Mil News USA, Canada & Caribbean Nations Military News & Discussion Thread

[bdpopeye]

https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/new...eeks-crew-isolation-virus-spreads/5095840002/

https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/new...antined-guam-hotels-soon-possible/5101629002/

...and I have it on very good authority that this morning USS Nimitz (CVN 68) sortied from Naval Station Kitsap, Bremerton WA. bound for the Western Pacific and parts unknown.

 

[bdpopeye]

...and I have it on very good authority that this morning USS Nimitz (CVN 68) sortied from Naval Station Kitsap, Bremerton WA. bound for the Western Pacific and parts unknown.

That good authority is to emotional....so;

Addendum....Nimitz did not leave Bremerton! The ship is under quarantine for two weeks to check for COVID-19..wow!

 

[downsizer]

@bdpopeye Ever hear of the USN quarantining ships like this before?

 

[BravoZulu]

USA:
Lockheed Martin won a $4.7 billion contract modification for the procurement of 78 F-35 combat aircraft (48 F-35A combat aircraft for the Air Force, 14 F-35B combat aircraft for the Marine Corps, 16 F-35C fighter aircraft for the Navy) and associated aircraft red gear.
The contract was awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD. The majority of the work related to the deal will be carried out in Fort Worth, TX.
The order involves 48 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jet aircraft for the US Air Force for operation from conventional long runways; 14 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jet aircraft for the US Marine Corps for operation from small ships and unimproved runways; and 16 F-35C reinforced aircraft with folding wings for the US Navy for aircraft carrier operations.
Work will take place in Texas, California, the UK, Florida, New Hampshire and Maryland. Estimated completion will be by March 2023.

 

[DZimm]

A $1.6 billion defensive ring around Guam. Millions in new military funding for partner nations. A billion dollars for increased stockpiles of long-range weapons.
These are just some of the investments on a $20 billion wish list quietly submitted to Congress in recent weeks by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command head Adm. Phil Davidson and obtained by Defense News. The wish list was specifically requested by members of Congress who are eyeing it as the basis for a new Pacific-focused pot of money to deter Chinese military action in the region.

Inside US Indo-Pacific Command's $20 Billion wish list

 

[bdpopeye]

@bdpopeye Ever hear of the USN quarantining ships like this before?

No I have not. I know in 1973 when I was aboard John F Kennedy we went to Naples Italy for liberty and that was canceled because of a Cholera outbreak in Naples.

Commanding officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) FIRED!

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[BravoZulu]

Lockheed Martin won an $818.2 million contract modification for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) Lot 17 and 18 production.
The deal provides for 360 Lot 17 JASSM-Extended Range (ER) missiles; 40 Lot 17 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) JASSM-ER missiles; and 390 Lot 18 JASSM-ER missiles.
The JASSM is a long range, conventional, stealthy, air-launched ground attack cruise missile designed for the Air Force and international partners with a range of 223-621.4 miles. JASSM was designed to destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and re-locatable targets.
The threshold integration aircraft were F-16, B-52, and F/A-18 E/F.
Work will take place in Orlando, Florida. Expected completion date is October 31, 2024.

 

[downsizer]

Wow.

This is A/Sec of the Navy addressing the TRs crew after sacking the CO. He sounds like a dick IMHO.

SECNAV: Roosevelt skipper either ‘too naïve or too stupid’ to command aircraft carrier

Modly said Crozier sent the letter either on purpose, or because he was "too naïve or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this."

www.navytimes.com

Scroll down for the full audio.

Now I'm not an OF5 nor the Sec of the Navy, but Modley is not showing leadership here.

 

[BravoZulu]

Wow.

This is A/Sec of the Navy addressing the TRs crew after sacking the CO. He sounds like a dick IMHO.

SECNAV: Roosevelt skipper either ‘too naïve or too stupid’ to command aircraft carrier

Modly said Crozier sent the letter either on purpose, or because he was "too naïve or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this."

www.navytimes.com

Scroll down for the full audio.

Now I'm not an OF5 nor the Sec of the Navy, but Modley is not showing leadership here.

AAAnnnddd....he's gone!

 

[BravoZulu]

USN:
Huntington Ingalls Industries won a $1.5 billion contract modification for the procurement of the detail design and construction of Landing Platform Dock (LPD) Class 31 and the LPD 17 Flight II ship.

LPD 31 will be the 15th in the San Antonio class and the second Flight II LPD.

Ingalls’ LPD Flight II program vendor base consists of more than 600 manufacturers and suppliers in 39 states, including 387 small businesses. More than 1,500 shipbuilders work on each LPD.

Ingalls has delivered 11 San Antonio class ships to the Navy, and it has three more under construction. The San Antonio class is a major part of the Navy’s 21st century amphibious assault force.

Work will take place in Mississippi, Virginia, Wisconsin and Louisiana. Work is expected to be finished by February 2027.

 

[BravoZulu]

USN:
Gulf Island Fabrication has been awarded a contract for the construction of two additional Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ships (T-ATS) for the US Navy.

This represents the navy’s execution of its fourth and fifth options for Gulf Island’s construction of five T-ATS vessels that will be built in the company’s facility in Houma, Louisiana.

The US Navy has remaining options for three additional vessels.

“We are honored that the navy has exercised the options for two additional vessels. This is great news for our employees in Houma, Louisiana as it will provide additional stability during these uncertain times,” Richard Heo, Gulf Island’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented.

The Navajo-class will provide ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations. The current capabilities are provided by three T-ATF 166 and two T-ARS 50 class ships, which reach the end of their expected service lives starting in 2020.

Navajo-class ships will be capable of towing US Navy ships and will have 6,000 square feet of deck space for embarked systems. The platform will be 263 feet long, have a beam of 59 feet, and can carry a load of 1,796 tons.

https://navaltoday.com/2020/04/09/us-navy-exercises-option-for-additional-two-navajo-class-ships/

 

[BravoZulu]

USA:
Philadelphia-based Philly Shipyard has been awarded an initial USD 630 million contract to construct the newest class of US training ship, the national security multi-mission vessel (NSMV).

As informed, the shipyard will construct up to five new ships to provide maritime training for America’s future mariners and to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in times of need.

“This new world class vessel, constructed at an American shipyard, is part of our much-needed program to replace the aging training vessels currently operated by state maritime academies,” Elaine L. Chao, U.S. Transportation Secretary, said.

In May 2019, TOTE Services contracted with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) as the vessel construction manager to deliver up to five NSMVs.

Under the new contract awarded by TOTE, Philly Shipyard is to construct the first two NSMV training ships with options for the remaining three. The ships will be owned and operated by MARAD. The first two units are scheduled for delivery in spring and winter 2023. If all five ships are ordered and built in series, then the total contract value of the five-ship program would be approximately USD 1.5 billion.

Following the construction and delivery of the ships to TOTE Services, the vessels will be transferred to MARAD to further their mission of training future licensed mariners at state maritime academies and responding to humanitarian and natural disasters for the United States.

The NSMV will feature numerous instructional spaces and a full training bridge and have space for up to 600 cadets to train in a first-rate maritime academic environment at sea.

Along with serving as an educational and training platform, the NSMV will also be available to support federal government efforts in response to national and international disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

In this role as a national defense reserve fleet vessel, the NSMV will incorporate medical capabilities, a command and control platform, and berthing for up to 1,000 first responders and recovery workers. The vessel’s roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ramp and crane to facilitate container storage capabilities will enable it to provide critical support equipment and supplies to those in need.

https://navaltoday.com/2020/04/09/p...d-us-national-security-multi-mission-vessels/

 

[BravoZulu]

USAF:
USAF Global Strike Command chief General Timothy Ray told Air Force Magazine that he wants to have a squadron of modified B-1B bombers that can carry the AGM-183 hypersonic missile on external hardpoints.

The B-1B has eight external hardpoints that were designed to carry the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile. These hardpoints were covered up except for one on the port side for the Sniper pod.

“My goal would be to bring on at least a squadron’s worth of airplanes modified with external pylons on the B-1, to carry the ARRW hypersonic cruise missile,” Ray was quoted as saying. He added that the B-1B test fleet at Edwards Air Force Base will be increased from two to eight aircraft to take some of the “load off the B-52” in hypersonic missile testing.

An expanded carriage demonstration on the B-1B was carried out by the 412th Test Wing last year.

 

[DZimm]

If you read the article, they are saying that a B-1 could carry potentially 31 hypersonic missiles at a time. That is some very heavy hitting firepower there. Already today, they can carry internally up to 24 JASSM, JASSM ER, or LRASM. Might be old, might be hard to maintain, but hits like a runaway train.

 

[BravoZulu]

The View From Olympus: Did the Marine Corps Just Commit Suicide?
The new Marine Corps Commandant, General David H. Berger, recently announced a series of major changes in the Marine Corps’ mission and structure. When General Berger released his Commandant’s Guidance last summer, I supported it strongly. But the actions he just announced are so mis-directed that I fear they may add up to the suicide of the Marine Corps.

According to the Commandant’s letter announcing the Corps’ redirection,

The Marine Corps is redesigning the force for naval expeditionary warfare in actively contested spaces, fully aligning the Service with the direction of the National Defense Strategy (NDS). . .

Some of the key changes that will shape the future force include:

• Expansion of long-range fires. A 300% increase in rocket artillery.
• Marine Littoral Regiment. These purpose-built naval combined arms units will be capable of long-range precision-fires and equipped with anti-ship missiles.
• Lighter, more mobile and versatile infantry.
• Ground combat units to focus on naval missions.
• Aviation units re-scoped for naval missions.
• Investments in unmanned systems.
• New capabilities for maritime mobility and resilience.
• Air defense improvements.

The Marine Corps subsequently identified the cuts it will make to existing force structure to free resources for the new programs. These will include all tanks, sixteen of twenty-one tube artillery batteries, three infantry battalions, some F-35s, and significant numbers of helicopters. Total personnel strength will drop by 12,000.

Most of the critical response thus far has focused on the cuts to force structure. On the whole, I do not see them as too problematic, although I would keep three tank companies and all existing infantry battalions. Some of what General Berger is calling for is good, including making infantry lighter and more mobile (assuming that includes becoming true light rather than line infantry) and moving toward more, smaller amphibious ships, some based on commercial designs.

Unfortunately, the mistakes here cut far deeper than fewer or more units of this or that. The proposed changes include three strategic errors, at least two of which are sufficient alone to put the Marine Corps’ continued existence in peril.

More:
https://www.traditionalright.com/the-view-from-olympus-did-the-marine-corps-just-commit-suicide/

Bill Lind was always accurate with his future predictions...and i am afraid he is right on this one.

 

[Fluff]

If you read the article, they are saying that a B-1 could carry potentially 31 hypersonic missiles at a time. That is some very heavy hitting firepower there. Already today, they can carry internally up to 24 JASSM, JASSM ER, or LRASM. Might be old, might be hard to maintain, but hits like a runaway train.

Presumably that’s the idea, 300 hypersonic missiles, is in Chinese, called a shitstorm.

 

[Chazman]

Presumably that’s the idea, 300 hypersonic missiles, is in Chinese, called a shitstorm.

There is talk of pairing B-1s with P-8s. The P-8 has state of the art sensors, data links, targeting, etc., but can only carry a few missiles or torpedoes. The B-1 could be a missile truck controlled and vectored by the P-8.

 

[Chazman]

More:
https://www.traditionalright.com/the-view-from-olympus-did-the-marine-corps-just-commit-suicide/

Bill Lind was always accurate with his future predictions...and i am afraid he is right on this one.

Great piece!

 

[Navor]

The View From Olympus: Did the Marine Corps Just Commit Suicide?

Most of the critical response thus far has focused on the cuts to force structure. On the whole, I do not see them as too problematic, although I would keep three tank companies and all existing infantry battalions. Some of what General Berger is calling for is good, including making infantry lighter and more mobile (assuming that includes becoming true light rather than line infantry) and moving toward more, smaller amphibious ships, some based on commercial designs.

More:
https://www.traditionalright.com/the-view-from-olympus-did-the-marine-corps-just-commit-suicide/

Bill Lind was always accurate with his future predictions...and i am afraid he is right on this one.

I can see the idea behind dropping the Abrams, since it has double the weight of the next combat vehicle in line, the ACV.
The US Army Mobil Protected Firepower Program would be a good alternative. It might not be able to swim ashore like an ACV but at only half the weight of an Abrams, the footprint would be much smaller.

 

[DZimm]

The View From Olympus: Did the Marine Corps Just Commit Suicide?
The new Marine Corps Commandant, General David H. Berger, recently announced a series of major changes in the Marine Corps’ mission and structure. When General Berger released his Commandant’s Guidance last summer, I supported it strongly. But the actions he just announced are so mis-directed that I fear they may add up to the suicide of the Marine Corps.

I do think that Lind makes some good points in that piece, and not that I disagree with him, but for the sake of discussion, here is a recent piece from T. X. Hammes (who Lind has been in agreement with before on other topics) who seems to wholeheartedly support the changes being implemented by the Marines.

Building a Marine Corps of Every Contingency, Clime, and Place.

One of my immediate reactions to this piece was a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach when he advocates leaving containers full of missiles lying around the Philippines and Indonesia as a way to counter China in the South China Sea. There is no potential for that to go horribly awry. ...none at all. . That alone makes me think that Lind is considering the reality of the world a little more than Hammes, who comes across as planning a wargame.