From the US Navy: "Marines assigned to 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit enter the well deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard." That looks like an amazingly fun ride to me.
It looks like Call of Duty. It’s not. It looks like a movie. It’s not. Instead it’s an incredible photograph of a Marine Corps Super Stallion Helicopter taking off with a M777 howitzer in the California desert. In real life. What a powerful image. The helicopter is lugging the 7,500 pound 35 foot long monster of a weapon like it’s nothing.
Predator drones are very, very good at what they do, but $8 million will only get you about half of one. Doesn’t matter which half, that guy ain’t gonna to fly. Instead, the US Navy is investing in a smaller, lighter, more versatile recon drone.
With sequestration and whatnot, the Navy’s suffering for resources. So they’re getting creative. Creative like launching drones off aircraft carriers? Well, yes, actually—but it gets more exciting than that. The Marines might soon start fighting pirates.
It’s not news that the Pentagon’s fated F-35 program is riddled with dilemmas