National Guard set to pull out of New Orleans

Honestly, I didn’t know that there were still NG units stationed in New Orleans.

Stupid or Lying
In which Murdoc explains his feelings about Obama supporters who claim to have not known the big guy was going to reinstate a federal AWB.

The Skeleton Tank
This beastie was an experimental tank built in 1918 by the Pioneer Tractor Company, Winona, Minnesota.

Fox to develop ‘Narnia 3′
Dropped by Disney, ‘Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ will have a much smaller budget than previous installments. Shooting will probably be moved from Mexico to Australia due to drug-related violence.

Taliban, Pakistani Army declare ceasefire in Bajaur
See? Violence in the region IS declining!

Which to Kill: Raptor or Lightning Deus?
Words of wisdom: “These are bad times to be a program 100 percent over budget and a couple of years behind schedule.”

Happy Birthday, Doomsday Seed Vault!
In case of a harsh nuclear winter or other SHTF scenario.

India charges two Pakistani Army officers in Mumbai case
Speaking of SHTF scenarios…

Iraq Withdrawal, Logistical Nightmare
Not an insurmountable problem, of course, but logistics are always ignored.

The Ghost of ARH-70 Rises In Iraq
Canceled Kiowa replacement being offered to the Iraqi military?

Open carry while planting trees? Call the cops!
It took a judge to decide that a man could carry his own gun on his own property. This was several months after the police raided his property and arrested him off a neighbor’s “tip.”

News on the John Carter of Mars Film
Live action. Realisitc, not stylized. Murdoc fears it will be a major disappointment.

Real busy these days. Please add more linkzookery in the comments section.

One of Peru’s subs has a lot of marine growth. Maybe it’s for hiding in the littoral.

Go see the pic and info at Rummell’s.

NLOS-Cannon Prototype (US Army Image)

BAE Press release:

Future Combat Systems Program Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon Fires Excalibur Simulation Rounds

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BAE Systems successfully fired Excalibur simulation rounds from the first XM1203 Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) Cannon prototype at a U.S. Army test site. BAE Systems used Excalibur simulation rounds that mirror the mass of actual Excalibur rounds with tactical bases. The test firing verified the proper fit, function and stable flight necessary for an Excalibur round to be fired from the NLOS Cannon.

“The firing of these test rounds from the NLOS Cannon is the next step in proving the NLOS Cannon will have the capability to execute a battlefield mission using precision fire munitions,” said Mark Signorelli, vice president of Army Programs at BAE Systems. “This is a significant achievement for our soldiers and the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program.”

Excalibur is a 155-mm extended range artillery projectile equipped with a GPS-supported navigation and guidance system that enables the shell to precisely hit its target. Excalibur can be programmed for airburst, point and delay detonation. The munition is qualified and fielded with other gun systems such as the M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer and the joint lightweight 155mm.

The NLOS Cannon’s fully automated ammunition handling system eliminates the physical handling of ammunition which increases crew survivability and provides soldiers the ability to fire rounds at sustained rates. When Excalibur is used with the NLOS Cannon, soldiers achieve ultimate precision fire with the push of a button.

BAE Systems is currently completing Excalibur and NLOS Cannon compatibility testing. All results to date have shown the compatibility of two leading-edge combat systems that will lead to unprecedented capabilities for the U.S. Army when fielded.

Excalibur is designed and manufactured by Raytheon in Tucson , Arizona and BAE Systems in Karlskoga , Sweden .

The NLOS Cannon is a fully automated, 155-mm, self-propelled howitzer being designed and built by BAE Systems, in partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems and the FCS Lead System Integrator team of Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation. The NLOS Cannon is an integral part of the FCS program and the lead vehicle in the family of eight FCS Manned Ground Vehicles.

The FCS program consists of eight new Manned Ground Vehicles (MGV), a family of unmanned air and ground vehicles, the Non-Line-Of-Sight Launch System, and advanced tactical and urban sensors that are all connected by a state-of-the-art network. Working together, these systems will help Soldiers share real-time information across the battlefield. Overall, FCS will provide Soldiers vastly increased situational awareness, survivability, and lethality, ensuring they can take the fight to the enemy before the enemy has time to react.

It was brought up recently in the comments section that the current NLOS-Cannon isn’t compatible with Excalibur rounds, so I checked with the BAE rep and confirmed that it’s more of a case of “just hasn’t completed certification.” Now we’re seeing the first step in qualification.

Frank Frazetta's take on 'Scramble the Viper Squadron, we're going to kick some tin-can ass!'

I’d seen a couple of these before, but not all of them. It seems I’ve seen at least one other that isn’t included, too, that I think was a different take on the “Ice Planet Zero” image and was used as a cover for the novelization I read when Battlestar Galactica first came out. (Though maybe that wasn’t actually Franzetta.)

See the rest here.

Army charity hoards millions

It sounds like the big green dragon is hoarding AER contributions, an Army version of Smaug sleeping on his pile of Dwarven gold under the Lonely Mountain:

Between 2003 and 2007 — as many military families dealt with long war deployments and increased numbers of home foreclosures — Army Emergency Relief grew into a $345 million behemoth. During those years, the charity packed away $117 million into its own reserves while spending just $64 million on direct aid, according to an AP analysis of its tax records.

This would be at least a little troubling in these troubled times, but the alleged strong-arm tactics to get soldiers to contribute is way overboard. Murdoc has no personal experience with this issue, and certainly isn’t surprised that there’s at least a little bit of “hey, private, how much are you going to contribute?” going on, but the story makes it sound a lot worse than that. Coupled with the apparent lack of interest in really doing a lot of good with the money, I’d say this deserves a much closer look.

Note: This is an AP story. And all that that implies.

The Springfield Armory National Historic Site is in the running with about a bazillion other subjects to be put on the back of the Massachusetts edition of the next state quarters series. It got Murdoc’s vote.

Leaked picture from the early days of the Bush administration:

Notice the DHS database on the far left...

What an ass. Here’s some in-depth coverage of the war in Afghanistan:

There are many tribes at Bagram. The dominant ones are easily identifiable by their digital camo, bad haircuts, and guns banging against their butts even in the chow hall. The other main tribe, the contractors, are recognizable by their Fu Manchu mustaches, Realtree camo, and crushed KBR baseball caps. These groups are augmented by an invisible population of about 600 prisoners. The only Afghans we spy during our Burger King, DQ, and Subway meals are those who clean tables and scrub toilets.

Like I said earlier, tough to figure out why so many Americans have a negative view of US troops with Pulitzer-level journalism like this steaming pile of shit from Robert Young Pelton in Men’s Journal.