Stephen Trimble does some art-speak. What was the artist trying to say here?
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Monthly Archives: November 2010
Links of Interest–1 Dec 2010
Happy U.S. embassy in Saudi briefs U.S. Senator (more Wikileaks stuff)
Pretend you are Senator Kit Bond (B) from Missouri. Here is a SECRET (Noforn) brief (Wikileaks) sourced by the CIA and DIA and composed by the U.S. Embassy. It is created especially for your trip to Saudi Arabia and gives you a snapshot on the state of the Kingdom.
It is a good short read and sheds some light on how Saudi Arabia sees things. It also shows the reason for that huge $60B U.S.-Saudi arms deal.
Part of the writing style by the embassy gives the impression of having “gone native”.
With that; Team America: WORLD POLICE still has a lot of work to do. Where is Osama?
Damage done–Wikileaks, U.S., China and N.K
The U.S. and China have one of their meetings together to discuss this and that; in private. The Chinese representative tells the U.S. team some things about North Korea. Not super earth-shattering stuff but still, it was meant to be in private.
The next time North Korea is brought up at a U.S.-China meeting, what kind of quality–if any–can one expect? Meetings upon which the U.S. will depend on China to indicate which way the wind is blowing in North Korea.
Unfortunate.
(S) Regarding his recent visit to Pyongyang, Dai briefly recounted his two-hour meeting with DPRK leader Kim Jong-il. Dai said he was on relatively familiar terms with Kim, because he had met with Kim on several occasions in his previous role as Director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee International Liaison Department (CCID). Dai admitted that in contrast with his discussion with Vice FM Kang (see below) his conversation with Kim was not as direct and candid and joked that he “did not dare” to be that candid with the DPRK leader. Dai noted that Kim had lost weight when compared to when he last saw him three years earlier, but that Kim appeared to be in reasonably good health and still had a “sharp mind.” Kim told Dai that he had hoped to invite the Chinese official to share some liquor and wine, but that because of scheduling problems, he would have to defer the offer to Dai’s next visit to North Korea. Kim Jong-il had a reputation among the Chinese for being “quite a good drinker,” and, Dai said, he had asked Kim if he still drank alcohol. Kim said yes. Dai said he also met briefly with Kim Yong-nam, President of the Supreme People’s Assembly, who invited him to attend the performance of a famous Chinese opera, “The Dream of the Red Chamber.”
7. (S) Dai said that he had had frank and blunt discussions with DPRK First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Suk-ju that totaled over two and one half hours. Dai said he told Kang that denuclearization should be Pyongyang’s first choice and that it was important for North Korea to return to Six-Party Talks. He had stressed to Kang that the Six-Party Talks mechanism was useful and explained that the ultimate resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue could not be resolved without the participation of the Six Parties. According to Dai, Kang responded that North Korea was still committed to the goal of denuclearization. Dai believed that the North Koreans had not categorically denied the Six-Party Talks and opined that under the right circumstances, it might be possible to revive the Six-Party Talks process. Dai’s North Korean interlocutors had emphasized the strong security threat it faced. The North Koreans told Dai that they wanted to have dialogue with the United States first and that they would consider next steps, including possible multilateral talks, depending on their conversation with the United States. North Korea held “great expectations for the United States,” said Dai. DPRK officials had told Dai that North Korea viewed former President Clinton’s visit to Pyongyang positively.
8. (S) Even though he had not had an opportunity to visit or observe any place other than Pyongyang, Dai said, his impression of North Korea was that the domestic situation appeared stable and normal. Dai opined that the DPRK.
Also, will interesting sources like this clam up from now on?
Smart platform for the Marines (or anyone) Harvest Hawk H/T @alert5
This is a very useful platform for useless dirt wars. There are still some smart people to be found in the DOD.
A multi-functional C-130; tanker, cargo, ISR, shooter.
The KC-130J “Harvest Hawk” of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), has all the same capabilities of a KC-130J “Hercules,” but the Harvest Hawk carries four Hellfire and 10 Griffen GPS guided missiles and houses an infrared and television camera.
Its mission is to provide close air support, conduct intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance missions and find improvised explosive devices.
“This aircraft is not traditional – yet,” said Maj. Marc Blankenbicker, a fire control officer for the Harvest Hawk.
There is only one Harvest Hawk operating in Afghanistan, and it is used to fill the gaps where coverage from other aircraft isn’t available; it operates in a role similar to that of an F/A-18, explained Blankenbicker, who is originally from Avon, Conn.
Though the Harvest Hawk only began its first deployment in October, it has already had its first weapons engagement Nov. 4.
“We supported [3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment] in Sangin when they were in a fire fight,” said Blankenbicker. “We shot one Hellfire missile, and the battle damage assessment was five enemy [killed in action].”
F-35 JSF engine too big for regular transport at sea (Via Navy Times) #military
However, the F-35C’s Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, contained in its Engine Shipping System, is too large for the cargo door on a standard carrier onboard delivery plane and for the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, the program office acknowledged in a response to a follow-on query from Navy Times. The engine can be broken down into five component parts, but just its power module and packaging alone won’t fit into the COD or the V-22.
The JSF Program Office says the V-22 Osprey, like the MH-53E helicopter, can externally carry the F135 engine module, the heaviest of the five components, at least 288 miles “in good weather.”
One outside analyst, Jan van Tol of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, wondered how the Osprey, in hover mode, could safely lower the module to the flight deck or pick up an out-of-service engine in higher sea states, given the heavy downdraft the aircraft’s 38-foot rotors generate when the engine nacelles are in the vertical position. When so positioned, with the aircraft hovering over the flight deck, the rotor wash can also affect sailors standing nearby – particularly those attaching the load sling, van Tol said. The GAO reported in 2009 that during shipboard exercises, the V-22’s downwash was so severe that in one instance, a sailor was directed to hold in place the sailor serving as the landing guide.
Heat could also be a problem. Depending on the amount of heat generated, sailors involved in sling operations could possibly be forced to wear heat-resistant suits, van Tol said.
Moreover, the Navy has no fleet V-22s and has no plans to acquire them. The Marine Corps flies the MV-22, but the Navy amphibious groups that carry its forces and aircraft to distant shores generally do not operate in the vicinity of carrier strike groups.
The 9,400-pound engine module and transport container also cannot not be transferred from a supply ship to a carrier during underway replenishments — when two ships are sailing side-by-side and connected by supply lines — because, Kennedy said, “It’s too heavy for the unrep station.”
I agree with Mueller; sort of.
By the time initial operational capability is reached, Mueller said, the F-35C engine resupply issue “will be completely addressed.”
Since there are no magic wands like in Mueller’s world, it will be “addressed” by killing the C model or the whole of the program.
Let’s run the checklist.
Affordable?—–No
Supportable?—–No
Lethal?—–No
Survivable?—–No
5th Generation?—–No
Checklist complete.
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Poor Jim
Some get it. Others do not.
The cost of freedom
Hurray for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics! Hurray for North Texas! Hurray for our military, particularly the fighter jocks!
According to the Sunday Star-Telegram, a few more of the modern, first-line machines, the F-35, will be flying in the foreseeable future.
But … it seems that the whole production timetable is four years behind schedule.
Well, let’s see:
We’re going to build a modern jet fighter. It’ll be the fastest thing in the skies. It will be stealthy so our fliers can sneak up on the bad guys. But it needs to function as a bomber every now and then. And it probably will need to do photo recon on occasion.
These birds are expensive, so they will have to last for — oh, say, 30 years. And some of the customers want it to take off short and land vertically. The customers include the U.S. Air Force, the Navy, the Marines, the Brits, the Dutch and …
Enter congressional committee members and Pentagon drones who have never been in the military nor soaked their uniform with sweat in a combat scenario.
They want this wonder toy for $1.98 each!
And we are only four years behind schedule? Seems like a pretty good trade-off so far.
– Jim Cooke, Fort Worth
Will the Senator from Boeing please take a bow #military
A Senator Kit Bond (B) News Release….
BOND, BOEING-ST. LOUIS OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN MILITARY AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION
November 22, 2010
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today joined Boeing senior leadership, employees, elected officials, and community leaders to celebrate recent developments in Boeing’s military aircraft production and the critical role these aircraft continue to play in support of our warfighters. Bond, the strongest advocate in the U.S. Senate for the on-time, on-budget F/A-18, F-15, and C-17, played a key role in the developments celebrated today.
“Your customers, our nation’s warfighters and our allies can claim the biggest victory,” Bond told Boeing employees. “They will be taking delivery of and operating the finest, most reliable, and effective military aircraft in the world. These aircraft are completed on-time, on-budget and that bring our warfighters home safely and with mission success.”
The multiyear procurement of the F/A-18 celebrated today is a major victory for taxpayers as the multiyear will save hundreds of millions of dollars and help to mitigate empty carrier decks caused by the Pentagon’s continued pursuit of the Joint Strike Fighter which is millions over budget and badly behind schedule.
Employees and local leaders also celebrated today the proposed sale of 84 F-15s to Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally. This pending sale, which Bond worked closely with Boeing and the Obama Administration to facilitate, will ensure the F-15 production line stays open and that hundreds of jobs remain at the St. Louis plant. Bond noted that in 1999 he worked to secure funding for four F-15s for the U.S. Air Force. Those four aircraft kept the F-15 line open long enough for the Koreans to chose it for their Air Force. Now, Bond stressed, with the pending Saudi sale and countless other potential customers across the globe, including our own Air National Guard, Boeing workers and our warfighters can be confident the F-15 will remain in production for years to come.
“Senator Bond has never missed an opportunity to support our armed forces, our industry and our work force, and without him we would not be here today, commemorating these remarkable milestones,” said Dennis Muilenburg, president and chief executive officer, Boeing, Defense, Space & Security. “The men and women of Boeing are truly grateful for his many years of service and tireless advocacy for a better equipped warfighter, a safer nation, and a stronger aerospace industry.”
In addition to the multiyear procurement and Saudi sale celebrated today, Bond noted that the sale of 10 C-17s to India, the world’s largest democracy and a strategic partner of the U.S., is nearly finalized. Continued production of the C-17 will help ensure our nation won’t lose its only large military airlift line in production.
“In these tough economic times, there is no question that government must rein in wasteful spending, but it must not compromise on providing for our national defense,” said Bond.
During nearly 24 years in the U.S. Senate, Bond has consistently been one of Boeing-St. Louis’ strongest allies on Capitol Hill. His advocacy for the company’s employees and the aircraft they produce has taken him across the world, from Seoul to Singapore, Tokyo to Tel Aviv and Copenhagen to Kuala Lampur.
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What little industry there is in the U.S. has to make hay while it still exists.
