The Sailor McCain....

Yep, its a goof - but you could almost see it, couldn't you ......





Another reason to shut up and Vote McCain.

Hat tip Allah.

JMSDF spanks the USN

Well, spanks the P-3 bubbas at least. Have you heard about the "XP-1?"

Nice stats.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) P-X — Specification

General characteristics

• Crew: Flight:2 Mission:(N/A)
• Length: 38 m (124 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 35 m (114 ft 8 in)
• Height: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
• Powerplant: 4× IHI F7-10 ^[7], 13,500 lbs (60 kN) each

Performance

• Cruise speed: 833 km/h (450 knots, 516 mph)
• Range: 8,000 km (4,320 nm, 4,970 mi)
• Service ceiling: 44,200 ft (13,520 m)

Armament

• Bombs: 20,000+ lb (9,000+ kg)
• Missiles: AGM-84 Harpoon, ASM-1C, AGM-65 Maverick
• Sonobuoys: 30+ Pre-loaded, 70+ Deployable from inside
• Other: MK-46 and Type 97 and new(GRX-5) torpedoes, mines, depth charges

Avionics

• Radar Toshiba Active Electronically Scanned Array radar system
• Sound NEC Multistatic sound navigation system
• ASW SHINKO ELECTRIC CO.,LTD. Advanced combat direction system
• Other Mitsubishi Electric Countermeasure system (CMD,RWR,MWS,ESM)

• 
  

Four engines are nice. Let's compare to the P-8A estimate...
Boeing P-8A Poseidon (MMA Project ) — Specifications

US Navy Fact File - P-8A ^[9] and Boeing P-8A Specifications ^[10]

General characteristics

• Crew: Flight:2 Mission:7
• Length: 129 ft 6 in (39.47 m)
• Wingspan: 117 ft 2 in (35.72 m)
• Height: 42 ft 1 in (12.83 m)
• Empty weight: 138,300 lb (62,730 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 188,200 lb (85,370 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× CFM International CFM56-7B, 27,000 lbf (120 kN) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 490 kts (907 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 440 kts (815 km/h)
• Service ceiling: 41,000 ft (12,500 m)

Armament

Joint missiles, Mines and Torpedoes

Avionics

Raytheon APY-10 (APS-137 follow-on) surface search radar and SIGINT package.

Less data for the P-8A, must be because there is yet to be one making a shadow on the ramp - which is a shame being that we know how the P-3s are doing.

There are some interesting quotes to take on board.

[1] In this the P-X program will be the exact reverse of the P-8A. The latter is a maritime patrol derivative of Boeing’s highly-successful 737 airliner. KHI, in contrast, built a patrol aircraft but may offset development costs by spinning off a future YP-X civilian airliner derivative. Update: The Japanese Ministry of Defence’s Technical Research and Development Institute site refers to the P-X prototype as a “XP-1”.
[2] One batch of rivets from a US supplier had not been heat treated. As a result, 10,000 rivets in 161 locations had to be examined. Many of the rivets had to be drilled out and replaced.

Here too.

In contrast with the case of ballistic missile programs – in which Japanese generally expressed a desire to be a partner with the United States – development of an indigenous P-3 replacement was characterized as having been decided officially, with consideration being given to maintaining interoperability with US systems. Japanese believed that the United States had lagged behind Japan in articulating requirements for a P-3 replacement, leading Japan to initiate its own programs independently.

...and it flies!

Now THAT is a cover

Give the Russians on thing - they sure know how to make a statement. How do you fit that thing in a seabag?

And yes, that is the Hammer & Sickle on the star. The picture was taken in OCT of 07 BTW. The wearer? Admiral of the Fleet Vladimir Vasilyevich Masorin.

Click the image for full res.

Skippy! Skippy! Skippy!

All I could think of when I read about this Army PC Cyber-bully was,

"Oh, I hope Skippy starts linking to the DVIDSHUB Website, like, tomorrow!"

The face that launched a major PC hissy-fit is on the right. Go visit Chuck Simmins' site for all the details. Babe, Babe, Babe, Babe. Oh, what if Skippy, Chap, John, Eagle1, Lex, Bubblehead, Galrahn, SJS, T1, LBG, MTH, Byron, C-14, GBS, DM05, a few others and myself made a Valour IT calendar (hey, more than 12 - we could have two!) with each month there is a picture of our favorite beer ...... resting on one of our glorious, bare naked tummies .... just so someone would call us "Hunks and Studs," would we be "uncomfortable?" No, I think we might want to call the calendar "Hunks and Studs." I don't think anyone but FbL would buy it though....I mean, it is just a bunch of stomaches with beer and all.... (NB: yes, I understand that some may find offense and that calling a Soldier "Babe" isn't something I would do - in uniform in front of them - , but Simmins wasn't trying to be offensive. Some people need to find other things to do at work besides fuss'n at people not in the Chain-of-Command who have a normal hetrosexual reaction ... maybe that is the problem ... and if you think I am being small for posting this - well you just don't know what it is like working with PC killjoys 24/7.)

Adds you won't see in the USA

Ah, the French. Not Halal.



The English translation (thanks Sam!) is,

Dad: Sweetie?
Daughter: Oh, morning papa
Dad: Are all of your friends staying for breakfast?
Daughter: Yep
(phone rings)
Daughter: Hello? Yeah, it's okay, you can come out.
Mom: Alright, counting Eric, that makes seven of us!
Announcer: Ever since you stopped going over your cell phone minutes**, everything's been great at home!!

(**It's an ad for a cell phone plan that gives you a fixed amount of minutes and then automatically cuts you off unless you buy more).

Hat tip Mrs. Salamander.

Pardon me while I vomit, Shipwreck

Ungh. Just ungh. They all are bad, but this is the worst methinks.

Entry 9

Shipmate has been defined as a fellow Sailor serving on the same ship. As a Sailor in the 21st century, Shipmate has a more personal meaning. From the daily interaction of leading, learning, following, growing and sometimes lending a helpful hand, each individual has had a profound impact in my life that I wholeheartedly call them my brother/sister. Proudly serving with my brothers and sisters in the United States Navy, Shipmate means to me family.

Where is Admiral Burke when you need him?

Hat tip MTH.

Waiting for the next Dem President

I ping on Lawrence Korb a fair bit here....well once or twice a year. I feel the need to kick him again. He is always described as "Asst. Sec. of Defense during the Reagan Admin." which he was. As if he is a new convert or something. Heck, just follow some of these google links.

Mostly, he is waiting to help shape a post-Republican defense agenda, which he already is. I noticed this jewel from, of all times, 1993. Yes, 15 years ago. Imagine what he will want to do in 2009? Next time Skippy defends something Korb says about Iraq, I will just quote this.

Now that Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become the second woman on the Supreme Court and Sheila E. Widnall has become Secretary of the Air Force -- the first female secretary of a military department -- isn't it time to select a woman as chairwoman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? Or at least to join the other five chiefs as a member of the club?
...
Adm. Arleigh Burke, who served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff for six years, was only a rear admiral when President Dwight D. Eisenhower picked him as Chief of Naval Operations in 1955. Gen. Edwin Meyer was a 49-year-old three-star officer with fewer than 30 years of service when President Jimmy Carter chose him as Army Chief of Staff in 1979. Adm. Elmo Zumwalt was also only 49 when named to head the Navy in 1970.

A woman would bring special experience to the military's top position. An institution trying to grapple with such issues as sexual harassment and women in combat could profit from a leader who has walked through some of those minefields.

The logic of the future. Remember that was 15 years ago. Yes. Much, much more cowbell. I welcome our new overlords.