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let me know yours thoughts on the stealth f-15 program after you read it
Boeing Unveils New Stealthy F-15
Mar 17, 2009
Amy Butler/St. Louis, Mo. abutler@aviationweek.com
More photos are available at the Ares defense technology blog, and in a series of photos in our Defense Showcase gallery, starting here.
Boeing unveiled the prototype of a new variant of the F-15 Strike Eagle aimed at the Asian and Middle East markets that will incorporate stealthy coatings and structure here on Mar. 17.
Company officials hope the new aircraft will garner up to 190 orders, extending the F-15 line beyond the current backlog of 38 aircraft for South Korea and Singapore. Since the company lost the Joint Strike Fighter contest to Lockheed Martin, the future of its St. Louis manufacturing facility has been uncertain. Continued F-15 sales, as well as additional orders for F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs, are the only work in the foreseeable future for the plant.
Major design changes in the new "Silent Eagle" version include internal bays within the existing conformal fuel tanks that can carry a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. Each tank will be configured to hold two air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-9 and AIM-120 or a combination of the two.For the air-to-ground mission, 1,000- and 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions can be carried or four 250-pound Small Diameter Bombs per tank. Weapons loadout can also be split between the AIM-120 and JDAM for a multirole mission.The Silent Eagle configuration includes 15-degree outward-canted V-tails - a shift away from the characteristic vertical fins of the F-15 that reduces the radar cross-section.
The Mach 2.5 speed of the Strike Eagle is maintained, but the cost is about 180-200 nautical miles of range capability because of the reduce fuel in the conformal tanks, says Brad Jones, program manger for F-15 future programs.
The new design includes a digital electronic warfare system (DEWS), made by BAE Systems, that can operate simultaneously with the aircraft's Raytheon active electronically scanned array radar.
Stealth coatings, though not yet applied to Boeing's prototype, could be added at a later time. Boeing says the coatings could contibute to an equivalent amount of front-aspect stealth as that offered by Lockheed's F-35. This includes reducing radar returns from sharp edges on the aircraft, including antennae.
Stealthiness for the F-15 was explored about a decade ago for the U.S. Air Force as an alternative to the Lockheed-led F-22, but was never pursued. "The internal carriage is what is new. The stealth is not," Jones says, adding "We are not really after the F-22 market or the F-35 market" with this new design.
The level of stealthiness exportable on the F-15 is up to the U.S. government to decide, Jones says. Though USAF officials have been given courtesy briefings on the Silent Eagle, talks on stealth exportability have not yet occurred.
A radar blocker for engine inlets, already fitted in F/A-18E/Fs, could be added depending on how much radar cross-section reduction is required by the customer and allowed by the government.
Jones estimates the cost of a Silent Eagle will be about $100 million per aircraft, including spares, if built new. A retrofit kit including the conformal fuel tanks, DEWS and coatings could be added to existing Strike Eagles, he says.
The target market includes South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Israel and Saudi Arabia, Jones says. The first likely customer is South Korea, which is looking for two new fighters, including its F-X Phase III program, which calls for 60 aircraft in the F-15 class.
South Korea's Agency for Defense Development is also pushing for a KFX program, which calls for about 120 domestically developed stealth fighters. Jones says coproduction of stealth materials would be subject to U.S. government review and a tough case to sell.
Japan and Saudi Arabia are also looking for new F-15-class fighters. And if the Silent Eagle were sold to the Saudis, Israel likely would want a chance to buy the aircraft too to maintain balance of power in the Middle East.
Boeing's willingness to integrate indigenous systems, such as electronic warfare suites, onto the Silent Eagle is an option that could be of interest to these customers - especially Israel. Israeli industry was recently rebuffed by U.S. officials unwilling to add foreign EW systems under the F-35 development program.
The weapons-carrying fuel tanks, which are affixed to the aircraft with two bolts, and can be removed within about 2.5 hours. Reinstalling the original fuel tanks restores the F-15 to its nonstealthy configuration, which is capable of hauling more and larger weapons, including anti-ship missiles.
The Silent Eagle prototype is based on F-15E1, the program's flight test aircraft. To date, it has been outfitted with the conformal tanks and the canted tails, which are for demonstration only and not structurally integrated. The actual canted tails would be added later if a customer requested them. Stealth coatings and engine intake blockers have not been added.
Jones says Boeing hopes to begin flight testing the weapons-carrying conformal tanks on the aircraft in the first quarter of next year. Design work on the Silent Eagle concept began in September last year in response to feedback from F--15 customers, he says.
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/Silent031709.xml&headline=Boeing%20Unveils%20New%20Stealthy%20F-15&channel=defense
The F-22 A Qualitative Not Quantitative Choice Part Two
disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only
by Rebecca Grant
Arlington, Va. (UPI) Mar 16, 2009
Deterrence isn't in the daily headlines when Afghanistan and Iraq loom large, but behind the scenes, it's become a big preoccupation for the national-security leaders of the United States in the last few years.
The likelihood is that in the coming years deterrence will put much more emphasis on America's airpower and on the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor, for the Raptor is the one fighter designed to make sure U.S. forces can always do their appointed tasks from surveillance to strike.
Deterrence is all about influencing a potential aggressor's cost-benefit calculation. In the Cold War, nuclear deterrence was called the balance of terror. Of course, the threat levels have changed, and arms-control agreements allow smaller numbers of nuclear warheads. However, the United States armed forces keep nuclear-armed bombers and submarines ready for alert, along with several hundred nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.
However, today's challenges are different from those of the Cold War era. What is emerging is how conventional deterrence may dominate the U.S. government's hard- and soft-power options in the years ahead.
Just look at the landscape. Russia has been engaging in Cold War-style antics. China's "peaceful rise" policy is buttressed by its military buildup. Many nations are pursuing sophisticated technologies from stealthy unmanned systems to advanced air defenses capable of finding and destroying targets 100 miles away. Rogue states are getting closer to nuclear-weapons arsenals of their own, and most already have significant conventional forces.
As Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, put it: "It is way past time to re-examine our strategic thinking about deterrence." Mullen made the comments in his article "From the Chairman: It's Time for a New Deterrence Model," in the fall 2008 issue of the Joint Forces Quarterly.
Conventional deterrence is a concept that needs to be defined. It is the ability of one nation -- or a group of allies -- to show they have and will use stronger forces to make sure an aggressor state can't achieve its ends. Calculation is everything, so conventional deterrence works only when aggressors are certain that they can't get away with what they are contemplating because they will be stopped cold by superior force.
Airpower is one of the important tools for conventional deterrence. It is certainly a credible instrument. The United States and its Air Force put on displays of air mastery in Iraq in 1991, in Kosovo in 1999, in Afghanistan in 2001 and again in Iraq in 2003. That dependence isn't going to change in the foreseeable future.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/The_F-22_A_Qualitative_Not_Quantitative_Choice_Part_Two_999.html
maybe they should put some troops at these terminals. that way they wouldnt have to hurry to the scene, im sure the trucks to stay to long in any one place.
Militants destroy 14 NATO trucks in Pakistan: police
by Staff Writers
Peshawar, Pakistan (AFP) March 16, 2009
Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan Monday destroyed 14 trucks carrying supplies for NATO forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, police said, the latest in a series of strikes.
Two more trucks also laden with goods were damaged when the militants, armed with automatic weapons, rockets and petrol bombs, attacked Al-Faisal terminal on the outskirts of Peshawar city.
The trucks had stopped at the terminal before heading into Afghanistan, a route which passes through Pakistan's lawless Khyber area.
"A group of about 50 Taliban militants fired rockets and petrol bombs at Al-Faisal trucking terminal and destroyed 14 trucks completely," local police official Fazal Wahid told AFP.
Two other trucks were partially burnt, he said, adding the militants fled to the neighbouring tribal area when police arrived.
A previous militant attack on another nearby terminal early Sunday destroyed eight trucks, damaged a dozen others and left two drivers wounded.
Militants in the rugged tribal area have staged spectacular attacks in recent months on NATO supply depots outside Peshawar, torching hundreds of vehicles and containers destined for foreign troops in Afghanistan.
NATO and US-led forces fighting a Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan are hugely dependent on Pakistan for their supplies, with an estimated 80 percent of their gear transported by land from the neighbouring country.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Militants_destroy_14_NATO_trucks_in_Pakistan_police_999.html
North Korea demands U.S. stop humanitarian aid supplies
RIA Novosti
17/03/2009 22:08 WASHINGTON, March 17 (RIA Novosti) - A U.S. State Department spokesman said Tuesday that the United States would stop humanitarian aid supplies to North Korea after the communist state requested Washington discontinue the program.
Robert Wood said the U.S. had received an official request from North Korea several days ago. The notification contained no reasons for the rejection of the aid.
"Clearly, this is food assistance that the North Korean people need. That's why we're concerned," he said.
He added that the State Department would continue to cooperate with NGOs working in North Korea to make sure that earlier delivered humanitarian aid had reached those in need of it.
Wood also said that in 2008 and 2009, the U.S. had supplied 169,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid to North Korea, with the last batch of 5,000 tons dispatched in late January.
The North Korean decision comes amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang has called U.S.-South Korean military exercises preparation for war, and has also said that any attempt to shoot down what it calls a telecommunications satellite next month will also lead to armed conflict.
Seoul and Washington say the real purpose of the launch is to test a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, which is thought to have a range of 6,700 kilometers (4,100 miles) and could possibly reach Alaska.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/dprk/2009/dprk-090317-rianovosti03.htm
The Need For Speed
March 17, 2009: Israeli military commanders are anxious to go back into Gaza, feeling that they have new tactics that enable them to tear Hamas apart without losing many troops. During the 22 day campaign in December and January, the Israeli only suffered four dead from fighting Hamas (plus five friendly fire fatalities). Meanwhile, Hamas lost over 500 of their fighters. There is a sense of urgency to get back in, because Hamas is working on techniques to nullify the Israeli tactics. The more time Hamas has, the more useful ideas they will come up with to increase Israeli losses, and reduce their own.
The Israelis learned much from the U.S. experience in Iraq. American and Israeli commanders have long exchanged ideas, and the U.S. depended a lot on Israeli tactics developed during over a decade of battling Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank and Gaza. But the Americans saw a lot more combat in Iraq, and developed techniques that the Israelis borrowed.
The main American innovation was the ability to deliver a lot of precision firepower fast. To do this, U.S. troops used precision missiles (like Hellfire, Javelin and TOW), along with smart bombs delivered quickly. Israel used a lot of its Spike family of infantry missiles, fired from launchers on the ground, in helicopters, and on ships. Because of its higher speed, Israel continues to use Hellfires (not Spike) on its helicopters, and not from UAVs, which the United States favors. Like the United States, Israel attached air controllers to infantry units, so that F-16s overhead could quickly drop a smart bomb when needed, often in less than a minute.
The new Israeli combat tactics in Gaza were a great success. Three brigades were sent in, with over a hundred fighters, helicopters and UAVs overhead. The helicopters and UAVs were attached directly to the brigades, so the ground commanders could quickly assign "their" aircraft where and when they were needed the most. This meant that ground commanders had a constant overhead view of the battlefield.
Another American innovation the Israelis adopted was the use of small ground robots. These proved very useful in discovering, and sometimes disabling the many booby traps and bombs Hamas had placed throughout residential areas, hoping to entangle Israeli infantry. This didn't happen, as the Israelis were able to move through these areas without incurring many casualties, and killing a lot of Hamas gunmen who tried to stay and fight.
The Israelis suffered over a hundred wounded, and adopted many of the American medical innovations used so successfully developed in Iraq. This included rapid treatment and evacuation of casualties, and the use of new medical devices like the clotting powder that prevented badly wounded troops from bleeding to death, or going into shock.
But the main weapon was speed. The Israeli troops were trained, under realistic conditions, before they went in. They developed combat drills that used the UAVs, robots, armored vehicles and missile weapons to outmaneuver and promptly attack Hamas fighters before the enemy could react. Speed kills.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htinf/articles/20090317.aspx
North Korean Rust Buckets Take Care Of Business
March 17, 2009: One thing about North Korea we don't have fret over is their merchant marine fleet being used for terrorism. That's because, for over a decade, the 240 or so North Korean ships have been closely watched. Very closely.
With over 50,000 ocean going vessels out there, that could make it to North America, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard were forced to develop techniques to deal with the situation. First, only a few thousand ocean going ships regularly visit North America. Most are huge cargo vessels or tankers, constantly moving back and forth between East Asian or Persian Gulf ports and North American destinations. These are easy to watch. So the navy has established a class of ships that get special attention. These are called vessels of interest (VOI). Some get included in this list because they carry hazardous materials (explosives or very dangerous chemicals). Others are VOIs because they are where they shouldn't be, or are simply suspected of involvement in one seagoing criminal activity or another. If a Chinese or African coastal freighter is spotted approaching North America, it becomes a VOI. If a sailor jumps ship in the United States, that vessel becomes a VOI (because this is now considered a method for smuggling terrorists into the country.) More attention is paid to theft at container ports. Its long been common for criminals to smuggle goods (usually drugs) and people (often prostitutes, or just illegal migrants) in via shipping containers. But terrorists could also come in that way. Appeals to port workers patriotism usually provides a steady supply of tips on which crooks are, or might be, crossing the line from thieving to terrorism.
The search for VOIs has also uncovered a lot more nefarious activity on the high seas than the navy had previously suspected. While it was known that North Korea had been shipping illegal goods (drugs, counterfeit cash, weapons) around on its merchant ships, the VOI search uncovered much, much more. The North Koreans have been more active in gunrunning and smuggling illegal raw materials (ore, oil and lumber) out of Africa and Asian hot spots. A recent example came to light last year. On October 30th, a North Koreas merchant ship, the Dai Hong Dan, was boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The North Koreans managed to get off a distress message. The ship was in international waters, 108 kilometers off the coast, unloading sugar to smaller boats. This offshore unloading arrangement was supposed to protect the North Koreans from pirates, or the numerous bandits and warlords on shore. The pirates were actually armed guards hired to protect the crew from real pirates during this unloading operation.
An American destroyer, the USS James E. Williams, was nearby, and rushed to the scene. When the U.S. warship got there, they demanded that the pirates surrender. Meanwhile, on the ship, part of the North Korean crew had managed to barricade themselves in the engine room, where they controlled the speed and direction the ship could move in. But the seven pirates had taken control of the bridge, and refused to surrender. Seeing this, most of the 43 man North Korean crew stormed the bridge, killing two of the seven pirates. Three crew members were badly wounded, and the destroyer captain, using a Korean-American sailor as a translator, offered to treat them. The North Korean captain agreed, and the destroyers helicopter was sent to get the wounded men. American sailors came aboard, applied first aid, and the three wounded North Koreans were transferred to the destroyer for treatment.
So far, there's been no proof that the North Korean smuggling fleet has been servicing terrorist organization. But it's believed the North Koreans would, if the price was right, and the chances of getting caught seemed minimal. Certainly, moving goods in and out of Somalia is one of the most dangerous activities a merchant ship could be involved in. Most of the North Korean ships are old and decrepit. These ships are rather small and slow, and have to scramble for any kind of cargo. So they have a reputation for going anywhere, to carry just about any cargo, if the price is right. The North Koreans are also aware of the U.S. scrutiny, and have a sense that they will be left alone as long as they do not cross the line (deal with terrorists.)
Meanwhile, all VOIs have become a seagoing version of the usual suspects. The same ships keep showing up again and again when the navy, coast guard or port authorities go looking for bad behavior.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htseamo/articles/20090317.aspx
Special Forces In Too Much Demand
March 17, 2009: One reason the U.S. Army Special Forces has a hard time holding on to people, is the great civilian demand for these highly trained and combat experienced troops. Not just for VIP protection, and security in general, but for training. Special Forces troops spend a lot of their time training foreign troops, even with the war on terror underway. In peacetime, this sort of training is seen as a useful way to establish relationships with foreign troops, and better understand how they operate.
But given the demands of the war on terror, there is an even greater demand for former, or retired, Special Forces operators to act as trainers for foreign armies. Much of this demand is found in Eastern Europe, where many countries have recently joined NATO, and are still working to retrain their troops to operate according to a new set of standards and techniques. For decades, these nations used Russian tactics and doctrine, and most of that stuff is being replaced. Thus we have recruiters scrambling to find Special Forces vets available for training. A recent example is Slovenia, looking to hire four Special Forces vets to give a six week course to Slovenian Army NCOs on urban combat. The Slovenian NCOs would then become trainers, to pass the knowledge on to Slovenian troops. Anyone out there who is qualified and interested, just email George.christopher@americansystems.com.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htcbtsp/articles/20090317.aspx
Speedy Knowledge As A Weapon
March 17, 2009: The U.S. Army has developed a rapid way of noting new combat techniques used by the enemy, and getting that information, along with successful ways to cope with the enemy practices, back to units preparing to head for Iraq or Afghanistan. This is done when each combat unit, headed for Iraq or Afghanistan, gets its month of training. There is always emphasis on how the enemy is currently fighting. The training is carried out with troops using lasers attached to their weapons, and laser detectors attached to their clothing. Thus if they are "hit" by the enemy, they know they are out of the fight. In addition, each soldier carries a transponder, which records their position throughout the exercise. Thus after each training exercise, the instructors can show where everyone was, and point out who was not where they were supposed to be. These post-exercise briefings are often the most valuable part of the training, since it's what you don't know, or do right, that is most likely to get you killed. These training exercises also use American troops dressed and trained to operate like the enemy. There are also civilians, who speak the language of the combat zone the troops are headed for, and trained to do role playing exercises with the troops, to give them a realistic taste what they will be facing for a year.
For the infantry, it's not enough to know your own combat techniques. The more you know about how the enemy operates, the easier it is to negate their techniques and defeat them. In the last century, armies have sought to distribute knowledge of enemy techniques to their own troops as quickly as possible, especially to new troops or units entering combat for the first time. Currently, the U.S. Army and Marines gather data on enemy techniques and get it distributed very quickly, using Internet tools the troops are comfortable with. But the information also goes back to the United States, and other areas where U.S. combat troops are stationed, so everyone can stay current. Thus if a Taliban unit employs a new combat technique, they have to assume that all American (and NATO) troops in Afghanistan will know about that trick within days, if not hours. In effect, the foreign troops have better knowledge of how the various Taliban contingents fight, than the Taliban themselves (who don't have as effective a system for passing around combat knowledge).
This sort of thing has been increasingly used over the past century. During World War I, when the U.S. entered the war in 1917, combat experienced French and British officers and NCOs went to the United States to help train American troops to fight the Germans. In World War II, the same technique was used, although in this case, American liaison officers were working closely with the British before the U.S. entered the war in late 1941. After that, the U.S. got information on the Germans from the Russians as well, and prepared a series of training manuals (what were constantly updated) for new troops. At the front, intelligence officers collected information on new enemy techniques, and distributed printed (usually one page) lists of these items for distribution to all units currently in combat.
These World War II techniques were used in Korea and Vietnam. But in the 1980s, the army changed the way they handled this knowledge, and set up a "Lessons Learned" operation. CALL (Center for Army Lessons Learned) proceeded to capture lots of combat experience from Vietnam, Korea, Vietnam, and even earlier. The CALL researchers soon noted reoccurring patterns, certain ideas and concepts that kept getting reinvented. Alas, the CALL database is only available to military personnel (to prevent the enemy from knowing which of their tricks we are on to.) But because of things like CALL, and rapid distribution of what the enemy is up to, the troops are on to a lot of enemy ideas, concepts and tactics, as well as how to deal with them, before they get into combat. This does morale and confidence a lot of good, because it works.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20090317.aspx
that is major BS!! those men and women fought and bled for this country, we are indebted to them and they deserve better care than they are getting now
The Iranian Air Mirage
March 16, 2009: An Iranian Air Force Su-24 bomber recently crashed. Last year, a U.S. built Iranian F-5 fighter crashed during a training exercise. One could understand these losses, both aircraft are old (the F-5 was bought over three decades ago). Spare parts for U.S. aircraft have been hard to come by, but Iran has managed, sort of. Nevertheless, the Iranian Air Force is largely a fraud. It's lots of aircraft that sit there, but can't fly.
The big problem is not the loss of elderly U.S. and Russian warplanes, but the many other older transports and airliners that have been going down. Since 2003, there have been at least a dozen crashes, leaving about 700 passengers and crew dead. Most of the downed aircraft were not American. Many of the lost aircraft were Russian, a nation that has no problems selling Iran aircraft parts. So what's the problem? Simple. Iranian aircraft maintenance sucks. That's because a lousy economy and a really bothersome lifestyle police have caused many technically skilled people to flee the country. Plenty of competent Iranian aircraft mechanics and engineers in southern California, not so many in Iran.
To make matters worse, anything involving aviation in Iran, gets a lot of attention from the secret police. Anyone of questionable loyalty to the clerical theocracy (that runs the country) is not suitable for key jobs (be they technical or managerial.) As a result, many organizations in Iran, especially government controlled ones, are poorly run. That can be fatal for passengers in Iranian aircraft. There are plenty of dead bodies and aircraft wreckage to prove it. It also says a lot about the readiness and capabilities of the ships and aircraft of the Iranian armed forces.
The Iranian Air Force is still recovering from the effects of the 1979 revolution (an embargo on spare parts and new aircraft). Despite that, many Iranian warplanes remain flyable, but only for short periods. The main reason is an extensive smuggling operation, to obtain spare parts. Two of their aircraft, the U.S. F-4D and F-5E Tiger, were widely used around the world. Somewhere, someone had parts for these planes that Iran could buy. There are still about 40 of each still in service, with about half of them flyable at any time.
This was less the case with Iran's most expensive warplane, the U.S. F-14 Tomcat. Iran was the only export customer of this aircraft. The F-14s have been kept flyable, despite the rumored sabotage of Iran's AIM-54 Phoenix missiles by U.S. technicians as they were leaving. To demonstrate this, they sent 25 F-14s on a fly-over of Tehran in 1985. Today, Iran has about 20 F-14s, with less than half of them flyable.
Iran has sought to buy new for aircraft. In the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, they sought to buy from Russia. Despite the low prices, a combination of Western pressure (to not sell) and lack of Iranian money for high-ticket items, not that many aircraft were obtained. One unforeseen opportunity was the 1991 Gulf War. Many Iraqi aircraft (most of them Russian-built) fled to Iran to avoid American attack. The Iranians never returned them. Iran ended up with up to 60 MiG-29s. There were also 18 Su-24s, a force that was expanded by more purchases from Russia.
Iran currently has 220 fighters and fighter bombers, but only about have can be put into action. The chronic shortage of spare parts, limits the number of hours the aircraft can be flown. This means pilots lack good flying skills. The poor maintenance and untrained pilots leads to more accidents.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20090316.aspx
Naval Mines Eat Laser And Die
March 16, 2009: For a decade, the U.S. Navy has been working on RAMICS (Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System), for destroying moored or floating mines that are close to the surface. Until recently, they could not get the system to work as well as it should have (on paper). That changed when some software tweaks, a larger caliber gun, and a special shell design, were added to the mix.
The original idea was for SH-60 helicopter, armed with a 20mm cannon, would fire a shell into a mine submerged up to 40 feet underwater. When the projectile penetrates the mine, it releases chemicals that cause the mine to explode. The exact location of the mine is determined via ALMDS (Airborne Laser Mine-Detection System). This is a laser mounted on the same helicopter, that can penetrate the water to about 40 feet, and produces a video image that is sent back to a nearby ship for real-time analysis. If a mine is discovered, RAMCIS is used to destroy it.
Early on, there were doubts that the 20mm shells could penetrate that much water, and still have enough energy left to penetrate the mine casing. One option was to us use a 30mm cannon instead, but if was feared that the larger caliber cannon would cause more vibration than the helicopter could handle. The solution was found in having the cannon fire one shell at a time, and use a special shell design that penetrated the water without losing so much energy. Software improvements made the 30mm MK44 Bushmaster II cannon much more accurate. In recent tests, seven of eight shots hit the underwater mine.
The helicopter, equipped with the RAMICS/ALMDS gear will equip LCS ships, or any other ship with a helicopter pad. The navy is also looking into using unmanned helicopters for the job, as it mainly consists of flying a pattern until a mine is found. If no mines are found, the area is declared free of surface mines.
The more dangerous bottom mines (which lie on the bottom of shallow coastal waters) require other tools to find and destroy them. Many areas along the coast are too deep for the bottom mines (which are ineffective in waters more than 80 feet deep).
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsurf/articles/20090316.aspx
maybe some of those morons should have looked a little closer!
i dont feel sorry for a single one of them, its the rest of us that will have to pay because of their stupidity
just voted and the numbers are way up! 68% against!
willing to bet it makes an appearance on the Men's board first. lol
the military takes to damn long to put things into the field
The Grateful Dead
March 15, 2009: American troops who have served in Iraq find a lot differences await them in Afghanistan. One of the more amazing ones is the dead goat scam. Works like this. Any time a smart bomb gets dropped in an isolated location (which describes most of Afghanistan), and there is any chance of civilian casualties, the locals immediately make a fuss about seeking out who was hurt or killed. The village elders insist that outsiders stay away during this trying time. Even the foreign soldiers and Afghan police are put off (after the search for Taliban bodies, documents and equipment is completed. Being good Moslems, they bury the dead before sunset of the same day. The next day, the elders will claim as many civilian dead as they think they can get away with. The additional graves get a dead goat or other animal, so the proper stench permeates the mound of earth. Digging up graves is also against Islamic law, so the elders know the foreign troops have to take their word for it. The elders also know that the foreign troops, depending on nationality, will pay $1,000-$5,000 compensation per dead civilian. Not only is there a big payday, but the Taliban appreciate the bad publicity directed at the foreigners, and usually show their appreciation by cutting this village or valley some slack in the future.
This scam works because there aren't many public records in Afghanistan. The only ones who know exactly who lives in a village are the people there, and the elders speak for everyone. Investigators have a hard time interrogating individuals, because the elders, and everyone there, has a vested interest in not being found out.
Some of the elders get greedy. For example, despite an intensive investigation into a bombing last Summer in Azizabad (outside Heart), the villagers got paid for over 90 dead. Investigators, piecing together what information they could, were certain that there were only 15 dead civilians (plus Taliban). But you can't touch the graves, and even questioning the veracity of the claims gets you howls of indignation.
In Iraq, there were records, and most of the action was in densely populated areas. The investigation was prompt, and the Iraqis were not as bold and aggressive as the Afghans in keeping officials out. Iraq has a 5,000 year tradition of central government and officials who cannot be chased away. Afghanistan has none of that, at least out in the countryside. The local Afghan police are not enthusiastic about getting to the truth, since denying the villagers a payday will mean the police will be blamed, and the villagers will be eager to even the score down the line. If the police play along, they can expect a reward, from the village elders, for their trouble.
The scam benefits others as well. The Islamic media, and many news outlets in the West, like the idea that a lot more civilians are being killed. For the Westerners, "if it bleeds it leads", and there's a bonus if you want to get in some shots about how poorly the war is being run. Of course, if you interview the American troops involved, you get closer to the truth. But that's not a newsworthy story, and you don't really want to call the soldiers liars, so it's best to just stay away from them. Go for the story, not for the truth.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20090315.aspx
Fantastic!
and the GF asked where her cord to hook up her ipod was, lol
that is a great tune!
reminds me of Johnny Cash
lmao!
its a good thing they dont interview for the position. i have zero skills in the ibox. thats why hired help is always good
Summerfest used to be a good time before it became more about the money than the music.
but i have been able to hear a lot of great music for just about nothing.
thats why everyone else was hired, if i go into the ibox lacy would kill me because of the resulting disaster. lol
just sent him the question
now thats a little easier on the ears.
bagpipes are an acquired taste, but they must be damn hard to learn how to play
Nitro asked me to tell everyone they are doing a great job on the music being posted
they even have enough sailors in their navy to crew one, much less put enough jets on it?
i would like to see them try and pull that crap now.
Why F-22 Is Vital Part One
disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only
by Rebecca Grant
Washington (UPI) Mar 13, 2009
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "It's way past time to re-examine our strategic thinking about deterrence."
Conventional deterrence is all about how to posture America's air and naval forces, in particular, to safeguard allies and national interests without resorting to war. Make adversaries aware they'll pay a price for action, and it will boost the chance for peace.
The last few years have brought forth a wider set of goals for conventional deterrence against rising powers and rogue states. "Our goal is, in part, to reduce their ability to hold other nations hostage and to deny them the ability to project power," Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said.
Military forces for conventional deterrence range from missile-defense to airstrike options. However, tailored, proportional conventional airstrikes are a tool central to conventional deterrence.
Only one aircraft was designed to guarantee that option by staying ahead of evolving threats -- the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor.
For example, commanders need intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at the start of a crisis. Formidable adversary air defenses could keep ISR platforms out. They'd also make it tough to intervene against states like Iran if called on to do so by the international community.
Even the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization is facing renewed challenges. The F-22's abilities will be critical when U.S. forces are outnumbered or sent on extremely difficult tasks, such as hunting and tracking mobile missile launchers.
What's of concern is whether the United States is shaping the force to meet the demands of conventional deterrence in the next 20 years. Decisions made now affect the health of the conventional deterrent because competitors are moving ahead with sophisticated systems at a pace not seen since the Cold War.
If the U.S. Air Force's F-22 fleet remains stuck at 183 aircraft, it will put future conventional deterrence abilities at risk. Commanders may not have enough of these specially designed aircraft to defeat threats with confidence, and the overall fleet life will be used up years before it should be, due to heavy tasking.
Right now, the United States has the ability to stay ahead in the conventional deterrence game by upgrading its air power with the unique capabilities of the F-22. When production ceases, the door will close. It would take many years and billions of dollars to begin a new program to surpass the F-22. Long before then, the United States could see its policy options cramped by the limits of its own military power.
Shoring up a prime element of U.S. conventional deterrence -- its ability to conduct precise airstrikes anywhere -- will take not fewer than 250 F-22s, for the good of the nation and the world.
(Part 2: What makes the F-22 qualitatively different from its opponents)
(Rebecca Grant, Ph.D., is a senior fellow of the Lexington Institute, a non-profit public-policy research organization based in Arlington, Va.)
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Why_F-22_Is_Vital_Part_One_999.html
Mechanical fault puts French aircraft-carrier out of action
by Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) March 13, 2009
France's sole aircraft-carrier, the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle, was out of action again Friday, only months after undergoing a lengthy refit, the navy said.
The pride of the French fleet would be immobilised for weeks if not months after abnormal wear was discovered in links between the two of the four turbines and their propellor shafts, a statement said.
The problem was discovered when excessive vibration was detected, the navy said, adding that further examination was required.
The Charles de Gaulle, which entered service in 2001, was working up following its first major refit which lasted 18 months and ended in November.
It had been expected to resume active service in the next few weeks.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Mechanical_fault_puts_French_aircraft-carrier_out_of_action_999.html
thanks for that post.
China navy criticises dispatch of US destroyers: state media
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) March 13, 2009
Chinese navy officers warned the dispatch of US destroyers to protect a surveillance vessel involved in a standoff with Chinese ships is an inappropriate response, state media said Friday.
A press report quoted unnamed Chinese navy sources as saying the deployment signalled a US intention to "keep on pressing" Beijing in the South China Sea.
"The timing and the extent (of the deployment) have gone beyond what you could call proportionate," one navy officer was quoted saying by the China Daily.
Military tensions have risen after the United States said Chinese boats harassed the US Navy surveillance vessel Impeccable on Sunday in the South China Sea, forcing the ship to take emergency action to avoid a collision.
China, whose state media has accused the Impeccable of spying, has called the US account "totally inaccurate," but has not offered an alternative version of events.
A US official said on Thursday that Washington had decided to provide heavily armed destroyers to escort US surveillance ships operating in the area following the standoff.
"Right now they are going to escort these types of ships for the foreseeable future," a defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
A day after the incident, the destroyer USS Chung-Hoon accompanied the Impeccable, an unarmed ship designed to track submarines, in the same area, the official said.
The US government has protested to Chinese authorities over Sunday's incident, which occurred about 75 miles (120 kilometres) south of Hainan Island.
China, meanwhile, said it had in turn protested to the United States over the Impeccable's "illegal" activities.
President Barack Obama told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi that it was important to raise the level and frequency of military dialogue between the two sides to "avoid future incidents," the White House said.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_navy_criticises_dispatch_of_US_destroyers_state_media_999.html
to be fair, not all of us where stupid. but you are correct, there were more stupid people voting than clear thinking ones. lol
U.S. Navy Air and Missile Defense Command
March 14, 2009: The U.S. Navy is establishing the Air and Missile Defense Command, to concentrate on their growing success in developing and deploying anti-missile systems. So far, the navy has completed equipping 18 ships with the Aegis anti-missile system. Six are stationed in Hawaii, five in Japan, five in San Diego, California and two in Norfolk, Virginia.
So far, the system has been successful in 16 out of 19 tests and actual use of the system (in shooting down a space satellite in low orbit). This has caused the navy to shift more resources to equipping ships, already having the AEGIS anti-aircraft system, with software upgrades and the SM-3 anti-missile missiles. One reason the navy recently cancelled its expensive new DDG-1000 class of destroyers was because these were built to support amphibious and coastal operations, and did not have a radar that could easily be converted to use SM-3 anti-missile missiles. The DDG-1000 also cost 2-3 times as much as current Aegis destroyers. With missile defense seen as a higher priority than providing new coastal combat capability, the DDG-1000 was killed, and money saved could be used to build more Aegis destroyers, and convert more current destroyers and cruisers to use SM-3. With that in mind, the navy will convert three more Aegis ships to fire anti-missile missiles. This costs about $12 million a ship, mainly for new software and a few new hardware items. This is seen as a safe investment.
The RIM-161A, also known as the Standard Missile 3 (or SM-3), has a range of over 500 kilometers and max altitude of over 160 kilometers. The Standard 3 is based on the anti-missile version of the Standard 2 (SM-2 Block IV). This SM-2 missile turned out to be effective against ballistic missiles ballistic missile warheads that are closer to their target. One test saw a SM-2 Block IV missile destroy a warhead that was only 19 kilometers up. An SM-3 missile can destroy a warhead that is more than 200 kilometers up. But the SM-3 is only good for anti-missile work, while the SM-2 Block IV can be used against both ballistic missiles and aircraft. The SM-2 Block IV also costs less than half what an SM-3 costs.
The Standard 3 has four stages. The first two stages boost the interceptor out of the atmosphere. The third stage fires twice to boost the interceptor farther beyond the earth's atmosphere. Prior to each motor firing, it takes a GPS reading to correct course for approaching the target. The fourth stage is the 20 pound LEAP kill vehicle, which uses infrared sensors to close on the target and ram it. The Aegis system was designed to operate aboard warships (cruisers and destroyers that have been equipped with the special software that enables the AEGIS radar system to detect and track incoming ballistic missiles). However, there is also a land based version that Israel is interested in buying.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htada/articles/20090314.aspx
Europe Puts Eyes On The World
March 14, 2009: Seventeen NATO nations have agreed to contribute $1.89 billion to establish the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system. This will consist of eight U.S. built Global Hawk UAVs, equipped with spy satellite grade surveillance equipment (cameras and radar), fifteen ground stations and software to get the data to any NATO member quickly. The late model (Block 40) Global Hawks will be able to get to any part of the globe (the U.S. has flown them across the Pacific, on automatic) quickly, and put eyes on the trouble spot.
Germany has already pledged $400 million for AGS, which is supposed to be operational in three years. AGS has been in the planning and discussion stage for over a decade.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htintel/articles/20090314.aspx
its 31 degrees here, i cant imagine it being that cold down by you.
PS dont over pay her again. LOL
another good one.
how are you and Robbie doing?
great song Hoagie, its cool to see bands other than country giving respect and honor to the troops
New Army Weapon Aims to Fry Gadgets, People
By David Hambling EmailMarch 13, 2009 | 4:00:00 PMCategories: Ammo and Munitions, Gadgets and Gear, Missiles, Science!
EbombElectronics-frying "e-bombs" have been discussed for decades — but rarely, if ever, deployed. Knocking out computers and communications gear with electromagnetic radiation is nice, but commanders prefer the proven method: blowing stuff up.
Now the U.S. Army is developing technology to do both at the same time. Hybrid munitions would give warheads the added punch of an e-bomb that can "destroy and disable electronic systems and their operators" all in one blast. The key is a magnet that blows up and spontaneously demagnetizes, releasing energy as a pulse of power. Oh, and antennas made of fire. My story in the current Defense Technology International explains.
Previous e-bomb designs were based on explosively driven magnetic flux compression generators. They used a series of tightly wound, current-carrying metal coils that are rapidly compressed by an explosion. The new technology is much more compact. It's based on research showing that some magnets will spontaneously demagnetize when hit by a powerful enough shock wave, releasing a pulse of energy, in the process. The technical term is "pressure-induced magnetic phase transition."
Having proved the principle by blowing up neodymium magnets (like the ones in your headphones) the Army's Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (Amrdec) have moved on to lead zirconate titanate magnets. The current state of the art is described as a completely explosive ultracompact high-voltage nanosecond pulse-generating system, occupying about one-fifth of a cubic inch.
There are engineering challenges at the other end. For this new weapon to work, you need an antenna that can fit inside a warhead, but is big enough to do the job. The problem is, the size is dictated by the properties of the electromagnetic pulse to be generated. You could used some sort of folding antenna, perhaps. The Army is going one step further and using an antenna made out of fire. To be more exact, Allen Stults of Amrdec is using the jet of ionized plasma produced by the explosion as an antenna.
It has been known for centuries that flames will conduct electricity; there are a few neat applications, like flame speakers. This makes it possible to use a length of ionized gas rather than a piece of metal as an antenna. By tinkering with the chemical mixture in shaped charge warheads, Stults is creating a "plasma antenna" that will direct an electromagnetic pulse at the target. Like a lightsaber blade, the plasma antenna is a glowing tube that appears from nowhere — and it should be quite deadly to electronics.
The multifunction warhead technology is being applied to several types of weapon, including TOW missiles, 70mm helicopter rockets and the bomblets dispensed by MLRS artillery. The effects of e-bombs are notoriously unpredictable. A lot depends on the exact type of electronic component and its orientation compared to the e-bomb. The new munitions will have two crucial advantages over previous e-bombs: they are small, and should not cause electronic "friendly fire" casualties hundreds of meters away. And because they still have the same blast, fragmentation and armor-piercing properties as they did, commanders can be confident that they're not wasting space carrying rounds that might have no effect.
A couple of weeks ago Col. Laurie Buckhout of the Army's new Electronic Warfare Division, mentioned at a blogger's roundtable that technology for grenade-sized e-bombs existed. "But I've never had my hands on one," he added. There could be a lot of tactical applications for this sort of weapon. However, it's worth noting that if the technology spreads, U.S. forces are likely to be among the most vulnerable due to the heavy dependence on electronic devices.
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/army-turns-bomb.html
Navy eyes Super Tucano for SpecOps work
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 13, 2009 17:14:20 EDT
The Navy’s new Irregular Warfare office has been looking at an agile Brazilian observation and ground-attack turboprop to provide an “organic” close air support aircraft for special operations forces.
Under the classified “Imminent Fury” program, the Navy has already leased, tested and armed at least one Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano, according to Capt. Mark Mullins, a naval special warfare officer serving as the deputy director of the Navy Irregular Warfare Office at the Pentagon.
“This is a close air support, manned aircraft with a pilot and sensor operator. The idea here is that SOF needs an organic capability that can stick with them while they’re doing their mission,” Mullins said. “We’re not buying them; we’re leasing them right now. That’s an important point.”
Speaking Thursday at an exposition on expeditionary warfare in Virginia Beach, Va., Mullins said the intent is to put four of the single-engine aircraft into the fight as quickly as possible.
“Now we’re in an operational pause, trying to figure out how to get to Phase II. We need about $44 million,” he said. “Back to the method of venture capitalism, we’re working with the Air Force and Marine Corps, socializing it with those guys to see if we can get money invested and get to Phase II, where we’re taking four aircraft into theater.”
The EMB-314 is flown by the military forces of Brazil and Colombia, according to Christine Manna, communications director at Embraer’s office for North America in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
As well, Manna said, Chile bought 12 planes and the Dominican Republic bought eight, but the planes have not been delivered yet.
The Super Tucano has a flight endurance of more than six hours, carries several sensors, can be armed with a heavy machine gun in each wing and has mounts for bombs, cannon and rocket pods, according to Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 2008-9.
Calling it a “fascinating piece of kit,” Mullins said, “the proof of concept” is complete after a year of testing. But he described Imminent Fury as his new office’s “most contentious project,” mostly due to wariness from naval aviation.
“You can imagine the SOF guys and Marines really love this,” he said. “The challenge here, and why it’s so contentious, is it falls into the seam where it’s really not clear whose bailiwick it is. It’s not a marinized aircraft. It doesn’t fly off the carrier.”
Mullins said the Super Tucano can be landed on an unimproved airstrip such as a road, refueled in minutes and sent right back into the fray.
A briefing slide on the Imminent Fury project obtained by Navy Times identifies the need for a “tactical fixed wing [intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance] platform to provide expeditionary, organic Find/Fix/Finish operations for SOF Forces in a maneuverable, long range, low heat signature platform.”
The project began following a visit by Navy Secretary Donald Winter with naval special warfare task forces in the Central Command area in October 2007, according to a similar brief.
“It’s not about flying in from 1,000 miles away, dropping some thousand-pound bombs and leaving,” Mullins said. “It’s about working with [the ground force], doing the intelligence preparation of the battlespace, doing a [communication] relay, close air support, eyes on target and if there’s squirters leaving the target, keeping up with them and tracking them down and doing [bomb damage assessment] at the end.”
Although Mullins said the project is awaiting funding to move forward, a slide in Mullins’ presentation indicated it’s sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Naval Air Systems Command and the Navy.
“Imminent Fury is a classified Navy initiative to address urgent warfighter needs,” said Lt. Sean Robertson, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon. “Initial developmental testing has been promising, and the Navy is currently conducting discussions with our Joint partners on various courses of action as this initiative moves forward.”
Mullins delivered an unclassified brief, but details of Imminent Fury remain classified, Robertson said.
The Irregular Warfare office, part of the Navy staff at the Pentagon, was established last July under the direction of Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations. It’s headed by Rear Adm. Mark Kenny, a submariner.
“Our goal is to rapidly deliver capabilities and effects,” Mullins said. “And we are the CNO’s lead for irregular warfare.”
http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/03/navy_tucano_031309w/
CMC: Living MoH recipient may be coming
By Brendan McGarry - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 13, 2009 13:38:45 EDT
The Marine Corps commandant said Wednesday that an investigator is reviewing a valor case that, if approved, would yield the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor in the war on terrorism.
“We have a case that I sent an investigating officer out to take a look at on the West Coast that, if proven, I think will prompt me to recommend the Medal of Honor for a living Marine,” Gen. James T. Conway said.
If the Corps were to make a formal nomination, the case would go to the secretary of the Navy for approval, followed by the secretary of Defense and then the president.
VIDEO
Conway did not identify the Marine or the country in which the Marine served.
To date, five service members — two soldiers, two sailors and one Marine — have received the military’s top valor award for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, all posthumously.
Conway, who was speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Defense Technology & Requirements Conference, described the fact that all five were killed in action as happenstance and not reflective of any kind of award standard.
http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/03/marine_conway_MoH_031109w/
things are going to have to change, space is going commercial soon. we are going to need some kind of international treaty to set up new rules