mugabe’s alternate dimension. And not just the mess of an election. Now it appears that a large arms shipment has been recieved from China. Complete with Chinese soldiers. Not that many of them, but hello? Just what the heck is going on?

Armed Chinese soliders police Mutare streets

By David Baxter

HARARE - A general strike called by the MDC to pressure the Zimbabweans government and the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) to release presidential results appeared to have faltered in all major cities despite the despair within the majority over the lack of results, almost three weeks on.

People were seen going about their usual business, maybe due to fear the weight of the state security officers deployed ahead of the strike could descend on them or because the economic crisis does not allow people to drop earnings at all.

Soldiers and police fanned out across Zimbabwe early in the day with army trucks, some equipped with water cannon, moving through opposition strongholds around the cities. The riot police and other officers even set up checkpoints.

zimbabwejournalists’ correspondent, David Baxter, reports from Mutare that it is calm in the city as the MDC stayaway failed to attract many people.

“Residents are going about their normal business despite a call by the opposition to stay at home. Businesses were operating as usual but there was a heavy police presence in the city centre and in all the high density suburbs,” he said.

The police are armed with AK rifles, teargas canisters and baton sticks. Water cannons were being driven throughout the suburbs. There were no incidents of violence as of mid-morning. However, says Baxter, there was a surprise presence of Chinese soldiers armed with revolvers in the city.

You would think, after the protests we’ve seen with the Olympic torch procession, and the recent crackdown on Tibet, that they would be a lot more circumspect about actively getting into bed with an aging despot, never mind lending support to his repression.

I can’t offer deep insightful political analysis on this, but my layman interpretation is that they must be there to protect their economic interests.

Remember Mugabe’s ‘Look East’ policy?

Zimbabwean’s joke, bitterly, about how Mugabe is allowing the Chinese to colonise our country. They refer to the Chinese products flooding our shops as ‘zhing zhong’. ‘Zhing zhong’ has now become a term used to describe anything that breaks or doesn’t work when you buy it.

Chinese traders are given more advantages by the Zanu PF government to do business in Zimbabwe than locals do.
...
But if the Chinese government is actually sending in soldiers, and actively lending some level of military support - advice or otherwise - to Mugabe’s efforts to subvert democracy and cow the population, then their involvement must be exposed.

The world is a pretty small place these days. It’s getting harder and harder to hide things, even in Africa. The word just gets out. So what is going on here? Is Mugabe arming up just in case the election results go against him? Is this just a typical arms shipment - 6 or so shipping containers worth really isn’t that huge a pile of weapons - or is it something special? And why on earth are armed Chinese soldiers patrolling the streets of the city? Perhaps they are just there as “advisors”. Perhaps they are just there to provide security for the arms shipment. Perhaps. But it is still very odd.

thanks for the tip and the pre-post, DWMF.

UPDATE:
As word gets out, the protests start. Looks like quite a few people believe these arms will be used by Mugabe against the people:

A large arms consignment bound for Zimbabwe remains on board a ship at the South African port of Durban after running into a political row.

South African dockworkers are refusing to unload the Chinese vessel, which is anchored off the port.

And a local lobby group has asked the High Court to block the shipment in case it leads to human rights abuses.

South Africa’s government says it cannot legally prevent the arms being transported through the country.

The row comes amid continuing tension in Zimbabwe over the failure to publish election results.

Critics say Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF government will use the weapons to further suppress democratic rights, as accounts continue to emerge of the beating of opposition supporters.

Another reason is platinum. Just like nickle, copper, and molybdenum, China wants a slice of this precious ore too, and Zimbabwe is the world’s #2 producer.

Posted by Drew458     on 04/16/2008 at 01:56 PM   
Filed Under: • Africa • Commies • Military •  
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   Tuesday - April 01, 2008

Airmen shot down, families sue?

I’m not sure if I’m reading between the lines of this story correctly, but when I read “But lawyers for the relatives of the 10 men are expected to demand answers” that’s what I think it implies. Otherwise why would they need lawyers to represent them at a military inquiry?

A HERCULES plane carrying 10 military personnel, including an Australian airman, was not fitted with safety foam that could have prevented it being shot down in Iraq, an inquest has been told.

Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel, 35, died three years ago when the RAF transport plane he was travelling on with eight British airmen and a soldier was shot down by insurgents north of Baghdad.

An inquest began yesterday in southwest England, with coroner David Masters expected to examine why the plane was without a key safety device which could have prevented the crash.

Previous inquiries held by Britain’s Ministry of Defence have found the Hercules C-130 crashed after bullets pierced one of the aircraft’s fuel tanks, which exploded and blew off one of its wings.

The Australian Defence Force fitted its Hercules planes with the safety foam well before the 2005 crash which claimed the life of Flt-Lt Pardoel, who spent several years with the RAAF before transferring in 2002 to the RAF.

A Ministry of Defence lawyer, Jonathan Glasson, told the inquest that a program to fit all British Hercules C-130’s routinely deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan was completed last December.

But lawyers for the relatives of the 10 men are expected to demand answers from defence officials giving evidence at the inquest about why the aircraft shot down was not fitted with the safety foam and why not all Hercules used by British forces had ESF.

John Cooper, a barrister representing two of the British airmen, told the inquest that relatives of the servicemen had been led to believe all British Hercules would be fitted with the foam.
...
“We want to examine whether the lack of foam in this case was a matter of negligence.”

There’s that lawyer word. Negligence. So I’m wondering. I hope I’m wrong. But if I’m right, then this might be a legal first.

Donald Rumsfeld’s famous quote “You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have” seems to apply here. But the thing about this fuel tank foam is that it isn’t new technology. The US has been using it since the end of the Vietnam war. The Austalian forces upgraded their airplanes years ago. But England and Canada are more than a bit behind the maintainence curve it seems.

(as of 2006) The Canadian military has 29 Hercules in operation. They are commonly used in Afghanistan. Although the American and Australian Hercules have a safety foam device, the Canadian Hercules do not.  “If there is such a foam, it’d be a good thing, but this is the first I’ve ever heard of it,” said Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor.

A Ministry of Defence lawyer Jonathan Glasson told the inquest’s first day of hearings that a program to fit all British Hercules C-130’s “that are routinely deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan” had been completed last December.

Posted by Drew458     on 04/01/2008 at 11:42 AM   
Filed Under: • Judges-Courts • Military • Science-Technology •  
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   Friday - March 14, 2008

less ebil thingz to dooz to doez pore pore Iraquis3

Thanks for the title Doc DETH!

Just a couple little military hardware updates that you might find interesting.

First up, the US Army has decided to replace the venerable M203 40mm grenade launcher with a unit made by Heckler & Koch. The XM320 unit is the same one they’ve been selling to the Euro forces for years, but the version for the M1 platform gets a stronger mount and some better sights. The new launcher has a swing out breech, so it can be loaded from the side instead of from underneath. This will also let the launcher use longer ammo should any be developed. Pretty neat. Looks like a really robust design ... costs $3500 each.

TUSK upgrades are proceeding. Tank Urban Survival Kit is a retrofit to the M1 Abrams tank. Major parts include a 5” thick aluminum belly armor plate to protect against IEDs, a bungee suspended cloth seat for the driver to isolate him from road blasts, reactive side armor to minimize RPG damage, a remote control .50 M2 mounted on the main gun, and thick Lexan shields around the top gunner position. It also includes a telephone mounted outside on the back so that troops can communicate with the guys inside, and an exhaust deflector so the troops don’t get toasted while on the phone. I’m not sure if the new M-1028 Canister round is part of this package. The M-1028 is a tank sized shotgun shell that blasts out several pounds of tungsten balls. It’s only good for up to 500 meters, but it gets the job done against the enemy boots and the cars they drive around in, without blowing up the whole neighborhood like the 120mm HE shell tends to do. Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. I like it.

The Tank Cartridge, 120mm, Canister, XM1028, is a tank round comprised of 1150 (est.) tungsten balls, which are expelled upon muzzle exit. There is no fuse on this round. While the dispersion pattern increases with range as the velocity of the balls decreases, the dense tungsten balls are used to minimize the velocity fall-off. This program responds to the USFK urgency of need signed by the CINC in Dec ‘99. RAPT Initiative Funding to be used for 6.0M in FY02 to accelerate development by one year earlier than previously planned.

This round meets urgent CINC, USFK requirements to provide effective rapid lethal reaction against massed assaulting infantry armed with hand held anti-tank and automatic weapons at close range (500 meters or less) thereby improving survivability. Additionally, this round will significantly increase the tank’s lethality and enhance the tank crew’s survivability. This additional capability will give the Abrams Tank the ability to survive RPG ambushes and to fully support friendly infantry assaults.
...
The M1028 is the first 120mm tank round to be fully insensitive-munitions compliant as certified by the Army Insensitive Munitions Board. The M1028 has also demonstrated effectiveness against other targets. The cartridge has been successfully tested against vehicles, structure walls and for obstacle reduction capabilities. Lethality has even been demonstrated on targets behind these structures. The M1028 adds a really powerful tool for tank crews and the troops they support.

small updateOne of these shotgun rounds exists for the 105mm cannon too, like the ones mounted on the Styker MGS. Turns out it’s also very effective at shooting down entire palm groves, clearing woods of unnecessary trees, and taking out half a village worth of mud huts!

Much more after the break. I moved this part below the fold so that the main page loads faster.

Posted by Drew458     on 03/14/2008 at 11:01 PM   
Filed Under: • Military •  
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