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The PLA’s Potential Breakthrough in High-Power Microwave Weapons

Chinese scientists have reportedly achieved unexpected success in their development of a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon. This promising form of directed energy weapon combines “soft” and “hard kill” capabilities through the disruption or even destruction of enemy electronics systems. Such a powerful “new concept weapon” possesses unique advantages, including its potential speed, range, accuracy, flexibility,

F-35A At Red Flag: 90{3439116cd164096d7c99127d16a85000da62e2e99202cf6ad60af76b895b40d2} Mission Capable; Key Systems Up Every Flight

All indications from the pilots and commanders at Red Flag are that the F-35A performed far better than recent reports from the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation seemed to indicate. The now-departed Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, Michael Gilmore, said the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft is “not effective and not suitable across the required

Unit Beefs up Tanks With ”Reactive” Armor

Tank and maintenance crews from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, are giving their M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks a buffed up look that improves the overall defensive capabilities of the tank. The crews, who are part of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, which is serving as the initial ABCT rotational force in

DoD Officials Discuss Future Vertical Lift Family of Systems

The future of rotary-wing or vertical lift aircraft across the services is the focus of a Defense Department initiative that seeks to improve the speed, range, refueling and interoperability capabilities across the military services, U.S. Special Operations Command and the Coast Guard, and was the subject of a discussion today at the Center for Strategic

RAMBO: Researchers Fire 3D Printed Ammo from 3D Printed Grenade Launcher

Researchers at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) successfully fired the first grenade created with a 3-D printer from a grenade launcher that was produced the same way. This demonstration shows that additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3-D printing) has a potential future in weapon prototype development, which could allow engineers

Navy Conducts Initial Human Studies of Tactical Battle Manager Technology

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory”s (NRL) Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence (NCARAI) has conducted initial human studies of the tactical battle manager (TBM) technology. NRL’s TBM is a software system that deploys intelligent agents to guide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that each serve as a ‘wingman’ in manned / unmanned teams, in

Robotic Arm Tool Poised to Save Costly Inspection Time

AFRL researchers recently traveled to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to demonstrate the Remote Access Nondestructive Evaluation (RANDE) system. Developed through a contracted effort with OC Robotics of Bristol, United Kingdom, RANDE is a flexible, robotic snake-arm tool that can reach into confined areas to perform required inspections, or simply look into tight spaces. Typically,

Synthetic Tooth Enamel May Lead to More Resilient Structures

Unavoidable vibrations, such as those on airplanes, cause rigid structures to age and crack, but researchers at the University of Michigan may have an answer for that—design them more like tooth enamel, which could lead to more resilient flight computers, for instance. Most materials that effectively absorb vibration are soft, so they don”t make good

Metallic Hydrogen, Once Theory, Becomes Reality

Nearly a century after it was theorized, Harvard scientists have succeeded in creating the rarest – and potentially one of the most valuable – materials on the planet. The material – atomic metallic hydrogen – was created by Thomas D. Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences Isaac Silvera and post-doctoral fellow Ranga Dias. In addition

Energy Management System Cuts Plug-in Hybrid Fuel Consumption by One Third

Engineers at the University of California, Riverside have taken inspiration from biological evolution and the energy savings garnered by birds flying in formation to improve the efficiency of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by more than 30 percent. PHEVs, which combine a gas or diesel engine with an electric motor and a large rechargeable battery,

China Shows Off Silent Hunter 33kW Laser, Drones and Tanks

At the International Defense Exhibition and Conference, one of the world”s largest arms fairs, weapons-makers from around the world show off their latest. At this year”s show in Dubai, China flaunted a range of high-tech weaponry spread across 16,000 square feet of floor space. Included: S-20 attack submarines, FC-31 stealth fighter jets, and updates to

Australia Cuts Deal with US Navy for Next Generation Jammer

Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne announced Tuesday that Australia has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Navy to develop the Next Generation Jammer for the Boeing EA-18G Growler, an airborne electronic attack aircraft. Payne announced the AUD $250 million (U.S. $192 million) investment during the opening day of the 2017 Australian International Airshow at