Russia is turning to its Soviet Era jet -propelled T-80 as it continues its Arctic military buildup. The Russian Defense Ministry decided that it was more cost effective to modernize the T-80 MBT, which are currently collecting dust in Army depots, than to build new models. The modernization package includes a greater fuel efficiency, modern thermal and laser systems, dynamic protection layers, and crew compartment modifications to withstand temps of -43.6 Fahrenheit. T-80 tanks with jet-propulsion engines have been gathering dust in army depots since the collapse of the Soviet Union. But to … [Read more...]
The F-35 is About to Get Even More Expensive
The price tag of the world’s most expensive weapons program is about to increase even more with the role out of Block IV modernization. The F-35 Block IV upgrade would be carried out in four increments. Increments 4.1 and 4.3 will be mostly software related, and 4.2 and 4.4 would be hardware. The upgrades are estimated to add between $6.9 to 12.5 billion to the cost of the jet reports Pat Host of Jane’s Defense. The Pentagon is facing a cost increase for what was known as Block 4 modernisation of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) ranging between USD6.9 billion … [Read more...]
China Adding Artificial Intelligence to Submarines
A senior scientist involved with the program told the South China Morning Post that China is working on updating old computer systems on nuclear submarines with an AI decision support system. The new system will relieve some of the load and mental burden from commanding officers. China believes its AI assistant could help commanders by assessing battlefield environments and recognizing threats more accurately than a human operator. China is working to update the rugged old computer systems on nuclear submarines with artificial intelligence to enhance the potential thinking skills of … [Read more...]
World’s First Long-Range Rifle Capable of Eliminating Targets 2.4 Miles Away
Russian company, Lobaev Arms has created a long-range rifle capable of eliminating targets at distances of up to four kilometers. The rifle, built like a Ferrari or Porsche, was made piece by piece, with a focus on the firearm’s power and precision. The SVLK-14 Twilight is a carbon fiber-reinforced “sandwich” of plastic, fiberglass and Kevlar that is specifically made to handle the powerful .408 Cheytac round. SVLK-14S is a unique sniper rifle showing outstanding performance for more than 6 years at ranges well exceeding 2000 meters. It's power, accuracy and extreme range in your hands. The … [Read more...]
GPS, Both Vital and Vulnerable: America’s Infrastructure Under Threat
As of 2010 the “world’s only global utility,” the U.S. owned Global Positioning System (GPS), a constellation of twenty-four satellites, has been operating without a viable backup system. The GPS market can be divided into three broad categories: commercial, noncommercial (consumer), and military. The use of GPS is essential to financial systems and is extremely vital to high frequency trading, when milliseconds can be worth millions. Other areas that are heavily reliant on GPS are shipping, air traffic controls, the military, agriculture, railroads, and emergency services. Estimates of the … [Read more...]
South Korea Developed a ‘Black Out Bomb’ to Knock Out the North’s Power Grid
The Sun is reporting that South Korea is ready to launch “blackout bombs” in the event North Korea starts a nuclear war. These bombs, also known as graphite bombs and BLU-114/Bs, are non-lethal weapons aimed at disabling electrical power systems. Graphite bombs spread a cloud of extremely fine, chemically treated carbon filaments over electrical components, causing short-circuits and/or disruption to electrical supplies. The Graphite bomb is an element of the “Kill Chain” preemptive strike program developed by South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD). Military sources told … [Read more...]
Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider Makes Hard Landing
Aviation Week is reporting that Lockheed Martin, which acquired Sikorsky in 2015, is continuing support for its S-97 prototype after the chopper suffered a hard landing at its development center in West Palm Beach, FL. The hard landing is being blamed on the digital flight control system. Sikorsky said the system unexpectedly transitioned from simple ground mode to augmented flight mode before the aircraft was took off. Before the bad landing, the S-97 Raider was extremely close to achieving its goal of travelling faster than 220kt using the X2 technology. Sikorsky will continue … [Read more...]
Zumwalt Advanced Gun System May Finally Get its Ammo
In late 2016 we found out the US Navy couldn’t fire its awesome new gun aboard the USS Zumwalt because the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) rounds cost nearly a million dollars. Shortly after USNI reported the Navy was looking to replace the LRLAP with Raytheon’s Excalibur Projectile. The only problem was the Excalibur’s range was 30 miles, half of the LRLAP’s range. BAE Systems and Leonardo announced last week that they are working together on a new low-risk, cost effective, large caliber precision-guided munition for the Zumwalt’s Advanced Gun System. The ammunition will be a part … [Read more...]
New Unmanned Wingman Unveiled for 5th Gen Fighter Jets
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. announced that they will unveil a new class of unmanned aerial systems designed to function as wingmen (wing-bots?) for the F-22 and F-35. Kratos will present the XQ-222 Valkyrie and the UTAP-22 Mako drones at the 2017 Paris Airshow. The Air show will be open to the public on June 23-25th at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will be exhibiting at Booth 3-A118. The UTAP-22 and the XQ-222 are both highly maneuverable and are expected to cost somewhere in the $2 to $3 million range. The Valkyrie can travel at near … [Read more...]
Next Generation Railgun Pulsed Power Containers Break Density Record
General Atomics breaks its own record with the next generation High Energy Pulsed Power Container (HEPPC). The next-gen HEPPC provides pulsed power for the U.S. Navy’s Railgun program. The new HEPPC has twice the energy density at half the size. What used to fill a 20-foot shipping container now takes up only a 10-foot container and is twice as powerful. Read General Atomics’ press release below. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced that it has developed a High Energy Pulsed Power Container (HEPPC) that provides twice the energy density than existing railgun pulsed power … [Read more...]