USA Armed Forces

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Lord Jim
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Yes these Lightning Carrier will free up the USNs carriers from having to provide air to ground for USMC operations but they will still have to provide air to air cover using their E-2 Super Hawkeyes and fast jets. Obviously the USMC Plots are more than capable of defending themselves if actually attacked, but the ability of their F-35Bs to carry out a stealthy day one attack on a contested island ahead of a USMC landing is a game changer of the service. Taking out enemy air defences and AShM batteries allowing the USMC to initally fly in Marines followed up by the planned fast Landing Ships means they can knock holes in any A2/AD area.
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Tempest414
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Lord Jim wrote: 15 Apr 2022, 01:28 Yes these Lightning Carrier will free up the USNs carriers from having to provide air to ground for USMC operations but they will still have to provide air to air cover using their E-2 Super Hawkeyes and fast jets. Obviously the USMC Plots are more than capable of defending themselves if actually attacked, but the ability of their F-35Bs to carry out a stealthy day one attack on a contested island ahead of a USMC landing is a game changer of the service. Taking out enemy air defences and AShM batteries allowing the USMC to initally fly in Marines followed up by the planned fast Landing Ships means they can knock holes in any A2/AD area.
Also the USMC F-35b's pilots are training to ident targets for the M142 HIMARS crews meaning even once they have dropped there own weapons they can spot for others
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Lord Jim

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Latest Naval News off You Tube showing ongoing us naval contruction.

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Wasn't sure where to put this so here goes. This is a pretty good USAF documentary from the early 2000s I think about an F-15 Pilot attending Red Flag. I covers not just him but the wider aspects of the exercise. I find it interesting that the Red Team is based around the local F-16 equipped Aggressors. Takes me back over 20 years when I got to know the 527th Aggressors at RAF Alconbury and their F-5Es. I think back then the Aggressors were much more restricted to the expected OpFor's Tactics, namely that of the Soviet Air Force and its close allies. It seem not they have a broader range of options as the OpFor, which would definitely make the "Good Guys", jobs harder. Hope you enjoy the video.

Of course Top Gun II coming out had nothing to do with this. :D

Lord Jim
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Latest video form Forgotten Weapons, but Ian McCullen ( think that is how his name is spelt) regarding the winner of the US Army's NGSW programme the M5. AS usual this is a very informative video and I recommend the YouTube channel whole heartedly is anyone has the slightest interest in firearms.

Contrary to some observers I agree with Ian that this rifle will be issued to all frontline infantry with support units retaining the M4 for some time. I cannot see it simply being issued as a new DMR, especially with the US Army's initial order around 150,000 rifles.

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Ah the NGSW, one of the dumbest programs the USA has right now. The navy is basically half broken.

The optic is obviously worth the weight in the gold.

I'm totally salty true velocity and their plastic ammo didn't win.

Little J
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Note the 2 types of ammo... When you've seen videos of the rifle being easy to control that's the training ammo, when it's heavy recoiling, that the actual combat ammo.

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Forgive me for not being the most knowledgeable on the subject but don't you want your soldiers training with the full power ammo so in combat they know how to get the best use and control out of the round?

Lord Jim
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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From what I have read, though the full power round does indeed result in a "Kick", it is sstill less than a Battle Rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. One of the important observation made in the video is that the 6.8mm round is really aimed at the M250 Automatic Rifle which is replacing the M249 and possible some of the M240s currently in use. This is the opposite to the current situation, where the 5.56mm was designed as a rifle rounds and was a far from ideal Machine Gun round.

However with the new optic, the troops are able to shoot accurately well out beyond 400m and are able to suppress targets, i.e. have rounds passing within a meter of the target at worse, out to 800m with aimed semi auto firing. At that range the round also still has far greater energy than a current 7,62mm NATO round.

What is generally accepted is that the Rifle itself is very good but heavier than the M4, which is no surprise, most rifles are heavier than the M4. It is also important to remember that as part of the trials all entrants were given to service units to carry out there own assessments and feedback was taken on board before the final decision was made. The new weapons are gong to being about a change in how US Infantry are trained to fight, taking advantage of them, and aim to overmatch an opponent. This was the reasoning behind the NGSW programme, not just to purchase an M4 replacement. We will have to see how the M5 and M250 handle in actual combat, but as the first units are to receive the new weapons next year we shouldn't have long to wait. AS the British Army is due to replace the L85 later this decade the results will be interesting especially as the Army has kept a close eye on the NGSW programme.

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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https://www.defensenews.com/miltech/202 ... -aircraft/

The Army is expected to soon decide on whether to move forward with a program it is calling HADES, or the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System.

“The prototype initiative and program scope are still pre-decisional with Army senior leaders,” Army spokesperson Ellen Lovett told Defense News in an emailed statement. “Because aerial ISR is an important part of integrated deterrence, we are proceeding in a methodical, resource-balanced manner to ensure we deliver the right capability.”

The service has not publicly announced plans to move forward on the program, but Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville recently told Congress that fixed-wing ISR remains an important organic capability and that HADES would bring more capability to the force.

For the Army to determine what HADES might look like, it is flying two demonstrator aircraft in order to “fly before we buy, so to speak,” McConville said, “to get the requirements right, to make sure it’s providing that capability.”

Artemis — or Aerial Reconnaissance and Targeting Exploitation Multi-Mission Intelligence System — has flown in the European theater for more than a year and has logged more than 2,000 flight hours and counting, Col. James DeBoer, the Army’s project manager for fixed-wing aircraft, told Defense News in a recent interview. Artemis did deploy to the Pacific prior to its European tour for a short period.

The Army awarded a contract to HII, and the company awarded a subcontract to Leidos in November 2019 to build Artemis using a Bombardier Challenger 650 jet.
The plane participated in Defender Europe, a division-sized exercise designed to test the service’s ability to deliver a force from the U.S. to Europe. Artemis has continued to deploy to operational areas throughout the continent.

The other demonstrator aircraft, dubbed Ares — or Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System — deployed to the Pacific on April 18 and had so far flown roughly 130 hours in support of local missions as of mid-May, DeBoer said.

The Army awarded a contract to Alion Science and Technology, which is now owned by HII. Alion awarded a subcontract to L3Harris Technologies in November 2020 to build and fly the aircraft. Ares is based on a Bombardier Global Express 6500 jet.

Ares is a bigger platform than Artemis, DeBoer said, and it provides the Army longer ranges and higher altitudes — key capabilities for the Pacific region. According to unclassified data, the aircraft has a 5,500-mile range and can fly at 51,000 feet for about 12.5 hours.
A larger aircraft also means payloads can be larger, more powerful and more capable, and electrical generation on the aircraft is greater, DeBoer said.

The sensor packages on Artemis and Ares differ, but both have electronic, communications and signals intelligence sensors.

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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:lol:

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Tempest414
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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What are you so happy about every time a Type 45 goes out we hold our breath until it comes back

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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It would appear those two new USAF f35 sqn heading to the U.K. are emm not really new at all


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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Boeing showcasing itself well


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Re: USA Armed Forces

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SW1 wrote: 25 Aug 2022, 08:16 Boeing showcasing itself well

I can't help laughing at it happening to one with the US flag painted on the tail :thumbup:
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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And people thought Boris was the biggest idiot in politics :wtf: :thumbup:

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Be interesting to see if they can build as many as they need. Or if it will turn into another B-2


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Re: USA Armed Forces

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Lord Jim
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Re: USA Armed Forces

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It's about time.

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – At approximately 6:15 p.m. yesterday, an F-35A Lightning II from the 388th Fighter Wing crashed at the north end of the runway at Hill Air Force Base. On and off-base emergency crews responded immediately.

The pilot ejected from the aircraft, was taken to a local hospital for observation and was treated and released last night.

The crash caused an 8-10 acre brush fire that was contained by fire crews from Hill AFB and the surrounding communities.

“Right now, we’re very thankful there were no serious injuries,” said Col. Craig Andrle, 388th Fighter Wing commander. “Our pilot is safe, everyone on the ground is safe and it’ doesn’t look like there was any other serious damage. We’re very thankful for our emergency responders and the support from the local communities.”

https://www.388fw.acc.af.mil/News/Artic ... -hill-afb/

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Re: USA Armed Forces

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More on the ongoing struggle between USN and US Senate over naval Budgets and retirement of Ticonderoga class Cruissers, Littoral Combat Ships and expeditionary sea bases, plus number of amphibs.

https://news.usni.org/2022/10/19/white- ... fense-bill

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