Archive for May, 2012

From Military.com:

In Reversal, Army Bans High-Performance Rifle Mags

The message did not single out PMAGs, but instead authorizes only the use of Army-issued aluminum magazines. The message offers little explanation for the new policy except to state that “Units are only authorized to use the Army-authorized magazines listed in the technical manuals.” Nor does it say what Army units should now do with the millions of dollars’ worth of PMAGs they’ve purchased over the years…

The decision has left combat troops puzzled, since the PMAG has an Army-approved national stock number, which allows units to order them through the Army supply system.

“This just follows a long line of the Army, and military in general, not listening to the troops about equipment and weaponry,” said one Army infantryman serving in Southwest Afghanistan, who asked not to be identified.

It’s no secret that many of the M16/M4 reliability issues are related to magazines. The green follower was introduced to help and then the newer tan followers were introduced after the infamous dust tests (where the M4 finished a very distant last) had over a quarter of M4 malfunctions related to green follower magazines.

Murdoc is unaware of any conclusive studies about the reliability of PMAGs or other third-party magazines compared to standard government mags, but the troops seem to love them. You know. The guys who count on their weapons to stay alive.

Murdoc predicts that this ban will be reversed shortly.

Staff Sgt. Gary Shaffer, a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard, serving with the Zabul Agribusiness Development Team, stands guard during a visit to the proposed site for a new slaughterhouse in Qalat, Afghanistan. {Note the Magpul PMAG}

This is something I posted a few years back. It is always one of the first things Murdoc thinks about when he thinks of Memorial Day.

Several years ago my family and I visited the USS Yorktown in Charleston, South Carolina. While wandering the great ship, I happened to notice this among the thousands of displays:

It says WITHIN AND NEAR THESE EXHIBIT COMPARTMENTS 32 MEN DIED AND 71 WERE WOUNDED 16 APRIL 1945 WHILE FIGHTING 50 KAMIKAZES.

Right there. Right where I and my family were standing.

Sixty years ago. Before my kids were born. Before I was born. Before my parents were born.

And those men died fighting for all of us.

I don’t know what else to say about it.

Thank-you veterans past and present. Especially those who never come home.

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461 prepares to land at Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, April 20, 2012. HMH-461 was training its pilots on landing and takeoff procedures while assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Araiza, U.S. Airforce/Released)

That is a great photo.

Beer Tank

Murdoc can appreciate the use of light beer to improve mobility and air transportability, but what’s the point if you always have to add slat armor when you deploy to a combat zone?

The 226th installment of the world-famous Friday Linkzookery.

Industry view: Why the Navy needs a ‘Patrol Frigate’
Argues that the National Security Cutters could be turned into a new class of Navy ships. Murdoc thinks we’d be better off with updated FFG-7s with VLS (similar to Australia’s upgraded Adelaides). Instead we’re getting the LCS. Lucky us.

Navy Strains To Handle Both China And Iran At Once
Quick, retire more carriers and buy more LCS pleasure boats.

One LCS Class for the Gulf, one LCS Class for the Pacific
Trimaran LCS-2 for the Pacific and monohull LCS-1 for the Persian Gulf?

Archangel: CIA’s Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance Aircraft
Lots of info about the precursor to the SR-71 (and the YF-12).

Maersk vessel fights off pirates in Gulf of Oman
Private armed security guards win again.

Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia for 12 EA-18G Modification Kits [PDF]
To convert existing aircraft into Growler electronic warfare planes. Good move as the Aussies picked up some extra Super Hornets due to F-35 delays.

California-Compliant Colts
Two new ARs for our oppressed countrymen.

CSAF presents rescue pilots multiple medals in ceremony
Two men each received 2 Distinguished Flying Cross medals with valor for HH-60G operations in 2009.

Iran to Unveil Home-Made Cobra Chopper
Claims that it “enjoys some capabilities which make it preferable to Apache.”

Navy places order for new class of patrol boats
85-foot-long Mark VI will replace Mark IV, Sea Ark, and Littoral Combat Ships.

6th grader’s USMC shirt too much for school
“My father made a joke that the woman who told him to turn the shirt inside-out must have been in the Navy.” Ooh-rah!

The Yak Can’t Take It
Yak-130 is not tough enough for conversion into Yak-131 light attack plane. The Rooskies will refurbish some Su-25s instead.

More Linkzookery below!
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