Rapid Fire 2011-05-12: Macedonian Helos

• Economic events will be driving more and more military budget decisions over the next few years. Writing in Caixin Weekly, Andy Xie pens “Chimerica’s Slippery Slope to Stagflation.”

• State-controlled Russian Helicopters indefinitely suspends $500 million IPO due to lack of interest; company announces delivery of 3 Mi-171Sh helicopters to Peru defense ministry.

• Boeing delivers UAE’s 1st C-17A heavy airlifter. The UAE ordered 6: they will take delivery of 3 more C-17s in 2011, and 2 in 2012.

• The Royal Netherlands Navy takes delivery of mission planning and analysis systems from Finmeccanica’s AgustaWestland for its fleet of NH90 NFH medium twin naval helicopters.

• Alexander could have used this: Elbit Systems snags EUR 43 million contract to build a helicopter pilot training center for Macedonia’s defense and security forces. Macedonian airpower is mostly helicopters.

• UK’s new Defense Infrastructure Organisation plans to save GBP 1 billion over the next 4 years through sale of surplus land and buildings.

• Lockheed Martin gets $24 million USMC contract to upgrade 36 gunnery trainers for the M1A1 main battle tank and LAV-25 light armored vehicle.

• General Dynamics NASSCO lays keel for T-AKE 14, a US Navy Lewis and Clark class dry cargo/ammunition ship. They also tout considerable manufacturing improvements over the class’ lifetime.

• Col. Tom Lynch, USAR (ret.) discusses policy & perils in Pakistan. Now that Pakistan has basically been caught harboring Osama Bin Laden, many aspects of the US-Pakistan relationship, and its associated military aid, are in question. Read the contrasting viewpoints as food for thought.

ECWCS-III: Dressed for the Cold

ECWCS-III: all 7 layers

“During Operation Mountain Lion I found myself praying for bad weather, the first time in my military career I was actually begging for a cold front to come through. I knew my soldiers could handle it and the enemy couldn’t. ECWCS allowed my men to outlast the enemy on their own terrain. When the enemy was forced out of the mountains due to the bitter cold to take shelter, that’s when we got them.”
— LTC Christopher Cavoli, US Army 10th Mountain Division, Afghanistan

This third generation of the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS-III) is a radical re-design of the cold weather clothing system for the U.S. Army. So, exactly what’s in the ECWCS-III?