The Air Force has hired civilian defense contractors to fly MQ-9 Reaper drones to help track suspected militants and other targets in global hot spots, a previously undisclosed expansion in the privatization of once-exclusively military functions.
Source: Air Force hires civilian drone pilots for combat patrols; critics question legality
With MiGFlug, you can fly a real fighter jet – even if you’ve never flown a plane on your own before! One of our experienced flight instructors will be carefully preparing you for the flight, explaining about the instruments and finally taking off with you. During the jet flight, if you wish to do so, you will even get the chance to operate the jet by yourself and perform stunning manoeuvres in the jet fighter aircraft. The flight consists of manoeuvres like loops, rolls, immelman turns and, depending on the aircraft and location, spectacular low-passes above the airfield as well as supersonic flights. Our pilots will adjust the flight to your wishes whenever possible. Together, you will ensure that your day as a fighter pilot will be the day of your life.
Source: MiGFlug – Jet Fighter Flights in Supersonic Military Fighter Aircraft
$18000 for a 50 minute flight in a MiG-29
Lockheed Martin claims to have overcome a major obstacle to shooting high-power laser weapons from high-speed aircraft, saying it has successfully completed 60 Aero-adaptive Aero-optic Beam Control (ABC) laser turret flight tests over the past year. The turret uses a green, low-power laser to measure the system’s effectiveness at jet cruise speeds and at different angles off the aircraft. Lockheed says one of the greatest obstacles to fielding a powerful airborne fibre laser weapon to shoot down enemy
Source: Lockheed touts ABC laser turret as testbed completes 60 flights
Top legal experts met this week in Estonia for a drafting session of the substantially expanded and updated edition of the handbook on applicability of international law to the cyber realm. […] The Tallinn Manual process is funded, hosted and facilitated by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.
Source: Tallinn Manual 2.0 to Be Completed in 2016 | CCDCOE
Angle limitations lead the list. The experiment tested the cloak with light hitting at a 45 degree angle, and works effectively only within a 6-degree range of angles. Kante said his team is working on ways to expand that. His study states that the math behind the effectiveness of this experiment indicates a “large range” of angles should be possible.
Also, Kante said the technology does not allow for a cloak that can hide an object from both visual and radar detection; a given cloak will only work for a fairly narrow range of wavelengths.
Source: Pentagon intrigued by breakthrough in cloaking technology
But it’s better than the RAM they have now and it’s 10 times thinner. So maybe it covers enough wavelengths to foil current radar, because the current version of stealth is unfortunately quite visible.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence has formalised an agreement with Pratt & Whitney to establish an organic F135 engine maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) shop at the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s Woensdrecht Logistics Centre with the goal of supporting Lockheed Martin F-35 operations by 2019.
Source: Dutch MOD, P&W sign contract to stand up F135 maintenance site
we will seek even more opportunities to exchange personnel.
Already a joint UK-US battlestaff have deployed on operations. I see this type of interchange becoming the norm, particularly in headquarters roles, but we are also exploring the opportunity to mutually support niche or perishable skills.
[Fourthly,] we will pursue mutual investment in the technologies that will allow us to operate together, because innovation has always been the hallmark of battle-winning navies.And absolutely crucial to this relationship, is interoperability.
Not as bolt-on or an afterthought, but right from the word go.
So, through the joint development of a Common Missile Compartment for our Strategic Missile Submarines, a common airframe for the Joint Strike Fighter, common weapon systems and stocks, common data protocols, we are establishing interoperability from the outset.
Source: UK/US naval partnership – Speeches – GOV.UK
This is pretty far reaching partnership and in line with the long standing policy of jointness being explored in eg the combined amphibious forces with the Netherlands and military partnership with the French. Given the huge costs of modern combat platforms this seems to me to be the only sensible way of being able to meet future threats, although I would rather the UK focusses her partnerships on the EU member states instead of the US, whose foreign policy is often much more ambitious (and morally questionable) than that of the UK. The US also has a long and proud history of taking secrets from their allies and returning little to nothing of value in return – eg. F-35 source code.
A test pilot has criticised the F-35 heavily, explaining the F-35 loses out in all regimes. He couldn’t even turn his head properly, as the size of the helmet was too large for the size of the canopy!
DARPA’s Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) program, which developed a self-steering bullet to increase hit rates for difficult, long-distance shots, completed in February its most successful round of live-fire tests to date. An experienced shooter using the technology demonstration system repeatedly hit moving and evading targets. Additionally, a novice shooter using the system for the first time hit a moving target.
This video shows EXACTO rounds maneuvering in flight to hit targets that are moving and accelerating. EXACTO’s specially designed ammunition and real-time optical guidance system help track and direct projectiles to their targets by compensating for weather, wind, target movement and other factors that can impede successful hits.
via 2015/04/27 EXACTO Guided Bullet Demonstrates Repeatable Performance against Moving Targets.
Tough Men for Hire: Ex-Special Forces in Demand for War on Terror | Military.com.
A good look at how mercenaries are now at the forefront of training armies, since the collapse of Blackwater.
As well as several other officers, they were bribed to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, allowing the company doing the bribing to overcharge for around $20 million dollars.
3 Rear Admirals Forced Out Amid Massive Navy Bribery Scandal | Military.com.
America’s $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter, or F-35, is slated to join fighter squadrons next year—but missing software will render its 25mm cannon useless.
The Pentagon’s newest stealth jet, the nearly $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter, won’t be able to fire its gun during operational missions until 2019, three to four years after it becomes operational.
Even though the Joint Strike Fighter, or F-35, is supposed to join frontline U.S. Marine Corps fighter squadrons next year and Air Force units in 2016, the jet’s software does not yet have the ability to shoot its 25mm cannon. But even when the jet will be able to shoot its gun, the F-35 barely carries enough ammunition to make the weapon useful.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019 – The Daily Beast.
hahahahaha this programme is a joke! Except it’s so expensive to taxpayers!
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the University of Notre Dame, has demonstrated the airworthiness of a new beam control turret being developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and AFRL to give 360-degree coverage for high-energy laser weapons operating on military aircraft. A research aircraft equipped with the Aero-adaptive Aero-optic Beam Control (ABC) turret conducted eight flights in Michigan.
The big thing here is that they’ve mounted it on a small business jet instead of the previous incarnation, which was a Boeing 747. What isn’t mentioned though, is the power of the laser – can it knock out ICBMs and aircraft? Smaller missles? What is the recharge time between firings and how long can the laser fire? Are we at the point where dogfighting is truly becoming obsolete?
Aside from using a mobile network, you can use low frequency radar to detect stealth aircraft.
Chinese and Russian Radars On Track To See Through U.S. Stealth | USNI News.
The change, the most dramatic policy shift since Japan set up its post-war armed forces 60 years ago, will widen Japan’s military options by ending the ban on exercising "collective self-defense", or aiding a friendly country under attack.
Abe’s cabinet adopted a resolution outlining the shift, which also relaxes limits on activities in U.N.-led peace-keeping operations and "grey zone" incidents short of full-scale war, Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters.
via Japan takes historic step from post-war pacifism, OKs fighting for allies | Reuters.
And now it’s arming up with UAV’s / drones – Global Hawks
The real story behind Japan’s drone boom
The ships will be 65,000 tonnes at full displacement – over three times the size of the current Invincible Class Aircraft Carriers.
Range; 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles.
Each ship has two propellers which together will output 80MW of power – enough to run 1,000 family cars or 50 high speed trains.
56m from keel to masthead, which is four metres taller than Niagara Falls!
The distribution network on board will manage enough energy to power 300,000 kettles or 5,500 family homes.
Each ship has 1.5 million m2 of paintwork, which is 370 acres or slightly more than acreage of Hyde Park
Each ship’s two propellers will weigh 33 tonnes each – nearly two and half times as heavy as a double decker bus and one and half times as high.
Capable of a top speed in excess of 25 knots
80,000 tonnes of steel will be used in the construction of the two ships, three times that used in Wembley Stadium
Each of the two huge aircraft lifts can move two Joint Strike Fighters from the hangar to the flight deck in 60 seconds. They’re so powerful that together they could lift the entire ship’s crew.
Key Facts – Aircraft Carrier Alliance.
Global Strategic Trends (GST) describes a strategic context for those in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and wider Government who are involved in developing long term plans, policies and capabilities. Without a strategic context there is a risk that planners, policymakers and capability developers may assume a future that adheres to preconceived thoughts and assumptions.
As well as providing a strategic context, this 5th edition of Global Strategic Trends (GST 5) identifies long term threats and opportunities, out to 2045. GST does not attempt to predict the future, it cannot. Rather, it describes those phenomena that could have a significant impact on the future and combines these differing perspectives to produce a multifaceted picture of possible outcomes.
via Global Strategic Trends out to 2045 – Publications – GOV.UK.
The test that employed the Raytheon Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle Capability Enhancement II, or EKV CE-II, successfully collided and destroyed an incoming ballistic missile warhead high in space, identifying its targets amongst decoys and countermeasures representative of a long-range North Korean ballistic missile. The $200 million test was considered critical for the future of the US-based missile defense system, which suffered repeat failures in recent years.
via US ballistic missile defense interceptor scores a direct hit in space | Defense Update:.
Russia’s only aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov passed through the English Channel and into The Netherlands’ exclusive economic zone on May 8th. But the Dutch navy had no ships available for escort duty.
via The Dutch Were Powerless When Russian Warships Entered Their Waters — War is Boring — Medium.
Just over half (92) of the 183 nuclear missile launch officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana have been implicated in a widening exam cheating scandal, the Air Force said on Thursday, acknowledging it had “systemic” problem within its ranks.
The cheating was discovered during an investigation into illegal drug possession among airmen, when test answers were found in a text message on one missile launch officer’s cell phone. The Air Force initially said 34 officers either knew about the cheating or cheated themselves.
After, an investigation was started and all work personal were investigated. Due to the 2018 DOT drug testing regulations, each and all work personal had to take an obligatory drug test. Thankfully, the company, USA Mobile Drug Testing, offers their services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Therefore, all employees were pulled aside for a total of 15 minutes to get tested.
via UPDATE 1-Half of U.S. nuclear missile wing implicated in cheating | Reuters.
DARPA Open Catalog contains a curated list of DARPA-sponsored software and peer-reviewed publications. DARPA funds fundamental and applied research in a variety of areas including data science, cyber, anomaly detection, etc., which may lead to experimental results and reusable technology designed to benefit multiple government domains.
The only way for Europe to project the military might it needs to be able to protect its vast economic interests is by unifying the military and foreign policies of its member states. Only this will allow the economies of scale necessary to create an effective, non duplicated, expeditionary tool for politicians to use when diplomacy fails. The NL seems to have seen the light and is leading the way not only by example (integrating withe the DE navy, the BE air force, the UK marines, the common air transport fleet, the NATO AWACS fleet and the EU battlegroups), but also by leading the charge in this speech to the EU member states to get other nations on board as well. Only this way can the reliance on the US and NATO be removed and will the EU be able to stand on its own two feet in order to pursue its independent interests.
Specifically the qra (quick reactiin alert) and renegade tasks
Not only does this make economic sense, but also taking a wider view at European military cooperation, this is hopefully a first step towards many more far reaching integrated forces within the EU. Doing so will ease economic defense spending burdens, but also create a much more effective and flexible armed forces structure that can put some serious punitive weight behind the EU.