Ramlaen

An example of a double V hull M1256 ICVV (left) next to a flat bottom M1129A1 MCV (right). The M1129 also has the mine protection kit mounted.

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/09/flight-ops-of-15-f-35as-suspended-due-to-fuel-tank-problem/

 

The US Air Force and Norway announced the temporary suspension of flight operations for 15 F-35As today because of “peeling and crumbling insulation in avionics cooling lines inside the fuel tanks.”

 

The problem, caused by a supplier, was discovered during depot modification of an F-35A and affects a total of 57 aircraft, 42 of them still on the production line.

 

The Air Force statement by Ann Stefanek says 10 planes at Hill AFB, Utah, four at Luke AFB, Ariz. (including the two Norwegian planes), and one at Nellis AFB, Nev. are affected. Of the aircraft still in production, 28 belong to the U.S. and partner nations (three are Norwegian) and 14 are Foreign Military Sales aircraft.

 

The problem “was discovered during depot maintenance on one of the impacted jets where loose insulation was discovered. The issue is confined to one supplier source and one batch of parts,” Mike Rein, Lockheed Martin spokesman, says in a statement.

 

The Joint Program Office provides some more detail, identifying the all-important “root cause.” It was the “use of nonconforming material for the tubing insulation and improper manufacturing processes during fabrication of the cooling lines.” The material, sad to say, “is not compatible with fuel, causing degradation of the insulation and resulting in it falling off the tubing.” I wouldn’t want to be that supplier.

 

The fleet aircraft will probably have go to the depot to fix the problem. The others will be fixed before delivery.

I would be ok with it being named after the B-32 Dominator, the bomber that everyone forgets about.

Pictures from the 2016 Fort Benning Maneuver Conference, nabbed from Benning's media page, BAE's twitter and Tom Antonov's twitter.

Stryker MRV

M2A3 ECP2 Bradley

M8 AGS

XM813 gun

XM25 gun and ATK's 7.62mm chain gun

assorted ammunition, including a mock up of 50x228 APFSDS and PABM

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2016/september/160913-rms-f-35-and-aegis-combat-system-successfully-demonstrate-integration-potential-in-first-live-missile-test.html

 

During the Sept. 12 test, an unmodified U.S. Marine Corps F-35B from the Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1, acted as an elevated sensor and detected an over-the-horizon threat. The F-35B sent data through the aircraft’s Multi-Function Advanced Data Link (MADL) to a ground station connected to the Aegis Weapon System on the USS Desert Ship (LLS-1), a land-based ship. The target was subsequently engaged and intercepted by a Standard Missile 6.

History of current US rapid obscuration systems

Current meaning 1997.

Pay attention to Hillary's feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtQVIcxq82E

Twice in a day.

Imagine this during the first debate later this month.

Finally making their own wheeled death traps with big guns for export? 

Supposedly it is that 125mm L/70 gun.

If you remember back at the 2012 AUSA there was a model of an Abrams and Stryker with Trophy mounted.

More images here;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21159426@N05/albums/72157631991063163

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21159426@N05/albums/72157632002134922

Supposedly found in the yard of someone who lives next to the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center.

This was made not too long ago by a person on 4chan in a thread where the size of the T-14 was being debated. The T-14 and M1 are scaled to the size of their road wheels (700mm for the T-14 and 25 inches for the M1).

Warning, big picture.

Holy crap. That broken off barrel pic. WTF caused that?

I don't remember the cause but it was back in 2014 during a training exercise.

The guy who took these gave the ok to share them. A couple might be from elsewhere because my folders are not organized.

How do we feel about the narrative in this video?

 

I think you can boil it down to "What makes a tank varies by the user and their needs."

The beginning felt like a children's show on PBS.

Misfire.

GMLRS Alternative Warhead, a blast/fragmentation alternative to the bomblets of DPICM in the anti-infantry/light armor role.

And the US policy on cluster munitions.

 

The United States said in a November 25, 2011, statement that the United States would continue to implement the DOD policy on cluster munitions issued June 19, 2008, which recognizes the need to minimize harm to civilians and infrastructure but also reaffirms the contention that “cluster munitions are legitimate weapons with clear military utility.” The central directive in the Pentagon’s new policy is the unwaiverable requirement that cluster munitions used after 2018 must leave less than 1% of unexploded submunitions on the battlefield. Prior to 2018, U.S. use of cluster munitions with a greater than 1% unexploded ordnance rate must be approved by Combatant Commanders. This policy will permit the development of a new generation of cluster munitions less dangerous to civilians. While such a high level of performance might be achievable under controlled laboratory conditions, previously mentioned factors such as delivery technique, landing in soft or muddy ground, getting caught in trees and vegetation, and submunitions being damaged after dispersal or landing could result in an appreciable number of dud submunitions, even if they have a self-deactivation feature.

Ramlaen, on the Leclerc, Leopard 2 and similar designed tanks, the side skirts are meant to cover only the crew compartment (i.e. driver's place + turret ring section) along the 30° arc. The ammo would need to be stored behind the turret ring. While it is possible to extend the skirt armor, this would lead to an increase in weight or a decrease in frontal arc protection for the crew compartment (compare Leopard 2 and Leclerc with ~150 mm thick skirts to M1 Abrams with ~70 mm skirts). Each tank design is a trade-off between benefits and disadvantages.

What? I wasn't talking about hulls. The Leopard 2's bustle ammo rack is protected from frontal angles by the crew compartment armor.

Take a Leopard 2 for example. It may not have armor cavities directly over its bustle, but the armor over the crew compartment still provides cover for its ready rack from a sizable frontal angle.

Some stuff I have come across while rummaging through DTIC.

Options for light/medium AFV gun armament

Development, Optimization and Application of Combined Effect Explosives

Kinetic Energy Missiles

Cutting Down the Kick: Understanding and Managing Large Caliber Recoil

M256 Ammunition DataLink Development-Testing-Fielding

Lightweighting of Large Caliber Weapons - Present and Future

120mm Ammunition Feasibility Assessment for Light Artillery

Development of the Interceptor System for the Extended Area Protection & Survivability

105mm M393A2 Terminal Ballistic Performance Against Concrete Wall

Insensitive Propulsion Systems for Large Caliber Ammunition

120mm High Explosive - Tracer (HE-T) IM Development and Design

Development of the M1028, 120mm Anti-Personnel Tank Round

Process Improvement and Optimization of Insensitive Explosive IMX-101

When BAE showed off its old M8 prototypes last year to spark discussion about Mobile Protected Firepower, it made everyone think it was coming back. Now that we know a little more about MPF it appears what is actually being brought back to life is 50mm Supershot.

Some videos from the Soldier Innovation Workshop where MPF was discussed.

What these guys describe sounds a lot like a CVR(T) Mark 2 to me.