Flechette is Back in Action with Marines in Afghanistan

The U.S. Marine Corps is adding the 149 Mod 0 Flechette warheads for unguided 2.75" rockets carried on the corps' AH-1W and UH-1N helicopters helicopters operating in Afghanistan. Similar weapons were used during the Vietnam War but the new warhead uses darts three times larger than the old ones, having the velocity and impact comparable to a 5.56 millimeter round.

Source: Defence Update

Source: Trishul Group

The Army needs to double its staff of substance-abuse counselors to handle the soaring numbers of soldiers seeking alcohol treatment, said Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army’s No. 2 officer.About 300 more counselors are needed to meet the demand, cut wait times and offer evening and weekend services, Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, said in an interview with USA TODAY.Last year, 9,199 soldiers enrolled in treatment after being diagnosed with alcohol problems, a 56 percent increase over 2003, when the Iraq war started, according to Army records released Monday. Overall, 16,388 sought some type of counseling, data show.In 2003, 5,873 enrolled in treatment from the 11,309 soldiers who sought counseling.“There’s no doubt in my mind that since 2001 and being involved in two wars ... that we probably have a higher incidence of alcohol abuse,” Chiarelli said.Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Horne, chief of Army human resources and policy, said “we need the nation’s help” in finding more counselors. The service is currently down 20 percent from its authorized staffing level of 290, said Les McFarling, director of the Army Substance Abuse Program.Last year, then-Army secretary Pete Geren asked Chiarelli to work to reduce the Army’s record rate of suicide. Chiarelli said substance abuse has been identified as an issue in many of the deaths, which reached 160 confirmed and suspected cases in 2009.McFarling said many soldiers are referred for substance-abuse counseling after an incident such as being cited by police for drunken driving. If counselors determine they do not have an alcohol-abuse problem, the soldiers are required to go through a two-day educational course instead of a formal treatment program.Alcohol remains a much larger problem than drug abuse, making up 85 percent of the Army substance-abuse treatment caseload, McFarling said.Last year, the Army started a program aimed at reducing the stigma associated with seeking help for alcohol problems. At three Army installations, soldiers can seek alcohol-abuse counseling without their commanders being notified. The program allows soldiers to receive counseling off the post and during nights and weekends.The Army would require more counselors to expand the program throughout the service, Horne said. The Army wants to have one counselor for every 1,600 soldiers instead of the current target of one for every 2,000, he said. The officials did not give a cost estimate for the additional counselors.“We’ll have more counselors on the scene that can see more people quickly,” Horne said.
Source: Army Times

Super Tucano versus OV-10

30 Januari 2010

Super Tucano and Bronco (photo : Militaryphotos)

Indonesia is buying sixteen EMB-314 Super Tucano aircraft, to replace twelve 1960s era OV-10s. The two seat, 5.2 ton, single engine turbo prop Super Tucano will be used for COIN (Counter Insurgency) operations. It can fly low and slow, yet still has a 1,000 combat kilometer radius, five hour endurance, 600 kilometers per hour top speed, and a 35,000 foot ceiling. The Super Tucano armament consists of twin 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine guns and nearly two tons of guided bombs and rockets. Counter Measure equipment is available for defense against missiles.

The OV-10, at least in its prime, is a hard act to follow. The OV-10 is a 6.5 ton, twin prop aircraft that could carry over two tons of weapons and stay in the air for three hours per sortie. The first one was delivered to the U.S. Air Force, for use in Vietnam, in 1968. The last one was produced (for export to Indonesia) in 1976. The U.S. Air Force and Marines were the primary users of OV-10s, and the last of these was retired, by the marines, in 1994. Over a hundred were exported to Germany, Thailand, Colombia, Venezuela and Indonesia. Several dozen of these are still in use out of over 300 manufactured. In Vietnam, the OV-10 was used more for reconnaissance and directing air and artillery strikes, than in using its own firepower. But that's what irregular warfare was all about, finding an elusive enemy, and killing him. That's what the OV-10 was designed to do, and did it well.

(Strategy Page)

Source: Defense Studies

Samum

The Project 1239 Sivuch small missile air cushion ship is primary intended for coast defense operations. Two ships in service now.

The new Russian missile carrying hovercraft is meant to carry out missile attacks on ships. It is the largest military hovercraft unmatched anywhere in the world. With the displacement of 1000 tons, the craft has a cruising speed of 100 kilometers an hour. It is armed with 8 Mosquito missiles which can strike targets on the sea and on land. The hovercraft has 20 anti-aircraft missiles, an artillery complex, a machine-gun and an interference creating device. The hovercraft has an aluminium hull. Though it's a light craft, its seaworthiness is very high. The hovercraft can be on an autonomous voyage for 10 days. One refueling is enough for 2,500 miles. The complement is 68 men.

As the chairman of the state commission overseeing the tests, the first deputy commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet, Vice-Admiral Alexander Brazhnik, says the hovercraft showed excellent performance in stormy conditions and carried out the first missile launches and artillery fire practice.











Source: Black Sea Fleet

Source: Gallery Kapal Perang

Saab 105 Ö

Source: Austrian Armed Forces

Source: Gallery Pesawat Tempur

Source: Trishul Group