early 2010s

Because of a little disagreement over in Naval Projects, I did a bit more digging on this program and found some interesting facts that I thought merited a new topic (here for the moment, rather than Military, since the prototypes don't seem to have been built yet). The Combatant Craft, Heavy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5laK2JopaVE&feature=player_embedded NASA: Satellite won't fall on US (msnbc Cosmic Log) <a href="http://www.space.com/12899-nasa-falling-satellite-uars-space-junk-infographic.html"> <img...

[raises eyebrow] French army red-faced after command post stolen The French army top-brass were left red-faced when after a mobile command post worth 600,000 euros (£523,000), complete with military computers, was stolen, judicial sources said on Tuesday. 4:04PM BST 20 Sep 2011 The modular...

War is Boring and offiziere.ch are jointly reporting on a story, coming out via the EX-SKF blog, that the PLAN has suffered a major nuclear accident onboard a sub at the port of Dalian. EX-SKF got the report in turn from a blog (Japanese language) run by a former JASDF pilot. The accident...

NASA announced on May 24, 2011 that the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) will be based on designs originally planned for the Orion spacecraft. From Space.com, "NASA Unveils Spaceship for Deep Space Exploration" by Mike Wall...

Model of DCNS Marlin SSK on display at IDEAS 2006 Defence Exhibition. The Marlin SSK is based on the Scorpene SSK and incorporates technology of the Baracuda SSK and has been offered for sale to the Pakistan Navy. Source: http://www.pakdef.info/exhibitions/ideas2006/index.html

Rethinking Heavy Lift May 6, 2011 By Bill Sweetman Washington Under a little-publicized program sponsored by the Pentagon, a small Southern California company is working on a design that is radical even by the quirky standards of buoyancy-aided aircraft: a rigid-hulled aircraft that...

The National Security Agency is designing a new $895.6 million supercomputing center that will be constructed at its Fort Meade, Md., headquarters over the next several years, Department of Defense budget documents reveal. The NSA's new High Performance Computing Center, slated to be complete by...

Russia Seen Pursuing U.S. Missile Shield Tech Thursday, March 24, 2011 Russia is pursuing an agreement with the Obama administration that would give Moscow access to U.S. technology for interceptors designed to destroy enemy missiles on impact, the Washington Times reported on Wednesday (see...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12281640 Here is a sad story. :(

One from CAC: http://bit.ly/fO3ucj One from SAC: http://bit.ly/fiz2Vh

Leaks reported on SDSR were accurate. Harrier and current carriers to be retired, in 2011 for Harrier. 1 CVF to get cats and traps and F-35C from 2020. Other CVF to be mothballed. Nimrod MRA.4 cancelled, new 'low cost frigates' to join escort force numbering 19. Reduced Tornado fleet retained...

Lockheed Martin and Skunk Works unveiled a concept of medium-altitude /long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called "Multi purpose long endurance" (MPLE) at the AUVSI yesterday. Links: http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2010/08/auvsi-skunk-works-unveils-medi.html...

Latest stories are that the entire RAF Tornado fleet may be retired. The £7.5bn 'saved' may help pay for a Trident replacement. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1298871/RAF-Tornado-fleet-faces-axe-bid-save-7bn.html This is still speculative (the 'leak' was hardly an agreed policy...

I thought it was about time for a bit of bar thumping. Now that we have a new Government the MOD will be doing a Strategic Review. It seems to me that the Royal Navy will have an opportunity to shape its escort fleet for the next 20 to 30 years. Some things seem to be given already...

Story from NTM-A (Nato Training Mission - Afghanistan) Kabul, Afghanistan, May 15, 2010--U.S. Air Force Major Caleb Nimmo is the first American Mi-35 HIND attack helicopter pilot to fly in combat. He is deployed to Afghanistan advising the Afghan National Army Air Corps’ rotary wing squadron...

FYI some links to images of the Indian Limited Upgrade Sea Harrier (LUSH). Images with outboard missile rails with one Magic and one Israeli Derby Missile, taken on board INS Viraat (ex-Hermes): http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Galleries/5267-1/viraat01+039.jpg...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/03/25/russia.uk.intercepts/index.html?hpt=T2 Is this just payback for all the times we did it to them over the years?

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/boeing-proposes-missile-with-global-reach/19405693 "The company says it has a missile concept ready, and that if it gets the go-ahead and funding from the Pentagon, the weapon could be ready for fielding within 30 months. The missile, which was developed...

Story NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon are dead. So are the rockets being designed to take them there — that is, if President Barack Obama gets his way. When the White House releases his budget proposal Monday, there will be no money for the Constellation program that was supposed...