As part of the U.S. Army’s High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator (HEL TVD) Program, Raytheon is developing a 100kW class laser. The laser will help protect the U.S. Army’s family of medium tactical vehicles. The laser, expected to cost $30 per kill on average, will reduce the cost per engagement for the Army and help counter inexpensive threats that would exhaust magazines of current defense kinetic energy weapons. Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is developing a 100 kW class laser weapon system preliminary design for integration onboard the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles. This is … [Read more...]
Lockheed to Build Newest and Most Advanced F-16
Lockheed Martin has received a contract for $1.12 billion to produce 16 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft for The Kingdom of Bahrain. Block 70 is the newest and most advanced F-16, combining numerous capabilities and structural upgrades. The jet has improved radar systems, advanced weapons capabilities, and battlespace awareness. Read the press release below from Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a $1.12 billion contract from the U.S. government to produce 16 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft for the Royal Bahraini Air Force. The Undefinitized Contract Action award represents the first … [Read more...]
The X Engine Could Allow Drones to Fly Quieter and Farther
DARPA is funding the development of LiquidPiston’s 30 kilowatt, 40hp X4 diesel engine. The “X” engine technology includes an optimized thermodynamic cycle and a new rotary engine architecture. The architecture involves only two moving parts, a shaft and a rotor which significantly reduces vibration, noise, and heat output, minimizing EMI signatures and the engine’s impact on internal components. The X engine is fuel-efficient, enabling 50% increases in flight endurance. Shephard News is reporting that DARPA has contracted an additional $2.5 million in funding for development. LiquidPiston has … [Read more...]
BAE Secures Contract for NextGen Amphibious Combat Vehicle
BAE Systems has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Marine Corps worth $198 million for 30 next generation Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV 1.1). The contract for the new ACV 1.1 has options for a total of 204 vehicles worth up to $1.2 billion. The NextGen ACV 1.1 is equipped with a 700HP engine and has a range of 325 miles on land. It can reach speeds of over 65 mph. The vehicle excels in all-terrain mobility and can carry 13 marines and 3 crew members. BAE Systems, along with teammate Iveco Defence Vehicles, prevailed in the Marine Corps’ robust competition for the next generation of … [Read more...]
China’s Hack on U.S. Navy Contractor Nets Data on Submarine Warfare
The recent hack on a U.S. Navy contractor’s servers is being labeled as “very serious” by Rhode Island’s U.S. Senator Jack Reed. Investigators are blaming the Chinese Ministry of State Security. The Chinese hackers were able to download 614GBs of data related to U.S. undersea warfare systems, including the Sea Dragon supersonic anti-ship missile program. The data stolen “could give U.S. adversaries like China and Russia an edge in developing similar capabilities,” Bryan Clark, a naval analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, told USNI News. The defense official told USNI … [Read more...]
China Just Released Images of an F-22 Style Unmanned Jet
The Chinese just revealed a new remotely piloted fighter jet dubbed the “Dark Sword.” The Dark Sword has an F-22 style vertical stabilizer which means it could be capable of supersonic flight. Experts are warning the Dark Sword could give the Chinese a strategic advantage over the U.S. The curious case of the reappearing Dark Sword/Anjian 🤔 pic.twitter.com/5uQd7WZPb3 — Rick Joe (@RickJoe_PLART) June 5, 2018 China, situated in the Pacific and surrounded to its east by US allies, has tons of airspace to defend. For that reason, a fast fighter makes sense for Beijing. "Something like … [Read more...]
Inside China’s Plan to Overwhelm and Dominate the South China Sea
The Chinese are developing and fine tuning robo-boats to overwhelm enemy vessels. A video surfaced on the Chinese news site DW News on May 29th. The video shows 56 unmanned robot boats performing highly coordinated maneuvers in the South China Sea. Robert Beckhusen of The National Interest talks about how China could use this low-cost method to overwhelm a much more advanced adversary. A video from late May 2018 shows a swarm of 56 small, unmanned boats operating in the South China Sea. While a rudimentary demonstration, it mirrors similar exercises performed by U.S. Navy boats practicing — … [Read more...]
U.S. Soldiers About to Get the Upper Hand on the Battlefield
The U.S. Army’s new all-weather night vision goggles will help soldiers see at night, through vegetation, smoke, and even help distinguish friend from foe. The US Army placed two orders totaling $97 million for BAE Systems’ ENVGIII/FWS-I integrated thermal/night vision goggles and weapons sight system. The U.S. Army currently uses two systems, night vision goggles for situational awareness, and a thermal weapons sight for targeting. Soldiers need to switch between the two which greatly impacts engagement time. With BAE’s new state-of-the-art ENVGIII/FWS-I, the two features are … [Read more...]
Russian Reinforcements Heading to Syria
Reports indicate Russia is sending ships, including its Project 117 Alligator-class amphibious landing ship, loaded with military trucks, tanks, and armored vehicles to Syria. The ships are believed to be heading for Russia’s Naval supply base in Tartus. They were spotted in the Bosporus Sea Channel reports the Daily Mail. Two Russian warships laden with military vehicles have been spotted en route to Syria after Friday's US-led airstrikes obliterated three suspected chemical weapons sites. An Alligator-landing ship was pictured cruising down The Bosphorus on Sunday as the world … [Read more...]
Can the Army Save Lives with Virtual Reality?
Researchers at the U.S. Army’s Communications-Electronic Research, Development and Engineering Center are working on a new technology that troops could soon be using to locate IEDs reports Todd South of the Navy Times. The new technology uses virtual reality (VR) goggles and/or tablets to paint a digital picture of what lies beneath the ground. This creates a virtual map of the ground for explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) specialists. The research could eventually lead to robots equipped with these new sensors. Troops hunting hidden bombs or IEDs by hand often rely on upgraded metal … [Read more...]