Maritime Discount Goods

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In a modern version of Operation Market Time, the storied and long-lasting effort to prevent seaborne infiltration of supplies from North Vietnam into the south, U.S. and allied forces have been stopping guns from getting from rogue states (let us just say, “maybe” Iran) to Yemen, a country that has been enmeshed in a brutal civil war for years. While the USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) alone picked up 1,000 AKs last year, other countries like Australia and France have picked up their fair share as well.

In 2016, the French Navy destroyer FS Provence stopped a stateless dhow that contained 2,000 AK-47s, 64 Dragunov SVD sniper rifles, nine anti-tank missiles, and other munitions.

Guns seized by the French Navy on March 20, 2016 (Photo Combined Maritime Forces)

Ever wonder what happens to them?

Well, I guess to the victors goes the spoils of when it comes to spare Kalash, and the French government just recently gifted 1,400 of those same AKs to the Central African Republic (formerly the colony of French Equatorial Africa) in an effort to strengthen the country’s military.

France has long had a thumb in the CARs affairs and has maintained a sizable military force there since 2013, its 7th such deployment since the country gained nominal independence in 1960.

The Long Gray Line and their endless gold bands

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Occupied by the Continental Army in 1778, the strong point in a sharp S-bend above the Hudson River at West Point, New York was considered a strategic key to the region– which is why one of Washington’s most trusted generals, known then as “America’s Hannibal,” given command of the garrison there the next year.

“The Million Dollar View” from Trophy Point at the USMA, an easy way to see why West Point was the key to the Hudson River Valley in 1778.

Following the war, West Point was one of the few military installations retained by a cash-poor Congress, and by 1794, new cadet artillerists and engineers were being trained there. That made it a logical place to establish the U.S. Military Academy in 1801, some 43 years prior to Annapolis opening its doors. The first class, consisting of Joseph Gardner Swift (later, Colonel) and Simeon Magruder Levy, matriculated in 1802.

Fast forward to the USMA’s bicentennial in 2002, and the West Point Association of Graduates assisted with a plan in which class rings worn by past cadets were donated, melted, and mixed into the gold used for the new rings of the rising First Class cadets.

The tradition continues today, with the most recent Ring Melt ceremony saw the 575th vintage ring recycled to help cast the new rings for the 2020 Class.

More here.

SoDak back after 72 years and 2 days

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South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889, simultaneously with North Dakota, and the first U.S. Navy warship named in honor of the state was Armored Cruiser No. 9, a Pennsylvania-class ACR of some 15,000-tons that commissioned in 1908.

That vessel was renamed USS Huron (CA-9) in 1920 so that “South Dakota” could be recycled to a new BB-49-class of six 47,000-ton 23-knot battlewagons, each armed with 16″/50 caliber Mark 2 guns.

Preliminary Design for the 1919 Program Battleships. May 3, 1918, A preliminary design plan for battleships to be built with the Fiscal Year 1919 funding. This plan represented the final development of the South Dakota (Battleship # 49) class preliminary design. Photo #: S-584-132

Well, the Washington Naval Treaty of 1921 caused their cancellation before any of these behemoths were launched, and they were all broken up in place, their guns passed on to the Army to use in coastal defense batteries.

The second SoDak that commissioned was, of course, the leader of a new class of four fast battleships laid down in 1939-40. Winner of a full 13 battlestars, BB-57 was known in the media as “Battleship X” across some of her more spectacular deployments during the war in the Pacific in the interest of OPSEC.

Decommissioned 31 January 1947, after less than five years with the fleet, she was laid up in Philadelphia for the next 15 years and was sold for scrap.

USS South Dakota (BB-57) crewmen haul down the National Ensign as the battleship is decommissioned, at the Philadelphia Naval Base, Pennsylvania, 31 January 1947. NHHC 73929

Now, the third SoDak, USS South Dakota (SSN-790), a brand new Virginia-class submarine built at EB’s Groton Shipyard, was commissioned Saturday, adding the name back to active service. Gratefully, some of BB-57s WWII crew were able to make it to the event.

GROTON, Conn. (Feb. 2, 2019) Richard Hackley, a veteran who served aboard the battleship USS South Dakota (BB 57), passes the long glass to Lt. Benjamin McFarland, the first officer of the deck to stand duty aboard the submarine South Dakota, during the boat’s commissioning ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London, Feb. 2, 2019. South Dakota is the U.S. Navy’s 17th Virginia-class attack submarine and the third ship named for the State of South Dakota. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Tristan B. Lotz/Released)

“It is very impressive and I am very honored to be a part of this,” said Richard Hackley, a seaman 1 st Class (Radar Striker) aboard the battleship USS South Dakota during World War II. “I’ve got fond memories from serving on South Dakota and to be included in the new South Dakota is quite an honor for me.”

Celebrating 40 yrs of Belgian F16s

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On 26 January 1979, the Belgische Luchtmacht (Belgian Air Force) received their first F-16A, FB-01, to replace their F-104 Starfighters which had been around for two decades. As such, the service just celebrated their 40th birthday with the type.

A Belgian Air Force F-16BM two-seater model, photo via BAF

The BAF currently has some 54 early models F-16A/Bs (designated F-16AM and F-16BMs respectively) in inventory remaining from a batch of 160 purchased in the 1980s. These include 43 PAA aircraft assigned to four squadrons: the 1re Escadrille de Chasse (which dates back to 1913), 31st, 350th, and 351st. In recent years they have conducted deployments to Libya and Afghanistan as well as other NATO and EU missions. They also take turns keeping two F-16s on alert to defend the airspace of all three BE-NE-LUX Lowland countries.

They are set to be replaced in 34 F-35As in coming years.

Here is a video of Belgian F-16s, flown by pilots from the 2nd Tactical Wing at Florennes while on a NATO mission safeguarding the airspace over Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia.

Meet the Solo 300

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What, no gas system? You don’t need it on a manually-operated .300BLK pistol!

To eliminate the action noise while trimming weight and parts, the AR-framed handgun uses a hybrid polymer lower and upper (with metal inserts) and, rather than being semi-auto, is manually-operated. Without the need for a regular BCG, he says he uses one that is basically cut in half and drilled and tapped for the left-side charging handle. At the same time, he still has all of the modularity of a standard AR when it comes to triggers, parts, magazines, etc.

The inventor of it says, “I like to think of it as a Thompson-Center Contender that costs half as much, weighs a third as much, holds 10-shots and reloads at the flick of a wrist.”

The 411 in my column at Guns.com

U.S. and Romanian Marines, compared

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While the U.S. Marine Corps, as everyone knows, dates back to Tun Tavern in 1775, their Romanian equivalent– Regimentul 307 Infanterie Marină (Forțele Navale Române) — was only formed in 1975 by that country’s Black Sea-based navy.

Originally just a battalion-sized force that emulated the Soviet Naval Infantry with the goal of raiding the Turkish coast in WWIII-type conflict involving the Warsaw Pact vs NATO, it has evolved over time to a full regiment and has been involved in a series of mentoring exercises with Western marine units such as that of the Dutch Korps Mariniers, the British RM and, of course, the Devils. Heck, they even deployed to Kosovo as part of KFOR in 2008-9.

Below is a good comparison from a 2017 exercise between the 24th MEU and the 307th that shows both a Romanian naval infantry sailor and an American Leatherneck at Capu Midia

Romanian Sailor Cpl. Pintilie Madalina:

(U.S. Marine Corps photo illustration by Sgt. Matthew Callahan/Released)

Note the M2002 pattern camo, which is a Romanian version of British DPM (and is being replaced by a new pixilated camo) and her Cugir-made PA md. 86 underfolder in 5.45x39mm 7.62x39mm PM md. 65 (thanks, Alex!) akin to the old school AKMS, complete with the distinctive Romanian “dong” wooden fore end.

Now contrast her with Marine Capt. Rebecca Bergstedt, officer in charge of the 24th Marine Expeditionary (MEU), Unit Female Engagement Team.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo illustration by Sgt. Matthew Callahan/Released)

Still, I wouldn’t want to fight either one.

You get a carrier, you get a carrier…

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The Navy just awarded some $15.2B to Newport News for work on the two Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, the 9th USS Enterprise (CVN-80) PCU, and the as-yet-to-be-named CVN-81. The ships are slated to replacing the 1970s vintage Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), respectively, when they commission in the 2030s. By then, hopefully they will get their cats and elevators worked out.

Of note, Enterprise will be Newport News’ third flattop with the same name, as they also constructed both CVA(N)-65 and CV-6 in the 1930s and 1960s, respectively.

From DOD:

Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded the detail design and construction (DD&C) efforts for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers Enterprise (CVN 80) and unnamed CVN 81 under the following contract actions: (1) A $14,917,738,145 fixed-price-incentive-firm target modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-2116 for DD&C efforts for the future USS Enterprise (CVN 80) and unnamed CVN 81. The current contract for advance procurement funded efforts has been in place since 2016. (2) A $263,096,868 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-2116 for associated research and development efforts. (3) A $31,097,671 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification for additional level-of-effort in support of maintenance of the CVN 78 class specification, design efforts, feasibility and tradeoff studies, and scoping and estimating. Work under this contract will be performed in Newport News, Virginia (62 percent); Sunnyvale, California (5 percent); Coatesville, Pennsylvania (3 percent); Wellsville, New York (1 percent); Cincinnati, Ohio (1 percent); Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1 percent); and various locations below one percent (27 percent), and is expected to be completed by February 2032. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $889,830,279 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

What is an SCW and how is it changing the new guns on the market?

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Last June, the U.S. Army tapped first 10 and then a total of 13 companies for what it termed “Sub Compact Weapons.” These guns, “capable of engaging threat personnel with a high volume of lethal and accurate fires at close range with minimal collateral damage,” were to be used by the military’s Personal Security Details, special teams tasked with protecting high-value officers and dignitaries such as the SACEUR and the commander of U.S. Forces Korea– each likely an endangered species in the hours prior to the balloon going up in those regions.

The Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Samuel Caines, assigned to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe Security Detachment, ejects a bullet casing at the Training Support Center Benelux 25-meter indoor range in Chièvres, Belgium, Oct. 22, 2015. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Pierre-Etienne Courtejoie/Released)

Well, that didn’t work out and the Army trimmed the field a bit in September with a tough series of requirements (a weapon shorter than 15-inches overall when stowed but still ready to fire in such a position, weight less than 5-pounds, etc) and just six companies were able to get in on that. While a small contract, likely to run 350 to 1,000 guns, the bragging rights to replace the long-standard HK MP5 would be huge.

While little details about what models were ultimately submitted for review by the Army, several new SCW-ish guns were in the aisles of the 41st annual SHOT Show in Las Vegas last week, and they are pretty swag.

More in my column at Guns.com.

 

Over a seaman’s grave, no flowers grow: USS Thresher to be remembered at Arlington

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USS Thresher. Starboard bow view, July 24, 1961. (Official U.S. Navy Photograph)

More than a half-century after their loss, 129 brave submariners will be given a standing memorial at Arlington.

USS Thresher (SSN-593), commissioned in August 1961, was the lead ship of a new class of nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarines and was the most technically advanced ship in the world.

On April 10, 1963, she sank approximately 200 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. All souls aboard were lost that day; 129 U.S. Navy Sailors and civilian workers. Thresher was the first nuclear-powered submarine lost at sea, and the largest loss of life in the submarine force’s history.

As a result of this, the Navy immediately restricted all submarines in depth until the causes of this tragic loss could be fully understood, leading to SUBSAFE.

Loss of the Thresher by A. L. Karafylakis NH 86731-KN

Now, Veteran Navy submariner and president of the non-profit USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Foundation Kevin Galeaz formally announced Monday night that a proposed memorial had received approval of Secretary of the Army Mark Esper.

“This is a long time coming for the families, 55 years, and I have tears of joy that it is finally being realized,” said Galeaz.

More here.

Micro Machines!

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Below we see snaps from a recent test in which a single C-17A Globemaster was able to carry 5 combat-loaded Polaris MRZR-2 and 6 GD-OTS Flyer 72 lightweight tactical vehicles, along with a light company-sized unit to man them. In short, an airmail fast recon team.

The Pentagon has been trialing the Flyer 72 and MRZR-2 for the past couple years, as the robust light vehicles have a lot of potentials, especially when it comes to raids, SF/expeditionary type gigs and operations in off-road environments.

Green Berets from 3rd Special Forces Group ( Airborne) traverse the desert in Polaris Razors during a personnel recovery training exercise March 2, 2016, in Nevada. (U.S. Army photo by 3rd SFG (A) Combat Camera)

Air Force airmen driving a Polaris MRZR and a minibike wait to drive into the back of a C-130J Hercules aircraft in Djibouti

You know you want one of each…

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